Fish on a Bed of Salad

November 30, 2021
Pair breaded and frozen white fish fillets on a pile of lightly dressed, bagged salad.

Products

Costco
- Panko crusted tilapia
- Mediterranean crunch chopped salad
Assembly
1. Prepare the fish in toaster oven, air fryer, George Foreman grill, or panini press (no need for any extra oil).
2. Lightly dress salad with included dressing; no need to use up the entire dressing packet.
Airfryer // Mains // Meal Ideas // Oven // Salad

fish ○ low effort ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ seafood
Canned Peaches in Yogurt

November 30, 2021

Pair canned peaches with yogurt, using some of the syrup from the peaches for sweetener.

Accompaniments // Meal Ideas // No Cook // Sweets

breakfast ○ cold ○ dump and go ○ low effort ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ snack ○ vegetarian
Rose & Cardamom Milk Tea

November 30, 2021
Credits

Recipe adapted from u/srividhya17 on Reddit.

Ingredients

Makes 1 cup

Amount Ingredient
½ cup milk
½ cup water
1 tsp tea, black, looseleaf (or 1 teabag)
2 pods cardamom, crushed
1 rosebud, dried
1½ tsp sugar

Process

Instant Pot
1. Add 1 cup of water to instant pot, place trivet inside and put pot-in-pot vessel on top.
2. Add all the ingredients to the smaller vessel and seal the lid.
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Pressure: High
Time: 3 minutes 
Release: Quick
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1. Strain into cup, enjoy hot.
Stovetop
1. In a small sauce pot on the stove set to medium high heat, add all the ingredients and cook until contents reach a roiling boil and threaten to spill over.
2. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Strain into cup, enjoy hot.
Nutrition

Calories: 103

Notes
- Can add fennel seeds
- Can replace sugar with honey
Drinks // Pot-in-Pot // Recipe // Stovetop

calories calculated ○ desi ○ dump and go ○ pakistani ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Amount	Ingredient
½ cup	milk
½ cup	water
1 tsp	tea, black, looseleaf (or 1 teabag)
2 pods	cardamom, crushed
1	rosebud, dried
1½ tsp	sugar

Simple Aloo Salan

November 29, 2021

Credits

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Amount	Ingredient
1½ lbs	potatoes, peeled, whole
2 T	oil
2 tsp	cumin seeds
½ tsp	mustard seeds
1	Serrano pepper, minced
2 cups	water
1 tsp	salt
1 tsp	turmeric
½ tsp	dried mango powder (amchur)
½ tsp	Kashmiri chili powder / paprika
¼ tsp	black pepper
¼ tsp	cayenne

Process

Dump all the ingredients except the cilantro in the instant pot

Pressure: High
Time: 10 minutes
Release: 10 minutes natural

Break up the potatoes into chunks, squishing some into the soup to thicken.
Garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 197 per serving (¼ of recipe)

Notes

If adding eggs, steam in instant pot separately

Pressure: High
Time: 6 minutes
Release: Quick

It’s possible to do the eggs at the same time as the salan by using a high trivet, but the potatoes would need to be chopped in order to account for the reduced pressure time, I haven’t perfected the timing yet so experiment at your own risk.

Instant Pot // Mains // Recipe // Soup

calories calculated ○ desi ○ dump and go ○ eggs ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Balsamic Reduction

November 28, 2021
A cup of balsamic vinegar can be cooked down as-is into a thick, syrupy glaze. This is my preferred method, which I find sweet enough. If you must add sugar, use the recipe below.

Ingredients

Amount Ingredient
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar

Any kind of sugar should work here (cane, raw, brown, granulated,). I would avoid powdered, as I haven’t tested that and it tends to behave in sometimes unexpected ways.

Process
1. Add all ingredients in a small sauce pot set on medium high heat.
2. Boil until reduced by half or desired consistency is reached.
3. Cool to room temp before using (optional)
Notes
- Extra reduction can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably glass.
- Pairs great with caprese salad, bruschetta, caprese appetizers, drizzled on artisanal pizzas, in paninis, etc. Some rave about drizzling it over vanilla ice cream.
Accompaniments // Recipe // Stovetop

cold ○ condiment ○ dressing ○ italian ○ pantry ingredients ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Shahi Raita

November 28, 2021
All amounts are really to-taste. The below “recipe” is just an approximation.

Ingredients

Amount Ingredients
225g yogurt
1½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 T mint, fresh, ribboned
2 T cilantro, fresh, chopped
120g cucumber, chopped
70g tomatoes, chopped
100g milk

Process
1. Combine all the ingredients except milk in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add milk to thin until desired consistency is reached
Nutrition

52 calories per 100g

Notes
- I like to keep all the liquid from the tomatoes to help thin out the final product; it might also give it a pretty, slightly pink color.
Additions & Variations
- finely diced onions
- shredded carrots
- chaat masala (makes it tangy/chatpata)
- tamarind (makes it a bit tart)
Accompaniments // No Cook // Recipe

calories calculated ○ cold ○ desi ○ dump and go ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ pakistani ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Amount	Ingredient
1 cup	balsamic vinegar
1 T	sugar

Amount	Ingredients
225g	yogurt
1½ tsp	cumin seeds
¼ tsp	salt
¼ tsp	black pepper
2 T	mint, fresh, ribboned
2 T	cilantro, fresh, chopped
120g	cucumber, chopped
70g	tomatoes, chopped
100g	milk

Cherry Almond Scones

November 25, 2021

Credits

Recipe adapted from Everyday Gourmet with Blakely.

Ingredients

Makes 4 scones

Amount	Ingredient
120g	flour, all purpose, unbleached
25g + 6g	sugar, divided
1tsp	baking powder
⅛ tsp	salt
28g	butter, cold
1 tsp	vanilla extract
⅛ tsp	almond extract
90g	milk
½ cup	cherries, fresh, pitted, halved
15g	almonds, slivered

Process

Preheat oven (or toaster oven / airfryer) at 425° F.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add cold butter and work into the dry ingredients with your hands until all the butter has become little bits.
Mix in vanilla and almond extracts, milk, cherries, and almonds.
Turn dough out onto parchment paper and press into a rough square of even thickness. Wet hands with water if dough is sticking.
Cut an “X” shape into the dough to form 4 triangle pastries.
Wet the tops with water (or milk) and dust with the 6g of sugar.

Bake: 20 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 240 per scone

Notes

If using raw almonds, cover with water and microwave for 1 minute, remove skins, then sliver
Rotate tray halfway through bake time if browning is uneven; this varies by oven.

Oven // Recipe // Sweets

baking ○ better than takeout ○ breakfast ○ calories calculated ○ pastry ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Thai Basil Fried Rice with Chicken

November 25, 2021

Credits

Recipe adapted from a combination of this Allrecipes.com listing and Hot Thai Kitchen.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

Amount	Ingredient
3 T	oyster sauce
3 T	fish sauce
1 tsp	sugar
12 oz	chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw
42g	oil, neutral, divided
½ cup	onion, chopped
1 cup	bell pepper, red, chopped
½ cup	carrot, shredded
2	Serrano peppers, slit
1 T	garlic, minced
680g	rice, Jasmine, cooked
1 T	soy sauce, less sodium
½ cup	cilantro, chopped
¼ cup	Thai basil, fresh

Process

Prep

Mix oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar in small bowl; use half the mixture to marinate the chicken.
Prep the rest of the vegetables and ingredients (chop onion, bell pepper, slit Serranos)

Cook

In a large wok, heat HALF the oil until shimmering and add marinated chicken along with any marinade that’s settled in the bottom of the bowl (NOT the rest of the mixture which was set aside in step 1)
Saute chicken until mostly cooked through and no longer pink on the outside. Cut into a piece to see if it’s cooked. Remove from wok and set aside.
In the same wok, without cleaning, add the remaining oil and stir fry the onions, bell peppers, carrots, Serrano peppers and garlic to desired doneness.
Add rice and continue to stir fry.
Add marinade mixture set aside in step 1, plus soy sauce; stir to distribute sauce evenly.
Add chicken back to wok (with any accumulated juices), cilantro, and Thai basil; stir fry until chicken is cooked through.

Serve hot with sliced cucumbers and fresh lime wedges

Nutrition

Calories: 300 per serving (⅙th of recipe)

Notes

1 mini cucumber = 10 calories, juice of half a lime = 6 calories
Go easy on the serrano if you can’t tolerate heat very well
If your wok or frying pan is small, make the recipe in batches

Mains // Recipe // Stovetop

asian ○ better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ chicken ○ meat ○ photo ○ quick ○ rice ○ stir-fry ○ thai

Dumpling Soup

November 25, 2021

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

Amount	Ingredient
¼ tsp	oil, sesame
½ tsp	garglic chili paste
1 tsp	ginger paste
1 tsp	garlic, minced
1 tsp	Better than Bouillon no-chicken base
1 cup	water
4 pieces	frozen wontons
2 T	carrots, shredded
½	green onion
1	mushroom, crimini, chopped
1½ tsp	hoisin sauce
2 tsp	ponzu sauce

Process

In a small pot, bloom the ginger, garlic, chili paste, and chicken base in oil for 1 minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until dumplings are warmed through and carrots are soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 120

Notes

Can substitute 1 cup of vegetable broth or use vegetable base instead of the chicken base + water, I use the no-chicken version since the chicken one isn’t halal
Any flavor of frozen wontons will work
Can add chicken or other protein to it; probably easiest to use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken and just let it warm through with all the other ingredients

Recipe // Soup // Stovetop

asian ○ calories calculated ○ comfort food ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Caprese Salad

November 25, 2021
Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

Amount Ingredient
100g Mozzarella, fresh
½ tomato, medium
to taste salt
½ T olive oil, extra virgin
1 T Balsamic vinegar
3 T basil, fresh, ribboned

Process
1. Slice tomato into rounds, sprinkle with salt and layer with the mozzarella.
2. Distribute basil evenly and drizzle with oil and vinegar.
Nutrition

Calories: 350 (whole recipe)

Notes
- You can reduce balsamic in a small pot to concentrate it down and thicken the consistency; it will become a balsamic glaze and be a little sweeter.
- 25g of spinach will add 5 calories.
No Cook // Recipe // Salad

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ cold ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Products

Costco

Assembly

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Instant Pot

Stovetop

Nutrition

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

Notes

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

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Additions & Variations

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Prep

Cook

Nutrition

Notes

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

Notes

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

Notes