Have you ever made a layered potato casserole using raw, but the potatoes took forever to become tender? The solution? Par-boil your potato slices before putting them in the casserole. This will cut down on oven time and let your mind rest at ease that the potatoes will come out tender and soft.

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Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Tender thinly sliced potatoes swimming in a cheesy sauce. The perfect side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cheesy scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, scalloped potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 3 red potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 quarts water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese grated
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Then add salt. Boil potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes. Remove from water and drain.
• Take out a small casserole dish and rub the surface with butter.
• Put 1/4 of the cream at bottom. Then lay down 1/3 of the potatoes. Season with black pepper and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat until all potatoes are used up. Top with cream and another layer of cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes.
• Then broil at 400 degrees for 5 mins until the cheese is golden brown at the top.

You can use either Japanese or Italian eggplant for this dish.

For other lightened Asian recipes, check out my tofu and snow pea stir fry.

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Spicy Garlic Eggplant

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword eggplant stir fry, spicy eggplant

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 Italian eggplant cut into 2 inch matchsticks
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp ginger minced
• 1 tsp spicy bean paste
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Sambal chile sauce
• 1 handful spring onion chopped

Instructions

• Fill a large steamer pot with water. Steam eggplant for 15 minutes until softened. Then remove and set aside.
• Mix together spicy bean paste, soy sauce, sugar, and sambal chile sauce. Set aside.
• Heat sesame oil in pan. Add in garlic and ginger. Saute 1 minute.
• Add in eggplant and stir fry gently for 1 minute. Then add sauce mixture and stir fry for another minute. Add in green onion. Then remove from heat and serve.

How Do I Make a Stir Fry?

• Use a large frying pan. Avoid non-stick because stir fries require high heat, which will release toxic chemicals in a non-stick pan. A wok is nice, but a cast iron pan works really well.
• Use high heat. I mean the highest heat your stove can produce. A proper stir fry has some level of smokiness from the pan. In Cantonese, we call it “wok hei” or the breath of the wok.
• Use enough oil. Plan to use 1 tbsp of canola or vegetable oil per pound of vegetables you are stir frying
• Use steam: Add 1/4 cup of water and cover with a lid to partially steam veggies and finish cooking. For harder veggies such as broccoli, or green leafy veggies, it is helpful to blanch them quickly and draining them before stir frying. If you do this, then you can skip the step of adding water and covering with a lid to steam.
• Add lots of aromatics: garlic, ginger, shallots, serrano chiles, fresh basil
• Add lots of umami: soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, fermented bean sauce

Keep Your Veggies Crunchy

One of the biggest mistakes in stir fries is to overcook your vegetables. A proper stir fry keeps a slight crunch in its vegetables for some texture. When in doubt, try to undercook your vegetables by a few minutes. The carryover heat should help to do the rest of the softening.

For my other quick and easy stir fry recipes, check out my steak stir fry and sesame ginger chicken stir fry.

The Case for Cast Iron Pans

With the recent body of research showing the health risks of Teflon and non-stick coating when heated to high temperatures, I’ve gotten rid of all my non-stick cooking pans. It might be fine to keep some non-stick items around that you do not plan on heating up to high temperatures. But if you do any kind of high flame cooking like the kind that is usually involved in stir fries and Asian cooking, I would suggest switching to cast iron skillets. Cast iron skillets can hold heat well, so they are a great substitute to using a wok with high flame.

What is Tofu?

Tofu is essentially bean curd made from soy beans. Soy beans are boiled, then ground into a fine paste with its water. After adding some chemicals to help with curdling (similar to cheesemaking), it is then filtered to remove the excess liquid, and then shaped. You are left with a jiggly bean curd.

Types of Tofu

• firm tofu
• medium firm tofu
• soft tofu
• silken tofu 
• stinky fried tofu
• fried tofu puffs
• dessert silken tofu (usually served with ginger syrup)

What kind of tofu do I use for a tofu and snow pea stir fry?

Ideally, use fried tofu puffs. All other forms of tofu will be too wet and will fall apart in the stir fry. You can use a firm tofu, but you should pan fry it ahead of time to give it structure and make it hold its shape before stir frying.

For other quick stir fry recipes, check out my mapo tofu and steak and green onion stir fry.

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Tofu and Snow Pea Stir Fry

A healthy stir fry with yummy fried tofu puffs and sweet crunchy snow peas

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword healthy stir fry, snow pea stir fry, stir fry, tofu stir fry

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 cups snow peas deveined
• 1 cup fried tofu puffs
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp ginger minced
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Prep snow peas by removing the tips and pulling to remove the vein from the side.
• Heat a large frying pan on high. When pan is hot, add in oil. Add in garlic and ginger. Saute for 1 minute. Then add in snow peas and tofu puffs. Stir fry for 1 minute.
• Add in water to the snow peas, then cover with a lid. Allow to steam for 1 minute. Then add in oyster sauce. Continue to stir fry until sauce is well incorporated into the snow peas, about 1 minute.
• Remove immediately from the pan and serve. Snow peas should still retain a crunch.

What is the best way to cook salmon?

Sear in a cast iron skillet, and finish cooking in the oven for a few minutes.

What flavors go well with salmon?

Lemon, Old Bay seasoning, cajun seasoning.

How can I tell if salmon is fresh?

You take a look at the salmon flesh and look for bright reddish/orange color. Any brown discoloration will tell you that it is old and not as fresh. Smell it. If it smells overly fishy/funky, then it’s not very fresh. 

What is the difference between wild salmon and farmed salmon?

Wild salmon typically has less fat in it, because it was able to swim around in larger bodies of water and eats a different diet than farmed fish. That means that wild salmon is much easier to overcook. For that reason, I usually prefer farmed salmon for its higher fat content.

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Seared Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce

A simple seared salmon with tangy chimichurri sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword salmon with chimichurri, seared salmon, seared salmon with chimichurri sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Cost $10

Ingredients

Chimichurri

• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp caper juice
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch green onion
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 lemon juiced

Salmon

• 4 filets salmon
• 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp canola oil

Instructions

Chimichurri

• Add in capers, caper juice, garlic, green onion, parsley, cilantro, oil, black pepper, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, and lemon juice to a food processor. Blend for 5-10 seconds, or until smooth and oil has emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional: add in red chili flake. For best results, allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Salmon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat dry salmon steaks. Season evenly with Old Bay seasoning and black pepper.
• Heat a cast iron skillet on high. When pan is hot, add in oil. When oil becomes shimmery, add in salmon filets and let them sear 3-4 minutes on each side.
• Then place cast iron skillet into oven and allow to finish cooking for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve with chimichurri Sauce

I haven’t experimented with too many kinds of soups outside of my Asian comfort zone, but I do remember that I enjoyed some delicious Mexican stews when I was growing up in a little city called El Monte. With a predominantly Chicano population, El Monte boasts some tasty Mexican food.

I fell in love with Mexican food when I was a kid, craving tacos constantly only to be told by my family “It will make you fat! Eat rice instead!” Oh the irony….

As I no longer live in an area that is blessed with plentiful options for authentic Mexican food beyond tacos, I’ve been playing with recipes to create one of my favorite Mexican stews.

Mexican albondigas soup for healthy eating

I am trying to eat healthier to propel me toward my personal fitness goals, so this recipe fits the bill. It has loads of veggies, some nice lean(ish) protein, and fills you up with a delicious yet light broth.

I tried this soup recipe both with and without tomato, and I found that it was much tastier with the acidic brightness that tomato adds.

I have also played around with different types of broth bases. But essentially, I think any fresh meat and/or bones that you have lying around are going to make the best possible broth rather than just relying on store-bought chicken broth.

But a friendly disclaimer: I have no idea if this recipe is authentic or not. I am just trying to recreate the albondigas I had from delicious Mexican restaurants when I was younger. I will not claim that this is an authentic version of Mexican albondigas soup, but it is tasty, filling, and healthy. Hope you give it a try and that it helps you toward your health goals!

Cooking Tips for Dogowners

For my dog owners out there, soups and stews are a great way to make use of the water that is used to boil your dog’s meats for the week. Another reason why I love soup is because I had a dog (Benji) who loved chicken, pork, and beef meats. I usually used the water from boiling Benji’s meats as a broth base for soup or stew dishes.

Happy cooking!

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Mexican Albondigas Soup

A healthy and hearty Mexican style meatball soup with veggies and spices.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Mexican, soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 1 quart low sodium chicken broth
• 4 quarts water
• 2 zucchini diced 1-inch cubes
• 4 stalks celery chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 carrots chopped
• 1/2 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp seasoned salt to taste
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 tsp garlic salt to taste
• 1 tsp seasoned salt to taste
• 1 pinch red pepper flake
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• 1/2 bunch green onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican Oregano

Instructions

• Place broth and water inside a large pot. Turn heat to high until liquid reaches a boil. Add in carrots, celery, onion, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaves. Turn heat to medium and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
• Prepare meatballs. Place ground beef, shallots, garlic, garlic salt, seasoned salt, red pepper flake, pepper, green onion, milk, and egg into a large mixing bowl. Use hands to mix together all ingredients for meatballs. Knead meatballs for 5 minutes, lifting the mixture and using force to toss it back into the mixing bowl. Repeat at least 5 times until mixture begins to stick together. Set aside.
• Begin forming meat mixture into meatballs 1/2 inch in diameter. After all meatballs have been formed, drop meatballs into the soup and allow to cook until their color turns from pink to light brown ~10-15 minutes.
• Season soup to taste with garlic salt, seasoned salt, oregano, and cumin.
• Once meatballs are cooked through and vegetables are tender, taste for seasoning and add salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and/or garlic salt to taste.
• Spoon into individual bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice if desired.

Tomato Beef Stir Fry for Dinner

Continuing on my lower carb eating goals, I have been trying out some easy stir-fry recipes such as this tomato beef stir fry. I am a big fan of easy dinner recipes, and the stir-fry cooking method allows for quick one pan cooking. I love this stir-fry recipe because it is so simple and quick, but also authentic. Because of the practice of cooking meat and veggies on very high heat, stir-fries often carry a rich smokiness that comes from a hot wok (referred to as “wok hei” or “”breath of wok”” in Cantonese). This is analogous to the smoky quality of American barbecue, as it differentiates truly great stir-fry from mediocre stir fry.

What is authentic stir fry?

Traditional stir-fry recipes in Chinese cuisine require copious amounts of oil, a practice that I try to modify in my own home cooking. I remember feeling appalled when I saw my parents cook a stir-fried vegetable dish at home. You would never think that almost half a cup of oil went into the healthy-looking vegetable dish served on our dinner table. Of course, I appreciate that the oil provides a certain level of flavor and texture in Chinese cuisine, so I do not believe in stir frying completely without oil. But I have found my own ways of achieving a similar flavor profile while saving on calories and fat. In a way, this is a low-fat stir-fry recipe.

For other delicious stir fry recipes, check out my soy sauce steak and basil beef stir fry.

How to stir fry in a wok or large pan

Your basic stir-fry recipe is comprised of the following:

1. Oil (lots of it)
2. Aromatics (garlic, ginger, scallion, chile)
3. Thinly sliced vegetables
4. Thinly sliced meat
5. Flavoring sauce (salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, black bean sauce, etc…)

Once you have this formula down, you can be creative and make new combinations of your own stir-fry recipes.

In stir-fries, it is absolutely essential that you first start by frying your aromatics in hot oil. This perfumes and flavors your oil so that the veggies and meat that are eventually cooked in it will also take on the flavor profile of the aromatics. But be careful not to burn your aromatics, especially garlic.

Once your garlic turns somewhat golden brown, dump all your vegetables in and stir vigorously. This will release much-needed liquid to prevent your garlic from burning.

Another trick is to splash a bit of water into your wok/pan and then cover with a lid to create some steam for more rapid cooking. My family would gasp in outrage at this suggestion because it is not an “authentic”stir-fry cooking method. However, the other option would be to dump 1/4 -1/2 a cup of frying oil into your wok/pan at the beginning. You do you, boo!

Stir-fried vegetables should always retain some level of crunch after cooking. When in doubt, slightly undercook your veggies. That way, the residual heat will do the rest of the softening of the veggies. For people who follow a meal prep life, undercooking the veggies is a good strategy to give your veggies the perfect texture after re-heating.

How to use sesame oil

This is actually a dish that benefits from such a splash of sesame oil. So, drizzle away! But not too much. Too much of sesame oil will make your dish taste like dirt. Yuck.

Also, I know I often rant about how adding sesame oil to a dish does not necessarily make it an authentic Asian dish. I get upset when I think about some famous chefs and their take on Asian food because it always involves sesame oil. And that is just not the case.

Clearly, some dishes greatly benefit from the rich earthiness of sesame oil, but there are also times that it does not belong.

Other appropriate uses for sesame oil

• dipping sauce for dumplings
• tiny drizzle on top of chicken or pork rice congee
• in dumpling filling
• seasoning vegetables in most Korean dishes

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Tomato Beef Stir Fry

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Asian, beef, stir fry recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 lb Flank steak cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 bunch garlic chive cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tomatoes cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 drizzle sesame oil optional

Instructions

• Slice beef and marinate in soy sauce, corn starch, and pepper. Set aside and marinate for 10 minutes.
• Heat oil on a wok or large pan on high. When oil becomes shimmery, add in ginger and saute 1 minute. Then add in marinted beef on high heat, moving beef around occasionally to evenly cook ~3-5 minutes. Set beef aside.
• Add additional oil. When oil is shimmery, add in garlic and allow to become light brown. Then add in tomatoes and garlic chives. Allow tomatoes and garlic chives to slightly soften, after about 3 minutes of cooking.
• Add cooked beef into the tomato and garlic chives to stir fry together. Add in oyster sauce, sugar, and a small drizzle of sesame oil.
• Taste for seasoning and add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar to taste.

Ode to the Easy Shrimp Dinner

An easy shrimp dinner is a must for a home cook. Shrimp is so simple to prepare, while also elegant and impressive. Years ago, I started watching “Marco” the series, in which Marco Pierre White, a renowned British Michelin-starred chef, cooked a luxurious meal for his famous mentors and teachers from the past. In one episode, he made a decadent dish of leek and lobster terrine for his former mentor Raymond Blanc. He described how the sweetness of shellfish pairs so nicely with the delicate sweetness of leek. I was instantly convinced that I would have to give this flavor combination a try.

Lobster is a rather luxurious item, and since I make meals for myself and my husband on an everyday basis, I wanted to go with something more attainable or down-to-earth. So, what mimics lobster in both flavor and texture? Of course! Jumbo shrimp! I buy loads of it when it goes on sale at my favorite grocery store Sprouts. This was the perfect way to use jumbo shrimp. I had an easy shrimp dinner that was both delicious and impressive to look at. For other delicious shrimp recipes, check out my Spicy Vietnamese Shrimp.

How do you cook shrimp on the stove?

1. Have a hot pan
2. Use ample fat (e.g., 1 tbsp oil, butter)
3. Pat the shrimp dry on clean towels or paper towels
4. Do not overcrowd the shrimp. Make sure the shrimp have space to cook.
5. Once you place the shrimp in the pan, leave the shrimp alone and do not move it until a golden brown, crusty sear has been created, about 2-3 minutes.
6. This last step is absolutely essential. You may take a peek to check on this process, but do not, I repeat, do not move your meat around until the caramelized brown sear has occurred.
7. Flip your shrimp once.

Do not overcook shellfish because it will turn rubbery. If anything, aim to slightly under-cook, and then finish the cooking of your shrimp in whatever sauce you are preparing for it. You will know that your shrimp are still undercooked because the middle will still be slightly grey and translucent.

How to prepare leeks?

Clean your leeks very thoroughly by cutting them in half length-wise. Then open up all the leaves and soak in a big pot of water, using your hands to work out bits of dirt and soil from the bottoms. Do this 2-3 times to ensure clean leeks.

Seasoning for shrimp

You can season shrimp with a variety of spices and herbs depending on what type of dish/cuisine you are preparing:

For Italian: fresh garlic, oregano, red pepper flake

For French: garlic, parsley, white wine, and butter

For Cajun: seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt

For Vietnamese: garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, green onion, butter, and black pepper

For Chinese: ginger, green, onion, soy sauce, and xiaoxing wine

With dishes that include Parmigiano Reggiano, it is a good idea to add salt to taste at the very end. This cheese is very high in salt, which lowers the need for added salt in a dish. In fact, I did not add salt at all to this recipe when I prepared it and I found that it was the perfect level of saltiness for me. However, everyone’s tastes are different, so I will start on my rant on the importance of tasting everything you cook from the get-go: Taste. Taste. Taste. Always. That is the only way to ensure the quality of dishes you cook.

Price Comparison

For a shrimp dinner at a semi-fancy restaurant, you’d pay $25-$30 per dish. But since this shrimp doesn’t have any sides, I’ll be generous and say this would cost $17 as a tapas/small plates stand-alone dish. How much did it cost me to make my version? I used 1 lb of jumbo shrimp, which cost me $6. I used 1/3 of the organic leek ($1), and the 1/4 cup of white wine cost $1. The heavy cream cost $1 and the Parmigiano Regianno cost $1. All in all, making this shrimp dish at home cost $10 total and made 2 servings.

Restaurant ($17) vs. Home-made ($5)

Savings make this dish even more delicious! You can eat so decadently if you cook more at home instead of eating out. Eating out is fun, but really takes a huge bite out of your wallet. So if you’re wanting to build a stead financial future for yourself without having to pinch pennies, it’s a great idea to dine in most of the week.

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Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy shrimp, easy shrimp dinner, easy shrimp recipe, leek and shrimp

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp shelled and patted dry
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup leek finely sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic finely diced
• 1 pinch red pepper flake
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggianno cheese

Instructions

• Heat skillet on high until you begin to see smoke. Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil to pan and swirl around to coat it evenly.
• Place shrimp onto skillet and allow to sear on both sides until slightly golden brown, 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Place butter into skillet, along with leek. Saute for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic, red pepper flake, and black pepper. Saute for another 2 minutes to cook out the rawness of the leek and garlic.
• When leek has softened slightly, add in white wine, heavy cream, and Parmigiano Reggianno cheese to the leek. Add in shrimp and allow shrimp to cook in the sauce for another 2-3 minutes until the middle of the shrimp is pink rather than translucent. Optional: add in pasta to toss with sauce for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.
• Remove from heat and enjoy with a piece of crusty bread.

Happy cooking!

If you made this recipe, post a picture and tag me @jennskitchendiary! I’d love to see how it turns out!