Egg Sandwich with Coconut Oil and Avocado

Starting the morning with a healthy, easy breakfast guarantees a good day. One of my favorite foods served as a hors-d'oeuvre at any party is an egg sandwich. It is my breakfast as often as I have the avocado to substitute for mayonnaise in the recipe. Lately, I use coconut oil for my recipes, and they taste great. I also twist the recipe a little with an Asian flair with cilantro, curry powder, and garlic. This recipe can be served at dinner and would satisfy any family member. The creamy avocado and coconut oil make this recipe a keeper.

Ingredients:
4 hard boiled eggs, mashed*
4 slices of good sandwich bread
1/2 cup mashed avocado, about 1/2 of an avocado
1 tbs coconut oil
1 cup total of cucumber, celery, white onions, and cilantro – finely chopped
1/8 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Chinese mustard powder
1/2 tsp salt and white pepper
1 tbs chopped pickled jalapeno or fresh Thai chili

1 tsp lime juice

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the sandwich bread.Re-season to your liking.

Divide the eggs mixture and serve with your favorite bread.

*Making the hard boiled eggs:
Place room-temperature eggs in a pot filled with water to cover eggs. Bring to boil. Cover and turn heat off. Let eggs continue cook in hot water for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs shell and mash.

Strawberry-Coconut Shortcake

This shortcake is easy to make. It can be made in very little time if someone just decides to show up. The sugar in the batter can be added more or less depending on the jam used. Sometimes, the store-bought jam is very sweet. Add sugar to the coconut topping if using non-sweet coconut flakes. The batter in this recipe is more like sugar cookie dough, but I use coconut oil to replace most of the butter for my choice of healthy eating. Sipping tea with this shortcake in a summer garden is delightful.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs cornstarch
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 tbs soft butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup strawberry jam or any kind of jam your choice
Topping:
2 cups sweet coconut flakes
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line an 8” x 12” baking sheet with parchment paper overlapping all 4 sides. Grease the paper with butter or coconut oil.

Combine sugar, coconut oil, egg, and butter in a mixing bowl.

 Use a handheld mixer to beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and flour. Beat until combined.

Spread the batter onto the prepared baking pan.

 Spread the jam on top of the cookie batter.

Prepare the topping in another bowl by lightly beating the eggs and then stirring in the coconut flakes.

Spread coconut topping over the jam.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Let cake cool and cut into slices. Serve with tea.

Easy Chicken-Okra Gumbo

What is Gumbo? I am not sure why it is called gumbo, but I love the okra and other vegetables in the recipe. Many recipes for gumbo contain Andouille sausage or smoked ham. I haven't tried to prepare this dish until now. When I tested my recipe without sausage and ham, it is still very much "gumbo" like. I think the secret to having a smooth, velvet sauce is spending time making a roux. Go to this website to learn more about gumbo and making roux: http://www.gumbocooking.com/roux-for-gumbo.html. It provides excellent information and teaching about gumbo. Most of the spices are very common ones like cayenne, smoked paprika, Cajun seasonings, a lot of garlic, and even fresh jalapeno. I created this recipe for my own family without sausage and ham because I feel it is healthier. I use coconut oil instead of butter and olive oil, but feel free to use butter or any kind of oil for making the roux, which is the first step to having a successful gumbo. Another reason I love this dish is that it is served over rice. For me it is very close to home.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. chicken breasts, cut into chunks
4 cups chicken broth
For the roux:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetables:
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup total of chopped celery, red and green bell pepper
2 fresh jalapeno or Thai bird chili, sliced
2 cups okra, cut into chunks
1 can stewed tomatoes (14.5oz)
Spices:
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1 bay leaf

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, make a roux by adding oil and flour.

 Using a wire whisk, constantly stir the oil and flour on low heat for at least 30 minutes or until the roux becomes a deep amber color.

In the meantime, bring chicken broth to simmer. When the roux is ready, ladle broth slowly into the roux one cup at a time and stir to well combine. Turn heat off.

 

 

In a sauté pan, add 2 tbs of oil. Stir in onions, garlic, bell pepper, and celery.

Cook until the vegetables have wilted. Add all spices and Thai chili. Cook for 2 minutes or until smelling the aroma has released from them.

Add chicken. Coat chicken with all these spices.

 Add can of tomato. Pour  the roux and chicken broth into the chicken and mixture of spices, Add Okra

Bring to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

 Serve on top with rice.

The Value of a Smile

A Smile does not lose one's capital, but benefits from it a lot.

A Smile does not make one poor to give, but make people who receive it richer.

A smile just blooms for a moment, but give the lasting impression.

The richest man on earth without a smile is still a poor one. The poorest who is wearing a smile on his face has a large capital in him.

 Smiles bring happiness in the family. It is the source to start of commercial intentions and the sign of friendship.

 A smile relieves depression. It is the dawn image for those who lose heart, the spring sunshine to those who sorrow, and the miracle of drugs to treat anxiety.

 A smile cannot be bought and cannot be pleased as alms; It cannot be borrowed nor cannot it be stolen. Because those who keep it tightly, is not worth anything. But those who use it generously, the value is immense.

 So when you meet a tired person, he has no energy to smile at you. You smile with that person. As someone who does not even have a smile to give to others, he or she should receive a smile more than anyone else.

So if you want to be loved, remember this rule:

"Keep smiling"

Source Internet

Chicken Chop Suey

Chop suey and Chow mein are both Chinese stir-fry dishes.  Chop suey can either be served with crispy fried noodles or on top of cooked rice. For me, chop suey is the dish that I want to make on a lazy day. This dish also will help me to finish up all of my vegetables that are just about to go bad in my refrigerator. The leftover rice would be perfect. This is the recipe that belongs to my family’s restaurant from a long time ago and one of the most popular items on the menu in addition to the fact that it is very easy to prepare. Now, when I prepare this dish in my own kitchen using the leftover rice and the vegetables that would soon go bad in my refrigerator, it gives me a little taste of a sweet memory that I had with my mother and sister,Mai, at the restaurant when it was still in operation.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sliced
1 tbs cooking wine
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp hot chili paste (optional)
1 tsp sesame oil
Vegetables:
1/2 sliced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup total of shredded carrots, celery, mushrooms
A handful of baby spinach

Oil for stir-frying

Directions:
Marinate the chicken breasts in cooking wine, cornstarch, salt, and pepper for 1 hour.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small cup and set aside.
In a wok, heat 2 tbs peanut oil until hot. Add ginger, garlic cook until fragrant. Add chicken and cook until almost done. Add onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery. Mix well with chicken for 2 minute or until  they are just soft. Add sauce and bring to boil. Cook sauce until almost thickened. Stir in spinach and bean sprouts. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Mix them well. Pour over rice and serve.

Fish with Stir-Fried Vegetables

“What’s for dinner?” This question we all hear every day from our families. To make an everyday meal is quick and easy, but never compromise its taste nor its nutrition. This recipe is all of it. Stir-frying is one of easy Asian techniques that requires few ingredients. Hot, spicy, sweet, and sour is the sauce for stir-frying. Inexperienced cooks can master this technique and then experiment with some ideas to create their own stir-fry sauce instead of buying it in food market. Also, a wok-good stove plays a big role for successful stir-fry dishes. However, the stir-fried dish presented here can easily be put together in most home kitchens. Try to prepare this dish as a beginning to a promising, relaxed weekend.

Ingredients:
Two 6 oz tuna fillets or any firm white fish
1 tbs cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp coconut oil
Sauce:
1 tbs each of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water or chicken broth
1tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
Vegetables:
1 cup total of shredded, red, green, and yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup carrots, julienned
2 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 white onion, thick sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced

Garnish with chopped cilantro

Directions:
Place tuna in a baking dish.
Melt coconut oil. Add wine, salt, and black pepper. Pour over tuna and marinate for 1 hour. Bake in a preheated oven set to 375° for 15 to 20 minutes.
Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat wok over medium high heat. Add 1 tbs oil until hot. Stir in onions and garlic, mushrooms, carrots, . Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

 Add the stir-fry sauce.Bring to boil and add the rest of the vegetables.

Cook until sauce has thickened.
Pour over tuna. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with rice or cooked noodles.

Coconut Sweet Rice with Peanuts (xôi đậu phộng)

Xôi đậu phộng is one of the easiest dishes to prepare using a rice cooker and crockpot. I add coconut milk while cooking the rice for flavor and the health benefits from the coconut milk. This dish can be made in the morning for breakfast or packed for lunch or a picnic. My family is from the North of Vietnam, so this dish is an all-time favorite, but I prepare this recipe with the taste of coconut, which is from the South of Vietnam. I love the creamy taste of coconut in my cooking. However, it is not only for the taste, but now it is a healthy choice for cooking. The glossy, creamy taste of coconut fat, the sweet-salty from the roasted peanuts, and sesame topping all combine for a pleasing aroma to make this dish a fantastic meal never boring to eat.

Ingredients:
1 cup raw peanuts
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sweet rice, washed and drained
2 cups coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
Roasted peanuts and roasted sesame seeds mixed with some sugar and salt
1 cup shredded coconut flakes
Ingredients:
In a crockpot, add raw peanuts, water, and salt. Cover and turn to low heat. Cook overnight if you want to make this dish for breakfast.  If using fresh peanuts, then cook them in stove top for 2 hours.
In a rice cooker*, add sweet rice, cooked peanuts, salt, and coconut milk. Turn to cook.

 After the rice mixture is done cooking, wait for ten minutes and press cook one more time. After the second time, the rice is cooked.

Serve on a plate. Top dish with coconut flakes, roasted peanuts, and sesame seeds.

 

 

*A rice cooker is the easiest way to prepare any kind of sweet rice. I always keep cooked peanuts and beans in my freezer to save time in the morning to make this dish. Always use 1 cup of liquid for each cup of rice.

Blackberries & Coconut Muffins

I have made many muffins using cake mix or self-rising flour. For a quick and delicious breakfast, I am introducing a new recipe using coconut oil to replace butter. Blackberries can be substituted for other berries that might be available. Since coconut is nature’s miracle healer, then why not include coconut into our baking.

Ingredients:
1 cup cake mix or self-rising flour*
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
1/3 cup grated coconut flakes
3 tbs melted coconut oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line muffin tins with 6 to 8 muffin liners

In a bowl, combine egg, honey, and coconut oil and beat well with a whisk.

Add coconut milk and whisk to combine with the egg mixture.

Add cake mix and mix just until the cake mix is moistened.

Fold in blackberries and half of the coconut flakes.

 Fill the muffin liners half way full. Top with the rest of coconut flakes .

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.

*You also can use all-purpose flour. With every cup of flour, add 2 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt.

Chicken Stew with Indian Spices

I remember back in Vietnam that fresh coconut water is a wonderfully refreshing drink under the hot sun. However, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil or the meat from coconut is also a good choice for cooking. I am glad now that food marts are starting to sell all these coconut products. Dating back for hundreds of years, most citizens of countries that consumed coconuts daily have had very good health. Today, I will introduce another wonderful and easy recipe using coconut milk and coconut water. This recipe that blends well with Indian spices makes it a healthier choice for dinner.

Ingredients:
Two to three lbs. chicken thighs and breasts, bone, skin in cut into big chunk
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 carrots cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 knob of fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tsp)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups coconut water
1cups coconut milk
2 tbs coconut oil

Spices:
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

 Garnish with green onions and cilantro

Directions:
In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown.

 Remove chicken and add all the spices, onions ,ginger, and garlic.

Cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Return chicken to the pot and add carrots, potatoes, and coconut water.

Bring to boil (reduce the heat to simmer).  Cover and stir occasionally for 30  to 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add coconut milk in the last 10 minutes. Bring back to boil.

Serve on a plate. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro.