Asian BBQ Chicken

Thai cuisine has the chicken satay which dominates in Southeast Asia. However, as a Vietnamese, I like some of the Vietnamese BBQ sauce that is similar or maybe better depending on someone's taste. I will share this sauce because it is so easy and healthy. This sauce can be made with either pork chop or beef too.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sliced about 1 inch thick
BBQ sauce ingredients:
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced lemongrass
1 tbs Thai sweet chili sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 /2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili flakes or cayenne 
1 tbs peanut oil
2 tbs coconut milk

Directions:
Place chicken slices into a mixing bowl. 
Combine all the BBQ sauce ingredients and mix well.

 

Pour sauce over chicken; cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
If using oven, preheat oven to 400°. Place chicken on a baking pan and bake for 15 minutes and turn to broil for 5 minutes or until lightly scorched.
If using pan-fry, Heat cast iron pan with some oil and pan-fry chicken 4 minutes on each side or until scorched.
Serve with rice and Sweet Vietnamese dipping sauce.
 
To make Sweet Vietnamese sauce:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
Mix well. Adjust the taste to your liking with more sugar or lemon juice
 
Add chopped fresh chili and minced garlic before serving.

Jell-O the Best Food for Healthy Bones

Jell-O or Knox gelatin is known to be made from seaweed or from a variety of animal bones, such as chickens, pigs and cows. Jello-O is very popular in foreign foods especially for desserts like fruit cakes, cheese cake, or pudding. Knox gelatin is a colorless jello that is commonly used as a gel agent for foods and, most importantly, in industrial or home canning technology. Today, I do not want to use gelatin for cooking or baking, but I just want to advise people to use gelatin to heal wounds because gelatin has collagen. Regular consumption of gelatin helps to keep bones and cartilage strong, as well as hair and nails grow faster. Gelatin is easy to make either with sugar or not and if, regularly used, gelatin as a medicine especially for people who are 50 or older, gelatin is a good friend. Here I would like to share a very easy recipe to always have gelatin in the body. Depending on the individual’s taste, sugar can be added or use the juice to substitute for the sweetness, and, also the hardness or softness of the gelatin when is done depending on each person's taste too.

Ingredients:
1 tsp of Knox gelatin
½ cups of water, juice or milk
2 cups boiling water
Honey, sugar added for your taste

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, add gelatin and 1/2 cup of water to mix well.
Pour hot water to the cold gelatin mixture and mix well
Pour gelatin into a container and let cool.
Note: Each box of Knox or Jell-O as the instructions as well. For adding the gelatin into body daily, I like to share it with my blog followers.

You also can mix gelatin with cold water and leave it overnight. In the morning mix the gelatin mixture with milk or juice to drink. Also you can mix the gelatin mixture with smoothie as well.
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Spicy Salmon-Eggplants Salad

Salmon is a healthy fish, and this dish is an easy meal to prepare.

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, 6 oz. each
1 large eggplant
1 cup water
1 knob of ginger, sliced
1/4 cup white onions sliced
1 tsp lemongrass minced
1/2 tsp salt
Dressing ingredients:
1/4 cup lime juice or apple cider vinegar
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp lemongrass minced
2 shallots thinly sliced
2 fresh Thai hot chili slices
Garnish with:
Crispy shallot* and chopped cilantro

Directions:
Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar shake well. Adjust the seasoning for your liking. The taste should be spicy, sweet, and sour.
Bake eggplant in oven set at 350°. Remove skin and slice
I use the Costco salmon. Cut salmon into cubes.
In a saucepan, bring water. ginger, onions, and lemongrass to boil and simmer for 15 minutes.. Add salmon cubes and bring to boil. Blanch until just done. Remove fish and set aside.
Place baked eggplants, and salmon cubes on a serving plate. Add the dressing; top with crispy shallots and cilantro. Serve

*To make crispy shallots:
Thinly slice 4 shallots. Add 1/2 cup peanut oil in a saucepan with thinly sliced shallots. Fry under medium heat until crispy; stir occasionally. Drain and refrigerate for further use. The shallot oil can be used to flavor any dish.

Easy Applesauce Cake

I have had this recipe for quite sometime and wanted to make this cake because the main ingredient for this cake is applesauce and I feel strongly about using homemade applesauce to achieve the best taste and still be healthy. For that, I have to make homemade applesauce first. Fortunately for me, my friend just gave me a jar of homemade applesauce yesterday, and I feel it is now time for me to share this wonderful recipe with all of my blog friends here. It is very easy to prepare if cake mix is ready. If you are frequent blogger to my blog, then you already know that I am not a baker. However, I like to have an easy recipe to make a cake to entertain my friends if they show up unannounced. This cake can also be served at breakfast.

Ingredients;
Dried ingredients:
2 cups cake mix*
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 cup raisin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted and chilled coconut oil
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar)
2 cups homemade applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
Other ingredients:
1 tbs flour
1 tsp coconut oil
1./2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease tube cake pan with oil and dust with some flour.
Combine the dried ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
In a blender, add the wet ingredients and blend for 30 seconds.
Make a well in the center of the dried ingredients and pour the wet blended mixture into the dried ingredients. Fold the mixture well to combine. Sprinkle the top with shredded coconut*(optional).
Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
*If you do not have cake mix on hand, there is no problem because for each one cup of flour simply use 1/2 tbs of baking powder


I am sorry for not having the photos because my camera is still not working

Asian Chicken Curry

Curry paste such as green, red, and mussamun are the primary ingredients for making Thai curry. There is a variety of curry recipes all over the Asian world. It depends on which region of Asia makes curry. I do not want to label my recipe for any kind of curry dishes because I love all of them. The easiest way to make curry is to buy the curry paste on the market. I already have most of the spices I use at home, so it is not hard for me to create the curry with what I have on and. The spiciness can be easy to adjust for one’s taste, and I call it curry the way you want. Here is another easy curry dish that I like to share.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup coconut cream
2 tbs coconut oil
Vegetables:
1 cup eggplants, diced
1 cup green beans
Curry spices:
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp fresh minced lemongrass
1 jalapeno, chopped
1tsp curry powder
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Garnish with sweet basil, and green onions
Serve with rice

Directions:
In a mini food processor, blend all the curry sauce to a fine paste.
Clean the chicken breasts and cut into slices. Bring 2 cups of coconut milk to boil and cook chicken slices in to the milk until done (about 10 minutes). Turn the heat off and let the chicken cook in hot milk.
In a pan, heat oil. Add curry paste and sauté until fragrant. Gradually, add the coconut cream and cook until the oil surfaces. Add eggplants and green beans. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and hot milk and bring to simmer. Season with more salt and pepper to your taste. The taste should be salty and slightly sweet. Top with basil and green onions. Serve with rice.

Easy Healthy Creamy Corn Chowder

I like chowder, but the bacon fat and heavy cream are not my kind of food that I like to eat more often.  I created this chowder for my own taste, and it is healthy to consume. I use silken tofu and coconut milk to replace the heavy creamy taste. I like it and hope my frequent bloggers enjoy it too.

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
4 oz. silken tofu
1 tbs coconut oil
1 cup white onions, diced
1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 cups diced & peeled potatoes
Spices:
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with chopped cilantro

Directions;
In a blender, add 1/2 cup corn, tofu, and coconut milk and blend to creamy. Set aside.
In a pot, heat oil until hot. Sauté the onions, carrots, red bell pepper, and the remaining amount of corn. Continue heating until the onions are translucent. Stir in cumin and chili powder and mix well.
Stir in potatoes and broth. Bring to boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Add tofu, corn, and coconut mixture. Bring back to boil. Adjust seasoning with more salt.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

I am sorry for not having photos because my camera is in the prepare shop now

Inspirational quotes by Dalai Latma

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the minds at ease. It is the ultimate source of  success in life.

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves

Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.

In disagreements with love ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life

Live a good honorable life. Then when you get older, and think back, you will be able to enjoy it a second time

Don't let  a little dispute injure a great relationship

Follow the three R's;

-Respect for self

-Respect for others, and

-Responsibility for all your actions

Old friend pass away, new friend appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend or a meaningful day.

The more we care for happiness of others, the greater is  our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It is the ultimate source of success in life .

if the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much educations or knowledge or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensure.