Green Detox Smoothie

Now that my wedding has passed, I hope to get back to baking more delicious treats! But before I do, I’d like to share a simple recipe that I stuck to during the last few months of my wedding diet–a smoothie filled with healthy greens and fruits. I essentially replaced my daily breakfast and/or lunch with a large smoothie. Doing this not only aided in weight loss, but also helped detoxify my body.

Green Detox Smoothie

Coincidentally, I recently found out about a #DetoxYourLife campaign started by Oscar Health Insurance. They are a new health insurance company committed to providing their members with an easy, stress-free experience with their technology based resources. They currently offer health insurance plans in New Jersey and New York. If you are looking for an easy way to cleanse your body, try starting off with a delicious green smoothie!

Ingredients for Green Detox Smoothie:
2 cups packed greens (kale, chard, and/or spinach)
1 cup strawberries
1 cup red grapes
¹/₂ large banana, frozen
1 Tbs chia seeds
³/₄ cup almond milk

Prepare the shake: Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Makes: one 24 fl oz serving

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

The great thing about smoothies is that the amount and types of ingredients can always be adjusted. I often just add whatever fruits I have in my refrigerator at the time. I particularly like to add a few figs to my smoothie, which really helps sweeten up the drink! When I am not in a rush, I also like to juice grapefruits and use it in place of almond milk.

Even though my wedding diet has ended, I still prefer to have a large glass of green smoothie for breakfast everyday! It actually fills me up, makes me feel healthier, and helps start off the day right. What are your favorite recipes for detoxing? Comment below and let me know!

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve been trying to eat healthier in preparation for my wedding, but anyone with a sweet tooth knows that it’s not easy! I decided to bake cookies using almond butter, and found this recipe. Almonds in all forms (e.g., raw nuts, milk, butter, flour) are healthier alternatives to other food and snacks. They contain monounsaturated fats, which are healthy fats that help lower cholesterol and even help prevent weight gain. They are also an excellent source of vitamin E, minerals, protein, and fiber. You can visit nuts.com for more facts about almonds.

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients for Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:
10 oz (2 cups) whole almonds (or 1 cup almond butter)
¹/₂ tsp baking soda
¹/₂ tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
110 g (¹/₃ cup) honey
2 oz (¹/₂ cup) dark chocolate chips or chunks

Prepare the almond butter: Spread the almonds on a baking sheet. Roast the almonds, stirring once or twice, for 10 minutes at 350°F. Grind the roasted almonds in a food processor for approximately 15-20 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the ground almonds reach a smooth, creamy consistency. Place the almond butter in the refrigerator until it cools down.

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Make the cookie batter: Place the food processor bowl containing the almond butter back on the food processor, and add the baking soda, sea salt, and vanilla extract. Pulse a few items to distribute the mixture. Add the egg and honey to the food processor, and blend until a ball of cookie dough forms (this does not take long at all). Remove the blade, and fold in the dark chocolate.

Mix the almond butter with baking soda, sea salt, vanilla extract, egg, and honey.

Once a ball of dough forms, fold in the chocolate chips/chunks.

Place 3-Tbs sized balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet.

Bake the cookies at 350°F for 9-11 minutes.

Bake the cookies: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop, place the balls of dough on a baking sheet. Gently press down on each mound of cookie dough. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Yields: 9 cookies

I love how these cookies are guilt-free and easy to make! My only mistake was not letting my almond butter completely cool down, which ended up melting some of the chocolate–I was too impatient to wait! Luckily, the cookies still turned out chewy and delicious. What are some of your go-to recipes for guilt-free desserts? Comment below and let me know!

Chocolate Protein Shake

Since I’ve been doing my best to eat healthier, I haven’t been baking or posting many dessert recipes. In fact, I have been on a protein shake rampage the last few months! It was tough to replace an entire meal with just a liquid shake, but my body adjusted and I’ve experimented with a few different protein mixes to figure out what tastes satisfying to me. Here is a recipe for a protein shake that is tasty and easy to prepare. I’ve been making my shakes with chocolate protein powder, but any flavor works well with this recipe!

Chocolate Protein Shake

Ingredients for Chocolate Protein Shake:
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 cup almond milk
2 pitted dates (optional)
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
4 large ice cubes

Make the chia gel: Soak the chia seeds in the almond milk for 5-10 minutes.

Prepare the shake: Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Makes: one 16 fl oz serving

Soak the chia seeds in almond milk for 10 minutes, then combine with remaining ingredients in a blender.

Blend the mixture until smooth and creamy.

The great thing about preparing these shakes is that you can adjust the amount and the ingredients however you like. For example, if you don’t mind the flavor, a frozen banana can be added to make a thick and creamy shake. In place of the banana, I used dates as a sweetener along with chia seeds and ice to thicken up the shake. A tablespoon of nut butter may be added as well, but I chose to leave it out to reduce the fat and calories. If you need more ideas on how to make healthy and delicious protein shakes (or smoothies), check out DailyBurn’s #ShowUsYourShake project or visit their protein powder page for various protein-based recipes. What do you like to add to your healthy shakes and smoothies? Comment below and let me know!

White Chocolate Brownies

I was so busy this past week, that I was at a loss for ideas on what to make for the baking club at work (yes, there are actually clubs at work—feels like being back in school). I wanted to bake something that wouldn’t require much ingredients or effort, but would still be a unique treat to offer to my co-workers. My fiancé suggested making White Chocolate Brownies, so I searched online and found this wonderful recipe. The use of white chocolate in the brownies, plus the sweet and slightly salty flavor, sets them apart from other brownie recipes.

White Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients for White Chocolate Brownies:
14.6 oz white chocolate chips
210 g unsalted butter
275 g granulated sugar
185 g eggs, beaten
10 g sea salt
230 g all-purpose flour

Prepare the chocolate base: Place the white chocolate and butter in a double boiler and stir continuously, until the mixture is smooth and melted.

Prepare the brownie batter: Remove the melted mixture from heat, and stir in the sugar, eggs, and salt. Add in 1¹/₂ tsp of vanilla extract, if desired. Add the flour to the mixture, and stir until evenly distributed.

Bake the brownies: Spread the batter in a 9×13-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 28 minutes, or until the center comes out clean with a toothpick. Allow the brownies to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Makes: 20 pieces

While these brownies were baking in the oven, I realized I doubled the salt and left out the vanilla extract by accident! Although I misread the original recipe, this batch still turned out chewy, fudgy, and so decadent to eat. Luckily, leaving out the vanilla extract did not noticeably affect the brownies. In addition, the extra salt helped enhance the flavor and reduce the sweetness of the brownies. I love how they were so simple to make, yet turned out dangerously delicious and addicting!

Mexican Chocolate Fudge

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! Did you make anything special for the occasion? I had plans to make some treats this past week, but I was limited on time and ingredients. I decided to make chocolate fudge, with a bit of a spicy kick to it. I based my Mexican Chocolate Fudge off of this recipe. Luckily, I had all of the ingredients readily available and it did not take long to make.

Mexican Chocolate Fudge with Chopped Nuts

Ingredients for Mexican Chocolate Fudge:
2¹/₂ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
¹/₄ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¹/₂ tsp chili powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
³/₄ cup chopped nuts

Prepare the fudge: Place the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a double boiler and stir continuously, until the mixture is smooth and melted.

Flavor the fudge: Remove the melted mixture from heat, and add the remaining ingredients (salt, cinnamon, chili powder, vanilla extract, and chopped nuts) to the mixture. Stir until evenly distributed.

Form the fudge: Spread out the mixture in an 8×8-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Chill the filled pan in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until hardened. Lift the fudge from the pan, peel off the paper, and cut the fudge into desired shapes.

Makes: ≤2 pounds

The fudge can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about a week. I added only ¹/₂ tsp of chili powder, but those who prefer a strong kick can add a dash more. The fudge allows a lot of room for creativity, such as varying the amount or types of nuts, or even leaving those out and adding in other ingredients such as marshmallows. I personally prefer crunchy nuts to contrast the smooth, sweet chocolate.

This was actually my first time making fudge, and it was a success! Since it was for Valentine’s Day, I used one of my heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the fudge (this part may not be so easy if you wait until the next day to cut it like I did). This will be one of my go-to recipes for a quick and easy treat!

Pumpkin Macarons

It’s definitely nice to be back in the kitchen and baking again! I haven’t made any macarons since I baked large batches of rose and lavender macarons almost a year ago. This time, I made pumpkin spice macarons filled with a pumpkin buttercream as well as a pumpkin white chocolate ganache.

Pumpkin Spice Macarons filled with Pumpkin Buttercream and Pumpkin White Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Macaron Shells:
125 g (1 cup + 2 Tbs) almond flour or 125 g (1¹/₄ cups) blanched almonds
215 g (1³/₄ cups) powdered sugar
1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
100 g (3 large) egg whites, aged
¹/₄ tsp cream of tartar
35 g (3 Tbs) granulated sugar
2-3 drops gel food coloring (optional)
chopped pecans for shell toppings (optional)

Prepare the dry ingredients: Grind the almonds, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together in a food processor for 2 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Sift the mixture twice, regrinding any large pieces of almonds if necessary.

Prepare the meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites on low speed until bubbles begin to form (speed 4 on the KitchenAid mixer for 1 minute), then add the cream of tartar. Continue to mix on low speed until the cream of tartar has dissolved and the egg whites appear frothy (about 1 minute). Add the granulated sugar in three portions, while mixing on medium speed, until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites have soft-medium peaks (speed 6 on the KitchenAid mixer for 2 minutes). Continue mixing on high speed for 60-90 seconds, until the egg whites have firm, glossy peaks (speed 8 on the KitchenAid mixer). Add orange food coloring, if desired, then beat on the highest speed just long enough to evenly disperse the color (speed 10 on the KitchenAid mixer for 30-60 seconds).

Whip the sugar into the foamy egg whites on medium speed, until soft peaks form.

Whip the egg white mixture into firm peaks.

Perform the macaronage: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in 2 to 3 portions. To properly fold in the ingredients (i.e., to evenly mix while deflating some of the air in the meringue), scrape the spatula along the bottom of the bowl, then bring the spatula to the top and press down into the batter. Check the consistency of the batter in between every few folds. The batter should slowly fall off the spatula in ribbons, and any peaks should flatten out in about 15 seconds.

Pipe the batter: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (about a 1-cm diameter). Pipe circles on a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use a template to ensure uniform circles.

Rest the piped batter: To eliminate any air bubbles, firmly rap each baking sheet against the counter (while keeping the sheet level). Sprinkle chopped pecans on half of the shells, if desired. Rest the sheets on the counter for 30-60 minutes (or as little as 15 minutes, depending on the humidity), until the tops of the shells form a skin–the batter should not stick to your fingers when lightly touched.

Bake the shells: Bake the macaron shells, one sheet at at time, at 275-300°F for 16-18 minutes, until the shells don’t wobble and can be easily removed from the parchment paper. Allow the shells to cool down before filling them.

Makes: 30-35 filled cookies

Pumpkin Spice Macarons filled with Pumpkin Buttercream

Ingredients for Pumpkin Buttercream:
100 g (¹/₂ cup) granulated sugar
65-70 g (2 large) egg whites
125 g (9 Tbs) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
100 g (¹/₃ cup + 1 Tbs) pumpkin puree
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Prepare the meringue: Place the sugar and egg whites in a double boiler and whisk continuously, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160°F. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed, until a stiff, glossy meringue forms and the bowl is cool to the touch.

Make the buttercream: Beat the meringue on medium speed while slowly adding the butter. Make sure each addition of butter has blended in before adding another chunk.

Flavor the buttercream: When all the butter has completely blended in, add the pumpkin puree (in multiple portions) and pumpkin pie spice to the buttercream mixture. Continue beating until the mixture is well-combined.

Makes: 2 cups

Dissolve the sugar in egg whites, and heat the mixture to 160°F.

Beat the egg white mixture to a stiff, glossy meringue.

Whip the pumpkin puree into the buttercream mixture.

Ingredients for Pumpkin White Chocolate Ganache:
60 g (¹/₄ cup) heavy cream
30 g (2 Tbs) butter
100 g (¹/₂ cup) granulated sugar
1 tsp sea salt
7 g (2 tsp) cornstarch
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
80 g (¹/₃ cup) pumpkin puree
120 g white chocolate

Prepare the cream: Place the heavy cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the sugar, salt, and cornstarch until all the ingredients are dissolved.

Flavor the cream: Stir in the pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat.

Make the ganache: Add the white chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted into the mixture. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature and solidify.

Makes: 1.5 cups

There may be leftovers of both the buttercream and ganache after filling the macarons, but they both store well. Buttercreams can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a few days, or in the freezer for a few months. To reuse the buttercream, simply whip it in the bowl of a stand mixer until it comes to the right consistency–this is especially important because of the moisture from the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Spice Macarons filled with Pumpkin White Chocolate Ganache

Prepare the fillings: Place the buttercream and ganache in the refrigerator if they are too soft to work with. When ready to use, transfer each filling to a piping bag.

Assemble the macarons: Match like-sized macarons to each other in pairs. Pipe the buttercream or ganache in the center of one cookie. Gently press down on the filled cookie with the other cookie until the filling just spreads to the edges.

Mature the macarons: Place the macarons in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 24 hours (to allow the flavor and moisture of the filling to infuse into the cookies). Allow the macarons to come to room temperature before serving.

At first I wasn’t sure if there would be enough pumpkin flavors in the macarons, but these tasted great and weren’t too sweet! My fiancé typically doesn’t care for anything with pumpkin, or sweets for that matter, but he actually loves eating these macarons. These are now on my list of holiday desserts that I plan to make every year!

Turkey & Shrimp Shumai (燒賣)

One of my favorite brunches is dim sum! Whenever I go out for dim sum, I always order turnip cake, shumai/shaomai (燒賣), rice porridge/congee, and various types of dumplings filled with shrimp. Unfortunately, I have to drive far to eat good quality dim sum at an affordable price–it would be fantastic if I could create an array of dim sum dishes from my very own kitchen! I have already come up with a simple and delicious recipe for rice porridge. Just recently, I created my own version of shumai using ground turkey.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
¹/₂ lb shrimp, diced
1 stalk green onion, diced
3 Tbs cilantro, diced
2 Tbs ginger, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs corn starch
2 tsp salt
1 Tbs ground pepper
1 package shumai wrappers

Create the filling: Excluding the shumai wrappers, thoroughly mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Fill the wrappers: Place approximately 1 Tbs of the filling in the center of a shumai wrapper. Wet the edges of the shumai wrapper, then gather them up to form a pleated cup, leaving the top of the filling exposed. Continue wrapping the filling in shumai wrappers until all the filling is used up.

Combine all ingredients for the filling.

Fill each shumai wrapper with 1 Tbs of the filling.

Steam the shumai for 10 minutes.

Steam the shumai: Line a bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves or parchment paper, then fill with a layer of shumai. Place the bamboo steamer over a pot of simmering water, and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Serve with favorite dipping sauce.

Makes: 50 pieces

I love how easy this is to prepare! The ground turkey can, of course, be substituted with pork or some other type of meat. I like to use turkey since it is slightly healthier, and I feel less guilty about eating so many!