Learning the basics boosts confidence in the kitchen :) Roasted veg dishes are not only simple, but incredibly delicious ways to cook and eat vegetables. Tossing almost any vegetable into the oven that’s coated in good olive oil and herbs brings out the natural flavor of the veg. There really aren’t any rules to this - just use high heat, season well, and wait till there’s some good golden color on the edges. The charred bits are always the best.
Grapefruit is available year-round, but reaches peak season starting around Christmas, thru April. This zesty citrus has really climbed to the top of my list of favorite fruits. I love them in Palomas, summer salads, or as a simple breakfast or snack. This week's recipe is a really delicious way to enjoy this beautiful citrus - sprinkling a mixture of brown sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt over top halved grapefruits, and putting them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to achieve golden, caramelized perfection. The sugary topping adds some warmth and spice to this tart fruit. Snack on the broiled grapefruit alone, or with greek yogurt swirled with a drizzle of honey. I love adding Nature's Path Flax Plus Pumpkin Flax Granola on top for some texture :) Watch the video below to find out how!
Chia pudding is one of the easiest ways to work superfoods into your diet - not to mention how incredibly tasty and versatile it is to make! It takes virtually 5 minutes to whip together, and then all you've got to do is have enough patience to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. I like to make my pudding at night so that there's no waiting ;) Chia pudding works beautifully as an alternative to overnight oats, cereal, or your morning yogurt for breakfast; or really wonderful as dessert.
The only thing you need to remember when making chia pudding is a simple ratio of 1 cup milk to 4 tbsp chia seeds. You can use any type of milk, such as coconut, almond, rice, soy, or cow :) You can stir in greek yogurt for some more texture and fluff. When it comes to flavoring your pudding, anything goes! Blend up some fresh fruit, use chocolate, mint, peanut butter, nutella... the list goes on and on.
An easy treat for Valentine's Day is to toss some raspberries into the blender and add them to your pudding. Serve it with fresh mint, or shaved chocolate for a sweet, healthy treat. Watch the video below to find out how :)
Happy New Year!! :) Last year was an incredible one for me. Moving abroad in 2015 was the wisest choice I've ever made. I'm incredibly grateful for all of the challenges, growth, travel, work, and fear that has pushed me closer to my authentic Self. I hope you all had a really fantastic year as well :)
If you're nursing a hangover, I've got the perfect recipe for you. Here in Hong Kong, we have a ton of Cha Chaan Tengs, or tea houses that serve a crazy variety of HK comfort food. Cha Chaan Tengs have super late hours, making it convenient to enjoy French Toast, eggs, baked spaghetti, or even steak at any time of the day. HK style French Toast is a classic. Plain white bread and peanut butter sandwiches, dipped in a simple egg mixture and deep fried. It's then served with butter, condensed milk, and maple syrup - making it a completely decadent breakfast item. Today I'm taking a cue from this HK dish and showing you how to make Hangover French Toast! Let's get cookin :)
Watch the recipe below:
4 slices of bread (traditional white bread, or milk bread as I'm using)
2 eggs
splash of vanilla extract
splash of milk
salt
peanut butter
butter (for cooking and serving)
maple syrup or agave
Slice up your favorite bread.
Spread peanut butter on each slice of bread.
Sandwich 2 slices of bread together and put aside.
In a shallow dish, whisk together 2 eggs, a splash of vanilla, a dash of salt, and splash of milk.
Dip each sandwich in the egg mixture. Don't forget the sides!
Pan-fry each sandwich in 1 tbsp butter until both sides are golden brown. I like to stand the sandwich up on its ends to get them nice and crisp, too.
Serve the HK French Toast with butter and maple syrup (You can add condensed milk if you like ;)
Warm, delightfully eggy bread filled with ooey gooey peanut butter is so delicious - you can start your diet tomorrow. :)
I love Fall!! Hoodie weather, the holidays...and food. Roasted veg, casseroles, pie, roasts, baked fruit...mmm!! Some of my favorite comfort food is made during the Fall and Winter months. Overnight Oats are a Pinterest favorite, and make busy weekday mornings a little easier. Today we're adding a Fall twist to Overnight Oats by adding cinnamon-spiced apples and a nutritional boost from hemp seeds :)
Hemp seeds are a nutritional powerhouse that actually do not cause any psychotropic reaction. They are packed with tons of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, amino acids, calcium, iron, magnesium, and tons of Vitamins. Adding hemp seeds to your diet is a complete bonus. Watch the recipe below! Let's get cookin :)
This recipe came about as a happy accident. One night (I know you love breakfast for dinner!) I was craving pancakes and decided to whip up a quick batch (carbs be damned). I only had skim milk (0% fat milk) that I use with cereal, and didn't think it would really make a difference. You know the saying "The first pancake is always a failure"? I totally thought that was the case when I poured this batter on the hot skillet. The resulting pancake was more like a crepe - thin, fluffy, and beautifully crisp along the edges. I realized I had just created a hack for crepes - until I googled it and discovered it was a thing. Either way, here's a super simple recipe for crepes that can be turned sweet or savory...whatever you like :)
Today I'm filling them with plain yogurt and fresh strawberries, topping them with toasted coconut, lemon zest for brightness, and a scoop of non-dairy ice cream. I'm using Happy Cow Dairy-Free Ice Cream, which is made from coconut milk and brings tons of creamy decadence to this dish! Let's get cookin!
Breakfast might seriously be my favorite meal of the day. I love eggs, cereal, oatmeal, crepes, omelettes, blintzes..pancakes...waffles.........and I'm salivating. Breakfast has an endless options and one of the great ones is the almighty breakfast sandwich! Sometimes there is nothing better than hearty, toasted bread holding together savory breakfast goodness. This is a super simple breakfast sandwich - use it as a springboard for ideas to make your own, using what you already have! For me, it's all about texture, so I start with a base of creamy avocado, mixed with lime, cilantro, red onion, salt and pepper, and red onion. Add pan-crisped slices of salty prosciutto, and top it off with a nice, runny egg for the perfect breakfast combination. If you've never had crispy prosciutto, go, now! Baking or gently pan-frying tender, delicate pieces of prosciutto transforms the already delicious treat into intensely flavorful, crisp pieces of heaven. You can add pieces to a salad, toss them in pasta, or eat them like chips like I do ;) Let's get cookin!
Sweet Potato Toast is amazing!! It's so vibrant and colorful, and is a nutritious alternative to your regular wheat toast - not to mention it's paleo and gluten free! There are endless topping options, and today I'm sharing some yummy ideas with you to get you inspired. Sweet Potato Toast works with sweet or savory ingredients, and is so satisfying that a few of these make a wonderful meal. I'm all about using whatever you've got in the kitchen already, and the hearty, sweet flavor of the sweet potatoes is a great vessel for tons of versatility.
Now these are a tall stack that you won't feel guilty about! Who knew that a quick mix of oats, ripe bananas, and eggs would make a satisfying alternative to regular pancakes? These whole grain pancakes are naturally sweetened and flavored with ripe bananas, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. You can keep em simple, or add fruit or chocolate chips to the batter!
Mother's Day is just around the corner! For some reason, this holiday always makes me think of French Toast. Maybe it's because Mother's Day feels like one of those mornings you wake up to sneak to the kitchen and surprise Mom with breakfast in bed. Or going out to brunch with family - either way, French Toast is pretty to look at, simple to make, and delicious to eat. Check out my other French Toast recipes for Hot Chocolate French Toast, Pumpkin French Toast, and King's Hawaiian French Toast! :)
One of the most popular items on a brunch menu is often a Lemon Ricotta Stuffed French Toast. The idea of making this at home was intriguing to me - how hard could it be? Turns out, it's super simple and only takes 20 minutes. What I love about this recipe is that you can substitute ricotta for mascarpone or cream cheese like I did :) Adding fresh lemon zest and juice to the filling gives the perfect punch to this sweet breakfast. Top it off with your Mom's favorite fresh fruit and you'll be chalkin up all kinda Brownie points :) Let's get cookin!
