Homemade Doughnuts / Beignets

Here is a very simple way to make homemade doughnuts. It's a basic recipe from Pillsbury's website and it takes less than 15 minutes to make these yummies! The time I made these, I was amazed on how fast and easy it took! I've made them for the family for breakfast and have served them as a dessert when I entertained friends at home for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:
1 tube Pillsbury Grands
2 cups of oil for frying

-Take dough individually out of the tube and gently pat them down to even rounds and even thickness
-cut a hole in the middle. I used the mouth of champagne glass
-save the dough holes to make beignets
-fry the shaped dough in the hot oil (in medium heat to avoid burning) and flip at least 3 times while browning with a thong or a pair of chopsticks, take out and dry out on a plate with paper towel or a wire rack and let them cool for 1 to 2 minutes before dipping or glazing them with the ingredients below
- do the same with donut holes
- dip the donuts with any of the following:

- white sugar

- unsweetened cocoa powder

- whipped cream and sprinkle with candy

- powdered sugar

- or drizzle with melted peanut butter or Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter
- serve beignets with melted warm chocolate or jam

Avocado Omelette

I love eggs anytime of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner. I usually boil 2 eggs in the morning and take them with me to the office and eat them with my cup of coffee. On the weekends, I usually make an omelette or have 2 over easy with a toast and a fruit. Omelettes are so easy to make. You can put anything on it and make it a full meal. I like my omelette simple and tasty, I think that when you put more than 5 ingredients in it, it becomes overwhelming! 

Here is my take on simple and tasty omelette. This is also a healthy omelette because it only has 2 main ingredients and is less than 500 calories! 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large eggs (78 calories each x 2 = 156 calories)

1 large avocado (pitted and sliced) (234 calories)

grated cheese (optional)
a pinch of salt & pepper

Instructions:

In a small bowl, beat eggs together well. Place a 7 inch nonstick pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add butter. Swirl butter around to coat. Let butter foam, but don’t let it turn brown. Add egg mixture. Let eggs sizzle, wait 5 seconds, then top eggs with avocado. Move pan left and right, shifting the eggs around to even, then let them settle for about 15 -20 seconds. When the top is almost cook, flip half of the omelette to one side and roll it out onto the plate. Garnish with your favorite grated cheese, hot sauce and salt and pepper.

Mango and Chicken Salad

Here is another healthy salad to start your New Years' Resolution of "Eat Right-Be Healthy".

Ingredients for 1 serving

1 whole Romaine lettuce
1 small pitted ripe mango
1 Persian cucumber
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 lb pan grilled breast of chicken
Black pepper to taste

Season chicken with your own favorite seasoning and pan grill with 1 tablespoon of butter until its no longer pink and looks done. Chopped all other ingredients and mix in a bowl. Drizzle the EVOO and balsamic vinegar in the bowl and add black pepper. Slice the chicken and put on top of salad. Enjoy!

Watermelon, Avocado and Green Bean Salad

It's the start of the new year and we all look for ways to shed those extra pounds we gained after eating all the yummy high calorie food during the holidays. Here is one of my favorite salad that I make at the office for lunch and I usually make enough for 4 people and I share it with my team. I have modified the amount of ingredients below to serve 2 people. This salad is very filling and it has nuts for protein intake. Their mix of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber will help you feel full and suppress your appetite and keep you full until dinner time.

Ingredients:

1 cup blanched fresh green beans (you can also microwave for 3 minutes inside a bowl with 1/4 cup of water)

1 cup fresh cut watermelon (cut in cubes)

1 whole avocado (remove seed and cut up in cubes)

1/2 cup sweet bell pepper (minis or regular sliced in strips)

2 cups fresh arugula

1/4 cup unsalted or salted cashew nuts (almonds, pistachios etc)

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

pinch of salt and black pepper

Enjoy! Make sure to check out my other salad recipes!

Turkey Sausage and Egg Piroshki

I'm always looking for creative ways to make something special for breakfast. I usually start with checking my pantry or fridge if there are items I can make with. I made these Piroshkis a while back and I have not had a chance to blog about them yet so here it is!

This recipe is a quick take from one of the recipe's on Pillsbury website. I just used my own ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 can (8oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 eggs scrambled and cooked (set aside about 2 tablespoon of the uncooked egg)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 Hillshire Farm Turkey Smoked Sausage (sliced in cubes)

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, whisk eggs and cook scramble of 2 minutes and set aside. Slice the turkey sausage and set aside in a separate bowl

Separate dough into 4 rectangle (not triangle). 2 pieces should be intact and not separated. Place 1 tablespoon of scrambled egg, 1 tablespoon of sausage and 1 tablespoon of cheese on the dough.

Roll the dough slowly while keeping the ingredients inside. Brush the top of each roll with the set aside uncooked egg. Arrange the rolls on a greased cookie baking pan at least 2 inches apart.

Bake 16 to 19 minutes until golden brown.