I’ve mentioned to y’all that finding ingredients familiar to my life in the States where I live can be a bit hit-and-miss. This is an example. Substitutions given.
gluten-free, paleo, keto, whole30
Crayfish & Egg Scramble
2 Duck eggs – sub large or XL chicken eggs
3 oz crayfish, cooked & peeled – shrimp was what I originally wanted, crayfish was what they had
Hand full thinly sliced green onions
White pepper & salt
Sesame oil
Magic sarap – sub chicken broth granules
Prep your ingredients: slice the green onions, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk, gather everything else and have on hand.
Over low to medium-low heat, add a little bit of sesame oil to a pan.
After the oil warms and starts to be fragrant, add the beaten eggs. Let the bottom of the eggs firm up before running your spatula through them to create soft folds.
While the eggs are still liquidy on top, add the green onions, crayfish, salt, pepper & a sprinkle of magic sarap/bouillon granules.
This isn’t keto (if you want keto, check this recipe), but it is relatively low in carbs. Like my other recipe, this is just a riff on pad Thai, but it’s glorious.
gluten-free, low-carb, pescatarian
Lower Carb Pad Thai
1 package shirataki noodles
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp tamarind paste or pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp fish sauce (Red Boat is gf!)
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground ginger
1 scallion, sliced
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
2 – 3 Tbsp basil, chopped
2 eggs
Shrimp – use your heart and wallet
Red pepper flakes
Big hand peanuts
First, prep your sauce by mixing the sugar, tamarind or pomegranate, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and ground ginger. Set aside.
Next, rinse your noodles and set aside.
Grab your proteins and set aside.
Mince the ginger; set aside.
Chop the scallions, cilantro and basil – set aside.
Add 1 Tbsp sesame oil to a large pan over medium-high heat.
Heat till shimmering, then add the rinsed noodles. Stir fry 1 minute.
Add the eggs. Let sit 1-2 minutes or until mostly cooked; stir into ribbons.
Add the garlic and shrimp and stir-fry until the shrimp is cooked 3/4 of the way through.
Add the sauce. Stir fry until the liquid is boiled off by at least 2/3.
Add the cilantro and basil and stir.
Top with a big hand peanuts and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
This recipe started off as a way to use up some fresh dill that wasn’t my favorite egg salad and somehow ended up morphing into a riff of an old Summer family favorite: seafood salad. Which I can’t believe I haven’t shared a recipe with y’all for yet. I c-r-a-v-e it every tomato season.
The original (to my family at least) salad included Krab, shrimp, hard boiled eggs & lots of mayo. Sometimes, depending upon which Aunt got a wild hair, chopped up bits of lettuce. Which is weird, but good.
Anyways. I gave myself an aversion to fake crab my first Summer out of high school (reminder, kids: check your expiration dates), so that was out. I swapped with flaked salmon but kept the shrimp in this version; I also sadly forgot the egg until I was eating trying to figure out what was missing. I was also wanting a little more mustard punch, so adjust yours as necessary.
And a note on seasoning: I happen to love this salad with way too much pepper and salt, because that’s how my family usually served it. This recipe includes a normal amount of each (depending on how HAM you go with the cracked pepper); I had to go back twice for more after the salad hit the fridge.
gluten-free, pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan with substitutions
Avocado Dill Pasta Salad
Dressing:
1 avocado (mine was small and I could have gone for more)
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. water
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salad:
4 – 6 cups pasta of choice (I used rice spirals)
15 cherry tomatoes
1 smallish cucumber (about 2/3 cup chopped)
1 smallish bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped)
2 – 4 stalks celery (about 3/4 cup chopped)
1/2 shallot, minced
2 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. celery seed (if using celery salt instead, you may not need to salt the salad – taste, taste, taste)
Loads of fresh cracked black pepper
Salt
Shrimp (I used 13 medium), peeled, cooked & chopped (optional)
Krab, crab or salmon (also optional)
2 – 3 Tbsp. your favorite mayo (optional)
Start you pasta boiling according to package directions, taking care to salt the water. When almost done, chuck your shrimp in to cook. Drain and set aside.
Pull the shrimp and chop. Add to a large bowl.
Chop the cucumber, bell pepper, celery, scallion and parsley. Add to the big bowl.
Mince the shallot and add. Halve the tomatoes and add those too. Add the celery seed.
In a blender or food processor, blitz all dressing ingredients until smooth. If you want your dressing a little runny, add more water until desired consistency is reached. Mine turned out a bit thick, which I liked, but I ended up adding 2 – 3 Tbsp. Kewpie mayo to the salad to loosen it a bit.
Add the cooled-ish pasta and dressing to the bowl. Mix well to combine. Hit with a bunch of pepper. Taste. Add more salt, lemon juice or some mayo to finish off.
Stash in the fridge for a bit to chill and let the flavors get acquainted.
I just got back from a fantastic vacation spent exploring a new place – and a new food culture – and wanted to come home and continue that goodness.
Random tidbit of information: tempeh is actually from Indonesia, it’s not just an OG hippie food.
That has little to do with this recipe (though most of the dishes of Nasi Goreng I had in Bali came with sides, including some ridiculously delicious tempeh).
Nasi Goreng is one of the dishes typically associated with Indonesia (some say it’s the national dish), although it’s popular in other Southeast Asian countries as well as the Netherlands. This dish is basically just fried rice – with no singular recipe, instead typically consisting of leftovers from the previous day.
This version of the dish doesn’t taste exactly like what I had on vacation, but it’s delicious nonetheless. I feel the sauces I had in Indonesia were richer, and in subsequent versions I’ll be working toward that – but this is a great starting place.
Can be made gluten free (just sweeten some coconut aminos), paleo (swap out the rice for Cauli rice and the ketjap), pescatarian (omit the chicken), or lacto-ovo vegetarian (omit the shrimp, shrimp paste & chicken)
Nasi Goreng: Version 1
3 cups leftover cooked rice (I used short grain sushi rice)
1 shallot
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen carrots
1 bok choy
2 eggs + 1 per person
250g chicken breast
200g tiny shrimp, chopped
4 Tbsp. prepared ketchup
4 Tbsp. ketjap manis
2 Tbsp. sambal olek
2 tsp. shrimp paste
Neutral oil
Salt & pepper
Chop the chicken into small bite-sized pieces, liberally season with salt and pepper, and sautée in 1 – 2 Tbsp. neutral oil until cooked through. Remove.
While the chicken is working, mince the shallot and garlic. Chop the bok choy and separate the stems from the leaves. Defrost the frozen veggies. Assemble the rest of the ingredients. Mix the ketchup, ketjap and sambal to form a sauce. Crack 2 eggs and lightly scramble.
Fry the shallot & garlic in 1 Tbsp. neutral oil over medium-high heat in the chicken pan, making sure to scrape up any browned bits and incorporating them.
When the shallots go translucent, add the shrimp paste. Stir to combine.
Add the bok choy stems and stir-fry until beginning to soften. Add the peas, carrots and bok choy leaves. Stir fry a minute or so until combined.
Add the rice, chicken & shrimp. Stir fry a minute or so to combine.
Add the sauce, stir to combine, and push the rice to the sides of the pan to make a well in the center. Add the scrambled eggs, let sit a minute to firm up on the bottom, and stir through the rice mixture until cooked.
Serve topped with an egg that’s been fried on medium-high heat until the edges are really crispy and the yolk is just set.
Serves 4 – 6 depending upon whether you are serving with sides (popular sides include: tempeh, fried tofu, hard boiled and then deep fried eggs, green bean and cabbage salads, and shrimp chips – plus I’m sure more – this is just what I was served as sides; I’m sure every household has its own version)
This recipe came out of a craving for veggies and color + yet another scroll through Instagram for inspiration.
Summer rolls can be made a million different ways, but this version incorporates most of my favorite elements – some sort of crunchy brassica, sweetness from carrots, the fresh crispness of cucumber, and a little kick of heat from pretty red chilis.
I also tried to recreate a slightly less suspect in color version of the sweet chili sauce often served with rolled appetizers – and then went a little heavier on the savory components because I really like to doctor my own sauces tableside.
Gluten-free, vegetarian
Summer Roll in a Bowl
The Salad
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 medium carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1 cucumber, sliced into half moons
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red chili, sliced into matchsticks
2 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
1.5 cups red cabbage, finely chopped
2 cups rice noodles, soaked in hot water 10 minutes to soften and drained
The Dressing
2 Tbsp. honey
Juice of 2 limes
1 Tbsp. sriracha
3 Tbsp. neutral oil (I used canola)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Toppers
Big hand full chopped nuts for crunch and fat (I had roasted peanuts)
Big hand full chopped cilantro
Protein of choice (Simple poached chicken or shrimp would be great)
Boil water, add the rice noodles to a big bowl, and pour the boiling water over the noodles, making sure they are fully submerged. Let sit while you prep the rest o fly the salad.
Prep the salad veggies and add to a large bowl.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.
Drain the noodles and add to the salad + dressing, tossing to combine.
Some days I don’t know why I get into my head the taste combinations I do. This is not one of those days. For some reason, something a couple I love on YouTube had said in a video I watched who knows how long ago popped into my head and I just couldn’t shake the desire to find out what cheese + Gochujang tasted like.
(Side note: if you like food, are interested in either Asian cuisines or finding out what it’s like to live in either Korea or Japan as a North American expat, check out Simon and Martina’s channel and blog: Eat Your Kimchi. It’s well worth the binge watch. Find them, and the recipe whose vague memory inspired this one here. Now, back to your regularly scheduled blah-blah!)
Now, I can’t do animal cheese, and I’m not even trying to pretend that this version tastes like cheese cheese (I think if I added garlic powder and mustard powder it might – but I’m still reintroducing foods, and Gochujang was my challenge food today), but it has a hint of cheesiness and a nice richness from the coconut milk.
If you’re batch cooking this recipe, maybe add a bit more coconut milk to the mix – mine turned out a bit clumped-together for subsequent meals; it loosened up on heating and stirring, but it could have been a skosh freer in the storage container.
Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan
Vegan Cheesy Gochujang Noodles
3 Tbsp. gochujang
1/4 c. sesame oil
1/4 c. soy sauce or coconut aminos
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1.5 in. grated ginger
1/4 c. coconut milk
Garlic oil
Bok choy, chopped
Rice noodles
Green onions
Sesame seeds
Ketjap manis
First, boil some water and set your rice noodles to soak – I do 1/2 – 1 cup per serving.
While the noodles are soaking, chop the bok choy and sautée in a large skillet over medium-high in a few squirts garlic oil. Season with a little sprinkle soy sauce/coconut aminos to season.
While those are both going, whiz together the ingredients from coconut milk up to make a sauce.
Slice the green onions and set aside for garnish. If you’re not vegan, prep your protein too (egg, little shrimps and rotisserie chicken all go great here). Grab your sesame seeds.
When the bok choy is cooked to your liking, drain the noodles and add to the pan. Stir with tongs to break them apart gently and fully incorporate the veggies. Add the sauce and stir again. Cook everything together a few minutes.
Top with the green onions, a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds, optional protein, and a swirl of ketjap manis.
The sauce makes enough to support 2.5 big servings
This simple appetizer is quick to put together, serves a crowd, and gives a bit different flavor to an old favorite (at least for my American readers).
A note for those American readers: If you’re a fan of American-style deviled eggs, you’re going to think that these yolks will never hold together with this amount of mayonnaise. Resist the urge to add more – it *does* work. Don’t go into auto-pilot. Be strong: the difference in taste is worth it.
Gluten-free, Paleo, pescatarian
Dutch-Style Shrimp Deviled Eggs
12 large eggs
8 ounces tiny sized shrimp (canned is fine)
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise or aioli (I used Kewpie mayo)
3 tsp. ketchup (I used American-style)
3 tsp. whiskey
Salt & pepper
Chives for garnish
First, hard boil and peel the eggs. Halve lengthwise and add the yolks to a bowl.
Add the mayo, ketchup & whiskey. Chop the shrimp into small bits, reserving 1 per egg half for garnish. Add the chopped shrimp to the bowl.
Mix to combine, taste, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the mixture into each egg half, top with a whole shrimp, and snip chives to garnish.
Another potluck, another veg (pescatarian)-friendly salad. The tastes are great here, but I would caution to know your audience – I saw a couple plates of beetroot floating around after all was said and done. I loved it, though, and so did my veggie-heavy friends!
If you can find them, add toasted unsweetened coconut shavings – I think they’d add a nice subtly sweet crunch here, but couldn’t find them anywhere. If you’re in the States, Trader Joes & Whole Foods usually carry them.
gluten-free, pescatarian, paleo
Summer Sunshine Salad
2 grapefruits, cut into supremes – reserve 2 Tbsp. of the juice for the dressing
1 kohlrabi, shredded (I ribboned, but this would have been better julienned like the beets)
400g prawns, sauteed and chopped in half
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
2 scallions, sliced
1 c. beetroot, julienned
2 c. red cabbage, ribboned
Hand full of mint, chopped
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste
1 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper
Chuck all the non-wet ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk all the wet ingredients and pour over top. Toss again. Taste, hit with salt + pepper if needed.
If you have toasted coconut, top with that – pepitas would also be nice.
This bowl has it all: sweet, spicy, umami, crunch, shrimp – what more could you ask for? And it’s quick! Like 15 minutes, 1 mug & a bowl!
Gluten-free, pescatarian
Quick Korean-Style Bowl
Shrimp (I used half a pound or so small cooked shrimp, but uncooked would have been even better)
2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 Tbsp. neutral oil
Two big hand fulls snap or snow peas
2 cups finely shredded carrots
2 green onions, sliced
What to do with leftover shrimp, and the massive tub of gochujang I’ve acquired? Make a yummy, yummy “noodle” bowl to kill that ramen craving I was also having.
If you’re nervous about gochujang and Korean food in general, don’t be – the paste I have may look spicy, but it’s not. It’s delicious, and is useful in a bunch of different ways.
gluten-free, low carb
Low Carb Gochujang Shrimp Bowl
14-16 shrimp
1-2 scallions
A bunch of shredded cabbage (I had about 1.5/2 cups per serving)
1-2 eggs per serving
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Sesame seeds
Salt & pepper
for the marinade
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. Gochujang (I could have done with a full Tablespoon here happily)
1/2 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. water
First, whisk together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add the shrimp, toss, and let marinate :30 to a couple hours in the fridge.
While that’s working, shred your cabbage and prep all other ingredients.
Cook in batches for each serving.
First, fry the cabbage in 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat until beginning to brown and soften. Season with salt & pepper.
Push to the outside of the pan and add the shrimp + a hand full of scallion to the middle and cook until 3/4 done.
Stir all together and push to the outside of the pan. Add 1 tsp. sesame oil in the center and crack the 2 eggs in. Season with a sprinkle of soy sauce.
When the egg whites have turned white, poke the yolks and stir into ribbons.
When 3/4 of the way cooked through, stir into the rest.
Transfer to a bowl and top with a sprinkle of raw scallion + sesame seeds.
Repeat with subsequent batches.
Serves 1-2 for dinner, depending on whether you have other banchan
Gastography 