Spiced Chicken with Orange Salad

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Orange Chicken

After deciding to make pan-fried chicken breast for dinner, I was thinking what salad would be good to go with. It didn’t take long.. Citrus Salad! Citrus is my favorite fruit group. I can even just bite into lemons and enjoy that sour and tart taste. My grandma used to tell me you wait until old when your teeth and gums get all weak, then you cannot really have cold and sour food – Oh! that would be the end of the world for me >.< There are so many types of oranges. Moro (blood) oranges, Naval, Valencia, red Cara Cara. Yes, orange equals vitamin C! but there is a lot more than that.

– rich in antioxidants protecting cells from damage
– vitamin A, C and potassium great for your eyes
– flavonoids help to reduce cholesterol, good for cardiovascular system
– folate and folic acids keep your brain and joints healthy, good for pregnant women
– reduce the risk of developing a range of cancers
– rich in dietary fibre that helps your stomach and intestines healthy
– boost your immune system with vitamin C

I wanted to mix up different colours of oranges in my salad but shops didn’t have a variety. I mixed massaged kale, red onion, slices of Naval orange and pistachio nuts on top. I also dressed with apple cider vinegar, e.v.o.o, salt and pepper covering all basic tastes (saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness). I will roast pistachio nuts and put it just before I serve next time since they went a little soggy from sitting on the oranges this time. If you don’t like fruit in the salad, you can try a sprinkle of fried rosemary and chopped black olives on top which adds another dimension to this salad. Chicken and orange. What can go wrong? 🙂

Posted in: Dinner, Lunch, My recipes, salads

Doenjang Braised Vegetables with Wild Rice

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Miso RiceJust in case you don’t know “Doenjang“, it is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. It is rich in flavonoids and beneficial vitamins, minerals and phytoestrogens which has anti-cancer properties. Because Korean traditional dishes mainly consist of rice and vegetables, Doenjang made of soybeans provides lysine, an essential amino acids, and healthy fatty acids that rice lacks.

So what is the difference between Doenjang and Miso? Doenjang has lower sodium content and chunkier texture. Great for making a soup with a strong unique flavour. I always use Korean brand Doenjang to add into my cooking – marinating meat, making a soup, braising vegetables, making a salad dressing, etc. While you’re exploring Korean ingredients, if you’re also considering setting up a new kitchen or upgrading your storage, don’t forget to look into Cold Room Installation. It can help keep all your ingredients fresh and extend their shelf life. So if you haven’t tried this before, go down to the Asian grocery shop (preferably Korean grocery) and get one. It will last you a good few months in the fridge. A teaspoon or two will add a beautiful flavour in your food and so good for you!

Making a nourishing vegetarian bowl is a great way of cleaning up the fridge and making a healthy lunch at the same time. I take out a crisper drawer and inspect all the vegetables. I then chop all the left-over vegetables and cook them andante with a teaspoon of Doenjang paste and half cup of water in a deep skillet. Serve with a cup of rice for lunch. I also made little tofu balls today. I blended pat-dried a half block of tofu, a half cup of cooked black beans, grated beetroot, salt and pepper in a food processor. Shape the dough into little balls. You can have them as a snack or with lunch – great protein! If you decide to stock up on Doenjang, consider storing it not only in your fridge but also in a walk in cold room installation, ensuring its lasting freshness for months to come. For additional insights on fridge trailers, check out these resources and learn more here. For professional maintenance, look into Commercial Refrigeration Repair services to keep your equipment in optimal condition.

I do not like wasting food, so I go through this process once a week (mostly Monday). Organise your fridge and know what is where so that you don’t throw away any rotten fruits or vegetables which can contaminate other foods in the fridge.
– Keep fruits and vegetables separate
– Keep the vegetables in a perforated plastic bag in the drawer (make little holes in the bag with a knife)
– Keep the vegetables unwashed in a drawer. Wash them only just before cooking
– Mushrooms should be kept in a paper bag
– Potatoes and onions in a cool dry place, but keep them away from each other
– To store herbs, snip off the end, keep upright in a thin glass of water and cover with a plastic bag
– Have a meal plan for a week and buy what you really need!

Hope it helps x

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

Summer Corn Salad

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Corn Salad

This light, crunchy and sweet salad is perfect for Summer Sunday lunch. I served with pâté, blue cheese and roasted nuts on bread.

Sweet Corn Salad: Please use a fresh corn if you can, not from the nasty can. Grill washed corn on the cob with a drizzle of coconut oil in the pan for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika in the last 5 minutes. Slice corn off the cob. Combine with bean sprouts, coriander, green peas and broad beans. To make dressing, mix a teaspoon of tahini, apple cider vinegar, home-made capsicum chilli chutney and a squeeze of lemon. Drizzle over the salad just before serving.

Pâté: Soak beef liver in milk for an hour in the fridge. Wash nice and clean in cold running water, making sure there is no blood coming out any more. Cut the liver into 2-3 inch cubes. Cook the livers with one chopped onion, one red chilli and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic in a big skillet until all caramelised. Then add a splash of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of five spice and coriander powder. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat until the livers are just cooked through and slightly pink in the middle. Cool down before putting in the food processor. Whiz up until smooth and then transfer to ramekins. For the jelly, mix 2 teaspoons of warm water, one teaspoon of berry jam and one teaspoon of gelatin and pour over the top of chilled pâté.

Pate

 

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

Black Bean Salad with Basil Pesto

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Black bean salad

Like many other legumes, black beans are an excellent source of the cholesterol-lowering dietary fibre good for cardiovascular system. They also contain a good amount of iron that gives you energy, antioxidants that protect you from cancer and a complete source of protein for vegetarians when combined with a whole grain such as brown rice. Their high soluble fibre, low GI and high protein stabilises your blood sugar level, which helps people with diabetes. This superstar is so versatile in cooking and baking as well. You can add into your soup, salads, taco fillings, hummus made of black beans, braised black bean casserole, vegetarian patties, even in your brownies…list is endless! Tips for cooking these amazing guys? You need to soak your beans overnight to reduce your cooking time. Don’t add salt or acidic ingredients while boiling them otherwise it won’t cook but gets really tough.

Black Bean Salad
Cook pre-soaked black beans. Pan-fry diced sweet potatoes with sage and cumin. Mix beans and sweet potatoes with chopped cucumber, celery, parsley and coriander in a mixing bowl. Season with Himalayan salt and ground pepper. Dress with vinegar, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of e.v.o.o.

Basil Pesto
Put a handful of basil leaves, a teaspoon of chopped garlic, 100g of cottage cheese, handful of pepitas, a squeeze of lemon into a food processor. Whiz up until all blended nicely. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Beef Tataki

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

Oven-Roasted Garlic

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Roast Garlic

You can taste garlic in almost all Korean dishes. We love garlic, ginger and chillies. Yes, it leaves you a bad breath after eating them or even next day, but it’s a tasty addition to other dishes and has many medical properties.

  • Strong immune system: fight against chest infection, coughs and congestion. Great for colds and flu.
  • Cardiovascular system: helps to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and regulate blood pressure
  • Anti-inflammatory benefits
  • Packed with vitamins and nutrients: Vitamin A, B, B2 and C, calcium, zinc and many others
  • Cancer prevention
  • Control of diabetes: regulates blood sugar
  • Anti-bacterial and anti-viral benefits
  • Weight control

I bought a bunch of garlic from the local veggie market a couple of days ago. I use a garlic clove or two when I’m cooking, but there was no way I can finish 10 heads of garlic before it goes bad. So I decided to make some garlic pickles and roasted garlic. Peeling off these little guys can be tricky. Let me tell you I feel like I can still smell them in my fingers. An easy way is open up the cloves and put them in a bowl. Place the same size bowl on top to create a dome. Then vigorously shake them. Clean the peeled garlic in cold water with a squeeze of lemon.

To make garlic pickles, I peeled off about 5 heads of garlic. Rinse off any dirt or skin. Boil vinegar, water, peppercorns, bay leaves and dried chilli in a pot. Add garlic cloves into the pickling liquid for a few minutes. Then transfer to the steralised jar. Cool down and put it in the fridge. It should be ready to eat in a week or so.

Then I made oven-roasted garlic with the remaining. Simply cut the top of the cloves with a sharp knife, Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil and add a sprig of rosemary. Put it in the preheated oven (180) for about 40-50 minutes until the cloves are soft and tender. It smells amazing while cooking in the oven and tastes so beautiful and sweet. It just melts in your mouth. You can easily mash with a fork. Spread on the slice of bread, add to the potato mash, hummus and soup, or  eat just by itself.

Because I usually put my lunch in a bowl and eat (less dishes!), I don’t normally decorate my lunch plate unlike dinner that is more a shared affair. But looking at beautiful roasted garlic out of the oven, I had to make myself a pretty looking lunch today.  A semi-boiled egg on the quinoa nest, braised leeks and zucchini, and of course garlic on the side! Yum yum yum..

Posted in: Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes