Okra, Kale, Apple, Beets Salad Bowl

Besides bitter melon and eggplant, okra is another vegetable that falls under the "Love-it-or-Leave-it" list. Quite different from bitter melon which some dislike due to its bitter taste, it is the texture of okra (likewise for eggplant) that puts some people off - mushy eggplant and slimy okra. If I have just one choice, I pick okra over eggplant.

Besides, it is okra season, is it not (and apples too!) ? Sometime in late August till October, farmer's markets are blessed with freshly harvested vibrant-green and tender-plump okra; unlike those sad brownish bruised-and-dull-looking okra usually found in the grocery stores other months of the year.

Steamed okra,  beets, kale, broccolini, red bell peppers, snap peas, topped with apple

While okra performs well in a stew- or braise-like dish e.g. Pumpkin, Green Bean, Okra Stew, I also enjoy 5-minute steamed okra in warm salad bowls.

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Avocado, Cucumber, Kale Chicken Burger

Not chicken salad sandwich or wrap, but assembled and built as chicken burger filled with leftover shredded chicken, kale and cucumber.


Avocado, mashed and smeared on the bun, replaces the oil-based dressing used in this chicken salad sandwich.

This can also easily come together as salad without the bun (carb-free option).

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Easy Strawberries Cookies

Due to precise measurements involved, I don't usually bake. Unlike baking, I use my taste buds to adjust the flavors of the dish in the cooking process; and rely on palm-, fist-, sometimes finger-size, as a guide to estimate the quantity of ingredients - for example, vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower florets, sliced cabbage are, added by "handfuls" into the pan or pots.


Such a cooking-style does not apply to baking. This beginner/ newbie/ noob gets it. Therefore, when I bake, it ABSOLUTELY has to be basic, simple, and easy. A good example of simple and easy baking is the low-calorie, high-fiber, protein-packed Bran Buckwheat Banana Muffins.

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Tempeh Vegetables Veggies Salad Bowl

Make it meatless, make it tempeh.

Not only is tempeh a great source of plant-based protein, this block of fermented soybeans means a jolt of good bacteria while feasting on homemade veggie salad protein bowl meals e.g. Tempeh, Broccoli, Avocado, Kiwi Salad Bowl.


In addition, the mixed grains (of rice, barley and millet) included in Trader Joes 3-grain tempeh is a bonus - which means, more fiber, and more nutrients.

For meatless/vegetarian/plant-based protein bowls, you can also use regular tofu - tofu typically used in Chinese stir-fries such as Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy, Mushrooms and Tofu, Pineapple Bell Peppers Tofu, Sweet and Sour Tofu ).

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Heirloom Tomatoes Artichoke Hearts Salad

Late summer is blessed with beautiful heirloom tomatoes, and such is a good time to make heirloom tomato salad and of course, "No-Need-To-Cook" Tomato Sauce.

If you happen to have a basket full of of fresh heirloom tomatoes, using these tomatoes as the ONLY salad ingredient in Heirloom Tomatoes Salad would be perfect.


With a limited quantity on hand, the next I could think of is bulk it up with other vegetables such as broccoli or artichoke hearts (try Parchment-Roasted Fish with Artichoke Hearts and Roasted Artichoke Hearts, Mushroom, Chickpea Salad) for the recipe today.

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