Happy New Year, everyone! I recently flew back to Boston after spending my Winter Break with my family in California & I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back here. Not that I don’t love my family, I absolutely do, but coming back & seeing it snow is breathtaking. Walking about to the grocery store, cheeks rosy & face numb, with the snow drifting analogously to confetti was magical. It’s so beautiful here, but let’s not forget that it’s also a good deal colder here than it is in California. Channeling my inner Elsa, the cold never bothered me anyway, but that’s also because I’m equipped with recipes for comforting warm soups! Curious what’s in my arsenal? Spice up your life with my new spicy soup recipe that’ll keep you warm during this frosty season. If you’re on the West Coast or Florida–well, I suppose 18 ºC (64 ºF) is “cold” to you–this soup will suit you just fine. I present to you my Spicy Sweet Potato Soup, a cold buster whether it’s the weather or if you’re feeling under the weather.
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Tired of holiday treats & what not? I’m not, but if you are, this new recipe may brighten up your life or light up your tastebuds. Try out my version of my favorite Korean dish Bibim Naengmyeon, which is anything but winter apropos. The word “bibim” means “mixed” & “naengmyeon” means “cold noodles” – sound like the perfect dish for summer? Pretty much! However, if you want to prepare a post-workout meal, this would be it. We all know y’all get sweaty after hitting up the gym, so cool down with this carbilicious meal. Don’t be fooled by the noodles; sesame seeds, tofu (if you decide to add it), & egg are great sources of protein. You can get a good amount of amino acids & vitamins from this meal, so don’t you dare underestimate the power of the noodle dish! Add more veggies to pack more vitamins, minerals or even mushrooms for Vitamin D. Let’s welcome the brand new Gregorian calendar year with a new noodle recipe under your belt, shall we?
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Since arriving in California to spend Winter break, I’ve felt awkwardly sluggish. I don’t know if there’s something in the air or if my body is taking on the persona of a geriatric patient with back pain because sitting in a flying tube for 6+ hours without food is upsetting, but it’s taking me 3x as long to edit photos. I have a thousand photos to get through–no exaggeration, I’m serious–but it feels like work so I keep taking breaks. Even the thought of posting a recipe seems so daunting to me, yet I posted two effortlessly last night, at 1 AM. None of this is so bad, I think my brain reverts back to being an annoying teenager whenever I’m in my room. None of the things I do for the website is even difficult besides the coding, so I’m just complaining to complain…like a teenager. This doesn’t mean I’m an angsty teenager who’s glum, I’m anything but – I’m quite happy, but full of complaints concerning the fog in my brain. Note to self: you’re in your 20s, be a real adult.
In any case, like a wealthy parent who’s too busy to spend time with their kid, I’m going to buy your love & forgiveness–for neglecting the blog & not socializing with you for the last month–with two new recipes & gallery updates. Two weeks ago on Instagram, I posted a photo of Sesame Peanut Noodles. If you wanted the recipe, here it is. A month ago, I posted a photo of Falafel Salad with Tzatziki & if you wanted the recipe for Tzatziki, well here it is. I find being productive via TB is really rewarding, yet my brain is still yawning. At least I work with a smile on my face, regardless. My reason for happiness is simple really: food. Food always manages to make me happy & the company I surround myself with makes enjoying the food even better.
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I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love food that’s been thoughtfully prepared like hidden treasure such as dumplings, wontons, casseroles, & stuffed vegetables. Thanksgiving’s traditional turkey is not traditional without its stuffing & my mom made the best kind: a Vietnamese French fusion stuffing featuring pork, peas, carrots, onions, bean threads, mushrooms, & a whole lot more. I was so used to this stuffing that whenever I ate the traditional stuffed turkey, my body secretly yearned the “porkloaf” my mom made. Last year, I made one of the best stuffings I ever had & no animal was involved. Well, that’s not entirely true because I stuffed the turkey with my stuffing, but the point is the stuffing was vegan. While it doesn’t hold a candle to my mom’s “porkloaf” (oink oink!) made with some secret part of pig, my stuffing was still quite delicious.
While these hidden gem meals are more time consuming to prepare, I find that I would much rather have a well prepared bowl of dumplings & noodles than a simple grilled fish with a side of vegetables. No hard feelings if you disagree, but for all of my vegetarians/vegans/pescetarians/people who just want a nice Meatless Mondays meal, invest in stuffing! This recipe for Nutty Stuffed Peppers can easily be altered to one’s tastes & is naturally low in calories, bad fats, cholesterol, & low carb! It’s also gluten-free, so if you’re the 1% of Americans suffering from Celiac’s disease, have at it!
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Just in time for Halloween, Tea Time Thursdays gets an added layer of sweetness in the form of pumpkin chocolatey goodness. Guess where this inspiration came from? Pinterest. I have this love/hate relationship with Pinterest – the photos I pin from my own website barely get any pins, but when more popular pinners pin my photo, well, my site gets a flurry of views, but no new followers. I’m going to break this 1k follower barrier somewhere eventually! I’m looking at you, Instagram.
As I’ve mentioned previously, more pumpkin delights will be shoved in your eyeballs. Forgive my inappropriate coffee mug – I stupidly left my teacups at home, but they’ll be back in Boston with me in January. So, let’s dive right into pumpkin goodness.