Category Archives: Lunch

How do you spend your weekend? For me, one of the weekend errands is firstly making a meal plan, going to the markets and doing some food preparation for the following week. Ah, making a big bowl of salad for work lunch, too. It sounds like a huge time-consuming task, but it is actually not and totally worth it. Money as well as time-saving, too because you eat healthy at home and don’t tend to get take-away or eat out. When you know exactly what you have in your fridge, fresh good ingredients don’t get wasted. So invest a little bit of time in your schedule on the weekend for your health and well-being!
I almost always include some kind of grains and beans when making salads so that I get enough protein and don’t feel hungry afterwards. One of my favorite ingredients is quinoa. Quinoa is gluten-free and low GI of 53+. It is also a good source of protein and contains all the essential amino acids including lysine that your body needs for tissue growth and repair. Want to know more about quinoa and how to spout them? Read this previous post. For this recipe, bright colour of quinoa from saffron and turmeric is gorgeous! I wanted sweetness and saltiness in salads, so used dried fruits and tamari roasted nuts for topping. You can make a big batch and pack up for your work lunch just like what I did. You can also add tofu, chicken, fish or any kind of protein on the side. Enjoy x
Ingredients (serves 2)

100g white and red quinoa
200g water
a pinch of saffron
a pinch of turmeric
50g dried blueberries and goji berries
50g tamari roasted nuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp raw honey
salt and pepper to taste

Place washed quinoa in a pot and cover with cold water. Add saffron and turmeric. Bring it up to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the water is all absorbed into quinoa. Take it off the heat and set aside with a lid on for about 5 minutes. Place cooked quinoa on a plate and sprinkle dried fruits and nuts on top. For dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of the quinoa salad before serving.

I’m so excited about this green salad. It is raw (except quinoa. Oh you can add sprouted quinoa instead of cooked ones if you like), fresh, healthy, light and yummy. Green foods such as kale and spinach  help to increase alkalinity and detoxification in your body that can promote healing. They are also rich in vitamins A, C and K and folic acid, as well as calcium, potassium, copper and iron. These nutrients are necessary for healthy bones, skin and eyes.

I think my diet is pretty well balanced and healthy, but sometimes I feel very sluggish, heavy, tired, restless at night and fuzzy in my head. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Maybe stress? hormones? Then it is a time I craved for sweets and carbs, which makes me crave more and feel worse after all. Instead, try to go outside, take a walk, get some fresh air, think about three things that you are grateful right now and make this salad 🙂 It is perfect for those weeks when you’re feeling you need a little extra boost or a kick start on your way back to health. Crunchy greens, nutty quinoa, creamy avocado, fragrant herbs, simple, yet delicious dressing. Have it as much as you want without worrying about calories or fat. Hopefully it recharges your batteries and boost your happy hormones after eating this!
Ingredients

1 cup of massaged kale leaves
1/2 of avocado
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of coriander
1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 spring onion
1/3 zucchini

For dressing
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
a squeeze of lemon
1 tbsp of e.v.o.o

Simply chop all vegetables and mix with cooked quinoa in a large mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a separate bowl. Gently toss the salad and dressing together. If your avocado is quite soft and ripe, add diced avocados at the end.

Za’atar is a middle eastern spice and herb blend and amazingly aromatic. It is great on flat bread, which helps digest the heaviness of the bread and can prevent many digestive and allergic reactions related to bread. Delicious when sprinkled on hummus or yogurt. You can even make a tea out of it which soothes stomach upset and helps with menstrual cramps. Ingredients of za’atar are thyme (full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties), sesame seeds (contains calcium, copper, phystoterol that can reduce cholesterol levels and boost your immune system) and sumac (full of antioxidants). You can make your own like this or find in local health shops.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1/2 cup dried borlotti bean
1/2 cup diced pumpkin
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp za’atar spice mix
1 large tomato
1 bunch of fresh parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cover beans with water in a pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until cooked. Drain and set aside. Place pumpkin and zucchini in a mixing bowl. Coat with coconut oil and za’atar spice. Spread on a baking tray and place in the preheated oven (180) for 15 minutes until cooked. Dice tomato and roughly chop parsley leaves. To make salad, put cooked beans and veggies in a mixing bowl, drizzle olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle more za’atar spice on top if you wish.

I’ve written a few posts about health benefits of the beetroots and some recipes already. So I’m not going over again how good it is for you. I was so excited when I saw a bunch of little cute beetroots with the greens attached at the shops today. Do not throw away those greens ever! They are packed with nutrition and beautiful and sweet when wilted down. This salad is so fresh, delicious and addictive. It is a quite classic flavour combination – beetroot, citrus, goat cheese and nuts. You cannot go wrong! Earthy flavour from the beetroot, sweet and tender beet green leaves, acidity from balsamic and orange, rich creamy cheese and crunchy walnuts. Yummy salad like this really excites me, almost feel like dancing 🙂

Ingredients

1 medium size beetroot
a bunch of beet greens
1 tbsp of coconut oil

For balsamic sauce
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp of water
1 tsp of garlic
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of sea salt
pepper to taste

To serve
1 small orange
100g goat cheese
a handful of walnuts
more balsamic sauce

Wash the beet and beet greens thoroughly and roughly chop into bite sizes. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add coconut oil, beet and balsamic sauce into a pan. It took me about 10 minutes to cook the beet. If you want to shorten the cooking time, cut it into little cubes. When the beet is caramelised outside and almost cooked, add beet greens and wilt down (don’t overcook!). When the balsamic sauce is evaporated and all ingredients are cooked, season, take off the heat and put on the serving plate. Arrange oranges, goat cheese and walnuts. Drizzle more balsamic sauce if you like before serve.