Eat-Clean Recipe :: Raw Vegan Rice Paper Rolls

I don’t know about you but I love food that is fresh, easy to make, nutritious and delicious, well, particularly veggies. So, if you are one who hates those greens, look away. This is for those true greens lovers!

As I have mentioned on my previous post, I just found out that I was sensitive to gluten. All this while, for the past few years of my life, I had actually mistaken the symptoms of Gluten Intolerant (or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) as something normal.

Though there are many symptoms of Gluten Intolerant, these are the few obvious ones that I had experienced:

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhoea and even constipation. This very symptom was the one I completely missed out, thinking that it might be due to the spicy food I had during the meals. 
2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut. I let this slipped away too, and didn't know it was the obvious symptoms I had overlooked.

Only recently did I feel sick in the stomach whenever I consumed food that contain wheat, specifically, it would get me running to the toilet. Bloating became worse during night time, resulting in sleepless night and major diarrhoea on the next day morning. Thus, I decided to go gluten-free for the next few days to find out whether I truly is gluten-intolerant.

I am sharing this with you is not because I want you to be on gluten-free diet. Not everyone is sensitive to gluten, but if you have been experiencing all these, I suggest you do more research and read about it as currently there is no test for Gluten Sensitivity. 

So, to start my gluten-free diet on the right note, I had made some Raw Veggie Vietnamese rice paper rolls. This recipe is good when you want lighten up your meals, and prepare good easy ‘grab and go’ food that can be easily packed and eaten. Plus, it is gluten-free and perfect for any meals.

So let's get rolling!

Recipe:

(Servings: 2)

Ingredients

• 6 Rice paper sheets 
• Baby Spinach (or the leafy parts of Chinese spinach is fine)
• Enoki Mushrooms
• 1 Baby Corn
• 1-2 Carrots, peeled
• 1 tomato, sliced
• Optional fillings: Cucumbers, Bean Sprouts, Avocado, Spring Onions, Red Bell Pepper etc.
• For non-vegan fillings: Cooked prawns, or chicken boobies

Directions

1. Wash all the vegetables and slice the carrots, corn, enoki, and tomatoes. Place all the ingredients in a large plate.
2. Prepare a bowl with warm water for the rice paper and add a wrap for about 30 seconds, or until pliable
3. Lay the wrap on a big dry plate, add a little of each veggie slightly towards the bottom
4. First fold the side of the sheet closest to you (where the ingredients are) to cover the ingredients (this should be a horizontal movement). Then fold one of the vertical sides over half of the roll, then the other side.
5. Finish rolling the sheet away from your body until you have a complete roll. 
6. Continue process until all rolls are assembled and place onto serving dish.

Optional dipping Sauce:

- Thai Sweet & Spicy sauce

- Japanese Goma sauce

- Garlic Peanut Butter sauce = minced garlic, and mix with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Add in water until smooth and sauce-liked

I hope you will get rolling too and enjoy the goodness of raw veggies. Whenever I am tired of having salad, this would be my "go-to" recipe for an alternative recipe. There are endless list of methods for this recipe and ingredients you can put inside. 

Perhaps you would like to share some of your ideas, would love to hear it from you!

As always,

eat clean and be beautiful. 

Eat-Clean Recipe :: Crispy Quinoa and Cashew Date Cookies

Hello guys!

Have you ever found serenity and calmness when you're baking? Or the excitement and enthusiasm when you are waiting for the timer to ring off? Because I know I do, but that doesn't mean that girls are meant to be in kitchen all the time lol!

It is just so surreal when I get to try experimenting with new ingredients and it turns out good. I am currently trying out on this unique ingredient called Quinoa [pronounced Keen-Wah]. Pretty sure you have heard it once or twice but never really try it before, am I right to say that?

This superfood is "a grain crop grown primarily for its edible seeds", as stated on Wikipedia, and known to be a high-protein seed, in a way that per 100 calories, it is higher than brown rice, potatoes, barley and millet, but is less than wild rice and oats. Also, it lacks gluten, a.k.a gluten-free food which I will do a separate post on it. Currently, eliminating gluten from my diet (referring to my eating lifestyle), I just found out that I am gluten-intolerance. So, I would update you more about it on another post.

No doubt that Quinoa has just entered my list of superfood. I really reckon you to give it a try by replacing your white rice with this quinoa seed, or making these grain-free, sugar-free and gluten-free cookies recipe that I am going to share today.

Trust me, you won't be able to keep your hands off the cookie jar, 'cos it is happening to me now lol! ;-)

Recipe:
Ingredients: 

• 1 cup quinoa flour*
• 1 1/2 cup cashew flour (or almond flour)
• 1 tbsp Manuka Honey (or pure raw honey)
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp Date Syrup (or 1/4 cup honey, and more to taste)
• 1 tbsp Applesauce
• 1 tbsp Macadamia Nut Oil/ Almond Oil/ Grapeseed Oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300°F.
2. Mix quinoa flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add honey and applesauce until crumbly dough forms. Add the honey slowly, making sure the dough is crumbly. The key is to make sure your dough is crumbly, so you can cut cookies out of the dough. Shape the dough in a ball and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Lay parchment paper on the kitchen counter, put the dough in the middle and cover with another parchment paper on the top. Gently roll the dough in 1/4 inch thickness. Using cookie cutter make 2 inches circles and place them on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have about 20 to 24 cookies.
4. Bake cookies for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown, turning it over after 10 minutes mark.
5. Let cookies cool completely and store in air-tight container. 

Making Quinoa Flour* :

1. Pour Quinoa to a non-stick pan and put it on a medium heat.

2.Toast the quinoa in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Quinoa will make a light popping sound, when the toasting begins, for about a minute or two.

4. Let quinoa cool.

5. Add to a food processor and blend on high until you get a fine flour. 

I didn’t want to just be on a diet for a couple of months, I am actually cultivating this healthy lifestyle for  the rest of my life. Right now, I am eating 6-7 small, nutrient-dense meals on 2-3 hours intervals. I realised that meal planning was critical if I wanted to eat 6-7 meals a day! 

The key to eating healthy throughout the day is to keep healthy foods readily available. Trust me, by making your food in advance, you would definitely remain on track without blindly eating whatever food is available in front of your sight. So I learned to make some easy healthy snacks that would satisfy my cravings.

Here's a cookie for you, and as always, eat clean and stay beautiful.

Eat-Clean Recipe :: Chocolate Protein Oat Waffles

Grattis International Våfflor dagen, killar! Alla älskar våfflor rätt, som inte?
[Happy International Waffles Day, guys! Everyone loves waffles right, who doesn't?] in Swedish

Food makes everyone happy, but what makes me happier and ecstatic is when I can turn those delicious food into a healthier one where everyone can still enjoy it. It's just my new definition of sharing happiness with people like you! :-)

Waffles, waffles, waffles! Brilliant for any meals of the day and never can anyone get bored of it, I meant it's soooo waffle-liciously delicious! Perfect pair with <3 ice-cream <3, peanut butter, nutella, fruits or anything.. it's like heaven on a plate! 

But hold up, how about healthy waffles that's gonna make you feel happier and guilt-free after devouring it? Yes, sounds like we are on the same page. 

To celebrate International Waffle Day (originated from Sweden), I will be sharing waffle recipe today!

You are just "2 steps" away from having a wonderful plate of heavenly waffles, no joke! ;-)


Recipe:
Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup oat flour 
• 1/2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract/ powder
• 1/2 stick stevia (or preferred sweetener)
• 1 tbsp greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp unsweetened soy/ almond milk
• Optional toppings: Strawberry, Berries, Banana, Chocolate Sauce*, Nut Butter, Tahini, Pure Maple Syrup, Honey, Date Syrup, Greek Yogurt etc.

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, till a thick batter is formed. 
2. Heat up the waffles maker (make sure it's hot), cook for about 4-5 minutes till golden brown. 
3. Serves best when it's fresh from the maker!

For Chocolate Sauce*: Mix 1/3 cup unsweetened soy/ almond/ skimmed milk, 1/8 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese, 1/2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder and honey to taste.

See, it's that simple! If you do not have a waffle maker, you can always turn this into a pancake. Now, who dare says that eating-clean is boring? 

On a side note, I am gonna try to post healthy recipes every fortnight, well, at least this would get you to anticipate for the next recipes. It's worth waiting for these recipes, right right? Again, Happy International Waffle Day, guys! 

As always, 

eat clean and stay beautiful!

Eat-Clean Recipe :: Incredible Hulk Pancakes

Hi guys, 

are you equally intrigued by the post title? Good.

I have said countless times that Eating-Clean is never boring, it's never about eating the plain ol' tasteless chicken boobies or steamed broccoli, no! 

Research has shown that when you make the effort to prepare your meals, you are less likely to eat more as you tend to appreciate the effort. Gotcha just kidding! It's actually my own theory, which is super helpful. I actually appreciate the meal, taking time to savour the food, and eating it slowly in order to taste its full flavour and to enjoy it properly. 

[Tips: (1) Make the effort to prepare your meal, and (2) Eat slowly.]

Yes, it is healthy, and no, it does not contain any food coloring. Go as natural as possible! It's unbelievable how Spinach can give such a vibrant color, and good thing is there is no way you can taste the spinach. So, this recipe works best for people who just hate greens, trust me, it's a sneaky way to get the fibre from 'em.

So sharing with you my most favorite recipe, hope you enjoy it like I did!

Recipe

(Servings: 1)

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup rolled oats flour
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 stick stevia 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 15 g skimmed milk powder (or oat flour if no milk powder)
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce/ pumpkin puree/ mashed banana
• Handful of baby spinach or 2 stalks of Chinese spinach
• Optional: few mint leaves

Directions: 

1. Blend the spinach first, then mix in all the ingredients until a smooth batter is formed.

2. Preheat a non-stick pan over a medium heat, pour the batter. Cook for about a minute till golden brown, flip over and cook for about 30 seconds.

3. For chocolate sauce: 

          - Mix 1.5 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp soy/ almond/ skimmed milk and stevia to taste.

          - Store in fridge, serves best when cold

4. For white coconut sauce: 

          - Mix 1/3 cup unsweetened soy/ almond/ skimmed milk, 1/8 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/4 cup               fat free cottage cheese, and honey to taste

          - Store in fridge, serves best when cold

Tips:

(3) All ingredients are easily available at Cold Storage, Singapore. [I am not sure whether these products are available in Jakarta, but try to get the closest similar ingredients if possible.]
(4) Make your own oat flour just by blending or grinding rolled oats till a flour-texture is achieved.

(5) Go for unsweetened range of products, and skip those products that contain sugar, chances are it is the infamous corn syrup.

(6) Use non-stick pan to skip the unnecessary oil, or you can use healthy nut oils like Macadamia Nut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

Perfect recipe for any time of the day, and remember, you can't go wrong with pancakes! ;-)

Enjoy this, and don't forget to credit if you want to share this with your friends. 

Eat clean and stay beautiful! :)

Asian Clean-Eating 101.

As I have mentioned earlier on, it is all about balancing out the two factors of having a healthy lifestyle; (a). Clean-Eating and (b). Daily Exercising. 

Before we start, I would like you to read this great article first, Clean Eating :: Getting Started.

Now that you have got the basic ideas, it's time to get rid of all the processed food in your kitchen! You can either donate them away or just stash it in your cupboard and lock it away. 

Time to say bye-bye to 'em!

Once you have done so, head over to your new Clean Grocery List by Blogilates!

Clean-eating is simple, and never about depriving yourself of certain food groups. Unlike Atkins diet, all food groups are equally important. Try to get the basic idea from the Clean-Eating Pyramid, it's basically about eating natural food. I can't emphasise enough on the word, NATURAL. 

*If you managed to stay true to this point, I applaud you. However, if you've mentioned, "Life is short, and you only live once", I would reckon that you can either don't bother giving it a try, or well at least give it a shot! (lol, talk about irony) 

Again, it's not an easy choice to begin with, a little goes a long way, so start with baby steps. The next time you want to snack on potato chips, think twice, and go for healthier option like fruits or nuts (in moderation). Let your body takes time to change slowly, not drastically. Let me tell you this, once you have the mindset of wanting to be healthier, your body would unlikely crave for processed food. It may takes time and effort, but at the same time, it trains your self-discipline, and motivate you even further. 

The start of my eating-clean journey wasn't an easy one, there were many times I have fallen into temptations. But I prove myself to be even stronger by not giving up easily and continuing the journey instead. And I can proudly say that it has been 1 year and counting since I last touched any fast food, that's simply because my body doesn't crave for it. 

Ok, guess the basic is starting to bore you, I would share bits and pieces as we go along. I am pretty excited to share some healthy clean-eating recipes with you on my next posts. 

Stay tune for it guys! :-)