Candied Ginger

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Candied Ginger

I remember I disliked my grand parents’ lollies when I was little. They used to have ginseng candies, candied ginger, herb drops, all these non-kids-friendly flavours. I couldn’t stand the smell of them. But now I’ve all grown up. Obviously my taste buds have changed (matured rather) and I really enjoy bitter, earthy, tart and astringent taste.

I had a little bag of dark ginger chocolate from Coco Black, a famous chocolate place in Melbourne, a couple of weeks ago. My obsession starts – when I like something from the restaurants or cafes or shops, I tend to find a healthier way of making it and trialing at home. I tempted to replicate those chocolate balls at home though using candied ginger bought from the supermarket seems to have heaps of sugar and preservatives in them >.< After searching online and visiting a couple of blogs I discovered it is not that hard to make sugar-free and healthy candied ginger at home. Yay! I went down to the shop this morning and got a beautiful young ginger root as big as my hand. I had a big grin on my face, so glad to find it since they sometimes have dry and tough ginger at the shops. It was so soft and juicy inside. I didn’t even have to peel the skin. So I just used the back of the knife to scrap off dirt a little and sliced them up. Put slices of ginger, water and honey (1:1 ratio) in the pot and boil for about 40 minutes. Strained them, coated with coconut flour, baked on the rack for about 20 minutes to dehydrate them. The result is amazing! mmm..the whole house smells like ginger while cooking. Little bites are chewy, gingery and  has subtle sweetness from honey. No sickening sugar taste! Awesome! Only one thing that I’m not happy about? I bought a huge ginger (about 250g) and it ended up a small handful of candied ginger as they shrink a lot. I want more!!!!

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

Grilled Eggplant

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Eggplants are very popular ingredients in Korean food. Mum used to make this little side dish – cooked strips of eggplants in soy garlic sauce. It is so simple but delicious!

Following the previous post on having colourful foods, eggplant is obviously PURPLE – powerful antioxidants. Essential phyto nutrients in eggplants improve your blood circulation and nourish your brain. On top of that, it is low in calories and high in dietary fibre. It fills you up for long and is great for your digestive tract. Ah remember, all these goodness is concentrated in the skin, so do not peel and throw it away! I never really peel my vegetables unless I absolutely have to. You can use any sorts of cooking methods with eggplants – grill, bake, roast, stew, steam.

I sliced the middle section of eggplant about 1 cm thick. I made a crisscross pattern cut on one side, smeared a teaspoon of miso paste and grilled until it’s golden brown. Then garnished with cottage cheese, pink pepper corns and fresh thyme leaves. You will fall in love with this robust grilled eggplant flavour:)

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

Cooking with Kale

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I love green vegetables as raw or cooked. Vibrant colour and bitter taste. I cannot live without them!

I bought a bunch of kale from the market this morning. I use a lot of greens in cooking like spinach, broccoli, zucchini, spring onions, cabbage, bok choy, etc. But somehow I haven’t really used kale and collard that much – maybe because it is a bit hard to find at the supermarket here. I really should make a trip to the farmers markets on the weekend and explore more.

Apparently Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories, 9% of daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, 684% of vitamin K, a good source of copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Antioxidants in kale have the anti-cancer health benefits. The fibre content helps to lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. But, too much vitamin K can cause problems for some people who take anticoagulants. And you need to avoid eating calcium-rich foods with kale since  it interferes with calcium absorption. So it is proved that kale is a power house of nutrients!

I used half to make a sauteed kale and mushrooms with a splash of soy sauce and a teaspoon of garlic, and another half for kale chips. I’ve seen packaged ones at the health food shops, which cost fortune for a handful of kale chips. It is cheap and easy to make at home, so do it yourself! I washed and pat dried kale leaves. Sprinkle sea salt and cayenne pepper. Put in 170 degree oven for 30 minutes (check and flip them now and then so it doesn’t burn). It is light, crunch, spicy.. I’m in heaven.

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

Smoky Roasted Chickpeas

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One of my New Year’s resolutions is healthy eating – eat more legumes and beans for extra carbohydrates!

My diet was not that great a few years back. Poor body image and not fully understanding what balanced diet is resulted me in having very low carb and no fat diet, avoiding grains, nuts and seeds, and dairy products completely. Years of mistreating my body caused more damage than I thought. I consider myself healthy, but not real healthy. I’m still in the progress of recovery inside out and try to respect my body more. Anyways I will try to eat more carbs and good fat this year to put on healthy weight 🙂

I’m a huge fan of chickpeas. Not only are they cute and yummy but also have so much goodness in them. They are totally wheat/ gluten free, high in protein, zinc, folate and fibre. They are super versatile in both cooking and baking. Healthy dip, hummus, is one of my favorite snacks on crunch veggie sticks. Socca, flattened bread made of chickpea flour, is great alternative for tortilla. They are also great for salads, casseroles and soups. Chickpea flour can be added to make muffins and cakes in gluten free baking.

I made roasted chickpeas for snack this morning. If you need a great snack on the go, it is quick and easy to make, healthy and flavoursome. I soaked half cup of chickpeas overnight, cooked them in boiling water for 15 minutes until they soften up. I massaged them with a teaspoon of coconut oil, sprinkle of cinnamon powder, cayenne powder and sea salt, then baked them in 180 degrees oven for about 20 minutes (agitate them every 5 minutes). You can be creative when adding spices depending on your taste buds, such as chilli flakes, curry powder, cumin, smoked paprika, lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, etc. Keep them in airtight container once cooled down and eat within a few days.

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

No-Bake Mint Choc Tofu Cake

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Tofu is one of my favorite foods although my hubby hates it. Maybe because I grew up with it ever since I was born. Korean pronunciation is more like “duboo”. We have so many dishes using tofu in Korea e.g. boiled tofu with Kimchi, tofu stir-fry, pan-fried tofu steak, tofu dumplings, tofu soup, list goes on and on. Tofu is made from cuddled soybean milk. It contains a good source of protein, iron, calcium, vitamin E, isoflavons that reduce bad cholesterol. I’ve seen on TV a while ago back home. Since people have become more health-conscious and care what they eat even sweets, organic Korean cafes started using tofu in desserts. I guess it does have quite neutral flavour and pudding-like consistency making it right for the use of dessert. So I’ve decided to make one for myself and my friend who is coming over this morning.

I blended one block of semi-firm tofu (about 200g), 50g coconut powder, two teaspoons of cacao powder, 15g chia seeds, a splash of peppermint extract, one peppermint tea bag and maple syrup for sweetness. I then firmly packed in a small cake tin and put it in the fridge to set. Garnished with more cacao powder and goji berries. It smells amazing! moist, chocolatey and minty. You wouldn’t know there is tofu in it. Seriously good:)

 

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