GARLIC BUTTER MUSHROOM PASTA

YUMMYLICIOUS WORK LUNCHES FOR YOUR TUMMY

Volume 21

Servings: 2 persons | Skill: Easy | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 15 minutes

“What should we eat today?” Florence Ong no longer bothers about this often-heard question before lunchtime and even in elevators. For she’s discovered how to pack her own yummylicious lunches to work.

Eating out during lunch has become a routine to the point many of us don’t know what and where to eat. This can result in unsound decisions for our body. Cooking that isn’t handled ourselves may contain more calories, sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol than what we ourselves would prepare. What’s more, the cleanliness factor is often unknown.

Careers can be demanding. Tight schedules and deadlines make us settle for quick meals without much thought about their quality. What’s more concerning is that we ask colleagues to grab us a takeout that’s convenient to them because we don’t want to trouble them too much. I too was in this boat several years ago.

Then one day, I decided to prepare my own nutritiously-packed lunch from home. I can tell you that it felt very good taking matters in my own hand and knowing what goes into my meal with the guarantee of hygiene.

If the above scenario sound all-too-familiar, all the more you need to spare some time to honor yourself with a self-made clean and nutritious meal to optimize your energy.

It may take a bit of time in establishing this healthy habit, but sometimes, we need to feel a little uncomfortable before we start to feel comfortable. If there’s a will, there’s a way. After all, our body is our temple… so why not?

Want to try out more yummy lunch recipes? More recipes from Florence can be found in Volume 21.

LION’S MANE MUSHROOM SATAY

SERVED WITH PEANUT SAUCE, ACAR JELATAH & RICE CUBE

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serving: 4 portions

SATAY

Ingredients:

• 500g hericium
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 6 small shallots, peeled
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp salt or more to taste
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for 2 hours
• Oil, for basting

Method:

1. Soak and cut the hericium into small cubes. Set aside.
2. Blend all the marinade ingredients into paste. Add a little water if needed.
3. Combine the hericium and the marinade, stir to mix well. Marinate for 6 hours in the fridge, best if overnight.
4. When ready, thread 5 to 6 pieces of hericium onto the bamboo skewers.
5. Grill the “chicken” satay skewers for 2-3 minutes on each side until the hericium is fully cooked and the surface is nicely charred, on both sides. Baste and brush with some oil while grilling.
6. Serve hot with peanut sauce and acar jelatah.

PEANUT SAUCE

 Ingredients:

• ½ cup dry roasted peanuts, unsalted
• 1 pc tamarind slice
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• 2½ tbsp sugar, palm sugar preferred
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tbsp sweet soy sauce

Spice Paste

• 4 dried red chilies, seeded and soaked in warm water
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 cloves small shallots or pearl onions, peeled
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3 strips, use only 1 strip at the bottom
• ½ inch galangal, peeled

Method:

1. Crush the peanuts and set aside.
2. Chop the spice paste ingredients coarsely and then, blend until very fine. Add a few tablespoons of water to help with the blending process.
3. In a sauce pan, heat the oil on medium heat and add the spice paste.
4. Add the remaining 2 strips of lemongrass into the spice paste. Fry until aromatic and gives out a good spicy smell.
5. Add the ground peanuts, water, tamarind slice, salt, sugar, coriander powder and sweet soy sauce. Stir to combine well.
6. Reduce the peanut sauce on medium-low heat, stir continuously for about 5-10 minutes or until the peanut sauce thickens to your desired consistency, or until the oil and the peanut sauce separates.
7. Let cool at room temperature and serve with satay.

ACAR JELATAH

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup pineapple, cubed
• 1 cup cucumber, cubed
• ½ cup shallots, sliced
• 1 red chili
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt or to taste

Method:

Combine all the ingredients. Ready to serve.

RICE CUBE

Ingredients:

• 260g rice bags
• ½ tsp salt or to taste

Method:

1. Boil the rice bags in a pot for 60 to 90 minutes.
2. Add a little salt to taste.
3. The pot should be covered during the entire process.
4. After the rice is cooked, take out the rice cube, drain dry and leave it to cool.

SPAGHETTI IN PEANUT SAUCE
Volume 27

Peanuts are inexpensive and a rich source of healthy fats, proteins, vitamin E, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, etc. This recipe is a complete meal in itself and is super easy, a fast-cooking meal on a busy day. One can choose to stir in only vegetables and tofu into the peanut sauce if to avoid carbohydrates or cereals. Not suitable for people who are allergic to peanuts.

Ingredients

• 1 cup spaghetti, cooked
• 100 g tofu
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts, unsalted
• 1 tsp organic jaggery/ brown sugar
• Salt according to taste
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tsp oil
• ½ cup steamed vegetables – broccoli, baby corn, etc. as desired
• Celery leaves to garnish

Method
1. Pan fry tofu by brushing a little oil on a pan. Cut into squares and keep aside.
2. In a mixer, crush the roasted peanuts with sugar. Add water and make a fine paste.
3. Heat a pan and pour the peanut sauce in. Add salt to taste and let it boil.
4. Add tofu pieces, steamed vegetables and cooked spaghetti into the boiling sauce and mix gently.
5. Garnish with chopped celery leaves. Serve immediately.

CHEESY VEGAN KALE CHIPS
Volume 26

Kale is known as one of the healthiest and most nutritious plant foods in existence. Loaded with all kinds of beneficial compounds, some of which have medicinal properties.

A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains vitamin A, K, C, B6, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium and more.

Ingredients:

¾ cups cashew
4 cups kale leaves
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (vco)
2 tbsp tamari/ soy sauce
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
1 lemon (juice)

Method:

1. Soak cashew for 3 hours
2. Blend the cashew, garlic, tamari, vco, nutritional yeast and lemon juice in blender until smooth
3. Combine kale and cashew paste, stir until all the kale pieces are coated. Place kale on baking sheets, bake for 2 hours until crunchy
4. Happy snacking!

CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDING
Volume 26

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk
½ cup chia seeds
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp raw cacao powder

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients, whisk to combine
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or 6 hours)
3. Serve with fresh fruit or as is
4. Happy eating!

SIMPLY HIGH-VIBRATION MEALS
Volume 20

A Turning Point Transformation

My story as a vegetarian began on 1st July 2011. I started out as a “part time” vegetarian and become a full vegetarian in June 2014. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t a painful transition even though I’d always been a meat lover since young.

My journey began when I started my life transformational journey with a program conducted by Master Umesh H. Nandwani. That program changed the way I saw and felt the world around me. I started seeing a brand new world filled with a lot more light and love. Love not just towards our family and friends but also towards animals that are unable to speak our human language.

With the guidance of my teacher, I began to learn about energy in life. I learned how food consumption affects our personal energy, i.e. our thoughts, emotions and physical energy.

A Second Turning Point

What got me to delve further into experimenting with recipes was when my partner was stricken with an unknown allergy that tormented him for many nights. After numerous visits to the doctors with no solution in sight, we decided to take matters into our own hands.

Fortunately, we were able to zoom down to what had caused the allergy. This was through in-depth body communication that we had both learned.

Our very first trial was a week of pure clear vegetarian soup. This was minus carbohydrates, soy, mock meat, sauces and yeasts. The trial was a great success as the allergy subsided after 3 days of the soup-only diet.

Subsequently, I started to develop more sugar-free and carbohydrate-free recipes, and also introduced new add-ons of probiotics and anti-bacterial ingredients.

Over time, we learned that the way our food was processed also affected the allergy. For example, storage of food and the emotional state of the chef determine the energy of the food. In short, if you have good food obtained directly from a farm and it goes into the hands of a happy mother, you have a high-vibration meal!

Happy Food = Healthy Tummy = Happy + Healthy You!

I hope that my recipes of love will bring more love, peace and happiness into your body, mind and soul. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you.

Magical Quinoa Pot

Servings: 4 persons | Skill: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 30 – 40 minutes

Quinoa reduces the bloated sensation that I get from consuming rice. Tricolor quinoa may taste weird to some, but that can be easily solved by adding in ginger/ onion/ garlic.

It’s also a good food alternative for people with diabetes as it has a low Glycemic Index; ideal for controlling sugar levels.

Other benefits of quinoa:
• High in protein and contains essential amino acids
• High in iron, magnesium, and B-vitamins, calcium, potassium, vitamin E and phosphorus
• Gluten free, good replacement for wheat-based products
• Very high in fiber and antioxidants

Ingredients
1½ cup quinoa (recommended tricolor quinoa)
3 cups water
300 gm broccoli
1 ear of corn
1 carrot
1 small piece of ginger
1.5 tsp soya sauce (or coconut aminos, a gluten free soy sauce substitute)
Natural Himalayan salt to taste
Black pepper powder to taste

Method
Your intention counts. Start to cook with love.

1. Rinse and wash the quinoa thoroughly with a mesh strainer. It is recommended that you rinse it twice.
2. Pour the quinoa and water into the rice cooker.
3. Cut the corn off the cob.
4. Cut broccoli and carrot into small wedges.
5. Peel and cut ginger into small slices.
6. Mix all of the above along with soya sauce to the quinoa and stir well. Then cook.
7. Once it’s done, add in salt and black pepper powder.
8. Fluff with fork and serve with love.

DUMPLING POT WITH MAITAKE
Recipe

Ingredients（serves 3 to 4）

Maitake mushrooms are rich in nutrients that provide the source of “power” for good health. They work to preserve immune strength and moderate increases in blood sugar levels. Maitake mushrooms can be the key to beauty and health!

Find out more at https://www.maitake.co.jp/english/