Seaweed Roll

S$1 for 1 piece/roll

Just for S$1, you get this much (slightly crispy outer layer after toasting for a longer time )

I like these few lines I read in a book, it says -

"CONTENTMENT

The more we pursue sensual pleasures, the more we crave them and chase after distractions. Our dissatisfaction increases and creates mental stress and physical discomfort. Recognize how this happens, and learn to be content with a few necessities. You will be more carefree and joyful. "

So, I try to enjoy the simple meal now and learn to be contented.  Cooking has become very simplified.  I purchased this Seaweed Roll which is made with layer and layer of beancurd skin seasoned with simple ingredients that has  nori sheet in between which costs around S$5 for 5 pieces.

 Instead of deep-frying it, I just placed them in the oven toaster and let it toasted for 10-15 minutes (you are free to do other chores or prepare other dishes). 

You can brush some oil on it or use none, cut it prior to toasting or do it after that, it is all your preference.  It can be a healthy and simple dish to go with plain/brown rice, congee, as snack or finger food.

You can dip it with chilli sauce or mayo or any other sauce you prefer.  You can even choose to wrap it with lettuce too. So just follow your mood, explore and be open to all possibilities and have fun too  ...

Sesame Tofu Dessert

Quick and Easy dessert! If you prefer a firmer texture, try extracting excess moisture of the tofu by wrapping with a clean tea towel and place a plate on top of the tofu. Leave for about 15 minutes. Sugar is omitted in this recipe as the sesame powder that I used contains sugar.

Preparation:     5 mins

           

Ingredients (makes 3 cup)

°         1 pack silken tofu (300g)

°         4-5 tablespoons sesame powder

°         mint leaves and sesame seeds (optional), for garnish

Method

1.      Combine the silken tofu and sesame powder in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. 

2.      Garnish with mint leaves and sesame seeds. Serve chilled.

Quick Dumpling 'N' Noodle Soup

Cooking for ONE can be Simple and Easy. Crave for some soupy noodle, just whip this just like cooking a bowl of instant noodle!

While volunteering at the VSS Exhibition @ KMSPKS lately, it was amazing meeting people from different walks of life via the exchange of a sincere beautiful smile and a nod and VSS flyers or just intriguing small talks. Every contact is a unique and beautiful experience which I treasure. By embracing the differences we have, it leads to more discoveries which I believe the benefit is beyond our sight.

A gentleman (semi-veg*n, who have successfully go meatless for 49 days in one go, on yearly basis, personally I think with given opportunities and unleashing the inner potential,he would could have gone far beyond ...) has honestly told me that going vegetarian on a daily basis in long term is difficult because no good vegetarian eateries at his area and mock meat dishes are strongly been emphasis could drive away the enthusiasm on Going Green. Yes, he is right, I do find that that the standard of Vegetarian Restaurants raised very fast and high but the standard of the some normal Vegetarian Eateries in coffee shop or food court dropped.  This could be a temporary phenomenon.

Anyway, I do appreciate whatever input I got and will hold these questions in my mind, let the subconscious work with them while I am on another QUEST. Hope to discover their magic via questioning [not answers], which are I think is essential for unlocking the creativity.  

So, I should be creating more "Go Solo, Dine Solo" home-style cooking recipes with real simple ingredients just like this, when I have the time ...

Preparation:     10 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

           

Ingredients (serves 1)

°         100g Sanuki Udon

°         few slices carrot

°         1 piece Chinese cabbage/ wok bak  

°         6 fresh beans

°         3-4 instant vegetarian dumplings

°         400ml water

°         salt and pepper, to taste

°         granulated mushroom bouillon (optional), to taste

°         some shredded nori and roasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Method

1.    Place udon, cabbage and water in a pot and bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.

2.    Add in vegetarian dumplings, carrot  and fresh bean and bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and granulated mushroom bouillon.

3.    Garnish with shredded nori and sesame seeds. Serve with a small plate of sliced red chilli with light soy sauce. 

Quick Bitter Gourd 'N' Tofu Noodle Soup

Cooking for ONE can be simple, easy and yet nutritious too!

Preparation:     10 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

           

Ingredients (serves 1)

°         50g bean vermicelli

°         50g bitter gourd, sliced

°         1 tomato, cut into quarters

°         1/4 pack silken tofu

°         few slices carrot

°         few vegetarian mushroom

°         2 slices deep-fried beancurd skin (optional)

°         375ml water

°         salt and pepper, to taste

°         granulated mushroom bouillon (optional), to taste

Method

1.    Place bean vermicelli and water in a pot and bring to a boil and simmer 3-5 minutes.

2.    Add in bitter gourd, tomato, tofu, carrot, vegetarian mushroom and beancurd skin and bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and granulated mushroom bouillon.

3.    Serve with a small plate of sliced red chilli with light soy sauce. 

Vegetarian Zha Jiang Inaka Soba

A bowl of simple homemade Zha Jiang for noodle! Replace with your own prefer noodle such as sanuki udon, if desired. Top with shredded carrot or cucumber, if the ingredients are available.

Preparation:    15 mins Cooking time:    8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         200g inaka soba, cooked

°         1 can mock meat in mushroom sauce (brand: cixin vegetarian)

°         125g tempeh, cut into mini cubes

°         75g firm tofu, pat dry and scrambled

°         2½ olive oil

°         5-6 tablespoons water

°         some coriander leaves, sliced chilli and sesame seeds (optional), for garnish

Method

1.    Heat the oil in a wok. Throw in the tempeh and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

2.    Add in scrambled tofu and fry until rather dry.  Pour in mock meat in mushroom sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3.    To serve, divide soba between serving plates. Ladle the Zha Jiang sauce on the individual serving plates. Garnish with coriander leaves, chilli, sesame seeds and serve.  

Mock Zha Jiang

Simple mock Zha Jiang for noodle, congee or steamed rice! Tempeh and firm tofu is used to give the sauce a different texture as well as for its wonderful nutrients.

Preparation:    10 mins Cooking time:    8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 can mock meat in mushroom sauce (brand: cixin vegetarian)

°         125g tempeh, cut into mini cubes

°         75g firm tofu, pat dry and scrambled

°         2½ olive oil

°         5-6 tablespoons water

°         some coriander leaves, sliced chilli and sesame seeds (optional), for garnish

Method

1.    Heat the oil in a wok. Throw in the tempeh and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

2.    Add in scrambled tofu and fry until rather dry.  Pour in mock meat in mushroom sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3.    Garnish with coriander leaves, chilli, sesame seeds and serve.  

Quick Almond Paste Dessert

Apply the same method for Quick Sesame Paste Dessert, by making slight changes to the ingredient, you can have a different dessert. So, if you do not like sesame, change it to almond powder or grounded peanut powder. The almond powder with fritillaria cirrhosa consists of sugar, therefore, sugar is omitted in this recipe. 

Preparation:     3 mins Cooking time:  5 mins 

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         6 tablespoons almond powder with fritillaria cirrhosa

°         2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour

°         500ml water

°         1 tablespoon almond syrup (optional)

Method

1.      Combine all the almond powder, glutinous rice flour and water in a pot and mix well. Keep stirring and when the mixture bubbles, turn off the heat. Add in the almond syrup and mix well.

2.      Ladle the dessert into individual serving bowl and serve hot. 

Quick Sesame Paste Dessert

Achieving almost the same results with shortcut, using sesame powder and glutinous rice flour to whip this simple yet quick healthy dessert, why not?  The sesame powder consists of sugar, therefore, sugar is omitted in this recipe.  For a more aromatic sesame paste dessert, roast the black sesame and grind to a powdery form, if desired. Garnish with some roasted white sesame seeds or lily bulb petal.

Preparation:     3 mins Cooking time:  5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         4 tablespoons black sesame powder

°         2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour

°         500ml water

Method

1.      Combine all the ingredients in a pot and mix well. Keep stirring and when the mixture bubbles, turn off the heat.

2.      Ladle the dessert into individual serving bowl and serve hot. 

Inaka Soba 'N' Baked Bean

Simple cooking and eating plus do not have to cost a fortune. It is easier than you think. 

Just cook the Inaka Soba per the instruction on the packet.  Next open a can of Baked Bean. Steam or heat the Baked Bean, if desired.

What's the next step? Just add the Baked Bean to the Inaka Soba.

What could make it more interesting and appetizing? Garnish with spring onion or coriander leaves or  nori shreds or sesame seeds or ....

Fancy a spicy version, just sprinkle some chilli flake or paprika!

That's! Real simple. 

Passion Fruit 'N' Papaya Pickle

Passion Fruit 'N' Papaya Pickle

Papaya, Passion Fruit, Lemon Juice and Maltose - just mix it and play with it ... 

Match it. Mix it. Play with it. Yes, it is so simple ...

Preparation:     45 mins

           

Ingredients (serves 4)                              

°         600g green papaya shreds

°         1 tablespoon salt

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         1/2 green lemon, freshly squeeze

°         4 tablespoons maltose or to taste  

Method

1.      Sprinkle salt on the papaya shreds and mix well. Let it sweats for 15-20 minutes.

2.      Wash and drain the papaya shreds well. Squeeze the papaya shreds to remove the moisture as much as possible.

3.      Combine the papaya shreds, lemon juice, maltose and passion fruit pulps in a glass container, mix well and leave to stand for 3hours prior to serving. It can be kept for 3 days in the refrigerator.

Quick Passion Fruit Jam

Simple! No cooking! Substitute maltose with honey, if desired. 

Preparation:     5 mins

           

Ingredients (makes 150g)

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         3 tablespoons maltose

Method

1.      Combine the passion fruit and maltose and mixed well. 

The Cheerful Passion Drink

Found a tub of maltose hidden in my kitchen cabinet and decided to make this refreshing drink as the weather is getting hot!  This is rather similar to my previous recipe - Lemon and Passion Juice but substituting sugar with maltose.

Preparation:     5 mins

           

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed

°         2-3 tablespoons maltose or to taste

°         250ml hot water

°         250ml cold water or sparkling mineral water

Method

1.      Combine the maltose and hot water in a container. Stir vigorously to dissolve the maltose.

2.      Pour in the lemon juice, passion fruit pulps, cold water or sparkling mineral water and mix well. Chilled or serve with ice.

Colour of Gaia

A dish that I cooked few months back - Stir-fried Leek, simply paired with deep-fried bean vermicelli, carrot and Vegetarian mushroom (mock meat).

Sweetness of Spirit Sparking Juice

A detox drink! Adding sparkling mineral water make the red and purple colour beetroot juice more pleasant to drink.  

Adding beetroot juice to lemongrass and ginger drink, it masks the beetroot taste.

Mixing different portion of beetroot juice to lemongrass drink would create interesting different hue - shocking pink, or beautiful light magenta or fuchsia or kinky pink, hence making the drink exciting, fun and appears as sensuous and voluptuous too.

On the whole, magenta is the colour of  "letting go" and it helps to relinquish old thought pattern, release emotions that tie to the past and to give up situations that are holding us back.  Once able to rid off these impediments, it is truly free to flow with the energies of life ...

Preparation:     10 minutes

           

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         150g beetroot, peeled and cut into small chunks

°         250ml water (chilled)

°         1 bottle (325ml) sparkling mineral water

Method

1.      Combine the beetroot and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a strainer and squeeze out the juice.

2.      Pour the beetroot juice and mineral water into a container and mix well.

3.      Pour into individual serving glass and serve with ice.