Cranberry Beet Porridge with Blackberries, Pomegranates & Coconut

A fabulous way to jazz up your boring morning porridge. Danny ate two bowls...it's that good. I should have made more.

Ingredients:

2 cups cranberry juice

1/4 cup beet juice  (from juicing or boiling a small diced beet in 1/2 cup water) 

1 cup cream of wheat

1/4 cup cream of coconut

Toppings:

blackberries

pomegranates

dried coconut 

cream

drizzle with cream of coconut

Directions:

Boil cranberry and beet juice in pot. Add cream of wheat. Whisk until well combined and lumps are gone. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in cream of coconut.

Serve warm in bowls and sprinkle with toppings.

Pesche Con Crema {Italian Peach Cakes with Vanilla Cream and Peach Jam}

A BEA-UTIFUL and surprisingly easy Italian recipe of old.  It is traditionally made out of little lemon cakes that are hollowed out a filled with lemon cream and then sandwiched together. I was a tad confused -- why lemon? They look like peaches. So I wanted to make this traditional treat with a twist...one half filled with vanilla cream and the other half filled with peach jam. I thought the original recipe was missing that peach zing. So here you go! Mmmmm peaches and cream.

Pastry Cream 

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

Peach Jam 

Store bought

Dough 

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Grated zest of 1 lemon

 

Assembling the Peaches

1/2 cup rum + 2 tablespoons peach schnapps

Red food coloring (or a bit of beet juice if you want to keep it au naturel)

1 cup sugar, or more as needed for coating

Fresh peach leaves for decorating

 

Directions:

Make the pastry cream: Simmer Milk and vanilla bean paste in a large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar until thoroughly blended;  add flour to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.

Slowly whisk hot vanilla milk into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until cream thickens and begins to boil.

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and place plastic wrap over the top; pressing down to prevent a film from developing on top of the cream.

..................

Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix flour and baking powder together. In a large separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Whisk in milk, butter, and lemon zest until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing with a fork until the dough is firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick mats

Roll dough it into a walnut sized balls (about 2 inches in sizes). Place balls on prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart. Slightly flatten the tops with your palm.

Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes; tops will remain pale. Transfer to a rack.

..................

Assemble the peaches: While the cakes are still warm, use a small, sharp knife to cut a circle about the size of a quarter on the bottom (flat) side of each cookie, taking care not to crack the edges. Use the tip of the knife to scrape out enough crumbs to make hollow and hold about 1 teaspoon pastry cream and jam. Set cookies aside.

Pour rum and peach schnapps in a small bowl. Add enough red food coloring (or beet juice) to create your desired shade of peach; set aside. Fill a shallow bowl with sugar; set aside.

Fill half of the hollowed-out cakes with 1 teaspoon of cream filling and the other half with peach jam. Sandwich two little cakes together. Using a pastry brush, brush the "peach" with colored liquor and roll in sugar to coat. Place on a rack or plate when done. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just before serving, pierce each "peach" with a toothpick where the two cakes come together and insert the stem of a peach leaf. 

Strawberry, Raspberry, Rhubarb Chocolate Bombs

An adaption of the pervious and wildly popular German Chocolate Bombs...I bring you the Strawberry, Raspberry, Rhubarb Chocolate Bombs. Ok the truth is, those were the things I had in my fridge so that's what I used. You can basically use any sort of fruit or filling that you like. Same results...different filling. Oh, and I added some shortcuts to make things easier on you. Do I dare say it? I think I prefer this filling even better than the original recipe. Gaaaaasp! No, no both are wonderful, but there's something so fabulous about creamy chocolate mousse with berries! Yes. you've got to try it + this recipe is pretty freak'n cute.

Ok Here we go. You ready for this?

For the cake

Shortcut: If you're lazy like me and don't want to make the chocolate cake from scratch --> buy a box mix of Ghirardelli  brownies and slightly under bake them. If your feeling ambitious, then by all means follow the recipe below. 

Cooking spray
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 oz. (1/4 cup) natural cocoa powder 
1-1/2 cups boiling water  
7 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda 
1/4 tsp. kosher salt 
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar  
8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, at room temperature  
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature 
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

For the filling
1/2 cup Rhubarb or Strawberry jam (whatever you prefer)

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup fresh finely diced strawberries

For the chocolate mousse

Tip: This recipe contains raw eggs; if that’s a concern, buy pasteurized.

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70% cacao), chopped (about 1 cup) 
3-1/2 oz. (7 Tbs.) unsalted butter 
2 large eggs, separated 
1 Tbs. granulated sugar 
3/4 cup heavy cream 
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract 
Pinch kosher salt 

For the glaze
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70% cacao), finely chopped (about 1 cup) 
2 Tbs. light corn syrup 
1 cup heavy cream 

---

Make the cake 

TIP(If you are making the cake from scratch follow the directions below. If you are using the box brownie shortcut -- cook brownies in a larger baking dish so they are no thicker than 1 inch after baking.)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Put the chocolate and cocoa in a medium heatproof bowl, add the boiling water, and whisk to combine and melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. 
Beat the sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl halfway through. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add the buttermilk and vanilla—the batter will look curdled at this point. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Alternate adding the flour mixture (in 3 additions) with the chocolate mixture (in 2 additions), ending with the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter to level the batter.
Bake until the cake springs back when poked in the center with a finger, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. (Well-wrapped, the cake will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, or up to 1 month in the freezer.) 

Make the filling
Mash filling ingredients in a bowl until the raspberries and strawberries have blended with the jam (no big chunks).

Make the chocolate mousse

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir with a spatula to combine. Set aside to cool slightly. 
Whip the egg whites in a clean stand mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment on medium-high speed to soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar and continue to whip to stiff peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. 
In a medium bowl, whip the cream with a whisk or electric hand mixer to medium-stiff peaks. 
In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Mix the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture with a spatula. Fold in the whipped egg whites, then fold in the whipped cream—there shouldn’t be any visible streaks. 

Assemble the bombes 
Set two silicone bombe molds that hold at least 5 bombes each (3-1/4-inch diameter and 1/2-cup capacity) on a 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet. 
Turn the cake out onto a cutting board. Use a 3-1/8-inch round cutter to cut 10 circles from the chocolate cake.  
Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mousse into each mold and smear it evenly all over the insides of the molds with the back of a small spoon. Evenly distribute the filling among the molds (about 2-1/2 Tbs. each), and then gently press a cake circle into each mold. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Unmold the frozen bombes one at a time onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet or over a sink. 

Glaze the bombes
 Put the chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a medium stainless-steel bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium-high heat until just boiling, then pour it over the chocolate mixture and let sit for 3 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup for easy pouring.
Pour the glaze evenly over the bombs to coat them completely. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. (Glaze the bombs no more than 8 hours in advance.) 
Let the bombs sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Golden Turmeric Milk Tea {Immunity Booster}

It seems like everyone I know has had the sniffles this past month. Some how I have miraculously escaped the seasonal bug this year…knock on wood. I have been drinking lots of veggie juice and many cups of this wonderful “Golden Turmeric Milk Tea.”

Turmeric, in recent years has attracted a lot of attention for its healing properties and various health benefits. It is a well known home remedy for headaches, colds, chest pain, sore throat, toothaches and many other ailments. It has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants galore. Recent studies have even claimed it aids in preventing and treating diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. It’s undeniably a magical spice. You can drink it daily or whenever you need an added immunity boost. It sounds odd but tastes amazing -- similar to a vanilla chai.

Ingredients

2 cups of milk

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 inch of fresh ginger root chopped

2 tablespoons honey (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon grated cardamom

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 aniseed star (optional)

3 threads of saffron (optional)

Directions

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to prevent the milk from scalding. Heat until little bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan. Do not boil. Strain and serve warm. *I like to grate a bit more nutmeg on top or float star anise.

Yema {Crunchy Caramel, Gooey Custard Treats}

Yema are luscious little Filipino candies with a creamy custard center covered in a thin crunchy caramel shell. I made 20 or so for a party tomorrow and I've already eaten 6...oops. I would best describe them as baby crème brûlée with a slightly denser custard. These decadent treats will melt in your mouth and be gone before you know it! 

Ingredients

Custard

10 egg yolks

1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tbs. lemon zest

1 tsp. lemon juice

Shell

1 cup sugar

Tips & Utensils

*Coat your fork with canola oil to prevent caramel from sticking when retrieving the custard ball.

* Freezing the egg yolk mixture will make it easier to shape. If you don't want to wait, you can put a little bit of cooking oil on your hands to prevent the mixture from sticking.

Instructions

1.In medium sized bowl, combine egg yolks, condensed milk, zest and lemon juice. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

2.In a non-stick pan over low heat, pour the egg yolk mixture. Use a heat resistant spatula to stir the mixture until thick enough to hold shape. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of pan to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Stir mixture until lumps have smoothed. cool. Shape into 1-inch balls.

3.In a pan over medium heat, add sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent the sugar from burning. Sugar will start to melt, clump and then liquefy. Remove from heat when the sugar has caramelized and the crystalized lumps are gone.

4.Tricky part! Carefully drop custard balls one at a time into the caramel pan, turning gently with an oil-coated fork. As you can see...I haven't mastered this part yet ;). You'll want to achieve an even and complete coat of caramel around the ball. Remove the caramel coated yema with forks and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Allow to cool and wrap them individually in cellophane.

Sweet and Creamy Almond Macadamia Nut Milk

Ingredients:

1 cup almond

½ cup macadamia

1 cup pitted dates

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups of water

sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon {optional}

Directions:

-Add first 5 ingredients into a blender and blend until the nuts have turned into a fine pulp.

-Slowly pour the blended mixture though a fine mesh {sieve} that has been placed over a large bowl. Use a spoon to scrape through the sieve – helping the milk drain.

-If serving right away, pour the clean nut milk into a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake, pour and serve.

-Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon

*Keep refrigerated and drink within 5 days.

Keep the leftover nut pulp for healthy "Protein Bites" in lieu of cashews. 

Creamy Banana Maca Root Ice Cream

I've been on a health kick lately...well not really, but you know how that goes. Every morning I've been trying to drink a green juice or blend up a bowl of frozen bananas and maca root for breakfast. It's super creamy and wonderful! Maca root tastes a bit like caramel to me, it's perfection when blended with bananas.

Benefits of Maca Root

Here and Here

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas

1 tbsp. maca root powder

1 cup milk or almond milk

Directions:

-Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.

-Top with banana slices, chia seeds, nutmeg or whatever fruit you fancy...

As you can see I had to make two -- one for me and one for Dan.

Fudgy Vanilla Brownies

            

             Fudgy, chewy, vanilla amazingness... basically the perfect brownie for vanilla lovers.

Ingredients
2 cup flour
2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter {room temp}

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cup powdered sugar {sifted}

Instructions

Preheat oven 350F

-Grease and flour jelly roll pan or rectangular cake pan {15x10}

-Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

-In large pot, combine butter, heavy whipping cream and white chocolate chips. Stir until the chips 

  have melted and the liquid begins to boil. Remove from heat.

-Add flour mixture to the pot, stirring to combine.

-Stir in sour cream, beaten eggs, almond and vanilla extract, spread evenly in pan.

-Bake 25 minutes or until the tip of your knife comes out clean {poke the center of the the sheet with 

  the tip of your knife}. Set aside to cool.

-Make frosting {blend butter, milk, extracts and powdered sugar together in an electric stand mixer. Start mixer on low speed and end on high speed. Stop mixing when frosting can hold stiff peaks}

-Spread vanilla brownies with frosting

Vanilla Chai Chia Seed Pudding

It tastes just like a creamy chai tea. This is an incredibly easy recipe and convenient to take with you on the go. I like to make mine in a mason jar and screw on the lid so I can toss it in my purse when the morning gets busy. 

Healthy benefits of chia seeds …"they add fiber to your diet and are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids which are great for your brain, heart and skin. Chia seeds have a high source of Calcium, Manganese and Phosphorus all of which support healthy bones and teeth. They are chock-full of protein and can fight belly fat" according to The Huffington Post. Sign me up!

Ingedients

1/3 cup chia seeds

1 cup cold milk (or almond milk is you prefer non-dairy)

2 tbsp. condensed milk (or 1 tsp stevia for a healthier option)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of allspice

pinch of glove

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or large cup. Let sit for 15 minutes to activate the natural gel that surrounds the seeds. Simple as that.

*I like to eat mine cold so I suggest placing it the the refrigerator until you want to eat it. You can also heat it up if you prefer it hot. 

Rose Infused Greek Yogurt with Dates, Oats, Berries, Walnuts & Fresh Mint

Ingredients:

1 1/5 cups Greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rosewater
2 tbsp oats
2 tbsp crushed walnuts
1 tbsp chopped dates
small handful of berries
sprig of mint

Directions:
Super simple. Mix the Greek yogurt, honey and rosewater together in a small bowl or cup. Add the oats, walnuts, dates and berries {you can add them on top or get fancy and layer them with the yogurt}. Sprinkle with mint.
*I used a big sprig of mint for the sake of a pretty picture, but I would suggest finely chopping it.

Such a fun, flavorful and healthy breakfast...

Dragon Fruit, Peach & Lime Smoothie

 Every now and then I like to try something new. I love going to our local Asian market and to pick up fruits like cherimoya, durian, mangosteen or this here dragon fruit. So I bought dragon fruit the other day and didn't know what to do with it. I embarrassingly admit that I had to google "how to eat dragon fruit". I decided to use mine in a smoothie with whatever I had around the house. It turned out amazing... I had to share it with you guys.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 dragon fruit

1 cup frozen peaches

1 lime {juice}

1/3 cup condensed milk

3 ice cubes

Directions:

Cut the dragon fruit in half and scoop the insides into a blender. You can pitch the pink skins {or use them as fun serving bowls later in the day}. Throw the rest of your ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.

Simple as that. So yummy and chock-full of vitamin C!

Cortaditos {With A Stove Top Espresso Maker}

Cortadito, is a Cuban espresso topped with steamed milk. It's by far my new favorite way to drink espresso! Sweet, creamy and full of flavor.

Here's what you'll need:

Stove top espresso maker

French coffee press

2-3 tablespoons Cuban espresso {Italian is fine too...I won't tell}

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

Makes 4

1. Prepare your espresso maker according to the manufacturers directions. The amount of grounds used will be specific to your individual pots. Most require 2-3 tablespoons of espresso grounds. Fill the bottom container with water {just below the pressure valve} and then spoon your espresso into the metal filter. Gently smooth the grounds with the back of a spoon.  Screw the top back on and place on the stove. Wait for espresso to peculate.

2. Scoop 4 Tbs. of white sugar into a cup. Pour a few drops of hot espresso into the sugar and vigorously mix. This will result in a creamy, light brown paste. Add the remaining espresso to the paste and stir, creating a light brown layer of foam. 

^^^

*This is the cheaters way of simulating crema with a stove top espresso maker...not all of us can afford fancy pressurized machines, right? This is the next best thing.

3. Pour your sweet espresso in to tiny cups {fill halfway}.

4. Pour 1 cup of evaporated milk into a microwavable cup. Heat for 30 seconds or until hot. Then pour it into a French press. Pump the filter on the French press a few times to force oxygen into the milk, this will make it thick and frothy -- perfect for fine foam. 

*If you don't own a French press, you can stir the milk with a whisk and tap the cup on the counter to get rid of any large bubbles.

5. Pour the hot evaporated milk over the espresso and top with a pinch of cinnamon.

Beware. They are extremely addictive. I may have had 4 in one morning... Maybe I should just make them in a bigger cup? Ehh? No? 

I say yes. 

P.S. Dan is hooked too.

Lemon Velvet Cream Pie & Tarts

I would have to say that this is my favorite pie/tart recipe {you can either make 1 pie or 6 tarts}! The texture is perfection...smooth like a velvety custard with a tart refreshing taste and a creamy finish. I like mine served cold with a glass of milk!

Ingredients

1 refrigerated 9 inch pie crust {or 2 9inch for tarts}

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons cold water

6 egg yolks

2 cups sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup whipping cream

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup fresh lemon juice

For Decorating:

Whipped Cream

Lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line your pie pan or tart pans with premade pie crust and place in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes. Be sure to prick the bottom and sides of pastry with a fork so the crust won’t bubble up when baking. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water for 5 minutes. Then heat in microwave for 10 seconds and set aside.

In large mixing bowl combine 6 egg yolks and 2 cups of sweetened condensed milk. With an electric mixer, beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined. Add gelatin,  1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 teaspoon salt on low speed. Add 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Pour into prepared crust {pie will be full}.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until center of pie if firm when gently shaken; cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Top with whipped cream and lemon zest