Has the school started??? Not officially after the labor day:-)

Yeah right. Last week is kind of like ‘pre-school’. Occasionally dropped by office, did a bit programming, organizing office and my laptops, and parties on the weekend. After labor day, I need to strike a pose and be ready for the new semester!!

It was still steaming hot last week (94 F!!) so COLD salad is my fav…

This is my “VC salad for extreme sun burn“….. too much red and orange?! I read they are good in repairing the sun-burn skins!

So I use:

Two tomatoes, one big orange pepper, one cooked salted duck egg (secrete ingredient!), and silky tofu.

Have you ever tried this? it is a duck egg, salted , and ready to pair with porridge. It is a very typical ‘side dish’ for Chinese, the yolk is salty, a bit creamy with nature ‘egg oil’ (allow me to explain this way). It is also used in the mooncake to symbolize the ‘moon’.

Today I use it in my salad dressing:

I crumbled half egg with some silky tofu . Top them on the salad.

As a typical condiments , the salty egg doesn’t let me down this time. protein and VC. awesome. I hope my skin feel better tomorrow!

o..k…a..y, I just realized that I go for lunch first before the breakfast So here it comes, a Arnold Sandwich Thins creation:

As the courtesy of Arnold bread company and foodbuzz tastemaker program, I got two bags of sandwich thins. One is whole wheat, the other is multigrain. I love multigain one , it has tiny bits of crunchy grains and not that sweet. and they are so thin!! (I need to have two of them to feel like a breakfast!)

I use a typical Chinese condiments (again…): a salty spicy tofu ( I hope the name explain it all):

The tofu is soaked in the salty spicy water (oh forget about the sodium, it is so worth it!), which makes it a perfect spread!

Toast the sandwich, spread the tofu, and egg. Although I never thought I would eat anything salty in the morning , but this totally knocks my socks off!! haha I gotta have it for the next week!

Nuts, Anyone?

I am a huge Nuts fan – Almond is the one that calms my nerves. I once heard that people who eat nuts are smarter than average….and suddenly I feel my guilty pleasure is well justified!!

“you are driving me mad”

– no, I would say it ” you are driving me Nuts!”

—or , I would say it ” You are driving me ALMONDS!!!!!!!!!!”

hehe, just for fun. I love snacking on Raw almonds, cashew, and macadamia nuts (or I call it “academia nuts” ). Also, I like to add them in my salad and sauted dish:

Like this colorful plate that perfects ends my day :

Orange Pepper, Cashew, Almond, Macadamia nuts, Pecan, with a big plum and yellow corn on the side.

It’s really simple: heat the pan with a bit veg. oil, saute the pepper for about 2min, add the nuts, sprinkle some sea salt.  Eat!!

I went to Boston, yet I forgot my camera…

Oh How silly I am!!!

Even though the trip to Boston is absolutely NOT for fun ( it’s for non-stop, four day talking, getting challenged, and exhausted….), but forgetting my camera is unforgivable!!! The weather was extremely nice —which said to be unusual in Boston. I did have time to take a little walk around Harvard square, MIT, along Charles River, and harbor. Nice breeze. Can’t find a better relaxation than that.

And, since we have a daily budget for meals , I spend them all, I spend them all, I spend them all….I really like two Thai food place in Copley Place – one is Chili Duck, the other is Thai Basil. The Sushi is superb too, especially that Dauzo…..I wish I had recorded those moments for you! But if you got a chance to visit Boston, I highly recommend these place to satisfy your picky stomach!

So when I am back home, I make a little note for myself – get a small digital camera soon, so I can take it with me anywhere!

I feel sorry that I couldn’t share with my dear blog friends about Boston…but i do have some other food pictures:

another Buitoni Salad!

I got this Buitoni coupon from Foodbuzz taste maker program ( again! thanks ! ) it finally helps me to find the one I love!!!

This is the wild mushroom Agnolotti. ( who can help me pronounce this name! )

I make this salad with two vine tomatoes, sweet corn,  sweet peas and just a little bit red onion ( I don’t want to burn my stomach again!)

Drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar, Dill, and pinch salt and pepper.

This time, I am VERY satisfied with the filling!!! there is A LOT mushroom, that I can really see. It seems that the mushroom is blended with cheese already. Taste very cheesy

Are you able to see it ? Enjoy !!

A Buitoni Salad for the Record High…. 105F!!!!

The summer is going crazy in DC. Hot , hot , hot!! it has been above 90 since June 1st for more than 40 days. This weekend? hit the record high…

I need Salad, COLD, to cool me down….

A Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini Summer Treat!

I got the coupon from Buitoni Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, wakakaka, so finally I got to try this Italian version of Chinese “Wonton”. Btw, don’t forget to hit the Buitoni website – u got hear classical music , haha

The Ingredients are really simple:

1. A bag of Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini,

2. Two tomatoes

3. Edmmame ( I LOVE ‘em!)

4. Onion ( obviously I put too much…it burnt my stomach! so please, a little bit onion flavor will be good enough!)

the Dressing:

Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Dill, Pinch Salt.

Toss and Enjoy!

The Tortellini tastes ‘cheesy’, yet not that heavy compared to four cheese one. If you are looking for a light and fresh Italian dinner, it might be a good option (least Cal. among all the others). The wrap is VERY chewy, compared to our Wonton version.  Yet I am a little bit disappointed: Buitoni seems very generous about the ‘wrap’, yet there isn’t that much filling. If there is more filling inside, it would be even better ~

I am already thinking of try another flavor of Buitoni !! any suggestions?!

Hope you stay cooooooool, dear friends!

A Gooda Gooda Friday ~~~~

Finally I know why I got allergies this spring, obviously its because of my dissertation work!

We got T-storm last night, and the temperature coming back down to 60 something (from 90F!!!, can u believe it , in April, in Maryland!) my skin allergy gets better, and my car is free of yellow pollens , woooohoooo!!!!!

and, what make the life sweeter, I got the chocolate bar from Aletheia !!!

a 70% organic chocolate with gingerbread ( Oh yeah GINGER BREAD! GINGER BREAD!GINGER BREAD! my FAV!!! that x’mas is not over yet, hehe), cranberries and Mandarin. it just made my day. I feel soooo much better from long day of work and seminars and meetings, and finally get into the Friday mood!

I met with Aletheia here, on my food blog, when I just started it last October. We kinda see each others’ “path” on the food blog. thoughts, comments, emails,  and food creations, bind us in a unique and amazing way. I have never met her since she is so far in Canada, however, I have a feeling that if we see each other one day, there will be endless chatting and laughing between us. why? I don’t know. Sometimes I just got the instinct that we are totally “matched’ type of people. Alethia is a very thoughtful young girl ( yeah, much younger than me ), and she does the blog just for the blog instead of something else. If you got chance, please stop by and say hi to this sweet girl !!!

Dark chocolate, my cup of tea. forever. Never get bored savoring a piece of chocolate.

I add this precious gift to my chocolate collection:

while, actually I am a bit over -do in the chocolate collection:

haha…

em….don’t misunderstand me, i am not living on chocolate. I still eat normally food:

This is the last post of my salmon series: Simple Asparagus with Smoked Salmon.

Sauté the asparagus with pinch salt. add smoked salmon.  that’s it. like 5 min meal!  I like the soft texture of smoked salmon, and of cause its very special flavor. Yet it is a bit salty eating it directly. I think use it as pizza topping, or in sandwich might be better.

Blogging adds color to my life , and brings REAL friends to my life. Thank you all, dear blog friends. I hope every one has a wonderful weekend!!!!

Homemade Soy-Almond Milk and Fiber-Rich Warm Salad

For those of you who read my post several days ago may remember that I had some digestion problem for quite a while.  My attention has been draw to the fiber – rich food that cure the problem.  This is also the first time I really feel the power of fiber! The research result is quite interesting, and hopefully my dear blogger friends will find it helpful. if you feel disgusted by the regulation topic, haha, this post may not be for you

Source:

Fiber comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Each acts differently in the intestines and benefits the body in different ways. Soluble fiber acts like asponge; insoluble fiber acts like a broom.

Soluble fiber. Found in dried beans and peas, oat bran, rice bran, barley, and fruit pectin (the substance used to thicken jams and jellies). Soluble fiber absorbs water in the intestines, mixes the food into a gel, and thereby slows the rate of glucose digestion and consequent absorption in the bloodstream.

Insoluble fiber. This is the stringy stuff that holds plants together. It’s called “insoluble” because it doesn’t dissolve in water. It can be found mainly in plant leaves, peels, skins, and the coverings of whole grains (e.g., wheat bran). Like a disposable diaper, insoluble fiber can absorb many times its own weight in water. This water adds bulk and softness to the stools and keeps them moving along more comfortably. Think of eating fiber like brushing your teeth – it cleans out your intestines daily.

So now you should now the kind of fiber you need to prevent the problem, or to fix the problem.

Here is more about the foods for each category:

Best sources of soluble fiber are:

oat bran

kidney beans

lentils

sweet potatoes

oranges

broccoli

pears

apples

barley

peas

Best sources of insoluble fiber are:

wheat bran

legumes

skin of fruit

seeds and nuts: sunflower seeds, soybean nuts, almonds

Sounds cool isn’t it?! now its the time to incorporte them into your daily diet:

I made this almond – soy milk for breakfast with my new babe:

Fiber-rich with chickpea, black fungus, and greens for a warm salad, where black fungus “ has a reputation in Chinese herbal medicine for increasing the fluidity of the blood and improving circulation. It detox the body. It is “scavenger” of digestive system. It can adsorb dust and impurities in digestive system on its special pectin and excrete together”.

Soak the dry black fungus in the warm water and boil them for about 10 minutes. then its ready to eat!! it has a bittersweet taste, but very crunchy:-D

Seaweed salad. The seaweed is a traditional salad ingredients in Asia dishes, “it’s loaded with antibiotic properties, helps counteract obesity, strengthens bones and teeth, and aids in the digestion process. Seaweed also strengthens the kidneys and nervous system, and helps reduce cholesterol. Sea vegetables or seaweed are the most nutritious foods, higher in vitamins and minerals than all other vegetables, and are excellent sources of calcium”.

The seaweed tastes like a slightly, earthy, and crunchy spinach. Not much flavor. Therefore, we need lots of seasoning to bring the flavor out:

To make the dressing:

1. 1/2 cup of light soy sauce

2. 1 tsp of Korean Spicy paste

3. 1/4 cup of black vinegar,

4. 2 tsp of sesame oil

The ingredients you can use in the seaweed salad:

1. About 2 cups of seaweed, boiled in the water for about 15 minutes, rinse it well in code water.

2. Sliced firm flavored tofu, which really can pick up the seasonings.

3. sliced pickled radish, diced, sliced Chinese Sausage, sautee in the medium-high heat for about 5 minutes till its golden brown and have nice crunchy surface.

Mix them all together and enjoy the fresh taste of this traditional Asian style Salad:

Several Days of Light Eatings : Tribute to Warm Salad

I always feel a little bit hesitate to have salad in the cold days. I am kind of avoiding those cold greens, which makes my stomach really uncomfortable after eating. Yet after several days of trial, I fall in love with them. Inspired by Maggie , I decide to say YES to salad, even its is snowing outside!

My salads are warm, light, and veggie-ful. Hope my dear readers could try them out to fulfill your veggie-cravings.

Warm Salad Course One: Baked Kale, Mushroom and Eggo Salad

Ingredients:

it’s all there in the names!

Mix kale leaves, sliced mushroom with pinch salt; have an egg on it before sending them to the oven. Yes egg, not cheese this time ( you all know that I’m a big cheese eater! haha) You would love when the flavor of egg immersed in the kales!

Bake them about 15 min at 350 degree oven, easy dinner!

the top kale leaves are crisp like those kale chips, and bottom kale leaves are still leafy green! I love this combination of crunchy and juicy from the same kale leaves!

in-between two salad course, I would like to show off a coffee (instant coffee! can’t believe it!)

yeah, I was amazed when I got this beautiful pattern and take a pic of it right away. never imaging a sophisticated swirl will come from a instant coffee!! The dark bubbles melted away pretty quickly.  To be honest, I like this “taster’s choice” from Nescafé – my favorite way ? mix 1tsp of them, 1 tsp of chocolate powder, makes it a nice sweet treat for the day.

Alright, now comes our 2nd course of warm salad:

Endive and Red Pepper, with Acorn-Tofu Creamy Sauce:

wash the greens and red pepper, lightly salt them, and microwave the bow for 45 second. That’s the key for making the warm salad without losing the fresh color of the greens!

The creamy white sauce (which I had marketed for thousand times i guess? hehe ) . This time is a bit different because I add in some nature sweetness from Acorn. It should be more yellow-ish than it appears here:

I use : 1 small baked Acorn, mashed, 1/3 cup of silky Tofu, 2 tsp of shredded cheese, lemon and pepper to taste.  Puree all of them till smooth texture.  if you like ranch for your salad, this might be a great healthy alternative

Enjoy my dear friends!

 

btw, I had think about doing a 7-day challenge about posting everything I send to my stomach . Though I see lots of blogger friends doing that, it’s still a bit scary to me…I mean, posting everything I eat, means making a big confession of some of my guilty pleasures. well, but I guess it’s really fun to find the truth of your diet and see what’s right and wrong. My dear friends, have you done that before? How do you feel? Do you think that’s a good idea or I’ll get “traumatized” after that?

I’ll try to start the week after, because, this week is thanksgiving! I probably will scare myself to death seeing myself eating sooooo much food ! hahaha

Have a good night, my friends!