Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

"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