How I Travel Healthy

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travelling packI’m off to Korea for a couple of months. I cannot wait to go home and catch up with my family and friends. I love traveling, but not the ‘travel’ part – getting stuck in a little seat for 12 hours, not being able to sleep, dry and stuffy air on the plane, horrible airplane food and alcohol. They all can make you feel more tired and unhealthy after all. My way of maintaining good health while traveling starts from packing my own food and healthy snacks. You need a bit of preparation ahead, but it is totally worth it. Here is my list.

  • Coconut water: Stay hydrated. Coconut water is one of the best ways to rehydrate whilst flying. Avoid or limit alcohol, caffeine and fizzy drinks as much as you can. If you want to say goodbye to alcohol for the rest of your life, you can also click here.
  • Probiotic tablets: Although I am being careful with what I eat on the plane, different environment and stress can challenge my digestion. I make sure I’ve got tablets in my bag to maintain the good bacteria in my stomach and help with the travel bloat.
  • Herbal tea bags: Pack your favorite comforting teas during traveling. My favorites are dandelion, peppermint, chamomile, green tea and liquorice.
  • Healthy snacks: fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, raw veggie sticks, raw chocolate, home-made bars, muffins and biscuits.
  • Food: Most importantly food! You want something that doesn’t need to be refrigerated, doesn’t smell (for other people), maintain good flavour and texture and is easy to eat. My choice is usually some rice or beans with chopped salad in a small container. I also like mini patties made of quinoa, egg, herbs and veggies. You want to eat something light, healthy and good on digestion.
  • Plane food: Most airlines have a special diet/ meal option that you can pre-order on their website. I normally choose a gluten free meal or raw vegan meal so that I don’t get those mushy and boring packaged meals. However, I’ve had a few occasions of tummy trouble and headaches even after a gluten free meal. So it is still safe to pack your own food if you are super sensitive.
  • Supplements: I take all my supplements with me while traveling, which include valerian root for sleep, magnesium for cramps, green powder for energy and vitamins.
  • In my handbag: I take antibacterial wipes, hand cream, lip balm, facial mist (less than 100ml), aromatherapy oil and some mint.
  • At destination: I’m obviously going back home, but if you are going on a overseas holiday, you might want to do a bit of research where to eat.
avoiding (or at least limiting!) carbonated drinks, alcohol, and caffeine when flying – See more at: http://www.wanderplex.com/2012/07/10/how-to-stay-hydrated-during-a-long-flight/#sthash.YEyX0fdu.dpuf
Posted in: Travel

Healthy Burrito Bowl + Honey-Soy Chicken Bite

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I felt like loading up with fresh vegetables, then looked at my fridge. Corn, avocado, tomatoes, coriander.. Ding Ding! Let’s make a healthy powerful burrito bowl without the heavy tortilla and sour cream. Preparation is as simple as can be with simple ingredients. Yet it not only has a seriously good amount of veggies and protein in a bowl but also the flavour of Mexican is still there. You could add more cooked black beans or quinoa to make it substantial. I cooked some juicy chicken bites to go with it for a meat lover in the house, which was marinated in honey-soy sauce overnight.
Burrito Bowl1Burrito Bowl

Ingredients

100g cooked corn
1 finely diced tomato
1 stalk of celery diced
1/2 sliced avocado
1/2 block of tofu
1 cup of green salad
1 tsp of chilli sauce
1 tsp of olive oil
1 tsp of cottage cheese
1/2 tsp of paprika
a bunch of coriander
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Soy Honey ChickenHoney-Soy Chicken Bite

Ingredients

7 chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp of coconut oil
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of grated ginger
1 tsp of chilli flakes
1 tbsp of honey
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of sesame seeds
salt and pepper to tastea bunch of coriander

Mix soy, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, honey and sesame oil in a large bowl. Coat chicken in marinade, cover, put it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 180. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning and basting every 10-15 minutes until the meat is cooked and the skin is brown.

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

Creamy Mushroom Soup

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Mushroom SoupI normally make clear soups with a lot of spices and herbs. Though I sometimes get a craving for a creamy rich soup with earthy mushrooms. Don’t get me wrong I do not want any butter or cream in my soup to make me feel heavy. I’m talking about the meatiness of the mushrooms which can satisfy my cravings and fill me up. Their robust texture and flavour is great for vegetarian dishes. Not only that, they are an excellent source of iron, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, copper, and zinc. This soup goes well with herbs like rosemary, thyme or parsley, even better if you can get a hold of fresh ones. Have some soup and stay warm everyone x

Ingredients

200g mushrooms chopped finely
1 cup of cauliflower chopped finely
1 potato
1 onion
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 tsp of rice flour
1 cup of water or vegetable stock
1 cup of milk of your choice
salt and pepper to taste
tarragon for garnish

Heat coconut oil in a pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic until fragrant and soft. Add potato, cauliflower and mushrooms in and stir through for about 10 minutes until brown. Season. Add Dijon mustard, ground nutmeg, rice flour. Stir well. Then add water or stock with milk and simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Ladle the soup into a serving bowl and garnish with a dash of milk and chopped tarragon.

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

GF Apple Tahini Loaf

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apple tahini loafTahini is a paste made of sesame seeds. It is high in vitamins A, E, F and T, as well as B vitamins, biotin, and choline. Tahini is also 20 percent complete protein – higher than most nuts, great for vegetarians and vegans. Tahini is also high in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron, and phosphorus, and is an excellent source of calcium. I like using it in salad dressing, hummus, power balls and spreads. I’m sure you all know the slices of apple and nut butter is a good flavour combination as well as a great snack between meals. I added a table spoon of tahini in the loaf batter and used another table spoon to drizzle over the cake. It tastes beautiful and also adds more nutrition to this guilt-free cake. You can also add some chopped dates or walnut in this recipe if you like.

Ingredients

1 Granny Smith apple
3 eggs
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp unhulled tahini paste
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp flaxseed meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
a pinch of salt

Gently beat eggs, melted coconut oil, 1 tbsp of tahini paste and maple syrup in a large bowl. Add all dry ingredients into a bowl and combine well with a spatula. Pour the half of the mixture into a prepared loaf tin, put the layer of sliced or grated apples, then pour the rest of the mixture over the apples, and top with more apples on top. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 45 minutes until cooked. Take it out of the oven and cool down in a tin for 10 minutes. Mix 1 tbsp of tahini with yogurt in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle cinnamon before serve.

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

Two Raw Salads Perfect For Chilly Season

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Salad dressing is easy to make at home without any added nasties that you get from the commercial ones. It obviously tastes fresh and a lot better for you. I like adding Asian flavours to the fresh salads and Western dishes. All you need is a few simple ingredients in your pantry to be bold and creative. A little tricky, but taste as you go so that a dressing or sauce has a balanced flavour – salty, sweet, sour and a little spicy (because I like chili!). Here is a list of my staple ingredients in Asian cooking. Try to use good quality ingredients and home-made ones are even better.

  • Coconut amino sauce or Tamari
  • Sesame oil
  • Vinegar: balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, white wine vinegar
  • Maple syrup or honey
  • Tahini paste
  • Deonjang and Gochujang paste
  • Grated ginger, garlic, shallot

apple fennel saladWhat can I say. Crispy, crunchy and light apple and fennel combine to create a perfect winter time salad. Subtle anise flavour in fennel is great for your digestion and helps with inflammation in your body. If you are not a fan of raw fennel, try to slice as thin as you can and marinade in dressing so that the acid will tenderise it and mellow the flavour while still leaving plenty of crunch. I promise you will be pleasantly surprised. Slight tart and sweet apple combined with fennel is a match made in heaven, plus this Asian dressing adds a bit of surprise. It is a great accompaniment to a grilled chicken, pork or fish.

Apple Fennel Salad with Asian Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 baby fennel
1/2 green smith apple
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
a bunch of coriander

For Dressing
1/2 tsp Deonjang or miso paste
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

raw salad I’m definitely on a salad kick at the moment. What not to love making beautiful salads. I like the simplicity of making them, yet the complex flavours and textures that I can create with raw veggies and a light yummy dressing to combine all together. It is an art!

Everything Chopped Salad

Ingredients

1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1 cup chopped continental cucumber
1 cup chopped beetroot
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

For Dressing
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

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