Healthy Living Recipe Blog Focusing on Whole Ingredients & Big Flavors

Chinese Smoked Chicken Recipe (Instant Pot)

Chinese Smoked Chicken is tender, delicious and fragrant. One of my Dad's specialities used to be his smoked chicken. He grew up in Beijing and recently, I learned that smoked meats were quite popular in that region when he was growing up. I found a recipe for Chinese smoked chicken in my late aunt's Florence Lin's Chinese Regional Cookbook. I've adapted my aunt's recipe so it can be pressure steamed in an Instant Pot to save on time. Chinese cooking uses a variety of cooking techniques ...

Instant Pot Chinese Smoked Chicken - pressure steaming chicken before smoking it is a time saver and ensures a tender chicken

Lion’s Head Casserole

Lion's Head Casserole is a traditional Chinese dish that is pure comfort food. I fondly remember this dish from my childhood. My namesake Auntie Jeannette made it on special occasions. Auntie Jeanette was a good cook and always welcomed people into her home. For a number of years, she and Uncle Dick hosted a small church group in their home. We first met in their living room, and then moved to their basement when the gathering grew too big. After service, we would join in a buffet lunch in their ...

Florence Lin’s Baked Coconut Sticky Rice Cake Recipe for Chinese New Year

Baked Coconut Sticky Rice Cake is easy to make and a delicious version of Chinese sticky rice cake. This sweet treat can be enjoyed for Chinese New Year or as dessert throughout the year. This year, for Chinese New Year, I'm sharing a very special recipe - my Auntie Florence's Coconut Sticky Rice Cake. Into her 90's Auntie Florence was as spry as could be. She lived until she was 97 years, and authored five comprehensive Chinese cookbooks of which I am the proud owner. The recipe for this ...

Chinese Coconut Almond Sticky Rice Cake © Jeanette's Healthy Living

Healthy Instant Pot Soup and Stew Recipes

Healthy Instant Pot Soup and Stew Recipes is a collection you will want to refer to when you're craving comfort food. I love using pressure cooking to make soups and stews. Whether you have a stove-top pressure cooker or Instant Pot, these soups and stews can be made in a fraction of the time if would take using a regular pot. Recently, I gave an Instant Pot to one of my son's best friends. This friend has been a mentor for my son since his freshman year at Princeton. Last week, my son ...

20+ Lunar and Chinese New Year Recipes

Bookmark this collection of Lunar and Chinese New Year Recipes in celebration of the The Lunar New Year. These Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese recipes all contain auspicious ingredients to start the new year off right. Although I was born in the U.S., my parents are immigrants of China, so I try to instill a…

Red Bean Sticky Rice Cake - celebrate Chinese New Year with this traditional steamed mochi-like cake. Make in Instant Pot or steam.

Red Bean Sticky Rice Cake (Instant Pot)

Red Bean Sticky Rice Cake is a traditional sweet enjoyed during Chinese New Year. Adzuki beans add texture to this soft, sticky rice cake. This is one of many sticky rice recipes my mom has collected over the years. I have a black binder full of her favorite recipes, and I have sectioned off a…

Jujube Date Sticky Rice Cake - traditional Chinese New Year sticky rice cake made with jujube date jam

Chinese Jujube Date Sticky Rice Cake Recipe

Chinese Jujube Date Sticky Rice Cake is a traditional sweet treat served during Chinese New Year. It has a sticky, taffy-like consistency, and a sweet roasted fragrance and flavor from the jujube date jam (made with dried jujube dates). For the past several years, I’ve been trying new sticky rice cake recipes from my mom’s collection…

Jujube Date Jam - made from dried jujube dates, this jam has a deep rich flavor - used in Chinese New Year sticky rice cake

Jujube Date Jam Recipe (Instant Pot)

Jujube Date Jam is made with dried jujube dates, which have a rich, caramel like flavor. As a kid, I fondly remember knocking down the ripe, speckled dates off the jujube date tree my dad planted in our front yard. We had a really long stick reserved just for this purpose. Fresh jujube dates are…

Florence Lin's Chinese Spring Rolls - traditional Shanghai Spring rolls are light and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. Serve for Chinese New Year or any special occasion

Florence Lin’s Chinese Spring Rolls Recipe

Florence Lin’s Chinese Spring Rolls are a traditional Shanghai style dish that are light and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. These spring rolls are nothing like egg rolls or spring rolls you often see at Chinese restaurants here in the U.S. The juicy filling is made with chicken (pork is often…

Instant Pot Chinese Sticky Rice

Instant Pot Chinese Sticky Rice is made with short grain sweet rice and features Chinese sausage, chicken and shitake mushrooms. This sticky rice dish is one of the fond food memories I have from my childhood. My mom used to make something similar for our potluck lunches after church. Every Sunday, we met at my…

Spicy Chinese Beef Noodle Soup

Spicy Chinese Beef Noodle Soup is an aromatic dish that is scented with star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cumin and Szechuan peppercorns. My dad used to make a version of this soup noodle dish. Over the years, I’ve made this comfort dish, often following my aunt’s recipe. I love Asian noodle soups, and this is one…

Creamy Red Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup - just 4 ingredients make this creamy flavorful soup!

Red Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

This creamy Red Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup is made with just four ingredients. Keep to the basic recipe or embellish with more flavor agents and garnishes. It’s your choice. This easy recipe is perfect for the holidays when you’re looking for a beautiful, but simple soup to serve guests. Roasting The Whole Butternut Squash Did…

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup is a healthy, nourishing soup that is a bowl of comfort. There is no added fat in this recipe, so this is a lighter option than some lemon chicken soups. 131 calories/1 freestyle point per serving. I made this soup for two cancer patients recently who are on a low fiber/low…

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup - warm up your belly with this healthy, hearty flavorful soup

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup Recipe

Warm up your belly with this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup – it’s hearty and healthy. 166 calories/1 Freestyle point per serving. Are you surviving the winter so far? I’ll be honest. There have been a few days where I wouldn’t have left the house if it weren’t for our little puppy who’s still…

Clean Eating Lentil Soup © Jeanette's Healthy Living

Clean Eating Lentil Soup Recipe

This Clean Eating Lentil Soup is so easy to make and freezes really well. Make a batch, divide it into meal size portions, and freeze. When you’re yearning for a cup of hot soup, just pull a container out of the freezer. 94 calories/1 Freestyle point per cup. In the colder months of the year,…

Soup Diet Recipes

Refer to these Soup Diet Recipes if you’re looking to lighten up your meals and jumpstart a healthy diet. Many years ago, a friend and I went on a “cabbage soup diet.” We made a giant pot of cabbage soup and ate it for days. I have to admit that by the fourth day, I…

Chinese New Year Recipes

Healthy Soup Recipes