Obento For Dummies

Sorry I mean newbies. The other day, I had a light-bulb moment where I realised, WOW I am actually a free-lance writer! I chased my dream (posting every single day – sometimes twice!) and it came true. Please support what I do by checking my latest obento article HERE.

Bye Bye Bento

I first acquired this “bento box” from a lovely Japanese woman who farewelled me with it from her shop, filled with left-over vegetarian lasagna. Naturally, I instantly fell in love. I’d never seen anything like it before and soon enough, a piece of tin became (and I’m being truly honest here), my most prized possession. Often, I would think if I were to choose one thing to keep with me for the rest of my life, it would be my bento box. I day-dreamed about taking to Europe then India. Filling it with love. I don’t even know why I let myself think it was mine. I felt so attached to the thing. I feel so attached to it. It has sort of become a symbol of freedom and happiness in my life. Because every lunch-time, I can get away from the depressing teacher’s room and go outside with my lunchbox.

Today my worst fear came true.

She asked for it back.

So I am forced to say bye bye, bento.

 

Cauliflower Rice Sushi

21st century health-freaks are coming up with a whole lot of crazy things and I love it. A while back I made cauliflower base pizza (recipe here), of course it didn’t taste like bread bread but it was still yum and nice to try something different. Last week I made cauliflower rice sushi. They definitely still taste like sushi – I guess because of the combination of pickled ginger, soy sauce and seaweed. I really recommend you try it, it’s such a healthy alternative to white rice sushi. Basically, you make regular sushi but you just use cauliflower rice instead. This is a really basic #norecipe for that:

1 medium cauliflower
1 tbsp rice vinegar

First remove the cauliflower’s stem and leaves then using a knife, chop into small pieces.

Place chopped cauliflower in a food processor or blender (I used a blender, it was not easy but it was not impossible either) and blitz until crumbed.

Place crumbed cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with kitchen wrap and microwave for 6 minutes at 500W.

Once cooked, add the rice vinegar, mix with a spoon and let cool slightly before beginning to sushi.

My tips: use a spoon or your hands to press cooked cauliflower in order to remove some of its moisture. Also, try to roll your sushi as tight as possible (without breaking it).

Hope that makes sense?

Feel free to ask questions!

Happy scoffing/experimenting.

Weekend Vibes

I started looking at what other foodies were tagging their Instagram photos with and this one, #weekendvibes seemed especially popular. So, I started using it and voila! 20+ followers! Hehe. Are YOU following my Instagram yet? The following are pictures from my weekend or vibes of my weekend or the weekend of my vibes?

And, I’ve started utilizing Instagram in other ways. Maybe you hardcore foodies already do this but I began searching particular places (as opposed to specific tags), like “Tottori City” and that way, came across many a delicious foodie pictures taken at quirky restaurants and cafes that I would have otherwise never have known existed. That’s how Yasuko and I ended up at Moco Lifestyle – so stylish!

The salad is simply a cup of cooked wholewheat couscous, mixed with a can of mixed beans (drained and rinsed), cooked asparagus, raw cucumber, juicy green sultanas, a splash of olive oil, juice of half a lemon, sea salt and ground pepper. Delishas.

Frittata For Dummies

I have the lovely Laura (aka Yoooya) from Belgium staying with me for a few days and I couldn’t be more grateful! Not only has she been absolutely lovely and great company but also, my lab mouse. Last night I baked us my very first frittata and she said it was delicious! Providing Laura actually meant it and wasn’t just saying it for free accommodation, you too, can create this deliciousness.

This fool-proof recipe can be easily doubled and adapted:

6 free-range eggs
1/4 cup of full-fat dairy (milk, sour-cream, creme fraiche, coconut cream or yoghurt)
sprinkle of sea salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated mozzarella (or cheddar)
1/2 white onion, diced small
2 cups potato, peeled and diced small (or sweet potato, or pumpkin)
1 cup of spinach, torn (or broccoli or any other vegetable like asparagus, edamame beans, mushroom, etc)
handful of fresh mint, torn (or basil, parsley and coriander)
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts

The trick to a good frittata says the internet, is to fully cook the add-ins so…

Beat the first 4 ingredients together in a large bowl then set aside

Next brown the onion (usually on medium heat with a little oil in a frying pan).

Add potato, cook until tender (about 10 minutes).

Add spinach and mint, cook for a minute.

Combine vegetables with egg mixture.

Pour into an oven-proof dish.

Top with torn blue cheese, pine nuts and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Bake at 200C for 20-22 minutes (keep an eye on it!)

Serve hot or cold but always with salad! 

Tomorrow’s lunch

I have been staying away from canned tuna in Japan simply because I can’t read the labels and don’t want to end up with stinky sardines by accident. Though yesterday, my beautiful friend, Mina gifted me a can of tuna (oh, a little poem) so tonight, I decided to make a healthy version of tuna macaroni salad for my school lunch tomorrow.

1.5 cups of macaroni, cooked as per packet instructions then cooled
1 can of tuna in olive oil
1 zucchini, diced small
1 capsicum, diced small
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 cup of broccolini florets or broccoli florets, chopped small

juice of half a lemon
2 tsp seeded mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
a bunch of fresh basil, torn
salt and pepper

Mix salad ingredients together.

Mix dressing ingredients together then combine with salad ingredients.

DAS IT

a sweet end to the week

As if people posting their lunch on social media weren’t annoying enough, now you poor folk recieve emails about my lunch! Gommenasai! (Sorry in Japanese)
Anyways, I assume you don’t mind too much since you’re still following along…

TGIF. I celebrated with a sweet lunch. Homemade granola (recipe under breakfast), probiotic yoghurt, almond milk and fresh fruit: mandarin and cherries.

lunch for a happy tummy

On ze menu today: carrot salad, fresh peas and probiotic yoghurt for a happy tummy.

carrot salad:
simply combine:
2 grated carrots (washed and peeled)
handful of raisins
half a large apple (diced)
handful of raw walnuts
1 tbsp olive oil

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.

healthynoms

Today’s lunch: wholewheat couscous salad, 1 mandarin and a handful of raw trail mix (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sultanas)

For ze salad, simply combine:
1 cup cooked wholewheat couscous,
1 small cucumber, diced small
4-5 cherry tomatoes, diced small
1/2 cup of edamame beans
handful of chopped raw almonds
1 tbsp olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste