Tag Archives: salad

Mixed Bean Salad

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Well would you believe it, I am keeping up with the health kick. I am even down a couple of pounds. Who would have thought it? I even decided to forgo my Friday vanilla latte in favour of my usual hazelnut americano in a bid to stay on track. Although I am sure the second I have a few cocktails tomorrow those pounds will jump right back on. So this is my salad of week. It’s just so quick and easy to make  I can’t stop making it. Although the boyfriend has requested that we go back to falafel next week as he is growing tired of it after eating it for almost 8 days straight. I keep making it though as all the veg is already cut up and in the salad so all I have to do it put some on one of the lettuce bases I have ready made in the fridge and lunch is ready to go.

Ingredients

100g dried chick peas or 1 can

150g of black eyed beans or 1 can

1 can of kidney beans

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 cucumber

1/2 a red onion

20 cherry tomoatoes

1 large bunch of fresh herbs (cilantro, mint or basil all work)

4 tablepsoons of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 a teaspoon of salt.

Directions

If using dry beans, soak over night then cook. The chickpeas take around 3 hours, the black eyed beans around 1 and a half hours. When the beans are cooked put them in a colander and run cold water over them. If you are using canned beans empty your cans into a colander and run with cool water to wash them then leave to drain. Chop the peppers, cucumber, and onion into small pieces. Then place in a large container. Add the beans and mix. Chop your fresh herbs, then add to the bean salad. Then top with the salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Voilà easy 3 bean salad.

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7 day meal planning

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Last week my lovely friend Miles asked me to help him to learn to cook. To say he is a novice is an understatement. He can’t even tell the difference between a courgette and a carrot. So I decided I would impart him with some of my wisdom and try and help him make a few meals. He is on a diet to help him lose weight, so we prepared some of my skinnier recipes. I only had so much time to give so we decided to spend one night cooking and make meals for the whole week. I have now realized what a wonderful idea this is. Especially for those who find cooking a chore. A few devoted hours on a Sunday and you will have a fridge and freezer full of healthy meals to last you the whole week.  So this week I even decided to have a go myself. It’s really up to you what you want  to make but here are just a few of the different things we made.

5 salads, consisting of lettuce, cucumber, whole cherry tomatoes and sliced red peppers. If you don’t add the dressing and you seal them in airtight containers they should at least last for 5 days. That’s one lunch every day of the week.

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12 chicken  burritos for easy dinners. 3 minutes in the microwave and dinner is served. Cut the cheese and sour cream out of my recipe and they are a pretty healthy dinner.

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A giant batch of my roast vegetable couscous. You can then just eat it by itself or add it to one those salads.

A batch of gazpacho which could be served as  a meal in itself, or used to top wholemeal pasta and a can of tuna. Tasty and easy, they can also be made in advance and used to top the salads or eaten as a hearty dinner.

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A big batch of my Cajun chicken casserole. We portioned it out into individual containers and added brown rice and broccoli to each one. Just like a home-made version of a microwavable meal.

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I also had a BBQ to attend at the weekend to which I was bringing a potato salad and a coleslaw. I made twice as much and put the extra into containers in the fridge. That way I had quick sides all ready made for dinners or something fun to add to my salads.

I also marinated a packet of cut up chicken pieces using one of my favourite marinades. Then I can just put a couple of pieces into the oven when I get home and serve with the coleslaw and potato salad and have myself a home-made BBQ for dinner.

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There are so  many things you can do to save time, if you do them in one go. Slice your vegetables and put them into separate containers then you can just take a few of each to make a quick and easy stir fry. Or roast those veggies in the oven if you have one. You can also portion out fruit into zip-lock bags in the freezer, ready to use in a quick smoothie for breakfast. The possibilities are endless and a bit of forward planning will definitely help you to stay healthy if you’re on a new Summer diet. So get down to your nearest Daiso and buy yourself as many containers as you can carry. Miles’s shopping for the week cost around 65,000 and that made 28 meals. He had virtually nothing in the way of condiments in his cupboards so if you keep a well stocked pantry it will be even cheaper.

Pearl Couscous Salad

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In keeping with my new plan to bring you a few healthier recipes, here’s one I whipped up the other night. We have regular couscous quite frequently for lunch or dinner in our house but I fancied a change. Whilst browsing on iHerb I came across this pearl couscous. It’s very similar but much bigger and has a slightly different texture. It’s quick and easy to make and the perfect side dish to take to all those barbecues you will be invited to this summer. If you are unfamiliar with iHerb then I urge you to check it out, they have all manner or grains, herbs, spices, etc which can be delivered straight to your home. You can also use my code MRV792 for $10 off your first purchase.

Ingredients

1 cup of pearl couscous

1 1/4 cup of water

1/2 a courgette

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 aubergine

8 cherry tomatoes

1/2 a red onion

5 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of mixed herbs

A few fresh basil leaves (optional)

Directions

Chop your vegetables into small pieces, then put them in an oven pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with mixed herbs. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius. After 10 minutes check if they are done, if not give them a good mix and put them back in for another 5-10 minutes. To make the couscous bring your cup and quarter of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the cup of couscous to the pan, turn down the heat and put on a lid. Cook until all the water has evaporated and the couscous is soft. Stir in the roasted veg and serve. Top with fresh basil if you have some. You can eat this warm or cold, as a side, or on its own. Voilà pearl couscous salad.

Sognare

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A lovely day off last week afforded me to do some of my favourite things, shopping, eating, and drinking in the sun. Whilst indulging in some shopping in Sinsa, we got rather peckish. We spotted this cute little restaurant which looked ideal for a leisurely lunch.

The menu is Italian, consisting of salads, pastas, pizzas, risotto’s and several main dishes. The decor is cute and chic. With the doors opening right out on the street, a conservatory and a small patio outside it’s the perfect lunch spot for a sunny afternoon. There are also several imported bottled beers on the menu, but at 10,000 a pop it’s not the place to get drunk. They did have a pitcher of sangria which I would have liked to have tried, if my financial situation had been better.

After a browse of the menu, we decided upon a Ceasar salad (16,000), as a nod to healthy living. Although there was lettuce, parmesan shavings and chicken, they were missing a few of the key ingredients. There were no croutons or bacon. However, that didn’t really bother me so much, but if you were hankering after a traditional Ceasar salad you might be disappointed. The chicken was warm and marinated well and full of flavour. I did enjoy this salad but it was a little small for two to share.

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Since we had been so healthy by ordering a salad, I thought we deserved a treat. So we got a pizza as a reward. They have quite the variety but we settled upon the margarita (15,000). The base was thin and crispy, just the way I like it. It had lots of cheese and pieces of fresh tomato. It certainly hit the spot. I only wish there had been more fresh basil and a little less olive oil on top.

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Overall I think its a great spot for lunch if you are in the area. I wouldn’t travel miles to come, but the food is good and a reasonable price given the area. Sognare is located at 546-8, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Sinsa station (line 3). Come out of exit 8 and walk straight until you get to Tous Le Jours and make a left. Keep walking straight along that road until you reach the Diesel store, Sognare is opposite on the right. You can call them on 02-514-3398 for more information.

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Thai Green Chicken Salad

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Since it’s Monday I thought I would offer up one of my more healthy recipes. For me summer equals salad and this is the one I took for lunch today. I’m always trying to think of interesting ways to make my lunches different and this is one of my favourites. The tastiness of a Thai curry but in the form of a salad. Switch it up and swap the chicken for some shrimp or tofu and change the veg to whatever you have in your fridge. Stop eating the crap they give you at work or those 5,000 sandwiches from Paris Baguette and get up 10 minutes earlier and make yourself some sizzling salads for lunch. This recipe will make at least 4 portions and if you keep it in an air tight container and only add the dressing on the day you want to serve it, it should last 3-4 days. Bikini season is well and truly here, so I’ll try my best to bring you a couple more skinny recipes to get you through the summer season.

Ingredients

1 or 2 chicken breasts

1-2 tablespoons of green curry paste

200g of rice noodles

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1/3 of a cucumber

50g of red cabbage

2 handfuls of lettuce leaves

A handful of coriander (cilantro)

Dressing

10 tablespoons of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame sauce

Directions

Marinate the chicken in the Thai green curry paste for about an hour, then fry it in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side until it’s cooked through. Whilst the chicken is cooking, cook the noodles according to the directions then rinse in cold water and allow to cool. Cut the cucumber, peppers, and red cabbage into thin strips. To make the dressing, combine the coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, sweet chili and sesame seed oil in a bowl and mix togther. When the chicken is done, cut into thin strips too, and toss together with noodles, coriander and vegetables . Then drizzle with as much dressing as you like. Serve on top of a bed of salad leaves and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Voilà Thai green chicken salad.

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Capresa Bruschetta

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On my last visit to Costco I decided to treat myself to some fresh mozzarella.  I had already made a capresa salad for the blog last summer so I wanted to try something a little different. I already had some lovely garlic and rosemary bread I had bought from The Bakers Table the day before for brunch so a bruschetta seemed like the ideal meal. Tomatoes are getting tastier by the day now the sunshine is out. They are finally starting to get that tomato smell. Throw in some fresh basil from my now flourishing herb garden and you have got yourself one hell of a party for the taste buds.

Ingredients

3-4 slices of good quality baked bread

2 large tomatoes

10 cherry tomatoes

150g of fresh mozzarella

6-7 basil leaves

1 clove of garlic

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

A pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

First cut the large tomatoes into chunks and the  cherry tomatoes in half and put them into a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, then add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and mix then set to the side. Next cut the clove of garlic in half and rub onto the bread then toast it so it’s golden brown on both sides. Cut the mozzarella into pieces and add to the bowl with the the tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves and mix them in too. Pile the tomatoes and mozzarella onto the toasted bread and serve. Reserve any leftover liquid from the bowl of tomatoes and use it as an amazing salad dressing. Voilà the perfect summer lunch in minutes.

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The Page – Brunch

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A little while ago we discovered that just across from our work in Bangbae-dong there is a cute little brunch restaurant. Although, its not so little, its actually over 3 floors with a gallery at the top! I’m always looking for new places to brunch so one Friday we decided to go to work a little early and hit this place up.

The industrial style space is decorated with art and has a cool warehouse vibe. It was really busy when we ventured there at lunchtime. They have a menu of around 10 brunch options that can be purchased in a set with an americano. Perfect for those ladies that lunch, and lunch they did, this place was heaving. The food was of western style but designed to please the Korean palette.

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We opted for a Mandarin Salad. It was huge. The chicken was well cooked and very tasty. There was lots of fruit and it was very refreshing, although a smaller amount of salad would have been better. Overall it was very nice, a good summertime option.

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We also had the eggs English style. An English muffin topped with a fried egg, spicy bulgogi, and a side of potatoes and salad. It was actually pretty good.

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I wouldn’t travel across Seoul to go out of my way to come here, but the food was reasonable and it’s a cool place. If you live in the area I would say it’s worth a visit.

The Brunch Page is located at 796-27 Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Naebang station(line number 7) and come out exit 7. Walk straight until you pass the BMW dealership and make a right. The page is a few meters up on the left opposite Gastro Pub. The nearest bus stop is 22-222. You can call them on  02 536 5961 for more information. They also have valet parking.

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Taco- Chili Chili!

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Mexican restaurants are popping up all over Seoul and it’s my personal mission to go to every last one of them. I am big, big fan of Mexican cuisine, and I could eat it every day given half a chance. My freezer was always stocked burritos from Gringos home delivery service but sadly my move to Hae Bang Chon has meant a change of refrigerator and sadly my new freezer is only half the size of my old one. No more is there room for a stock of frozen burritos. However luckily just up the road is Taco Chili Chili.

Taco Chili Chili is a cute convenient little Mexican place on the road leading from Itaewon to Kyungnidan.  No it’s not a hot date kind of place where you go to enjoy the ambiance,  its more of a grab and go kinda place. However they do make some pretty good burritos. which I always enjoy to pick up now and again.

The burritos come in a variety of flavours, chicken, beef, vegetarian, avocado etc (7,000 -8,500). They will also let you choose how spicy you like it. Always a winner for me as I can’t manage hot, hot, hot on a hangover. They are of a good size and filled with plenty of meat, rice , salad and sauce.

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I am a fairly frequent visitor so I have sampled a large majority of the menu. I can also recommend the quesadillas (4,500-5,500), well filled and full of cheese.

Also on the menu are enchiladas (9,000). Served in a mammoth portion filled to the brim and topped with all manner of sauces, cheese and salad.

As well as all this there are also chili fries, nachos, fajitas, salad and tacos! They also serve beer and soft drinks. You can eat in or take away.

Taco is located at 527 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul. Take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6), come out of exit 1 and walk over the bridge. Turn left and walk straight for about 100 meters. Taco Chili Chili is on your left next to Thunder Burger. You can call them on 02-797-7219.

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The Flying Pan Blue

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The Flying Pan is a quite well-known brunch spot in Itaewon. The quality of food here speaks for itself and that’s why you will always find a group of people waiting for a table if you pay them a visit on the weekend. Despite it’s popularity it’s still a reasonably well-kept secret to lots of foreigners, especially those from out-of-town. This is one of, if not the best place, to get brunch in Itaewon.

The menu’s are listed on cute faux newspapers, which I find especially quaint. The menu consists of traditional brunch fare, eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, salads, and desserts etc.

I ordered the Flying pan breakfast 16,000. I have had it before and knew it was good. Luckily it lived up to all my expectations and was even better than I remembered. The potatoes were coated in a glorious dressing, I could have eaten so many more. The  pesto toast was well done and full of flavour. The poached egg was cooked to perfection and there was a generous amount of mushrooms on the plate. As well as all this there was also some spinach and hummus. Poached eggs on toast with mushrooms cooked in butter is my favourite breakfast. With eggs Florentine coming a close second. I rarely get the chance to eat a mushroom laden breakfast here in Korea so this one really hit the spot. Everything on my plate was perfect. I died and went to heaven!

Niall ordered the Eggs Avocado, 16,000. Two perfectly poached eggs on top of smoked salmon, avocado and toasted bread. The eggs were great, so was the salmon and avocado. His only complaint was the salad leaves. As you can see in the picture the stalks were extremely long and made it hard to eat this dish. They really should have been trimmed off. It also could have done with some salad dressing. Although he liked this dish he said next time he’s going for the Eggs Benedict with salmon.

I only have one small gripe about this place, well actually two. The drinks are over priced, 7,000 for a glass of shit coffee are you crazy? Go and get a real coffee while you’re waiting and bring it in with you. There’s also no Bloody Mary on the menu, although there is wine. Otherwise this is pretty much my perfect breakfast.

The Flying Pan Blue is located at 123-7 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Take a train to Itaewon station (line 6) and come out of exit two. Walk straight and take the first left. The flying pan is just on your right after the fur coat store and a Thai restaurant. You can call them on 02-793-5285. They also have locations in Sinsadong and Gangnam. The Flying Pan White, 540-22 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 02 514 5585. The Flying Pan Red,  GT Tower B1 1317-23 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul,  02-590-2488.

Bambino Cuisine

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Last week I attended a birthday dinner in Hongdae. The birthday girl chose Bambino Cuisine for the location and I’m very pleased she did. I don’t tend to visit Hongdae that much when I’m sober so I’m never really go to many restaurants there, so this was the perfect chance for me to try a new one. I also rarely visit Italian restaurants in Korea too. I’m not sure exactly why it may be because of one or two dodgy restaurants have served me spaghetti in a puddle of warmed cream with some powdered parmesan on top and its put me off. It may also be that I cook fairly decent Italian at home. Either way I’m glad I got to try this restaurant.

They have a good sized menu with plenty of salads, pastas and pizzas. We opted for the Chicken Salad with blue cheese dressing. I was a bit off my blogging game for some reason and forgot to note the exact price (No, I wasn’t drunk) but I think it was around 8,000-9,000. I am not a huge blue cheese fan but it was very subtle in this salad so I enjoyed it. Lots of balsamic glaze which is always a winner in my book. I was starving hungry at the time so this salad was devoured in minutes. We were also brought complimentary garlic bread while we were waiting. This restaurant is very into freebies.

We also chose the bacon and potato pizza which was also around 9,000. The pizza was amazing. It had a wafer thin crust which was perfectly crispy. Topped with plenty of cheese , potato and bacon. It was truly scrumptious. I shared this pizza but I could easily have devoured it all by myself.

Just as we were contemplating what to do next, the waiters brought out these complimentary ice creams  They had crumbled Oreo cookies on them in cute little pans. The perfect end to the meal.

To get to Bambino Cuisine take a a train to Hongik Station (Line 2) and come out of exit 9, Take a left and go straight as far as you can. It is just opposite COCKS and next to VENT.   There address is 345-7  Seogyo Dong, Mapo-Gu, Seoul.  You can also call them on 02-322-6487.