black rice bread

Yesterday marked my 2 week anniversary of living in Japan. Which reminds me of the time my first boyfriend (age 12? 13?) and I celebrated our one month anniversary at a Steak House – just ridiculous! Any who, so far, I’ve come to learn many things including the cold hard fact that it’s extremely difficult to find raw unsalted nuts and brown bread in Japan. Oh how I long to splurge out at Piko or Liberty Market! The supermarkets here are very different to the ones back home – most items are  salty, sugary and full of preservatives (of course making them delicious) which has me wondering how come the Japanese are so damn thin? Life is unfair. My colleague says its to do with a healthy diet of rice, miso and sashimi.

Having been craving a Persian breakfast, I set out on an important mission today. Unfortunately I did not find any brown bread. However; I stumbled upon this bread made of back/purple rice which I deem even better! Not only is  black rice full of fibre and antioxidants, it’s also rich and delicious. I wonder if you can find it in New Zealand? Also, these nuts were labeled “raw” but still taste slightly of salt. Nevertheless, I did also buy fresh mango, edamame beans, asparagus, broccoli, banana, free range eggs and fresh organic milk. So really, I’ve nothing to complain about!

practice, makes: (vegan rice paper rolls)

After sharing my rookie mistake of soaking all my rice paper rolls for over a minute, all together (huge mistake), my lovely readers gave me a few tips/suggestions of how it should really be done.

So, I tried again and they weren’t perfect but who cares, they were made and they were delicious.

1 packet of rice paper (found at the international section of your supermarket)
Thinly cut veggies: I used capsicum (red and yellow), carrot, cucumber, avocado and corriander (try to use as many colours as possible, I assume, beetroot would work well also tofu, mint and basil mmm)

Also, a packet of rice paper at the supermarket here is only $2.50, which seriously blows my mind.

So, and I’m no expert but basically you soak the rice paper INDIVIDUALLY in warm water for 2-3 seconds. The packet instructs 30 seconds but that’s too long – they may become too delicate and rip. Then you transfer the paper onto a damp surface (I used a chopping board) and begin to assemble the rolls. The paper may seem too hard to begin with but it will continue to soften as you fondle it. I.e add your fillings and begin the rolling process.

There are a hundred and one videos on the internet on how to roll rice paper but you won’t truly get it until you practice. As you can see, most of mine look demented. But hey, that’s okay!

Also, 1 packet makes WAY more rolls than pictured above; I just couldn’t find a plate that fit them all without having to stack.

Lastly, a big shout out to Genie from Bunny Eats Design and Jen from Utterly In Love for making this post possible! X

la di da for your avo fix

Let’s be honest, Avocados are definitely the Karen Walker of the vegetable kingdom. In other words, avos are seriously on trend and especially with the young folk (thats me!). A vegetable previously booed for its slimy texture and not-so-existent taste is now seen everywhere (much like a KW necklace): mostly smashed on toast but also an accompaniment to eggs, tacos, salads and even whipped into smoothies and popular desserts like mousse, cookies and “cheesecake”. In Christchurch, several eateries sport avocado on their food menu but when it comes to getting your dollars worth of avocado goodness (Only $12.50 – WTH?), La Di Da Espresso/Wine Bar is the place to go.

I believe several avocados were harmed in the making of this dish.

Blend It Like Beckham

This is my ‘light’ (in both senses of the word) green smoothie. Because no one actually likes green smoothies. And if they say that they do, they’re lying. Packed full of nutritious goodness, your body and tastebuds will love you for it. 

Avocados are one of the healthiest sources of natural fats. They’re high in Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant vitamin that keeps skin cells strong and hydrated and B vitamins like niacin, which assists in detox and DNA repair and also reduce skin redness and inflammation. In addition, avocados fire up the natural detox processes of the liver, which helps our skin to stay clear. Although packed with goodness, avocados should be eaten in moderation (1/4-1/2 an avocado per day is a good limit), but don’t get too caught up in this as avocados burn easily for energy. In addition, avocados fire up the natural detox processes of the liver, which further helps our skin stay beautiful and clear.

Kiwifruits are insanely high in Vitamin C. Just one liddle widdle fuzzy kiwi gives us a day’s worth of C for less than 50 calories!

Pumpkin seeds are extremely rich in zinc (one ounce contains more than 2mg of this beneficial mineral). Zinc is beneficial to our bodies in many ways, including immunity, cell growth and division, sleep, mood, our sense of taste and smell, eye and skin health and insulin regulation.

So what are you waiting for?

Blend it like Beckham.

1 frozen banana
1/2 avocado 
1 green kiwi fruit
1/2 cup almond milk
handful of pumpkin seeds