What Do You Treasure?

I was SO nervous!

Finally in Christchurch *love heart eyes*

First stop, Black & White Coffee Cartel where a little printed sign advised us there’d be no avocado (two words which should never be together) this season. Alas, our bagels were delicious and S particularly liked the NZ bacon nomnom.

Next, one for the bucket-list. Though rather simple, I had always dreamt of visiting the Riccarton Farmers’ Market with bae. It is truly one of my most favourite places in Christchurch.

If tea is a hug in a cup, porridge is a cuddle in a bowl, I say. Alll better. Full tummies and grateful hearts. I got the rsf, V, and df option and S ordered the spiced apple, toffee sauce, and walnut crumble porridge.

When S sent the above photo to his family group chat, his brother asked if that was an egg atop my porridge…Hehe nope! Just honey and yoghurt.


Things have been pretty surreal, neither of us can actually believe S is finally here. Last night we dined at Tutto Bene. The food was good and the company even greater. We had a lovely French waitress and S mentioned the wonderful paradox of having a French waitress, working at an Italian restaurant in New Zealand serving a table of Persian, Kiwi, and American diners. How beautiful is that? Unity in diversity.

Want A Bigger Burger?

Sorrynotsorry but when I think of Japan my stomach doesn’t instinctually scream burgers and for good reason. It’s almost an oxymoron. They just don’t get it. Like wtf is “hamburg”? A meat patty covered in bolognese sauce served on a plate should not even exist. Okay, it sounds kinda delicious but it actually isn’t. The meat patties are super greasy and gross. Anyways, I have sourced (through Instagram) THE BEST BURGER PLACE EVER. Shuvi Du Bar in Tottori is amazing! Because their burgers are real burgers. As in, proper bun, 100% meat patty, legitimate size and the option of additional fillings including jalapeños, salsa and my favourite, avocado! What’s more, the staff are lovely and most importantly, passionate about what they do – having travelled to America and fallen in love with the American burger scene. You must must go and I must must go back real soon.

And if I were salt, you’d be lettuce, an avocado or at least a fried egg

I’d like to be a nest if you were a little bird.
I’d like to be a scarf if you were a neck and were cold.

If you were music, I’d be an ear.
If you were water, I’d be a glass.
If you were light, I’d be an eye.
If you were a foot, I’d be a sock.

If you were the sea, I’d be a beach.
And if you were still the sea, I’d be a fish, and I’d swim in you.
And if you were the sea, I’d be salt.
And if I were salt, you’d be lettuce, an avocado or at least a fried egg.
And if you were a fried egg, I’d be a piece of bread.
And if I were a piece of bread, you’d be butter or jam.
If you were jam, I’d be the peach in the jam.
If I were a peach, you’d be a tree.
And if you were a tree, I’d be your sap…

And I’d course through your arms like blood.
And if I were blood, I’d live in your heart.

-A poem from ‘Gloria’ (2013)

Step by step guacamole

Not to blow my own trumpet or anything but I’m kind of the guacamole queen. Once at a dull party (not mine, obviously), this random dude came up to me before leaving and said, “I only stayed this long for the guacamole”, which is how I became the guacamole queen, you see! My secret? Simplicity. No need for coriander or chilli.

1 avocado
half a lemon
salt and pepper
1 tomato

scoop out avo flesh
add lemon
mash
season with salt and pepper
top with chopped tomatoes

Avocado chocolate mousse

In my previous post we established that to succeed at health-food blogging one must acquire an adorable child. So, here’s Emma, the cutest one of all promoting my healthy chocolate mousse.

Emma says, well if she could speak, she would say, “have you tried the unusual yet delicious combo that is avocado or as we Japanese say, “abocado” and chocolate?! Here, auntie Anisa presents it in the form of a HEALTHY delectable mousse topped with mixed frozen berries and raw macadamias. I sure digs it.”

Recipe here.

Avocado and Spinach Smoothie Bowl

It’s now fall in Japan. Fall. A new addition to my English vocabulary after being forced to teach American-English here. Any who, fall has kindly turned up the cozy dial on full blast and I just can’t handle it (in a good way). It is my most favourite season. I want to be under a blanket with a smoothie bowl and a good book by my side, forever. Hibernation. How very appropriate in my neck of the woods (another bear was spotted in the village yesterday) and it wasn’t Emma (pictured below).

1/4 avocado
1 banana
bunch of fresh spinach
3/4 cup of non-dairy milk (I used 100% soy)

Tempura cream cheese and avocado

There are MANY impressive sushi-trains in Japan. Big in rural Shoo Town is not one of them. Except for the fact that they serve TEMPURA CREAM CHEESE AND AVOCADO. Yes, your two most favourite foods, married then deep fried for eternal joy. To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with the rest of their menu, but the avocado, oh the avocado. So, if you’re ever in Shoo, which is probably never, unless you’re lost driving in rural japan, which is still unlikely as errybody trains, stop by BIG sushi for BIG flavour or something like that.

the most amazing healthy chocolate cake recipe eva

Roses really smell like… nah just kidding they were divine!

I know you’re here for the freakin’ cake recipe so don’t worry I’m not gonna share some sob story about my weight-loss/health journey, or my husband or my babies (sorry not sorry) before I give it to you. Nor will I make you scroll through 10 pictures of the same cake from different angles.

1 cup ground almonds/almond meal
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
3 free-range-eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla essence

Mix errthang together and bake for 25-30 min at 180C

Frosting:
1 avocado
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup cacao powder (or a little more)
4 tbsp honey (or a little less)

Throw frosting ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined. Spread on COOLED cake and OH MY GOD CAKE.

REFRIGERATE

taco night and a guacamole recipe

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of sharing a delicious Mexican feast with my beautiful neighbor and dear friend, who may i add, truly looks like a princess straight out of a Japanese folktale and her adorable family. Now, Princess Kaori isn’t just a pretty face (or lush long hair), she’s also an incredible cook. As in, I ate so much I’m still bloated. Seriously, just look at that picture! I’m madly resisting from licking the screen, again. We ate brown rice, mince beef, salsa, chicken fajitas, a wholesome salad with chickpeas, edamame, cucumber, tomato and walnut dressed with maple syrup and mustard (a killer dressing and definite must try), HOMEMADE wholemeal tortillas….
and guacamole – which I love because I love avocado or as the Japanese say, abocado, so much. Now, not to blow my own trumpet or anything but I’m kind of a guacamole queen. A year ago, I recall having a guest come up to me after a dull party (not mine – obviously) and saying: “I only stayed for the guacamole” – made by yours truly. Anywho, here’s how you too, can rock the guac:

the flesh of 4 avocados
juice of half a lime
a sprinkle of salt and pepper
a bigger sprinkle of red chill
5 cherry tomatoes (diced super small)

Mash the avocado flesh with a fork
Add the lime juice, salt, pepper and red chill and mix mix mix until smooth.

Lastly, top with cherry tomatoes – don’t mix them in! Mixing discolors the dip so, when it comes to it, strategically scoop up a bit of errthang with your Dorito, instead.

holy moly guacamole

Today’s lunch: homemade-ish wholewheat tortilla chips, guacamole and cherries

Tortilla chips:
Preheat oven to 200C
take two all-natural wholewheat tortillas and cut them into 8 slices (like a pizza) with a sharp knife. lather with 1 tsp olive oil, a squeeze of lime and your fave spice (I used Japanese 7 spice but you can use, cumin, garlic salt or anything you want!)
Bake for about 10 min or so, turning them over once or twice
Note: be careful, they tend to burn quickly!

Guac guac guac:
smash together:
1 avocado and your desired quantity of lime juice
then fold in 4 diced cherry tomatoes.