feel food club

Lunch/ Dinner

Summer Poke Bowl

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The all beloved and super trends bowl. I mean, how can you not love it? Rice, fresh seafood (or tofu), all the veggies, fresh fruits, covered with a super good sauce. What do you need more? Step away from classic and make this super tasty summer version!

What even is poke?

Poke is a traditional dish that originated in Hawaii. It usually is raw fish (just like Sashimi) over rice. This rice mostly is prepared as sushi rice. The fish usually is marinated before with soy sauce and then it all is assembled in a bowl with lots of veggies.

My poke bowl love

I have always been loving sushi. I also have always loved all kinds of bowls. And therefore I love poke bowls. Before it even was a trend I would always get it when I saw it on the menu. Because it is so good. And then, luckily, it became a trend and now you can find lots of places in Vienna that serve extremely delicious poke bowls. My absolute favourite one is HONU TIKI Bowls because they are just the best ones! Me and my bestie almost always go there to have them! Insanely good.

Since we went there (and still go there) very often, we also spent a lot of money on them. And they are not cheap. Raw and fresh seafood is pretty expensive and so are other fresh ingredients. So I thought, why not making it at home? It is easy, healthy and pretty tricking tasty.

How to build up a poke bowl:

Similar to my guide for a buddha bowl I am now gonna explain to you how to best build up a poke bowl.

  • We need to start with a base. Traditionally I would use white rice or best, – – Sushi rice if you have that on hand. It is filling and adds a nice texture. If you want to can also use greens as a base to have more of a salad version or you could also do half half.
  • Next we need our source of protein. Raw (or also cooked works fine) fish such as tuna or salmon but you can also long for tofu or grilled chicken, prawns or beef.
  • Next up our marinade. This is important because it adds a lot of flavour to your protein and the entire bowl. I love doing a teriyaki sort of marinade but feel free to do something else.
  • Of course we also need some veggies. Here you are totally free and you can add whatever you want. For me, edamame or peas, cucumbers and tomatoes are always a must! But honestly, everything works well here!
  • Not to forget: Fruits! May sound a little weird a first but it is a game changer. It adds so much sweetness and freshness to it, that’s insane! I promise you, you will love it
  • A crunch: Here I love to use spring onions, sesame seeds, nori, or some sort of nuts. This just adds such a nice twist to the texture! Absolutely love it!
  • The sauce: Maybe this is the most important part of the entire bowl! Why? Because you are going to mix everything with it, and if it is not good, everything won’t be good. Here you can long for a mayo based one (which not always is the healthiest choice) or some soy sauce or peanut sauce.

What is in this bowl?

As a base we are using Sushi rice. The one I use is from Reishunger and it is super tasty! Btw: with the code REISKATIE you can get your favourite rice for free there!

Get the rice here!

As for veggies we use peas, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumber and wakame (these are alleges which you can get at your asian restaurant or your fish market).

Fruitwise, we are going for apricots. they are coming into season now and they are regional. If you don’t like those, go for mango instead.

Our protein is salmon or tuna. I always make both of them because in my family we like different ones. But you can also use tofu if you want a vegan version, and leave out the fish sauce in the marinade

So next on to the marinade, it is sort of a teriyaki one. Super good and addicting!

Our crunch are spring onions, which are super good here! They add a crunch and some freshness.

Last but not least: the sauce. A peanut sauce. This stuff is seriously good. And seriously addicting. But also super easy!

Are poke bowls healthy?

Yes they are! Well usually, you always have exceptions. But rice is not unhealthy, raw fish is healthy because of its high protein content and it is not fried or prepared with a lot of oil. Plus, in poke bowls you always have tons of veggies, which also give you loads of vitamins, just as the fruits does. The sauce on top is not always healthy, so make sure to check what you are using. Mayo-based ones are not always healthy. What you should also look out for is that you do not always choose soy sauce based sauces because they are loaded with vitamins. So all in all, pretty healthy.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do (because I am obsessed with it) and enjoy it all throughout summer. It is such an easy one, I would really recommend making it!

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Summer Poke Bowl

A summery version of the all time favorite and healthy dish! Raw fish with plenty of veggies, rice and a super tasty peanut sauce!

Course bowl, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Marinating 2 Stunden
Servings 4 servings
Calories 590 kcal

What you will need

  • 600 g tuna or salmon in sashimi quality (meaning you can eat it raw)
  • 250 g rice
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 200 g broccoli
  • 100 g peas
  • 200 g asparagus green or white whatever you want, but when using white you need to peel it first
  • 1/2 large cucumber
  • 200 g tomatoes
  • some wakame optional
  • 4 apricots
  • 1 spring onion

For the marinade:

  • 50 ml soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce optional
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 tbsp sriracha/ hot sauce optional
  • 1 tbsp honey or maple

For the peanut sauce

  • 100 ml full fat coconut milk
  • 30 g peanut butter about 2 tbsp
  • 30 g soy sauce about 2 tbsp
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 lime juiced

How to

For the fish:

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Cut up the fish into 1-1.5 cm sized cubes and add to the marinade. Marinate for 2 hours or longer. The longer, the more intense the flavor will be.

The rice:

  1. Prepare the rice according to package instructions. When done, remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Then mix the rice wine vinegar with the sugar and mix it into the rice. Set aside.

The veggies & fruit:

  1. Steam or boil the broccoli, (green) asparagus, and peas for about 5 minutes in salted water, then drain. Cut the cucumber into small cubes. Half the tomatoes when using cherry tomatoes or also cut them into small cubes when using large ones.

    Depit the apricot and also cut it into small cubes. Finely slice the spring onions.

The sauce.

  1. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. When it is too thick, add some water to thin it out.

Assemble!

  1. Divide the Sushi rice onto the bowls. Next add the fish with the marinade followed by all the veggies and fruit except for the spring onions. Top with the sauce and then lastly add the spring onions! Serve and enjoy!

Enjoy,
Happy cooking,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Black Quinoa Teriyaki Burger (vegan)

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Burgers; the ultimate comfort and fat food. The embodiment of unhealthy. But can you make it healthy? I can tell you, yes you can! This is a healthy, plant based and incredibly delicious version of the most popular fast food. A healthy black quinoa teriyaki burger.

Why aren’t burgers healthy?

First things first. We always hear burgers aren’t healthy. But what exactly is it that is not healthy? A lot of people think it is the bun. Because bread has the reputation to be unhealthy. But I need to disappoint you if you were believing that because this is not true. Bread is a good source of carbohydrates and vitamins. Also it has some protein and little fat and sugar (although store bought burger buns may have a lot of sugar, so keep an eye out for that). Sure, if you choose a wholewheat burger bun it would be healthier. But this is not what I am referring to. The unhealthy parts of most burgers are the meat, cheese, bacon and sometimes even sauces.

The meat oftentimes is not healthy because usually fatty meat is used. This adds more flavour but also more calories and more fat. Bacon goes along the same way. Bacon mainly is made of fat and sodium. Which both is not healthy for us. And of course the cheese. Sure, cheese does have protein but again, the fat is the less healthy macronutrient here. Do not get me wrong, fat is not necessarily bad for our bodies and we do need it to live but the amount which is in one burger is not really healthy anymore.

The when I said that sauces aren’t always healthy, this may have surprised you. Why , you think? In most burgers you can find mayonnaise. High quality mayonnaise is made out of oil and egg yolk. This is not unhealthy when consumed in right amounts. It is high in calories but those calories have a nutritional value. But most store bough mayonnaises have hundreds of other ingredients in them. Most of which you cannot pronounce. This is not very good for our bodies. To summarise: high quality mayonnaise can be healthy when consumed in right amounts, highly processed ones are not good for us.
But mayonnaise isn’t the only sauce. In many other sauces there is a lot of butter or sugar added to get more flavour. Butter and sugar both, I think most people are aware of that, are not great sources of nutrients. While oftentimes we assume that the sauces do not make much of a difference, they actually do. 2-3 tablespoons of high calorie sauces can quickly add up to 200-300 kcal. So be aware the next time you choose it.

About balance

But please, after reading about the nutritional information about burgers, do not say that you will not have them again. Having a good and super tasty burger once in a while is more than alright. Not stressing out about it too much also is important for a healthy relationship with food. Just be aware that this is not the ideal meal to nourish your body and it should be consumed in moderation if you want to eat a healthy diet.

How to make it healthy

I think we now have talked enough about why it is not healthy. So let’s focus on making it healthy. This comes down to super easy swaps. For example instead of taking a beef patty you can substitute it for a plant based one. Here we are making one out of black quinoa from Reishunger (you can get it here). But you can also long for one made out of beans of ground turkey for example. Instead of bacon we are using mushrooms. May sound a little boring at first, but once you’ll try it out, you’ll be convinced. Instead of store bought low quality mayonnaise, you can use a homemade one. Or you can use ketchup without added sugar. If that’s too boring for you, I am sure you are going to find sauces at the supermarket that do not have a lot of added sugar. Last but not least, we probably need something else. Avocado. Don’t be fooled thinking that this is just another ago trend because it isn’t. Avocado in your burger is life changing.

How to build the perfect burger:

This is a very important part. This can change your burger 180°. No but honestly you can ruin so much when you build it the wrong way.

  1. toast your bun. This crispness it up and adds a lot of flavour. No matter whether you are doing this in a toaster of a pan, this step is essential.
  2. Sauce. Right on top of the bun that is the first layer, we are adding a sauce. Ketchup, homemade mayonnaise, barbecue sauce. Whatever.
  3. Greens. They won’t change much of the taste but much of the vitamins you get in. Also it is important to add a layer of greens before adding something else because when you add the patty or something else like tomatoes or cucumber right onto the bun it will get soggy.
  4. The patty. Pretty self-explanatory.
  5. Bacon/Mushrooms/other add ins. they have a good flat surface to lay on.
  6. Soggy veggies. Now you can add tomatoes, cucumber, or anything else containing a lot of water. It s not next to a bun so it won’t turn anything soggy.
  7. Avocado/ sauces. To finish it up, a nice layer of sauce or smashed avocado to add extra flavour and consistency.
  8. the top bun. Again, I would recommend to toast it.

The Quinoa Patty

Making a burger out of quinoa may sound a little weird but it is so good and so easy. The black quinoa adds an extra bit of flavour and depth to it. You can find black quinoa at Reishunger.com . It is important to completely cook the quinoa through until it has absorbed all of the liquid. This way it will give a perfectly mushy consistency when blending. What also is important is the seasoning. Since it does not have as a strong flavour itself as meat does, we need to season it well. Here we are doing it with a super simple teriyaki sauce.

Meal prep and serving:

You can batch make the quinoa patties and freeze them before cooking. Whenever you wanna have one, let them thaw a little bit and fry them up in a pan.
The burgers are best served with some homemade fries or sweet potato fries or just a simple little salad.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and have fun cooking it!

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Black Quinoa Teriyaki Burgers

Healthy Plant Based Burgers. A ton of flavor. A ton of goodness. Pretty easy, pretty good.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 25 Minuten
Total Time 35 Minuten
Servings 2 burgers
Calories 695 kcal

What you will need

  • 100 g quinoa
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp sriracha or hot sauce
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 200 g mushrooms
  • 1/2-1 Avocado
  • 2 burger buns
  • a handful greens

For the vegan mayonaise (makes about 8 servings)

  • 125 ml soy milk can use any plant based milk alternative
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 200 ml oil
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1 tsp salt

How to

  1. Add the quinoa to a pot along with 200 ml of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all water is absorbed completely.

  2. In the meantime make the vegan mayo. Add the milk alternative, oil, salt and vinegar into a tall container. Take an immersion/ hand blender and place it on the very bottom. Turn the speed onto low and pull it up in one go until you have reached the surface of the liquids. Keep blending until it begins to emulsify and becomes creamy. Add the mustard and continue to blend for about 1 minute until it if smooth and creamy. Place in the fridge.

  3. Slice the mushrooms into about 0,5 cm thick slices.

  4. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, hot sauce and conrnstarch. Make sure there are no big lumps of cornstarch in the mixture.

  5. When the quinoa is done transfer it to a food processor. But make sure it has really absorbed all liquids, otherwise the burger patty will fall apart. Add about 2/3 of the teriyaki mixture to it and blend well. It should all stick together and form a big ball.

    Slightly flour your hands so they are dry. Divide the quinoa mixture into 2 and form them into patties. Do this by first rolling a ball in your hand and laying it on a flat surface. Then press it down with the palm of hand to make a flat surface.

  6. Heat up half of the oil in a pan. Sautée the mushrooms in there for about 3 minutes. reduce the heat and add the remaining teriyaki sauce.

  7. Mash the avocado. Half the burger buns and toats the bottom half.

  8. Heat up the remaining oil in another pan. Once hot add the quinoa patties and fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes.

  9. Once the bottom bun is toasted add a generous spread of mayonaise. Top it with some salad. Add the black quinoa patty on top. Then theh mushrooms and some sliced cucumber if using. Lastly, add the mashed avocado and the top half of the burger bun. Serve and enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Tomato white wine pasta with pistachio breadcrumbs

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I am gonna be honest. This is addicting! A creamy, fresh, quick, full of flavor and so many nutrients! You won‘t go back to store bought pasta sauces! Plus, its dairy free and vegan because we are topping it with pistachio breadcrumbs. You are NOT missing the parmesan in top! All in all it is just so tasty!

Is Pasta unhealthy?

I honestly love pasta, and despite all rumors it is not unhealthy. Well, at least not as is because it is a great source of carbohydrates. If you make wholegrain pasta, it is even healthier because you get an extra portion of fiber with it! But yes, just as everything else it can be prepared really unhealthy. Not the actual pasta itself but the sauce it comes with. If ypu use a very oil heavy or cream, cheese or butter based sauce such as alfredo or carbonara or one with fatty meat like bacon or salami, it can load up on calories and fats really quickly. But when you pair it with a rather light sauce like a tomato one or one with fresh vegetables it is not unhealthy at all! Also pesto is a good choice. I mean, yes it has cheese but it also has oil, nuts and fresh basil. Oil and nuts are high in healthy fats and fresh basil has so many vitamins!

What is special about this dish?

100% the sauce! Why? Because it is not your regular tomato sauce. And by „white wine tomato sauce“ I don‘t mean that you poor half a bottle if wine into your regular sauce (although this would probably also be super tasty :)). No, its a sauce made of only fresh tomatoes – of all sizes and colors, a good splash of white wine and lots if fresh herbs. And of corse, not to forget the pistachio breadcrumbs. They just take it next level!

Which tomatoes work best for this dish?

I believe that a mix of many different ones work best! A mix of large ones, cherry tomatoes or san Marzanl works best. Also, if you have access to it or can find them, feel free to add yellow, orange or brown tomatoes. The more you add, the more of a diverse, intense and interesting flavor and many different textures! So, use whatever you have on hand! The more different ones you have, the better!

Which wine works best?

As the name says, white wine! This can be a fruitier one or one that is rather on the dry side. This is up to you and what you like to drink! My dad always says „use a wine for cooking that you will also drink with the dish“. So use a good and tasty wine because you will also taste it in the sauce. It is as important to use a good quality product in a dish as it is to drink it. You could, however, also use some sparkling wine because the carbon dioxide will cook down anyway. If you only have red wine on hand, you can use this too but be aware that this will make it more of a heavier dish whereas the white wine makes it rather lighter.

Pistachio breadcrumbs?! What and how?

I have never eaten that before. Neither at a restaurant not at someone’s home! But it is game changing. I know, we all love some parmesan on top of our pasta, but if we are longing for a dairy-free, healthier and vegan option, this is amazing! And so simple. 3 ingredients and addicting! The only ingredients you really need are pistachios (whole grain) bread crumbs, and olive oil. The pistachios are chopped finely and mixed with the breadcrumbs. After they are pan fried in some olive oil to get them crispy and bring out the flavor. If you want a slight cheesy flavor, you can also add in some nutritional yeast (Hefeflocken) if you want but it definitely is not necessary! When putting them on top of the pasta, the add a nice crunch and texture and also some saltines as cheese would do! You need to try this! I swear it is so good!

Is it family friendly?

Yes! 100%! You do add wine, but the alcohol boils away, so even kids can eat it! And it is vegan (if you use vegan pasta of corse) but if you want to add some parmesan or mozzarella on top you of course can do so! Ir if you want some prawns of grilled chicken with it, it works as well. Plus, it is less than 30 minutes, so it‘s a great weeknight dinner!

We absolutely love having this dish in pur house and make it pretty often! Its super tasty, simple, and full of vitamins! I hope that it gives you some inspiration to cook something healthy & tasty!

Happy cooking,
Katie || Une Petite Cuisinière

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Tomato White Wine Pasta with Pistachio Bread Crumbs

Quick, simple, healthy, tasty. Fancier than your average tomato sauce, full of vitamins, 30 minute and tastes so incredibly good!

Course bowl, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 25 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 627 kcal

What you will need

For the tomato sauce:

  • 400 g tomatoes large ones, can be any color
  • 300 g cherry tomatoes or any other small ones, it is best to mix the colors
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 white onion
  • 1/8 l white wine
  • 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 small branches rosemary and oregano
  • 1 garlic clove grated
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

For the pistachio breadcrumbs:

  • 20 g pistachios
  • 20 g breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Other:

  • 500 g Pasta tagliatelle work best

How to

For the tomato sauce:

  1. Chop the large tomatoes into about 1cm sized cubes. Half the cherry tomatoes. Finely mince the onion. In a large pot heat up the olive oil. Add the onion and sautée it until it is translucent. Then add in the chopped tomatoes and reduce to medium high heat. Also add the herbs and the garlic clove (and the chili flakes if using) into the pot and give it a stir. Add the white wine and let simmer for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Then add the lemon juice and salt generously and let simmer for another 10 minutes on low heat. Before serving take out the herbs.

For the Pistachio Breadcrumbs:

  1. In the meantime make the pistachio breadcrumbs. Therefore add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse until they have gotten a fine consistency. If you do not have a food processor, chop them up with a knife. Combine them with the breadcrumbs. heat up the olive oil in a pan and fry the mixture on high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly so they do not burn. Take them off the heat and set them aside.

  2. In the meantime cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once done reserve 1/2 cup (about 100ml) of pasta water and drain them. Add the drained pasta, along with the reserved water to the sauce and mix through. Seperate them onto 4 plates and top with the pistachio breadcrumbs and serve.

    Enjoy!

Oven baked Sweet Potato Fries

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Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. With a little hint of roasted garlic and paprika. Sprinkled with a little sea salt. That’s what I call the perfect side. No matter with what, a burger, a salad or just by itself. It is so good. And so simple. You will never want to go back to making sweet potatoes differently.

More Sweet Potato inspiration…

I absolutely love sweet potatoes. In any form. Baked as a whole and stuffed, mashed, boiled, fried, baked in little chunks or whatever. They are just so tasty! I already have a few recipes on my blog with it like the Miso sweet potato with coconut rice or the Thai sweet potato cauliflower soup or the fall tabouleh stuffed sweet potatoes (which honestly are so good) and one of my favourites, the harvest buddha bowl with apple chicken! But all of those were a while ago so I knew it was time to make something new.

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Sweet Potatoes, as the name says, are potatoes, and taste very similar to regular ones, just a little sweeter. Because of that they are also sometimes used in desserts or sweet dishes. But they are just as common in savoury ones. They are extremely high in Fibre, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Protein. Plus, they are very high in antioxidants, meaning they support your gut healthy. All in all, super healthy.

How do you make them?

It‘s really simple! Cut into thin strips. They should be rather small and thin because this way they’ll get crispier in the oven. If you have the time for that I would recommend soaking the strips in water because that helps to remove some of the starch to make it crispier (this wasn’t my idea, i learned it at pickuplimes blog). And of course, you need to pat them dry afterwards, very dry, because obviously, water will make them soggy. Next step, which I do recommend, is tossing them in a little cornstarch. I also love making this with my tofu (like in my vegan glas boodle salad recipe) because it really binds the water in the food. 

Spice it up!!

Next up: spices! This is really important because the key to good food are good spices! The spices used really depend on what you serve the potatoes with. For example, if we serve it with a burger, I would recommend using paprika and garlic. If it is a side to some grilled halloumi, some herbs like rosemary and oregano work really well. If you are making wedges and want to make them a bit extra (in winter this is so good!), you can add some cinnamon. This surprisingly works really well!

Tossing them in spices is really essential. They add so much flavour. So last on the list is some oil. I would recommend using olive oil or another one that is neutral in taste. The oil adds more flavour and helps crisping them up. The potatoes are now baked on very high heat in the oven, for really not long. After taking them out, you can sprinkle some sea salt and serve them with a delicious sauce.

Why not frying them?

The reason we are making them in the oven is fairly simple. Because it is way healthier. While they do get a little crispier when deep fried, they also soak up way more oil. This means way more fat and calories. Of course, once in a while it is super good, but when making it more often, baking them in the oven is just way healthier.

I hope that you will love this recipe as much as I do and your family or friends do so too. In our house, they are always gone, and not a single fry is a leftover! Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

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Sweet Potato Fries from the Oven

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and perfectly spiced! The ideal side for anything!

Course lunch, Side Dish
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 4 sides
Calories 230 kcal

What you will need

  • 600-800 g Sweet Potatoes 2 smaller ones or 1 big one
  • 3 tbsp corn starch
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 3 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • some sea salt

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.

    Wash the sweet potatoes. Cut them into about 1cm thick strips, about 8cm in length. Place them in a large bowl and cover with water. Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes. This helps to remove the starch.

    Drain them and place on a kitchen towel or kitchen paper and tap them dry. They need to be really dry.

    Place them in a clean bowl and toss with the cornstarch and spices.

    Spread them onto two baking trays and make sure they have enough space. They should not touch each other. Drizzle the olive oil and add the garlic cloves (they do not need to be peeled). Sprinkle some salt on top.

    Bake for 10 minutes, then flip them. Bake for another 5-8 minutes. Take out and serve. Enjoy!

    P.s.: If you want, you can squish out the garlic from the peel and mix with some mayonaise to get a garlic dip!