Chocolate Bark with Candied Honey Bacon and Pepitas

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Bacon ChocolateHave you had bacon in sweets? I was surprised how many sweets you can create with bacon. Bacon pretzels, bacon ice cream, chocolate bacon, bacon brownie, cupcakes topped with candied bacon… Wow they all sound quirky and amazing! I remember a friend of mine ordered the bacon on waffles with maple syrup when we had brunch together, which I thought it was a very odd combination. Then another time when Daniel and I went to his friend’s BBQ, Michelle made a bacon ice cream. It even made me a bit squeamish, how is that edible? So I had to experiment this bacon in chocolate today. Verdict? Surprisingly I don’t mind it. If you love bacon, if you love chocolate and if you love salty-sweet combination, give it a go. Maybe I can try it in brownies next time? Poor Daniel.. my ginny pig 🙂

Ingredients

4 pieces of rindless bacon
200g dark chocolate buttons
1 tbsp of honey
1/2 cup of pepitas
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
1/2 cup of coconut oil

Place bacon on a baking sheet and drizzle honey all over. Put it in the preheated oven (180) for 30-40 minutes until caramelised. Turn the bacon over about half way and add pepitas last 10 minutes. Cool it down until crisp. Melt the chocolate buttons and coconut oil either in microwave or in double-boiler until it’s all melted and smooth. Cut the bacon into pieces and arrange on a baking paper. Pour the chocolate mixture over the bacon and sprinkle toasted pepitas and salt. Place in the freezer for an hour or more to set.Once the bark is firm, break into pieces and store in the air-tight container in the fridge.

Bacon Chocolate2

Posted in: Baking, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack

Sushi Bowl

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Sushi BowlSushi or sashimi is one of my favorite foods to have when I’m out somewhere either from the restaurant or from the sushi roll take-away shops. It’s relatively healthy, gluten-free, easy on the go food. For deconstructed sushi bowl, you probably need rice, avocado, nori, etc that you normally see in sushi roll. I made my own twist putting in my kimchi, beans instead of rice and soy-tahini dressing instead of wasabi-soy dressing. The recipe is flexible and should be adjusted based on what you have on hand when you create your own flavourful sushi bowl. Chop your favorite vegetables and protein and throw them on top of complex carbs in a bowl. It is an easy way to eat clean, nourishing and healthy.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup cooked soybeans
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup sliced cucumber
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 bok-choy
radish kimchi
100g smoked salmon
coriander

For Soy-Tahini dressing
1 tsp of tahini paste
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of soy sauce1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and boil pre-soaked beans for 20 minutes until cooked. In the mean time, prepare other vegetables and make a dressing. Drain the beans and assemble the salad. Drizzle a dressing over the salad before serve.
Sushi Bowl2

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, salads

DIY Kimchi Spring Rolls

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DIY spring rollsI’ve prepared DIY spring rolls a few times for our dinner or a dinner party. It is quick and easy. There is not much cooking involved since it’s all fresh raw ingredients. It is fun to make, definitely makes you chew and eat slow and you can pick and choose what ingredients you would like to put in your rolls. Don’t expect too much on the first one cause it tends to be a messy one, just like when you make pancakes.

Ingredients

Crunch: carrots, celery,cucumbers, bean sprouts, lettuce leaves
Fresh herbs: coriander, mint, basil
Noodles: rice noodles or cellophane glass noodles. Normally I don’t add noodles to my daily spring rolls because it makes the spring rolls more filling and I enjoy eating my spring rolls filled with extra vegetables.
Protein: seafood or meat or tofu
Rice papers: Spring roll rice paper wrappers are available in various sizes and thickness.
Dipping sauce: I like a tahini sauce with spring rolls. Mix tahini paste, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

1. Dip and rotate a rice paper in the bowl of water. Keep patting until it’s pliable, but not completely soft. If you leave it too long in water, it gets really sticky and hard to roll.
2. Lay wet rice paper on rolling surface. Arrange ingredients at about 1/3 closest to you so that you have a space to roll.
3. Do not over-stuff your roll, start small then continue to add more fillings that works with your size rice paper.
4. Gently pull away the edge of wrapper from work surface and roll over the filling. Tuck the fillings under the wrapper and then fold in the sides
5. Slowly start to roll away from you and tuck in your filling toward you to keep the roll tight.
6. Eating these fresh as you roll them is best. If you want to take leftovers to work next day, it’s best to wrap each spring roll individually so that they remain fresh and won’t stick.

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

Beets and Caramelised Onion Tartlets

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When Daniel went to Korea with me for the first time, I’m sure he had a bit of cultural food shock. My family, especially my mum, tried to give him Korean stamina foods since that’s what we do for the quests. She even cooked a big piece of steak for his breakfast. My uncle gave him a root of ginseng dipped in honey >.< I find we have quite a variety of stamina foods in Korean cuisine such as ginseng chicken soup, grilled eel, fresh oysters, rice and mollusc soup, octopus dishes and herbal medicine. Since then, Korean food must have grown on him. He became a fan of a ginseng chicken soup and fresh oysters, which he never tried and disliked before. Yes, they are quite different to Western stamina foods. But the common thing is that all stamina foods contain complex carbs, good quality of protein, iron and vitamins. Complex carbs produce glucose providing your body energy. Protein is important for growth and development, repair of the muscles and body tissue. Iron for the energy and vitamins for the strong immune system. There is a list of stamina foods in Western world that is oatmeal, beans, coffee, green leafy vegetables, bananas, lean meat, peanut butter, beetroot, red grapes and quinoa. Beetroot! Red dirt earthy taste bomb! I love it so much both in raw and cooked dishes. Studies show regular consumption of beetroot lowers blood pressure,  slows cancer growth, promotes digestive and colon health and boosts stamina. Amazing. So include more beetroots in your diet.

  • Add grated raw beets in your salad for extra crunch and bright red colour
  • Make home made pickles with beets
  • Add grated beets in your chocolate cake for a hint of beetroot flavour, intense colour and moist cake
  • Add into your soup either chunky or pureed
  • Make vegetarian patty burger with grated beetroot
  • Make a nice dip
  • Caramelise in the oven with balsamic and honey for a beautiful side dish
  • Make fresh beetroot juice
  • Make beetroot chutney
  • Any more ideas????

Enjoy health benefits of beetroot!

Beetroot tartIngredients (for 3 little tarts)

For the filling
1 grated beetroot
1 sliced white onion
1 table spoon of balsamic vinegar
1 table spoon of molasses
1 table spoon of pink peppercorn

For the crust
75g rye flour
25g wholemeal spelt flour
1 egg
a bit of cold water
a pinch of salt

Add ingredients for the filling into the deep skillet and cook for 20-30 minutes until they are caramelised. Let it cool aside. For the tart, combine flour and egg. Add water a little by little to get a dough. Divide the dough into three balls. Roll out and put the filling in the middle. Fold the edges around and put it in the preheated oven (180) for 15-20 minutes until crust is cooked. Serve with goat cheese and thyme sprigs on top.

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

Grapes, Lentil and Feta Salad

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Grape Lentil Salad1This is the kind of salad I’ve been making so many times. Lentils are a staple of my diet and perfect in summer salads, soup, vegetarian burger, curry and spreads. I like them because of their nutty and earthy flavour and creamy texture. Not only that, lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, zinc, niacin and vitamin K, but are particularly rich in dietary fiber (good for digestive system), lean protein (make you full for longer), folate and iron. French lentils are my favorite because they don’t need pre-soaking, don’t get mushy or dry, and retain their shape very well after cooking. They taste so much better when you cook dried lentils at home rather than buy canned lentils, not to mention it is fresher and contains less salt and all that.

A few tips when you cook lentils! Wash and pick any bad ones or debris that might be in dried lentils. Cover with water in a pot and bring them to a rapid simmer, and then reduce the heat to low for the rest of cooking. About 10 minutes, take them off the heat, drain and rinse in cold water. Make sure they are not too mushy, which means overcooked. Add salt or acidic ingredients after cooking them otherwise lentils will get touch and not get cooked properly. Old lentils take longer to cook. So always keep fresh lentils in your pantry.

Grape Lentil SaladIngredients

1/2 cup of french lentils, rinsed and cooked
1/2 cup of diced cucumber
1/2 cup of red grapes, halved
1 cup of green salads
50g crumbled feta cheese
handful of toasted walnuts

For dressing
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of e.v.o.o
1 tsp of honey
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

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