Papaya salad (Laos style)

If you like spicy food, this one is for you.

I went to the market today and picked up bunch of veggies and other asian food. Trying to stock up for the New Years. I wasn't planning on making some salad but I couldn't pass after seeing some fresh green papayas at the market

I prefer this over Thai papaya salad. It's not sweet but it's super spicy, just the way I like it.

spicy prawn curry with rice

I haven't been cooking a lot lately because of my busy schedule with work and school. Now, that I'm on break from school, I should have time to cook more. So, tonight I made some spicy prawn curry with rice. It's one of my favourites. Bon appetit!

pumpkin spice pancakes

One of my favourite things about Fall is anything with pumpkins. So, I made some pumpkin spice pancakes yesterday for Sunday brunch. It was delicious and the house smells wonderful!

spaghetti with lots and lots of tomato sauce

I love me some spaghetti. I use organic wheat pasta with my homemade sauce. This is probably one of my favourite all year long!

More spaghetti ma!

hearty cold-weather soup

CHICAGO - Today's weather is cold, chilly, rainy and windy. It's typical Chicago weather at this time of year. However, I've never heard of 25-foot waves hitting Lake Michigan...sounds pretty wild.

I came home from work and really wanted to make some hearty chicken soup, so I made some organic chicken noodle soup. It was easy and yummy, just like my mom's chicken soup. It was perfect!

Brought to you by MAT@USC Masters in Teaching

my ideal burger -- homemade wild salmon burger

I decided to make some homemade wild salmon burger and spinach miso soup for tonight's dinner. It was sooo yummy! These meal are packed with nutrients and vitamins. Also, I had some oranges on the side to enhance the absorption of iron.

Greek Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Egg-Lemon Sauce

This is a traditional Greek soup. I use brown rice, organic chicken and I didn't use any cream or milk. This is one of my favourite soup to make for Fall season.

Today was actually really beautiful day in Chicago. The leaves are starting to change colour from green to yellow, bright orange, or red. When I went for a walk at the park this morning, I've noticed so many fallen leaves on the ground. Everyone at the park was enjoying the warm and sunny weather, even the squirrels were happy.

perfect for rainy day

I've been craving some really good soup, so I made some chicken cilantro dumpling with broccoli on miso soup last night. So simple and it's perfect for this rainy and cold weather.

never miss a breakfast

Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs on a toasted English muffin. I made this couple of weeks ago after my morning run. I've been so busy with school lately but I've never miss a good delicious breakfast!

*Always look for an organic eggs, if you can. They aren't fed anything with antibiotics or nasty slaughterhouse byproducts. Skip free range or cage free, they aren't guarantee happy chicken. Organic eggs always taste better.

back to school!

This is my first week of school. It's kind of exciting actually. I had an early Biology class this morning, then a Chemistry class this evening. I don't believe in skipping breakfast or not eating at all because of lack of time due to crazy schedule. I always make time to eat a healthy snack or make a quick healthy meal. It's very important to eat healthy and nutritious food for better academic performance.

After my class this morning, I came home and made some pasta for lunch. It only took me less than 30 minutes! I made some spinach tortellini with marinara sauce. I added some broccoli and sprinkled with romano & parmesan cheese.

start the weekend off right

Baked eggs with smoked salmon, spinach, goat cheese, heirloom tomato and garlic (with a dab of extra virgin coconut oil at the bottom).

I start my school next week and I'm very excited! Have a great weekend everyone!

fish molee (fish in coconut milk)

This is basically an Anglo-Indian dish, just like fish stew. This dish is common along the west coast of India.

I like this delicate-flavored curry, easy to make and it's always yummy.

*I use albacore tuna. You can use fresh, grated, or can of coconut milk.

*cauliflower (optional)

don't let your summer end without the sweetness of melon

This is one of my favourite fruit in the summer. It's so sweet and juicy, it's perfect for summer. Just make sure you wash the skin throughly before cutting it and eating it -- the skin can carry some harmful bacteria, particularly salmonella. If you can buy them organic that would also be ideal. I bought it today at the farmers market. I was also going to buy some watermelon but couldn't carry both of them at the same time...(smile), I supposed I get the watermelon next time.

Cantaloupe is a nutrient packed fruit, that is low in calories and its a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and potassium. Cantaloupe also provides antioxidants that can help prevent heart disease and cancer.

*I prefer to eat this or any types of melon alone, for proper digestion.

my typical breakfast

My typical breakfast: Greek yogurt and honey parfait with sprouted whole grain, almond, sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds.

It's quick, delicious and nutritious. I also like it with lots of organic blueberries on top.

kilawin (southern philippines)

Cucumber salad with herring and fresh squeeze lemon juice.

In the Philippines, we called this 'kilawin' (raw), but instead of herring people usually use fresh tuna. This is a popular dish serve as an appetizer, it's perfectly paired with beers and ales.

This is my ideal summer salad. It's simple, delicious and high in omega 3 fatty acids!

mdardra (lebanese dish)

Mdardra | mung beans, rice & smoked mackarel with fried onions.

This classic Lebanese dish has a dozen versions. I substitute lentils for mung beans just to try how it taste and I liven it up with smoked mackarel. It's actually really tasty. Some people like to eat it hot and others like it at room temperature. It's delicious, simple and nutritious.

I love me some herring!

One useless fact about me is that I love herring (reminds me of the food in the Philippines called kinilaw). I found this german deli in my neighborhood that sells homemade herring. Zomg!

brunch

Brunch: baked eggs in chicken cups with cherry tomatoes and Dubliner Irish cheese. With a nice cup of tea. Serve with a toast or some nice roasted potatoes.

This is so simple and easy to make. It's perfect for brunch. Just pop it in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes in 300 degrees...and voila!

turmeric brown rice salad with tuna and capers

Tonight's dinner: turmeric organic brown rice with tuna (100% pole and troll caught skipjack wild tuna), extra virgin olive oil, green peas and capers.

This dish is very simple, delicious and loaded with nutrients such as manganese, magnesium, selenium and fiber.

Studies have shown that magnesium-rich whole grain foods, lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and helps regulate blood pressure. Also, reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease.

*Studies have shown that turmeric can prevent cancer. The active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin, it is long known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

For more info on ways to eat fish sustainably: http://bit.ly/qCwMFp

fresh pico de gallo

It's been really hot, Chicago is in the midst of summer heat wave. I really don't feel like cooking anything. So, I went to my local farmers market today to check out some fresh food and veggies. I got some fresh and happy tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro and some fresh herbs. I love tomatoes and they're in season all summer long. So, I decided to make some pico de gallo, it's perfect summer food and it's one of my favourite!

I like to mentioned that many years ago when I was younger, I used to dislike coriander or cilantro but it grew on me and now I absolutely love it! I like to put it on everything, I even make a salad or a curry with it.

As you know coriander or cilantro has a high anti inflammatory benefits and helps against bacterial infection. It also has a strong anti-oxidant properties and helps detoxify the body. You got to love coriander!

For more health benefits of coriander: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/cilantro.html

smoked wild alaskan sockeye salmon

Tonight's dinner: wild alaskan sockeye salmon with tomato, goat cheese and capers on multi grain crackers. This is also great as a snack.

Chicago heat wave: heat index nearly 110 degrees! Stay cool and hydrated Chicago.

power lunch

Brown rice with green beans and tomato.

*brown rice is an excellent source of manganese - keeping bones strong and healthy, maintain normal blood sugar levels and sex hormones.

greek salad with anchovies

I decided to make some greek salad for dinner tonight. It's one of my favourite. I like them with anchovies, pepperocini and kalamata extra virgin olive oil. It's perfect for relaxing summer evening.

don't call it a comeback...

After years of hiatus, I'm back writing my blog. It's hard to keep up because I've been posting most of the food I make on Facebook. I've been on facebook, twitter, and now google+ - with all the social media, it's hard to keep up sometimes. But I will try my best to keep writing and sharing things in my blog that I find interesting and I hope you find interesting as well.

I am actually working on my masters this fall to become a dietitian so I will definitely have lots of things to share about food, health and nutrition.

I love going to farmers market as you know, so I went this morning and found some happy tomatoes and fresh green beens (pesticide free), all for $5.00!

Going to farmers market can be intimidating sometimes if you don't know what you're looking for, but don't feel pressure to buy anything you don't need. I like to look around and walk around and see what they got. Usually, they have some free food samples such as cheese, pastries and dips. I'm just hoping they should have some wine tasting to pair with those cheese...(smile).

Tonight, I'm thinking of making some tomato salad with smoke salmon and a side of green beans with garlic and olive oil. It's perfect for warm summer night.

*Eating tomatoes can help prevent sunburn and wrinkles and green beans is rich in antioxidants.