Spicy Edamame—Quick and Easy Healthy Snacks

Edamame is one of my favorite simple appetizers to enjoy before a meal.  Usually, we get a small bowl of these healthy and tasty complimentary beans at the Japanese restaurants before our orders arrive.  Edamame beans are immature soybeans in the pod, which commonly are found in the Japanese and Chinese cuisines.  The pods are usually boiled in water or steamed and served whole.  A while ago, I found some organic edamame from Costco that were packaged in individual bag of 3-ounces each.  The suggested serving instruction was to put them in the microwave for 3 minutes, sprinkle with salt and serve up.  Simple enough right?  Of course I couldn't resist to bring some home.



Of course, if you know me well, I won’t just serve them as is.  It’s fun to add different condiments on them for new flavors.  What did I create this time?  These Spicy Edamame!  With a hint of sea salt, toasted sesame oil, and some Japanese chili powder!  Oh boy, so simple and so good.  Make them, seriously, and you can thank me later.



The package suggested to microwave them, but if you oppose to using a microwave for whatever reason, you can put them in boiling water for 3 minutes for the same result.  Here’s the step-by-step pictorial on how I prepared these Spicy Edamame.

1) Place the edamame in a microwave safe bowl.
2) Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes.  I stop the microwave half way and give the edamame a toss to ensure they heat through evenly.
3) Sprinkle with sea salt
4) Drizzle with toasted sesame oil
5) Sprinkle with your favorite chili powder
6) Toss, serve up and enjoy



Simple, right?  This is how the packaged edamame looks like (see picture below).  And the picture of the chili powder I used.  This is by far my favorite chili powder and I got it in a Japanese supermarket (you can get this in some Asian market as well).  If you have your own favorite, by all means go for it.



Edamames are low in calories, high in fiber and contain an adequate amount of healthy fats. They are packed with protein and essential amino acids.  They also contain vitamin A, calcium, vitamin K and folate.  Whatever that means, they just translate to tasty goodness to me.  Minus the chili powder, they are also my kids’ favorite snacks.  Come on, what kids don’t like food that they can pick up with their hands, bit into them and squeeze out little gems from inside the pods?  They definitely are fun to eat as well.  The big kid in me say so, at least. 

A Short Trip to New Orleans

Recently, my hubby and I took a short trip to New Orleans.  It was a quick get away trip for us.  What’s so special about this trip?  Besides it’s my very first time visiting this vibrant city, it was also our very first time travelling without the kids.  Yup, that’s right.  It’s been 5 years+ that my hubby and I haven’t travel on our own.  Thank you to my In-Laws and my parents for watching the kids while we were away.  Although it was just a short trip, it was fun and very memorable.  Here are some pictures and highlights that I wanted to share with you.  I’ll have separate posts to review the hotel that we stayed in and a couple of restaurants that we've dined at.  Those deserve their own spotlights.  Our first stop of the day in New Orleans, the Jackson Square (see picture above), isn't it beautiful?



Of course, you can’t travel to the Big Easy without having their French Quarter Beignets at Café du Monde.  They are simply a fried pastry topped with powdered sugar.  Of course, fried dough is always tasty. 



They reminded me of a Chinese fried pastry called “牛利酥”.  With a cup of coffee or latte, it’s the perfect breakfast or afternoon pick me up.



After the quick fuel, we headed to the French Market.  What I love about the French Quarter was that everything were so closed by.   You can simply walk to all the happening places without hopping into the car.



The French Market is a market and series of commercial buildings in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  It stretches just inland from the Mississippi River in the section of the French Quarter downriver from Jackson Square, with the famous Café du Monde at the upriver end, down to the flea market stalls across from the New Orleans Mint building.



Let’s take a look at what the French Market has to offer.



From nuts, essences, health food products to fresh produces.



There were a couple of shops with all kinds of spices and sauces that you can purchase as well.



If you get hungry and want to get a few fresh raw oyster, there’s an oyster bar as well.  (Sorry, this fine gentleman might looked more like he’s constipated than trying to open an oyster).  Hey, I opened my own oysters before.  It’s not easy and I'm sure my facial expression was worse than this!




There were all kinds of snacks and local food stalls in the market.  Gator, anyone?



The weather in New Orleans was just too hot and humid.  I need a frozen drink half way through my walk.  Did you know you can drink (alcoholic beverage) in the open public in New Orleans?  Boy oh boy, I just love this city!  I was so spoiled there.



Here goes my icy drink.



It’s so refreshing.  I say, it’s more like a fruity smoothie.  You can hardly taste the alcohol in it.



Here are the flea market stalls area.  You can definitely spend half a day there browsing and shopping.



After the French Market, we then walked over to the Governor Nicholls Street Wharf down the block.



A nice and peaceful view of the Mississippi River.



All these walking got us hungry.  We got a few bites to eat at The Market Café that has an outdoor sitting area with a live Jazz band.



His voice was amazing!  The Jazz music was so calming and relaxing.  It simply put you in a good mood.



At the Market Cafe, we tried the classic Gumbo. 



And the Alligator sausage.  Yup, as people say, alligator tastes just like chicken.



On our way walking back to the hotel, we passed by The W Hotel.  It’s still under construction and not open to public yet.  But there was an outdoor patio/resting area that was open.  So we went for a peek and took a few pictures.



A fire/water fountain?  How creative!?



Nice cozy chairs for you to relax right next to the pool.







Don’t you love the details of their décor?



After dinner, we head to the Bourbon Street (see pictures below). At Bourbon Street, you can find many bars and pubs that people basically party all night long.



For the 2 nights we were there, we visited the Bourbon Street on both nights. 



A block down the Bourbon Street, here’s the night view of the Saint Louis Cathedral (picture below).



We also walked over to the Harrah’s Casino (picture below) to check it out.  We went inside for a quick peek but we didn't stay to play any games. 



On the day that we were leaving, we went to Mahony’s for lunch.  We wanted to try their famous Po-Boys!




Guess who brought us in here? Yup, Guy Fieri!  We watched one if his Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives episodes that he recommended this place along with Emeril Lagasse.



We ordered Cole Slaw.



Some French Fries.



Here comes the Po-Boys.  By the way, if you have a plane to catch, like us, you might not want to come to this place for lunch!  We were “warned” that the wait time was 40 minutes when we place our orders.  We travel so far we just gotta try them.  Heck, it really took 40 minutes for these babies to arrive!



This is the regular Po-Boy.  Very generous portion and the oysters were very fresh.  The fried oysters were crispy on the outside and very juicy inside.



Below was the “Peace Maker” recommend by Guy.  It has the same ingredients as the Po-Boy, plus cheese and bacon.  Yum!



The good news was, we were still able to catch our flight!  Phew!  It’s such a fun city to visit.  If you haven’t been there, go for it.  We definitely had a wonderful time.  Thank you for stopping by and stay tuned for the hotel and restaurant reviews.

Breakfast Cookies—For Back to School (with Pictorial)

Summer will be ending soon, and it’ll be that time of the year again—Back to School!  Last year, I send this little guy back to school after the summer break.  This year around, I’m sending both my Little Boy and my Baby Girl back to school.  Since they both attended the summer session, their summer break were rather short. 



What is the best way to jump start a back to school morning?  How about cookies for breakfast?  Oh yeah. I’m sure your kids would appreciate that, any time of the year and not just for back to school.  For all those health conscious parents out there, don’t worry, you’re packing some wholesome goodness for your kids in these awesome Breakfast Cookies.  These Breakfast Cookies are sugar free, egg free, flour free, and worry free.  Plus, you can make a batch without any special equipment in about half an hour.  Of course, I baked these the night before, not the morning of the first day of school.  



Want to come into the kitchen with me to bake up a batch?  Come on over.

1) In a medium mixing bowl, mash 2 ripe bananas with a fork (I’m telling you, it’s the best way to use up those ripe bananas! hehe…)
2) Until they look like this
3) Add the oats, cranberries, coconut oil, vanilla extract, mini chocolate chips and kosher salt.  Mix until well incorporated.  Allow the batter to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
4) With a mini ice cream scoop (about 1 tablespoon), place the batter onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 to 25 Minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.



Simple enough, right?  You can store the baked cookies in the fridge or in the freezer for later enjoyment.  The edges of these cookies are slightly crisp and the center is moist and chewy.  I absolutely love them. 



You know what else is good?  Dunk them in the milk!  Oh yeah.  These are the best, yet simple, healthy and yummy breakfast ever!  Best of all, your kids will go crazy about them and you would feel great letting them indulge with these Breakfast Cookies.  I hope you all have a smooth and happy Back to School week. 

Coconut Ice Cream With Toasted Coconut

You might remember my confession on a previous post about food that I used to dislike when I was younger but adore now.  Okay, here’s another one from that list, it’s coconut!  I think the word dislike doesn't even come close to describe how much I didn't like this thing.  I don’t want to use the “h” word, because, I simply don’t.  The problem is, if I see coconut in front of me, I’ll just run walk the other way.   

Back then when I was still living in Hong Kong, some street vendors sell fresh coconut juice on hot summer days all over the place. That simply gross me out. GROSS ME OUT!  I didn't understand why and I couldn't imagine anyone would want to drink that.  The thought of having coconut milk running down my throat made me light headed.  But obviously, there’s a market for that for those vendors to survive summer after summer.



Now, I can’t get enough of this beautiful and healthy fruit.  I put them in my homemade granola, in this Chinese New Year treat, use the coconut oil in the homemade sugar scrub, and even in the chocolate to create magic!

What converted me to a coconut lover? Well, it’s ice cream related. But not this particular ice cream though.  It happened a few years ago when my hubby and I had a gathering at his friend’s place. After dinner, one of them prepared dessert. It was simply store bought ice creams with different toppings. Right before serving, my hubby's friend toasted some coconut flakes on the stove. While the coconut was toasting, something magical happened.  The aroma was amazing. The whole house simply packed with a sweet scent that I’m not familiar with.  Honestly, I wasn't convinced, even after that lovely aroma. I was going to just have ice cream, a little whipped cream and chocolate sauce.



I don’t remember how the toasted coconut flakes got into my ice cream bowl!  HELP!  I almost panicked. But since the coconut flakes were already there, I guess it’s alright to try a small bite with the ice cream, hoping the ice cream will masked the coconut flavor.  After the first bite, that aromatic, crunchy and sweet toasted coconut got me. I’m surprised it tasted way better than the ice cream itself.  So, I started to try more coconut products since then and I really enjoyed them.  With this recipe, you get the best of both world.  The slightly sweetened, soft and creamy ice cream along with a toasty and crunchy topping.  It’s out of this world scrumptious.  Did I mention this ice cream is egg free, sugar free, and dairy free?  I’m telling you, it’s totally awesome too.  Who knew vegan ice cream could be so tasty?




What is the moral of the day?  Even if you don’t make this coconut ice cream, you should still try to make the toasted coconut flakes for your other ice cream flavors!  Wait, that’s not it.  I meant to say, don’t be afraid to try new things, you'll never know what you’re missing until you took that first step, get out of your comfort zone, and conquer your fears.  And I was totally serious about making the toasted coconut flakes too!