Sunday, September 25, 2005 

Zesty Shrimps with Pasta - serves 2

Ingredients:
6 to 8 oz. medium sized shrimp.
Enough fettucini for two people
1/2 Tomato
A handful of diced onion
Mushrooms*
Pepper Strips (you can use fresh or frozen. If you use fresh, you want a yellow, red, and green)Olive Oil
Spaghetti Sauce
Cayanne Pepper*
Garlic Powder

* - optional, but recommended

Method:
1. Dice the veggies. Use quantities that you prefer, there isn't really a "good" amount. A handful and a half of mushrooms, a handful of onion, and a half of a tomato are my measurements. If you're using fresh peppers, go ahead and do those now. Wash those mushrooms, while you're at it.
2. Next we cut off the tails of the shrimp.
3. Also, lightly coat your largest pan/skillet with the olive oil, heat it over medium-high and toss in the shrimp. If you have uncooked shrimp, wait until it's opaque and orange here. Don't overcook them because they'll be in the pan a long time.
4. When your shrimp is cooked or near enough, DRAIN THE PAN, dump in some more olive oil, and toss in the tomato, onion, and mushrooms. Coat them with your desired spices, but do NOT put in more than a tiny bit of garlic. It really doesn't taste good in large quantities here. I load up on Cayanne, because I like that stuff.
5. Turn the heat up to medium/high, spread the oil and spices around a bit (don't do this for more than two or three minutes)
6. Now add in your peppers
7. Do the same thing to the peppers, too. You add these in later so they're not quite so cooked as the other veggies
8. Drain the pan after a minute or two, and move aside the vegetables and shrimp. Put a little bit more oil (yeah, I know) on the empty half and toss your FULLY COOKED fettucini in. If your fettucini is still cooking at this point, just drain the pan and set it aside, don't put it back on the burner and wait for the pasta to finish.
9. Spend a minute or so cooking the fettucini in the oil (stir it up a bit) before mixing it with the other stuff in the pan.
10. Now add in your sauce and mix that in. Don't cook any more, this is just to evenly distribute the sauce and warm it up.

Helpful hints:
1. The shrimp is pretty expensive, even that little. If you want to get something cheaper go ahead. Fresh, de-tailed shrimp is the my favorite to get, but frozen, pre-cooked tailed shrimp is the cheapest.
2. use store bought spaghetti sauce for this because you don't need a whole lot and really, it's just more expensive and more trouble than it's worth to make your own.
3. Fresh peppers are recommended, but hey, a buck for a pound and a half of frozen ones. Can't beat that.
4. For leftovers, don't microwave it because that makes it taste really bad. Just warm it on the oven.

Sunday, September 25, 2005 | |

 

Asparagus Risotto with Lemon - serves 4

Adapted from California Home Cooking by Michele Anna Jordan

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt
freshly-ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 shallot, minced
1 1/4 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
4 to 5 cups vegetable stock, hot
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or dry jack cheese
1 tablespoon julienned lemon zest

METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 500F. Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium bowl until each piece is coated. Spread the asparagus evenly on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast until just tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, and saute it until it is soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the shallot and saute for 5 minutes more. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until each grain begins to turn milky white, about 2 minutes. Keeping the stock hot over low heat, add it to the rice, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until nearly all the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add stock and stir until the rice is tender but not mushy, a total of 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the lemon juice, minced lemon zest, and cheese. Fold in the asparagus, and remove from the heat. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl or individual plates, garnish with julienned lemon zest and parsley, and serve immediately.

HELPFUL HINTS:
A delicious -- in fact, heavenly! -- use for seasonal asparagus, this recipe makes a flavorful and pretty side dish that will perk up any springtime celebration.
The combination of creamy rice, tender asparagus, and tangy lemon is irresistible, like a taste of Spring sunshine!

Sunday, September 25, 2005 | |

Friday, September 16, 2005 

Chocolate Cake

Recipe courtesy of Vanessa Ling Frida

INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsps butter or margarine
3 tbsp Cocoa
1 Cup Self Raising Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Milk (or chocolate flavoured milk)
2 Large Eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence

METHOD:
1) Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celcius.
2) Melt the butter.
3) Put all the other ingredients into a large bowl and pour the melted butter on top.
4) Beat on high for 3 minutes.
5) Pour the mixture into prepared cake tin, and bake.
6) Be careful not to overbake this cake, and it will stay moist for days.
7) Start checking your cake after 25 minutes. If a cake tester comes out clean, it is ready to be taken out.
8) Ice the cake when cooled with your favourite chocolate icing, or top it with sweetened fresh cream whipped, flavoured with vanilla, cover it with nuts.

Helpful Hints: This is an extremely easy chocolate cake. Be careful not to overbake it, and it will stay moist for days.

Friday, September 16, 2005 | |

Thursday, September 15, 2005 

Salsa Scramble Toast - serves 1

Ingredients:
~ 1 tsp olive oil
~ 1 egg (or 3 egg whites)
~ 1 tbsp low-fat milk
~ 1/2 tomato, de-seeded & diced
~ 1/2 yellow capsicum, de-seeded & diced
~ 1 large green chilli, sliced thinly
~ 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
~ 1/4 tsp lemon juice
~ Salt and black pepper to taste
~ 2 slices whitemeal bread

Method:
1. Beat the egg and milk together with a fork until slightly foamy.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan, add egg mixture and scramble.
3. Just before egg is done, add yellow capsicum, tomatoes, green chilli and coriander leaves.
4. Remove from heat and season with lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
5. Place 2 slices of bread in a sandwich maker.
6. Top with the scrambled egg and cover with the remaining slice bread.
7. Toast according to instructions for the sandwich maker.

Nutritional Analysis for Salsa Scramble Toast
Energy : 343kcals
Carbohydrate : 46g
Protein : 15g
Dietary Fibre : 4.2g
Total Fat : 11g
Sat. Fat : 2.8g
Calcium : 159mg

Helpful Hints:
1. If you're worried about using the whole egg yolk, you can use three egg whites instead as egg whites don't contain cholesterol.
2. If you want your scrambled egg to be a little bit soft, add a little bit of milk. Choose the low-fat, high calcium milk.
3. Add just a pinch of salt, not too much because salt is the biggest source of sodium in our diet.
4. Use just a little bit of oil since it is a concentrated source of calories. Use unsaturated oil which is good for your heart.
5. Add chopped chillies if you like it spicy.
6. Don't put the corriander leaves in too early as they will wilt and you will lose the flavour.
7. Use whitemeal bread because it's very high in fibre as it contains wheat germs and bran.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 | |

 

Smoked Salmon & Zucchini Omelette (serves 1)


Ingredients:
~ 1 tsp olive oil
~ 3 egg whites
~ 1 tbsp low-fat milk
~ Black pepper to taste
~ 1/2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
~ 1/2 tomato, chopped
~ 2 slices smoked salmon
~ Dash of lemon juice
~ 1 tsp chopped parsley
~ 1 slice Focaccia bread

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a pan.
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and place the egg whites in a bowl.
3. Add the milk to the egg whites and season with black pepper.
4. Beat egg mixture with a fork until slightly foamy.
5. Pour egg mixture into the pan and cook omelette until just set.
6. Place the zucchini, tomatoes, parsley and smoked salmon slices on the omelette.
7. Season with lemon juice and fold the omelette over.
8. Slide the omelette onto a plate and serve with a slice of Focaccia.

Nutritional Analysis for Smoked Salmon & Zucchini Omelette:
Energy : 204kcals
Carbohydrate : 18g
Protein : 18g
Dietary Fibre : 0.7g
Total Fat : 6.7g
Sat. Fat : 1g
Calcium : 29mg

Helpful Hints:
~ By removing the yolks, you completely eliminate the cholesterol from the omelette. Egg white is a good source of protein but remember to cook your eggs well so that they are safe for you to eat.
~ Lift up your fork when you whip the egg to trap some air.
~ By using a non-stick pan and very little oil, you won't get all the calories.
~ Salmon has omega 3 fats which are good for the heart.
~ Zucchini is a vegetable with one of the lowest calories.
~ Use tomatoes for vitamin C and lycopine which helps prevent prostrate cancer.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 | |

 

Tofu French Toast - serves 2

Adapted from The PETA Celebrity Cookbook, edited by Ingrid E. Newkirk

INGREDIENTS
8 slices vegan French bread (a couple of days old is best)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups soy or rice milk
4 tablespoons tofu
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Method:
1. In a blender, blend all ingredients except the shortening and bread. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and dip the bread in, covering both sides.
2. Melt the shortening in a pan and place dipped bread in pan. Add extra cinnamon on top.
3. Brown on both sides. Serve topped with fresh fruit or maple syrup.

Helpful Hints: Recipe may be doubled.

Simple Solution: This wonderful vegan version of classic French toast satisfies without dairy.
Simple to make and so healthy: you won’t miss the eggs and milk in this tender, cinnamon-spiced, high-protein breakfast delight.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 | |

 

Red Bell Pepper and Broccoli Pasta Sauce - serves 4

Adapted from Real Stew, by Clifford A. Wright (Harvard Common Press, 2002).

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 fleshy red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh broccoli (about 1 pound), broken into florets and stems cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Grated cheese (optional)

Method:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the red peppers, onion, and garlic until soft, adding small amounts of water to keep the skillet from drying out and stirring from time to time, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil, salt lightly, and cook broccoli stems for a few minutes, then add florets. Cook broccoli until tender but still bright green, no more than about 10 minutes. Drain, break up slightly with a fork, and toss with the red bell pepper mixture. Season with salt and pepper, top with grated cheese, if desired, and serve immediately.

Helpful Hints: The secret to success here is not overcooking the broccoli. Make sure it remains bright green.

Simple Solution: If you're getting tired of the grayness of winter, this dish - with its bright and vibrant colors - will give you heart. It's another terrific use for a cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetable, with flavor so satisfying that it can be served on its own, although it works marvelously as a sauce for rice as well as pasta.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 | |

 

Silky Broccoli Soup - serves 4

Adapted from The 12 Best Foods Cookbook, by Dana Jacobi (Rodale Press, 2005).

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli
2 leeks, white parts only, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups water
2 tablespoons snipped chives for garnish

Method:
1. Chop the broccoli florets, including the thinner stems just below the florets. Reserve the lower stems for another use.
2. Place the broccoli in a large saucepan or a small Dutch oven. Add the leeks, onion, shallot, potatoes, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Pour in 4 cups water and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the soup sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
3. Puree the soup in a blender until it is smooth or use an immersion blender in the pot. Chill thoroughly, 3 hours to overnight. Adjust the seasoning. Divide the chilled soup among 4 bowls and garnish each serving with one-quarter of the chives.

Simple Solution: When it comes to cancer-fighters, broccoli is right at the top of the list, and this silky-smooth soup is a delicious way to get your broccoli quota. Creamy without dairy, and made with flavorful, beneficial onions, leeks, and shallots, this easy-to-make soup is proof that healthy foods can be delightfully sensuous and appealing.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 | |

Friday, September 09, 2005 

Breakfast pizza (serves 1)

Ingredients:
~ 1/3 Focaccia loaf, sliced in half length-wise
~ 4 tbsp canned tomatoes
~ 1/2 slice honey-baked ham, cut into strips
~ 2 tbsp low-fat mozzarella
~ 1 slice canned pineapple (in juice), roughly chopped
~ Black pepper to taste (or dried chilli flakes)
~ Parsley to garnish

Method:
1. Lightly mash tomatoes in a bowl, spread on focaccia
2. Top with sliced ham, pineapple & cheese
3. Toast till cheese has melted
4. Season with black pepper or dried chilli flakes

Friday, September 09, 2005 | |

 

Korean Spicy Squid (Ojing-uh Bokum)

Ingredients:
~ 3 to 4 squids (clean and cut into desired number)
~2 garlic cloves (minced)
~1/2 onion (thinly sliced)
~1/2 carrot (thinly sliced)
~1/2 zucchini (thinly sliced)
~2 spring onions (sliced)
~2 green chillies (sliced)
~1/4 tsp chilli powder
~ 1 tbsp chilli paste
~ 1 tbsp sugar

Method:
1. Heat oil, fry garlic till fragrant
2. Add vegetables
3. Add squid
4. Add all other remaining ingredients and fry till squid is cooked

Friday, September 09, 2005 | |

Wednesday, September 07, 2005 

Asparagus Risotto with Lemon (serves 4)

Adapted from California Home Cooking by Michele Anna Jordan (Harvard Common Press, 1997).

Simple Solution:
A delicious -- in fact, heavenly! -- use for seasonal asparagus, this recipe makes a flavorful and pretty side dish that will perk up any springtime celebration.
The combination of creamy rice, tender asparagus, and tangy lemon is irresistible, like a taste of Spring sunshine!

INGREDIENTS
~ 1 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
~ 1/4 cup olive oilk
~ osher salt
~ freshly-ground black pepper
~ 1 small yellow onion, diced1 shallot, minced
~ 1 1/4 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
~ 4 to 5 cups vegetable stock, hot
~ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
~ 1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
~ 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or dry jack cheese
~ 1 tablespoon julienned lemon zest

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 500F. Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium bowl until each piece is coated. Spread the asparagus evenly on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast until just tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, and saute it until it is soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the shallot and saute for 5 minutes more. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until each grain begins to turn milky white, about 2 minutes. Keeping the stock hot over low heat, add it to the rice, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until nearly all the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add stock and stir until the rice is tender but not mushy, a total of 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the lemon juice, minced lemon zest, and cheese. Fold in the asparagus, and remove from the heat. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl or individual plates, garnish with julienned lemon zest and parsley, and serve immediately.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005 | |

Friday, September 02, 2005 

Home Made Muesli (serves 1)


Ingredients
- 1/2 cup non-fat Aloe Vera Yoghurt
- 1/4 cup instant oats
- 1/4 cup wholegrain cereal
- 1 small pear, diced
- 2 fresh strawberries, diced
- 1 tbsp mix nuts, chopped


Method
1. Place non-fat Aloe Vera Yoghurt in a bowl.
2. Add instant oats and wholegrain cereal to the bowl.
3. Garnish with nuts, diced pear and strawberries.

Nutritional Analysis for Home-made Muesli
Energy : 390 kcals
Carbohydrate : 72g
Protein : 12g
Dietary Fibre : 10.3g
Total Fat : 6.0g
Sat. Fat : 0.7g
Calcium : 650mg

Comments
*Try making your own muesli instead of buying ready-made ones which are usually high in fat.
*Start with yoghurt which is a good source of calcium.
*Choose a wide variety of multi-grain cereal which are high in fibre, especially insoluble fibre which makes you full.
*Use oats because they have soluble fibres which help reduce cholesterol.
*Strawberries are high in anti-oxidants and can prevent cancer. They also slow down the ageing process and boosts your immune system.
*When using pears, keep the skin on so that you retain the fibre.
*Fats found in nuts are mostly poly-unsaturated fats - the good fats that won't raise your cholesterol levels. Just don't use too much.


Friday, September 02, 2005 | |

Thursday, September 01, 2005 

Sunrise smoothie


Ingredients:
-6 fresh [or frozen] strawberries, roughly chopped
-1 tsp sugar (optional)
-1 cup non-fat strawberry [or natural] yoghurt
-2 tbsp wholegrain cereal
-2 fresh strawberries, diced (for garnish)

Method:
1. Place the roughly chopped strawberries, sugar (optional) and non-fat strawberry [or natural] yoghurt in a blender.
2. Blend mixture until smooth.
3. Pour into a tall glass, serve with diced strawberries and wholegrain cereal.

Nutritional Analysis for Sunrise Smoothie
Energy : 309 kcals
Carbohydrate : 63g
Protein : 12g
Dietary Fibre : 10g
Total Fat : 1g
Sat. Fat : 0.2g
Calcium : 182mg

Comments:
*Like most berries, strawberries are high in vitamin C and anti-oxidants which slows down the ageing process and can prevent cancer.
*Yoghurt is just like milk and so will provide calcium for your bones.
*To complete your breakfast, add cereal, so that you get your carbohydrate intake and extra fibre.

Thursday, September 01, 2005 | |

 

Nuts & Fruit Mix (520 calories)

Ingredients:
- 2 cup oats
- ½ cup mixed nuts
- ½ cup dried fruit chopped

Method:
-Put the oats into a bowl & stir in the remaining ingredients until evenly mixed.
-Store in an airtight container.
Optional:
-Serve with soymilk & sweeten with maple syrup or brown sugar.
-Garnish with slices of fresh fruit in season.

Comments:
*You can also add yoghurt to improve your digestive system.
*Nuts are high in protein while fruits are a great source of fibre.
*This is also a good snack for children because it tastes sweet

Thursday, September 01, 2005 | |

 

Fruit salad & toast (Serves 1)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup mixed fruits, chopped
- 1/2 cup non-fat peach mango yoghurt
- 1 tbsp wheat germ
- 1 slice whitemeal bread
- 1 tsp low-sugar fruit jam

Method:
1. Place mixed fruits in a bowl.
2. Add non-fat peach mango yoghurt and sprinkle with wheat germ [or serve the yoghurt on the side].
3. Toast the whitemeal bread, spread with low-sugar jam and serve with fruit salad.

Nutritional Analysis for Fruit Salad & Toast:
Energy : 326 kcals
Carbohydrate : 66g
Protein : 11g
Dietary Fibre : 10g
Total Fat : 2g
Sat. Fat : 0.5g
Calcium : 74mg

Comments:
*When you use apple, keep the skin because this is where you find the most fibre.
*Strawberries and kiwis are both very high in vitamin C and they help absorb iron and are good for your immune system.
*When choosing grapes, pick those with the red skin because they have a lot of anti-oxidants in the skin.
*You can vary the fruits by using pears or mangoes, just make sure that you choose the more colourful fruits because they have more anti-oxidants.
*Add yoghurt for calcium and top the salad with wheat germ that you can easily get from the supermarket.
*Wheat germ has a lot of vitamin E which is a natural anti-oxidant. It's also high in folate and zinc which is important for your immune system.
*You can also complement your fruit salad with a slice of toast. Use just a little non-sweetened or low-sugar jam.

Thursday, September 01, 2005 | |

 

Breakfast Drink (Serves 1) - Only 300 calories!!

Ingredients:
-1 cup milk or soya milk
-1 ripe banana (93 cal)
-1/2 cup fat-free yogurt (fresh or frozen)
-Flavorings (e.g. vanilla, chocolate syrup - optional)

Method:
Blend everthing in a blender for 10 seconds.

Comments:
*Bananas are used because they help move bowels but you can add other types of fruit.
*You can also vary the flavoring to vanilla or even choose to not add any flavouring at all.
*This drink is designed to be soft on the stomach yet helps wake you up in the morning

Thursday, September 01, 2005 | |