Vegetable Bread Using a Bread Machine

Since I have owned a bread machine, most of my breads have been created by using this wonderful machine. The bread dough comes out perfectly every time.  For this recipe, I use the sweet dough or the potato bread dough recipe. The filling for this recipe is just about the vegetables that are a combination of carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, and onions. I use whatever vegetables that are available to me. Squeeze out the excess water after blending the vegetables in a blender to prevent the dough from becoming soggy. The type of cheese used is also your choice to suite your family’s tastes. So, here is the simple vegetable bread for breakfast or for snacks.

Ingredients:
Bread machine ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 egg
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbs butter or coconut oil
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
Place all the ingredients listed above into the bread machine pan and press start.
When the doors finished and has risen enough, the machine will make a beeping sound.
Remove dough and place onto a floured countertop. Gently roll dough with a rolling pin into 12” x 12” rectangle.

The filling ingredients:
1 carrot
1 mushroom
1/3 zucchini
1/3 yellow squash
1/4 cup red onion
1 garlic clove
 
Other ingredients:
2 tbs green onion and 2 cups cheese
Egg wash:
1 beaten egg

Directions:
Place all the filling ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times to chop the vegetables into fine pieces. Squeeze out the excess water until the remaining solids equal approximately 1 cup.
Spread the chopped vegetables onto the prepared dough above. Top with about 2 cups of cheese and green onion.
Starting at one edge, roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. With seam side down, with a knife lightly score the dough into 1 inch sections. Cut dough into 12 pieces.

 

Place rolls cut side up into a prepared pan (butter the pan or spray with oil).

 Cover and let dough rise for 1 hour or until double in size. Brush with egg wash.

 

 

Bake in a preheated oven set to 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Shrimp and Crab Zucchini Soup

Summer is the time to make this soup because zucchini is grown here now, and the farmers markets everywhere where I live are selling zucchini. Zucchini is a cross between cucumbers and pumpkins. As some studies stated, this vegetable is rich in carotene, which strengthens the mucous membranes gives the body natural resistance. This soup is very easy to prepare and light in calories, but rich in protein. I like to promote a healthy eating habit, and this soup is one of my favorites. Japanese cooking is famous for healthy and light dishes that are heart friendly and age defying. Many of the recipes for making soup in Japan use Dashi stock as the number one stock. This stock is not just healthy and very easy to make, it will not take a lot of time to make, but for the busy cook, make enough this stock for a few days. The rest of the recipe is just simply put together in no time.

Ingredients:
For Dashi stock:
One 4” x 4” piece of kombu (kelp seaweed)
4 cups water
1/2 cup

1 oz dried bonito flakes (about a handful)

Directions:
Soak kelp in a pan with 4 cups of water for one hour. After one hour of soaking time, place the pan over medium heat and bring to boil. Take out the kombu when the water starts to boil. Add the bonito flakes and turn the heat to gentle boil. Turn the heat off. Let the bonito flakes sink to the bottom of the pan and drain through a sieve or paper towel. The Dashi stock is ready. Double or triple the recipe if needed.

 

The ingredients for the zucchini soup:
Soup base ingredients:
4 cups Dashi stock
2 cups shrimp stock or water
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar

Other ingredients:
12 medium size shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup cooked Crab meat (Costco brand)
1 cup chopped white onion
1 medium zucchini, cut into pieces
4 button mushrooms slices

Garnishes:
Basil leaf
Green onions, chopped

Directions:
Add all the soup base ingredients into a soup pot. Bring to boil. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Bring to boil. Add shrimp and crabs. Remove the residue from the surface and then cook until the shrimp change color to pink. Sprinkle with basil leaf and green onions and serve.

Fish Stew with Coconut Milk

It seems to me that every country with a long coastline will have its own fish soup. I posted many recipes for fish stew on my blog. Yesterday, one of my neighbors stopped by and gave me some of the white fish that he caught on his fishing trip.  It gave me an idea to create a fish soup. Today, I will introduce this easy version of "Moqueca", Brazilian fish stew. I went through many wonderful blog recipes that are similar to Thai or Vietnamese fish soup cook with coconut milk. However, it will depend upon cook’s idea for adding spices to make a slightly different taste than the original one. Cooking is fun, and the cook should use whatever ingredients that is in the pantry to create a fantastic meal. Life is too short, so make the most of it. Healthy eating everyday is my goal. This easy tasty healthy soup is the one.
Ingredients:
1 lb. cod or any white firm fish fillet
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of one lemon
Soup base ingredients:
2 tbs coconut oil
1/2  tbs fresh chopped ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
One 14.5 oz. can of coconut milk,
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 total cup of red and yellow bell peppers, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh tomato
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
 
Garnishes:
 Chopped green onions and cilantro

Directions:
Cut fish into big chunks and place in a bowl. Add garlic and lemon juice. Refrigerate until needed.
In a large saucepan, heat coconut oil. Stir in onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add paprika. Add tomato. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and coconut milk. Bring to boil and turn the heat to medium low. Simmer for 25 minutes. This is the soup base.
When ready to serve. Bring it back to boil. Add fish and cook for 10 minutes. Add chopped green onions and cilantro. Serve with rice or bread.
You can add shrimp or other vegetables, such as cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots.

 

 

 

Stir-Fried Chicken with Lemongrass and Garlic

This recipe is one of my easy healthy chicken recipes created to make a quick meal. All the ingredients are probably in your kitchen. It is tastier if using chicken legs or thighs, but I rather use the low-fat chicken breast fillets. Here is the healthy and delicious meal.

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breast fillets, sliced
Spices:
1 tbs peanut oil
1 tbs chopped lemongrass
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh chopped ginger
1 red onion cut into thick slices
Stir-fry sauce ingredients:
1/4cup water
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tbs honey
1 tbs blackstrap molasses
1 tbs sugar
 
Garnish with 1 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
Combine all the stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
In a large sauté pan, add oil and heat until hot. Stir in red onions, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger. Stir and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown.

 Add the stir-fry sauce. Stir and cook.

 Turn the heat to medium and continue to cook until the sauce is absorbed (about 30 to 40 minutes). Adjust the seasoning at this point with more fish sauce.

 Add the green onions, make a quick stir, and the chicken is ready to serve.

 

Best Basic Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs are easy, but the best one takes time. I love eggs, and eggs provide good nutrition each morning. Even a busy person can boil an egg to give energy to the body in the morning. Asian women consume eggs for keeping their weight down, for maintaining flawless skin, and for nourishing the hair. My mom always said to my brothers that if a woman does not know how to cook eggs, stay away from that woman. It is true, because there are so many easy recipes for eggs that we can whip them up in no time. The basic scrambled eggs is one of them. For advancing the recipe there are many choices for adding extra ingredients, such as cheese, left over cooked meat, ham, hot dogs, etc. Adding a little milk, cream, or water helps prevent overcooking. Today, I will share an easy basic scrambled eggs recipe with cheese, green onions, and a hot dog. Butter is the best choice for making scrambled eggs, but I use coconut oil. I am more into healthy eating, but the hot dog is one of my favorite ingredients to add to scrambled eggs instead of ham. It is more of a personal preference; feel free to create your own.

Ingredients:
2 tsp coconut oil
2 eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tbs chopped green onion
1/4 cup cheese, your choice
1 tbs milk or water
1 hot dog

Directions:
Cook the hot dog in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and dice.

 

 

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them just until the yolks and whites are combined. Season with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Stir in milk (I use coconut milk).

Place a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Add coconut oil and swirl it around the pan. Add chopped green onion. Stir and cook for a few seconds.

Add the egg to the skillet and turn the heat to medium low. Cook, stir frequently just until the eggs have set around the edges and are no longer runny, and break up the curds as they form (about 2 to 3 minutes).

Add cheese and diced hot dog and fold them together. Serve warm with toast.

 

 

Flaxseed Coconut Cookies

The healthy, rich, and delicious coconut is a super food. Many people who are not familiar with the coconut have a misunderstanding about this miracle fruit that is grown in tropical land. They think the coconut is for creamy dessert only. However, the coconut now is the latest trend of healthy, super food supplements that are added into our meals daily – from the coconut oil replacing butter for baking and coconut milk instead of cow’s milk for lactose intolerant people. The oil pulling method has been an old tradition to fight germs from the East and coconut oil is leading trend now. Gargling 1 tbs of coconut oil in your mouth in the morning for 30 minutes will help to keep the gums healthy. I was born in a country where the coconut is a daily food at the table and other parts of coconut trees are used for anything else in and around the house. The leafy branches cover the roof for the house and the coconut shell becomes a bowl and spoons to serve. Other uses of coconut oil are to moisturize the skin and to keep the hair looking shiny. It does not surprise me that now the West starts to know how wonderful the coconut is. Today, I will introduce an easy recipe using the coconut oil, coconut flour, and flaxseed meal to create super cookies to satisfy the yearning for sweetness. In the morning, this cookie can become a life saver for busy people who have no time for breakfast.

Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
1 cup flaxseed meal
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Wet ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup melted coconut oil, cooled
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. 
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Place all the wet ingredients into a blender and blend well.
Pour the blended wet ingredients mixture into the dry ingredients mixture and mix well.

Use a small ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the cookies and let cool on the rack.

Let things go

A father told his son:
 “Use your hands and grip tightly, and tell me what you feel.”
 The sun holding his hands then said:
 “Slightly tired, Dad.”
  Father:
 “Now, try to grasp more and see how you feel.”
  Son:
 “More tired than before!”
  Father:
 “So, now you should let go!”
  The son sighed:
 “Much more comfortable now!”
  Father:
 “When you feel tired, you will feel more tired if holding things to tightly. Let things go will make you feel much more comfortable!”
Lesson learned in life: Let go of all the troubles that you have been holding so tightly.