Thursday, May 9, 2013

Tuna Melt Pockets





Ingredients:
1 (170ml/ 6oz.) Can Tuna, drained and flaked
4 Tofu Puffs
¼ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Green Onion
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
½ Cup Water (for steaming)

How-To:
1. Finely chop the green part of the green onion
2. Add the green onion and mayonnaise to the tuna and mix well
3. Add water to a small saucepan. Put the steamer insert into the small saucepan and turn the heat to med-high and keep the lid on
4. Empty the tofu puffs and stuff them with the tuna mixture
5. Once starting to steam, line the tuna pockets into the steamer insert, sprinkle with shredded cheese and steam on medium heat for about 10 min ( you can tell by the melted cheese)


Wondering about the mysterious ingredient named "tofu puffs"? Here's what they look like :)


Tofu puffs are made from soy beans and it is a member of the big family of tofu products. It's a healthy ingredients because it contains no cholesterol and contributes a source of protein and calcium to a balanced diet. What I love the most about these puffs is that they can hold other ingredients in cute little pockets. Great for making side dishes and appetizers. Sunrise is one of my favourite brand because they use non-GMO soy beans~

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Chickpea Hash Browns



Chickpea Hash Browns

Ingredients (yield 12 bite-size patties):

1 Cup Chickpeas, Dry*
1 Egg, Large
¼ tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper, Ground
¼ tsp Garlic Powder
¼ tsp Onion Powder
3-4 tsp Pure Olive Oil (for pan-frying)
*If using canned beans, use one 796ml (28 oz) can

How-To:
1.      Rinse or drain the cooked chickpeas
2.      Mash the chickpeas till they become slightly creamy but with some chunks (the texture is up to your preference J)
3.      Add the egg and spices into the mashed chickpeas and mix well
4.      Add oil to a non-stick frying pan. On medium heat, drop approx. 1 tbsp scoops of the mixture into the pan, slightly apart from each other
5.      Cook for approx 3 min till one side turns golden brown and flip to cook the other side for about another minute


Sunday, February 24, 2013

Weekend Brunch Idea: Pancakes w/ Blueberry Sauce


See earlier post for pancake recipe: http://moussiekitchen.blogspot.ca/2013/02/puffy-pancake.html

Custom Frozen Berry Sauce
Ingredient:

-Frozen Berries
-Icing Sugar

How-to:
1) In a small sauce pan, add desired amount of frozen berries and turn on medium heat
2) Cook the berries until there's enough liquid to make the sauce
3) Thicken the sauce with icing sugar by adding 1 tsp at a time till the sauce appear to be slightly thickened (the sauce will become thicker when cooled)
4) Pour the gooey deliciousness onto your pancakes or waffles~Enjoy

Friday, February 15, 2013

Lazy FRiDaY Brunch: Curry Omelette


A tasty brunch to kick start a sunny weekend! Love the exotic curry flavor combined with the tasty freshness of the vegetables. 

Ingredients (make 1 omelette):
  • 1 Egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Curry Sauce (I used leftover curry sauce from yesterday), OR 1/4 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/3 Cup Thinly Chopped Fresh Vegetables (I used zucchini and celery) 
  • Salt (Optional)
How to:
  • Whisk egg till slightly foamy
  • Add sugar and whisk, whisk and whisk till you get lots of foams (this will help to make the omelette  tender and fluffy)
  • Stir in curry and mix well (no need to whisk too much at this point, as long as it's evenly mixed into the egg)
  • Use med heat, add egg mixture into a non-stick pan. Do not stir
  • Top vegetables on the the cooking egg
  • Tilt the pan occasionally to evenly cook the egg
  • When the top of the omelette is cooked (no liquid), add salt to taste if desired, and fold the omelette in half 
  • Decorate and serve :)

Monday, February 11, 2013

*Sweet Valentine’s Treat* Coconut Marshmallow Fudge



Ingredients (Yield: 12 bite-size pieces)
1 cup Mini Marshmallows
1 cup Desiccated Coconut, Unsweetened
3 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Butter, or Soft Margarine
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp Cocoa Powder
    Red Food Coloring
3 tbsp Sugar (Optional)

How To


     1.      Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray.



    2.      Heat milk in a small sauce pan on med-low heat till warm (add sugar at this point if preferred). Stir in marshmallows. Whisk constantly to avoid sticking to the bottom.
    3.      When all the marshmallows are melted, add the desiccated coconut and vanilla extract. Turn off the heat. Whisk till well blended.



    4.      Divide the mixture into two equal parts and tint half with cocoa powder and the other half with red food coloring. Make sure to add a drop at a time to reach the desired shade. I used about 2 drops of my gel food color to produce the color in the pictures. Gel food colors tend to give more vibrant colors than liquid food colors. Paste food colors are give the most intense colors and should be use with caution.



    5.      Pack the colored mixtures into the loaf pan. Layer one color at a time.



    6.      Be creative and decorate as you wish! (heart sprinkles would be cute)
    7.      Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.


8. Remove from the pan. Cut into bite-size pieces with your favorite cutter.


9.    Pack into cute treat bags/gift boxes for your sweetheart~

This “fudge” recipe is quick and simple. If you skip the sugar, these are not too sweet. Great for health-conscious sweethearts. I’m sure Valentine’s treats need not to be too sweet because your thoughtful hearts are the sweetest gift after all. Have a wonderful Valentine's~xoxo








Sunday, February 10, 2013

*Baked* Crispy Chicken Drumsticks


Ingredients:

5 Chicken drumsticks, Skin-on, Bone-in (the mixture can easily make double my test batch)
1 cup flour, All-Purpose or Whole Wheat
1 tbsp Montreal Steak Spice 
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
1 can (approx 2 cups) Coconut Milk, Butter Milk or Whole Milk
2 tbsp Butter, or Margarine (for baking the chicken)
1 tsp Butter, or Margarine (for dipping)
1 tbsp Sugar (for dipping)

How-To:

    1.  Soak chicken in coconut milk (salted with ½ tsp salt) for about 15min.
    2.  Mix all spices with 1 cup of whole wheat flour.
        3. Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
    4.  Line the baking sheet, covering all the depth and add 2 tbsp butter (mine has basil in it J) and melt it in the  preheating oven.
    5. Take chicken out of coconut milk and coat evenly with the flour/spice mixture. Do not discard the milk.







   6.    Place chicken 5 cm apart onto the baking sheet.
   7.   Bake each side for about 15-20min.




8. Coconut Dipping: Heat coconut milk (left from soaking the chicken) to a boil, reduce heat to low, thicken with the left-over flour/spice mixture (adding approx. 1tsp at a time), sugar and  butter. Make sure to whisk, whisk, and whisk to prevent the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan.

9. Make it look pretty and yummy. Enjoy~

The chicken has a wonderful combination of flavors. The sweet and spicy coconut sauce reduce the heat and feels refreshing for the taste buds. I think it can be even healthier with the chicken skin removed. Boneless chicken breasts would be ideal. Next time I want to play with the texture by substituting whole-wheat flour with panko~

Friday, February 8, 2013

Rice Rolls with Homemade Peanut Sauce





     This recipe is so addictive but healthy and nutritious at the same time. It will give you an energy boost because of the iron and protein you are getting. No guilt to indulge.

      1. Dice the vegetables of your choice into equal size pieces
What are these? The magic to create tasty and nutritious peanut sauce. From left to right:
Oyster Sauce, Sesame Paste, Honey and Creamy PB




2.   Add 2 tbsp of creamy peanut butter, 1 tbsp of  oyster sauce, 1/2 tbsp of sesame paste, and about 1 tsp of honey into a measuring cup, whisk together and dilute with water till the sauce reach about 1 cup volume
    3. Preheat 2 tbsp olive oil in the pan and cook the rice rolls on med heat for about 3-5 min and pour in the sauce, cover and simmer on low heat (my stove setting between 2-3) for about 10 min
  4. Mix in the vegetables and cook for another 5 min till all the sauce is absorbed and vegetables become tender

  5. Decorate as you wish and enjoy~









Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Quick and Healthy Yam Dessert



Craving for sweets? These cute yam bears are perfect for a healthy snack, light dessert or lunch boxes~
Ingredients (yield about 5 bite-size bears):
1 Medium purple yam (or sweet potato)
1 tbsp Butter (or soft margarine spread)
1 tsp Honey (optional)

How-to:

1.      Clean and skin your yam or sweet potato, cut into equal size pieces, steam for about 15-20min till thoroughly cooked (when you can poke through the largest chunk easily).

2.      While hot, add 1 tbsp of butter or soft margarine spread, mash all the pieces till they become a creamy paste consistency. You can add some honey at this point if you prefer sweeter bears. Honey will make the paste stickier so they hold shape better.

3.      Fun Part. Shape the paste with any moulding tool you have. I made them into bears, but they can might as well be bunnies or hearts or anything you want them to be J
4.      There you have it! Cute desserts that might be too cute to eat~







Friday, February 1, 2013

Puffy Pancake





Ingredients (Yield 4 med pancakes):

1 cup  Flour, Whole Wheat or All-Purpose
11/2 tsp Baking Powder (use slightly less if use all-purpose flour)
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 egg
1/2 cup Milk
2 tbsp Butter or Soft Margarine

How-To:


  • Shift together dry ingredients
  • Whisk in egg and milk mixture (mix till all chunks disappear, do no over mix)
  • Melt 1 tbsp of butter and swirl to coat the pan evenly
  • Portion about 1/4 of the batter at a time
  • Cook each side on med-low heat (my stove setting at "3-4") for about 4 min till each side turns golden-brown



Thursday, January 31, 2013

*CREAMLESS" Creamy Cauliflower Soup
































Step 1: Prep your ingredients


  • Remove leaves and stems of  one head of cauliflower. Cut into equal size pieces.
  • Dice onions and garlic cloves
  • Slice mushrooms


  • Melt soft margarine and add onion and garlic
  • Sauté till aromatic on med-low heat
  • Add cauliflowers and stir till all the ingredients are coated with the soft margarine            

Step 3: Simmer

  • Add in broth (vegetable broth works, too) and bring to a boil  
  • Simmer on low-heat for about 20 min
  • When make sure the cauliflower is softly cooked, season with salt and pepper, toss in mushroom slices and cover the lid for about 10 min till the soup has cooled and mushroom slices are cooked
Step 4: Blend  purée till  smooth          
                     




Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Mysterious Green Smoothie



Ingredients (Yield: 1 serving):

1/2 Banana
1/3 Cup of Cucumber (about same size chuck as the banana)
1/4 Apple
1    Cup Spinach
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Yogurt

How-To:

Turn on the blender and blend, blend, blend~

I'm always scared to try any green-colored smoothie, but this recipe I pull together taste delicious! Diversify the flavor by substitute the orange juice with any fruit juice. You can also use yogurt of any flavor. In this recipe, I used fermented almond curd (a yogurt substitute . The vitamin C from fruit juice and spinach combined is a good source of iron. Love it, especially refreshing after gym :)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Steamed Custard Puddings







Steamed Custard Puddings:

  • 2 eggs at room temp.
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1/4 cup sugar

How-to:

  • Turn on the steamer
  • dissolve sugar in milk and water mixture
  • beat the eggs and add liquid mixture
  • divide the mixture into 4 small cups (approx. the size of muffin tins, do no over-fill)
  • once start to see steam, reduce to medium heat ("4" on my stove setting) and steam for about 8-10 min

Ta-da! you have these cute pale-yellow colored pudding that doesn't taste too sweet, but satisfy your craving for desserts. The light, fluffy texture is so addictive~ Top with anything you like to decorate them <3



Woof...can I have some, too?





Recipe adapted from: http://lilyanette.blogspot.ca/2009/03/sweet-egg-custard.html

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Seafood Crispy Bites

Photo: Seafood crispy bites~


Seafood Crispy Bites:

  • puffy pastry sheet
  • seafood mix
  • tomato
  • fresh basil, chopped
  • garlic paste
How-To:
  • Add olive oil to the pan 
  • Sauté seafood till translucent
  • Add diced tomato, chopped basil and garlic all at once
  • Sauté till seafood is cooked
  • wrap the cooked seafood in 2'' by 2'' puffy pastry squares
  • bake at 350F for around 15 min
These are perfect for appetizers, side dish or served as a quick treat! The pastry is fluffy but the seafood is juicy. Enjoy :)

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Stuffed Tofu Pockets-Vegetarian Variation #1



  • Slice open tofu pockets, remove the inside and reserve for later
  • finely chop carrots and celery



  • Add soft-boiled taro chunks with the inside of the tofu



  • Add Olive oil mayonnaise and mix well


  • Stuff it all in~



  • Completes the nutritious lunch with vegetables and rice
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds for decoration :)