Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

It is important that the zucchini gets mushy enough to go with the soft tofu. I've been trying to branch out in the Asian soup department beyond my favorite  doenjang jigae . I'm disappointed pretty much every time, because doenjang jigae is so delicious. But I've tried this a couple of times and I like it, and it fulfills a slightly different craving with the soft slurpable tofu. I don't think I've achieved maximum flavor yet, but I'm going to keep working at it. I worked from  this recipe from My Eclectic Bites . The original recipe is vegan, and I appreciate that it adds flavor without needing to touch dried anchovies or boil meat in it. I've made it once as written and once with a teaspoon or so of instant dashi granules added. It was definitely better with the dashi, so I'm including that below. Also, when I boiled some korean radish in it, that definitely improved the broth, so I added that below as well. Other ideas for the future: 1) My gochugaru

The batch after this one was less flat. Both tasted good. For the low-FODMAP toddler's impending birthday, we needed some cookies that were safe for him to eat. He reacts badly even to gluten-free flour mixes, so I looked for a recipe with just oat flour. I picked  this one from Pinch and Swirl , and it's good! I'm keeping it for the future. The original recipe said to refrigerate the dough before baking for at least an hour, and up to 3 days. I did just an hour for the first batch (pictured above). The second batch was in the fridge for more like 90 minutes, and those cookies didn't flatten out nearly as much, so I've changed my refrigerating instructions to "at least 90 minutes." My only other change is that I actually decreased the amount of chocolate chips a bit. It was still plenty! These cookies have a lot of butter and sugar, but for low-FODMAP purposes, I won't muck with substituting applesauce. We'll stick with the real stuff. The Recipe:

Low-FODMAP baby is thrilled to have "pizza" I can't figure out how to get a good photo of this food. It looks better in person. I love Beryl Shereshewsky's "Around the World" YouTube food videos. When she did  this one about rice paper , I was excited to see what was there besides spring rolls. The very first recipe was for this Vietnamese pizza, and she was so excited about it that I had to try it. Now I'm excited about it too! Hers was apparently the traditional version, with Laughing Cow cheese and pork floss. I didn't have pork floss, nor was I especially interested in getting any pork floss. But I do love some Laughing Cow cheese! I also googled for other ideas and found one recipe with tuna and kewpie mayo, another with just egg and cheese, and lots with various meats.  I mixed and matched and I have made a few varieties now. They have all been good. My personal favorite had leftover latkes crumbled up, a bit of cheddar, some fried shallots, an

  In a world without a toddler, I would have taken the extra second to properly slice/sprinkle that green onion. This recipe started with extra brussels sprouts (left over from  the best Caesar salad ) and my perpetual craving for Korean food. I searched "brussels sprouts banchan" for ideas, and  this recipe from Minimalist Baker  looked delicious. I ended up barely following the recipe (improvised my sauce, roasted instead of stir-frying), but I appreciate the inspiration. In a world without a toddler, I would have moved these to better light. I roasted tofu at the same time, and just plopped the sauce (and sesame seeds) over everything at the end. Easy. Also, look at my little banchan plate! I painted it myself at the paint-your-own-pottery place. I also grew those radishes on the left. The Recipe: 1 lb brussels sprouts, quartered and stems removed 1 tsp neutral oil 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 c gochujang paste 1 tb sesame oil 1 tb soy sauce 1 tsp rice vinegar 3 tb maple syrup 1

  Imagine ribbons of fresh basil intersecting the ribbons of crispy kale. With the garden bursting with squash and kale, I set out to find a lightened-up version of a white pizza sauce. The one that sounded best was  this recipe from Vegan in the Freezer . Vegans, follow that link for the original vegan version. I didn't have cashews, so I substituted sour cream for that part. I also eliminated the flour to make it safe to taste raw, and reduced the amount of almond milk to avoid making it too runny after the previous two changes. It's SO good. Full of flavor and brings out the freshness of the vegetable toppings. The recipe yielded enough for two pizzas, so I was planning to freeze half, but we are craving more so I'm just leaving it in the fridge for a few days before making another pizza. The Recipe (adapted from Vegan in the Freezer): (yields enough for 2 pizzas) 3/4 c sour cream 3/4 c almond milk 1 tb nutritional yeast  1 tb lemon juice 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onio

  Smells like almonds. I made a cherry bread with last year's cherries, and it was delicious, but had no nutritional value. This year, I wanted to find some middle ground. I worked from  this recipe . I substituted the eggs for flax eggs (1 tb flax meal and 3 tb water, mixed together a few minutes before using) only because I was out of eggs, but I might keep this change. I used almond milk with a splash of lemon juice instead of the buttermilk. And I added chocolate, which of course made it a little less healthy, but much more satisfying. I used butter instead of oil because it tastes better. And I adjusted the baking time and temperature to make bread instead of muffins, because who has time to clean a muffin tin these days? It's a good sweetness for us, since we eat it as a treat. But if one wanted to make it even healthier, the sugar could be reduced a little bit and it would still be good. This recipe is a keeper. Especially when this is just a fraction of the cherries on

Chard, not seaweed. But that would be good too. I've tried a few different recipes for hot and sour soup, and they've always just left me wishing that I had gotten Chinese takeout instead. But this one! This one is good! And that's even without the white pepper, which sources say is the most important ingredient. (I'll buy some before next time.) I followed  this recipe from Amy in the Kitchen , because she has my name, and also because the recipe looked straightforward and had no pork in it. The only changes I made were to use vegetable broth instead of beef broth, dried shiitakes instead of regular mushrooms, and I scaled down all of the amounts. I also added chard this time, because it is exploding in the garden and I'm adding it to every meal. And as previously mentioned, I didn't have any white pepper, but I've kept it in the instructions below because I trust the internet that it will make it even better. The Recipe: 4 c vegetable broth 2 dried shiitak

  Alongside Instant Pot refried black beans . I've tried making Mexican rice many times, and I've always failed. I think it's because the tomato/moisture ratio has to be just right, to avoid a mushy mess? Anyway, I'm so happy to finally have succeeded enough to save this recipe. I think there's room for improvement, but this was great next to some refried beans. It is noteworthy that I liked the cooked carrots in it. I don't usually like cooked carrots. But the way these were cooked, in the instant pot with all of the other flavors in there, made them perfectly seasoned and delicious. I followed  this recipe  from Tastes Better From Scratch. My changes were that I increased the amount of rice and water to make a bit more, I left out the peas and I used a packet of Trader Joe's chicken stock concentrate instead of tomato bouillon. I might look for tomato bouillon for next time, though! Also, it didn't specify what type of rice to use, but I used basmati.

  I now realize that I should have take a photo when they were looking beautiful in the pan. We eat a lot of meals of just various banchan with rice, and I'm always looking for more protein options to include. I recently tried these in lieu of my usual rolled-egg omelet thing, and I'm hooked. Both kids devoured them too, so it's a keeper. I followed  this recipe from My Korean Kitchen . I made no changes. The Recipe: 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 4 tb soy sauce 2 tb brown sugar 1 c water 2 tb mirin 1 stalk green onion (preferably the whites) Place all ingredients except the eggs in a pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. When it comes to a boil, remove the green onion, reduce the heat to medium, and add the eggs. Simmer 15 minutes, occasionally rolling the eggs around. Cool the eggs in the sauce, and eat cold. The Verdict: Overall grade: A Overall reason: Easy and cheap and healthy and so delicious. Time to prepare: 20 minutes, plus time to cool Husband quote: "Oh, the

"The older you are, the more sprinkles you get." For this year's husband-birthday, we made his favorite kind of cake. I used  this recipe  from Skinny Taste, because it's the right level of healthy-ish for me. It's bulked up and sweetened with crushed pineapple and plenty of carrots, with just enough sugar and oil to taste like cake.  Maybe one day I'll own a hand mixer and I'll start making my own frosting, but I just buy store-bought ones for now. The Recipe: 3/4 c all-purpose flour 3/4 c whole wheat flour 1 c sugar 1/4 c flaked sweetened coconut 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tb canola oil 2 eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 c grated carrots 20 oz crushed pineapple, drained 8 oz cream cheese frosting Mix flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add canola oil, eggs, vanilla, carrots, and pineapple. Fold to combine. Pour into an oiled 8" cake pan. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, t

  TOO GOOD. This recipe is now my motivation for growing bok choy in the garden this summer. I could eat it every day with every meal. It's easy to make, keeps in the fridge for a few days, and is so so so good. It's yet another  Maangchi recipe . Last night I served it with her recipe for radish kimchi, her recipe for vegetables pancakes, and rice. She's the best. The Recipe: 1 lb bok choy 1 garlic clove, minced 1 green onion, minced 2 tb doenjang 2 tsp gochujang 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds Cut the bok choy into bite-sized pieces. Boil bok choy 1-2 minutes until stems are starting to soften, then immerse in ice water. Remove, and squeeze out excess water. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, then add the cooked bok choy. Mix well. The Verdict: Overall grade: A++ Overall reason: One of the most delicious and easy ways to eat a green vegetable. Time to prepare: 10 minutes Husband quote: "Yes, it's good." (I think he's a l

  Shredded brussels sprouts! I never would have thought of this. This recipe is a victory, because brussels sprouts were one of my two most hated foods as a kid (the other one was lima beans). I've since come around to eating them in roasted form, but I've never really LIKED them. But this salad is so delicious that I will actually intentionally buy brussels sprouts to make it again. The recipe is from the Martha Stewart meal kit, and we had it alongside some breaded cod, which was a great pairing. The Recipe: 1/2 lb brussels sprouts, shredded 1 tb mayonnaise 2 tsp lemon juice 1 garlic clove, grated 1 1/2 tb olive oil salt and pepper, to taste 2 tb parmesan cheese, grated In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk in olive oil. Add brussels sprouts and parmesan, and mix to coat. The Verdict: Overall grade: A Overall reason: I finally like brussels sprouts! Time to prepare: 5 minutes Husband quote: I don't remember. I was too excited about

I make small pancakes instead of one large one to cut, for flipping ease. It's another  Maangchi recipe ! I watched her make this and wanted it immediately. I've since made several variations, including non-Maangchi recipes, and hers is my favorite. It's a great way to use up extra vegetables, and also a good way to use frozen vegetables. My favorite combinations include lots of onion (green and/or otherwise) and zucchini. Sweet potato is also really good in it. In the above photo, I used green onions and edamame, and that was good too. Maangchi's dipping sauce is just 1 tb soy sauce, 2 tsp white vinegar, 1 tsp gochugaru, and toasted sesame seeds. It's good, but I like  this one  better. The Recipe:  2.5 c sliced vegetables (green onion, other onions, zucchini, sweet potato, edamame, mushrooms...) 3/4 c flour 3/4 water 1/2 tsp salt vegetable oil, for frying dipping sauce, for serving (I like  this one ) Combine vegetables in a bowl. Add flour, water, and salt. Mix w

  If we weren't eager to eat, I would have taken the time to remove crumbs from the photo. I've made toasted ravioli periodically since my time in St. Louis, but this was my best. I think the key is fresh ravioli. They puffed up and the breading became one with the pasta. Perfect. It's pretty straightforward. Egg, seasoned bread crumbs, bake until browned.  The Recipe: 1 package fresh cheese ravioli (about 10 oz) 1 egg 1 c panko breadcrumbs 2 tb parmesan, grated finely 1 tsp salt 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp ground black pepper tomato sauce, for dipping In a shallow bowl, beat egg with 1 tb of water In a second shallow bowl, mix panko, parmesan, and spices Dip each ravioli in egg, then panko mixture. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes on lower rack of oven, until golden brown. If they are browning too quickly, place foil loosely over the top. The Verdict: Overall grade: A Overall reason: They feel special to eat,

  Almondy magic. I took rainbow cookies for granted until I moved out of New York and learned that I couldn't buy them anymore. Now, I make them about once every 4 years because they're kind of a lot of work. But so good. This recipe is courtesy of my sister, the rainbow cookie queen. The batch in the above photo was made with marzipan instead of almond paste because the grocery pickup made that substitution and thanks to Covid, I wasn't willing to go store-hopping to find the real thing. It worked and it's delicious, but the marzipan made the whole dough thicker than it should have been. I unscientifically reduced the amount of the sugar in the recipe since it's sweeter than almond paste, but the original recipe is below for a brighter future when I can go out and buy almond paste. The Recipe: 8 oz almond paste 1 c butter, softened 1 c sugar 4 eggs, separated 2 c flour 6 drops red food coloring 6 drops green food coloring 1/4 seedless raspberry jam 1/4 c apricot ja