Super Easy & Moist Pineapple Cake

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Xin Mời Ăn

This incredibly easy recipe is the semi-homemade version of traditional pineapple upside down cake. It is so quick to prepare but so delicious and moist! Your guests will love how it looks and tastes, but will never have to know how easy it was for you to make! Your entire house will smell of vanilla and pineapple. Mmmmmm

I came across this recipe one day while watching Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network. She was making a lunch for her girlfriends and baked this cake for dessert. I was shocked when she took out a box of Betty Crocker cake mix! LOL. I thought to myself, “If Giada has no shame getting a little help from Betty Crocker, I sure as hell don’t either!”

I made a few changes to her recipe based on my preferences and what I had available. My cake turned out fantastic. Definitely give this recipe a try next time you’re in the mood for cake! Continue reading →

Penne with Steak and Spinach

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Xin Mời Ăn

This is my new favorite pasta dish! Not only is it quick and easy to make, but the flavors of the steak and dressing are so good! It’s also a great dish to make for dinner parties or larger groups because it can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. You also get your protein, carbs and veggies all in one convenient dish. It doesn’t get better than that!

I stumbled upon this recipe one day while watching Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network. Giada used arugula in her recipe, but I used spinach because the store was out of arugula the day I went shopping. I think either one works very well with the dish. Arugula adds a nice spicy flavor while spinach is much milder. You can choose either one based on your own preference. Continue reading →

Asian Baked Salmon

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Xin Mời Ăn

Salmon has become a staple in my kitchen these days. Not quite like chicken, but getting there! I try to incorporate more wild fish into our diet and wild salmon is the most readily available in my grocery store. I usually buy wild sockeye salmon because it’s very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Since our bodies cannot produce these fatty acids, it’s important that we eat food containing it. Omega-3 fatty acids promote heart health by lowering triglycerides which is essentially the fat in our blood.

I never fry fish in my apartment because it takes days to air out the fishy smell. Plus, it often leaves my stove very messy from the oil splattering everywhere. I love this salmon recipe because it works well in your oven, which means easier cleanup and no fishy smell in your house! I also love the soy sauce in the recipe because it adds such a nice Asian flavor to the dish. Serve with a side of rice and veggies and you’ll have a delicious healthy dinner in no time! Continue reading →

Best Tiramisu Ever

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Xin Mời Ăn

Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts. It’s the perfect combination of rich creamy flavors with a light and airy texture that simply melts in your mouth. Even though tiramisu is available at almost every Italian restaurant in NYC, I have always wanted to make this dessert myself. I don’t know why, but I kept putting it off for years. Maybe I was intimidated by the mascarpone cheese or whipping the egg yolks, but I finally decided to make tiramisu over the holidays. Everyone and their mother must’ve decided to make tiramisu the same day I did because we could not find any store with mascarpone cheese! Every single store we went to was completely out. We had to drive to another town to finally get my mascarpone cheese. At that point I was thinking, “This tiramisu better be worth it!

Boyyyy was it worth it! The tiramisu came out absolutely perfect. It was SO incredibly delicious – we couldn’t stop eating it. I can honestly say it tasted better than what we’ve ordered at many restaurants. Trust me, I’m not being biased here ;).

If you’re having a dinner party or get together soon, definitely give my tiramisu a try! Follow all the directions carefully and you won’t be disappointed! Continue reading →

St. Martin

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Xin Mời Ăn

Michael and I decided to go on a post-Thanksgiving beach vacation this year. The Caribbean has many islands to choose from, but we decided on St. Martin because of its French influence, secluded hotels and availability of nonstop flights from New York. Although the Dutch side of the island caters more towards tourists (i.e. number of casinos, clubs, shops), we stayed on the French side because it’s much more secluded and the restaurants and shops seem to be a touch more upscale. In other words, the Dutch side simply reminded me too much of college students on spring break. Get my drift?!

The resort we stayed at was perfect. We had our own private beach and a beautiful infinity pool. Because we traveled during the low season, we practically had the entire resort to ourselves! Their beachfront restaurant, C Le Restaurant, couldn’t be more romantic. Imagine yourself sipping a glass of crisp white wine while taking in the beautiful sunset. Ahhhh, I wish I were there again :).

L1050425 The Japanese inspired octopus and squid salad at C Le Restaurant was so good! They cooked the octopus and squid perfectly. The seaweed salad was such a nice complement because it added a crunchy texture to the dish. Most importantly, the dressings were the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and tart flavors. Everything you would typically find in an Asian dish ;).

A trip to St. Martin wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Grand Case, the Gourmet Capital of the Caribbean. We dined in Grand Case a few nights, but our ultimate favorite restaurant was Il Nettuno. OMG, hands down, they have the best pasta in town. I just might go there and say they are better than any Italian restaurant I’ve eaten at in New York. One thing is for sure, their view of the ocean and sunset is better than any restaurant in New York! All of their pasta is homemade, and their sauces L1050441 are simply amazing. Even their basic marinara sauce was full of robust flavors – you could really taste the fresh tomatoes, herbs and spices. I had their Tagliatelle “Al Dente” fresca ai frutti di mare. They loaded the dish with fresh scallops, mussels, shrimp and squid. The sauce tasted like it had been simmering for hours, with just the right amount of spiciness. Continue reading →

Honey Soy Drumsticks

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Xin Mời Ăn

Baked chicken is an easy and healthy choice for dinner, but can often get boring and dull. I started playing around with this recipe when I decided to cut back on carbs for our weeknight dinners. It has become one of my favorite dishes because I love how crispy the chicken gets from baking at a high temperature on a wire rack. Chicken drumsticks are also inexpensive so you don’t end up blowing through your food budget. Most of the dish’s flavor comes from the honey soy sauce so you can use chicken breasts or thighs if you aren’t a fan of drumsticks.

Serve these apple honey drumsticks with sauteed kale or pumpkin mac and cheese for your next dinner and you will be set! Continue reading →

Turkey Chili

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Xin Mời Ăn

There’s nothing more satisfying, sometimes, than a hot bowl of chili on a cold winter’s night. My mom and I used to make chili with the seasoning packets they sell at the store. All the different spices were conveniently premixed for you, including tons of sodium. I took a look at the nutrition information on one of these packets a few years ago and was shocked at the sodium content! Since then, I have been making chili using my own spices and seasoning at home. I think it’s a much better choice because you control the amount and quality of ingredients that go into your food. It’s also not that much more difficult or time consuming. You probably already have all the necessary ingredients sitting on your spice rack.

I’ve played around with different recipes, but I really like this particular version of my turkey chili. It has less calories and fat because I use lean turkey. Plus, there’s tons of nutrients from the beans and carrots I add. You can substitute other veggies of your choice if you don’t like beans or carrots. Red peppers, corn, and zucchini would all work very well.

Give my recipe a try sometime this winter and you’ll have a delicious pot of chili in no time! Continue reading →

Chewy Fudge Crinkles

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Xin Mời Ăn

Looking for an easy cookie recipe to make this holiday season? Well, look no further! These chewy fudge crinkles only require four ingredients and take no time to make. But be warned, they are EXTREMELY addictive. One bite into these chewy, fudge-brownie-like cookies and you will instantly say, “OMG, these are ridiculously good!”

I wanted to make cookies to give out this holiday season, but didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen preparing, baking, and decorating. After hours of scouring the internet, I found this recipe on food.com. I read all of the reviews because it sounded too good to be true. Not one person gave it a negative review so I decided to give it a try. It literally took me five minutes to prepare the dough and another 20 minutes to roll and bake the cookies. Needless to say, I ate five cookies within 15 minutes. Most importantly, everyone LOVED the cookies and couldn’t stop eating them. I am definitely making another batch next week!

These chewy fudge crinkles are definitely worth adding to your cookie recipe collection. Make a batch this holiday season and you won’t be disappointed! Continue reading →

Coconut Rum French Toast

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Xin Mời Ăn

Michael and I recently went to St. Martin for a beach getaway. Although we rarely buy souvenirs on any of our trips, we simply couldn’t resist getting a bottle of the island’s coconut rum! I don’t usually drink rum (or any kind of liquor for that matter), but we were given a free shot at every restaurant we dined at. We had every flavor ranging from vanilla rum to banana rum. Our favorite, however, was the coconut rum! So, we naturally bought a big bottle to take back with us ;).

The bottle of rum was staring me in the face the morning after we returned to NYC. I kept thinking of different ways to incorporate the rum in my cooking. As I opened the refrigerator door and saw a bag of stale bread, it hit me – coconut rum french toast! I was so excited to make breakfast that morning, but even more excited to eat it :). Continue reading →

Easy Sweet Potato Casserole

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Xin Mời Ăn

Looking for an EASY and YUMMY side dish to make for Thanksgiving this year? Well, this sweet potato casserole is a must! This recipe belongs to my Aunt Kim and is THE best sweet potato dish I’ve ever had. I think I have to go there and say that it’s even better than candied yams.

I first tried this dish a few years ago at my aunt’s Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t know how she does it, but my aunt has been cooking up an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for our family (40+ people) every year for the last 15 years or so. It’s a tradition that I cherish and look forward to every year because it’s one of the few times I get to see my entire family in one place.

Be sure to give my aunt’s recipe a try this Thanksgiving or Christmas. I promise that your guests will LOVE it! And they won’t even know how easy it was to make ;). Continue reading →

Xin Mời Ăn

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