Okra Kimchi, by Diane

 I love okra, and wanted a creative green veggie for the week. I came across this recipe from @korean.roots to turn okra into kimchi and it could not have been easier! This was really good, and while you can have this fresh right away I liked it the more it fermented in the fridge!

Ingredients:

1.5 lb young okra, tops and tails removed and cut into 1 inch slices

4 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 small red apple, minced

3 green onions, chopped (green parts only or can use both)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp white sugar

3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Toss okra in salt, let rest up to 2 hours, rinse and drain 2-3 times. Okra should still be a little salty.

2. Combine okra with remaining ingredients.

3. Serve immediately or refridgerate/ferment in an airtight container.

Pillowy Ricotta Gnudi, by Cheryl

I was looking for a ricotta recipe that wasn't lasagna and came across this! I don't know what I was thinking this would be except a big ball of gooey warm cheese, but that's exactly what it is. I made it with a butter sage sauce, which was good, but I think a marinara sauce like the recipe stated would be better. These would be great on some doughy pieces of bread! I liked it a lot, but it's not for dinner. Maybe an appetizer? I'm still not sure how I feel about it. And I have about 12 balls leftover. Yum? 

Ingredients: 

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

30 oz ricotta cheese, (1 large container, or two small)

2 large eggs

1.5 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups all purpose flour, divided

Sauce: 3 cups marinara sauce or butter with sage

Directions: 

1) Place Parmesan cheese in large bowl with the ricotta cheese. Add two large eggs, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Add 1 cup flour and stir until just combined.

2) Dust a rimmed baking sheet with 1/2 flour. Scoop out a golf ball size gnudi and place them on the sheet. You may have around 35 balls. Sprinkle the top with the other 1/2 cup flour. Place is refrigerator for 20 minutes. 

3) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

4) Gently place the gnudi one by one into the boiling water without overcrowding. Boil until the gnudi float and are firm to the touch, about 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the gnudi to the serving bowls.

5) Spoon the sauce over the gnudi. Garnish with chopped basil. 

Butter (or ghee) and Garlic Mushrooms, by Cheryl

For some reason I had a family size container of baby bella mushrooms that I had to use. I needed a quick and easy recipe in order to use them all. This recipe is so simple and SO delicious! If I had a shallot I would have chopped some of that up and put it in there. It was a hit with 3/4 of us so I'd say that's a win! It was a perfect side. Yum!

Ingredients:

Baby bella mushrooms

A few tbsps butter or ghee, salted

Parsley 

Minced garlic, a few tbsp

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a pan. Add garlic and parsley. 

2) Next, add the mushrooms. Flip over to cover them with the sauce. Cook on low medium heat for a little bit on each side. 

3) Dust a little parsley on top when finished cooking. 

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with a Sweet and Spicy Yogurt, by Cheryl

We were visiting our friends' house a couple of weekends ago and as always they made us a delicious lunch while we hung out at their pool. I'm always so impressed with people that can just make up their own recipes routinely... I rarely can do that! I made this again when we got home. This yogurt sauce is the perfect compliment to grilled sweet potatoes and is just what we needed on a hot day! Yum!

Ingredients:

Several large sweet potatoes. sliced long ways

Olive oil

A large tub of plain Greek yogurt

Lemon juice from 2 lemons

Paprika

Hot honey, drizzles here and there

Scallions, sliced

Directions:

1) Brush the sweet potatoes with olive oil. Put on the grill and cook until softened. 

2) Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients except the scallions. Mix well. Place a dollop of sauce on top of the sweet potatoes, topped with the scallions and a a drizzle of the hot honey. 

Spontaneous Salsa, by Diane

 

I was really craving chips and salsa the other night, but didn't feel like leaving the house. I was about to make my Spicy Fermented Tomatillo Salsa, but really wanted a tomato-based salsa. The issue was that I didn't have tomatoes, so after pulling a few ingredients, I found a jar of Rao's marinara sauce. In a pinch, I used it and whoa did this come out amazing!! I like it better than regular salsa, especially with how the flavors blended the following day! This was a happy accident I will definitely be making again! I also didn't have regular chips on hand, but the siete knock-off of Doritos actually made this way better- score!

Ingredients:

1 whole white onion, quartered

1/2 large poblano pepper, seeds removed

1/4 jalepeño, seeds removed

1 large handful cilantro leaves

2 cloves garlic

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup Rao's marinara sauce

Directions: 

Pulse all ingredients except marinara until chunky, then add in marinara and combine quickly to as blended as you like.

Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, by Diane

 

I saw this recipe by Plant You on ig, and thought I'd give them a try since we all know I love my air fryer. These were super easy, but my biggest complaint was the cooking instructions. You are supposed to cook them at 450 for 15 minutes and then flip and cook for another 10. My air fryer only goes to 400 and I did 10 minutes before I noticed one side was burning so I flipped them, and 5 minutes later they were almost all char. So I would definitely make them again but with a new cooking time, which I'll write below. I served them with her roasted red pepper sauce, which was also a good pairing- I added nutritional yeast to this and that made it way better!

Ingredients:

2 lbs brussels sprouts, ends cut off

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. Steam the brussels sprouts for 8 min.

2. Flatten the sprouts with the bottom of a cup to smash, and lay in an even layer in a greased air fryer. 

3. Drizzle each side with oil, and sprinkle tops with seasonings. Cook at 400 for 5 minutes.

4. Flip the sprouts, season the other side, and cook at 400 for another 5-10 minutes until crispy. 

For the sauce: Blend 3/4 cup soaked cashews (soak for 30 min), 1 clove garlic, 1/2 roasted red pepper, 1/4 cup almond milk, 2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp nutritional yeast until smooth.

Yummy Potatoes, by Cheryl

I don't even know what to title these, but they are gooooood! Over Labor Day weekend we visited our friends Dave and Carla. Dave is always coming up with these great recipes on the spot. This is one that he made for us as a side to our dinner. And they were so good that I made them soon after coming home! I never thought I would like this since I'm not the biggest fan of mustard, but the flavors work so well together! I love these potatoes! Yum!

Ingredients:

1lb small red or white potatoes

2-3 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard (the one with the seeds)

1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar

a handful of chopped parsley

1 shallot, diced

Directions:

1) Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Place the potatoes in until tender (not mushy).

2) Meanwhile, put all of the other ingredients in a bowl and mix together. 

3) Drain the potatoes and cut them in half, or quarters depending on how large they are. 

4) Place potatoes in bowl and mix together until covered. 

Crispy Baked Tofu Bites, by Diane

I found this recipe from @plantyou, one of my favorite instagram accounts for healthy meal ideas and ways to use food scraps. These were a really crispy good snack/lunch! I made a few swaps that I included in the recipe below rather than posting hers.

First, I decided to swap the cornstarch for sweet potato starch, which I had leftover from my Taiwanese Chicken Cutlets, because it's extra crunchy when used as a coating. I also added my favorite chili crisp by Laogonma for flavor and a little bit of heat (this stuff is gold!!). The wet ingredients soaked up pretty quickly leaving me with no batter to coat the tofu, possibly from the addition of the sweet potato starch or possibly because I left the wet ingredients for about 5 min before I coated the tofu. As a result, the "batter" was sort of crumbly, so I sprayed the tofu cubes with avocado oil and tossed it in the crumbs and hoped for the best (it did actually all stick to the tofu in the end though)! Next time I'll coat the tofu in the wet ingredients before I toss in the starch and see if that helps, which I noted below. Finally, I used my air fryer, although her recipe uses the oven, and they did also turn out really crispy! 

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu, pressed for 20 min and sliced into cubes

2 tbsp EVOO

2 tsp cornstarch (I used sweet potato starch)

2 tsp seasoning (I used goya here)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp chili crisp

Directions:

1. Add EVOO, seasoning, and soy sauce in a bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Toss in tofu cubes to coat well, then add in starch and toss again.

3. Bake in air fryer @ 400 for 15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Chinese Marinated Ramen Eggs, by Diane

 

I made these for a healthy snack this week as a fun twist on hard boiled eggs. I LOVE these eggs in ramen, they are my favorite part! I overcooked these by a minute, and wished they would have been more jammy, but know what to do for next time! They had a cool flavor and I was happy overall with how they turned out- yum! Marinade recipe by see_jay91 on instagram, egg recipe by justonecookbook.com

Ingredients:

12 eggs

2 star anise pods

1 scallion, green and white parts, cut into 1/3rds

4 inches ginger, sliced into thick coins

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

1/2 cup shao xing wine

2 tbsp rock sugar

1/3 cup chinese soy sauce

1/4 cup chinese dark soy sauce

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, toast the star anise pods until fragrant. Add scallion and ginger, toast lightly for 2 min.

2. Add in stock, water, wine, and sugar and stir to combine, bring to a simmer.

3. Add in soy sauces, stir to combine.

4. Chill marinade in the fridge until completely cooled.

5. To make the eggs, bring a large pot of water plus 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp vinegar to a rolling boil. Add in eggs with a slotted spoon straight from the fridge. Set a timer for 7 minutes at the time of the addition of the first egg and cook until that ends.

6. Remove the eggs directly into an ice bath for 15 min, then peel.

7. Add the peeled eggs to the marinade, cover the top of the liquid with a paper towel, and cover with lid. Let sit for 24 hours minimum. 

Flower Child Sweet Potatoes, by Diane

These sweet potatoes are my favorite side at a local restaurant called Flower Child. They are red chili glazed, but not spicy. They melt in your mouth!! I was lucky enough to find their recipe posted online, and decided to make these stat! So easy, healthy, and definitely will be on rotation in the future. Yum!

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:

2.5 lbs sweet potatoes, cubed and roasted, at room temperature

1/2 cup sesame vinaigrette

1 cup kale, shredded

handful toasted sesame seeds

For the vinaigrette:

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tbsp sriracha 

1/3 cup tamari

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 cup grapeseed oil (I used coconut oil)

Directions:

1. For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients except the oils and use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Slowly incorporate both oils, bit by bit, with the blender until smooth and emulsified.

2. Warm the vinaigrette in a large sautee pan until simmering. Add the room temp sweet potatoes, kale, and sesame seeds.

3. Toss to incorporate until liquid is gone and remove from heat.

Classic Deviled Eggs, by Diane

 

A photo of my snack lunches from last week!

This week I wanted a healthy lunch of a mix of things, and I had a carton of eggs just staring at me, so I made this classic deviled eggs recipe. They were very good and easy, and tasted great with my new smoked spanish paprika from Penzey's. 

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1 tsp dijon

1-2 dashes tabasco (I left this out)

Salt, to taste

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tbsp snipped fresh chives (I couldn't find these at the store)

3 tbsp mayo

Paprika and whole chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, then cover and remove from heat for 10-12 min. 

2. Peel under cool water and let sit in fridge for 15 min. 

3. Halve the eggs lengthwise, scoop out yolks, and mash with a fork.

4. Add in all ingredients except garnishes, combine well and fill egg whites.

5. Garnish and enjoy

Rojak, by Diane

 

This was the side dish of our Indonesian lunch, and so so good! Rojak is one of my most favorite Indonesian and Malaysian dishes. It is a really unique combo of jicama, green mango, pineapple, and cucumber (this version had apple too) in a really flavorful sauce that is sweet and savory. The crunch of the veggies with the sweet savory sauce and peanut top is really addictive and extra refreshing in the summertime! I had no idea it was so easy to make, so this will be on repeat all summer as a light meal or fun snack! Recipe from my friend's Indonesian Street Food cookbook!

Ingredients:

1 medium jicama, peeled and cubed

1 medium green apple, peeled and cubed

1 green mango, peeled and cubed

3/4 pineapple, peeled and cubed

2 kirby cucumbers, chopped into bite size pieces

1 tbsp dried shrimp paste

3 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1.5 tbsp tamarind paste

1 fresh fresno chili

3 tbsp palm sugar (or sub dark brown)

1/2 cup skinned roasted ground peanuts

Directions:

1. Add all the fruits and veggies to a bowl and toss. Set aside. 

2. Start to make the sauce by placing the shrimp paste in a square of foil, folding inward to make a smaller square. Flatten the square with the palm of your hand. Roast this packet directly over gas flame for 1.5 minutes on each side until the paste begins to smoke and takes on a slightly burnt flavor. Open the packet and let cool.

3. Add soy sauce-sugar, plus the cooled shrimp paste, into a bowl and whisk until mixed.

4. Combine the sauce and fruits, top with peanuts and serve cold. Don't wait longer than 20 minutes to serve or else it becomes less crunchy!

Orchard Applesauce, by Diane

This is not the world's most complex recipe, so I debated putting it on here, but applesauce wasn't something I knew how to make before so I'm adding it! Plus we have a goal to meet, right Cheryl?!? Apple picking is one of my most favorite fall traditions, and this year I had a lot of extra apples leftover. This recipe is quick and super easy, and only gets better each day in the fridge if you can make it last!

The key to this applesauce is which apples you choose. First off, orchard apples in the fall just simply taste better than store bought apples year round, so go for that if you can! We have found in our family that selecting sweet/tart varieties work best. All sweet makes it too sweet, and all tart...well...yeah. If your goal is to have it be healthier and unsweetened as mine is, I would recommend choosing either all apples that are both sweet and tart, or 1 sweet apple per 3-4 tarts. 

Ingredients:

5-7 large apples (see above), peeled and cubed

1 cup water (for a thicker sauce, see below)

2 tsp cinnamon

Optional: honey

Directions:

1. Place the apples and water in a large pot with a lid on medium heat.

2. Cover and let simmer until the apples break down, stirring occasionally. 

3. When the apples start to break down you can help them along with the back of a spoon if you want chunky applesauce like we love, or you can use an immersion blender to get it smooth. Add more water if you want it thinner or if the bottom starts to brown.

4. Add in cinnamon, and if desired, sweetener of choice (honey works great!).

 

Indian Pickles, by Diane

 

After the success of Quickles and Korean Pickles, I wanted to see if I could create any other fun pickle recipes with other international flavors because they are awesome to snack on after the pool or being outside. This recipe from myrecipes.com was awesome with one big exception- I wouldn't let these marinate for longer than a few hours. By the time I got to them after 24 hours they were so strong I couldn't handle them! So in the future I'd follow these instructions and pull them after 40 min. I also used a mandolin to make pickle slices, but this recipe called for spears which may have also made them taste stronger. Side note- I had all the spices on hand thanks to our cooking through the countries activities during quarantine, so that felt like a win!

Ingredients: 

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp each brown mustard seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, whole allspice

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 cardamom pods, split open

2 small dried red chiles, broken in half

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half

1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced thick

6 persian cucumbers sliced thin (I used a mandolin)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and add in mustard seeds for 2 min.

2. Add remaining spices except turmeric and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. 

3. Add turmeric, then remaining ingredients except cucumbers and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 min. 

4. Put cucumbers into a glass jar or bowl, then pour liquid over top. Marinate for 40 minutes at room temp, then drain liquid and chill for up to 2 days.

Marinated Mushrooms, by Diane

I made these mushrooms for a salad I created for the week, and they were really good! This was a really easy recipe and would go well with a lot of things. The vinegar flavor was a bit strong for me to have eaten them on their own but they went great with salad!

Ingredients:

1 package cremini mushrooms

4 cloves garlic (2 smashed and 2 minced)

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup finely diced shallot

1/4 cup EVOO

2 tbsp each white wine and red wine vinegar

3/4 tsp italian seasoning

salt and black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 1/2 tsp finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Fill a large saucepan w 5 cups water, add smashed garlic, thyme, 1 bay leaf and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a rapid simmer.

2. Add the mushrooms and keep at a simmer for 3-5 minutes until tender, then drain well. 

3. While the mushrooms cook, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine well. 

4. Add the mushrooms while still warm, mix well, and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours (up to 10 days).

Korean Tofu and Spicy Ketchup, by Diane

 

This was another banchan, or small dish, from cooking through the countries Korean edition! This one was a hit, and the sauce was so outstanding it would be great on just about everything! I just so happened to have doubled the sauce on instinct and I’m glad I did (posted below with doubled measurements). I also airfried them out of convenience, but the recipe calls for pan frying in oil. Super easy and already looking forward to leftovers!

https://mykoreankitchen.com/korean-tofu-spicy-ketchup/

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu

Spray avocado oil

6 tbsp ketchup

2-3 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste) (I used 1!)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp sliced green onion

Directions:

1. Press the tofu by wrapping it in a handtowel, placing it on top of a cookie sheet, and placing another cookie sheet with a weight on top of that (I used a hand weight). Leave for an hour. This will get the water out so you can get the tofu crispy! 

2. Pat the tofu dry and fry on all sides until browned (I air-fried these at 350 for 10, then 400 until browned- another 5-10).

3. Combine ketchup through garlic and toss over tofu. Mix well and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.

Korean Cucumber Apple Pickle, by Diane

This was another banchan, or small dish in the cooking through the countries Korea edition. This was meant to be a palate cleanser, and it was nice and refreshing. I would decrease the amount of ginger next time, but overall good and easy to make!

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cucumber-apple-pickle-351891

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/8 inch thick 

1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 Granny Smith apple, sliced 1/8 inch think

2 cups water

1/3 cup rice or cider vinegar

1 tbsp matchstick ginger

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of Korean red pepper flakes 

Directions:

1. Toss the cucumbers with salt and let sweat for 30 minutes. Rinse and squeeze the excess liquid out of the cucumbers. 

2. Combine all ingredients and chill for one day, stirring occasionally. 

Baked Eggplant with Mushroom and Tomato Sauce, by Cheryl

I needed to use stuff in my fridge in order to fit more food in it. This meal kind of just came together with the ingredients I had on hand. I had an idea in my mind of what I wanted to make with it and then used this recipe to help execute. I would have been fine with this as the main dish, but Jon needs some extra oomph to a meal so I added some pasta on the side. This was super delicious and very easy to put together! Yum! 

Ingredients:

1 peeled eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 cup chopped onion

cooking spray

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (8-ounce) package of sliced mushrooms

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat broiler. Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes per side.

2) Preheat oven to 375.

3) Heat a pan with oil and cook the onion and everything through the mushrooms for 7 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high and cook for 2 minutes or until water evaporates. 

4) Spread half the mixture into the bottom of a baking dish coated with spray. Arrange half the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle with pepper. Top with 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/3 cup mozzarella. Spread remaining mushroom mixture on top. Arrange the rest of the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle with pepper. Top with remaining tomato sauce.

5) Cover and bake for 1 hour. 

6) Sprinkle with 1/3 mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Cauliflower Garlic Fried Rice, by Diane

 

I made this as a side dish to go with my Gyoza Dumpling Meatballs, it came together in a few minutes while the meatballs were in the oven. Pretty good as a side or on its own!

Ingredients:

2 bags cauliflower rice w mixed veggies

4 eggs, whisked

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 green onions, sliced

3 tbsp coconut aminos 

1 tbsp sesame oil

Salt and white pepper

Onion powder

Directions:

1. Preheat a pan to medium heat, add in coconut oil. When hot, add garlic and shallot slices and fry for 1 minute until crispy. Remove from pan.

2. Add sesame oil in, then pour in eggs. Allow to set for a minute, sprinkle on spices. Break up with the back of a wooden spoon.

3. Add in the cauliflower, green onions, and garlic/shallots. Mix well and add in seasonings to taste. 

Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut and Lemon Zest, by Diane

 

I found this recipe and it seemed like the perfect side dish! The flavors combined really well, but I did make some seasoning modifications as well as a pan sauce to go with it. The beans came out perfectly! I wish I had less hazelnuts in here though, next time!

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans

1/4 cup toasted crushed hazelnuts 

1 shallot, sliced into thin rings 

2 tbsp EVOO

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp arrowroot powder

1 tsp truffle oil

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add in EVOO. Add in shallots and cook 5 min until golden brown.

2. Add in beans, broth, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cover for 8 minutes. 

3. Uncover and add nuts, zest, and remaining seasonings. Sprinkle on arrowroot powder and stir until pan sauce thickens. 

4. Turn off heat and drizzle truffle oil, adjust seasonings.