Lemongrass Mussels, Vegetables & Noodles

Ever since trying frozen mussels Steamed Mussels in White Wine Sauce - Trader Joes, I have let down my guard on frozen shell-fish products, in general. That said, I still take a few moments to scan the ingredient list and nutrition label to make sure the ingredients are as natural (less processed) as possible and the sodium level is not exceedingly high. For example, the clams used in Steamed Eggs with Clams is a good quality product that produced such deliciousness with minimal effort.

Back to the Whole Catch Mussels - Lemongrass Curry from Whole Foods Market which might not have one of the best ingredient lists (it's okay good, just not perfectly good) but @$2.99 a package, who could resist this value deal, and the convenience it will bring to the table when one craves seafood.

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Curry Spiced Trout Fillets

Whole fish tastes better when cooked on the bone; and whole fish, especially when it is still swimming in the tank, is probably one of the freshest!

No whole fish today but fillets of trout are used here; just because fresh fillets (not labeled as "previously frozen") were available from the market's seafood section. These fillets may well work into my favor today, as the marinade will be readily and quickly absorbed into the fish, and certainly makes cleaner and fuss-free food preparation (as with whole fish, comes an additional step to proper clean the inside of the fish).


No time? Season with a little salt and pepper. 2 minutes more? Prepare some spice seasoning as marinade. With 5 minutes extra-time to spare, mince up ginger-green onions paste on top of the spice seasoning.

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Shrimps Chicken Multigrain Congee Porridge

A few days away from daylight savings when we turn our clock back an hour. The days are getting shorter and temperatures are down to sweater weather.

A warm wholesome bowl of multigrain congee (this Rice Cooker /Multicooker will be useful) is a welcoming meal as we embrace autumn and winter. Call this Surf and Turf as shrimps (prawns) and ground  meat (pork, chicken) are added to the otherwise plain bowl of congee made from brown rice, millet, quinoa.

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One-Pot Shrimp Quinoa

Swap out multi-grains in this One-Pot Shrimp Rice for quinoa; and make Duck & Shrimp Quinoa, Veggie Bowl similar to this Duck Protein Bowl, just better.

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Smoked Salmon Turmeric Quinoa Bowl

A nutritious protein bowl easily prepared and put together with store-bought smoked salmon (found this good quality Cambridge House smoked honey-roasted salmon from Costco), sliced cucumber, turmeric quinoa, and leftover chimichurri tofu.

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Chimichurri Tofu

Originated in Argentina, this sauce is versatile as marinade, sauce, dressing and/or condiment usually alongside grilled steak. Today, we see chimichurri used as marinade in this Chimichurri Tofu.


Use Chimichurri Tofu to up the protein in Scallop with Quinoa or they are also mighty enough to stand alone as meatless protein entree in plant-based protein bowls e.g. Five-Spice Tofu Protein Bowl and Yuba Veggies Bowl.

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Leftover Fish Egg Frittata (+ Veggies + Oats)

Most of the times, there are no leftovers when it comes to cooked fish. Unlike leftover chicken, leftover cooked fish is trickier to deal with. But especially during inflationary times when bulk-buying groceries/produce/food items gets more bang for the buck - that's when you do buy more then usual, cook more than usual and THERE WILL BE leftovers.

Nothing comes to waste when it comes to frugal-living cooking, even for a tricky leftover cooked fish. There is always my beloved egg frittatas to turn to e.g. Onion Egg Frittata, Chive Egg Frittata, Gouda Cheese Egg Frittata and Frozen Veggies Egg Frittata.

So, the leftover snapper fillets from last night dinner were transformed to this Leftover Fish Egg Frittata upgraded with veggies and rolled oats.


Leftover cooked fish tend to be "dry", adding vegetables such as shredded carrots, or roasted zucchini helps re-introduce a little more moisture into the frittata. I also added (or sprinkled) some oats on top before oven-cooking the frittata, to make it texturally more exciting (plus it's added fiber too!).

Oh did I say? Though made into a protein bowl lunch here, these leftover fish egg frittata can be a great idea for a nutritious breakfast as well (yeah, that's rolled oats in there! right?)

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Oven-Roasted Capelin (Smelt) Fish

The Pan-Fried Capelin Fish (part of Smelt fish family) were a real tasty treat but this Oven-Grilled/ Roasted Capelin/ Smelt Fish are even better, as they are equally delicious yet easier to execute.

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One-Pot Shrimp Rice Multigrains

This quick-cook blend of seven grains (farro, barley, wheat berries, buckwheat, red rice, black rice, oats) cooks in about 10 minutes. Shrimps, typically, take approximately the same time to cook, why not put shrimps (protein) and multigrain rice (carbs) together as one-pot/rice-cooker Shrimps Rice/Multi-grains? Isn't it more wonderful when the rice is infused with savory shrimp flavors while the shrimps cooks in (and with) the rice. 

Other one-pot possibilities include One-Pot Tomato Rice, One-Pot Turmeric-Spiced Rice, Cabbage Rice. 

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Tomato Sardines, Veggies, Quinoa Bowl

Meal preparation is definitely the game changer, when it comes to putting together quick, healthy, nutritious lunches and dinners on busy weekdays. During hectic workweeks, you come close to decent salad-bowl meals moments, without the hassle and bustle of preparing the meals from scratch. That said, nothing comes easy. Deliberate thoughts and actions do come with meal preparation; just so you do not have to start from zero when preparing meal(s) on the actual day.


Canned sardines is a must-stocked item in our pantry. A good source of protein, omega-3, calcium - not only canned sardines is emergency food, it is also pantry-to-table (you can eat them straight out of the can!) meaning your meal is just ten minutes away.
Our family favorite brands include Crown Prince and Wild Planet. The Wild Planet brand of sardines also comes with No Salt version. 

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Oven-Baked/ Roasted Milkfish Belly

I only knew what milkfish was a few years ago while travelling in Tainan, Southern Taiwan where milkfish rice-porridge and pan-fried milkfish belly are traditional breakfast items in this city.

Milkfish has good nutritional value - high in niacin and Vitamin B12, phosphorus, selenium. Similar to other oily fish e.g. sardines and salmon; milkfish is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - "nutrients" for the brain.

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Carrots, Celery, Cod Fish Porridge/ Congee

This 3C Rice Porridge/Congee cannot be bought with Cash or Credit Card. It is homecooked and worth many carats...or rather, carrots.

A fuss-free 3C - Carrots, Celery, Cod Fish Porridge/Congee recipe that you can easily make at home, this porridge/congee stands alone as one-dish meal consisting of vegetables (carrots, celery), proteins (fish) and carbs (rice/ grains).


The carrots add subtle sweetness and celery, a tender crunch to the savory cod fish porridge/congee. 

Other rice porridge/ congee recipes include:

Quinoa Millet Multi-Grain Porridge/Congee

Shirasu White Bait Millet Porridge/Congee

Kabocha Squash Millet Porridge/Congee

Salmon, Celery, Mountain Yam Porridge/Congee

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Salmon, Asparagus, Quinoa Bowl

One of my favorite ways to cook salmon (or other variety of fish) is using en-papillote/ parchment-cooking. This fuss-free and healthy parchment cooking method never fails. The salmon turns out moist and tender even when the oven time goes over by a few more minutes.

In addition to these chicken-themed grain bowls, you can switch up the protein in your grain bowls or veggie bowls by using seafood such as shrimps or fish. A quick and easy method to prepare fish using en-papillote/ parchment-cooking also means that your grain bowl is fast to complete and a meal ready in less than 30 minutes.

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Pumpkin Squash & Seafood Veggie Bowl

Forget about slicing through those hard-shelled pumpkins, have Delicata Squash on-board and breeze through pumpkin season. As it is a relatively smaller squash, you do not have to think hard about storing unused portions. Buy it fresh, use it up, then buy it again.

Though Kabocha Squash remains my favorite squash in terms of versatility and flavor (check these recipes: Kabocha Squash Pumpkin Rice, Kabocha Squash, Okra, Green Beans Stew, Kabocha Squash Millet Congee), Delicata Squash is a convenient choice when preparing one or two servings meals.

With vegetables and roasted pumpkin squash (Pumpkin Squash Veggie Salad Bowl) as the base, I have prepared similar veggie bowls to pair with chicken Pumpkin Squash Veggie Bowl with Chicken and roasted salmon (below) - choice of Pesto Salmon or Dijon Mustard Salmon.

Delicata Squash Veggie Bowl with Roasted Salmon

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Lettuce, Cabbage Buckwheat Noodles Salad

A variety of vegetables, raw and/or cooked, has become my blank canvas, and can easily build up to a healthy and delicious dish.


Today, it is a noodle salad made from assorted vegetables of lettuce and red cabbage, and soba noodles. This can jolly well be a meal when you are eating light.


Salmon or no salmon (for vegetarians), it is all up to you.

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Tomato Shrimps with Avocado & Quinoa Bowl

Making your own marinara sauce from scratch is not difficult. But when you are pressed for time, even 15 minutes is a lot of time. Store-bought marinara sauce makes meal preparation easier and reduces cooking time as there is no need to prep. the onions, garlic, tomatoes; and it is not necessary to wait for the ingredients to cook down over the stove.


Pasta marinara sauce is not only good for pasta, it is also quite handy as "seasoning" sauce. For example, simply think shrimps and vegetables stir-fry with tomato-based "seasoning sauce" .  Oh, isn't that sweet and sour shrimps? Quite close.

Sweet and soup or tomato-sauce shrimps is the protein feature of the grain bowl today. With store-bought marinara sauce, these delicious tomato-sauce shrimps can be prepared in less than 20 minutes.

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Avocado, Shrimps, Tofu, Veggies Pasta Bowl

This pasta bowl has no sauce, and it is not missing any.


The garlic-cilantro oven-roasted shrimps, and the roasted zucchini and bell peppers  (alike Oven-Style Ratatouille and Vegetable Tian) are all good components of flavors to the pasta. Add in buttery avocado and roasted tofu to make it a balanced meal of complex carbs, lean protein, healthy fats and vegetables's healthy fiber, vitamins and essential minerals.

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Chickpea-Tuna Veggie Quinoa Bowl

Remember this Chickpea-Tuna Lettuce Endive Wrap ? Besides chicken, eggs, vegetarian tempeh and tofu, Chickpea-Tuna Mix has become one of the latest protein add-ons to my salad bowl meals (a.k.a grain bowls or workout meals). Certainly, this grain bowl can be made vegetarian by omitting the tuna - simply use chickpeas or other legumes as meatless protein mix-in.

This Chickpea-Tuna Mix is quick and easy to make - less than 30 minutes, no stove required; it is also a superb make-ahead dish that you can prepare on Sunday, and good for powering up healthy lunches for the week ahead.

To prepare a healthy wholesome grain bowl, always start with a base of colorful vegetables and greens, for example a spring mix of green and red leaf lettuces, radicchio and arugula.


To boost the nutrition and to have a forkful of textures and flavors, add more vegetables and fruits such as cucumbers, tomatoes, red cabbage, steamed asparagus, like this:

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Veggie Salad, Avocado and Shrimp Bowl 蔬菜虾仁主食沙拉

This "golden" salad dressingis now the "liquid gold" in my kitchen, especially in my homemade salads and workout meals (e.g. Asparagus, Chicken and Potato Salad Meal, Mushrooms, Green Beans, Broccoli Salad Bowl) It is an easy and healthy upgrade from the basic extra-virgin olive oil-apple cider vinegar-garlic-salt-pepper vinaigrette-based dressing.

The gold? Turmeric.


Did you know that black pepper and turmeric is a perfect match which defies the good'ol equation of one plus one equals two? According to some research sources, piperine - the active compound in black pepper will increase and enhance the bio-availability of curcumin (active component in turmeric) hence boost curcumin absorption in the body.

Sometimes, I simply forget but whenever possible, I try to add turmeric in my cooking e.g. when cooking rice, and when preparing salad dressing.


If you enjoy these salad meals, or veggie grain bowls, do check them out here. Or if you prefer a shrimp-similar salad bowl, try this Mixed Veggies, Shrimps, Avocado and Radish Bowl.

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