Categories
Asian Food Recipes

Recipe: Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Chinese Eggplant with garlic sauce

INGREDIENTS

  • 10 oz Chinese long eggplant chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2.5 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 tsp. oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

  1. (Optional salting step). Place eggplant in large bowl and add water to cover. Add 1 tsp salt. Mix well. Place a pot lid on top to keep the eggplant under water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
  3. Sprinkle eggplant with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix by hand, until eggplant is evenly coated with thin layer of cornstarch.
  4. Add two tablespoon oil to nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat. Spread eggplant across the bottom of the skillet without overlapping. Cook the eggplant one side at a time until all the surfaces are charred and the eggplant turns soft, 8 to 10 minutes in total. Sprinkle water as needed to speed cooking.Transplant the eggplants to a plate. If the skillet starts to smoke, turn to medium heat.
  5. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp oil, the ginger and garlic into the same skillet. Stir a few times until fragrant. Add the eggplant back into the skillet. Mix the sauce until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and pour it over the eggplant. Add water to soften eggplant. Immediately stir a few times, until the eggplant is evenly coated and the sauce thickens. Transfer everything to a big plate.
  6. Serve hot as a side or as a main course over steamed rice or noodles.
Categories
Asian Food Recipes

Recipe: Kale and Tofu Soup

Kale makes a nice soup. The taste and texture is very nice and satisfying in a soup. A good source of nitric oxide and other nutrients.

Kale and tofu soup

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bunch of kale (Lakota is pictured)
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 cups chick broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tbsp of laver (seaweed)
  • 1/2 tofu, cubed
  • Mung bean vermicelli noodles (optional)
Laver (edible seaweed)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Wash the kale
  2. Pick off pieces of leaves from the stem
  3. Heat cooking oil in bottom of soup pot
  4. Stir in minced garlic for a minute, until flavor releases
  5. Stir fry kale until it starts to wilt
  6. Add chicken broth, and water; and bring to boil
  7. Add seaweed for flavor
  8. Let simmer for 20 minutes
  9. Add tofu and vermicelli noodles (optional)
  10. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes
  11. Add salt and pepper to taste
  12. Add sesame oil to taste (optional)
Categories
Asian Food Recipes

Recipe: Stir Fry Taiwan Cauliflower

Taiwan or Chinese cauliflower can be found in Asian markets. It is sweeter and crisper than western cauliflower. It is delightful stir fried.

Taiwan (or Chinese) Cauliflower
Stir fried cauliflower

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 head of cauliflower
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped Chinese bacon (optional)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth (optional)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
  • 1 teaspoon oyster sauce

DIRECTIONS

  1. Rinse cauliflower
  2. Cut cauliflower into small pieces
  3. Mix soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and oyster sauce in a bowl
  4. Heat cooking oil in wok
  5. Add minced garlic, and (optionally) minced Chinese bacon
  6. Add the cauliflower, and saute
  7. Add chicken broth or water to raise temperature
  8. Stir fry in the soy sauce mixture
  9. Done in 2-3 minutes
  10. Add salt and pepper, or sesame oil, to taste

Categories
Food Health Recipes

Recipe: Instant Pot Okinawan Sweet Potatoes

Okinawan sweet potatoes (also known as Hawaiian sweet potatoes) are said to contribute to longevity, in addition to being delicious. It has a buff colored skin, and purple flesh; with a delicate, sweet taste.

@ Shun Fat Market

INGREDIENTS:

(3) Okinawan Sweet Potatoes

Cooked sweet potatoes

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Wash sweet potatoes with a brush
  2. Put one cup water into Instant Pot
  3. Place the sweet potatoes on a tivet
  4. Press Steam button for 19 minutes
  5. Let natural release for 15 minutes
  6. Remove from Instant Pot and serve
Categories
Food Recipes

Recipe: Poached Egg in Microwave

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon white vinegar (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Fill microwave-safe mug or small bowl with 1/3 cup water and a half a capful of vinegar. The vinegar is optional, but it will help the egg coalesce a bit better.

Gently crack an egg into the mug or bowl, making sure it’s covered in water. Be sure to prick the egg yolk with a sharp knife or toothpick to prevent any explosions.

Cover your mug or bowl with a small microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 35 seconds. Note: 35 seconds is for a high wattage microwave, one large, fresh egg and 1/3 cup water. The time will vary depending on above factors. Experiment with your materials. The egg white should be set but the yolk still runny. If the egg white is still runny, keep microwaving in 10 second increments until you’re satisfied with the level of doneness.

Remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Enjoy on toast, on a salad, or deliciously on its own.

Poached egg with salt and pepper
Categories
Uncategorized

Recipe: Sukiyaki


https://thewoksoflife.com/sukiyaki/
Categories
Food Health Recipes

Recipe: Chicken Herbal Broth

Chicken herbal soup

Various dried herbs are added to a chicken broth to promote general health and wellness. Besides that, it is low calorie, satisfying, and tastes good.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb chicken (e.g. 3 skinless chicken thighs)
  • Astragulus (replenish the Qi)
  • Dried Wild Yam slices (Strengthens lungs, tonifies the Qi, spleen, and kidneys)
  • Dried Lotus Seeds (nutritious, expels heat)
  • Codonopsis (Qi tonic, boosts energy, but in a mild way)
  • Dried Longan (“dragon eye”, helps with sleep, anxiety)
  • Dried Goji Berries (aka “wolfberry”, reduce blood glucose, improves eyesight)
  • Dried Wood ear fungus (source of minerals, improves circulation)
  • Dried Lily bulb (relieves coughs, moisten lungs, calms the spirit)

DIRECTIONS

  • Put the skinless chicken into Instant Pot
  • Add a small handful of each ingredient
  • Add water to top fill line
  • Cook on “steam” mode for 10 minutes
  • Natural release for about 2 hours

See photos at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dAFgBNqESEXAuFa29

See common Soup Ingredients at:
http://www.chinesesouppot.com/category/2-common-ingredients

Categories
Asian Recipes

Recipe: Instant Pot Galbi Tang

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 lb beef short ribs
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 yellow onion with skin on if possible
  • 2 green onions for cooking broth
  • 2 green onions , chopped or sliced for garnish
  • 2 thick slices of ginger
  • 1/2 Korean radish , cut into big chunks (2 in x 2 in)
  • 2 Tbsp garlic , chopped
  • 2 tsp guk ganjang (Korean soy sauce for soup)
  • 1 tsp Korean Cheonilyeom Sea salt (less if using regular Table salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Trim off any excess fat from ribs.
  2. Soak ribs in cold water for 30 minutes to hour to draw out excess blood.
  3. While the ribs are soaking, clean green onions and slice or chop 2 of them and just cut the remaining 2 in 1/2 lengths for the soup.
  4. Peel and cut 2 thick slices of ginger, peel Korean radish and cut into big chunks. You can use Daikon radish if Korean radish is not easily available.
  5. In your Instant Pot, add ribs, whole yellow onion, radish, green onions, ginger and water.
  6. Close and set your Instant Pot to SOUP function. It will pressure cook your Galbitang perfectly in just 30 minutes!!
  7. Once it’s done, follow instructions to release the pressure and then open. 
  8. Skim off fat from soup.
  9. Season soup by adding guk ganjang, salt and garlic.

Recipe Notes

Serve with some chopped green onions and black pepper so people can and season to their own taste. Rice and kimchi like Kkakdugi will go wonderfully well with this rich and hearty soup.

Click for link

Categories
Food Health Recipes

Recipe: Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is a “low carb” recipe. Nutrition Facts: Amount Per Serving (1 cookie):
Calories 168 Calories (from Fat 156) Total Fat 17.3g 27% Total Carbohydrates 2.3g 1% Protein 4g 8%* Nutritional Information Is Per Serving (1/12th Total Recipe)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C (355 F). Microwave the butter for 30 seconds to melt, but it shouldn’t be hot.
  2. Place the butter into a mixing bowl and beat with the erythritol. Add the vanilla and egg, mix on low for another 15 seconds exactly.
  3. Add the almond flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined.
  4. Press the dough together and remove from the bowl. Combine the chocolate chips into the dough with your hands.
  5. Roll the dough (or use a small ice cream scoop) to make 12 balls and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15 mins.
  6. Let them cool, and serve. Keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Categories
Health

Nutrition: Paleo vs. Keto Diets

What is the Keto diet?

The Ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves drastically reducing carbs and replacing them with fat. This puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis–basically when your body burns fat because it doesn’t have enough glucose to use for energy. Over time, your body gets more efficient at burning fat for energy and turning fat into ketones (a byproduct of fat breakdown) in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. This can lead to significant weight loss. However, ketosis can be dangerous if ketone levels become too high. For people with uncontrolled diabetes, ketosis is a sign of too much glucose and not enough insulin in the blood. (The body can’t use glucose without proper amounts of insulin; insulin is necessary  to get glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it can be used for energy.)

What is the Paleo diet?

Sometimes referred to as the “ancestral diet,” the Paleo diet is believed to align with the foods eaten by early humans, with an emphasis on whole foods, including organic vegetables and fruits, grass-fed and naturally-raised meats, wild-caught fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. In addition to avoiding all processed foods and sugar, it also omits all grains, dairy products, beans and legumes (including peanuts). Proponents of the Paleo diet believe that because these foods were introduced to the human diet much later in our history, the human digestive system is not well-equipped to break down these foods, contributing to digestion issues, food allergies and sensitivities and inflammation. 

How do they compare?
  • Both diets focus on high-quality, nutrient-rich foods and eliminate grains, legumes and dairy.
  • Typically, a Keto diet is higher in fat than Paleo.
  • Paleo is usually higher in carbs than the Keto.
  • While the Paleo diet incorporates fruit and starchy vegetables, the Keto diet doesn’t because they’re too high in carbs. (A true keto diet is 50 grams or less of carbs a day.)
  • Paleo is superior for overall digestive health and athletic performance. It is also a more sustainable diet plan than Keto.
  • The Keto is better short-term diet for aesthetics and weight loss, as well as diabetes prevention and controlling other diseases, including epilepsy.
  • The Keto is best monitored by a trusted practitioner. To do it in a healthy way, you need to count all calories and macros, and many people include non-whole foods to reach these strict macronutrient goals. A standard keto diet is 60-75% of calories from fat, 15-30% from protein and 5-10% from carbs.
  • Paleo doesn’t advocate a strict macronutrient breakdown (exact number of carbs, protein and fat you should eat).
  • A less strict low-carb diet model could be 150 or 100 grams or less, which allows for more fruits and some starchy veggies. (Paleo usually stays within this range.)
What are some benefits to trying one or both diets?

Keto:

  • This diet can be an effective way to lose weight.
  • Because it’s so low-carb, it can lead to significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels.
  • Some research suggests that the Keto diet might help lower the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
  • Because it omits sugar in all forms (even fruit, in most cases), as well as almost completely eliminates carbs, it can help curb sugar cravings.
  • Due to the high fat content, it may be easier to follow than other diets. (e.g. Fat is very satiating.)
  • It doesn’t involve counting calories or limiting portion sizes, so it can be easier to follow than calorie-restricted “deprivation-style” diets (which are rarely effective anyway, since extreme calorie restriction can slow metabolism and encourage the body to hold on to fat stores; they’re also not sustainable long-term, often causing the dieter to gain back any weight they initially lost). 

Paleo:

  • Switching to whole foods means the body will get more of the nutrients it needs to thrive. This usually translates to improvements in weight, blood sugar, mood, energy level, sleep, digestion and cognitive abilities (e.g. memory, focus, concentration, etc.) as well as reduced risk of many chronic illnesses.
  •  Because this diet excludes gluten and dairy, people who try it may discover they are allergic or sensitive to these foods (or may find that they feel better without them in their diet) and that eliminating them has a positive impact on their overall health, aside from weight loss alone.
  • It can be potentially costly, as it involves buying all organic produce, 100% grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish, which may not be readily available to everyone.