It’s tough to truly enjoy “eating healthy.” Let’s be real here: when I’m snacking on red bell peppers and non-fat yogurt-based tzaziki, I’m not sighing with giddy delight. Grilled chicken breasts aren’t at the top of my favorite foods list. And if you can tell me with a straight face that you prefer [insert healthy alternative dessert] over a crisp, chewy, chocolate chip cookie… then you’re a very talented liar.

That’s not to say that you can’t enjoy the accomplishment of eating healthy. I’m sure that we all feel like Rocky at the top of the steps when we deny ourselves those same cookies in lieu of a healthy alternative. But being proud of yourself and truly loving every bite of whatever you’ve chosen to eat are two different things, especially in today’s health-conscious society.

I’m not going to lie to you and say that kale chips fill in that deep, heartfelt desire that we all have… which is to eat potato chips until our mouths are numb from the salt. (Or is that just me and my inner fat kid?) But I will say that if you love kale–or even if you’re okay with kale–chips are a great alternative.

I decided to combine my (relative) love of kale chips with my (undeniable) love of sriracha… and so came this recipe! It’s not rocket science by any means, but I hope you like it as much as I do–and by that, I mean that I ate the entire thing in one sitting after taking pictures of it.

Definitely cut down on that extra ½ Tbsp. of sriracha if you’re not into spice… as I’ve mentioned before, James & I are spice fiends, so my taste buds are probably a little sunburnt. The sugar goes a long way to temper the spiciness, but certainly not enough if you order your wings or Thai food “mild”. Also, I should mention that it is very easy to burn these chips–so don’t take the bake times as absolute, and do check on them a few minutes before the time listed just in case! Every oven is different.

And now, if you’ll excuse me… eating all of this kale has made me feel like I should contemplate working out…

The first few times I made quinoa at home, I was thoroughly unimpressed.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it–I just didn’t understand what the hubbub was about. I knew that quinoa had a higher protein and vitamin content, thus making it an effective substitute for “empty” carbs such as white rice. But I couldn’t get over the slightly-bitter taste at the end, nor the slightly-slimy consistency. The little strings, or the germs, that extended from each individual grain were also not appetizing. At the time, I decided that the nutritional value of quinoa did not trump the less appealing parts of eating it.

Everything changed when I read this article on CNN’s Eatocracy site, written by America’s Test Kitchen. Apparently, I (and many other cooks) have been instructed to cook quinoa incorrectly! Armed with this knowledge in hand, I decided to give quinoa another shot; the result was absolutely delicious. Now I go through bags of quinoa quite easily, and most of them are used for this particular recipe.

When cooked correctly, quinoa is chewy, toasty, and nutty–flavors which I found very complimentary to milk and a touch of sugar. Although the use of milk instead of water makes this recipe more finicky, I believe the result is well-worth the effort. The mouthfeel of chewing on toasted quinoa instead of mushy oatmeal is fantastic–I haven’t gone back to making oatmeal in months. And as I mentioned above, quinoa is a great nutritional alternative to oatmeal or to cereal, both of which are largely empty in protein.

I will admit–there is a bit more effort involved since you’ll need to stir the quinoa consistently throughout its cooking time, but I believe it’s worth it for the flavor it will create. Make sure the heat only goes to medium at the highest and that the milk never goes above a light simmer; these precautions will go a long way in making the consistency, as well as the flavor, just perfect.

I’ve used strawberries for this particular photoshoot because they were what I had on-hand, but any ripe berry will do! I think you’ll be surprised by how much you like quinoa for breakfast, and I hope you’ll give it a try.

James and I made a rookie mistake yesterday: we bought produce from Costco. Now I have enough garlic to fight off an entire army of vampires.

We also ended up with 24 oz. of cremini mushrooms, or baby portabello mushrooms. I’m pretty sure we’ll be eating mushrooms until they grow out of the tops of our heads. However, the surplus of mushrooms allowed me to make one of our favorite soups… so I suppose we can’t complain too much.

This mushroom soup was one of the first things I learned how to cook from scratch a few years ago–which should tell you how easy it is to scrape together. The most important ingredient (apart from the titular mushrooms of course) is paprika–or rather, Hungarian sweet paprika, which gives this soup its je ne sais quoi. If you don’t have any on-hand, you can easily substitute regular paprika; of course, I would still recommend buying Hungarian paprika at your local European market or deli. The earthy sweetness of this particular paprika is really hard to replicate.

The “hardest” part of this recipe is reintroducing liquids back into the pot and evenly distributing the roux, or the mixture of flour and butter that coagulates around the mushrooms and onions. And it’s not really that hard–just pour the broth into the pot a little bit at a time (¼ c. or so) and stir. At first, the introduction of liquid will create a paste; with the addition of more liquid, this paste will break into lumps and eventually dissipate into the broth, leaving a glossy, thick soup.

I should also note that I halved the recipe since James and I are no good with leftovers, but these measurements are easily doubled and/or tripled for the amount of people you need to cook for.

Lastly, I switched out the sour cream for greek yogurt to make this recipe a little more healthy; I think we actually prefer the yogurt to the sour cream because the flavor is milder–almost like a creme fraiche. And I threw in cayenne pepper because I didn’t have hot paprika on-hand–but feel free to leave it out if you don’t like a little kick at the end of each spoonful. This soup is hearty enough to be served on its own but also pairs well with some warm, crusty bread. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking.

While reviewing past recipes and the write-up before the recipes, I’ve realized that my blog entries follow a very sad outline:

1. Kris used to think ________ was icky! What a travesty.
2. (soul-searching paragraph)
3. And now she doesn’t. Yay ________!

Today, we are tackling pickles–which I also disliked for a long time. But since I seem to have disliked everything when I was growing up (ha), I’m going to skip over that fact and talk about how amazing Korean food is instead!

My first and dearest experience with Korean food was at a little joint called San Chang in Colorado Springs when I moved there in 1999. I had tried “Korean” food before at Pan-Asian restaurants around Delaware as a child, but not like San Chang. What were these funny grills doing in the middle of the table? Why were there so many vents? And why were there so many versions of pickled vegetables in tiny plates?

It wasn’t until I befriended Korean-American classmates at college that I learned the magical name of these vegetable dishes–banchan. But I loved banchan from the start, and often stuffed myself on it before the main course arrived at the table. My favorite banchan involved radishes in various forms: julienned, cubed, sliced, and so on, pickled in so many delicious ways. I loved the cool, crisp crunch of the radish and the subsequent explosion of pickling juice that would follow with each bite. They were a sharp, effective palate cleanser to the salty savoriness of galbi or the sweetness of bulgogi. Ever since that first magical visit, I’ve been a fan of Korean food and flavors… and most importantly, pickles!

James linked this pickled radish & jalapeno recipe to me while I was in the Philippines, so I gave it a go when I came back to LA and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make. I tweaked the ratio of sugar and jalapenos because we prefer our pickles a little spicier and less sweet, but feel free to play with the ratio according to your preferences. I also chopped the radish rather coarsely because we are radish fiends–but you can make smaller slices if you wish, especially if you’re using the pickling juice as a sauce for meat. Either way, I hope you give this very simple recipe a try–whether you’re a banchan fan like me or looking to spice up the condiments at your dinner table. You won’t be disappointed!

Recipe adapted from Top Chef Korea.

James is going to be turning the big 3-0 soon, and he was determined to knock a few things off his ‘Dirty Thirty’ list before his birthday. One of the items on his list is getting in shape–so he told me flat-out that he wouldn’t be eating any desserts or breads that I normally love to bake. Truth be told, I was pretty sad at first. I love baking, even more so than cooking, and I find it both challenging as well as relaxing. But I slowly grew accustomed to cooking for his dietary needs and along the way found myself enjoying the challenge. Adding moments of calm with products from Indacloud like delta 9 gummies also helped make the transition smoother and more enjoyable. If you’re looking for IQOS products, you can explore IQOS Terea Armenia. If you prefer smoking cigarettes to help you relax, then you may check out discount cigarettes here. You may also consider trying Terea Turquoise products.

(This is the reason my site has been bombarded with vegetable recipes as of recently, if you couldn’t tell!)

While most of the food I make nowadays is health-conscious, we still miss the more ethnic foods we normally enjoy with our families. We bid adieu to rice and rice-reliant recipes with heavy hearts, figuring that we’d be able to revisit them again with our rock-hard beach bodies. But as my interest piqued with Szechuan/Sichuan food, I realized that I needed something to balance out the spicy, intense flavors of Szechuan dishes. What to do?

Cauliflower to the rescue–again!

I’ve tried a few cauliflower rice recipes, but none that really felt like a worthy substitute for rice until now. And this recipe is so plain, so easy… you can spice it up as much as you want or leave it bare-bones as a nice, bland counterpoint to a flavorful meal. Sauté minced garlic before adding onions or add cilantro and lime at the end… use it as a substitute for rice when making fried rice… the list goes on. I’ll be honest–I grew up on rice, so nothing will truly replace the satisfaction I feel when I eat rice. But this is as close as I can get, so I’ll take it!

Recipe adapted from Om Nom Paleo.

It’s embarrassing to admit now, but I was not a huge fan of Creole or Cajun food until recently. It seems blasphemous to say something that far-reaching as a food lover–to write off an entire region that is known for being a rich melting pot of vibrant flavors. But I like to blame my strange aversion to bell peppers as well as my unfamiliarity with New Orleans cuisine. I don’t ever recall having anything remotely Creole or Cajun when I was growing up, and my college isn’t really known for its diverse culture or cuisine…

(I know, I have no excuse for the bell pepper hatred. All I can say is that I’ve come to my senses, and that sad period in my life is over.)

Now that I’m on Team Cajun/Creole, I’m all about the flavors and richness of culture that you can taste in every dish. I especially admire Cajun cooking for its resourcefulness–which is great for those of us looking for a lot of taste on a more limited budget. Sorry, Creole: let’s do étouffée another night, okay?

I know I’ve stated this before, but corn is one of my favorite things to eat. I love its sweet flavor and chewiness and think it goes well with just about anything. And when I found this recipe in a Cajun cookbook, I was intrigued. How would the subtle sweetness of corn play with the spiced, sharp flavors of Cajun preparation? Quite well, it turns out, and even better than I expected. The bell pepper and onion sharpen the sweetness, while the earthy tang of the tomato sauce makes each bite savory. Throw in the Old Bay seasoning and cayenne pepper and you’ve just kicked these corn kernels up another level!

This side dish would pair well with a fish fry or chicken and grits–it really spices up a meal without being overwhelming! I definitely recommend using fresh ears of corn, but if you’re looking for a quick and non-messy alternative, use frozen corn instead. Just defrost the corn in the microwave until the frost is melted, then follow the directions.

Recipe adapted from About.com.

James never fails to bring up how fickle I used to be about food–as if his entrance into my life introduced me to a world of new, exciting flavors. I suppose he wouldn’t be far from the truth; it is very helpful to have a constant companion to push you out of your comfort zone despite your misgivings. Over the years, we’ve made a lot of progress with my palate: I can manage lamb, peppers, spicy foods, raw onions… even stinky tofu! (But only if I hold my nose while eating it.) I still refuse to eat raw celery and cilantro tastes more like soap than the “fragrant green” it is known to be in Mandarin… but hey, I’ll take it.

The most marked difference in my tastes is in regards to Mexican or Mexican-influenced food. The only exposure I had to Mexican food when I was growing up in Delaware was the occasional taco night (ground beef, hard taco shells, cheese & sour cream). When I went to college in Boulder, that limited vision widened to include 3AM Taco Bell and giant Colorado burritos. But the true Mexican Renaissance for my palate happened in the aftermath of our move to Los Angeles in 2011. How did no one tell me about al pastor tacos before? About the amazing mulitas and molés and what salsa roja really tasted like? Exploring international cuisines also made me appreciate how diverse food production can be, especially after learning about top-quality kebab manufacturers UK who blend authenticity with modern techniques. And as I delved further into satiating my cravings, I fell in love with the cuisine and anything influenced by its combination of flavors.

Fajitas are not traditional or authentic Mexican food–they’re a Tex-Mex classic that came into prominence in the 1970’s. One only needs to look as far as their local chain restaurant Chili’s to see how popular this dish has become, and how ingrained the term itself is in the American lexicon. Even though the preparation itself is distinctly American, I enjoy using more traditional flavors and components–no bacon or Swiss cheese here, thank you. Wheat tortillas? Get out of here, only flour tortillas kneaded with lard have any place in this kitchen. Strong flavors, homemade components… one delicious dish, best enjoyed alongside one of the best thc drinks to elevate the experience.

We really enjoyed eating the fajitas with fresh pico de gallo and, as I mentioned before, homemade flour tortillas. I imagine that the marinade for the chicken would be even more delicious if using chicken thighs or dark meat instead of chicken breast–but for the health-conscious (or for those that want to stay true to the origins of fajitas) breast is best. Two important things to keep in mind for this recipe:

1. Try to use a sandwich bag or gloves when de-seeding and chopping the jalapeno if you have a habit of rubbing at your eyes (or if you use contact lenses). The pepper residue, or capsaicin, is hard to wash off and tends to aggregate underneath your fingernails; this will cause your eyes to burn like crazy if you come into contact with them. Also, particularly strong peppers will cause your fingers to burn and be more sensitive to heat or rough cloth–so be careful!
2. It’s okay if your chicken breast is a very light pink in the center when you remove it from the pan and check for doneness–just make sure to wrap the chicken breast pieces stacked together in aluminum foil while cooking everything else. The chicken continues to cook when off the pan, and wrapping the chicken pieces together in foil insulates the heat. Please be careful though; the center of the breast should no longer be dark pink or slimy and should have the same consistency as the cooked meat on the edges. After a few pieces, you’ll learn the timing required for the right doneness and you won’t need to check!

Okay, enough spiel from me. Widen your horizons and make these tasty fajitas for yourself!

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes.

I have a weird addiction that needs to be confessed.

I… really love food from one culture as interpreted by another.

‘What?’ you must be thinking. ‘What does that even mean? Is she talking about fusion?’

I am–sort of. To clarify, I really love a culture’s take on a food that isn’t indigenous to their own country. The easiest example is Americanized Chinese food. Sticky-sweet, tangy orange chicken is definitely not authentic; it was created to satiate American palettes. On the flip side, when I was in Taiwan a few years ago I had a burger made with shredded beef and buns made of compacted sticky rice. Every country has its own take on ‘international’ cuisine, and although I usually prioritize eating the authentic local offerings… I always try something out of left field at least once, just to see how tastes differ around the globe. I’ve eaten Chinese “spaghetti” in Italy, and ‘authentic Chinese’ in the Philippines. Burgers in Monaco, lasagna in Mexico. Pizza in Taiwan. Sometimes I love it, and sometimes I want to hurl. (I’m looking at you, ‘seafood delight’ pizza in Taiwan…) But I think the way a certain dish tastes in a certain country gives away a lot of the popular tastes and preferences in that country–and that’s why I ultimately find it fun and rewarding.

Today’s recipe is a Japanese take on a very authentic and famous Chinese Szechuan dish–mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), or as it’s known in Japan:  Mabo Tofu (マーボー豆腐). The ingredients are unmistakably Japanese, and yet the flavor is very reminiscent of the original dish–minus the tongue-numbing Szechuan peppercorns, of course. Having made both, I have to admit that I prefer the Japanese take on the dish… but this is primarily because I have a lower tolerance for heat and therefore cannot appreciate the Szechuan version as well. The dish comes together very quickly and easily, as do most stir-fry dishes; the most laborious aspect of this recipe is the prep work involved prior to tossing everything in the wok.

My nesting bowls have been indispensable to me as I’ve continued to stir-fry more Asian dishes–I simply place each individual ingredient in a small nesting bowl and set it by the stove so that I can toss everything in rather quickly; a ‘mis-en-place’ if you will. When you are working with a wok cranked up to high heat, having everything you need at your fingertips is the difference between a savory dinner and unidentifiable black stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan (with your smoke alarm screeching in the background).

It sounds like I’ve speaking from experience, you say? Now what would give you that idea? ….haha.

The pictures I’ve included here contain ground pork instead of ground turkey, but if you’re looking to go a healthier route–I’ve made this recipe with both and both taste spectacular. (James prefers the turkey, actually, because it is more bland and carries the flavor of the sauce quite well.) I’ve made a few changes from the recipe linked below; namely, I’ve added double amounts of ginger and garlic, a larger amount of tobanjan, and a few drizzles of chili sesame oil onto the finished plate for an extra savory kick. This dish tastes delicious as a leftover and can be served over both steamed rice or quinoa–I especially love it with quinoa, which gives this soft dish a neat, grainy crunch with each bite.

One last thing–if this is your first foray into more authentic Japanese/Chinese cuisine, you may not be familiar with tobanjan, or chili bean sauce. This is THE ingredient that must not be substituted and makes mapo tofu what it is, regardless of what take on it you prefer. Most grocery stores have an Asian section that carries Lee Kum Kee brand sauces; if you do not have an Asian grocery store at your dispense I would check this section for tobanjan (looks like this, Amazon link). I think everything else has become mainstream enough for it to be fairly easy to find. Good luck!

Recipe adapted from No Recipes.

I think I’ve mentioned before that James & I have been on a health kick for a while, so I’ve been baking a lot less and cooking a lot more than usual. More recently, I’ve started embracing the oft-neglected wok in our kitchen and stir-frying a lot of Asian veggies and entrees. I’m sure that the most immediate question that comes to mind is–“you’re an Asian household with a neglected wok pan?” It’s a fair question, I won’t hold it against you! I was always interested in the cuisines most different than what I grew up with, and strove to better myself in the more classic French and Italian recipes. Filipino food was something I grew up with, so I didn’t place too much importance on understanding how to make Filipino dishes. Decent Asian food has always been affordable–especially here in LA–so James & I never bothered too much with cooking Asian dishes.

But now that we’re trying to watch what we eat, it’s very important that we directly control what ends up going into each meal. A lot of restaurants throw in sugar, extra oil, even butter at times… just to make sure that the food is delicious and that customers will return. Is it possible to make a home equivalent of authentic restaurants? I think so, and hopefully you will too when you try this recipe!

My all-time favorite Thai dish is pad see-ew–flat noodles stir-fried with a sweet soy sauce, eggs and broccoli–but James has always ordered pad kra pow whenever he sees it on the menu. His mother’s side is ethnically Chinese, but grew up in Laos and Thailand–so he’s always had an affinity with Thai food and spicy food in general. I decided that I would try to recreate his favorite dish for him, but mix it up in order to make it a little healthier.

For this particular attempt, I used lean ground turkey and added onions and bell pepper while omitting the shallots that the recipe normally calls for (I forgot to pick them up at the grocery store, good grief!). Because I was lacking shallots, I increased the amount of garlic to compensate–and the end result turned out well! No leftovers = victory. I usually try to make recipes with substitutions in mind in case you live in an area where certain ingredients aren’t available; unfortunately, for this dish, it is extremely important that you obtain bird’s eye chilies (Thai chilies) and Thai basil in order to retain its flavor. I have used jalapenos instead of Thai chilies in a pinch before, and the jalapeno flavor overpowers the other ingredients. If you were to substitute Thai basil with Italian basil, you’ll run into the opposite problem. Simply put: it just won’t taste like pad kra pow.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of Thai chilies! The first time I made pad kra pow, I used six chilies and felt it could use a little more of a kick. The second time I made it, I used seven chilies instead and thought my throat was going to swell shut! I’ve listed six chilies as in the original recipe, but feel free to adjust it according to your tastes. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle to ground the chilies down, you can always use your cutting board and the handle on a wooden spoon. Just exercise caution when handling chilies–wash your hands thoroughly afterward and keep your hands away from your eyes! Better yet, use gloves. Trying to take your contacts out after cooking spicy food and not washing properly is awful, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone!

I think those are all the addendum you could possibly need for this recipe. Onward ho!

Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia.

Unfortunately, I was unable to keep to my regular posting schedule because of a little thing called life.

I flew back from Boston to LA on Thursday night, completely negating any kind of follow-up post I intended to make about Boston on schedule. After that, I was busy with James’ surgical year-end banquets/get-togethers/etc. (Surgeons like to party—and why not? They have it pretty stressful 99% of the time!)

When James was away on Sunday for one of his last calls of the year, I was sure that I’d be able to make up for lost time. And then I got sick.

I hate how unproductive you must be while sick in order to get better. I languished on the couch, unable to read anything because of a headache and unable to sleep because I oscillated between being too hot and too cold. When your immune system is kicking into overdrive in order to fend off whatever is causing your illness, your body is left with exactly zero percent energy. I kept fading in and out of consciousness, hoping that each time I awoke next I would feel better.

As James pointed out later, I probably exacerbated my sickness by not allowing myself enough to eat—did you know that your body needs 1.5x as much food intake as you normally eat because it expends so much energy in rising your overall body temperature? By the time he came home from call on Monday, I looked like a specter. Luckily, he had enough sense to force feed me despite my protests; as much as I hate to admit it, that reason is probably why I managed to recover today.

So what does any of this have to do with food?

Well, less than an hour before I came down with said illness, I had been trying out a new recipe for baked chicken nuggets. Unfortunately, they ended up being the only solid food I managed to eat on Sunday—certainly not enough for a sick person’s metabolism. But as for a healthy alternative that’s low in calories—great for everybody else!

The best part is that you can make a large amount in advance all at once, freeze the leftovers, and use them later at your discretion. No more excuses about healthy food taking more time out of your day—and no more deep-fried pink slime McNuggets. (I’m guilty of loving them as much as anybody else, but I’m moving onto healthier pastures.) My favorite condiment with these nuggets is plain ol’ ketchup, but anything you have on hand will be delicious, I’m sure.