The Macro Bowl

With a busy schedule, one quick thing that I often like to make is the one-bowl meal! It's a great idea for weekdays. I love this recipe from Zach and Ryan's The Juice Truck cookbook (see my book review and more of their recipes here). It's also one of The Juice Truck's top sellers. It's super healthy, satisfying, colourful, tasty, and most importantly, it's really easy to make! The dressing reminds me of Chinese cold sesame noodles. It's so good that you'll want to drink it up or put it on everything! In the recipe, there was no cooking time listed for baking the yam, tofu, and cashews; I would recommend baking the cashews for 15 minutes, tofu for 20 minutes, and yam for about 30 minutes.

Tofu & Acorn Squash Rice Casserole with Tomato Sauce 義式南瓜豆腐焗烤飯

When the leaves start falling, you know this is the time of the year that you begin to crave hot baked dishes. I love baked pasta, but I also enjoy making asian-inspired baked rice dishes like this one. 

Chicken-Taro Meatballs and Tofu Hot Pot 香芋雞肉丸油豆腐粉絲煲

Lately, I've been missing the Chinese hot pot. My mom often made it for the Chinese New Year or on cold days. Unfortunately I can't have it at home because I don't own a portable stove for the table (due to not having enough storage space). I decided that I'd make a hot pot dish that is similar to the traditional one I grew up with, but is done on the stove, and with fewer ingredients. Instead of the fish balls (which are very difficult to find here without all the msg and chemicals) or thin slices of hot pot meats, I made these really yummy and unique taro-chicken meatballs to replace the fish balls, and it still has the cellophane noodles and the tofu I love, plus three other ingredients (because six is the lucky number for Chinese!). Everything is cooked in the same broth like the traditional hot pot, so in the end, all the flavours come together. I didn't even have to season the broth much at all! It was sweet and flavourful all by itself! I hope you make this during the Chinese New Year, and I wish you all a happy and peaceful sheep year!