Ladies' fingers, also known as okra, is one of my favourite vegetables. Because of its texture, thick mucilage and acquired taste, I know of many people who would rather starve than eat it. Let's face it, you either love okra or hate it with a vengeance. I love eating it and the best way to enjoy raw okra is when it is served with a delicious bowl of gyudon (beef bowl)! When I was in Kyushu, Japan, I ate a lot of raw okra and I also tried my very first mouthful of nattō (fermented soybeans). Though both are equally healthy and gooey in nature, nattō tasted a wee bit funky to me. I don't think I am a fan. Since I was eating so much okra, I decided to research new ways to enjoy it and understand the health benefits that may come with it. Much to my surprise, okra is packed with vitamins and health benefits. Okra helps with digestion, reduces cholesterol, lowers blood sugar. and it is an excellent source of fibre. In addition, raw okra is perfect for a low calorie diet. 100 grams of okra only contains approximately 30 calories! That explains why most Japanese are so healthy and slim. I think I have found the answer to my wedding diet! Raw Okra and Corn Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing Recipe by Min+Jia Serves 2 Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: None!
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss away. Lightly toss the salad if you are new to raw okra and if you adore raw okra, mix well to release all that ooey-gooey-goodness! Serve this with a bowl of rice or simply enjoy it as a cold salad. Jia and I had this raw salad for lunch and we paired it with miso soup and brown rice topped with more sesame seeds and crispy seaweed. Everything we love about salads can be found in this salad. It was light, refreshing, crunchy, healthy and absolutely delicious! We especially love the pairing of the sweet pearl corn kernels, raw okra and ginger dressing. Oh, what a delightful explosion of flavours and crunch in our mouths!
- Do you dare to try raw okra? :) x Min
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Spaghetti with Marmite is one of my favourite pasta dish and it is one of my go-to recipes for potluck parties and celebrations. I came across this recipe many years ago in one of Nigella Lawson's earlier cookbooks and I absolutely loved it. The original recipe is as simple as simple gets and I had no good excuse not to try it. There is really nothing special to it, just simply plain ol' Marmite and spaghetti, and we are good to go. Mmm, two of the best things on a plate. I was all set to impress Jia with this simple dish when she raised a worthy question - "why do you use Marmite and not Bovril?". Here's a wee bit of background information: I love Marmite and Jia loves Bovril. I have never understood the existence of Bovril but Jia simply prefers the taste of Bovril. Just like that, we decided we need to recreate this dish with Bovril and then compare the two versions to see which dish taste better! Cast your votes! Who stole our hearts in the end - Bovril or Marmite? Mushroom Linguine with Bovril/Marmite Recipe inspired by Nigella Lawson, Spaghetti with Marmite Serves 1 Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes Ingredients: 55g linguine 1tbs garlic, minced 75g fresh mushrooms, sliced 2 stalks spring onion, cut into 3cm strips 1 handful of coriander, roughly chopped 1tsp Bovril/Marmite 1tsp olive oil Instructions: Cook linguine or any desired pasta as per packet instructions. Add a generous amount of salt and half a tablespoon of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking. After about 7-10 minutes, remove the pot of linguine from the fire, reserve some pasta water, pour the rest away and dunk the pasta in ice water to stop it from cooking any further. Set aside. In a separate pan, heat olive oil and add minced garlic. Gently fry garlic over medium heat until it turns light brown. Add sliced mushrooms. Add some of the reserved pasta water to pan and let the mushrooms cook through. When the mushrooms are soft, add a teaspoon of Bovril/Marmite to the pan and stir well. Add more pasta water if the consistency is too dry. When the Bovril/Marmite has dissolved, add linguine, spring onions and coriander. Toss well and be sure to coat every bit of noodle! And... you are done! Eat it while it is hot and garnish the dish with a lot of shaved parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and more coriander! Top: Mushroom Linguine with Bovril Bottom: Mushroom Linguine with Marmite And the winner of our little cooking experiment is the... Mushroom linguine with Marmite!
We absolutely love how flavourful Marmite is; every bite is smoothly coated with Marmite goodness and saltiness. The taste is pretty similar between the two but in the end, we concluded that Bovril was lacking in oomph. The taste was definitely weaker and less flavourful. We also loved how the lemon complements the saltiness of the dish, so remember to add some zing to your noodles! - Which side are you on - Bovril and Marmite? :) x Min The last Eat post was way back in November and I can't believe it has been 8 months since! Eat is one of Jia's and my favourite blog categories as we have many easy and delicious food recipes to share. Cooking can be real simple and I believe that everyone can cook. Just be sure to get the necessary ingredients beforehand and plan your steps to avoid overcooking or burning your food. Remember that safety in the kitchen is important! Pizza toast is our childhood favourite meal/snack and our go-to comfort food. It is extremely easy to put together and the whole family can get involved. For me, creating a pizza toast meant that I get to assemble my own meal and I get to put as much ingredients as I want on my pizza. This made meal times more interesting and it was fun for the entire family. Strangely enough, my parents' pizza toasts always ends up tasting much better than mine. Mmm, writing this post is making me hungry... The Ultimate Throwback Childhood Pizza Toast Recipe by our mothers Serves 1 Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes Ingredients: A slice of white bread 1tbs tomato paste 1 slice of honey baked ham 1 slice of canned pineapple, cut into chunks (optional) 2 medium-sized button mushrooms (fresh or canned), julienned A whole lot of cheese (a mixture of Mozzarella, Cheddar and Parmesan) - Almost Meat Lover's Special Pizza Toast Recipe by Jia Serves 1 Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes Ingredients: A slice of junior fine grain wholemeal bread 1tbs tomato paste Half a chorizo sausage, cut into chunks Half slice of roasted turkey ham, roughly torn apart 2 medium-sized button mushrooms (fresh or canned), julienned A lot of cheese (a mixture of Mozzarella, Cheddar and Parmesan) - Last Night's Leftovers Pizza Toast Recipe by Min Serves 1 Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes Ingredients: A slice of junior fine grain wholemeal bread 1tbs tomato paste Leftover meat (roast chicken, beef, and/or pork), shredded 1tbs corn (fresh or canned) Fresh basil A lot of cheese (a mixture of Mozzarella, Cheddar and Parmesan) Instructions: All you need to do is to spread an even layer of tomato paste onto the bread, layer on the ingredients, top it off with a lot of cheese and pop the pizza toast into a hot oven or toaster oven. If you are using an oven, preheat the oven to 200 degree celcius before placing the pizza toast in. Min’s tip no. 1: Use a toaster oven instead of a conventional oven
I personally think the pizza toast taste better when cooked in a toaster oven! The bread is crisp and cheese is well toasted and oozy. A toaster oven heats up faster than a conventional oven so that means your lunch will be ready in no time! Min’s tip no. 2: Anything goes Jia loves her pizza toast with chorizo, salami or pepperoni and tons of cheese, while I like mine with a 20:80 meat and veggie ratio. I usually top mine with chicken breast, red onion, corn, spinach, arugula or avocado slices, and a heap of cheese. I would love to have an egg on my pizza toast but bread slices are pretty small these days. Basically, the sky is your limit when it comes to this recipe. You only add what you love as pizza toppings - nothing else. Min’s tip no. 3: Choose your bread wisely I find that this recipe works better with a thicker slice of bread because it holds the ingredients much better than a thin slice. If you are not a fan of bread, feel free to change it up. Tortillas, pitas or breakfast muffins should work really well here! Min’s tip no. 4: Sauce base I like a well toasted pizza toast, so I tend to choose tomato paste over pasta sauce as the sauce base. A pizza toast needs to be crisp and never soggy! Unlike me, Jia likes her pizza toast to be flavoured with the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and herbs found in pasta sauces. Well, it really depends on your eating preferences! - What is your favourite food item from your childhood? Does pizza toast bring back childhood memories for you too? Share your recipes with me! Eat well and have fun in the kitchen! x Min |
Min+JiaThe humans behind honey&gazelle Design Studio. When we are not frantically working, we share our mishmash of thoughts on design, life, and love here. Grab a cuppa and stay for a bit! Categories
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