Watermelon Ice Cubes

 

Attention y'all: this is something you must watch and learn!

Potato Salad

My lunch date: Potato Salad.

Polenta Fries (2)

I made the classic polenta recently, here is a fun variation of Polenta - Polenta Fries.

Pesto Panini

 

Confession from my own kitchen floor: Since Whole Foods opened a new store near by our house, we have been eating in the store a lot... Well, cut me some slack, tonight I bring you - Panini!

I used to hate cold sandwiches and hard leathery bread, however it has been a difference experience ever since I started making my hot warm paninis. I'm glad I gave it a second chance.

Veggie Cashew Fried Rice

I have been thinking of the smell when eggs meet soy sauce, (if you grew up in Asia, you will know what I'm talking about), so without a doubt, I made this irresistible fried rice right away to fix my craving. 

Strawberry Basil Salad

My lunch date: Strawberry Basil Salad. 

Lettuce Wrap

Practice makes perfection. I practiced this awesome Asian fusion delight again tonight. Whoa, just scrumptious.

Orzo Pasta Salad

My lunch date: Orzo Pasta Salad.

Longview Park

Caught the tail end of the Bluebonnets at the trail.

White Wine Mushroom Pesto Salad

Came back tonight from the hell, aka "Pilates", whew,  one piece! I couldn't feel my body at all so I called out for pesto to calm myself down.

Nova (#1 Bear)

The first week after rescuing her. It clicked the moment I looked into her eyes,
and it all makes sense now that I know we will be connected forever

Love Pig #1

Nova, female, 8 years old, mixed breed. We found her on the beach with 7 other pups when we lived on a remote island in Thailand. She was the runt, got pushed out, small enough to fit in my palm. Her whole body was covered in fleas and ticks, she was weak and struggling to breath. We didn't think she was going to make it, she had so little strength... The heat was brutal, she wouldn't move, eat, open her eyes while the other puppies were so playful, at least twice of her size and much stronger, healthier looking. All we knew was she could die at any moment. 

Portobello Mushroom Pesto Burger

 

How I love to spend my weekend; BBQing in our backyard! I'm embracing the TX summer tradition. It would only be more perfect if there was a pool, or better yet, a beach. Positive thinking, always.

Pesto

The wait felt like a century long....  finally we got enough of basil in the backyard that I could make pesto.

Polenta

I make Polenta very often recently. Why? A) it's so easy to make, B) super delish, and C) I just can't say no to Italian food.  

Banana Blueberry Walnut Rum Cake

Calm down, everyone! You're drooling all over your screen.

Blackberry Tart

 

Oh my lady gaga! This most elegant classy tart is ridiculously delicious! You won't believe how easy it is to make. Oh did I mention it's no brainer? Low fat, low calories, it's smoother and creamier than peanut butter. (big heart heart)

Red Wine Stewed Rice

They say tomato and basil are the best combo. Agreed, however I'd say tomato and red wine are soul mates.

Mango Strawberry Salsa

Beach, tropical, snorkeling, coral reefs, Thailand, these are the buzz words of the last few days, therefore, I made mango strawberry salsa. Oh wait, and beer.

Mozzarella Tomato Salad

 

My Italian lunch date: Tomato Mozzarella Basil Salad.

One word: Divine.

Eggplant Bruschetta

I made the traditional version of Bruschetta recently, today, let's do something fun and special. The advanced version: roasted eggplants with zucchini and olive bruschetta.

Bruschetta

 

One thing that is really awesome about summer is that you can have all you can eat basil. We had this appetizer for dinner, thought you would like to try something simple, flavorful and incredibly tasty.

PS: Basil is my fav. herbs. Often referred to as the king of the herbs. 

Stuffed Quinoa Bell Peppers

I was seduced by these big, beautiful organic peppers at the market. Sigh, I'm weak, in fact, I'm bragging that I am ahead of y'all having summer in my house.

Birthday Extravaganza

Celebrating two important b-days at the same day: hubs and earth!

Black Eyed Pea Dip

Hot hot hot!

"Don't forget it was your decision to move South", said hubs, with no facial expressions whatsoever.
"Ugh.... really dawg?" I swallowed all my cuss words. Happily and painfully I enjoy the heat. :)

Lady Bird Lake

I'm truly happy and content as I live in a city that is progressive, eco-friendly, healthy and beautiful. Austin, I adore you.

(Lady Bird Lake. Austin, TX)

Strawberry Banana Chocolate Bite

Believe me, this perfect party dessert is more popular and delish than cupcakes. Cupcakes are so overrated and oh, did I mention it only takes 10 minutes to make?

Easter Road Trip (3)

Can you imagine this was the bottom of the ocean millions of years ago? On top of our road trip to the Sunflower State, we took another mini road trip to a Swedish town and visited this scenic park - Coronado Heights.

Easter Road Trip (2)

One of the most precious things of Spring: Poppies.

(Contains many awesome pictures)

Easter Road Trip (1)

We took a road trip to the Sunflower State over Easter break and hit the local Botanica. Unfortunately we were at the tail end of the Tulip Fest... damn, what a shame, lucky enough we still saw lots of poppies, peonies and violas.

(Contains lots of awesome pictures)

Crushed Potatoes

Can you tell what they are?

They are my one of my fabulous finds, a premium medley of organic Yukon Gold,  red skin and purple potatoes. Check out those delicate purple ones! As they are so special, they deserve extra special preparation (for me to eat them). Take this adventurous journey with me, I promise you won't regret it.

Grilled Pineapple Fried Rice

I was in the mood for something sweet and sour (and Chinese), so I made fried rice with grilled pineapple. Well, not really on the grill, once in a blue moon, I'll break out the panini press and let it do the dirty work.

Whoa, the whole kitchen smelled like sweet caramel, not a compliant.

Asparagus Tofu Tart

 

When we lived in the Midwest, I felt we could never afford asparagus, I drooled and wanted them so much but was afraid to even make an eye contact with them in the grocery store (so silly, so sad). Now that we live in the South, it seems there's no shortage of fresh, green and inexpensive asparagus. The defense mechanism is officially off, time to enjoy as much as I want!

Enough said, I have to get busy, there is asparagus needing to be eaten.

Ultimate Brunch

 

Perfect brunch, FTW.

Tofu Crustless Quiche

 

I've been called the "Quiche Queen", pies, tarts made with eggs, milk and cheese are my sinful guilty pleasures. Predictably these treats come at a high cost which must be paid at the gym. Hmm.... not worth it. Loosing 2lbs means burning 7700 calories, yup, you hear me right, 7700 calories (an average 50 minute hardcore cardio workout burns 400-450 calories), you do the math.

How to transform the classic quiche into something special and completely guilt free? Shout outs to all of you who want to stay healthy and fit. First, get rid of your Lean Cuisine and go workout, the trick you must learn, is low calories, low fat (basically no fat), and low cholesterol.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Bulgarian sheep's milk feta + Greek Kalamata olives = Pure sublime.

Can you push "simplicity" over its limitation? Oh, YES I CAN, baby. The most simple dish I made this afternoon almost took my breath away. Just imagine how delicious and fabulous it is.... "Simple can be harder than complex", right back at you, Steve Jobs.

Orange Blueberry Muffins

 

I'm very picky when it comes to desserts or anything sweet. I tend to stay away from them because A) I try to stay fit, B) they are often made with chocolate, yes, I am probably the first person on earth that does not like chocolate (at all).

However my sweet tooth cravings can easily be fixed with anything made with fresh fruits. Here, meet my kick ass orange blueberry muffins.

Note: This is a serious killer recipe. I have modified and refined this recipe to its perfection. It's fruity, fresh, fluffy, flavorful and moist. You MUST give it a try.

Zucchini Veggie Roll

 

Cruise control, one of the world's greatest inventions, a close second, DST.  My heart dances as I walk out from the gym at 7pm with it still bright outside. This yummy, healthy, light and colorful delight is my formal invitation to summer.

Lettuce Wrap

This appetizer has been escalated to the ultimate state of being neither east nor west. We actually call it "Chopped Shrimp Lettuce Wrap" in Taiwan, meaning there is shrimp inside, you're welcome, America! You can find lettuce wraps in almost any Chinese restaurant in North America, it's been marketed magically as a very delicate treat, um, only WITHOUT shrimp. (shrug)

I just adore finger foods (my favorite kind of food)!  Something light, pretty and exquisite. Probably for the same reason why people (I really mean girls and kids) are madly in love with cupcakes.

Homemade Rosemary Garlic Pita Chips

Garlic, fresh rosemary, olive oil, all the good stuff in one bowl. (and soon in my belly)

How to Kill Your Herbs

Just found out how all the herbs died...
(May contain brutal truth)

Inari Sushi

"What are you making?" I know you're asking.
"I'm making sushi." I also know you're thinking raw fish. No, you sick people.

(J/K, I totally dig raw fish. In fact I will eat fish but only if it's fresh)

So I'm making a different variation of sushi, the kind you don't see very often. Actually it's a friendly sushi for beginners. :)

Pineapple Salsa

 

We lived in Thailand years ago and one of my favorite things was to buy fresh pineapple from street vendors. They are grown natively and you can get an entire fruit pealed and chopped for about $.50. Dry or unripened pineapple is an impossibility and unheard of. They are juicy, sweet ripe and readily available year round.

Where I come from (Taiwan, not China or Korea), pineapple has never been considered a sophisticated fruit. Perhaps it looks unattractive and challenging to prepare, or that with mass production and easy accessibility, the value of exclusivity immediately vanishes. The chase game is over.

In North America, pineapple = Hawaii = Mai Tai = Beach Vacay = Canned with HFC. Regardless I'm a sucker for pineapple.

Tom Yum Thai Rice Noodles

 

I just realized that every time we go out to eat, the choices are always between Thai or Mediterranean; that tells you something about me.

Today I'm presenting you the TC version of Tom Yum noodles.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Number one pantry must have - Red Lentils, the hottest trendy food at the moment, often appear on the cover of the earthy hip magazines. It's commonly seen in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Indian restaurants. This traditional Turkish dish was completely alien to me, my first introduction came when we were living in Thailand many years ago, I became an instant fan.

Tuscan Chickpea Frittata

Your dreams should be unattainable or you're wasting time on dreaming; time perhaps better spent washing dishes. I dream of living in Italy one day, f'real. I watch every movie filmed in Italy, married an Italian (okay part Italian), and cook a lot of Italian dishes in the kitchen. Everyday I'm getting a little closer to my dream.

Today we're making a Tuscan delight called "Chickpea Frittata aka Cinque e Cinque".

Roasted Balsamic Eggplant & Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

Introducing one of my must-haves in the pantry - "Quinoa", the hipster's hippie food, this health building grain was once called "the gold of the Incas."

Marcato Atlas 150

I pretty much quit making spaghetti because it's too easy (yawn), I don't feel challenged at all. It's like Ramen Noodles meet sorority girls, one of those Bachelorette/Bachelor foods.

Jamaican Baked Fries and Roasted Sage Sweet Potato

Today, I'm practicing simplicity. 

I can't recall when was the last time I drove thru for fast food. It hurts my brain to think of deep fry oils they use in restaurants, what goes in it and how many times it's been reused, the high calories and trans fat, gross. Of course there's a smarter and healthier way to make fries, um.. make your own.

Veggie Risotto

Risotto is a regular guest in our house. It is one of those magical one pot all the way to the end kind of meals. I'm giving it my highest rating as “Champion of Bachelorette/Bachelor Foods”. The name sounds gorgeous already, it has a wide range of dramatic personas, it can appear subtle and sophisticated, or stunning and splendorously over the top.