Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I remember the first time I ate brussels sprouts.  It was roasted with bacon pieces and all that glistening bacon fat along with it.  It's too bad the bacon negated any of the nutritional value in the brussels sprouts, because it tasted oh so good! That spawned my curiosity in that nubby green vegetable.  I started looking up recipes so I could make them at home and was surprised to find out how easy it is! My favorite way to eat them is simply roasted with olive oil and minimal seasonings.  That way you really taste the brussels sprouts, which if perfectly cooked will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Yum!

Whole Foods has a very basic recipe for brussels sprouts and it is one of my go-to weeknight recipes.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts
3 TB Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 TB grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Pho 32 & Shabu

Piggy KL and I share very similar eating habits and one of our favorites from back in our college days is Shabu Shabu!  Shabu Shabu is a Japanese version of the Chinese hot pot.  But in this post, I'll be talking about the Korean take on Shabu Shabu (at a Korean-run Vietnamese restaurant...confusing I know!).

Both Piggy KL and I grew up on hot pot.  It's pretty much a staple at both our family's dinners (Piggy KL even posted about it in her Non-traditional Christmas Dinners post here).  Piggy KL and I used to make the trek to our favorite Shabu Shabu spot Minni's Shabu in Flushing.  But after a Korean friend of mine introduced me to Pho 32 & Shabu in K-town, we've been able to enjoy Shabu Shabu much closer to home!

Most people go to Pho 32 & Shabu for the pho, but each table there is actually equipped with a hot plate at each seat so diners can enjoy an individual Shabu Shabu pot.  I've had both the pho and the Shabu Shabu and would say that the pho is ehhh but the Shabu Shabu is the REAL hidden gem...which I'm sharing with you all today!

Oven Roasted Salmon with Panko Crust

Looking for a quick and easy recipe for salmon? Here it is! This recipe only requires 4 ingredients and is a quick option if you're pressed for time on a weeknight.  It's also on the healthier side, so is perfect for those days when you're looking to eat light.  I seasoned the salmon with Cajun seasoning, but you can easily substitute this with some salt, pepper and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.  It gives the fish a nice hint of heat.

Serve it with some rice and sauteed spinach with garlic for a complete dinner. And voila, you're done!  Check it out...

Oven Roasted Salmon with Panko Crust

Prep time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 15 to 18 minutes

3 to 4 6 oz. Salmon filets
Cajun seasoning
1 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Pam Cooking Spray

BluePrintCleanse

Sometimes, this little Piggy needs a cleanse!  All this rich eating lately has increased my appetite and I need a little help resetting...BluePrintCleanse to the rescue!

Apparantly, having the ability to not only finish your meal but also those of your dining companions is not a ladylike feature.  And so, I've been juicing since Monday and today is day 4 for me!  Although I am not a newbie to juicing (this is my 3rd go with BluePrintCleanse and 4th cleanse overall!), I never seem to feel any more prepared than I was for my first cleanse.   

For those of you unfamiliar with juice cleanses and BluePrintCleanse, you basically drink six fresh veggie and fruit juices per day.  No food!  These are not the juices you get at the grocery store or the shakes from jamba juice - these are fresh pressed juices with  nothing but what they get out of the fruit and/or veggies.  No preservatives, no sugars (well, maybe some agave), no artificial flavoring.

With BluePrintCleanse, you select from three cleanse levels (I went with level 2 - Foundation) and BluePrintCleanse does the rest!

The day before you begin your cleanse, BluePrintCleanse will deliver up to three days worth of drinks to you (as drinks are not pasteurized nor preserved, they only have a shelf-life of up to three days!).  Each delivery comes with:

A cooler lunchbox and some ice-packs to bring your drinks around in-

Yao's Dragon Beard Candy

I was already on a high from my lucky find of Osmanthus candy in Chinatown, putting an end to a 5 year long search.  My luck continued that day as I was wandering around aimlessly.  I stumbled upon a little cart on the corner of Chrystie and Grand Street, right by the B/D subway entrance, called Yao's Dragon Beard Candy.  It's not a well-known Chinese dessert.  In fact, the first and last time I had it was in the Vancouver Chinatown over 10 years ago!

There was a man making candy inside the cart as I approached, and I noticed a write up by the Village Voice posted on their window.  They wrote a good review of it here.

Steak 'n Shake

Sometimes you just crave a good burger and fries...and maybe a milkshake to wash it all down!  When I heard that a Steak 'n Shake was opening in Midtown, I KNEW I had to give it a try.  I had never been before, but a college buddy from Chicago often talked about how good it was. My opportunity to try had finally come!

So on the second day after it opened, I made the pilgrimage to NYC's very first Steak 'n Shake.  Look at what greeted us:

Chinese New Year and Dragon Cupcakes!

It's the year of the Dragon!

I'm hoping that this new year will bring good tidings to you all [and a change of luck to those of us who need it!].  It doesn't hurt to follow the usual Chinese traditions to start the new year off on the right foot.  Hey, I need all the help I can get!

Here's my checklist:

• Get together with family [check]
• Have a new year's feast [check]
• Clean the house apartment [check]
• Clean myself! [check]
• Wear red [eh... I'm hoping pink counts! Red just didn't match today's suit]
• Wish friends and family a happy new year! [check and check]

As my family gathered over the weekend to celebrate the new year, we ate lots of traditional food like fish (to wish for a plentiful new year), noodles (longevity), meat balls with strings of seaweed (prosperity), and oysters (good tidings).

Chinese New Year feast cooked by my Dad!

My contribution to the feast was dessert - hoping to put my skills from cake decorating class to good use! I wanted to do cupcakes this time and wound up honoring the new year of the dragon.  I got the idea from Hoosier Homemade's blog and was so impressed/inspired by her dragon cupcakes!  Here is how I put my own spin on it...