Life Love Mom

Tag: recipeblog

  • DIY Poke Bowls

    DIY Poke Bowls

    Recently, J announced she wanted to follow a pescatarian diet. This meant no meat or chicken, only fish and plant-based protein. This wasn’t a huge change for us, as I rarely cook red meat at home to begin with. But that said, I wanted to find different ways to incorporate fish into her diet. You may notice a theme in all the recipes I share – mix and match. I find these recipes do the best in our house since everyone’s tastes are different. Instead of trying (and failing) to make one dish that satisfies everyone, allowing people to choose their own toppings and mix-ins has been huge. This way I don’t feel like I am running a kitchen, and there is less complaining about the meal. Win-win in my humble opinion.

    If you are not familiar with poke bowls, you are missing out. Truly. These bowls, which originated from Hawaii, are typically prepared with a rice bottom, raw fish, vegetables, and an amazing sauce. I use cooked fish only, as J isn’t a fan of raw. But if I was to make this for Hubby and me, I would definitely add some sushi-grade tuna. I will share below what I put out, and some other suggestions for you to include. Feel free to omit or add anything that appeals to you or you have laying around your fridge.

    A note about the rice. I use Korean short-grain rice because that is what I have in my house. Years ago, my Korean mother-in-law taught me how to make rice with a rice cooker. It involves rinsing the grains to remove some of the starch, and using enough water to come up to your knuckle. Truly though, any type of rice would do. If you don’t have a fantastic mother-in-law proficient in rice making as I do, I would suggest following the instructions on the package you buy.

    An ingredient preview

    Recipe rundown:

    • Cooked rice (approx 1/4 cup per person)
    • Sauce
      • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
      • 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
      • 1 tbsp sesame oil
      • 1 tbsp lime juice
      • 1 tbsp honey
      • dash of sesame seeds
    • Protein
      • I love using PC salmon burgers in this recipe. I oven bake them or fry in my cast iron skillet and then cut them up
      • Cooked shrimp
      • Immitation Crab
    • Toppings
      • Avocado
      • Edamame (I use the pre-shelled frozen ones!)
      • Shredded carrots
      • Cucumbers (I marinate mine in a bit of rice vinegar and salt)
      • Seaweed Salad
      • Dried seaweed
    • Spicy mayonaise (we use a store bought mayo but you can always mix some regular mayonaise with siracchia to taste)

    In case you are reading this and thinking “there is no way my kids would eat that”… let me tell you – J eats all of it with the exception of the spicy mayonnaise. N, on the other hand, only eats rice, dried seaweed and his weight in edamame. So please don’t feel bad if your bowls don’t look like these. Do what works for YOU! Have any other topping suggestions?? I’d love to hear them!

    This is life. Love, Mom.

  • Fri-ta-tta, Fri-tah-tta

    Fri-ta-tta, Fri-tah-tta

    I *may* have mentioned once or twice that breakfast for dinner is a go-to in my house. We love eggs, since they work so well for fast, easy suppers, and will be eaten by both picky N and pescatarian J. Frittatas are the best dish for throwing in whatever you have in the fridge and getting rid of the odds and ends. It’s also a great way to get veggies into children who think you are not a parent but a line-cook.

    My best tip is to invest in a cast-iron skillet. They are not as pricy as you may think. Here is a non-affiliate list of options from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cast+iron+skillets&crid=20L868YPHXYO9&sprefix=cast+iron%2Caps%2C191&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_9 The cast iron makes the stove-to-oven action super easy. It also makes the egg super crispy (aks super delicious) on the edges. There is one simple thing you have to remember about cast iron. Under NO circumstances do you use soap to wash it. To clean, you can boil some water in the bottom of the pan or use salt as an abrasive to get the bits off the bottom. Then coat with oil before you put it away and it will be ready for the next time!

    So back to the egg-cellent recipe…. Here is the frittata base (mix the following all together):

    • 6 eggs
    • 1/4 cup milk
    • 1 garlic clove (or 1/2 tsp minced garlic)
    • 1/4 tsp salt (less if using a very salty cheese or meat)

    The best part, as always, is what you can mix in. In the photo on the left I have cherry tomatoes, brie, and zaatar seasoning. Not sure what to put inside? Here are some combinations ideas:

    • spinach and fontina cheese
    • bacon and cheddar cheese
    • peppers and onions
    • broccoli and white cheddar
    • sausage and peppers
    • salami
    • chicken and goat cheese
    • tomatoes and basil
    • mixed cheese
    • caramelized onions and swiss cheese

    Simply put your mix-ins at the bottom of the pan (minus any cheese) and cook them slightly. This is especially important for vegetables that hold a lot of water, such as spinach and broccoli. Otherwise, the eggs won’t set properly. Make sure there is enough oil in the pan so the eggs won’t stick, and pour the egg/milk mixture on top. Ensure the ingredients are all over the pan instead of in just one place. Top with the cheese. Bake at 400º for about 15-20 minutes. If you find the cheese is burning you can always lightly cover the pan with some tinfoil for part of the cooking time.

    Pictured right: Spinach, mushroom and an Italian 4-cheese blend

    I would love to know what you would put into your frittata! Share your combinations here for all to enjoy.

    This is life. Love, Mom.