Apple Granola 蘋果烤燕麥

This autumn is the first time that we have our own back yard. As nice as it is, I learned that it takes quite a lot of work at this time of the year to keep everything looking orderly and alive. Apparently, you have to trim most of the plants, so they will start setting new buds as soon as the old ones have fallen off. And then, as some of you already know, you have to rake all the falling leaves that cover the yard, so they won't interrupt the growth of the plants and grass. All this needs to be done before the winter arrives. Since our house is surrounded by quite a few big maple trees, picking up the leaves can feel like an endless job. With the large amount of physical work ahead of me, having a good breakfast has become especially important, as it gives me the energy to start off the day and last several hours without having to snack on much else.

The Spicy Apple

As the cold weather starts to kick in and the season changes, many of us tend to catch a cold. I thought I'd share with you this powerful and electric drink from The Juice Truck cookbook (see my book review and more of their recipes here). It doesn't require many (or special) ingredients to make, as most of us usually have apples, lemons, and ginger in the fridge and cayenne in the pantry, but this is not just your average apple juice. It's got some special kicks from the ginger and cayenne and a little hint of rosemary (I highly recommend using it). Besides, the apple season is here! If you happen to have too many from your own apple picking adventures, here's an opportunity to put them to good use. Sniffles, sore throat, or indigestion - you name it - this drink will help you to survive the cold season and feel good to boot!

Tahini Greeny

I love tahini, and when I saw the name of this smoothie from The Juice Truck cookbook (see my book review and more of their recipes here) by Zach and Ryan - co-founders of The Juice Truck - it made me want to try it right away! In the smoothie, there are healthy ingredients like, tahini, kale, and mint. There's no sugar or even sweeteners, only dates and bananas. A lot of drinks that are sweetened by bananas often taste too banana-y to me, however the taste of this smoothie is surprisingly different: It's one of those drinks that, before you make it, you aren't sure if it's going to taste tahini-like, banana-y, greeny, or minty, but in the end, it comes out with a pleasant, subtle taste of mint and the other flavours underneath it. It was gently sweet and the colour was perfectly green, too! Since it contains a good amount of protein and healthy fats, it would make a pretty darn good breakfast or mid-day healthy snack!

The Macro Bowl

With a busy schedule, one quick thing that I often like to make is the one-bowl meal! It's a great idea for weekdays. I love this recipe from Zach and Ryan's The Juice Truck cookbook (see my book review and more of their recipes here). It's also one of The Juice Truck's top sellers. It's super healthy, satisfying, colourful, tasty, and most importantly, it's really easy to make! The dressing reminds me of Chinese cold sesame noodles. It's so good that you'll want to drink it up or put it on everything! In the recipe, there was no cooking time listed for baking the yam, tofu, and cashews; I would recommend baking the cashews for 15 minutes, tofu for 20 minutes, and yam for about 30 minutes.

The Juice Truck Cookbook Review and Recipes

I've been adding smoothies and juice to my diet for many years, so when Penguin Random House offered me a copy of The Juice Truck cookbook (which is published by their division, Appetite), I felt very fortunate and was really thrilled to read what was in this book! The Juice Truck: A Guide To Juicing, Smoothies, Cleanses And Living A Plant Based Lifestyle is written by Zach Berman and Ryan Slater, longtime childhood friends, and the two co-owners of The Juice Truck in Vancouver. The inspiration behind their cold-pressed juice bar--Canada's first ever--was from their one year-long backpacking trip to Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, where they discovered some local healthy secrets and remedies made with real plant-based foods. After months and months of experiments and research, The Juice Truck was finally launched in the summer of 2011. 

Instant Pot Hearty Vegetable and Lentil Soup 法式綠扁豆與薏米蔬食湯［電子壓力鍋版］

There have been several snow storms in Quebec this winter. I was especially happy when I received my friend's text and invitation for a lunch at his home on a very cold and snowy day a little while back. If you ever tasted my friend's cooking, you would know why I was happy to be invited. You see, my friend is a very good cook. His food is simple but homey at the same time, which is exactly what I love to have during the cold weather. As a local, he's proud of his culture and heritage, and he often likes to share with me the traditional Québécois cooking that he grew up with.

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.

Breakfast Taco with Avocado and Chipotle Bean Salsa + Que Pasa Foods GIVEAWAY 墨西哥(Taco)塔克餅早餐

Every once in a while, I like to have some fun with different ethnic foods, and since Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, I thought I'd make an easy and tasty breakfast taco recipe. Besides, I really want to share my new favourite organic products with you - Que Pasa tortilla chips and salsas, and when I say share with you, I mean you'll have a chance to win a yummy prize pack that's filled with Que Pasa goodies! (See details below!) This is a great recipe for your weekend breakfast, brunch, or weekday lunch. Even though it's vegetarian, there is plenty of protein in this delicious taco, thanks to the beans, egg, cheese, and avocado! (In case you'd like to know all the health benefits of avocado, check out this great and useful article here from Health & Fitness Shops.) Be sure to read the giveaway details below. With the prize, you can easily make this delicious breakfast, like I did, in no time!

Purple Power Salad 紫色養生沙拉

I love foods that have deep colours, and some days I just crave for a particular colour. This is a salad that I made one day when I was in the mood for something purple (yes, purple is actually one of my favourite colours!). I wanted something very nutritious and hearty, yet light in terms of taste. It'll help boost your immune system and lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. It turns out to be a truly satisfying meal that I can have again and again without getting tired of it. Besides all the health benefits, it tastes really delicious and looks beautiful, too! It has become one of my all-time favourite salads, and this is why I want to share this special recipe with you. Perhaps it'll become one of yours as well!

Homemade Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette 自製藍莓巴薩米可醋沙拉醬

The intense, sweet flavour of balsamic is probably what makes it one of my favourite vinegars. Since the flavour pairs so well with fruits, you often find different flavours of fruity balsamic vinegars/vinaigrettes in stores, but if you look at the ingredients from their labels, cane sugar is usually among the first few ingredients. To make a fruity vinegar is quite easy (see my Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette). You don't need many ingredients or thickening agents, and it tastes much more natural.  With just a touch of maple syrup, real fresh blueberries, balsamic vinegar, and a good extra virgin olive oil, you can make your own vinaigrette that tastes better than just about anything you can find in a store!

Gluten-Free Cheddar-Scallion Potato Scones 巧達起司蘇格蘭馬鈴薯煎餅

When I think of Irish food, besides the cabbage, the beef stew, the Guinness beer, I think of potatoes. For St-Patrick's Day last year, I made some potato scones for my Instagram that were adapted from a recipe at Martha Stewart. I added some parsley and extra cheddar cheese in the recipe. Since the scones were so yummy, I thought I'd make them again this year with a different twist.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Crunchy Granola 巧克力花生醬香蕉蛋糕

My husband and I both love banana bread, but when it comes to peanut butter, we're not quite on the same page. As a typical American, he naturally loves anything that has to do with peanut butter - from peanut butter and jelly, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, he loves them all! As for me, peanut butter wasn't something I grew up with in Taiwan. In my childhood memory, peanut butter wasn't as popular at the time and the Western food was just starting to come into the market. I don't recall that we had much peanut butter at our house. Therefore, I guess I never quite developed a palate for it, but occasionally there are some peanut butter flavoured things that I like. For example, any peanut butter cereal or cinnamon flavoured peanut butter, and this bread here is also one of those rare occasions where peanut butter becomes my good friend.

Red Bean Tang Yuan in Red Bean & Black Glutinous Rice Soup 紅豆湯圓與紫米紅豆湯

Growing up in Taiwan, I naturally ate a lot of tang yuan (glutenous rice balls or sticky rice balls). Traditionally, we eat them on both the Winter Solstice Festival (Dong Zhi) and the Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao). There are two kinds of tang yuan: smaller balls without filling and lager ones with filling. At home, my mom would either make it herself or buy them freshly made from the farmers market. After moving to New York alone, I would buy the frozen packages in Asian markets. Of course it wasn't ideal, but it was good enough to fulfill my craving and my homesickness during the holidays, until one day, I saw my roommate making some homemade tang yuan, and it made me very curious. She was always a good homemaker and she loved making everything herself. I, on the other hand, wasn't such a good cook at the time, and thought that it would be good to learn how to make them from her.

Everything Salad with Avocado, Mint, Capers, and Creamy Mustard-Yogurt Dressing

I think we can all agree that making simple salads usually takes no time, but what about a hearty salad like this one? Yes, I know what you're thinking, but don't be fooled by the appearance; you can actually make this super healthy salad in about fifteen minutes, and that includes a very creamy and yummy dressing that's not made with mayonnaise! All you need is a food processor, and the dressing can also be made in advance. It's colourful, delicious, and packed with vitamins and anti-oxidants from all the veggies! Since it's quite satisfying, it can be served by itself with a piece of bread or with a little bit of protein, like tofu, egg or fish, and you've got yourself a perfectly nutritious meal right there!

Crispy Curry Tofu with Mini Peppers in Sweet Onion Sauce 甜椒脆皮豆腐與洋蔥醬

Have you ever tried pairing a salad dressing with a hot dish, instead of with salad? This month, I had the pleasure of teaming up with Litehouse Foods and Food Bloggers of Canada, to create this beautiful and flavourful dish with Litehouse's Sweet Onion dressing (from their new Green Garden line). Since this month is the Chinese New Year, I combined some elements from the East in this dish. This recipe shows you how to make the tofu crispy without having to deep fry it or dredge it in flour. Not only does the dish have different textures, but also layers of interesting flavours as well! And the best thing is that it's all made with plant-based ingredients, so it's vegan and even gluten-free! You can serve it with rice or as an hors d'œuvre. Find out more about the delicious dressing and my recipe at Food Bloggers of Canada. I include plenty of photos to show you how to make it, too!

Cherry Tomato and Garlic Confit with Thyme 油封蒜味小蕃茄與百里香

 

This is something that I've repeatedly been making for at least several years now. It takes a little bit of time to cook, but the prepping time is as short as 2 minutes! It allows you to walk away to do your stuff or make other dishes while this cooks, and it doesn't require any special skills as well! You can easily prepare this with your kids. Sounds too good to be true? Actually there's even more! What I like about it is that you can so easily pair it with many different things - from a simple salad, sandwich, to chicken, and beans, etc. (see more ideas in recipe below). You can double or triple the quantity, because once it's made, you can store it in the fridge for a week. It's easy to reheat and turn into a quick delicious weeknight meal or to complete other dishes. Therefore, it's a perfect addition to have in your fridge!

Kumquat Honey 金桔蜂蜜

This is my first post in two months. Yes, it's been ages, and I'm sorry for not being in-site for a while. Life has been an adventure for me since last November. First, I was invited to work in the kitchen of Ma Station Café, and right after a busy reopening of the café, I received news that I had to go back to Taiwan to help with some family business. It was an overwhelming period for me, and right after I arrived in Taiwan, I got the flu. Thanks to my mom, who gave me the greatest care, I was able to recover in a week, but with the traveling, stress, and new job, everything has taken a toll on my health. I got very sick again right after my return to Quebec and on top of that, I had to fight my jet-lag for almost two weeks!

Spiced Pumpkin & Apple Overnight Oat Smoothie 肉桂南瓜蘋果隔夜燕麥粥奶昔

My latest must-have has got to be overnight oat smoothies! I've been making overnight oats for many years now, but only recently did I think about blending it into a smoothie! The result is this luscious, thick texture, which I love, and it's much easier to eat and digest for your first meal of the day. For these reasons, it's great for both elderlies and kids, too. Besides the apple and pumpkin, there are plenty of other healthy ingredients such as turmeric, allspice, and nut butter. In addition, it's naturally sweetened by the apples, pumpkin, and dates without any sugar or sweeteners! If that weren't good enough, I also find that by using the combination of allspice and other spices, it almost achieves the taste of chai tea! Bringing more spices into our diet can be very beneficial for our health, too. So start your morning off with this yummy, nutritious smoothie, and taste all the comforting flavours of Fall!

Grilled Corn with Miso Butter, Scallions, and Nori 日式味噌烤玉米與海苔和七味粉

A few days ago I had a strange urge to make some miso grilled corn. Miso is one of the most used Japanese ingredients in my kitchen. Since it's salty, it always pairs well with something sweet. I know that there are quite a lot of variations on this recipe and most of them call for more butter than I personally would like. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE butter and I'm not vegan, but for health reasons, I generally try to cut it down as much as possible. I find that even with the small amount of butter I used here, the buttery flavour still comes though, and with the scallions, nori and a bit of Japanese spicy chili powder, it's absolutely scrumptious!

Grilled Peach & Avocado Toast with Cheddar Cheese 焗烤酪梨桃子與巧達起司三明治

If you ask me what my favourite snack is of the season, I'll probably have to give it to this one! It's one of those recipes that was created when my fridge was sort of empty with a few left-over ingredients. You know how sometimes you're craving a snack during the day, but there's not much around to snack on, so you get really creative and throw anything you've got together? This was one of those cases! But it was so good that I've been making this every end of summer during the peach season, and now, you'll also be able to make it. It's slightly sweet and savoury at the same time, which makes a healthy and delicious snack or even breakfast. And because of that, kids will love it, too!