Recipe: Ramen Noodle Salad

Ramen Noodle Salad

Food & Wine Magazine, May 2026, p. 44

4.8 stars

Delicious and easy -- just a bit of prep work! The dressing tasted like peanut sauce. Super healthy. Added some plant-based protein -- see tips/notes below.

Salad: instant ramen, baby arugula, napa cabbage, corn, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, nori, scallions

Dressing Ingredients: rice vinegar, soy sauce, tahini, toasted sesame oil, sriracha chile sauce, ginger, garlic, granulated sugar

Tips/Notes:

• Didn't use napa cabbage or nori
• Used frozen corn (blanched it)
• Added mixed greens, edamame, and seared tofu with togarashi

Recipe: Tomato and Cannellini Bean Soup

Tomato and Cannellini Bean Soup

Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2015, p. 60
4.6 stars

Good, healthy soup. See tips/notes below to make this "tastier!"

Ingredients: cannellini beans, 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, fennel bulb, onion, vegetable broth, Swiss chard, garlic, bay leaves, Sherry vinegar, olive oil, red pepper, Kosher salt, roasted almonds

Tips/Notes:

• Used lacinato kale instead of Swiss chard
• Added Monterey Jack cheese on top for serving (it needed something!)
• Had Parmesan bread on the side
• Forgot the roasted almonds for serving!

Recipe: Soy-Dressed Gnocchi and Mushrooms

  

Soy-Dressed Gnocchi and Mushrooms

Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2022, p. 18

4.8 stars

I wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out -- Asian gnocchi? It was so good; I think I ate most of the leftovers! Great flavor and so easy.

Ingredients: potato gnocchi, mixed mushrooms, carrots, scallions, onion, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, soy sauce, mirin, unseasoned rice vinegar, sugar, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds

Tips/Notes:

• Used mix of baby bellas and shiitake mushrooms
• Next time, use half an onion
• Served with togarashi tofu 

Recipe: Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Chorizo

Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Chorizo

Food & Wine Magazine, Dec 2024/Jan 2025, p. 54
4.9 stars

This was another recipe where I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out. In fact, we were not looking forward to making this recipe. It was GREAT!!!! It's a dish where I looked forward to eating the leftovers. Super simple with lots of flavor.

Ingredients: Spanish chorizo, Yukon potato, carrots, yellow onion, dried brown lentils, sweet mild pimenton, chicken broth, garlic, olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used 2 tsp of a mix of sweet and hot paprika vs. just sweet; use more if you use more veggies
• Used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
• Used plant-based Spanish chorizo

Recipe: Tofu Cashew Nut

Tofu Cashew Nut

Better Homes & Gardens Aug 2021, p. 92

4.9 stars

The title of this recipe is actually Chicken Cashew Nut -- it's a recipe from Pepper Teigen and Garrett Snyder, authors of The Pepper Thai Cookbook.

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out because I knew we were going to make some substitutions, but it turned out GREAT. Love all the flavors and textures and especially the flavor of white pepper and sesame oil that came through. It's just like cashew chicken but with tofu!

Ingredients: jasmine rice, chicken, cashews, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow onion, scallions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet chile jam, garlic, dried red chiles like chile de arbol, light brown sugar, sesame oil, dry sherry, cornstarch, white pepper, red pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used TWO blocks of tofu instead of chicken
• Used sweet chile sauce instead of jam
• Take out the chiles before serving
• Made rice and also quinoa
• Add sriracha at the table
• Next time, make 2x the sauce as there is more tofu than chicken called for

Recipe: Spicy Braised Tofu

Spicy Braised Tofu

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2020, p. 79

4.8 stars

Delicious! One of my favorite preparations of tofu. YUMMY sauce. We had never used gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder) before, and it was good.

Ingredients: extra-firm tofu, scallion, gochugaru, soy sauce, mirin, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger,  grapeseed or vegetable oil, Kosher salt; sesame seeds and rice for serving

Tips/Notes:

• This is so good -- make double the amount!
• Served with QUINOA and steamed broccoli

Recipe: Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils

Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils

Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2020, p. 14

4.7 stars

This tasted a lot better than it looks!

LOVED the glaze -- and all the components together ~ scallions, pistachios, etc. was better than expected!

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, lentils, scallions, pistachios, maple syrup, soy sauce, white miso, sesame oil, unseasoned rice vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes

• To cut on time, cut the potatoes before roasting them
• It was a bit too many scallions for me -- reduce and also cut them to smaller than matchsticks

Recipe: Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

"I Love You" by Pamela Anderson, p. 114
4.8 stars

Another great Buddha Bowl recipe! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sesame-crusted tofu, and for some reason, the roasted sweet potato and broccoli tasted really good even though it's how we always roast our vegetables.

New recipe for us to rotate in!

Ingredients: brown rice, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tofu, red cabbage, avocado, cilantro, cornstarch, maple syrup, tamari, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper

Sauce Ingredients: creamy almond butter, maple syrup, tamari, rice vinegar, black vinegar, ginger, sriracha

Tips/Notes:

• Used quinoa instead of brown rice
• Used balsamic vinegar instead of black vinegar
• Used soy sauce instead of tamari
• Used an organic broccoli slaw instead of cabbage
• The sauce is thick
• Didn't blend the sauce in the blender -- didn't think it was necessary
• Add a squeeze of lime for acidity and add more sriracha at the table

Recipe: Bob's Steak & Chop House Glazed Carrot

Bob's Steak & Chop House Glazed Carrot
Texas Monthly, month/year?, p.92

4.8 stars

I found this recipe in my stack (I pull out recipes from magazines) but don't know which month/year of Texas Monthly it was published. However, I did find the recipe on another site if you Google it (it's on DirectAccessRecipes.com which looks like a semi-legit site).

Ingredients: carrots, fresh orange juice, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, corn starch, water

Tips:

• Roast the carrots
• Make 1/3 of the glaze next time -- it was a lot even for 8 carrots!

Recipe: Cheesy Black Bean and Butternut Squash-Stuffed Poblanos

Cheesy Black Bean and Butternut Squash-Stuffed Poblanos

The Brain Health Kitchen, Annie Fenn, MD, p.237
4.5 stars

When eating this, I thought it was delicious, but as I've been eating the leftovers, it's been meh. Maybe if the cheese topping was a melty cheese like Monterey Jack or Mozzarella, it'd taste better. Cotija smells funky when heated up.

Overall, this was an easy base dish to make -- in the future, I can see us taking this and adding to it ~ like adding chipotle in adobo or fire-roasted tomatoes.

Ingredients: poblano peppers, butternut squash, corn, black beans, green enchilada sauce, goat cheese/feta or queso blanco, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, chili powder, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used cotija -- next time, use a melty cheese
• Used frozen butternut squash and corn -- worked out just fine
• Used 5 poblanos but 4 would've worked as noted in the recipe
• Didn't make the quick-pickled Pomegranate red onions

Recipe: Tofu and Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Noodles

Tofu and Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Noodles
The Brain Health Kitchen by Annie Fenn, MD, p.197
4.8 stars

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out (being healthy and all) -- it was DELICIOUS!!! Definitely making this one again! The sauce makes the dish as it's nice and spicy. 

Ingredients: udon noodles, tofu, red onion, baby bok choy, peanuts, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sambal oelek (fresh chili paste), honey, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, avocado oil

Tips:

• Added carrots and celery
• Served with vegetable gyoza

Recipe: Beefy Vegan Tempeh and Broccoli

Beefy Vegan Tempeh and Broccoli

VegNews.com

4.6 stars

This dish was fine -- I think I need to use different tempeh next time because I didn't love the texture of the one I bought from Trader Joe's.

This dish was great with spring rolls on the side, and we added chile garlic sauce to the dish to taste at the table.

Ingredients: brown rice, tempeh, broccoli, vegetable broth, hoisin sauce, tamari, red wine vinegar, sriracha, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, shallots, ginger, garlic, scallion, dried hot chile pepper, toasted sesame seeds

Tips/Notes:

• Used quinoa instead of brown rice
• Used soy sauce instead of tamari
• Used a serrano instead of a dried hot chile pepper
• As noted above, added chile garlic sauce at the table

Recipe: Chilled Zucchini Soup

Chilled Zucchini Soup
Food & Wine Magazine
4.9 stars

This recipe from Chef Michael Anthony was just as good as Chef Grant Achatz's Silky Zucchini Soup but it had another layer of complexity because of ALL the other vegetables in it -- there are 12 (including the herbs)! 

We took this recipe and simplifed it by A LOT. See notes below. In short, we sauteed, then blended, then served it hot. We'll eat the leftovers chilled.

Soup Ingredients: zucchini, leek, spinach, yellow onion, shallots, garlic, lemon thyme, parsley, basil, vegetable broth, olive oil, Kosher salt

Garnish: hakurei turnips, summer squash, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Tips:

• Literally just sauteed everything, blended it and served. No ice bath, no straining through a wire-mesh strainer, no chilling of the soup.
• Added red pepper when sauteing the vegetables.
• Used 5 sprigs of thyme and lemon zest since we don't have lemon thyme.
• Didn't use turnips.
• Topped with sauteed squash, Parmesan and croutons.

Recipe: Orange, Currant and Pine Nut Couscous

 

Orange, Currant and Pine Nut Couscous

Emeril 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast, p. 48
5 stars

A really great side -- we had this with salmon, steamed broccoli and a Chardonnay. A DELICIOUS MEAL!

Ingredients: couscous, carrots, dried currants, red onion or shallot, orange, orange zest, pine nuts or walnuts, mint or parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, white pepper, water

Notes/Tips:

• Because the couscous takes 10 min to cook, we started cooking the couscous for 5 min, then added the carrots, red onion, etc. We didn't follow the recipe (the steam method).
• Tripled the amount of carrots
• Used 1/2 tsp of salt instead of 3/4 tsp
• Used dried blueberries since we had them on hand
• Used both walnuts and pine nuts -- added them upon serving vs. mixing them in (didn't want to make them soggy)
• Also added the orange segments upon serving

Recipe: Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

HalfBakedHarvest.com
Dressing: 4.8 stars

Overall, I didn't like this salad because of the raw kale and brussels sprouts -- I think they need a little "cook" on them. Also, the salad flavors were overall muddy as some Half Baked Harvest recipes are, but the Parmesan Tahini Dressing (the "Caesar" dressing) was really good and tasted like a Caesar dressing.

I would consider making this again but with a little "cook" on the kale and brussels sprouts or maybe mixing in some mixed greens.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, kale, brussels sprouts, avocado, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Parmesan Tahini Dressing Ingredients: lemon juice, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, tahini, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Add in some mixed greens
• Lessen the amount of chipotle chili powder and smoked paprika as it was SPICY!

Recipe: Tofu and Cashew Stir-Fry Over Basmati Rice

Tofu and Cashew Stir-Fry Over Basmati Rice

Dr. Mark Hyman's site
4.8 stars

Basically, we didn't follow the recipe as the recipe was not proofed/is not "correct" (I think the author got mixed up because there are instructions regarding ingredients that aren't listed at top).

We basically, took the ingredients and stir fried them with sesame oil and a Primal Kitchen organic Asian Korean BBQ sauce and served it with quinoa and egg rolls. EASY for a weeknight meal and delicious.

Ingredients: broccoli, tofu, carrots, bok choy, tamari (we used soy sauce), snow peas, cashews, hoisin (we used sauce we had on hand), ginger, garlic, sesame oil

Tips/Notes:

• See above
• Plus, added frozen edamame
• Added cashews when serving so they didn't get soggy

Recipe: Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing

Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing

HalfBakedHarvest.com
4.9 stars

GREAT salad that is hearty, filling and delicious!!! I loved the various flavors from the SPICINESS on the sweet potatoes and chickpeas to the herbs, crunch of the cucumbers, saltiness from the feta and creaminess of the avocado.  We definitely will be making this again.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, avocado, feta cheese, mixed herbs (basil, dill, parsley), extra virgin olive oil, sesame seeds, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, cumin, Kosher salt, black pepper

Honey Mustard Dressing Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, stone ground mustard, honey, tahini, lemon juice, champagne or apple cider vinegar

Tips/Notes

• Made 2/3 of the dressing 
• It's spicy! Use a little less chipotle chile powder
• For the herbs, used basil and parsley (actually, decided the 2nd time not to use parsley)
• Served with falafel

Recipe: Spicy Southwest Quinoa Bowl

Spicy Southwest Quinoa Bowl

HalfBakedHarvest.com
4.7 stars

Delicious and healthy dinner!!! Great for a weeknight meal -- just remember to start early to roast the sweet potatoes.

Main Ingredients: quinoa, sweet potatoes, black beans, cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, tortillas, taco seasoning, lime, olive oil, salt, pepper

Mango Slaw Ingredients: mango, Tuscan kale, jalapeno, cilantro, olive oil, lime, sat

Charred Tomatillo Vinaigrette: tomatillos, green chiles, cilantro, olive oil, lime, salt

Tips/Notes:

• Made our own taco seasoning but may buy it next time
• Had this with quinoa chips instead of tortillas
• Oops - we forgot the avocado!
• Made half of the slaw which was enough
• Didn't make the Charred Tomatillo vinaigrette -- instead, used jarred green tomatillo salsa

Recipe: Bulgur-Mango Salad

Bulgur-Mango Salad

Food & Wine Magazine's Weeknight Easy Volume 4 (free booklet), p.17
4.6 stars

This was a good salad in a pinch! I felt like we were on an episode of Chopped where I was trying to find things to put together for a meal. We used what we had in the fridge like peaches instead of mango, queso fresco instead of feta.

Ingredients: bulgur, salad greens, garbanzo beans, mango, feta, red onion, lime juice, canola oil, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, mint, salt 

Tip:

• Served with falafel
• Added a little more oil as the dressing was pretty strong in flavor

Recipe: Honey-Glazed Sweet Potato Steaks with Brussels Sprouts

Honey-Glazed Sweet Potato Steaks with Brussels Sprouts
Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2019, p. 95
4.6 stars

This turned out better than we expected! Glad we decided to make it -- we'll definitely do it again but with the changes below.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, ginger, sea salt, coriander, red pepper, canola oil, honey

Tips/Notes:

• Cooked on sheet pans; did not do any of the cooking on the stove
• Doubled the recipe
• Put brussels sprouts on a separate sheet pan from the sweet potatoes
• Next time, use a LOT less salt -- instead, sprinkle sea salt on the vegetables vs. putting it in the rub mix
• Remember to add honey to the vegetables about halfway through the cooking process
• Use a little less ginger