wanderfood-blog

[wanderfood-blog]

Being a vegetarian in the Middle East

Middle-eastern cuisines are still relatively new to me, but when I visited Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the options that they offered. Do take note that because I visited touristy places, and these two cities are very cosmopolitan, I had access to other types of cuisines.

To the extent that I did not know what was Middle Eastern cuisine anymore :/

Vegetable curry with Naan. I love naan and I can have it anywhere, anytime. My favourite dip to pair with naan is the Palak Paneer, really a spinach puree with the best flavours.

While I was there, I took the opportunity to grab all the desserts they had to offer. To be honest, these are all new to me but I understand that Indian desserts/sweets are similar? Correct me if I am wrong. But these sweets are not for the faint-hearted. They pack loads of sugar and come in different consistencies, one of them even deep-fried, so my advice is to try in smaller portions first.

This was my last meal in Dubai, and ironically it was Lebanese cuisine. There was tabbouleh, a flatbread, hummus, fragrant rice and a tomato and eggplant puree.  I am totally new to this type of cuisine and eating style, but I am glad that this was a full vegetarian meal! Also let’s make it official: you cannot seem to say no to hummus! So that’s all for my Middle-East food diary, my best find - Halloumi. I ate it before, but never learned to appreciate its flavour and complex texture until now. After I saw more of it in Dubai, I learnt about its versatility, it can be eaten raw, fried, deep-fried or as a burger patty! 

#vegetarian #vegetarianfood #vegetariancooking #vegan #veganism #veganfood #travelling #traveler #travel #middleeast #middleeastcuisine #dubaifood #dubaicuisine #abudhabifood #abudhabicuisine #travellog #travelfood #TravelMadeDifferent #traveldubai #travelabudhabi #lebanon #lebanese #lebanesefood #lebanesecuisine #dessert #desserts #indian #indianfood #indiancuisine #indiandessert

[wanderfood-blog]

United Arab Emirates

Guys I am back from a restful trip visiting relatives in Dubai!!!

We went to sooo many places including Abu Dhabi. Here I will share with you my photo and food diary from the trip:

Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Zayed Mosque was a beautiful and HUGE mosque. Picturesque, no words can describe how beautiful it is!

Dubai - the desert safari was my first ever and please sign me up again! Tip: please only go during their winter time, the temperatures during summer goes up to 50 deg Celsius so.. NOPE!

Of course I have to visit Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I went up and got the amazing view of Dubai’s city centre.

But dazzling sky scrapers aside, I visited Dubai’s old spice and gold souks to get a glimpse of the old Dubai infrastructure, it is markedly different and very interesting to see.

Back at being a tourist with Dubai Miracle Garden, not a well-known tourist attraction because it is seasonal and out of the way, but very well worth the visit because when Dubai does something (in this case a garden), they go big or go home.

Recommended time here: 5 days 4 nights maximum, 3 days 2 nights if you want to experience the main sites.

Money: about USD 5 per meal, please get souvenirs from a shopping centre called Souvenir City, we got scammed at tourists prices in the spice souk (tourist price: USD 15, Souvenir City price: USD 1)

However, it is generally cheaper than living and staying in Singapore if you exclude the extravagant places like Burj Khalifa and Mall of the Emirates.

#Wanderlust #wander #travel #travelling #dubai #burjkhalifa #burjalarab #uae #abudhabi #travelnotes #travelmadedifferent #traveler #vegantravel #vegantraveller #vegetariantraveller #skyscrapers #city #citylandscape #cityscape #flowers #garden #desert #photography #mosque #religion #culture #cultural #middleeast #middle east #heritage

[wanderfood-blog]

VEGETARIAN FOOD IN NEPAL

I recently came back from a hiking trip in Nepal. There were plenty of vegan/vegetarian food options. It is a country that respect animals, and the country also refrains from eating beef because it is considered a sacred animal in their culture.

I think tourism also played a part, they provide a lot of vegetarian options for foreign cuisines as well. So without further ado, let me introduce a few of my favourite meals in Nepal. Click on the photos for details in the captions!

#travel #traveler #nepali #nepal #nepalese #nepalesefood #food #vegan #vegetaria #veganism #veganfood #vegetarianfood #wanderlust #asia #asianfood #culture #pokhara #poonhill #poonhilltrek #mountain #noodles

[wanderfood-blog]

Lazy but Healthy Saturday Roast

Hey everyone, how’s your weekend so far? After a busy week, some of you might be too tired to get down and properly cook in the kitchen, yet you want healthy comfort food. Then this recipe would be just right for you! ;) This incorporates SO MANY VEGETABLES in one casserole, you just pop it into the oven and it’ll be ready in 90 minutes. xP 

Make the portion a little bigger and you can even have enough for dinner! Little effort, maximum nutrition! Sounds good for lazy people like me ><

Ingredients (Portion for 8): 

- 12-15 potatoes (small potatoes or chopped large ones are fine)

-  2 large carrots

- 3 sweet potatoes

- 1 large onion

- 5 cloves of garlic

Seasoning:

- healthy glug of olive oil

- dash of truffle oil

- generous pinch of black pepper

- generous pinch of salt

- dash of paprika

- dash of herbs like rosemary, cumin, oregano

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Chop up all the root vegetables into roughly equal chunks but keep the garlic cloves whole. Pop them into an oven-safe casserole. 

3.  Add olive and mix everything, ensuring that every chunk is coated. Add the remaining seasoning, mixing everything equally.

4. Pop the casserole into the oven for 90min. The dish is done when a skewer can be poked into the root vegetables without difficulty. 

Let it cool for awhile before attempting to eat it. Difficult, I know. ;P 

Spend your Saturday hassle-free with this one-pot wonder! 

Post-notes:

- You can use ANY OTHER FORM of root vegetable of course.

- Customise the seasonings to your liking!

You are in charge of this dish, not me! Good luck. <3

#vegetarian #vegetarianfood #vegan #vegetarianrecipe #vegetarianlifestyle #vegetariancooking #vegetables #rootvegetables #veganlifestyle #veganfood #vegancooking #veganrecipe #healthyeating #healthy #healthyliving #health #healthyfood #healthyrecipe #healthycooking #lazycooking #lazyrecipe #food #potato

[wanderfood-blog]

What’s your favourite fruit? I have A LOT of favourite fruits, but a watermelon comes close to the top. I can just finish this whole bowl in one sitting ;P

It’s a good thirst-quencher, refreshing and juicy. One key nutrient though, called lycopene is linked to lowering cardiovascular diseases as well as reducing inflammatory in our bodies. Another excuse to binge-eat this beautiful fruit! X

#veganism #veganfood #veganlife #vegancuisine #fruits #healthyfruits #healthyeating #healthycuisine #health #vegetarian #vegetarianfood #vegetariancuisine #vegetarianlifestyle

[wanderfood-blog]

Breakfast of unsweetened soy milk, a handful of mixed nuts and a punnet of strawberries. :)

#healthyeating #breakfast #veganbreakfast #vegancuisine #veganfood #vegetarianbreakfast #vegetarian #vegan #vegetariancuisine #vegetarianfood #health #healthyfood #healthycuisine #healthysnacks #veganism

[wanderfood-blog]

Shabu shabu is a non-vegetarian cuisine? I don’t think so! ;)

you can opt for miso(bean)/wafu(seaweed) based soup base, and order a variety of vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, noodles. It’ll be just as fun to eat, yet extremely healthy!

Once again, don’t let restaurants control your life, you control your own.X

#healthyeating #japanesecuisine #japaneseveganfood #japanesevegandining #japanesevegancuisine #health #healthyfood #healthyliving #vegan #vegancuisine #veganliving #veganlifestyle #vegetarian #vegetariancuisine #vegetarianliving #vegetarianlifestyle #food

[wanderfood-blog]

Hey how’s everyone doing? Just wanted to share my filling dinner, a tofu sandwich. :D It’s a great night out with my girls, catching up and talking about life.

Tip: Don’t let your diet restrict you from having a good time! Many places offer vegan options so don’t fret over what restaurant to go to. A quick check of their online menu will set you up. ;)

#healthyeating #healthyfood #healthyliving #dinner #vegan #veganliving #veganfood #vegetarian #vegetarianliving #vegetarianfood #health

[wanderfood-blog]

Can we really consume dairy?

Recently I was hospitalised due to a bout of gastroenteritis. I had severe stomach burn feeling, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. The doctors prescribed antacids (magnesium milk) and omezole to help with the over-acidic stomach.

But what really caught my attention was, the doctors (all three that I consulted) advised against fatty, spicy and lastly, dairy products.

Like, dairy? When my gastric flu first struck people were telling me to DRINK MILK! Something about how it neutralises the acid in my stomach. I’m thoroughly confused at this point.

So I ran a quick check and realised that consuming dairy will cause further inflammation of the stomach lining. Then that brought me to the question. 

WHY?

Why will dairy cause further inflammation of our gastrointestinal linings?

Lactose. I read this great article about how dairy is inflammatory because it contains lactose, which is bad because lactase is absent in pasteurized milk, and we cannot synthesise lactose and this leads to multiple problems.

Caesin protein. We cannot hydrolyse this as well , but according to the article, milk is ACID-FORMING. This is in direct contrast of the old panacea for acidic stomach - warm milk!

A Webmd article summarises our stand with milk: 

It does not necessarily reduce the risk of osteoporosis because till now there is no clear evidence. 

It is also rich in potassium and calcium, but we can easily obtain that from many other non-dairy food sources. So people can choose to omit it without fearing for nutrient-deficiency issues. 

More importantly, processed milk is injected with many hormones and antibiotics and I’m not sure whether I want my body to consuming that in the first place. 

So that’s my stand. What’s yours?

#dairyfree #dairy #vegan #veganlife #veganreason #health #osteoporosis #nutrientdeficiency #gastroenteritis #acidstomach #healthissues #healthyliving

[wanderfood-blog]

Soursop for a lovely Sunday afternoon :) Soursops are underrated fruits, they are soooo sweet and lovely, it’s like eating sweet cushion to me! It’s hard to explain the texture and consistency, you HAVE to try one yourself. ;)

It’s high in carbohydrates so it’ll be a good pre-workout snack or something you can snack on midday when you’re feeling a little hungry. Either way, yums! X

#soursop #fruits #fruit #vegan #veganlifestyle #veganliving #vegancuisine #vegetarian #vegetariancuisine #vegetarianliving #food #healthy #health #healthyliving #healthyfood #healthycuisine #healthysnack

[wanderfood-blog]

Asian and vegan! This is a traditional spring roll that many Singaporeans delight in. It’s basically a thin rice flour pastry rolled with parsnips, carrots, beansprouts, peanuts, parsley and the optional egg.

We call it “popiah” (thin biscuit) and it’s definitely yummy! ;P

#asianvegan #vegan #vegancuisine #vegetariancuisine #asianrecipes #asianfood #asianspringroll #vegetarian #healthyfood #healthycuisine #healthyeating #health #food #asiancuisine

[wanderfood-blog]

confession: I buy punnets of berries/fruits to snack on in movies! So much more refreshing and healthy than buttered popcorn.  

Sheesh... ;)

#healthyliving #moviesnacks #health #healthysnacks #vegan #veganliving #vegetarian #vegetarianliving #vegetariancuisine #fruits #strawberries #healthyeating #healthyfood #veganeating #vegetarianeating

[wanderfood-blog]

Happy mid-week! How’s everyone feeling today? Today I needed a little help from a pick-me-up roasted green lemon tea. ;)

Breakfast is a salad of spinach, olives, cherry tomatoes and shaved carrot slices bathing in organic pesto, olive oil and lemon. Again, less than 5 minutes. Give it a try and suddenly it does not feel like Tuesday anymore! <3

#healthyeating #healthyfood #healthyrecipe #healthydining #vegan #veganrecipes #veganliving #vegetarian #vegetarianrecipe #vegetariancuisine #vegetariancooking #vegetariandining #health #food #tea #salad

[wanderfood-blog]

My typical breakfast! Top: udon with juicy cherry tomatoes, avocados and spinach. Bottom: Salad with sweet corn, my favourite :)

Usually I add fruits at the side (bananas, blueberries, apples, etc) and I’m good to go! Anything lesser than that and I’ll feel so lethargic throughout the day.

Have a great week ahead and remember to eat healthily! X

#vegancuisine #vegan #vegetariancuisine #vegetarian #veganlife #veganrecipe #vegetarianrecipe #healthyfood #healthyeating #healthyrecipe #nomeat

[wanderfood-blog]

Rethink instant breakfast

We usually do not have enough time in the morning to make a healthy, filling breakfast. But breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It is needed to kickstart our metabolism and inject our body with essential nutrients so we have energy to survive the hours ahead!

Now I don’t know about you, but in Singapore we like to have white bread with high-sugar bread spreads, or cereal with milk or *gasps* instant noodles. Not only are they laden with sugar and carbs, they are high in preservatives which is NOT what we want early in the morning.

High GI (Glycemic Index) foods such as jams, cereals and white carbohydrates like white bread and noodles will result in an instant spike then drop in energy. Which you will regret by 10 am when you are sleepily trying to churn out an assignment and your stomach growls. :(

Today I share a recipe that takes only 5min to make.YES. FIVE. MINUTES. Yet packs us full of the essential nutrients for the day!

The Pick-Me-Up Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are made of buckwheat, which is a low-GI carbohydrate that also lowers total serum cholesterol, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol which will promote healthy blood sugar levels. It is also a great gluten substitute!

Ingredients:

-500g of soba noodles

-1 avocado

-half a cup of kimchi

-2 stalks of kale

-dash of soy sauce

-dash of sesame oil

Recipe:

-Pour hot water over soba noodles to soften them. It should take about 5 min.

-Meanwhile, assemble the plate, cutting avocados into cubes, cutting and washing the kale and adding the kimchi and condiments.

-After 5 min, assemble everything and mix before you consume. (Can be served hot or cold)

Is that not the easiest or what?! It takes the same amount of time as cooking instant noodles! BUT...you get SO much MORE nutrients as compared to a bowl of soupy MSG! ;P

We all know Kale’s benefits, also Avocado’s. If you want, you can add cold cubed tofu to the mix too. Anything is possible, and it saves you extra snooze-time in the morning!

Hope this recipe helps especially lazy people like me who don’t like to fuss over making breakfast. X

#vegetarianrecipe #veganrecipe #vegetarian #vegan #vegetariancuisine #vegancuisine #JapaneseCuisine #Japaneseveganfood #japanesevegetarianfood #healthyeating #glutenfree #healthyrecipe #breakfast #veganbreakfast #vegetariandining

[wanderfood-blog]

A different meaning to being a vegan

As we all know, being a vegan consists of eating food that does not have anything to do with animal cruelty and derivation. It’s a way of consuming. However, consuming includes other products that we use on a daily basis. Are those products vegan? Are you truly leading a vegan and animal-cruelty-free life?

I always looked at the ingredients of products I use and choose those I deem ethical. Some animal-derived prodcuts on the market include: Snail cream (ew!), Sheep’s placenta (are they even serious), caviar, goat’s milk and cow’s milk.

Another thing you have to take note when buying products is their AFTERLIFE. Now as consumers, everything we do or use, there is an EFFECT, or what I like to call an AFTERLIFE. A plastic bag you use will say, end up in some ocean and hang around for a thousand years, a helium balloon you release into the air will end up suffocating a sea turtle. So products that are non-biodegradable or highly toxic should really be avoided as much as possible. We cannot dive into oceans and removed plastic bags all the time, but we can reduce the usage.

Examples of toxic non-biodegradable products includes detergents, kitchen cleaners, or even your exfoliating facial scrub containing plastic micro-beads. They’re good for your face but think about their AFTERLIFE.

Here I would like to share a brand of facial care products that I loveeee to death and have been using for half a year:

sukin! From Aussie, this brand only uses essential oils and no harmful chemicals. Definitely vegan and no animal testing was involved. I always wondered why people buy products with animal testing. If a brand is confident in their own products, they don’t have to resort to torturing animals to prove it!

So this is definitely what I look for in a packaging and the manufacturing process is also a carbon neutral one. So it’s not only vegan, it’s a sustainable product. ;)

REVIEW:

HAHA now I’m a beauty blogger. I must say, although it does not feel soapy nor foam up, my face and hair is always clean after a wash. It does not strip my skin of essential oils and my blackheads always appeared visibly lesser after a wash!

Another thing is the smell. Oh how I love the smell :) It’s like aromatherapy, but you are definitely not inhaling artificial allergy-inducing scents because all the essential oils are natural!

On a lighter note, not all is lost, do keep yourself updated on vegan products - that is, biodegradable, no animal derivatives, 100% natural sources only, no animal testing and a plus would be the use of recycled plastic in its packaging. Being a smart consumer has way more impact on the environment than we know it. Together we can shape the consumer culture into a healthier one. XO  

#consumerism #sustainability #sustainableproducts #veganproducts #skincare #sustainableskincare #veganskincare #veganconsumer #environmentallyfriendly #environmentallyfriendlyproduct #environmentallyfriendlyskincare #sukin #sukinaustralia #australia

[wanderfood-blog]

My afternoon snack :) first day of adulthood-work so gotta pile on the antioxidants on days I feel old ;)

#vegan #vegetarian #vegancuisine #vegetariancuisine #healthyeating #weightloss #fruits #health