Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme

Some of you might not know, I don’t really like summer.  It’s so hot that sometimes I hesitate to turn on the oven to bake my cakes or cookies.  It’s way too hot to wear clothes that cover my baby fats (note: fats from babies that I had, of course….no, there’s no buns in the oven, I promise).  It’s way too hot to workout under the sun after 10 am!  I probably can go on and on….but let’s focus on the positive of summer, shall we?  The best thing about summer that I can think of, would be indulging in frozen desserts like this Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme without feeling guilty.  It’s a really light and refreshing treat that won’t weight you down.  Plus, it’s super simple to make.
 


I added some fresh thyme leaves to infuse the simple syrup that’s going into making this sorbet.  The lemony fresh thyme compliment the Meyer lemon really well.  Last year, I made the Mixed Berries-Kiwi Sorbet with fresh basil in it.  I love the fresh herbs in these sorbets.  The earthiness of the herbs added the depth of flavor and balance out the sweetness. 



I made the Mixed Berries Sorbet without an ice cream machine last year.  Simply stir the mixture once or twice after the mixture is in the freezer for an hour.  You can do the same with this recipe if you don’t have an ice cream machine.  But, I really recommend you to get one.  Besides sorbets, you can use it to make some Valrhona Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream, or French Roasted Coffee Ice Cream.  See how much fun I’ve been having with my ice cream machine? 



Besides enjoying this Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme as is, my favorite way to serve it is to pour processo over a couple of scoops.  What should I call it now?  hm…Let's see, it’s a dessert, it’s a drink, it’s cool and it’s a totally fun treat.  Whatever you want to name it, I don’t think I care much.  Just give this a try and I'm sure you’ll love it too.  



If you’re serving this sorbet to the kids and they also want the bubbly fun, simply substitute the processo with some sparkling white grape juice.  Until next time, have fun and make this Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme soon!


 

**Reminder: Don't forget to enter my current giveaway (click here to enter).  Don't miss it!  Deadline to enter is August 10, 2012 by midnight.

Spicy Chicken Wrap—Lunch for One (with Pictorial)

Since my Baby Girl started school this summer, I’ve got a few hours of “me” time during the day while both of my kids are at school.  Yay…I finally got out of the night owl baking and posting habit, or maybe not.  I still love the quiet time I have at night, it’s just different.  That's my "Happy Hour", if you know what I mean.



What do I do with the “me” time during the day?  Well, there’s something I’ve been planning and working on, but not quite ready for the revelation just yet.  I’ll make an official announcement in the future.  So, besides missing my kids tremendously, I've been spending  more time cooking, baking, taking pictures (food, people, and scenic views, etc), and exercise.  Yup, surprised by the last one?  Me too! 



Also, I get to enjoy preparing some simple lunch and dishes that I don’t usually get to make when my kids are around... such as this Spicy Chicken Wrap.  So, don’t be surprised if you see more spicy recipes on my blog in the future.  I love spicy food.   Let me show you how to make it.

1) In a small bowl, mix the Japanese Mayo and Sriracha hot sauce together
2) Spread the spicy mayo on a tortilla wrap, leaving an 1/2-inch border
3) Place baby arugula in the center
4) Top with roasted chicken and tomato
5) Top with some radish for some crunch
6) Roll it all up and enjoy
 


It couldn’t be any easier than this, right?  If you plan to serve this to your family, feel free to double or quadruple the recipe to make enough to share.  If you have young kids or anyone in the family who don’t eat spicy food, substitute the hot sauce with ketchup.  But I really love the spiciness in this wrap, especially pairing with the peppery arugula and radish.  The chicken I used here was a left over roasted chicken drumstick from the night before.  Simply warm it up in the microwave and remove the skin and bone before wrapping .   



I really love this quick and easy recipe.  Hm…I guess I might start a “Lunch for One” series with quick and simple recipes on my blog. Will you be interested to see more of this type of recipes? Please let me know in the comment below.  I always love hearing from you.

Ice Cream Bon Bon with Magic Shells—With Pictorial

Nothing beat the heat better than enjoying a bowl of ice cream in the summer.  Well, maybe there is one thing….which is enjoying some Ice Cream Bon Bon with Magic Shells!  Are these bon bons just too cute and fun to eat?  Also, they are the best way to portion control your desserts intake... if it’s a concern for you, just like me!  haha…



Of course, I used my homemade ice cream to create these bon bons.  I had the Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream and French Roasted Coffee Ice Cream on hand, so those were what I used here.  After the ice cream balls were covered by the magic chocolate shells, they would be impossible to tell which one was which!   To distinguish between the two, I made them in two different batches and top them with different toppings.  The strawberry ice cream with a slice of freeze dried strawberry and the coffee one with a sprinkle of cocoa nibs.  Both of these toppings added some crunch to these bon bons.  On top of the already magical and crunchy magic shells?  These are truly amazing.



The magic shells are super easy to make as well, simply two ingredients in it, chocolate and coconut oil.  The coconut oil is the “magic” of the chocolate shells!  Want to join me in the kitchen with the step-by-step pictorial?  Come on over! 

1) Scoop the ice cream (with the smallest ice cream scoop you can find) onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place them back into the freezer to harden, about 30 minutes
2) Place chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, whisk until the chocolate is melted, let the chocolate cool down a little before dipping
3) I used a fork and a spoon for the dipping.  Pick up an ice cream bon bon with a fork, place over the melted chocolate and spoon melted chocolate over the ice cream. 
4) Make sure the whole thing is covered with melted chocolate.
5) Place them back onto the parchment lined baking sheet, top with your preferred topping while the chocolate is still soft.  Then, place them back to the freezer until the chocolate shell harden and ready to serve
6) I top the coffee bon bon with cocoa nibs



These bon bon are so simple and so much fun to make and eat.  When you bite into one, you’ll hear the crack of the magic shell and your creamy ice cream started to melt in your mouth and cools you down.



The ice cream scoop I used was about 1-inch in diameter, so these bon bon turned out to be 2-biters.  But if you can find an scoop that’s even smaller, use it and hopefully you’ll get a 1-bite size bon bon.



I used a 70% dark chocolate for the shells.  You can use semi-sweet, bitter-sweet, or even white chocolate for the shells.  My family is all into dark chocolate so that’s what I used.   I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe and pictorial.  Until next time, stay cool and magical!

Grilled Vegetables Salad

I’ve been turning on my BBQ grill quite often lately.  How about you?  It’s a nice way to keep the kitchen and the house cool, by bringing the cooking outdoor.  Plus, I really enjoy the charred and BBQ flavor from grilling.  The next time you plan to grill, get a bunch of vegetables for grilling too.  They make wonderful side dish, such as this Grilled Vegetables Salad.



Tip of the day: Grilled the vegetables before the meat. So you can prepare this salad while the meats cook.  It’s really simple to grill vegetables and it’s nice to pair this salad with a clean and light "dressing”.  In this recipe, I used romaine lettuce, zucchini, yellow squash, fresh corns, tomatoes, avocado, and dress it with lime zest, lime juice, green onion and fresh cilantro.  You can grill your favorite vegetables here and just add them in.  I used these produces as they are all in season now.  Nothing better and more fresh than to get the produces that are in season and bountiful!




I hope you enjoy today’s simple and healthy recipe.  Until next time, take care and happy grilling.  Have fun and stay safe for the rest of the summer.

Home Made Cocoa Mix and Frozen Hot Chocolate

Have you ever mix your own Cocoa Mix at home?  Well, I haven’t tried until just a few months ago.  After tasting the 2nd batch (the first trial was too sweet for my liking) and I asked myself why didn’t I do that sooner?  Yes, the beauty of mixing your own cocoa mix is that you can adjust the sweetness in it and decide what ingredients to go into your mix.  My recipe is really simple, just a few ingredients and nothing that you cannot pronounced.  By the way, my first batch didn't go to waste, of course.  I simply add more cocoa powder into it to make it “right”.  I often find the store bought one from the markets is way too sweet.  The one that I really love with intense chocolate flavor from the chocolate specialty store is way too expensive.  So, here we go.  The perfect cocoa mix, made in your very own home.  You can get it done in less than a minute as well!



It’s super easy too mix your own cocoa mix, all you need are four ingredients.  1) Unsweetened cocoa powder.  Of course, I used my favorite Varlhona’s. 2) Caster sugar.  Super fine sugar is easier to blend well with the rest of the ingredients.  They are available in the baking isle.  Or, simply grind the granulate sugar in the food processer for 2 minutes.  3) Vanilla powder, and 4) Salt.  Put them all in a large airtight container and shake until well incorporated.  That’s it.  When you’re ready to use, simply mix 2 tablespoons of the cocoa mix in every 8 ounces of hot milk.  I know, I know, it’s in the middle of summer and who needs a hot chocolate, right?  That’s why,  we are having a Frozen Hot Chocolate instead.  Also, if you’re into giving home made gifts in the holidays, book mark this for your future reference.  The holiday will be here sooner than you know.



Just one zip, I promise, you’ll be hooked.  It’s chocolate-y, creamy, and really cool.  It’s the perfect summer indulgence.  So, do share with your family and loved ones.  



To make sure your frozen hot chocolate is creamy and not too icy, the trick is to prepare some milk-cubes.  Yes, ice cube made from milk instead of water.  I used whole milk here but you can use low-fat milk or whatever you prefer. 



Pour the milk into the ice cube trays (almost but not quite to the top, the milk cube will expand a little when frozen) and freeze them until ready to use.  I found these ice cube trays at Target for $1 each.  What’s neat about these trays is that the bottom of each cube is made with silicone.  So, all you need is a gentle push and your ice cube will come right out. 



I simply topped my Frozen Hot Chocolate with some freshly whipped cream and a Maraschino Cherry, that’s it.  The baby size cups were for my kids.  Of course, they loved it, too.



You can enjoy your Frozen Hot Chocolate with a straw or a spoon.  See how chocolate-y and cool it is?  I have my milk-cubes freeze up ahead of time and store in a freezer safe container.  This will be my quick and easy go-to treat this summer. 



What are some of your favorite summer recipes?  I would love to hear from you and try your recipes too. 




P.S.  Click here to see where to buy the Glass Jars