Catfish

For me, it is usually a treat to eat freshly steamed fish on special occasions, such as Chinese New Year or out for a banquet dinner.  During a regular visit to my mother-in-law's in SF, we stopped by Chinatown (our usual hangout spot), devoured some delicious dim sum from our favorite restaurant, Great Eastern Restaurant (yes, where the President was this past February!), and went grocery shopping on the busy and crazy Stockton Street.  Both my mother-in-law and I bought a fresh big catfish to eat for dinner.  You can truly taste the freshness in each bite!

Steamed Catfish with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Ingredients
- 1 fresh catfish
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp garlic black bean sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice wine
- 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced

Steps
1. Wash fish thoroughly. Pat to dry.

2. Mix minced garlic, garlic black bean sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine together.  Place washed fish on plate and pour mixture all of the fish.

3. Fill a large pot with water. Ensure that you have a stand or some type of device that can place a plate on top, in order to steam the fish. Turn heat to medium and let it cook and steam for about 20 minutes. The fish should be flaky when done.

4. Place thinly sliced green onions on top of the fish and serve.  Serves 2-4.

Discovering New Vegetables: Kale!

Kale is like the "hip" vegetable lately.  I'm not sure if it's because I suddenly have a new appreciation for it so that I notice, but it's everywhere!  I first encountered this vegetable due to the juice cleanse I did last year.  One of the two green juices I drank everyday for 3 days had kale in it.  Soon after the cleanse, we purchased a Vitamix in order to make healthy smoothies.  Oh man, the Vitamix blender is the most amazing thing and may be my second most favorite tool in the kitchen!  For green smoothies, I sought out different vegetables to use and a lot of the recipes I found used kale.  I initially ate a lot of kale in a blended fashion, but after finding this salad recipe and still having lots of it in the fridge, I decided to give solid kale a chance.  What a great salad.

Fully-Loaded Kale Salad
adapted from Healthy. Happy. Life.

A few variations...
...I used marinated artichokes, pears, romaine lettuce, persian cucumbers, plum tomatoes, and avocados.

A surprisingly nutty and tangy dressing.

Refreshing!

Sweet and Spicy...

My mother-in-law handed me two ginormous sweet potatoes the other day.  Think football-sized potatoes. Think brick-sized spuds.  I'm not sure where she found these abnormally large potatoes but now they're mine, and I have to think of ways to use them.

Between me and the hubby, I am the only one that likes sweet potatoes.  I get excited over sweet potato fries, the sweet potato tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good (they really do!), good 'ol fashioned baked sweet potatoes (with the skin), and anything sweet potato-related.  It's just that good.  But the problem is the hubby.  I know I needed his help with eating these huge sweet potatoes, but how would I "trick" him into eating something he doesn't like?  I set out to find a recipe that would pair sweet potatoes with other items that may overpower the potatoes, a flavorful dish, and something healthy so that he doesn't have eaters remorse afterwards.  Luckily, I found it.

Sweet and Spicy Turkey, Beef, and Sweet Potato Stew with Coconut Milk
from Kalyn's Kitchen

Tools
- crock pot

A few variations...
...I didn't have enough ground turkey so I grounded up a slab of sirloin beef in order to yield 1 pound of meat.
...I didn't have any green onions so I added green peas instead.  I know, not really a substitute but I thought the peas would be a great touch and color!

All the cooked and uncooked ingredients go into my favorite appliance in the kitchen - the crock pot.

Truly a sweet and spicy dish... first you are hit with a sweet yet salty taste, then the spiciness lingers in your mouth for a few minutes... until you take the next bite.

Holding On To Summer... Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon

I don't want the nice summery weather to end!  I may be speaking for everyone that we are truly enjoying the breezy and nice 75 to 85 degrees weather of late, so nice summer weather, just stay, OK?

During a recent staycation to Monterey, I stopped by Sur La Table and picked up some new toys.  I blame this shopping spree on the $10 coupon that Sur La Table mailed to me a few weeks ago, indicating that I can get anything and receive a nice $10 off discount!  How could I resist?  I bought a cedar plank, a plank tray, and a $2 zester after rummaging through the clearance pile.  Total damage? 6 dollars!  I have been longing to own wood planks for cooking fish, ever since we bought our grill a few years ago.  It brings great flavor to the fish, and honestly, I think it just looks cool while cooking.  This cedar plank salmon did not disappoint!

Cedar Plank Salmon
From BBQ with Bobby Flay, Food Network

Tools
- Cedar plank (carefully read preparation and after cooking instructions to ensure longevity of the wood)
- Plank tray (optional. I thought it was a good idea to get one so that I will not have to replace the plank too often.  Besides, it was $10, so technically it was free. ^_^)

paired with fresh grilled pineapples (juicy, sweet, and a great complement to the salmon)

and also paired with my lazy salad (delegated the salad to my younger sister to make!)

Live Blogging: 3-Day Juice Cleanse, Day 3

September 13, 2011 // Day 3:

9:19 PM... We are done!!! In 3 days, we have each consumed 312 ounces of fluids. Wow. And that's not counting the water we drank in between! This has definitely been an incredible experience. In these last 3 days, I really missed eating solid foods, especially hot foods. I find myself thinking about food and wanting to look at pictures of food all the time. When the hunger pangs kicked in, sometimes right after I have consumed a drink, that was the most difficult period to get through. Fortunately, I barely experienced any detox symptoms, only dizziness and coldness on Day 2 when I was waiting for the juices to be delivered. I think that's what starvation feels like.

On the positive side, I am more aware of the types of food I put in my body, such as more raw and fresh foods, and less processed and packaged foods. I also discovered that vegan food is pretty darn delicious, as I ate for the prep, and I am really interested in trying to make vegan dishes in the future. Besides the lemon and cayenne drink, almond milk is also a new favorite mine, and I am looking forward to making homemade nut drinks. Physically, my stomach has never felt flatter, thanks to those resting intestines, and I lost about 3 pounds. Although the weight will most likely come back when I'm eating again, knowing that I am on the road to better eating and better living, this is motivation enough to keep my body active. I just feel good overall. All cleaned out.

2:09 PM... Yay, LAST DAY!!  This last day is going well so far!  I'm not sure if it is my excitement that this is soon over, or I am getting used to just drinking for food, but I'm feeling pretty good today.  I even went and did an hour of cardio workout at the gym during lunch time.  Now, back to work...

Live Blogging: 3-Day Juice Cleanse, Day 2

September 12, 2011 // Day 2:

9:57 PM... Yes, the second day is over! The juices tasted so much better today. I got a massage after work, one of the recommended "to-do's" during a cleanse. Sigh, it was quite relaxing! I have to admit, I did have a minor breaking point today around 3 PM when the hunger pangs kicked in... strong. I really missed food, couldn't stop thinking about food, and wanted to give up on the whole thing. I thought to myself, "Why am I putting myself through this torture?!!" This lasted a few hours, even though I was drinking in between. I just couldn't shake the hunger feeling, but then it finally went away. Phew...

1:43 PM... Today was the first day of yoga class at work and I went and conquered.  It's usually a tough class, but since I haven't been to class in awhile and I only have energy derived from an algae elixir and 2 juices, it was much tougher today.  I took many breaks (more than usual) and sweated like a maniac (water is all I excrete these days), but thank goodness I got through it!  The juices finally came at 10 AM and I quickly drank the first one like I haven't eaten in days.  The green juice actually didn't taste too bad today, probably thanks to hunger.  Today also confirmed that I really like the Lemon-aid, it was a great refreshing drink right before yoga.  Just about 15 more minutes until the next green drink... I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm looking forward to it!

8:35 AM... Due to the mishap with the pick up situation (are you dying to know?), I am waiting for the rest of the juices to be delivered to me at my work this morning and therefore have not had my first drink yet.  I am feeling a bit weak right now... slight dizziness... but that's because I haven't had anything since 6 pm last night.  I'm staring intently at my phone right now waiting for the delivery guy to call.  I want to drink so bad that I think the algae elixir and the Green Goddess will taste good this time!

Okay, to waste some time since it is difficult to concentrate on work right now, let me tell you about the pick up situation.  We were set to pick up our juices last Friday at their only SF pick up location.  The times for pick up was between 11 AM to 7 PM.  Because we had other errands to run in the city, we were not able to pick up our juices until 4 PM. 

When we arrived, I informed the store employee that we were picking up our juices from Juice To You.  She paused for a moment, like she had no idea what I was talking about, and then realized that I'm not crazy and they had the juices.  She went to the fridge and gave me 3 dark green cooler packs that were labeled "Cleanse 1" with my name on it.  I was about to leave the store with these 3 heavy packs but thought that I should check to make sure we had all juices for 2 people.  Thanks goodness I did because after opening the pack, I realized that it had Juices #1-6 with 2 elixirs, and this seemed like it was only enough for 1 person per day.  I should have 6 cooler packs total for 2 people!  I called Juices To You immediately and explained the situation.  They were not shocked that my juices went missing and quickly offered different solutions to this horrible situation.  In the end, we agreed to start on Sunday since we had 3 packs of juices available right now, and they will deliver the rest on Monday morning. 

Unfortunately, this put a big damper on our plans and our mental and physical readiness for the juice cleanse.  It was a huge disappointment overall.  The entire pick up process was not organized - the pick up location could care less which juices and to whom it left with, such as the lack of checking for ID or using a check-off list, and when we were in store and had discovered half of our order was missing, the store employee just said to us, "We are only the pick up location and do not have any information for you."  If this is the case, then I feel that Juice To You should either find a location that will hold more responsibility for the pick up process or develop some type of secure process for picking up juices.  For people like me who do not live in San Francisco, picking up the juices is our only option.  It also sounded like this was not the first time that this happened, so if juices had gone missing before, shouldn't the process be fixed immediately?!

It's still up in the air if I will try Juice To You again, although they were very nice about it and were willing to deliver (without fees) outside of SF to my work, and will be giving me a quart of my favorite juice (I choose Lemon-aid).  I really do hope that the pick up process is changed because they do not restrict to when you can start a cleanse and the prices are quite reasonable.  That is what attracted me to Juice To You in the first place.

Live Blogging: 3-Day Juice Cleanse, Day 1

Yup, you read it right.  This food lovin'-eatin'-cookin' little lady is on a 3-day long juice cleanse.  Since I do not have much to do today (one is suppose to "take it easy" during a cleanse), I figure it is about time to update this blog and share an interesting and eye-opening experience with you all, as I am going through it!

First, let's start with questions...

1. What is a juice cleanse?  A juice cleanse is a detoxing program that allows your body to use all of the nutrients and energy obtained from freshly-pressed vegetable and fruit juices to "clean house".  Think in terms of car maintenance: after about 5000 miles of driving, you would change the engine oil so that the engines are properly maintained.  This is what you are doing to your body with a juice cleanse.  Rebooting your body by getting rid of toxins from processed foods, animal products, and even the environment.  The purpose of drinking juices all day is to let your digestive system rest, which I've come to find out, is always overworked and spends a lot of the body's energy to digest all the junk we eat every day.

2. What is involved in a juice cleanse?  There are different types and duration of cleanses, but after researching and talking to my friend (see question 5), a 3-day cleanse is a good one to start with.  Each day, you consume 6 bottles of different juices, as to replace meals and snacks throughout the day.  There should not be any solid food eating during the cleanse.  As you detox, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, nausea, or fatigue.  However, as your body adjusts to the juices, you may feel more energized and clear-minded!

3. Where can I get the juices, or do I have to make everything myself?  As a newbie to this entire cleansing business, the best way is to find companies that provide cleanses.  BluePrintCleanse is a company that ships nationwide in the US, and although I'm not sure if they are the "pioneers" of juice cleansing, they did write a book about it and was the first website I read about cleansing.  However, due to price (these programs are not cheap!), I wanted to find a local juicing company that provided easy cleansing programs.  Luckily, there were good choices in San Francisco (Juice To You, Living Greens, Juicey Lucy's, and Can Can Cleanse).  I am sure you can make your own juices and do a cleanse that way, but since I am a newbie, I have no advice in that regard.

4. Are there any preparations or foods to eliminate for the cleanse?  It is recommended that at least 3 days prior and 3 days after the juice cleanse that you eliminate many types of foods from your diet.  This is to ensure that you do not suffer greatly during the cleanse, and to slowly ease yourself back into eating solid foods.  You should not eat meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, wheat, processed sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.  I know, your jaw is probably dropping because this is EVERYTHING you eat, but basically, a diet of raw vegetable, fruits, grains, and nuts are the way to go.  After the cleanse, slowly ease yourself back with smoothies and juices, then vegetables and fruits, and then finally everything else.

5. How did I get the notion to even do a juice cleanse?  My dear friend EC was the person that introduced me to the world of cleansing.  After hearing her experience and knowledge of cleanses, and then doing my own research, I found myself really interested in this concept of detoxing the body and that it wouldn't hurt to try!

Now on to my experience...

First of all, I am a lucky girl as my husband supports me in everything I do.  When I brought up my desire to cleanse, the first thing he said to me was, "I'm not doing it."  I'm not sure what or why he changed his mind... it may be due to curiosity, from talking to our cleansed friends, or maybe he just loves me that much, but he decided to do the juice cleanse with me.  Now I don't have to suffer and watch him eat during the cleanse!

I chose Juice To You due to price ($190 for a 3-day cleanse) and pick up times (was able to pick up on a Friday in order to cleanse over the weekend).  To note, all of these SF juice companies do not deliver too far outside of SF, so we had to rely on picking up the juices.  There is an entire crazy story of our pick up experience that I'm too lazy to get into right now, but basically it delayed our start time from Saturday to Sunday.  Although this means that we will have to be on the cleanse during 2 work days, our minds are set and we are doing it!

The juices

Helpful numbers for consumption

The menu and order of consumption:
Elixir #1: Blue-green algae... all-organic, wild-harvested botanical algae
Juice #1: Green Goddess... celery, cucumber, sunflower sprouts, and lemon
Juice #2: Lemon-aid... lemon, agave, ginger, cayenne pepper, and filtered water
Juice #3: Wellness Wonder... celery, cucumber, sunflower sprouts, kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, and lemon
Juice #4: Coconut Water
Juice #5: Blood Builder... celery, carrot, beets, ginger, and lemon
Juice #6: Almond Drink... raw almonds, coconut water, vanilla bean, Himalayan salt, and filtered water
Elixir #2: Aloe... aloe vera juice, young coconut water and lime juice

Each juice bottle is 16 oz, the algae elixir is 2 oz, and aloe elixir is 6 oz.  Every juice is consumed about 2 hours apart, with water consumption in between.

September 11, 2011 // Day 1:

8:08 PM... Done for the day.  The second drink I like is the Almond Drink, slight sweet and thick nutty liquid to end the day.  I was pretty hungry by 6 pm (time of last drink) so the Almond Drink was perfect.  Sigh.  Day 1 is done! 

To summarize Day 1, both the hubby and I had a good first day overall.  We woke up to the first elixir and drink and went on a 2.5 mile walk (took about an hour) by the beach.  We actually stayed in Monterey this past week for a little "staycation", so we were able to enjoy the beach for one last time this morning.  I have to say, Monterey in September is surprisingly nice!  Although the fog and clouds stay around in the morning, the sun comes out by noon to provide a constant 75 degrees of summery weather.  It was even hot enough to lay out in your swimsuit and tan.  We had packed mostly pants and long sleeves for the week, so the nice weather definitely caught us off guard. 

Nevertheless, the walk this morning was nice - a slightly breezy 67 degrees with sightings of dolphins or whales, or some sort of mammals with fins!  It was quite exciting.  We came back to relax for the rest of the day, the hubby with Sunday football and me with blogging.  Every two hours came quickly and it seemed like we had just finished with our previous drink.  It was also hard to look at food today, as I would get a small tingle of hungriness in my stomach each time, but I would just tell myself, "It's just for two more days".  Although unwilling, we are rested and ready for the work week ahead of us.

3:00 PM... I've consumed up to Juice #4. I'm not liking the green juices (#1 and #3) because they taste like salty celery.  Bleh.  The algae elixir tastes like raw seaweed, not a favorite of mine either.  I hope I will get used to it tomorrow!  The one I like so far is the Lemon-aid, which tastes like lemon and ginger juice.  Spicy and sweet!  The Coconut Water is nothing special, although the hubby did say, "This taste like corn water.  You know, when you boil corn and the leftover water in the pot would taste exactly like this."  I have to admit, there is some truth! 

So far, I am not experiencing any detox symptoms.  Feeling good but will get a bit hungry after about an hour.  Of course, a lot of water is coming out of me, meaning many trips to the bathroom, but not too bad.  The other thing I am trying to get used to are the loud grumbling noises coming from my lower abdomen.  Oh, those darn intestines!  I really hope that it's not too loud at work for the next 2 days that my cube neighbors can hear!

Crunch Crunch Salad

This is my go-to salad on a lazy day because it can be whipped up in minutes.  I love it when recipes contain only two steps!  I made this particular salad during a Mother's Day barbeque a few months ago.  It is a great way to add vegetables to the meal when you are busy preparing other items that need a bit more attention.  It is so easy, you can even let go a little and delegate it to someone else!

Cucumber, Radish, and Tomato Salad

Ingredients
- 6 Japanese cucumbers (I like to substitute with Persian cucumbers since it is cheaper, but has the same freshness and crunch!)
- 2 large tomatoes
- 4-6 red radishes
- 1 Tbsp Japanese sesame dressing (such as this), to taste
- 2 tsp Japanese mayo (such as this), to taste
- ground pepper (to taste)

Steps
1. Roughly cut cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes to your liking (cubed or thick slice, as long as it is bite-size)

2. Toss cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes in a bowl with Japanese sesame dressing, mayo, and ground pepper.  Serve cold.

Serves 6-8.

Slow-Cooked Salmon Fillets

Getting ready for the hot weather, try these refreshing salmon fillets accompanied with a variety of different vegetables and fruits.  The green, the orange, and the red... this dish is popping with color and, of course, taste!  If you are not one liking to eat hard and dry salmon, the way to go is slow-cooking which leaves the texture and flavors tightly stored in the salmon.  You can basically eat salmon raw (sashimi, yeah!!), therefore this method of cooking will not harm your body.  I love this dish.

Slow-Cooked Salmon Fillets
from Steamy Kitchen

I used the following ingredients and sauce mixture on these salmon fillets.  The rest of the steps can be found at the link!

Ingredients

- 2 salmon fillets
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, diced
(I actually had 3 fillets so I just cooked them all, but the ingredients listed are adjusted for 2)

Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar

 

Yummus Hummus

It has only been a couple of years since I was introduced to hummus, and now I can't stop making it for any occassion!  It is hearty, healthy, and full of flavor.  Truly, hummus is yummus!
Artichoke Hummus
adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
- 1 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup of roasted tahini
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt (or salt to taste)
- sprinkling of cayenne pepper

Tools
- food processor

Steps
1. In a food processor, combine the minced garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, artichoke hearts, lemon juice, water, and olive oil. Process the combination until smooth (should be quick, about 3-5 minutes). Add salt, and if not enough, salt to taste.

2. Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with cayenne pepper (lightly, if you don't want too much heat).

3. Serve with bite-size vegetables that can be eaten raw (cucumbers, radishes, baby carrots, celery), pita bread, anything you like to dip with.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Chicken with Capers Sauce

This entree is a typical meal I would cook on a weekday, given limited time I have to prepare a grand and glorious meal after work hours and after an intense workout (seriously, by the time I can cook, it is close to 8 already...).  I prepared this meal within 30 minutes and we scarfed it down within 10.  The capers sauce really added a special touch to the grilled chicken breasts, which can be dry and flavorless if not prepared correctly.
Chicken with Capers Sauce
from Simply Recipes

A few tips...
...do not overcook the chicken breasts!!  I've learned this lesson over and over again, but since these breasts are sliced thinner, cook it just enough so that it is not pink in the middle and take it off the stove immediately!
...although the recipe called for cooking off most of the liquids in the capers sauce, I found that it left you without much "sauce" to pour over the chicken.  The liquid was actually quite flavorful with the onions and capers (I choose chicken stock instead of white wine, although I think the white wine would have been that much better), so I would suggest not to burn off that much liquid.  Also, the extra liquid would make your chicken more juicy!

Shrimp Kebabs (and wishing Summer was here already...)

I'm digging this recipe out of the archives.  Obviously, we made this during one of the nice and hot summer evenings last year, using our outdoor grill whenever we got the chance.  A super simple recipe and light meal, I remember eating and smiling at the same time this day.  It is also pretty darn healthy, since the ingredients only consists of shrimp and tons of veggies.  Next time there is a delightful warm day, give these kebabs a try!

Shrimp Kebabs

Ingredients
Kebab:
- 1 lb of medium-sized shrimp, washed, peeled (leaving only tail on), and deveined
- 1 red peppers, cubed
- 1 medium zucchini, cubed
- 1 box of cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 yellow onion, cubed
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil

Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 4 garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper

Tools
- soaked skewers (soaked for at least 1 hour)
- grill
- grilling basket (optional)

Steps
1. In a large bowl, toss all of the kebab items with a pinch of salt and pepper and olive oil.

2. Start assembling the kebabs using the pre-soaked skewers.  Line items in any desired order.  For example, first start with a shrimp --> red pepper --> cremini mushroom --> shrimp --> yellow onion --> zucchini --> shrimp.  Note: to secure the shrimp on the skewer, poke through the tail end and then the body of the shrimp.

3. Prepare the sauce by combining melted butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

4. Pre-heat the grill (if you have a gas grill, turn the temperature to medium high).  If you have this tool, place the kebabs in a grilling basket for ease of grilling.  Once the grill is hot, place kebabs on the grill.  It should take about 10-15 minutes to cook.  Place a close eye on these while cooking... just in case!  When the kebabs are close to done, brush the kebabs with the prepared butter sauce.

Serves 2.

Two shrimp kebabs with a side of salsa-topped baked potato and a slice of lime. 

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Again, thanks to my green-thumbed friend, I was able to steal get two butternut squashes from her garden this year.  They are so pretty, and when cooked, so sweet and delicious!

The first thing I can think of is to make soup.  I used a recipe from (of course) Simply Recipes and loved it.  The soup was thick and sweet from the squash and apples, but were balanced out with the onions, celery and carrot.  It's perfect with a slice of toasted sourdough bread.  Don't be afraid to pass by this daunting looking vegetable while in the market!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

from Simply Recipes, click here for recipe

Tools
- iron cast pot
- peeler

A few tips...
...butternut squash is really really hard to peel.   I've experienced too many close calls with a knife and this vegetable.  After some research online, I found out that there are easier ways to deal with this vegetable (gosh, why didn't I think about googling this a long time ago...).  The easiest way I found was to boil the entire squash in hot water for about 20 minutes.  Although this is an extra step in the cooking process, you can guarantee to walk away with all of your 10 fingers attached at the end of the day.  I think that's a pretty good deal, don't you?  To boil the whole squash, you do have to cut off the ends first (stem and bottom).  Take a big sharp knife to do this part, but this is the only "hard" part you will have to deal with!  After boiling, the skin will be easy to peel off, and also easy to chop into pieces.
...remember to spoon out the seeds from the squash.  The seeds are typically located towards the bottom end of the squash.  Clean it good!
...an entire squash can make A LOT of soup.  You can just use half of the squash to make this soup, and use the remaining squash for something else (butternut squash bake, or any other lovely sides with this ingredient).