Nourishing Bone Broth Soup

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I made this amazing bone broth soup a few days ago and kept half in a big jar in the fridge and another half in the freezer for later use. It is a little time consuming to make though totally worth it! I have to admit I use packaged stock now and then, but once I’ve made this, I definitely will make my own stock from now on. It is cheap to make and tastes so flavoursome, cleansing and healthy.

I washed a kilo and a half of beef back bones in cold water. Boil them in a large pot for about 20 minutes (start in cold water, bones should be just immersed in water). Then you need to throw away this first batch. Wash the bones and pot thoroughly to get rid of all the fat. Pour cold water over the bones again and bring it to boil. I added apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, onions and carrots. Then simmer in low heat for 24 hours, checking every few hours to make sure there is enough water to cover the bones. I then poured broth through a fine sieve and cooled it down. You will find a layer of solidified fat on the surface once it’s cooled. Get rid of that, and you get a clear beef consomme.

Bone broth is so rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other mineral traces, which assist in your immune system and digestion. It is such a great healing food!

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

Nori Wrap with Quinoa and Black Beans

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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

Making Sauerkraut

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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

GF Cinnamon Cookies

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I’m not really into sweet foods and never order cakes or cookies at the cafe. Having said that, I do have a morning/ afternoon slump when I don’t eat snacks. So I tend to make some muffins and bars and keep them in the freezer so that I can easily grab when I feel like one.

These cookies are gluten free and sugar free. I used…

4 eggs
75g coconut flour
one heap spoon of cinnamon powder
one teaspoon of ground nutmeg
one teaspoon of fennel seeds
one teaspoon of coconut oil
pinch of salt
pinch of chai tea ground
You can add honey or coconut sugar or maple syrup or whatever you have in your pantry for sweetness (optional)

I mixed all ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding a teaspoon of brewed chai tea a little at a time until I get a right consistency to make a cookie dough. Roll them up and bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated oven (180). It turned out to be perfect 10 lovely balls.

Cinnamon is one of my favourite spices. I sprinkle ground cinnamon pretty much everywhere both in savoury and sweets. I mix cinnamon, ginger and honey to make a nice warm tea. Definitely love using cinnamon when making home-made muffins and bars. For savoury use, it is also great in curries, sauté vegetables, tagines, braising meat and so on. You can create Moroccan/ Middle Eastern inspired dishes at home. Apparently you can use as a room spray as well, which I haven’t tried yet. Ah, we have a cool cinnamon drink in Korea, too. Boil water, cinnamon sticks, slices of ginger and brown sugar in a pot until all flavours come together for about 30 minutes. Cool it down and keep it in the fridge. It is so refreshing and hydrating when drunk cool.

Cinnamon has been used since Ancient Egypt as a medical source. Amazing health benefits of cinnamon include regulating blood sugar (thus good for diabetes), reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, fighting against fungal infection, boosting brain function, effective for menstrual pain and infertility and warming effect (good for a cold and flu). It is by far one of the super foods and I swear by it. I just had two of those balls with cinnamon tea for morning snack and it is hard to resist to go for another one. Delicious!

 

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

Caramelised Carrot & Butternut Pumpkin Salad with Sage

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Feeling like a sweet succulent salad? This carrot and pumpkin salad will satisfy you! My body is just calling for vegetables and salads this week probably due to an unhealthy (relatively) holiday last week. Today, I’m injecting beta-carotene into my body.

Yellow vegetables, like carrots and pumpkins, are so high in anti-oxidants, vitamins (especially carotenes and vit-A) and dietary fibre. On top of that, they are low in calories and fat. They do all the wonderful magics to your body – improving your vision, cancer prevention, anti-aging, healthy skin, cleansing, etc. You cannot ask more, can you?

Carrots are a great snack as well as side dishes. You can have it as raw with yummy hummus or soft cheese.  But when it’s cooked, beta-carotene can be absorbed to your body about five times more than when eaten raw. The reason being is a cooking process helps to dissolve a resistant cell wall of the carrots that locks in the beta-carotene. So you can maximise health benefits by cooking them. It is better to cook the whole carrots (e.g. boiling) before cutting or mashing them to preserve nutrients. Another way is like me, I chopped them up with butternut pumpkins and quickly cook in a frying pan with a teaspoon of coconut oil. You can add a drizzle of honey, balsamic vinegar, cumin seeds to enhance the flavour. Sage is one of the herbs that merry very well with carrots. I loved a smell of sage caramelising with carrots in a pan and also the colour – intense orange/ yellow plus beautiful caramelisation on the outside! Yummy lunch served so easy:)

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