Spring, Sunshine, and Salad

The sun is out, the air is warm, and I’m stuck with a cold!! What?! I survived the entire winter without getting fully sick at all, but it finally caught up to me in these first couple weeks of Spring! So, instead of cooking and baking, I have been tossing back cough drops, Robitussin and a ridiculous amout of hot tea–not exactly my ideal diet. Despite my runny nose and embarrassingly loud cough, I am still determined to enjoy the beautiful weather outside and stay productive!

The transition from Winter to Spring is so wonderful because the flowers start blooming, flip flops, pool weather, and tons of ice cream are so clearly in sight. This is also around the time where salad becomes one of my favorite meals to enjoy outside as those warm sun rays hit my shoulders. This tofu and broccoli salad in particular is light and healthy. The crunchy lettuce, tasty edamame, and soft tofu make a refreshing combination. Add in the broccoli, some cheese and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper and you have yourself a delicious meal fit for any Spring day. And if you are not a fan of tofu, it can be easily replaced by grilled chicken!

Tofu and Broccoli Salad:

Romaine lettuce (or mixed baby greens)
Tofu (I usually get the firm kind)
Broccoli
Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese
Edamame (I buy them shelled and frozen from Trader Joe’s)
Asian Sesame Dressing
Salt and Pepper

Wash and cut up the lettuce. Cut the tofu into small cubes. Steam tofu and edamame together for 5 minutes. Once cooled, add to salad. Then add in broccoli and cheese. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste, and top it off with the sesame dressing! (I also added some pepperoncini since I had some in the fridge!)

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather!

Happiness in a Bowl

Every single one of us is on a continuous search for happiness–what that happiness may be comprised of, though, is different to each individual. I think that for me, I find joy and happiness in pushing myself to experience new places and things especially if it’s with great people (and of course, food!). I have this natural tendency to want to try or be a part of every opportunity I am offered, and honestly, it gets tiring! But the guilt of not participating in something and missing out on that particular experience is something I am starting to allow myself to accept. Lately, instead if trying to do it all, I have been trying to do what’s best. What’s best for me, that is. And I know that sounds a little selfish, but that’s not my intention.

Throughout my life, I have taken into consideration every single person’s feelings around me and in fact, prided myself on that very characteristic of mine. But I have slowly started to realize that in exchange for the welcoming environment I always tried to create, I sometimes ended up compromising my own, personal experience. I am not saying that it was a bad choice–on the contrary, I believe that every person should consider the feelings of those around them–but sometimes we just have to take a step back and remember that we have needs, too. We have dreams, desires, goals and achievements, and it’s ok to give ourselves the necessary time and space to reach them. Recently, this thought has been pressing on my mind, and I haven’t been able to let it settle. I realized that I have been trying so hard to make everyone happy that I forgot about myself. So, I finally stopped trying to attend all of the events I was invited to, stopped offering my spare time to the professional opportunities that had just the slightest possibility of advancement for me, and let go of the idea of trying to make everything fit into a finely packed schedule. Simply put, I tossed out the bad (and unnecessary) apples and started to de-clutter and rearrange my priorities. And what was left? Everything that makes me happy. My blog, cooking, sharing food, my friends, family, going to the movies, taking trips to visit other places, and simply enjoying a day with nothing to do but relax–all the things that I am going to focus more on because they make me happy. And although I’m still working on this new journey and making sure I haven’t missed anything, it already feels like I’ve taken all of my favorite ingredients and mixed them into one giant bowl that has all the essentials I’ll ever need. It’s so refreshing!

And I’d like to share with you a recipe that, well, physically does do this: stuffed bell peppers!

This dish can be comprised of anything you want and love! For me, I added cous cous, shrimp, onions, jalapenos, zucchini, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, mushrooms, mozzarella and feta cheese. So choose what you love, combine everything in a bowl, cut some (cleaned) bell peppers in half, and stuff those bell peppers to the brim with “happiness”. Then pop them into the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, and they’re ready to eat!

Remember, pick out the things (even if they are little) that make you unhappy, and replace those empty slots with people and events that make you feel the most alive and truly satisfied. We all deserve to be completely happy.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Note: The picture above is not the final product. I added the cheeses on them afterward, and then baked them but forgot to take pictures before I ate them (silly me!).

Food, Fun, and the Bay Area

With the busy schedule I’ve had lately, and the numerous outings and events I’ve attended, the wonderful happenings of last weekend are still some of the best times that are standing out in my mind. Aside from stuffing my face with the Irish cream bundt cake, chocolate stout cake, and dark chocolate cake truffles, my weekend was also filled to the brim with even more delicious food!

I know it’s a little late, but I am going to share my latest adventures with you! Last Friday, my friends and I attended a Golden State Warriors Road Viewing Party at The Broken Rack in Emeryville. This pool hall was a great little joint and had plenty of tables to play pool, an assortment of TVs with various sports games playing, and even a little room with a couch that a group could enjoy. It also had amazing bar food! The fried shrimp (top right picture) was extremely delicous and the jalpeno poppers (pictured on the left) were so savory we ordered a second plate! There was also an assortment of sandwiches and burgers which also looked incredibly mouthwatering. The best part about the night was that the Warriors Girls gave everyone a raffle ticket, and throughout the game they raffled off prizes. My friend won an autographed photo of David Lee, and I won two tickets to this Sunday’s game! It was all very exciting for us. And that was just the start of our adventurous weekend.

The next day, we ventured to Walnut Creek so I could get my phone fixed and we could all do a little shopping! We ate lunch at Boudin Bakery. I’ve heard a lot about the little bakery but had never been there, so I was excited to try it out. Let me just say that it did not let me down! I ordered the Sunday Pot Roast Soup in a bread bowl and it came with a side of mixed greens. A couple of my friends ordered the soup of the day which was a Garlic Tomato Soup, and the way it was cooked really brought out the best flavors in all of the ingredients. The pot roast soup was very hearty and the beef, potatoes and carrots were stewed to perfection. We also ordered sandwiches and salads to accompany our meal. This quaint lunch was the perfect meal for the rainy day.

Thai Citrus Chicken Salad and Garlic Tomato Soup

Sunday Pot Roast Stew

And even though those events were so much fun in themselves, it did not end there. One of the best (and most hidden) treats of all was discovering the Emerybay Public Market in Emeryville on Sunday. Only a couple doors away from The Broken Rack, I neglected to pay attention to it when we were visiting the area earlier that weekend. Once you walk through the doors of this marketplace, you will be blown away! This food court is filled with over 20 food retailers from all over the Bay Area! The international food court serves dishes ranging from Japanese, Korean, Carribean, Chinese, Mediterranean, Persian, Indian, Vietnamese, Jamaican, Cajun food and much more! The experience in itself is fascinating to be a part of because it feels more like you are traveling from one country to the next instead of station to station! Plus, everyone is so friendly there, and they hand out samples of their food as you walk by. And on top of all that, the entire place is eco-friendly–who could ask for more?! It was a food haven for any food lover. Needless to say, it took me about a half hour to decide which place I wanted to eat at because I literally wanted to taste everything. The area is set up so you can walk around through the isles and end back up where you started. It’s a great way to be able to see every booth! Here is what the Marketplace looks like (sorry,  some of the pictures are blurry–maybe because I was jumping up and down in excitement!):

Emerybay Public Market Sign Next to Jamaican Food

Fresh Mediterranean Food

More rows of food!!!

Finally decided on my lunch!

And while still in shock over the abundance of food places, I finally settled on Indian food. I enjoyed some spicy chicken curry, chicken with potatoes and vegetables curry, and (for only 25 cents more! What?!) their special of the day: goat curry! This meal was served with rice, a side salad, and big piece of naan bread. Then I added a dab of mango chutney on the side, and it was so delicious! I also ordered a mango lassi to go with it which was the perfect addition to the meal. This was the first time I’ve ever had goat, and I found it…interesting. I did enjoy it, but it was a lot different than what I expected. The meat was very dark and not as soft as I thought I would be. Perhaps it was just the way it was cooked though. Everything else was so aromatic and wonderful though, and we all left feeling content and very full!

Does anyone have any other fun recommendations for food festivities or have encountered something like this themselves? I’d love to know!!

St. Patrick’s Day and Chocolate Stout Cake

Holidays (any holiday) are the perfect excuse to make festive treats and desserts. And I completely enjoy when friends and readers recommend recipes and dishes for me! So for this holiday, I took some recommendations and on top of the Irish cream bundt cake with Baileys glaze, I made a chocolate stout cake (the recipe can be found here) and some holiday themed dark chocolate cake truffles. The chocolate stout cake was especially fun to make because I’ve never worked with beer in a cake (although I have made beer bread), and I also got to use sour cream in a cake for the first time as well! The cake turned out very moist and a little more dense than normal cakes. I topped it off with some Baileys cream cheese frosting, a light dusting of cocoa powder, and it was ready to go!

And I can’t forget about the cake truffles. This recipe is so incredibly easy to make and alter if needed, plus it is perfect if you need to feed a lot of people. I brought a huge container to work for my colleagues with plenty to spare for my weekend with friends. They turned out to be great snacks for everyone, and it was just so much fun making these themed treats! I was able to enjoy them while hanging out in the Bay Area with some of the best ladies I know–what a great way to end the holiday. I hope everyone’s holiday weekend was filled with fun and great food as well!

Dark chocolate center with a milk chocolate coating

Bloggers Day of Silence for Japan

Tomorrow, I will be participating in the Bloggers Day of Silence for Japan and will not be posting anything to my blog. Along with a mass of other bloggers from all over the world, we are taking a day of silence in order to pay respects to the devastation and tragedy that has hit Japan and the victims of this disaster. We all know what’s going on over there through the news and whatnot, but it doesn’t even come close to what the citizens of Japan are experiencing first hand.

Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged have taking huge steps to organize this day and launch For Japan With Love, and I think it’s wonderful what they are doing! They have handpicked ShelterBox to donate to since they are already in Japan and were one of the first organizations to be asked by Japan to help. Please pass this message on and share it with anyone you can. Any small contribution or effort can go a long way.

To learn more or join, click here. To donate, click here.

Irish Cream Bundt Cake with Baileys Glaze

Let’ the St. Patrick’s Day festivities begin! The Irish have a way of making great dishes, desserts and drinks. What is really fun about these food items is that most recipes always seem to find a way to incorporate alcohol in many of the St. Patrick’s Day recipes! I found this recipe and couldn’t resist trying it. Chopped pecans, moist cake infused with Irish cream, and Baileys glaze to top it off?? You can’t go wrong. And the best part of it is: it took only about an hour and a half to make–start to finish. The cake turned out very well. It had a hint of Baileys in the cake with a stronger essence in the glaze, and was a perfect start to kick off the celebration of St. Patty’s Day!

I followed this recipe exactly for the cake mixture. I also made the glaze as directed but only used half of it. After reading some of the reviews, I followed the advice of scooping the glaze back (using only half of the batch) into the bundt pan and putting the cake back in for about 10 minutes to let it the glaze soak in. After I flipped it back out of the pan, I sprinkled some extra pecans on top. Then I made a thicker glaze with confectioner’s sugar and replaced the milk with Baileys Irish Cream. To make this, add the Irish Cream a tablespoon at a time to the powdered sugar until you get the consistency that you want (Remember, a little bit of cream goes a long way!). Then, I spooned the thicker glaze into a ziplock and cut a hole in the bottom corner. I made this hole a little larger than I normally would and then drizzled the thick glaze over the top of the cake.

And there you have it. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Everyone! There will be more themed treats to come by the end of the week!

Rain, Rain, Come Again Another Day

Is everyone experiencing rain in their respective areas lately? Well, it feels like this non-stop pour has been around for so long with no intention of leaving anytime soon. Many people find rain very depressing. It’s cold, uncomfortable to be in, and limits many outdoor activities. I, however, thoroughly enjoy the rainy days. For me, it’s quite comforting and brings a sense of warmth. I know that sounds strange because rain is anything but warm, but I think it makes me think of being in a cozy house, under a big blanket and reading a good book. Plus, the sound of raindrops outside on the dark pavement and running down my window is so soothing to me. I actually like to crack my window at night and let the rain drown away the silence of the night!

With all of this rain, a common staple of mine is soup. Any kind, really. Chicken noodle, clam chowder, tomato, minestrone, tortilla, and sometimes a nice bowl of piping hot chili. When I eat soup, I like to eat it with something. Usually, a slice of toasted bread, a side salad or a grilled cheese will hit the spot. But sometimes, I like something a little more healthy and fresh. Ergo, the turkey pesto sandwich. The secret to this mouth-watering sandwich is the vinaigrette that marinates the red onions. Yum! Adapted from a wonderful little restaurant in Davis, Delta of Venus, this recipe is incredibly easy to make at home (because satisfying a constant food craving from any restaurant can cost a pretty penny).

This sandwich is incredibly tasty, light, and goes wonderfully with any bowl of soup. I especially like to eat it with a tasty bowl of warm tomato soup though. I hope everyone is making the best out of their rainy days this winter. Below is the recipe for the sandwich in case you need something to appreciate the rainy days more. Enjoy!

Turkey Pesto Sandwich

Sourdough bread
Sliced turkey
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Avocado
Pesto
Mixed Greens
Sliced Red Onions
Balsamic vinaigrette

Slice the red onions into thin slices and set in a small bowl of balsamic vinaigrette to marinate (this can be done 30 mins ahead of time. The taste of the onion becomes less strong the longer you let it marinate). If you want, toast the slices of bread first. Then, spread a layer of pesto on each side of the bread. Remove the onions from the extra balsamic vinaigrette, and layer on the turkey, tomatoes, avocado, onions and mixed greens. And then your sandwich is ready to eat! So simple, yet utterly delicious.

A Taco Eating Contest and Snowballs

During the winter season, I’ve always enjoyed going up to Lake Tahoe to snowboard with my friends and family. This season in particular has been extremely amazing, and this last weekend really took it to the next level. On top of great snow, wonderful company and a sunny day, I also got to experience an event that brings both of my worlds together: a taco eating contest at the ski resort! We stopped for lunch on the West Bowl side, and midway through we were asked if we wanted to participate in the contest (sponsored by Santa Rosa Ski and Sports). I have never seen an eating contest at a ski resort before and got extremely excited when I heard what they were doing. In exchange for eating four pork tacos, the first place prize was a brand new snowboard (how amazing is that?!).

While we were all almost done with our lunches, I decided that it wasn’t the best for me to munch down anymore food after already eating what I already had. But that didn’t stop my friend from entering! He lined up and competed against 13 other contestants. Here’s how the challenge went:

Three Tacos Down, One to Go!

Aftermath: Mouth burning and messy hands but totally worth it!

The staff at the resort surprised all of the contestants by putting very spicy salsa in all of the tacos (with the intention of making it as spicy as they could to challenge the contestants), so half way through everyone seemed to begin to notice the flames from the fiery peppers (especially my friend who doesn’t eat much spicy food!). And even though he already had an entire quesadilla and basket of chips and salsa before the contest, he showed them no mercy and gave everyone a run for their money. He placed 3rd in the competition!!! It was so thrilling for all of us to watch, plus he won a water bottle! And not only was he a winner at the taco eating contest, he also placed fourth in the Bay Area Ski Bus Slalom Contest! I know this blog mostly revolves around food, but I cannot write this post without giving a shout out to our other friend that placed 2nd in the Slalom Contest (great job!). After all, this blog is about life too, and I can happily say that this weekend was the perfect example of how life and food come together so well. So, congratulations to the both of them–they were incredible! And although my best friend (who also came with us to the snow) and I did not enter in any competitions that day (and were solely the moving targets for the many snowballs that were thrown at us), we had a wonderful time watching all of the events throughout out trip! Here are the two winners with their prizes:

The winners of the day! 3rd place in the taco eating contest and 2nd place in the slalom comptetition.

I hope everyone had as great of a weekend as I did. Cheers to a wonderful time, amazing people and fabulous food!

Rocky Roads Bring Tasty Treats

Everyone has encountered circumstances in their lifetime that has significantly affected them and the people around them. During these times of change,  regardless if that change is for better or worse, the issue tends to take over our daily thoughts and paralyze us with questions. I can’t help but think about how change can arise so quickly within our lives and constantly shock us–losing a job, dealing with health issues, falling in and out of relationships, or even just realizing how stuck you feel in a static routine. Similar to a Southern thunderstorm, it comes out of nowhere and leaves just as quickly as it came. But at the same time, we must remember that after the storm of unpredicted news appears and thunders for what seems like forever, it eventually subsides, and we are left with clear skies again. And although it may have left some wreckage in our paths, it’s nothing we can’t clean up and look past. Then eventually, we get to the point in our lives where that storm is just a distant memory, and we can grow further and further away from the overbearing thought that it once was.

It’s difficult to look towards the future sometimes when you’re going though a rough patch, but in the end, you’ll look back and see that you are a better person for all that you have learned under the given circumstances. Trusting your instincts and solely believing that you have the capability to overcome anything is the strongest quality anyone can ask for.

And for those rainy days that may seem to knock you down or in celebration of the storm surpassing, rocky road brownies can always make any situation better! When I made these, I contemplated whether I should bake the marshmallows or not after I had placed them on the brownies. And after I did, I didn’t look back. Marshmallows puff up when they bake from the heat and then after they cool, they shrink back down–just like the moments that greatly affect our lives. And when they shrink back down and are a normal size again, their shapes are slightly altered but their taste is much richer. Sometimes we find ourselves tip toeing on rocky paths that make us feel uncertain about who we are or who we want to be, but it’s nothing a batch of rocky road brownies can’t fix.

Rocky Road Brownies

1 package of brownie mix (I recommend dark chocolate)
1 1/4 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 bag of marshmallows (you will have leftovers)
1 cup walnuts (chopped into pieces)

Mix the brownies as direct on package but before baking mix in 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup white chocolate chips into the batter. Bake as directed on box. Immediately after you take the brownies out of the oven, cover the top in a single layer of marshmallows. Put the entire dish back into the oven for 4 minutes. (The marshmallows should be just puffing up as you take them out–they will melt more even after from the heat of the brownies) Then sprinkle the walnuts, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and remaining 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips over the top. With the back of a wooden spoon, lightly press the pieces into the slightly melted marshmallow. Allow brownies to cool completely and then cut into squares. In a bowl, melt the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (you can use a microwave but I like to use the double broiler method: add about 1 inch of water to a pot and let it come to a slow simmer. Put the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl on top of the pot of water and slowly melt). Once melted you can drizzle it over the individually cooled brownies using a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag the best way to do it is to spoon the melted chocolate into the bottom corner of a ziplock bag and cut off the corner (don’t cut too much!). Then twist the top of the bag so the chocolate doesn’t come out, squeeze and decorate!

Enjoy!

Ingredients to a Recipe Called Life

“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.”

I am back from my week off of blogging, and I sincerely wish I could say that it was an extremely productive week of cooking, baking and tons of ideas spilling out of my head. Instead, life distracted me…again! Who would think that there are so many interesting things to do and so little time to do it all? :) But I don’t regret one moment of it. I had a fabulous week of tidying the house, working on some other side projects, catching up on some sleep and hanging out with some great people. However, looking at my goals in my last post and comparing them to what actually happened last week, I’ve realized how hard it is sometimes to stick to my plans. My close friends can personally attest to my habit of planning out anything and everything (right, guys?!). I just can’t help but enjoy mapping out my adventures and the ability to predict the outcome, which is also why I think I enjoy cooking so much. Just like planning out events for the week, cooking with recipes call for exact measurements of certain ingredients, and there is something satisfying to me about the fact that you almost can’t go wrong if you follow the directions correctly.

But sometimes, planning everything out is not the best path to take. You can follow the recipe to the T or plan every single detail down to the minute to have it still come out a disaster. Perhaps the recipe wasn’t as good as you thought it was going to be from the beginning or you perceived an event to be more impacting than it actually was. And then there are times when the outcomes surprise you and are even greater than anything you could have imagined. We can plan as much as we want, but there is no correct recipe for anything really in life or in cooking. We all have different ideas of what tastes good or works well together, and the beauty of it all is that we can share all of these differences to create a fusion of even greater possibilities. We will only truly experience life’s greatest pleasures when we sit back and let the unexpected happen.

So actively welcome more and uncharted ingredients into this meal called life, even if there are risks. Remember to spice it up, make it sweeter, remove any bitter aftertaste, and make sure you give it your all to combine the ingredients that will create the best thing you have ever tasted.

I mean, what’s life anyways if you don’t throw some extra chocolate chips in it every once in a while, right? Happy Monday, Everyone!