Colours

In my last post, I expressed shock that July had arrived so quickly. Now the weight of August just tumbled out of nowhere! August means the start of a new academic year. I am not really looking forward to the hectic schedules of projects, lessons and assignments. :/

Anyway, yesterday was the last day of my internship at Channel NewsAsia E-news. Felt really sad because I have grown the working styles and the lovely people there. Had a very enriching time there, but guess what, I will be back to work there part-time when semester begins. The schedule is really flexible and the pay is pretty good. Figured that I should get my own income and start a proper investment plan for the future.

Anyway purpose of this blog was to chronicle the food I eat, but I am a little disappointed by my lack of commitment to it. I don’t think I will be giving it up, but I’d most probably only make infrequent (photo) posts.

So here are some of my meals the past month or so… I can’t really remember. I wish I had the time to come up with more creative dishes in the kitchen, but lately I am tired out from work that I either eat out, or just eat whatever my maid cooks which is not bad at all.

One reason why I love eating fresh produce is the vibrant colours.. I swear just by looking at them, I am happier! I know I am such a dork.

1) sweet corn without any salt or butter because you will just spoil its natural taste! Jap cucumber usually eaten with miso!, tomato with sprinklings of balsamic vinegar.

2) Orange and yellow peppers, celery sticks!

3) A packed lunch to work. Chickpeas for protein, grilled eggplant, steamed broccoli, stir-fried french peas and cauliflower, tomato.

4) A fruity snack consisting of watermelon wedges, grapes and yogurt

5) Sauteed carrots and cherry tomatoes in balsamic vinegar (the cherry tomatoes would be literally bursting with flavor this way!), 1/2 grilled Portabello mushroom, omelette with rest of the mushroom and cheese

A close up of the omelette. Check out the cheese oozing out! This would really tide your hunger over for hours!

Ok I am going to start on my community service report, which is due in 2 weeks time. I vow not to procrastinate next sem… let’s see how that goes.

Guacamole recipe (+ Volar, ice-skating)

I’ve always wondered how to eat avocado. That green, mushy flesh of the fruit looks really funky and I remember the very first time I ate it (spoon in hand and just scooped out the flesh), I felt really squirmy all over!

I came across this Guacamole recipe in my vegetarian cookbook (will post a photo of the book soon), and I had always wanted to try it, except that I don’t really see avocados in the supermarket. Guacamole is a dip that originated from Mexico and is made from avocados, salt, onions and tomatoes. Depending on your taste buds, you can add chili if you’re game for something for fiery, or other herbs like cilantro (parsley), garlic, cumin, or a squeeze of lime juice.

Ripe avocados are key to making good guacamole. Actually, looking at the 3rd photo from the top, my avocado looks too soft (i.e. over-riped). I would still go with a slightly over-riped avocado over one that doesn’t budge when you use your thumb to give a gentle press on the skin. However, this is only when you don’t have a good, frim avocado!

I read somewhere that you can use the ‘Button Test’ method in checking whether your avocado is ripe for consumption. Basically, you give the top of the avocado a light push, and if it doesn’t seem to give at all, it is not ripe, but if it moves slightly, then use it! If it moves too much, then you are probably better off making an avocado smoothie (blend 1 avocado, 2 teaspoons of condensed milk and ice) with that over-ripe piece

On to making the guacamole!

BTW, can I say I am quite proud of this photo below? It looks so professionally taken, if I can claim credit for myself! (Minimal editing only to brighten up the pic; because I suck at it and I don’t have Photoshop)

Serves 4

1) Scoop out the flesh of 2 avocados.

2) Mash with a fork if you like a creamier texture, or just roughly chop it up using the side of the fork if you’d like a chunkier texture.

3. Deseed and chop up one tomato.

4. Finely mince one clove of garlic and half a red onion.

5. Mix everything together, and add juice of 2 limes. The lime juice helped to stop the avocado from turning brown due to oxidisation.

6. Add a pinch of salt for taste.

There are many variations of guacamole recipes on the net, but so far, I like this one as it is simple to make and there are not too many other herbs that hinders you from tasting the avocado.

I had my guacamole with raw carrot and celery sticks. What I love about guacamole is that it is so versatile, you can use it as a healthy sandwich spread, eat it with tortilla chips (just like salsa), or top your plain crackers with it.

My friend, Lydia Hang who is currently studying in Brisbane (lucky ducky, I’ve always thought of Australia as a place that has the freshest fruits ang vegetables, plus a greater variety of wholewheat products) shares,

‘One brekkie that I have come to love here in Australia is avocado toast! Extremely easy to make! Place avocado flesh on a hot toasted bread. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY! How easy! It takes me two minutes to toast the bread, dig out the flesh and make the sandwich. Plus, its filling and it lasts me till lunch. Also very nutritious I must say!’

I can’t wait to give her above recipe a try… once i get my hands on good, ripe avocados!

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The Volar AdvRace was fun… I am just sooo proud of my team; I can’t believe we actually completed the entire leg of 33km in about four and a half hours. God blessed us with fine weather; no doubt it was blistering hot at the final destination, Sentosa but since we kicked off the race early at 7.30am, we were spared from getting burnt during the early parts of the race.

The most tiring part of the race was THAT CRAZY 40 STORY STAIR CLIMB up a HDB flat. To quote Tristan, ‘This is like a stairway to Heaven’. Argh that was totally insane! My legs were jellified (for the lack of a better word), my lungs were screaming for air but quitting wasn’t an option when your team mates were verbally pushing you on. Maybe repeating ‘toned and sexy thighs’ with every excruciating step helped. Haha!

I realised I have totally forgotten how to roller-blade. Fell on my bum twice, ouch! It is so different from ice-skating, and don’t argue with me on that! I went to Kallang with my LTB group-mates last Wed to ice-skate. Really enjoyed myself, I landed on my bum once because I was laughing at David who always looks like he is about to fall, but never does. He must be a secret beam balancing pro; but serves me right! :p

Joyce Chan (who is 1.8m tall!!) and I.

Allan trying to find his balance!

Abbe, Wendy and Jayne, we missed you girls! Love this team, I had sooo many wonderful memories working with them last semester.

So, back to Volar. My right knee hurts and my skin is prickling from the heat. The best part has got to be riding the cable car up Mount Faber. It felt SO good to sit down and enjoy the scenery! We actually ran from school, all the way to Kallang, then Lavender. That’s about 10k (according to mapmyrun.com), then we did loads of running around Queenstown to reach the swimming complex (where we had to swim and dive to get a pingpong ball), up Mount Faber Hill and Sentosa Island as well, so at least 15k in all. I need a good massage!
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It’s going to be a hectic summer for me. I am organizing a community service project which is going to be held in July, a youth conference in June (Worldview for the third year running), organizing this year’s RunAbout event in school (CCA comittment) and am involved with the Freshman Teambuilding Camp as a facilitator and the Social Sci Camp under the Operations Sub-Comm. Excited to make the best out of summer (learn French, learn to play some sexy songs on the guitar, read read read, cook… but of course)! Well, there is the upcoming Batam trip with Run Team friends next weekend!

Technology & World Change (TWC) summer term class commences tomorrow… perhaps reading The World Is Flat is going to come in handy here?? Back to hitting the books again. :/ I am not very pleased with my grades this sem… ok so only so far Creative Thinking (CT) and Stats grades out released. I got an A- for CT which is only a 0.5 mod (darn!) but a C for Stats so don’t you see where this is heading?! But in all things, I am going to give thanks to God for seeing me through the finals

Got to rest early… am so shagged, I hope I can still walk tomorrow.

Have a pleasant week ahead everyone!

Variations of Oatmeal; my love!

I am very grateful for my grandmother and mother’s advice; that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Today, I have to have my breakfast as a way to jumpstart my day. I cannot go to school on an empty stomach, and what’s more, it is also much easier to be tempted by greasy, fattening breakfast options when we are hungry! I don’t really like to have ‘brunch’, so I’ll try to wake up early (by 10am the latest), to have a leisurely, healthy breakfast.

Having no time for breakfast as an excuse is quite lame. It doesn’t take very long to make a sandwich, or to pour a glass of milk! Breakfast need not be boring, there are so many healthy foods to choose from, from high fiber, low sugar cereals to omelets.

Breakfast is also when I’ll try to get my serving of fruit(s), and the increased fiber intake is the reason why guilt-inducing junk food/snacks are kept at bay as the satiety level is reached by simply having breakfast. If not, it is easy to end up making poor food choices later in the day, which will usually mean additional pounds!

Touted as one of the world’s most nutritious foods today, oats used to be looked down upon by the upper-class of society, as it was deemed as animal feed. It is a large part of a horse’s diet!

My mum got be hooked to eating oats when I was in junior college. Those days, I had to wake up at 5.45am, when it was still dark outside. Dawn has not broken, so it was usually quite chilly in the mornings. A warm bowl of oats would seal the deal, and because my appetite for breakfast used to be quite small, about 5 tablespoons was all I could take, yet it was enough for my concentration to last through mid-morning.

Oats is a great source of wholewheat, which is far more superior than having refined carbs such as white bread. The difference is that eating wholewheat products does not cost a sudden spike in blood sugar level as it has a lower glycemic index (and it is related to our insulin levels in our body) and the slower digestion means keeping us full for a longer period of time.

This humble grain packs a whole host of health benefits. Oats lowers cholesterol, protects our heart from diseases such as stroke, lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes… you can find more of its health benefits here at World’s Healthiest Foods.

The best thing I love about oats is that it is so simple to make! It only takes 3-5 minutes to cook if you use the quick-cooking kind. But if you are always hard-pressed for time, then having the instant kind (just more hot water) is another way to increase your fiber intake for the day. Personally I don’t really have a preference. Whatever oats is it, I will have!

No prizes for guessing what I have been having for my past mornings!

1) Oats topped with fresh strawberries and one teaspoon of condensed milk. (Almost like strawberries and cream, only healthier!)

2) My ABSOLUTE Favourite: Banana Oats! Half a banana, whipped in oats as it is cooking so the banana gets soft and fluffy as it cooks. I topped this one off with the other half of the banana (not cooked) and cinnamon. The sweetness of the banana gives the oats a comforting flavor. Sometimes I will add almonds/walnuts for that extra crunch.

3) Peanut butter oats. Need I say more? I will add one teaspoon of brown sugar and cinnamon as a treat! Peanut butter is actually healthy food (everything in moderation of course), as it is a source of protein and has good fats; the monosaturated kind which can be also found in avocados.

4) This might be new to some but pumpkin oats actually tastes quite delish! The sweetness of the pumpkin really permeates the entire bowl of oats and the warm orange colour was really pleasing to the eye. (JOAN aka pumpkin lover, this one is for you!) I had to steam the pumpkin beforehand so it was soft enough to be mashed as I added it to the cooked oats.

I added about 3 teaspoons of plain yogurt here. I didn’t mix everything up, because I wouldn’t be able to taste the yogurt that way. What I did was to spoon a bit of yogurt from the side, and spoon some oats before the spoonful disappears into my mouth!

Oh, if you think I use newspapers as placemats, I actually don’t! It’s my daily habit of reading the newspapers while having my breakfast!

5) And who says oats cannot be a savory dish? Instead of water, I used vegetable stock to boil the oats, but not before I added the chopped carrot and celery, allowing it to soften before adding the oats. I had this for dinner last week, and it is good if you don’t want to have a heavy dinner. It only takes 10-15 minutes at to prepare and cook this, max!

The weird greenish/brown specks are actually basil leaves for that extra aromatic smell and taste!

My eyelids feel sleepy, so over and out! Can’t wait for a bowl of oatmeal tomorrow morning! I think I am going to try making mango oatmeal tomorrow. I will definitely let you know how it goes but seriously, mangoes don’t go wrong! But that would warrant another post altogether.

A special shout-out to my friends: Thank you for supporting my blog! Especially those overseas- hopefully I have inspired you to cook your own meals?!!? Haha!

Waldorf Salad

I am grateful for the afternoon showers which cooled the weather considerably. It is not as humid as it usually is and the best thing is that the sun is out again!

I made a simple Waldorf salad and had stir-fried brown button mushrooms, French beans and tempeh stirfry as a side-dish.

According to Wikipedia, the Waldorf salad is as named because it was created in Waldorf Hotel in New York City around 1983.

The Waldorf salad I made consists of 1apple and 1 celery stalk. Cut them into bite-size pieces which you toss together with a tablespoon of mayonnaise.

After that, add the crunchy goodness of the mayo-tossed apples and celery to the green bed of fresh romaine lettuce leaves which was tossed with a dash of extra virgin olive oil.

Sprinkle a handful of raisins and toasted walnuts, and you’re good to go!

I am going to pack the leftovers for dinner tonight, since I will be out at the National Museum to admire a new funky art exhibition with a friend later!

As for the stir-fry, it is really simple with just 3 ingredients. Chop them up, and after heating up one teaspoon of oil (I am an olive-oil person, but you can use whatever oil you have at hand), just stir-fry with medium heat for 3 minutes or until the French beans have a nice slightly darker shade of green to it.

Add a pinch of salt for flavor if you wish.

And it’s all done!

Try to use fresh brown button mushrooms instead of the ones from the can as the former has a woody aroma to it.

Tempeh is fermented soyabeans made into a ‘cake’, which you put inside the freezer until it is ready for use. It is very cheap (around S$1.50 for 2 pieces), and a good source of protein as well. If you want to try an alternative from tofu, tempeh it is! It took me some time to appreciate the nutty texture but I have come to love the chewiness. The best thing is you can use it in salads, stir-fry dishes, soups and even in sandwiches!

I have to get ready for tonight! Till next time, bye!

Mama Mia, it’s Pizza!

I was inspired to make my own pizza yesterday after a recipe was published in a little section in the Mind You Body newspaper supplement. I had all the ingredients at home, so I decided to take a break from studying Business, Government and Society (which is my last exam paper, and after tomorrow, the holidays would be here!) and attempt to make my first pizza (make that six in all to feed the family of six including my domestic helper; I have two teenage brothers so you understand why I have to make so many) ever!

It was a surprisingly easy to make the pizza. The only difficult part was when I had to exert a lot of strength in rolling out the dough. What’s more, you can use whatever you fancy for the toppings! I made 3 vegetarian pizzas and the other three had sausages and crabstick meat on them.

I used bread flour, that’s why the base was very soft and chewy!

After mixing and kneading the base ingredients together, I left the dough to ferment for an hour. It grew twice the size! But it was really elastic and soft! Enough of being nice, show who’s the boss and give it a punch down!

Now, this was the tiring part! Every time I tried to flatten the dough with the rolling pin, it wouldn’t stretch out as far as I would like it to be, so I had to keep rollin, rollin’ rollin’…

Once it was all flat (I like my pizza crusts thin than thick), I placed it into an olive-oil greased pan. Actually I had to use the pan to cut out the perfect circular shape of the base. When I rolled it out with the rolling pin, the dough looked anything but circle! It even looked like the continent of Australia at one point!

Spread the tomato paste on the base like you would with red paint on a canvas…

And if you like, spread a bit of pesto on the base as well. I tried spreading it on the base but realised the basil taste wasn’t as distinctive if I brushed the pesto after I have sprinkled the toppings. Problem with the latter if that their was a tendency for the toppings to keep moving if you tried to spread the pesto evenly, but the taste was there.

So it’s up to you… convenience or taste?

For my vegetarian pizza, I used tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms, spinach leaves, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, French beans and my favourite… garlic! This is an easy way of getting all your daily servings of 5 (don’t aim for two, that’s too little!) vegetables in!

I only bothered making the toppings really neat for the first pizza, subsequently, the rest had toppings placed in a haphazard manner! :p

All the toppings on the vegetarian pizza, with shredded cheese (chedder, because I didn’t have mozzarella).

The one with sausages and crabstick meat on it…

I added some herbs in the form of oregano, pepper and Italian seasoning. Oh an a pinch of salt too.

Then into the oven it goes!

After a mere 13 minutes…

TA-DA!

It smelt soooo good! It tasted even better!

Yummy! My family raved about it, but I guess anything is much better if it is handmade with love! Reminds me of my friend, Dawn’s website name… Hi Dawn, if you ever get to read this!

Here is a basic recipe for pizza dough (enough to make a 10-12 inch pizza:

-175g or 1 1/2 cups of bread flour

- 1 tbsp of olive oil

- 1tsp of salt

- 1 tbsp of yeast

- 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water

1) Sieve the flour and mix it together with the salt and yeast.

2) Create a ‘well’ in the centre and add the olive oil and lukewarm water.

3) Knead the ingredients for 10 minutes on a lightly-floured surface until dough is soft and elastic.

4) Place the dough in a lightly-greased bowl covered with cling-wrap. Leave it to ferment for an hour. The dough will grow twice in size.

5) Knead it again for 2 minutes before using.

6) After adding the toppings, bake in the oven at 230 degrees Celsius for 12-14 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

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There you go! Wasn’t that simple? So simple that I recalled the base recipe from memory! Go me.

As for the toppings, it’s really up to you! Try using eggplant, tuna, onions, chicken etc… the list is endless! I am tempted to try it with sliced bananas and Nutella! Mmmm…!