GF Ravioli and Raw Zucchini Ribbon Salad

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GF ravioli
Believe or not, I’ve never ordered ravioli or any other pasta dishes at Italian restaurant. I remember when I went out with work people for Christmas party a few years ago. We all went to this very popular Italian restaurant in town. Well some people ordered pizza, pasta, lasagna, you know all the traditional Italian foods. I ordered a bowl of salad (a safe option for being gluten-sensitive) and Daniel ordered a steak. Everyone laughed at us not ordering any Italian foods at Italian restaurant. I still don’t order those although they offer a gluten-free option. It tastes quite heavy to me. When I was browsing some food blogs, I came across this blog called “Dolly and Oatmeal” based in NY. Her blog has beautiful photographs and simple recipes that I fell in love. This ravioli is inspired by her.

You should all have some leftover rice papers in your pantry. Well I do! If you don’t, you can get them from any Asian groceries or in the Asian food aisle at the local supermarket. Handling rice papers can be a little bit tricky because it gets sticky and messy when you dip it in water too long. So you might need to play with it and practice until you get the hang of it. I like making rice paper rolls using fresh crisp vegetables and now making this gluten free ravioli! You can put any kind of fillings such as pesto, cheese, tofu, etc. I had a jar of chilli-capsicum chutney made up in the fridge, so decided to try with it. The bright red colour actually went so well with the green zucchini salad.

GF Ravioli1
Ingredients

For the ravioli
Rice papers

Fillings
Dried chilli
Char grilled capsicum
a teaspoon of coconut oil
a teaspoon of smoked paprika
a teaspoon of cardamom powder
Himalayan salt

For the salad
1 zucchini
1 cup of arugula leaves
1 cup of sliced celery
a teaspoon of fennel seeds

Maple vinaigrette
a table spoon of coconut vinegar
a teaspoon of e.v.o.o
a teaspoon of maple syrup
a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
a squeeze of orange juice
salt and pepper to taste

Dip the rice paper in water until soft and set it on the plate. Put dollops of chutney fillings on the rice paper. Dip the second piece of rice paper in water and then put it over the bottom piece. Get rid of air bubbles using a knife to make little cuts and create a seal around the filling. You might want to use a bit of oil in your finger to handle the rice papers since it can be quite sticky. Use a cookie cutter or a sharp knife to cut the ravioli. For the salad, I simply mixed ribboned zucchini, sliced celery, arugula leaves and fennel seeds. Then tossed with the maple vinaigrette. A beautiful fresh summer salad! You can make this to impress your loved ones or it is a perfect entree on a special day.

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

Raw Rainbow Salad and Irish Soda Bread

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Bread-making classDaniel and I went to “Less is More” festival in Peppermint Grove yesterday to attend a bread-making class. I was pretty excited about that because I make my own bread at home, but never really learned how to do properly. The lady explained about types of yeast, other ingredients for bread-making, history of the bread, how to make a loaf of bread using a bread maker and a recipe for Irish soda bread. Surprisingly class was so full although it was early Saturday morning. Beautiful smell of the bread from the oven made us so hungry. We went down to Kakulas Sister’s in Fremantle after the class to get some flour, beans, nuts and grains since I was running low on those in my pantry. I love that little place, full of exotic stuff that you cannot find at the supermarkets. I had to try out the printed recipe I got from her. So here it is. Irish soda bread!

Rainbow SaladIrish Soda Bread

100g country grain flour
100g plain flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
half cup of milk
half cup of olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir well making sure there is no lumps. Then add wet ingredients into the bowl. Baking soda and vinegar will do their thing and bubbles will appear. Then pour the mixture into a baking tin and put it in the preheated oven (200) for 20-30 minutes until all cooked through.

Rainbow Salad2Rainbow Salad

1 carrot
1/2 zucchini
1 cup of green beans
1 cup of shredded green cabbage
1/2 beetroot
a bunch of coriander
a teaspoon of sesame seeds

For dressing
a teaspoon of Dijon mustard
a teaspoon of tahini paste
a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
a teaspoon of maple syrup
a teaspoon of basil oil
salt and pepper to taste

Wash all veggies and cut into strips. I used a peeler for a carrot and zucchini. For the dressing, mix tahini, mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, basil oil, salt and pepper. Combine with the salads just before serve.

Posted in: Baking, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Watermelon and Feta Salad

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platter

It has been so hot in Perth over 35 degrees almost every day and until next week. I used to love watermelon in Summer. We used to go camping up on the mountains with my family in humid and hot days. Nothing beats the cool rainforest to avoid the heat. Bringing a whole watermelon was a must. Sometimes you don’t even need a knife. Just hit it against a rock and break like that. A big wedge each. We smile like a wedge of the watermelon. So refreshing and rehydrating snack! Then after a quick bite we go back to playing in water and hunter games. That’s my memory of this summer fruit.

Simple dressing made of lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt brings up the full flavour and sweetness of the watermelon. Don’t forget salty and earthy feta cheese and bitter arugula leaves compliment each other as well. I am in lust! We had a platter and this salad for lunch today.

Ingredients

1 cup of watermelon
1 stick of feta cheese
1 cup of arugula leaves
1 teaspoon of e.v.o.o
a splash of balsamic vinegar
a squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt

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

Seaweed Salad

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Seaweed Salad
I grew up with seaweed dishes in Korea. For example, Koreans eat a warm seaweed soup after giving a birth and on birthdays, a cool seaweed salad in Summer, dried ones for snacking, or just one of the side dishes in daily life. Western world is now starting to bring them to attention for better health. You can find them in a health food store or an Asian market. Most health food stores will either carry a variety of dried seaweeds in bulk or ready-to-use seaweed salad mixes that are kept hydrated and in salt in a plastic bag.

  • Nori is rich in iron, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, C, B2, and of course, iodine. It’s also a good source of protein.  It’s available as raw or toasted thin sheets that you can wrap things in.
  • Wakame is another one you might have encountered since it’s most commonly used in miso soup that is also served in Japanese restaurants. Wakame is high in B vitamins and essential fatty acids, which means it’s very good for your skin.
  • Kombu, a brownish-green sea vegetable, is used to treat thyroid conditions and is very rich in minerals and folate.
  • Dulse has a beautiful deep rosy-purple color and is also commonly added to soups or, in a powder form, used as a thickening agent. It’s exceptionally high in iron, magnesium, beta carotene, and protein!
  • Arame is a mild tasting sea vegetable that can be added to salads and almost anything else you wish to try it with. The dark brownish strands are rich in calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, folate, and vitamins A, and K.
  • Irish moss is most commonly used to thicken foods, especially desserts. It’s yellowish brown and is rich in vitamin A, minerals and protein but especially rich in sulfur, which means it’s good for decalcification!

So why seaweeds rock? Nori, wakame, kombu, dulse, arame, Irish moss…all plants of the sea are multicellular algae.  Some are green, others are brown, or red, or even translucent. What they all have in common, besides growing in seawater, is that they’re all very nutritious, that is, very high in iodine (excellent for thyroid health), minerals, protein, and lignans, the plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.

  • Great for digestive health: it can strengthen gut mucus (which protects the gut wall), slow down digestion (so you feel fuller for longer) and make food release its energy more slowly (ie, it is low-GI, and therefore good). It’s also high in fibre.
  • High in nutrients, low in calories
  • May improve heart health: Seaweed provides heart-healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids. The Dr. Oz Show website notes that a sheet of nori seaweed contains the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids as two avocados. This type of fat helps to raise healthy HDL cholesterol levels, while lowering harmful LDL cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fatty acids also help reduce inflammation in the body.
  • Has heavy-duty detox properties
  • May help regulate hormones

How do you use them? Flattened nori seaweed sheets are used to roll sushi. You can add them to a wrap or tuck them inside a sandwich or cut them into strips and toss into a salad or soup. Purchase dried brown or green kelp seaweed strips and add them to breads, pizzas, potatoes, pastas, casseroles, stews and soups. Or make seaweed chips by drizzling olive oil onto fresh seaweed pieces and baking until crisp.
Fish and seaweedIngredients
1 cup of dried seaweed (I use Korean brand)
1 sliced carrot
1 celery stick
sliced red onion
1/2 cucumber
1 table spoon of tamari
1 table spoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

I rehydrated a cup of seaweed in water for an hour. Drain and wash the seaweed and cut into bite sizes. Mix with other ingredients plus cooked rice noodles and served with a pan-fried fish on top. Delicious x

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

Smoked Chicken with Raw Coleslaw

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Chicken SaladI’d love to try to smoke a whole chicken at home one day, but well I took an easy way today and bought this little browned bird from the shop.

Ingredients

Shredded smoked chicken
1/4 shredded green cabbage
1 carrot
1/4 red onion
handful of parsley
1 cup of green salads

1 teaspoon of tahini paste
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

To make the salad, I mixed shredded green cabbage, carrots, red onions and parsley, green salads with a tahini dressing. For the dressing, mix tahini paste, white wine vinegar and dijon mustard. Shred the smoked chicken and mix well with the coleslaw salad. The smoky flavour from the chicken and refreshing crunchy salad marries very well. You can definitely cook your own chicken either grilling or poaching for a healthier option. Leftovers? Put in your lunch box! It will be a great filling for sandwich or wraps next day. Enjoy it in moderation because a cured or smoked meat contains a high amount of sodium and fat.

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