Linh's Kitchen

Have you ever felt like taking a leap? Putting down your guard and just going for something? In times like these, I look to Ray Bradbury.

“You’ve got to jump off the cliff all the time and build your wings on the way down.” – Ray Bradbury

Last week, my coworker sent me the link to CBC’s food host search and set my imagination on fire. HEY, I thought, that could be me!

The fear set in shortly after. Since making cooking videos has been more of a daydream than a reality for me, this would mark my first time in front of the camera. Needless to say, I was nervous and hesitant to audition. I had to ask myself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

My friends joked about the worst nightmare scenario: CBC airing a segment on live TV where they laugh at every fault in my audition video.

In the end, my passion conquered my fear, and I jumped in front of the camera, armored with the love for food and cooking. Initially, filming gave me the same sensation that writing first gave: a feeling of nakedness, of baring all. I’m happy to report that it gets easier. You start feeling more confident and start having fun with it. Also, it was a great excuse to eat a ton of Ube ice-cream! If you look carefully, you can see that my tongue is purple for the last segment.

Here’s my audition tape for CBC’s food host search!

Thanks for watching!

Click here for the simple thai curry recipe.

P.S. For anyone learning to use iMovie, I recommend this video about adding music to your movie. It taught me the all mighty iMovie shortcut of using the spacebar to stop and play clips.

Summary: learn how to make quinoa in your trusty rice cooker. We make it in our $20 six cup rice cooker and the results are consistently great. I’ve included the stove top instructions as well.

We prepared quinoa (pronounced “qin-wah”) at home for the first time in July 2011. It was so healthy and delicious, it has earned a spot in our regular dinner rotation. If you’re hesitant to try quinoa, here are a few reasons why you should give it a chance.

Why Eat Quinoa?

• Super healthy: one of the few plant foods that is a source of complete protein, high in fiber, and a source of calcium (good for lactose intolerant)
• Very filling: you’ll find yourself eating a smaller portion of quinoa than rice because it’s so nutritionally dense
• Very easy to prepare: you can cook it on the stove or in a rice cooker
• Gluten-free!
• Tastes good: delicate nutty flavour with a subtle crunchy texture
• Pairs very well with seafood, especially salmon
• Adds a protein component to vegetarian dishes such as salads and stir frys

Raw quinoa.

The first time I made quinoa, I cooked 2 cups quinoa with 4 cups of water and it boiled over in our 6 cup rice cooker. In the end, it made well over 4 cups of cooked quinoa, way too much for two people. I also learned that if you keep your quinoa on the “keep warm” setting of the rice cooker, the bottom gets overly browned. I’ve summarized my lessons learned below so your quinoa cooking will go smoothly.

Cooked quinoa with salmon and mango salsa.

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Verdict: I love how simple, healthy and delicious this dish is. Salmon infused with lemon, complementary dill and a light crust of garlic. Can’t wait to make it again!

Quick Intro to Fats

Most fats are delicious and not all of them are bad! To begin our Beach Body Gourmet series, here’s a quick intro on the three main types of fat and a recipe that falls in the “good fat” group.

Types of Fat

(1) Saturated Fats – found in all animal foods and some vegetable oils such as coconut and palm oil.

Important note: eat less saturated fat (no more than 10% of your daily caloric intake).

Disclaimer: Saturated fat may not always be harmful.

Personally, I pick natural saturated fat over its hydrogenated version any day. For example, I’ll enjoy butter in small amounts but never margarine because it falls under the second fat category.

(2) Trans Fat aka Hydrogenated Fat – formed when vegetable oils are processed into margarine or shortening and found in high quantities in most processed foods.

Important note: eat fewer processed foods and restaurant meals.

(3) Polyunsaturated Fats aka Omega-6s and omega-3s
a) Omega-6s – found in all vegetable oils like soybean, sunflower, corn and sesame.

Important note: easy to overwhelm body with omega-6 because of the vegetable oil used in processed and fast foods.

b) Omega-3s – found in cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, trout and mackerel and plant foods such as soybeans, flax seeds and nuts.

Heart healthy salmon with dill and lemon plus a surprise garlic crust.

Important note: omega-3s have been known to lower risk of heart disease but many do not eat enough.

Reference: Leslie Beck’s 10 Steps to Healthy Eating: Boost Energy, Manage Weight, Prevent Disease With the Right Foods

Here’s a recipe to help you get your omega-3s!

The recipe uses generous amounts of dill, garlic and lemon.

And creates a nutritional powerhouse meal with salmon, quinoa and salad.

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My sister and I in Varadero, Cuba

The Beach Body Gourmet was inspired by my first all-inclusive beach vacation. In May, I met up with my sister in Varadero, Cuba  and have a small confession about the pre-trip jitters. I’m embarrassed to admit this because my frame is boyish and my lifestyle is healthy; there are few reasons to fret over weight. At first, I couldn’t stop imagining the beautiful beaches but it wasn’t long before the body insecurities started kicking in and the beach body anxiety overtook the excitement of the trip.

To pull myself out of the temporary lapse in self-esteem and judgement, I started exercising more regularly, dedicating at least 3 to 4 days to exercise instead of the 1 – 2 days. I also started making lighter meals leading up to the trip. I went to Cuba with a lean body and a bit of a swagger, feeling strong and healthy.

Hello from the pristine beaches of Cuba!

However, I learned that body shape has little effect on a vacation, it is the sensory memories that shape your trip – the sounds of the lapping ocean and the rustle of palm trees, the warmth of the sun on your back, the taste of minty mojitos on your lips. Outside your hotel room was sun-drenched beaches, crystal clear waters and silky sand; the day trip to Havana was vibrant and bustling; and the jeep excursion, with its off roading, snorkeling, and natural deep water cave, was an exciting day of many new experiences. I can’t wait to go back!

Beep beep! Havana, Cuba cruising.

One downside of Cuba resort living was the constant buffets and lack of fresh veggies. I was booked for eight days, and by the fourth, I was already craving lighter meals and fresh salads. Upon my return to Calgary, I dove into the light recipe trove again. As a result, I created Beach Body Gourmet,  a collection of healthy and easy recipes.

Before I publish the series, I wanted to share some personal insight on the topic of healthy eating and some tips on how you can achieve and maintain a healthy weight. They won’t defend you from all bouts of body insecurity but they will help you achieve a healthier lifestyle, which in turn, will help those bouts pass quickly. These are the 5 key healthy eating principles that I live by.

5 Principles of Healthier Eating

1) My #1 tip: know your food groups and your portions.

As an average adult, you need about 6 – 8 servings of grain products a day. Did you know that ½ cup of cooked pasta, about the size of half your fist, is 1 serving of grains? The amount of pasta served at your favourite restaurant averages at about 6 servings, almost your full daily grains intake!

Fruits and vegetables are nutritional powerhouses, but did you know that they play a crucial role in portion control? If you aim to have veggies take up half the plate at lunch and dinner, that means you have less room for the more decadent but unhealthy items.

Canada’s Food Guide

Check out Canada Food Guide – What is a portion?

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Verdict: this is the easiest and most approachable curry recipe. The ingredients are readily available, the steps are easy to follow and the curry produces the most tender beef.

This recipe comes from friend’s mom, Mary, mother of four and exceptional cook. Since she lives in England, I’ve yet to meet her in person but over the last two years,  I’ve got gotten to know her through emails and by cooking her wonderful family recipes.

The humble beginnings of the rich and delicious curry.

I always assumed that korma was dull and served as a mild introduction to Indian cuisine. Whenever I went for Indian food in a large group, the unadventurous diners always chose the korma. This perspective shifted when my friend prepared her mom’s recipe: I was surprised about how much flavour and spice was packed this dish.

Classically, a korma is defined as a dish where meat or vegetables are braised with water, stock, and yoghurt or cream. The korma style is similar to all other braising techniques in that the meat is first seared using a high heat and then subjected to long, slow cooking using moist heat and a minimum of added liquid.

Garlic-ginger-chili fried with large chunks of onion.

If you’ve never made at curry at home before, this is the recipe for you. The end product is a creamy curry with very tender beef. The cheap cut of stewing beef is unidentifiable because it’s replaced with beef that falls apart with a fork.

To increase the healthiness of the meal, I added peas to the leftovers which were packed for lunch the next day. It was delicious but I kind of prefer the rich, thick curry with chunks of beef and a stray piece of coriander over the healthy peas.

Stewing beef browned in all the spices.

As a general rule, curries taste better the next day so you have a week’s worth of leftovers! This curry also freezes beautifully. The beef is coated in the rich yogurt and tends to resist freezer burn. I store the leftovers in glass mason jars, making sure there’s at least two fingers width of space at the top of the jar to leave room for expansion during the freezing process. Once defrosted and heated up, no one can detect that it’s been in the freezer for months.

Adding the coriander leaves at the very end.

I can’t imagine a better low maintenance meal. You’re only in front of the stove for 30 minutes yet create enough food to feed a hungry crowd or several frozen meals that save you from cooking on the weeknight or weekends.

You can find coriander powder in your spice aisle but try the international aisle as well; the spices come in packages ten times the size but at the same price. This is true if you shop at Superstore, where I get most of my Indian spices.

Super easy beef korma.

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