Hello and welcome to the Feel Good Food Plan, I’m so glad you’re here.
Bon Appétit launched this series at the beginning of 2018, and from the beginning, it became a beloved way for readers and editors to start off the new year with nutritious recipes. As we said our final goodbye to 2021 and have missed it ever since, we decided to revive and reinvent the series.
What used to be an annual discount will now be a monthly one, as we want you to feel good beyond January, into February, March and, you guessed it, the rest of the year. Each instalment features a BA staff member talking about what feels good to them right now, and it’s intentionally personal – what feels good to me might not necessarily feel good to your spouse, or your colleague, or even to you, and that’s OK.
Desiree Nielsen put it better than I can in this poignant op-ed about being a dietitian and the struggles of online nutrition advice: “It’s time to learn to prioritize actual health over someone else’s rigid rules about what’s healthy,” she writes. “We can choose what healthy means to us.” So let’s be clear: there are no hard and fast rules in our Feel Good Food Plan.
Think of it like a letter from a pen pal: each issue contains a brand new, delightful recipe from our staff, plus three of their favorite recipes from the Bon Appétit archives. plus It’s a little something that has been putting a lighter foot in your step lately: take what you want and leave what you don’t.
Hello, it’s me, your host for June’s Feel Good Food Plan. I’m Emma, an editor here, working on content swings (that’s the industry term) for The Bon Appétit 56, Make Your Own Noodles, and more. I always have cheese in my fridge (preferably halloumi), I have a beautiful cat named Butter, and I choose not to cook meat at home for a variety of reasons: financial, environmental, ethical (and yes, it’s full of protein, thank you!). So this month, I’m sharing some flavorful, hearty vegetarian dishes, highlighting my Very Good Vegan Tacos, made with amazing plant-based ingredients that a colleague of mine called “life-changing.”
Next month, we’ll hear from Senior Test Kitchen Editor Shilpa Uskokovic, who’s determined to use copious amounts of summer basil in one recipe (spoiler alert: she can and will), followed by Associate Food Editor Hana Asbrink introducing a super-comforting veggie stew that will charm adults and babies (and adults who act like babies) alike.
But enough chatter. Let’s get started. I’m hungry.
From my heart,
Emma
June’s mood-boosting recipes
This month marks the transition from great produce to even more great produce as spring gives way to summer. The world is your strawberry. Four of my recipes, saved forever in the Epicurious app, show off the best flavors of the season—and they happen to be meat-free. This is how I choose to cook at home. (In the test kitchen and when traveling, I eat everything. That’s my balance.) Try making a round of one recipe around your neighborhood. Or, make one a week and reward yourself when you make them all.
My favorite vegan tacos
These tacos made with soy curls (a one-ingredient, budget-friendly, plant-based protein) were an instant hit at BA HQ. You don’t have to be vegan to love these tacos. Garnish with some juicy salsa (store-bought works great!), buttery avocado chunks, and a few slices of radish, and this recipe is dinner ready. No garnish necessary. Apart from tacos, I also love putting these soy curls on a rice bowl with any veggies that might go bad in the fridge. Unlike ingredients like tofu and tempeh, soy curls are shelf stable, so I always keep a few bags in my pantry. Try them once and you’ll agree.
It’s all thanks to a cult-favorite plant-based protein that our editors buy in bulk.
Strawberries for dinner
I missed out on this fruit salad last year (and the year before). Here we go again. As someone who likes savory desserts and even savory dinners, this is the perfect way to use up some in-season strawberries. Instead of putting the berries in the fridge in their pint containers, I spread them out on a plate so they don’t pile up and last longer. This salad would also be delicious with nectarines or plums. I added a few spoonfuls of pickled rhubarb for a tart kick, and to finish off the meal, I served it on a crusty baguette from the farmers’ market with lots of soft butter.
Crispy and creamy feta croutons are the salad topping you didn’t know you had.
5 Minute Breakfast
In the morning my timeIdeally, I snooze my 5:35 alarm just once, do yoga (Adrienne Mischler has been my free instructor for years), shower, make tea (genmaicha is my favorite these days), put on my fluffy robe to write, unload the dishwasher, make breakfast, and all in time to run downhill to catch the train. To say this often falls apart before my eyes would be an understatement, but I try! And this Omelette Roll-Up helps. It’s the quickest, most satisfying breakfast I know. And it’s flexible. If you don’t have milk, add a little water. If you don’t have chili, serve with hot sauce.
This new breakfast treat is perfect for when you’re on a busy schedule and is packed with melted cheese and spices.
Green rice with mushrooms
I always appreciate a bunch of wilted herbs and a bunch or three of shriveled jalapeños in my fridge. (Both ingredients are handy in the recipes above if you’re planning on cooking all of this month’s Feel Good picks.) This take on Peruvian pollo a la brasa is a lovely fate for them. Hana substitutes meaty mushrooms for chicken and whips up a green sauce in the blender with the speed of an Olympic sprinter. I made this just for my husband and I, and we fought (lovingly and respectfully!) over the leftovers. But it’s a special dish, and it doesn’t hurt to have some in your pocket for when you’re entertaining friends.
Inspired by the irresistible pollo a la brasa (Peruvian rotisserie chicken), this dish uses spicy mushrooms as a vegetarian alternative and is an ideal topping for herbed rice.
This month’s feel-good discoveries
Finally, the kitchen rug of my dreams is complete
My kitchen has white cabinets and I want to add a bit of color, but it’s spineless and hardwood floors just don’t look good. The easy solution is a floor mat or runner rug. But why choose the easy solution? In my opinion (and it’s just my opinion!), most floor mats are ugly. Plus, all the cute rugs don’t look good next to the stove, counter, or sink (I’ve tried). Finally, I found something that combines the best of both worlds: this washable rug from Ruggable. I bought a cushioned mat so it’s plush under my feet and supports my back. The paprika red pattern adds tons of warmth. The other day, I spilled cherry juice all over my rug (don’t ask). After a few minutes of panicking, I remembered. Oh, wait, I can just throw it in the washing machine. Easy.
Dancing by the stove
The most important appliances in my kitchen are my speakers. (Staff writer Sam Stone feels the same way.) At the end of a long day, music can be the difference between dinner feeling like a chore or like fun. ActivitiesAm I a good singer? No. Am I a good dancer? No. Do I enjoy both while chopping garlic? Yes. I’ve been listening to two albums on repeat this month. The first is Kacey Musgraves’ latest, Deeper WellsIt’s very calming. Take this poem for example: “Even something as small as an apple / It’s simple and yet somehow complex / Sweet and divine, perfect design / Can I talk to the architect?” Second: Rosalia’s MotomamiPitchfork named it one of the best albums of 2022, but I was seriously behind on it until a friend listened to it on a weekend getaway where we went hiking and ate at the Phoenicia Diner. A lot of the songs are full of energy, perfect for when you need to wake up or shake off a bad mood. Then, out of nowhere, a voicemail from her grandmother plays and I break down in tears. It’s fun not knowing what’s going to happen next. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself these days.
See you next month! Take care.
