Cranberry Compote and Cinnamon French Toast

Cranberry Compote Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of fresh cranberries
• 3 cups of water
• 1 cup of turbinado raw sugar
• 1 peeled mandarin
• 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon

Cinnamon French Toast Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
• 6 pieces of brioche bread

Directions for the Cranberry Compote:

1. In a small pot, bring to boil 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar.
2. Once boiling, add the cranberries, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Mix. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
3. Add the peeled mandarin, and mash until the skin is broken to allow for the pulps to blend with the rest of the compote.
4. Continue simmering until the sauce becomes thicker (up until about half of original volume is left). Routinely stir.
5. Once about half of the original volume is left, turn off the pot. Strain out the fruit bits, but this is optional.
6. Place the compote in the freezer to cool if being served immediately with French toast. Otherwise, set aside to cool, and keep in the fridge until it’s time to serve!

Directions for the Cinnamon French Toast:

1. Whisk the eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl.
2. Add a slice of brioche bread into the mixture. Let each side marinate for 10 seconds, ensuring each side is evenly coated.
3. Place the bread into a non-stick plan on low-medium heat, and let it cook for a minute on each side.

Assemble the French toast and cranberry compote on a plate, garnish with fresh cranberries, and enjoy!

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Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta (Quick and Simple!)

Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

• 5 oz of dry pasta
• 15 pieces of frozen cooked shrimp
• 1/2 cup of diced crimini mushrooms
• 1/3 cup of vegan butter
• 1/2 of a lemon
• 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic
• Seasonings (to taste): sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, and basil (I used dried)

Directions:

1. Boil pasta to al dente, drain, and set aside.
2. In a low-heated pan, add the garlic, butter, and mushroom.
3. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the shrimp.
4. Squeeze half a lemon into the pan, and add all seasonings. (I would start with 1/4 tsp of each!)
5. Let the shrimp marinade in the sauce for 5 minutes.
6. Add the pasta, mix, and let it sit in the lowest heat setting for 5 minutes while covered.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Enjoy while it’s warm!

Chorizo Tacos (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of Trader Joe’s soy chorizo
• 20 mini pearl tomatoes, halved
• Handful of kale
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/4 cup of diced onions
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Chili powder
• Red chili flakes
• 6 small corn tortillas
• Lemon, optional

Directions:

1. In a low-medium heated pan, add half of Trader Joe’s soy chorizo. Ground the “meat” with a spatula, and season with chili powder and red chili flakes.
2. Add a handful of kale and a splash of water. Mix, and cover for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat up the corn tortillas over a low-medium heated pan to slightly toast. Set aside.
4. After the chorizo and kale are done cooking, add them on top of the tortillas.
5. In the same pan, add olive oil.
6. Once the oil is warm, add half of the sliced garlic, the diced onions, and half of the tomatoes. Toss around and cook until the tomatoes are slightly softer. Add on top of the tacos.
7. Garnish the tacos with the remaining tomatoes and garlic as a side with a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

Maruya (Banana Jackfruit Fritter) | 4 ingredients, vegan, gluten-free, and no sugar added!

Maruya, or banana fritter, is a common Filipino dessert snack. My mom always makes these, so I grew up eating these!

Ingredients:

• 7 ripe Thai bananas (or Saba bananas)
• 1/3 cup of canned sliced jackfruit
• 1/4 cup of rice flour (or gluten-free flour)
• Oil

Directions:

1. Peel the bananas, and mash in a bowl.
2. Add the jackfruit and rice flour. Mix until evenly incorporated. The consistency should be sticky but moldable.
   1. The amount of flour added depends on how watery/ripe the bananas are. More flour might be needed to make the batter moldable.
3. Pre-heat oil into a pan.
4. Mold the banana batter into circles, and deep fry in the pan for four minutes on each side on low-medium heat.
5. Place the maruya on plates lined with paper towel to drain excess oil. Enjoy while hot!

4-INGREDIENT KIMCHI JJIGAE

Ingredients:

• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 cup kimchi
• 2.5 cups water
• Veggies of choice (I used cabbage and riced cauliflower)

Directions:

1. Add minced garlic, kimchi, and 1 cup of water in a pot on medium heat.
2. Once simmering, add the gochujang, and make sure the paste is thoroughly dissolved.
3. Add your veggies of choice.
4. Cook on low heat for 40 minutes to develop the flavor.
5. Serve with rice and main dishes of choice, or eat as a soup!

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HOT OATMEAL ON-THE-GO??? COFFEE CHOCO CHIP OATMEAL HACK

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of (gluten-free) rolled oats
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• Your choice of hot coffee

Directions:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMe1vW7Ch/

Fish Cake and Miso Takikomi Gohan

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup of mixed grain rice (or rice of choice)
• 2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup of miso paste
• 1/4 cup of mirin
• 4 sticks of fried fish cake, sliced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 5 bunches of bok choy, halved
• 1 1/4 cup (3 oz) of wood ear mushroom (or mushroom of choice)
• 2 bunches of green onion, chopped
• Furikake (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

1. Wash and drain rice. Place in the rice cooker bowl.
2. Add the mirin and one cup of water.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the other cup of water, and miso paste. Mix until the paste is dissolved, then add into the rice.
4. Add the sliced carrots and mushroom into the rice.
5. Choose the appropriate setting (i.e. “Brown Rice” setting for me, as I used a mix of brown, purple, and red rice) to start cooking.
6. After 20-25 minutes, when the miso aroma is apparent, add the halved bok choy and chopped fried fish cakes.
7. Once the rice cooker is done, mix everything.
8. Top with chopped green onion and furikake, and enjoy!

Chicken Adobo Quesadilla with Pico de Gallo and Cilantro Guacamole

Chicken Adobo Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast, cubed
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of Filipino sugarcane vinegar (Date Puti suka iloko)
• 1 1/2 garlic head, separated and peeled
• 1 tbsp of canola oil
• 5 bayleaves
• 1/4 cup of water
• ground pepper, to taste

Pico de Gallo Ingredients:

• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 purple onion, diced
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
• pinch of salt
• ground pepper, to taste

Cilantro Guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ground pepper, to taste

Other Essential Ingredients:

• Large flour tortillas (for burritos)
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar

Cooking the Chicken Adobo:

1. Heat a pot to low-medium heat, and add the oil.
2. Add the cubed chicken and toss it around the pot to coat with oil.
3. Add water, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and ground pepper.
4. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, then turn off the stove.
5. Set aside at room temperature, and let it marinate for at least one hour before constructing the quesadillas.

Making the Pico de Gallo and Cilantro Guacamole:

1. To make the pico de gallo, combine the diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro in one bowl. Add the juice of one lemon, and season with salt and ground pepper. Let it marinade in the fridge until it’s time to serve.
2. To make cilantro guacamole, mash the avocados in a bowl, and season with garlic salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper. Then add the juice of half a lemon and cilantro, and set aside in the fridge until it’s time to serve.

Constructing the Quesadilla: See TikTok video for visuals!

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Locate the middle of the tortilla and cut a slit from the center to the edge to make two distinct quadrants on one side.
3. On the first quadrant next to the slit, add shredded chicken adobo meat.
4. On the second quadrant that is not next to a slit, add shredded cheese.
5. On the next and third quadrant, add cilantro guacamole.
6. On the final quadrant next to the slit, add more shredded cheese.
7. Starting with the meat quadrant, fold each quadrant on top of each other.
8. Place the quesadillas into the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
9. Serve with pico de gallo, sour cream, and hot sauce.

8-ingredient Apple Pie (pie dough from scratch!)

PIE DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/4 cups of chilled all-purpose flour
• 8 oz cold unsalted butter
• 4 oz of ice cold water
• 1 tsp of sea salt

APPLE PIE COMPOTE INGREDIENTS:

• 3 apples (I used the Autumn Glory apples from Trader Joe’s for a caramel-like flavor)
• 1/2 cup of raw turbinado sugar (available at Trader Joe’s)
• 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour

CREATING THE PIE DOUGH…

Pie dough ingredients and directions were adapted from The Saturday Evening Post! I split the pie dough into two and chilled overnight. I also used an 8-inch pie dish to bake!

MAKING THE APPLE COMPOTE…

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Dice all three apples, but set aside one diced apple for later use.
3. In a small pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the sugar, and bring it to medium heat. Stir every 30 seconds to one minute for 3 minutes to help the sugar dissolve.
4. Once the sugar dissolves, add 2 diced apples, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract. Mix, and let the flavors marinate for 5 minutes in low-medium heat.
5. In a small bowl, add three tablespoons of flour. Add syrup from the heated pot into this bowl, and mix until the flour is completely integrated into the sauce, which should now be viscous. Put this sauce back into the pot.
6. Thoroughly mix, and turn off the heat.

PREPARING THE APPLE PIE…

1. Take out both of the chilled pie dough balls, and roll them flat on a clean surface.
2. Lightly grease an 8-inch pie dish. Place one flattened pie dough over the dish and mold so that the bottom and sides of the dish are covered with dough.
3. Add the last diced apple into the pot containing the compote, and mix. Place this compote mixture over the molded pie dough.
4. Cut the other flattened pie dough into strips to make a lattice-like pattern over the compote.
5. Place in the oven, and bake for 40 minutes. (Less or more time may be needed depending on the strength of your oven, so check every 15 minutes! The pie crust should be golden brown. You can also use a toothpick to pierce the pie where you should hear a crunch-like sound.)
6. Optional but HIGHLY recommended… SLICE AND SERVE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM!

Goat Milk Pumpkin Ice Cream | @rovikapaprika x @brandonhxn Collaboration

Featuring — Goat Milk Pumpkin Quenelle Ice Cream with Sablé Crumble

An ice cream machine is needed! We used Cuisinart stainless steel ice cream maker.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/8 cup of pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup of goat milk
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-freeze the drum of the ice cream machine in the freezer the day before starting. 

Step 1: Separate 3 egg yolks from egg whites into a large mixing bowl and add brown sugar. Whisk until the brown sugar has completely dissolved into the yolk mixture. Set aside. 

Step 2: Pour the goat milk and heavy cream into a pot. Add the white sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract. Set the stove to medium-low and stir with a whisk to dissolve the sugar. Allow for the cream-sugar mixture to heat up to a simmer until you see bubbles forming around the rim of the pot and wisps of vapor. (*Do not let the mixture overheat and boil.*)

Step 3: You will now temper the egg mixture with the cream mixture. Take the pot of cream and splash a bit of the cream mixture into the egg mixture as you continuously whisk the eggs. Keep adding small amounts of the cream mixture into the egg mixture as you whisk until you have incorporated all of the cream into the egg mixture. 

Step 4: Pour the produced custard base back into the pot and set to medium-low. Slowly bring up the temperature as you whisk the custard. As you whisk thoroughly, add the pumpkin purée, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make sure the mixture is smooth with no lumps of pumpkin. Continue to whisk and heat up the mixture until it thickens. (*You will know it’s done thickening when you are able to take a spoon, dip it in the mixture, and wipe off the custard cleanly without the custard dripping.*) Turn off the heat. 

Step 5: Take a large bowl and fill it half way with ice and water. Put another bowl inside the ice bath. Pour the ice cream base through a strainer into the bowl that is sitting in the ice bath. This will remove any lumps and overcooked parts. 

Step 6: Once all of the ice cream base has been filtered, mix the ice cream base. Allow it to sit and cool down in the ice bath. 

Step 7: Set up your ice cream machine. After turning it on, pour the ice cream base into the machine and let it to churn for 25 minutes or as your machine instructs. 

Step 8: Once done churning, scoop out the ice cream into a freezer-safe bowl and allow it to freeze for at least 6 hours.