Roasted Seaweed Wraps

Honestly, I'm a pretty simple girl.

It really doesn't take much to make me happy,

especially when it comes to food.

A dinner of sticky brown rice and roasted seaweed will do.

Nothing schmancy, just simple. :)

I grew up roasting seaweed with my mom,

basting the sesame oil,

sprinkling the salt,

and toasting it above the stovetop.

In Korean, it's called "bap" and "gim"

a classic on-the-go meal for Korean families.

I like making my own roasted seaweed,

so that I can monitor the amount of salt!

Goodbye MSG, hello "kosher salt" :).

If you like nori from sushi,

you will love these seaweed wraps even more. 

Your kids will love it too. 

Oh yeah, and it's super healthy.

Win win. :)

Roasted Seaweed Wraps

4 nori sheets (unroasted)

2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Lightly baste the nori sheets with sesame oil on both sides.  It bastes easier on the smoother side. 

2. Sprinkle kosher salt (lower in salt than other varieties). 

3. On medium high heat (I use open flame stovetop), use two tongs (on each end) to hold the seaweed (one sheet at a time) over the heat.  Toast for 2-3 minutes on both sides.  The seaweed will turn a light greenish color (from a black color) and will become crispy in texture. 

4. Cut with scissors. Eat with sticky brown rice.

To note: to make sticky brown rice, soak 1 cup brown rice with 1/4 cup sweet rice for 12 hours. Then make in rice cooker! And don't replace the sesame oil with any other! The flavor of sesame gives it the nutty flavor. 

Curious about the health benefits of sea vegetables? Looking for more recipes? Check out the Spicy RD's post! 

And the winner of the Simple Sweets E-book by Sketch Free Vegan is #5: Jeanette!

Do you like seaweed? What is your favorite way to eat it?

Lemon Almond Cookies GF & Giveaway

 Everyone has an indulgence, right?
My secret sweet tooth:
Dark chocolate. :)

When I realized I needed to cut back and start a sugar cleanse,
I almost wondered how I would survive.
Jackie and Jaclyn from Sketch Free Vegan
sent me their Simple Sweets E-book
and I was immediately enamored by their healthy sweet recipes.

I adapted one of their gluten free stevia sweetened cookies

and it tasted just like the girl scout lemon shortbread cookies!

The texture is melt in your mouth soft when it comes out of the oven,

hardens nicely to crumble on top of your morning oatmeal or parfait.

The lemon zest adds a whirlwind of flavor. 

Why didn't I think of this before? :)

Btw, it took a lot of self control to only nibble, 

since I still need to watch the maple syrup on my sugar cleanse.

Thank you for this awesome recipe!

Read more for a giveaway to one lucky reader. :)

Lemon Almond Cookies - Gluten Free

Adapted from Simple Sweets by Sketch Free Vegan

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup sweet rice flour 

1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup expeller pressed canola oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp powdered stevia*

zest of one lemon

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients together: ground almonds, brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda, salt.

2. Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl: canola, maple syrup, vanilla, stevia, and lemon zest. 

3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together. 

4. Roll into balls and flatten with a fork. 
5. Place dough on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 13-14 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Jaclyn and Jennifer at Sketch Free Vegan are big on clean eating, plant based nutrition, and eat gluten free and focus on eliminating unnecessary sugar.  If you like my blog, you will LOVE their recipes. Please check out their blog for amazing food ideas. 

For the Simple Sweets E-Book Giveaway,

1) For one entry, leave a comment on this post and tell me what is your sweet indulgence. 

2) For a second entry, visit Sketch Free Vegan and tell me which recipe you would like to try.

Giveaway ends on January 31st.

Mixed Grain Curry Pilaf

My latest obsession: green peas :)

Lately I've been enjoying frozen peas as a easy snack

or throwing them into salads and mixed grain pilafs.

They seriously add such a delicate accent to every type of dish. 

And green peas are also lighter than beans in terms of carbs,

and packed with some good protein,

so I've been indulging just a little here and there. Hehe. 

I tossed some red quinoa, brown rice, wild rice & peas,

with some EVOO, kosher salt, and curry spice,

and it satiated me nicely. 

Cold weather always makes me crave anything curry spiced. :)

Mixed Grain Curry Pilaf

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1/2 cup brown rice, cooked

1/2 cup wild rice, cooked

2/3 cup green peas

1 tsp curry powder 

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. On medium low heat, toss cooked quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, and green peas for a couple of minutes. 

2. Add in EVOO and toss. 

3. Then add in curry powder and kosher salt, and toss for 2-3 minutes. 

4. Serve warm. 

To note: Substitute in any spices that pleases your palate. I keep a pack of frozen brown rice, frozen wild rice, and frozen green peas in my freezer to save cooking time when I'm on the go.  Quinoa cooks within 20 minutes, so I usually keep the grain in bulk in my refridge. 

What have you been craving lately? 

Citruslove: Grapefruit Chia Pudding

Sometimes I just need a pudding 

to make my day a little brighter.

My go-to pudding: chia seeds

I usually whip one up with some almond milk 

sprinkled with stevia

and my craving is satisfied. :)

Since this month is #citruslove,

I decided to add in some fruity flavor to my chia puddings

by using freshly pressed grapefruit juice

slightly sweetened

and it was surprisingly delightful.

Cheers for healthy puddings!

Have you jumped on the chia seed pudding bandwagon yet?

Grapefruit Chia Pudding

4 tbsp chia seeds

1 grapefruit 

pinch of stevia 

Directions:

1. Juice your grapefruit in your juicer. 

2. Combine freshly pressed grapefruit juice with chia seeds. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

3. Sweeten with stevia. 

4. Eat and enjoy. :)

To note: White grapefruits are lower in sugar and suitable for sugar-free diets.  Pink grapefruits tend to be sweeter! Chia seeds are great for healthy fat and protein too!

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January is #citruslove month!

Please join in on the #citruslove by linking up any citrus recipe from the month of January 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #citruslove event! The twitter hastag is #citruslove :). 

Cohosted by:

A Little Bit of Everything, Astig Vegan, Baker Street, BigFatBaker, CafeTerraBlog, Cake Duchess, Cakeballs Cookies and More, Easily Good Eats, Elephant Eats, Georgiecakes, Hobby and More, Mike's Baking, Mis Pensamientos, No One Likes Crumbley Cookies, Oh Cake, Parsley Sage Desserts and Line Drives, Peaches and Donuts, Savoring Every Bite, Simply Reem, Smart Food and Fit, Soni's Food for Thought, Teaspoon of Spice, That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!, The Art of Cooking Real Food, The More Than Occasional Baker, The Spicy RD, The Wimpy Vegetarian, Vegan Yack Attack, Vegetarian Mamma, You Made That?

Kale Chips

With our New Year's resolutions,

we are all looking to find some healthy indulgences,
including myself. :)
Now that Christmas break is over,
I'm ready and focused
for my healthy eating plan this year.
My resolution - eat a balanced diet and workout.
Less carbs and sugar,
more protein and nutrients.
I feel my best when I eat this way!

When I'm in the mood for a quick salty snack,
I grab a handful of kale,
chop and toss with evoo and sea salt.
Roast and eat in 15 minutes.
Yes, it's healthy and that easy. :)

Kale Chips 

4 bunches of kale, destemmed

2-3 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

sea salt, to taste 

Directions:

1. Chop kale into bite size pieces, evenly cut. 

2. Toss 1/2 of chopped kale with 1tsp  evoo (or massage with hands). Do the same for the remaining half. 

3. Spread on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle sea salt.

4. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees, or until crispy. 

What are your healthy eating resolutions this year? 

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We have planned yet another fun filled virtual party to "Leap into 2012 with a peak in 2011. Let us bring forth some of our best recipes we created in 2011 and also welcome 2012 with a new one!

And here is my top 6 recipe posts from 2011. I can't believe time flies! It's been such a journey for my health (read more at "my story"). I can finally say that I'm on the path to healing from my digestive aches and pains.  God is so good to me.  He answers prayers. This year is going to be the best ever.  I just have that feeling. :)  

    Nut/Seed butter bites                           Veggie Paella

    

    Winter Squash Chili                              Cacao Cranberry Chocolate 

    Korean Sweet Potato Bread                  Green Tea Cake