Blog #3: Stirring Things Up
Maia B V -
Hey Fans,
Welcome back and Happy Wednesday! You guys know the drill, another super busy week so let’s begin 🙂
Last Thursday, Monday & Tuesday I went into Miriam’s Kitchen to volunteer as per usual. On Tuesday I was in charge of the oven, which is another step up in the kitchen hierarchy. My job was to continue to rotate and cook the different meats and vegetables that were required to be served piping hot every 4 minutes, which got a little stressful at times, but overall a great week in the kitchen!
At Home, I was doing a lot of recipe testing and created my first recipe of this series! Here’s how it went:
Thursday: I began researching recipes that were easy, quick, healthy, nutrient dense and delicious! I read through a couple of my favorite cookbooks to gain inspiration including: V street, Six Season, and The Easy Vegetarian Cookbook. While I didn’t use my cookbooks for this week’s recipe, I gained a lot of valuable insight on some dishes I am planning for the future!
Friday: I decided on my first recipe: Spicy Japanese Curry with Tofu Katsu. For this dish I was inspired by a trip to japan where I had the richest, most indulgent curry. I decided on this to be my first recipe for a couple of different nutritional reasons (besides it being so so so delicious) that I will explain below:
- Tofu (Firm or Extra-Firm): Rich in protein, calcium, and iron.
- Panko-Crusted Breading (Whole Wheat or Fortified Flour): Adds fiber and extra B vitamins.
- Japanese Curry (Vegetables & Spices): Using a variety of vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions increases fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.
- Turmeric & Other Spices: Have anti-inflammatory properties and aid digestion.
Additionally, if you guys remembered my last blog where I talked about complete proteins, I knew I had to make a complete protein for this dish, which is why I included the Tofu Katsu. However, if you don’t like tofu, you could pair the rice with another soy protein that doesn’t include all 9 amino acids.
- Rice (Brown, White, or Fortified Jasmine): Rice complements soy protein, ensuring all essential amino acids are present.
- Panko (If Whole Wheat or Fortified): Adds extra protein and amino acids.
Additionally, I ensured that there were sufficient essential nutrients in this meal as well. Below is a breakdown of what each part of my dish offers in terms of nutritional value.
- Protein: Tofu/Tofu+ rice = complete protein
- 2. Healthy Fats: Using sesame or olive oil for frying adds omega-3s and omega-6s
- Fiber: Brown rice + vegetables keep digestion healthy
- Vitamins & Minerals: Carrots (vitamin A), onions (antioxidants), potatoes (potassium).
- Iron & Calcium: Tofu and leafy greens (if added) contribute iron and calcium.
Additionally, I’ve researched some other ways to increase the nutrient density of meals as well. While I didn’t use all 3 of these in my newest recipe, these are things that can be easily adapted to make this recipe even more nutrient dense in the future:
- Use fortified ingredients (fortified rice, whole wheat flour, or vitamin-enriched soy sauce).
*Note: Fortified means that extra nutrients have been added to a food that weren’t originally present or were present in small amounts*
- Incorporate legumes (chickpeas or lentils in the curry) for extra iron and protein.
- Prepare in bulk with sustainable, shelf-stable ingredients (dried spices, tofu, and rice).
Besides this dish being absolutely amazing, it’s also the perfect meal to be able to make at Miriam’s Kitchen for the following reasons:
- Low-Cost & Shelf-Stable: tofu, rice, and curry powder last long and are things that are relatively cheap and easy to find.
- Easy to Cook in Large Batches: Curry is one-pot; tofu can be baked in trays, and is easy to portion for a lot of people as well.
- High in Energy & Satiety: Fiber and protein keep people full longer. Additionally, a lot of people are more hesitant to eat vegetables so making a curry where all the nutrients are mixed into one is a great way to ensure everyone is eating the necessary calorie and nutrient amount.
- Nutrient-Dense: Covers multiple vitamin deficiencies common in unhoused communities.
Other important things to mention that I did in the past week include;
- Chapter 3 “Flavor-ama”: This week I learned more about molecule-grabbing receptors that send unique signals which ultimately determines how food smells. Below I’ve added a page from my chapter that has a picture + more explanation in case you guys are interested.
- I was invited to speak and present at this year’s Youth Climate Summit and share my insight on the impact of food on the climate! While this isn’t entirely related to my topic I love to see the intersections between food and other branches including sustainability.
- I am currently reaching out to a local DC nutritionist to get more insight on different ways to make meals more nutritional from a purely professional perspective.
- I finished the menu for Miriam’s Kitchen volunteer appreciation day!! Some notable hors d’oeuvres include a caramelized onion and brie puff pastry bite, tempura battered asian style cauliflower, and vegan crab cake bites!!
Here’s the exclusive content for the week featuring my first recipe! Thanks for reading and get excited for next week <3
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