All posts filed under: desserts

Food: You Had Me at Rose, Lemon, Shortbread Cookies

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I teared up when I saw this beautiful pic online leading to a simple shortbread cookie recipe which by the way is wonderful to have on-hand for not only Valentine’s Day, but for bridal showers and even a simple wedding in a friend’s backyard or another.  The hardest part is finding the perfect ensemble of cookie cutters – past the heart-shaped ones, perhaps parasol for showers, baby carriage for, well baby showers and so… INGREDIENTS 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon dried rose petals, finely crushed (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour LEMON GLAZE 2 cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons Meyer (or regular) lemon juice 1-2 drops blood orange juice (optional)   {more}  Cookie cutters in the U.S.  from here, here, here and here And my favorite from here

Food: Dinner Tonight – Quesadilla

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You know, sometimes you have to follow your cravings. Like last night, where I knew exactly what I wanted to make for dinner while commuting home from work, and by the time I got home, I craved roast chicken from the grocers with a side of home-made mashed potatoes and  sauté-d string beans with garlic and olive oil – again my  recipe. Today, I am actually serving breakfast for dinner – or ingredients decided to be used mostly for breakfast and in the form of this Quesadilla recipe: INGREDIENTS 6 large eggs kosher salt 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature 1 can (4 ounce) diced green chiles 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped   4 whole wheat or regular flour tortillas 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese 4 slices cooked crispy bacon, lightly crumbled    {I’ll be using Turkey bacon for our family} 1-2 cups baby spinach or arugula 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives extra virgin olive oil, for cooking AVOCADO SALSA 1/2 cup fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives or green onions 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped juice from 1 lime 1 avocado, diced kosher salt   {more} Followed by this …

Food: In Search Of Olive Oil and Lemon Cake

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I had a recipe a decade ago that I seem to have misplaced. It was a simple cake, baked in one round pan and no frosting. I mean who really needs frosting? Not Europeans and not me, especially if the cake is the best of flavors combined. A few days ago, while in an assembly belt style restaurant, where you pass by a dozen dishes and pick and choose what your eyes think your stomach can handle, and end up ordering too much – sort of place. But it was organic, freshly made variety of proteins, and side dishes, and very creative salads which changes using seasonal veggies and fruits. So, I queued up, and with my eyes opened wide, and my mouth-watering, ordered more than I needed to and by the time I reached the cash register, I noticed a lemon cake made with olive oil and I pointed to the very slice I wanted – making the person behind the counter laugh at my reaction of pure joy. The cake was good enough, …

Food: Dinner Tonight – Sticky Korean Chicken

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It is Friday. I’ve managed to complete most everything on my to-do list this week, leaving (intentionally) a few minor items for next week – in an effort to lessen the anxiety I feel when I think I must do more and then some more. One of those things was that  I finished watching Amazon Prime– Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season two – and I have to say, the show thus far is fascinating in every sense of the word – from entertainment, content, decor and naturally the fashion – best yet since Mad Men.  Which I will be discussing more about over the weekend but for now, here’s what I am aiming to make for dinner tonight, serving it up with a bottle of lite beer – yes you read right – beer is the only go with sticky Korean chicken. INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari 1/4 cup honey 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 inch fresh ginger, grated 2 cloves garlic, grated 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts steamed white rice, for serving 1 cup kimchi 1 mango, sliced toasted sesame …

Food: Chocolate Panna Cotta for Breakfast?

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This morning I craved pudding of sorts. Don’t ask, and no I’m not expecting. I simply and utterly craved pudding+chocolate, but had to be careful of the ingredients when searching for a recipe, which as you know, I am always adjusting to make it Keto-friendly.  The one I found here is filed under gluten-free, which sometimes can cross over to Keto and it sounded delicious enough to make and have for breakfast. Okay, okay – I had my usual cup of coffee, two boiled eggs very early in the morning, and for a mid-morning snack while working on my next novel, I craved this wonderful pick-me-up. {Take note, I love recipes from international bloggers} ORIGINAL Ingredients For the chocolate panna cotta 500 ml 16,89 fl oz – 2 cups + 1 3/4 tablespoons of fresh cream 100 ml 3,38 fl oz – 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of fresh whole milk 1 to nka bean 50 g of sugar 1,76 oz – 4 tablespoons 15 g of gelatin sheets 0,53 oz 150 g of dark chocolate 5,29 oz – 1 1/3 bar   *** I use organice 70pct to 90pct  …

Food: Not Your Traditional Cinnamon Rolls

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Last night as I sprinkled cinnamon on a dish I was preparing for dinner, I realized I don’t use the ingredient as often as I used to. Meaning that since I stopped baking and making oatmeal – as I Keto my way through life, I placed this sweet smelling ingredient in the back of my spice rack….until this morning, when I woke up craving cinnamon rolls.  Guess what we are having for breakfast tomorrow morning? {photo and recipe source}  

Travel: New York’s Best Restaurants

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I had trouble deciding how to categorize this post. Meaning, whether I should link it to Food, Decor or Travel. Because you see…it covers all and how it came to be on my radar? Well, because a friend of mine is headed to New York soon and my helping to figure out how to get around led to this wonderful discovery of best restaurants in New York in terms of decor and food.  Although, I can imagine just how many wonderful list of eateries there are in this famous city. Let me know if you agree or have other recommends you want to tack on here: {featured image source}  

Food: Peach Dessert

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Got a sweet tooth all of a sudden this mid-day while working on a few chapters of my next novel – and I realized that I had a dozen ripened peaches sitting in the refrigerator. So I clicked over to my favorite recipe site and saw this inspiration – except I wanted to avoid all things flour and too much sugar. So, here’s what happened to the original recipe below. I raced over, well more like, walked over to the neighborhood grocery store and picked up mini-fillo dough cups, and sliced up the peaches, and sautéed in the butter, cinnamon and vanilla – NO SUGAR – and filled up each fillo dough cup and created a near Keto-friendly variation. But you don’t have to  – here’s the original recipe: INGREDIENTS 6 tablespoons butter 1 peach, thinly sliced 4 eggs 2/3 cup whole milk 2/3 cup all purpose flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons granulated sugar whipped cream and maple syrup for serving {more}

Food: Lemon Cake The Healthy Way

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Whether you’re aim is to be gluten free, have embraced the Paleo or Keto lifestyle or welcome vegan, this recipe for lemon cake is one to keep handy for when craving sweets: RECIPE ¼ cup coconut flour ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ cup coconut oil ¼ cup maple syrup 3 tablespoons psyllium husk + 6 tablespoons water 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 tablespoon poppy seeds {more}

Lifestyle: No Carb, No Sugar Plan

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April fools day, I began a lifestyle change – in terms of eating better. Meaning, I don’t want to diet, or order a meal plan to follow. I simply decided to cut out carbs and sugar as much as possible from my daily meals. I have to tell you, it is day 9 and I feel pretty determined to go on, even when I am craving sugar like nobody’s business.  I also want to report that I’ve been a little grouchy, call it having withdrawals, but I know in the long run this is going to help me. At least I hope in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Last night I was craving a fat dessert, and opted to drink two bottles of water instead. Which helped. But today, I decided to make a list of desserts that are good to keep in mind  – for the just in case.