Coconut Miso Salmon Stew & No-Bake Tiffin Bars
Plus some tips on better home cooking through science!
Colorful chefs - new and old, happy Thursday 💛
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.
Coconut Miso Salmon Stew with Veggies🍲: I’m always looking for easy ways to sneak bone broth into my meals, and this simple one-pot stew is light and bright—perfect for a California winter—while still feeling cozy and comforting (for my Midwest friends!)
No-Bake Tiffins 🍫: I first discovered tiffins—a no-bake chocolate biscuit dessert—when in New Zealand earlier this month. A tiffin traces back to British India, where it was meant to be a light afternoon snack. My version ditches refined sugars and grains, sneaks in fiber, and lands somewhere between a granola bar and a chocolate dessert bar (aka my dream combo).
Pantry Reset 🔄: I’ve been helping some friends displaced in the LA fires set up and stock their pantries. First, a big shoutout to the incredible brands (below) that have provided free products to my pro-bono pantry re-stocking efforts. I do have relationships with some of these brands, so I’m also sharing my discount links below.
Seatopia (link for 15% off)
Chefs Kiss (code SONJA for 20% off)
Lineage Provisions (code SONJA10 for 10% off)
Primal Kitchen (code SONJA10 for 10% off)
Pique Matcha (15% off and free starter kit)
Second, through these efforts I’ve realized how much I love stocking pantries. I love helping people find items and swaps that fit their family, preferences, and budget all while supporting their cellular health. I’m thinking of taking on a few paid pantry reset clients, so if you know of someone that’s trying to make health a priority this year but could use some support (via a swap fairy 🙋🏼♀️), please let me know. Sometimes you need a little tough love to ditch that cereal that you've been eating forever or those bars because they are just easy. The easiest way to eat healthy is to surround yourself with healthy food, and the pantry, fridge, and freezer is where that all starts! Reach out and I can share more about this offering!Home Cooking Through Science🧑🏼🔬: If you’ve been following me for some time, you know that the why behind all my recipes is grounded in the science behind what foods support your cellular health. I build colorful meals based on thoughtful and blood sugar balanced combinations of healthy fats, fiber, quality proteins and organic micronutrients.
So when I came across a book called “The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science” I was INTRIGUED. This book, by J Kenji Lopez-Alt, is all about the why behind cooking techniques, debunking common myths and optimizing recipes for home cooks like us! It includes things like how heat transfer, salt absorption, and the Maillard reaction impact flavor and texture. Lopez-Alt explains the why behind things I already know - like salting meat ahead of time brings out more flavor - but in a way that helps me learn and appreciate the cooking techniques so much more.For example, there are three reasons why you want to salt your meat ahead of time:
Deep seasoning – Salt needs time to penetrate beyond the surface, ensuring the entire cut of meat is properly seasoned rather than just the outer layer.
Moisture retention (aka Dry Brining) – Salt draws out moisture at first, but then the meat reabsorbs it, along with dissolved salt, leading to juicier results. Salt is seriously so amazing.
Improved browning – Salting ahead of time allows the surface to dry out slightly, leading to better Maillard reaction and a crispier crust when seared.
The Maillard reaction btw is a chemical reaction between amino acids (proteins) and reducing sugars that occurs when food is heated, creating browning and deep, complex flavors. It’s responsible for the golden crust on bread, the sear on a steak, the rich color of roasted coffee, and that deep incredible flavor of caramelized onions. This reaction typically happens at temperatures around 300–350°F and is distinct from caramelization, which only involves sugar breakdown. I did not know this before reading this book!I find this type of stuff fascinating and empowering as a home chef, and so if you agree, I’ll start a mini “Home Cooking Through Science Tip of the Week” section each week where I share something I learned from this book. It’s a thick book (nearly 900 pages!), so I can share tips for days. Comment below if this sounds interesting to you!
If you’ve been impacted by the LA fires, or if you like my recipes but the price of joining the Color Club is a barrier, simply respond to this email saying “I’d like to be a Color Club member” and I’ll happily set you up with a free year membership, no questions asked!
Otherwise, the recipes below are part of my Color Club - $5/month or $50/year.
Coconut Miso Salmon Stew with Veggies
The why behind the recipe:
I’m always looking for nourishing and easy ways to sneak bone broth into my diet, which means I make a ton of soups and stews! This is one of my go-to stews because it’s so simple and comes together in one pot, and is both light and bright—perfect for a California winter—while still feeling cozy and comforting (for my Midwest friends!)
Why bone broth? Regularly consuming bone broth supports joint, gut, and skin health by providing collagen, gelatin, and essential amino acids that help with tissue repair and hydration. It also delivers key minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which help maintain strong bones, muscle function, and really just overall health. Whenever a recipe calls for vegetable broth or water, I swap in bone broth to add more nutrients. This is one of my fridge staples—I make my own broth every week, recipe here, but if I’m buying it, my favorite brand is Bonafide.
How to shop for bone broth if you aren’t making it: This probably won't surprise you, but there is no regulated definition for the term “bone broth” which means almost any product can be labeled bone broth, even if it’s mostly chicken stock or chicken flavor and water. Some companies also add pre-made broth to their bone broth to make it cheaper and faster and this creates a watered-down broth that is less effective than true bone broth. I trust Bonafide because I met their founders at the Natural Products Expo last year, learned about their story and practices, and it’s been my go-to ever since.
If you can’t find Bonafide at your local store, look for bone broth that is certified organic. Certified organic is different from "made with organic ingredients" because to be certified means everything about the bone broth - from the ingredients to the cleaning products used in the facilities - must adhere to organic guidelines.
Last note on this recipe is the coconut and miso flavors in this stew pair well with a variety of veggies and proteins. Check out the swaps section below for ideas to make it your own!
Tasty Tiffin Bars
The why behind the recipe:
I think the name tiffin is just so fun 😆. While I discovered these in New Zealand, they originated in the UK in the early 20th century. The name "tiffin" comes from British India, where it referred to a light afternoon meal or snack. Traditionally, a tiffin is made by mixing crushed biscuits (think of those old-school, not-so-great digestive biscuits) with melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, dried fruit, and nuts. Obviously, my remake of these has no refined sugars or grains, and sneaks in fiber and other better-for-you swaps!
My version feels like a cross between a granola bar and a chocolate dessert bar, but given my love for granola (IYKYK), that’s basically my perfect combination.
In addition to simply having better-for-you treats on hand, my why behind this recipe is that I’ve found it’s perfect for when I’m on my period and craving chocolate. I always find it fascinating how the body naturally desires what it needs. For example, magnesium levels tend to dip before menstruation, and chocolate is a natural source of magnesium. This week my body NEEDED chocolate.
If you keep a well-stocked pantry, you probably already have everything you need to make this dessert. However, this recipe is super flexible, so if you don’t have Simple Mills cookies, for example, just use a little extra coconut or almond flour.
Find the recipe, video and a full list of swaps here.
If you make this recipe (or ANY of my recipes!), I’d love nothing more than to hear how it turned out and any feedback you have! Comment below or on the recipe in the Color Club, and if you are on IG, tag me @sonjakmanning.
Lastly, if you heart or re-stack this post, you’ll help me and these tiffins reach more people! 🙏🏼
Chefs kisses,
Sonja
Sounds intriguing! Thanks! ☺️