Monday 24 March 2014

Tossed Veggies with tomato sardines on toast

Admittedly I'm not the most health conscious eater. I'm not one for diets or placing food restrictions on myself. I have always had a very simple attitude towards food: I eat what I want, when I want without feeling guilty. In trying to be "healthier" I have adjusted this philosophy slightly to: eat what you want, just add healthier elements to your meals. 

So what exactly does that mean? Well simply put, I believe that the root cause of failure in diets is because they are inherently founded on the idea of deprivation. I don't believe in depriving myself. So, in an effort to be "healthier", I still allow myself to eat whatever I happen to be craving but I try to form "healthier" habits in addition. Besides the obvious things like "drinking more water" and "less junk food", I've been trying to make my own lunches and snacks whenever possible. To be honest the hardest part about keeping with this is coming up with new recipes, especially when you're hungry and dying for a bite! In light of this, I've decided to share any healthy meal/snack ideas here on my blog.

The first: Tossed veggies with tomato sardines on toast


Method: 
  • Wholegrain bread (slice per serving)
  • 1 can of sardines in tomato sauce
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes 
  • 2-3 yellow squash
  • Handful of marinated olives
  • Half a lemon
  • Extra Virgin olive oil
  • Himalayan pink salt & pepper to taste 

Method: 
Firstly, bring a small pot of water to the boil with a pinch of salt. Whilst you're waiting, rising and dry your vegetables.  Depending on the size of your cherry tomatoes, slice them in half and place them in a bowl. Lightly dress the tomatoes with olive oil, salt (tomatoes love salt so you can be a LITTLE bit more generous here then in the rest of the dish) and pepper. Slice the olives in half and mix them in with the tomatoes. Leave this aside for the time being. 

Next cut the squash up into bite size pieces (relatively similar to the size of your cherry tomatoes). Throw these into the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. When they are tender (but still have a bite), rinse them in some cold water to stop the cooking process. 

At this point place a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. 

Now you can mix the squash and in with the tomatoes and olives. Give the entire mix a good toss with a little more olive oil, a spritz of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. 

When the bread is toasted to your liking, drizzle a little olive oil over it before flaking over the tomatoes sauce sardines. Top this off with the vegetable salad and you've got yourself a quick, light and healthy snack! 

Sardines, although they may not sound the most appealing at first, there are many reasons to make them a regular ingredient in your diet.  
  • They are an amazing source of calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, protein and potassium. 
  • They're affordable. 
  • They're good out of the can! 
  • They are sustainably fished, which is always a plus! 
If you want a little bit more protein, my pick would be adding a soft boiled egg on top (best to do this before the squash). YUM! 

If you try this out or have any good recipe suggestions, please leave me a comment! 

Monday 10 March 2014

"Our food" - Mr Ramen San

Some couples boast having a song that they share in celebrating their relationship. For my boyfriend and me, we prefer to celebrate our relationship with "our food". What food, so romantic, could embody our love you ask? Chocolate covered strawberries? Oysters? No. Ramen. Yes ramen.

I admit it's an odd choice but my other half isn't really much of a foodie and the only thing that seems to have sparked his interest in my constant search for new food to try is ramen. As they say, relationships are a series of compromises and if it means I get him to show a bit of excitement for my obsession for food I'll take it. 

So we've made a point to try all the ramen joints we can get to. Thus far we've been lucky enough to sample delicious bowls of hot soup and noodles from Sydney to Melbourne. The joint fit to kick off this first review would have to be this little gem: Mr Ramen San.

Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup
This bowl of goodness won both our hearts almost immediately. The tonkotsu soup, a broth rendered from pork bones, provided the perfect base for the noodles. Honestly the soup alone warrants repeat visits from the boyfriend and I. The moreish broth, flavoured with a dash of black sesame oil, was creamy, flavoursome (without being overly salty) and comforting. It nestled a bundle of noodles, thicker than the likes of Ippudo, but cooked perfectly to avoid doughiness and retain bite. The generous cuts of tender charshu pork was succulent and not overly fatty. Now the ni-tamago, the soft centred egg, done perfectly, added a hum of its own flavour to the ramen, the perfect finishing touch in my opinion.

If you must know, the corn and the spring onion neither added or detracted from the dish.

This little gem impressed my boyfriend so much, he gave his compliments when paying, which ensued a lengthy conversation with the owner who told him she drank the soup every single day because of its high gelatin content, which is beneficial for your skin and joints (collagen). This definitely gives me an excuse to frequent this joint more often, not that I really needed one.

I would definitely recommend Mr Ramen San as an affordable location suitable for a casual lunch or dinner. It is a simple, quint little space that serves up a simple, comforting dish done to perfection. 

Mr Ramen San 
791 Glenferrie Road, 
Hawthorn
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia.
Mr. Ramen San on Urbanspoon

new beginnings

This is not my first blog. It's predecessor, something of a journal of thoughts, has become a private archive. As I journey through this very different chapter of my life, I want to establish a new haven to record the moments, the things that make me happy. I want to look back on moments needed and see all the things I have to be grateful for, be it superficial bits or more profound. I don't want to classify this space to a ridged genre of lifestyle, beauty, fashion or whatnot. I simply want this to be a space where I am able to create and share that which brings positivity into my life.

"We must exercise ourselves in the things which bring us happiness, since if that be present, we have everything, and, if that be absent, all our actions are directed towards attaining it." - Epicurus.