Staying Well with Culinary & Baking Art Therapy
Netflix & Chill. This is my absolute favorite thing to do on a weekend especially when you feel drained all week. Just grab your remote and browse what’s new on Netflix. Two weeks ago, I happened to watch a new Korean drama series called Squid Game. …
Bulgogi (불고기) is a popular dish in South Korea usually made with expensive and tender cuts of beef such as sirloin or rib eye. Since I married a South Korean, my love for this dish just keeps growing. Let me show you how to make …
Do you like garlic bread? I’m sure the answer is who doesn’t? I mean very few people will say no. It’s one of those breads that is hard to say no to especially when it’s *winking right in front of you. Am I right?! Serve it fresh from the oven, you’ll be left speechless.
The best garlic cheese bread minus the gluten. Wait, is that even possible? Umm, Y-E-S! Tapioca flour or cassava flour is going to prove it. This type of flour is naturally gluten-free food that also serves as good source of calcium and iron. It contains zero saturated fat or cholesterol, essential health benefits that are worth mentioning to lower the risk of developing heart disease.
Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de queijo) is the most famous bread in Brazil. It’s like talking about pandesal in the Philippines that is eaten regularly for breakfast or snack. The big difference is that Brazilian bread uses tapioca flour (cassava flour) and mozzarella cheese as the main ingredients. It is also a lot quicker to make compared to pandesal that uses wheat flour because you don’t have to spend time waiting for the dough to rise to double its size. Picture below is how Philippines usually think of cassava. Making freshly grated cassava into a sweet dessert simply called cassava cake.
Adventurous Appetite.
If you’ve been following my food blogs, you’ll notice that I crave fusion foods that are sure to unlock your adventurous appetite. So, let me take your taste buds to Brazil. I’ve never been but I lived near New York City for quite sometime, that made me feel that I’ve been there. If you’ve been to NYC, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Using a small ice cream scooper is also a good idea! I actually prefer this size. Just a warning, you’ll eat a lot of this in one seating.
Who added cinnamon to onions for one amazing chicken fajitas? ->🙌<- We were on vacation in Lauenen (20 minutes from Gstaad, Switzerland) when this idea came to me. We stayed in a superb Airbnb equipped with nice functional kitchen and I was like, that’s it! …
Curious?? I bet. You’re probably wondering if adding fresh veggie in your dessert will work and taste delish?? The answer is simple….it’s a big Y-E-S! It also took me by surprise. Thank God for zucchini’s mild flavor, you can barely feel its presence even though …
Craving for something healthy, hearty, and warm? First thing comes to mind is the traditional rice porridge also known as lugaw in Tagalog or congee in Chinese. I love eating this popular comfort food especially in a dull gloomy day. For this recipe, I used quinoa instead of rice. The result is as just as fabulous!
Quinoa (left) vs. Rice (right)
I love both. However, there are times that I want to give my body a break from rice so I turn to quinoa which is great healthy alternative. Quinoa is technically a seed but has been popularized as a whole grain that contains beneficial proteins, minerals and fiber. It is gluten free like its competitor, rice. What else? It is higher in fiber content. One cup of quinoa contains 5 grams more fiber than white rice (Say “bye-bye, au revoir, adios, paalam” constipation!). It is also low in carbs and calories. Are these enough to convince you to try quinoa instead of rice, next time you make your favorite porridge? If not, scroll down for more enticing quinoa porridge pics.
GARNISH to IMPRESS!
I love decorating my food with something enticing and appealing. It just makes me happy. So, I’m a fan of using gorgeous microgreens as my garnish. The picture above is called red root sprouts and if you scroll down you’ll see another microgreens, I believe these are mustard sprouts. (I’ll double check the exact name, it just have a generic label “microgreen” on its package).
Gorgeous Microgreens
In addition to being perfect decoration for your porridge, salad, soups, etc. It is full of nutrients, that can help detoxify the body, improve immune system, and activate normal digestive function. Before, I would only notice these beautiful microgreens in a five star restaurant, but nowadays, I see more and more of these being used by many people especially food vloggers online. I must say it is PRETTY amazing and HEALTHY! Of course!
Are you craving for the all time favorite snack “cheez it” crackers but with a twist? I have a solution for that! I present to you my delicious and very satisfying crackers that are made of simple ingredients: almond flour, turmeric, cheddar cheese, and salt. …
In 2018, Cal and I had the best time in Oahu, HI. Aside from the endless sunshine and beach time, we fell in love with the Hawaiian cuisine especially the yummy butter mochi dessert. PHOTO: Last day in HI, and we saw this sign on …
July 13, 2021
Hello everyone and special shoutout to my sore right arm. You ask why? Because, I finally received my second dose of Covid vaccine, 10 hours ago to be exact. I have to say I’m feeling okay but my husband Cal on the other hand had to take (already..tsk..tsk..) some pain/fever reducer medication to ease his discomfort. Me, I’m going to try to power through. I guess, my soreness is still bearable as I can still type and blog about my new and fun recipe for this week: KFC HACK – Korean Style Fried Chicken.
(pausing…feeling fatigued and chills all over my body….will pick up again tomorrow…*sigh)
July 14, 2021
After a full night of being wounded by the vaccine war. I apologize if I sound weird, it’s the vaccine talking. But, in all seriousness, we’re feeling a little better, thanks to paracetamol, we feel like ourselves again and pumped up to reveal the KFC Hack to you. It’s really no brainer. I just used KFC crispy finger lickin’ good hot wings to mirror the famous Korean style fried chicken without dreading to fry the chicken yourself. Plus, you can make your sauce according to your preference. That’s why I love this KFC Hack. I was able to customize the taste of my honey soy garlic and I must say the taste reminds of the popular Korean fried chicken restaurant in NYC. Super proud of it!
I absolutely despise frying food at home. I know it’s still fried after all and some might argue that it’s much healthier frying at home. But, hear me out, this hack is for occasional indulgence and if we’re not eating it so often enough, my logic was to make it easy on myself. Light bulb went off and I decided to do a KFC run with the fam-bam to meet our cravings. We got home with a bucket full of KFC wings and in under 5 minutes we will soon have the famous Korean style fried chicken in our hands.
Can’t take my eyes off you!
Chickpea Masala with Sushi Rice The most requested dish in our home (*drum roll please*) Chickpea Masala. I love making this for my family. It’s easy and full of health benefits. Starting with super spices, masala, curry and turmeric. I also used plant-based milk to …
