Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie with Matcha Whip Cream

I made another green tea sponge cake last week and had a lot of leftover green tea whipped cream. I didn't want the whipped cream go to waste so the next morning I made myself a refreshing and filling breakfast; strawberry-banana smoothie with fresh pineapple chunks and topped with green tea whipped cream. Yes this is quite a fattening breakfast so make this occasionally. If you aren't a fan of whipped cream *gasp* you can substitute it with flavored yogurt. 

Chili

Are you hungry college student who is low on income? Are you sick and tired of the fast food route? Want a meal that keeps you full and satisfied throughout the day? Then CHILI is your answer. 
Still hungry? How about chili over rice, chili casserole, chili dog, chili over mashed potatoes? chili hot pockets? There are endless possibilities! That is if you are lucky enough to have leftovers. 

Pozole Rojo

Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew that consists of hominy and pork or chicken. There are different variations of pozoles depending on the color of the chilies used for the soup base. Traditional pozole is cooked with trotters so you can feel free to substitute the pork shoulder for pigs feet. According to researchers from National Institute of Anthropology and History and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, the indigenous people from Mesoamerica used human flesh in their pozole. So if you want to make it more traditional... please don't, just stick with pork, chicken, beef, or seafood. 

Luckily this dish remained and cannibalism is illegal in most parts of the world- I'm looking at you Papua New Guinea! Pozole is also a common Mexican remedy for hangovers. So make a batch on the night before you go bar skipping with your friends! "Ain't nobody got time for that?" No, everybody has time for pozole. 

Note: If you are having trouble finding some of the ingredients, you can search online or in the Hispanic/Ethnic food aisle of your local grocery store.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Hello hello, I'm still alive! I just took some time off from blogging and cooking. It's just that the sizzling weather down here makes me feel so fatigued and drained. Question, how hot is it in your city?

So what's for dinner today? Baked honey mustard chicken! You can definitely grill this just that I didn't want the hassle of cleaning afterwards especially when I'm just cooking for one. Anyhow, I feel this recipe taste much more satisfying when accompanied with a nice green salad. Say goodbye to salad dressings and just let the flavors of the chicken marry with the salad as they dance around your mouth. Wow, that sounded slightly creepy. Enjoy!

I admit garnishing dishes is not my forte

Pretzel Burger

I don't remember when was the last time I ordered a burger from a fast food joint. After a burger I always end up feeling miserable and fatigued. Think about it, the food is loaded with preservatives and low quality ingredients then off it goes to the deep fryer. So why not cook at home? Yes, it may be time consuming, but you can always make everything in batches, freeze it, defrost it, and reheat it! This is what I usually do on my lazy/tired days.

Today's recipe is my favorite burger patty and it goes perfectly with the pretzel buns I posted a couple of days ago. The burgers are delicious, juicy, easy to prepare, and with the right amount of seasoning. I'm sure you'll enjoy these as much as I did :).

As mentioned previously, you can make a batch and freeze it. The best way to freeze the seasoned raw patties is by lining them up on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. In between each layer of burgers, put a double layer of waxed paper so that they don't stick. When they are frozen solid, put the patties into ziplock bags and they'll last for about two months in the freezer. 

You can enjoy the cooked patties 1) As is. 2) Hamburgers. 3) Dice it finely and use it as a pizza topping. 3) Crumble the meat and add it to your favorite spaghetti sauce. 4) Mix it with sloppy joe sauce. 5) In a bowl of rice top it with a cooked patty, fried egg, and gravy. Now you got yourself a Loco Moco. Be creative!

Soft Pretzels Buns

These pretzel "buns" are perfect for sandwiches and burgers. Once the buns have cooled off, split the bun in half and fill it with your favorite choice of cheese and meat and bake it once more until the the cheese is melted and the bun is slightly browned. Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce or coleslaw and you've got yourself a mouthwatering heck of a meal.

To satisfy your sweet tooth, you can simply roll the dough into a rope and cut it into bite size pieces. Boil the dough pieces in your water and baking soda solution and bake them until golden brown. Finally coat the pretzel bites in melted butter (just enough to coat them) and sprinkle it with a sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Cake: Green Tea Sponge Cake

After a number of failed attempts in recreating the green tea roll cake I made last year, I decided to give it a rest. I just couldn't get the consistency right! My cakes always ended up with the texture of a corn tortilla. WHY?! No, I haven't given up I'm just taking some time off. 

So rather than going on a rampage I ended up making this. It's quite fool-proof and requires minimal ingredients. Though you do need to do a lot of cleaning afterwards, but the end result is just so rewarding. 

Oh no, I added too much filling!