Banana Spinach Smoothie

Good morning, everybody.  I am sorry that I post this a bit late.  I had just finished a trip in Amsterdam.  Everything seems back to normal now.  I start the day with a glass of green juice – banana spinach smoothie.  This smoothie is so delicious and healthy, you will be addicted.  That is a great way to start the day.  If you try it, let me know what you think.

Wish all of you have a very good morning.

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-      1 ripe banana

-      35g raw baby spinach   

-      250 ml skimmed milk

Method:

1.	Add a sliced and peeled banana into the blender.  Then add spinach and milk.
2.	Blend the ingredients for 30 seconds to 45 seconds until everything is smooth and evenly combined.
3.	Ready to serve.

Braised Okra with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

I seldom buy okra before I move to live in UK.  It is because it is quite expensive and sometimes it is not fresh. I am happy that I can always buy cheaper and fresh okra here. Okra is fast gaining a reputation as a so-called 'superfood' for people with or at risk of diabetes or cancer.  It contains potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C, folic acid and calcium.  Also it is low in calories and has high dietary fibre content.  I like it very much.

Yesterday I went shopping at Tesco and bought a bag.  It is very fresh and green.  Since I did not want to miss the train, I made a very simple and quick lunch.  It just took me six minutes to cook this yummy dish.

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Cooking time: 3 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-         90g okra                                                            

-         1 tsp olive oil    

-         40ml water

-         1 tbsp wine

-         dried skipjack tuna flakes (optional)

Teriyaki Sauce:

-         1 tbsp soy sauce

-         1½ tbsp mirin

-         ½ tbsp brown sugar

Method:

1.	Clean and peel off the skin of the head of each okra.
2.	In a small mixing bowl, mix all ingredients well to prepare teriyaki sauce.  Set aside.
3.	Use a small knife to make some small cuts on each okra.
4.	Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
5.	Spread the okra evenly on the pan, add water and teriyaki sauce. Cover and simmer for 1 minute.
6.	Flip the okra to another side and add wine.  Reduce heat to low-medium.  Then cover and simmer for a further 1 minute.  Remove from heat.
7.	Sprinkle with dried skipjack tuna flakes on top of okra and ready to serve with rice.

Stir-fried Baby Pak Choi with minced garlic

This morning I went to apply for a dim sum course at London Chinese Community Centre.  The staff told me that the class is nearly full and there is only one place left. I am so lucky I can take the class on the coming Sunday. The centre is a good place for the elderly during the weekdays.  Most of them played mahjong, card games and Chinese chess.  A few of them kept chatting with each other. They looked very happy together.

Then I went shopping at Chinatown. I found the baby pak choi is very fresh in See Woo Supermarket, I bought two packs.  Also I bought soft tofu, pork ribs and some Chinese ingredients.  I made a bowl of fried rice and stir-fried a small plate of baby pak choi for my lunch.

Pak/bok Choi is a member of the cabbage family.  It has either white or green short, chunky stalks with glossy and deep green leaves. Its texture is crispy and its flavor is somewhere between mild cabbage and spinach.  I love baby Pak Choi very much.  I like stir-frying it with minced garlic.  If it is fresh, its flavor is excellent and wonderful crunchy. 

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-         100g baby pak choi (trimmed the base of pak choi)

-         2 garlic cloves (minced)                             

-         ½ shallot (minced)

-         ¼ tsp red pepper (finely sliced)

-         ½ tbsp olive oil       

-         100 ml water

-         a pinch of table salt
-    sesame oil (optional)

Method:

1.	Heat a non-stick wok with olive oil over medium heat.
2.	Add minced garlic and shallot in the wok and stir-fry for one minute.  Then toss in baby pak choi and stir-fry for another one minute. Pour in water and continue to stir-fry for a further two to three minutes until the leaves change to a bright dark green.
3.	In the meantime, add a pinch of table salt and red pepper, drizzle sesame oil (optional) and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
4.	Ready to serve.

Baked Green Bell Pepper

It is quite cold in these few days in London.  Temperatures have been dropping to below freezing since Monday night.  The Met Office website states that December will be colder than average and there is a small chance of snow at the beginning of next month. I am looking forward to a snowy Christmas in UK.

Sometimes I feel tired and sluggish during winter.  I find the most effective way to fight winter tiredness is to do regular exercise.  After doing an hour of Pilates in the afternoon, I feel more energetic and also improve my sleep.  In addition, a good diet can help me to wake up feeling fresh.  I reduce having food containing lots of sugar, like candies and chocolates.  Then I add more fruit and vegetables in winter meals and always boil soup for the whole family.  It is because the air is very dry here.  

Every morning I always have a big bowl of porridge oats and a piece of whole grain toast for breakfast.  When I woke up this morning, I thought of adding a bit ‘green’ to my breakfast.  I baked a green pepper which is stuffed with veggie and mozzarella cheese.  It is yummy!  It makes me feel healthy and starts the day off right.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-      1 medium size green pepper (top and seeds removed)

-      40g onion (finely diced)

-      38g pumpkin (finely diced)

-      20g portobello mushroom (finely diced)

-      20g baby spinach  

-      30g mozzarella cheese (shredded)

-      1 tbsp fish sauce

-      1 garlic clove (crushed)

-      ¼tsp olive oil

-      100 ml water  

Method:

1.	Preheat oven to 180°c.
2.	Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add oil and garlic, stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Reduce to low heat; add pumpkin and 70ml water. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.  Then add onion, mushroom, 30ml water and fish sauce, stir-fry for another 2 minutes over low-medium heat.  Toss in baby spinach and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.
3.	In the meantime, fill the pepper with the cooked vegetables and mozzarella cheese.
4.	Arrange stuffed pepper in a baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven until heated through, about 20-25 minutes.
5.	Ready to serve with toast and green smoothie.

Fried rice with pumpkin

The weather was wonderful today.  I had a nice walk at Bushy Park this morning.  The park is the second largest Royal Park which is located to the north of Hampton Court Palace.  It has remains of medieval farmland, a Tudor deer park, 17th century water gardens and wartime camps.  It is also home to the famous Chestnut Avenue, a formal Baroque water garden and the beautiful Diana Fountain.  There are lots of lovely animals to see like ducks, coots, rabbits, squirrels and over hundreds of free-roaming Red and Fallow Deer in the park.   The park is definitely one of the best London parks for autumn walks. 

It is perfect to have green lunch after this leisurely walk.  Then I made a cup of Jasmine tea and fried rice with pumpkin.  It is yummy and healthy.  How wonderful a day it is!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-         80g pumpkin (diced)

-         45g mushroom (diced)

-         50g onion (diced)

-         18g green peas             

-         1 free range egg   

-         1 bowl of leftover rice 

-         1 garlic clove (minced)

-         ½ spring onion (chopped)

-         ½ shallot (minced)

-         ¼ tsp table salt

-         120 ml water      

-         2 tsp olive oil

-         ½ tsp sesame oil

-         1 tsp light soy sauce

Method:

1.	Crack an egg in a small mixing bowl, add a tiny pinch of salt and use a fork to beat it together well.   Put a small non-stick pan over a lower heat and add ½tsp olive oil. Carefully pour in the egg. Use a wooden spoon to keep gently stirring and break it into pieces.  Then remove it from heat and set aside.
2.	Heat another ½tsp olive oil in the pan over low-medium heat.  Add garlic, pumpkin, 80ml water and a pinch of salt and then stir-fry for 3 minutes until the pumpkin is just tender.  Remove and set aside.
3.	Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a non-stick wok or large pan over medium heat.  Stir-fry shallot and onion for 1 minute; and add mushroom and green peas.  Add 40 ml water, salt, sesame oil and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
4.	Toss in the pumpkin and leftover rice; add 1 tsp soy sauce then stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes.
5.	Tip in the egg and spring onion; and stir-fry for a further 1 minute.
6.	Ready to serve.