Feel Good Foods: Kefir Smoothies

Kefir is a fermented milk drink filled with lots of friendly bacteria to help balance the inner system of our bodies.

I really like to make kefir smoothies with fruits and veggies. It is a lot of fun to check out my fridge and think about what to combine for the day!

Kids Favorite: Chicken Nuggets

A secret ingredient in my chicken nuggets is tofu! You won't taste it, but it simply makes chicken nuggets moist and tender.

I always pack leftovers in a Ziplock bag and keep frozen, so my daughter's school lunch is ready in a minute.

Chai with Cardamon and Ginger

I really like the combination of spiciness from cardamon and ginger and sweetness from honey.

A cup of chai always calm me down for sure.

Calamari Pasta

I always keep frozen squid (calamari) in my freezer for quick and inexpensive meals. This olive oil-based pasta is light, yet loaded with flavors.

Hijiki, Tuna and Edamame Salad

Hijiki is a brown sea vegetable and good source of fiber and minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium.

If you have dried hijiki and tuna in pantry and edamame in freezer, you can make this salad anytime you want.

Pear Gelée (Jello)

Please do not discard pear compote syrup. Leftovers can be transformed into another wonderful dessert!

Pear Compote with Blue Cheese

It was my late afternoon snack for today.

Simply crumble some blue cheese on top of pear compote which I made the other day.

You can warm this up in the oven as well.

* A little bit of blue cheese goes a long way. You might want to add LESS than I did!

Pear Compote

I make fruit compote throughout the year, such as white peaches in summer and pears in winter.

In this recipe, pears are flavored with vanilla only. I like it this way, but you can certainly add white wine to the syrup.

Please select fruits which are ripen but not mushy.

Roast Beef

I always wanted to cook perfect roast beef. I tested recipes using different cuts of beef and different methods of cooking and finally settled down this way which I am really satisfied with.

Beef tenderloin can be the most expensive cut, however, the final product is just amazing: super-tender and melt-in-your-mouth!

Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip

In frequent shopping at Whole Foods Market, I came across a recipe card: Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip. I made it for holiday dinner and it was a hit among my family.

I substituted Neufchâtel cheese with cream cheese and worcestershire sauce with soy sauce, which, I think, worked really good as well.

Easy to make and great for party appetizer.

For this recipe, please go to this link.

Soy-Marinated Duck Breasts

These soy-marinated duck breasts are a standard item in my Osechi (Japanese-style New Year foods).

Duck breasts would be available in some grocery stores, such as Whole Foods Market, Papa Joe's and Peacock, at frozen meat section.

Candied Walnuts

Walnuts are good source of health benefiting nutrients such as minerals, antioxidants, vitamins and omega-3. These candied walnuts would be a  perfect snack for us all.

Happy New Year 2012

Zouni

Osechi

Chikuzenni  & Kamo

Kagami-mochi

Wishing you a fruitful new year!