Honey Lemon Tea

Hey everyone!!

Long time no post! I got super busy with school and spent my break traveling. I also just got into nursing school so stress has been surrounding me constantly! I’ve been feeling a little under the weather these past couple days. I don’t think I’m full on sick or anything, but I’ve been getting moments of dry throat and mild headaches. Stress maybe? No matter what it is…there is one drink I always go to when I need a pick me up. 

Whenever my friends get sick, this is the drink I recommend or make for them. It’s super yummy, packed with vitamin C, and helps you keep hydrated. It also helps sooth the throat. It’s not technically “tea” because it contains no tea…but I don’t know any other proper name for it! I call it Honey Lemon Tea, so i’ll keep it that way. (: 

I have been drinking 1-2 cups of this stuff since I started feeling a bit bleh…and it’s been giving me a bit of a boost. These are my preferences, so just alter it to your taste (: I like my Honey Lemon Tea tart and sweet. You can totally water it down if it’s too strong, or add more if it’s not flavorful enough! Remember to stay hydrated & healthy!

Honey Lemon Tea

1 Lemon
5 Tbsp. Honey
1 1/2 Cups of Hot Water

Directions

1. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a large mug
2. Add 5 Tbsp. of Honey
3. Add Hot Water & Stir

 

Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezyyy! (: …sometimes I drink this even when I feel fine…just because it’s so yummy. Hope you enjoy!

Parchment Paper Salmon [COMPLETE MEAL!]

Hello Everyone!

So my sister & I have decided to start eating a lot healthier. We have a new regimen that includes “The Glowing Green Smoothie” detox & including produce that’s labeled as “superfood” [broccoli, whole grains, etc] into our every day diets.

I’m not quite sure if this…green smoothie thing is legit yet. Therefore, I am going to try it out & then update you guys about it!

But this means…that every time I cook, I have to really watch what I’m putting into my dishes instead of dumping all kinds of high-sodium sauces just to make things flavorful. I thought I would probably post on my food blog a lot less due to this new way of eating. No one’s interested in eating hecka boring food that is bland and tasteless.

But you know what? Healthy food doesn’t need to be boring OR bland. I’m DETERMINED to make healthy dishes that are flavorful & nutritious. If the dish comes out tasty…I will share with you on this blog. (:

Today was the first day of our “new lifestyle”…& I decided to make Salmon. I don’t cook fish much…because it’s so easy to mess up. :X

But today…I found the fool-proof way of cooking fish. I’m sure all of you guys know this method already…Parchment paper! (: Here’s how I prepped my Salmon. It was…utterly delicious & SIMPLE…AND HEALTHY. …This new way of eating ain’t gonna be so bad after all… I paired it with boiled Wheatberry, marinaded Heirloom Tomatoes, and a trio of sauteed mushrooms (oyster, royal trumpet, baby portobellos). I’ll give you the quickie recipes to those side dishes!

Wheatberries *SUPER FOOD!*:  Rinsed 2 cups of wheatberries & placed in a pot with 7 cups of water & a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil & Simmer for 45 min-1 hr. Try a couple wheatberries to make sure they’re tender! (:

Marinaded Heirloom Tomatoes:  Chop up 2 large tomatoes into chunks, place in a bowl & toss with 1 tsp. garlic, pinch of salt, lemon pepper, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp. of olive oil, and the juice of 1/4 a lemon. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 min-overnight.

Trio of Mushrooms: Chop up your favorite types of mushrooms (~1 cup of each…I chose Oyster, Royal Trumpet, and Baby Portobellos!), Saute with 1 tsp. garlic, pinch of salt & lemon pepper, & a splash of low sodium chicken stock. Saute till tender.

I paired these side dishes to match the lightness of the Salmon. They go so well together! Now to the main event…

Parchment Packet Salmon

What You Need:

6 oz Salmon
Salt & Lemon pepper – pinch of each
Lemon Slices – 3 Slices per packet
Olive Oil – 1 tsp per packet
Cilantro (other options: Parsley, Rosemary*1 sprig per packet*, Dill) – 3-4 sprigs per packet
Parchment Paper
Balsamic Glaze *just a couple drops on the plate – refer to pic below*

What to Do:

1. Wash & prep Salmon
2. Place Salmon on Parchment, sprinkle salt/pepper, and pour olive oil over
3. Place 3 lemon slices on each Salmon, as well as Cilantro
4. Wrap it up securely!
5. Place in the oven at 375 F for 15-20 minutes
*let the Salmon rest IN the packet for ~5 min before devouring*

I really hope you guys enjoy this super simple & healthy post! I hope you all try it!

Zesty Lemon Haricot Verts

Helllooo Everyone!

A quick note before I go into my blurb: Haricot Verts are a type of green bean. They are thinner & a bit more tender. You can buy them in a bag already prepped at your local Trader Joes (: But you may also substitute with regular green beans/long beans/etc. *I just refer to them as green beans in my blog to keep it simple!*

Today I’ve got one of my favorite recipes to share with you! Seriously…these green beans…are so addicting. I can eat a WHOLE bag of green beans when they are made this way…& I have before. It’s so delicious AND super easy!! (:

Why are these green beans so addicting? …because of the special last couple steps! (:

What You Need:

Green Beans/Haricot Verts – 12 oz bag
Lemon – 1/2 cut into 2 wedges
Sea Salt & White Pepper
Olive Oil

What to Do:

1. Wash & Prep green beans as needed
2. Saute with a splash of oil
3. Add a pinch of salt & white pepper
4. Squeeze ONE wedge of lemon over the green beans
5. Saute until tender & take off heat
6. AFTER your green beans are plated…Squeeze another wedge of lemon over the green beans
7. Sprinkle Sea Salt over the lemony green beans
8. Toss Green Beans & Serve!

Goooodness…these are good. It’s that last step of adding FRESH lemon & sea salt that makes this dish so ZESTY & addicting. It makes a HUGE difference. Trust me. Sometimes…I just eat these with my fingers as if they were chips. They satisfy just like chips too…salty, crunchy, and flavorful. *but HEALTHY!* Try it!! (:

Enjoy!!

Monterey Trip & Yelp Obsession

Hi everyone!

Sorry I’ve been super lazy lately & neglecting my blog…BUT in my defense, I have been trying out & coming up with a bunch of recipes that I’m so excited to share with you. (:

Okay…honestly, one reason why I’ve been neglecting is because I have been spending all my time with YELP. @_@…I am on that site more than Facebook/Gmail/Youtube/Foodgawker…you name it. I think I’m…slightly addicted. There…is just too much to review & too little time! I want to try all the 4-5 stars restaurants yelp has to offer!!!! I am obsessed. All my “vacation” trips have honestly just become foodie trips. I am HOPEFULLY…planning to go a couple trips within the next year. We…shall see. As…trips cost much $$$s. Bleh. What sucks is that I love clothes just as much as I love food. It would be easier if I liked one or the other…then I would have more money to put towards whatever held priority. Sigh. Oh well. Life’s tough sometimes ya’know? ;P

Enough RAMBLING! jk…more rambling. Because this is a rambling type of POST. I hope I’m not boring. >_>.

Monterreeeyyyyy! D & I went to Monterey to celebrate the feat of dating for a year. Yeah, we owned dating for a year like no other. Hahahha all confidence aside, a year passed by VERY quickly. And I am quite the lucky gal to have D as the plus one in my life! AWWw…look at all these precious words I’m spitting out. Sorry. I write just as sarcastically as I actually am sometimes. But really. He’s the best. (: He’s the peanut butter to my jelly, my marshmallow to my s’more, THE CHOC CHIPS TO MY COOKIE…okay I’ll stop.

Honestly, we didn’t do much besides site see & eat in Monterey. But it was one of the funnest dates we’ve had yet, just because it’s how we made it to be. D & I can do this thing…where we make things…simply a million times more enjoyable than they actually are. Special power? nah. It’s just the way we like to enjoy life. (:

The first place we stopped at on our day trip was The Red House Cafe [Click & it leads to the Yelp site of the restaurant!]

We came here for a light lunch, knowing we were going to be pigging out throughout the day…& this place was absolutely PERFECT. Their sandwiches & homemade aiolis were…definitely drool worthy. One bite of D’s sandwich and I was in a bit of pork tenderloin heaven. I ordered the warm tomato sandwich, which was delicious as well. (:

Our next stop was at Parker-Lusseau Pastries…hooooooo boy. This might have been my favorite thing of the day. We bought 2 macarons of every flavor they offered, 2 caneles, and 1 butter croissant. Every single bite, of each pastry…made my taste buds dance.

We got Lavender, Pistachio, Chocolate, Raspberry, & Passion fruit Macarons. Each one…was utterly perfect. My all time favorites out of the bunch were Lavender & Pistachio. D liked those the least…and preferred the other three instead. He said the Lavender tasted like FRUIT LOOPS. If fruit loops taste like slightly sweet, light, and airy floral goodness…then yes. That’s what they taste like. But that’s okay, because next time (there WILL be a next time), I’ll just keep all the lavender & pistachio to myself. >:] I’m sure he’ll be more than happy cuz that means he’ll get the flavors he likes. It all works out in the end…

D & I had a little adventure along the 17-mile scenic route in Monterey. At each stop, we tried a different pastry. Awesome views/scenery with decadent morsels of deliciousness at each stop. I couldn’t ask for more.

Let’s not forget the Croissant & Caneles. The Croissant was flaky, butter, airy, everything a croissant should be. The Canele was really decadent, but yummy as well. It’s baked for a long time so that the outside is hard & crisp while the inside of the petite cake has the texture of bread pudding. It’s definitely worth a taste! But let’s just say, my love for Macarons beat out the Canele.

After our scenic route, we took a stroll around Carmel & ended up at our dinner spot…Casanova. It literally looks like a little cottage, the ambiance was charming. It definitely had a romantic feel to the place. The picture below is just a really cute corner of the restaurant…the place as a whole was very pleasant.

Casanova offers the largest wine selection in all of Monterey I believe. They handed us…literally a BOOK of wines that they had. We started off with a Yellowtail Crudo, which was refreshing & light. D ordered the seafood pasta (although the menu says it super fancy & in french), while I ordered the Braised Veal with Mascarpone Polenta . D & I aren’t huge on italian/french cuisine, but this place was pretty impressive. It was something new for us & something we could experience together.

Our LAST stop…was on our drive back home. We made a quick pit stop at Marianne’s…it just had to be done. Bi-Rite in SF is, for now, my number one place for ice cream…but Marianne’s holds a close second. I got the Cantaloupe ice cream, which tasted…a lot like a Melona bar, for those who know what that is. D got his all time fav–cookies & cream. It was a great ending to a wonderful day trip.

I know this post was long but thank you so much for reading! Hopefully, this gives you a couple ideas next time you go down to Monterey. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Smoothie

Hi everyone!!

Okay I lied in the previous post. I have something I want to share really quick! (:

It’s so simple.

Chocolate Smoothie. 4 ingredients. 1 Blender. Possibly a bendy straw. …This recipe isn’t a luxuriously chocolatey milkshake type of ordeal. It’s quick. It’s pretty light & not too sweet. The unsweetened cocoa powder really adds a nice deep chocolate flavor & mellows out the smoothie a lot. (:

Since this is a spur of the moment post, I don’t have a picture to add on…sorry!

Chocolate Smoothie
*makes approx. 2 cups*

Ingredients:

Chocolate milk (low-fat) – 1 cup
Vanilla Ice Cream – 1 small scoop
*if you want a richer drink, double the ice cream*
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 1 tbsp
Ice – 1 cup

What to Do:

Blend!

* Tip: Dissolve 1 Tbsp of instant coffee in about 2-3 Tbsp of water & add to the recipe. You then have a mocha smoothie! (:

Enjoy! (:

Lemongrass Marinade & Quick Update!

Hello everyone!

Earlier this week, I was craving Vietnamese food…REALLY bad. I had to cook for my whole family, so I decided to whip up something that would satisfy everyones taste buds. this recipe was definitely created on a whim…but I must admit. It was pretty good.

It’s actually a really simple dish that can be prepared very fast. Yet, I took a couple extra steps to ENSURE that it was going to be delicious. Of course, you can just use the marinade & dump some meat in there…it’ll still be awesome. (: You can skip the meat preparation…I only did it to make sure every bite was tender. (: I hope you try this recipe out!!

To achieve the picture below, I prepped Pork Tenderloin (w. Meat Prep Instructions) & marinaded for approx. 2 hours. I served this dish with nuoc cham (dipping sauce), white rice, and fresh veggies. The nuoc cham recipe I used was a bit too strong for my taste. Once I make a good batch of nuoc cham, I’ll post it!

Meat Preparation:
*apply this technique to any meat to ensure tenderness*

1. Slice meat to 1 inch thickness (I did this to pork tenderloin, but if it’s chicken or any meat that’s already somewhat thin, you can go directly to the next step!!)
2. Take a meat tenderizer/mallet (or a heavy pan…) & release your anger out on the meat (aka. pound away!)
3. Place 1 layer of pounded meat in a large bowl & coat with marinade
4. Place second layer on top of the marinade & top it off again with more marinade
5. Repeat!

Honestly, Steps 3-5…you can just put all the meat in a plastic bag & dump all the marinade in it…I don’t know why I made it so complicated. -_-

Lemongrass Marinade
(Enough for approx 2 Pork Tenderloins)

Ingredients:
*I used pre-crushed garlic & ginger…mincing it or just crushing it will be fine as well* 

Garlic – 1 Tbsp
Ginger – 1 Tbsp
Lemongrass Paste – 1 1/2 Tbsp
Hoisin Sauce – 1 Tbsp
Soy Sauce – 4 Tbsp
Fish Sauce – 1 Tbsp
Brown Sugar – 2 Tbsp
Mirin – 2 Tbsp (You can substitute w. a 3:1 ratio of rice wine & sugar)
Water – 1/3 Cup

What to Do:

1. Put all ingredients into a bowl & mix
2. Pour over choice of meat & marinade for 1-3 hours
*this marinade is quite pungent & strong, so I would NOT recommend overnight*

Update!
D & I are going on a day trip to Monterey/Carmel to celebrate our one year this Friday! The next post (most likely, unless I have a recipe/restaurant I really want to share…hehe) will be about the food we try there…we have some exciting places to try! I can’t wait!! Hopefully it’ll help you out on your next date/outing to Monterey. (: Look forward to it!

Thank you for joining me today!! I hope you enjoy this recipe!! (:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi Everyone!

So let’s have some chocolate chip cookie talk.

I’m super picky about my cookies. They can’t be overbearingly sweet. The texture has to be soft, chewy, yet have a bit of a crisp. But oddly enough, I only like this texture with homemade cookies. Whenever I eat store bought (which is extremely rare)…I prefer the dryer cookies that pair nicely with a cup of milk. I always find store bought cookies labeled “chewy” have an odd texture. Almost…rubbery in some sense.

But that’s why I usually opt for a good batch of the homemade stuff!

The recipe that I’m sharing with you today, I stumbled upon on http://www.allrecipes.com. I tried it once, & it was so…delicious. Of course I made a tweek here and there, but this recipe is awesome. It’s not one of those fancy freeze for days (i am NOT waiting 36 hours, when I want cookies now!) or browned buttered kind of things. It’s your simple & basic recipe for a chocolate chip cookie.

Don’t get me wrong, I am anticipating to try those fancy recipes. But honestly. A chocolate chip cookie, is a chocolate chip cookie. It’s suppose to be plain and simple.

I made this recipe multiple times & also for my sister’s friend’s baby shower! My sister told me that the cookies were a hit & recipes were wanted.

There are two important things I would like to stress with any chocolate chip cookie recipe…

Timing & Chocolate Chips

Many chocolate chip cookie recipes are pretty similar. But if you take it out at the right time & add the right chocolate chips…it makes all the difference between recipes. With this said…let your first batch be a tester. Set it for the amount of time the recipe calls for, then let it cool on the baking sheet for a good 5-10 minutes. Then lift it to a cooling rack & let it cool completely. Test the texture, if you like it softer, take it out earlier. If you like it more crispy, take it out a bit later.

As for the chocolate chips, just find your favorite & use it! I keep mine a secret But as long as you find YOUR favorite…this recipe will be a hit Just for ease of excess I took this recipe DIRECTLY from the link listed under the recipe. You may also click the link & it’ll lead you right to the recipe!

Side Note: I opted out on the walnuts & added additional chocolate chips.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
courtesy of Dora & allrecipes.com

What You Need:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/detail.aspx

Enjoy!! (:

Fruity Lemonade

Hi Everyone!

so…I totally wrote a full out blog post & was finishing final touches & pictures…& deleted the whole post while looking for a save button. go me!

Since it’s summer, I have been downing fruit like no other. I had a bunch of fruit laying around that was getting a bit old. I think I made a mistake when I bought a whole box of strawberries containing 6 cartons of strawberries at the farmers market last friday.  

I looked in the fridge & I saw that I had a couple bottles of lemon juice & lime juice (pre-squeezed natural stuff) and I just decided to make strawberry lemonade! 

But then I saw I had some fresh pineapple & oranges as well…so I decided to just Sangria [white wine w. chunks of fruit soaked in it] it up. But instead of white wine, using the base of lemonade. (: 

I apologize because I don’t have measurements. I just tasted and added sugar as I went. I like my drinks pretty tart & light. Therefore mine had more water and less sugar. Just use this idea & make this drink your own. You may totally substitute all the fresh stuff w. pre-made juices and make your life easier. It’ll still be awesome. Just make sure you opt out on the sugar

What You Need:

Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Juice of 1 Lg. Orange
Slice Pineapple, Orange, Lemon, Strawberries
Strawberries (for crushing)
Water
Sugar
Ice

What To Do:

1. Crush fresh strawberries with a fork or masher
2. Put Ice & Sliced Fruit in the pitcher
3. Pour lemon/lime/orange juice in
4. Add Water & Sugar to taste
5. Add crushed strawberries & mix 

This drink is so simple & so flexible. Play around with it! The more this drink soaks, the better it becomes.   But side note, sometimes as it soaks, it gets more tart. It that case just add more sugar and water.  

Enjoy! (:

My Go-To Marinade

Hello!

Today I’m going to share with you my GO-TO marinade! (: I alter the ratio of each ingredient depending on how I’m feeling. If I want it sweeter, I amp up the sugar & honey. If i want it saltier, I’ll lessen the sugar/honey and add a bit more soy sauce. If I want it more garlic-y or ginger-y…you get the point…

You may use this marinade for any type of meat, but I really prefer this marinade with beef. I have done a variation of this marinade with chicken as well, but it’s on the lighter side. I feel like chicken needs a lighter marinade to match the “white-meatiness” of it.

Honestly, whenever I use this marinade, I always eye-ball all the ingredients. I put measurements just for you guys. Every time I make it, it tastes a bit different (but still yummy!) & like I mentioned earlier, feel free to alter ingredients to your taste! This is a general…ratio. Here we goooo…

Quick Note: Mirin is similar to sweet sake. It has a 40-50% sugar content & a ~14% alcohol content. It can be found in any Asian supermarket. (:

Priscilla’s GO-TO Marinade:
enough to marinade the equivalent to 5-6 good sized steaks

Soy Sauce – 1/2 Cup
Mirin - 1/2 Cup
White Wine – 1/2 Cup
Worcestershire Sauce – 5 Dashes
Honey – 1/4 Cup
Natural Cane Sugar – 1/4 Cup
Sesame Oil – 1 Tbsp
Ginger – 1-2 Tbsp
Garlic – 1-2 Tbsp
White Pepper – 1 Tsp

How-To:

1. Pour all contents into a huge bowl or plastic bag
2. Put in meat (whole steaks, sliced, or cubed etc)
3. Marinade anywhere from 1 hour to overnight
3b. If you are marinading chicken, 30min to overnight
4. Saute, Pan Fry, Bake…whatever you want (:

This recipe will create a natural glaze when cooked, so no need for any additional sauces. Your meat will be super flavorful & lightly coated with a glaze. *In the picture above, I marinaded chunks of rib-eye & pan fried it with a bit of oil.*

“Dang. That’s a lot of ingredients”…yeah. It is. But since this combination is embedded in my brain, I always go back to it when I don’t know what to cook for dinner. Also it’s SUPER versatile. If I’m missing any ingredients, I’ll just skip it and it gives the meat a completely different (but still awesome) taste. When I use this marinade for chicken, I opt out the Worcestershire, and decrease the amount of soy sauce.

Thanks for joining me today! I hope you try this recipe sometime & find it tasty!

-P

Turbinado Strawberries

Hello everyone! I’m back! After a super stressful ending to my 3rd year of college…it’s finally summer. My hiatus was a little longer due to my 21st birthday Thank you EVERYONE who celebrated with me & bought me drinks ;D

I know I said on my last blog post, I was going to post summer drinks but I’m going to scratch that. I had a pretty brilliant idea for my post for summer drinks, except that it sorta failed. So…now i know not to promise things I haven’t completely mastered yet. So…let’s do something SIMPLE & delicious to jump start the warm weather.

Today’s recipe is for turbinado strawberries. Admit it, it’s the absolute perfect season for chilled fruit. You can use this recipe with whatever fruit you like, but I love this combination with strawberries or other types of fresh berries. The turbinado sugar matches berries beautifully.

What’s Turbinado Sugar?

It’s a raw sugar that’s made from sugar canes. The crystals are larger than refined brown/white sugar. It contains a molasses like taste, but it’s much lighter than brown sugars. It’s slower at dissolving as well. There are so many uses for this wonderful sugar. I use turbinado sugar for topping off baked goods (for a slight crunch!), tea, etc. Don’t use it in replacement of regular sugar for the actual baking process due to the slow dissolving rate. It’s a tad healthier than your regular sugar. It’s much less refined & slightly less caloric. Only by like 4-5 calories per serving though…:P It has more water content than other sugars, so keep it in an air tight container for the best shelf life. (:

What are Strawberries?

Well Strawberries are considered a frui—…just kidding. Don’t think you guys need a blurb explaining what wonderful fruits strawberries are (: On with the recipe!!!

Turbinado Strawberries:
(adjust as needed)

Strawberries – 1 Carton
Turbinado Sugar – 1 Tbsp
Lemon – A Wedge

1. Wash & Hull Strawberries, then cut to your desired size
2. Sprinkle Turbinado sugar on top
3. Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the strawberries
4. Mix/Toss

The turbinado sugar gives the strawberries a crunch & sweet molasses flavor as the lemon dissolves the sugar slightly and adds a tang. Make sure the strawberries are cold for the best results!! Enjoy! (Ignore, D’s oh so manly hands in the picture…)

Thank you for joining me today, I hope you enjoy this super simple recipe!

Read it, Try it, Enjoy it <3