Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

  I finally mastered the art of torn tofu!    I'm excited about this because I feel like I've unlocked two important skills. One is the crispy torn tofu that I've been seeing videos about. The other is the idea of pre-mixing sauce ingredients, pre-crisping my tofu, and then when we're ready to eat, it's just a matter of dumping the sauce into a hot wok, adding the tofu a minute later, and tossing it to coat the tofu. I love this takeout-style sesame sauce, but I'll be trying this with other sauces as well. The Recipe: Tofu: 2 blocks tofu 1 tsp salt 3 tb cornstarch Tear tofu into irregular chunks Wrap chunks in a kitchen towel and place in the fridge (in a bowl) for at least 1 hour to drain  Toss with salt and cornstarch Spread on baking sheets Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes, flipping partway through Sauce: (adapted from  Kitchen Sanctuary ): 1 tb sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tb Chinese rice wine 2 tb honey 1 tb sambal oelek 3 tb ketchip 2 tb brown suga...

Looks pretty much exactly like my usual Thai stir-fries I bookmarked  this recipe by Crafty Cookbook  a long time ago, and then waited for eggplant season, and then waited to find eggplant that actually looked good enough to buy, and then I realized that I could just make it with different vegetables. Bring on the broccoli and bell peppers. Aside from the vegetable swap, I baked the tofu for simplicity, added more brown sugar, and added a hefty amount of white pepper. I didn't actually mean to put that much white pepper into it, but it was a delicious kick and I'll do it again that way on purpose.  The Recipe: 2.5 tb soy sauce 2 tb oyster sauce 1/2 tb black vinegar 3 tb brown sugar 1/2 tb grated ginger 1/2 tsp white pepper 1 block tofu, cubed and cooked (I pressed out liquid, tossed with oil and salt, and baked at 375 for 45 minutes) vegetables, chopped (I like broccoli, bell peppers, and onions) 3 cloves garlic, minced pinch of salt 2 tb avocado oil Combine soy sauce, oy...

Imagine a pile of plain yogurt and some Indian pickle for dipping I saw a Pinterest recipe for samosa-filled quesadillas, which led me to  this recipe  from Nadia's Healthy Kitchen for baked samosas using tortillas, which led me to just use the giant tortillas I had in the fridge and make them into full-sized burritos. They were a hit! I largely followed the recipe from Nadia's Healthy Kitchen, but I added some potato, omitted the chana masala powder and just added a bunch of cumin instead, added bell pepper and fresh chilies, didn't bother with the "sealing paste," and basted them in a little bit of melted butter (omit for vegan version). Everyone except the 5-year-old liked them! The Recipe (adapted from  Nadia's Healthy Kitchen ) 2 cans (30 oz total) cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed (I eyeballed the equivalent from dry beans) 1 small onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 thai chili, minced 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 potato, baked until soft (or microwaved for...

Excited for these leftovers. One of the things I wanted to try with my  new jar of curry powder  was fried rice. Years ago, Miles got fried rice at  Korea House  and it was the best fried rice I'd ever had. I suspected there was curry powder in it, but at that time I had never really cooked with curry powder, so I tucked that knowledge away for a later date. After reading a few recipes, I went rogue on this one. I couldn't even begin to effectively guess at what proportions I ended up with, so the recipe below is more of a rough guideline of ingredients. The "Recipe" (sorry no quantities; follow your heart): leftover jasmine rice tofu, cubed and crisped in the oven with avocado oil and salt vegetables: garlic, onion, cabbage, red bell pepper salt curry powder (I used a Vietnamese one) soy sauce sugar sesame oil future topping ideas: runny egg, sesame seeds, green onion Saute the vegetables in avocado oil until softened, and salt them to taste Add the tofu and toss to...

  When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top. I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at  Pho Grand  in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it? I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far. Changes for the future: - More oil and sugar, restaurant style - A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce - Fried shallots on top The Recipe (adapted from  Veggie Anh ): 3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 1 pinch salt 2 tb avoc...

The best part of this plate of banchan (even though it's not Korean) Now that Yi Shen is closed, I needed to learn to make lemongrass tofu. I chose to work from  this recipe by the Viet Vegan  because her picture looks exactly like the old Yi Shen tofu that I was craving. Note that my picture does NOT look that way, because I baked the tofu until crispy all around rather than frying the block and slicing it, but maybe I'll try that one day. The only real change I made was that I skipped the onion/shallot, though that would be good next time. I also used coconut aminos because my only other soy sauce option at the moment is a gluten-free tamari that I don't love. It was really good with coconut aminos, so I'll have to see if Kikkoman can stand up to this deliciousness or if the coconut aminos are here to stay. And I worked from a tube of lemongrass paste because the lemongrass in my garden still looks sad, but fresh lemongrass is a goal for next time. The Recipe (adapted...

I had seconds. I saw  this video on Yeung Man Cooking  for rice and black beans, Chinese style, and I was intrigued because I've never had such a thing. I had most of the ingredients, or at least suitable substitutions for the ingredients, with the exception of the doubanjiang. Now I have a jar of that, so more Szechuan-style recipes may be in my future. My changes to the original recipe: I used jalapenos instead of the fresno pepper, I used regular soy sauce instead of the dark soy sauce, and I used avocado oil plus a but of chili crisp instead of chili oil. I may get some chili oil in the future, because I imagine that that would give it a different flavor. I added a splash of chinese cooking wine because I felt like it needed a tiny bit of sweetness and acidity, which I think was a good move. I also doubled the recipe, more or less. The Recipe: 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 inch ginger, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 jalapeno peppers or fresno peppers, seeds removed and mince...

I want to find crispy noodles that add height, just for aesthetics. This one borders on being too much work, especially when I make one pot with coconut milk and another pot with oat milk so I can eat it (and another pot to boil the rice noodles, and a baking sheet for the tofu). But it's very delicious, and it makes enough broth for to save for a second dinner (4-6 servings total). I used  this Prik-King curry paste  and the flavor is so good. I'll only experiment with other curry pastes if I can't find this one again. I worked from  this recipe from Feasting at Home . I made no changes aside from adding a thai chili, substituting oat milk for coconut milk in my serving, and skipping the kefir lime leaves because I couldn't find any. The Recipe: 4 oz rice noodles, boiled according to package 1 large shallot or 1/2 onion, sliced 2 tb chopped lemongrass (I used a tube of lemongrass paste) 1 thai chili, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tb Thai red curry paste 1/2 tsp turm...

Photo of the leftovers instead of the fresh meal, because at the time of serving I did not expect it to be blog-worthy. But it is! Yum. I had a tube of lemongrass paste and leftover cooked rice, so I went searching for a lemongrass fried rice recipe. What I found was many variations on stir-frying the lemongrass with aromatics, adding the rice/vegetables/protein etc, and finishing it with fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. So that's what I did! I currently have an abundance of thai chilies from the garden, so that went into the aromatics, and I wouldn't skip this in the future. The Recipe 2 tb lemongrass paste (or work from fresh lemongrass for more work and more flavor) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 thai chilies, minced 1 tb ginger, grated 1/2 onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 4 c cooked and cooled rice (next day is best) - I had calrose but I think Jasmine would be even better 2 c shelled edamame, boiled for 4 minutes 2 eggs, beaten and scrambled fish sauce to taste sugar to ta...

Pretend to also see some red onion on top. I'd never had pozole verde prior to making this. I went in search of recipes to use up the pepitas that I had from making  this farro salad , and decided this was worth a try. I worked vaguely from  this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen , but I made many simplifications: I used roasted/salted pepitas instead of toasting them myself, I threw in some fake chicken (Quorn Pieces) instead of cooking chicken in it, and I replaced a whole bunch of ingredients with  La Victoria Thick 'n Chunky Salsa Verde . That last one in particular was a big risk, and I was prepared to make a backup dinner if it turned out terribly, but it ended up being delicious! Mayyyybe one day I'll try the original recipe as intended, but these shortcuts make it a totally achievable weeknight dinner. I also threw in a tromboncino squash that I had in the garden, though this isn't in the recipe and is totally optional.  The Recipe: 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic ...

  A delicate drizzle of tzatziki would have looked better in the photo, but this tastes better. This is my effort at recreating the "Sampler Plate" at  Tradewinds . The components are flexible, though I'd say the tzatziki really ties it together and the falafel was important as the only really warm/hearty part. The Recipe: Rice: basmati tossed with lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and parsley Greek salad: shredded kale and sliced onions in balsamic vinaigrette Hummus:  see recipe Crumbled feta cheese Falafel (I like the Trader Joe's frozen kind) Tzatziki:  here's a good explanation from Cookie and Kate Layer and eat! The Verdict: Overall grade: B+ Overall reason: The flavors are all strong, so I got tired of it after a while. Maybe plain rice would be a better choice, or just pita instead of the rice. Time to prepare: 1 hour Kid quote: "I LOVE falafel! I want more falafel!" (This is the kid who gagged the last time I served him falafel. I can't keep up...

  I got new big bowls! On this particular night, I set out to make Vietnamese-style bowls with lemongrass fish sauce. Something went wrong (bad lemongrass paste? too much fish sauce?) and the sauce was inedible, so I made a batch of my favorite  peanut sauce  instead. It made the meal richer and more kid-friendly, and it was delicious. The particular components of the bowl could be anything, but I really liked the combination of rice and lettuce (it's hard to tell, but they are side-by-side under the tofu). Also, I had fresh basil, cilantro, and mint in the garden, which I highly recommend adding when possible. The Recipe: Peanut sauce:  see recipe Base: jasmine rice, lettuce, or both Vegetables: cucumber, plus maybe bell peppers next time? Herbs: cilantro, basil, mint Protein: sliced/pressed tofu, tossed with soy sauce and sesame oil, baked at 400 for 35ish minutes Other: roasted peanuts are good for extra crunch Layer the solid ingredients. Top with peanut sauce. T...

  Sorry for the weird lighting. The swiss chard in the garden has been reseeding itself and spreading into a swiss chard forest. So, swiss chard in all the things! I put this together from a combination of different recipes, and it's delicious. We used it in enchiladas, but it would also be good in a burrito or spread thin in a quesadilla. The Recipe: 1 large onion, chopped 1 bunch swiss chard, chopped with stems and leaves separated 3 cloves garlic, minced 15 oz cooked pinto beans 1 tb chili powder 2 tsp cumin salt to taste In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onions and chard stems until softened and slightly browned.  Salt to taste Add garlic and saute 1 minute Add chard leaves and saute until wilted Add remaining ingredients and salt to taste The Verdict: Overall grade: A Overall reason: Healthy and delicious! Time to prepare: 15 minutes Husband quote: [I asked him how he liked the filling...] "It's so filling!"

With brown crispy bits because I have a real carbon steel wok now I'm continually on the hunt for new interesting fried rice recipes, because I have yet to make fried rice as good as I can get it in a few restaurants (Korea House and Bao Bao House, I'm looking at you). Today I was looking at a partial jar of  Cambodian lemongrass paste  in the fridge and thinking that I should try to use that in fried rice, but I was nervous that it might be a bad idea. After some targeting searching, I found a recipe on Plant Based Matters that does exactly this. The seasoning is just the paste, salt to taste, and fresh lime. I was empowered. I do wish that I could find the lemongrass paste locally, since it's a little expensive to order online. This recipe, as well as  the stir-fry that I bought it for , each use half of the $10 jar. Still cheaper than restaurant food, but not great. One day I'll track down lemongrass and kefir lime and galangal and try to make it myself. (Note: the P...

  I recommend going heavy on the peanuts I recently finally branched out and tried something new at  Angkor Cambodian Restaurant , and now I'll never branch out ever again because my new favorite dish is too good. They call it Cha Krung, though I've seen a lot of other spellings in my attempt to find recipes. It's a lemongrass stir-fry and they do it with green beans, carrot, onion, and jalapeno, with peanuts on top. The peanuts are amazing in this, but I also really love the way they stir-fry the jalapeno as a vegetable, by removing the seeds and veins and slicing it thin. In my version above I used what I had, which was broccoli, eggplant from the garden, thai chilies instead of the jalapeno (but I'm going to grow jalapenos next year for this purpose), and fresh basil since I found a lot of recipes calling for it. And tofu, though it sounds like chicken is most traditional. I was a bit discouraged when researching recipes because I would need to acquire fresh lemongra...

Showing off my banchan setup I've been trying for a long time to branch out from  doenjang jigae  (not that I'm tired of it), and I keep trying to find soondubu jigae that I like, but until now I hadn't succeeded in either a restaurant or a recipe at home. I prefer it without seafood or meat, and as much as I like kimchi, I don't love it in stews. So in the end I keep having stew that feels like it's missing something. But this one! This one is delicious. I worked from  this recipe from Food52 . It's the first soondubu jigae recipe that I've found that has gochujang and doenjang, so maybe it's less traditional than some, but I like it. It gives it the richness that I enjoy in doenjang jigae, but it's different enough that I feel like I have a second korean stew in my repertoire now. My changes were to omit the kimchi and to substitute dried shiitakes for the enoki mushrooms, though I'd love to use enoki mushrooms in this when I have some. This wa...

  If I'd known how good this would be, I would have taken a better photo. Will update next time. The inspiration for this one came from the same place as the pav bhaji -  Beryl's video  about foods that kids love around the world. And just like the last one, the kids weren't into it (yet?) but the husband loved it. The only time I'd previously had groundnut stew is at  Cafe Yumm . It's my favorite soup to put in their "souper" bowl, which reminds me that I should have set some of this stew aside to make my own Yumm bowl with it. Next time. This version is much better than the one at Cafe Yumm, and the husband says it's his new favorite food. It's going into the rotation. I worked from  this recipe  from SimplyRecipes, and the only changes I made were to make it vegetarian. I replaced the chicken stock with vegetable stock and I replaced the chicken with Quorn's Meatless Chicken Pieces, which I know is a weird unnatural and probably unhealthy fo...

  This looked like too much red onion, but it was actually not enough. I watched  this Beryl video  about meals that kids love around the world, and it said that kids in India love pav bhaji. I had doubts that my kids would be into it, but I thought it looked delicious, so I looked it up.  I used  this recipe  from Ministry of Curry. The only changes I made were 1 red bell pepper instead of half of two different peppers, snap peas instead of frozen peas because I have lots in the garden, no tomato paste because I didn't have any, a few more tomatoes to make up for that, and unbuttered untoasted brioche buns instead of buttered toasted potato buns, because that sounded better to me. When I saw Beryl's plate with all of the red onions, I didn't get it. I get it now. Lots of red onion is the way to go. One kid didn't like it and the other wasn't even willing to taste it, but I have hopes for the future. Also, it seems like it would be good just over rice with ...

  Toasted sesame seeds are maybe not traditional, but they're delicious. This is my attempt to recreate the beautiful simplicity of my favorite dish at  Sabai . I've tried many times to find a good recipe for Thai "garlic sauce," or "garlic and black pepper sauce," but Sabai lists it with a real name (pad pak ruammit) and that led me to my most successful google search yet. I worked from  this recipe from Siam Sizzles . It's good, but it needed a bit more oomph. Specifically: 1) Add freshly cracked black pepper 2) Increase the proportion of soy sauce 3) Drizzle chili oil on top, to taste Sabai still does it better, but this is delicious. The Recipe: 1 tb sugar 3 tb soy sauce, plus more to taste 2 tb oyster sauce 2 tb water 2 tb sesame oil freshly cracked black pepper, to taste 1 block tofu, cubed and baked or fried 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 handful snap peas, sliced 1 crown broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces 1/2 onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced ...

Since the rest of the family doesn't share my desire to eat Korean stew every day, I've been wanting to try a Japanese-type stew as a compromise. I got excited when I read  this Oden recipe  from Just One Cookbook, because the broth and method seemed to match what I was looking for. I've made it twice so far: once with the traditional fish cakes and hard boiled eggs, and once just with tofu and vegetables. I kept the original recipe's instructions for the broth, and I also kept their additions of daikon radish (because I still have about 15 in the ground from this fall's garden), kombu, and green onion. To that, I added some shredded cabbage, sliced zucchini, and soft tofu in the one without fish cakes, all of which makes it feel a bit more like the Korean stews that I crave. The full array of fish cakes was a bit too much for me, but I think it would be perfect to have just one small package of fish cakes together with tofu and vegetables. The eggs were really good...