beet kvass: clean your insides

ever wonder how your liver is doing?  what the heck does is do?!

Weighing in at around 3 pounds, the liver is the body’s second largest organ; only the skin is larger and heavier. The liver performs many essential functions related to digestion, metabolism, immunity, and the storage of nutrients within the body. These functions make the liver a vital organ without which the tissues of the body would quickly die from lack of energy and nutrients. Fortunately, the liver has an incredible capacity for regeneration of dead or damaged tissues. http://www.innerbody.com/image_digeov/card10-new2.html#full-description

it does a lot of things.  ok, so pretty much you need a healthy liver for good health.   paying attention to your liver is not just for the alcoholics.


solution:  beet kvass

what the heck is it?!  it's fermented beet drink!   for liver cleansing (good for body, skin, mood, stamina, libido, energy...etc).  it's potent good stuff.


order a big box of beets online and gather some salt (and some cabbage and onions, your preference), 2 TB salt per 3 med size beets.  chop them pretty big(half your palm) so they don't float.  add filtered water with salt enough to cover (I don't really measure).  let sit until it turns dark color.

drink 1/4 cup a day.  liver cleansing. good stuff.  eat the beets too (pickle it!).

day 1

day 5

the first few days tasted horrible!  salty stuff!

by day 5, when it started to darken and get foamy on the top (skim if off before storing in fridge, it won't kill you to eat it), it tasted pretty good!  like wine (well vingary, salty, earthy wine..)


well, it's good for you.  look it up on why I even bother to make this.  you won't regret it.

it's one of those secret hush hush cheap super veg that they don't want you to know ;P



results:  my skin has cleared up (dry weather, hormonal..stress).  I have more energy!  I drink it because I crave it.  my hubby is scared to drink it bc it makes him go potty so fast (not diarrhea).  so much to say.  but you be the judge.   the first few days I was drinking and eating the beets, I went potty 4~5 times in one day!  it was def cleaning me out... (no more buying those expensive yogurt drinks!)



tip:  I use to leftover beets to make pickled beets (some say to throw it away, gasp!).

my pickling recipe is 1:1:2 (apple vinegar, sugar, water).  add some bay leaves, red pepper flakes(1 tsp), whole pepper(1 tsp), anise seed(for flavor) - all in pot till it boils.   pour liquid over vegs(beets, onions, broccoli, carrots..etc).  let sit on counter till cooled.  in fridge.  it's sweet, sour, and great :D 

I find that I eat more pickled vegs in winter because there isn't an abundant source of fruit/fresh vegs.  I am trying to eat more seasonal lately.  I guess I am not finding mangos and papayas as exciting to eat in winter now - I would rather indulge on a freshly pickled seasonal carrots and it's cheaper too!

Easy seaweed soup without meat

Seaweed soup - "miyok gook" is a simple recipe that I try to prepare once a week for its health benefits.

Dried seaweed, onions and soy sauce is all you need!

our staple soup - miyok gook

Preparation:  Soak 1/2 cup of dried seaweed in water (20 minutes~ or until bloated).
Serves 2 bowls or more.

1. Saute 1/2 of an onion(diced) until clear (use good quality oil - grape/olive/sesame oil).
2. Add soaked dried seaweed, saute with the onions for a minute over medium heat.
3. Add 1 TB (tablespoon) of soy sauce and let simmer (low heat) and cover for 3 minutes.
4. Add enough water until consistency of soup desired : I usually add enough water for seaweed to level with water - it's your preference.
5. Cover and boil for 7 minutes - taste & season with 1 tsp of soy sauce or pinch of salt if desired. 

*Adjustsaltiness with salt - too much soy sauce will make it taste "soy saucy."



That is it!  Very easy.  

Using good quality seaweed and ingredients (oil, soy sauce) makes a huge difference.  


I prefer a very chunky hearty seaweed soup with just enough water and less salt.

Food is medicine!

Spinach & garlic banchan - easy recipe

I got a hold of "wild organic" spinach at the market!
I love the pinkish roots!   There's so much nutrition in them and tastes so sweet.

1. Soak organic spinach in water (preferably filtered) to loosen up dirt and soak up some water back (about 30 minutes~).
2. Rinse off remaining dirt over running water.  Clean the roots, but do not cut it off.
3. Half the spinach from the roots.
4. Saute 1tsp(or more) of mashed garlic on heated pan with oil (olive or grape oil) until fragrant.
5. Add spinach.
6. Mix and saute while seasoning with a dash of salt - flip well and don't let it "wilt" too much.
7. Cook enough until it's half wilted (don't let it get too "watery" by letting it cook too long.)
8. Remove from pan and serve.

Spinach is awesome for everything!

Spinach is great brain food

All those flavonoids that help prevent cancer also act as potent antioxidants that slow the effects of aging on the brain. Researchers have found that spinach helps protect the brain from free radical damage and slow age-related declines in brain power.

Spinach is packed with high quality nutrition

Spinach is one of the best sources of Vitamin K, which functions in retaining calcium in the bone matrix where it promotes bone mineralization. Other minerals in spinach include manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus. This combination makes spinach a great fighter of osteoporosis. It's an excellent source of Vitamin B1, B2, and B6, and a good source of B3. Spinach is also rich in mood relaxing tryptophan, and cancer fighting fiber. One cup of boiled spinach contains over 5 grams of protein, and a decent amount of omega 3 fatty acids. And of course a load of Vitamin A.

What else you need to know about spinach

Spinach is among the 12 foods on which pesticides have been most frequently found. If you want to avoid the health risks posed by pesticides, buy only organic spinach.

 http://www.naturalnews.com/026273_spinach_cancer_brain.html

Focaccia! Second time is better

Our second try! 

Most of the "work" was done my husband - I did the measuring and making sure he was doing things correctly~^^

Recipe: Vegetarian tofu brownie

During my "semi vegetarian diet" days, I baked a brownie made from tofu and soy milk.  It tasted pretty moist and yummy for a vegetarian brownie :)   *Measurements are in grams.  I find it more accurate.  This is a very easy recipe. Enjoy!

Cocoa Brownie

***Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.


1)  In a blender, add all ingredients below:
                                _ 120g of firm tofu
                                _ 120g of soy milk (of your choice)
                                _ 100g of light brown sugar
                                _ 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
                                _ dash of salt

2)  Blend all ingredients in blender, let sit

3)  In a small bowl, add all ingredients below:
                                _ 80g of flour
                                _ 40g of cocoa powder
                                _ 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

3)  Mix dry ingredients to blend and sift over mixing bowl

4)  Add wet ingredients(blender mix) unto dry mix

5)  Mix well with spatula

6)  Pour over pan that fits (no worry about puffing too much, it won't).

7)  Add walnuts or prunes/chocolate on top.  (your choice)

8)  Bake for 10 minutes

"jan-chi gooksu"

the weather has cooled down this weekend.. i used to crave the "summer" noodle dishes in Korea.. (bibim nengmyun..) but i could really go for this simple noodle right now.. usually eaten in colder weather?! (or maybe just us :P)


....janchi guksu (my short cut way..)

1) prepare the toppings (sauteed carrots & zuchini? (hobak), simple egg omelet..)

2) prepare anchovy broth

3) cook "somyun" noodles.

4) put together; noodles - broth - toppings
(add shredded toasted seaweed and kimchi as desired)

custard tarts

i baked my first custard tarts earlier this week~ and it was a success!



i got the recipe from pastrystudio.blogspot.com~ (recipe below)



with a little bit of patience and diligence in my part, it been fun baking my own sweet treats~ :)



Custard Tartlets
Makes 12 tartlets

Pâte Brisée

1 1/4 C flour
1 t sugar
1/4 t salt
4 oz (1 stick) cold butter
1/4 C cold water

Pastry Cream

1 C milk
1/4 C + 2 T sugar
3 yolks
1 T cornstarch
1 t flour
1/2 t vanilla
1 t rum
1/2 T butter

For the dough, place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and combine. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add. Pulse a few times just until the butter is in small pea-sized pieces and the mixture resembles a very coarse meal. Add the cold water and pulse just until the mixture starts to clump. Pour the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather it into a ball. Wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

Place the dough on a piece of parchment or work surface lightly dusted with flour. Let it sit for a few minutes to take the chill off. Roll out to a thin sheet, nearly 1/16" or so. Cut out a dozen 3 1/2” circles and tuck each into a standard muffin pan. Chill while you make the pastry cream.

Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add the cornstarch and flour and whisk thoroughly.
Pour about half the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the remaining milk and combine thoroughly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly for a couple of minutes until thickened and smooth.
Take off the heat and add the vanilla, rum and butter. Stir until smooth.
Place a piece of plastic on the surface and let cool.

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.
Prick the bottom of the tart shells with a fork. Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or until slightly browned and crisp.

Remove from the oven and scoop the pastry cream into the pastry shells.
Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes.

for a day like this.. rice pudding

waking up to a kind of gloomy sky.. blah! at least it's saturday and it's the wkend! after a hefty korean lunch meal at home (kimchijjigae - sausage banchan - mushroom omelet - veggies & ssam) ^-^ our bellies are happy but still no sun shining out and through the windows. (with Andrew's busy weekdays, we try to spend saturdays at home and sundays to get some sun~ being outdoors/soccer/hiking/..we just started this routine last wkend~ hopefully we will keep it up^^)

i needed some kind of dessert even after a wholesome lunch.. i always have room left for sweets! something comforting sounded good with this cloudy weather.. and i had milk expiring today.. rice pudding. it is.

never cooked one before. i love the internet. found a recipe in a jiffy. i actually wanted to make indian rice pudding called, "khee".. but i didnt have cardamom or know what it is. next time~

tells u how much of a noobie i am, didnt realize rice pudding had egg in it. i actually contemplated in adding it, since ive been having so much eggs lately and i probably smell like one.. after whipping egg whites to make meringue couple days ago.. i still havent left that experience.. i whipped and whipped those egg whites until i whimpered from my aching arm... (but i attempted this bc in Le Cordon Bleu, you have to do everything by hand..practice!)


(egg whites and sugar..)

ok, back to my rice pudding~.. i followed the recipe, but not exactly.. i didn't have enough milk..so i added some water... it's not as milky and rich, but def. comforting to my tummy :) i love the raisins in it..



actually just reminds me of how much i miss indian rice pudding^-^ and indian food... and thai food... (i cant believe im talking about food after just having lunch)





Rice Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of whole milk
* 1/3 cup (66 grams) of uncooked short grain white rice
* Pinch of salt
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup (50 grams) dark brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
* 1/3 cup (40 grams) raisins

Method

1 In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, rice and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

2 In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until well mixed. Add a half cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture, a tablespoon at a time, vigorously whisking to incorporate.

3 Add egg mixture back into the saucepan of rice and milk and stir, on low heat, for 10 minutes or so, until thickened. Be careful not to have the mixture come to a boil at this point. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and cinnamon.

Serve warm or cold.

Serves 2-3.