Gluten-Free Cranberry-Orange Millet Muffins 橘香蔓越莓小米馬芬

I can't believe that it's been more than half a year since the last time I blogged here! Life has been changing so much this past year. With some new work and a new schedule, I was completely overwhelmed. But don't get me wrong, it was a very good year! I felt very productive and happy to go back to what I used to do in NY: being a personal chef for someone who has special dietary needs and playing harp in various musical projects. Though my mind was mostly occupied, there was never a moment where I stopped thinking about, writing, and testing recipes; it's just that finding the time to photograph and actually put together a post was the most challenging part! This year, there are some new musical projects that are coming up, plus some possible other exciting things on the horizon. I'll still be busy, but no matter what, I'll be posting every month or so.

Vegan Cranberry Chocolate Truffles 蔓越莓松露巧克力

 

When it comes to Valentine's Day desserts, fruits like strawberries or raspberries are widely used, but I've always thought that cranberries are such an under-appreciated fruit. They're often used for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but not much else. The truth is, they're a very powerful fruit. The dried cranberries used here contain good amounts of fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats, they're also high in vitamin C and have a lot of anti-oxidants, and so can be quite beneficial for your health. Recently, I visited Nutra-Fruit - a local store that specializes in cranberry products. I was really inspired by their product, so I decided to create this recipe for this year's Valentine's Day. (See my Valentine's Day Cranberry Heart Swirl Cheesecake, Homemade Cranberry-Vanilla Butter, Whole Wheat Cranberry Oat Scones)

Whole Wheat Cranberry-Oat Scones with Almonds 全麥蔓越莓杏仁司康餅

I love cranberries in breakfasty things, whether it's a muffin, a scone, bread, pancakes, or waffles, you name it! For Valentine's Day last year, I did a cranberry heart swirled cheesecake for Foodie in Quebec City, so I wanted to do something different this year but still with cranberries. I thought, why not start the romance right from the morning?! I love surprising my hubbie with a nice homemade breakfast in bed, even when it's not Valentine's Day. You can easily make this dough the day before and refrigerate it until use. It'll give you the perfect scone texture you're looking for: crisp on the outside, moist and flaky inside. I love the texture of the oats and almonds mixed together, plus a little tartness from the cranberries. It"s so delicious, you wouldn't believe it contains no butter! So what do you say?

Cranberry-Orange Tequila Cocktail With Cinnamon 蔓越莓柳橙龍舌蘭雞尾酒

I'm not big on drinks and don't normally order drinks when I go out, but occasionally, when we have friends over for dinner, I like to make some light cocktails to go with the hors d'oeuvres and to whet our appetites before the meal. This time of year is cranberry time. Their ruby red colour always fits the holiday season so well, and their tartness is just tart enough to remind us to feed our souls a little extra sweetness over the coming year. For this drink, I used fresh cranberries with orange juice and maple syrup (no sugar!) as a base, infused with the comforting aroma of cinnamon. I hope their tastes and smells will help you make a good impression for your guests before your holiday meal! Merry Christmas!

Warm Quinoa Turmeric Cauliflower Salad with Cranberries, Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese 藜麥薑黃花椰菜、蔓越莓與榛果沙拉

 

During the past few months in Taiwan, one of the grains I really missed having was quinoa. It's not something you can find easily there, since it's not what we cultivate, nor is it in our diet. I love quinoa for its rich nutrients and nutty taste. Since it's a superfood, I can simply pair it with other vegetables and enjoy it as a light healthy meal. How convenient!

In this recipe, I chose to pair the quinoa with cauliflower. I know what you're going to say - it's not most people's favourite vegetable, and guess what? Nor is it mine! A lot of the poplular Fall quinoa salads are often made with butternut squash or kale, so I really wanted to make the salad with a not-so-popular vegetable. It's always more challenging for me to use some ingredients that I don't necessarily like so much, and transform them into something I like.