Nori Wrap with Quinoa and Black Beans

\ Leave a Comment \ by

_MG_0526

A quick shot of my lunch before it has gone. I made a simple nori wrap with quinoa and black beans.

I only found out about quinoa a.k.a “the gold of the Incas” a couple of years ago as I started my clean eating. It is popular now that you can find it easy at the local health shops. Surprisingly, most quinoa comes from South America where it is grown wild and pesticides are not used. So you don’t have to worry too much about buying ‘organic’ foods as it is naturally organic.

Shame I didn’t know about it almost 30 years! I even introduced to my mum back in Korea where quinoa is not that common yet and hard to find. She has fallen in love with it now since I taught mum mixing quinoa through rice for more nutrition and flavour. These little guys are without doubt one of the superfoods.

– A high protein grain alternative: quinoa contains more than double the amount of protein found in the standard grains and also has a complete amino acid profile

– More fiber: fiber relieves constipation and helps to prevent heart disease by reducing blood pressure and diabetes. It also makes you feel full longer, acting as a natural appetite suppressant.

– Contains iron, lysine, magnesium, Riboflavin (B2) and manganese

– It’s gluten free!

Cooking quinoa is so easy. I boil a cup of quinoa in a pot using a 1:1 ratio of quinoa and water for about 15 minutes in medium to low heat, just like the way you cook rice on stove. You can mix with other grains or beans as well. It is so versatile you can use for salads, soup, savory cakes, etc.

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

Cheese Platter and Pumpkin Gnocchi

\ Leave a Comment \ by

_MG_0520

Weekend in Perth was hot hot hot! Scorching heat 44 degrees on Saturday, around 30 over night and 41 yesterday. It makes outing just impossible to enjoy since I’m not a beach person and dislike strong sun here. So we ended up staying home and watching some interesting documentaries and movies – couch potato, which means snacking all day for me. I cannot resist opening the fridge and nibble of things like dried fruits, home-made power balls, sweet teas, etc. Dinner last night also was a cheese platter and gnocchi on green salads. I like making platters. It looks not only colourful and beautiful but you can pick and choose whatever you fancy, and don’t have to worry about leaving out on your plate. Ah..it is also easy to make with anything in your fridge.

I put a slice of blue cheese, red grapes, capsicum pesto, dried figs, hazel nuts, carrot and mountain bread on the board. I also served a small bowl of rice and shredded braised beef on the side. Pumpkin gnocchi with fried sage and green salad was delicious! It would have been good to have a glass of red wine as well 🙂

Lunch17

Posted in: Dinner, My recipes

Making Sauerkraut

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Lunch16

Just like Kimchi in Korea, sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage side dish which took root mostly in Eastern Europe and Germanic cuisines. I try to incorporate fermented foods in my diet such as Kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt or kefir for my digestion.

As per my previous post on Kimchi, sauerkraut as a fermented food has many health benefits.

– easier to digest and absorb compared to eaten raw
– high in Vit B, C and K, calcium, potassium and magnesium
– low in calories
– lactobacilli and enzymes improve digestion and the growth of healthy bowel flora
– soothing the digestive tract, good for stomach ulcer
– high in antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin)

You can buy a jar of sauerkraut from the store though it is expensive, has preservatives and is very high in sodium. So why not making at home since it is extremely cheap and easy to make? It is also very rewarding when you make your own:)

All you need is sea salt and cabbage (I’ve chosen a red cabbage, but any cabbage would do). You need to massage and knead the shredded cabbage and sea salt with clean hands in a mixing bowl until it gets wet and excess water comes out of the mixture. Pack the moist cabbage mixture and liquid into a jar and close the lid tightly. Leave the jar in a cool dark place for a few days to allow the bacteria to start fermentation. Check everyday to see if it is soft and tangy. Then you can keep it in fridge to slower down the fermentation process. It goes well with any meat dishes as well as in salads – beautiful purple colour and intense flavour!

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

Braised Brisket with Blue Cheese Pear Salad

\ Leave a Comment \ by

_MG_0087

I’ve just come back from my holiday with in-laws today. We went to Sydney and Melbourne to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 60th for a week. Walking around the city, shopping, cruise on NYE, catching up with Dan’s family, etc. A week has gone so fast and now back to 40 degree heat in Perth!! Yep..holiday is over though I’m glad to be back home since I struggled with food while traveling. I find it is hard to stay healthy when you have to eat out for a week although you try to make good choices such as salads and sushi. It is just not the same as I wouldn’t know all ingredients, seasoning, sauce, etc in there. Especially being gluten intolerant and sensitive to fatty foods, my stomach can go very wrong and take a long time to recover >.< I seriously need any kind of vegetables for a week! Craving for greens at the moment. Anyhow I’m all unpacked now and settling back in my home.

I braised a big beef brisket in wine and some spices for dinner about a week ago just before we went off to Sydney. I put the leftovers in the freezer so that I don’t have to think about what to cook or rush to make something when we come back. You just need to make some vegetables or salads to go with it. You can see here a succulent and huge piece of beef on his plate and slices of tofu on my plate further up, though we shared same salads. I love a combination of crunchy walnuts, sweet pears, bitter greens, salty blue cheese and sour balsamic reduction. It is by far one of my favorite salads. I used Gorgonzola cheese here, but any kind of blue cheese would work depending on how strong you want it to be. Ooh..makes me hungry:)

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, My recipes

Dinner Party2

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Lunch11

Another dinner with my friend’s couple last night. I have to admit preparing dinner party two days in a row is a bit too much. Though I really enjoyed having people over and feeding them. Menu from last night was similar to the night before, but since my friend and his girl friend both like Korean spicy food I added spicy rice cakes, green bean salad and bean pancakes.

– Green Bean Salad: simple fresh salad consisted of poached green beans and mixed salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and topped with toasted garlic chips and sesame seeds

– Bean Pancakes: blend cooked chick peas, black eyed peas, sundried tomato, black olives, basil and one egg. Shape them to little balls. cook in the pan with coconut oil

– Spicy Rice Cakes: stir-fry rice cakes, cabbage, spring onions and carrots with red chili flakes and paste. Season with salt and pepper. I added a little bit of cheese on top to add creaminess

– Bulgogi and Cold Udon Salad: same as night before

_MG_0080

Posted in: Dinner, My recipes