Chicken with Salsa + Chocolate Pudding

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Food blog1

Making healthy dinner doesn’t take much time at all. I guess all you need to do is to get organised what to cook and what ingredients you need or you have in your fridge. When I was working full-time, it was hard doing meal plans, grocery shopping and finding an energy to cook at the end of the day. I think if you plan ahead on the weekend and even freeze some pre-made meals, it will save so much time as well as stay healthy.

The beauty of making this meal is its simplicity, but at the same time looks elegant. Mediterranean inspired salsa is made with tomato, basil, green olives and capsicum pesto. I flattened and pan-fried chicken breast with Moroccan spice, and added green salad on the side. Chocolate pudding for dessert (didn’t have enough chocolate already!).

Posted in: Dinner, My recipes

Nut Butter Cups

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Nut butter cups

Mmmm…I love chocolate! Who doesn’t? It’s a comfort food for me and definitely calms me down when I have mood swings. Not only does it tastes good but also a moderate amount of right type of chocolate actually is beneficial to your body. Dark chocolate contains full of antioxidants, high vitamins and minerals such as potassium, copper, magnesium and iron. It increases blood flow to your brain as well as your heart improving cognitive and heart function. It is a great snack between the meals when you have fluctuating blood sugar. So a small bite of dark chocolate a few times a week actually is good for you.

I prefer dark chocolate truffles over store bought packaged ones. Home-made ones are even better! I made nut butter cups with buckwheat today. A chocolate mixture is made with cacao powder, coconut butter, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Carefully fill a mixture at the bottom of the wrapper and refrigerate for 5 minutes . Then put a small teaspoon of nut butter into the discs and pour the rest of chocolate mixture over. Sprinkle the tops with raw buckwheat for extra crunch. Chill again in the fridge until it’s all set. You can be creative here adding chilli, peppermint extract, berries, sea salt, etc whatever you fancy!

I had to (?) lick the bowl while making these and again had to (?) try one to see if it tastes right. It was hard to put the lid back on and put it away. It’s not too sweet because I used cacao powder and no sugar. Creaminess from nut butter and crunchy buckwheat just makes it perfect.

Posted in: Dessert, My recipes, Snack

Nourishing Bone Broth Soup

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I made this amazing bone broth soup a few days ago and kept half in a big jar in the fridge and another half in the freezer for later use. It is a little time consuming to make though totally worth it! I have to admit I use packaged stock now and then, but once I’ve made this, I definitely will make my own stock from now on. It is cheap to make and tastes so flavoursome, cleansing and healthy.

I washed a kilo and a half of beef back bones in cold water. Boil them in a large pot for about 20 minutes (start in cold water, bones should be just immersed in water). Then you need to throw away this first batch. Wash the bones and pot thoroughly to get rid of all the fat. Pour cold water over the bones again and bring it to boil. I added apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, onions and carrots. Then simmer in low heat for 24 hours, checking every few hours to make sure there is enough water to cover the bones. I then poured broth through a fine sieve and cooled it down. You will find a layer of solidified fat on the surface once it’s cooled. Get rid of that, and you get a clear beef consomme.

Bone broth is so rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other mineral traces, which assist in your immune system and digestion. It is such a great healing food!

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Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes

Nori Wrap with Quinoa and Black Beans

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A quick shot of my lunch before it has gone. I made a simple nori wrap with quinoa and black beans.

I only found out about quinoa a.k.a “the gold of the Incas” a couple of years ago as I started my clean eating. It is popular now that you can find it easy at the local health shops. Surprisingly, most quinoa comes from South America where it is grown wild and pesticides are not used. So you don’t have to worry too much about buying ‘organic’ foods as it is naturally organic.

Shame I didn’t know about it almost 30 years! I even introduced to my mum back in Korea where quinoa is not that common yet and hard to find. She has fallen in love with it now since I taught mum mixing quinoa through rice for more nutrition and flavour. These little guys are without doubt one of the superfoods.

– A high protein grain alternative: quinoa contains more than double the amount of protein found in the standard grains and also has a complete amino acid profile

– More fiber: fiber relieves constipation and helps to prevent heart disease by reducing blood pressure and diabetes. It also makes you feel full longer, acting as a natural appetite suppressant.

– Contains iron, lysine, magnesium, Riboflavin (B2) and manganese

– It’s gluten free!

Cooking quinoa is so easy. I boil a cup of quinoa in a pot using a 1:1 ratio of quinoa and water for about 15 minutes in medium to low heat, just like the way you cook rice on stove. You can mix with other grains or beans as well. It is so versatile you can use for salads, soup, savory cakes, etc.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, Vegetarian

Cheese Platter and Pumpkin Gnocchi

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Weekend in Perth was hot hot hot! Scorching heat 44 degrees on Saturday, around 30 over night and 41 yesterday. It makes outing just impossible to enjoy since I’m not a beach person and dislike strong sun here. So we ended up staying home and watching some interesting documentaries and movies – couch potato, which means snacking all day for me. I cannot resist opening the fridge and nibble of things like dried fruits, home-made power balls, sweet teas, etc. Dinner last night also was a cheese platter and gnocchi on green salads. I like making platters. It looks not only colourful and beautiful but you can pick and choose whatever you fancy, and don’t have to worry about leaving out on your plate. Ah..it is also easy to make with anything in your fridge.

I put a slice of blue cheese, red grapes, capsicum pesto, dried figs, hazel nuts, carrot and mountain bread on the board. I also served a small bowl of rice and shredded braised beef on the side. Pumpkin gnocchi with fried sage and green salad was delicious! It would have been good to have a glass of red wine as well 🙂

Lunch17

Posted in: Dinner, My recipes