Ingredients:
half a cup of barley
1 sheet of dried bean curd sheet
half a cup of bak guo (fresh or frozen)
(optional) sugar of your choice (honey / brown sugar / peen tong (block sugar))

Method:
1. soak a sheet of dried bean curd sheet
2. add the barley to a pot and add about 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil using low flame. Let it simmer for about 40 minutes
3. after about 40 minutes, add the softened bean curd sheets and also the ginko nuts.
4. Optional: add sugar according to taste.
5. Serve hot.

* Barley is very good for "cooling". Bak Guo is said to be good for the brain and Bean Curd Sheet is said to be very good for one's complexion. ;)

Labels: Asian, Chinese Dessert Recipe, Chinese Recipe

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Level of difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
4 medium sized Mushroom
2 celery sticks
half "fried tofu block"
2 medium sized onions
half a box of konnyaku (not the dessert kind, but the ones used for stir-frying - the white squid like thingy in the pic above)

Method:
1. saute the chopped onions in a non-stick pan with a few drops of olive oil.
2. add the mushrooms and stir fry for about 1 minute
3. add the sliced tofu and konnyaku and continue stir fry for about 30 seconds.
4. add the chopped celery and stir fry for another 30 seconds.
5. It should be tasty enough as the mushrooms act as a natural flavor to this dish. If you prefer it to be a little saltier, you can add a pinch of salt or a little soy sauce. If you like spicy food, you can even opt to add a tablespoon of chili paste (I personally recommend vegetarian tomyam paste). If you have more of a sweet tooth, you can dilute a little Hoi Sin sauce and add to it. Also, there's the classic balsamic vinegar which is a very healthy choice.
6. Top with some parsley and enjoy!

Labels: Fusion Recipe, Main, Oil Free*, Quick N Easy

Many of my friends have asked me, "What do you eat? Green veg and tofu?" Many non-vegetarians often think that by restricting their diet to veggies and fruits, they are in for a really bland meal.

I would like to shout out here that it so untrue! Everyday, I find it difficult to decide on what to eat as there are just too many delicious combinations! Just the carbs can take you quite a while to decide.

Should I have rice? white rice? brown rice? basmati? or should I have noodles? rice vermicilli? yellow noodles? hor fun? laksa noodles? or should I have pasta? spiral? spaghetti? penne? Then comes the veg. Gosh there's even more vegetables to choose from. Firstly there's asian greens and also western greens. Not to mention the many in-betweens. Alfafa, spinach, bak choy, choy sum, yau mak, lettuce, cabbage, chinese broccoli, capsicum, cauliflower, etc. Then there's the tofu, nuts, tomatoes, bitter gourds, radish, yam, eggplants, beans (black, red, mung, kidney etc). Who said your choice is restricted when it comes to a vegetarian diet? It's not over yet.... Then you have the style of cooking. Chinese, Indian, Italian, French, Fusion, Japanese, etc. Feeling hungry yet? hehe. Not forgetting the endless list of available mouth-watering fruits!

I know it will be hard to stop eating meat overnight (although I didn't have a problem with this as I was never a "meat-eater". I strayed when I was about 8 where I had some McD burgers and some anchovies. But that's pretty much it.
If you put your heart to it, you will most likely stop craving for meat and will probably find it difficult to come up with the desire to even want to eat meat again. Think of the animals that you will be saving while improving your general wellbeing. Win-win situation isn't it?

Labels: journal, thoughts

Preperation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 5-8 minutes

Ingredients:
1 medium sized Eggplant
2 medium sized tomatoes
3-4 medium sized fresh mushrooms
garlic
balsamic vinegar
Black Pepper

Method:
1. (I am using a non stick pan, so this is basically a dish that uses very little oil). Slice eggplant to a thickness of about 1 cm. Place the eggplants onto the non-stick. Flip eggplants when the sides are cooked. Remove and place onto serving dish.
2. Drop a few drops of olive oil onto a non-stick pan, add sliced garlic and sliced mushrooms. Add tomatoes last to perserve freshness and juiciness.
3. Top eggplants with the items from step #2.
4. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar / fat free italian dressing / dressing of your choice.
5. Sprinkle some black pepper.
6. Decorate with some parsley (optional)

* opt for the elongated asian eggplant if you want similar sized eggplant slices.

Labels: Fusion, Oil Free*, Quick N Easy, Recipe, Western