Soba Noodles with Spicy Lemongrass Broth

March 15, 2013
soba-noodles-spicy-lemongrass-broth

It’s no secret that I love a big bowl of noodles or a big bowl of veggies, so combining the two is just double happiness for me. I also have an adoration for Thai inspired meals. Who knew it was so simple to make at home? This soba noodle with spicy lemongrass broth recipe is perfect any time of year – full of flavor, ginger and chili. You can have it as lunch, dinner or as a starter and it will probably also cure your cold …

The great thing about this dish is you can add any type of green or vegetable that you like, it goes with just about anything. Simply add all the fresh ingredients together and let the flavors meld – and you have yourself a delicious noodle bowl.

Well, that is all for today. Wising you all a very happy weekend! Now if I could only find some tropical weather…

soba-noodles-with-spicy-lemongrass-broth

Soba Noodles with Spicy Lemongrass Broth

Vegan & Gluten-free

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups water
  • 2 red chillies (seeded)
  • 2 inch piece of ginger (roughly chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 Tbsp. black peppercorn
  • 2-3 lemongrass stalks (chopped)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • buckwheat soba noodles, or any desired noodle
  • broccoli
  • sugarsnap peas
  • bean sprouts
  • basil
  • sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Place water, chili, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, lemongrass and lime juice in a large pot and boil for 30 minutes. Strain.
  2.  Place the strained broth back on the stove in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add noodles and vegetables of your choice. Cook for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables are the desired tenderness and the noddles are cooked. Serve warm and enjoy.
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Caramelized Pear & Hazelnut Porridge

March 7, 2013
caramelized-pear-and-hazelnut-porridge

You might not have guessed it from reading this blog, but I get into a routine with recipes that I make for us at home. I will get stuck eating the same thing over and over, for breakfast especially. It is usually a green smoothie or some toast and a fruit bowl. I’ve been trying to break it up by doing something different one or two days out of the week.

Recently I decided I was going to make some porridge. You see, believe it or not I never had a bowl of porridge before moving to Europe. I was always a cold cereal kind of gal. I’ve been missing out. Porridge is super easy to make and also an easy way to switch up my routine.

I have never seen or made a fancy porridge, so I thought, why not. There is no reason simple ole porridge cannot get fancy. In this recipe, pears are caramelized lightly and infused with cinnamon and nutmeg which takes basic porridge to a heavenly level. It is then topped with warmed hazelnuts and maple syrup just before serving.

This porridge helped break up my morning recipe routine, and then some. Because it is good to break up the routine once in a while.

caramelized-pear-hazelnut-porridge

Caramelized Pear & Hazelnut Porridge

Vegan & Gluten-free

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 pear, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. hazelnuts
  • dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup fine rolled oats (I used organic gluten-free)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • maple syrup or honey, if desired

Directions:

  1. In a small pan over medium heat add the coconut oil and pear. Sauté the pears until they are soft and caramelized. When they start to brown, add the hazelnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
  2. Place oats, water and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat and stir gently until the porridge has thickened – about 5 minutes.
  3. Spoon the prepared porridge into a bowl and pour the pears and hazelnuts on top. Serve with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup if desired.
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Masala Chai

February 28, 2013
calming-chamomile-tea

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of tea in Irish culture. Tea is simultaneously a beverage, a medicine and a social ritual. It’s the sense that a cup of tea and a chat can cure anything. Even if the weather forecast looks dreary I can be sure that a cup of spicy warmth awaits me at the end of my day.

Making this tea from scratch is easier than you might think. Simply steep black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger. You’ll appreciate how the spicy fragrances fill your kitchen. Chai is a centuries-old beverage originating from India. In fact, the word chai  is the generic word for “tea” in Hindi, where as in the west we are referring to “masala chai” or spiced tea.

This tea is a health-promoting beverage and a tonic for the whole body. It strengthens the nervous system, energizes the body, clears the mind, and is both a remedy and preventive measure for colds, allergies and other illnesses.

What do you do to unwind at the end of the day?

chai-tea-ingredients

Masala Chai

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups water
  • 15 whole cloves
  • 3 sticks of cinnamon
  • 20 whole cardamom pods (split the pods first)
  • 6 ginger root slices (1/4 inch thick, no need to peel)
  • 2 tsp. orange zest
  • black tea – 1/2 tsp. loose leaves or tea bag (optional)
  • milk of choice and sweetener to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger to boiling water. Cover and boil for at least 30 minutes. Let steep until it reaches desired flavor.
  2. Remove from heat, add black tea and let cool. Strain tea.
  3. When ready to drink, add one part warm milk (rice, oat, nut, soy) to one part warm chai concentrate. Sweeten to taste with honey or maple syrup. This concentrate will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge or freeze it in ice cube trays to add to smoothies.

masala-chai

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Blood Orange, Beet & Fennel Salad

February 22, 2013
blood-orange-beet-fennel-salad

There’s nothing like a trip to the market to really get the creative juices flowing. I was so inspired in fact, that my walk to the market to buy every type of citrus fruit in sight, also yielded another bright idea: a citrus salad. How do you like them apples…err…oranges? I really do believe that eating seasonally is one of the most important steps to take towards personal health, which means choosing more locally-grown fruits and vegetables and preparing them in a way to support the body’s needs. However, it is possible to eat well according to the season, and still have lots of flavor and variety.

My fresh take on the classic Moroccan salad pairs shaved fennel and red onion with assorted beets, grapefruit and oranges for color contrast. Served alongside some gorgeous greens, it’s a complete meal to share with someone special. I hope you all enjoy this uncomplicated dish as much as I do. It’s amazing how something so simple can be so mind-blowingly tasty.

Get yourself to the shops quick and pick up some of your favorite fruits before they are out of season! And perhaps get into some of the lesser-known citrus that is sure to please. Ever tried a kumquat? How about a tangelo or minneola? Yum.

blood-orange-beet-and-fennel-salad

Blood Orange, Beet & Fennel Salad

Raw, Vegan & Gluten-free

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 1 blood orange
  • 1 medium grapefruit
  • 1 medium red beetroot, top trimmed
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced crosswise on a mandoline
  • 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced on a mandoline (about 1/3 cup)
  • olive oil, for drizzling
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

  1. Using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from oranges and grapefruit. Place sliced fruit in bowl and add lemon juice and lime juice.
  2. Remove the skin of the beetroot and slice crosswise into thin rounds.
  3. Layer beets,oranges and grapefruit on plates, dividing evenly. Arrange fennel and onion on top. Spoon reserved citrus juices over, then drizzle salad generously with oil. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and pepper. Garnish salad with cilantro leaves.

(*Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)

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