Spicy Cucumber Gazpacho

\ Leave a Comment \ by

I know gazpacho is more summery soup, but I just felt like something refreshing and hydrating. This recipe makes the most of fresh, simple summer flavors, and a dollop of wasabi adds the right amount of heat. You can change ingredients depending on your taste. Normally, some recipes include white bread, sour cream or cream in it, which I’m not fancy. Onion or garlic? I didn’t want too much raw garlicky flavour, so skip that. As far as pairing goes, I think seafood like crab meat or prawns or white fish will be beautiful with it. Maybe serve with homemade flat bread or focaccia on the side? Yum. I cannot wait to try this (it is being chilled in the fridge now!).
Cucumber GazpachoIngredients

1 continental cucumber, chopped
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of coriander
1 cup of lemon ginger tea, brewed and cooled
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of wasabi paste
a squeeze of lemon
olive oil

Add all ingredients except olive oil in a blender. Blend well until combined. Transfer to a glass jar or jug, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Just before serving, add olive oil and ice cubes if you like.

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

Raw Cauliflower Tabbouleh

\ Leave a Comment \ by

I hope I’m not too late to the party. Cauliflower “rice” seems like a big hit among healthy foodies on the internet at the moment. I’ve been meaning to try and finally I made a cauliflower tabbouleh today.

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad normally made of bulgur wheat. Replacing bulgur with cauliflower makes this salad raw, grain-free and also crunchy for days in the fridge. This fresh and light salad is a perfect complement to any kind of protein or with flat bread. Cauliflower is a perfect replacement for the white rice because it looks similar, but has more crunchy texture and better nutrition in it. Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, watercress, and mustard greens) are said to be detoxifying because they provide support for the immune, inflammatory, hormonal, detoxification, and antioxidant systems in your body. They also contain powerful anti-cancer compounds unique to this class of vegetables.

It is a little messy to make “rice” using a box grater. If you grate too hard, cauliflower goes everywhere on the kitchen bench. So be gentle with that baby unless you want to do a massive cleanup afterwards. I think using a boxer grater is better although it is time consuming because a food processor seems to make “rice” too fine and wet. I will leave it up to you, either a boxer grater or food processor is fine.
Cauliflower TabbouleIngredients

1 head of cauliflower florets
1 cup of chopped cucumber
1 stalk of celery
1 cup of chopped kale leaves
1 bunch of coriander
1 cup of pomegranate

For dressing
1 tsp of za’atar
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
a squeeze of lemon
1 tbsp of e.v.o.o

Wash, cut the florests and grate the cauliflower into “rice”. Combine with cucumber, kale, coriander and pomegranate in a large mixing bowl. For dressing, mix all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Pour the dressing into the tabbouleh and gently toss. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Cauli Tabbouleh

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

Raw Minty Green Tea Cheesecake

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Raw Greentea Cake
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Matcha green tea powder. It is one of my favorite flavours in sweets, which you can find easily back home such as green tea ice cream, green tea latte, shaved ice, macaroon, cake, cookie and even used in cosmetics. When Daniel and I went to Jeju Island a couple of years back, we visited a green tea farm and museum. We learned how much care goes into a little pack of green tea. Then we sat outside looking over the farm and sap on a beautifully brewed fresh tea with green tea dessert. Amazing! And it cannot be compared to those prepacked horrible teabags, which has no depth and tastes just bitter to me. All teas are good for you, but green tea is by far the best. Try to buy a high quality organic green tea as much as possible. It should be vacuum-sealed for freshness when you buy. Store them in the fridge or freezer once open to slow the oxidation process down.

Matcha is packed with exponentially antioxidants. Its ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) is a mighty 1300 units per gram, compared to pomegranates 105 units per gram or blueberries 91 units.It has potent cancer-fighting properties, boosts your energy throughout the day, helps you lose weight and cleanse your body. Matcha is also rich in L-Theanine, a rare amino acid that effects the brain’s functioning to promote a state of well-being, alertness, and relaxation. So monks would drink green tea to stay focused and alert during hours of sitting doing meditation.

As well as drinking, you can add matcha green tea powder in your foods. For example, add a teaspoon in your breakfast bowl, yogurt, smoothie, pancakes, and baked goods. You will get addicted to these guys once you try them 🙂

Ingredients

For Base
1 cup of mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)
5 medjool dates pitted and chopped
1 tsp of goji berries
1 tsp of cacao powder
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tsp of cacao nibs
a pinch of salt

Pulse the ingredients in a food processor. Add a bit of water if you need. Press the mixture firmly at the bottom of a small spring form pan. I used a square container with a baking paper lined inside so that it is easy to take it out. Set in the fridge while making the filling.

For Filling
2 cups of raw cashew nuts soaked overnight
1 tbsp of stevia
1 tbsp of matcha green tea powder
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of peppermint extract
2 tbsp of coconut oil
coconut water

Rinse the pre-soaked cashews and drain. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until you get a smooth mixture. Add a bit of coconut water at a time. Taste the mixture if you need any more sweetener or green tea powder. Pour the mixture onto the crust and spread evenly. Cover it and put in the freezer for a few hours to set. Then take it out of the freezer and run the knife gently to cut into little bars. I like keeping the rest in the freezer and take it out 30 mins before serve.

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

Tortilla Espanola

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Spanish Omelet1Eggs are a great source of protein (One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids) and numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, potassium and many B vitamins like folic acid, choline and biotin. Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D. Amazing!

Many people believe that egg yolks contain high cholesterol, enemy for the risk of heart disease and so prefer having egg whites only for protein. However, many vitamins and minerals are actually in egg yolks, not whites. Your body needs a balance when it comes to cholesterol. Eggs are a beneficial source of healthy fat and research has documented that eggs do not appear to promote heart disease risk. It could also help to prevent breast cancer. So eat the whole eggs, not just egg white!

Tortilla Espanola, a fancy name for Spanish omelet, is a fantastic way of cooking your eggs. Simple ingredients, healthy, inexpensive and tasty! You can even have it next day, which I think is better in terms of flavour. You can serve like pizza as a main or cut into little squares to serve as entree for your dinner party. You can add other vegetables or cheese as well for variations. Whichever you choose to do, it is all delicious 🙂

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 onion
2 potatoes
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp of smoked paprika
Himalayan salt and ground black pepper

Heat coconut oil in a light, non-stick pan. Add chopped onion and potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until soft (you don’t want too much colour). Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. You should be able to mash the potatoes with the back of the spoon. Crack the eggs in a large bowl and whisk gently. Season the egg mixture and then pour into a pan making sure the potatoes are just submerged. Turn down the heat and cook on low heat until the edges start to firm and the centre is still wet. Time to flip! Fun part starts. Use a palette knife or spatula to loosen up the edges and shake the pan so that the omelet is not stuck to the pan. Put a large plate over the pan and flip over. Slide the omelet back on to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes. Take it off the heat and transfer to a serving plate. You can serve this hot, cold or at room temperature.Spanish Omelet

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

Warm Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

\ Leave a Comment \ by

I am very excited about the real food revolution seminar this weekend. I am going with my mother-in-law who found about this course and recommended it to me. Hopefully it helps me to expand my food knowledge and write more healthy recipes and nutrition information on my blog. I also get to see Pete Evans who is the reason why I watch MKR on TV 🙂 I’m making a big batch of beef bourguignon and some salad for my hubby now since I know I will be busy with the course this weekend and don’t want him to starve himself.
Chickpea salad
The base of this salad is creamy and nutty chickpeas. Plus Mediterranean style ingredients with a depth of the flavour and the almonds with a crunch and nutty flavour work really well with the cumin dressing. It is embarrassingly easy to put together and doesn’t take much time at all if you’ve soaked your beans overnight or you can choose to use a tinned chickpeas.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup of chopped spinach
1/2 cup of chopped cucumber
1/2 cup of chopped green olives
1/2 cup of marinated artichoke hearts
1 tomato
30g feta cheese
a handful of slivered almonds

For cumin dressing
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp e.v.o.o
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

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