These Asian turkey lettuce wraps are full of garlicky, sweet, and spicy seasoned ground meat and topped with crunchy fried bits of shallots and fresh ripened mango slices. It’s the perfect meal to make ahead of time for easier meal-prep that’s healthy and delicious. Asian turkey lettuce wraps are one of my go-to meals for a filling but healthy meal…
This Asian-inspired peanut sauce is packed full of savory, rich, and citrusy flavor and comes together in less than 10 minutes! Learn how to make this peanut sauce and what to pair it with juicy meat skewers, crispy lettuce wraps, or even air-fried tofu. Where’s peanut sauce from? While many associate peanut or satay sauce with Thail or Sinaporean food,…
When we travel, there is so much to take in. There are sights to see, history to learn, neighborhoods to explore, and the local people to connect with. But a major factor in our reason for travel is the food. It is the thing that all other travel activities must be planned around. We eat all of the food–cheap street…
Want a healthy topping for salmon or dipping sauce for fresh veggies and pita chips? Try this savory and bright dill Greek yogurt sauce that’s easy to whip up in the kitchen. Its tangy, citrusy, and garlicky flavors pair really well with seafood, and that’s why this creamy sauce goes perfectly with fatty and rich salmon. Ingredients in this dill…
Make this super quick and simple Korean cucumber salad full of garlicky, crunchy cucumber slices, rich sesame oil, and a hint of gochugaru spice. Learn how to get the crunchiest pieces of vegetables for this refreshing salad. What’s Korean cucumber salad? Korean cucumber salad is a side dish (banchan) often served in South Korean restaurants. We typically have it at…
Do you love eating rice but want a more nutritious option? Try forbidden black rice! It’s nutty, aromatic, and has an al dente texture similar to brown rice but packed with more fiber, protein, and antioxidants because of its deep black bran hull. Learn two ways of cooking forbidden black rice and where to find it. Why is black rice…
If you have trouble marinating your tofu so it’s seasoned throughout, try freezing it! Learn this traditional Chinese method of freezing tofu, making seasoning tofu easier and giving you a denser texture; in this recipe, I’ll show you how to make flavor-packed marinated baked tofu. Types and brands of tofu to use I use organic, firm tofu blocks for this…
I have family who lives in Portland so I’ve luckily had many opportunities to visit Portland and its surrounding areas over the last twenty something years. And just within this last year, I visited Portland twice! Portland is a slightly difference pace and scene than I’m used to in Orange County and Los Angeles in California, but it’s got a…
Fried shallots are an Asian topping essential that packs a punch with a crispy texture, a strong aroma, and great flavor to many dishes. I’m going to show you all the quick tips I’ve learned to make frying shallots at home easy and quick. Making crispy shallots at home can be as fast as 15 minutes, and you even have…
We live and dine in Orange County, but we frequent Las Vegas and always stay on the strip, so we can give a great perspective for visitors looking for the best restaurants that span all price ranges. There are more options than we could ever try, but we’ll show you our favorites! We’ll define “on the strip” as roughly anything…
Try these juicy, chargrilled, and flavorful chicken kabobs for your next barbecue or even meal prep! Learn how to make these Middle Eastern-inspired kebabs with a marinade packed with spices and seasonings. Chicken kebabs found around the world While the generic term kebab can be found worldwide, certain regions and varieties come to mind whenever you see it on a…
Try this flavorful and healthy turmeric rice the next time you want an easy meal prep idea. Its vibrant orange-yellow coloring comes from turmeric, its namesake antioxidant spice. Each grain is coated with buttery ghee and warm, earthy spices like cumin, cinnamon, and clove. Learn how to cook turmeric rice at home, and all you need is a stove and…
One of my favorite parts about summer is that it’s tomato season. Living in California, we have a lot of tomatoes throughout the year at the grocery store, but there’s something uniquely delicious about having ripe tomatoes from your backyard garden. If you’ve got a delicious bounty of tomatoes, try this cherry tomato pasta. It’s full of sweet and tangy…
We spent weeks planning our four-night stay in Paris. We loved the experience and learned a lot about the city, its food, its history, and, more importantly, how to plan better for our next trip to Paris. Here’s what we learned and recommend for all first-timers thinking about visiting this beautiful city. How early to start planning for Paris I…
Try this high-protein salmon pasta recipe that has 40 grams of protein per serving and is easy on the stomach. This dish uses soft tofu as a surprising sauce base; you can’t tell! Learn how to make salmon pasta with a creamy sauce full of rich and savory flavor without heavy cream. Plus this recipe reheats well so it’s great…
I love eating tofu of all kinds in all types of cuisines. One of my favorite things about tofu is how versatile its flavor can be. Although its texture can be somewhat lacking for some people, crisping it up makes it 100x better, and luckily, it’s easy to do. Learn how to make this air fryer tofu that’s crispy and…
I’m going to show you how to make two types of poke sauces here: soy sauce based, and spicy mayo based. It’s very simple to do. There’s a lot of other ingredients you can add to customize each sauce though so I’ll help guide you through tasty options I personally like. After years of eating poke on the mainland, I…
Bibimbap is an optimal dinner if you have leftover banchan and meat from Korean BBQ nights or Kimbap, or if you just want a nice comforting bowl of rice and seasoned fixings. Learn how to make this traditional Korean rice dish that’s mixed with seasoned vegetables, savory proteins, steaming rice, and topped with a spicy gochujang sauce. We’ll be making…