Thai Kale Salad and a 2016 life update

My in-laws (yes, in-laws! Officially!) are in town this week, and though we've been busy running around town with them, I finally have some down time this morning. With the new year here I thought it would be a good time to make a blog update, and to share a recipe that's healthy and yummy enough to be worthy of my first blog post of 2016.

As you may have noticed (in-laws, people!), I am now married! We had a ceremony in Maine in early October, and our little hometown couldn't have been a better location. The leaves were changing, the air was crisp, and our friends and families really made the experience a dream for us.

Buffalo Tempeh Sushi with Vegan Ranch Dip

The holidays are finally here, and with slightly cooler temperatures in LA (and, finally, some rain!) I'm turning to heartier fare to keep off the (very slight) late autumn chill. Gone are the cucumber rolls of summer. In their place, a much more substantial buffalo tempeh roll, along with a decadent vegan ranch dip. I usually add avocado to this roll but sadly was out this time around. I've included it in the recipe below, because let's face it - literally everything is better with avocado!

Homemade Pita Pockets, Dumpling Wrappers, and Pesto Pizza

Things have been super busy around here so I haven't had much time to meticulously photograph my meals, even though we've been trying out lots of cool new foods. I've been especially interested in trying to recreate all of the bread products I normally would buy from the store - things like pita pockets, dumpling wrappers, pizza dough, and flour tortillas.

Spaghetti Squash Sesame Noodles

I am seriously obsessed with the flavor of sesame. I ADORE the Pioneer Woman's sesame noodles, but they call for a completely whackadoodle amount of oil. Like, 7 TABLESPOONS. So, I searched for a lightened up version, and found this recipe from Shrinking Kitchen. But I was pretty sure I could go one step further to make this delightful side dish even healthier, as I had a bright yellow spaghetti squash sitting on the counter, a ripe red pepper in the fridge, and some crispy sugar snap peas just waiting to be tossed into something.

Spicy Thai Curry Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato

I am obsessed with Thai food. I love the rich tapestry of flavors in each dish - the combination of sweet, salty, sour, and savory. I love the textures - juicy lime, crunchy peanuts, silky noodles. So, when I saw this recipe for Spicy Thai Curry Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato in Bon Appetit, I knew I had to make it!

I changed a few things from the original recipe - namely that I made my own curry paste (because I do a lot of Thai-inspired cooking anyway) and that I used chicken breast instead of thighs, since that's what I had on hand.

Easy Asian Sesame Slaw

This Easy Asian Sesame Slaw is a crisp and tangy side that pairs perfectly with a heaver main dish on a hot day. It's really simple to make, too, and the leftovers make a great lunch the next day. 

BBQ: Orange-Ginger Marinated Chicken and Honey-Soy Marinated Steak

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I am kind of obsessed with barbecuing. Nate and I don't have a grill, but the state parks here have small grills that anyone can use, provided you bring your own charcoal. We went to the Santa Monica Airport Park after a long day of lounging at the beach and to our surprise there were open grills - that were clean! Usually the grills are caked with charred food remains and various debris, so it felt like quite the treat to not have to spend the first 15 minutes scraping and brushing it clean.

Sticky Coconut Rice Balls with Coconut Sugar Syrup

Looking for a creative way to reuse leftover rice, I remembered a sweet coconut rice dessert my Indonesian 4th grade teacher brought to class one day. After scouring the internet, I found several close-enough recipes to try my idea out. Using leftover jasmine rice instead of "glutinous rice powder," and brown sugar instead of shaved coconut sugar, my mission was successfully accomplished. The result is a starchy, very sweet dessert that pairs well with a strong, sweet cup of tea.

Sticky Coconut Rice Balls with Coconut Sugar Syrup

For the Rice Balls:

About 2 cups Jasmine rice, cooked

1 T brown sugar

About 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

For the Syrup:

1/3 C Coconut Milk

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Add brown sugar to cooked rice; stir vigorously until well blended, mushing the rice up a bit as you go. Scoop the rice mixture into 1" balls, then roll in flaked coconut. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, heat coconut milk, brown sugar, and salt. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened and syrupy, careful not to burn the sugar. 

Place rice balls in a serving dish, and spoon over the coconut sugar syrup. Bon appetit!