VEGGIE THAI RED CURRY

i wanted to make thai curry for a while now, 

and i finally got around to it.

i was worried that it was gonna be a bust since i was using ingredients i'm not too familiar with,

but it turned out to be quite delightful!

i will definitely be making this one again.

VEGGIE THAI RED CURRY

with brown and wild rice

you will need:

- 1 cup brown and wild rice

- 2.5 cups water

- 2 tbs vegetable or olive oil

- 0.5 regular eggplant

(cut into little cubes)

- 0.5 regular onion

(chop finely)

- 2 garlic cloves

(mince)

- 1.5 tbs of red curry paste

- 1 can coconut milk

- 1 carrot stick

(cut into bite sized pieces)

- a couple pieces of broccoli

(cut into bite sized pieces)

- 1 pack of firm tofu

(cut into little cubes)

- 1 tbs sweet soy sauce

- 1/2 tbs of seasoning

or chicken stalk powder

the how to's:

1.

 bring rice and water to a boil.

cover and boil over medium heat for 

20-25 minutes until desired texture is reached.

turn off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes 

so that excess water can evaporate.

2.

 add oil, onion, and garlic into a medium sized pot

on medium heat.

cook until onion and garlic are sweating.

add the eggplant and 1 tbs of the red curry paste

and cook for another 2 minutes.

(add more oil if necessary)

3.

add the coconut milk, carrot, broccoli, tofu, 

sweet soy sauce, seasoning, and rest of the curry paste.

mix.

cover and cook for 8 minutes on medium heat.

check to see if vegetables are of desired texture.

4.

plate the rice and curry.

 5. 

BON APPETIT!

i hope you like this hearty recipe.

it makes for some great left-over lunches.

other vegetables such as cauliflower, red peppers, or snap peas 

will also work well with this dish.

stay tuned for more recipes!

:)

KIRIN

my mama and i had lunch at the kirin restaurant downtown.

this spacious restaurant was packed on a weekday afternoon.

this doesn't surprise me since the food is delicious and reasonably priced.

this restaurant serves traditional chinese food,

so be prepared to try new food!

together, my mama and i shared:

 -pumpkin and shrimp dumplings (picture 2)

-vegetarian dumplings with shiitake mushrooms (picture 2)

-chinese broccoli with oyster sauce (picture 3)

-bean curd with shimeji mushroom (picture 4)

-mango jelly wrapped in green tea mochi + coconut (picture 5)

both my mum and i found all the dishes to be 

fresh and well prepared.

none of the dishes we tried were oily,

and it left us with the good kinda full feeling.

i personally was a big fan of the pumpkin + shrimp dumpling, and the mango jelly + green tea mochi.

if you are in vancouver and feeling like some good chinese food, the kirin restaurant is a great place to go check out.

:)

FEROCIOUS KALE JUICE

kale, kale, kale

there is quite the health craze over this green vegetable,

but why?

benefits from eating kale:

1. it keeps you lean and mean. 

no fat, low in calories, yet packed with fiber.

(1 cup of kale has 33 calories)

2. it contains more iron than beef!

if you are anemic, then kale is your friend.

3. it has plenty of vitamin K which helps with the prevention of cancer and helps maintain bone health.

4. it contains more calcium than milk!

your teeth, bones, and nails will thank you.

5. it helps lower cholesterol levels.

go kale!

for more info, check out:

www.mindbodygreen.com

www.webmd.com

shrinkingjeans.net

there are a variety of ways to add kale to your diet.

i happened to try making a ferocious kale juice.

this drink actually tastes good, i'm not fooling you.

FEROCIOUS KALE JUICE

ingredients:

(serves 2-3 people)

-2 cups of kale

-1/2 big fat peach

- 1 small apple

-1 cup orange juice

-1 cup water

-1/3 cup of berries (raspberry, blueberry, etc.)

how to:

1. blend in a mixer.

2. blend until the mixture looks like juice.

3. serve!

and there you have it, a very ferocious drink that will help energize your day!

:)

MAGIC OF CHIA

ever given chia seeds a try?

maybe you'll give them a shot after finding out all the wonderful benefits of eating these powerful little seeds.

magic of chia:

1. they contain tryptophan which is an amino acid that helps you feel fuller for longer!

2. they fight belly fat by helping you body's muscle, fat and liver cells respond to insulin normally.

3. they contain protein which is great for vegetarians.

4. they help keep your bones and teeth strong since they're packed with calcium.

5. stock up on fiber fiber fiber

check out more health benefits at

www.huffingtonpost.ca/chia-seed-benefits

and here is a clever way to add some chia into your life

chia pudding:

(serves 4-6 people)

2 cups of soy milk

2 tbs of honey

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of chia

1. add soy, honey and vanilla into a bowl and mix until honey melts

2. add chia seeds and mix

3. put in fridge

4. after an hour, mix

5. wait 3 hours and you're pudding is finito

serve with fruit and enjoy!

i got this recipe from

kitchensimplicity.com/vanilla-chia-pudding-with-honeyed-strawberries/

p.s. this pudding makes you quite full 

:)

THAI PEANUT DRESSING SUMMER SALAD

it finally feels like summer in vancouver!

to kick-start the sunny weather the right way, 

why not enjoy a crisp and dreamy salad?

THAI PEANUT DRESSING SUMMER SALAD

recipe for two

salad:

1/4 of whole cabbage

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups of water

1/3 cup of shell-less edamame

1/3 cup dried mango 

1/3 stick of carrot

1. cook quinoa - bring quinoa and water to a boil, 

after it has come to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes at low heat (between the 2 and 3 on your stove dial).

quinoa is ready once all the water has been soaked up.

2. dice cabbage (look at first picture as an example) 

3. cook edamame

4. cut dried mango into little bits

5. grate carrot

dressing:

1 tsp honey

2 tbs peanut butter

1 tbs sweet soy sauce

1 tsp grated ginger

3 tbs water (more if you like dressing thinner)

1 tsp sesame oil

1. heat up honey and peanut butter in microwave for 10 seconds
so that mixing is easier

2. add in rest of the ingredients

3. stir stir mix

4. put dressing on the salad

and voila
you have your summery and fantastic salad!

enjoy

:)