Cooking with a Wallflower - Page 110 of 139 -

Wallflower Weekly Faves, 13

Have I mentioned that I love food truck gatherings? It’s so much fun being able to buy one item to try from different “restaurants.” So when I saw Johnny Doughnuts food truck with all their varieties of donuts, I knew I had to try them. Strawberry Old Fashion, Blueberry Old Fashion, Classic Glazed Raised, and Crodough (finally! I get to try a cronut). And guess what? Turns out they are on this list of “Best donut shops in America.”

I really really don’t like to show my bare feet, but for a good cause, I’ll throw my inhibitions to the wind. From now till May 21, if you post a photo of your bare feet on Instagram with the hashtag #withoutshoes, Toms will give a new pair to a child in need. So what are you waiting for? Let’s do this!

Baked Nutella French Toast

Baked custard like French toast with Nutella in every bite. This Baked Nutella French Toast is delicious and easy to make, a perfect choice for weekend brunch.

It’s almost Mother’s Day. Have you already made plans?

Our family hasn’t quite decided what we want to do yet. We’re a little last minute. Sometimes we do brunch and other times we do dinner. I think it just really depends on everyone’s availability.

But, just in case you need a last minute idea, this Baked Nutella French Toast is perfect for brunch and super easy to put together too. It takes very little time to make, and who can resist Nutella, right?

I love the chocolaty hazelnut taste in every single bite of this custardy French toast.

And if you have no Nutella in your pantry, that’s okay too. You can try my Baked Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast instead. That tastes just as amazing.

Garlic Pea Sprouts Stir Fry

Tender pea sprouts stir fried with minced garlic and served with rice. This garlic pea sprouts stir fry is amazingly delicious, simple, and flavorful.

Have you heard yet? I think the Internet exploded when Chipotle revealed its guacamole recipe yesterday. So in case, you’re a huge Chipotle guacamole fan, here’s the link to their actual recipe, just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

In the meantime, I’ll talk about something non guacamole related. At least, for now =)

One of all favorite vegetables is pea sprouts. Actually, if you haven’t already noticed yet, I have many favorite vegetables. While I’m not a vegetarian, I do prefer my meals filled with tons of veggies. I admit it. I’m addicted to them. I mean, there are so many types, all of which taste different in both flavor and texture.

Have you had pea sprouts before? You can usually find these pea sprouts in a stir fry at Chinese restaurants. But they’re so easy to make, you can cook them yourself at home.

Chicken Mushroom Udon Soup

Udon cooked with chicken, fish cake, and mushrooms in a light broth. This delicious chicken udon soup is simple to make and tastes as good as the udon in restaurants.

Happy Sunday! You have no idea how relieved I am to finally reach Sunday. A six day work week as a dental hygienist by day and a food blogger by night with just 3-4 hours of sleep was starting to take its toll. I finally get to sleep in! Yay!

Um… Not really. Don’t you hate it when you finally have time to sleep in, you can’t because your body is now used to waking up early? Life, right? Lol

And since I usually can’t sleep in, I read celebrity gossip (or royalty gossip!) on my ipad. I know, the things I do with my time.

But! Were you anticipating the arrival of the Princess of Cambridge? I know I was. Not the “checking every minute” type, but I was curious. I mean, it’s like watching a modern fairy tale. What’s not to be excited about? I live all the way on the West coast of the United States, but hey, it’s still fun to see all the excitement and celebrations across the sea through news and photos.

None of that has anything to do with my udon, so let’s talk food.

Although it’s already May, and about halfway through spring, the weather in San Francisco is unpredictable. Just two days ago, I mentioned that it was unusually hot. Well, the weather changed again, and now the fog has rolled back in and the temperature has dropped like 20 degrees. Warning for visitors to our city, bring a jacket because you never know how the weather will treat you. Oh, and don’t trust the weather forecasters. 😉

Cold and cloudy, the skies look dreary. But that’s okay, because it gives me the perfect excuse to eat this udon. I can picture myself wrapped in a nice cozy sweater with a bowl of these noodles.

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Recommendations Wallflower Weekly Faves

Wallflower Weekly Faves, 12

Can you believe it’s May already? Time flies so fast!

I have this major obsession with terrariums. And this is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. I found it at the Cherry Blossom Festival. I’ve been thinking of designing my own terrariums. I can totally see this becoming an expensive and space consuming hobby. =)

Have you seen this new Starbucks frap? It’s like combining summer and camping into one drink! And that straw! Plus, from now until May 10, there is Happy Hour from 3-5pm. Half off all fraps. Will you be trying the new S’mores frap?

Via Brit+Co

Strawberry Papaya Smoothie

Strawberries and papaya blended with soymilk and ice to create a rich and creamy smoothie perfect for spring. This Strawberry Papaya Smoothie is so delicious and refreshing.

It’s hot again here in San Francisco.

I absolutely love the sunshine, but I’m wishing it would rain already to end this California drought. Because in all honesty, I had no idea how difficult it is to conserve water when you’re always cooking. Like, how do I conserve water when I’m constantly doing dishes? I knew there was a reason why I hated doing dishes. I love to cook, but washing dishes? Bleh. Someone needs to invent a magic wand for me to wave so my dishes are magically clean and dry.

Whenever it’s hot, I want to sit back in the shade with something cold and fruity. Usually, I prefer watermelon slushie. Soo refreshing. Have you tried it yet?

But today, I wanted something different, something more exotic.

Banana and Toasted Almonds with Nutella Drizzle

Sliced fresh bananas served with toasted whole almonds then topped with a melted nutella drizzle to create a delicious afternoon snack. This Banana and Toasted Almonds with Nutella Drizzle is super easy to make and perfect to stave off those afternoon hunger pangs.

This is one of my absolute favorite snacks. It’s soo easy to make with just three ingredients.

I know, I know, this is barely a recipe, but it’s perfect as an afternoon, or a “before dinner,” snack.

I’m always starving when I come home from work. It was the same back when I was a student. I always want something to munch on. Most days, I feel I’d reach for anything in sight because it’d be easy and I’m hungry. Then I’d totally regret after. Does anyone else feel the same way?

I don’t want anything too heavy, especially when dinner is only an hour or so away. I need something simple but at the same time satisfying. If I’m going to eat, I want it to taste amazing. This little snack is the perfect balance between what’s considered healthy and what’s considered an indulgence.

Strawberry Banana Acai Bowl with Star Fruit

Frozen acai puree blended with frozen banana and fresh strawberries to create a delicious smoothie bowl topped with star fruits, longans, and sliced strawberries. This strawberry banana acai bowl with star fruit is an easy meal to jumpstart your day.

It’s been forever since I’ve made an acai bowl either as breakfast or as a snack. Last summer, I was so addicted to smoothie bowls, especially acai bowls and pitaya bowls. I love the sweet taste of fruit blended into a smoothie like consistency then topped with more fruits and sometimes granola. It’s packed with nutrients, easy to make, and tastes so refreshing.

With summer just around the corner, and with the current California sunshine, this seems like the perfect way to start the day, or as an afternoon snack. I can picture myself kicking back, sitting under the sun, and enjoying one of these bowls any day. I know, I know, my acai bowl wasn’t quite photogenic. It melted faster than I could photograph, but I promise, it tastes so good.

The best thing about these bowls is that you can customize them however you want. You don’t have to follow my recipe exactly. If you like berries, add more. If you like coconut, you add shredded coconut on top. If you like granola, you can top your smoothie bowl with as much granola as you like.

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Recommendations Wallflower Weekly Faves

Wallflower Weekly Faves, 11

Have you been to Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar before? Or maybe they sound familiar? They might if you watch Cupcake Wars on Food Network. I didn’t. I just randomly stumbled across their store and I’ve been in love with their cupcakes ever since. The cupcakes are super moist with the perfect frosting to cake ratio. And if you feel like you need more frosting? You can buy yourself a frosting shot. Yup! You read that right. A frosting shot.

Earlier this week, I went with my friend Jen for our random cupcake day. I saw their flavor of the month and could not resist getting it. Sprinkle Me Pink. Sooo cute. Vanilla confetti cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. If you’re in the area, you should totally try one before April is over. And even better, every Tuesday in April is buy one get one. So you can have two!

There’s a new store opening next month near where I work. It’s called Sugarfina with the tagline “a luxury candy store.” Which obviously caught my attention. What in the world is a luxury candy store? I mean, luxury chocolate, yes. But candy? So I looked them up online.

Um…. Champagne bears, peach bellini. What?! On my list of places to try. =)

Via

Baked Maple Purple Yam Fries

Purple yam sliced into thin pieces and baked until crispy, then seasoned with a little bit of salt and maple syrup. Sweet and savory, these Baked Maple Purple Yam Fries are the perfect snacks and appetizers.

Don’t you just love the color? I am so obsessed with that deep purple.

My parents made a trip to Chinatown and brought two vegetable bags full of these purple yams home. When I saw the gorgeous color hiding inside, I knew I had to use them for a recipe. And I just couldn’t resist making them into fries.

Have you had purple yam before? It’s sweet, slightly starchy, and moist. The texture and flavor is very similar to sweet potatoes. Or Butternut Squash Fries. But it’s really the color that’s soo attractive.

These purple yam fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Just the way fries should be. Purple yams are already slightly sweet on their own, so you’re welcome to serve these fries without any seasoning. But! With a pinch of salt and a light coat of maple syrup, the flavors of these purple yam fries are amplified. I could sit there and munch on these all day.

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