Berries Lemon Thyme Balsamic Syrup

This was our surprise dessert after dinner yesterday. I saw organic berries on sale and couldn’t resist buying them. I sliced the strawberries and mixed them with raspberries and lemon thyme in my little pot. I let them chill as they infused the lemon fragrance in the fridge for an hour because my husband just loves cold fruit. I simmered 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and a small pinch of salt together (I’ve seen Giada de Laurentis make this kind of sweet balsamic many times. It tastes great!). Let it reduce to half and cool completely.  After the meal I assembled the mixed berries in small bowls and topped them with the balsamic syrup that I’ve just made. I added 1 scoop of ice cream on top. A yummy surprise because it looked like chocolate fudge. This treat is very refreshing and good for summer desserts even though it was raining throughout the week.

Kao Moo Dang (Roasted Pork with Rice)

I saw roast pork seasoning from the corner of my eyes in a supermarket last weekend and I figured that I should attempt to make it. I mixed the seasoning with water and cracked black pepper and added pork loin and pork ribs. I let it sit overnight even though 2-3 hours is enough. I roasted the pork loin and ribs at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. I boiled the seasoning mixture by adding 1/2 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of light packed brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce. I only kept the clear part of the sauce after boiling and brought it to boil again. I then added a mixture of tapioca flour and water into the sauce to create a gravy texture. Finish with black or white sesame for a touch in the sauce.

Slice the pork after letting it sit for 5-7 minutes and put it over rice. Pour sauce that I have already made over the pork. Woohoo.. easier than I thought! I have to thank the makers of the seasoning package to satisfy my craving.

Banana Bread

I have made banana muffins many times. Today was banana bread’s turn because bananas ripen so fast. I personally love banana with chocolate. Again, I added my husband’s favourite nuts — walnuts, to the mix. I made a simple recipe for banana bread and add chocolate swirls on top. I start by making chocolate sauce. In a stand mixer, I mix butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and follow with vanilla. I fold dry ingredients in with a spatula until it’s well mixed ( don’t overmix it). Then I fold in chopped toasted walnuts and pour everything into a loaf pan that I’ve already buttered. I bake in 350 degree F for 58 minutes. My favourite part is here: I take pictures and send them to my husband at work – to tease him… haha!

Banana Bread Recipe

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs (room temperature)

3 ripe bananas (mash)

1/2 cup toast chopped walnuts

Chocolate sauce

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup milk

Put everything together and double boil it. Set it aside for the last part of the process. After pouring the chocolate sauce on top of the batter, use a toothpick to swirl the sauce.

Guacamole with Crispy Pork

Once in a while, I will crave avocado.  I buy avocado 2-3 days in advance to avoid getting rotten avocados from supermarket. I slice pork loin in quarter inch slices and make the simple frying batter. I then make spicy guacamole and top on crispy pork that I have already fried. It tastes good with rice or by itself. This dish has a good balance of protein and vegetables even without eating rice.

Balsamic Ravioli

The Balsamic Vinegar sat in the cupboard for a while after I bought it because my husband and I normally use a citrus dressing for salad. Today, I chose balsamic vinegar to be the main sauce for our dinner. First, I made crispy bacon (as mentioned before : my husband loves crunchiness). I sweetened the vinegar with honey and added salt and pepper to balance the vinegary taste. I let it simmer in the pan until the sauce reduced to half. We bought cheese ravioli from the supermarket, but you can choose or make any of your favourite ravioli. After the ravioli was cooked, I added it to the balsamic sauce and topped it with crispy bacon, toasted walnuts and parsley. Now, the balsamic vinegar won’t be as lonely in the cupboard for long stretches anymore.

Pumpkin Macaroni

I had an idea of making mac and cheese, but I wanted to make it healthy. That’s why I came up with the pumpkin idea because it has an awesome yellow colour much like cheddar cheese. All components are light, but it has a creamy texture from the pumpkin. I sauteed diced pumpkin with garlic and white wine and chicken stock, then I pureed it for a smooth texture. In the same pan, when the pumpkin is off to the blender, I sweated sliced shallots in olive oil with salt and pepper. I then added lemon thyme (from my little herb pot). After the shallots became translucent, I poured the pureed pumpkin back into the pan and added low fat milk to thin the sauce. Macaroni was added into the sauce and mixed together. The final touch is julient basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese to top. TA..DA…no guilt eating this healthy pumpkin macaroni.

New Era Falafel

My version of falafel was inspired by the taste of falafel with a twist of health consciousness. So, I made open face falafel in baked potato skin. I know it sounds strange, but I didn’t use pita bread. I also used peeled monk bean instead of chick peas because they are less starchy. I made my falafel in bite sizes because of my previous experience in having falafel that didn’t look very nice with the filling falling out upon taking a bite. With this, I found out how to enjoy eating falafel without a mess on my face and table.

Craving Heroes

I truly made this dessert from a craving my husband was having. Basically, I thought about something crunchy with ice cream because my husband loves accessories to his ice cream. I baked wonton wrappers in a muffin tray as the dessert containers and let them cool completely. I then mixed sliced banana and chocolate spread ( Nutella) and toasted hazelnuts for the topping. I scooped strawberry & vanilla ice cream, and mixed the banana slices into the wonton cups. Then I topped it with toasted hazelnuts. The combination of ice cream, chocolate and nuts made my husband flip. This dessert is well worth a try for your loved one.

Banana Walnut Pancakes with Chocolate Chips

I know when people talk about pancakes, it seems so easy and standard for people around here. I come from a place where people eat rice daily — even in the morning. So making pancakes has become a new experiment for me. I picked the ingredients that I enjoy eating such as: banana, walnuts and chocolate chips. It sounds simple, but my lemon cinnamon syrup is the special surprise twist for these pancakes. The recipe is very basic : equal parts of lemon juice and sugar and one small cinnamon stick. Bring it to boil and it’s ready to go with your pancakes. Woohoo!

Gorgonzola Rosemary Crackers

1/2 cup Gorgonzola

1/2 cup Butter ( room temperature)

2 Tablespoons Finely chopped rosemary

4 Tablespoons Water

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

1 1/4 Cups All purposed flour

I recently bought some gorgonzola cheese. I had so much that I had to think of a variety of different uses for it. I came up with the idea of crackers because I’d like to make unsweetened cookies. I left the butter and cheese out in room temperature for a few hours, so the cheese developed a full flavour before I mixed it into the batter. I also added chopped rosemary to perfume the dough. After the dough was ready, I rolled it in an inch size and flattened it at a quarter inch thick.  Bake at 350F for 22 minutes. Let it cool completely before storing in an air tight container.