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!

:)

AUTUMN SALAD WITH CRISPY KALE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH

kale might really throw some people off because it's course and

lacking in flavour.

however, this recipe will turn kale haters into kale lovers.

serve this dish on a chilly fall day,

and it will warm the heart and soul since it is just 

THAT delicious. 

i kid you not.

my friend leah and i couldn't get over how amazing this dish turned out to be.

i gotta credit www.halfbakedharvest.com

for this fantastic recipe.

leah and i actually ended up omitting some steps to the original recipe to keep it more simple, and it still turned out great.

here's our take on the:

AUTUMN SALAD WITH CRISPY KALE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH 

ingredients:

-1 small butternut squash

-2 small gala apples 

(or any apple that floats your boat)

-1/3 cup pecans

-1 tsp chili powder

-1 tsp brown sugar

-0.5 tsp cinnamon

-0.5 tsp cayenne pepper

-0.5 tsp salt

-0.5 tsp pepper

-1 large bunch of kale

-4 tbs olive oil

-2 tbs grated parmesan cheese

-2 slices of whole wheat bread

-4 slices of brie cheese

-1 tbs of butter or margarine

optional dressing:

-2 tbs olive oil

-1 tbs balsamic creme or vinegar

-1 tsp honey

-0.5 tbs soy sauce

-0.5 tsp of pepper

how to's:

1. in a small dish combine the chili powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper

2. preheat the oven to 400 F

3. remove the stems and roughly chop the kale

(the more the merrier)

4. put the kale in a separate large bowl and add 2 tbs of olive oil, all the parmesan cheese, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

mix together with your hards for 2 minutes.

spread on a baking sheet and cook in the 

oven for around 15 minutes. 

(make sure to keep a steady eye on the kale and toss at least once since it can burn easily)

5. once the kale is in the oven, 

peel and seed the butternut squash and cut into cubes

(there should be approx 4 cups).

6. peel and seed the apples and cut into cubes and set aside with the pecans for now.

7. spread just the squash cubes on a baking sheet 

and drizzle 2 tbs of olive oil 

and sprinkle half of the spice mixture from step 1.

mix together on baking sheet.

 8. bake squash for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and then add the chopped apples, pecans and the rest of the seasoning and then toss it all together. 

bake for another 15-25 minutes, or until the squash and apples are tender.

9. while that is cooking in the oven, 

heat a skillet on medium heat, 

butter the outsides of the 2 slices of bread, 

and sandwich the the brie between the slices of bread. 

add the sandwiches to the skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on both sides or until the bread is toasted and the brie is melted.

 remove and let sit a couple minutes and then chop into cubes.

10. plate the kale and add the butternut squash, apples, pecan, and croutons on top.

(drizzle on optional dressing if you please)

11. DIG IN!

hope you enjoy

:)

CANDIED PECANS + SUMMER GREENS

my friend nasim and i love preparing and eating 

yummy meals together.

this time we decided to make a 

candied pecan + summer greens salad

all you need is:

-any type of green salad

-1/2 an avocado

-4 strawberries

-handfull of blueberries

-1 cup of cooked quinoa

-1/4 cup fetta cheese

-2 dried dates

-1/4 cup candied pecans

-any type of dressing you wish to drizzle

1. cut up the avocado, strawberries, and dated into

bite-size pieces.

3. cut feta into sprinkle-able pieces

2. put all ingredients into a large bowl.

4. serve!

we attempted in trying to make our own candied pecans.

all we used was:

-1/3 cup pecans

-tsp of butter

-1 tbs white sugar

-1 tbs water

1. put heat on medium

2. cook sugar, butter, and water until it turns to liquid.

3. add pecans

4. cook until liquid covers the pecans and 

sugar starts to solidify.

5. voila!

for our salad we used a refreshing 

balsamic olive oil dressing:

-2 tbs olive oil

-1 tbs sweet soy sauce

-1 tbs raspberry balsamic vinegar

-1 tsp course black pepper

1. mix together and drizzle onto salad

enjoy this salad on a clear blue day!

  

:)

also check out my friend nasim's blog at:

nasimbagheri.blogspot.ca

s

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

:)

JAPAN PART 4 - OISHII

the food in japan...

i think the pictures can pretty much speak for themselves,

but just incase it wasn't obvious,

let's just say that it was delicious,

and let's just say that "delicious" would be an understatement.

i forgot the feeling of hunger while in japan.

there was always something appealing in the form of food 

wherever you went; whether it be in a house, department store, or food outlets along the street.

my favourite meal was at this restaurant called dish.

i ate a voluminous "omurice" (shown in the last picture) 

omurice is fried rice wrapped in an omlette.

however as you can see in the last picture, this omurice was pimped out with shrimp, avocado, salad, and was topped with a mild wabsabi dressing.

twas superb!

oishii=delicious in japanese!

i highly recommend food lovers out there to visit japan and try lots and lots of oishii food. 

you will not be disappointed.

:)

BERRY MIX

exams have finally come to an end and summer vacay has officially begun!

to get into the summer mood 

(even though it's still a bit chilly),

 i had this mix of candied blueberries and cranberries, with a bed of sunflower seeds, bulgar and wild rice.

it is quite the combo when topped of with yogurt!

now that the weather is picking up there are way more opportunities to do rambunctious activities outside. the whole city of vancouver seems to light up as soon as we have nice sunny days like today. this weather gets me excited for warm summer nights, spent with good company, good music, and good food.

i'm off to japan this thursday, and

i'll be posting pictures of the trip once i'm back!

-soak up some sun!

:)