Have you ever had a kouign amann before?
I definitely have heard of it for a long while now but never had the chance to try it. So when I walked into a local bakery and saw it in the display case, I knew I had to order one. It’s almost like a cross between a croissant and a brioche with a caramelized top. So flaky and buttery! I found a new favorite pastry. <3
Sweet strawberries and figs tossed with mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese then drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. This strawberry fig caprese salad is filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables, perfect for warm summer days.
With warmer days ahead, I know I’m going to want to avoid the kitchen.
I mean, warm days + oven heat? Um, no thank you.
Not that I’m avoiding the oven and stove altogether because there are pies, muffins, and scones to bake with all those sweet berries and stone fruits in season. But when it’s ice cream melting hot outside and there’s no air conditioning, I’d really rather not add extra heat. Maybe it’s because I was born and raised in San Francisco. We rarely ever experience a heat wave. But the moment it’s in the 80’s, I feel like I’m about to melt. No way would I want to add extra heat by using the oven or stove.
So that means I’m going to have to step it up with my summer salads.
Strawberries, figs, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh basil? They’re just some of my favorite ingredients. And they make the best combination for salads.
Seasonal vegetables with oven ready lasagna in a creamy spicy chipotle tomato sauce. This spicy chipotle summer vegetable skillet lasagna is perfect for all your farmer’s market finds.
Oh, it’s summer, which means that there’s soo many fresh produce at the farmer’s market.
I’m waiting for the dry farmed early girl tomatoes to come into season. Those are amazingly sweet and addictive. What are some of the fresh produce you’re looking forward to?
Since I try to spend one of my weekend mornings browsing the farmer’s market, I thought I’d put all those farmer’s market finds to use.
This skillet lasagna is filled with all sorts of vegetables, like zucchinis, corn, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Many of these vegetables can be found year round, but they’re always best during the summer. Cooked in a spicy chipotle tomato sauce, the flavors to this skillet lasagna is incredibly delicious and a great way to include vegetables in your meal.
Plus, this spicy chipotle tomato sauce is made creamy with full fat coconut milk. For a vegan friendly version, just leave out the mozzarella and cheddar cheese and you can still enjoy the creaminess of this skillet lasagna.
So break out your oven safe skillet and enjoy this vegetable based summer meal.
Happy weekend! How are you spending the first weekend of summer?
Relaxing and enjoying the sunshine, I hope.
Have you ever had Pocky before?
It’s a Japanese snack. Originally, they were biscuit sticks covered in chocolate or strawberry. But now, there’s a ton of flavors out there.
I’ve tried so many different ones over the years. Whenever I’m at the Asian supermarket, I walk through the snack section to see if there’s a new flavor that I haven’t tried yet. And when I find a new one, I’m 99% likely to buy a box to try. It’s a guilty pleasure. The latest one I found is this red bean flavor. The biscuit sticks are covered in chocolate and red bean.
So addictive.
Do you have a favorite Pocky flavor? And while we’re talking about Japanese snacks, what flavors of Kit Kats have you tried? =)
Chewy white chocolate chip cookies with a hint of root beer in every bite. These root beer float white chocolate chip cookies are a delicious twist to the classic chocolate chip cookies.
Have you ever had a root beer float cookie? It tastes exactly like root beer, but in cookie form.
I first came across root beer float cookies last year, or maybe the year before. I swear, I think I only buy cookies and chips when there’s a new limited edition flavor released. Like Chips Ahoy Root Beer Float cookies or the Oreo Blueberry Pie or the Oreo Strawberry Shortcake or the Cheesy Garlic Bread Lay’s chips. They really know how to reel me in.
And when I tried the root beer float cookies, I was immediately addicted to it. The only problem was that it’s a limited edition flavor, which meant I wasn’t going to be able to have it whenever I want.
So, I made my own. =)
Garlic shrimp served with rice vermicelli, mixed greens, cucumbers, and carrots in a sweet and tangy garlic tamarind vinaigrette. These garlic shrimp spring roll bowls with garlic tamarind vinaigrette are super easy to put together and make a delicious summer meal.
Omg! It’s officially summer!
And what better way to celebrate than with this summer in a bowl?
I’m super excited to share these garlic shrimp spring roll bowls with garlic tamarind vinaigrette with you!
Whew! What a mouthful! But it says everything about this dish!
Filled with a ton of veggies and combined with rice vermicelli, garlic shrimp, and a sweet and tangy vinaigrette, this spring roll bowl has incredible flavors. It’s the perfect meal for summer when you want something delicious yet refreshing with a minimal amount of cooking.
What I love most about Vietnamese food is that there’s almost always fresh vegetables and herbs in every dish. If you have lots of herbs you want to use up, or leftover salad mix or lettuce, spring rolls are the best way to use them all up.
Slightly crunchy on the edges with a soft and buttery center, these buttermilk scones are filled with fresh strawberries and peaches. Easy to make, these strawberry peach buttermilk scones are perfect for breakfast or with tea in the afternoon.
Happy Sunday!
It’s been a super long week with 6 days of work. I’m ready to kick back and enjoy my Sunday doing absolutely nothing.
It’s also Father’s Day today, and we’re thinking of celebrating by going out for dinner. But, my dad wants to watch the Warriors game so….we’ll just have to see. We might end up celebrating on a different day. What are you doing for Father’s Day?
These strawberry peach buttermilk scones are soo delicious and buttery. The interior resembles a cake while the exterior is crumbly with a crispy edge. Of course, each bite is also filled with fresh strawberries and peaches. How much more summery can these scones get?
My sister, Angela, just celebrated her birthday this week, but since she was studying for exams, we decided to do Thai take out.
It’s actually kind of fun doing takeout rather than going out to eat sometimes. You get amazing food in the comfort of your own home.
Just some of the dishes we ordered =)
Creamy and citrusy ricotta pancakes served with berries and maple syrup. These Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are easy to make and deliciously perfect for weekend brunch.
These pancakes! What better way to enjoy breakfast?
These Meyer lemon ricotta pancakes are so creamy and delicious. They’re a little denser than the fluffy pancakes we’re used to, but I know you’ll love these as much as I do.
Each bite has the creaminess of the ricotta and the refreshingly tart taste of Meyer lemons.
Topped with maple syrup and fresh berries, I can eat these for days.
Creamy no churn coconut ice cream with a hint of pandan. This no churn pandan coconut ice cream is easy to make and a refreshing treat for the warm summer days.
Ice cream obviously isn’t just meant for hot summer days.
If it were, I don’t think I’d ever eat ice cream since it’s almost always cool in SF. Besides, they’re best eaten when it’s cold outside, that way the ice cream doesn’t melt as fast. Does anyone else feel the same way?
But none of that matters, because it’s now June, and I totally think it’s time for a new ice cream recipe.
This no churn ice cream. =)
I am obsessed with no churn ice creams! My kitchen has absolutely no counter space and no room in the cabinets for an ice cream maker. I try not to buy appliances that I don’t use often. I mean, have you ever made purchases that you regret after? When it’s too late to return? And you probably just used once, maybe twice? Been there. And definitely trying to avoid that.
But sometimes I want ice cream in flavors that I can’t find often, if at all, at the supermarket.
So no churn ice creams are the perfect solution.