Vegetable Soup with Saffron and Turmeric

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Vegetable soupMy typical lunch in a bowl. It’s a vegetable soup today. Weather is finally cooling down now, perfect for making a nourishing soup! I like making salads too but my body is calling for a bowl of warm soup in this weather. I threw in chopped onion, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower and peas into a pot. Bring it to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked. I also added a pinch of saffron and a teaspoon of turmeric and cardamom into my soup to make it more nutritious and beautiful. 

Saffron is well known for a very expensive and amazing medicinal spice. It is full of antioxidants protecting you from oxidant-induced stress, cancers and infections. It is a good source of minerals and vitamins. Saffron has been traditionally used as anti-depressant, antiseptic, digestive and anti-convulsant. For ladies, it also has beauty benefits for beautiful radiant skin. You can buy either threads or powdered form at the spice markets, but ground saffron has a shorter shelf life. You need to keep them in a closed box and in a dark cool place away from the light. I like its distinctive flavour, aroma and beautiful colour, great both in savoury and sweet dishes. Add a pinch when cooking rice, risotto, pilaf, quinoa, or paella, making a soup, baking a cake, making a warm drink. It is very versatile and a pinch is enough for the full flavour and colour. I paid about 7 dollars for a 1g box. It is a bit expensive, but remember you use only a pinch for the entire recipe and it is so worth it!

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

Coconut Meatballs with Wild Rice

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Coconut Meatballs1
Another comforting curry dish for Daniel’s post-workout meal. Using lean beef mince and low fat coconut milk will reduce the amount of fat in this dish, but doesn’t compromise the flavour. Plus nutty wild rice adds more flavour and texture. Thai curry and coconut milk is satisfying and flavourful, but…your waistline might not like it.

Coconut milk is high in calories and fat. So you need to control how much you put in your smoothies, breakfast bowls, curries and sweets. Having said that, as long as you don’t go overboard, it is quite good for you. It has a high amount of fibre. Each cup of coconut milk contains about 5g of fibre (you need about 30g a day!). Coconut milk has high plant-based saturated fat which has a high HDL, beneficial to your heart. It is rich in minerals – iron for oxygen supply to your cells, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese for bone health, selenium and zinc for immune function.

So should I have it or not? For me, it is definitely sometimes foods. I choose to buy a low fat option and use only half of the recipe plus water or stock or non-dairy milk. I think a touch of coconut flavour is enough for the dish. You don’t have to use a whole can of it if you are concerned about calories and fat content. Same rule goes to other coconut products such as coconut cream, coconut butter, desiccated coconut, coconut flakes, etc. Enjoy in moderation!

Coconut MeatballsIngredients

200g Lean ground beef
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp coriander ground
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
1 tsp of ground black pepper
1 tbsp of coconut oil

100g coconut milk
1 tsp of green curry paste
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 cup of chopped leek
1/2 chopped tomato
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
1 tsp of coconut sugar
1 tsp of cardamom

Mix the ground beef with all spice, coriander ground, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make 8-10 little meatballs and set aside. Finely chop the leek, tomato and onion. Heat a pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs with coconut oil. Once the meatballs are caramelised outside, add vegetables in and cook for a few minutes. Keep stirring. Add other ingredients in and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is combined and thickened. Turn off the heat and serve with cooked wild rice.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, My recipes

Mini Vegetable Rice Casserole

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I ask Daniel “what do you feel like for dinner?” His usual answer is “nothing off the top of my head” which really doesn’t help me come up with menu plans. But this time he actually told me “maybe vegetarian tonight?” He actually had naughty(?) foods for a couple of days in a row over the weekend. He and his mate watched footy at the pub on Friday, which means pizza and beer. We got invited to my friend’s barbeque next day, which means more meat for him. I also cooked some chicken for lunch today. Yep, time for veggies! I didn’t plan what to cook for dinner so I was glad he said “vegetarian!”. I pulled out little cute Le Creuset pots out of the drawer and filled up with lots of veggies and rice, topped with nutritional yeast and baked in the oven. Za’atar flat bread is so flavoursome even just by itself. If you can make fresh za’atar spice blend and top with a good quality of olive oil, it is so divine. Make this flat bread when you have a dinner party next time and serve with some humus, olives and cheese. Yum! heaps better than normal Turkish bread. Your guests will be impressed.

Veggie Rice CasserolMini Veggie Rice Casserole

Ingredients

1/2 cup of cooked glutenous wild rice
1 tsp of coconut oil
2 grated carrots
1/2 grated zucchini
1 sliced onion cooked
1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms
1 cup of chopped spinach
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp of minced garlic
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
2 tsp of nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and cook the rice in a boiling water for 20-25 minutes until cooked al dente. Preheat a pan and cook all vegetables with coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper. Combine cooked rice and vegetables in a large bowl. Add garlic, mustard, paprika and nutritional yeast into the bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into two ramekins, sprinkle more nutritional yeast on top and put in the preheated oven (180) for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Za’atar Flat Bread

Ingredients

200g flour
1 tsp of dried yeast
1/2 tsp of brown sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of za’atar spice blend (4tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 3tbsp dried thyme, 2 tbsp sumac, 1 tsp sea salt)
1 cup warm water

Place half of the flour, dry yeast and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add warm water in and stir with a wooden spoon. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Then add the rest of the flour and stir to get a sticky dough. Turn out the dough onto floured surface and knead gently until soft. Sprinkle more flour if too wet or add more water if too dry. Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand until doubled in size. Gently knock it down and roll out the dough to about 1/2-1 cm thick. Use your fingertips, make dimples onto the dough. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle a generous amount of za’atar all over. Bake on the middle shelf in the preheated oven (200) for 15-20 minutes until golden. Serve it warm right out of the oven.

 

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Lunch, My recipes, Vegetarian

Spirulina Balls

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Spirulina is a natural “algae” (cyanbacteria) powder that is incredible high in protein and nutrients.

  • It is 65% protein and amino acids including the essential fatty acid which has gotten a lot of attention for ani-inflammatory properties
  • It contains Omega 3-,6 and 9s and is especially high in Omega-3s
  • It is extremely high in Chlorophyll, which helps remove toxins from the blood and boost the immune system
  • It has a very high concentration of bio-available iron and is excellent during pregnancy and for those with anemia and will not cause constipation
  • It is also incredibly high in calcium with over 26 times the calcium in milk
  • Some research has suggested that Spirulina may be helpful in allergies and allergic reactions
  • Spirulina can bind with heavy metals in the body and help remove them
  • It can increase fat burning during exercise
  • Spirulina contains more than 60% vegetable protein, which is much higher than fish, pork, or beef

Amazing! You can add a teaspoon in your smoothie, breakfast cereal bowl, yogurt, muffins or even make a salad dressing with it. Love this funky green powder 🙂 

SpirulinaA teaspoon of spirulina, bee pollen, goji berries and buckwheat on yogurt. Yummy breakfast or snack!
Spirulina BallsThese power balls are a great snack keeping you fueled and energised throughout the day.  It is simple, healthy and takes only 10 minutes to make. Keep them in the fridge and enjoy any time of the day!

Ingredients

100g nuts of your choice e.g. almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans
1 small ripe banana
a pinch of Himalayan salt
a teaspoon of spirulina powder
a teaspoon of chia seeds
a teaspoon of bee pollen
a teaspoon of cinnamon powder
5 Medjool dates
a teaspoon of vanilla extract
cacao powder + chia seeds to roll

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until it comes together. Add a bit of water if too dry. Make little balls and roll in cacao powder and chia seeds. Keep them in an air-tight container in the fridge. You can change the recipe depending on what you have in your pantry – any nuts, dried fruits, coconut, etc. Have fun making them x

 

Posted in: Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Chocolate Cake For Weekend Breakfast

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Chocolate CakeFrench press, or plunger, is an easy and consistent way to brew coffee at home. Here is what we do.

  • For one and a bit cups, you’ll need 20 grams (about two tablespoons of beans/ground coffee) and 300ml of boiled water.
  • Drop your freshly ground coffee (6-8g) into your plunger pot.
  • Let the boiling water stand for 1 minute – pouring boiling water over the coffee could burn it, which would give you a cup of coffee with a bitter taste.
  • Pour the boiling water into your coffee cup as well to warm it up.
  • Add the boiled water vigorously (or stir quickly) to wet all the grounds. Let it brew for three minutes. Use a timer or clock if you’re a perfectionist!
  • Plunge it down carefully. If you push the plunger down too quickly, the grains can come up the sides.
  • If you can’t push the plunger down with two fingers then you have ground your coffee too fine, and it may not taste as desired.
  • Pour the brewed coffee into the pre-warmed coffee cup and enjoy!

Chocolate Cake1Ingredients

1/3 cup melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons cacao powder
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond meal
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 egg
a pinch of sea salt

Add all wet ingredients in a large bowl. Sift dry ingredients and add into wet ingredients. Stir and combine well with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a cake tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 30 minutes or until cooked. Let it cool before you remove from the tin.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack