October 27, 2008 at 1:23 am (Main Dish, Recipes, Soups)
Tags: bell pepper, cauliflower, glass noodles, gouqi, Lunch, mung bean, Recipes, rice, Soups, spinach
For all you can have for lunch on a warm, sunny autumn Sunday in southern California:
- Rice cooked with whole mung beans (Mung beans are good for your health, I’ll write about it another day)
- Cauliflower and bell pepper of colors
- Spinach and glass noodle soup
Tips for making these dishes:
- Soak the mung beans for a half day before mixing them with the rice and put into the rice cooker
- Cauliflower and bell pepper of colors is a great vegan dish that I learned from a Buddhist cooking guidebook. Choose a combination of red, yellow, and orange bell pepper in this case, but not green bell pepper which has a slightly different taste.
To make cauliflower and bell pepper of colors:
- Put in a hot pan a drizzle of Canola oil
- Then drop in some slices of fresh ginger (and chopped fresh garlic/scallions depending on personal preference)
- Add cauliflower cuts, stir well
- Wait for a few minutes, and add diced bell peppers
- To enhance the flavor, add some vegetarian oyster sauce (my secret ingredient
)
- Again stir well and keep the the lid on till the veggies are softer before serving
To make the soup:
- In a sauce pan, pour half of a can of vegetable broth and mix with twice amount of water
- Bring to boil, and drop a small bundle of glass noodles (those made of mung beans, potatos, or with special flavors such as fiddlehead fern are good)
- Add some gouqi (dried goji berries) and wild mushrooms (any kind but smaller ones)
- Add a bag of fresh spinach the last
- Keep simmering for a minute or two then it’s done
- Some people like to put a drop of sesame oil right before serving (it smells great and puts a layer of shine on the surface of the soup ~~)
And I know, I know – next time I’ll remember to take pictures before I dive into the delicious meal, okay?
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October 25, 2008 at 3:19 am (Stories)
Tags: ethnic food, Stories
On my way home today, I came across this radio interview with a guy who decided to try out the cuisine from a different country everyday!
Check out Noah Galuten’s Personal Food Project and his writing about his food and cultural experiences: http://manbitesworld.com/
Besides the color, smell, taste. funny stories, and surprising encounters, I wonder if he could address the health philosophies from different cultures and how they are embedded in the preparation, cooking, and presentation of the authentic dishes.
BTW, this site could also be a nice source to find good ethnic restaurants, especially in Los Angeles! But vegetarians and vegans would have to be careful when it comes to your pick
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October 17, 2008 at 1:59 am (Lifestyle Tips)
Tags: lifestyle, list
THE TOP FIVE CANCER-CAUSING FOODS
1. Hot dogs
Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can’t live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.
2. Processed meats and bacon
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.
3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.
4. French fries
Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be> called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .
5. Chips, crackers, and cookies
All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.
BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS
1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain
causing brain degeneration.
2. Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead toAlzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain
THE MAIN CAUSES OF LIVER DAMAGE
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
I think my major issues are with lack of sleep and working during illness. What about you?
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October 13, 2008 at 7:40 am (Breakfast, Main Dish, Snacks, Stories)
Tags: asparagus, banana, beans, beverage, black fungus, blueberry, Breakfast, cashew nut, cauliflower, Dinner, egg, Lunch, macadamia nut, mueslie, mushroom, noodles, nuts, peanut, pumkin seeds, rice, tomato, walnut, zucchini
This was my first day staying, working, and eating at home in a long time. It was such a great pleasure to enjoy homemade meals – and three of them!
Breakfast: Muesli
- Soyogurt (with real vanilla)
- Fresh blueberries
- Banana slices
- Pumpkin seeds
Lunch: Noodles
- Japanese buckwheat noodles
- Chili bean curd (famous brand 王致和 Wang Zhihe)
- A touch of rice vinegar (镇江香醋)
- Zucchini with mushrooms
- Stir-fried cauliflower
Snacks: Nuts and Juice
- Raw Spanish peanuts & walnuts, roasted salted cashew nuts & macadamia nuts
- 1 QT of Odwalla antioxidant vitamin C micronutrient fruit juice drink
Dinner: Rice with kidney beans
- Rice with kidney beans
- Tomato with scrambled eggs (the most common Chinese homemade dish; well, I think my version tastes just a little better than my dad’s, hehe)
- Asparagus and black fungus
Wow, my diet can’t get better than this. Maybe I should spend more time at home than in the PhD office!
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