Why would anyone go vegetarian?

May 29, 2019May 29, 20191 Comment

When I was 16, I once considered changing my diet to vegetarian. It sounded like a great and healthy idea. I started off by telling my dad, who was the cook in our household,to stop giving me meat for dinner. Being a household that relied heavily on meat as the biggest part of our meals, I felt hungry all the time. The lettuce and tomato for lunch also didn’t cut it, I constantly felt hungry and underfed… so naturally, I gave up.

A few times over the years I’ve considered trying a vegetarian lifestyle again but I was always reminded of how starved I felt when I tried it in High school. About 2 years ago my friend told me that her family will no longer eat meat. Later I started doing Yoga and saw a lot of yogis eating vegan or vegetarian meals but still… I was afraid to try it because of my teenage experience.

It was only when I moved to Busan that I met a vegatarian, who doesn’t shout his beliefs at me, who told me about how he became all vegan. His journey took over 10 years. He first started cutting out certain meats, then fish, dairy and eggs until he ate only vegan foods. This sounded like a better way towards eating vegetarian.

Cutting out a whole food group at once has never sat well with me, but doing it slowly, over time can work, especially that it now gives me time to experiment with healthy dishes to see what works best for me, instead of deciding to eat only lettuce and tomato …

Salad in a class Detox smoothie

December 25, 2018December 18, 2018Leave a comment

The first time I tried this smoothie the idea of it made me think of how Micheal in GTA 5 shivered after drinking his green juice. In the end my first green detox smoothie wasn’t even half as bad as I had thought.

The recipe I will share with you today is one that I’ve come to love and enjoy drinking before heading out to gym. The combination of cucumber and parsley, leaves a fresh taste in your mouth while the pineapple gives it a sweet and sour element. You can add some ice if you like but to me the frozen pineapple makes it cold enough especially during winter months

It is also an easy way to get your greens in without having to chew it

Ingredients

1 Slice of pineapple (frozen and cut into pieces)

1/2 Cucumber (small)

1/2 cup fresh Spinach

Bunch of parsley(small)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Cup of water

Note: You can add 2 packets of stevia if you want something sweeter

Throw it all in a blender and blend…. et voila!!!!! Garnish with some parsley, pineapple or mint

What is your favorite Detox Smoothie?

5 Fantastic Ideas to spice up a boring bowl of rice

November 10, 2016November 8, 20164 Comments

Personally I’ve never been a fan of rice. It always tasted bland and flavourless. It wasn’t until I met my mother-in-law that I started eating rice. What was the difference. My mother-in-law always made spiced rice. My favourite of course is the Spanish rice, but since then I’ve been trying other variations of spiced rice recipe’s. All these recipe’s can be adjusted to suit vegetarians by removing the fish or meat.

Spanish Rice

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 c. uncooked white rice ( I like to use Basmati Rice)
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 green pepper diced
2 Tomatoes diced
1 (14.5oz) can low sodium chicken broth or 1 cube chicken stock

Saute the garlic, onion and green pepper. When the onion is golden brown, add the tomato, paprika, black pepper and chicken stock. Stir every now and again until the chicken stock has dissolved. Ad the cup of rice and fry together for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and cook the rice as you normally would, until all the water cooked away. Sprinkle with some fresh parsley and serve.

Alternatively you can try this recipe here.

Thai Pineapple Fried rice

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons coconut oil or quality vegetable oil, divided
2 eggs, beaten with a dash of salt
1½ cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 large red bell pepper, diced
¾ cup chopped green onions (about ½ bunch)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ cup chopped raw, unsalted cashews
2 cups cooked and chilled brown rice*, preferably long-grain brown jasmine rice
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha
1 small lime, halved
Salt, to taste
Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, torn into little pieces, for garnishing

Full Recipe Here

Sweet Chilli Salmon Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 pound salmon filet, cut into chunks
a pinch of salt and pepper
1 bunch of green onions, sliced into ½ to 1 inche pieces
¼ sweet chili sauce, plus extra for topping if desired
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro (we love lots of cilantro)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 limes, sliced

Full Recipe Here

Tropical Coconut Pineapple Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grained rice rinsed until water runs clear
1 – 20 oz .can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice
1 – 13.5 oz .can unsweetened coconut milk
3 Tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
1 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
FOR THE GARNISH:
3 Tbsp lime juice or to taste
1/2 cup salted roasted cashews
1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

Full Recipe Here

Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS

Basmati rice- 2 cups Onions-
2 (sliced) Bell peppers (capsicum)
2 (sliced) Carrots- 2 (chopped) Tomato
1 (chopped) Ginger- 1tsp (grated) Garlic
1tsp (crushed) Red chilli paste
2tsp Soy sauce- 1tsp Sugar
1tsp Basil leaves
1 cup (chopped) Salt
as per taste Oil
1tbsp Water- 4 cups

Full Recipe Here

5 Amazing yogurt breakfast ideas

November 3, 2016November 4, 20163 Comments

For all the yogurt lovers who are looking for something different from the usual meusli, fruit and yogurt recipes. Here are a few other recipes with yogurt that will have you back for more.

Mango Lassi

For a soothing drink with a full breakfast or on its own, this will give you a refreshing start to your day. This one is easy and super delicious.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup honey
2 cups fresh or frozen mango flesh (frozen is the simple choice and is available in most markets)
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup orange juice
½ teaspoon cardamom
1 cup crushed ice
Mint, for garnish (optional)
Chunks of mango, for garnish (optional)

Full Recipe here

Pumpkin Yogurt Breakfast Parfait

Delicious and healthy, what more can you ask for.

INGREDIENTS

12 oz plain low fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of allspice
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts, plus extra for garnish
4 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries

Full Recipe Here

Mango Lassi Greek Yogurt Tarts with Almond Crust

This one takes a little longer than the other recipe’s but is definitely worth the wait.

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:

2 1/2 cups of sliced champagne mango (around 4 mango’s).
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cardamon (a little goes a long way!)
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of greek yogurt (you can substitute for soy yogurt if vegan)

For the crust:

1 stick of butter at room temperature (you can replace for 2 ish tablespoons of coconut oil if vegan)
2 1/2 cups of almond meal
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla
Pinch of salt

Full Recipe Here