Broccoli Salad

I hope most of you had checked out my YouTube Channel by now.  If not, yes, you are missing out!  Simply click on the video tutorial above to learn how to make this healthy and hearty Broccoli Salad, and many other yummy recipes with step-by-step tutorials.  I know it’s Fall, as it said so in the calendar.  However, my thermometer said otherwise!  I can’t quite believe we’ll be bearing another triple digits temperature this weekend.  My solution to beat the heat?  Eat some salad. Not any salad, but this Broccoli Salad, which is packed with Fall flavors and wonderful goodness.




There are only a few simple ingredients, as you can see from the picture below.  Simple, clean and healthy.  And what I love most is how easy it is to prepare.  If you make them ahead of time, it’s equally good the next day as the broccoli stays nice and crispy even with the dressing tossed in.  Thus, make this Broccoli Salad a great pot luck item or perfect for your up coming gathering!  You can easily double or triple the recipe. 



In the recipe, I only blanch the broccoli for one minute and transferred it to a bowl of iced water.  The iced water helps stop the cooking process and helps the broccoli stay nice and green.  So, that’s an important step not to miss.



The dressing is simple with just a few ingredients.  Noticed in the video that I used Japanese Mayo instead of the regular ones.  I am partial to the Japanese Mayo.  It’s more flavorful and rich, since it contains higher ratio in egg yolks compare to the regular ones.  You can find it in most Asian supermarkets or ethnic isle in major supermarkets as well.  If not, you can also order it online.  I’ll provide a link at the end of the post for your reference.




Last but not least, don’t’ forget to check out the 2 current giveaways on my blog.  One is for the awesome Paleo Italian Cooking cookbook (worldwide) and the other one is $100 Visa gift card (U.S. only)!  Click on the links below for details on how to enter!

$100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway
Paleo Italian Cooking Cookbook Giveaway



Tools and Ingredients used:

Japanese Mayo (Click here for product information)
Wood Salad Bowl with Servers (Click here for similar product)
Small Glass Bowls (Click here for similar product)
Core Bamboo 3-Piece Cutlery Set  (Click here to see product information)
Wood Print Photography Backdrop (Click here to see similar product)

Almond Cranberry and Macadamia Protein Bars

How are you all adjusting to "back to school" life thus far?  For us, I guess we’re doing alright.  (I am hanging in there!)  For some reasons, it seems that my kids are adjusting way better than I do.  My body is not quite willing to adjust to the super early wake up time!  Plus, I miss them terribly during the day….and dealing with homework after school isn’t all that fun!  Shhh….don’t tell them though.  If you need to pack your children (or grandchildren’s) lunch and snack boxes like I do, that’s another level of challenge!  It’s not always easy to keep things interesting and healthy!  Today, I have a solution for you on the snack box!  Say hello to these Almond Cranberry and Macadamia Protein Bars!



They are quick and easy to put together and oh so good.  They are crunchy, chewy, slightly sweet and a little salty at the same time.  These bars are the perfect thing to pack into the snack boxes for school or office, or when you are on the go.  You can simply grab one and take it anywhere with you!  I made them gluten free with the brown rice crisps cereal and brown rice syrup.  If you want to make a vegan-friendly version, substitute the honey with an equal amount of agave and you’re good to go (please see details on the recipe at the bottom of this post). 
 


There are quite a few advantages of making these bars at home.  The obvious ones are that you can control what ingredients you add into them and the cost is cheaper than packaged protein bars from the market.  Another reason for making them yourself is that you can cut them into any shapes and sizes you want!  I cut some of mine with a small heart shaped cookie cutter (see picture above).  Not only they are super adorable, they also have the perfect portions for the kiddos.  Ready to see how I made them?  Please click on the video tutorial below!







I hope you enjoyed watching my video tutorial.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new video tutorials published. 




Thank you for reading.  Please stay tuned for more fun recipe and giveaway in the near future.


Ingredients and Tool used:
Roasted and salted almonds (Click here for more information)
Dried cranberries (Click here for more information)
Macadamia nuts (Click here for more information)
Organic Brown Rice Crisps (Click here for more information)
Organic Brown Rice Syrup (Click here for more information)
Organic Honey (Click here for more information)
9 by 13-inch baking pan (Click here for more information)
Small sauce pan (click here for more information)
Parchment paper (Click here for more information)
Heat proof spatula (Click here for more information)

Lemon and Strawberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

Easter is just around the corner.  I truly adore this time of the year as Springs symbolized growth and new lives.  (In case if you wonder...NO, I'm not pregnant, I'm just referring to my plants in the garden!)  Another great news for foodies?  It’s the strawberry season!  Although I pretty much get strawberries all year round in California, I know many of you had been looking forward to the strawberry harvest time for a while.  The inspiration for these Lemon and Strawberry Cream Sandwich Cookies?  The Easter bunny of course.  And I love pairing strawberries with lemons, as the refreshing and citrus aroma compliment well with the sweet and tart strawberries.  Okay, these are not exactly Easter bunnies as you might already knew.  It’s a very famous children books/cartoon character called Miffy.  Click here to the link for the Miffy Cookie Cutters if you’re interested.    



I added some almond meal (almond flour) in the cookie dough for a hint of nutty flavor.  The cookies are packed with lemon zests and the lemony aroma truly shines through in these cookies.  The cookies alone are wonderful and makes perfect ice cream toppers, such as this one.  The strawberry cream filling is one of the easiest fillings I've ever made.  Yet, it’s packed with wonderful strawberry goodness and flavor.  Both the cookies and strawberry cream are not overly sweet.  But if you like yours sweeter, feel free to add a bit more powdered sugar when you make the fillings. 



I can’t wait to take my Kiddos out to the annual Easter Egg Hunt.  I know, that sounds like a big even/outing.  Actually, we usually just “hunt” the goodies packed plastic eggs at the backyard.  However, my kids always look forward to it and enjoy it so much every time.  I love it when little things in life like this can bring so much joy to them.  Do you have any plans for Easter?  I would love to hear from you.  

Vanilla Bean Easter Bunny Macarons and Carrot Cake Macarons

I love Easter.  It symbolized new life and reborn.  Easter is also filled with pastel colors things and furry bunny ears headband that my Baby Girl adores.  Easter also includes the fun Easter Egg Hunt and chocolate eggs that my Little Boy loves.  Ever since my kids could take their first step on their own and held onto a basket, I planned and organized little Easter Egg Hunt at the backyard for them.  This year is no exception.  By the way, Easter falls on March 31st this year.



For the Easter Egg Hunt, I usually prepare plastic eggs filled with treats and hide them in the backyard.  I also prepare big beautiful baskets for the kids to carry their treasures as they search and continue their "hunt".  I really enjoy seeing the smiles on their little faces as they discovered each egg.  Wait, I see something hatching from an egg below.  What is it?



Oh, it’s an Easter Bunny!  Wait, it isn’t just any Easter Bunny, it’s a Vanilla Bean Easter Bunny Macaron!



Wait, there’s another one hatching out…..



And another….



Wait, there’s more.  Shhh….this one is still asleep!  She’s just so cute.  Let’s call her Sleeping Beauty, shall we?!



Oh…and Mr. Grumpy is here too!



I hear someone whispering….



So, here goes the Easter Bunny Tea Party.  Care to join?  Oh, and Sleeping Beauty is still sleeping, shhh…..



Of course, you can’t have a Tea Party without some treats!  Can you?  What do we have?  Oh, Carrot Macarons with Cream Cheese Buttercream filling, of course.  Those are Easter Bunnies’ favorite treats!



These sure look tasty and perfect for the Easter Bunnies.



This is such a fun party, let’s taste some carrots, shall we?



How was it, then?



Everything was in harmony, peace and quiet, until my kids decided to join the Easter Bunny Tea Party.  Of course, you know how it ended.



The kids couldn't resist for a taste test.   And yes, the Easter Bunnies were as delicious as the Carrot macarons.  The End!



Have you ever wonder, what’s inside of an Easter Bunny Macaron’s head?  Creamy Vanilla Bean Buttercream, that is.  I’m not dare to watch!



Carrot Macaron Shells and Cream Cheese Buttercream fillings.  I’m telling you, they taste just like a carrot cake, in macaron form.



In case you wonder, I sliced and dried some carrots in the oven for the shells.



Until they look like this (below).  Then, I ground them all up with almonds, powdered sugar to make the shells.



Here are the Easter Bunnies before they went into the oven.  Oh…sorry, that just doesn't sound right. hahaha…..I hope you’re looking at the picture below too and not just reading the paragraphs alone.



Here’s the Easter Bunny being filled with Vanilla Bean Buttercream.  Oh so yum! 



Do you celebrate Easter?  What's your plan for the Easter weekend?  I would love to hear from you.  I hope you all enjoy today’s special Easter post.  Until next time...



P.S.:  After I was done editing the pictures for this post, I found out that Baby Girl has a sweater with a bunny that looks very similar to “Sleeping Beauty”.  So, my Baby Girl was my model that day and I snapped a few fun shots.  Say goodnight, I mean goodbye to "Sleeping Beauty".  She’s living happily ever after in my Baby Girl’s tummy!     




Disclaimer: No Easter Bunny was hurt during the production of this post.  We all had a fun tea party and a happy tummy!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

I have to admit, I don’t often make banana bread.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like it.  But the last time I made one, I was the one who consumed almost the whole loaf!  Ahem….it’s not that I didn't want to share; I believe food tastes better when shared with loved ones.  But seems like the rest of my family doesn't care about banana bread, and one doesn't even want to come close to it.  Is that even possible?



On the other hand, my kids love bananas, I often buy them in bulk because I don’t want to run low on my fresh banana inventory.  My kids seem to want one whenever we just ran out.  So, I tried to keep them around the house these days.  If they are ripen sooner than we can consume, I turn them into these Breakfast cookies or freeze them up to make smoothies at a later time.



Today was another day I needed to use up some over-ripen bananas, again!  Then, I realized my freezer still has quite a bit of frozen bananas and I also got these cookies around the house.  So, I thought of making banana bread, again!  However, I certainly didn't want to end up consuming the whole loaf all by myself, again!  Did I say again?  Then, an idea came to mind, which was adding more ingredients and flavors that my family loves, into this banana bread!  Bingo!  Why didn't I think of that last time? 



So, in this Banana Bread, I added some semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Who doesn't like chocolate chips, right?  And orange zest; what a winning combination?!  As I was reaching over to get butter and eggs from the fridge, I realized I have a bit of vanilla yogurt that I need to use up as well, so they all joined the pool!  The end result was amazing!  The Banana Bread was soft and moist in the middle because of the banana and yogurt.  The top and edges are golden brown and slightly crunchy.  The sliced almond on top added a little bit more crunch and nuttiness.  You can taste the aromatic banana, the refreshing orange zest, and a bit of decadent and sweetness from the chocolate chips all in one bite. 

Here’s how I make it:

1) This is how the banana looks, sometimes the bananas I used got even more brown spots than these!

2) In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, set aside.

3)In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  (this particular batch, I used brown sugar. more on that in just a minute)

4)Then stir in the chocolate chips, set aside.



5) In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, yogurt, vanilla and orange zest until well combined.

6) Then, whisk in the mashed bananas.

7) With a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined.

8) Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top (opps, forgot to take a picture after adding the almonds) and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center and comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. Enjoy!



Super simple and easy to make, isn't it?  In the #3 pictorial above, you see that I used brown sugar this time. I was testing out different ingredients and you can use either brown or white sugar. The one with brown sugar yields a more chewy texture bread while the white sugar version will give you a more fluffy texture.  I personally preferred the later one, but it’s all up to you. Also, if you like the chocolate chips to be more evenly distributed throughout the cake/bread, use mini chips instead of the regular chocolate chips.



The verdict?  My family loves it.  Not only this bread is simple to make and take so little time to prepare, the most important point is that even my most challenging food critic in the house (also a non-banana bread eater) loves this loaf!  So, I declare this recipe is definitely a keeper!  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try too.  I know you’re going to love it.  Is there any food that you love but seldom make it at home because the rest of your family doesn't like it?  I would love to hear from you.  Thank you for reading and have fun baking!

Mint Shamrock Macaron with Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache—For St. Patrick’s Day

Obviously, I’m not Irish.  I’ve never been so excited about St. Patrick’s Day, until this year, really!  Why am I so excited?  Food, of course.  I created these Mint Shamrock Macarons with Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache and couldn’t wait to share them with you.  I know, shaped macarons are not new, if you remember these or these from a while ago.  But it’s the flavor and how fun these are that won me over.



Saint Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on the 17th of March, the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death.  This day is supposed to commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.  Why the Shamrock always associated with St. Patrick’s Day, you might ask?  Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. That was why. 



Are you still with me?  Okay, just checking.  I’m known to be amongst the first few who always falls asleep the fastest in History classes.  So, just want to make sure I didn't lose you with the last paragraph.  Let’s move on to the fun stuff.  How about we talk more on food, recipe and how-to’s instead?  Yeah? Come take a closer look on the shamrock macaron below.



If you've made macarons before, you know the macaron batter is filled into a pastry bag and piped onto baking sheets before going into the oven.  So, I'm sorry to tell you that there’s no cookie cutter you can use to make these shamrock macarons.  However, don’t be despaired, they are pretty easy to pipe.   Basically, they are a combination of 3 mini heart shapes and a trapezoid as shown in the picture below.  After piping numerous heart shaped macarons for the Valentine’s Day, I probably can pipe a heart shape macaron blind-folded (nah…I wished!)  So, these are not hard to do at all, just need a few practice and you’ll be all fine.



Here’s how they look before going into the oven.



With these macarons, I added about 10 fresh mint leaves and grind them all up along with the almonds and powdered sugar to make the shells.



The scent of fresh mint is amazing. 



Along with the Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache filling, these shamrock macarons are so refreshing and totally rock!  (Hey, that rhymes.)  They totally reminded me of the thin mint Girl Scout Cookies and the After Eight Chocolate Thin Mints, if you have tried those before.  Amazing stuffs.



I say, they are even better than a pot of gold!  Just sayin’!



If you’re looking for a fun and festive treat to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, give these Mint Shamrock Macaron with Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache a try.  I know you’re going to love them!

I found this at my local craft store, or click here to see a similar product online.

Last but not least, may each petal of the 4 leaf clover (Wait! Why 4 and not 3?  I’m totally returning this dish!) bring you good health, good luck, love, and happiness!  Thank you for reading and I hope you’ll enjoy today’s recipe.  Until next time….