Author Archives: Kirsten Vala Fong

Stir-Fried Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) for a Healthy Side Dish

stir fried Chinese broccoli
I don’t know a lot of words in Chinese or Cantonese, the language that Geoff’s family speaks. I’m notoriously bad at foreign languages. But I do know the words daan taat (Chinese egg tart), gai mei bao (sweet coconut buns translated as “cocktail buns“) and shumai (a delectable pork and shrimp dumpling). Seeing a trend here?

Well, along with my limited vocabulary of sweets and dumplings, I also know the word gai lan, or Chinese broccoli. This leafy Chinese green with thick stocks has been one of my favorites ever since I first tasted it a few years ago. I can eat a ton of gain lan. I always look for it on Chinese food restaurant menus, and I always try to grab some at the store if I’m planning on making Chinese food at home. Stir-fried with garlic and ginger it makes a simple, healthy side dish. Feel free to try this recipe with bok choy, choy sum or other Asian greens if you’re not able to find gai lan at your grocery store. Continue reading

Lentil Soup for Easy Lunches

easy lentil soup
I know, I know, this soup really doesn’t look like much. That’s what I think every time I make this, but it’s also why I’m always so surprised when I take my first bite. Mmm, yes, lentils are good. They make amazing soup that’s healthy, filling, budget-friendly and delicious.

I always struggle with lunches. When I worked in an office building I usually bought my lunch (I miss Chelsea Market so much!), and one of my favorite lunch stops was Hale and Hearty Soups. You can always count on a humble cup of soup to make an easy, satisfying lunch. At home I make large batches of soup so I can freeze the leftovers in single serving containers (and ice cube trays for Zoe) — a perfect lunch solution. Continue reading

Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

I use boxed chicken stock all the time, but there’s no denying that homemade is both healthier and more tasty. And even if I’m somewhat reluctant to commit to making it, it’s really the easiest thing in the world. All the ingredients just get thrown in the pot and forgotten about for hours. Well, almost. The smell of it bubbling away on your stove is so alluring it’s better than any scented candle. Continue reading

Blueberry Crumb Cake

crumb cake
Have I mentioned how much I love simple, no-fuss cakes like this? I’ve had my eye on this Ina Garten Blueberry Crumb Cake recipe for years, and I finally got around to baking it for some friends. It’s simple yet elegant, equally as appropriate as a breakfast treat or as a dessert for a little get-together.

I was really surprised by the amount of crumb topping that gets piled onto this cake – it’s a legitimate, Jersey/New York-style crumb cake! With this crunchy, sweet crown, there’s no need for any embellishments after it’s baked. Just slice and serve. So easy. Continue reading

The Banana Bread Recipe That Almost Got Away

banana bread

If anyone should know that online recipes are fickle, fleeting and changing, it should be me. As a former online editor for several food websites, I know URLs are not permanent and access to favorite recipes is not guaranteed to last forever. So, that being said, I don’t know why I was so shocked when I did my normal google search for “my” banana bread recipe (actually an Emeril Lagasse recipe), the one I’ve been making for years, and it wasn’t where it was supposed to be. Did I copy and paste it somewhere, did I save a file of it, did I print it out? No. All I had to go on was my habitual google search and a URL I dug up that led to a 404 error page.

banana bread

But, it turns out I remembered a few of the key ingredients: vegetable oil, brown sugar and sour cream. (All combine to give this banana bread the moist richness that I fell in love with the first time I made it.) Searching through all the “Emeril” banana bread recipes out there, I thankfully found my match.

So here it is! I’m posting it here for me as much as for you — I’m not going to let this one get away again.

Continue reading

My Standby Black Bean Chili (with Espresso)

black bean chili

I don’t know why this vegetarian chili recipe from the January 2003 issue of Bon Appétit magazine caught my attention, but I do remember making it right away for a Super Bowl party at my aunt and uncle’s house. I was a senior at Wash U, I thought maybe I wanted to be a chef, I was totally addicted to food magazines and espresso drinks, and I had never tasted polenta. Oh, and I made this chili for a group of enthusiastic meat eaters (myself included). I think it went over surprisingly well…or at least I remember being pretty impressed.

Since then I’ve made it over and over again, partly because it’s so darn easy and also healthy, but mostly because I really, really love it. Something about the cumin with the black beans and the spice all make perfect chili magic. You can make it with or without the espresso, make it as spicy or as mild as you like, serve it with all the toppings or by itself, and it’s always delicious.

black bean chili

The very best thing about this chili? I found out this week that Zoe loves it. Yes, score one for “mom meals”! I set a small saucepan on a separate burner while I was mixing this up and made her batch without any chili, espresso (heavens, I can’t even imagine!), and less salt. I pureed it a bit when it was cooked, and she gobbled it all down. Continue reading

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (Happy Birthday to my Baby!)

February 8, 2014, my life was turned upside down and inside out and topsy turvy in the most wonderful, amazing, happy way possible — I had a little baby girl, Zoe. Since then my every waking moment has revolved around my sweet little baby.

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As a food lover, it’s really amazing to see how Zoe’s diet and awareness of food has grown and developed over her first year. At first she nursed constantly, and I was torn between being thrilled that I gave birth to such an enthusiastic eater and being exasperated that she just never stopped demanding milk, milk, milk and more milk. It was exhausting.

And then at 6 months Zoe was able to eat solid food, and the real fun began. My favorite new hobby became making baby food. Each week I filled my shopping cart at Whole Foods with tons of organic produce (apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, frozen peas…) and then spent a day or two steaming, pureeing and freezing it all into cute little cubes of yummy food. She devoured it like a champ, gaining tons of weight (going from 0.5 percentile to 25th percentile). Go girl!

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Now, as of February 2015, I’m a mother of a one-year-old with two little teeth, a voracious appetite and the green light to eat everything. I baked her banana birthday cupcakes to celebrate. And now, in theory, I can start cooking like normal and feeding her family meals. I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since I started eating an eclectic diet while pregnant to prime her taste buds for my food-lover’s lifestyle.

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banana cupcakes

Only thing is, I’m not sure what’s normal anymore. I’m going to have to revise my arsenal of meals to include what I’ve been thinking of as “mom meals” — healthy, simple, not-too-spicy fare that can be pureed or cut into small bits. I’m looking forward to it, and I hope you follow along as I share some of my new recipes here. Continue reading

Soft, All-Butter Molasses Cookies

molasses cookies

So, here’s another cute, crave-able cookie. I’ve been on the lookout for a soft, chewy molasses cookie that doesn’t use shortening. It’s harder than you think, since a soft, chewy texture is usually achieved by adding shortening to cookie dough! But, given the choice, if I’m the one doing the baking, I’d much rather bake with butter.

molasses cookies

Truth be told, these cookies may be soft, but they don’t quite have the chewy, ultra-moist texture I was hoping for. For that, I may have to break down and buy some shortening… But they do have their own unique, buttery flavor and a tender texture that I find irresistible. Continue reading

Walnut-Cream Cheese Shortbread Cookies

walnut cookie

Mmm, cookies… I can’t get enough cookies lately. And I’m not going to call it a “pregnancy craving” because, truth be told, I always have and probably always will crave cookies. But now, at 36 weeks and 3 days pregnant, the combination of mild sleep deprivation, growing discomfort and anxious waiting (Is that a contraction!?) has rendered my willpower to resist any sweet completely non-existent. And happily, cookies and milk make everything in life seem a little more manageable; just a tad more enjoyable.

walnut cookies

But, so I don’t go too overboard, I made up one simple cookie rule: No eating cookies unless I bake them myself. It’s fair enough, really… If I can muster the energy to mix up a batch of my own cookies and scrub the dishes afterwards (plus take a few blog-worthy pics as I polish my photography skills for soon-to-come baby), then I deserve a treat.

These plain little beauties don’t look like much, but let me tell you, they’re completely and utterly irresistible. They’re not gooey or chocolaty or overly sweet… They’re tender and toasty – pure comfort. And their diminutive size means you can eat more than one (which feels super indulgent) without really overdoing it. Best of all, they’re one of the easiest cookies you’ll ever make. Really. Just a few ingredients combine to make some serious cookie magic. Take it from the pregnant lady. Continue reading

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

gingerbread-cookies

I’ve been trying not to go crazy with holiday sweets this year, since I’m pregnant and trying to eat healthy (oh, the pressures of eating for two!). But last week I decided to make cookies for Geoff’s work… And if I got to eat a few cookies here and there, I figured I couldn’t feel too guilty considering I did all the baking, right? Still, just to be safe, because I know the limits of my own self control, I decided to make the relatively harmless (I couldn’t bring myself to type the word “healthy” here), yet traditional and fun gingerbread cookies. Continue reading