(A lil) Spicy Tahini Meatball Bowl
Plus my recommended kitchen tools if you plan to do some Black Friday shopping!
Colorful chefs - new and old, welcome! This is where we cook easy, delicious, saucy, colorful meals made from whole, unprocessed foods, and we make it fun, easy, and learn important stuff about metabolic health while doing it. Note: You might need to click “read in app” to view the entire post pending your email provider.
In today’s issue:
(A lil) Spicy Tahini Meatball bowl: This is a super simple meatball recipe where the tahini not only helps hold the meatball together but also becomes the base of your sauce! I also outline my simple framework for zhuzh’ing up cauliflower rice.
My kitchen picks if you plan to shop this Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Creating a kitchen filled with quality tools that are made of non-toxic ingredients and built to last takes time. This Black Friday I encourage you to toss out one thing and replace it with a better version! We all have some very old non-stick coated muffin pan that could use an upgrade…
Also two reminders:
Thanksgiving inspiration: I collaborated on a Thanksgiving menu with a fellow metabolic health evangelist and my friend - Beth Bollinger! This year I focused on zhuzh’ing up some Thanksgiving sides - and you can find my Spiced Sweet Potato and Squash Casserole, Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole, Chili Mac, and Savory Rosemary Nuts all on the Color Club. If you are a Color Club member and you didn’t get access to Beth’s post with the PDF menu please email me and I’ll hook you up!
Fun opportunity to win health & wellness products: TrueMed and the Wellness Growth Mastermind (a lovely community I’m part of!) are hosting a Thanksgiving giveaway to celebrate brands that are proactively working to help people get healthier. Take 10 seconds to sign-up here to potentially🤞🏼🤞🏼 win $5,000 worth of wellness products (e.g., Levels Health membership + CGMs, Thrive Market gift card, Hypervolt, so much more!). It closes this Friday 11/22 at midnight.
This week it’s a super simple and (a little) Spicy Tahini Meatball bowl recipe.
There are a lot of meatball recipes out there. However, many times meatball recipes require breadcrumbs (and often refined grain ones) or they have a long ingredient list and don’t feel all that simple to make.
My goal with these meatballs was SIMPLE and FLAVORFUL. Tahini is the hero ingredient that helps hold the meatballs together, AND it also becomes the base of the sauce. Super easy.
In my opinion, every greek meatball must come with tomatoes and cucumbers, so I serve this with a simple tomato and cucumber salad that also has some toasted pine nuts for crunch.
Now, let’s talk about how to zhuzh up cauliflower rice for this dish (or really any dish).
My framework for cauliflower rice is:
1. Toast some nuts you can throw on top. Set aside.
2. Sauté some minced garlic in olive oil.
3. Add the frozen cauliflower rice. Then add 4 tsp seasoning of choice. In this recipe I did turmeric and cumin, but you could do sumac, paprika, Italian seasoning, anything.
4. Add herbs! I used parsley here - but basil, cilantro, mint etc. would be great.
5. Lemon and salt to finish. Add a little lemon zest, lemon juice, and as always…salt.
Full recipe + video is on the Color Club!
A few people have asked me for thi, and with Black Friday/Cyber Monday right around the corner (although it feels like sales are starting very early this year?) I thought it would be a fab time to share!
Confession: I used to be a big kitchen gadget girl. Think an electric salad dressing mixer (WHY?), both and instant pot and a slow cooker (unnecessary) and a popcorn maker (I’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s just easier to buy Lesser Evil).
I’m now in my era of trying to simplify and focus on quality over quantity. I also have decided that in our small little house, I want to prioritize pantry space over kitchen tool space, so that means some of my kitchen gadgets have gone to Goodwill (and Alex if you are reading, some of the random water bottles you have might be gone by the time you come home🫢).
A quality kitchen tool to me means it’s 1) made of non-toxic ingredients and 2) built to last.
Trying to build and maintain a non-toxic kitchen of items meant to last is great for your health and also the environment. For example, that cast iron pan is not going to end up in a landfill, in fact it can probably be passed down multiple generations!!
What to avoid:
Here is a quick recap of things to avoid that I’ve slowly been filtering out (getting married in the last year and putting together a wedding registry has really helped with this!)
Non-stick pans and baking sheets: They are often coated with teflon and PFAS which get released into your food when heated. In my experience they also only last a few years before it feels like they “stop working” and need to be replaced. 🙄
Plastic: Many plastics, especially when exposed to high heat, can leach chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) or phthalates into food. These chemicals are linked to hormone disruption, developmental issues, and increased cancer risk (there are tons of studies on this, some are here and here) Even BPA-free plastics often contain similar compounds, such as BPS, which may have comparable health risks.It’s not possible to avoid plastic entirely, but there’s a lot we can do to minimize plastic exposure, especially in our homes and kitchens.
Aluminum: Aluminum (especially with worn aluminum cookware) can leach into your food and it is a known neurotoxin. I was a hold-out on keeping aluminum foil around purely to wrap my garlic in when roasting, but I just got this cute clay garlic roaster and finally nixed my aluminum foil!
What to embrace:
Cast Iron/Enameled Cast Iron: Naturally non-toxic and insanely durable. We use our Lodge pans all of the time. We’ve also invested (thank you wedding registry!) in a number of Le Cruset enameled cast iron pots and pans which I love. Both Le Cruset and Staub are great for enameled cast iron. Enameled cast iron basically adds a layer of protection through a porcelain enamel (does not contain PFAS) through a non-reactive coating. This makes it great for cooking more acidic foods while keeping the the heat-retention benefits of traditional cast iron.
Stainless Steel: Insanely durable and has very even heat distribution. I love my All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans. I think stainless steel also browns food better than non-stick alternatives. The key to making your stainless steel non-stick is using a generous amount of oil/fat and give it time to heat up before you start cooking.
Glass: The best choice for baking, storing, mixing and even serving food! It’s easy to clean and also looks nice and clean. I like that I can SEE the food in the bowl when I’m using it.
Wood: My go-to for chopping and and for mixing tools (since wood is gentle on cookware surfaces). Wood is also naturally antibacterial, one study found that 99.9% of bacteria on a wooden board died after 3 minutes! 🤯
Silicone: This is last on my list because there are conflicting opinions and research around the non-toxic nature of silicone, but in my view it’s better than plastic. We don’t have a ton of silicone in our kitchen, but we do have some silicone spatulas and spoons for example. When we have kids, I’m sure we will have some BPA-free silicone safe bowls and tools to get them involved in the cooking without potentially breaking glass items. The research around silicone being dangerous is mostly when it’s heated, so best to do baking in glass, stainless steel or cast iron. MindBodyGreen has a great analysis of silicone if you want to read more!
What’s in my kitchen:
A quick word on some of the fun new non-toxic brands on the market like Caraway and Our Place:
I have been experimenting with Caraway pots and bakeware, and so far I like it! However, it’s all relatively new so I don’t know how well it will hold up against the test of time. My baking sheets are holding up quite well, but my saute pans are already showing a little wear and tear.
I did try OurPlace last year and after 6 months the pots and pans were not in the best shape. I think this further makes the point that investing in stainless steel or cast iron is the way to go.
Alright, here is my breakdown of tried and true recommendations, as well as what’s on my Black Friday list!
Please note, this post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through the link.
This is not everything, but it’s all of the main and most important stuff! If you have questions about something I didn’t mention, just ask!
Pots & Pans:
I’ve got almost a full set of Le Cruset Enameled Cast-Iron Cookware, but the #1 thing every home chef needs is a good Dutch Oven.
For sauté pans, I love All-Clad and Lodge. I believe everyone should have one 4 quart sauté pan as I use this one the most.
I also have the yellow Caraway Cookware set and am really enjoying it so far, but as I mentioned, jury is still out.
Appliances & Core Tools:
My favorite appliance is probably my Vitamix - used for smoothies, soups, dips, and so. much. more. It was a big investment, but it’s been worth it. I’ve already used the lifetime warranty and had it fixed when I accidentally blended the little thing on the top in a smoothie 🤦🏼♀️
I also have a mini food processor to quickly chop nuts or even mince an onion. This is probably not necessary but it feels easier to clean than the Vitamix so for quick things I love to use it!
I use the Instant Pot at least once weekly for bone broth, and often more for soups, stews or to slow cook proteins. I also have the air fryer lid for the instant pot, so I can use it to air fry as well without a separate air fryer. I don’t see the exact air fryer lid I have online anymore, but this one is similar.
Boos Block cutting board - I have 2 and they sit out on the counter at all times (removes one barrier of cooking just by keeping it out!). This is probably my favorite thing in the kitchen and I look forward to cutting things up on it. It’s probably Alex’s least favorite because it’s big and he is usually the one that ends up cleaning it 🤣 For a deep clean every few weeks we pour white vinegar and baking soda on the board and then slice a lemon in half and use it as our “sponge”, rinse it well, and then finish with coconut oil.
Alex is a coffee drinker and he makes cold brew every week and uses our Nespresso machine from time to time. I love our Nespresso stainless steel milk frother for matcha. I’ve become a matcha lady in the last year. I actually recently did some genetic testing which showed I’m genetically wired to not have a great reaction with caffeine, which explains the anxiety I used to get from coffee. More on my genetic testing experience in another newsletter!
Baking Sheets,Pans:
These two pyrex baking dishes get used a lot - I made a number of casseroles for Thanksgiving already in the 9 by 13 one in the last few weeks.
Stainless steel muffin pan and baking sheets
As I said, I’m also currently experimenting with the Caraway baking sheets…stay tuned but so far I’m overall pleased! (20% off right now)
Knives & Utensils:
I love my Made In knifes. I basically just use the Chef’s knife for everything.
I love these wooden spoons and have a number of stainless steel utensils.
Bowls & Dishes:
These Duralex mixing bowls are a staple. I’ve only had 1 break in 15 years.
I use Duralex glasses daily and have both clear and colored.
I LOVE fun bowls, so I’ve collected a number from my travels over the years. However, most recently I got the blue Made In bowls and love them.
Storage:
Swap out your plastic tupperware for glass! We have tons of glass tupperware, as well as a few stainless steel porcelain enameled ones from Crow Canyon.
Instead of plastic ziplock bags, we use stasher silicone bags and love em.
Misc:
I love my all-clad stainless steel measuring cups and spoons
This old fashioned Japanese mandolin works better than any fancy once I’ve tried. This makes thinly slicing veggies SO easy and satisfying.
Glass straws for smoothies and iced beverages.
I’m not above a garlic press and I love this one.
We keep all of our produce, especially lettuces, in reusable cotton mesh bags. Cotton is also more breathable than keeping your food in the fridge in plastic bags, so it will help it last longer.
I love these classic stripe kitchen towels and I get most of my fun cotton cloth dinner napkins from World Market. Alex does not let me go alone anymore…
My Black Friday Kitchen shopping list:
I’m going to watch the price on the Vitamix stainless steel container because I’d prefer to make hot items like soup in stainless steel vs. plastic!
I just ordered these reusable bowl covers (now 40% off) to cover food when we are bringing it to a friends house (vs. aluminum foil).
I had this post drafted and then saw that one of my all-time favorites, Kelly Leveque, did a similar post this week too! Great minds think alike. You should check out her post because she has some further ideas for becoming a kitchen tool minimalist that I am very much working on embracing (although I’m not giving up my Ninja Ice Cream maker anytime soon 🤣).
That’s it for this week! Let me know your questions, thoughts, and suggestions for topics you’d like to see me cover or recipes you’d love to see my Cooking in Color spin on. 💛
Chef’s Kisses,
Sonja
One of the best ways you can support me and my work is forwarding this newsletter to someone you think would enjoy my recipes or content. My recipes are especially great for someone with pre-diabetes, diabetes, PCOS, or who eats primarily grain-free and gluten free, or the home chef who wants to eat whole foods to support their health and better learn what “healthy” actually means.