Thai Beef Salad

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Thai Beef Salad Junk food, take-away and packaged foods that don’t have much “flavours” can actually make you feel even more hungry afterwards because your palate is not satisfied and also there is a lack of nutrition. Cooking at home, on the other hand, is not only healthier but also is a great way of creating flavoursome food with different herbs and spices. Herbs are a fantastic way of adding flavour and nutrients to your dish. Here is a list of my favorite herbs I often use in my cooking. Especially, garlic and ginger is a must in Asian cooking. This Thai beef salad recipe is gluten-free, low-fat, high-protein, nourishing, tasty and packed with powerful nutrition. It also looks great with colourful veggies. Try tonight 🙂

  • Parsley- diuretic, aids edema, fluid retention, indigestion, gas, anti-parasitic, promotes healthy thyroid function
  • Capsicum (cayenne)- increases thermogenesis, increases circulation, promotes heart health, aids digestion, enhances performance of other herbs
  • Ginger-aids digestion and hypertension, promotes lung function, strengthens adrenal glands (often depleted by stress),relives morning sickness, nausea, gas
  • Rosemary- aids strong hair growth, enhances memory function, protects brain from free radical damage, combats fluid retention, topically makes hair shine
  • Garlic-has antibiotic, anti fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-viral activity, detoxifies, strengthens blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, enhances immune function
  • Peppermint- aids chills, fever, nausea, colic, diarrhea, headaches (internally and externally)
  • Sage- aids in mental clarity, circulation, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties
  • Basil- used to relive nervous disorders, headaches, rheumatic pains
  • Dill- relives colic, indigestion, gas, promotes breast milk production
  • Oregano- anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-parasitic, enhances immune function
  • Thyme- anti-parasitic, relives muscle pain and tightness, makes cough more productive, enhances immune function

Ingredients

500g beef fillet or rump steak
100g rice noodles
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 carrot
1 spring onion
1 cup of kale leaves
a bunch of coriander

For dressing
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp Himalayan salt

Rub the steak with soy sauce and let it sit for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cook in a pan for a few minutes each side. Take it off the heat and let it rest. In the mean time, cut all vegetables. Cook the rice noodles, rinse in cold water, drain and set aside. Whisk all dressing ingredients in a bowl to combine well. Gently toss veggies, beef, noodles and dressing in a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl, pour all the dressing over and garnish with sesame seeds.

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

GF Lupin Savoury Muffins

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When I went to one of my favorite local health food shops today, I came across lupin flour. Have you heard of it? I’ve seen lupin beans at Kakulas brothers, but not the flour. I couldn’t resist myself taking some home for a little gluten free baking experiment.

Lupin or Lupini beans are yellow legume seeds of the lupinus genus plant, a common food of the Mediterranean basin and Latin America. Flour from the lupini bean has many health benefits such as high dietary fiber, high protein, no starch, non-GMO, and a low glycemic index. It helps manage hunger throughout the day as well as provides higher brain function. It is also naturally gluten-free. Yay!

The problem with gluten-free baking is that it can have a weird texture, or the hint of a strange flavour. It is best to swap half of the flour in your favorite bread or cookie recipe with lupin flour. It is on the salty savoury side so skip adding any additional salt. And it has a texture closer to cornmeal so extra moisture is also helpful. I wanted to bake something savoury using lupin flour today. Spinach, feta cheese, black olives and thyme sounds good to me! These muffins are packed with protein – great for breakfast! I only made three for experiment, but feel free to double up the recipe and make 6 muffins.
Lupin muffinsIngredients

50g lupin flour
50g buckwheat flour
20g flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
30g feta cheese, crumbled
10 black pitted olives, chopped
1/2 cup of baby spinach, chopped
1 tsp thyme
2 large eggs
40ml of olive oil
a pinch of salt

Lightly beat eggs and olive oil in a large bowl. Add all dry ingredients in and stir to combine. Add crumbled feta, chopped olives and spinach, and thyme into the mixture and stir until combined. Spoon the mixture into a muffin tins and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20-25 minutes until cooked.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Mushroom Hummus

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Mushroom hummusThe recipe for hummus is a simple mixture of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon and salt, but there are so many different ways of making it. Here is my way with a healthy twist. I almost always cook my beans and grains from scratch. Canned ones have unnecessary sodium and preservatives inside and don’t taste as good as fresh ones. So soak your bean overnight if you can. I left all the skin of the chickpeas for extra fibre and chunky texture, but you can choose to peel off the skin if you want smooth hummus. I’ve added only a table spoon of olive oil in the recipe. If you need, add water little by little to loosen the hummus mixture and then drizzle olive oil on top to serve. It is a perfect delicious appetiser with some raw veggies or crackers.

Adding cooked mushrooms and leek adds extra flavour and lightens up the hummus. Of course, nutritionally good, as well. Mushrooms are one of the most powerful natural medicines and play an important role in keeping the immune system strong, helping to fight off viruses and bacteria. They contain powerful phytochemicals that may assist those with autoimmune disorders, and both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer components. They are a rich source of B vitamins and also a good source of vitamin D, especially when sun dried. Finally, mushrooms are filling but low-calorie and low-fat, great for weight loss. Try to use a variety of mushrooms in your salads, stir-fries, soup, risotto, casserole and even pate. Delicious and good for you!
mushroom hummus1Ingredients

100g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
300g button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped leek
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp tahini paste
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
a squeeze of lemon

Cook soaked chickpeas in a boiling water for 20-30 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan. Add sliced mushrooms, chopped leek, cumin, paprika, salt and garlic into a pan and cook for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Put cooked chickpeas, tahini paste, olive oil and mushroom mixture into your food processor. Blend until you get a desired texture. Add a bit of water if hummus is too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle more oil if you like. I saved a bit of cooked mushrooms for garnish. Serve with raw veggies or crackers.

 

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Buddha Bowl? Goodness In A Bowl

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Buddha BowlHave you heard of “buddha bowl“? It is probably the most nutritionally-balanced meal in the universe, with the perfect blend of carbs, protein, fat, and micronutrients. Like, you could eat it every day for the rest of your life. I always wanted to do a “temple stay” one day in Korea. The name explains all. You go into the temple and live like monks for the weekend or longer. You don’t have to be religious. You obviously don’t have your phone, internet, tv, no social network whatsoever! The program includes meditation, tea ceremonies, mountain trekking, preparing and having a traditional Buddha meal. My uncle did it for a month and strongly recommended it. It cleanses you inside out – clear mind and healthy body!

There is no strict recipe to make a buddha bowl. It is made of cooked grain, raw or cooked veggies and dressing (sounds like a healthy version of bibimbap with no egg on top, right?). Make your own creation, great for lunch or dinner. You can even do this at your dinner party by preparing all different ingredients in separate bowls so that the guests can pick and choose what they want in their bowls. Maybe nice miso soup on the side, too?

Buddha Bowl1Ingredients

Grain base: 1 cup cooked quinoa
Vegetables: carrot, celery, beetroot, tomato, seaweed, radish kimchi, coriander
Dressing: tamari, tahini, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, pepper
Add tofu if you want to add some protein.

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

GF Rhubarb Pie

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rhubarbIt is a rhubarb season! These glossy, crisp and rose-red stalks are amazing. It is quite tart and tangy, but cooking or baking makes it beautifully sweet and sour, perfect for a dessert. Rhubarb technically is a vegetable, but more often it is compared in the fruit family. It was mainly used for medicinal purposes back in 2700 BC from China. It has many anti-oxidant benefits, helps your digestion and mostly will help with allergies like coeliac, gluten or dairy intolerance, lung irritation and poor circulation. They are naturally low in calories and contains some fibre, calcium, vitamins C, A and K, magnesium, potassium, manganese and a little iron. Rhubarb is also a good source of lutein, good for your skin and eyes. Its vibrant red colour is powerful antioxidants that can promote good health and help prevent heart disease and cancer.

In this recipe, I added maple syrup to counterbalance the tartness of the rhubarbs and rose water, vanilla and cinnamon to compliment the rhubarbs. Make it for dessert and have the leftovers for next morning. It is delicious x
rhubarb pieIngredients

For the filling
3 stalks of rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup rose water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
a pinch of Himalayan salt
1/2 cup coconut flour

For the topping
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp golden flaxseed

Put all filling ingredients except coconut flour in a saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes until rhubarbs are tender. Take it off the heat and let it cool. Then mix the rhubarb mixture and coconut flour in a bowl and stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle chia seeds and golden flaxseed. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for about 30 minutes. Serve warm with thick Greek yogurt or coconut cream.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Vegetarian