UPDATED: Spicy Beef Ragu

Great recipes lend themselves to dishes that end up almost exactly the same each time. That’s my goal with the #howtoadultcookbook - to provide recipes that can be relied upon time and time again to create delicious meals.

In order to make that a reality, I’ve revisited every recipe in the book and made it again, and in the process, have adjusted some recipes, whether its ingredient amounts, cooking time, or cooking method(s). My hope is that you can depend on these recipes, while also making them your own in your own kitchens, in true #ninaknowsfood form.

Here’s the updated spicy ragu recipe:

• 2 TBS olive oil (for cooking)

• 2 large cloves garlic, finely diced

• 1 large shallot, finely diced

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 or 90/10)

• 1/2 TBS red chili flakes

• 2 tsp whole fennel seeds

• 2 tsp ground Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp ground smoked paprika

• 1/4 cup white wine of your choice

• 1 14oz can unseasoned diced tomatoes

• 1/4 cup water

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

In a large sauté pan over low-medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add garlic and shallot, and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes.

Add ground beef and cook until just browned. As meat is browning, add in red chili flakes, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and s&p. Stir to combine. If there's a lot of fat in the pan, remove with a spoon.

Once beef is browned, add in white wine and let liquid reduce by half. Once liquid reduces, add in diced tomatoes and water. Stir to combine completely.

Lower heat to low, cover, and allow ragu to simmer for 20 minutes.

When done simmering, turn off heat and take the pan off the hot burner. Add in frozen peas and stir to combine. The peas will thaw almost immediately.

Serve hot or let ragu cool completely before storing in the fridge or freezer.

Grab & Go Protein Balls

All of us prioritize the time in our days differently. Whether you make time for meals or not, these little guys most definitely have a place somewhere in your day. They can be breakfast on-the-go (PERFECT for after that morning spin or yoga class) or they can be a mid-afternoon snack when you’re feeling snack-y. Or both, I’m not judging. In fact, I’ll be so proud of you for getting some healthy fiber and protein into your day.

Protein Balls*:

• 1 large banana, mashed

• 1/3 cup peanut butter

• 3/4 cup rolled oats (not quick cook)

• 1 TBS hemp seeds

• 1 TBS chia seeds

• 1 TBS dried goji berries

• 1 TBS mini chocolate chips

• 1 TBS maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup + 1 TBS unsweetened coconut flakes, separated

Method:

On a large plate, pour 1/2 cup coconut flakes and shake carefully to make an even layer. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, and mix with a large spoon or spatula to thoroughly combine. Refrigerate mixture for 10 minutes to let it set.

Using a 1 TBS measure, scoop and roll mixture gently in your hands to create each ball, and roll in coconut flakes until evenly coated. Repeat, and line balls on a cookie sheet. When done, refrigerate balls for 15 minutes.

You can eat right away, or you can pack them away in the refrigerator or freezer. They’ll keep in the fridge 2-3 days, and you can store in the freezer for 1-2 weeks.

*This recipe was developed in partnership with Ilana Broad.

UPDATED: Tempeh Stir Fry, Scallion Pancakes & Peanut Ginger Sauce

I’ve been thinking about these dishes since I posted them back in April because I wanted to be able to provide fully written out recipes, not just links to show you where my inspiration came from! I’ll definitely still do that, as I often find inspo from Instagram and the NYT Cooking section, but one of my goals with this blog is to be able to provide simpler, healthier versions of those dishes.

So, this post is just that. I revisited these dishes and made tweaks that I think will really help! I switched from using tofu to tempeh because I find tempeh easier to prepare & cook, and it’s also fermented soy, which my body handles better.

Also, this peanut sauce… you won’t be able to stop yourself from just eating it with a spoon and nothing else.

Scallion Pancakes:

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup milk of your choice (if using nut milk, use unsweetened/unflavored)

• 1 TBS low-sodium soy sauce or shoyu

• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped finely

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour (or flour of choice)

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/2-1 bunch scallions, chopped (if you love scallions like me, you’ll use entire bunch!)

• 1-2 TBS coconut oil, for cooking

Method for Scallion Pancakes:

Whisk eggs, milk, soy sauce and ginger together in a large mixing bowl. Add in flour, baking powder and scallions, and mix with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

Heat skillet over medium heat, and melt 1 TBS coconut oil to start. Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop pancake batter onto skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, and flip. You’ll know when it’s ready to flip because little bubbles will form on the edges of the pancakes. Repeat, and remove pancakes from skillet once cooked all the way through.

You may need to re-grease the pan, if your stovetop gets really hot, really quickly like mine does, so that’s why I included the extra 1 TBS of coconut oil in the ingredients.If you’re using 1/3 cup measure, you’ll be able to make 6-7 large pancakes. Totally up to you, but using a measuring cup ensures the same sized pancake every time!

Set aside with foil lightly covering until you’re ready to serve dinner.

Peanut Sauce (inspired by NYTCooking):

• 3 TBS creamy peanut butter

• 1 TBS rice wine vinegar

• 3 tsp low-sodium soy sauce or shoyu

• 3 tsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4-1/3 cup water

• 1 tsp Sriracha (optional)

Method for Peanut Sauce:

In a small mixing bowl, pour in peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, ground ginger, and optional Sriracha. Add in a little of the water, mix slowly with a spoon, and continue to add water until desired consistency, which should be thick but pourable. This makes enough to serve 2, with some for leftovers!

Set aside until you’re ready to serve.

Tempeh Stir Fry:

• 1 package tempeh, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 package frozen stir fry veggies, thawed a little bit

• 1 TBS sesame seeds

• Salt to taste

• 2 TBS coconut oil, for cooking

Method for Stir Fry:

In a large pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat.

Add tempeh to pan, and cook to brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Add in veggies, sesame seeds and salt, and toss. Cook everything together for another 5-7 minutes, until veggies are cooked and a little browned. Depending on how hot your stovetop gets, this could take longer.

Serve stir fry, pancakes and peanut sauce together and enjoy a healthified takeout meal!

For My Plant-Based Friends: Scallion Pancakes & Tofu Stir Fry

I like to say that the first thing I learned how to cook was pancakes. Not from scratch, but from the box, adding an egg, some milk, some oil. I was mesmerized at how they’d puff up on the skillet, and what a work of art it was to flip one without any splatter.

I also like to say that the first “real” thing I learned how to cook was stir fry. I was in middle school, and not in my own kitchen but a friend’s, we’d cube up tofu, chop some green peppers and onions, cook it in some oil, and then douse our stir fry with teriyaki sauce. While I have fond memories of this dish, I’ve since learned that there are many other ways to make stir fry… perhaps a bit healthier without the bottled teriyaki sauce, but I’m inclined to say that I wouldn’t be where I am today without this original dish.

It’s fitting that two of my “firsts” in the kitchen, and some of my favorites, come together for this super quick weeknight meal that also utilizes freezer ingredients and really, anything you have on hand that may be going bad soon.

See new post for updated scallion pancake recipe!

Here’s what you’ll need to make Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Ginger Sauce:
Makes ~4 servings (you know I love me some leftovers)

Stir Fry:

• 1 package firm tofu, drained completely & cubed

• Literally any vegetables you want… my favorites include broccoli, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and snap peas. I buy bags of frozen stir fry mix to make this SUPER easy, but you can also use any vegetables in your fridge that may be going bad, or if you have any frozen vegetable, that works too. Seriously, the possibilities are endless and I’m really not here to tell you what veggies work in a stir fry because I just want you eat your veggies…

• 1-2 TBS coconut oil, or another high-heat oil such as avocado oil. Stir fry is meant to be cooked over high heat, very quickly, so you want to choose an oil with a high smoke point, meaning it can be heated to a high temperature without smoking and burning off.

See new post for updated peanut sauce recipe!

Method:

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until shiny. Drop in tofu and cook to your liking - it can be totally browned on all sides or it can be slightly browned. Add veggies and cook together until veggies are cooked through - ideally, they should be fork-tender. This should take about 10 minutes or so!

Serve alongside scallion pancakes and fresh peanut ginger sauce (I could eat this by the spoonful).

How To Make Meal Prep Not Suck

A friend and I were recently talking about how we feel like all we do at the backend of the week is grocery shop, cook, and clean. We were swapping stories over how often we clean our bathrooms and how we feel like our food never lasts long enough in the fridge.

This concept of “adulting,” made popular by millenials, can be cheeky and used to poke fun at my generation that feels personally victimized by simple life responsibilities. However, if you haven’t read this article about millennial burnout yet, go read that and come back to this after.

With that being said, I’m all “how-to-adult” in the best way possible, always thinking about I can maximize my time and effort. While I love to cook and have learned to find joy in the mise en place-ing of it all, it’s taken time to get here. However, I’m confident that I can inspire at least one person reading this post to shift how they think about meal prepping.

Let me back up and answer the question, why meal prep? At the most basic level, it takes the thought out of what you’re going to have for breakfast/lunch/dinner during the week, so you can focus on other important things: your partner, your job, your side hustle, your friends, your family.

It can save you money. Let’s do some quick math: if your sweetgreen salad costs $15, and you’re getting that salad for lunch every day, that’s $75/week. I spent $60 on my grocery shop this week (a lighter week, as I wasn’t stocking up on a lot of pantry staples), and it went into lunches and dinners for at least 4 days this week, plus some meals for the freezer, plus some fresh produce, as well as a few canned items that I will use for future dishes. That nets to less than $8/meal this week!

It can make you healthier. Meal prepping allows you to know exactly what’s going into your food and how it’s being prepared. This is game-changing. You can control the amount of oil, the amount of salt, adding everything you want and leaving out everything you don’t. Eating whole foods and a variety of these whole foods is key, and something I strive for during my meal prep.

OK, so what can you do to take the dread out of meal prep?

1. It sounds simple, but, plan ahead - do your recipe research during the week! I love the NYT Cooking app and Instagram to find inspiration

   • Look for recipes that require one pot, which will always save time

   • Look for recipes that require stewing/simmering, which means you’ll be able to walk away while your dishes are cooking

   • I like to choose two recipes that require a lot of the same ingredients, but are different enough so that I won’t get bored during the week(s) of eating the same thing, e.g. my personal favorites right now: spiced chickpea stew and coconut curry lentil stew

   • Plan to freeze at least one or two containers of whatever you make so that your freezer will have a variety of items to choose from on weeks where you’re traveling or otherwise don’t have time to meal prep

2. Make a very detailed grocery list - even down to the ounces or cups of dry ingredients you’ll need. You can buy in the bulk section of the grocery store to save money, not buy more than you actually need, and will save time during cooking as you’ll have the exact amount ready to go

3. Spread your grocery shopping out over more than one day - avoid the Sunday scaries! You can buy canned goods on Saturday on your way back from yoga, and grab fresh ingredients on Sunday after brunch with friends… less time in the store each time, less to carry each time

4. Prepare your storage containers ahead of time - make sure you have enough to hold all of your delicious meal prep. Have them out and ready when you’re done cooking!

   • Label ahead of time, if you’re going to freeze some for later - I like to put the date it was frozen and what’s in the container

5. On your meal prep day of choice, spend time doing your “mise en place,” which means prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking

   • May sound counterintuitive to spend more time before you get started, but it will ultimately 1) save time during the actual cooking process, and 2) allow you to focus on your recipe in the moment

6. Clean up as much as possible while your dish(es) are cooking

7. Meal prep isn’t just for dinner - expand your horizons and prep breakfast, too! I love making chia seed pudding (recipe below) for a grab-and-go nutrient packed breakfast for after a morning workout

8. Shift your mindset - aside from all the physical prep you’re doing, do some emotional prep. Think, “I’m doing this because I have respect for my time this week, and I want to create delicious, healthy meals that will make me feel great inside & out.”

9. Invite a helping hand - this will save time prepping your ingredients, plus it goes along with shifting your mindset to make meal prep into a desired activity rather than a chore

Chia Seed Pudding (1 Grab & Go Serving)

• 3 TBS chia seeds

• 1/3 - 1/2 cup milk of your choice (less milk = more thick pudding)

• Mason jar with lid

• Toppings of your choice - sliced banana, peanut butter, cinnamon

Pour chia seeds and milk into the mason jar, and secure lid. Shake until chia seeds are thoroughly shaken up with milk. Take off lid, add toppings of choice, re-seal lid and keep in fridge overnight.

No change, no growth.

You may have heard the saying, hindsight is 20/20. And of course, it wouldn't be so clear if you didn't have time to reflect on it afterwards. That's exactly what I've been doing these past few months - reflecting - and ready to tackle whatever comes my way.

Let me start at the end of the story: the trip of a lifetime, the trip to cap off the first half of my year that had quite a few bumps in the road. SurfYogaBeer, you gave me exactly what I needed at exactly the right time - the universe is funny that way, you know? Amazing food, amazing views, and even more amazing people contributed to a blissed-out week where I was more present in every moment than I had been in months.

Now, back to the real world, where I'm dealing with the ever-present reality of Saturn's return. Yep, Saturn's return, the period of time leading up to when Saturn returns to the same position it was on the day you were born. This period of time marks major transition as you move in to the next phase of your life. Think I'm crazy? Look it up!

What else has changed? A new job, a new apartment... just to name a couple. You may be thinking, Nina this is so much change at once! I don't disagree. It's a TON actually. If I've learned anything over the last few years, it's to be patient with myself, especially during these times of change. I tend to be very impatient and I often have to remind myself that it's going to take time. But I also remind myself that this is such an exciting time, with lots of beautiful and positive things to come.

So what remains true and consistent? My desire to keep up with this blog, and my love for cooking (of course). I've had to start meal prepping to bring lunch to my new job, which has been challenging but has allowed me to get more creative in the kitchen. I've been inspired by Food52's one-pot meals, like these curried coconut lentils. OH MY GOD, YUM. (Note: I added frozen peas and walnuts to mine). Meal prep has also allowed me to have a quick dinner without having to start cooking as soon as I get home. Win-win.

Oh, another thing that's going on? My dream of writing a COOKBOOK with my kickass friend Ilana is FINALLY COMING TRUE.

HELL YEAH, A COOKBOOK. A cookbook for us - the millenials - the ones realizing how incredibly valuable home cooking is and how important it is to have some basic skills, and absolutely delicious recipes, under our belts. We've been thinking about this for years and it's finally starting to happen. We only ask that you remain patient, as we're only at the beginning of planning, which happens to be the most fun... recipe development!

You wanna help test out recipes? Get in line.

Just kidding, there is no line. (Or is there?)

To give you a little taste of what's to come (see what I did there?), I'm going to share an exclusive cookbook recipe with y'all! 

Here's what you'll need to make GRAB-n-GO Protein Balls (makes 10-12, two-bite balls):

• 1 large banana, mashed
• ⅓ cup almond butter or peanut butter
• ¾ cup rolled oats (not quick cook!)
• 1 TBS maple syrup
• 1 TBS hemp seeds
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBS dried goji berries (or cranberries, or blueberries)
• 1 TBS semi sweet or dark chocolate chips, slightly chopped (leave some full pieces)
• 1 ½ TBS unsweetened coconut flakes (mix in) + 1 cup flakes (reserved for rolling)
• Pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Set aside baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

On a large plate, pour 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes. Using a spoon, scoop mixture and roll into 1-inch balls (about 1 TBS worth of mixture). Coat each protein ball with coconut flakes and place on baking sheet. Repeat until mixture is gone.

Refrigerate protein balls for at least 30 minutes; overnight is best. You can also freeze; the texture/consistency won't change that much! Store in an airtight container - will last 3-5 days in the fridge, 1-2 weeks in the freezer.

This is THE perfect snack to grab if you're running late to work, or to pop right before a spin class. Or, just-because you're hungry and want something packed with protein, fiber, and healthier sugars. 

It's good to be back, in more ways than one. Ciao (for now)!