Food: new breakfast ideas

I’ve been trying different breakfast creations lately and two of them are featured in the blog world.

#1 Katie’s Vegan Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

I followed her recipe almost exactly and topped with coconut cream (2 tbsp coconut flour + 1/4 c. milk)

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp stevia extract
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup almond breeze vanilla
• 1/2 tsp chia seed

Bake at 375 F for 20 min.

I like the taste of it but not the texture. It’s too chewy. I dunno…. I must be weird. I like oatmeal only in its porridge form. The good thing about it is that it’s really really filling. I almost couldn’t finish it and I didn’t feel hungry until 4-5 hours later.

#2 5-min Protein Chocolate Cake. I love this! I think I ate the same combo for the last 5 days and still want more. First because it’s ready to eat in 5 min (1 min mixing, 3 min in the microwave, 1 min cooling). I’ve been extremely lazy on cooking… so in the morning I just want to have the breakfast-thing done as quick as possible! 😯 rushing to what? nothing actually 😦

this is how it looks after it cools down

flipped

the texture is just like a spongy cake, denser than this chocolate cake

the taste? chocolate any one? the coconut and pumpkin flavors are completely hidden by the chocolate.

I also made the plain version with added ginger powder and cinnamon

mixed

ready to eat

the texture is still the same but the taste is not as great as the chocolate one. I guess that’s because I am biased to anything with dark chocolate.

5-min chocolate cake from SmoothieGirlEastsToo‘s recipe

• 2 extra large egg whites
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp stevia extract
• 1.5 tbsp unsweetened chocolate powder
• 1.5 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp water/milk

Mix everything and microwave for 3 min in a bowl (previously sprayed with oil). Let it cool for 1 min and serve.

Try it, you’ll be surprised by how delicious it is! 😆

There’s only 1 cons: although it’s extremely filling “psychologically” because it’s like eating a chocolate cake, it is not filling physically. I get hungry within two hours after eating it, so I’d grab one of my favorite cereal bar to full my belly. Maybe I should try to double the recipe or add some oil. IdeaS?

Lastly.. I made plain buns for my dad.

Look how cute it is! 🙂

Q: What are you eating for breakfast lately?

Food: 5-course dinner at Coco’s Kitchen

THE FOOD

Appetizers table

Olive Loaf

figazita de manteca (Argentinean)

Roasted Beet Salad with Feta Cheese

Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

Spinach Cannelloni

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

THE PEOPLE

BEHIND THE SCENE

recipe notes

preparing the pancakes for cannelloni

making the cannelloni

pour the white sauce to cover

ready to bake

Multi-tasking

veggies and sauce for the short ribs

Short Ribs sealed

pour the beef stock

add the sauce

Bake for 3 hrs and you get folk-cutting-tender-meat.

Have a great Sunday everyone. I’ll post the recipes soon 😉

 

“Single” Valentine’s Day

I spent the Valentine’s Day alone just like the last four years, but this is the first time that I “celebrated” it. How? Treating me with this beautiful chocolate cake. 🙂

When I was making the cake, I thought about Star and these 9 years and half that we’ve been together.  I realized that even though he’s not perfect and has things that I still don’t like (although I can accept them now), I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. I know that some of my friends might think that I’m with him because I feel safe and comfortable, that he can give me things that other men can’t, that marriage shouldn’t be so rational. blah blah! Well…. I am comfortable with him, but what’s even more important is that I am comfortable with myself when I am with him. He allows me to be just me. I don’t have to change myself to please anyone, I don’t need to pretend or hide my imperfections in front of him, I don’t feel the urge to change him. Believe me! It’s not easy to find these! For me, marriage is not just about passion and feelings, it is a rational decision too.  I know this sounds bad. But passion or feelings fade away with time and they are not obstacles-prove. Only when I rationally think that we’re meant to be together (i.e., matching personalities, values and goals) I can be certain that he’s The one. Just like Gina said, the more time we  spend with him, the more we love him. Maybe it’s not the same kind of love that we felt at the beginning of the relationship; maybe the initial passion and craziness is no longer there. But the love we built together is beyond that…. it’s much stronger and soul-healing. Soul-healing? yes! Because we don’t feel alone in this world anymore.

Single serving Chocolate cake, adapted from Grain-free bitter chocolate cake for one

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix all of the above ingredients together. Add a splash of water until it reaches the consistency of a thick pudding. Bake for 20 min.

Other eats: stir-fry of red pepper, zucchini, oyster mushroom, egg and yam noodles.

I crave spicy food lately, so I sauteed it with soy sauce and a lot of spicy sichuan sauce.

served with homemade multi-grain bread

Poached salmon (soy sauce, cooking wine, brown sugar, ginger powder, S+P)

served with sweet hot mustard

sauteed chinese greens with mushrooms

This is my latest favorite snack combo: steamed corn + kabocha

I’ve been eating them in the afternoons, mid-mornings, before bed, heheh…. anytime 😉

Q1: What marriage means to you?

Q2: What’s your latest favorite snack?