Steamed Radishes and Radish Leaves

I never knew I could prepare radishes this way. I should have known earlier. What vegetables can't be steamed? Perhaps red radishes passes off too easily as raw or roasted in salads; and steaming just slipped my mind. Personally, I prefer steamed radishes much much better than roasted ones e.g. Roasted Radish and Fennel.

Steamed radishes is also very easy to prepare. Skin-on, steamed whole, for about 12-15 minutes.


Raw radishes add a peppery, satisfying crunch to salads while steamed radishes with skin-on actually taste sweet, with no traces of the sharp and peppery flavors even when the radishes are skin-on. I can eat eight to ten whole steamed radishes at one go! It is harder to consume that amount when used raw in salads.

Radishes are a good source of vitamin C and contains powerful antioxidant flavonoids - zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta carotene. Radishes are usually sold with the nutritious greens still attached at the tops. These leaves tops have a characteristic peppery, yet somewhat pungent flavor, similar to radishes. What is good about this dish is using up the entire bunch of radish with the greens at the same time. Isn't that the best case scenario in which fresh produce can be used as quickly as possible?

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Perilla Leaf, Egg, Cucumber Sandwich

Other than the regular grocery stores e.g. Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods Market, there are also Korean, Japanese, Chinese grocery stores in the vicintiy. These stores are where I discover new ingredients - ingredients that typically don't show up in the regular stores.


Visiting the Korean supermarket reminded me of the Korean dishes I have made in the past e.g. Easy and Healthy Korean Bibimbap, Korean Spicy Tofu, Korean Spicy Chilled Tofu. I realized it has been some time since I prepared any Korean dishes! However, even with the perilla leaves from the Korean supermarket, sandwiches instead of Korean dishes came to mind. Where is that Korean spark? I wonder.

Popular in Korean cuisine, perilla leaves are commonly used as a wrap for rice, barbecued meats and vegetables, so I don't see any conflict by layering the leaves into this egg, apple and cucumber sandwich. With herb nuances of mint, basil and anise, the perilla leaves brought an ordinary egg sandwich to life.

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Spring Peas Chinese Broccoli Stir-Fry

Welcome, Spring! When the days get longer, I always look forward to visiting our favorite Saratoga farmers market for fresh local produce then make healthy and delicious dishes out of it.

This dish today is similar to Snap and Snow Peas Stir-Fry. The snap peas and snow peas are still the "star" here while the broccoli and shiitake mushrooms have been switched to Chinese broccoli and oyster mushrooms.

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Gluten-Free Bean Pasta with Veggies Kale, Zucchini, Green Beans

Beans on beans, pulses or more pulses. What do you say? Plant-protein power! Made from organic edamame and mung bean, Explore Cuisine's gluten-free fettuccine* carries the leftover bean "sauce" very well and makes a nice warm veggie pasta lunch on a cool breezy day. Alternatively, make a quick chickpea salad, toss it with pasta and save this pasta salad or Edamame and Mung Bean Fettuccine Veggie Salad Bowl for the hot summer days.


This bean fettuccine* on its own tastes very flavorful, warm or at room temperature (cooked and allowed to cool a few minutes). Personally, I enjoy the natural bean flavor of this pasta as it shines through without any sauce, just like this Edamame and Mung Bean Fettuccine Veggie Salad Bowl.

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Jackfruit Tofu Green Curry 菠萝蜜绿咖喱

The lazy-cook's idea simply popped when I saw Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce, placed beside canned Green Jackfruit at my local Trader Joes store. Good thinking, Trader Joes!

One-pot vegetarian jackfruit green curry, why not? How about adding quick, easy and delicious to it?

That will sit alongside my other one-pot dishes such as One-Pot Tomato Rice, One-Pot Pasta and One-Pot Beans and Lentils.


Before I conceived this one-pot idea, I have not even browsed Trader Joes Fearless Flyer! But coincidentally, while I was flipping the flyer book one breakfast morning, that ambitious goal to make a quick, easy and delicious one-pot vegetarian green curry seems not that far off. The Fearless Flyer actually had a write-up for Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce and Green Jackfruit on the same page, and as recommended combo for cooking.

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Okra with Tahini Sauce Dressing 芝麻酱拌羊角豆

While okra does well in a stew- or braise- like dish e.g. Pumpkin, Green Bean, Okra Stew, it also works seamlessly as a simple appetizer dish.


When prepared the correct way, the "slime" can be reduced while maintaining the tender crunch of fresh okra. The correct way from my experience is the simple way - roast, steam or blanch. I have tried roasting (Roasted Okra), steaming (Steamed Okra) and today, comes another success in blanching in which whole okra was immersed in boiling water for no more than 5 minutes; then served warm with a creamy sauce-dressing.

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Vegetables, Chickpeas, Mushrooms Noodles - 蔬菜香菇木耳拉面

The weather has been erratic. Cold and rainy two weeks ago, hot in the 80s last week, and the forecast is for some rain bringing us back to the 60s this week. This does not make it easier for those who want to prepare and enjoy salads on warm and dry days, and cozy up on stews when it is cool and rainy.

Sometime ago, my friend gave me a few packets of Ramen noodles and told me "if you do not know what to cook any one day, cook this". She was definitely not referring to the weather indirectly, when she said this. When we say - we do not know what to cook, it actually means - we do not want to cook. All those excuses - no time, no energy, lack of urge or inspiration, or simply, just feeling lazy.

But yet, we want to stay home (takeout option is out then!) and have something homecooked like this super easy, quick and delicious Noodles with Stir-Fry Spinach, Mushrooms and Fried Egg.

Now, get someone else to cook, if we can find that "someone". Else, fall back on my friend's words.

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