MomGateway: Portal to Easy and Healthy Recipes

Never too late for Thanksgiving

2011-12-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

I've been gone for a while --nearly 9 months since my last post. My blog friends have been asking why, specially with my unfinished post in April. That fateful day in April 2011, as I was writing my post, my son had to bring me to the hospital ---severe headaches, dizziness, loss of balance, lack of coordination, weakness and intense abdominal pains. My primary care physician was out of town,

Sesame Crackers and Winner of The Just Bento Cookbook

2011-04-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a recipe for Sesame Crackers that's a family favorite. It's based on an unleavened bread recipe but I added sugar and sesame seeds to it and replaced the flour with rice flour to make it gluten-free. Really crunchy and yummy this time of the year. Sesame Crackers 1 c rice flour 3 tbsp softened butter 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 c white sesame seeds 1/2 c sugar 1/3 c waterPreheat

Palate Cleanser: Shiso Sushi and Giveaway Reminder

2011-04-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

Japanese use the word shiso to refer to perilla. The green variety with ruffled edges (aojiso) is used in sashimi and salads and the purple kind (akashiso) is used to dye pickle plum (umeboshi). It belongs to the mint family and tastes of mint and fennel combined. I found some perilla/ beefsteak plant leaves with a purple underside and a deep green topside in the Asian store. I love

Foodbuzz 24x24: Hanami Bento and Giveaway

2011-03-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

Foodbuzz 24x24: Hanami Bento I’m thrilled that my Foodbuzz 24x24 proposal was chosen for this month. I am featuring the Hanami Bento. Hanami is a traditional flower-viewing festival in Japan also known as cherryblossom festival. It is said that the Japanese elite celebrated the first Hanami in the 700s but Hanami is so popular now that almost everyone in Japan celebrates it. The tradition has

Candied Winter Melon and Orange Peel over Greek Yogurt

2011-03-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

Baida had given us our second winter melon, organically grown in his Denton, Texas garden. The first one I gave to my sister to use in her cooking. Winter melon is delightful in soups but a melon is just so big you have to find creative ways of using them so I wanted to make candied winter melon. While growing up we ate them as snacks or in baked buns. Have you ever tried them? Candied winter

Smooth Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-03-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

At Quizon's Hubby goes for the Prime Rib Mushroom Swiss Sub with Garlic Aoli on Rosemary Parmesan Bread each time while son loves to experiment with Mesquite/Baja/Honey Bourbon Chicken Subs or the Chipotle Prime Rib. As for me, I can't get enough of the Broccoli Cheese Soup! Sometimes though it's too thick and lumpy. I often wish the soup were smoother and creamier. I found this recipe in the

Firecracker Chicken with Picante Sauce

2011-02-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

Snow days make me think of spicy Singaporean food. Years back my dad and I ate at an outdoor market featuring international food. We were mesmerized by the Singaporean chef who prepared the most amazing stir-fried noodles we ever tasted. His other specialty was Firecracker Chicken. Later on the chef decided to open Rasa Singapura, a hole-in-the-wall, family owned restaurant, where the food

Super Bowl Recipe: Baked Cheese Flavored Chicken Nuggets

2011-02-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited with my first food video. Here's my Baked Cheese Flavored Chicken Nuggets just in time for Super Bowl Sunday. Serve with wing, sweet chili or hot sauce. Give it a try ....it's super easy! Super Bowl Recipe:Baked Cheese Flavored Chicken NuggetsPAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes 1/4 cup milk 1 cup crushed cheese flavored

Firey Habanero Baked Tofu

2011-01-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

Credits: Chili framed art from CSN. Their wall art and decor is a good starting place to get cool decor like this chili framed art for "fire-eater" friends and family. My sister is a fire eater...well almost... she eats habaneros every day! No meal is complete without a chili or two. She grows habaneros and bird's eye chili in her bedroom, even in the dead of winter! The chilis are so

Andy's Mexican Cornbread

2011-01-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

Andy L. brought Mexican cornbread to potluck three weeks ago. It was not a plain old Mexican cornbread with jalapenos and corn. Stuffed it was! Every bite had lots of jalapenos, kernel corn, cooked burger meat and GREEN BEANS!! Very healthy, so easy to make for dinner on a busy weekday and a meal on it's own!! Kim N. and I found the handwritten recipe by Susan (Andy's wife) so cute so I'm

Jazzed up Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic Herb Butter

2010-12-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

As a kid, I loved spicy, super-garlicy sausages. So did all of my family. Then, I married a guy who did not really care for sausages. Sometimes I crave for it but all the beef sausages I find are stuffed in natural hog casing. So from time to time I'd make my own beef sausages, stuff them in sheep casing (!!!) or I just wrap them in plastic then freeze them to keep their shape when cooking.

Red Quinoa Corn Salad

2010-12-15T01:45:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of red quinoa? My friend Janet introduced me to this seed crop from the Andes where ancient Incas revered it and referred to quinoa as the "Mother of all Grains". It is a high protein, high fiber "grain" similar to oats in that it has all 20 essential amino acids nutritionally important for humans. Best of all, it's easily digestible and gluten-free so it's a boon to people

What's in my sling backpack? Jackfruit Custard Bonbons!

2010-12-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

If I asked you to name one thing you can't do without when you step out of the house, what would it be? For me, it's my bag. With never-ending deadlines and a gazillion things I have to do at work and home, I rely on sling_backpacks to make sure I don't forget stuff. They're handy specially at parties or picnics. Along with keys, purse, etc, I often pack cookies or other treats (for

Ile de France Normandie Camembert and Creamy Holiday Camembert Puffs

2010-11-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Last month, I received a sample Ile de France's Normandie Camembert Cheese. This is a soft-textured cheese, extremely creamy with a deliciously earthy, rustic flavor. It is made in the town of Pace in Normandie, believed to be the birthplace of Camembert cheese. The milk used to make the cheese is taken from cows that leisurely graze on lush vegetation. Within 48 hours,

Winners of $50 Hormel Coupons Giveaway

2010-11-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

Yay! LAGirl70094 and TheMomChef are winners of the $50 Hormel Coupon Giveaway. Congratulations! Please email your postal address to momgateway@gmail.com. Thank you so much to all who participated!

Warm and Comforting Porcini Mushroom-Onion Soup Pasta with Parmesan Crisp

2010-11-11T01:15:00.000-08:00

Voting at MarxFoods will be from Nov. 15-19, 2010. Thanks!For the Truffles, Pasta and More Recipe Challenge at MarxFoods. I had to create a dish using pappardelle pasta from Italy, porcini mushrooms, black truffle salt and fennel pollen. Some of the ingredients were totally new to me so I first tasted each one. Pappardelle pasta are very broad fettucini or ribbon pasta about 3/4 inch wide.

Round-up of Grow Your Own #46

2010-11-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

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Healthy Zucchini Boat "Pizzas" and Two $50 Hormel Coupons Giveaway

2010-10-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

Food Buzz Tastemaker Program sent me some coupons for Hormel meat products and samples of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni Minis. I used the pepperoni for this healthy no fuss recipe that is cooked in the microwave. Cut up into smaller pieces, these zucchini boat "pizzas" can easily be served as side dish or appetizer. You can find the recipe and details for two $50 Hormel coupon giveaway at the end

Salmon and My Shiny New Toy

2010-10-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I was browsing for console tables on the CSN website when there was a knock on the door. It was the FedEx man with a package for me. I ordered a stove top smoker two days earlier so I was not expecting it anytime soon. As I tore open the box, I discovered that my shiny new toy was inside! Yes!...and it was just gorgeous! Plus, there were samples of 4 wood chips (alder, cherry,

This Month I'm Hosting GROW YOUR OWN #46

2010-10-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

Do you have a backyard vegetable garden? Do you harvest seasonal fruits from your own trees? Do you fish in your pond or a nearby lake, hunt game or forage for berries or mushrooms in the forest? Have you received any homegrown produce or meats from friends that grow their own? If so, please join us for GROW YOUR OWN # 46. Created by Andrea Meyers, it's a fun event celebrating what you've

My Son's Favorite Brisket Sandwich

2010-10-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

My son gets so excited when we have leftover brisket. He loves bringing home lunch to school and his current favorite is Grilled Brisket-Muenster Cheese Sandwich made with thickly cut brisket, pan-fried until the sides are crispy. I like brisket with steamed jasmine rice but he prefers crispy, shredded brisket in a sandwich. This Grilled Brisket-Muenster Cheese Sandwich sticks to your sides.

Ribeye with Young Tamarind Leaves

2010-09-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

My potted tamarind plants are loving the blisteringly hot weather outdoors. They are budding like crazy and are sending out hundreds of young, succulent leaves. These have a pleasant but sharp, tart flavor. In south east Asian cooking, young tamarind leaves are traditionally used in stews, soups, chutneys, pulses, candies or jams. With leftover grilled rib-eye staring at me in the fridge, I

Dinner for Six

2010-08-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

...because we live so far away and it's been difficult to get all our vacation times in sync.....it's been more than 10 years since my in-laws came to visit for an extended time. We're so excited.... they are staying with us for a month...hopefully enough for me to learn my mother-in-law's cherished family recipes... They have their airline tickets... and are all set .... I'm frantically trying

Fish Frittata

2010-08-18T02:06:00.000-07:00

My Spanish tapas cookbook got me so excited. I saw a recipe for Torta Espanola/ Tortilla de Patatas--basically a potato omelet or frittata that reminded me of my Grandma's fish frittata. Her's can't be beat. She grew up during tough times so she was frugal in every way. Whenever there was left-over fried fish, I remember her flaking it and adding sauteed onions and garlic. She'd mix in diced

Kid-friendly Mojito

2010-07-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Last week, the Farmers Market had lots of fresh mint leaves sold for a just a dollar a bunch. I thought they'd be perfect with grilled salmon and mojito. Since my son is still too young to drink alcoholic beverages, I decided to make the mojito kid-friendly. He was out playing basketball all afternoon when I called him in for dinner. As he was digging into the salmon, I brought out the