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Showing posts from July, 2022

Cucumber Sushi Roll {Vegan, GF}

Sushi lover summer edition! These cucumber sushi rolls took a summery spin on traditional sushi and are extra crunchy, refreshing, and fun to make and eat! Also they're packed with plant protein, whole food veggies, and whole grains, and are naturally gluten-free. This is probably my favorite type of meal especially in summer - what I call "a full meal in a bite". You get loads of veggies, fiber, vitamins, protein, healthy fat, and whole grain carbs all in one crunchy flavorful bite! And depending on your comfort level with nori sheet, this might be an easier version of sushi you can make with very little heat or even no cook! All you need to do is find some big American cucumber, scoop out the seeds and fill them with whatever fillings you like. Personally, I find the "harder" and straighter the ingredients are the easier it is to stuff them in, and as a result of them I'd recommend putting the softer, and slightly irregular-shaped fillings in first like ri

Mini Tofu Quiche - Vegan Quiche Muffins

These crustless mini tofu quiches are the most perfect "eggy" bites ever! They're golden, tender, firm enough to hold their shape but still jiggly and silky inside, and they're packed with all kinds of veggies, making these not only a nourishing snack but also a complete meal. Trust me, you do not need commercial vegan egg products for this! While I'm more than happy to see more and more vegan alternatives, I prefer natural whole food ingredients in my own diet. And two of my favorite natural egg replacements are tofu, and chickpeas/chickpea flour. They can both achieve a wonderful eggy texture and are high in plant protein. For these mini quiches, I used two types of tofu, extra-frim and silken and that's because I find combining the two firmnesses of tofu gives you the best firm yet still jiggly result. Also to reflect the current summer vibe, I garnished them with a watermelon design made of tomato, zucchini, and black sesame. But not to worry, these quich

Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings with Tofu Napa Cabbage Fillings and Chili Oil Dip

Literal little satisfaction bombs - these pan-fried rice paper dumplings are golden crispy on the outside, chewy and pillowy in the middle, and filled with savory, juicy, and umami fillings inside. They're also super quick and easy to make, you won't need to make or knead any dough, and all the ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten-free. There are few heat-intensive recipes I'm willing to make in the current over 100°F weather, and these rice paper dumplings are definitely one of them and they're worth every little bit of effort you put into cooking - the amount of satisfaction is unmatched and it just hits the spot every single time. The fillings are inspired by my previous personal favorite before I went vegan, which is pork and napa cabbages. It was not just my favorite, it's my entire biological family's favorite. Growing up, I have had homemade dumplings frequently on various occasions or just no special occasion at all, and my family is very crea

Papaya Coconut Milk Jelly | Agar Agar Jelly

A tropical dream manifested in a perfect summer dessert - juicy, sweet, and perfectly ripe papaya meets creamy, tender, and slightly crunchy coconut milk jelly, it's magic at the first bite. This is also a super easy and refreshing recipe to make especially on the hot days, it's refined sugar-free and sweat-free ;) Papaya and coconut are a match made in heaven to begin with, their flavors pair so well and now with the coconut jelly, there's even more depth in the textures! It deserves the highest compliment for desserts in Asian countries - not too sweet. I'm not kidding, overly sweet treats are not very popular in Asia and having grown up there, I always find most of the cookies, cupcakes, donuts, etc I can buy in the US way too sweet and cloying. But this combo here is a perfect balance and so refreshing, I can eat as much as I want without feeling sickened! The jelly is made with agar agar, which is a natural substitute for gelatin and made from the cell walls of alg

Chili Oil Cold Noodles {Made from Wonton Skins!}

Sneaky wonton wrapper hack that lets you have "homemade" style thick-cut noodles in an instant without actually having to home-make them ;) Completed with a spicy and umami chili oil sauce that delivers all the bomb flavors and a satisfying sizzling. I love the Chinese thick-cut, wide noodles, which are commonly made and consumed in the northern and western parts of China. Sadly they're not that easy to find especially at regular grocery stores. Of course, you can make your own from scratch, but let's face it, I don't always have the time or energy to make the dough and the whole process every single time I have a craving. So the all-mighty wonton skins or wonton wrappers come to the rescue! If you've had wontons in the past you'd probably remember their silky, tender, and slippery skins and those qualities make them a perfect easy cheat for quick noodles but still with a homemade feeling! Simply cut the wrappers into whatever shape and size you like, peel

Miso Glazed Eggplants - Umami and Addicting

These miso eggplants are seared, glazed, and finally baked to perfection. They're literally bursting with umami, juicy, savory, tenderer than a baby's cheek, and just melt in your mouth. They're definitely a rice-killer - meaning so much rice is gonna be devoured up with this flavorful and addicting dish. But they're also lovely just on their own. Eggplant is one of my absolute favorite vegetables growing up, even during my fussy eating teenager years I never ever turned my back on eggplants. And rightfully so. They have such an amazing texture plus a unique aroma. Scoring the eggplant really helps release the yummy potential of them, the texture will get cooked tender and soft easier and the scored patterns will soak up the sauce and glaze all the way from top to the skin. And if being downright delicious is not enough, eggplant is also a very humble and easy ingredient to use, I can't even imagine how eggplants can ever go wrong. When I was little, sometimes my mo

Beetroot Tofu Roti | Vegan, No Flame

Soft, flexible, and aromatic roti but with veggies and tons of protein hidden in it. These rotis are also easy to make, only require three main ingredients and you won't need any special equipment or an open flame stove! Roti to me is the heart and soul of every saucy Indian dish, be it a creamy curry, or buttery makhani, or anything with gravy really, the meal wouldn't be complete without dipping a warm, steamy piece of roti into the sauce and scooping up all the yumminess... I love it so much that I made this pink version as a love letter to roti and all flatbread alike ;) Making roti at home seemed daunting to me at first, I do not have a tawa - the thick, flat, cast iron pan that rotis are traditionally cooked on; or an open flame stove. So instead I just made mine with a thick, good quality nonstick pan on my electric glass stovetop, and I can assure you it works perfectly fine! However, I did make the effort to find authentic atta flour, which is essentially whole wheat f