Marianna Hewitt Blog | Food and Recipes

Easy Vietnamese Iced Coffee Recipe

May 21, 2014 | Food

The first time I traveled to Vietnam to meet my Grandparents, my Uncle made me this drink and I was hooked. I was so young but every morning I woke up, I wanted this sweet, refreshing and new drink I had never had before.

It was a Vietnamese Iced Coffee (also known as cà phê đá in Vietnamese) and it was so different than anything I had tried in the US. The difference between a traditional iced coffee and a Vietnamese version, is that it is made of a strong espresso type coffee mixed with condensed milk. Even if you don’t like coffee, you will probably like this drink and it is a perfect summer drink.

Items Needed:

glass or cup
espresso ground or dark roast coffee
condensed milk
coffee dripper or coffee machine

There are a few ways to make this, you can brew your coffee as normal and mix in the condensed milk then pour it over ice or you can make it in a pour-over coffee way of brewing, which is more of a traditional way to make this drink.

I don’t have the metal French drip filter that my family had in Vietnam, only because it was so hard to find to buy that I chose to make this with something you could easily purchase.

A traditional cup looks like this …

You put as much condensed milk in the bottom of the glass that you want to make your coffee sweet. I generally do two spoon fulls. Then you would put the coffee grounds in this metal thing and pour water over it so it slow drips into the milk then mix it together and pour over ice.

But since it was so hard for me to find this metal version, I did this with an alternative I bought at Crate and Barrel and it worked just as well.

Im using this coffee dripper, eagle brand sweetened condensed milk from Whole Foods and Cafe Bustelo espresso ground coffee.

I start by heating a cup of water and putting in one scoop of cafe bustelo into the filter.

After I’ve got the coffee into the filter, I put two spoon fulls of condensed milk into a separate glass.

Then I put the coffee dripper over the glass that I just put the condensed milk in. I slowly pour a little bit of water at a time into the filter in the coffee dripper and it drips into the glass with the milk.

After the glass fills up, I mix the coffee and milk together and if you want it hot you can drink it this way or add in some ice for a summer drink that is sweet, refreshing and energizing. And it’s just that easy!

I hope you enjoy this yummy Vietnamese iced coffee that brings back so many great memories for me of my trip to Vietnam.

all photos by Marianna Hewitt

Baby Bok Choy With a Kick

May 14, 2014 | Food

Bok choy might not sound like it tastes that great, but this simple veggie is one of my favorites.

I love the crunchiness you get from the stalk and the ends that remind me of spinach. This dish you can prepare as a side dish or eat it alone with some brown rice.

The spicy flavor gives it a kick that is definitely filling for a meal, so let me know what you think.

Ingredients for 1 Serving

A pinch sesame seeds, don’t over do this amound
4 heads baby bok choy, I used a small box from Trader Joe’s
1 1/2 tablespoon canola oil
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Asian chili oil

If you don’t want this to be spice, don’t add in the chili oil or red pepper flakes

Directions

In a small fry pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds alone until golden brown and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove.

Next, cut off the base from each head of bok choy. Separate the heads into individual pieces.In a wok or a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. When it is hot and shimmering in the pan, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, 20 to 30 seconds.

Add the bok choy and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing and stirring, until the bok choy just begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bok choy is just tender and the broth evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the chili oil, stir well to coat the bok choy and remove from the heat.Stir in the sesame seeds, transfer the bok choy to a dish or bowl and serve immediately.

*Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Vegetables, by Jodi Liano (Oxmoor House, 2008).

all photos by Marianna Hewitt

21 New Smoothie Recipes

May 13, 2014 | Food, Health

Smoothies and juices are a great way to get a ton of fruits and veggies into your body without having to eat huge salads all day long. But which ones actually taste good?

Well, I’m trying out a new recipe everyday for 21 days and will post a photo, recipe and honest review on what is worth making and which ones can be skipped over. Everyday, I will update this post with a new recipe so check back daily for updates.

For all of these recipes, I am using a Nutribullet blender that I got from Bed Bath and Beyond. It is the best $99 I have ever spent in my life and I encourage everyone to buy one because you will become as addicted as me. Click here to check it out & buy.

Please note: for the recipes, I generally do 50% of a vegetable, then fill the rest and use the liquid line in the nutribullet cup. Feel free to experiment with the proportions! This is what is so fun about cooking or making things yourself, they can be whatever you want. So if I don’t have a measurement, this is why.

DAY 1

Pineapple Dream

green leaf lettuce
frozen pinapple
mint leaves
juice of 1/2 lime
coconut water

Green leaf lettuce is really easy to digest instead of using something like kale, which really can clean out your system if you aren’t used to it. So this is a great beginner smoothie using greens. This type of lettuce is also high in water so this turned out more like a juice than a smoothie because the lettuce was very watery. If you want to to be more like a smoothie, be sure to use frozen pineapple and even add in some ice. But the good thing about it being so high in water was that it is really hydrating. This was very refreshing because of the mint and lime. The strong taste of the pineapple took over the lettuce so you couldn’t even taste it. This is a great summer drink that tasted GREAT! RECOMMENDATION: MAKE IT!

Day 2

Very Berry Smoothie

frozen blueberries
fresh strawberries
1/2 cucumber
ginger (optional if you don’t like ginger)
vanilla almond milk

This berry smoothie is great for kids or if you don’t like veggies either. Cucumer is great because they have a lot of water so just like the last smoothie, it is hydrating to your body. The taste of cucumbers are so faint, you will hardly taste the veggies mixed in with these yummy berries. If you want it to be more like a smoothie, use all frozen fruits and add in some ice cubes to make it thicker. RECOMMENDATION: Make it but switch the vanilla almond milk for regular and use less ginger

Day 3

Stomach Soothing Bananna Smoothie

bananna
baby bok choy
ginger
mint
chia seeds
coconut water

Smoothies can help with lots of health problems like times when you have an upset stomach. Bananas are perfect for tummy aches so this smoothie is really good for your digestive system. Ginger also aids in digestion and is something I often add to smoothies or teas to feel better instantly. The only think I didn’t like about this smoothie was the taste of the bok choy. I would switch it with a green leaf lettuce or some cucumber instead so the taste isn’t as strong. Recommendation: its ok, just switch the bok choy for a different green

Day 4

Mango Mint Smoothie

frozen mango
cucumber
mint
ginger
coconut water

This was truly a smoothie because I used so much frozen mango so I liked this slushy texture. Mango helps aid in digestion as well as mint and ginger. Mango Mint tastes refreshing, cooling and even though it is green you don’t taste any veggies. RECOMMENDATION: make it!

Day 5

Berry Banana Energizing Smoothie

frozen banana
frozen blueberries
green leaf lettuce
mint
flax seed oil
coconut water

You need some sort of sugars for your body, but instead of eating candy … get the good kind from your fruits and veggies which will help girl you energy. I’ve also added in some flax seed oil into this smoothie, which I regularly do, and this is to add in some omega 3 fatty acids (the good fats!) It tastes great, the frozen fruits made it more of a smoothie texture and the color is really pretty! RECOMMENDATION: MAKE IT!

Check back soon and I will resume this post with Day 6’s new recipe, bookmark this page to easily find!

all photos by Marianna Hewitt

Brussels Sprouts Chips Recipe

April 28, 2014 | Food

If you want a healthy snack that looks fancy, tastes good AND is easy to make … then this recipe is for you.

Brussels sprouts have a name. You may never think you want to eat them because perhaps they have been served to you in a not so pleasant way. If you are steaming them, they can get really mushy and don’t taste that great. But after I tried this dish at Cleo in Hollywood, I had to figure out how to make these cripsy brussels sprouts at home. They are a side dish that I crave and are so so so yummy.

I used to cut them in half and try to roast them this way, but it never got as cripsy as I wanted them. But finally I figured out how to get them to be just as baked as I want them to be.

This recipe is just 50 calories a serving, delicious, easy to make and will impress anyone you make them for. They are also full of vitamins, vegan, paleo friendly AND gluten free. So now that you know about this healthy snack, here are the directions.

Ingredients for 1 Serving

10 brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Any Salt – for this recipe I used truffle salt
baking sheet

Start by preheating your oven to 350 Degrees then take a paring knife and cut off the ends of the brussels sprouts.

When you do this, the outer leaves will fall off. Then you will need to make another cut for the remaining to fall off.

Continue to do this until all the leaves are off then it is time to toss the leaves with olive oil.

After you have tossed them, lay them out on a baking sheet. Don’t use too much oil or they will burn and taste burnt.

After they are on the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt to taste.

I used white truffle salt that I found at a local farmers market, but you can use any kind of salt for this.

Now that these are oiled and salted, stick it in the oven for 7-10 minutes.

If you check on them half way through, you’ll notice the color is a little deeper green.

When they are almost done, they will look brown and crisp.

and VOILA! a delicious and easy snack!

photo 2 copy 2 — Photos By: Marianna Hewitt

Ingredients:

10 brussels sprouts

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.
With a knife, cut off the bottom of each sprout. Peel the leaves and they will come off. You will then make a second cut to the bottom and more leaves fall off. Continue until you’ve removed all the leaves. Toss the leaves with the oil, and lay them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt or truffle salt.
Bake in oven 7 to 10 minutes or until leaves are browned and crisp.

My 3 Day Pressed Juicery Cleanse Review

April 22, 2014 | Food

Juices, smoothies and cleanses. We’ve all heard about them but whats the best, what do they taste like and what are they actually supposed to do?

Well, I’ve tried just about every one you could think of and by far Pressed Juicery ( click here to check them out and to order ) is my favorite.

I wanted to share with you my 3 day experience, what to do before and after and what kind of benefits you get from this. I even have a discount code you can use for the next week if you want to try it out too.

Coupon code:

PJ-LALAMER10

Details:

10% off any 1, 3, 5 day cleanse

Expires on 4/25

Before you start, there are 3 cleanses to choose from and you can do them for 1, 3 or 5 days. I have always done 3 days. 1 really wouldn’t do much for me and 5 may be too hard for me to not eat for that long.

But if you are going to do this for a few days, what are the benefits? I think the biggest misconception is that this is some sort of miracle weight loss plan. Yes you may lose weight from it, but that isn’t the point of this nor has it ever been the reason I have done one.

Think of all the bad foods you eat, caffeine you drink, alcohol you consume. You need to rid it from your body. This causes breakouts, bad skin, etc. So, that is why I do juice cleanses. Eating 3 meals a day, every day, is hard on your digestive system. Only drinking liquids, that have all the nutrients you need, is giving your digestive system a break to sort of “reset”. It detoxes your body of all that mess and then after, you can eat clean and healthy.

Benefits

A regulated, nourished colon
Increased energy and stamina
Increased mental clarity
Better sleep patterns
Radiant complexion, healthy hair and nails

So you’ve got the benefits down. It is time to choose a cleanse. Cleanse 1 is for first time juicers, cleanse 2 is what I did and will go into more in depth and cleanse 3 is for those looking for maximum benefits and has the lowest calories.

Now that you have chosen a cleanse , it is really important to do the right things to prep and follow up your cleanse to really get the benefits. I think people sometimes jump into it and it makes it hard not eating. Or stuff their faces the day after and they get sick.

The full explanation you can find is here and I would recommend reading their full instructions on what to do before, during and after a cleanse. Do not skip this part!!!!!

Now it is time to juice. I’ve got a video diary to share with you on how I felt each day, what the juices tasted like and if I would recommend it. (Also don’t forget to subscribe to my youtube page)

My recommendation would be DO IT! It is better than other juice cleanses I have done, the juices taste better, it is easy to follow, delivery was a breeze and you can really get lots of benefits from it. This review was super long but if you are spending money to invest in your health, it is good to know as much as possible.

So again if you want to order the cleanse CLICK HERE

and here are the details for the discount!

Coupon code:

PJ-LALAMER10

Details:

10% off any 1, 3, 5 day cleanse

Expires on 4/25

INSTAGRAM QUESTIONS ASKED:

Q: How do you prep for the cleanse?

A: There is a link above in this post to tell you how to prep for it as well as what to do after.

Q: How do you stay full? Can you eat any solids?

A: Honestly, you are drinking something all day long so you are pretty full. I only felt hungry in the mornings because I hadn’t had anything since the night before. But I did miss chewing on something. On day 1 I cheated and had some hummus. Day 2 i had some cucumber. In the instructions that come with it, it tells you what you can have it included apple slices, low sodium vegetable broth and I think cucumber.

Q: I want to do a 24 hour cleanse, what do you suggest for great results?

A: I would try a 3 day cleanse instead, I think this gives you more benefits than just 1.

Q: Does it clean all the bad stuff out of your system and does it help you lose weight?

A: Yes it detoxes your body, a result may be weight loss but that is not its sole purpose. But it does prep your body to eat clean after the cleanse to jump start a healthy diet.

Category Archives: Food

Items Needed:

Ingredients for 1 Serving

Directions

DAY 1

Pineapple Dream

Day 2

Very Berry Smoothie

Day 3

Stomach Soothing Bananna Smoothie

Day 4

Mango Mint Smoothie

Day 5

Berry Banana Energizing Smoothie