Poached Fish With Cabbage

Whilst searching for another recipe on the internet (not that I remember what that was anymore) I came across this healthy eating website with very simple recipes: www.whfoods.org.  I subscribed to it and for the last 12 months I've been collecting recipes in my inbox thinking one day I will do one of them.

Well finally I did with a little tweaking.  The outcome looked soupy, perhaps a little boring (I can never figure how to make fish have some flavour and well, cabbage is just cabbage) but boy was I wrong.  It was the yummiest fish dish I have possibly ever had, except maybe the coconut fish in the oven that hubby made many moons ago.

If you're a calorie counter consider that this dish has a total of only 180 calories.  Good for me as I finalised my detox and am looking at a lifestyle change with my cooking.  It was a good start with this dish, that's for sure.

Give it a whirl and tell me what you think.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
0.5 small cabbage, shredded
3 fillets of white basa or cod fish and cut into 2.5cm pieces
500ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 leek, finely sliced
1 tablespoon lime juice concentrate
100g mung bean sprouts, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
salt and white pepper to taste

Method

In a large deep frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the stock and saute the ginger and fish for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rest of the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for 3 minutes.

Add the remainder of the ingredients and cook on medium-low for a further 3 minutes.

Serve with cracked pepper and dried chilli flakes for a punchier flavour.

Enjoy.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

This lovely combination of cauliflower and broccoli makes a soup that retains much of its nutrients by steaming the florets whilst cooking the rest of the ingredients.

Living in Singapore, I have turned to the habit of dropping a red chilli in just about anything including soups.  Between the garlic and chilli the soup provides a little zing in the mouth and makes veggie eating a little more exciting.

As for the health nutrients, both veggies are high in fibre, water and vitamin C, low in carbs and fat and potent with anti-cancer properties. 

Ingredients

0.5 broccoli, florets cut-off and separated from roughly chopped stalk
0.5 cauliflower, florets cut-off and separated from roughly chopped stalk
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1.20 litres stock

Method

Steam the florets until tender and set aside.

Heat the oil on medium-low heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onion, garlic and chilli then saute on low heat for 5 minutes.  Add the stalk of the broccoli and cauliflower, carrots and celery and saute for 10 minutes.  Add the stock and parsley, bring to boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

Let the soup cool slightly and then blend it well.  Add the steamed florets, reheat the soup and serve.

Fresh Juices

A year ago I did my first detox to shed some unwanted weight, cleanse my liver and increase my performance level.  Had a terrific success where I lost 5.9kg in four weeks.

The detox program was a combination of fresh juices, soups, handful of nuts and I abstained from coffee, alcohol, meat and anything that was refined like sugar and flour.

If you are interested, here's a link to May 2012 where my journey was recorded along with the Top 10 Juices we used.

Since then I embarked on another detox journey as bad habits and way too much wine snuck into my diet and felt the need for another clean up.  This time we revisited some of our favorite juices but also made new ones.

Below is a new list of 10 juices that we enjoyed.  If you have a juicer give them a try and leave me a comment with your thoughts or if you have any juices for us to try leave me a comment with the ingredients used.

1 by 1 Fruit and Vege
1 orange
1 apple
1 pear
1 nashi pear
1 carrot
1 celery

2 by 2 Fruit and Vege

2 sticks celery
2 carrots
2 oranges
2 apples
2.5cm ginger root

Beet Mix

1 beetroot
2 carrots
2 stick celery
1 apple
1 orange
1 lemon

Grapes Basic

1 small bunch of grapes
1 orange
1 lemon
2 apples
2 carrots
2.5cm ginger root

Grapes Delight

1 small bunch of grapes
1 orange
1 pear
1 nashi pear
2.5cm ginger root

Pineapple Subdued

1 pineapple
1 orange
1 pear
2 carrots

Pineapple Ginger

1 pineapple
1 large pear
1 orange
5cm ginger

Veggie Twang

0.5 celery
2 carrots
1 orange
1 lemon
2.5cm ginger root


Watermelon Bliss

2 thick slices of watermelon
2 oranges
1 apple
1 nashi pear
2.5cm ginger root

Watermelon Zing

2 pink grapefruits
2 thick slices of watermelon
2.5cm ginger root


Note:  You may note that the basic ingredients are much the same in different combinations.  Reason is that many fruits are not easily accessible in Singapore where I reside and when they can be found they are quite expensive, so we usually eat them in their natural state (ie. berries, kiwis, peaches, apricots).

We also use lots of ginger in our juices due to its zingy flavour and numerous health related benefits.  If interested in knowing more, read about it here: WHFoods: Ginger.

Noodles with Broccoli and Carrots

With my detox program over, I was pleased to finish up at 3.5kg lighter in two weeks and seeing signs of my previous waistline.

Floating through one of my cookbooks entitled Tasty Vegetarian, I went fishing for an easy-going vegetarian recipe and came across a broccoli and carrots noodles dish.  The easy-going prep was not so easy-going, lots to finely chop and I was not so happy with the outcome as I found the flavour somewhat flat.  What to do?  What to do?  Light soy sauce and red chilli flakes pushed this dish into a new dimension of flavour that was then worthy of eating and posting on this blog.

Ingredients

250g vermicelli noodles
3 tablespoons oil
2.5cm ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped (include the seeds for spice)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 leek, trimmed, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons honey
300ml stock
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 broccoli, florets only (reserve the stalk for a soup rather than waste it)
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
dried red chilli flakes, to serve (optional)
fried shallots, to serve (optional)

Method

Prepare noodles according to packet instructions, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the ginger and red chillies and stir-fry on medium heat for one minute.

Add the garlic, onion and leek and stir-fry on medium for 3 minutes or until onions have browned (turn down the heat if they are frying too quickly, you don't want the onion charcoaled).

Add the honey and cook for 5 minutes to caramelise.

Add the stock, vinegar and soy sauce, bring to boil and simmer for 8 minutes.

Stir in the broccoli and carrots, cover and simmer for 4 minutes then add the noodles and simmer a further 4 minutes.

Serve topped with fried shallots and a light sprinkle of red chilli flakes for zing.

Enjoy, we sure did after we tweaked it.

Broccoli & Potato Soup

As we continue on our detox journey, I need to maintain interest either in the juices we drink or the lunchtime soups I cook.  Both Trini and I enjoy broccoli which makes it a good alternative to carrots and celery that usually end up in my pot.  On a whim I tossed in a chilli too for a little zing.

Broccoli are packed with health benefits such as:

1. The soluble fibre in the vegie draws cholesterol out of the body.
2. High in calcium and vitamin K, it aids against osteoporosis.
3. Packed with vitamin C and flavonoids, making it a great antioxidant.
4. High in protein, low in calories.
5. High in fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating.

 All very goo reasons to have them.  Above info was extracted from www.care2.com.

Ingredients

1 broccoli, cut into florets and stem chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, trimmed and finely sliced
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 litre stock

Method

In a saucepan add garlic, onion, leek, chilli, potatoes and one cup of water. On medium-low heat saute for 10 minutes. Add more water as needed.

Add stock and broccoli, bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve either blended or just as is with crusty bread.

Blended for my daughter with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Straight out of the pot for me.

Cauliflower Soup

As I indicated in my Detox Update post, last week I made a Hearty Lentil Soup that ended up being far too big a batch and I was left eating it for several days in a row.

Ever since I took up cooking, I found it a challenge to make dishes that are for 2.5 people (my daughter is only 4 and eats like a bird).

Given last weeks experience, my focus today was on making a Cauliflower soup that would only be for 3 people and I mostly succeeded. I haven't made this very simple and plain soup for a long time but best of all is that it took me all of 40 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients (Serves 3)

½ cauliflower, cut into florets and stem chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1.2 litre stock

Method

In a saucepan add garlic, onion, carrot, celery and one cup of water. On medium-low heat saute for 10 minutes. Add more water as needed.

Add stock and cauliflower, bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve.

Vegetable Stir-fry

My hubby is not a big soup fan and given our detox program (see Detox Update) we needed to come up with a vegetarian meal that would be satisfying, delicious and easy to make on the weekend when he was at home.

Using a couple of cooking books as inspiration we came up with a vegetable stir fry that turned out to be filling and tasty.  It made a bigger batch than we needed so the next day we stir fried the leftovers a bit more rather than nuke it in the microwave.

We are focusing on changing the way we eat once the detox is finished by mixing up our weekly intake between meat, fish and just plain vegies.  Given that I enjoy dabbling in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes will be a delight.  Although on this occasion, John was the chef and I was the assistant.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
5cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 red capsicum, deseeded and chopped in 2.5cm pieces
1 large carrot, peeled, quartered lengthways and thinly sliced
½ broccoli, cut into florets and stalks chopped
300g mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tomatoes, chopped in large chunks
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Method

On high, heat a wok for one minute.  Add the oil and rotate in wok to coat.

Stirring at each step:

• Add ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds.  
• Add the apple cider vinegar and cook for 15 seconds.  
• Add capsicum and carrots and fry for 5 minutes.
• Add broccoli, mushroom, soy sauce and chilli and fry for 3 minutes.  
• Add tomatoes and fry for 1 minute.

Serve immediately.

Bon appetit.

Guest Chef in my kitchen.

Vegetable Stir-fry

Detox Update

Last week I posted my Hearty Lentil Soup and talked about a need to detoxify our liver and focus on our wellbeing.  I thought I'd make a few more soups throughout the week, however, what I didn't anticipate is how big the pot of lentil soup I made nor that I would be the one mostly eating it.  Needless to say I didn't cook for the rest of the week.  Lucky I love my soups, even if it's the same one for a few days in a row.

Anyway, here's a bit of an update on our detox results.  The one coffee in the morning didn't work (it's a long macchiato, meaning too quick to drink) so we upped it to two but we don't have anymore for the rest of the day except on the weekend when we have friends around and even then it is a decaf.

Last week, a typical day was 2 coffees to wake-up followed by a fruit based juice with one teaspoon of psyllium husk (a soluble fibre that aids with making you feel full and keep you regular).  Lunchtime consisted of a bowl of soup for me whilst hubby grabbed lunch at work.  Afternoon tea included a sliced banana topped with one scoop of yoghurt, one tablespoon of LSA mix (linseed, sunflower and almonds bought at your local supermarket in the health section) and drizzled with honey.  Dinner was a dose of vegetable based juice followed by a handful of nuts mid-evening.  We finish the evening with a cup of herbal tea.

For me the detox has had the desired result of feeling better, energetic (was suffering a lot of sluggishness for the last couple of months) and loss of 2.5kg (which I put on since the last detox in May last year - see May 2012 which includes the four posts reporting on my detox exercise along with several soups I made during that period).

I was surprised that I lost more weight this time round in one week than last year.  I was certainly more stringent the last time.  All I can figure is perhaps it's just like working out.  Your muscles remember and they get into action much quicker following the first time.  I guess my body remembered the last detox and it's expelling all that is unnecessary at a faster rate this time round.

With one more week to go, I look forward to more surprises.  Stay tuned.

If you are interested in the juices we have been mixing, leave me a comment and I'll whip up a post with some newbies.  In the meantime check out the Top 10 Juices from my last detox.

Cheers.

Hearty Lentil Soup

It's been a little while since I've posted a recipe but the last couple of weeks have been mayhem in my household as we packed moved and unpacked apartments travelling all of 20 metres.  We left level 22 in one tower and moved to the tower next door on level 19.  Although the distance is insignificant and the movers were super sufficient, you just can't imagine how much stuff can be accumulated that need to be boxed and then unboxed and a new home found.  I'm also taking the opportunity to declutter.

The task is daunting as I unpack and unpack and keep unpacking and I'm making a bigger mess as I organise.  It's like the storm before the calm.  I just keep going and somehow don't feel like I'm getting anywhere.

After a week of take-away food (the kitchen was packed) and far too much drinking to counter the moving upheaval both hubby and I felt the need to detox ourselves, give our liver a much needed rest and focus on improving our wellbeing.

So we started with a morning dose of carrot, orange and ginger juice.  For lunch I made my usual lentil soup except that this time I increased the lentil quantity to make the soup heartier which will help me get through to dinner time easier.  The beauty with this soup is that other than a bit of peeling and chopping, all the ingredients get tossed into the pot, brought to boil then simmer and finished cooking in 25 minutes.  Dinner is likely to be another dose of juice, possibly beetroot based and snacks in-between will consist of mixed nuts and herbal teas (as opposed to coffee - although we do allow one coffee in the morning).

Ingredients

3 garlic clove, crushed and chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
0.5 cup frozen peas
2 nuggets of frozen spinach (optional)
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1.5 cups brown lentil
1.25L stock

Method

Toss it all in a large saucepan and bring to boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook for 25 minutes.  Add more water/stock if the soup is too dense.

Serve with cracked pepper and enjoy with crusty bread or croutons.