Candied Ginger

Candied Ginger

I remember I disliked my grand parents’ lollies when I was little. They used to have ginseng candies, candied ginger, herb drops, all these non-kids-friendly flavours. I couldn’t stand the smell of them. But now I’ve all grown up. Obviously my taste buds have changed (matured rather) and I really enjoy bitter, earthy, tart and astringent taste.

I had a little bag of dark ginger chocolate from Coco Black, a famous chocolate place in Melbourne, a couple of weeks ago. My obsession starts – when I like something from the restaurants or cafes or shops, I tend to find a healthier way of making it and trialing at home. I tempted to replicate those chocolate balls at home though using candied ginger bought from the supermarket seems to have heaps of sugar and preservatives in them >.< After searching online and visiting a couple of blogs I discovered it is not that hard to make sugar-free and healthy candied ginger at home. Yay! I went down to the shop this morning and got a beautiful young ginger root as big as my hand. I had a big grin on my face, so glad to find it since they sometimes have dry and tough ginger at the shops. It was so soft and juicy inside. I didn’t even have to peel the skin. So I just used the back of the knife to scrap off dirt a little and sliced them up. Put slices of ginger, water and honey (1:1 ratio) in the pot and boil for about 40 minutes. Strained them, coated with coconut flour, baked on the rack for about 20 minutes to dehydrate them. The result is amazing! mmm..the whole house smells like ginger while cooking. Little bites are chewy, gingery and  has subtle sweetness from honey. No sickening sugar taste! Awesome! Only one thing that I’m not happy about? I bought a huge ginger (about 250g) and it ended up a small handful of candied ginger as they shrink a lot. I want more!!!!

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Grilled Eggplant

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Eggplants are very popular ingredients in Korean food. Mum used to make this little side dish – cooked strips of eggplants in soy garlic sauce. It is so simple but delicious!

Following the previous post on having colourful foods, eggplant is obviously PURPLE – powerful antioxidants. Essential phyto nutrients in eggplants improve your blood circulation and nourish your brain. On top of that, it is low in calories and high in dietary fibre. It fills you up for long and is great for your digestive tract. Ah remember, all these goodness is concentrated in the skin, so do not peel and throw it away! I never really peel my vegetables unless I absolutely have to. You can use any sorts of cooking methods with eggplants – grill, bake, roast, stew, steam.

I sliced the middle section of eggplant about 1 cm thick. I made a crisscross pattern cut on one side, smeared a teaspoon of miso paste and grilled until it’s golden brown. Then garnished with cottage cheese, pink pepper corns and fresh thyme leaves. You will fall in love with this robust grilled eggplant flavour:)

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Colours On The Plate

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Our dinner last night was nice and colourful. I made meatballs on risoni for Daniel’s main and put some fermented veggies on the side. Home-made sauerkraut, Kimchi and balsamic braised onions – yum and full of probiotics!

Multi-coloured foods just don’t look pretty on the plate. They are also good for your health. Phytochemicals are substances that occur naturally in the plants and are thought to work synergistically with vitamins, minerals and fibre, boosting essential nutrients in them. Eating five servings of veggies is important, but also eating a variety of colourful foods helps to achieve optimal nutrition and promote good health.

Briefly listing different colours here…

Red: Lycopene act as a powerful antioxidant protecting from cancer and heart disease. e.g. Tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, cranberries, beets
Orange/ Yellow: beta cryptoxanthin, beta carotene and alpha carotene can be converted to vitamin A in your body, which is important for your vision, immune system, skin and bone health. e.g. Carrots, mango, cantaloup, winter squash, sweet potato, apricot, papaya
Green: chlorophyll in green fruit and vegetables have anti-cancer properties. They are also an excellent source of vitamin K, folic acid, potassium, carotenoid, and omega-3 fatty acid. e.g. Brocolli, cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, kiwi fruit, celery, kale
Blue/ Purple: anthocyanin content in these coloured foods is antioxidants and helps to keep your heart and blood pressure healthy. e.g. Eggplant, prunes, plums, blueberries, blackberries, pomegranates
White: alicin in white foods promotes heart health and reduce heart disease. e.g. Cauliflower, onion, banana, potato, parsnips, garlic, ,mushrooms

So overall, the more colours you eat, the better your health gets. I know it is hard if you are not used to eating fresh whole foods or have a hectic lifestyle with no time to prepare your meals. But it is totally worth spending a bit of more time and effort on changing your diet step by step because it will totally change your energy level and overall health.

My tips are…

– Plan ahead
– Try new/ unfamiliar foods rather than getting stuck with one type of food
– Take notice of colours when grocery shopping
– Swap something out for another colour such as strawberries to oranges
– Make small changes in your food habits – more plant foods means more colours!
– Be creative and have fun when preparing your food

I hope it helps x