Wow. It feels like it’s been ages since I posted any meals, but we’re about right on time! Some key takeaways for me the past couple of weeks is I’ve grown more accustomed to not eating meat, especially red meat, and more salads are filling my plate. Check them out:
- Skirt Steak & Stuffed Pepper Bowl
- So, originally, this was supposed to be the Stuffed Pepper Bowl from Cassey Ho’s 2022 Glowup Sessions recipes, but I had bad luck with the tofu! Apparently the seal had been opened (I’m not sure how I didn’t catch that shopping), and the tofu smelled a little funky. Needless to say, I had to improvise and decided to make a skirt steak bowl, and my goodness it was super filling! And to be honest, it’s been so long since I’ve cooked red meat that I feel like I’ve lost touch on how to get the perfect pink middle!
- Balsamic Salad
- The social media algorithms are getting to me! I’m seeing more and more delicious vegetarian and/or vegan recipes pop up on my feeds, and they’ve all looked and tasted delicious. The Balsamic Salad is no exception. It’s super simple to make – the only long wait “cooking” time is toasting the seasoned chickpeas.
- Kimchi Pasta
- The Kimchi Pasta redemption arc! If you remember previously, I tried to make this before but had moldy kimchi, so I tried it again. The recipe calls for any regular pasta, but of course, I cooked it with veggie spaghetti. This was my first time making carbonara, and I think I did an okay job! Instead of bacon, which I never eat/cook myself, I substituted with cut pepperoni circles. Overall, this kimchi version is definitely an interesting take on the classic carbonara, so if you’re looking for a new twist, try this one!
- One-pot Creamy Mushroom Rice
- For whatever reason, finding this recipe came at a coincidental time because I was craving cooked mushrooms, which rarely happens honestly. The full recipe makes a lot of servings, so it’s definitely one you want to portion out throughout the week. One major takeaway, er confirmation, I got from making this is I most definitely prefer my mushrooms to be a supplement to a dish rather than the focus (i.e. on pizza, in risotto, etc.)
- Tabbouleh Jen Aniston Salad
- Okay, this dish was one I was most excited to try, and my mom specifically requested to eat as well. I told her about the original Jen Aniston salad (coming soon!) and how this recipe adapts it to a more tabbouleh approach. I’m proud to say my mom had 1.5 servings for lunch with me and even ate another helping when she got home! It feels really accomplishing when my chef of parents try my cooking and love it. This salad is going on the repeat list for sure – it’s fresh, it’s tasty and you get a great amount of veggies with it. The only down-ish side is the amount of prep there is; cutting so many vegetables takes time, but at least you can do that while the quinoa is cooking.
Sticking with the cleaner eating has been so good for me, and I’m honestly relieved switching to more vegan options hasn’t upset my body’s equilibrium or rejected the change. At the end of the day, I’m glad I never have to doubt I’m nourishing my body and providing what it needs to be healthy. Crossing my fingers I don’t have any future doctor appointments with consistent bad news!
xo
Siri
SIRI SVAY 