Easy Chicken Stir-fry

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Chicken Stir fryA bowl of chicken stir-fry on rice is quick, healthy, low-fat, gluten-free and well balanced meal with a full of flavour. Soy, garlic, ginger and chili creates a flavourful base of the dish. It is even better when you do a quick marinade of the chicken breast for 10-15 minutes. You might want to add a teaspoon of corn starch or rice flour if you want a thicker sauce. I like adding sesame seeds and sesame oil after cooking so that it doesn’t lose the fragrance and flavour over the heat. And use mixed grains for different texture and nuttiness, not just old boring white rice. Make a stir-fry and stay healthy x

you have time to meander down every isle

Ingredients

300g chicken breast
1 tsp of coconut oil
1 carrot
1 spring onion
2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of minced ginger
1 tsp of chili flakes
1 tbsp of honey
1 tsp of sesame seeds
1 tsp of sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of cooked rice to serve

Combine soy, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced chicken breast, carrot and spring onion to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden and half-cooked. Stir the sauce into the pan and continue cooking until cooked. Take it off the heat, serve on rice, sprinkle sesame seeds and drizzle sesame oil.

 

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

Healthy Hot Chocolate

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Hot chocolateI have a long list of favorite comforting foods. Hot chocolate is one of them. Once you taste this healthy hot chocolate you won’t be able to order one at the cafe cause the cafe one is way too sweet. My version is made of raw cacao and almond milk, full of goodness and guilt-free. Raw cacao is full of antioxidants and happy hormone serotonin, boosting your immune system and mood. Almond milk has plant protein, healthy fats and vitamin E for healthy heart and glowing hair and skin. Trust me on this! It tastes incredible as good or even better than the conventional recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup of almond milk
1 tablespoon of coconut sugar (or any kind of sweetener you have)
2 tablespoons of raw cacao (not cocoa! don’t get confused >.<)
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of cinnamon powder
a pinch of vanilla bean powder (paste or extract is fine)

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently. Stir and make sure all ingredients combine together. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy x

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

Vegetable Soup with Saffron and Turmeric

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Vegetable soupMy typical lunch in a bowl. It’s a vegetable soup today. Weather is finally cooling down now, perfect for making a nourishing soup! I like making salads too but my body is calling for a bowl of warm soup in this weather. I threw in chopped onion, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower and peas into a pot. Bring it to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked. I also added a pinch of saffron and a teaspoon of turmeric and cardamom into my soup to make it more nutritious and beautiful. 

Saffron is well known for a very expensive and amazing medicinal spice. It is full of antioxidants protecting you from oxidant-induced stress, cancers and infections. It is a good source of minerals and vitamins. Saffron has been traditionally used as anti-depressant, antiseptic, digestive and anti-convulsant. For ladies, it also has beauty benefits for beautiful radiant skin. You can buy either threads or powdered form at the spice markets, but ground saffron has a shorter shelf life. You need to keep them in a closed box and in a dark cool place away from the light. I like its distinctive flavour, aroma and beautiful colour, great both in savoury and sweet dishes. Add a pinch when cooking rice, risotto, pilaf, quinoa, or paella, making a soup, baking a cake, making a warm drink. It is very versatile and a pinch is enough for the full flavour and colour. I paid about 7 dollars for a 1g box. It is a bit expensive, but remember you use only a pinch for the entire recipe and it is so worth it!

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

Coconut Meatballs with Wild Rice

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Coconut Meatballs1
Another comforting curry dish for Daniel’s post-workout meal. Using lean beef mince and low fat coconut milk will reduce the amount of fat in this dish, but doesn’t compromise the flavour. Plus nutty wild rice adds more flavour and texture. Thai curry and coconut milk is satisfying and flavourful, but…your waistline might not like it.

Coconut milk is high in calories and fat. So you need to control how much you put in your smoothies, breakfast bowls, curries and sweets. Having said that, as long as you don’t go overboard, it is quite good for you. It has a high amount of fibre. Each cup of coconut milk contains about 5g of fibre (you need about 30g a day!). Coconut milk has high plant-based saturated fat which has a high HDL, beneficial to your heart. It is rich in minerals – iron for oxygen supply to your cells, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese for bone health, selenium and zinc for immune function.

So should I have it or not? For me, it is definitely sometimes foods. I choose to buy a low fat option and use only half of the recipe plus water or stock or non-dairy milk. I think a touch of coconut flavour is enough for the dish. You don’t have to use a whole can of it if you are concerned about calories and fat content. Same rule goes to other coconut products such as coconut cream, coconut butter, desiccated coconut, coconut flakes, etc. Enjoy in moderation!

Coconut MeatballsIngredients

200g Lean ground beef
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp coriander ground
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
1 tsp of ground black pepper
1 tbsp of coconut oil

100g coconut milk
1 tsp of green curry paste
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 cup of chopped leek
1/2 chopped tomato
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
1 tsp of coconut sugar
1 tsp of cardamom

Mix the ground beef with all spice, coriander ground, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make 8-10 little meatballs and set aside. Finely chop the leek, tomato and onion. Heat a pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs with coconut oil. Once the meatballs are caramelised outside, add vegetables in and cook for a few minutes. Keep stirring. Add other ingredients in and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is combined and thickened. Turn off the heat and serve with cooked wild rice.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, My recipes

Spirulina Balls

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Spirulina is a natural “algae” (cyanbacteria) powder that is incredible high in protein and nutrients.

  • It is 65% protein and amino acids including the essential fatty acid which has gotten a lot of attention for ani-inflammatory properties
  • It contains Omega 3-,6 and 9s and is especially high in Omega-3s
  • It is extremely high in Chlorophyll, which helps remove toxins from the blood and boost the immune system
  • It has a very high concentration of bio-available iron and is excellent during pregnancy and for those with anemia and will not cause constipation
  • It is also incredibly high in calcium with over 26 times the calcium in milk
  • Some research has suggested that Spirulina may be helpful in allergies and allergic reactions
  • Spirulina can bind with heavy metals in the body and help remove them
  • It can increase fat burning during exercise
  • Spirulina contains more than 60% vegetable protein, which is much higher than fish, pork, or beef

Amazing! You can add a teaspoon in your smoothie, breakfast cereal bowl, yogurt, muffins or even make a salad dressing with it. Love this funky green powder 🙂 

SpirulinaA teaspoon of spirulina, bee pollen, goji berries and buckwheat on yogurt. Yummy breakfast or snack!
Spirulina BallsThese power balls are a great snack keeping you fueled and energised throughout the day.  It is simple, healthy and takes only 10 minutes to make. Keep them in the fridge and enjoy any time of the day!

Ingredients

100g nuts of your choice e.g. almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans
1 small ripe banana
a pinch of Himalayan salt
a teaspoon of spirulina powder
a teaspoon of chia seeds
a teaspoon of bee pollen
a teaspoon of cinnamon powder
5 Medjool dates
a teaspoon of vanilla extract
cacao powder + chia seeds to roll

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until it comes together. Add a bit of water if too dry. Make little balls and roll in cacao powder and chia seeds. Keep them in an air-tight container in the fridge. You can change the recipe depending on what you have in your pantry – any nuts, dried fruits, coconut, etc. Have fun making them x

 

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