Buckwheat Healing Soup

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Buckwheat soupThe temperatures have dropped down gradually. I like this time of the year when you can snuggle up with a bowl of warm soup and be cozy. When I make a soup, I always try to add whole grains as well as lots of veggies such as brown rice, quinoa, millet and buckwheat. They not only add a nutty flavour and texture but also provide numerous health benefits. Whole grains are a carbohydrate package rich in fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, plant enzymes, hormones, and hundreds of other phytochemicals. Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol, and insoluble fiber helps move waste through the digestive tract. Phytoestrogens found in whole grains may protect against some cancers. So might essential minerals, such as magnesium, selenium, copper, and manganese. These minerals may also help reduce the risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Buckwheat groats are gluten-free, high in protein and fibre and a great addition to a vegetarian meal. Its taste and texture is very similar feel to barley. You can find raw or roasted. I find roasted buckwheat groats provide a full-bodied, almost smoky flavor in the soup. Turmeric and saffron broth is great for healing and cleansing. Turmeric is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer. Saffron is rich in minerals, vitamins and cartoenoids, important antioxidants. It helps with a number of medical ailments such as depression, macular degeneration, weight loss, asthma and menstrual discomfort.
buckwheat soup1Ingredients (serves 2)

1/2 cup buckwheat groats, soaked
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup of diced pumpkin
1 cup of kale leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup of wild mushrooms, sliced
1 sprig of tarragon
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp turmeric
a pinch of saffron
2 cups of water or vegetable stock
1 tsp Himalayan salt
pepper to taste

Heat coconut oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, pumpkin, mushrooms, garlic and turmeric into a pot and stir for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add in mushrooms, tarragon, buckwheat groats, water or stock and saffron and simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes until the buckwheat is cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Add kale leaves and let it sit with a lid on for another 5-10 minutes. Stir, ladle into a soup bowl and garnish with more kales on top.

 

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

Quinoa Chickpea Cakes

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quinoa cakesWe hear a lot the dietary fiber is crucial for optimal elimination of toxins and regular bowel movements. But did you know that fiber also eliminates excess estrogen in your body? Insoluble fibre binds to excess estrogen in the digestive tract, which is then excreted by the body.

Estrogen balance is essential for achieving and maintaining fat loss. In men and pre-menopausal women, too much estrogen can cause toxic fat gain, water retention, bloating, and a host of other health and wellness issues. In fact, excess estrogen is as much a risk factor for obesity. Of course, there is a number of reasons why you get estrogen dominance – an exposure to estrogen-like compounds in foods that contain toxic pesticides, herbicides, and growth hormones, use of birth control pills and HRT, digestion issues, stress, poor diet and lifestyle. Symptoms of estrogen dominance is too much fat around your middle section and difficulty losing weight. It might even cause breast and prostate cancer.

So, you can see here how important your gut health is for a healthy body. Fibre is so crucial to remove all the waste out of your body. It is recommended that women from age 19-50 get 25 gram of fiber in a day. Good sources include wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, the skins of fruits and vegetables (apples, pears, berries, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and carrots), nuts (especially almonds), seeds (particularly sunflower seeds), soybeans, dried beans, and whole-grain foods. Ask yourself at the end of the day, have I had enough fiber today?

This quinoa chickpea cake recipe is packed with gut loving fiber. Even better with fresh greens on the side. Delicious!
quinoa cakes1Ingredients (4 cakes)

50g quinoa
50g chickpeas, soaked overnight
a bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp oat flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
a pinch of Himalayan salt
coconut oil for frying

Rinse thoroughly and cook quinoa in a boiling water for 20 minutes or until cooked. Drain and set aside. Cook soaked chickpeas in a boiling water until soft and blend in a food processor until you get a paste consistency. Add all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add a bit more flour if the mixture is too wet. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Take it out of the fridge and shape the mixture into little patties. Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown. Be gentle when you flip. Drain on a paper towel if needed.

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

Vegan Banh Mi Salad

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Banh Mi SaladHave you heard of Banh Mi sandwich before? I have, but never tried. The Banh Mi translates to bread of baguette in Vietnamese. It is a French-Vietnamese fusion food born during the French colonisation of Vietnam. It is a crisp baguette commonly filled with barbeque pork, pickled carrots, cucumbers, coriander, jalapeno and the occasional spread of pate with a drizzle of sriracha sauce. My version of Banh Mi is a deconstructed, gluten-free and vegan salad with a Korean Gochujang dressing. It is light, crisp, fresh, healthy and loaded with flavour. You wouldn’t miss the bread or meat. If you are on the go, you can use this salad as fillings for sandwich, wrap or spring rolls in your lunch box.
Banh Mi Salad1Ingredients

For the tempeh
100g plain tempeh
1 tsp coconut amino sauce or tamari
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of coconut oil for frying

For other fillings
1/2 cup chopped lettuce leaves
1/2 cup sliced and pickled carrot
1/2 cup sliced cucumber
chopped spring onion
a bunch of coriander

For dressing
1 tsp thick Greek natural yogurt
1/2 tsp Gochujang paste
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice tempeh and marinate in the sauce for 10 minutes. In the mean time, prepare vegetables and dressing. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan and add marinated tempeh. Cook for a couple of minutes each side. To assemble, put your salad veggies on a plate, top with the tempeh and a drizzle of the dressing.

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

Raw Shaved Asparagus Salad with Marinated Mushrooms

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raw asparagus saladAsparagus is loaded with good nutrition. It is a good source of fiber and protein, and essential for good digestion and immunity. It also contains a number of anti-inflammatory compounds, antioxidants for anti-aging, vitamin K for healthy blood clotting and bones, vitamin B for stable blood sugar level, vitamin A for better eye sight and potassium for kidney function. Glutathione in asparagus is a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds like free radicals. It contains high levels of the amino acid asparagine, which is a natural diuretic and fantastic for fluid retention in some people.

Unfortunately, asparagus do loose nutrients as they cook, so there’s no doubt eating asparagus raw will give you the most benefits when it comes to nutritional value. It is important to know though which methods are the best to avoid substantial loss. If you choose to cook them, first of all, no overcooking your veggies! Best cooking method is steaming which preserves a lot of nutrition in them. Next is grilling al dente. It should be still firm. No boiling! unless you drink all that boiling water, too >.<

This recipe is using marinated raw mushrooms, but if you don’t like the taste of raw mushrooms, feel free to lightly grill them instead.

Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus
300g button mushrooms
1 cauliflower floret
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp coconut amino sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sesame seeds
alfalfa sprouts for garnish

Grate cauliflower using a box grater to make a cauliflower rice. Wash and shave asparagus into thin strips. Wash and roughly chop parsley. Marinate thinly sliced mushrooms in coconut amino sauce, salt and pepper for 10-20 minutes. To assemble, gently toss marinated mushrooms, parsley and shaved asparagus, put over the bed of cauliflower rice. Garnish with alfalfa sprouts and sprinkle sesame seeds. Drizzle more amino sauce if you desire.
raw asparagus salad1

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

Pumpkin Wild Rice Salad with Miso Dressing

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miso dressingHow much do you pay attention when you are eating? Thing is we have so much food around us these days. We eat while working, watching TV, driving, talking on the phone, walking on the street. We are so good at multitasking. Your brain is not engaged in eating. You don’t even know what is going into your mouth. Your arm just moves automatically from food to your mouth like a reflex. No signs of fullness. You need to eat more to feel satisfied. I’ve done that and been there and still do sometimes, unfortunately. I used to shovel down protein bars (evil to your body!) at work because I was “busy”. It was a pathetic excuse there is not even 10 minutes for myself, enjoying my food at work? I’m shaking my head right now. I love eating and I think it should be a healthy and pleasurable experience. Your food needs a full attention. I know it is extremely difficult to change your habit, but I’m sure you all agree with me here we need to eat “mindfully” for the sake of your own health.

miso dressing1Here are some mindful eating tips that I try to stick to. If you have any more helpful tips, feel free to add here 🙂

1. Listen to your stomach. You need to feel hungry before you are eating, but not starving otherwise you tend to overeat. Have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty, not hungry.
2. Choice of your food. Is this going to be good for my body and soul? If a piece of chocolate makes you happy, then go ahead. Enjoy it without feeling guilty.
3. No distractions. We have a house rule. No TV while eating. It should be a couple/family time without distractions.
4. Look, smell and taste your food.
5. Chew your food and put down your fork between bites.
6. Stop when you feel about 80% full. You are not wasting food on your plate though. Keep the leftovers for later or next day. If you are not good at this (me>.<), put less food on your plate or use a smaller plate to control your portion size.
7. This is a bit Korean way, but we say “thanks for the meal” before eating at the table. It is not like a religious thing. We thank for the soil, sun, rain, farmers, etc that brought that food to the table. Be grateful!

pumpkin wild riceIngredients

100g wild rice
2 cups pumpkin, cubed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Himalayan salt
a bunch of coriander
1 tbsp sunflower seeds

For miso dressing
1 tsp miso paste (or less if you don’t like strong miso flavour)
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp sesame oil
pepper to taste

Put chopped pumpkin in a large bowl. Add melted coconut oil, cumin and salt into a bowl and toss to combine. Bake them in the preheated oven (180) for 20-30 minutes until cooked. Rinse wild rice and cover with a plenty of water in a saucepan. Bring it up to a boil and simmer on low heat for 40 or until cooked. Drain and let it cool. To assemble, combine cooked wild rice, pumpkin, chopped coriander and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Pour the miso dressing and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving plate.

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