Dairy-free
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Recipe: Huevo a la rusa (Russian-style egg salad)
Despite its name, huevo a la rusa is a Peruvian classic. So much so that I’ve been told it’s called “huevos a la peruana” (Peruvian-style eggs) in Chile. It is basically a spin-off of the traditional Russian Olivier salad, with the addition of eggs and golf sauce. It’s always served as an entrée, usually in “menú” (affordable set menu) eateries.
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Product review: Hart and Soul cup soups
I wrote a product review for the nutrition site Foodwatch, ran by dietitian extraordinaire Catherine Saxelby. As all my reviews, this is a product I discovered while looking for a convenient, yet not overly processed source of nourishment. At the time, I was doing placement in Orange and I wasn’t able to cook every day. These soups turned out to be a perfect addition to my weekday lunches, particularly because it was freezing cold. To read the full review, click here.
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Product review: San Remo pulse pasta
I came across San Remo pulse pasta at the Gluten Free Expo a few weeks ago. Even though I very rarely eat pasta (in fact I never buy or cook it because I prefer using vegetables as the vehicle for sauces), these caught my eye because they are not just an empty source of refined carbohydrate, but actually pack some nutrition. Because they are only or mostly made from pulses, they are higher in protein, lower in carbs and higher in fibre than regular pasta. They come in three shapes: spaghetti, penne and fusilli. The spaghetti and penne are made out of equal parts of pea, chickpea, borlotti bean and…
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Recipe: Estofado de pollo (Peruvian chicken stew)
Estofado de pollo is one of those dishes that I used to hate as a kid and now I crave when homesickness kicks in. I think the main reason I dreaded it was that my mum or aunties cooked it too often. I think mum has forgotten my aversion to estofado because she didn’t tease me when I asked for her recipe last time I spoke to her. Turns out that her recipe is simpler than what I imagined, and I managed to make it taste virtually the same. Except that now I like it 🙂
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Recipe: Gluten-free Anzac biscuits
It’s been ages since I’ve eaten Anzac biscuits because they are definitely not gluten-free. I know there are several paleo recipes floating around on the interwebs but oats are such an important ingredient in this particular cookie that IMO they don’t deserve to be called Anzac biscuits at all. Back when I reintroduced oats in my diet to follow the Chinese doctor’s nagging recommendations, I tried a few brands of gluten-free (by US standards, which are less strict than Australian) and uncontaminated oats. I didn’t have any issues with any of those so I use them regularly. For this recipe I used this brand of Australian uncontaminated oats. To learn…
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Recipe: Jugo surtido ("assorted" juice)
The funny thing about this juice is that the name tells you nothing, however everyone in Lima (possibly in Perú) knows exactly what to expect. The taste of a classic jugo surtido is, I’m sure, ingrained in the memories of millions of limeños who have ever set foot in a juguería (juice bars). When I was growing up, the best juguerías could be found in mercados (markets). Popular flavours were papaya, lúcuma con leche (lúcuma and milk), fresa con leche (strawberries and milk), plátano con leche (banana and milk), surtido and especial (surtido plus algarrobina and egg). I hated lúcuma until my mid-20s, the other single-fruit ones were common at…
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Product review: Peak Chocolate Bar by True Protein
Yes, this is a chocolate bar sold as a fitness supplement. This is the sort of thing that gets my coach fired up about the money-driven fitness supplement industry, but I could not resist and had to try it as soon as it got released. Given the ingredient list (80% dark choc, creatine monohydrate, BCAAs, organic caffeine, and Himalayan rock salt), I expected it to be at the very least a decent chocolate bar, even if it didn’t accelerate muscle growth and increase energy as promised. Nutrition wise, each 25g serve (1/2 bar) provides 2.5g protein, 4.7g CHO (of which 3.6g are sugar), 70mg caffeine, 1.5g creatine monohydrate and 1.0g…
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Product review: Fine Fettle Eats
I’ve been a Fine Fettle customer for several years now. Their flats have been a life saver when travelling, and an awesome healthy anytime snack. I’m always thrilled to try their new products at the farmers markets. This time the new kids on the block are Eats. Eats come in the universally recognisable instant ramen cups. After brief flashbacks of MSG-laden camping food, I picked up the cups to look at the label. These instant meals are based on dehydrated vegetables and contain no gluten, preservatives or oil. They are also vegan and contain mainly quinoa and legumes with different seasonings. The contents come in a sealed plastic bag inside…
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Product review: Kooee! jerky
Jerky and macadamias are my go-to snack when I need something nutritious and portable. My favourite macadamias are Hand’n’Hoe (I buy them at the Eveleigh farmers market) but I’m still looking for the “perfect” jerky. I was researching some things (read: wasting time) on the net when I came across Kooee! jerky, which caught my eye thanks to their short list of gluten-free, refined sugar-free ingredients. This jerky is made in Tassie using top quality Cape Grim grass-fed beef. The current flavours are smoked chipotle and sesame ginger. I love the packaging, both visually and functionally. The serve is not huge but you can reseal the bag in case you…
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Product review: Green St Kitchen fermented vegetables
There’s a new player in the fermented vegetable market. Green St Kitchen make kraut in 2 flavours (ginger + tumeric, jalapeno + allspice) and kimchi also in 2 flavours (white miso + dry red pepper, Thai chilli + galangal). I’ve tried the white miso + dry red pepper kimchi and the ginger + tumeric kraut ($16.95 each in Dr Earth) and loved both. Is there a difference with other brands of raw fermented vegetables? I don’t know, but my take is that it’s good to don’t stick to a single brand or flavour to get the most out of different probiotic strains and phytonutrients in the herbs and spices. I…
