Food: happy lantern festival

Yesterday was chinese lantern festival 元宵. Typically families get together to celebrate it with a good meal. In almost all chinese festivals, it involves food. I wonder if it is an international tradition to ALWAYS celebrate with food. I guess it’s a way to unite the family. Why not a tea celebration instead? I wonder ….

It was also the last day of my dad’s visit and he requested me to prepare lunch for him. Sunday is my favorite day to cook and bake, so I spent the morning in the kitchen.

I made the tofu mushroom chinese green’s soup (minus the seafood), an all time favorite of mine!

spicy red sauced whole fish (my parents’ and Star’s all time favorite)

sauteed greens

cucumber salad (soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and pinch of sugar)

pork and napa cabbage soup

my parents’ had white rice, I had quinoa-millet.

I’ve been wanting to try cauliflower crust pizza for a while and finally made it! Unfortunately it turned out a bit messy, it didn’t hold together nor it was crusty. Maybe because I replace flax meal egg for the egg? Dunno.

but it does taste really good. Basically for the crust I used 1/4 head of cauliflower grounded, mixed with 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast, 1 flax egg and 2 tbsp of almond meal. Toppings: roasted bell pepper, mushrooms and avocado. “Cheese”: hummus, tahini, rice vinegar and nutritional yeast. Love love this “cheese”!!!

For next week’s dinner I made again the vegetable curry. In addition to tofu, I added chicken. For the sauce, I added some flax meal.

Having pre-made meals make eating a good dinner so easy. I really enjoyed it last week! 🙂

Made millet-quinoa to go with the curry.

I think I’m developing a long-term relationship with the quinoa. 🙂

For next week’s snack, I made a gluten free, sugar free and high protein banana cake (recipe to come)

and more tea cookies for mom

I had a bite, sooo buttery and crunchy!

Food: dinners

My salad craving continued this week. Maybe it’s the warm weather, or the obsession with the new balsamic, I can’t get enough salads. 😉

#1: salad

baked chicken breast with sweet spicy sauce

#2: baked chicken breast, steamed green bean and mashed cauliflower with laughing cow and celery

#3: kimchi, bamboo and black fungus soup with “noodles”

accompanied by sautéed chinese mustard with oyster mushroom

#4: baked salmon with bamboo over mashed cauliflower with celery and laughing cow

#5: another salad with eggs

and baked sweet potato

#6 salad

tortilla pizza topped with oyster mushroom, mozzarella cheese and arugula

I told you, I had a lot of salads and I still want more 😉

Q: What’s your favorite salad combo? I’ve been really enjoying this one: tomato, cucumber, mushroom, beets, arugula, butter lettuce and eggs.

Food: dinners at home

The weather has been warm, almost like summer so all I wanted was fresh veggies! Everyday in the afternoon, I’d call my mom and tell her what I want for dinner and she’ll prepare them for me! What a great mom she is! 🙂 Unfortunately she’s leaving next weekend. She needs a break in China and she will come back before the baby arrives! 🙂

Sauteed celery with black fungus and smoked tofu

cucumber salad with garlic

winter melon, tomato and bamboo soup

sauteed noodles with brussel sprouts, onion, mushrooms and tofu

sauteed cauliflower with mushrooms, carrot and pork

curry chicken with potatoes

sauteed greens with garlic

And wonton’s are back!!! Yes! I asked my mom to make like 10 packages for me to be freezed so I can have them when she’s not here! 🙂 They’re so delicious!!!

Q: What’s your favorite freezer meal?