Notable Edibles

ONE BALANCED LIFE

Taylor Dadds Keeps it Simple, Tasty, Healthy and Fun

by NATHAN MATISSE

It’s a dreadful situation many of us are all too familiar with: After an eight-hour workday that somehow felt like 18, the last thing you can think about is cooking. Taylor Dadds knows this feeling well. Back in 2016, Dadds was working in marketing in the Dallas area, regularly “drained at work in a job I didn’t love,” she recalls. “No one then wants to come home and be like, ‘What am I going to make for dinner?’”

Yet rather than allowing professional exhaustion to paralyze her at dinnertime, Dadds began to find that very moment to be what kept her going. She moved to Austin in 2018 for a new job and to be closer to family, and then she got into meal planning, prepping the kind of meals she wanted to eat in straightforward, easy-to-reheat ways so that the transition from office to (microwave) oven could happen in an instant. She also started challenging herself to continually improve in the kitchen, finding inspiration in anything from ingredients she loved to restaurant meals she dreamt about in order to

routinely make different things at home.

Beyond this new habit in the kitchen, the thing that eventually changed Dadds’ life was the fact that she documented the process online, too.

“I started using my Instagram feed as a passion project,” Dadds says. “I enjoyed cooking, I followed a lot of people on Instagram who did similar things. So I was like, ‘I’ll just start sharing my food on Instagram with this page.’ My focus was on healthy eating and simple recipes, kind of weaving in wellness and fitness as well. That’s what I was passionate about.” With that, @OneBalancedLife was born and would eventually become Dadds’ popular website and handle. And although she claims the journey, as any can, began a bit rocky, those who visit her pages are greeted by a visual feast no matter how far back they scroll. Wallpaper-worthy grain bowls, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, desserts that demand a second look — it’s an eyeful visitors will quickly want to turn into a mouthful. And as Dadds has recently demonstrated for Edible Austin, that’s the point. She wants to show everyone who comes across her recipes that anyone can do it themselves.

“I always want people to feel like, when they come to my page, they can make whatever I share. It shouldn’t feel complicated or super gourmet, even if it might look that way because of the way I’ve plated something,” she says. “People can easily make this stuff in their own house, and that’s one of my biggest focuses whenever I create. I want recipes to be simple and for everyone to feel like they can make them at home.”

Dadds’ shrimp tostadas with pineapple salsa, for instance, sound and look fancy, but they’re quite manageable in practice. She starts with premade corn tortillas and notes how effortless it would be to swap in a premade salsa or an easier-to-prepare protein (like chicken or chickpeas). You can tailor the recipe to be ready in 10, 20 or 30 minutes depending on your needs and tastes. (You’ll likely want to taste her pineapple salsa, though, as its fresh and bright produce components really hit the spot during an Austin summer.) And her southwestern breakfast burritos build off basic ingredients — scrambled eggs, fresh peppers and onions, canned black beans — that are easy to make at scale so you can then freeze them for quick on-the-go meal options. “It’s something I’ve done really since college — the process of cooking for myself and wondering, ‘How can I make it easier?’” Dadds says.

The chocolate covered banana bites may be the crowd favorite, however (in fairness, probably because of “chocolate”). The recipe is simple enough to fit in an Instagram caption and the resulting treat is freezer

friendly so that you can make them last a few bites at a time … if you’re not sharing with a few extra Edible Austin onlookers, at least. “Those never last long,” Dadds admits.

In 2021, as life slowly unfreezes and society finds a new normal, Dadds and One Balanced Life are doing the same. Right before the pandemic really took hold, she had made the decision to quit her day job and make creating content for One Balanced Life a full-time focus. For now, that’s still the case. So, on top of the chaos of the last year, it also proved to be a very challenging, chaotic, new experience in Dadds’ kitchen.

Just as her work in the kitchen was inspired by trying moments, it may have ultimately risen to a new level during this even tougher time. One Balanced Life’s ethos — keeping it simple, practical, tasty and healthy — became more important to a wider audience as we all largely quarantined at home and had to navigate less access to grocery stores and various supply or ingredient shortages. Being comfortable in the kitchen in 2020 may have never been more critical to day-to-day life, and One Balanced Life was there to help. Dadds offered meals with less than five ingredients, options that could feed a family from the freezer, and various one-pot and one-pan ideas to execute in less than 30 minutes. It’s no surprise that her following passed the 100,000 threshold (and counting) last year.

“In the last year with the pandemic, more people were cooking at home and they wanted easy stuff, because some people didn’t previously even know how to cook,” she says. “So that was an opportunity to share more about meal prepping, planning out your meals, and making the transition to being at home more in the kitchen. I think I filled a niche — and luckily it’s what I liked to share already.”

photos by RALPH YZNAGA

Follow Taylor Dadds on Instagram at @OneBalancedLife

photo by EMILY PAPE

CHOCOLATE DIPPED BANANAS

Makes: 3 servings

Your sweet tooth (and your kids) will love this sweet, simple treat of chocolate dipped bananas. Use any nut butter or chocolate that you prefer. Tip: Make extras because they won’t last long in the freezer.

2 bananas ¼ c peanut butter (we prefer crunchy over creamy versions) 1 c chocolate chips 1 T. coconut oil (melted) Sea salt, optional but recommended, for topping

Slice the bananas into coins (not too thin or thick). Sandwich peanut butter between two banana coins and place them on a piece of parchment paper over a plate. (Make sure that you have some parchment paper on hand for this or else the bananas will stick to the plate.) Once all of the banana sandwiches are assembled, place them in a freezer for 2 hours or longer — the key is to make sure they are frozen before dipping them in chocolate. Melt the chocolate chips on the stovetop or in the microwave with the coconut oil. Dip each banana sandwich into the chocolate until it is completely covered. You can use a spoon to make sure it’s coated. Top the creation with sea salt, eat a few and return the rest to the freezer to store.

SHRIMP TOSTADAS WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

Makes: 1-2 servings

These shrimp tostadas make for an easy weeknight dinner filled with all the easy summer flavors and ingredients that we yearn for during this season!

3 corn tortillas 9-10 shrimp 1 avocado (or guacamole) Avocado oil

Seasonings for shrimp:

1/2 t. garlic powder 1/2 t. smoked paprika 1/2 t. chili powder ¼ t. cumin 1 watermelon 1/2 t. sea salt and pepper Red pepper flakes, for topping Fresh cilantro, chopped, for topping

For pineapple salsa:

1 pineapple, diced 1 1/2 cup tomato, diced 1 lime, juiced 1/2 lime zest 1 small red onion 2 jalapeños 1 t. garlic powder Sea salt to taste

Prepare the tostadas by preheating the oven to 400°. Spray or brush avocado oil on both sides of the tortillas and place on a silicone baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes (flipping halfway through). You’ll want them to get crispy. Prepare the shrimp by mixing all seasonings together in a large bowl and adding the shrimp. Toss to fully coat. Place in a large pan on the stove, heated to medium and sauté. Cook thoroughly. The shrimp will turn pink when they are done. Once ready, set the shrimp aside to cool. Prepare the pineapple salsa by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing. Set aside.

To assemble the tostadas, start with a crispy tostada and then layer on mashed avocado, shrimp and pineapple salsa. Finish with red pepper flakes and fresh cilantro.

photo by EMILY PAPE

SOUTHWESTERN BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Makes: 2 servings

Some mornings, it’s inevitable that we will be running out the door and won’t have time to make breakfast. That’s where these Southwestern Breakfast Burritos come in. Not only are they a satisfying breakfast that will keep you full all morning, but they are also easy to prepare at the beginning of the week.

3 large flour tortillas 6 eggs Avocado oil 1/2-1 c. shredded Mexican cheese 1 small red bell pepper, diced 1/3 c. yellow onion, diced 1/3 c. black beans, drained and rinsed 1 T. taco seasoning Sea salt, pepper Salsa, optional Guacamole, optional Fresh cilantro, chopped, optional Red pepper flakes, optional Heat oil in a skillet set to medium heat on the stove. Whisk together the 6 eggs and pour into the pan. Slowly scramble by bringing the eggs into the middle of the pan. Once down, set aside. In separate pan on the stove set to medium, add a splash of oil, the red bell pepper, onion and black beans to sauté. When finished, set aside. To build the burritos, lay the tortilla out flat on the counter or work surface. Layer in the scrambled eggs, sauteéd vegetable mix, and shredded Mexican cheese. Roll up into a burrito and place in a low-heated pan. Cook on both sides to until the outside is golden brown and the cheese inside has melted. Serve with salsa, guacamole, red pepper flakes and fresh cilantro.

If preparing these at the beginning of the week for later, make sure to let the burritos cool completely before wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing in the freezer. To use later, place them in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours before consuming and reheat in a microwave for 1 to 11/2 minutes.

RECIPES

OF THE SEASON

recipes and photography by HEATHER BARNES

DILL EDAMAME DIP WITH CRUDITÉS

Makes: 5 small servings

For the Edamame Dill Dip: 2 c. cooked edamame 5 T. olive oil 2 T. tahini 2 T. lemon juice 2 T. fresh parsley 3 T. fresh dill 3/4 t. salt ¼ t. pepper ¼ t. garlic powder

4 cucumbers, sliced in half lengthwise and then quartered 2 yellow squash, sliced in half lengthwise and then quartered 2 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and then quartered 2 watermelon radishes, sliced in rounds 7 sweet peppers, sliced in strips 6 roasted okra

Cook the edamame per package instructions. Strain and let cool. In a food processor, blend the edamame with olive oil. Add in the rest of the ingredients up to garlic powder. If the dip seems too chunky, just add more lemon juice or olive oil. Arrange sliced vegetables on a platter around the dill dip. Garnish with colorful flowers like bee balm or petunias.

photo by FERNANDO ANDRADE