The Real Food Journal
Robin Asbell is your experienced guide to cooking and eating healthfully, sustainably, and deliciously. Her cookbooks, articles and blog are valuable resources for anyone interested in the good life with good food.
Kale and Kimchi Fried Red Rice with Tofu
Fried rice is one of the best uses of a leftover ever devised. In Asian countries with rice-based cuisines, there is bound to be some left over. Nobody wants to waste valuable food, so creative cooks find a way of making that cold rice into a a dish that may well be better than the original dish. That dish is, of course, fried rice. Take cold, crunchy rice and toss it in a hot pan, and you have food that comforts your very soul.
Asian Pickles at Home by Pat Tanumihardja
Asian Pickles at Home is a treasure trove of tangy, wildly flavorful pickles from every part of Asia. Don’t be intimidated, most of the pickles in the book are quick and easy, and you can work your way up to full on fermentation. In fact, you might never get there, and still be getting lots of great pickles out of this book.
Try Creamy Chinese-Style Corn with Tofu over Black Rice
And once you’ve had corn on the cob three nights in the week, you might want to branch out and try making something a little different. That’s when I like to make this quick and easy Chinese-inspired dish. It’s a brilliant idea, really. If you are thinking about canned creamed corn, banish that from your mind. When you puree fresh corn, season it with lots of fresh ginger, garlic, and chilis, it has much more pizzazz.
Grape Gazpacho with Elizabeth Ries in Our (Virtual) Kitchens
I was on @twincitieslive, making the Grape Gazpacho from my Big Vegan cookbook!
Try Tomato Mayonnaise Pie!
When tomatoes are at their peak of flavor, give them a starring role in this fast and easy pie! Shave time and ingredients from your effort by using mayonnaise as the secret ingredient in the crust, and as a base for a lemony drizzle at serving.
Have You Tried Fresh Edamamae?
Fresh Edamame pods are a seasonal treat, and when they come to market, snap up a few bunches to boil, then either eat them as a snack, or slip the beans from the hulls and use them in salads, soups, dips, and anywhere you might use a bean or pea.
The BEST Way to Save Fresh Basil
Freezing basil the best way to save it. I’ve tried drying it, and it always seems like a waste of good basil. I’ve developed this method, which is simple, and avoids some of the pitfalls that can befall other methods.
Deep Dark Chocolate Brownies, with a Secret Ingredient
There’s no time of year when chocolate is “out of season.” We don’t eat pumpkin pie in the summer, or cold soup in the winter, but we will eat brownies all year long. That makes these lush, dark chocolate treats appropriate for every month of the year.
Try Peach Chutney with Mint
It was time to move some of my peaches into the savory realm, and enjoy them alongside an Indian-inspired meal. I love chutneys, and find that just about any fruit can be made into a respectable one.
Peachy Cornbread Cobbler, with Calhoun County Peaches
I’ve been extolling the under-the-radar Calhoun County peaches, the first peaches that blew my mind. Perhaps I’m being parochial, perhaps my Proustian peach experience has elevated these particular peaches above all others in an indelible way.
Best Sandwich Ever?
If you’ve looking for a fantastic meal that comes together quickly, look to the Banh Mi. It’s a sandwich, but it’s so much more than the usual sandwich. Packed with chewy, five-spice and garlic laced seitan, a sweet and sour quick radish pickle, sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and garlicky aioli, it’s a riot of flavors that will keep your palate in a state of excitement through the last bite.
Watch Me Make Cashew Aquafaba Aioli
In this video, you’ll see just how easy it is to take an ingredient you used to throw away and make it into a creamy , delectable condiment. You won’t feel bad about slathering it on bread or vegetables, when you make it yourself from clean, plant-based ingredients.
