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

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

Tomato Soup

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Tomato SoupTomatoes are juicy, sweet and delicious when eaten raw as a snack or in salads and sandwiches. Then when it is cooked with a bit of oil, the cooking process increases Lycopene and thus its antioxidant activity, that helps fight cell damage that can cause cancer, heart disease and other chronic health conditions.. Tomato is a good source of vitamin A, B and C, folate, potassium, beta-carotene and fibre. One tomato contains around 22 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of protein and 6 milligrams of sodium. They are naturally low in fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories, yay! On top of that, one serving (150g) of tomatoes gives you 2 grams of fibre, about 7% of the daily recommended amount. So eat more tomatoes!!!!

Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99
Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99
Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99
Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99

Ingredients

3 tomatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of smoked or sweet paprika
1 cup of water or stock
1 tsp of coconut oil
milk or cream and e.v.o.o for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Cook chopped tomatoes, carrot, onion and garlic with coconut oil in a pan. Add spices and season with salt and pepper. Add water or stock and cook for another 10 minutes. Take it off the heat and cook slightly before using a stick blender. Transfer the purée to the pan. Whisk in milk or cream. Serve it warm or cold with a drizzle of e.v.o.o.

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

Zucchini Noodles with Tahini

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Zucchini NoodlesA few tips when you make zucchini noodles

  • After making noodles using a julienne peeler, you need to allow the liquid to drain because zucchini releases a lot of water. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. Drain, squeeze and pat dry the noodles. You can use a cheesecloth or kitchen towel to get rid of excess water.
  • Make a good dressing to go with such as tahini, pesto or tomato. Zucchini can be quite bland by itself. So it is crucial to add a flavoursome dressing, other veggies and crunchy toppings to make the noodles interesting.

Zucchini Noodles1
Ingredients

1 zucchini
a bunch of coriander
1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon of tahini paste
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of coconut vinegar
1 teaspoon of coconut amino sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
50g feta cheese
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
pepper to taste

Using a julienne peeler or mandoline, slice the zucchini into long strands. Place them in a bowl and toss with a teaspoon of salt.  Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then drain, gently squeeze and get rid of excess water. To make a tahini dressing, mix tahini paste, coconut oil, vinegar, amino sauce, maple syrup and pepper in a small bowl. Dress the zucchini noodles and coriander with dressing and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with sesame seeds and crumbled feta cheese.

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