Post-Workout Meals

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My hubby does Taekwondo training (Korean martial arts) twice a week and plays squash once a week. I’m so proud of him learning new things like Taekwondo and getting promoted at every grading. He is in fact getting his brown belt today 🙂 Hopefully using those defensive skills to protect me one day haha. Well it is not ideal having a job that involves sitting on his bum all day for his health. I feel for him now because I spend more time in front of computer than ever before. My physio job used to be always on the go and never had a chance to sit down and rest. Such a difference! He is normally drenched in sweat after exercise and comes home hungry. Then I prepare his dinner/ post-workout meals for him.

What you eat after a workout is crucial no matter what time of the day you exercise. Proper PRE-workout snack helps to maximise your performance throughout and post-workout meals optimises muscle recovery. Having a balanced meal of carbs and protein 1-2 hours before training supplies energy during your workout and helps to reduce post workout cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Again meals that combine carbs and protein after your workout replenish energy stores and muscle recovery. Fat intake is also important for immunity such as avocados, olives, fatty fishes and healthy oils.

Chicken curry and sago

Tonight his dinner/ POST-workout meal is chicken curry and coconut-cinnamon sago for dessert. Good balance of protein, carbs and fat!

Chicken Curry
I browned chopped 200g chicken breast, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 1/4 zucchini, ginger and garlic in a wok. I then added curry powder, cumin, fennel, cinnamon and coconut milk. Braise in medium heat for 10-15 minutes until ingredients are cooked and sauce is reduced. I added black sesame seeds at the end for calcium.

Coconut-Cinnamon Sago
I soaked 100g medium sized tapioca pearls and a cup of coconut milk in a pot for about 30 minutes. Then poured 2-3 cups of water into the pot and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat right down and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tapioca pearls are cooked. Add a tea spoon of cinnamon powder and honey to taste. You need to keep stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes or more and serve it cold.

Posted in: Dinner, Lunch, My recipes

Gorgonzola and Honey Pizza

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Gorgonzola Pizza

If you’ve never put honey with blue cheese, you will get pleasantly surprised how wonderful it is. I tried this pizza when I was in Korea, one of the Italian restaurants. They put just two ingredients on top of paper-thin pizza, Gorgonzola cheese and pesto, and serve with honey in a dipping bowl. What you do is grab a slice of pizza and dip in honey. It’s a delectable sweet and salty dish. Easy to put together yet complex in flavour! This combination works really good served as a starter on crostini or salad with slices of pear or apple or figs. Yum!

Red Salad: Mix cumin, grated beetroot and carrot with coriander. Season with salt and pepper. Dress with  coconut vinegar, lemon juice and e.v.o.o.

Stuffed Green Capsicum: Cook minced beef in a pan with garlic, ginger, chilli and soy sauce. Clean the inside of the green capsicum and fill up with cooked beef. Put it in the preheated oven (180) for 20 minutes until capsicum is soft and tender.

Gorgonzola Pizza: Roll out the pizza dough nice and thin. Spread pesto at the bottom and arrange caramelised onion, slices of figs, Gorgonzola cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic chips and walnuts. Put it in the oven for about 15 minutes. Add a drizzle of honey just before serve.

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Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Lunch, My recipes

GF Berry Pancakes

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Fotor020575144Beautiful Summer morning. I woke up craving for some sweet breakfast this morning. My usual breakfast muffin didn’t seem that sweet enough for some reason. I can be like that (blame my hormones whenever I have a sweet tooth >.<) So I decided to make some pancakes. Crack one egg, pour a bit of almond milk, add 100g buckwheat flour and a splash of soda water as you whisk. Same as when you make batter for fried food, this bubbly water adds a lightness to the dish. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I filled and topped with honey, frozen berries and nectarine compote that I made last week. It is quite handy to have a jar of home-made fruit compote in your fridge so you can use on desserts and baking or….just straight out of the jar. I boiled and simmered nectarines with honey, chia seeds and acai powder in a pot with a bit of water. After fruits lose their shape, use a stick blender to whiz up until smooth. Taste to see if you need additional honey. Pour into a steralised jar and keep refrigerated. You can use seasonal fruits – nectarines, apples, plums, berries, figs, etc. I like adding something like ginger, cinnamon or cardamom to spice it up. Yum! I was thinking a dollop of yogurt would be nice on the side. Great for breakfast or dessert! Happy tummy now..
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Posted in: Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack

Leek Frittata with Mediterranean Orzo Salad

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Leek frittata

I found a giant leek at the local veggie market today. I don’t know why I get so excited when I find humongous vegetables or fruits 🙂 Leeks belong to the family of Alliaceae like onion and garlic. They are very low in calories but packed with healthy nutrients and phytonutrients.

  •  the flavonoid kaempferol provides protection to the lining of blood vessels, thereby lowers the risk of hypertension.
  •  as the allium family they lowers blood pressure, good for cardiovascular health.
  •  low calorie and high fibre content helps to lose weight.
  •  they can fight chronic low-level inflammatory status such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis.
  •  antioxidants in leeks help to fight against free radicals which cause chronic disease and aging.
  •  they are a good source of vitamins and minerals

They have very mild flavour and works well with other vegetables. My favorite way of cooking leeks is sautéing with a drizzle of olive oil and white wine and serving with a piece of white fish. Another way is to make an omelet or frittata with sauteed leeks. Cook finely sliced leeks in a pan until they are softened and then mix with whisked eggs and milk. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Because this frittata can be a little bland I wanted something salty and zingy salad on the side. So I made this salad using olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, cooked orzo, goji berries, toasted pepitas and green salad. Protein from eggs tick! Carbs from orzo and veggies tick! Good fat from olive oil and nuts tick! Taste also tick! I think it ticks all the boxes 🙂

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

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Lasagna with Kale Chips

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I made a vegetarian version of the traditional meaty lasagna last night for “Meatless” Monday. Meatless Monday is an international campaign, no meat on Mondays to improve your health and the health of the planet. It started quite a while ago in America in 2003 and runs in over 20 countries, mostly high meat consuming countries. I am very positive about this movement, not that I want Australians to turn to vegetarians or vegan. But it’s a fun program that you can think about your health and environment at the start of the week and come up with some interesting vegetarian dishes. I don’t need to follow this rule since my diet is already 90% vegetarian though I try to cook a vegetarian dinner at least x 1-2 a week for my hubby.

pumpkin lasagnaA traditional lasagna is a nice comfort food, but can be quite heavy loaded with ground beef and cheese. You can make a healthier version and have a generous serving of veggies by simply replacing ingredients. You can make it gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagna sheets or just layers of sliced vegetables such as eggplant and zucchini. Bechamel sauce is traditionally made of butter, flour and milk that gives a nice creaminess and builds a lasagna shape. To make a healthier version (gluten-free and dairy-free! yay!), you can use creamed tofu, celeriac purĂ©e, cashew cream or white bean purĂ©e. These substitutes don’t compromise flavour at all but in fact adds more protein and fibre. I find a beauty of making lasagna is when it shows beautiful layers when you cut into it. I used pumpkin mash, slices of sweet potatoes, Parmesan cheese and sage leaves – simple ingredients but nice flavour. I served with bitter crunchy kale chips which compliment this dish very well. This would be a fabulous dish for a potluck dinner or a holiday party as well.

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, My recipes, Vegetarian