Oat, Date & Honey Muffin

Healthy lunchbox for me is very important especially for my daughter. I rarely gave her package snack as they contains too much sugar or salt, it is fine for once in a while though :) . 

As long as I have time to spend in the kitchen I will be more than happy to make her healthy snack for her everyday recess at school. I got this recipe from oats package and we love the combination of the muffins. 
They use a little sugar because there are natural sugar added such as honey and dried fruits and that is why I love this recipe.
Oat, Date & Honey Muffin

Ingredients:
 Canola oil spray for greasing
1 1/2 cups self raising flower
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups traditional oats plus 2 tbs extra
1/3 cups caster sugar
140 g dried dates, roughly chopped
or 3/4  cup sultanas
125 ml canola oil/ sunflower oil
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup honey

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine milk, egg, oil and honey
2. Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin pan with canola oil spray
3. Sift flour and baking powder into a medium bowl, ad oats, sugar and dates
4. Pour in combined oil, milk, egg and honey.
5. Mix until just combined; spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with extra oats
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden.

Beyond Detox Juice

I started juicing last year and really got the result just like I want stronger hair, less headache, stronger immune system, normal skin, which usually very dry etc. And then I got very busy (or lazy??) for a couple of months trying to juggle between study,housework, family and have so limited time spending in the kitchen, especially for juicing.

 I physically active (because I was study to become fitness instructor) but my nutrition was suck especially with fruits and vegetable which I'm so lazy to eat them during the day. So I started to get my old symptom of hair fall, headache etc. I wasn't happy with my self again until I told myself to start my juice habit and , so here I am trying hard to keep consistent making my life balance again with healthier eating and regular exercising :)

The juice I made mostly from the book from Jason Vale (the Juice Master) . Always taste yummy!

Remember, never put banana or avocado in the juicer, put in the blender instead with the juice. Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Having healthy & active style is pretty easy. I never tell my self to go on diet, but instead I said I want to be more healthy, many people try to do diet and what happen is that they gain more weight than before they even started their diet! For me its true.

I recently watch the program called Fat, Sick and nearly Died and I am agree with them 100% :)
I remember what was my everyday breakfast  7 years ago (when I just arrived here) and I compared to now, it is so much different and I am not going to come back to my old breakfast food :)

I was always felt tortured when my hubby told me to eat healthy cereal, and why did he push me to eat cereal? because I was complaining all the time that I had constipation. Now I thank him for this ha ha...
It is pretty much our brain taking role on any habit we having isn't it? if we want to break ANY habit we can't just force our self straight away, but instead we can do it slowly and consistent. Then after we have a new healthy habit we can (again) slowly start improve our fitness level.

Don't forget to discuss with your doctor if you have any health issue. Walking everyday is very good start with minimum 30 minutes each day. Here is some copy form Australian Government Department of health and aging website.

Physical activity guidelines for adults

There are four steps for better health for Australian adults.

Together, steps 1-3 recommend the minimum amount of physical activity you need to do to enhance your health. They are not intended for high-level fitness, sports training or weight loss. To achieve best results, try to carry out all three steps and combine an active lifestyle with healthy eating.

Step 4 is for those who are able, and wish, to achieve greater health and fitness benefits.

Step 1 – Think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience
Where any form of movement of the body is seen as an opportunity for improving health, not as a time-wasting inconvenience.

Step 2- Be active every day in as many ways as you can
Make a habit of walking or cycling instead of using the car, or do things yourself instead of using labour-saving machines.

Step 3 – Put together at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.
You can accumulate your 30 minutes (or more) throughout the day by combining a few shorter sessions of activity of around 10 to 15 minutes each.

Step 4 – If you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness
This step does not replace Steps 1-3. Rather it adds an extra level for those who are able, and wish, to achieve greater health and fitness benefits.
More information:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/Nutrition+and+Physical+Activity-1

  I am writing this based on my experience and I'm not an expert, but yes I am a registered Fitness Instructor for now :)

 I always try to avoid junk food or process food. Healthy meal is not necessary complicated to make, for example simple salad sprinkle with any nuts for protein or even this kale chips for snack.  Ok enough Blah blah...

Add caption

All you need to make this healthy snack is a bunch of organic kale(I grow some in my veg patch), olive oil and some sea salt, remove middle stem from kale washed well and pat dry with paper towel, toss with some olive oil and sea salt then baked in the pre-heated 160° C oven for 20-30 minutes or until kale is dry and crisp. Yummy!!

Ps: Apologize for my average English but I do hope everyone understand what I am trying to say...

Lime- marinated fish

Recently I visited our local library to borrow some cooking book, feel like I'm in a cooking mood lately :) especially since I started using my "big" camera again. So here I am promised my self (one more) to actively update my blog. Aaahh... I love summer where the day is longer so I have a natural light for photos plus nice, easy, and fresh cooking. Lucky I didn't have fussy having husband and daughter. They pretty much will eat anything I cook for dinner or even having just simple salad for dinner on a very hot day :)

 I wasn't planning to cook this dishes today because I bought salmon fish instead of blue-eye cod fillet. Anyway the taste still delicious and I'm glad about changing my mind. The other thing I did was cooking the fish in the oven (baked) for 25 minutes. That way my stove top is clean *wink*.

 There is a small story behind this yummy dishes today. As usual I have a bad habit of not reading the recipe properly (just a quick reading).

Today realised that I didn't have any cilantro in my fridge nor in my veg patch (already seeded and becoming coriander seed), with my sore thigh (too much exercise yesterday haha..), I went to 3 different places just to get those cilantro. And guess what? on the 3rd store it was the last one!, looking very sad because its wilted. Anyway I'm happy with the overall result though.

 Here is the recipe I got from Marie Claire "Crisp". Happy cooking...



Lime-marinated fish

Ingredients:
4 blue-eye cod fillets  mine is salmon fillet)
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
2 lime, juiced
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon grated ginger
3 tablespoon olive loil
80 g coriander (cilantro)

Method:
Put kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, chilli, fish sauce,ginger and olive oil in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Remove the stems and roots from the coriander and wash carefully. Finely chop and stir into the marinade. Add the fish and toss until well coated. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the fish fillets. Sear on one side for 3 minutes before turning the fillets over and cooking for a further 3 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
Put a large spoonful of tomato rice on each of the serving plates. Garnish with the coriander leaves and top with the fish fillets.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 ripe tomatoes, diced
200g (1 cup) basmati rice

Method:
Put the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion soft and transparent. Add the tomatoes, rice and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and stir for a minute before adding 375 ml (1 1/2 cup) of water. Raise the heat and bring the rice to the boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Leave covered for 20 minutes and then remove from the heat.