Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup jicama, finely diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 white onions, chopped
2 garlic, minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup peanut oil
Sauce:
1 cup tamarind juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp oil
Serve by itself or with rice or noodles

Directions:
Heat oil in saute pan and add jicama, onions, carrots and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are wilted. Let it cool

In a mixing bowl combine cool vegetable , ground turkey, egg and cornstarch. Mix well and season with fish sauce, salt and black pepper.

Roll meat mixture into a ball smaller golf ball size.

At the rest of oil in a saute pan and start pan-fried the turkey ball about 4 to 5 minutes each size.

Combine the sauce ingredients and mix well. Pour in to the meat balls and cook for 5 more minutes for the sauce to coat all the turkey meat balls.

Another way to serve the turkey ball is to make a sauce separate and serve the sauce as the dipping sauce on the size a long with lettuce,cucumber, herbs.
To make a sauce as the dipping sauce:
In a small pan heat 1 tbsp oil and stir in shallot and garlic; cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant, Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil. Adjust the seasoning and cook for 2 minutes, Add slice hot fresh Thai chili if desire

Healthy Broccoli, Potato, and Kale Soup

The basic ingredients of broccoli soup are milk, cream, butter, and flour to make a roux.  Also, most people love creamy broccoli soup with cheddar cheese.  My healthy version of broccoli soup is none of the above. I use potatoes instead of butter and flour. I also use kelp broth to add nutrition to this soup as well.  Kale is another good vegetable to add to this soup. The cheddar cheese topping for this soup is very much for each guest who wants to enjoy a creamy taste. This recipe is much easier when a Crock-Pot® plays a part to help finish this recipe. The broccoli potato soup is one of my comfort foods on a lazy day.

Ingredients:

4 cups of broccoli florets

2 medium potatoes

2 cups chopped kale

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup white onion, chopped

4 cups kelp broth or chicken broth

2 tbs olive oil

Season with salt and pepper

Chili flakes (optional)

Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

I use a-one-pot rice cooker. It is sold at Costco.

Peel the potatoes and roughly chop the potato

Turn the sauté function on. Add oil. Add garlic and onions. Stir to cook for 4 minutes.

Add broccoli, potatoes, kale, and the broth to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
Close the lid and turn the dial to the soup function and let cook until everything is soft and tender.

Use a handheld blender and blend the soup until smooth.

Adjust the seasoning to your liking and add more broth or skim milk if too thick (your choice).

Ladle soup into a serving bowl and top with cheddar cheese.

*Other protein ingredients that can be added to this soup are tuna or shrimp.

Enjoy!!

FORGIVING

Please take a moment to take in the following message:

What forgiveness is

"Forgiveness is a form of realism. It doesn't deny, minimize, or justify what others have done to us or the pain that we have suffered. It encourages us to look squarely at those old wounds and see them for what they are. And it allows us to see how much energy we have wasted and how much we have damaged ourselves by not forgiving.



Forgiveness is an internal process. It can't be forced, and it doesn't come easy. It brings with it great feelings of wellness and freedom. But we experience this only when we want to heal and when we are willing to work for it.


Forgiveness is a sign of positive self-esteem. We no longer identify ourselves by our past injuries and injustices. We are no longer victims. We claim the right to stop hurting when we say, "I'm tired of the pain, and I want to be healed." At that moment, forgiveness becomes a possibility-although it may take time and much hard work before we finally achieve it.



Forgiveness is letting go of the past. It doesn't erase what happened, but it does allow us to lessen and perhaps even eliminate the pain of the past. The pain from our past no longer dictates how we live in the present, and it no longer determines our future.



It also means that we no longer need resentment and anger as an excuse for our shortcomings. We don't need them as a weapon to punish others nor as a shield to protect ourselves by keeping others away. And most importantly, we don't need these feelings to identify who we are. We become more than merely victims of our past.



Forgiveness is no longer wanting to punish those who hurt us. It is understanding that the anger and hatred that we feel toward them hurts us far more than it hurts them. It is seeing how we hide ourselves in our anger and how those feelings prevent us from healing. It is discovering the inner peace that becomes ours when we let go of the past and forget vengeance.



Forgiveness is moving on. It is recognizing all that we have lost because of our refusal to forgive. It is realizing that the energy that we spend hanging on to the past is better spent on improving our present and our future. It is letting go of the past so that we can move on.

Mistake of trying to run away from the past. The problem is that no matter how fast or how far we run, the past always catches up to us-and usually at the most inopportune time. When we forgive, we are dealing with the past in such a way that we no We all have been hurt. And at one time or another most of us have made the longer have to run.



For me, learning how to forgive wasn't easy. But I did learn, and my life is better for it - even here on death row."

Michael B. Ross
Death Row
Somers, Connecticut

"To be angry is to let others' mistakes punish yourself.
To forgive others is to be good to yourself.
Master ChengYen

Buddhism today

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Not many cookies will earn the title of low-fat, gluten-free but these peanut butter cookies do. These cookies are soft inside and crunchy on the outside. Depending on the taste of each baker; more or less sugar can be added. I make these cookies with very little sugar for my own taste. I like to eat more peanut cookies without feeling guilty. This is fantastic snack.

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Use a handheld beater to beat the batter until well mixed.

Roll the dough out using a 1 tbs measure.

Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.

Use a fork to flatten the dough and make indentations.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until it turns golden brown.

Easy Salmon and Gourd Green Curry

Ingredients:

2 salmon fish fillets (7 oz. each) cut into big bite

2 tbs green curry (store-bought)

1/2 gourd, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 white onion, cubed

1 (14.5 oz) can coconut milk

2 cups kelp stock

Season with:  fish sauce, salt, sugar, and black pepper

Garnish with: 2 sliced green onions and chopped cilantro

Serve with hot cooked rice or rice noodles

Directions:

In a medium pot; add 1/2 cup coconut milk. Bring to boil and add curry paste.

Simmer the curry paste with coconut milk until thickened.

Add the kelp broth and gourds. Bring to boil and add the rest of coconut milk.

Simmer about 10 minutes. Add salmon. Season with fish sauce, salt and sugar.

Bring back to boil. Cover and turn the heat off.

Let fish slow cook in hot broth for 10 minutes.

The curry is now ready to serve.

Ladle the curry over noodles or rice. Top with green onions and cilantro.

Do it now!

In a crash course in psychology, the professor gave the assignment to the students: "Within a week, you go to someone you love, and tell them that you love them. They are people that you have never or rarely told such words."

The assignment looked easy. However, almost the men of the course, who were over 30 years old, found it difficult  to carry out because rarely had they expressed their feelings to someone else.

At the beginning of the next class, the professor asked his students to retell their stories. It seemed that he waited for a woman, but an arm of a man raised. He looked so touched. He began his story:

“Five years ago, my father and I had a vicious disagreement and never really resolved it. We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at family gatherings. Even those times, we hardly spoke. So by the time I got home, I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him.

Just making that decision seemed to lift a heavy load off my chest. During that night, I hardly slept. Next day, I was at my parents' house ringing the doorbell, praying that Dad would answer the door. I was afraid if Mom answered, I would chicken out and tell her instead. But as luck would have it, Dad did answer the door.

‘I didn't waste any time’ - I took one step in the door and said, ‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that please forgive me and I love you.’

It was as if a transformation came over my dad. Before my eyes his face softened, the wrinkles seemed to disappear and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, ‘I love you too, son, but I've never been able to say it.’

But that's not even my point. Two days after that visit, my dad had a sudden heart attack and now is still in the hospital. If I am still hesitating about talking to my father, I may not have no chance to do so.”

- Dennis E. Mannering

No man truly has joy unless he lives in love.

- St. Thomas Aquinas

You must give time to your fellow men - even if it's a little thing.

- Albert Schweitzer

Patty Hansen

Easy Healthy Banana Pancakes

I love pancakes, but pancakes are made with flour, and that sometimes prevents me from enjoying pancakes. I have watched many YouTube videos about making gluten-free pancakes, but this recipe caught my eye. This recipe is so easy to make and gluten-free means no flour is used in the batter. How good does that sound?  I have followed this recipe many times, and today I will share this recipe with those who are dealing with Celiac Disease. I believe that this recipe will create a healthy breakfast that I can enjoy almost every day.

Ingredients:

1 large banana

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbs chopped nuts (your choice)

1 tbs coconut oil or butter

Garnish with sliced apple, watermelon, and blueberries

Directions:

Peel banana (I use a right banana), and place in a bowl.

Break an egg and add with banana.

Use a handheld beater to beat the egg and banana well (add the baking powder, cinnamon, and chopped nuts).

Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a nonstick sauté pan.

Divide batter into three portions (use about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake).

Pan fry the pancakes over low heat (flip each pancake when it starts to brown).

Remove from heat and enjoy!

Easy Chicken Drumsticks & Potato Soup Using a Crock-Pot®

I always feel Sunday is a relaxing day. Using a Crock-Pot® is an easy way to create a healthy meal without a fuss. Chicken and potato soup sounds like a Western dish; however, this dish is very popular in the Asian world. The soup is served like "Chicken Soup for the Soul".  It is easy and healthy soup recipe for adults and children.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken drumsticks

1 lb. potato

2 carrots

1 chayote

1 white onion, sliced into thick pieces

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups water

Seasonings:

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tbs sugar

Salt and black pepper

Other ingredients:

2 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

Soak the chicken drumsticks in salt & vinegar water for a few hours.

Remove skin from chicken drumsticks for less.

Peel potatoes and cut into big chunks.

Peel chayote, remove seeds, and cut into chunks.

Peel carrots and cut into chunks.

In the Crock-Pot®, add 6 cups of water. Add chicken, carrots, garlic, and white onion with all the seasonings to the pot.

 Close the lid and slow cook for 3 hours.

Add potatoes and chayote and cook for another two hours or until potatoes and chayote are tender.

Adjust the seasonings again with more fish sauce, salt, and sugar.

Serve in a serving bowl and sprinkle with green onions and cilantro.

Stir-fried Chicken with Basil and Cilantro

I have posted many stir-fried recipes, but this one is my favorite in terms of ease and healthy ingredients. Ground chicken can be used or chicken breast, diced into small pieces. I like Thai chicken stir-fried with holy basil and that helps me to come up with this recipe. The basil and cilantro are the medicinal herbs used in Asia. Therefore, I like to introduce both of these herbs into this recipe. Also, I do not live near an Asian grocery, so the holy basil is hard to find in American grocery stores. This recipe is a good compromise to the Thai recipe. I am very happy with the result.

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breast, diced

2 eggs (optional)*

1 cup total of three different colored sweet hers, diced

2 cups total consisting of  basil and cilantro leaves

2 tbs peanut oil

Spice paste ingredients:

3 garlic cloves

1 or two Thai hot chilies

1 shallot

3 three sweet chilies

Stir-fried sauce ingredients:

1 tbs oyster sauce

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp molasses

1 tbs honey

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp black pepper

Serve with cooked rice

Directions:

Place the spice paste ingredients in a mini food processor and blend to a paste.In a mixing bowl, combine the stir-fired sauce ingredients and mix well.

Heat oil in a wok and add the spice paste mixture. Stir and cook until fragrant.

Add chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink.

 Stir in sauce mixture ,sweet bell pepper and bring to boil. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir in  basil, and cilantro leaves. Make a quick stir and turn off the heat.

Serve with rice and egg

*Add oil in a sauté pan and break eggs into the pan to make sunny side up.

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Tofu and Bean Sprouts

During the summer, this recipe will result in a meal that will cool everyone down on hot days. It is quick to prepare and brings in good sources of protein. The stir-fried sauce is a copy cat of Pad Thai sauce which is sweet, sour, and salty. The tamarind is a main sour ingredient for this stir-fried sauce. However, lemon juice can be used as well. I like this recipe very much, and now I hope this dish will be a frequent occupant on your family’s dinner table.

Ingredients:

½ lbs. shrimp, shell removed

12 oz. firm tofu, diced

2 eggs

4 cups bean sprouts

3 green onions, sliced or chive

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, chopped

2 tbs peanut oil

Stir-fried sauce ingredients:

1/4 cup tamarind juice

2 tbs honey or brown sugar

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs sweet soy sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Combine the stir-fried sauce ingredients and stir well

Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok or sauté pan. Add shrimp in one layer and grill both sides. Remove from wok.

Add tofu, shallot, and garlic. Stir and cook until tofu turns brown and shallot and garlic becomes fragrant (about 1 to 2 minutes).

Move tofu to the side of your wok. Add the rest of the oil and break in the eggs. (You can lightly beat the eggs first or break them in the wok and then start to scramble the eggs.)

Add sauce, bean sprouts, and green onions to the wok and mix well.

 Add shrimps and turn heat off. Make a quick stir and serve. Sprinkle on top with some chopped cilantro (I love cilantro) and hot cooked rice.

Tip: The stir-fried sauce can added sparingly during cooking time to flavor the shrimp and also the tofu.