Chamomile Poached Pear and Warm Granola

In continuation of my "healthy" posts, here's a recipe that can act as both breakfast and dessert. The granola base is filled with all kinds of whole wheat goodies like oats, brown rice and nuttiness from roasted pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.  I wanted to make a huge batch of this so that I could fill up some mason jars and eat it throughout the week. I made enough to fill three jars and my roommate and I have already devoured two :\. 

I've been really into tea lately, and bought a lot of floral loose leaf such as chrysanthemum, rose buds and chamomile. I frequent Chinese medicinal stores to buy these in bulk, because they are so much cheaper than buying it in some specialty tea store like Teavana. I was comparing teas and a lot of their stuff have candied fruits and added sugar, which I wasn't crazy about. My mum has also taken to drying hibiscus flowers in the oven and they make the most beautiful hue of deep magenta when steeped! The best thing about floral teas are that they are drinkable at night if you are sensitive to caffeine, since they don't contain any caffeine. It helps soothe my throat, keeps me warm and relaxed during this cold winter!

For the poached pear portion of this recipe, I decided to poach it with chamomile tea. I received a tea infuser from Dreamfarm, which is the best for steeping loose leaf tea with. It's that bright orange infuser you see in the picture above and it's called teafu. The bright orange is a squeezable silicone that splits open to put lose leaf and you can squeeze the flexible pod to infuse your tea faster. It's like how you shake your teabag about, which doesn't quite do anything, but with the teafu, it forces the water in and out and through your tea leaves. The best thing is that once you're done steeping, you just squeeze it and lift it out of your cup, unlike a teabag dribbling all over the place! (also unlike the picture above, the loose leaf does stay inside the pod! There is loose tea in the photo because....artistic flair :P) So, now I'll be having chamomile poached pears, warm granola with a drizzle of honey and sweetened coconut milk for dessert. And I don't feel guilty at all!

Chamomile Poached Pear and Warm Granola

makes 3 servings

3 forelle pears, peeled

1/4 cup sugar

2-3 tbsp loose leaf chamomile (or as much as my teafu could contain)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup rice crispy cereal

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup shaved almonds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup honey

3 tbsps coconut oil (or butter)

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 can coconut milk or cream

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Prepare a lined baking sheet
2. Mix oats, cereal, coconut flakes, nuts and seeds together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla and salt. Pour honey mix over oat mixture and stir to coat evenly
3. Spread to a thin layer and press into a the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 40-50mins, or until gold brown. I used a spatula and flipped the granola half way into the baking time to ensure both sides were nicely toasted
4. Meanwhile, place the peeled pears in a small saucepan and fill with water enough to cover the tops. Add sugar and the tea. Heat until it simmers and then gently heat on medium-low for about 1 hour or until the pears are very soft, translucent and a fork can easily pierce it
5. To serve, mix about 1/4 cup of the chamomile poaching liquid into coconut milk. Pour this over a small serving of warm granola. Top with the poached pear and drizzle with honey if desired!

I developed this recipe for Dreamfarm; all opinions expressed are my own. I love their cute and innovative kitchen tools and especially their clever names :) Thank you for the support!

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Avocado coconut miso soba noodles

Who's kept up with their NY resolutions?? Not me >.<! I've been on a very relaxing elective for 2 weeks and I promised myself that I would actually work out erryday all day (since I come home at noon :P). I don't know what it is, but I've been sleeping like 8+ hours a day and I still feel tired haha. I have surgery starting next week, so I probably won't have time to exercise, let alone eat and drink gahh....

Since my roommate and I are on the same rotation and both end our work at noon, we've been hitting up some all you can eat Indian buffets. No exercise and gluttonous eating is a bad combo though (naan and butter chicken is soo difficult to resist :\). So, I'm trying to be more health conscious about eating and reducing my snacking. I even got a fit bit for my birthday from the BF and it's making me feel guiltier about taking the elevator or sitting on my butt all day!

Here's a totally vegan dish with healthy buckwheat soba noodles. The soup is actually very creamy from the finely mashed avocado (using the amazing smood masher from Dreamfarm), coconut milk and lots of umami from a touch of miso paste and shiitake broth. That's the water the dried shiitake is rehydrated in. I usually keep a few mushrooms in water in the fridge, because I can just add a little bit of the mushroom broth into any soup I'm making and it will add some depth to it. I even add it to some sauce bases like if I'm making spicy Korean rice cakes (tteokbokki) or steamed egg (gaeran jjim).

I made a gif!

Avocado Coconut Miso Soba Noodles

adapted from tastingtable
serves 2-3

handful dried soba noodles
1 cup mashed ripe avocado, about 1.5 avocados finely mashed
2 tsp lemon juice
4 dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated in 1 cup water
1 cup water
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 tbsp white or red miso
salt to taste (I added about 3 tsps)
pepper to taste

Toppings
1/2 firm tofu package, cubed
pinch of cornstarch
2 tsps soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1/2 zucchini, cut in quarters
rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, sliced
few slices of avocado
sesame seeds

1. Make toppings first: In a small nonstick pan, heat a little bit of oil in medium heat. Sprinkle cornstarch on each side of the tofu cubes. Add tofu to the hot oil, and add soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Gently turn them so that the cook on all sides until golden brown. Set aside and keep the pan hot. Toss the zucchinis in there with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Once blistered on the edges, set aside. Lastly, sauté rehydrated shiitake mushrooms with a pinch of salt as well until cooked through
2. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside in a colander
3. In a small saucepan, combine shiitake water, water and coconut milk on medium heat. Using a fine mesh strainer, add the miso so that it loosens easily. Bring to a simmer
4. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the mashed avocado. I used an immersion blender in the end to make it super creamy. Whisk occasionally until it thickens slightly (about 3-4 minutes). Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Makes about 3-4 cups of soup
5. Pour avo broth into a bowl, fold noodles into it to coat. Garnish with sautéed tofu, zucchini and mushrooms. Sprinkle with black pepper, sesame seeds and serve

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Matcha Pocky Sticks

I'm back with another matcha recipe! I know...NOT another one! If I'm doing too many, lemme know :P. I can't promise you that'll stop me, but I'll consider it ;) I was going to post this on November 11, because that's Korea's Pepero day (11/11). Pepero (빼빼로) is the Korean name for the Japanese Pocky. It's kind of like Valentine's day, but you buy your crush or significant other pepero. I don't really know the reason why, but you just do it because pepero is freaking addictive to snack on.

I just thought that straight stick pocky is kind of boring, so why not make all kinds of pocky shapes and sizes? With a homemade squeezable dough, you can make glasses, hearts, stars and everything else. These are so much more fun to gift (or to eat by yourself :D).

Matcha Pocky Sticks

adapted from food52

makes about 50 sticks and shapes

4 tbsps unsalted butter, at room temp

1/4 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup bread flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1-2 tbsp water

1.5 cup white chocolate chips (or 9 oz)

1 tbsp Panatea culinary grade matcha

toppings: black sesame seeds, shredded coconut, sprinkles (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 300F. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffly. Stir in egg and vanilla on medium. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir, then add water until a smooth dough forms (you may need to add more water if too stiff). Dough should feel malleable, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to pipe
2. Transfer dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4" tip. Pipe onto parchment paper into straight lines, hearts, glasses...whatever you like!
3. Bake for 18-20mins or until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool and harden for 5 minutes before transferring onto a rack to cool completely
4. Melt white chocolate in a water bath. I have really bad experiences with microwaving white chocolate...real chocolate seems fine but white just doesn't work for me! Just place the chocolate chips in a small tall bowl into small pot with constant warm/hot water. Once it melts, whisk in matcha powder
5. Dip and spread your shaped cookie sticks into the melted chocolate. Scrape off gently any excess chocolate and lay on silicon mats or baking paper. Decorate with toppings.
6. Let chocolate harden or transfer to the fridge to quicken the process

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Coconut black rice pudding

Sometimes my bf and I get these insane cravings for McDonalds. We have serious love for pink goo chicken nuggets and their extremely soft chocolate sundaes. Although my post has nothing to do with McD or nuggs, I'm currently posting this at midnight, still feeling full from my twenty piece nugg box, soft serve, and at least a gallon of diet coke. I have to wake up in less than 5 hours, but sometimes I forget how sensitive I am to caffeine, and drinking coke has got me all wired! Or I pretend to forget, because I can't have fries without coke. Also, we are both lactose intolerant, so we're on the wait for Montezuma's revenge >.<

Anyway, I thought I wasn't going to post throughout my internal medicine rotation, but we have all these mini holidays this month, including the world biking race coming to Richmond! Woo, getting a free entire week holiday!

Ack, I'm going off track and I want to get some studying done before I sleep. I'm leaving you with this totally summer-y and refreshing dessert to enjoy in the hot weather. Also did you notice the hospital gauze posing as "cheese cloth". LOL, don't worry it's sterile and fresh out of the packet :D

Coconut black rice pudding
makes 6-8 servings

1 cup black glutinous rice
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water

1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup white sugar
2 mangoes, diced
shredded dried coconut
other fruits

1. Rinse glutinous rice and let it soak overnight with at least 2cm water over the level of rice. In a small pot mix brown sugar and coconut milk. Drain rice, add to coconut milk and then add enough water so there is about 1 cm over the top of the leveled rice.
2. Bring to boil on high and then lower to low-med to simmer for about 35-40mins. Taste test towards the end and the rice should be chewy, but not hard or stiff. Fluff and let it cool. Stick it in the fridge to chill
3. To make the decorations over the rice, dissolve white sugar in coconut milk by warming it a little. Dice up mangoes or any other tropical fruits. Allow the sweetened coconut milk to chill as well
4. To assemble, scoop rice into a bowl. I used seran wrap and molded the rice into golf ball sized spheres. Place into shallow bowl. Stir up chilled coconut milk and pour over top. Arrange fruits over rice and sprinkle on some dried coconut shavings.
5. All components can be made a day or two ahead and even assembled together. 

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Roasted Strawberries Matcha Popsicles

I just started pediatrics rotation, which is kind of cool because I get to play Wii all day with the kids. Well, not really... I had a week of peds hematology and oncology, so it's been somewhat emotional on the floor and with the patients. Some kids are super well and happy, some not so much. Although, I really did play dance Wii, and got in a great workout, so I'm pretty much set for the rest of the month as far as exercise is concerned haha.

It's pretty exciting working in the hospital instead of studying at the desk all day! I'm constantly surrounded by smart people all day, so I'm learning a lot but also feeling incredibly stupid everyday :P. Anyway, one of my patients looked like a mix of Dora the explorer and Strawberry Shortcake. She's so cute! Plus, she has this insatiable sweet tooth, so these popsicles kind of reminded me of her :D.

Roasting strawberries is a pretty new idea to me, but I've been seeing a lot of blog posts about them so I thought I'd give it a try. Roasting them really caramelizes the sugar and intensifies the flavors (berry berry yummy...haha I had to say it). Do try it while it's berry season!

Other amazing roasted strawberries ideas:

• This Roasted Stawberry-miso Ice Cream. Miso what?!
• Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Ginger Ice Cream. Taking a trip to flavor town!
• Roasted Strawberry and Dumpling. Anything in skillet please
• Roasted Strawberries over Honey whipped ricotta. Like heaven on a pillow

Roasted Strawberries Matcha Popsicles
adapted from withfoodandlove

1/2 lb strawberries
3 tbsp honey
1 can coconut milk (lite or full fat)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp PANATEA matcha (cooking grade)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut Strawberries in 1/2, drizzle with honey and roast for 15-20mins or until soft.
2. Allow to cool and then mash roasted strawberries in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk and distribute the mix into the molds
3. In a blender (I used an immersion blender), blend remaining coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and matcha powder. Pour matcha mix carefully over the roasted strawberries. Freeze for a few hours or overnight
4. Run mold under warm water for a few minutes to help the popsicles unstick

Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with panatea matcha. All opinions are my own.

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Piña Colada Macarons

I am taking a well deserved study break (I swear I was studying!!). Complete with ooey gooey pizza, buzzfeed and blogging. I have been stuck at school for too long and the off white walls and neutrality of this place makes me feel like I'm in a mental asylum. Haha kidding. Love this school (?) :/  I would study someplace else, except we're in the middle of Embryology and Reproduction and let me tell ya...those lecture pictures cannot be seen in public.  Anyhoo, only 5 more days until our last exam and then SUMMER! I am super super excited yay!

Now that I can make macarons.... can't stop, won't stop making 'em! Dreaming about summer, fun in the sun with cocktails...and piña colada in macaron form :)

Piña Colada Macarons

makes about 25 macarons

Macaron Shells
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
2 large egg whites, ages 1 day in fridge and 1 day at room temp
5 tbsp granulated sugar
handful of unsweetened shredded coconut

Details on making shells Boston Cream Pie Macarons

Pineapple curd filling
2 egg yolks
1 cup pineapple juice, canned
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp butter

• Pineapple Curd: whisk all the ingredients other than the butter in a small pot. Heat on medium and keep whisking it from time to time until it starts to simmer. Keep whisking until its pretty thick and starts spitting large bubbles from the top. You want it pretty thick so you don't get your macarons soggy. Also, I forgot I was making it and it burned really quickly in the bottom. So keep whisking! Remove from heat and stir in butter. Let it cool and then fill up a piping bag to chill in the fridge.
• Macarons:

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mat and get a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch plain tip prepared
2. In a food processor pulse almond flour and powdered sugar until mixed and fluffy
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium low for 2 mins, gradually adding in the sugar.
4. Increase speed to 7 to whip for another 3 minutes and then at 8-10 for another 4 minutes. You should be getting a stiff meringue that you can make soft peaks with. Try not to over beat.
5. Fold the dry ingredients in 2 batches with a rubber spatula and make smooth sweeps to the bottom of the bowl. You do want to deflate the meringue and after about 40-50 foldings it should look glossy and when you drop some from your spatula to the batter, it takes about 20 secs for it to mold back into the mix. Don't over mix or it will a runny and watery mess!
6. Fill your pastry bag and pipe batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 3.5cm circles, spaced 1" apart. 
7. Rap the baking sheet a few times about 1 inch above the counter top to flatten the macarons and to get rid of bubbles. Let them rest at room temp for 45-60mins. The tops should be dry and nothing should stick to your finger if you poke them. 
8. Preheat your oven to 325 F in the last 2 minutes. Bake for 15 mins each pan separately, rotate pans and then bake for another 3-5 minutes. You can check they are done by lifting one macaron you can sacrifice. If the feet comes off, leave it in longer. You always want to overbake than underbake.
9. Let cool completely before removing them from the paper. Line up similar sized ones and pipe the chilled curd filling onto 1 shell. Sandwich together.
10. Let them sit in the fridge in a sealed container for at least 1 day before serving. Seriously!! They taste 100x better when the insides of the macaron shells soften a bit and the filling flavors come together.

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Easter Egg Nest Macaroons

Free weekend!! Man, it has been a while since I got to stay up watching the Mindy Project and then waking up really late (And I mean embarrassingly late :X ...) The past few weeks have been so draining. Learning about alcoholic fatty livers and cirrhosis. I felt like my brain was being overused and abused. Now, I have time to do anything I want...that is until...um Monday. Boo!

Eek, I really complain too much. Anyhoo, I decided to go a little easter themed today, so I baked these macaroons. They're super cute and takes literally 5 mins of prep. Enjoy :)

Easter Egg Nest Macaroons

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Christmas Coconut Mochi

Sometimes, I wish my birthday and Christmas wasn't lumped together. It means half the amount of presents and balloons you receive, and half the amount of cake that you get to eat every year! December babies, am I right?? Although, I got a Kitchen Aid mixer from my bf, so no excuses there... Yay! I finally have the excuse to make bread, sticky buns and more buns :D

Sooo, a friend at school gave out some deliciously soft and chewy mochi for Christmas. What a great idea. Asian girls can't get enough of mochi ;) These are sooo good though. I totally forgive him for being Japanese and not like sushi...seriously. Even people as white as wonder-bread love sushi. Kidding! We love you!

Anyhoo, his mum was so kind to share the recipe.

Christmas Coconut Mochi

makes 76 one inch squares

Ingredients
16 oz box mochiko (sweet rice flour)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
12oz can coconut milk
1.5 - 2 cups water (depending on how firm you want your mochi to be)
1 tsp vanilla

red and green food color
potato starch (for dusting)

1. Preheat oven 350F, grease and place parchment paper on a 9 X 13 pan
2. In a large bowl, combine mochiko, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl mix water, coconut milk and vanilla. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly
3. Take 2 cups of the mix and add 3-5 drops of green food coloring. Pour into prepared pan and place the pan on top of a cookie sheet (so bottom doesn't harden/bake too quickly), cover pan with foil and bake for 15 mins.
4. Take another 2 cups of the mix and add red food coloring. Set aside and pour the rest of the mix (white layer) over the baked green layer, cover with foil and baking for 30 mins.
5. Final layer, pour red mochi mix, cover with foil again and bake for 30 min. Let it rest with the foil cover for 15 mins
6. Stick it in the fridge for several hours or overnight (best) before trying to cut it. Seriously too sticky to cut and handle if it is still warm.
7. Using kitchen scissors, cut into desired sizes (my friend did then in mini 1/4" squares). Remember to coat fingers with potato starch so you don't stick to the mochi. You can trim the hard side off.
8. Dust lightly with potato starch and put them into cute baggies to share!

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