Fitter Than Choc

Fruity Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

2011-07-09T20:12:00.000+08:00

I couldn't be happier when I arrived at my service apartment, and realized that I have an almost full kitchen - microwave, stove, oven, dishwasher – to keep me company over the next two months. Eating out every day just wouldn't do for me.

While having a kitchen is a good thing, I had to stock up on my totally empty pantry. Having an empty pantry and refrigerator reminded me of how expensive it is to stock up on a pantry, and essential kitchen ingredients, and made me wonder if it is worth the while to cook during my stay here. Despite the second thoughts, I still went ahead and stocked up on the following essentials:

- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Ground cinnamon
- Cumin
- Lemon and lime
- Canned beans
- Rolled oats (I need my oatmeal)
- Garlic (I use them a lot in cooking)
- Onion (I use them a lot in cooking)
- Quinoa (I was deciding between quinoa and brown rice)
- Tamari sauce (for Japanese dishes)
- White Miso Paste (for Japanese dishes)
- Dashi powder (for Japanese dishes)
- Walnuts (nuts are my go-to snack)
- Chicken broth (I need my savory oatmeal)
- Fresh herbs (basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano)
- Fresh fruits (I need my daily dose of fruits to stay regular)
- A bar of dark chocolate !!

With my newly stocked pantry, the first dish I made was this quinoa salad. Quinoa is my best friend, and if you have been following this blog for some time, you should know how much I adore it. This salad is light, citrusy and perfect for summer – it’s perfect for the weather in New York and Connecticut now! Sala from Veggie Belly used ripe mangoes, but I substituted it with unripe mangoes because I didn’t want a salad that is too sweet. Either ways, I think they are still scrummy:)

Fruity Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing
Adapted from Veggie Belly
Serves 2

Ingredients
For the quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

For salad additions
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup unripe mangoes, cubed (for sweeter variation, use ripe mangoes)
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained

For the lemon basil dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp zest of lime
1 tbsp basil leaves, minced
1/2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

To cook quinoa, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan; add the quinoa, bring back to boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes, or until quinoa has absorbed all the water. Remove cooked quinoa from heat, fluff, cover and allow it to stand for another 15 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, combine the blueberries, mango and chickpeas in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator. Combine the ingredients for the dressing. When the quinoa is ready, add the cooked quinoa to the bowl of fruits and chickpeas.
Toss the salad with the dressing. Allow to chill for 1 hour or more to allow flavors to blend. Salad keeps well overnight. Enjoy!

What other pantry items would you buy during a two months stay like this?

What are the must-have items in your pantry?

Vanilla-Scented Poached Pears

2011-07-04T09:19:00.001+08:00

Greetings from New York City!

I am finally here in NYC after a long 22-hour flight. *Phew* I might have told some of you that I will be in NYC and Connecticut for work, and here I am! Work has brought me to US, and I will be in Connecticut over the next 2 months. This is my first work trip, so I am really excited about this. Amidst the excitement, I was bored stiff during my flight, so I tried to kill some time during my flight with this post:

Since I started on my new job, I have not had much time to cook (or even blog). Breakfast has been my usual fuss-free savory oatmeal, fruit salad or granola; lunch has been on-the-go; dinner has been more of a social gathering with different groups of friends. While I think catching up with friends over dinner is a wonderful thing to do, I find myself missing home-cooked meals, and spending some personal time in the kitchen.

So when I finally managed to sneak in some time on Saturday morning, I decided to kick start the weekend with some dessert for breakfast – Vanilla-scented Poached Pears. Since the theme for this fortnight’s cookbook challenge is ‘Desserts’, I am sending this in for that.

Poached fruits are not what one would typically think of when desserts are concerned; chocolate usually tops my list for desserts. They are like the unsung hero amongst desserts . You often forget about them, until someone reminds you about how great they are. For me, that ‘someone’ is The Candle Cafe Cookbook – a cookbook that my friend, May, gave me when she returned from her New York trip some time back. The Candle Cafe Cookbook is a cookbook by the Candle Cafe, a vegan restaurant that May fell in love with during her trip to NYC. Knowing that I enjoy vegan dishes as much as she does, May decided to share with me a slice of her trip, and bought me this cookbook. I have since tried several recipes from this cookbook, and the dishes have always turned out well; this time is not the exception.

This poached pear doubles up perfectly as a lovely breakfast when served over a bowl of oatmeal porridge. That is the beauty of any form of poached or grilled fruits – it is so versatile. If you are craving for a dessert, serve it with ice cream, and if you want a sweet weekend breakfast, serve it with yoghurt or oatmeal!!

Happy July 4th to all my friends in US!

Vanilla-Scented Poached Pears
Serves 4
Adapted from The Candle Cafe Cookbook

Ingredients
4 medium pears, washed and peeled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup cranberries (I used dried cranberries)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup apple juice (I used unsweetened apple juice)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Peel the pears and cut them in half from stem to base. Core the pears and leave the bottoms intact. Drizzle them with lemon juice.
Fill each pear with an equal portion of cranberries and almonds. Sprinkle the pears with ground cinnamon.
Place the pears – filled side up- in a saucepan; add the cinnamon sticks to the pan and pour the apple juice and vanilla extract around the pears.
Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm on its own, with ice cream, or over a bowl of oatmeal. Enjoy!

Cook’s Notes
These were great with dried cranberries, but I believe they would have been even better with fresh cranberries.

How do you kill time during a long-haul flight?

What is the first dessert that you think of?

Melinda’s Choc Fudge Cherry Ripe Brownie

2011-06-28T05:04:00.001+08:00

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

We all know this famous quote by Tom Hanks in Forest Gump. But I say: Life is like a box of brownie mix. You never know the end result until you try it, and the result may surprise you – just like how the combination of Melinda’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix and Cherry Ripe bars resulted in some really awesome brownies. Or how sometimes, you may not be too enthusiastic about something, only to realise later that it wasn't as bad as expected, and that you have actually enjoyed it.

I have always been skeptical about store-bought brownie pre-mix. Years ago, during my gluten-eating days, my maiden attempt of baking brownies - using store-bought pre-mix - resulted in a total disaster. I can still remember how dry and sickeningly sweet my brownies were; and I never knew brownies could taste so bad. From then on, I avoided any sort of pre-mixes like plague – until I tried Melinda’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix.

During my trip back to Melbourne, my friend, Jenny gave me a box of Melinda’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix. She has been experimenting with various gluten-free cake and brownie mixes, and wanted me to try her favourite brownie mix. You could see the excitement in her eyes when she talks about these brownies, ‘If all gluten-free products are this good, giving up gluten will be so much easier.’ Skeptical as I may have been, I was bought over by her enthusiasm.

So on Father’s Day, I finally gave it a go. I have started on my new job, and have not had the time to shop for baking ingredients, so this baking mix came in really handy. Jenny was right about this - it is possibly one of the best brownies I have had lately. Jenny used dark chocolate chips in her brownies, but I decided to make it more Aussie by tossing in some chopped Cherry Ripe bars. For the benefit of those who have not heard of Cherry Ripe, Cherry Ripe is a cherry, coconut and dark chocolate-based candy bar, and is one of the oldest chocolate bars in Australia. It is also one of the top three brands of chocolate bars sold in Australia. I was introduced to Cherry Ripe about a year ago, and I started out not liking it. But somehow, the combination of dark chocolate, cherry and coconut grew on me, and it became my favourite chocolate bar (besides dark chocolate) - sadly, it’s not dairy-free or gluten-free; if not I would be having it every day.

Remember to try some Cherry Ripe if you are travelling in Australia :)

The addition of Cherry Ripe to these indulgent brownies a lovely cherry and coconut flavor. The brownies were all that you can ask for in brownies – moist, decadent, and leaves you wanting more. I had a revelation as my Dad and I were digging into our brownies. How about adding cherries and coconut into my brownies next time? Has anyone tried that before?

Melinda’s Choc Fudge Cherry Ripe Brownie

Directions
Preheat oven to 180C. Simply add 2 eggs or egg substitute (I used 1/2 cup blended tofu) and some butter or margarine to the brownie mix. When the mixture is well combined, fold in 100g of chopped Cherry Ripe. Transfer the mixture to a greased 20 cm/8” square pan. Bake for 20 – 25 mins. Enjoy!!

Cook’s Notes

Brownie mix is gluten-free, lactose-free, egg-free and yeast-free.
Omit Cherry Ripe if you want a gluten-free, lactose-free treat.
Substitute it with your favorite chocolate bar.
I used 1/2 cup of blended tofu, and margarine.
For those living in Singapore: You can find Melinda's Choc Fudge Brownie Mix at Market Place Supermarket, and Cherry Ripe bars at the Candy Empire.

What is your favorite candy bar or chocolate bar?
What is your take on baking mix?

The Peninsula Hot Springs and How it is Different from an Onsen

2011-06-23T23:05:00.000+08:00

‘How are hot springs in Australia like?’ I asked James.
‘Well, you’ll see it for yourself, and decide how it’s different.’

James and I have been planning a Mornington Peninsula trip – mainly for the hot springs - since last August, but work got in the way, and we decided to postpone the trip. Subsequently, life brought me back to Singapore, and we had to postpone the trip yet again. Since I was back in Melbourne for the past two weeks, we took the opportunity to put our plans into action.

Our Itinerary

And so we did it – a day trip to Mornington Peninsula!

The Peninsula Hot Springs [Source]

Our first stop was the much-awaited Peninsula Hot Springs. The Peninsula Hot Springs is the first natural hot springs in Victoria, and is approximately a 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne. Being half-Japanese, hot springs are not a new thing for me, but visiting a hot spring in Australia was. I was excited to discover how hot springs there are different from the ones in Japan, yet I was expecting them to be pretty similar. I mean, hot springs are hot springs; they can’t be that different, right?

Wrong.

The whole experience proved to be relatively different from the ones I have been to in Japan, but was just as rejuvenating, relaxing and enjoyable. If it was not for the fact that I wanted to visit some wineries, and some restaurants, James and I could have easily spent the entire day soaking in healing waters of the hot springs. We realized later that we should have done the Peninsular Hot Springs last. According to the server at Max’s (we dined here after the hot springs) the Peninsula Hot Springs is really pretty at night, and he said that the experience is ‘magical’. Admittedly, we are not that good at planning itineraries; we are usually the sort who will go with the flow of things when we travel. If I were to go to Mornington Peninsula again, I would definitely do it at night next time.

Doesn't it look magical at night? [Source]

Differences between Japanese Onsens and Hot Springs in Australia (aka Peninsula Hot Springs)

A hot spring is still called a hot spring in Australia. The Japanese hot spring is called Onsen - traditionally they are used as public bathing places.
Onsen comes in many types and shapes – outdoors, indoors, public, or private (as part of a hotel or ryokan).
Bathing suits are compulsory in the Peninsula Hot Springs. In Japan, nudity is compulsory in the Onsens; bathing suits and towels are not allowed in the pool and it is considered rude to use it – you can only use a small face towel to protect your modesty while walking around the bathing area. In recent years, though, there are modern Onsens with mixed-gender baths that requires bathing suits – they are pretty rare.
Both genders share the bathing area in the Peninsula Hot Springs. In Japan, bathing areas are often separated according to genders; you may find some mixed-gender Onsens, but they are not as common and are not very popular among Japanese women. Frankly speaking, I like the Australian way of using bathing suits and a mixed-gender bathing area. It is more family and couple-friendly; you can relax together with your loved ones and not worry about being nude in front of others.
In both the Peninsula Hot Springs and the Onsens in Japan, washing prior to entering the pool is compulsory. In Australia, you wash yourself in the shower room, but in the Japanese Onsen, you wash yourself (in front of others) in a washing area beside the thermal pools. Entering the Onsen while still dirty or with traces of soap on the body is socially unacceptable.
In Japan, people with large tattoos may be denied entry to the Onsen, because tattoos are often associated with Japanese gangs (Yakuzas). I am not too sure if this rule applies to foreigners, some of my expat friends with tattoos have been allowed in Onsens. In Australia, that doesn’t really matter if you have a tattoo.

Do you like spas and hot springs??

Spiced Corn-on-the-Cob (Masaledar Bhutta)

2011-06-19T20:04:00.001+08:00

I have long been awed by the exotic flavours and blend of spices in Indian cookery. Yet I can count the number of times I have dined in Indian restaurants over the last three years – seven times. It is a shame, I know. As much as I love the complex flavors and the aroma of Indian dishes, the thought of having dishes that are laden with fats does not appeal to me; the use of ghee (clarified butter) and cream means that the dishes are often higher in fats and calories compared to other cuisines. If Indian food was not as oily, and was dairy-free (I’m intolerant to dairy products), I would eat it more often.

So it was like a dream come true when I found this book on James’s bookshelf when I was in Melbourne: Fat Free Indian Cookery by Mridula Baljekar. I was reading it the other day, and ended up packing it into my bag accidentally – really, I’m not lying; and James called me a book-stealer when I told him about it :(. Since I did not like the idea of being called a book-stealer, I had to redeem myself by trying out the recipes in this book – I am now his personal recipes-tester.

The theme for the cookbook challenge is ‘Spice’, so I decided to go with this flavorsome spiced corn-on-the-cob. Unlike the usual corn-on-the-cob that is brushed with butter, these are steamed, and then brushed with a light seasoning of spice mix. The seasoning gave the cobs of corn a tangy-yet-spicy flavor that is bound to whet your appetite – a delicious snack and appetizer.

Spiced Corn-on-the-Cob (Masaledar Bhutta)
Adapted from Fat Free Indian Cookery
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 large cobs of corn
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, ground and roasted
1/2 tsp chilli powder or to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/4 tsp dried mint (I used 1 tsp chopped fresh mint)

Directions

Wrap the corn individually in aluminium foil and place it in a steamer, over boiling water. Cook for 25 – 30 minutes.
To roast cumin seeds (roasting helps to enhance the flavor), heat a frying pan for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add the cumin seeds; stir for about 1 minute until the seeds produce an aroma. Remove from heat, transfer to a plate, and leave to cool. Grind the cumin using a coffee mill.
Mix the lime juice with the roasted ground cumin seeds and the rest of the ingredients. Brush the spice mixture over the cooked corn and serve. Cut into smaller pieces if preferred. Enjoy!

Are there any cuisines that you like, but avoid because of health reasons?

Happy Father's Day once again to all Daddies! Here's what we had for Father's Day lunch:)

A lovely lunch at Heart Bistro

Do check out my fellow Cookbook Challengers' entries here.

Father's Day Recipe Roundup + Some Thoughts

2011-06-18T10:04:00.000+08:00

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

- Jim Valvano

Hi everyone! After being in Melbourne for about 2 weeks, I am finally back in Singapore again. This is the third weekend of June. Do you know what that means? It is Father's Day tomorrow! Special occasions such as this, always makes me think about my relationships with the people around me, so I thought I should share some thoughts about my dad (and some lovely Father’s Day recipes) here.

When I was younger, I used to compare my father with my friends’ fathers. My dad is like the typical stereotype of a Japanese dad – chauvinistic, non-affectionate, non-expressive. His work required him to travel frequently, so he was never really around for my birthdays, and many other special occasions; I thought he didn’t care about the family. I secretly wished he was more like my friends’ fathers who were always around to play with them, and buy them gifts.

But as I grew older, and was in a better position to understand my dad’s circumstances, I realized how immature I had been, and how wrong I was about my dad. While he has never told me how much he loved or cared about our family, his actions spoke louder than words. When he is not overseas for work, he is always the one cooking for us – well, at least most of the time; the one who makes sure we keep ourselves healthy and strong; the one who is always supportive of our decisions; and the one who encourages us to undertake new challenges in life – the great teacher and protector of the family.

Dads come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities; but I am certain about one thing – they all love their kids (even if they don’t express it), and are awesome in their own unique ways. I don’t have any new recipes to share today (because I was away), but I did a compilation of some lovely for Father’s Day recipes from various blogs. If you are looking for some Father’s Day menu inspiration, you should really check some of these out! Happy Father’s (and Grandfather’s) Day to all Dads!

Father's Day Recipe Roundup

Breakfast

Breakfast Sandwich topped with Sports Ball Cheese Slices by Hungry Happenings
Breakfast Pan ‘Cake’ by Savory Sweet Life
Baked Eggs by Live and Enliven [Gluten Free]
Bacon Jam by Not Quite Nigella [Gluten Free]
Spanish Omelette by Globetrotter Diaries [Gluten Free]
Sweet Corn Hash by Joy the Baker [Gluten Free]

Mains

Chicken Mole Poblano by Fitter Than Choc [Gluten Free]
Grilled Beef and Mushroom Burger by Simply Recipes
Blue Cheese Sirloin by Cheeky Kitchen
Grilled Portobello Burgers with Chipotle Mayo by Clean Green Simple [Gluten Free + Vegan]

Desserts

Golf Ball Cake Pops by One Fine Cookie
Fudgy Chocolate Brownies by Ezra Pound Cake
Father’s Day Cupcake by Babble.com
Sports Dipped Strawberries by Recipe Girl
Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pie by Piece of Cake
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream by Cheeky Kitchen [Vegan]
Frozen Strawberry Cake by Bitter Sweet Blog [Vegan]
The Long and Tipsy Rocky Road Gluten-Free Brownie by Gluten Free Canteen [Gluten Free]

How is your dad like ? What are your plans for Father’s Day?

Asian Soba Noodle Salad

2011-06-11T12:02:00.000+08:00

After several cold and wet days in Melbourne, I’m really relieved that the sun is out again. I was a little worried that it might continue to be rainy during my entire stay here. Rainy weather is one of those things I really dislike, so rejoice for it’s a beautiful day today!

Just recently, I blogged about how I lovely it would be to have a warm bowl of soba noodles when the weather is cold. Since it was chilly, the Chicken Nanban Soba made a regular appearance in my menu over the last few days.

Yet today, for the benefit of those experiencing the heat wave in the Northern hemisphere, I thought this summery Asian Soba Salad might help you fight the heat wave. In this salad, the use of lime, garlic, and chilli gives it a tangy, yet slightly spicy flavor, that is bound to whet your appetite. While Soba noodles may be a Japanese ingredient, the taste of this salad reminds me of the Thai Mango Salad - which I so adore. My dad, being a traditional Japanese, cringed when he saw this salad because he believes that Soba still taste the best when it's cooked the Japanese way. However, in my opinion, there is no hard and fast rule to cooking. Sometimes, we need to try new things before we can decide if we like it. If you’re a fan of Thai cuisine, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this as much as I do.

I made this Soba salad about two weeks ago, when the heat in Singapore was intolerable. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for about a day or two, so feel free to make a bulk of it, and pack it for lunch the following day. The noodle soaks up the flavor of the dressing, making it all the more enjoyable.

I might have burnt the walnuts again

Asian Soba Noodle Salad
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Serves 6 as Main

Ingredients
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of one lime
1 tbsp sesame oil
340g / 12 oz soba noodles
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Lime wedges for serving (optional)

Directions

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the garlic and red chilli,and allow to cool; add the lime juice, lime zest, and sesame oil. Mix well.
Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and then rinse well under cool water to stop the cooking process. Combine the noodles, mango, bell pepper, basil and mint with the dressing.
Serve with chopped walnuts and lime wedges. Alternatively, if you are keeping this in the refrigerator, add the basil, mint and walnuts just before serving. Enjoy!

Cook's Note

Gluten-free: While Soba noodles may be otherwise known as buckwheat noodles, most brands do contain wheat. Wheat acts as a binder for these noodles. Do check the ingredients before making your purchase.

Do you like fusion food?

A Singaporean Souvenir - Nasi Lemak Cookies by The Cookie Museum

2011-06-08T18:56:00.001+08:00

Greetings from Melbourne! I hope all of you are having a great week so far!

I am back in Melbourne for these 10 days to spend some quality time with my partner, friends and family living here. Every time I make a trip here, I’d get requests from my loved ones to bring them something particularly Singaporean (or perhaps Malaysian). In the past, I used to bring packets of Chilli Crab mixes, Laksa mixes and Chicken Rice mixes, thinking that they would like a taste of Singapore even when they are miles away. It was not long before I realized how widely available these mixes are in Australia – I had to get them something different.

Thankfully, about a year ago, a friend introduced me to The Cookie Museum. She told me about how this place sells lots of beautiful cookies that are low in sugar and egg-free. Besides that, The Cookie Museum also carries a unique range of Singapore-themed cookies –which are not egg-free though - that come in flavours such as Nasi Lemak, Laksa, Ikan Bilis, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Hae Bee Hiam. I was a little skeptical at first, but decided to give it a try since my friend seemed to really like their cookies.

I am usually not a person who will buy cookies. I find that most commercial cookies are too sweet for my liking. Given a choice, I would rather buy quality dark-chocolates than quality cookies. Yet when I tried their Singapore-themed cookies, I was sold. These are savoury cookies made to taste similar to the local dishes. My favourite will have to be the spicy Nasi Lemak flavoured cookies – the aroma and taste of coconut milk, roasted peanuts, spices and ikan bilis slowly unfolds giving the cookies a complex flavor and left me wanting for more. It has since became my go-to souvenirs when I visit friends and family in Australia and Japan. This time is not an exception too. People whom I have gotten this for loved this too., and have been asking me to buy this for them. If you are thinking of getting a Singapore-themed souvenir, this is certainly an option worth considering.

This is the real deal. You can find the recipe to Nasi Lemak here :)

My only grudge is that this beautiful tin of cookies cost S$40. In my opinion, the price is a little steep. But considering the fact that these cookies are handmade, and how unique the flavors are, I am more than happy to pay the price so that my loved ones overseas can enjoy this lovely treat.

Besides cookies, it seems like this place does tea and desserts too. With the girly Victorian decor, this place looks like a great place to hang out with your best gal pal. Maybe someday, I might spend an afternoon there too …

For those who are living in Singapore, what type of souvenirs do you usually buy for people living overseas?
What is the most exotic cookie flavor that you have tried?

The Cookie Museum

Esplanade Mall

8 Raffles Avenue #01-02/04

Singapore 039802

Tel: +65 6333 1965

Website: http://www.thecookiemuseum.com

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper Cups

2011-06-06T00:10:00.002+08:00

My name is Kayla, and I love to shop (and I'm writing this post as I wait for my flight to Melbourne). Buying something new or yummy makes me happy – shoes, bags, clothes, accessories, health foods, chocolates, teas, coffees, and – not forgetting – cookbooks!! Yet the ironic part is that I hate shopping in stores that are crowded. What do I do? I turn to the wonderful world of online shopping. The world that spares me from the crowd. The world that saves me money. The world that gives me ample time to decide on my purchase. And above all else, the world that made me buy this cookbook – Meat Lover’s Vegetarian.

Some time back, my mom was thinking of new ways to make the two guys (my brother and my Dad) in my family eat more greens. My mom sought my help for some meat-eater friendly recipes, so naturally, I turned to Google. Somehow, the search led me to this cookbook, and I ended up buying it on because I found the title fascinating. I remember being really thrilled when the book arrived, only to realize shortly that black and white, void of pictures. I left it on my bookshelf, and forgot about it until recently, when I was looking for some inspiration for the Cookbook Challenge this fortnight – Cups.

I would have enjoyed making some cupcakes, but the beauty of this recipe caught my attention, and I ended up making this instead – Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper Cups. I have always drooled over dishes that uses bell peppers as "containers", so this was certainly the perfect time to get my hands dirty. I’ve not tried the meat lover’s version of stuffed bell peppers, but I’d dare say that meat lovers will love this vegetarian version all the same. It’s gotten my family’s thumbs-up, so I will be making them again in time to come. If you’re a meat lover, I will give you a dare – try this recipe, and tell me if you like it!

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper Cups
Adapted from Meat Lover's Vegetarian
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa (or rice or couscous)
4 bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise without removing stems
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
½ fresh red chilli, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
3 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped basil.
Salt and ground pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
1/2 lemon (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
Cook quinoa (or rice) according to package instructions.
Remove seeds and membranes of the bell peppers. Bring a pot of water and 1 tsp of salt to a simmer. Add the pepper into the water and submerge it for about 5 minutes, or until slightly tender. Remove the pepper and drain the water; transfer to a baking dish.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the oil. Add onion and fresh chilli, and sauté for 2 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, carrot, greens, and 2 tbsp of water until the greens are wilted.
Stir in the herbs and quinoa and mix everything together until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fill the bell peppers with the filling and sprinkle crumbled cheese (this step is optional).
Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil over the stuffed peppers and bake for about 20 minutes
Squeeze lemon juice over before serving. Enjoy!

Have you bought anything online on impulse before?

No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Bites

2011-06-02T22:27:00.000+08:00

There is a reason why we all crave desserts when we are stressed.
It’s because stressed = desserts spelled backwards. Do you already know about this?

Source

I learnt about this recently, when I was sipping my cup of tea at Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie. It was then that I saw this little phrase printed on the inside of the tea cup. Don’t you love the word play here?

Since I have been feeling particularly stressed up about a work-related exam that I am studying for, I decided to do what it says – make some desserts. A feel-good dessert that is chocolaty, comforting, and that is not too hard on my waist-line.

When I saw this recipe by Angela from Oh She Glows, I knew it was just what I needed for my dessert and chocolate fix. I made some changes to this recipe by using 60% dark chocolate (instead of chocolate chips), and added some desiccated coconut (because coconuts are awesome). You can’t go very wrong with banana, chocolate, oatmeal and coconut. It was love at first bite for me. The banana gave it the natural sweetness, so I didn’t really need to add any additional sugar; the flavours of the ingredients went really well together too. I had to stop myself from finishing everything in one sitting.

While I do have other ways of relieving stress - such as running, doing yoga, or sipping cups of tea – indulging in (dark) chocolaty desserts is still my favorite way of keeping myself sane:)

No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Bites
Adapted from Oh She Glows
Yields 8 small cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup 60% dark chocolate, chopped
1 large banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tbsp buckwheat groats (optional)
1 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
1 tsp cocoa powder

Directions

Place chopped dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, and melt the chocolate chips for about 50 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir the content, so the chocolate will melt completely.
Chop the banana, and add it to the bowl of melted chocolate. Mash with a fork until you get a chocolate mixture.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl, and stir until all the ingredients are evenly mixed. The oatmeal should be well coated with chocolate.
Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Drop 2 tbsp of oatmeal mixture into each cup. Lightly flatten it using the back of a spoon.
Freeze for about an hour, or until firm. Serve. Alternatively, leave it in the freezer for your daily dose of indulgence. If the chocolate is frozen, leave it outside for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Cook’s Note
*Vegan: Use dairy-free dark chocolate.
**Gluten-free: Use gluten-free oats.

What do you do when you are stressed?

Count Your Blessings!

2011-05-30T22:49:00.001+08:00

I received a parcel from Japan today – a parcel from my beloved Grandma.

I received a whole tray of cookies and mini cakes from Grandma:)

My Grandma has been sending my brother and I parcels on every special occasion – birthdays, Christmas, new year – ever since my family moved away from Japan. As a kid, I loved receiving parcels from her because she always knew what I wanted; as a teenager, I loved her parcels because they were filled with pretty dresses and I was also given extra pocket money; now, I love receiving her parcel because I know that she is still healthy and alive, and although we are miles apart, the love and concern for one another remains unchanged.

And a birthday card too:)

Sometimes, we all forget to be thankful for the little things that matter in life and focus on our material needs and wants. Sometimes, we get caught up with excelling in school or climbing the corporate ladder, we neglect the things or people that make a difference to our lives ; we stop counting our blessings, and channel our energies to worrying – I am guilty of this too. But every time I receive a parcel from my Grandma, it acts as a reminder to be grateful for what I have and for the people whom I love and treasure.

Source

So, thank you Grandma for your lovely parcel this year, and for all the unconditional love all these years. Above all, thank you for reminding me to count my blessings!

Source

Have you counted your blessings today?

Chicken Soba with Leek (Tori Nanban Soba)

2011-05-29T22:26:00.003+08:00

Temperature: 30C. Humidity:80%. That was the weather for today.
And what did I make to appease my growling tummy? A piping hot bowl of Tori Nanban Soba (Japanese Chicken soba with leek).

Crazy, I know. But sometimes, I really do find it enjoyable to bury my face in a comforting bowl of Soba – even when it’s warm, humid and sticky. But by the end of the meal, I was dripping with perspiration – as though I was in a sauna room - and needed another shower. It was then that I wished I was back in the cool Melbournian weather; then I would have all the excuses to delight in some wonderful soba.

For my friends who are feeling the chill in the southern hemisphere, I hope this bowl of chicken soba would provide you with the warmth that you need as it becomes colder. This recipe is really simple, and is perfect for times when you need a heart-warming dish that can be put together within 10 minutes.

My dad shared with me the story behind this dish (I don’t know how credible that is though), and I thought it is interesting enough for me to tell you about it! Tori means ‘chicken’ in Japanese, while Nanban literally means ‘southern barbarians’. When foreigners (the Portuguese traders) first arrived in Japan, they came in by ships from the south; and because their mannerism was socially unacceptable back then, they earned the reputation of being ‘barbarians’. The term ‘nanban’ was subsequently used on Europeans and South-east Asians entering Japan. In ancient times, chicken was not part of the Japanese diet, and it was the foreigners who introduced chicken to the Japanese diet. Consequently, the addition of chicken to soba was also inspired by the foreigners during that period.

Chicken Soba with Leek (Tori Nanban Soba)
Serves 1

Ingredients
90g dry soba noodles
50g chicken breast/thigh, bite-sized
1/3 cup leek, sliced
1/3 cup carrots, matchstick (optional)

Seasoning:
300ml dashi (or 300ml water + dashi powder)
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp tamari/ soy sauce
1 tbsp sake

1/2 tsp vegetable oil
Chili powder (optional) – I used Japanese 7-spices chili powder

Directions

Boil soba according to package instructions; drain and rinse with running water when cooked. Set aside in a bowl.
In a pot, heat the vegetable oil. Add sliced leek, chicken and carrot into the pot, and sauté for about 3 minutes until chicken is lightly browned.
Add dashi, mirin, soy sauce and sake to the pot and boil for 3 minutes. Transfer broth to the bowl of soba noodles. Serve. Enjoy!

Cook’s Note
Gluten-free: Use tamari sauce.

Have you had a piping hot bowl of soup in summer?

Lemon Spaghetti Veganized

2011-05-27T11:24:00.000+08:00

I used to be crazy about pasta. It was perhaps my favorite Non-Asian dish. I liked how it can be put together so easily, but tastes as delightful as dishes that require more preparation time.

However, things have changed since I started dating James. Despite being born and bred in Melbourne, where Italian food is fairly popular, James hates pasta. He would rather have Soba Noodles with Tofu, than Spaghetti with Meatballs. He would rather have Savory Oatmeal than some lip-smacking Cream Sauce Pasta. And I dare say he would rather have some healthy Japanese Harusame Salad than some lovely lasagna. That is how much he hates pasta.

The main reason behind his dislike for pasta is because he ate so much of it when he was younger, he got permanently sick of it. Now, he would rather have anything but pasta. Somehow, after being with him for a little while, I gradually found myself letting go of my love for pasta ; I am no longer overly crazy about pasta, and hardly bookmark pasta recipes anymore.

Yet, when the sweet and lovely Jennifer from Delicieux first posted this Lemon Spaghetti recipe on her blog, I was totally mesmerized by the simplicity and the beauty of this recipe. I have never had lemon in my pasta, so that certainly caught my attention. I bookmarked it, knowing that I’d have to try it someday. And the someday came last weekend when I needed to carbo-load for my half-marathon! All I have to say is that if every carbo-loading meal is this enjoyable, I would be more than happy to run a half-marathon every month! I certainly do see myself making more pasta dishes again.

The original recipe called for the use of parmesan cheese, but being intolerant to dairy, I made my own substitute for parmesan cheese by grinding nutritional yeast and walnuts together. I have also substituted spinach with rocket leaves, and that gave the spaghetti a rich, peppery taste.

Lemon Spaghetti

Recipe adapted from Delicieux

Serves 4

Ingredients

360g of dried spaghetti (I used brown rice spaghetti)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or Parmasan cheese substitute

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup chopped basil

1 cup rocket leaves

1 tbsp lemon zest

Directions

Cook the spaghetti in a generous amount of boiling, salted water until al dente, then drain thoroughly; reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, Parmesan cheese/substitute, lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk until it is thick and creamy. Set aside.
Return the spaghetti to the pan and add the lemon sauce, lemon zest, basil and rocket. Add the reserved cooking liquid gradually to moisten.
Season the pasta with extra salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Enjoy!

Vegan ‘Parmesan Cheese’

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Toast the walnuts in a heated pan with olive oil for a few minutes. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until you get a fine powder. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Cook's Note

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta

If you are can take cheese, do feel free to use Parmesan cheese!

Have your food preferences changed from years ago?

Race Recap: Passion Run (My First 25K Run)

2011-05-23T12:18:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday was probably the most memorable day of my year thus far – I ran my first 25K race. Finally. The whole experience left me with tight and achy muscles, yet I can’t stop grinning from ear to ear when I think about it now.

The day started off with me getting all happy and excited about the race. I couldn’t contain my excitement, and blogged about it. I fueled up, hydrated, studied the route, and left home about 1.5 hours before the start time. The sky was overcast then, and I was praying hard that it wouldn’t rain.

Despite allowing for 1.5 hours of traveling time, I soon realized that I would be late. I was flustered, and this left me wishing that I had teleportation skills. True to my expectations, when I arrived at the race venue, the race has already started. I panicked, but quickly found the baggage deposit counter, and fled to the starting point. I wish I had arrived earlier, so that I could have done some warm up. I followed the crowd (who were as late as I was), and started walking the race. There was such a huge crowd at the starting point, I had to walk the 500 metres of the race. This was actually a good warm-up for me, and made up for the warm-up that I had missed. Miraculously, the dark clouds have disappeared, and the sun was blazing.

The first 5KM went by like a breeze. I think it’s probably because I was filled with euphoria, knowing that I’m finally running the race that I have been training hard for; and from knowing that there are so many others (such as all of you) who have been giving me your relentless support. I thought ‘If 5KM is this easy, 25KM shouldn’t be a big deal…’. Unlike my previous 10K race, I stopped at almost all the water and 100-plus stops, so I was feeling a lot more hydrated as compared to the last time.

While the first 5KM went by quickly, I was still not into the run. I was more distracted by what the people around me were doing. Instead of finding my own comfortable pace, I was trying my best to keep up with the pace of someone just ahead of me. When someone stopped to walk, I wondered if I should stop to walk too.

It was after the 5KM mark that I started to get into the run, and found my comfortable pace; I focused my attention on my breathing and the tempo of my run. It made the run more enjoyable, and because my mind was in sync with my body, it made that run MINE.

By the 10 KM mark, the heat started to overwhelm me. I just wanted to stop to walk a little, but I knew that if I stopped, I will likely lose the momentum; I decided to push on. I was hoping for a slight drizzle at this point in time. It could have been my hallucination, but shortly after that, I THOUGHT I felt a drizzle and it made me feel better. But according to my fellow runners, there wasn’t any drizzle at all. Some of them suggested that it could have been someone else’s perspiration landing on me –which I hope was not the case - or possibly my own perspiration.

After the 15KM mark, I started to feel fatigue setting in, but it was purely physical, so I continued pushing on. I remembered reading an article about running mantras some time back, and decided to use one of my favorite for this run: Think strong, run strong! It worked ! At least that motivated me for the next 7 KM.
After the 22KM mark, I started to really struggle. My knees started to buckle, my feet hurt, and my toes cramped up. My longest training run has been 22KM, so I was mentally prepared for a challenging last 3 KM. But I did not expect my body to react in this manner. I really would have stopped, but when I passed by a signage that says ‘Winning is important, but persistence is vital’, I just had to push on. For it wouldn’t be long before I reach my goal.

The last KM was especially hard. If it was not for the supporters who were cheering all the runners on, I would have stopped. I really wanted to sprint, but all that I could manage was a slightly faster jog. I wondered ‘How can anyone manage a sprint during their final KM?’ Yet I just wanted to finish strong. I mustered up all the remaining energy that I had, and ran as fast as I could. I couldn’t be happier when I crossed the finishing line.

The race results are not out yet, but according to my watch, I finished it in 2 hr 50 minutes. While I was hoping that I would finish it in 2 hr 45 minutes, I am still pretty contented with my timing. I learnt something more valuable: If you want something badly enough, you will do whatever you can to reach your desired goal. That is the power of the human body and mind :)

Do you have a motivational mantra in life?

Some Pre-race Thoughts

2011-05-21T10:09:00.000+08:00

Some days, we wake up slightly groggy. While on other days, we wake up excited and full of energy. Today is one of those days where I wake up feeling totally inspired, excited and ready to conquer the world! It’s also my last day as a 24-year-old, so I’d want to make the most out of it.

Remember the half-marathon that I have been telling you about? Well, I’m finally running the race today at 4pm (I think it’s a weird starting time). I’m totally psyched up and excited about it! It feels like yesterday that I told you about my decision to sign up for a half-marathon. I can’t believe how quickly time flies.

Unlike the usual half marathon, this run is a 25 km race - gulps. I’m not sure if I am as prepared as I hope to be, because my longest training run is 22 km, and I have not been following my training plan consistently after falling sick during the Easter week. When I recovered from my cold, I found myself experiencing some knee pains when I did longer runs. It was then that I realized how much I needed yoga (I’d share about this another time). Since then, I have only been doing 2 short runs and 1 long run every week, and have been doing yoga almost every day. I do find that yoga helps me recover faster, and the knee pains are since gone; it has build my mental endurance too.

Source

While I may not be as physically prepared for the race, I am prepared for this mental game. Running is ultimately 90% mental, and 10% physical. I do not have that much of a timing goal this time. All that I hope to do is to finish this race strong, both physically and - more importantly-mentally.

I have done loaded my iPod with my favorite songs, hydrated, carbo-loaded with some lemon spaghetti last night, and familiarized myself with the route. I’m just waiting for the time to conquer the ~~world~~ race. But before I leave, I thought I should leave you with this quote. We can all be pretty hard on ourselves sometimes. It helps to tell ourselves every morning that we are stronger, braver, and more beautiful than we think we are!

Source

What inspires you today?

Blueberry Lemon Muffins (Gluten-free and Vegan)

2011-05-19T07:36:00.002+08:00

Are there any foods that are blue in color?

The theme for the Cookbook Challenge this fortnight is 'blue'. I flipped through several cookbooks, hoping to find a dish that is naturally blue in colour, but wasn't really successful. I tried my best to think out of the box, but all that i could think of was blueberries. Also, aren't blueberries purple? Perhaps I was just craving for blueberries again . So instead of fighting my craving, I listened to my body, and made some of these wonderful blueberry lemon muffins.

I have always enjoyed the sweet and slightly sour taste of blueberries; they are perfect in oatmeal and baked goods. Yet, I can be a real utilitarian in my food choices sometimes – I like getting the most out of the food I eat. What I learnt about blueberries recently made me embrace blueberries even more. Apparently, blueberries are one of those fruits that you don’t have to buy organic. Unlike fruits like apples, strawberries, grapes or peaches that are laden with pesticides, blueberries are one of the least contaminated of the lot.

This recipe is adapted from one of my favourite vegan cookbooks - The Joy of Vegan Baking. This cookbook has indeed brought me lots of joy; it has demystified the art of vegan baking and taught me how to bake without eggs or dairy. While the flours used in this the recipes are not gluten-free, I do find that many of these recipes can be easily made gluten-free. I do have one big problem with this cookbook – the end products are always too good, I just can’t stop at one serving.

In this recipe, I substituted the all purpose-flour for gluten-free flour, and added a tiny bit of xanthan gum. The resulting muffins were so delicious, they were gone within two days – I made a dozen of them. The muffins were moist and done to perfection ; the lemon flavor went really well with the blueberries too, and because they are not crazily sweet, it leaves you wanting for more. Needless to say, this is a keeper!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins
Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients
Dry mixture:
250g (2 US cups) all-purpose flour OR gluten-free flour mix (I used Bob’s Red Mills)
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp salt
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp xanthan gum (only if you are using GF flour)*

Wet mixture:
150g (3/4 US cups) granulated sugar
235 ml (1 US cup) nondairy milk (I used unsweetened soy milk)
78 ml (1/3 US cup) canola oil
1 tsp lemon extract
15 ml (1tbsp) distilled vinegar
1 box blueberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Grease your muffin tins. If you are lining your muffin tins, do remember to grease the liners as well.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and xanthan gum; make sure they are well mixed.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, milk, oil, lemon extract and vinegar; mix well.
Add the flour mixture, and slowly stir the ingredients until they are well combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Fill the muffin tins to about two-thirds full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned, and the wooden skewer comes clean when inserted into the center.
Remove from oven and let it sit in the tin for 5 minutes ; transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow it to cool. Grab your fork! Enjoy!

Cook's Note

- This recipe is originally not gluten-free, so if you can take wheat or gluten, feel free to use all-purpose flour.

* Check your gluten-free flour mix to make sure it contains xanthan gum. You can omit it if there's xanthan gum in it.

Do check out my fellow Cookbook Challengers' entries here.

A Quarter-life Crisis?

2011-05-16T21:45:00.001+08:00

‘Perhaps, we’re experiencing the quarter-life crisis.’

Over the weekend, I met up with some friends –the mates who were cycling with me in Alaska- from college. Many of us have graduated from school last year, and have been working for nearly a year now. We reminisced about the memorable experience of training for our 21 days-long cycling expedition in Alaska, and discussed about doing something similar this year – perhaps in New Zealand. It was then that Jasbir told us about how we could be experiencing a quarter-life crisis.

Surely, I have heard of people going through mid-life crises But the concept of the quarter-life crisis is really new to me. Originally, I thought it was one of those random thoughts that Jasbir was having, and dismissed it. It was only after a search on Google, that I learnt about how quarter-life crisis could be real and unique to the twenty-somethings of today.

The quarter-life crisis is supposed to be a period of uncertainty and inner turmoil that often accompanies the transition into adulthood. It seems like a common phenomenon for the twenty-somethings to have multiple jobs within the first few years of joining the workforce. A handful will feel lost or burnt-out, and will decide to go back to school, or take a sabbatical.

As I am about to turn 25 this week, I had to stop to ask myself if I am experiencing a quarter-life crisis. I am actually a little hesitant about sharing my inner-most thoughts and emotions on this issue here, because I don’t want to talk about an issue that is seemingly petty. Afterall, everyone has to go through different stages in life, and this is just one of that many stages; there’s really no need for me to make a mountain out of a molehill. Above all, I was afraid that I might sound immature. Yet I thought this might be a good time for me to tell you a little more about myself. So here goes …

Last year, after graduation, I left for Australia to work, travel and spend time with my partner who is living in Melbourne. I was at a crossroad back then, and needed some time to explore my options ; I had to decide if I want to start my career in Melbourne, Singapore or Japan; or to further my education. This break certainly gave me ample time to think about what I want, but some part of me felt like I was escaping from reality. I was a little anxious and worried about what life would throw at me, and decided to not think about it until I really need to. I focused on having fun, making the most out of my time in Melbourne, and learning more about myself.

Then came the time when I knew I had to face the music. I was at the same crossroad that I was at last year. The only difference is that this time, I was more certain about what I wanted. I decided to move back to Singapore, and continue with my long-distance relationship. It has been two months since I’d moved back to Singapore, was been a period of great uncertainty and self-doubt. Initially, I compared myself with my peers, and constantly wondered if I could get a job that ~~is prestigious-sounding~~ I would enjoy doing. I told James about how anxious I was, and he gave me some wonderful advices: There’s no use in comparing, because we are all unique. What works for one may not work for another. We learn through every experience, so remember to enjoy the process. His advices gave me some assurance and confidence. I have since secured a job that I know I would enjoy doing, and will be starting work next month.

So, do I think I’m having a quarter-life crisis? I might be, but I hope not. Sure, I’m still feeling a little anxious about starting on a new job; but isn’t this what everyone else feels when they start on a new job? Or perhaps I am running a half-marathon because I want to feel young and strong? How about the cycling trip to New Zealand? Is it an attempt to romance the past, and escape from the “real world”? I’m not sure what the rest of my mates think about this, but at least for me, It’s because I love running and cycling, and I want to challenge myself again.

Could the quarter-life crisis be the new 'mid-life crisis'?

Honey-'Soy' Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2011-05-12T18:23:00.000+08:00

'You should stop running!’

My mom made this bold proposition on Mother’s Day. While my mom has been supportive of most of my decisions in life, one thing that she isn’t particularly supportive of is my new-found passion for running. Her argument is that running is hard on the joints; more importantly, the constant exposure to the sun makes runners look older. She would rather me look like Snow White, than a fit, tanned runner.

I might have burnt it a little (again) , but it was still yummy.

Her fears are not unfounded. Running is a high impact exercise and this could cause the collagen and elastin on the face to break down. Besides that, the constant sun exposure –and the occasional sunburns- is bad for the skin too.

Yet, in life, there’s a price to pay for everything, and there are risks to every activity that we engage in. Even activities that are deemed to be beneficial, can be dangerous too. I have heard about how people break their backs while practicing yoga. I told my mom I’m not ready to give up running. What I can do is to take preventive measures – for prevention is better than cure. I promised to always wear a cap and sunscreen, and to eat lots of super foods for the skin. Super foods like sweet potatoes.

Do you know that sweet potato is Oprah’s favorite food? Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C, which are necessary for skin cells turnover and collagen production. This subtly sweet side dish is a great accompaniment any Japanese meal, and is perfect in salads too. If you are as crazy as I am, you could it a huge serving on its own!

Honey-'Soy' Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Japanese Pure and Simple

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients
400g sweet potato, peeled and cubed (1-inch pieces)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of salt

For the glaze:
1 ½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce / tamari sauce (if gluten free)
2 tsp of juice of grated ginger
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking tray and drizzle over the vegetable and sesame oils. Coat the sweet potatoes with the oils, using your hands; sprinkle a pinch of salt.
Roast the sweet potatoes for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges turn crisp. Shake the tray every 15 minutes.
Preheat the grill to the highest setting, Mix the honey, soy/tamari sauce, and ginger juice in a small bowl. Drizzle over the sweet potatoes, and grill for another 5 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally. Top with sesame seeds, and serve. Enjoy!

Cook's Note
If gluten-free: Use tamari sauce.

Other Sweet Potato Recipes You May Like
Baked Curry Sweet Potato Fries by Joy the Baker
Roasted Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Salad by Scandi Foodie
Kathy's Famous Sweet Potato Mash by Healthy Happy Life

Has anyone ever dissuaded you from doing something that you enjoy?

Apple & Blueberry Crisp (Gluten-free + Vegan)

2011-05-09T08:09:00.004+08:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all the lovely mothers out there! (This post was scheduled for yesterday, but just realized that I might have scheduled it on the wrong date)

The second Sunday of May is always a day in many parts of the world where mothers are showered with attention, and given the extra special treatment. In my opinion, all the moms out there deserve all the queen-like treatment on this day (and every other day)! Moms today probably has the toughest job in the world; they take on various roles in life – nurse, teacher, counselor, cheerleader, cook, house-keeper, nurturer, provider, and a best friend. They provide us love, support, wise words, strength, motivation, and give us confidence.

So to show my gratitude to my mom for raising me, and always being there for me, I decided to make her some Apple and Blueberry Crisp this year – two of my mom’s favorite fruits. Just like most women, my mom has a weakness for sweet treats; yet she doesn’t like desserts which are excessively sweet. This delightful dessert was perfect for my health-conscious mom because the sweetness of the fruits really come through, and the ingredients used are relatively kind on the waistline. My mom absolutely enjoyed it, and even had a second helping (which is pretty rare).

The theme for this fortnight’s cookbook challenge happens to be ‘Crunchy’, so I thought this dessert fit the theme to a T. Crunchy foods are always fun to eat, but sometimes, crunchy foods can end up feeling too dry. However, when crunchy food – like this crisp topping- is accompanied by cooked fruits, the sweet juices from the fruits help to subdue the dryness of the crisp topping, making it a real winner.

Since it is Mother's Day, I thought I should leave you with a touching video (it is in Mandarin, with English subtitles) that someone shared with me recently. This was a good reminder for me to not take my mom (or even my dad) for granted. Prepare some tissue!

Apple & Blueberry Crisp
Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the topping:
6 to 8 cups (900 to 1200g) cored and chopped apples
1/2 cup blueberries (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional – I skipped this)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

For the filling:
1 cup rolled oats (or GF oats)*
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup of oat flour (or grind rolled oats in the food processor)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4tsp salt
1/2 tsp anise seeds (optional – I skipped this)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 8- or 9-inch baking pan at least 2 inches deep.
To make filling, in a medium sized bowl, combine apples, blueberries, raisins, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, and allspice, and pour into baking pan.
To make the topping, in another bowl, combine the rolled oats, walnuts, flour, oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and anise seeds. The topping should be crumbly and chunky, and have the texture of wet sand. If the topping is too dry, add a few teaspoons of water.
Sprinkle the topping over the fruit mixture, making sure it is evenly distributed. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the pears and apples are soft when pierced with a fork.
Remove from the oven and serve warm, or at room temperature. It’s great with ice cream too! Enjoy!

Cook's Note

*Gluten-free: Use gluten-free oats and oat flour. You can also get oat flour by grinding the gluten-free oats in the food processor.

Do check out my fellow Cookbook Challengers' entries here.

Japanese Sesame Spinach Salad (Horenso no Goma Ae)

2011-05-05T23:50:00.000+08:00

“Tell us one fun fact about yourself!”

“I love spinach as much as Popeye!”, I exclaimed. I vividly remember proclaiming to the world about my love for spinach during one of my school camps some years ago. And because of that, I was given the nickname of ‘Spinach Girl’ during that camp. It wasn’t a cute nickname, and after that incident, I became a little more cautious of the weird thing that I say.

It might have been an exaggeration, but spinach undoubtedly tops my list of favorite vegetables. I like it in my salads, green smoothies, boiled, sautéed, and in a sesame sauce like this.

‘Horenso’ means spinach in Japanese, while ‘goma ae’ means sesame sauce. This Japanese sesame spinach salad is probably one of the most popular way of preparing spinach in Japanese home cooking. It is often served as a side dish, together with rice, miso soup and other fish, meat or vegetable dishes. The sesame dressing gives the it a beautiful aroma, and brings out the sweetness of the spinach. I have made this for friends who dislike spinach, and they they were surprised by how simple, yet elegant this dish is. It is that good! If you have not had spinach like this before, I urge you to buy some spinach today!

Japanese Sesame Spinach Salad (Horenso No Goma Ae)
Serves 2 as side

Ingredients
200g fresh spinach, washed (not baby spinach)
3 tbsp white sesame seeds, roasted and grounded*
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce / tamari sauce (if gluten-free)

Directions:

Bring water to boil in a large pot; boil spinach in the boiling water for about one minute.
Drain and soak the spinach in iced water until it is cooled. Remove the excess water from the spinach by draining, and squeezing it dry.
Cut spinach into about 2-inch lengths, and set it aside in a medium sized bowl.
Combine grounded sesame seeds, sugar and soy sauce (or tamari sauce) in a small bowl. Add the sesame dressing to the spinach; mix well. Enjoy!

Cook's Note
* Make sure the sesame seeds are roasted and grounded. You could use store-bought roasted sesame seeds, and grind it yourself using a coffee grinder or food processor. Alternatively, if you have the Japanese wooden mortar and pestle, do feel free to use that. If your sesame seeds are not roasted, you could roast it using a frying pan over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Gluten-free: Use tamari sauce instead.

The Japanese Suribachi and Surikogi

Did you have any funny nicknames in school?

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes (Vegan + Gluten-free)

2011-05-02T20:44:00.004+08:00

Breakfast is undoubtedly my favorite meal of the day. I adore most breakfast foods – Oatmeal, muesli, smoothies, breads, muffins, hash browns and fruit salads. Yet, there is one thing that I hate having for breakfast – Pancakes.

Here’s why I dislike pancakes for breakfast:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I don’t want a breakfast that is loaded with sugar, fats, and empty carbohydrates.
It always makes me feel bloated after I eat them.
Pancakes hate me. Over the years, I have had many unsuccessful attempts at making pancakes. My pancakes always ends up looking like crepe, scrambled ‘egg’, burnt, or just plain ugly.
I’m just too impatient. I would stand by the stove, wait for the tiny bubbles to appear, but flip them over just too soon.
Most pancakes contain gluten, dairy and eggs – things that my body is intolerant to.

Strangely, I decided to make some blueberry buckwheat pancakes to celebrate my recovery from the recent episode of cold. Pancakes and I have never been good friends, but these are the exception. This recipe caught my attention immediately because it is gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free. What I really like about it is that it uses buckwheat flour and brown rice flour, which are more nutritious than the usual all-purpose flour. The blueberries give it an antioxidant boost too! The pancakes were fluffy and moist, and the blueberries gave it a nice, sweet yet slightly tart flavor.

Although it tasted great, I still do think it’s hard to make the perfect pancake. My first two pancakes looked like they had leprosy – they had uneven white patches on it. My third pancake was burnt. Thankfully, after that burnt pancake, my pancakes started looking a little more normal. I’ve yet to learn the art of making a perfect pancake, but I hope that I will get there someday.

Yes. These pancakes are so delicious, filling and good for the body, so I will definitely be making them again!

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes (Vegan + Gluten-free)
Adapted from The Gluten-Free Vegan
Serves 4

Ingredients
Egg replacer for 2 eggs, prepared * (Or you could use 2 eggs)
1 1/2 cup soy milk (or your preferred milk)
2 tbsp grapeseed oil /canola oil
3 tbsp maple syrup/agave nectar
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice/ white rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup blueberries

Directions

In a medium-size bowl, prepare the equivalent of 2 eggs using your favourite egg replacer. Add soy milk, oil, and maple syrup. Mix well. Add the applesauce and stir.
In another bowl, add buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Mix well, and fold in the blueberries. If the batter is too thick, add a small amount of water or milk to thin it out.
Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour a small amount of oil. When the frying pan is hot, pour a ladle full of batter. Cook until bubbles start to burst, and the edges of the pancake starts to dry. Flip over, and cook until slightly golden brown.
Serve with your favorite topping/maple syrup/ nut butters! Enjoy!

Cook’s Note
*Prepare egg replacer in a small bowl, according to manufacturer’s instructions. Different brands will require different amounts of water.

Other Pancake Recipes
Pancake with Blackberry Syrup by Clean Green Simple
Banana Blueberry Pancake by Happy Little Vegans

For more healthier indulgent recipes, visit Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

What is your favorite breakfast food?

Japanese Miso Minestrone

2011-04-28T22:34:00.001+08:00

Remember the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ collection?

I vividly remember reading some of the books in this collection nearly a decade ago. I recall how some of these stories comforted me when I was down, gave me courage when I needed it, and inspired me during my teenage years. Indeed, just as chicken soup is supposed to be a home remedy for colds, Chicken Soup for the Soul was akin to a remedy that made my spirits feel better.

Yet when I’m usually down with a cold, I never found myself wanting a bowl of chicken soup. I have been plagued with some flu bug since last week, and am recovering slowly, but gradually. Thank you to all of you for all the lovely wishes and words of encouragement. Over the past week, I have been craving for foods that are warm, light, and comforting. I ended up making lots of savoury oatmeal, chicken congee and miso soup – just not chicken soup.

But I soon got bored of the same old miso soup with tofu and wakame seaweed; I wanted a bowl of miso soup that is more exciting. So here comes the Japanese Miso Minestrone. If we can have minestrone in Italian cuisine, surely we can have a Japanese minestrone!

The beauty of this soup lies in the vegetable dashi stock used. Dashi is rich in umami and is the foundation of Japanese cooking. It gives a lovely undertone to this soup, and can also be used in chawanmushi, stews, salads, hotpots etc. The use of different vegetables here also gives this soup an added touch of sweetness. My taste buds may have been affected, but that touch of sweetness and umami was so evident that even I could taste it. My mom adored the soup, and even suggested that we made this variation more frequently.

Japanese Miso Minestrone
Adapted from Japanese Pure and Simple
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup white cabbage, finely chopped
1/3 cup carrots, diced
1/3 cup potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1/3 cup frozen garden peas
1/3 cup shimeji mushrooms (or your favourite mushrooms)
1/2 tsp salt
100g firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 litre vegetarian dashi stock (prepare ahead - see below)
2 tbsp white miso paste **
1 tbsp red miso paste**
White pepper, to taste (optional)

Directions

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add onions and sauté until soft; add the rest of the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and sauté until soft. This will take about 5 mins.
Add the tofu and dashi stock and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 mins.
Put the miso pastes in a small sieve and submerge it halfway. Dissolve the miso paste with the back of a spoon into the soup. Stir the soup gently. Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!

Vegan Dashi
Ingredients
3 pcs (10cmx5cm/4”x2”) dried kombu kelp seaweed
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 liter water

Directions

Soak the kombu and shiitake mushrooms in the water for 1.5 hours before placing over a medium-low heat.
Bring the water to a gentle simmer, and remove the kombu pieces when they start to float. Increase the heat to high and boil for about 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Allow the stock to cool before removing the shiitake mushrooms. Now you’ll have a stock that is rich in umami.

Cook's Notes
** There are many varieties of miso in the market. white (Shiro) miso paste tends to be less salty, and have a sweeter taste, while red (Aka) miso tends to be saltier. You could use the type of miso paste which you prefer. My family finds that white miso is too sweet, and red miso is too salty, so we will usually mix the two. Alternatively, you could use a mixed (Awase) miso paste ;it is saltier than the white miso, but sweeter than the red miso.
Gluten-free: Some miso paste may be made from barley (which is not gluten-free), so do remember to read the ingredients list.

ANZAC Biscuits (Gluten-free & Vegan)

2011-04-25T22:21:00.001+08:00

History was never my favorite subject in school; I enjoyed learning, but I didn’t like all the memorization work that I had to do, just to fare well in a History exam. Yet since I started blogging about four months ago, I have since found myself to be fascinated by the history behind various foods.

What particularly intrigues me is the origins of the ANZAC(Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) biscuits. 25th April is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand; it is a day to remember and honor those who died while serving their military operations during World War I. During the war, it is believed that these sweet, oat-filled, coconut-flavoured biscuits were sent by wives to their husbands serving in the military overseas because the ingredients of these biscuits do not spoil easily, and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation. As such, a close relation is draw between these biscuits and the ANZAC.

If only History in school was as simple as the story behind these biscuits.

Although I am not living in Australia now, I decided to bake some ANZAC biscuits -- gluten-free and vegan, as usual -- because I was supposed to meet some of my friends who used to live in Australia. Because I am still nursing a cold and a bad throat, I didn’t have any of those cookies. Thankfully, my three friends seemed to have enjoyed it; they finished up ALL the cookies that I brought them, and couldn’t even tell that it was gluten-free and vegan – I was a proud baker :)

While these biscuits may be called ANZAC biscuits, the fact of the matter is that you can make them any time! I think it will be pretty awesome with some cinnamon or citrus zest added to the mixture too!

ANZAC Biscuits
Adapted from Ooh Look
Makes about 24

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour / GF flour mix
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (Note required for plain flour. Only for GF flour mix)*
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
2/3 cup brown sugar
125g (4oz) butter / dairy-free butter
2 tbsp golden syrup / honey
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp boiling water

Method

Preheat oven to 150C/300F. Line baking tray with baking sheet; grease.
Sift flour in a large bowl; mix sifted flour, oats, coconut and brown sugar.
Over low heat, combine butter and golden syrup (or honey) in a saucepan until it is melted. Mix the baking soda with boiling water and add to the butter mixture.
Add the butter mixture into the oat mixture and stir using spoon, or with your hands (I used my hands, so that it will be evenly mixed).
Roll teaspoon of biscuit mixture into balls, place on baking tray, and flatten the balls gently with a fork. Do leave some room for spreading.**
Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine took 17 mins) or until biscuits are golden brown. Allow biscuit to cool slightly on trays before transferring to a wire rack.
Store in air-tight container. Enjoy!

Cook’s Note
*Gluten-free: Check if your Gluten-Free flour mix contains xanthan gum. If it already does, you can omit the 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to add in the 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum.
Vegan : Use golden syrup instead of honey.
**If you prefer chewier biscuits/cookies (like me), flatten the balls only slightly. Flatter biscuits/cookies will require a shorter baking time. Approximately 12 - 17 mins.

Did you like History as a subject in school?

Ginger Honey Lemon Tea

2011-04-24T16:18:00.000+08:00

Happy Easter Sunday everyone!

I hope you are enjoying your long weekend thus far. Have you been feasting on lots of chocolates Easter eggs, sweet treats and hot cross buns?

Chocolate Nest Easter Cupcakes

About two weeks back, I talked about how I was deprived of chocolate Easter eggs and sweet treats during Easter as a kid, and ended up baking some Chocolate Nest Easter Cupcakes. I gave some of these cupcakes to one of my friend, Chrissy, and she went crazy over it. She could not believe that it's made without eggs, dairy and wheat. When I met up with her again two days ago, she generously gave me some artisan dark chocolate bouchees by Canele. I was really psyched, and would have gladly gobbled that up within the matter of a few milliseconds, but I didn't. I had to fight the urge to put those beautiful creations into my mouth, because my body was begging me to give it a break; I have not been feeling as good as I ought to be.

Chocolates from Canele

Since my 10 km run last Sunday, an innocent sore throat has slowly developed into a full blown cold, so instead of making lots of hot cross buns - like originally planned- I have been making cups after cups of ginger tea. Earlier this week, I asked on twitter about the best remedy for a painful throat, and Justin from JustcookNYC suggested that I made myself some ginger honey lemon tea. I have had ginger tea at cafes and spas, but I have never tried making it at home. I was pretty clueless at first, but after looking through some books and playing around with the ingredients, I made my first homemade ginger tea, and thought I should share this with all of you. The ginger tea is truly a cup of healing and refreshing tea. It has helped to alleviate my symptoms of cold, and made me feel better.

The ginger root is known for its distinctive aroma and spiciness, and has been used for centuries for culinary and medical purposes. Other than minimizing symptoms of cold, it also boasts the following benefits:

Relieves nausea
Helps the digestive processes
Limits flatulence
Fights motion sickness
Eases muscle pains and rheumatoid arthritis

If all the indulgences during this Easter have been giving you tummy troubles, you should really make this ginger tea too ;) That said, I can’t wait to recover so that I can treat myself to that box of chocolate that awaits me.

Ginger Honey Lemon Tea

Ingredients
3 cups (750 ml) water
1/3 cup ginger root, sliced
Honey (or Agave nectar), to taste
Lemon Juice

Directions

Add the water and ginger in a saucepan and cover; bring to a boil.
Lower heat; simmer for 15 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes before straining and serving.
Add honey/agave nectar and lemon juice, to taste; I used about 1 tsp of honey and 1 slice of lemon for each cup.
Store the leftover tea in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Cook's Note

For vegans, use agave nectar instead of honey.
If the tea is too strong for you, add more water to dilute it.

What is your favorite Easter treat?

Race Recap: My First 10-K Race

2011-04-20T23:46:00.000+08:00

Remember how I mentioned in my last post, that there were two things that made me happy on Sunday? The first was that I made my favorite egg dish – the ever-so-awesome Chawanmushi; the second of which I am going to talk about today.

On Sunday morning, I made my way to Marina Promenade to take part in Run 350; it was my first 10K race since I started running last year. My friend, Jonathan, ‘bribed’ me into signing up for this race about a month ago. During that time, I did not think too much of it because I was already running more than 10km during my weekly long runs. But after this run, I have certainly learned not to undermine any race distances – every race is a challenge, and there is something that we can learn from it.

I went to bed really early the night before, and had a really good sleep – no pre-race jitters. I woke up feeling energized ; a good sign, I thought. Before leaving home, I hydrated myself and fueled up on two of these energy balls. Remember these babies? I had another one of these about an hour before my run, because I was starting to feel hungry again.

We arrived at the starting point, and was greeted with a spectacular view of the city skyline at dawn. After depositing our bags, we chatted a little, before making our way to the starting point. Jonathan and I were debating on whether we should be stretching before the run. I have seen mixed opinion on this topic – some say that stretching is not necessary, while others state that stretching is important. I decided to go with the latter, and did some dynamic stretching. While we waited at the starting point, I could feel the sense of excitement and anticipation amongst the participants.

I checked the temperature, and humidity before the run – Sunny at 29C with a humidity of 88%. Typical tropical weather of Singapore. After some waiting, we were all set to go.

I felt really strong and was ready to conquer the challenge. At the start, people around me were running really fast, and I was pressured to run as fast as them. After the first 2 km, I realized that my pace was faster than my usual pace, and I was starting to feel a little fatigued. Also, at the 2 km mark, we had our first water stop, but I decided to give it a miss because I wasn’t thirsty, and didn’t want to break the momentum. The second water point was at the 5 km mark, but I gave that a miss too because there was a long queue for drinks; I was a little thirsty by then, but thought I could bear with it. Apparently not – I started struggling after the 5 km mark, and was so relieved when I saw the third water station.

It happened to be a warm day, and I could feel my energy being sapped away because of the heat - I had to stop for water again at the 7km mark. During the last 3 km, I diverted my attention to the scenery, away from the discomfort that I was experiencing. A scenic route, coupled with a wonderful play list, did wonders in motivating me. I recalled this quote by Lance Armstrong too: 'Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.' I enjoyed the last 3 km, and finished the race in 59:56 min. It could have been better, but I am happy with the timing. What really mattered was the lesson learned through this experience.

Some Key Lessons Learned

Don’t start off too fast. I was pressured to follow the pace of other runners. In my future races, I will certainly make a mental note to run at a comfortable pace, and adjust my speed accordingly thereafter
Eating properly. While I know that it is not necessary to carbo-load for a 10k run, I might need a more substantial breakfast in future – one that is high in carbohydrates, and low in fats, protein and fiber.
Hydration. I really ought to have stopped during the first and second water stations, rather than the third and forth water stations. If you have read my post about running in the heat, you may notice that I tend to get dehydrated quickly. This time, I have learned something new about drinking water during the race. It takes the body 20 mins to absorb the water, so the water that I drank in the later part of the run probably didn't help me much. If you are running a 10K run, and have to drink water, do so during the first 5K.

Do you stretch before a race?
What do you usually eat before a race?
How do you hydrate before/during a race?