Doenjang Braised Vegetables with Wild Rice

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

Plum Galette

Plum GaletteSummer fruits are out! Plums, nectarines, grapes, mangoes, etc. Bright red plums caught my eyes at the shops today. It is of course yummy eating by itself, but this tart stone fruit gets incredibly sweet when used in baking. This plum galette is perfect for light summer dessert and is super quick to make.

Nutritional benefits of juicy plums
– full of antioxidants (beta carotenes and anthocyanins) preventing you from cell damage and different types of cancers
– rich dietary fibre helps in digestion and alleviates constipation
– minerals such as potassium, fluoride and iron are good for your heart and blood pressure
– vitamin A for healthy eyes and good vision

Ingredients

For the crust
50g buckwheat flour
50g raw cashew nuts
5 medjool dates or dried dates
a teaspoon of cinnamon powder
a pinch of salt
cold water

For the filling
1 red plum sliced
a teaspoon of brown sugara teaspoon of cinnamon powder

Put all ingredients for the crust in the food processor. Blend all up and add cold water a little by little until you get a dough consistency. Knead the dough and rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes so that it is not crumbly. This technique, I learnt from one of the people who work at Creamsta. Then roll out the dough on the baking paper. Put slices of red plum with sugar and cinnamon powder in a ring form. Fold the edges around the fruit. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for about 30 minutes until crust is golden and crispy. Let it cool slightly before cutting up. Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt on top.Plum Galette2

Summer Corn Salad

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

 

GF Loaf On The Go

Breakfast loaf

It was about 9 years ago when I moved to Perth by myself. I never lived overseas before and didn’t know what to expect. I was living in a share house with a couple of other people. Having to share a kitchen, fridge, and every other things out of my own room was very uncomfortable. But I had to deal with that for a couple of years as the tuition fee was ridiculously expensive as an international Uni student (about 3-4 times more than local students). I didn’t care much about what I ate back then, so I had a bit of weird addiction to one food, which I ate every day every single meal until I got bored of it. I used to live on breakfast cereal, Crunchy nut, at some point. Although it was so sugary and had absolutely no nutrition, it was quick and convenient to just fill up my stomach. After that, weet-bix, breakfast bars, frozen peas, etc. This bad eating habit continued after I finished Uni and got a job just because I was too busy to eat my lunch or dinner at work. I was working long hours without proper breaks and just had to shovel down something quick between patients. Thinking back now I deeply regret and feel sorry for not caring my health for years. I cannot blame anyone but me >.< So no excuses everyone and make this loaf!!!!

Great thing about making this awesome breakfast loaf is healthy, easy and has everything you need. So if you are going out somewhere, busy at work, traveling, getting on the plane, etc, take this loaf in your bag as a snack or even simple meal. You can be creative and put other ingredients that you like. To make one loaf (about 4-5 servings) I used 150g grated green apple, 1 knob of grated ginger, 1 tea spoon of cinnamon powder, 2 table spoons of maple syrup, 1 table spoon of coconut oil, 100g eggs, 1 tea spoon of baking powder, 75g coconut flour, 30g of LSA, 25g maca powder, 25g mequisite powder and a pinch of Himalayan salt. Simply combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, transfer to a loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 45 minutes or until it’s all cooked. I put these ingredients because I just love a combination of apple, cinnamon and ginger. But you can make your own recipes using different flavour combinations such as banana and chocolate, coconut and blueberries, cranberries and pecans, dates and apricot, strawberry and rhubarb, etc.

Black Bean Salad with Basil Pesto

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