Meatless Monday Dinner

I am really trying to eat healthy and prepare healthy and nutritious food for my family.  So recently I started meatless Monday and Thursday meals.  I started cooking meatless meals twice a week, the rest would be fish (twice a week) or white meat chicken.  We eat out on Sat. and Sunday so I am more lenient on the choices.

Meatless meals can be satisfying as well as delicious.  So try it!

Healthy Rice (Black, Brown, Barley and Millet)

I was cooking barley brown rice for my family for a while now.  And then I read that black rice is also good for us, including all the black things like black bean, black woodear and black sesame seeds.  I also bought some millet because of the health benefits that I read.  So, I decided to mix all these grains together.  Chinese believed that barley can aids in beauty like have beautiful skin, reduce heatiness and detoxification, black rice aids kidney, bright eyes and millet aids stomach, etc.

I also read that not everyone can eat millet especially for those that have hypothyroidism or problem with thyroid.  Since I had it before, I definitely watching what I eat.  I would probably use the rest of the millet to make bread or buns instead.  Small quantity is fine, just not everyday.

Now I am alternating barley brown rice, turmeric garlic brown rice, sweet potato brown rice and black brown rice for our meals.  You can find the recipes under Rice.

Korean Red Pepper Sauce (Goit-Chu Jang)

I was fascinated while I was reading the Dok Suni cookbook.  In her book, she mentioned that her mother used to make the red pepper sauce, then store it in a jar, refrigerated, and used it in cooking or served as a dipping sauce.  This red pepper sauce is a staple seasoning for many Korean dishes and it is made with red pepper paste.

I didn't know there was such thing as red pepper sauce, I always thought it was the red pepper paste that was served a the dipping sauce.  My bad!  Anyway, as I was curious I wanted to make it and tried it myself.  I thought it was kinda bland so I added sugar and sesame oil.  You can experience with the first four ingredients and do a taste test and see how you like it, if you think like me then add the sugar and sesame oil.  :)

I used this in my Korean BBQ meal.  Take a piece of red leaf lettuce, add a piece of grilled chicken, add some seasoned radish, seasoned beansprout, soy sauce anchovies and top with this red pepper sauce, wrap it nicely and in the mouth it goes.  How good is that?  I also used this sauce in my bibimbap.  Yummy!

Lemon Honey Drink (蜂蜜檸檬水)

I saw in a Chinese article that this lemon honey drink can aid in weight loss, detox and beauty (美容排毒減肥).  The method is really easy so I would share it here.  All I know is honey and lemon are good for us so this drink should be safe to drink.  I drink one glass a day (or skip a day or two) if I have the supply in my refrigerator.  Honey is antiseptic, antioxidant, has cleansing properties for our body and health, fights infection, aids tissue healing, reduce inflammation and scarring, great beauty and skin care product for ladies and more.  The benefits of eating or drinking lemon juice are great as well such as control high blood pressure, aid in weight loss, good for stomach, detox and more.

This drink is sourish and sweet at the same time and quite refreshing!

Caution:  Not all people are suitable for honey drink.  My hubby gets upset stomach whenever he had some honey.  Don't drink it first thing in the morning without breakfast.  Better drink it after lunch.
 

Spicy Cucumber Salad (Oye Moochim)

While I was reading the Dok Suni cookbook, I saw a picture of this cucumber salad placed in a table setting with some BBQ raw meat and a few banchan and had a urge to try it.  The recipe was fairly easy and I had a English cucumber at home, so I made it.

I think I didn't do a good job in straining the salted cucumber as my middle was not as crispy.  I served it with my Korean BBQ meal.  I probably won't make this again as I couldn't mix this in my bibimbap and can only serve it as a side.

Mochi (Peanut Coconut Filling) 麻糬

I guess you can call this a Chinese style mochi or 麻糬.  I  remembered when I was in Malaysia, I ate this with peanuts and sugar filling (long long time ago).  Over here in the U.S., we have the similar filling too but with added coconut flakes and often time made by Vietnamese Chinese.  We can easily buy this snack at the Asian market so often time I won't be bother to make it myself.  Today, since I have the mood, I made this for my family.  This microwave mochi was very easy to make and took less than 30 minutes.  Evy loved it and wanted to learn from me, but perhaps when she is older as the dough has to be handled when it is still warm and I don't think she is up to it yet.

Sharing with you my peanut, coconut and sesame filling and hope you like it!