Mixed Nuts & Seeds Florentines Crackers Biscuit

Traditionally, florentines are typically made from nuts (most of the times, hazelnuts and almonds) mixed with sugar melted together with butter and honey, then baked in an oven (Best Selling Smart Oven). However, modern day florentines have evolved to be healthier biscuits (or cookies) or more accurately, thin crackers formed from a mixture of nuts, seeds, egg whites, honey.


Our family version of florentines consists of a mix of sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, sesame seeds, and in replacement of honey, date syrup (I used Organic Just Date Syrup, 1-Ingredient: 100% Organic Medjool Dates)

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Coconut Flour Sesame Cookies Crackers

Recently, our family made use of a Prime Day offer and went on a Amazon Prime 30-day free trial, a great opportunity to test out some of the perks especially free next-day delivery without a minimum purchase. A 30-day trial is a good gauge to find out if Prime is FOR us, will it be relevant for our family needs or just an excessive "feature" - good-to-have but nothing lost if missed. The free delivery service (no minimum purchase vs non-Prime account holders who have to go by a $25 minimum purchase for free shipping) did come in handy when we purchased groceries such as organic rolled oats and organic chia seeds. Prime Day might be over but the Amazon Prime 30-day free trial is still available. Try it for 30 days and if it's not for you, cancel it before it expires.

Likewise, once in a blue moon (mood), I'll go experimental with cookies-baking, just like a trial.

I don't usually bake in restrictive manner but in this case, there is no butter, no egg, no added sugar, so it's vegan. Some skeptics may equate no butter, no egg, no added sugar with no taste but these cookies are great-tasting with natural aroma and flavor from coconut and sesame seeds.

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Okra with Tahini Sauce Dressing 芝麻酱拌羊角豆

While okra does well in a stew- or braise- like dish e.g. Pumpkin, Green Bean, Okra Stew, it also works seamlessly as a simple appetizer dish.


When prepared the correct way, the "slime" can be reduced while maintaining the tender crunch of fresh okra. The correct way from my experience is the simple way - roast, steam or blanch. I have tried roasting (Roasted Okra), steaming (Steamed Okra) and today, comes another success in blanching in which whole okra was immersed in boiling water for no more than 5 minutes; then served warm with a creamy sauce-dressing.

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Ground Sesame Peanut Butter Noodles 自制芝麻酱拌面

This is pure sesame goodness with a little peanut love.



Sesame seeds are an excellent source of manganese, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and zinc, and a very good source of vitamin B1 (thiamin) and dietary fiber. The nutrients found in sesame seeds may also offer cardiovascular benefits, support respiratory health and offer protection against colon cancer. (Source: Livestrong.com).

Other than using the toasted seeds as sprinkles/garnishes/toppings, and grinding the seeds as a paste for sauces and dressings, the seeds are also commercially pressed for their oils and used for cooking. In Chinese cooking, toasted sesame oil (pressed from roasted sesame seeds) is often used as a-few-drops-drizzle finishing touch to a dish, especially to accentuate the nutty aroma at the end. The lighter-colored non-toasted sesame oil with a relatively higher smoke point is then typically reserved for frying.

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Vegetables in Ground Sesame Dressing 芝麻蔬菜沙拉

Recently, I have been making this sesame seeds-dressed salad quite often, and enjoying it very much. First this salad is very easy to put together. But which salad is not?


In addition, while grinding the roasted sesame seeds in my handy mortar and pestle, the aroma is indescribably good and when the salad is finally made, it exudes a lingering nutty aroma with those touch(es) of roasted ground sesame.

Grinding roasted sesame seeds

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