DIY Onigiri: Easy, Fun, and Full of Flavor!

🌟 Weekend cooking adventures are the best! With a little extra time on our hands, we decided to try making onigiri, those little delightful Japanese rice balls. We've had the onigiri mold for a while but never used it—time to change that!

I’ve been craving Asian flavors lately, but with my histamine intolerance, I had to get creative (no soy, teriyaki sauce, or rice vinegar for me!). So, we freestyled a bit!

Here’s how we made our delicious onigiri (makes 6 pieces):

1. Cook the rice: Prepare 2,5 cups sticky sushi rice in your rice cooker according to package instructions.

   Make the filling:

2. In a bowl, cut and mash together baby bok choy, spring onions and peas. I seasoned them with my homemade veggie broth.

   • Sauté wild-caught salmon, then cut it into bite-sized little pieces and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. (Or an other asian sauce your family likes)

   • For a fun twist, the kids added some organic corn to their filling!

3. Assemble the onigiri:

   • Once the rice is ready, place a layer of rice in the bottom of the mold.

   • Add your filling, then top with another layer of rice.

   • Close the mold and press down to shape!

4. Fry the onigiri: Heat a bit of ghee in a pan and fry the shaped onigiri until golden and crispy on the outside.

   
   

We had such a blast making these together, and they tasted amazing! I love exploring different flavors and influences in cooking, and I’m so glad my kids are adventurous eaters too. 🥢✨

For those who can't eat soy either (but don't have thyroid or histamine issues, have a look into coco aminos for seasoning!)

Quick Meal Magic. Pesto! (dairy-free/sensitive)

With just one hour until the kids' pickup and errands consuming our morning, I found myself in a bit of a crunch. Hubby was home, but we hadn’t managed to do any shopping, and eating out hasn’t been an option for me lately due to my intolerances.

Thankfully, I had a fresh bunch of basil from the market and some gluten-free pasta on hand.

The perfect solution? Pesto! 🍃🍝

In just 20 minutes, I whipped up a delicious batch of homemade pesto. Hubby aka Steve really appreciates fresh meals, especially since he travels a lot and often has to eat in hotels, where the choices can be less than ideal. This quick dish was not only satisfying but also a healthy alternative.

Who knew quick meals could be this delicious?

Here's what you'll need

food processor (like the one on my cookware page)

2 big bunches of fresh basil

1 hand full pecans

1 hand full pine nuts (or more)

salt

pepper (optional)

high quality EVOO

1 hand full arugula (optional)

1 clove of garlic (optional)

Pasta300 grams GF pasta + 1 tsp salt for cooking

What to do

Step 1 : Rinse the basil leafs and pat them dry with paper towel.

Step 2 : Lightly toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden. This enhances the flavor. (Make some extra to top your pasta later!).

Step 3 : In a food processor, combine the basil, (optional: garlic), nuts, and a (good) pinch of salt. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup (or more) of olive oil and blend (medium or high speed until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. You can adjust the amount based on how thick or thin you want it.

Step 4 : Taste the pesto with a clean spoon and adjust with more salt or nuts if needed.

Step 5 : Cook pasta as recommended and combine in a bowl with pesto, serve and top with roasted pine nuts and pecans.

Tip:

If not using immediately: transfer the pesto to a clean glass jar, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, and cover tightly to prevent browning. Can last for about 10 days in the fridge. Pesto is super easy to prepare and makes for a convenient meal later! It also makes for a a great salad dressing! (you could add a little oat or almond milk)

Mom hack: Ewww it's green? Try to prepare green dishes like this together with your kids. They'll love to be included in the process. My girls love the mild pesto version.

Frightful Facts: Why Halloween Candy is the Real Scare!

Halloween is around the corner, and when I think about all the candy across the US, it makes me feel anxious, mad and sad at the same time. The candies available in stores are full of harmful artificial food dyes and coloring (banned in Europe!). I see moms buying huge bags of contaminated candy at their favorite supermarkets. I wish they knew what's in it.

I try to talk to my kids about the dangers of these ingredients (a lot) and how they can affect our bodies. My older daughter is 11 and knows more about nutrition than many adults, which makes me really proud. She understands that we’ll sort through the candy after trick-or-treating. My younger daughter, who’s 9, still struggles a bit, but she’s slowly starting to get it.

There are also great apps that let you scan barcodes or type in names of personal care products and foods together with your children to make informed decisions (for example Yuka, Think Dirty, EWG's Healthy Living App), which can help kids understand visually that Mom isn’t just talking nonsense. Instead, involving them is an important process and it will encourage them to make healthy choices for themselves. And because I don’t want to be a total "granola mom" or buzzkill; we’ve agreed at home that they can trade their candy with me for "less bad" options, which is still giving them some control while encouraging better choices.

But why are Artificial Food Dyes and Colors So Harmful:

Artificial food dyes, commonly found in candies, have been linked to various health issues, including hyperactivity in children, cancer, allergic reactions, and other potential long-term health risks. For example:

Yellow 5 can trigger allergic reactions

Red 3 thyroid cancer

Red 40 may increase hyperactivity

Blue 1 has shown associations with tumors in animal studies

Blue 6 can cause allergic reactions, potentially contribute to hyperactivity in children

All artificial flavors can shape kids' taste preferences, potentially lead to hyperactivity and behavioral issues, cause allergic reactions in some cases, contribute to poorer diet quality due to their presence in processed foods, and may affect overall health negatively.

This 2024 Halloween, I encourage and challenge YOU MOMS (and dads) to consider swapping candy for healthier alternatives, even if it feels inconvenient at first. Change can be daunting, especially when we’ve always done things a certain way, but it’s crucial for our kids’ long-term health. By making these conscious choices, we can help them avoid future health problems and stand up against the overwhelming influence of the American food and candy industry. Let’s prioritize their well-being and create a healthier Halloween experience together!

I don’t mind if our kiddos have some refined sugar or even natural flavors on Halloween. (We normally avoid these as much as we can) But we also have to be realistic and focus on the most harmful ingredients. So lets see what would make good swaps, I picked a few for you.

What alternatives you could buy this year:

1. Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears  (replacing regular gummy bears)

2. Yum Earth Organic Pops (replacing Dum Dums)

3. Yum Earth Organic Giggles Chewy Candy (replacing the most toxic candy: Skittles)

4. Unreal Peanut Chocolate Bars (the less bad Snickers)

5. Lesser Evil Organic Popcorn (air-popped, reducing the need of unhealthy oils)

6. Smart Sweets Variety Pack (less bad sour worms, tropical candy and peach rings)

7. Yum Earth Organic Chewy Fruit (= Starburst, our kids think they’re actually better)

8. Lake Champlain Organic Chocolate Quinoa Halloween Squares (most chocolates do not have any food dyes but many artificial flavors! Always read the labels)

9. Justin's organic peanut butter cups (no TBHQ - a synthetic antioxidant to preserve processes foods - like used in Reese's!)

This Halloween, give your kids treats that won't haunt their health, because a little swap can make a BIG difference!

Please always read the ingredient lists carefully and if you find any artificial food dyes or flavors, please DON'T BUY it.

If you found this helpful, I'd love it if you could share this post with your frinds and/or family!

xo

Mandy