Roasted Parsnip Chips

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Have you had roasted parsnip before? I do like root vegetables, but I haven’t actually used parsnips that much. I tried it raw, which has a bit of bitter and earthy taste. Then I made roasted chips in the oven and it tastes quite sweet from caramelisation. Just like carrots and pumpkins, roasting process brings out all the natural sweetness from this amazing root. They are healthy and a perfect alternative to fried potato chips.

Parsnips are an excellent source of soluble fibre, which keeps your cholesterol and blood sugar level down, helps regular bowel movements and helps your digestion. Potassium found in parsnips regulates blood pressure and helps the proper muscle and nerve function. They also have vitamin C, which acts as anti-oxidant and boosts the immune system. Great for pregnant women because folic acid or folate is abundant in parsnips, which reduces the risk of birth defects, lowers the risk of acquiring heart diseases and may also help prevent dementia and osteoporosis.

Parsnips are so versatile and exciting! You can add raw or cooked parsnips into your salads, make a warm soup with carrots and apples, make a hearty gratin dish in chilly weather, make little pancakes with grated parsnips, and even add into your cakes and muffins for healthy baking.

parsnip chipsTo roast parsnips, scrub the roots clean and slice into strips. I seasoned with Himalayan salt, smoked paprika, curry powder and pepper, and drizzled olive oil. Put in the oven at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Snack, Vegetarian

Pink Peppercorns in Desserts

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Pink peppercorns have slightly spicy, sweet, fruity and floral taste. Adding these little jewels into your dish can create a beautiful complexity and extra hint of warmth, especially desserts like chocolate, ice cream and popcorn. It is so fragile and delicate, so you need to crush with a knife or spice grinder, not a pepper mill. I like having them on cheese, with chocolate, crushing onto poached eggs or mixing into a vinaigrette. I felt like something sweet tonight but not too heavy. So this cantaloup with pink peppercorn maple syrup was perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth, yum! Remember melons straight after meal can disturb your digestion, so have this dessert at least 30 minutes after dinner. Of course, if you can wait 🙂 Second recipe is chocolate muffins with pink peppercorns.
Pink PeppercornIngredients (adapted from Bon Appetit)

sliced cantaloupe (rock melon)
1/2 cup of maple syrup
a squeeze of lemon
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1 tsp of pink peppercorns
a pinch of sea salt

Simply warm up the maple syrup, vanilla and pink peppercorns in a saucepan. Drizzle on the slices of cantaloupe and sprinkle a good quality sea salt to serve.
Chocolate MuffinIngredients

1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp of melted coconut oil
1 tbsp of cacao powder
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1/2 tsp of baking powder
a pinch of salt
pink peppercorns to garnish

Combine all wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Stir well to combine and spoon the mixture into a muffin tray. Sprinkle pink peppercorns on top. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20-25 minutes until cooked.

 

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

Lentil Olive Tapenade

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Lentil tapenadeI happened to come across this beautiful food blog called My Darling Lemon Thyme. As soon as I saw the photos and recipes, I fell in love. Her style of cooking was exactly what I was looking for – easy, simple, healthy, gluten-free and vegetarian. Surprisingly, she lives in Perth, as well. Then she released her first cookbook recently and I was lucky enough to go to a book launch in Mount Lawley. Meeting her and her family in person, listening to her story, tasting three of her recipes from the book, yes! getting that beautiful cookbook in my hands. It was a wonderful night and gave me so much encouragement, believing in myself and what I really like and am passionate about. One of the dishes that came out is this lentil tapenade. It was delicious on carrot sticks and chickpea crackers. I had to try make one at home with my own spin on it. I mixed two kinds of lentils – French puy and brown lentils, added toasted pine nuts for nutty flavour and crunch.

“Tapenade” is just a fancy word for an olive spread. This lentil black olive tapenade recipe isn’t the classic one, but it’s tasty and a wonderful nutrient-dense spread.

Lentils are sky-high in soluble fibre, which slows down digestion and fills you up. As soluble fibre enters the digestive tract, it absorbs water and dissolves into a viscous gel that reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Potassium found in lentils helps to lower blood pressure. They are also rich in folate and B vitamins for fighting against cancer, iron for boosting energy, great vegetarian protein and antioxidants. French puy lentils, my favorite kind, has rich and peppery flavour, stay firm when cooked, great for salads, tabbouleh and pilafs.
lentil tapenade1Ingredients (adapted from My darling lemon thyme)

100g dried French puy and brown rentils
1/2 tsp of minced garlic1 heap table spoon of chopped pitted black olives
1 tsp of rinsed capers
1 tbsp of e.v.o.o
a squeeze of lemon
a pinch of salt
a handful of toasted pine nuts
pepper to taste

Wash the lentils thoroughly, put in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring it up to a boil and simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes until cooked. Drain and set aside. Put all the other ingredients and cooked lentils in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with crackers or veggie sticks.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Snack, Vegetarian

Mung Bean Stew

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Aside from being one of the quickest legumes to prepare and the easiest of all beans to digest, mung beans have numerous positive health benefits. They are a good source of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, and protein. Green mung bean is known as the dosha balancing food according to Ayurveda, it cleanses the gut if taken regularly. It has significant amount of soluble fiber that helps cleanse and heal the body at multiple levels.
mung bean stew
Ingredients

1 cup of mung beans
1 white onion
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups of water or vegetable stock to cook mung beans
1 cup of coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Soak mung beans overnight. Rinse and cover with water in a pot. Bring it up to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until cooked. Drain and set a side. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add chopped onion and spices. Saute for 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add cooked mung beans and stir in coconut milk. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm over rice or with bread.

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

Cauliflower Rice with Balsamic Roasted Veggies

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cauliflower riceI fell in love with raw cauliflower rice since I made tabbouleh last time. It looks like rice but tastes quite different – crunchy, nutty and delicious. You cannot substitute for rice in every recipe, but it is a perfect base for the main meal such as curry, stir-fry, stew, roasted vegetables on cauliflower rice. Enjoy either raw or cooked depending on your preference. For your sweet tooth, you can add almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and some roasted stone fruit on top. Yum!

Ingredients

2 cauliflower florets
1 cup of diced pumpkin
1/3 zucchini, diced
1/2 spring onion
1 cup of diced parsnip
1 stalk of celery
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
a handful of dried cranberries and almonds

Wash and dice all the vegetables. Toss with balsamic vinegar, coconut oil, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Place them in a baking dish and put in the preheated oven (200) for 20-30 minutes until cooked. Make cauliflower rice using a box grater and season. You can also use a food processor. Roughly chop the cauliflower and pulse into little pieces until it looks like rice. When veggies are all cooked, take it out of the oven and let it cool slightly. Then combine with cauliflower rice in a large bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with dried cranberries and almonds.

 

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