I am definitely a morning person. I get my workout and all my errands done before 1pm. At least I try. Around 3pm, after grumbling to myself why I am always so busy , I take my 2nd shower, get my energy back, get hubby’s and puppy’s dinner ready and head to my dance practice. Whewwww……definitely no room for a kid for now.
I have been doing lots of swimming and The Dailey Method. Especially, swimming keeps me in shape for my hula dancing. And I always need my oatmeal shake before I head out to the pool because after 45 mins of lap, I’m pooped and I need my energy!
There is a couple at my gym pool, who are ridiculously good swimmers.They even have an American Flag on their swim caps…..i know i know. Talking about a total intimidation. I basically try to avoid them. Today, the couple joins me in the pool. Dammit! The woman looking oh so good in her ‘special’ goggle and ‘national swim team’ cap, (and me looking like an alien in my $10 goggle, doing my not-so-perfect butterfly), she dives into the pool like ‘Missy Franklin’, does her perfect butterfly and turns. Thank god I had my oatmeal shake to (barely) keep up my speed with them…I did alright today but I do want to avoid them next time…..:)  On a morning like this, I definitely need my oatmeal shake to get me going.

Try using quinoa instead of oats and sprinkle some wheatgerms and chia seeds. Breakfast can’t get any better than this. Now drink up, conquer your day.

Ingredients
1/4 cup old fashion oats
1/2 cup almond milk
1 or half banana
1 teaspoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Tiny sprinkle of sea salt (optional)
Wheat germs or chia seeds

Add some honey if you need more sweetness and Coconut water if you need to thin it out.
Sprinkle some wheatgerm and chia seeds if you have them.

I used steal cut oats today but old fashion oats will make the smoothie less grainy.

Blend it all up!
As Ryan Lochte says, ‘Cheeeaaarhs’! (I swear i don’t really watch that show…..i swear)

If you have a few pantry items like ketchup, rice vinegar and brown sugar, you can make this delicious asian dish in no time. I got this recipe from my thai cooking class many years ago….(but I think it’s chinese…?!?) I like this dish with Tofu but my husband gets hungry again in half an hour after he eats tofu, so I made fish version here. (Used Tilapia. I buy  from Costco and freeze them. It always comes in handy when I have a ‘Gosh I have no grocery to cook tonight.’ moment.)

Ingredients
1 firm Tofu (or 2 pieces tilapia or any firm white fish)
Tempura Batter
1-2 garlic cloves
Half onion chopped
Oil with high smoking point such as grape seeds oil or peanut oil.
Sauce : 1/3 cup Ketchup, 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 3 Tablespoon oyster sauce, Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, 3 Tablespoon water

Vegetables: Cucumber, red pepper (You can add eggplant, celery and baby corn)

Preparation

I added some more minced garlic in the sauce.

1. Make sauce : Mix all the sauce ingredients and set it aside.
2. Chop vegetables and set it aside.

I like to cut veggies diagonal for this dish. Looks prettier.

2. Cut Tofu (Fish) into big chunks, season with salt & pepper and pat dry with paper towel.

3. Heat oil (high) in wok or pan, coat Tofu(Fish) chunk in tempura batter, shake off excess and shallow fry them.

4. Drain excess oil on paper towel.

5. Wipe off the wok or pan, add more oil and heat it up HIGH. Now it’s time to ‘Stir fry’! There is no turning back. It’s gonna happen very quick. Ready?

6. Add onions/garlic and cook till golden brown.

7. Add vegetables and cook till somewhat soft but not too soft.
8. Turn off the heat.

9. Add Tofu(Fish)

10. Pour over sauce.

11. ‘Gently’ fold over all together. Make sure you don’t break off Tofu(Fish). Be extra gentle…..make more sauce if you want it more saucier. My usual line at dinner is ‘Do you want more sauce?’ …..I’m an asian after all.

Serve with rice….white rice…yeeesssss

Back in my home country, we eat rice, soup and fish for breakfast. But my husband who is from Kansas doesn’t quite understand that….so I have to come up with breakfast ideas all the time – not that I can heat up leftover fish from last night…

I usually get up 30 mins earlier than my husband, pack what we call, a ‘snack pack’-various veggies with hummus dip, fruits and nuts, and make him breakfast. Yes, I am a good wife.  thank god for his day-offs. His day off =  my morning off. Yippee. I can’t imagine how moms do it all – take care of family every morning,,,pack up lunches for kids and take them to schools. I can barely take care of the husband and dogs….My great salute to all the mothers. (This video makes me cry! Great solute to all the mothers )

This breakfast is super healthy and quick. I make a big batch of oats + quinoa mixture and keep it in the refrigerator then I am all good to go next morning. I wasn’t going to post this dish in my blog but my husband ‘INSISTED’! Yes, he loves the dish that much.
Feel free to make your own variations – use only quinoa, use red palm oil and tumeric powder, seaweed on top, fish sauce, peas and perhaps cubes of spam…..:)

Ingredients
1 cup old fashion oats
1/2 cup quinoa
2 egg whites
A few pieces turkey meat (optional)
salt + pepper + parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Cook oats and quinoa. I know their cooking times are different but oats can be overcooked so I just throw them together and cook till quinoa is done. (I keep the batch in the refrigerator, it will last up to a week. This is like ‘fried rice’ so ‘old’ oats-quinoa mixture actually better.  )

2. Heat some olive oil (coconut oil or red palm oil) in a pan, ‘stir fry’ oat-quinoa mixture till it gets somewhat spreadable.
3. Add egg whites and cook the mixture like scrambled eggs.
4. Salt and pepper. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese.

That’s it!!! Didn’t I tell you it’s quick?
Have a great morning everyone!
xoxo

My mom made breakfast for all of us and dad and pack our lunches every morning….gosh I don’t know how she did it! Thanks mom!!! You rock! (I am the one in her right arm. )

Ingredients

Fish of your choice (I like to use ‘thin’ white fish like trout or tilapia. I used rainbow trout for this recipe)
Vegetables of your choice (I used sliced red pepper, snow peas and shiitake mushrooms but you can use shredded carrots, cabbages, bok choy, bean sprouts…any veggies you would like! But make sure you add shiitake mushrooms – I think they add ‘that’ flavor in this specific dish!! )
Banana leaf (washed and trimmed)

Flavoring : grated garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, fresh lime juice

Garnish : chopped green onion.

Sorry I do not have exact measurements…I never measure when I make this baked fish….add….ummmmm…till it makes sense. I will take the blame if it doesn’t turn out good…write me a nasty comment.

Preparation

So much leftover banana leaves…! I froze some of them..will use them as serving plates…make a skirt..:)

1. Cut the banana leaf to a desired size and wash. (I buy them at a local mexican market. They were selling them in huge bulk…so I have so much leftover….I froze them. There are going to be lots of banana leaf dishes this coming month) Here is a good video about using banana leaf.

2. Place the fish. Add grated ginger and garlic.

3. Place all the vegetable on top of the fish.

4. Add all the flavorings and top of chopped green onions.

5. Fold banana leaf as if you are wrapping a gift box. (Sometimes I wrap it again with aluminum foil because my wrapping skill is not that good. But don’t let aluminum foil directly touch the fish. Acid in the ingredients will react with aluminum and give the dish metalic taste.)

Watch when you open it…it’s ‘steaming’ hot!

6. Baked it at 400′F for 20 mins or so till done.

Hope everyone had an awesome new year’s eve and is starting out 2013 great. We went to dinner with a few friends and were on our couch in PJs by 10pm. Best kind of new year’s eve. We still have Christmas tree and the house all lit up….I really don’t want to take it down… Is it really wrong to have Christmas light all year round? I will take it down when we get egged.

Last month, I probably made this chicken pot pie at least 6 times. By demands, by potluck invitations…etc etc. If you want to be popular , make this and bring it to the party. No offense to quinoa but people will gather around your dish than those cold quinoa salad. Quinoa salad made it to my top 3 least favorite food of 2012…raisins, cold pasta salad and quinoa salad. Poohahaha.

I made roux using coconut oil so it’s much healthier and nuttier than regular pot pie! Enjoy~~

Ingredients
For the white sauce :
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
Very thin layer of butter for flavoring (probably like 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 Tablespoon flour
1 cup low fat (or full fat) milk (warmed)
1/2 cup mushroom stock (warmed)

Vegetables and chicken:
1/2 onion chopped
2 sticks carrot chopped
2 sticks celery chopped
1 cup cremini mushrooms ( cleaned and chopped)
1/2 cup English pea (frozen or fresh)
1 chicken breast (cooked and chopped)
a few strings thyme
splash of sherry vinegar (like 2-3 teaspoon)
salt, pepper and more nutmeg for flavor

Pie crust (I didn’t make it….This guy called ‘Joe’ made it. He is a trader and makes the best pie crust.)

Preparation
1. To make roux, melt coconut oil and tiny bit of butter, than add flour and keep stirring till flour is cooked. When it starts to smell like ‘Popcorn’, it’s done.

2. Add warm milk and mushroom stock to the roux and stir real fast. (Cold liquid will make the sauce lumpy so just microwave or warm it up in a separate pot)

3. Cook the sauce till thickens. (Feel free to add more liquid if it gets too thick or add some more flour if it’s too watery)

4. Heat the pan with olive oil, cook onions till soft.
5. Add carrots, celery, mushroom and chicken breast. (I cook chicken breast in oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper for about 20-30 mins at 370′F, let it cool and chop. Or you can just add it raw after cooking onions and cook it right in the pan)
6. Add English peas. (I add this last because I don’t want them to get mushy and overcooked.)
7. Add sherry vinegar. Salt & pepper please.

8. Add white sauce into the veggie/chicken mix. Salt, pepper and more nutmeg if you need it.)

9. Place pot pie filling in a baking pan and let it cool a little.

10. Place pie crust on top of the filling. You can use phyllo dough but I like trade joe’s pie crust. (Yes, store bought…and I’m not afraid of saying it! TJ makes the best pie crust, seriously).  Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

11. Bake at 425′F for 30 mins or till crust gets golden brown.

Happy 2013! More treats, more playing and more napping in the new year!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! I’m still rubbing my food coma belly….
Happy Holidays from Christina, Buggie and Coconut!

Mom’s Peanut Brittles

Goatcheese & prune savory cake from my new favorite cooking show, “The little Paris Kitchen’

Party flavor prepared by my husband

Alert! Husband in the kitchen…!!!!

Thank you for helping me! You did a mean job peeling the potatoes.

Mushroom stuffed chicken breast. (will post the recipe! )

Pretty ladies. Tina and Dina

roast rib

Party always ends with my coconut cake and dessert wine.

The ladies in my hula practice love food. We always talk about food, restaurants and recipes and we love to bring some munchies when we practice. One Saturday, very hungry saturday,  I was just concentrating on my dance….while the girls were digging into these very tempting looking biscuits. Me being on my ‘Carb Cycle’ diet ( – this will be whole another post. I basically cycle one day of low carb followed by a regular day – I feel SOLID like a tiger. Grrrrlll ) I’m going to be a good girl. I’m going to be a good girl so I don’t ruin my low-carb day…..

Well, it didn’t go quite well. I found myself  in front of these little guys, surrendering. I took a one bite. OMG!!! Ok, this must be a taste of heaven. Crispy outside chewy inside…is it shortbread or mochi…..I wrapped one more to go for the husband. On my way home, I found myself again reaching out to this little guy and before I know it, I was chowing it down leaving greasy fingerprints all over the steering wheel. Sorry hubby. Emy and I decided to call it ‘Mochi Crack’. It will need a serious intervention to stop you from eating them… … ALL.

Thank you, Emy for sharing this incredible, easy and yummy recipe!!!

Ingredients
1 box Mochiko flour
1 1/2-2 c sugar
2 sticks butter, softened or slightly melted  (For healthier version, just use 1 stick butter or substitute with coconut oil. When using coconut oil, just remember 1 stick melted butter = 1/2 cup melted coconut oil!)
1 can (13.5 or 14 oz) coconut milk
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk  (For heathier versioin, use 12 oz fat free milk. I have made this with condensed milk too-it was yummy! )
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Preparation

You can get mochi flour at most of Asian grocery stores now

1. Mix all ingredients well. Batter should be thick! If it’s runny, just add a little more rice flour.

2. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray VERY WELL! Fill muffin tins 1/3 full.

3. Bake at 350′F 35-40 mins .

4. Let cool about 5 mins to set before removing from pans. Give it a good whack with your fist to pop it out.

Don’t eat it right away. It tastes better when it’s completely cooled down and mochi is set in the middle.

Let them completely cooled down. The center will sink down and mochi in the center will set nicely.

This recipe recipe yields approx. 24-30 biscuits. They taste the best when eaten within 24 hours. So feel free to cut the measurement in half to make smaller batches.

Enjoy~~~

My husband sometimes makes fun of me saying I’m a Korean girl who loves country music, studies Bollywood, Tahitian, Hula and West African dance, who is married to a white man. He says I don’t make sense….but I say I’m a ‘worldly’ woman.

I sure got this free spirit  from my dad who is a surgeon,traveled all around the world after his medical school. He is in his 60′s but there is a no sign of slowing down. He just got back from Cambodia where he treated local folks who didn’t have opportunities to see a doctor. My hero.

I love ethnic food- I remember when I lived in San Francisco, went to a Ethiopian Restaurant and just loved their food -family style and their tangy crepe….. Now I live in ‘less culturally rich’ Santa Barbara, I try to make as much ethnic food as I can at home.

You can make this delicious stew with any kind of protein. I used Bison (Buffalo) because it’s healthier meat. (70% to 90% less fat compared to beef,  it has 50% less cholesterol. And on top of that, it is higher in protein, iron and all the omega and amino acids.) but you can use chicken, beef, lentils or chick peas. It is served with crepe called ‘Injera’ which is made with super- healthy Teff flour. (You ferment overnight)

I’m sure it’s nothing like local food that Anthony Bourdain (lucky bastard I call)  would enjoy on his ‘Location’, but  it sure brings an excitement to our dinner table. I get bored of same food easily- I like different & unfamiliar taste. So ditch your old italian, chinese recipes for a day and go for this new adventure.

Ingredients
1 lb meat of your choice (I got Bison at Whole Food Market. The Butcher recommended me  Bison shoulder for stew which was soooo much less $$ than Bison steak meat.)
Half onion (Diced)
1 clove garlic (Minced)
1 teaspoon ginger (Grated)
Berbere spice (I ordered on-line. Basically it’s a mixture of ground cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne)
1 teaspoon Ajwain seeds (I ordered on-line. If you don’t have it, you can skip this)
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup of dry red wine
1 cup stock of your choice (I used my favorite mushroom stock)
Diced yellow pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive oil and some butter

For Injera (Teff flour crepe)
1 cup Teff flour, 1 teaspoon yeast, 1 cup warm water (more will needed later), salt, 1 Table spoon plain yogurt

Preparation
1. Mix Teff flour, warm water and yeast in a bowl, mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm or room temperature overnight to ferment. (salt is added later, Salt interferes with fermentation-I got A in Bread-Making Class for nothing..:))

2. Pat dry and salt + pepper the meat.

Buffalos are naturally resistant to disease and grow faster than domestic animals, they don’t need all the antibiotics and growth hormones that are typically given to beef cattle.

Brown the meat on both side in olive oil and butter. Butter helps browning.

3. Heat oil and butter in a heavy bottom pan or cast iron pan. (Butter will help brown the meat which will make the sauce thick and flavorful). Brown the meat both side. Then take the meat out and put aside.

4. In a same pan, cook onion till soft. Add spices, garlic and ginger and cook them till fragrant.

5. Add red wine to take off brown bits. Then add diced tomatoes, mustard and  stock. (You can add some thyme but no need if you don’t have. Berbere has enough flavor. )

6. Chopped the meat into bite sizes and add it to the stew. Then add diced yellow peppers.

7. Simmer on low heat till stew thickens up.

Making Injera :
Add salt and yogurt to a fermented Teff flour batter. (I added yogurt to make home-made Injera more tangy flavor ) Heat non stick pan (or crepe pan) – low heat. Place thin layer of the batter and wait till surface bubbles up then flip. Cook a little more till done. It tastes better when they are cold. I made 8 crepes and had to give them to the puppies….so be patient, keep practicing.

Non stick crepe pan works the wonder

My earlier attempts….I made 8 crepes and gave it to my dogs….till I finally got the hang of it.

Finally…..!

This is what i call a ‘goooooood meeeaaalllll’

My dad’s recent visit to Cambodia to treat folks who don’t have opportunities to see a doctor. He is in his 60′s but there is no sign of slowing down.

People lined up to see a doctor

In Korea, we have pumpkin soup called ‘Hobak Bumbuk’…. Each region has their own styles and this chunky, chewy and thick one is from my region, south-east part of Korea where I grew up. (I speak a strong dialect). Last night, I had a major craving for it. Of course, my food craving always hits me at night….sigh.
Me being not so talented in Korean cooking, I called up my mom. With mom on the phone walking me through the process, I made a big pot of this nutrient-packed soup perfect for fall. I’m all set with my lunch and late night snack for a few days! Yipeeee.

Ingredients
1/2 pumpkin (I bought one the size of my head. Smaller, it’s easier to peel.)
1/2 cup small red beans, cooked (I just boil them in a pot till soft)
3 Tablespoon rice flour
2 Tablespoon coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Rinse pumpkin with running water and pat dry. Peel the skin with a pairing knife from top to bottom just like you would peel a pineapple. Watch your fingers!! Smaller the pumpkin is, easier to peel. Scrape out the seeds and cut  into big cubes. I only used half of whole pumpkin. (The rest, I grated and made pumpkin pancakes)
2. Place the pumpkin cubes in a pot of water and boil till super soft. Water should be above the pumpkin.
3. With a potato masher, mash the boiled pumpkin to ‘mashed potato’ texture. I like to see some chunks in the soup so don’t go to town with mashing.

4. Add cooked red beans.
5. Add a few teaspoons of water to the rice flour and mix it with spoon. Should be gooey and lumpy  like below. And add it to the simmering soup.

6. Season with coconut palm sugar, salt and pepper.

It tastes the best with ‘Kimchi’!

Enjoy this nutrient-packed power soup!!! Yum~~~~ xoxo

When trader joe’s has halloween Joe Joe’s cookies (which are addictive BTW), I know it’s October indeed. We had a good ‘hot’ summer so without lingering to end of summer, I can move on to a fall…..My Ugg boots are out, my baggy sweatshirt that I saved for the holiday season’s weight gain is out too ready to tackle it’s duty. And I’m ditching those summer salad and move on to a fall kind of meal.

 
Ingredients

• Pork : 2 good quality pork chops ( I got frenched & thick cut ), freshly ground coriander (I toast first and ground it)
• Balsamic Maple Sauce (Glaze) : 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cup chicken (beef or mushroom) stock, 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 clove garlic (smashed with knife), a few strings of thyme, a string of rosemary, sprinkle of garbanzo bean flour (It will thicken the sauce), tiny cube of butter
• Side : Mashed potatoes with peas – 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, 1/3 cup frozen peas, tiny cube of butter

Preparation

Sauce (Glaze)

Bring all the ingredients (except butter) together to gentle simmer. Whisk to break down garbanzo flour. Let it thicken up slightly. Throw in a cube of cold butter and whisk-it will make the sauce nice and glossy.

Pork Chop
1. Season pork with salt/pepper and fresh ground coriander.
2. Heat the grill to very hot!

3. Grill the first side for 6-7 mins (rotate it to 45 degree to give a perfect grilled mark half way through)
4. Flip and grill the other side 6-7 mins (Again, rotate it to 45 degree to give a perfect grilled mark half way through)
5. If your pork is thin, don’t cook it more than 5 mins per side. The worst is overcooked pork chop…yikes
6. Once almost done with cooking, blush each side with the sauce and briefly let it touch the grill. (Sauce is sweet so this way, it doesn’t burn the meat – just a quick kiss with grill at the end! )
7. Let them rest for 5-10 mins.

Feel free to accompany any side dishes you want. I whipped up some mashed potatoes and added a few frozen peas into it…..

Enjoy~~~

Joe Joe’s calling my name….sometimes you just have to answer it.