Steaming is a very popular method of cooking in southern China. This is originally a Cantonese dish. The steaming gives the chicken a silky texture and produces a thin, flavourful sauce.

I chose to add a bit of baby Shanghai bok choy to give this dish some veg. I also opted to use tempeh instead of chicken. In all honesty, I think chicken probably would've been better, but it was still good with the tempeh, just not as good as I think it could have been.

To make up for not having the chicken, I swapped out the vegetable oil for schmaltz and added a bit of sweet paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. I also traded out the salt for bouillon powder. Additionally, I used way more sausages then the original recipe called for (but only about half as much tempeh).

The recipe calls for using a pie plate for the steaming. This worked okay, but my pie plate was very, very full. I think I'd probably try to steam it in a large glass bowl next time. (Or just make a half batch so that the pie plate isn't quite so overstuffed.)

Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage

Adapted from Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 10 dried shiitake (black Chinese) mushrooms
• 450g skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or tempeh), cut into chunks
• 1/3 c. water (or mushroom soaking water)
• 1 Tbsp. oil (or schmaltz)
• 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 1 Tbsp. (vegetarian) oyster sauce
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. chicken or vegetable bouillon powder
• 1/4 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 tsp. grated ginger (or 1 tsp. ginger paste)
• 1 scallion, chopped, white and green parts separated
• 1/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce¹ (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. tapioca starch (or cornstarch/cornflour)
• 2-10 Chinese sausages², thinly sliced on bias
• 6-8 baby Shanghai bok choy, rinsed and chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for at least two hours.
2. Drain, rinse, and thinly slice the mushrooms.
3. Combine chicken, sliced mushrooms, water, oil (or schmaltz), sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, sugar, bouillion powder, white pepper, ginger, and the white parts of the scallion and stir to combine.
4. Also add paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and soy sauce (if using).
5. Cover and chill for at least two hours or as long as overnight.
6. Add the tapioca starch (or cornstarch) and mix well.
7. Add water to your steamer/wok and bring to a rolling boil.
8. Transfer the chicken mixture to a pie plate or large heat-proof bowl.
9. Place the sliced sausages on top.
10. Place the bok choy on top of this (if using).
11. Place the bowl/pie plate in the steamer and steam over medium heat for 10 minutes.
12. Turn off the heat and leave the steamer to sit, covered, for another 2-3 minutes.
13. Sprinkle with the green parts of the scallion and serve over rice.

---

¹ The original recipe didn't call for any soy sauce and I didn't use any. That said, upon tasting it, I felt like I probably would have benefitted from a small amount of soy sauce in the marinade. I'll try it this way next time and see how it comes out. ^Back
2 I know this is a huge range. The original recipe calls for 1-2 links but notes that sausage sizes can vary greatly. My sausages were extremely small. I also really like sausages. And I had less tempeh (my stand-in for chicken) than the recipe called for, so I figured I'd make it up with extra sausages. I liked my sausage-heavy version. I realize that this may not be true to the original recipe, but it was delicious! Go for more sausages if that's your jam or less if you'd like something a little more traditional. ^Back

I was in a very noodle-y mood this week. In addition to making a giant double batch of Chinese "Bolognese", I also put this rice noodle dish into my meal plan for the week. It uses rice noodles rather than wheat noodles so that makes it completely different! ...Right?

The original recipe called for chicken, but I decided to do some substitutions to make it vegetarian. Tofu is normally my chicken substitute of choice, but I was already planning a bunch of tofu dishes for this week, so I opted for tempeh instead to mix things up a bit. Especially since the Kidlet is apparently off tofu now. I think seitan would also work for this, but I didn't really feel up to making seitan this week and I wasn't sure the canned stuff I've got hanging out in the pantry would be harmonious flavour-wise.

The tempeh worked out okay. I think I'd tweak the marinade a little bit next time though to compensate for the fact that it's not actually chicken. I think it'd do well with a little bit of garlic and paprika added to the marinade and maybe a bit of extra oyster sauce as well. These changes are reflected in the recipe below.

Tempeh Mei Fun

Adapted from Woks of Life

Ingredients

Noodles

• 200g rice vermicelli
• hot water, for soaking
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce

Tempeh

• 200g tempeh, cut into strips
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 tsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
• 2 tsp. Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1/8 tsp. 5-spice powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder

Assembly

• 2 (2mm thick) slices ginger, julienned
• 70g shallots, sliced
• 40g carrot, julienned
• 150g cabbage, shredded
• 3 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 5cm pieces
• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 2 Tbsp. water (optional)

Directions

Noodles

1. Place noodles in a bowl and pour hot water over them to cover.
2. Allow to soak until softened (2-5 minutes depending on how hot your water was).
3. Drain and toss with oil and soy sauce. Set aside.

Tempeh

1. Combine tempeh, cornstarch, water, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, pepper, 5-spice powder, garlic power, paprika, and onion powder and mix to evenly coat the tempeh.
2. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Assembly

1. Make sure all your veggies are prepped and ready to go, this goes fast once you start cooking!
2. Heat wok over high heat.
3. Add 3 Tbsp. of oil to the wok and swirl to coat.
4. Add the ginger and tempeh and stir-fry until heated through (1-2 minutes).
5. Add the shallots and cook for 10-30 seconds.
6. Add the carrots and cabbage and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds.
7. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper and stir to combine.
8. Reduce heat to medium and stir in noodles and scallions.
9. If you'd like the noodles a bit softer, add 2 Tbsp. of water, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 1 more minute.

This is done basically like a Filipino-style chicken adobo, but with plant protein instead of chicken. I made it with seasoned tofu, but it would work great with seitan or tempeh as well. I think mushrooms and/or jackfruit would also work pretty well. Pick your protein and have at it!

Photo goes here.

Vegetarian Adobo

Slightly adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 400mL full-fat coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp. cane vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 dried arbol, Thai, or cayenne chilies
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 350g protein of your choice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine coconut milk, vinegar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, pepper, bay leaf, and chilies and set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and cook until golden-brown.
4. Add onion and cook until softened.
5. Pour in coconut milk mixture and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
7. Stir in protein and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
8. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over rice.

This was one of those last-minute dinner scrambles. It worked out pretty well though! We didn't have any tempeh on hand, but there was a bunch of Beyond Meat in the freezer, so I just made it with that and left out the water called for. I also decided to bake the meatballs rather than trying to brown them in a pan. I alway find browning meatballs in a pan super annoying. Using the oven is much easier. And it also allows for the sauce to be started on the stovetop while the meatballs are still cooking in the oven. That said, either method will work, so use whichever you prefer.

Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs

Slightly adapted from Rabbit & Wolves

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 400g Beyond Meat
• 1-2 eggs
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs
• 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice berries, ground
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• drizzle of oil, for cooking

Sauce

• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp. dijon (or Roman) mustard
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). If you have a convection/fan oven, use the convection mode at a slightly lower temperature: 190°C (375°F).
2. Combine Beyond Meat, egg(s), breadcrumbs, panko, parsley, garlic powder, nutmeg, allspice, and pepper and mix thoroughly.
3. Drizzle a baking sheet with oil. (Line with parchemnt paper or a silicone mate first if you like.)
4. Form the "meat" mixture into balls and place them on the baking sheet. Roll the balls around a little to coat them in oil.
5. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for ~10 minutes. Or 190°C (375°F) for convection/fanbake.
6. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat.
7. Add the flour, mix, and cook to make a roux.
8. Pour in the broth, soy sauce, coconut milk, mustard, and vinegar and whisk to combine.
9. Simmer until sauce has thickened.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Add meatballs to sauce and stir to coat.
12. Serve over starch of your choice: rice, potatoes, or noodles.

Variations

Tempeh Version

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 225g tempeh
• 1-2 eggs
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs
• 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice berries, ground
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• drizzle of oil, for cooking

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until relatively uniform.

Proceed with recipe as above. Sauce is the same.

Vegan Version

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 400g Beyond Meat
• 1-2 flax eggs
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs (make sure they're vegan)
• 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs (also check for vegan-ness)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice berries, ground
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• drizzle of oil, for cooking

Sauce

• 1/4 c. vegan butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp. dijon (or Roman) mustard
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

I really liked this salad! I ended up making it with mature black kale, but I think it would've been even better with baby kale. That said, the mature kale was fine, just make sure you get enough of it. You may need more than one bunch depending on how big your bunches/packages are.

You can make this salad with romaine lettuce if you want. Personally I think it's better with kale though. I also think it'd be nice with a handful of toasted chopped pecans added. I don't think it needs the nuts, but they'd definitely be nice.

Apologies for the terribly presentation and badly lit photo; I was in a hurry.

Pan-Roasted Pear Salad

Adapted from Cook's Country October/November 2018

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. lard¹
• 200g bacon-flavoured tempeh
• 3 slightly underripe Bosc pears, quartered and cored
• 2 tsp. sugar
• ~1/2 c. vinaigrette²
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• ~350g kale³
• 1/4 c. fresh chives, chopped
• ~1 c. crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Directions

1. Melt lard over medium heat.
2. Add tempeh and cook until well-browned.
3. Remove tempeh from pan and set aside.
4. Toss pears with sugar.
5. Add pears to pan and cook, cut-side down, until well-browned (2-4 minutes). Flip to brown the other cut side (another 2-4 minutes).
6. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Toss kale with vinaigrette and maple syrup.
8. Add tempeh, pears, chives, and blue cheese and serve.

---

Variations

Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and whisk vigorously.
2. Omit maple syrup listed in main salad recipe as it will be incorporated into the dressing.

---

¹ I used lard because I had some on hand and I figured why not make the tempeh extra bacon-y? If you don't have any lard lying around or you'd like to keep things vegetarian, feel free to substitute an oil of your choice. I'd probably roll with coconut or corn oil, but it doesn't really need to be anything specific. ^Back
2 The original recipe comes with instructions for making the dressing from scratch. We already had a bottle of homemade vinaigrette in the fridge, so I just used some of that. The original was pretty similar except that it used apple cider vinegar for the acid component whereas we'd used a mix of lemon juice and red wine vinegar. It also included a bit of maple syrup, so I just added the same amount of maple syrup after the fact. I think it worked out quite well. ^Back
3 If you end up using baby kale, you can probably reduce the vinaigrette and maple syrup slightly. (Maybe cut it back to 6 Tbsp. and 2 Tbsp. respectively.) ^Back

I've been meaning to write this recipe up for over a year now. It is fairly labour intensive. It was also incredibly delicious. Definitely a keeper!

The author notes that they wanted to come up with a vegan chorizo "for omnivores", something that was as good as the meat-based version, something that nailed the flavour and gave textural variety just like the original. The texture is great. It cooks up beautifully. And, what's more, I think the flavour is better than any meat-based chorizo I've ever had. This isn't just an adequate vegan option, or even a tasty one. I actually prefer it over any other chorizo out there (including the meat-based ones)!

Vegan Chorizo

Slightly adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 350g extra-firm tofu, frozen
• 1 fresh poblano pepper
• 1 c. dried Puy/French lentils, cooked and drained
• 1 dried Guajillo (or other relatively sweet) chile, stem and seeds removed
• 1-2 dried arbol (or other hot chile) chiles, stem and seeds removed
• 1 dried ancho (or other rich, fruity) chile, stem and seeds removed
• 2 Tbsp. raisins
• 1 whole chipotle in adobo + 2 Tbsp. sauce from can
• 2 c. water
• 200g plain tempeh
• 1/4 c. coconut oil (or vegetable shortening)
• 1 onion, diced
• coarse sea salt
• black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano (if you can find it)¹
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 3 whole cloves, toasted and ground
• 1 Tbsp. yellow or red miso paste
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Thaw and drain tofu. Cut into thick (~2cm) slices, wrap in a tea towel or similar and press out some of the moisture (you don't have to be super thorough about it). Set aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to 10cm below broiler and preheat broiler to high.
3. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place poblano on top.
4. Broil, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides.
5. Remove from oven and wrap foil around poblano to form a tight seal. Set foil-wrapped pepper aside.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (325°F).
7. Spread cooked lentils on baking sheet and bake until mostly dry and crunchy (20-30 minutes).
8. Microwave dried chiles for ~30 seconds to toast.
9. Combine dried chiles, chipotle, adobo sauce (from chile can), and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until simmering. Let stand for at least 2 minutes.
10. Pour chile mixture into blender and purée until smooth.
11. Use a food processor (or a knife) to blitz tempeh and tofu into small pieces about the texture of ground meat.
12. Unwrap and peel the poblano pepper. Discard skin, stem, and seeds. Mince the cooked flesh.
13. Melt oil/shortening in a large pot of medium-high heat.
14. Add onion and minced poblano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened (~5 minutes).
15. Add garlic, oregano, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and cloves. Cook for another minute or so.
16. Add mixo paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and puréed chile mixture.
17. Add crumbled tofu and tempeh.
18. Add baked lentils. Mix well.
19. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
20. For a moister texture, add 2 Tbsp. water.
21. For a drier, well-browned texture, add 2 Tbsp. of oil and continue cooking until liquid has evaporated and crispy bits start forming (~15 minutes).
22. Use anywhere you'd use Mexican chorizo.
23. Keeps in fridge for up to a week or can be frozen for several months.

Pro tip: This chorizo is amazing mixed into scrambled eggs for breakfast! Especially if you add a little cheese. It's also great on nachos.

---

¹ I'm pretty sure I just left out the Mexican oregano when I made this. I'm sure it'd be lovely if you can get it, but it was still amazingly tasty even without it. ^Back

Thai Red Curry with Cauliflower

The original recipe is just for cauliflower. I was a little short on cauliflower the first time I made it so I decided to add a bit of tempeh to bulk it out. That turned out so nice that I decided to just keep the tempeh in as a regular part of the recipe.

Thai Red Curry with Cauliflower (and Tempeh)

Slightly adapted from the Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 (400mL) can lite coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. grated lime zest
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
• 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. peanut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 3/4" florets
• 200-250g tempeh, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. fresh basil, torn into rough pieces

Directions

1. Whisk coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice, sugar, curry paste, and pepper flakes together in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine 1 tsp. oil, garlic, and ginger paste.
3. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil over high heat until shimmering.
4. Add cauliflower, water, and salt. Cover and cook until cauliflower is just tender and translucent. (~5 minutes)
5. Uncover, add tempeh, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated and cauliflower is tender and well browned. (~10 minutes)
6. Clear centre of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into skillet until fragrant. (~30 seconds)
7. Stir garlic mixture into cauliflower and reduce heat to medium-high.
8. Whisk coconut milk mixture to recombine. Add to skillet and simmer until slightly thickened. (~4 minutes)
9. Remove from heat and stir in basil.

---

Variations

Vegetarian

Ingredients

• 1 (400mL) can lite coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos or vegetarian fish sauce substitute
• 1 tsp. grated lime zest
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
• 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. peanut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 3/4" florets
• 200-250g tempeh, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. fresh basil, torn into rough pieces

Vegan

Same as vegetarian version, just make sure your sugar is vegan.

Meatless Cobb Salad

We had an enormous head of green leaf lettuce that needed eating. Given that, I was pretty sure that some sort of salad was in our future. After a bit of pondering, I realized that a cobb salad would not only use up the lettuce, but also the avocado and eggs that we had kicking around. Plus, I love an excuse to eat a bunch of blue cheese!

I decided to go for a meatless version this time around. I replaced the bacon with some fried slices of smokey tempeh. Lightly fried smoked tofu stood in for the chicken breast. There are, of course, various imitation chicken and bacon products available. In general, I find I tend to prefer meat alternatives that don't try to imitate meat. Veggie burgers that try to look and taste like meat are usually disappointment burgers. Veggie burgers that look and taste like veggies that just happen to be formed into a patty -- with nice chunks of carrots, corn, peas, and onion -- are delicious! Hence my choice of tempeh and tofu over veggie bacon and Chick'n.

My avocado was a bit over-ripe and a bit too soft to chop. It ended up getting mashed and stirred into the dressing, which worked rather well actually.

Cobb Salad
Adapted from Food Network
1 (227g) package smoky tempeh strips
2 Tbsp. peanut oil, divided
4 large eggs
1 (210g) package smoked tofu, sliced
1 avocado
6 cocktail tomatoes, quartered
1 gigantic head of green leaf lettuce (or 2 normal-sized heads)
65g blue cheese, crumbled
freshly ground pepper
fine/table salt

For the Dressing:
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. dried onion
1 tsp. garlic paste
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp. mustard (we used home-made)
2 tsp. granulated sugar (optional)¹
1/4 c. olive oil

1. Fry the tempeh in 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat. Chop.
2. Hard cook the eggs. Peel and chop.²
3. Fry the tofu in the remaining Tbsp. of oil.
4. Halve, pit, peel, and chop the avocado.³
5. Season the tomato wedges with salt and pepper.
6. Wash and tear the lettuce.
7. Top lettuce with tempeh, eggs, tofu, avocado, tomato, blue cheese, and dressing.
8. Toss to combine.

To Make the Dressing
1. Combine the vinegar, dried onion, garlic paste, sea salt, and mustard in a bowl.
2. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. It should make a smooth, emulsified dressing.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

---

Adaptations

Vegan Version

Cobb Salad
Adapted from Food Network
1 (227g) package smoky tempeh strips
2 Tbsp. peanut oil, divided
1/2 c. corn
1 (210g) package smoked tofu, sliced
1 avocado
6 cocktail tomatoes, quartered
1 gigantic head of green leaf lettuce (or 2 normal-sized heads)
1/2 c. cashews
freshly ground pepper
fine/table salt

For the Dressing:
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. dried onion
1 tsp. garlic paste
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp. mustard (we used home-made)
1 1/2 tsp. agave syrup (optional)¹
1/4 c. olive oil

FODMAP-Friendly Version

Cobb Salad
Adapted from Food Network
1 (227g) package smoky tempeh strips
2 Tbsp. peanut oil, divided
4 large eggs
1 (210g) package smoked tofu, sliced
1/2 c. brie/Camembert, cubed
6 cocktail tomatoes, quartered
1 gigantic head of green leaf lettuce (or 2 normal-sized heads)
65g blue cheese⁴ or feta, crumbled
freshly ground pepper
fine/table salt

For the Dressing:
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp. mustard (we used home-made)
2 tsp. granulated sugar (optional)¹
3 Tbsp. shallot- or onion-infused oil
1 Tbsp. garlic-infused oil

---

¹ We didn't use any sugar this time, but I think I'd add a bit next time just to balance out the acidity of the dressing. It was delicious as-is, but I think that little bit of sweetness would round it out nicely.

² Hard cooked eggs take 10-12 minutes and can be done several different ways.
On a stove top, bring a pot of water to a boil, gently add eggs, continue to boil for 10 minutes, then immediately drain and cool.
OR
Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow eggs to stand in hot water for 12 minutes before draining and cooling.
OR
Place 2 c. of water and a steaming rack in a pressure cooker. Bring to full pressure. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow a 5 minute natural release followed by a quick release. Immediately remove eggs from cooker and cool.

³ If your avocado is over-ripe, it can easily be mashed and added to the dressing after all the other ingredients.

⁴ I have not been able to get a definitive answer on whether or not blue cheese is generally considered FODMAP-friendly/low-FODMAP. If blue cheese is a no-go for you, try substituting crumbled feta instead.