Chocolate-Nut Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:
8 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup roasted nuts, your choice, chopped
1/2 cup chopped coconut, shredded
1 1/2 cups rolled oats, ground to powder
1/2 cup flaxseed powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey 
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
Place chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl over a pot of water. Melt chocolate over very low heat.
Add vanilla and beat egg into melted chocolate.

Preheat oven to 350­°. Combine oats, flaxseed, shredded coconut and chopped nuts and toast for 15 minutes.

 Mix the oats mixture into the chocolate.

Line the baking pan with foil and press the chocolate-oats mixture onto the pan.

 Make a slight indentation and refrigerate until hardened. Break apart and store in a jar.

Spicy Peppered Tilapia with Fresh Herb Sauce

he French classic dish, steak au poivre, uses pepper to make a luscious peppery crust and is then served with fresh herb sauce. During summer where I live, I have so many fresh herbs growing in my garden. Fresh herb sauce works well with the meaty fish, such as sea bass, tuna, or tilapia. For the busy cook to get an idea to have dinner prepared in minutes, this is a recipe. Cooked basmati rice or quinoa make this dish an extraordinarily healthy meal.

Ingredients:
Two 6 oz tilapia or sea bass fillets
1/2 tsp coarsely black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Herb sauce ingredients:
About 1/2 cup fresh herbs: parsley, mints, chives, cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbs chicken broth
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

Accompaniments:
Cooked spinach, quinoa, or basmati rice

Directions:
Combine the pepper, salt, and cayenne in a shallow dish. Rub fish with oil on both sides and press fish on the pepper.

Place a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Spray with some oil and cook fish until crust has formed on both sides and is just opaque in the center (about 2 to 3 minutes on each side). Transfer onto a serving plate.

 

 

Meanwhile combine the herb sauce ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Pour sauce over fish and serve with chosen accompaniment.

 

Stir-Fried Fish with Chives

Looking for an adventure in cooking in an easy but healthy way is one of my pledges since I started my blog.  It also helps my confidence being a self-taught cook. From my kitchen, I have learned how to grown some fresh herbs on my kitchen windowsill, so I can have fresh herbs at my fingertips whenever I need them. One herbs that is easy to grow and brings a lot of joy to cooking is chive. I always have two kinds of chives in my garden. They are onion and garlic chives, and both of them come back year after year. I like both of them. Each has a slightly different smell. As their names connote, they both smell like either garlic or onion. I use the onion chive a lot in stir-fried dishes. The recipe that I introduce today is an example of how simple dinner can be prepared.

Ingredients:
Two 8 oz tuna fillets
1 cup color sweet bell peppers, julienned
2 tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
A large bunch of chives cut into 3 inch lengths
1/2 red or white onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 knob of fresh ginger, minced, about 1 tbs
2 tbs peanut oil
Sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1 tbs cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp cornstarch

Directions:
Cut tuna into 2 inch pieces. Combine cornstarch, salt, and black pepper in a bowl and roll tuna pieces in the cornstarch to completely cover the fish cubes. Place tuna fish on a sieve to shake off any flour.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix.
In a wok, add oil over high heat. Add fish and stir-fry until golden brown. Remove from wok.

Add ginger and garlic to wok and cook until fragrant. Add  onions and cook until softened.

 Add sweet pepper and cook for 1 minute.

 Quickly stir in sauce, fish, and chives. Coat fish and chives with sauce.

Turn off heat and place on serving dish. Serve with rice.

Gluten-Free Brownies

These are perfect gluten-free brownies! The rice flour can be replaced with coconut flour or any gluten-free flour.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder or 1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease 8” x 8” square cake pan.

 

Combine rice flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
In a sauce pan over medium heat, add coconut oil and cocoa powder. Stir cocoa powder with coconut oil until smooth. Let cool.

In another bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat eggs, vanilla, and sugar.

 Stir in coconut-cocoa mixture and flour.

Mix well. Stir in nuts.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 20 minutes.

 Let cool before cutting. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup).

Candied Walnuts

This nut treat is so addictive. Every time I make this as a topping for the field green salad, it is hard for people to keep their hands off the nuts before it is on table. There are many ways to make this walnut candy treat. The Chinese recipe instructs to deep-fry the nuts and then coat with sugar. Some others cook sugar with water and then add the nuts. The sugar volume depends on the sweetness of the nuts that suits each individual. I love to have this for my snack, so I make it with as little sugar as is possible. I add a little kick with cayenne on the nuts. Store in an airtight container when it cools. As a warning to the weight conscious, as I said, it is an addictive snack!

Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
2 tbs sugar
3 tbs honey
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
In a large sauté pan, add sugar, honey, salt, and coconut oil over medium heat.

 Stir until the sugar and honey dissolve.

Stir in walnuts and vanilla.

Continue cooking on low-medium heat until all the nuts are coated with sugar and oil (it should take about 3 to 5 minutes).

 

Careful do not let nuts burn. Turn heat off and let cool completely before placing in the airtight jar.

 

 

Colorful Life

Although a piece of paper is thin, it will always have two sides. Life, too, is not merely a rose, but a bouquet of flowers of all kinds, all colors, and scents.
Life is a parade. Sometimes we go through life and realize that we just ignore it and remain constantly searching. However, one thing for sure is that the magic is still very much still present right beside us, every day, and every hour. That's the simple pleasure that brings us together. What is surprising, the unexpected events, and the mystery of life are all parts of the eternal life and is totally beyond our judgment. So, relax and enjoy the great things in life.
Do you remember a childhood game – carousel? A very casual game turned out to be an enjoyable experience for all of us, including adults – just hold onto the handle and start spinning.  Life is still congealing around us. If you feel dizzy seek support from someone around you. Look for a fulcrum to set foot, then reach out and give someone your hands to help you to keep your balance.
This life is never too short for us to express love, even if only with one person. The juvenile desires, intentions progress, and we all require effort in many ways all at once. That explains why people so quickly stride on the streets, engross working and living and constantly not to stop loving. Things are happening in my life intentionally, and there is no such thing as chance or luck at all. Failure, damage, disruption, and loss are all great lessons of life. Without them, this life is only a path with no destination, and your everyday life is without hopes and dreams.

There are always secrets to be explored in this colorful life. Let's cherish each moment and take to heart to love others. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or takes advantage of your heart, forgive them because they have helped you realize the meaning of truth and, furthermore, helps you open your heat and mind to please people.
We often see the clock simply as a symbol of time, but we forget one thing – every passing moment is a chance for us to learn from life. Stop, watch, and listen to the pulse of life - it is also one of the important reasons for each of us to be present in this life.


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Stir-Fried Chicken with Green Beans

Here is another healthy recipe that I like to make in a short time. Fresh green beans are very easy to find, especially during summer, but frozen green beans works fine. Serving hot cooked rice will complete an easy meal.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. chicken breasts or thighs, sliced
1 tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp cooking wine
2 cups green beans
1 onion, thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Stir-fry sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup water
3 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1tbsp cooking wine
1 tsp cornstarch

Garnish with chopped cilantro
Serve with rice

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, soy sauce, and cooking wine. Add to the chicken. Let marinate for 1 hour.
Combine the stir-fry sauce ingredients and mix well.
Bring a pot of hot water to boil. Blanch the green beans in the hot water for 1 minute and quickly submerge in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain.
In a wok, add 2 tbs of peanut oil over high heat.  Stir fry onions and garlic until fragrant. Add chicken and cook until almost all the chicken is longer pink. Add green beans and sauce. Stir-fry quickly over high heat; Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.