Buttermilk-Vegetable Bread

A bread machine will help to create the moist, rich, and tender loaf. Forget plain, white sandwich bread and say hello to healthy vegetable bread!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable juice*
1 cup vegetable pulp*
1 tsp salt
2 tbs honey
2 tbs margarine
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a bread machine pan as listed in the order above. Select the dough setting and press start.
Butter an 8" x 5" loaf pan and set aside.
After the dough cycle ends, remove dough and place dough into the prepared loaf pan. Cover dough with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm place. Let it rise for 40 minutes or until almost doubled in size. Brush top with milk and bake in a preheated oven set to 375° for 30 minutes.

*The vegetable pulp and juice is up to your choice of vegetables.

Taiwanese Three Cups Chicken

Basically, the name of this recipe is chicken simmered in the three equal parts of sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine. Asian cuisines share the same basic seasoning, such as ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine and sweetening with honey or brown sugar. The Philippine cuisine has Adobo. The Japanese cuisine has eggs cooked in soy sauce. The Chinese cuisine has chicken cooked in soy sauce. The Vietnamese cuisine has pork and egg simmered in coconut juice. The three cup chicken recipe is interesting because it reminds me of all the recipes from different Asian cuisines. I think cooking should always be fun and creative. There is no right or wrong way to prepare a meal and the simplest way to create a recipe is only the best way to start. The authentic three cups chicken recipe uses black sesame oil and fresh basil for intense flavor. I had eggs to the dish for my own taste. With this combination, I will get all the Asian cuisines in one pot. The earthenware pot is the best cookware to use for making this authentic Taiwanese dish, but the wok will do the job.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighbones, skinless, cut into chunks
2 tbs coconut oil
5 hard-boiled eggs
7 fresh gingers, sliced
7 cloves garlic, slightly bruised
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
3 dried hot chilies
1 cup of fresh basil
Simmering liquid:
1/4 cup black sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine
1/4 cup light soy sauce
3 tbs sugar

Directions:
In a bowl, mix all the simmering liquid ingredients and set aside.
In a large clay pot over medium heat, heat some oil and brown chicken.

 When chicken is browned, add gingers, garlic, black pepper, and hot chilies.

 Stir for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add hard-boiled eggs and the simmering liquid.

Cover and turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Add green onions. Stir for a few minutes. Before serving, add fresh basil and cilantro. Serving brown rice will complete this healthy dish.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Each Asian country has its version of beef noodle soup, and Taiwanese Beef soup (Niu Rou Mian) is the most popular soup in a Taiwan restaurant. This soup is similar to Vietnamese beef noodle soup (Pho). This hearty, spicy soup is a perfect cure for someone who is under the weather. In some Taiwanese beef soup recipes beef shank, round top, or round roast is used, which needs more time to cook. I think this version of beef soup is more like beef stew. After I carefully selected the recipe for this Taiwanese soup, I created my own style for a quick and simple way to prepare this soup. It still follows the original style, but it is more modernized to fit into busy lifestyles. The Vietnamese kitchen can substitute Pho broth for beef broth to enhance it to make it even more flavorful and delicious.
 Ingredients:
1/2 lb. of sirloin, cut into thick slices
2 tbs oil
3 cups beef broth
2 star anise
1 shallot, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
1 red hot chili, chopped
2 tbs hot chili paste
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs dark soy sauce
Vegetables
1 carrot, sliced
1 Roma tomato, wedged
A handful of pea pods
2 cups Romaine lettuce or Napa cabbage
2 green onions, sliced
Cilantro leaves, chopped
Cooked soba, yellow noodles or rice noodles (Banh Pho) according to the recipe

Directions:
In a heavy pot, add oil. Heat until hot. Add onions, garlic, ginger, hot chili. Sauté until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Add beef and brown it for a few minutes. Add beef stock and bring to boil.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, dark soy, sugar, hot bean paste and mix well. Add this mixture to beef broth. Add carrots and tomato. Simmer until carrots are cooked through (about 7 minutes). Remove and discard star anise. Add pea pods (cook for 2 minutes). Add Napa cabbage and turn heat off.
To serve:
In the bottom of each serving bowl, place noodles. Ladle soup over noodles. Sprinkle green onions and cilantro.

Blackened Salmon

The blackened spice mix is a simple way to create a wonderful meal in less than 15 minutes. Rub the mix over salmon and cook over a hot grill or in a cast iron skillet. During summer, this blackened spice mix will be the best spice mix possible to create the nicest BBQ party ever!

Ingredients:
Two 6 oz salmon fillets
2 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs butter
1/2 cup nonfat milk
2 tbs blackened spice mix (recipe follows)

Serve with tartar or cilantro sauce

Directions:
Place salmon in a shallow dish. Pour milk over fish and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove salmon from the milk. Rub the mix over both sides of salmon. Heat cast iron skillet over high heat until the skillet almost smokes. Add coconut oil and butter. Place fish into the hot skillet and grill fish about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Using a slot spoon, lift fish out of the skillet. Place on a serving dish. Grill or steam some of your favorite vegetables to accompany the salmon.

Blackened spice mix:
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbs paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbs ground dried oregano
1 tbs ground dried thyme
1 tbs ground basil

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Place mix in an airtight container and store in a cool place. This mix will last for 6 months. This yield about 1/2 cup

Rice Porridge with Fish-(Chao Ca)

There are roughly a hundred kinds of Chao Ca cooked with different types of fish, seasonings, and fresh herbs. It takes deft care to give each bowl of porridge a distinctive flavor. The most common chao ca uses the white fish. Ca loc is the most common in Vietnam. The ingredients and cooking methods vary from place to place, but the standard recipe is the same. If we can have our hands with fresh fish, the bones should be made into broth to enhance the flavor. Flavor the rice by rinsing dry and roasting it in a hot pan with oil, garlic and onions. The quality of fish and rice, as well the strength of seasonings and herbs, play the most important roles in the dish. The way I make fish porridge is the simplest one by using cooked rice that I, like any Asian family, always have left over in the refrigerator. Quality ready-made seafood or chicken broth will enhance the flavor of the rice soup and will also cut in half the time necessary to prepare this dish. Poaching the fish in its marinade will add the deaf flavor into each bowl of soup and avoid cloudy the soup before serving.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz white fish fillets, Swai fish, Basa, or tilapia
3 cups seafood or chicken broth
1 cup cooked white rice
Marinade:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs fresh ginger, slivers
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped white onions
1 tbs fish sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs dry sherry, shaoxing wine
2 tbs lime juice
Garnishes:
2 tbs fresh ginger, slivers
2 tbs fried shallot
2 tbs chopped cilantro
2 tbs sliver green onion
A few thinly sliced white onions
Some bean sprouts
Fresh red hot chili, chopped
Fresh lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add fish and let marinate for 1 hour.
In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, add broth and bring to boil. Add cooked rice, bring to boil, cover, and turn the heat off.
In a shallow saucepan, add two cups of water and bring to boil. Place fish and the marinade into the saucepan and simmer for 7 minutes. Use a slot spoon to remove fish and set aside. Strain the poaching liquid and discard the solid. Add the poaching liquid into the rice-broth.
Turn on the heat and bring it back to simmer. At this point, the rice soup is ready. Season with fish sauce, and salt, if needed. Use a fork to break the poached fish into bite size pieces. Place the fish into the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle the rice soup over fish, and top with the garnishes.

Cast Iron Rosemary Potatoes

The simplest way to make potatoes for breakfast is using a cast iron skillet. I found the herbed potatoes recipe published in the September issue of the Cooking Light Magazine. I changed a few fresh herbs that I have planted on my window sill. Adding some fried eggs and bacon will complete this classic potatoes breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup onions, chopped

1 tbs fresh chopped rosemary

1 tbs fresh thyme

Optional ingredients:

2 eggs

Bacon, ham, and cheese

Garnish with chopped chives

Directions:

Place the potatoes onto the saucepan. Add water and bring to boil. Boil potatoes for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Drain and pat dry with paper towel.

In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, add oil and butter. When it's hot, add onions, garlic, and the fresh herbs.

Sauté for 3 minutes and add the potatoes. Stir, cook, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes are golden brown; If using ham, cut it up and add to the potatoes in the last few minutes.

Sprinkle with chives on top.

To serve:

Make eggs sunny side up and place on top of each serving.

Easy Pound Cake

Most of the pound cake recipe is very heavily in the butter-that why it call pound cake, pound of butter. Pound cake is one of the easy way to end the meal with fruits or ice cream topping. I love pound cake but the butter is concerned me. One day I found this easy recipe pound cake from the southern cooking magazine with surprisingly very little butter. The sour cream in the recipe help moisten the cake; I replace sour cream with non fat yogurt to keep the calories in control . The cake turned out very good.
Ingredients:
1/4 stick butter  room temperature
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup non fat yogurt
1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 eggs room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°f . Grease and flour loaf pan.
In a bowl sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
In a large mixing bowl ,  cream the butter and sugar together. Add nonfat yogurt and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time alternate with flour into cream mixture. Pour the batter into the prepare loaf pan and bake in preheat oven for 40 to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving.

Stir-fried Chicken with Lemongrass

Lemongrass is an herb widely used in Asian cuisines. It has a citrus flavor and can be used fresh or dried. It is commonly used to flavor tea or soup, or to marinate fish and meats. Asian people use lemongrass to against colds, coughs, nasal congestion, and they also believe that drinking lemongrass daily will help the body to fight cancer cells. With all the good benefits that lemongrass provide, I will share the best selling item in my family's restaurant here – stir-fried chicken with lemongrass. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut into bite -size pieces
Stir-fry sauce:
1/4 cup water
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs oyster sauce
Other;
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh stalks lemongrass, white part only, minced
1 shallot, sliced
1 to 2 fresh hot chilies, chopped
2 tbs coconut oil
2 tsp molasses
1/2 cup white onions, thickly sliced, 1/4 inch wide
2 green onions, sliced

Serve with white rice

 Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the stir-fry sauce ingredients and mix well.
In another bowl, place chicken and pour 1/2 of the stir-fry sauce to marinade the chicken for 30 minutes.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add coconut oil until almost smoking. Add marinated chicken. Cook chicken until brown (7 to 10 minutes). Add molasses and stir to coat chicken. Remove from skillet.

Turn heat down and add shallot, garlic, chilies, and lemongrass. Sauté until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Do not let the spices burn.

Add the chicken back and the white onions to the skillet and add the remaining stir-fry sauce. Stir and cook for another 15 minutes.

 Add green onions during the last few minutes.

Pour into the serving plate and serve with rice.

Vietnamese Vegetarian Coconut Soup (Canh kiem chay)

"Canh kiem chay" is the best Vietnamese vegan soup with a sweet-savory taste that comes from all the root vegetables, such as pumpkin, sweet potato, Idaho potato, and fresh peanuts. Also, the other ingredients, such as long beans, mushrooms, corn and coconut milk play a big part to make this soup the healthiest vegetable soup ever. From 1968 to 1969, my family were refugees at the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda. It is the biggest temple in Saigon, Vietnam, and this soup was served on special Buddhist celebration days, such as Phat dan sanh, Buddha's birthday, Le vu Lan, which is similar to Mother's Day or Phat thanh dao, the day Siddhartha Gautama became Buddha. I was about 7 years of age, but in my mind the soup that was made at Vinh Nghiem temple is the best soup that I ever tasted. I asked the young monk then, his name is Luc, how can this soup have all different kinds of vegetables? And his explanation was that because in the history of Buddhism when the Buddhists visited temple, they would donate any vegetables that they could find in their gardens. The cooks then made this soup with whatever ingredients were available to them. The coconut milk is the main ingredient to make this soup creamy, and its flavor goes very well together with the starchy vegetables. The southern Vietnamese always make this soup too sweet, and it is sweet like a dessert and in some cases uses too much coconut milk. The Venerable at Vinh Nghiem Temple was from the North of Vietnam; therefore, most of his meals were prepared to the North Vietnamese taste, which is in line with mine. Even though this soup I ate at Vinh nghiem as a young girl, it is still fresh in my mind. I want to duplicate this recipe to my own taste in keeping the original tradition. Although there is a long list of ingredients, the method of making this soup is very simple, and the result is so fantastic.
Ingredients:
Broth:
4 cups Kombu/ vegetable broth*
2 cups water
1 can 14. oz coconut milk
Vegetables:
1/2 Kabocha squash, peeled, seed removed and cut into big chunks, about 2 inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into big chunks, about 2 inch pieces
1 large Idaho potato, peeled, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
2 oz of long beans, cut into 3 inch lengths, about 1 cup
1 cup cooked peanuts*
1 cup thickly sliced baby portabella mushrooms
1 package of firm tofu, cut into bite-size pieces and then deep fried
2 dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water and sliced
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 tbs fresh ginger, chopped
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Garnish with fresh herbs: mints, basil, and cilantro
Serve with steamed rice or cooked rice noodles

 Directions:
Prepare all the vegetables and place them onto a large plate.

Into a medium saucepan, pour kombu/vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil. Add squash, sweet potato, white potato, dried wood ear mushrooms, and carrots. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add long beans, mushrooms, fried tofu, fresh ginger, corn, and peanuts. Cork for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to boil,simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

 To serve:
Ladle soup into the soup bowl. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with a bowl of rice. If served with noodles, place cooked noodles on the bottom of soup bowl. Ladle soup over noodles. Garnish with fresh herbs

* Cook raw peanuts in salted, boiling water for 15 minutes.
*Kombu/vegetable stock posted on January/2/2012

Green Chilli Chicken Tortilla Soup

Eating soup can help us lose weight, and Mexican chicken tortilla soup is loaded with spices, which are always my first choice for making soup. The quick and easy way to make green chili chicken tortilla soup is using green taco sauce because this sauce is made with green tomatoes, green tomatillos and other spices, such as cumin, garlic, paprika, coriander powder, which are the basic spices to create an Mexican soup. Using a rotisserie chicken will cut the cooking time in half and also enhance the favor of the soup. I think making easy-hearty-healthy soup is the best way to end a busy day.
Ingredients:
One 16 oz green chili taco sauce
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups roasted chicken (Costco brand)
2 tbs olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs fresh chopped oregano
1 can 15.5 oz pinto, white, or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 stalk celery, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 carrot, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 cup sweet corn (Frozen corn from Costco)

Garnish :
Each serving needs 6 corn tortillas
Fresh chopped cilantro leaves
Sour cream

Directions:
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add oil. When oil is hot, add onions. Sauté for 3 minutes. Then add garlic, stir, cook. Add cumin, paprika and sauté until fragrant (about 3 more minutes). Stir in celery, carrots, fresh oregano and cook until the vegetables are wilted (about 5 more minutes). Add green taco sauce and chicken broth. Bring to boil and add cooked chicken, corn, and beans. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

To serve:
In the bottom of each individual serving bowl, place a few corn tortillas. Ladle soup over the tortillas. Top with cilantro and sour cream.

Chunky Avocado Salsa

There are so many ways to make a versatile avocado salsa because avocados are used several ways at a party – as a dip for veggies, corn chips, stuffed inside tortillas, quesadillas or as a side dish to accompany grilled meat or fish. Making avocado salsa always is easy to put together, but it needs a few hours for developing the fullest of flavors.

Ingredients:
2 medium ripe Hass avocados
One (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup jicama, chopped
2 tbs lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Hot pepper sauce to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 tbs olive oil

Directions:
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and twist the 2 halves in opposite directions to separate. Stab the pit with the point of a sharp knife and lift out. Peel, then cut into small chunks and place in a nonmetallic bowl. Squeeze the lime juice and add oil. Add the rest of the ingredients to the avocados and mix until well combined. Transfer to a serving dish and serve at once. To avoid discoloration, sprinkle with extra chopped cilantro.

Baked Sweet Potato Soufflé

The sweet potato, honey, ginger and ground cinnamon is a good combination for a healthy breakfast. It is quite simple to prepare this dish the night before and bake in the morning. This recipe can be served during Thanksgiving with a nuts topping as well and there will be no leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato*
1 cup nonfat milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs coconut oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs fresh grated ginger
2 tbs soft butter for greasing baking dish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 10" x 6" x 2" baking dish with 2 tbs of soft butter and set aside.
In a food blender, combine mashed potato, ginger, cinnamon, honey, coconut oil, eggs and milk and blend well. Pour the blended mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

To make mashed sweet potato:


Peel and cut 1 large sweet potato into inch chunks. Place chunks into a saucepan with water and cook for 15 minutes or until potato is fork tender. Drain and use a potato masher to mash the cooked potato, which makes a little more than 1 cup.

Chocolate-Oatmeal Muffins

Who can resist the chocolate, the oatmeal, and then the chia seeds in this muffin recipe to create a healthy choice for breakfast? These muffins will disappear as soon as they arrive on the table.
Ingredients:
1 cup cake mix
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick softened butter or margarine
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tbs chia seeds
4 oz apple sauce
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line twelve muffin tins with paper cup liners and set aside.
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine cake mix, rolled oats, salt and chocolate chips and set aside.
In another mixing bowl, combine milk, chia seeds, and apple sauce.
With an electric mixer, beat white sugar, brown sugar and softened butter or margarine until fluffy. Add egg and beat until well combined. Add milk/applesauce mixture and beat for another 1 minute. Stir in flour/oat mixture and vanilla until incorporated. Gently pour the batter into the prepared liners, about 3/4 full. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick into the center comes out clean.

Fish with Mushrooms in a Rich Tomato Sauce

I am proud to introduce this quick, easy dinner meal, using rich homemade or store-bought tomato sauce. Adding onions and garlic into this dish will bring out the sweet earthy flavor of the mushrooms.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz firm white fish, cod, or tilapia
10 oz white button mushrooms
4 tbs coconut oil
1 sweet white onion, finely chopped
1 green chili, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tbs snipped fresh chives for tarnishing

Directions:
Cut fish into 1 inch pieces. Wipe the mushrooms with damp paper towels and thickly slice and set both aside
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, chili and cook, stirring for 5-6 minutes until the onion is softened, but not brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring  for 2 minutes.
Add cumin, chili powder and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, salt, sugar and tomato sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. The sauce should have thickened, but if appears runny, cook uncovered for 3 minutes. Add fish and season with more salt, if needed. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with chives on top, and serve immediately.

Thai Turkey-Crab Meatballs

These Asian little meatballs, which use turkey and crab for fewer calories, are very delicious. Using fresh herbs give the meatballs another extra flavor. These special meatballs are good as hors d'oeuvres for any party with their unique flavor, as a main meal, hot on the BBQ grill on a simple summer day cookout, or served elegantly on a bed of lettuce and cucumbers for dinner with close friends. Shrimp or crab can be added for extra nutrition and flavor.
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1 lb. Ground turkey
6 oz crab meat, drained
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup of fresh herbs – mints, Thai basil, cilantro, chopped
1 tsp fresh minced lemongrass
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbs lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs chili sauce
Cucumber Salad:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tbs water
3 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 English cucumber, sliced
White onion, chopped
1 fresh chili, chopped

Peanut dipping sauce or Vietnamese dipping sauce (sweet and sour fish sauce)

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, mix well all the meatball ingredients together by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Roll the mixture into round, golf ball size meatballs, making sure to pack the meat firmly.
For baking:
Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking oil. Place meatballs into the baking dish (keep each meatball from touching others and spray more oil on the meatballs). Bake in preheated oven to 375° for 15 to 25 minutes.
For grilling:
Soak the bamboo skewer in water for 15 minutes
Turn the outdoor BBQ grill on and spray with cooking oil. Lance each meatball with a soaked bamboo skewer. Place on the grill and grill the meatballs until golden brown.
For pan frying:
On a stovetop using a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add some oil and place meatballs into the skillet and fry for 7 minutes on each side or until the meatballs are golden brown.

Sweet Vegetable Bread Rolls

I use a bread machine to create this recipe because after juicing my vegetables, the pulp remaining still looks and is too good to throw away. All of the many vitamins of beet, apple, carrot, cucumber, celery, spinach and broccoli help make these sweet rolls so soft, buttery, and deliciously healthy. The dough will be sticky, so adding any more flour to it will only make the roll tough.
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed vegetable/fruit pulp remaining after juicing
1 egg
2 tbs soft butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
Add the ingredients in the order listed above into the bread machine pan. Select the basic dough setting and press start. When the dough is finished kneading and first rising, the machine will beep. Spray some cooking oil on the working surface. Remove dough from the machine and place on the working surface.
Use 2 tbs soft butter to spread on the bottom and sides of a 9 inch diameter baking dish. Roll up dough as if making a jellyroll, forming a 12 inch-long cylinder. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the cylinder dough into 10 equal slices. Although it is not easy to shape each slice into a ball, fortunately the shape does not matter. Place each ball onto the prepared baking dish; Cover dough with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for a second time (about 45 minutes or until double in size).
Preheat oven to 325°. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes

Steamed Fillet of Fish with Mushroom & Ginger

Most Chinese restaurants use the basic sauce of soy sauce, ginger, dry sherry and scallions to create the very popular steamed whole fish. However, for simple meals at home, any white fillet of fish like tilapia, cod, or catfish will make this recipe ready in 15 minutes; use a baking dish to catch the sauce from the fish and mushrooms to serve over steamed white rice to make a complete meal.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz tilapia fillets
Sauce:
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 tsp honey or brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 black pepper
1/8 tsp chili flake
2 cloves garlic, minced
Accompany with:
2 tbs fresh ginger, thinly julienned
1/2 cup of fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken broth. soy sauce, dry sherry, salt and minced garlic.
Arrange half of the green onions in the bottom of the baking dish. Place fish on the green onions. Top with mushrooms, ginger and the other half of the green onions. Pour the sauce over fish.
Place fish onto the steamer over high heat. Cover and steam fish for 15 minutes. Remove from the steamer, Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

Chicken, Avocado & Chipotle Soup

The cool sour cream and corn will cool off the heat of chipotle, giving this soup a nice balance for a chilly night.
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces (preferably Costco roasted chicken)
4 cups homemade chicken broth
One 14.50 can tomato with juice
One 14.50 can white beans, drained
2 cups white corn
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
2 chipotle peppers with sauce, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Garnish:
1 avocado, cut into small cubes
Fresh cilantro and green onions, chopped

Directions:
In a medium heavy sauce pan over medium heat, add 2 tbs canola oil. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes and add cumin, chipotle, and oregano. Stir and cook about 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomato, chicken broth, corn, carrots, and beans. Bring to boil. Turn heat to simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add cooked chicken and bring it back to boil. Arrange the green onions on the bottom of a serving bowl. Ladle hot soup on top. Sprinkle with cilantro and some lime juice.

Tilapia Baked in Herbs Butter Sauce

Simple light butter sauce is a good choice for baking tilapia.  
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz tilapia fillets
1 tsp margarine or low fat butter
1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp yellow mustard

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, add margarine and coconut oil. Cook until melted. Stir in salt, black pepper, paprika, mustard and all the chopped herbs. Turn heat off.
In a baking dish, brush the herbs mixture all over the bottom of the baking dish. Place tilapia onto the dish and brush fish with more sauce on top. Cover baking dish with foil and marinate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350° and bake fish for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes. Squeeze some lemon juice on the tilapia before serving.

Tip: If fresh herbs are not available, replace with dried herbs (1/2 tsp each).

Avocado Panna Cotta

This lower calorie version of this creamy Italian dessert takes advantage of the tremendous health benefits of using creamy avocado for silky texture and beautiful pale green color. The presentation is up to each cook to serve his or her guests in single decorated molds a or cut into slices on serving plate. Traditionally, this dessert is only served individually with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt garnishing on top. Including avocado into the daily diet is a wise choice, especially for women.
Ingredients:
2 ripened avocados*
2 cups soy milk
3 cups skim milk
1/4 cup sugar or honey
2 tbs lime sauce
2 tsp agar powder or 3 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 tsp vanila
Directions:
Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop out fruit and place into a Magic Bullet machine or other blender. Add 1 cup soy milk and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve the agar powder and sugar. Add avocado mixture to milk mixture and mix well. Pour into individual molds or serving dish. Cover tops with plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight. Serve with fresh fruit.

You may substitue  Mango for Avocado

Sweet Black Sticky Rice with Mung Beans

This exotic-looking black rice has a nutty taste and a brown rice textured finish. It is high in fiber, has a substantial mineral content, and is a good source of iron. This delicious breakfast is sold in the street markets of Vietnam and Thailand. Thai people make this dish as a sweet pudding with coconut milk and is sold as a dessert. The Vietnamese recipe, like the one I have here, is more for breakfast or at any time of day. Despite the name, sweet sticky rice, it is gluten-free and is not sweet. For its healthy choice benefits, black sticky rice is on top of the list.
Ingredients:
2 cups black rice, soaked overnight
1 cup slit mung beans, soaked overnight
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups shredded coconut
Roasted sesame seeds and peanuts, crushed

Directions:
Drain mung beans and place them into a steamer set to high heat for about 20 minutes. Place the cooked mung beans into a saucepan. Add sugar with some water. Cook on low heat and smash the mung beans until all the beans look like mashed potatoes (about 10 minutes).
Drain the black rice, sprinkle with salt, and place in steamer set to high until the rice is cooked through (about 30 minutes).

To serve:
Place sticky rice onto a serving plate. Layer smashed mung beans, and top with shredded coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts.