#i can at least try to fry some tofu and make some rice. that can be enough

[ms-demeanor]

Hey also you know that post about getting better at cooking and handling meat and stuff?

Meat is really expensive and it goes bad pretty quickly.

If you're a new cook and you're trying to figure out how to pan-fry something so that it tastes good, might I recommend tofu?

I'm not saying "treat tofu like meat and try to replace all your favorite meat dishes with tofu" (though, I mean, if that sounds good - go for it), I'm saying "it's a lot easier to practice heating a pan and flipping objects in a pan for a meal and seasoning objects in a pan when the objects in the pan cost two dollars instead of ten dollars."

Tofu lasts a lot longer in the fridge than meat does, is easy to season, and you can easily learn how to pan-fry it into a tasty snack (or main course) and only requires a little extra prep. You can also pretend that the tofu is raw meat (the texture isn't dissimilar) and start practicing for things like how to take it out of a package or cut it on a sanitizable surface, etc.

My favorite way to cook tofu is to press extra firm tofu for at least half an hour (you can get a cheap tofu press for around ten dollars, or you can put it between two plates with some books on the top plate - this is that extra prep i was talking about - tofu cooks best if you press the excess water out), then slice a 14oz cake of it into 8 slices. I lay these flat and sprinkle cayenne pepper, mushroom powder, and smoked paprika on all of the slices, then I rub it in and flip the slices and season the other side the same way. I cook it in a frying pan with a thin layer of avocado or olive oil over medium heat, flipping every two minutes until the flat sides start to crisp up a little. Just before the last flip I add about a tablespoon of tamari sauce (you can use soy sauce, I've just got allergies) to the pan, sprinkling it over the tofu so that both sides get a little bit of sauce on them.

I have that with steamed vegetables and with jasmine rice (with two teaspoons of rice wine vinegar per 3 cups of dry rice and 4.5 cups of water). I also make a honey-siracha-mayo sauce that I dip the tofu in.

It's really good. And now I end up eating leftover rice and sauce with fried eggs for lunch at least two days a week and that's also really good.

This has become one of my go-to low spoon foods because it's so easy to make, it's filling, it tastes good to me, and it has become extremely easy for me to keep a stock of tofu in the fridge compared to the effort of keeping un-expired meat in the fridge.

I find that a 14oz pack of tofu feeds two adults for one meal, though I can stretch that to three meals if I'm the only one eating.

It makes a very cheap, filling, easy dinner that I can keep the ingredients around for without too much concern for food waste or anything going bad (the tofu that I get lasts about a month in the fridge and these days I just buy three packs every time I'm at aldi and cycle in new stock - it costs $1.50 per pack)

If you're interested in becoming a better cook, rather than worrying about actual high-risk products like raw chicken that can be seriously dangerous and also cost a fair amount, tofu has a pretty low barrier to entry while also being a good way to learn on a new ingredient that has some similar properties to raw meat.

[acti-veg]

16 Plant-Based Protein Sources

Protein is often raised as a concern for people considering adopting a plant-based diet, and considering the fact that we've all been taught to associate protein primarily with red meat, this is not surprising.

It is estimated that most adults require 56 grams of protein per day, and you're probably hitting that number if you're not in a calorie deficit. If you're trying to lose weight and so are cutting calories then you may need to track your protein a little more closely, but 56 grams is pretty easy to hit without having to really think about it.

It gets a bit more difficult if you're very physically active, particularly if you're engaged in regular endurance training or are trying to build muscle. There is a great deal of disagreement about precisely how much protein is ideal if you're training intensely, but it is very achievable to hit even the upper end of protein requirement estimates using only plant-based foods. Listed below are particularly good options.

1) Lentils - Lentils are a cheap nutritional powerhouse, and provides about 17 grams of protein per cup. They're also very flexible, you can have them as your main protein source of a meal, use them to substitute mince in a pasta dish, make burgers out of them, or put them in a stir fry or with rice and veg with some seasonings. They are cheap and convenient if you buy them canned, since they're ready to eat, though I would recommend at least warming them up.

2) Chickpeas - Chickpeas are a popular vegan staple, and it's not hard to see why. At approximately 14.5 grams of protein per cup, they're nutrient dense and very flexible. Use them to make hummus or falafel, as the main protein source of a curry, on their own with rice or worked into a salad. You can also just air fry/grill them with some oil and spices for a convenient, crunchy snack.

3) Oats - A cup of dry oats is around 11 grams of protein by itself. Making it with a cup of oat milk brings that up to 14 grams, throw in a tablespoon of peanut butter and you're up to about 17.5 grams at breakfast, and all those ingredients are pretty cheap and very filling. You could add something like nuts or chia seeds as a topping to stretch that to well over 20 grams.

4) Nuts - Peanuts are 9.5 grams per 1/4 cup, almonds are 7g, pistachios 6g, cashews 5g, hazelnuts 5g, brazil nuts 4.75g, walnuts 4.5g and pine nuts are 4.5g. You can buy 1kg bags of mixed nuts for a little bit cheaper and keep them in a jar for a healthy snack. I find it better to buy a bag that doesn't have peanuts in then add the peanuts later, as mixes that include peanuts tend to be less for your money. Peanut butter is also a cost effective way to add protein to many snacks and meals.

5) Beans - Depending on the type, beans are anything from around 10-15 grams of protein per cup. Some are better than others, like kidney beans, but even your standard baked beans are high protein and good for you. Turn them into a chilli, have them on toast, on a jacket potato, turn them into a bean burger or make them the protein base of a salad or soup. Kidney , soy and edamame beans are particularly good options.

6) Seitan - When cooked, seitan closely resembles to look and feel of red meat. It is made of wheat gluten and has 25 grams of protein per 100 gram serving. It is not very widely available in supermarkets, but try your local Asian market, where it will usually be cheaper as well. It's a bit of a hassle, but you can also make your own at home, which is extremely cheap as it's just wheat gluten, yeast, plant milk, miso and spices.

7) Tofu/Tempeh - A staple in Asian cooking, don't be afraid to try this one. Think of it as doing all the same things chicken does in terms of recipes, it soaks up the flavour around it. It needs to be pressed before use, or you can avoid that by just draining the liquid and freezing it, then thawing over night when you want to use it. 100 grams of tofu (less than half a small block) contains 8 grams of protein. Some tofu, like Naked TooFoo, is pre-pressed for you.

8) Faux Meats - Faux meats are an easy way to add a protein base to your meal, and has the advantage of serving the same function on a plate as the foods you were used to before you went vegan. A Beyond burger, for example, has 19g of protien per patty, though you can get much cheaper options that have a similar nutritional profile. Pair that with a wholemeal bun and something like brown rice/quinoa and vegetables and you can create a very high protein meal.

9) Grains - All grains are good for protein, these include quinoa, spelt, brown/wild rice, teff, amaranth and sorghum. They can range anywhere between 5 and 8 grams per 100 grams, and you'll usually be serving them with some sort of protein source. They're also an excellent source of fibre and carbohydrates, which are also important for training and general health. Quinoa in particular provides all 22 essential amino acids.

10) Peas - Green peas are not mentioned much when it comes to high protein options, but a cup of cooked peas is a respectable 9 grams of protein, and it's worth mentioning here because they tend to be used more as a side than main, so can be paired with other high protein options. They're also very cheap, freeze well and are easy to prepare.

11) Seeds - Just a tablespoon of chia seeds is nearly 3 grams of protein, and the seeds are so small and tasteless that you don't actually notice them in anything you put them in, making them an easy way to add protein to just about any meal. They're pretty cheap to buy in large quantities, particularly good to replace eggs in baking, to add to bread flour, salads and oatmeal. Other high protein seeds include pumpkin, sunflower, linseed, hempseeds and buckwheat.

12) Bread - Bread may not immediately come to mind when you're thinking about protein, but wholegrain/rye/spelt breads can be very high in protein, anywhere from 3 all the way up to around 10 grams per slice, particularly for seeded loaves. If you really want to turn bread into a high protein food, invest in a bread maker or bake it yourself, that way you can add nuts, seeds and oats yourself to up the nutritional value. That's just the bread too, a hummus and falafel sandwich with a high protein bread can be very nutrionally dense.

13) Fruit and veg - Worth mentioning here, as they're something you'll need to consume to maintain a healthy diet anyway, and some options have moderate protein. The higher protein options include broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, which all contain 4–5 grams of protein per cooked cup. Likewise, blueberries, guava, bananas and nectarines contain about 2-4 grams of protein per cup, as well as many other vitamins important for training.

14) Nutritional Yeast - No vegan list is complete without mentioning it, it's a vegan staple for its nutty, cheesy flavour, as well as being an easy source of vitamin B12. It's a complete protein that has 8 grams of protein per 16 grams serving, making it an easy way to add more protein to things like pizza, pasta dishes or a jacket potato. Use it to make cheesy sauces, or just sprinkle it on anything you'd have previousy added parmesan cheese to.

15) Protein Bars - They tend to be  on the expensive side, but there are a few plant-based options. I'd recommend Misfit bars if you can get them online, they're low sugar, 15g of protein per bar, and you can buy them in variety packs of 40 which works out cheaper. Trek also have protein flapjack bars, less protein (8-9g) but are much cheaper in packs of 3 and frequently available at a discount (as little at 85p for three in Heron here in the UK).

Most brands won’t be suitable as a daily option for many people given the price, but great for when you're need a protein boost on the go. You can also just make your own protein bars using nothing but oats, cinnamon, baking soda, a little maple/golden syrup and a scoop of plant-based protein powder.

16) Protein/Meal Powders- Even the cheaper powders are around 18g of protein per scoop, so a shake is an easy way to add more protein to your diet, or you can stir it into oatmeal to get most of your daily requirements over breakfast. Some meal replacement shakes, like Huel Black, are around 40 grams of protein per serving (2 scoops) even when made with just water, providing a cheap and easy way to have a high protein and nutritious meal without any prep or fuss. Add some peanut butter and plant milk to make them tastier and even higher in protein. (I don't accept sponsorship or commissions from any brand and I don't have any affiliate links. Any product recommendations are based solely on my own experience.)

[najia-cooks]

[ID: Rice noodles topped with yellow fried tofu and chives; piles of chili powder, peanuts, and chive stems to the side. End ID]

ผัดไทย / Phad thai (Thai noodle dish with tamarind and chives)

Phad thai, or pad thai ("Thai stir-fry") is a dish famous for its balance of sour, sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, and its combination of fried and fresh ingredients. It's commonly available in Thai restaurants in the U.S.A. and Europe—however, it's likely that restaurant versions aren't vegetarian (fish sauce!), and even likelier that they don't feature many ingredients that traditionalists consider essential to phad thai (such as garlic chives or sweetened preserved radish—or even tamarind, which they may replace with ketchup).

Despite the appeals to tradition that phad thai sometimes inspires, the dish as such is less than 100 years old. Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram popularized the stir-fry in the wake of a 1932 revolution that established a constitutional monarchy in Thailand (previously Siam); promotion of the newly created dish at home and abroad was a way to promote a new "Thai" identity, a way to use broken grains of rice to free up more of the crop for export, and a way to promote recognition of Thailand on a worldwide culinary stage. Despite the dish's patriotic function, most of the components of phad thai are not Thai in origin—stir-fried noodles, especially, had a close association with China at the time.

My version replaces fish sauce with tao jiew (Thai fermented bean paste) and dried shrimp with shiitake mushrooms, and uses a spiced batter that fries up like eggs. Tamarind, palm sugar, prik bon (Thai roasted chili flakes), and chai po wan (sweet preserved radish) produce phad thai's signature blend of tart, sweet, and umami flavors.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

3 Tbsp (35g) Thai palm sugar (น้ำตาลปึก / nam tan puek)

2 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce, or a mixture of Thai soy sauce and tao jiew

1/4 cup tamarind paste (made from 50g seeded tamarind pulp, or 80g with seeds)

Thai palm sugar is the evaporate of palm tree sap; it has a light caramel taste. It can be purchased in jars or bags at an Asian grocery, or substituted with light brown sugar or a mixture of white sugar and jaggery.

Seedless tamarind pulp can be purchased in vacuum-sealed blocks at an Asian grocery store—try to find some that's a product of Thailand. I have also made this dish with Indian tamarind, though it may be more sour—taste and adjust how much paste you include accordingly.

You could skip making your own tamarind paste by buying a jar of Thai "tamarind concentrate" and cooking it down. Indian tamarind concentrate may also be used, but it is much thicker and may need to be watered down.

For the stir-fry:

4oz flat rice noodles ("thin" or "medium"), soaked in room-temperature water 1 hour

1/4 cup chopped Thai shallots (or substitute Western shallots)

3 large cloves (20g) garlic, chopped

170g pressed tofu

3 Tbsp (23g) sweet preserved radish (chai po wan), minced

1 Tbsp ground dried shiitake mushroom, or 2 Tbsp diced fresh shiitake (as a substitute for dried shrimp)

Cooking oil (ideally soybean or peanut)

The rice noodles used for phad thai should be about 1/4" (1/2cm) wide, and will be labelled "thin" or "medium," depending on the brand—T&T's "thin" noodles are good, or Erawan's "medium." They may be a product of Vietnam or of Thailand; just try to find some without tapioca as an added ingredient.

Pressed tofu may be found at an Asian grocery store. It is firmer than the extra firm tofu available at most Western grocery stores. Thai pressed tofu is often yellow on the outside. If you can't locate any, use extra firm tofu and press it for at least 30 minutes.

Sweetened preserved radish adds a deeply sweet, slightly funky flavor and some texture to phad thai. Make sure that your preserved radish is the sweet kind, not the salted kind.

For the eggs

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp (60g) white rice flour

3 Tbsp (22.5g) all-purpose flour (substitute more rice flour for a gluten-free version)

1 tsp ground turmeric

About 1 ¼ cup (295mL) coconut milk (canned or boxed; the kind for cooking, not drinking)

¼ tsp kala namak (black salt), or substitute table salt

Pinch prik bon (optional)

To serve:

Prik bon

2 1/2 cups bean sprouts

3 bunches (25g) garlic chives

1 banana blossom (หัวปลี / hua plee) (optional)

1/3 cup peanuts, roasted

Additional sugar

Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives or Chinese leeks, are wider and flatter than Western chives. They may be found at an Asian grocery; or substitute green onion.

Banana blossoms are more likely to be found canned than fresh outside of Asia. They may be omitted if you can't find any.

Instructions:

For the eggs:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Cover and allow to rest.

For the noodles:

1. Soak rice noodles in room-temperature water for 1 hour, making sure they're completely submerged. After they've been soaked, they feel almost completely pliant. Cut the noodles in half using kitchen scissors.

For the tamarind paste:

1. Break off a chunk of about 50g seedless tamarind, or 80g seeded. Break it apart into several pieces and place it at the bottom of a bowl. Pour 2/3 cup (150mL) just-boiled water over the tamarind and allow it to soak for about 20 minutes, until it is cool enough to handle.

2. Palpate the tamarind pulp with your hands and remove hard seeds and fibres. Pulverise the pulp in a blender (or with an immersion blender) and pass it through a sieve—if you have something thicker than a fine mesh sieve, use that, as this is a thick paste. Press the paste against the sieve to get all the liquid out and leave only the tough fibers behind.

You should have about 1/4 cup (70g) of tamarind paste. If necessary, pour another few tablespoons of water over the sieve to help rinse off the fibers and get all of the paste that you can.

3. Taste your tamarind paste. If it is intensely sour, add a little water and stir.

For the sauce:

1. If not using vegetarian fish sauce, whisk 1 Tbsp tao jiew with 1 Tbsp Thai soy sauce in a small bowl. You can also substitute tao jiew with Japanese white miso paste or another fermented soybean product (such as doenjang or Chinese fermented bean paste), and Thai soy sauce with Chinese light soy sauce. Fish sauce doesn't take "like" fish, merely fermented and intensely salty, and that's the flavor we're trying to mimic here.

2. Heat a small sauce pan on medium. Add palm sugar (or whatever sugar you're using) and cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot often, until the sugar melts. Cook for another couple of minutes until the sugar browns slightly.

3. Immediately add tamarind and stir. This may cause the sugar to crystallize; just keep cooking and stirring the sauce to allow the sugar to dissolve.

4. Add fish sauce and stir. Continue cooking for another couple of minutes to heat through. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust sugar and salt.

To stir-fry:

1. Cut the tofu into pieces about 1" x 1/4" x 1/4" (2.5 x 1/2 x 1/2cm) in size.

2. Separate the stalks of the chives from the greens and set them aside for garnish. Cut the greens into 1 1/2” pieces.

3. Chop the shallots and garlic. If using fresh shiitake mushrooms, dice them, including the stems. If using dried, grind them in a mortar and pestle or using a spice mill.

4. Roast peanuts in a skillet on medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and a shade darker.

5. Remove the tough, pink outer leaves of the fresh banana blossom until you get to the white. Cut off the stem and cut lengthwise into wedges (like an orange). Rub exposed surfaces with a lime wedge to prevent browning. If your banana blossom is canned, drain and cut into wedges.

6. Heat a large wok (or flat-bottomed pan) on medium-high. Add oil and swirl to coat the wok's surface.

If you're using extra firm (instead of pressed) tofu, fry it now to prevent it from breaking apart later. Add about 1" (2.5cm) of oil to the wok, and fry the tofu, stirring and flipping occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Remove tofu onto a plate using a slotted spoon. Carefully remove excess oil from the wok (into a wide bowl, for example) and reserve for reuse.

7. Fry shallots, garlic, preserved radish and tofu (if you didn't fry it before), stirring often, until shallots are translucent. Add mushroom and fry another minute.

8. Add pre-fried tofu, drained noodles, and sauce to the wok. Cook, stirring often with a spatula or tossing with tongs, until the sauce has absorbed and the noodles are completely pliant and well-cooked. (If sauce absorbs before the noodles are cooked, add some water and continue to toss.)

9. Push noodles to the side. Add 'egg' batter and re-cover with the noodles. Cook for a couple minutes, until the egg had mostly solidified. Stir to break up the egg and mix it in with the noodles.

10. Remove from heat. Add half the roasted peanuts, half of the bean sprouts, and all of the greens of the chives. Cover for a minute or two to allow the greens to wilt.

11. Serve with additional peanuts, bean sprouts, banana blossom wedges, chive stems, and lime wedges on the side. Have prik bon and additional grated palm sugar at table.

[ruvviks]

ehehehehe hi. vitali ask. what kind of food does he like. what does he like to cook for others. <3

OUHHH THIS IS INTERESTING THANK YOU >:] so vitali is all for convenience, he does like to cook but generally just doesn't have a lot of time for it because of the long hours he makes at his office so the meals he mostly makes are easy to put together and don't take a ridiculous amount of time. that being said he IS a freak with kitchen knives and can cut veggies insanely fast so if vincent were to try one of vitali's recipes he would take almost twice as long SBHGFDJNGHDFG

he's not a picky eater and can and will generally eat anything, as long as the texture isn't too soggy / slimy. he loves a good stir fry or curry or soup because of the vast amount of different things you can put in it and this is also what he usually makes at home for him + vincent + mikhail to eat :]

also generally stays away from very greasy food because his body can't handle it very well :/ so he wouldn't be quick to eat a good ol' american hamburger. tbh i wouldn't be quick to trust hamburgers in night city for starters but especially vincent loves burgers so in that case vitali will just eat something else LMAO whenever they order takeout he tends to go for whatever has the most veggies in it :]

this is gonna get super specific but i love self projecting on ocs LMAO so some of his favorite meals to make would be chicken pilaf with peach, hungarian goulash and rice, tahu telur (indonesian tofu omelette), and tuscan butter shrimp! very varied palette which is mostly the result of him experimenting a LOT when he was in arasaka's training program and also later when he was officially working there, he had a lot of spare time on his hands in the evening hours now that he didn't go out anymore (or at least not as much as he used to) and he wanted some variation from the slop his mother used to serve back at home and the instant ramen and soggy tacos and burritos he used to eat in college 😭

so yeah all in all, lots of flavors and variation as long as it's easy to do!! stuff that takes longer to make like goulash would be a weekend thing for him, and he also ends up ordering takeout a lot because well he has the money for it. doesn't mind getting more expensive stuff either and he always likes trying out something new :] also asks his friends and mercenaries for fun new recipes to try ^_^

[angelmush]

hiii im going to be living w my aunt over the summer and therefore buying my own groceries. I am going to be busy w summer classes and working on the weekends but I do rlly want to try cooking at least once or twice a week. I can make an egg and pasta but that’s about it. What are some of your fave recipes that aren’t super complicated that I could start with if you have any? (I am open to a minor challenge but cooking can overwhelm me so I like a challenge but not too much of one lol). I am also vegetarian (not vegan) if that matters! If you don’t get to this that’s okay !!! I hope u are well 🩷🩷🩷

now it's been a little while for me since i've had to use this model due to moving back home w my family for a time but when buying groceries for one person i found it helpful to follow this sort of structure about once a week! when i do this it feels a lot easier to 'wing it' in the kitchen and mix and match my meal components. and to preface, this is what i find to be helpful and everyone is different and finds different things to work for them!!

1-3 protein sources - i like to center my meals around this because i've found it helps me feel the most nourished and full, i always think of it as things that can be the 'star' of your dishes. i eat meat so i usually do salmon, chicken thighs, and alternate pork + beef. but for u that could b things like tofu, eggs, beans/lentils, mushrooms maybe, vegetarian 'meat' fakes lol, peanut butter if u like any peanutty noodle dishes

3-4 veggies - i love to snack on veggies so i usually get snap peas, cucumbers, + bell pepper just for snacking, and then something like brussel sprouts for roasting as a side dish w a dinner, these can also be frozen

2-3 types of fruit - i am a smoothie enjoyer bigtime so i get a combo of frozen and fresh, almost always mango, and then whatever is seasonal that i can see myself being excited to eat throughout the week

2-3 grains - pastas, premade pizza crusts, bread, rice, etc!! these rly round out ur meals!! and imo they make it simpler to make a meal on the fly. i am a huge fan of microwave rice LOL

2-3 multipurpose dips/spreads/sauces/condiments/pantry items - now here is ur golden ticket for being able to reliably make well rounded and varied meals!!! slowly building up your collection over time is the most cost effective way imo. it's helpful to stock up your pantry w things like baking supplies (flours, sugars, leaveners), spices, shelf stable canned goods (canned tomatoes, beans, vinegars, oils, soy sauces, fish sauce, cartons of things like oak milk), and 'fridge pantry' items (parmesan, herbs, lemons for juice and zest, miso, gochujang, ketchup, mayo, hot sauce, jam, pickles, etc). you can use these to season your food as you cook!

2-3 snacks/frozens - any microwave meals or chips or desserts you might want!!

using this structure makes it easier to look at what you have and be like, i have xyz and they would go together well.

EX. i have rice, tofu, and bok choy, now i can cook the rice and pan fry the tofu and bok choy with my pantry ingredients (soy sauce, miso, sesame oil, chili oil) and create a filling meal!

some of my favorites that could be made vegetarian -

ground pork seared on the bottom of a dutch oven in patties (you could sub tofu or use a fake meat replacement), broken up into smaller chunks, eaten with linguine, sliced snap peas or celery, + a garlicky peanut butter sriracha sauce

pizza w a store bought crust!! super easy, done in like 10 minutes! i like to make mine in a cast iron following this protocol

i really love to dress up ramen w sliced veggies and eggs

i like to make pasta dishes and then form a sauce w parmesan cheese, butter, pasta water, lots of lemon zest and juice and sometimes chicken stock, then adding in peas and fresh herbs at the end

idk if this was helpful at all, but i also have a recipe + recovery tag on my blog w more of these if that is helpful to you! im also on Instagram (@clementineoliveoil) and like to post what i cook there sometimes too!! i wish u all the most beautiful meals in your future!!

[crapcafe]

hearing people talking about cooking is always such an interesting topic and i'm gonna take a min to ramble about it. i learned how to cook (eggs and pasta mostly) as a kid from my mom because she learned to cook at a young age as well and she would also be gone on work trips pretty often. later on in life i worked in restaurant kitchens as a kitchen manager and a line cook. i've even had the displeasure of working alongside new hire line cooks that don't fucking know how to cook but figure that they can still do the job (they could not)

some things just become intuitive so it's hard for me to remember exactly what i needed to focus on learning and what did just come naturally from the start, but a lot of it relates to just general science/chemistry knowledge. denser items will take longer to cook than less dense things (potatoes take forfuckingever but sliced button mushrooms take like a minute or two), high heat makes things cook way faster so liquids will boil off sooner, dense items will sear/burn quicker, and thin/small things will just burn. some professional cooks don't even know this based on the amount of times i've had to talk coworkers out of turning the fryer temp higher because things were taking a long time to cook (this is a great way to get a nice crispy skin on some shit that's still frozen in the middle)

there's a lot of learning how to read recipes. abbreviations (sometimes tablespoon is T or tb or TBSP or Tbs), how to adjust amounts if you need more or less of something, looking up substitutions for things (if you don't have milk but need to make a cream sauce, using applesauce instead of oil or butter or eggs in some baking recipes, etc). its definitely a skill to know how to read some recipes, and coming in with your own knowledge is great, but it's another instance of "you need to learn the rules to know how to break them." this is how you get the screenshots of ppl substituting kale in their banana cookie recipes and then wondering why they suck

thinking of foods in terms of nutritional value can also be helpful. if you have tortilla chips and salsa youre technically getting some vegetables in you. frozen and dried fruits and veggies are still fruits and veggies. rice and beans is grains and protein. miso soup with tofu and spinach is lots of protein and iron. romaine salad with balsamic vin, olive oil, feta, and tomatoes is some vitamins and fats and calcium but without grains and fiber it wont give you too much energy so have some bread or something with it. moving away from processed food will make you feel better. apple slice and peanut butter is my new depression meal bc it makes me feel more alive than shredded cheese from the bag and you can feel like a roman emperor a bit.

if you're just starting out learning how to cook: try to keep it simple with starch + veggie + protein (veggie pasta is a staple classic, roast some stuff and toss it with pasta and garlic and olive oil), find something with just a handful of ingredients that you actually want to eat. the act of cooking can be fun but not everyone thinks its fun, so at least make sure you'll want to eat the final product. if there's any sauces you really like try to keep some on hand. gochujang+soy sauce+sesame oil+sugar+broth can be really good in a stir fry, and basically all of those things will last a long time.

anyway theres a lot of text about cooking. theres a reason i stayed working in kitchens for almost 5 years despite how shit working in kitchens is. i like food and cooking. its one of the few things humans have been doing for a bajillion years and its necessary to live a healthy life and if you can find some fun and peace in the process then thats even better. theres no shame in not knowing how to cook but there is shame in refusing to try and learn imo

insert senshi page about eating well and exercising regularly to live a healthy life

[jacoblindberg]

My bloomprint: rules for life

This google document contains rules for living a healthy life

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18EPAsRkR0msFnglCpyWr9gPzAoVHwm0m5Agdnxo3Ka8/edit

Below I have copy pasted the items that I believe are correct (which are most ones). I also indicate whether I adhere to this rule via the following notation

[x] I'm doing it

[ ] I'm not doing it MY COMMENTS ARE CAPITALIZED WHICH ARE NOTES TO SELF

sleep

[x] Sleep >7h/day uninterrupted

[x] Sleep in a position that maintains natural curvature of your body

[x] Sleep on a mattress with firmness that supports natural curvature of your body

[x] Sleep at 15.6-20°C

[x] Sleep naked

[x] Wake up naturally without external wake-up aids

[ ] Sleep with head on copper-infused pillow as it Improves facial skin by reducing bacteria, wrinkles etc. It could also help elsewhere but there are few studies for other body parts on healthy patients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4556990/ and https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-2494.2009.00515.x

diet

[x] Consume ~2.7-4 litres water/day

[x] Consume at calorie maintenance/week such that you maintain a healthy body fat percentage

[ ] Consume only water, edible plants, edible fungi, edible microbes and some edible animal food (eggs, fermented dairy, fish & white meat) I DO EAT RED MEAT SOMETIMES

[ ] Consume things only raw, processed only to be made edible, or processed to be at least as healthy as prior to processing NO, I OFTEN FRY

[x] Do not consume >400mg caffeine/day & stop >=6h before sleep

[x] 16 hour intermittent water fast >=1x/week

[ ] 24-48 hour water fast ~2x-12x/year

[ ] Consume slowly and chew ~>=32 times per small bite and ~>=5 times per small sip

[x] Split daily calorie intake into 2-3 meals

[x] Do not consume anything <1h before sleep and avoid heavy meals <4h before sleep

[x] Women: Do not take the pill

[x] Consume >30 different types of plants/week

[x] Consume fruits and vegetables fresh or frozen

[x] Do not consume food from animals raw ALMOST ALWAYS COOKED EXCEPT FOR 1X PER YEAR

[x] Consume small and short-lived fish ~2-3x/week. Good: Cod, Salmon, Sardine, Shrimp, Squid, Light/Skipjack Tuna etc. Bad: Albacore/Bigeye Tuna, Carp, Halibut, Shark, Swordfish etc. For a 2,000 calorie diet, consume ~227–340g/weeK

[ ] Consume probiotic foods regularly E.g. Kimchi, Kombucha, Natto, Sauerkraut, Tempeh, Tofu, Yoghurt TODO EAT MORE PROBIOTIC FOODS AND UNTIL I DO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS

[x] Consume spicy food ~1x-7x/week

[x] Consume food cold or warm, not burning hot

[x] Consume plants with peel and stalk where edible

[x] Wash all plants/fungi prior to consumption/preparation

[x] Wash and rinse rice extensively before & after cooking

[x] Do not wash raw fish/meat

[x] Seperate raw animal food from other food all the time

[ ] Do not consume anything that has been in contact with plastic or that has been canned. I.e. no canned foods, plastic bottles, plastic cutlery etc. If you cannot avoid it make sure to 1. Transfer all foods that were in contact with cans / plastic to something else and wash it pre eating. 2. Especially avoid heating plastic / can packaging Tips: Use stainless steel, glass, porcelain as containers, cook beans yourself

[x] Only consume chia seeds soaked, not dry

[x] Do not consume fish skin, internal organs or fatty tissue

[x] Do not consume bitter zucchini/squash/gourd due to possibility of high cucurbitacins (toxins)

excercise

[ ] Do not sit >4h/day MY BIGGEST PROBLEM, TRYING TO SOLVE IT WITH WALK & TALK, STANDING DESK. FAILING OFTEN.

[x] Stop an activity immediately if it leads to pain

[x] Exercise ~>=30min/day (he also writes “but ~<=450min/week” which I ignore due to Attia)

[x] Do aerobic exercise (cardio) >=150min/week

[x] Do anaerobic exercise (strength) of all major muscle groups (chest, back, arms, legs, shoulders, abs) >=2x/week

[x] Mix up the aerobic & anaerobic exercises regularly

[x] Maintain good posture when sitting and standing: Chest forward, shoulders back, head up

[x] Do >=5-10min of dynamic stretches of muscles to be trained before exercise

[x] Do >=5-10min of static stretches of muscles trained after exercise

[x] Do >=5-10min dynamic stretches of full-body every morning

[ ] Do >=5-10min static stretches of full-body every evening IT'S ON MY EVENING ROUTINE LIST BUT I OFTEN SKIP IT

[ ] Limit exercises to non-contact sports with a low risk of injury NO, I PLAY FOOTBALL AND I KITESURF

[x] Wear recommended protective equipment when exercising

[x] Take the stairs

[x] Smile >=1x/day

[x] Do not engage in excessive sport eg marathrons

[x] Be conscious of you're movements and actions, feel your muscles

[x] Men: Do not keep laptop on lap for >28min continously, not even with a lap pad in between

[ ] Interact with electronic devices at eye level without bending forward (e.g. phone) TRYING TO BUT FAILING

skin

teeth

[x] Do not share tools that may come in contact with blood e.g. toothbrush & razor blade.

[x] Brush teeth 2min >1hr after last food every evening

[x] Brush teeth 2min before first food every morning

[x] Brush your tongue after teeth

[ ] Use waterpik after flossing and before brushing I.e. Floss -> Waterpik -> Brush teeth -> brush tongue -> Rinse TODO OMNIFOCUS

[x] Floss every morning before brushing or every evening after your last calories but before brushing

[x] Replace toothbrush head every <=4 months or if the bristles are worn out

[ ] Pour hot water over toothbrush head before and after every reuse TODO START SOON

[x] Let toothbrush air dry in upright position after use

[x] Do not let toothbrush touch other toothbrushes

[x] Avoid covering toothbrush or storing it in containers

[x] Use toothpaste with fluoride & do not swallow it

[ ] Rinse mouth with aloe vera or tea tree oil after brushing TODO START SOON

[ ] Use electric toothbrush TODO BUY

shower

[x] Shower after sweating

[x] Shower both cold & warm with a preference for cold

[x] Completely dry yourself after washing

[x] Use a dry towel

[x] Do not apply any cosmetics to your skin

[x] Do not apply excessive friction/pressure to your skin

[x] Avoid skin contact with things that harbor many germs e.g. door knops, public toilets, etc. Wash hands after.

[x] Do not pick your nose

[x] Wash bed sheets 1x/week & other bedding 1x/2weeks

[x] Wash towels every ~5 uses

[x] Wash clothes in close contact with skin daily or after sweating

[ ] Use nail clipper to keep nail edges at ~2mm past the nail plate TODO ADD TO OMNIFOCUS EVENIGN

[ ] Disinfect nail clipper prior to use with 70%-90% alcohol, rinse in hot water and then dry properly

[ ] Do not remove nail cuticles

[ ] Do not chew your nails

[x] Do not use cotton swabs to clean your ears

social

[x] Socialize >=1x/day face-to-face in person TODO ADD TO HABIT TRACKER?

[x] Have >3 close social contacts you regularly interact with

[x] Only have sex with a partner who has no STIs

[x] Men: Ejaculate ~2-7x/week

[x] If penetrating the anus, always use a condom regardless of STIs

[x] If receiving vaginal/anal sex and switching to anal/vaginal use a new unexpired fresh condom

[ ] Practice kindness >=5x/day I SHOULD IMPROVE HERE

[ ] Get a massage ~>=1x/month TODO BUY IT MORE OFTEN

[ ] Do not greet people with a handshake I DISAGREE BETTER TO GREET THEM JUST WASH OFTEN

[ ] Spend >=30min/week in nature https://www.nature.com/articles/srep28551 and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27493670/

eye

[x] Never look directly into the sun, not even during an eclipse

[x] Avoid eye exposure to blue light <3h before bed

[x] Do not let eyes see light during sleep with >5 lux and 180 lux

[ ] Avoid looking at things with too much glare for long periods of time

[ ] Take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes spent using a screen or focusing on a single thing.

ears

[ ] Avoid any noise >70dB https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html This is surprisingly difficult. It usually means no nightclubs, concerts, sporting events, bars, high-volume headphones & avoiding combustion vehicles (EVs are quieter) etc. Tips: Shield your ears with your hands e.g. when a train is approaching

[x] Avoid any noise during sleep with >30dB. Even if it doesn't wake you up it impacts sleeping stages, e.g. traffic, crying children, adhan etc. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/noise-and-sleep

lungs

[ ] Only breathe in through your nose, even during exercise. MOSTLY YES BUT NOT ALWAYS.

Posted 2023-11-14 Updated 2023-11-14

[farzanatrading]

How can I consume five servings of vegetables each day?

First, what's a serve? A serve is equal to at least one cup of uncooked or 1/2 of a cup of cooked greens. For example, one cup of uncooked spinach might be equal to 1/2 of a cup of cooked spinach. Or one massive uncooked carrot might be equal to 1/2 of a cup of cooked carrots. Once you visualize the goal of 5 serves, it is simple to give you options.

 For instance, placed those 5 serves of greens at the kitchen bench:

 One massive uncooked carrot (one serve)

Two cups of uncooked spinach ( serves)

One cup of cooked mushrooms ( serves)

Now, contain those 5 serves into your day by day menu…

 Cut the carrot into fingers, and bundle right into a box with both peanut butter or a handful of roasted peanuts for a scrumptious snack.

Prepare a sandwich for lunch in that you encompass your preference of protein (e.g. tuna), some child spinach leaves, multiple sliced mushrooms and a sliced tomato (technically a fruit).

Steam the ultimate child spinach and mushrooms (those will lessen after cooking) to accompany some other ingredients (e.g. grilled tofu, fish or meat).

Here are some very last suggestions on a way to consume extra greens:

 Blend a choice of greens right into a smoothie (that is higher than juicing)

Make a `monkey' plate through slicing a number of greens and including a handful of combined nuts and a few cheese

Experiment with new recipes through consisting of extra greens than rice or noodles, as an example in a stir fry

Add greens to pasta sauces

Experiment with veggie noodles as opposed to undeniable wheat pasta

Try a lettuce leaf in the area of a bread wrap.

Farzana is a 24-hour delivery app and website that brings groceries right to your door. You can get all of your online fruits and online vegetables with Farzana as its main service.

[mihai-florescu]

*gripping the sink refusing to look in the mirror* no, like, it's ok, it's fine, i'm just in my war shu era in my war leo era in my kaname era in my-

[trans-xianxian]

at the risk of sounding like a weirdo....i just saw your grocery store post and it looks like a lot of veggie items? are you vegetarian? i'm trying to be but i'm a bit lost when it comes to food (where i live it's very difficult to be anything other than a meat eater lol) so i'm wondering if you could maybe share some of your favorite staples that you consistently get. thank you so much!!

hi anon sorry it took so long for me to answer this! but yes I've been vegetarian for about 13 years now! you said not eating meat is difficult where you live, and I know that what brands are sold where is always different so I'm not sure if these particular things would necessarily be available to you, but in the scope of like. meat substitutes, morningstar and simple truth both make really good stuff, and tofurky is the only good vegetarian sandwich meat I've had lmao

I usually always have veggie burgers and fake chicken strips/nuggets in my house because you can literally just microwave them with little to no additional effort. there's also rlly good fake meat crumbles for things like tacos and such and rlly good veggie sausages

as for vegetarian foods that aren't a substitute for a meat thing tho - baked veggies are rlly good and easy to make! I like cauliflower and brussel sprouts most. you can just stick them in the oven on high heat in a baking pan w oil, salt, and pepper and you're pretty much set. smoothies are also a go to esp in the summer time. I eat a lot of sandwiches too lmao. if you like yogurt that's a rlly good source of protein! cheese is also a good source of protein and easy to add to things. eggs as well if you like those. veggies like spinach, collards, and kale are all rlly good for iron but I don't like most of them 😔

without meat your consistent meal staples are probably going to become potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta/noodles but I'd say potatoes and rice are definitely the most versatile! as for like. full meals my top five (in no particular order) are probably stir fry with tofu, tacos, baked potatoes w side vegetable and/or meat substitute, home made mac n cheese (I can post my recipe if you'd like 😌), and pasta with salad or some kind of roasted vegetable on the side. vegetarian soup is also p easy to make but I don't like most soups (sorry souptuals)

I know that if you're going out to eat a lot of places don't have very good veggie options esp if you live somewhere that doesn't have a lot of vegetarian/vegan people but there's a lot of really good vegetarian lebanese food and I've found that most thai and chinese restaurants will have at least a few good vegetarian things there. diners are also usually a good place to go out to eat if you need vegetarian stuff

it's going to take awhile to get used to and find the food that you like and works for your body esp if you usually eat meat All The Time but after awhile it won't even be something you think about anymore. I know a lot of people will sort of slowly ease into being fully vegetarian by cutting certain kinds of meat out every few weeks or months so that's also something to consider if you think that it would help!

I will also say that it's probably also a good idea to keep an eye on your iron and how your energy levels are. it's really easy to get an iron deficiency if you're vegetarian/vegan especially if you're also someone who gets their period. if it ends up happening it's usually fixable by just taking iron supplements but its an important thing to look out for so it can be handled appropriately if it becomes an issue!

anyway I hope that this was helpful to you and good luck! if anyone else has some suggestions feel free to reply w them I'm a pretty picky eater so the scope of foods I eat is already smaller lmao

[imanes]

hi imane! do you have a recipe for the first dish in your february post? also maybe a difficult question to answer but how do you find good places in your city to eat? i never know where to go, i think most places that get social media exposure, for my city at least, are not that great at all. it’s probably just trial and error but i only get the weekend as i work full time 😭

hello :) i loosely followed marion's kitchen recipe but i'm just going to write down what i did (i made some today hehe) but i didn't use any measurements so i'll try to make sense of it and don't hesitate to adjust as u go!

ingredients to prep:

2 cloves of garlic + the same amount of ginger, both chopped

2 green onions, also chopped (keep the green bits for plating)

1 tsp corn flour + a bit of flour to make a slurry

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of stock (depending on how dry or liquidy you want it to be) to make mine i 1 tbsp of granulated stock dilluted e in hot water (i used maggi mushroom granules, it says "nam huong" on the pack) but u can just use water if it's more convenient

firm tofu cut into cubes

ingredients to have on hand:

200 gr of minced chicken

1 big tbsp of doubanjiang (use more or less depending on how intense u want the flavour to be)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar (or white wine/apple cider vinegar)

1/2 tsp ground sichuan pepper (or use w/e pepper u have)

1 tsp red pepper flakes (less to none if u don't want too much heat, but double if u are a hot food fiend like me)

first thing: heat some oil in a pan, enough to stir fry the minced chicken on medium heat. stir the chicken a lot so that it doesn't leave huge clumps. once the minced chicken is mostly cooked, add the ginger, garlic, and white parts of the green onion and stir it for a minute.

afterwards, you can add one by one the other ingredients, and stir in between. start with the doubanjiang, then add the sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. once everything is well combined, add the stock and then the tofu. once everything is combined and the tofu is heated through, add the slurry (cornflour + water). mix well and voila dinner is ready :-)

what i like to do actually is make the chicken separately. i cook it with the ginger + garlic + green onion trio and then whenever i eat it i switch around the seasoning. another dish i make often is with that basis + oyster sauce + fish sauce and some kaffir lime leaves. i don't subscribe to any type of meal prepping but it's the only meal prep adjacent thing that i do bc it's a solid basis that i can literally eat every day. hope this helped!

[odaatlover]

I’ve been trying to stick to a 1,800 a day intake and I’ve been trying hard to do light-to-moderate exercise. I’m definitely drinking more water. But going from at least 3,000 (give or take) a day in sugary junk to such a low number has been rough. Not to mention the headaches. 🤕

It’s so difficult in the beginning! Try to eat things that fill you up more. You want to think low calorie high volume. Some examples are oatmeal — a whole bowl is 150 calories. And then you can spice it up with some sugar free maple syrup, vanilla protein powder, Pb2 powder, whatever floats your boat! I like to add sugar free strawberry jam and vanilla protein powder as it tastes like a strawberry pop tart to me.

Another example is homemade stir fry. You can use a single or half serving of rice (or quinoa) and then add some lean chicken breast (or shrimp or tofu), then pack that thing with veggies. Seriously, a HUGE bowl will be like 500 calories because of all the veggies, but it’ll be so difficult to finish because it’s so filling. Just be careful with the sauce, check the labels because some will be 100 calories for a tablespoon (yikes!). Find something that’s more like 20-30 calories or less per tablespoon. A trick I like is to mix stir fry sauce with an equal part of water so that it’s 2 tbsp total (1 tbsp sauce + 1 tbsp water) but it’s only the calories of 1 tbsp sauce.

Another example is pasta dishes that fill you up. I’ll do a full serving or a half serving of pasta and then add a bunch of veggies like mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, grape tomatoes, onions, etc. and then a protein like shrimp or tofu (or lean chicken breast). Get some sugar free pasta sauce and then maybe some ricotta cheese for extra protein — low fat is an option too. But with all the extra veggies you can fill up a huge bowl and eat a lot without eating a ton of calories like you would by adding more pasta.

These are AWESOME. The whole flatbread is only 120 calories and it’s huge. They have them at Walmart if you’ve got one, but I’m sure it’s in other stores too. I like these to make a big wrap or a flatbread pizza with some fat free cheese. You can also cut them up and bake them in the oven to make pita chips, and then add a side of homemade guacamole by smashing 1/2 avocado, mix with some water until it’s the right consistency, then add chopped tomatoes and onions and some salt and pepper!

Finding low calorie foods that will fill you up more and finding a way to make them taste good helps so much. Because if you don’t like it, you’re not going to want to eat it right? Taste is super important, and a lot of people forget that. Check out anabolic recipes on YouTube!

[i-am-the-balancing-point]

18 questions – get to know me

good morning and happy Halloween 🌶🎃 because I love talking about myself, I wanted to do one of those mini questionnaire things. I Frankenstein-ed this together out of three similar posts going around tumblr

Name? Gigi

Nicknames? Gigi already is a nickname but I honestly love being called honey, hun, sweet pea, sweet corn, darling, king, sweet boy, malewife, po po, mew mew… if we’re close you may also call me kitten. in a non-sexual way!! just like as a fun nickname

Favourite color? yellow

Favourite flower? Sunflower, Baby’s Breath, Nasturtium and, of course, Bliss (so either Moonflower, white Brugmansia or Datura)

Currently reading? Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates and The Book of Joseph

Last song? Honey, Honey by ABBA, but the Mamma Mia! version

Last series? The Simpsons

Last movie? Borat [don’t judge me pls, I have the worst taste in comfort movies and I am in fact a w a r e™]

Last thing I googled? degrees of lewdity [don’t judge me pls I was curious]

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? hot choccy 🥺🍫☕️💕

Sweet, spicy or savory? savoury

Three favourite foods? french fries… but really everything with potatoes! green papaya salad and tofu + veggies stir fry with rice

Number of blankets you sleep with? usually a duvet and an optional blanket but in winter I put two duvets in one cover and sleep with another extra duvet

Song stuck in your head? Bloodthirsty by Lowell

Relationship status? single/open to date but not pushing it

Dream trip? first to the city! can be any city as long as you can get there without flying or long boat rides and it has cool museums. going to said museums, getting lots of nice vegan food, maybe even going on a food tour and leaving some street art. staying in for at least an evening and ordering food to the hotel room/air bnb. going to nice markets, maybe on a guided tour of the place (I like walking tours) and thrift shopping a little if that’s an option. taking lots of great analog fotos and getting to practice my skills. sitting on a bench with fun local lemonade, fries and local fast food for some people watching. then to the countryside! enjoying nature and some quiet, possibly by the seaside. just watching the tide come and go while listening to music. or escaping to a cabin in a luscious peaceful forest. going geocaching and trying to spot animals. visiting animals and feeding them (I miss chilling with the geese and ducks and other critters at the local water reservoire… They enjoyed their birdseeds and I enjoyed my temporary pop-star status.) Going for loooong wonderful rides and getting to connect with the horses.

Currently working? I‘m mainly a student, currently doing my bachelor‘s, but I have a job at uni mentoring freshers + I am also slowly easing back into the entertainment industry (acting, singing, modelling)

Anything you really want? a loooong hot make out session, for this godforsaken pandem*c to never have happened and a microphone for song recording

not tagging anyone in this because I know you all like your privacy and I do not want anyone to feel pressured to share anything but if you’d like to please go ahead and use this template ♡

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Bulgogi Icecream

So, for those who are not Korean and want to steal this recipe and for the people who want to take credit for it: I am not your invisible unnamed PoC friend that you happen to know and have stolen the recipe from, yet somehow managed to sell this FREE recipe to a website. If you do that, after my working on this recipe for literal months of gathering resources, reading up, etc, then I’ll be very upset at you. We are not friends, then are we? If you are white, you stole from a PoC, then double the shame, you imperialist. Stop stealing PoC recipes and claiming that you are friends and then making the recipe as white as possible. If you don’t know that, you definitely aren’t my friend and aren’t listening to my wishes, which makes you culturally appropriating. And before you say it, the origin of Ice cream is not from white Europe. I had the idea in 2019, but managed to complete the development in 2020, after a lot of failure. I’d been thinking about pioneering this recipe long before then, but lacked the finances to do so.

People stole my recipes before... so let’s see if they want to attempt it again. (Yes, Copyright does not protect recipes, but it doesn’t make you less of a donkey for doing so and then claiming it’s an invisible friend that gave you the recipe. No. It’s here. Link it and have respect for recipe development.).

But WHY?

I saw a recipe years back on kimchi ice cream, and I was super curious if it could be done with other Korean foods. I made jokes about Bulgogi Ice cream, but didn’t have the time or money to actually make it. I pioneered this recipe, because I found out there was kimchi ice cream, green tea ice cream, Philli Cheese Steak Ice Cream, garlic Ice Cream, honey ice cream, sesame seed ice cream, soy sauce ice cream, green onion ice cream, ginger ice cream, onion ice cream, but not a single soul had thought of Bulgogi Ice Cream. I checked in hangeul and in English. And well, me who has an ice cream maker and made Triple Yuzu Gooseberry Liquor Yogurt Cheese Ice Cream had to try and see if it was possible. It tastes excellent.

I’ve watched enough cooking shows and read cooking books, read up on food science enough shows to sink a ship, so I knew the basics in order to get it to work. But I did fail the first 3 times. (Which because of my finances took a month between before I could attempt again.)

Words of caution

This ice cream might take longer to congeal than “normal” ice cream. Do not mess with the salt ratios, except to cut them down.

History of Bulgogi

Bulgogi, for those that don't know is a Mongolian-imported and Korean-adapted dish. It technically isn't "true" Korean food, but one that most likely came during the Goryeo period. It is marinaded meat, mostly beef and comes with samgyeopsal, or Korean BBQ, also a Mongolian Import.

There are other types of bulgogi as well, which include pork and chicken, but the composition of those is different from the one with beef and would need a separate recipe.

Recipe Development

I tried the first time going wholesale and pouring the whole of the bulgogi in, but the soy sauce failed to let it set. There was too much salt. But one should not give up when they have a recipe in mind, so knowing some food science, I tried stab two, which was to deconstruct the bulgogi, take out the soy sauce (mostly) and reconstruct it again in the ice cream. This worked better, but it still was more of a slurry and failed to set properly. The third try, I reduced the egg yolk by one (since egg yolks influence freezing),  and added mejukaru to try to make up for the lack of soy flavor and reduced the soy sauce again.

The reason I used Spencer beef versus other types of meats is because it has a nice chew, less gristle and nice marbling. One can use something else, but there is something satisfying about chewing the ice cream. An acquaintance of mine was pretty insistent that it have a swirl, so I thought that up too.

Soy milk and rice milk ice cream base can be used instead, as necessary.

Mejukaru Meju is a block used normally to make soy sauce and is prefermented. Meju karu is the powder made from the fermented block. It can be found in most korean grocery stores. It will give a milder flavor of soy sauce without the hazard of excess salt softening the ice cream. It is optional since some people don't like the taste of soy and some people are allergic to soy.

One caution I have is to not go overboard with the soy sauce. The leftover marinade once thoroughly cooked can be used for other meats like pork, chicken, beef again, and to season tofu. The emphasis here is to make sure you cook the sauce thoroughly. I made the mistake of putting the sauce into the ice cream and it failed to set. Do not repeat my mistake, thinking it's a waste.

On Soy allergies

This is not medical advice, seek a real medical professional: Most soy sauce does not cause soy allergies since most of the soy breaks down, but if you need to sub the soy sauce, I would consider something like a mild fish sauce, which has a similar flavor profile. (same proportion). The other option is to make soyless soy sauce from scratch, but that’s unlikely.

On having Crohn's Disease: There are soy sauces without gluten in them. I make my own soy sauce and often cut out the wheat. It can be done. You can sub for 2 tsps 100% soybean powder, but the meat might not be as tender.

Bulgogi Ice Cream

Ingredients: 1/2 package of Beef, sliced spencer cut into 1/4 inch squares

Bulgogi Sauce Ingredients: 2 tbsps cup sesame seed oil 2 tbsp Soy sauce 1 head of garlic minced. 1 thumb of ginger, minced. 2 tablespoons honey 2-3 tbspoons sesame seeds

Ice cream ingredients: 3 egg yolks 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Ice cream Flavorants:

1 tbsp honey 1-2 clove garlic, ground 1 thumb fresh ginger peeled and ground 1 tbsp toasted and ground sesame seeds 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds. 2 scallions, blanched (They can also be skillet fried in sesame seed oil--no soy sauce if you prefer to caramelize them) (2 tbsps mejukaru)

Optional Swirl Ingredients:

3 tbsp honey 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1/2 thumb ginger 2 tbsp toasted and ground sesame seeds 2 tbsps heavy cream

Make the Bulgogi: Combine the sauce ingredients: sesame seed oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, sesame seeds. Stir it together. Add the cut up beef. Marinate for at least 1 hour. Cook the beef and sauce. (Sauce once cooked can be used for other things) Strain the beef. Put in freezer.

Make the Ice cream custard: - Add egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan and whisk until light yellow color and well-combined. In another small saucepan, heat milk until it begins to simmer. Gradually add milk to egg and sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Heat mixture until it reaches 165, but do not allow to go to a boil. As soon as it reaches the correct heat, remove and add vanilla. Combine with the ice cream ingredients and bulgogi. Refrigerate for an hour. Pour into ice cream mixture. As the mixture is combining in your ice cream maker add the heavy cream. The ice cream might take longer to set if you do not have an electrical machine with a auto freezing mechanism, so put into the freezer and check on it every few hours and stir.

If you want a swirl:

Combine the swirl ingredients, as the ice cream congeals pour last.

Notes: DO NOT add too much soy sauce, the ice cream will fail to set. Sesame seeds melt plastic in the microwave. If you want to toast them do it in 30 second bursts in a non-plastic container. And yes, microwave safe plastic will also melt.

2 Recipes for the leftover Bulgogi sauce:

Combine leftover egg whites and leftover bulgogi sauce together with a whisk. You can eat this OR

combine with meat of choice, coat with panko and deep fry.

It also can be made into more bulgogi and then the bulgogi and sauce made into japchae.

[flintandpyrite]

My brother and his fiancée wanted to do an all-vegetarian month of dinners this spring but didn’t know where to start so I wrote up a huge list of ideas (I’m not vegetarian but I try to eat that way at least twice a week) and I thought someone else might appreciate the list as well, so here you go:

Vegetarian ideas list

Cheese theme

Pizza with mozzarella, shingled with thinly sliced raw yellow potatoes and raw beets dressed with oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan before baking.

Pizza with cheddar and thinly sliced broccoli, dressed with oil, salt, and pepper

Pizza with Mozzarella, asparagus peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and dressed with salt/pepper/oil, baked and then topped with small spoonsful of ricotta

Roasted feta and cherry tomato pasta

Arugula/roasted beet/orange salad with walnuts or sliced almonds and crumbled goat cheese. If you want to be super fancy you can partially freeze the goat cheese log and slice it, then dip the slices in egg and then Panko crumbs and fry on each side in butter. Makes for a very impressive presentation. Beets can be roasted in bulk, peeled, and then store in the fridge for a week so if you have time the day before, do that. If extra beets, see chłodnik below.

Literally a quesadilla. This happens to me 1-2 times per month. Serve with Valentina brand hot sauce and sour cream.

Tofu theme

Roasted tofu: press firm tofu between paper towels under a heavy pan for 10 minutes, then cut into bite-size cubes. Meanwhile, make a dressing of equal parts neutral oil and soy sauce, with a dash of sesame oil. Toss cubes in dressing, then spread on a foil-lined baking tray and roast in 375F oven for 18-20 mins, tossing once or twice with a thin metal spatula so they get brown and crisp. Serve with a sesame cucumber salad or lemon garlic sautéed broccoli/bok Choi and rice

Tofu saag: use the above preparation for tofu but make the dressing from 1 tbls miso and 1 lemon of juice, along with 2 tbls neutral oil. Then make saag following this recipe and stir tofu in at the end. I will often make a half recipe of the saag with 1 lb of tofu and that seems to be enough for two people with leftovers. I also usually add some turmeric and garam masala to the aromatics before adding the spinach. I also usually use frozen spinach, added straight out of the freezer with 1/4 cup water or broth to thaw it. For a full recipe of saag, try one 10 oz bag frozen spinach and one bunch of stemmed shredded mustard greens. Gives a better texture and a nice funky flavor. Serve with basmati rice.

Ma Po Tofu: special occasion food. Leave out the pork crumbles (and the fish sauce if you’re feeling very hard core vegetarian!!!!!) here’s a vegan recipe but it calls for a lot of specialized ingredients. There are lots of simpler recipes online if you can source the broad bean sauce and the Sichuan pepper from the internet.

Crispy sesame tofu with spinach. Save the rest of the coconut milk after you use 1/4 cup for the dressing and either freeze it for future use or combine with 1.5 cups rice and 1 cup water in a rice cooker to make coconut rice. You can either make spinach as called for in the recipe or if you don’t like spinach you can cook shiitake mushrooms and kale in the same flavors for a more high-fiber option.

Mushroom theme

Mushroom shepherd’s pie—I usually leave out the porcinis because $$$ and often just use baby Bella and white mushrooms in the pie. It’s still really good. Makes incredible leftovers.

Oyster mushroom “scallops”—buy king oyster mushrooms (or just use baby bellas) and cut them into scallop-size rounds. Sauté in a pan with oil and no salt until lightly browned (this takes a while but is worth it). Then add soy sauce, sesame oil, minced ginger and garlic, and black pepper, enough to make a pool around the mushrooms. Use a spoon to gently baste the mushrooms with this mixture while they finish cooking. Top with minced scallions or chives, and serve on brown or white rice, or with quinoa. I also usually cook sesame spinach (oil, salt, frozen spinach, dash of sesame oil and sprinkle of sesame seeds) with this.

Chickpea, mushroom and squash curry— literally this recipe but with a can of chickpeas stirred in at the end. I also often use delicata squash instead of butternut or kabocha if it’s available. If you can only get butternut, use mom’s trick rather than risking your fingers—slap the whole squash in a 375 degree oven for 30 mins to soften it, then take it out, let it cool a little, and cut it into manageable cubes from there. It freezes well in cubes or mashed. If you have too much to eat at one time (you will have too much), see butternut squash soup below.

Other

Pindi chhole—spicy dry-fried chickpeas. There are so many spices in this that you can easily skip one or two. Kala namak is a kind of sulfurous salt I have never seen in the US. I just use kosher instead. Quick Hindi cheat sheet: jeera=cumin, haldi=turmeric, amchur is a dried sour mango—you can substitute with lime juice if you can’t find it. I usually serve this with rice and a simple cucumber/lemon juice/salt/pepper/cumin/yogurt raita.

Basic dal: I make this all the time. I often chop a bunch of kale and stir it in during the last 5 mins of cooking. While rice is great with all Indian food, remember lots of places (eg Whole Foods) sell pre-made naan and frozen roti if you want Indian breads. Also look for jarred chutneys online or at your store. Salted preserved lemons are my favorites and they are simple to make if you want that jolt of sunshine and can’t get them commercially.

Breakfast burritos: eggs, beans (refried or whole), leftover roasted potatoes, whatever cooked veggies you have lying around (I like peppers and onions), vegan sausage if you like (I love the Costco brand veggie sausage), hot sauce. These freeze incredibly well so you can have them for days after.

For warm days: chłodnik (cold roasted beet and yogurt and cucumber soup, seasoned with dill, lemon juice, and pepper) and served with a hard boiled egg floating in it and a slice of buttered bread.

Roasted vegetables: zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic. Roasted in a 400F oven (roast in separate piles so you can remove the fast cookers first). Then serve over homemade croutons for panzanella or with slices of toast for a nice open faced sandwich. For a Provençal flavor, stir in halved nicoise or other dark olives or capers before eating.

Goat cheese & chive crepes. Or olive & cheese. Or creamed mushroom crepes. Recipe & more ideas here.

Egg & toast & roasted vegetable or salad. Hey, it’s food.

Black lentils and spinach: I used French green lentils instead of black lentils because they’re easier to find and it was absolutely delicious. Also I used red wine vinegar instead of “white balsamic” which is kind of not really a thing. I served this with roasted spiced carrots. I used just the roasted carrots with avocado and left off the dressing and sprouts.

Butternut squash soup: Thinly slice an onion and cook on medium heat in butter with a pinch of salt until translucent and starting to lightly brown. Add 1-2 cloves minced garlic and allow to soften. Add 1-2 cups butternut squash purée and stir until squash paste smells slightly sweet and is warmed all the way through (do not allow it to brown too much, it weirds the texture). Add 2-3 cups stock and purée. Allow to warm then season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve with bread of some kind.

Red pepper soup: Very simple, very wholesome. Also good cold. Serve with garlic butter toast.

[bentonpena]

Tofu Freaking Rules

Tofu Freaking Rules https://bit.ly/350TvUV

We need to talk about tofu. As Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger mania sweeps the globe, the OG vegan protein is getting left behind—and I, for one, hate to see it. If you’re serious about reducing your reliance on animal products, tofu has the potential to change your diet—and life—for the better.

To some extent, I get why so many people, particularly American meat-eaters, are resistant to the entire concept of tofu. Western culture has ruthlessly (and racist-ly) slandered the humble soy-based protein for as long as we’ve known about it, so a lot of us were basically programmed from birth to think it’s garbage.

I’m begging you to reconsider. When correctly prepared, tofu is a textural marvel, running the gamut from delicate and custardy to deep-fried and crunchy. Its unmatched flavor-absorbing powers make it a total chameleon; it truly can be anything you want it to be. I’ve loved tofu my whole meat-eating life, and I’m here to convert the naysayers. Welcome to my Tofu Manifesto.

You’re probably thinking about tofu all wrong

The biggest, wrongest tofu misconception is that it’s strictly a meat substitute. Sure, it can be that if it needs to—but tofu’s closest animal protein analog is actually the egg. On their own, eggs are bland; it’s their ability to morph into a staggering array of forms and textures that makes them so special. However you like your eggs—fried crisp with lacy edges, scrambled soft with lots of butter, or cooked into a puffy, tender frittata—I’m willing to bet your preferences come down to texture rather than flavor.

The same is true for tofu, which is why I’m skeptical when people insist they don’t like how it tastes. Soft and silken tofu has a more noticeable soy milk vibe than the firm stuff, but for the most part, it adds no flavor whatsoever to a dish. Tofu only tastes as good as the sauce it’s served in—texture is basically the whole point.

It’s embarrassingly easy to make tofu taste amazing

Contrary to popular assumption, delicious tofu takes barely any work at all. In fact, all the usual hacks try way too hard: Pressing takes forever (and freezing even longer); marinating often yields profoundly mediocre results; a cornstarch dredge too easily sogs out. None of these techniques work particularly well on medium-to-soft tofu, and with the exception of marinating, they also offer absolutely nothing in the way of seasoning.

For all of these reasons and more, the salt water trick is the only tofu hack worth knowing. Hot, salty water is a tofu prep triple threat: It dehydrates firm tofu so it crisps up quickly, sets super-fragile soft tofu so it doesn’t fall apart, and seasons everything through and through. It also adds as much work to your dinner prep as boiling pasta. I’ll get into the specific techniques in a bit; for now, just know that the salt water hack promoted tofu from something I’d buy occasionally to a legit, can’t-live-without-it staple.

If you remain unmoved, I’ve collected my favorite tofu products and preparations in one place, starting with the most hater-friendly ones. This isn’t a recipe post—it’s all about the technique. (Where applicable, I’ll link to specific recipes that I used and explain how I adjusted them to work with tofu, with the hope that you’ll soon be doing the same.)

Even hardline skeptics love fried tofu puffs

Tofu puffs are cheap, delicious, deep-fried flavor sponges that need zero prep; in other words, they’re easy to love. You can toss them whole into curries and stews for a fun textural element, but I strongly recommend taking 30 seconds to slice them in half. With their honeycomb-like interiors exposed, these puffy little nuggets soak up sauce like nobody’s business—without compromising their crispiness.

To show them off, I made my favorite Maangchi recipe—cheese buldak, or fire chicken with cheese—with halved tofu puffs instead of chicken breast.

Those two ingredients are obviously nothing alike, but the swap totally works thanks to the insanely powerful sauce. Red-hot both in color and spice level, surprisingly sweet, and with enough fresh ginger and garlic to put hair on your chest, it more than picks up the slack for something as bland as chicken breast or unseasoned tofu. Having made this dish with chicken dozens of times, I have to say—I prefer the puffs. Even when saturated with sauce, they stay light and puffy, which is the perfect contrast to the ultra-chewy texture of sliced rice cakes and melted mozzarella.

Pressed tofu does (most of) the prep work for you

As the name implies, pressed tofu has already been pressed to remove most of its moisture, resulting in a pleasantly toothsome texture. You can buy it pre-seasoned with soy sauce and five spice powder, but I like it plain so I can season it however I like.

Here, I whipped up a vaguely Spam-inspired mixture of roughly 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and sugar, plus a teaspoon of garlic powder and a few shakes of smoky hot sauce (El Yucateco Black Label Reserve for life). I added some cubed pressed tofu and let everyone hang out about 20 minutes, flipping them around halfway through. You don’t need much marinade; a shallow layer is plenty.

I then used it to bulk up a super basic batch of fried rice with ginger, garlic, carrots, and frozen peas. The cubes got nicely crispy and charred on the edges, and were just what I needed to add some substance to a huge bowl of fried carbs.

Unseasoned pressed tofu also makes great vegan “paneer:” Cube it up and marinate in lemon juice with a few pinches of salt for 30 minutes, or longer if you have the time. As with regular paneer, you can pan-fry the tofu or leave it alone; either way, you’ll be surprised at how closely the marinated tofu mimics the texture and flavor of the real thing.

Medium-to-firm tofu needs a little TLC

This range of the tofu spectrum is the most recognizable and the least immediately appealing. I mean, just look at this:

In my experience, the variations between medium, firm, and extra-firm tofu are pretty meaningless, and I use them all interchangeably. Left uncooked, they all have a texture best described as “rubbery,” with no discernible flavor at all. Their highest calling is getting crispy in a hot skillet and doused in a flavorful sauce.

All you need to make crunchy pan-fried tofu is salt water, a good nonstick pan, and all of 20-30 minutes. That’s it. Here’s my usual procedure for a standard 1-pound block.

Before I do any other ingredient prep, I bring 2-3 cups of salted water and 2 teaspoons of table salt to a strong boil in a saucepan. Then I cut the heat, slide in my tofu, and let it sit while I prepare the rest of the recipe. After 15-20 minutes, I drain off the water and either pat the tofu dry on clean towels or leave it in the colander until I need it.

To get that crispy surface going, I coat my big cast-iron skillet with a thin layer of neutral oil and heat it over medium-high. I then add the tofu, spread it into an even layer, and leave it completely alone for at least 5 minutes.

Once the edges start to brown, I flip it over and do the same on the other side.

Boom. Done. Obviously, I used crumbled tofu here—it’s my favorite—but this works just as well with cubes, slabs, triangles, or any other shape you can dream up.

Don’t sleep on crumbled tofu

I know I said that tofu isn’t a meat substitute, but crispy tofu crumbles get really fucking close. In many cases, I prefer them to meat because they hold their shape—and a surprising amount of crunch—even when simmered for a long time. Sure, they don’t give you the specific richness you get with ground pork or beef, but with the right recipe you won’t miss it at all.

Speaking of the right recipe, Bon Appétit Test Kitchen director Chris Morocco’s spicy sweet sambal pork noodles are flawless—but, despite the name, I’ve actually never made them with meat. I only had tofu the first time I made them, and they turned out so well that I’m fine with never learning how they taste with pork.

I make the recipe exactly as written, except—obviously—I leave the pork out. Instead, I fry up soaked, crumbled firm tofu in a separate skillet while the sauce simmers, then dump ‘em in and toss everything together with cooked noodles. This cuts at least 30 minutes off the cook time without compromising on anything except porkiness, which I promise won’t even register.

You can also use tofu crumbles like ground beef. I usually throw in some minced onion and garlic in once the tofu is nice and crispy, then cook it down with a little tomato paste, taco seasoning, and cheap beer if I’ve got it.

It’s not beefy, exactly, but it tastes incredible in its own right—and makes a killer vegan-friendly crunchwrap filling.

You can roast tofu, too

Maybe you’d rather not spray your stovetop with oil in the name of crispy tofu. In that case, roasted tofu is for you. The results are directly comparable to pan-frying—they just take a little longer to get there.

Start with soaked, drained tofu, preferably cut into triangles or flat slabs so they’re easy to flip. Arrange on a clean towel and let them dry out while your oven preheats to 450ºF.

If you like, cut a vegetable of your choice into similarly-sized pieces and toss them with a tablespoon or two of neutral oil; I’m using kabocha squash here.

Place a sheet pan on the lowest oven rack. After about 3 minutes, add 2-3 tablespoons of neutral oil to the pan, put it back in the oven, and heat for another minute or two. Carefully transfer the tofu and vegetables to the hot oiled pan, return to the bottom rack, and roast for at least 20 minutes. Flip everything over and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until the tofu is super crispy on both sides and the vegetables are browned and soft.

You can eat the whole shebang straight off the pan—perhaps drizzled with spicy peanut sauce or chili oil—but I added mine to a quick curry made with Maesri panang curry paste, palm sugar, and coconut milk. (Maesri is the only brand I’ve found that doesn’t use shrimp paste or fish sauce; if you usually avoid prepared curry paste for allergy or vegan reasons, give it a try.)

To be completely honest, the kabocha was a miss—the flesh was too dry, and the skin was super tough. The crispy roasted tofu, however, slapped. They can’t all be bangers; such is the nature of experimentation.

When you feel ready, silken tofu is there for you

The next stop on our tour de tofu is the most controversial, misunderstood one yet: Soft or silken tofu. Yes, it’s bland. Unseasoned coagulated soy milk isn’t going to blow your mind with super-concentrated umami or whatever. But when prepared correctly, soft tofu is more than just delicious—it’s absolutely sublime. I will go to bat for it all day long, and I would love to tell you why.

The dish that changed my mind about silken tofu came from Biwa, a now-closed izakaya-style bar in Portland. It was deceptively simple: A whole block of chilled silken tofu drizzled with sweet soy sauce and topped with bias-cut scallions, fistfuls of toasted sesame seeds, and paper-thin bonito shavings. I ordered it every time, and my friends would always be like—“Cold tofu? Why?” But if I could convince them to take a bite, they’d understand. It was like eating a deeply savory panna cotta.

Unfortunately, my dearly departed Tofu Slab is no more—and my attempts to recreate it have been so unsuccessful that I’m forced to settle for the next best thing: Salt water-soaked silken tofu mounded on hot white rice and drowned in chili oil, soy sauce, and black vinegar.

I’m not complaining. The salt water, once again, is key: It turns a cold, slimy block of tofu into a piping-hot savory custard, which is the perfect canvas for condiments. Sure, there’s not much in the way of textural contrast, but the softness is so comforting and nice that I think a crunchy element would actually defeat the purpose. It’s a delicious, balanced, reasonably nutritious meal you can throw together in the time it takes to cook a pot of rice.

Putting it all together: All-tofu mapo tofu

Neglecting to mention mapo tofu in an article about tofu is basically journalistic malpractice. The iconic Sichuanese tofu dish is rich, meaty, spicy, funky, sour, and savory all at once—and slicked with lip-numbing Sichuan peppercorn oil for good measure. It’s a top 3 dish for me; I make it all the time, usually using Maggie Zhu’s recipe from the Omnivore’s Cookbook.

Being a big vegetable fan, I’ve experimented with using minced veg—eggplant, mushrooms, and even carrots—in place of the traditional ground meat. But this time, I decided to follow my vision and make a variant I’m calling “Oops! All Tofu.” I approached this recipe just like the sambal noodles, swapping crispy tofu crumbles in for the ground pork—but this time, I also soaked some cubed soft tofu in a fresh pot of salt water while the sauce simmered away.

This was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. The nubbins of soft tofu were literally melt-in-your-mouth tender, while the crispy crumbles turned downright meaty as they soaked up the spicy, salty, rich sauce. It made me even more certain of all of the (correct) tofu opinions I just laid out before you and, if you’ll let it, it has the power to convert you too.

Internet via Lifehacker https://bit.ly/2VwWgKq April 24, 2020 at 12:01PM