A New Admirer

Can you guess the story from the pictures? Well, I’ll tell you anyway. I woke up at 5am because I go to sleep early (read about it here). I had a beautifully presented breakfast (read about it here). I went for a walk and bumped into my new friend (read about him here). He was waiting for me. He took me to his garden. He gave me eggplants, okra, tomatoes and cucumber. He said “good morning” and “you are a girl” and “you are a boy” and “Christchurch”. He was very pleased with his English. I was too. Then he drove me home. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. So if I put on weight from not completing my daily exercises we all know who to blame. I love him.

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! 

How To Eat Healthy In Japan

Basically, the idea that you all have, and I had, before coming to Japan is that Japanese food is healthy. Well, it is if you’re only eating tofu, seaweed and sashimi…which no one is. Instead, with the introduction of Western foods and Japan’s own variation on Western foods, Japan’s food has become processed, often fried and almost always packed with excess sugar and salt. Actually, I am repeatedly flabbergasted by just how “unhealthy” people eat. In particular, my colleagues. But but but before you hate-mail me, let me explain that I understand there is no one definition of “healthy” and that there is no ONE right way to eat. But drinking a carton of cow’s milk alongside cup noodles and one or three cherry blossom flavored sweets daily, can’t be it.

1. Stay away from supermarket bread
Read article here or just know that if you search for a million and one years, you will not find legitimate brown bread in the supermarket. What you will find is a soft cake-like thing packed with chemicals and sugar. Don’t do it. Trust me. Try instead to bake your own, it can be done, in even the small toaster-ovens (no one has a regular sized oven in Japan unless they’re an avid foodie or rollin’ in the monaaay). Or, Google your nearest Organic bakery. In Okayama, I’ve found real bread like the ones that actually require the use of teeth, in Cotan, Opusuto and Hugo et Leo. In Tottori, Ritotto Marche. Fingers and toes crossed there are also some health conscious folk who also happen to bake, around where you are living.

2. Brown rice.
Like the cake bread, Japanese people like their rice white and squishy. In fact, many have never even eaten brown rice! Can you believe it? In a country where there are more rice than vending machines (if you know Japan, you’ll know what I mean). So yeah, what I’m saying is, source out the brown rice and eat that instead. Since only few supermarkets stock it (again, why?!) you’ll have to go to a Farmer’s Markets to get it. Find it, cook it and enjoy its fibre goodness. Otherwise white rice is simply a filler upperer and that’s it.

3. Decipher the ingredients
If you, like me, don’t know Japanese, try learn the few kanji required for sugar, fat and protein. Here’s a great link for it. Or, be lazy like me and guesstimate the health-factor of an item by its amount of calories. Seriously, you’d be gobsmacked by how much crap (I’m sorry but it really is) manufacturers can pack into a thing. Things include yoghurt, breakfast cereals, fruit juice, cooking sauces and dressings. Also, this JAS sign stands for organic, as in, additive-free. Of course, just because something is organic doesnt mean you should binge on it.

4. Eat more vegetables!
Though fruit is expensive as F&’%, vegetables in Japan are varied, delicious and relatively cheap. Alas, they’re often eaten fried as tempura or kushikatsu, pickled with excess salt and sugar or drowned in mayo or other dressing. Eat more vegetables people and if you can, eat them from the Farmers Market cos then you know they’re local and fresh and hopefully organic and actually cheaper! Cos they don’t have the fancy wrapping which is the opposite of back home, isn’t it? Also, that’s where you can find free-range eggs.

When it comes to fresh produce, the smaller the better, contrary to Japanese standards. This is because the smaller the thing, the less sprays and chemicals it has indured. Also applies to fish, the smaller the fish, the less time it has swam in filth. Unless of course it is natrually a large thing like a daikon or a pomelo. Apples on the other-hand, should not be the size of my father’s head. Make a colorful salad with a simple lemon juice or apple cider and olive oil dressing, steam them, boil them or stir fry with a home-made sauce. Yummy. There is no excuse for consuming rubbish (sorry not sorry) when vegetables are “cheap as chips”, literally!

5.When travelling, pack a bento! Don’t buy one.
A year of residence in the country has given me the opportunity to travel and sightsee much of its beauty. I have done this by car because I like driving and I find it more convenient for me. What I’ve come to learn from my countless stops at high-way service areas (not to be confused with conbinis -convenience stores- which stock salads, fruits, boiled chicken breasts and eggs amongst other things) is that they sell nothing literally NOTHING I consider healthy. Okay, a white rice, rice ball with salmon isn’t that bad a thing but if you’re after a vegetable sandwich, some fruit, a salad, veggies, a healthy snack, anything that isn’t bursting with salt and sugar then you better take my word for it and pack your own thing. I love picnics. Actually, what I love more than the picnic is the picnic basket hehe. I love to fill it with healthy and delicious treats. Join me in my infatuation and do the thing! Pack a basket (or a lunchbox). My favorite roadie treats are strawberries, cut veggies, home-made popcorn and healthy sweets: muffins, bars, balls and so on which can be so easy to make, really!

6. Hit up the pharmacy.
No not for diet pills or supplements. Personally (you know cos this is my blog tehe) I don’t believe in such things.. unless they’re entirely natural. Ah I hear ya! But what and who defines natural?! Aye? Aye? Shut up. Let me go on. Ok so pharmacies or the pharmacy sections of supermarkets often sell “healthfoods” or “superfoods” like Spirulina powder, chia-seeds, coconut oil, Acai powder, hemp seeds, flax seeds and so on. So what I’m saying is, you won’t find raw cacao in the “food” isles but you might find it next to the sunscreen. Go figure.

7. When all else fails: import store!
Again, this requires some Googling. Import stores though highly expensive have become a savior for me. My personal favourite is called Jupiter. There, you should be able to find all-natural and additive-free canned legumes, dry legumes, nuts, dried fruit, seeds, granola, nut butters, 100% fruit jams, 100% fruit juice, brown rice, brown pasta, oats, quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, amaranth, whole-wheat crackers, bran and so forth.

8. Take advantage of the “healthy” food Japan has to offer! 
These are many but the ones that come to mind are the incredible variety of mushrooms, tofu products: my favourite being okara, 100% organic soy milk (cos usually plant-based milks are packed with unnecessary oil and salt), fermented foods like miso, koji and natto, seaweed, konjac, matcha, fresh seafood, soba and as already mentioned, fresh and local brown rice and vegetables.

easy and delicious crumbled veges

Fruit and vegetables are expensive in Japan but not for me! Turns out living in the middle of nowhere can come with a bagful of free perks. In particular, a bag filled with eggplant and asparagus. So, how does one single lady eat the same freakin’ veges for a week without pulling out her hair?!  Panko is the answer. When I saw Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) at my local supermarket (which btw is the worst supermarket of all time – for example they only have apples and oranges for fruit – dont get me started on every other food category on the planet) I remembered the chefs at my previous restaurant job using Panko to coat  arancini (delicious deep-fried risotto balls). Sick of stir-frying, curryfying, pastafying (without the pasta) my vegetables, I opted for ze crunch factor. Because errybody loves crunchy food, especially yours truly but I can’t say the same for oil. So, I came up with this simple vegetarian recipe for y’all.
And by “for y’all”, I mean for myself but you can try it too.

a little olive oil
1 free-range egg
dash of milk
salt and pepper
About 1/2 cup or more of Panko or regular breadcrumbs
1 tbsp dried parsley
vegetables of choice: I used 2 eggplants and some asparagus

Preheat oven (I used a toaster oven) to 180C

Then set up a coating station with:
an oven-proof dish greased with a little olive oil
egg, milk, salt and pepper mixed together in a small bowl
and a wide bowl containing your panko and dried parsley

Roll veges first in egg mixture, then panko and lastly, place on greased dish

Bake veges for about 20 or so minutes, turning every so often –  keep a close watch as Panko can burn quite easily.

I served mine with a warm napoletana sauce (just 100% canned peeled tomatoes, heated in a frying pan with no oil)
Enjoy xxx

love your body, eat more raw food

“If you don’t take care of this the most magnificent machine that you will ever be given…where are you going to live?”
― Karyn Calabrese

researchers discover top strategy for eating more produce:

Votes just in,
top tactic
for eating
more produce:
is living alone.
You’ll consume
whole veggies
just to avoid
their spoil.