Sushi Bowl

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Sushi BowlSushi or sashimi is one of my favorite foods to have when I’m out somewhere either from the restaurant or from the sushi roll take-away shops. It’s relatively healthy, gluten-free, easy on the go food. For deconstructed sushi bowl, you probably need rice, avocado, nori, etc that you normally see in sushi roll. I made my own twist putting in my kimchi, beans instead of rice and soy-tahini dressing instead of wasabi-soy dressing. The recipe is flexible and should be adjusted based on what you have on hand when you create your own flavourful sushi bowl. Chop your favorite vegetables and protein and throw them on top of complex carbs in a bowl. It is an easy way to eat clean, nourishing and healthy.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup cooked soybeans
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup sliced cucumber
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 bok-choy
radish kimchi
100g smoked salmon
coriander

For Soy-Tahini dressing
1 tsp of tahini paste
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of soy sauce1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and boil pre-soaked beans for 20 minutes until cooked. In the mean time, prepare other vegetables and make a dressing. Drain the beans and assemble the salad. Drizzle a dressing over the salad before serve.
Sushi Bowl2

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, salads

DIY Kimchi Spring Rolls

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DIY spring rollsI’ve prepared DIY spring rolls a few times for our dinner or a dinner party. It is quick and easy. There is not much cooking involved since it’s all fresh raw ingredients. It is fun to make, definitely makes you chew and eat slow and you can pick and choose what ingredients you would like to put in your rolls. Don’t expect too much on the first one cause it tends to be a messy one, just like when you make pancakes.

Ingredients

Crunch: carrots, celery,cucumbers, bean sprouts, lettuce leaves
Fresh herbs: coriander, mint, basil
Noodles: rice noodles or cellophane glass noodles. Normally I don’t add noodles to my daily spring rolls because it makes the spring rolls more filling and I enjoy eating my spring rolls filled with extra vegetables.
Protein: seafood or meat or tofu
Rice papers: Spring roll rice paper wrappers are available in various sizes and thickness.
Dipping sauce: I like a tahini sauce with spring rolls. Mix tahini paste, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

1. Dip and rotate a rice paper in the bowl of water. Keep patting until it’s pliable, but not completely soft. If you leave it too long in water, it gets really sticky and hard to roll.
2. Lay wet rice paper on rolling surface. Arrange ingredients at about 1/3 closest to you so that you have a space to roll.
3. Do not over-stuff your roll, start small then continue to add more fillings that works with your size rice paper.
4. Gently pull away the edge of wrapper from work surface and roll over the filling. Tuck the fillings under the wrapper and then fold in the sides
5. Slowly start to roll away from you and tuck in your filling toward you to keep the roll tight.
6. Eating these fresh as you roll them is best. If you want to take leftovers to work next day, it’s best to wrap each spring roll individually so that they remain fresh and won’t stick.

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

Beets and Caramelised Onion Tartlets

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When Daniel went to Korea with me for the first time, I’m sure he had a bit of cultural food shock. My family, especially my mum, tried to give him Korean stamina foods since that’s what we do for the quests. She even cooked a big piece of steak for his breakfast. My uncle gave him a root of ginseng dipped in honey >.< I find we have quite a variety of stamina foods in Korean cuisine such as ginseng chicken soup, grilled eel, fresh oysters, rice and mollusc soup, octopus dishes and herbal medicine. Since then, Korean food must have grown on him. He became a fan of a ginseng chicken soup and fresh oysters, which he never tried and disliked before. Yes, they are quite different to Western stamina foods. But the common thing is that all stamina foods contain complex carbs, good quality of protein, iron and vitamins. Complex carbs produce glucose providing your body energy. Protein is important for growth and development, repair of the muscles and body tissue. Iron for the energy and vitamins for the strong immune system. There is a list of stamina foods in Western world that is oatmeal, beans, coffee, green leafy vegetables, bananas, lean meat, peanut butter, beetroot, red grapes and quinoa. Beetroot! Red dirt earthy taste bomb! I love it so much both in raw and cooked dishes. Studies show regular consumption of beetroot lowers blood pressure,  slows cancer growth, promotes digestive and colon health and boosts stamina. Amazing. So include more beetroots in your diet.

  • Add grated raw beets in your salad for extra crunch and bright red colour
  • Make home made pickles with beets
  • Add grated beets in your chocolate cake for a hint of beetroot flavour, intense colour and moist cake
  • Add into your soup either chunky or pureed
  • Make vegetarian patty burger with grated beetroot
  • Make a nice dip
  • Caramelise in the oven with balsamic and honey for a beautiful side dish
  • Make fresh beetroot juice
  • Make beetroot chutney
  • Any more ideas????

Enjoy health benefits of beetroot!

Beetroot tartIngredients (for 3 little tarts)

For the filling
1 grated beetroot
1 sliced white onion
1 table spoon of balsamic vinegar
1 table spoon of molasses
1 table spoon of pink peppercorn

For the crust
75g rye flour
25g wholemeal spelt flour
1 egg
a bit of cold water
a pinch of salt

Add ingredients for the filling into the deep skillet and cook for 20-30 minutes until they are caramelised. Let it cool aside. For the tart, combine flour and egg. Add water a little by little to get a dough. Divide the dough into three balls. Roll out and put the filling in the middle. Fold the edges around and put it in the preheated oven (180) for 15-20 minutes until crust is cooked. Serve with goat cheese and thyme sprigs on top.

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

Grapes, Lentil and Feta Salad

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Grape Lentil Salad1This is the kind of salad I’ve been making so many times. Lentils are a staple of my diet and perfect in summer salads, soup, vegetarian burger, curry and spreads. I like them because of their nutty and earthy flavour and creamy texture. Not only that, lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, zinc, niacin and vitamin K, but are particularly rich in dietary fiber (good for digestive system), lean protein (make you full for longer), folate and iron. French lentils are my favorite because they don’t need pre-soaking, don’t get mushy or dry, and retain their shape very well after cooking. They taste so much better when you cook dried lentils at home rather than buy canned lentils, not to mention it is fresher and contains less salt and all that.

A few tips when you cook lentils! Wash and pick any bad ones or debris that might be in dried lentils. Cover with water in a pot and bring them to a rapid simmer, and then reduce the heat to low for the rest of cooking. About 10 minutes, take them off the heat, drain and rinse in cold water. Make sure they are not too mushy, which means overcooked. Add salt or acidic ingredients after cooking them otherwise lentils will get touch and not get cooked properly. Old lentils take longer to cook. So always keep fresh lentils in your pantry.

Grape Lentil SaladIngredients

1/2 cup of french lentils, rinsed and cooked
1/2 cup of diced cucumber
1/2 cup of red grapes, halved
1 cup of green salads
50g crumbled feta cheese
handful of toasted walnuts

For dressing
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of e.v.o.o
1 tsp of honey
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

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

GF Pumpernickel

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When I started having issues with gluten and wheat, I felt so lost because I didn’t know where it came from. When I go out for brunch or eat out at the restaurant, I have a small bite of bread, which can give me a world of pain for the following few days. I developed a fear eating outside because you just don’t know what ingredients they use. Luckily most restaurants have a gluten-free menu now and you can ask for options. Hallelujah! There are many kinds of gluten-free flours available at supermarkets these days, along with many “all purpose” gluten free flour blends that are designed to be an easy to use replacement for wheat flour. I’ve made (well..played with) some gluten-free muffins and bread at home. It is hard to produce the same taste and texture like normal bread due to not using regular flours. I am still experimenting. I’ve listed a few of my favorite alternatives to wheat flour. It’s not a single substitution for wheat-free alternative flours as gluten is responsible for wheat flour’s incredible binding, stretching and rising abilities. In general, a combination of different gluten-free flours is used to create flavor, texture, and balance.

My favorite gluten-free, wheat-free flours are

  • Almond flour: Baking or cooking with this flour, made from pulverized, blanched almonds, is a surefire way to add extra bone-building calcium to your diet: A half-cup serving has 12 percent of your daily requirement–six times the amount of that in “light” whole-wheat flour. Almond flour is also high in vitamin E and monounsaturated fat. This and other nut flours — such as chestnut and hazelnut, macadamia and pistachio — add protein and vibrant taste to gluten-free baking.
  • Bean flours: Dried beans can be ground into flours as easily as grains can. Chickpea flour — also known as garbanzo bean or ceci flour — makes a memorable flatbread in the south of France. Lentil flour shows up in Indian cuisine. Even fava beans become flour, and show up in some commercial gluten-free baking mixes.
  • Rice flour: The starchiness of short-grain rice makes it the perfect candidate for rice flour. Smooth and finely ground, sweet rice flour thickens sauces and gravies so well that no one eating them can tell they are gluten-free.
  • Tapioca flour: This is also known as tapioca starch (just to confuse us). Its starchiness makes it an excellent gluten-free flour, but it must be used in combination with other flours to make great baked goods.
  • Buckwheat flour: Buckwheat is a strong, earthy-flavored flour, available in light and dark varieties. Use light-colored flour for best results in gluten-free recipes. Buckwheat flour adds protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals to gluten-free recipes and can be used to make delicious pancakes.
  • Gluten-free oats: Oats, with nutty taste and chewy texture, add protein, soluble fiber, vitamins and minerals to gluten free recipes. Use gluten-free oats and oat flour in bread, pancake, muffin, cookie, cake, granola and muesli recipes.
  • Quinoa flour: Quinoa is available as a whole seed, flakes and flour. The seed can be used to replace rice and barley in pilaf, couscous and soup recipes. Quinoa flakes can be used as a substitute for rolled oats. Quinoa flour has a somewhat strong, bitter flavor, can be used in small amounts in gluten-free mixes and baking recipes to improve nutritional quality.
  • Coconut flour: Coconut flour can be used in small quantities in gluten-free recipes to increase fiber content. It is almost 60% fiber, is high in fats and lower in carbohydrates than other GF flours. Coconut flour works best in recipes that include eggs and has a short shelf life. Refrigerate baked goods made with coconut flour to prevent spoilage.
  • Soy flour: Can be used like brown rice or corn flour. Has a heavy beany flavor and works best if used in combination with a moist flour, such as tapioca or sweet white rice flour.
  • Flaxseed meal: Substituting 1/4 of a flour mixture with flaxseed meal to add a hearty touch to whatever you are baking. Store in freezer to keep the nutritional value of these amazing little seeds.

Pumpernickel
Gluten Free Pumpernickel Loaf

Ingredients

4 eggs
33g almond meal
50g coconut flour
25g buckwheat flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp of ground coffee
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of molasses
1 tsp of carraway seeds
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
a pinch of salt

Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix with coconut oil, molasses and coffee ground. Add all dry ingredients and combine well. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin and transfer to the preheated oven (180) for 30-40 minutes until cooked. Cool it down before cutting. This pumpernickel has a light and cakey texture. You can cut thinly and toast again which gives you more a crunchy, biscuit-like texture.

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