Yucca Cooked in Coconut Milk

If sweet potatoes, taro, yucca are favorite breakfast foods, then invest in pressure cooker. This wonderful kitchen tool is not just for making things easy, it saves time and saves the protein of the food that is prepared in it. I grew up to love all kinds of potatoes. Sweet potatoes, yucca or, taro are the most substantial and popular of all vegetables. It is fun to cook and enjoy them. They are good for the main dish or as a simple side dish, such as mashed potatoes or French fries. Today, I will share an easy breakfast recipe using yucca and coconut milk. The coconut cream or milk has become a popular and superior health food, and this is a recipe that has it.

Ingredients:
1 large yucca (about 1 ½ to 2 lbs.)
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
Equipment:
Pressure cooker

Directions:
Cut yucca into sections and remove the skin. Wash the yucca.

In a mixing container, combine the coconut cream, milk, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
Place yucca in a pressure cooker and pour the coconut cream mixture over the yucca.

Follow the pressure cooker instructions for cooking. It takes about 10 to 12 minutes for this amount of yucca.

Serve.

For the leftover cooked yucca another recipe follows:
1 cup sweet rice
1 cup cut-up, cooked yucca
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Wash and drain sweet rice and mix with the cooked yucca. Place the mixed sweet rice and yucca in a rice cooker.

Add water and salt. Stir well. Close the lid and follow the instructions of your rice cooker.

Serve this dish with scallion oil and soy sauce.

Tomato Eggplant Soup

Tomatoes, eggplants, and seafood are a great mix for a nutritious meal; also, there is a very easy recipe to prepare one. This soup will increase its taste even better the next day. So, the housewife can prepare this soup ahead of time and preheat it to serve both friends and family who will admire your cuisine talents. Another good thing about this soup is that it can use most of the leftover vegetables and seafood, such as fish, shrimp, or seafood mix .I like to serve this soup by itself because it is a hearty, filling soup. However the leftover cooked rice or noodles are a good accompaniment. In general, this is a very good soup for the body but can also cleanup the refrigerator as well.

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock
2 medium tomato. Seeds removed and chopped
1 cup diced white onion
1 Japanese eggplant, cubed

 

1 fish fillet, such as salmon or tilapia (your choice), cubed
1 piece of ginger, chopped (approximately 1 tsp.)
Salt, fish sauce, white pepper, and sugar to taste

Other ingredients:
3 Baby bok choy, roughly chopped or torn
Mushrooms of any kind about 1 cup

Directions:
In a medium pot, add stock or water, tomato, ginger, and onions. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add eggplant. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, Add mushrooms, if using.

Season with salt, fish sauce, pepper, and sugar.
Bring the soup to boil. Add baby bok choy and fish. Cover and turn the heat off.

Let sit in hot broth for 5 minutes and serve.

 

Squash Spaghetti Seafood Salad

Among all the Asian salad dishes, the papaya salad with shrimp and meat or beef jerky is very popular for an appetizer at any potluck party. However, to create this salad, one has to shop most of the ingredients in an Asian grocery market. It is hard to find the green papaya to make this salad. I am one of these unfortunate people because I do not live near an Asian market. Therefore, I use the spaghetti squash to substitute for papaya. Of course, it does not taste like the papaya flavor, but it will become a good treat for Westerner guests who visit and I believe it will be a good fit. In addition, this easy salad recipe uses seafood packages sold in the market. This easy seafood salad does not just save time and money, but it is also a healthy salad to enjoy often.

Ingredients:
Salad ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 cup cucumber slices
1 cup cherry tomato slices
1 cup sliced red onions or 2 shallots
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup mints, chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Seafood ingredients:
Cooked combo seafood

Piece of ginger, mashed
2 green onions, cut into sections
Dressing ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs lime juice
2 tbs sugar
2 fresh Thai hot chilies

Directions:
Use a fork to poke a few holes around the squash and place in a pot of water. Cover and bring to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

 Let cool. Remove the seeds and scrape out the flesh. Drain the squash spaghetti until completely dry.

To make the dressing:
Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. It means the dressing tastes sweet, salty and sour for this combination. The hot chilies are advised.

To make the seafood:
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add some salt, oil. ginger, and onion. Simmer for 10 minutes and add seafood.

 Blanch the seafood for a few minutes (just enough to mingle some flavors). Do the same way to cook fresh seafood, if used. Drain

To serve:
Place squash “spaghetti” on the bottom of a serving plate. Arrange the rest of the salad ingredients around the spaghetti. Top with seafood and drizzle the salad dressing over salad. Also serve more dressing on the side.

 

 

Some chopped roasted peanuts can be served with this salad.

Healthy Apple and Oats Muffins

Mother’s Day is coming.  I will share this easy, healthy muffins recipe that can make many moms smile. Most of the ingredients are available to kids to make these muffins. At least one day of the whole year, busy moms can relax and enjoy breakfast that is made by their loved ones.

Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup muffin mix
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
Wet ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped apple
Other ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped dried fruits, such as prunes and raisins

Directions:
Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk well and set aside.

Line 4 to 6 muffin tins with paper liners (it is your choice to have small or medium sized of muffins)

In a blender, combine egg, brown sugar, milk, and oil.

Turn the machine on and blend for 15 seconds.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients mixture and pour the blended wet ingredients.

 

 Stir in the chopped apple and mix gently. Do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin liners. Top with dried fruits, if using.

 Bake in a preheated oven set to 350° for 20 minutes or until well risen and golden brown.
Serve warm.

Grilled or Baked Healthy Wild Salmon

The today's disease, which can be a disease of the rich, is having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Self-reliant grandparents did not know these diseases, but as society advances faster in the medical field, it is closing more diseases of the times. However, according to the advice of doctors, for fatty liver patients, treating fatty liver disease without drugs is as simple as a good and proper diet. There are many harmful foods, which increase blood fat; there are also many foods that are good for health, which helps reduce the amount of fat in the blood. People with high blood pressure need to know how to control their eating. Eat foods that are low in cholesterol, such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, lean meat, and especially green vegetables that are high in fiber. Only then can the intestinal absorption of cholesterol be reduced. Also, salmon is an "assistant" for lowering triglycerides and is rich in Omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids, which can reduce triglycerides and increase cholesterol lipoprotein density and increase blood vessel elasticity. Today, I will introduce an easy and healthy wild salmon recipe. I bought wild salmon at Costco; the portion is about 4 to 5 oz. each, and it is a perfect portion. I use only a few ingredients to create this recipe, and I think it is perfect to help eating healthy for the patient needing to lower high cholesterol.

Ingredients:
Two 5 oz. of wild salmon fillets

Sauce ingredients:
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce homemade or store-bought
1 tbs lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 piece fresh ginger, about 1 tsp, minced
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp chili flakes or cayenne
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs peanut oil,
Serve with rice or noodles

Directions:
Combine the sauce ingredients and mix well.

If baking the fish, place fish on a baking dish and pour sauce over it. I add some sliced white onion to add more flavor to the fish. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes.

For grilling:
Heat the grilling pan on the stovetop. Add fish and a side dish, such as mushrooms, white onion, or any vegetables that suit your taste.

 Grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Add a little more oil on the pan if grilling other vegetables.

Light and Easy Chicken Chop Suey

Chinese cooking as we know it is actually a combination of cooking techniques and seasonings. I am Vietnamese, but I love to create the stir-fry dishes the Chinese way. The Chicken chop suey is popular in any Chinese takeout restaurant or food court in American malls. It will not take many ingredients to create chop suey at home. Today, I will introduce the chop suey "my easy and healthy way" for light and easy chop suey using the chicken breast or turkey for this recipe. This recipe is very much tolerant with any leftover vegetables. Feel free to use them as you wish and serve with rice or ramen noodles.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, sliced in thin strips
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
Sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp honey
Other ingredients:
1 dried fungus, soaked in water and cut in thin strips
3 button mushrooms, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1/3 cup green beans
1/4 cup sliced white onion (optional)
3 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

Hot cooked rice or ramen noodles

Directions:
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl and toss the chicken in the marinade. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Blend the sauce in the bowl until smooth.
Heat wok with 1 tbs of peanut oil until hot. Drain chicken and reserve the marinade.

Add chicken to wok. Stir fry for 3 minutes or until no longer pink.  Remove from wok.

 

Heat 1 tbs oil until hot. Add white onions, dried fungus, fresh mushrooms, celery, and green
beans 

Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

 

 Add green onion and the sauce and the reserve marinade; Bring to boil and return chicken to the wok. Make a quick stir. Cook for 1 more minute.

Serve over rice or ramen noodles.

Crockpot Turkey Meat Sauce

The crockpot or the slow cooker is the easiest and healthiest modern day method of cooking that saves time. Some recipes are not good for using the crockpot method, but most of the recipes for simple meals are good. Especially, all sauces can be created by using the crockpot and are perfectly good because the simmering is better for the sauce and meat to "mingle" their flavors. Today, I will introduce the spaghetti meat sauce using turkey for the clean meat and ready-made tomato sauce or marinara sauce to increase the flavor for this dish. I add fresh herbs, such as fresh parsley, oregano, and thyme since all these wonderful herbs are growing beautifully in my garden. However, the ready-made sauce already has plenty of flavor and dry herbs can be used. Make plenty of sauce ahead of time and freeze it as well. I also use the spaghetti squash to make the sauce even healthier for my family.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground turkey or chicken
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
Equal 1 tbs quantities of fresh thyme, parsley, and oregano
1 jar (16 oz) marinara sauce

Serve with cooked spaghetti squash noodles* or pasta noodles

Directions:
Oil the crockpot.  Break up the meat with a fork.

Add meat and the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker. Cover and turn to cook for 4 to 8 hours.

*To cook the spaghetti squash:
Bake, steam, or boil the spaghetti squash until done. piercing the skin a few times with a skewer or fork. Then cut in half to reveal the flesh that resembles a mass of spaghetti-like strands.

Scrape this out of the skin, and then toss the strands with spaghetti sauce.