Pineapple Tofu Recipe with King Mushrooms

Pineapple tofu with king mushrooms is a great dish for both vegetarians and "meat-atarians", as my little munchkin would say. King mushrooms, also known as "abalone mushrooms", have a very meaty, chewy texture that I love. They complement the pineapple really well. If you can’t find fresh pineapple, canned crushed pineapple will work fine. I made a sweet and sour sauce using canned pineapple and dipped the fried tofu in the sauce with the mushrooms.

Even if you are a "meat-atarian", it’s worth working some vegetable dishes into your diet. It’s good for your health, and if you try recipes like this one, it will be good for your tastebuds as well.

Tofu Stuffed Bitter Melon (Kho Qua Nhun Tau Hu)

Khổ qua nhưn tàu hũ, tofu stuffed bitter melon is similar to dishes you might have seen at Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants. The difference is that it's usually shrimp paste instead of tofu (tàu hũ) and eggplant or button mushrooms in place of the bittermelon, called cà tím nhưn tôm ("eggplants with shrimp paste" in Vietnamese). I made my own blend of ground tofu paste with fried tofu and vegetarian ham to resemble the color of shrimp paste. I then stuffed the mixture into the bittermelon rounds and steamed the vegetables. For more flavor, I pan-fried the tofu filling then braised the dumplings in sweet pineapple hoisin sauce.

I love this dish because it's so flavorful and the texture of the tofu is very similar to meat. My husband Lulu, who’s a vegetarian, really likes it even though he isn’t into meat substitutes. It just proves that there’s more to vegetarian and vegan cooking than just silken and firm tofu!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

A strawberry banana smoothie is perfect when you need breakfast on the go. I whip up the drink with frozen strawberries and a banana whenever Lulu is running late. Strawberries aren't quite in season yet, so frozen is your best bet. When you can get them fresh, this drink is even more delicious.

Besides being a vegetarian, Lulu is also lactose-intolerant, so it's a challenge to make him calcium-rich food. I used almond milk and yogurt to deliver calcium without adding too much lactose. I also added a scoop of whey protein to fortify the drink with a little protein. I placed the smoothie in a cup that I sealed with a lid and added a straw.

Lulu left for work with a strawberry banana smoothie in his hand and a kiss on his cheek. I think that's a pretty good way to start the day!

Gourmet Fish Taco Recipe

This fish taco dish is healthy, flavorful and easy to make. I cooked cod fillets en papillote, which just means that I wrapped the fish in paper and baked it in the oven. The pocket created by the parchment paper acts as a steam chamber and let the fish infuse with whatever ingredients you place inside. For this recipe I flavored the fish with garlic, ginger, fresh kumquat and creeping red thyme. I assembled the tacos with a slightly adapted version of yesterday’s creamy coleslaw recipe and some sweet preserved kumquats.

This is the meal that Chef Doreen described to me by email, except Doreen used red snapper. Everyone loved it, and I'll definitely be making this again over the summer. It’s really a perfect recipe for picnics because you can cook everything ahead of time and assemble right before eating. The cod turned out great, but really any flaky fish will work.

If you want to serve veggie tacos at the same time, check out my soy chorizo version.

Soybean Sprouts with Black Bean Sauce

Stir fried soybean sprouts make a healthy, yet tasty side dish if you're planning a quick and easy Asian meal. The bean sprouts are seasoned with black bean sauce and soy sauce. Baby spinach is added for a nice contrast in color.

Soybean sprouts are a lot harder to get than regular mung bean sprouts. The sprouts are much larger and have a yellow color, whereas mung bean sprouts are green. I buy mine at a local Korean store. It's definitely worth the effort to find them though, because soybean sprouts give the dish an extra dimension of flavor.