His and Hers

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Food blog10

Asian flavour in a bowl tonight. Daniel’s had soy braised beef on green tea soba noodles, and mine was tofu patty instead for vegetarian and gluten free. I haven’t had red meat for a long time and white meat sometimes, though I feel totally fine since I’m trying to have more legumes, nuts and tofu.

One of the problem nutrients in some vegetarian diets is Protein. Well.. the other nutrients include iron, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. Protein is vital to many physical functions such as growth and maintenance, digestion (all enzymes are made of protein), production of some hormones, immunity, fluid& electrolyte balance, pH balance and energy. Protein requirements are 56g a day for adult men and 46g a day for adult women.

If you don’t consume animal protein, you need to make sure you have 2-3 serving of lysine foods a day. Examples are…
1/2 cup of cooked lentils, peas, edamame, tofu, tempeh, garbanzo, kidney, pinto
1/4 cup of peanuts or pistachio
3oz of soy meat
1 cup of soy milk or cooked quinoa

Tofu is one of my favorite ingredients. I eat about 3 times a week. Tofu has been found to be a great source of calcium and vitamin E. Consuming tofu regularly helps to lower bad cholesterol, alleviates symptoms related to menopause, and lowers the risk of cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Isoflavones found in products even scavenge free radicals preventing premature aging. So you should eat more tofu! 🙂

You can use tofu as a meat substitute in cooking – steamed, stir-fried, pan-fried, grilled, etc. If you find it a bit blend, obviously add your favorite spices and sauce to it. I personally like it by itself with some vegetables. As to my previous post, you can even use tofu for desserts like cakes and pudding.

Posted in: Dinner, Lunch, Uncategorized

Mushrooms and Brie on Toast with Vegetable Tian

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This recipe would be nice for a light lunch or brunch on the weekend.
It is so perfect flavour combination – creaminess of brie cheese with wild mushrooms. You can make soup, bisque, pizza, risotto, omelet, pie, canape..endless.. You name it! It will work beautifully. On to the vegetable Tian, it is originated in Provence, the south of France. Tian refers to the baking dish and roasted vegetables – the word explains all. It can be topped with some cheese, but I prefer it simple, fresh and clean taste. These two dishes together on the plate look elegant and tastes so good. Every mouthful has a punch of flavour!

Simply arrange alternating layers of slices of sweet potato and zucchini in the baking dish, and bake in the oven with fresh thyme and e.v.o.o until it’s all cooked. You can add eggplant or tomatoes as well. When it comes out of the oven, colours and presentation looks stunning. I reckon it is definitely a wow factor when you have dinner parties.

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Posted in: Breakfast, Lunch, My recipes

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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Food blog6

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.

Food blog5

 

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

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