The First Taste: Charred Broccoli & Pesto Pasta Recipe

Charred Broccoli & Pesto Pasta Recipe
Gluten-Free, Vegan

by Alicia Ying

Sometimes I get really bored of salads and want some other kind of veggies. I was talking to my girl friend on the phone while walking through Ralph’s whining about how I needed to switch my greens up. As I was perusing the produce section, I noticed that the broccoli was on sale. “Broccoli is on sale for 99 cents,” I tell my friend.

“Ooh!” she exclaims. “Make some charred broccoli!”

“Huh? How do you do that?”

She described how she just threw it in the oven on high heat and that it was super simple to make. She told me how the tops get really crunchy and how delicious the almost burnt pieces tasted. I said, “Why not?” and threw some broccoli into my basket.

I went home, cut up the pieces, tossed them in some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), garlic salt and popped them into the oven. Several minutes later, I took them out, and DAMN-- they were delicious! The charred parts added this smokey flavor that I immediately fell in love with. It did need some acidity, so I scrounged through my fridge and found a lime. I squeezed the juice on top of my broccoli and WOW-- perfection! I was obsessed. This was my new favorite side dish!

Broccoli packs 11.2 grams of protein per 100 calories so this is a total winner for vegans and vegetarians! For a little easier math, 1 cup of broccoli has 31 calories and 4.2 grams of protein. I ended up chomping down on 2 cups of my charred broccoli giving me 8.4 grams of protein for lunch, keeping my energy levels up for the rest of the day.

Now, what to fix for my main dish? I had some organic brown rice pasta and decided to make a pesto garnished with sun-dried tomatoes. These two dishes together made the most satisfying lunch! Not only was this a healthy meal, but it was incredibly affordable too. And took me minutes to make.

Try it out and let me know what you think by commenting below!

What creative ways do you cook your vegetables? I’d love to hear about your tasty treats as well!


Thank you for reading and come back next week for more tips on how to make tasty food that is healthy and affordable!

Much Love,

Alicia

Charred Broccoli Recipe

Ingredients

1 whole head of broccoli
3 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ lime


Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.

Chop the broccoli head into small pieces of florets. Put into a bowl.

Toss the broccoli in the EVOO, garlic salt, and black pepper.

Lay the broccoli evenly on the pan.

Pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. **If you want it extra charred, leave in for an additional 5 minutes.

Take out and place onto your plate.

Squeeze ½ a lime on top of your broccoli.


Enjoy!



Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

8 oz. organic brown rice pasta
3 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Boil some water in a pot. Add a sprinkle of salt.

Pour in pasta and cook for 7 minutes.

Take out and drain.

Add to a bowl and toss in your pesto. Mix well.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes on top. Mix well.


Serve and enjoy!

Alicia Ying is a professional baker, born and bred in sweet, southern Georgia. A world traveler, Alicia enjoys eating delicious global cuisine and savoring a good cup of coffee. Also a blooming actress and producer, she has been seen on "Days of Our Lives," "Young & The Restless," independent films, and multiple web series.

Alicia's passion is to create dishes that are healthy and affordable. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. More adventures in food and travel on her blog: yestotheying.com.

The First Taste: Turkey Dirty Rice

by Alicia Ying

This weekend was incredibly gloomy for LA. Pouring down rain several days in a row got me missing the soul food I used to eat when I was living in Atlanta.  I always loved soul food because it was hearty, satisfying, and full of spices that tingled my palate. Memories of corn bread, fried okra, hush puppies, and dirty rice rushed into my mind causing my tummy to yearn for the taste of that delicious comfort food.  I sprinted to the store to recreate a soul food dish to soothe my soul as the rain kept on beating down around me.

I decided to make a satisfying turkey dirty rice! In the South, they tend to use chicken bits, livers, and gizzards, but I wanted more meat, so I opted for some ground turkey.

YES TO THE YING TIP: You can also use ground beef if you’re craving more sustenance! I always recommend getting organic grass-fed beef as those animals are not injected with hormones. Bonus-- it tastes so much better! You can actually get a pound of organic ground beef at your local supermarket for only $7.99/lb. One pound of beef will make 4 servings of my dish. Affordable and healthy!

Add any extra veggies you’d like for flavor and crunch!

YES TO THE YING TIP: For a paleo version of this dish, skip the rice and spoon the meat and veggies on top of a salad or into romaine lettuce cups for a clean and powerful protein snack!

Please enjoy and let me know what other veggies you added by commenting below.

Stay warm and dry!

Much love,

Alicia

Turkey Dirty Rice Recipe

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic minced

1 small red onion chopped

1 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ red pepper chopped

½ yellow pepper chopped

2 cups broccoli chopped

1 package of rice (I use Trader Joe’s Organic brown rice)

Directions

1. Place some EVOO (extra virigin olive oil) in a large pot to cover the bottom of the pan and heat it up.
2. Add the onion and garlic to start caramelizing, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the ground turkey. Break it up into chunks so it cooks evenly. Allow it to brown for 1 minute.
4. Then add the spices and stir it into your turkey. Keep stirring every few minutes until the turkey has been almost cooked through, about 9 minutes.
5. Toss in your broccoli, red peppers, yellow peppers, and any other veggies. Mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. While your meat and veggies are cooking, pop your package of rice into the microwave for 3 minutes.
7. Once cooked, toss the rice into the pot and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Enjoy!
   
   
   
   
   

   Alicia Ying is a professional baker, born and bred in sweet, southern Georgia. A world traveler, Alicia enjoys eating delicious global cuisine and savoring a good cup of coffee. Also a blooming actress and producer, she has been seen on "Days of Our Lives," "Young & The Restless," independent films, and multiple web series.

   
   

   Alicia's passion is to create dishes that are healthy and affordable. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. More adventures in food and travel on her blog: yestotheying.com.

The First Taste: How to Make a Detox Green Soup in 10 Easy Steps

by Alicia Ying

When I was traveling in Thailand, I discovered that there was a surprising lack of green veggies to eat. Sure, there was broccoli, snow peas, and some bok choy, but the serving portion was so tiny. Only a few florets sprinkled here and there. Even in the vegetarian dishes! When I got back to Los Angeles, I was craving everything GREEN. 

I searched online for a good detox green soup recipe to make that was healthy AND delicious. I wanted to give my body the greens my body was begging me for.  My friend recommended Kirstie Allie's Green Soup recipe. She had made it many times before and said that it was delicious and cleansing. I took a look at the ingredients and liked everything on it, so I decided to give it a shot! There are a few more ingredients that I knew had extra cleansing power (like garlic and ginger), so I added them to the mix. I also halved the recipe because I didn't have a pot big enough to fit all the ingredients. It still produced enough soup for 7 days, so I have included my halved recipe below.

The soup comes out fragrant and delicious! Give it a try if you need to detox or if you are just wanting a healthy meal. The best part about this recipe is:

• it makes such a large batch, so you have plenty of soup for the rest of the week! Definitely a time saver!
• You have a healthy meal already prepared in the fridge to grab instead of junk food
• the nutrients give you energy to get through the rest of the week and the fiber helps scrub out any bad build up in your tummy

Give it a try and let me know how you like it by commenting below. Enjoy!

xoxo Alicia

DETOX GREEN SOUP RECIPE

(adapted from Kirstie Alley and Sean Prenter)

Ingredients

• 4 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 knubs ginger
• 4 leeks
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 big bunch asparagus
• 2 big bunches broccoli
• 1 big bunch spinach
• 2 32 oz. containers organic chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1.5 tbsp sea salt
• Black pepper for taste
• Cayenne pepper for taste (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare all the veggies. Peel and slice the shallots thinly. Peel and mince garlic. Peel and chop ginger. Cut the leeks just above the white part, peel the outer layer off and cut them open lengthwise. Rinse them out well, then chop into chunks. Cut hard ends off asparagus. Cut stems off broccoli.

2. Put EVOO in a large deep pot. Turn heat to medium-high. Put shallots into oil and sweat shallots. Make sure they don't brown.

3. Add 1 tbsp sea salt, garlic, and ginger.

4. Add leeks and asparagus. Allow them all to sweat. If they get too dry, add a little bit of chicken/vegetable broth.

5. Once they are all sweated down and tender, break the broccoli into small chunks and put them in the pot. Cook for 2 minutes.

6. Then add 1 whole container of chicken/vegetable broth. Cook for 10 minutes.

7. Add 2nd container of chicken/vegetable broth, and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on the color. You want the broccoli to remain a bright green color.

8. Add spinach and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

9. Turn heat off and season with the rest of salt and pepper.

10. Transfer soup into blender in increments. Puree mixture.

11. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

Alicia Ying is a professional baker, born and bred in sweet, southern Georgia. A world traveler, Alicia enjoys eating delicious global cuisine and savoring a good cup of coffee. Also a blooming actress and producer, she has been seen on "Days of Our Lives," "Young & The Restless," independent films, and multiple web series.

Alicia's passion is to create dishes that are healthy and affordable. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. More adventures in food and travel on her blog: yestotheying.com.

The First Taste: Iced Coffee Ice Cream Float Recipe

by Alicia Ying

Today my friend visiting Australia posted a photo of her afternoon snack: an iced coffee ice cream float.
OMG -- it looked SO GOOD! It was just like a root beer float, but with coffee instead. Why didn't I think of this??

Root beer floats take me back to my childhood days when my dad would always make them for me on those hot summer Saturdays when my mom was out shopping. They were our secret delicious treat that I thoroughly enjoyed, each and every sip.

My dad always preferred to make them at home himself rather than order them in restaurants. He claimed that the restaurants were stingy with the amount of ice cream they gave you. I had to agree. The proportion of ice cream to root beer is essential! "2 scoops of ice cream!" I would always squeal. My dad would scoff. "Only 2?? No!! Must have 3!!" Hey, if you're gonna splurge, SPLURGE.

As an adult now, and knowing how many calories are in a pint of Haagan Dazs (and how much a pint costs-- $4.49?! For ice cream?!), here's my take on a healthier and more affordable way to create your own Iced Coffee Ice Cream Float!

Ingredients:
Coffee
Ice cream
(if you make my vegan version: coconut cream, honey, ripe banana, vanilla bean, vanilla bean extract, almond extract)

Step 1: Brew your own iced coffee at home
- I make coffee everyday, so I always have coffee on hand. I get an organic bean from Trader Joe's. Costs about $5.99 for a whole can. Makes at least 30 cups of coffee. 20 cents a cup? I can do that!
- I personally use a slow drip or french press to get the highest quality of coffee and flavor from the beans. Use a coffee maker if you have one.
Refrigerate the coffee overnight or for at least 4 hours until nice and chilled.

YES TO THE YING TIP: Pour the remaining coffee into an ice cube tray and stick in the freezer. That way you won't have watered down coffee when you stick the ice cubes in!

Step 2: Make your ice cream
- Option 1: buy your favorite ice cream from your local grocery store
- Option 2: make your own. My vegan ice cream recipe is my favorite and it's so easy! You don't even need an ice cream machine! Just blend coconut cream, frozen bananas, truvia (or agave or honey or whatever sugar substitute you want), and your choice of flavoring (for this recipe I used organic vanilla beans, vanilla bean extract, and almond extract). Put it in the freezer until frozen.

Step 3: Build your float
- Put 2-3 of your coffee ice cubes at the bottom of the cup
- Scoop your ice cream into the cup. I fill the cup up 2/3 of the way
- Pour your chilled iced coffee on top til it reaches the top
- Grab a spoon and enjoy!

YES TO THE YING TIP: Drizzle some chocolate syrup on top for an extra depth of flavor! To make, simply put 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips in a bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds. Stir melted chocolate until a smooth consistency. Pour over ice cream. Devour!

Step 4: Grab a spoon and dig in!

What's your favorite summer drink?

Much Love, Alicia

More recipes on my blog: yestotheying.com

Alicia Ying is a professional baker, born and bred in sweet, southern Georgia. A world traveler, Alicia enjoys eating delicious global cuisine and savoring a good cup of coffee. Also a blooming actress and producer, she has been seen on "Days of Our Lives," "Young & The Restless," independent films, and multiple web series.

Alicia's passion is to create dishes that are healthy and affordable. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. More adventures in food and travel on her blog: yestotheying.com.More adventures in food and travel on he