RECIPE | MACARONS!

Macarons seem to be all the buzz lately so I decided to try my hand at these notoriously tricky treats.  I found a very helpful video (watch here) by Entertaining with Beth on YouTube that explained the steps  to making macarons along with six tips to ensure your cookies come out right.  I was incredibly proud that my first batch came out quite nicely *pats self on back*  My sister even called these her "new favorite cookie ever" and asked me to bake another batch.

Since the almond flour I had contained the almond skins, my macarons had speckles, unlike those perfectly smooth ones you see in stores but the result was equally delicious.  Also, I tried the raspberry cream filling Beth provides for my second batch but honestly, I preferred plain 'ol Nutella so I'll be trying a chocolate ganache next time.

Ingredients:
-3 egg whites
-1/4 cup white sugar
-2 cups confectioner's sugar
-1 cup almond flour
-pinch of salt
-1/4 tsp cream of tartar
-food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 300

2. Set out the egg whites.  *Egg whites should be at room temperature.  You can place the whole eggs in warm water for 5 minutes if you are in a rush

3. Sift the almond flour and confectioner's sugar in one large bowl.

4. Beat egg whites and add salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form (cream of tartar is an acid and helps form the peaks)

5. Add the sugar and food coloring.

6. Fold in the almond flour/sugar mixture gently.  *Make sure everything is mixed in but do not overmix.  The batter should start to become more viscous.

7. Transfer the batter into a piping bag with a 1/2 inch diameter tip.

8. Pipe out one inch circles onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  *Hold the tip in the center so that it forms an even 3/4 sphere.

9.  Bang the tray on the counter a few times.  You should see air bubbles rise to the surface.  *Banging the tray causes the batter to flatten so if you would like thicker cookies, pipe out the cookies more vertically.  Also, my second tray seemed to fall after piping more so than the first, so work quickly or else the batter will start to melt.

10. Let the cookies rest for 30 minutes before baking for 20 minutes.

Raspberry Buttercream Filling:

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup butter

-3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

-3 tbsp fresh squeezed raspberry juice

In Beth's video, she says to use 1/2 a stick of butter but the description states 1/2 cup of butter. I used 1/2 cup of butter but ended up adding a few extra spoonfuls of powdered sugar and raspberry juice to achieve the desired flavor and texture.

1.  Beat the butter until it turns pale yellow (should take 5-8 minutes)

2. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar and continue to beat.

3.  Add the raspberry juice and beat until well blended.  

Best of luck!! 

NBD: VEGGIE BURGER PITA SANDWICH

It's the little things, like taking the time to make a delicious but nutritious lunch.  Today I paired homemade guacamole, hummus, orbaby spinach, veggie patties and whole grain pita bread for a delightful meal.

For the guacamole, I combined one avocado, 3 diced cherry tomatoes, about 1/8 of an onion and a squeeze of lemon juice.  

The Trader Joe's Veggie Patties are really quite tasty, not to mention, they only take a few minutes to cook.  

NBD: QUINOA

Hello!  Within the past couple months I have been cooking healthier meals so I thought I would share some of my nutritious but delicious (NBD) finds.  First up is quinoa! I exercise with weights regularly, so it is important that I consume enough protein and quinoa fits the bill.  Unlike most grains, quinoa is a complete protein source.  In addition, quinoa contains about twice the amount of calcium as whole wheat.  The list of health benefits goes on and on so for those who are curious, feel free to do some more research.

Quinoa is a versatile grain, as it can be used in soups, salads, or as a side dish.  My favorite way to prepare quinoa thus far is simply mixed with veggies.  I purchase Trader Joe's Organic Tricolor Quinoa but any brand and variety will do.  Following the proportions given on the package, I prepare it over the stovetop and add half a package of Trader Joe's reduced sodium chicken broth.  You can certainly simmer the quinoa in plain water, but I enjoy the added flavor of the chicken broth. Once the quinoa has been simmering for about 10 minutes, I will start to add the vegetables.  What's great about this dish is that any veggies will do.  In this case, I used green beans, peas, spinach and sweet potato because that's what I happened to have in the fridge.

For dinner, I will pair this with seasoned chicken breasts for a simple, low-fat, high protein and fiber meal. Enjoy!

RECIPE | MANGO HONEY SMOOTHIE

Mangoes are one of my favorite fruits.  In fact, last week I had mangoes in three different forms: frozen, dried and fresh! Today I bring you a painfully easy mango smoothie courtesy of one of my friends.  While in Mo'orea she told me she loves to blend mangoes, milk and honey as a refreshing drink. Ever since then I have been aching to give it a try.  I didn't use any exact measurements and you can tailor the proportions to your own personal preference.  Using a small Magic Bullet type blender, I filled it about 2/3 of the way with frozen mangoes, letting the milk (2%) fill the crevices up to the same 2/3 level.  Then, I added about a teaspoon of honey for a little extra sweetness.  Blend it all together and voila, a delicious smoothie!  I can't wait to try adding some frozen pineapples and strawberries too.

RECIPE | OVEN "FRIED" CHICKEN

Here's the first of what I hope to be many "From the Kitchen" posts.  Living in my own apartment this year, away from my mother's wonderful cooking, has taught me to appreciate the art of preparing meals.  I have always loved to bake but I now also hunger (see what I did there?) for exciting new dinner recipes that don't break the bank or take too much time to prepare.  The following oven "fried" chicken recipe is one my mom has been using for years.  It's nothing revolutionary but every time I take a bite, I can't help but think how little effort it took to make something so scrumptious.  Plus, it tastes just like fried chicken (maybe even better) but it's baked!

What you'll need: 

Corn Flakes

Mayonnaise

Black Pepper

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Garlic Salt

Herbs of choice 

Chicken cut (s) of choice

Greased cooking pan

Preheat oven to 375

prep time: 7 minutes

cooking time: 50 minutes

Step 1. Crush the Corn Flakes.  I used a bread pan, but a bowl would work just fine.  The amount of corn flakes you will need will depend on how much chicken you will be cooking.  I used about 1.5 cups for two large chicken thighs.  You can always add more Corn Flakes if necessary. I like to add some Corn Flakes, crush them a little, and then repeat the process.  This way, you will end up with some very fine crumbs as well as larger crumbs (this helps ensure that the entire surface of the chicken is covered).  

Step 2. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over each piece of chicken.  It gets pretty messy, but I just used my hands to spread it around.  It is inevitable that your hands will be covered in chicken juice and Corn Flakes anyways, so why not a little mayo? 

Step 3. Roll the chicken in the pan of Corn Flakes. 

Step 4. Add the seasonings! Again, the amount of seasoning will depend on the amount of chicken and also your personal preference.  I particularly enjoy Lawry's Season Salt and Garlic Salt so I add a few dashes to each piece of chicken.  A couple dashes of black pepper and a pinch of your favorite herbs (I used basil and oregano) and you're ready to pop those babies in the oven.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes on a greased pan.  You do not have to flip the chicken half way through or else you will lose the Corn Flake coating.  

Bon Apetit! 

UPDATE!!!

The Mo'orean gods may be on my side! This afternoon, just after I had come back from finishing my experiment, my professor excitedly told me that someone MAY HAVE FOUND MY CAMERA! A very kind gentleman asked for my name and the make of the camera and said his friend had found a camera in the ocean and it had pictures of fish and cages, the exact ones I was disassembling at the time.  I gave him the number of the station and he said either he or his friend would call and let me know if it was indeed my camera.  I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I get my camera back!

Mo'orea: Day 35

Quite contrary to yesterday's more somber post, this morning was exhilarating.  We dove at the fore reef, which is the reef just outside the lagoon.  A couple of years ago an Acanthaster (Crown of Thorns Seastar) outbreak devastated the live coral but now, the reef is making a great recovery and we were able to witness new coral recruits popping up on top of the dead coral.  We dropped down to about twenty-five feet, with a great expanse of reef below us and clear blue water in every direction.  My dive buddy and I were assigned to lead our small pack, keeping a slow pace, which allowed us to observe the intricate details of the reef.  As we followed the contours of the reef, with its flat plains separated by mini valleys, life was surely abundant.  It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

There was such a wealth of diversity and creatures so beautiful, they seemed unreal. Eels glared at us with their wide white eyes and open jaws, lavender soft corals swayed with the surge and neon yellow sponges made bright appearances amongst the drab mix of browns and grays of the dead coral.  As we swam up the small ridges, masses of fish appeared like a mirage over the road on a warm summer day.  Chaetodonts (butterfly fish) elegantly moved through the water so close to us that we could see the fine details of their patterns.  For the most part, the fish were unalarmed by our presence, swimming with us as if we were fish too.  Black tip reef sharks would glide right in front of us, and my heart would pound quite quickly whenever they got too close.  However, they are relatively small and unaggressive, so there wasn't much worry there.

 As we neared the end of our dive, I noticed a large fish swimming towards us, so I tapped my dive buddy to point it out to him.  Within a few seconds we realized it was not just a large fish, but in fact an 8 foot lemon shark.  He grabbed for my arm, and I squeezed back, afraid that this shark, much bulkier and obviously larger than the fairly docile black tips, was headed straight for us.  Fish began swimming in our direction, only adding to our fear that perhaps we should be swimming away too.  Since my dive buddy and I were in the lead, we were the first to notice the lemon shark, and I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone else had noticed what lay ahead (they hadn't yet, but they would in a matter of seconds).  Although I was intimidated by the size and prehistoric demeanor of the shark, I somehow lost most of the fear and was instead in a state of awe.  I felt so honored to be able to witness some of the ocean's most fascinating creatures and also proud of myself for taking the leap of faith and learning to dive.  Mind you, all of this took place within twenty seconds and before the shark came within fifteen feet, it decided it was uninterested in us and veered in the other direction.

Although the ride back was choppy and I normally would have been sea sick, I could not help but smile, even with the wind and rain striking my face.  It would have been more than ideal to have my camera on that dive, but I still have my eyes and that experience will stay with me forever.

It is starting to pour now and I think it is the island mourning our approaching departure.  Maybe not; the rain has already stopped.