Hearty Italian -- a naturally healthy cuisine (4)

Typical fettuccini al funghi
infused with organic essence

During the 9-day trip in Italy,
what actually impressed teacher Sophia the most
was a very authentic Fettuccine al funghi.

It was at a traditional Italian deli
where the delicious dish was served.

When it was first dished out,
from far it looked 'worse than a typical Singaporean Mee-poh'
topped with just a few pieces of brown mushroom.
But the texture and flavour were completely mesmerizing!

So, we spent the whole evening analysing and reverse-engineering
the ingredients behind;
and in the end,
we knew it were simply,
the quality olive oil, al dente fettuccine, common aromatic herbs
plus
gratitude
that gave the delizioso experience!!

Here is the recipe for Fettuccine al funghi
that I cooked for my good friends back in Singapore:

Ingedients:

Fettuccini .......................................... 2 servings
Olive oil, with basil infusion ............ 4 tbs
Brown mushroom, sliced .................. 4 pcs
Italian herb mix ................................. 1/2 tbs
Sea salt ............................................. 1/2 tsp
Asparagus ......................................... 4 stalks


Methods:

~ cook brown mushrooms in hot boiling water for 2min, drain away excessive water in a bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tbs Italian herb mix, mix with 1 tbs of olive oil to marinate for 30min

~ cook aspargus (whole stalk) in boiling water until soft

~ cook fettuccine until al dente, drain away water, sprinkle 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4tbs Italian herb mix, add in 3tbs of olive oil and mix.

~ serve fettuccine on dish, top with marinated mushroom and garnish with asparagus.



The recipe couldn't be simplier,
but in order to make it delizioso,
high attention is needed on the freshness and quality of the ingredients
-- organic ingredient will make a difference!


Hope you enjoy the Italain series so far :)


Happy experimenting,
Kee Yew
pureland2012-at-gmail.com





{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}

Hearty Italian -- a naturally healthy cuisine (3)



Bruschetta
in its most simplistic form

 Another hearty Italian delicacy that I love is
pizza.

Not for the cheese, not for the crust, not even for the toppings..
-- these are all un-authentic images protrayed by fast food restaurants..

What I love about it is
the healthfulness of traditional Italian pizza.

Apparently, pizza was originally "developed" as a poor people's food,
where Italian in the old days just spread thin layer of tomato paste
and sprinkle a bit of olive oil on top of a thin layer of grilled bread
to serve as a simple meal.

I happened to taste this very original pizza at another small cafe in Roma,
where they simply serve thin crust pizza with only 3 ingredients:
tomato paste, olive oil and rosemary flakes.

Despite the simplicity, it's the best pizza I ever eve had.
Grateful!

Back in Singapore,
I had limitation of accessing to an oven,
also, I have a quirk not to work on anything with flour
(ask me personally!.. kekeke..)

So I decided to transform this nice
pizza idea into Bruschetta!!
-- because the bread can be readily bought from bakery :P :P


Bruschetta Semplice (Simple Bruschetta)


.o. Italian loaf ...................... ........................ 10 slices (grilled, optional)
.o. tomato, red ripen ..................................... 10
.o. sundried tomato .............. ........................ 3 slices
.o. balsamic vinegar ....................................... 1 tablespoon
.o. extra virgin olive oil ................................... 50mL
.o. rosemary flakes, dried .............................. a few teaspoon
.o. salt ........................................................... to taste




- put tomatos into vigourously boiling hot water and boil for 1 min. Take out the tomatos and cool for a few minutes, then peel off the skin. Cut peeled tomato into wedges and remove the seeds. (the seeds and peels can be used in Zuppa di Verdure)


- blend the peeled, seeded tomatos and sundried tomatos in a blender, and cook in a pot under medium/low fire, until the sauce thickens into a tomato paste. Stir in balsamic vinegar, 1-2 teaspoon of rosemary flakes and some salt to taste.


- spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bread, followed by 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Sprinkle some rosemary flakes and serve immediately.


Yummy :D
Kee Yew
pureland2012-at-gmail.com




{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}

Hearty Italian -- a naturally healthy cuisine (2)



Italian cuisine that is enjoyed by
the natural essence of fresh veggies

When I was in Italy
with my teacher, Sophia, earlier this year,
I noticed that the food in Italy was actually very humble
-- whether to dine in a small deli or high class restaurant.

Many of the food that we tasted in Italian eateries
were cooked from very local produce and
seasoned with large amount of
tomato, balsamic vinegar, Italian spices and olive oil.

While some people may call it "boring",
I perceive that as pure food tasting,
because Italian doesn't need a lot of stimulating elements in their cooking
and they get contented just with the natural essence of fresh veggies and fruits.

One of the dishes I had in Italy that impressed me was
not anything fanciful or exotic,
but world reknown Italian minestrone soup / vegetable soup.

At this small little cafe at Venice airport,
I was surprised that how they cooked the soup
with so many nutritious ingredients.
Amazingly also, by the Yin-Yang analysis of the food, it's very balanced!

At such a small cafe, the Italian cooked with sincerity and wisdom.
That's what that touched me.

Looking at the recipe below,
you will understand how balanced and nutritious the soup is.
Basically it's a complete meal
(I just had it for lunch, thanks to my Thermos thermal cooker :P).


Zuppa di verdura  (vegetable soup)


Ingredients:


Part 1: Seeds* (Yang)
.o. whole wheat
.o. big barley (coarse variety)
.o. kidney bean
.o. lentil
.o. mung bean
.o. chickpea
.o. black eye bean


-- 1 heapful tablespoon for all of the above
* do soak for 8 hrs, better if sprout for 24hr, before cooking for higher energy and removal of acidity.




Part 2: Vegetables (Yin)
.o. Carrot, diced ................................. 1 root
.o. Brocolli, diced ............................... 1 handful
.o. Cabbage, shredded ....................... 4 pieces
.o. Potato, diced ................................ 1 small
.o. Tomato, diced ............................... 7 ripen ones
.o. Celery,diced .................................. 1 stalk


Part 3: Spice/Seasoning
.o. Oregano, dried .............................. 2 tbs
.o. Rock salt ....................................... to taste
.o. Balsamic vinegar ............................ 4 tbs / or to make soup taste tangy enough
.o. Extra virgin olive oil (optional) .........3 tbs


Methods:

-- Put in 3 bowls of water to cook all the ingredients (except olive oil) until soft (on medium fire) before adding in more water gradually to top up to 5-7 bowls (depending on how thick the soup you would like it to be). Cook for another 15min. Stir in olive oil just before serving to minimise damage to good oil.



Well regards,
Kee Yew
pureland2012-at-gmail.com



{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}

Hearty Italian -- a naturally healthy cuisine (1)



Humble Italian style salad
made organic vegan

Just about a week ago,
I cooked for a a few good friends
an organic vegan Italian meal.

As it was the second time
I prepared a full course Italian cuisine
in my entire life
(the first time was 8 years ago!),
I didn't know what the outcome would be :P

So, when I invited my friends,
I kept making disclaimer that it was a pure experiment!!

In the end,
with great help from my good friend, Siaw Wei
(who also kindly provided a cozy venue for the precious gathering),
and some local condiment brought back from Italy,
I managed to replicate a few authentic Italian dishes.

I had to say I was very pleased =)
-- because, not only the presentation,
the taste was also very close to that I had Italy! :D

One of my favourite dishes,
is the Italian salad.

Tho' very common (probably can find hundreds of entries on google!)
I would like to share the recipe,
for it may be helpful when one suddenly runs of out idea ;)
-- also because it's so simple and tasty!



Insalata da Roma (Roman Salad)
[a pleasant delight on the day I touched down in Rome hence the name]


Salad mix (pre-washed) ................................... 1 plate
Orange ............................................................ 1 slice
Cherry tomato (round)  .................................... 2
Firm tofu (diced) .............................................. 3 cubes
Balsamic Vinegar  ............................................ 1 tablespoon
Extra virgin olive oil .......................................... 1 tablespoon
Balsamic Glaze*................................................ 1 squirt

Mix everything but serve beautifully :P



Buon apetito!
Kee Yew


* here is a generic sample of Balsamic Glaze sold online :P
-- it's traditional Italian sauce made from grape must, and balsamic vinegar :)
`` just an example, I didn't use this particular brand, mine was brought back from Rome :P


{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}

Reviewing past content @ Learning Holistic Wellness (May 2009 - Mar 2011)

It's has almost been two years
since I first started to do blogging.
And before I realise,
there have already been almost 200 posts.

Hence, I thought it would be useful to
consolidate some special blog postings that
are worth re-visiting.
This content page will also provide convenience
for readers to access to some important wellness information :)

Happy reading!


********************************************



Vegetarian Wellness:

Appreciating the intrinsic ingredient of life -- Water
Awareness on the Rice
The Fats of Life
The Healing Power of Juices
The critical veg issue of Vitamin B12



Organic Living:

When is organic food truly organic?
How to kick start with Organic Living




Biogenic Living:

Raw Food with the OMMH!
Super Whole Food: Raw Sprouted Beans
The true life force behind Biogenic Cuisine
Life Force Recipes - Explanatory Notes



Holistic Science:

Stories Untold Behind Cancer
The humble truth of genes



Holistic support:

Vegehub.Org: A new landmark for vegetarian landscape
Enhanced Search Engine for Organic Living!
Putting Vegetarian Theories into Practice (Comparative listing of good water systems, edible oils and veg outlets)
The stories behind Simple Vegetarian



********************************************


Should there be any questions about the topics discussed above,
please do email pureland2012-at-gmail.com :-)



********************************************


You may also subscribe to Learning Holistic Wellness by Email,
if you would like timely notice of future blog posting.






Well regards,
Kee Yew
pureland2012-at-gmail.com


{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}

How to kick start with Organic Living (4)



In the beginning,
organic newbies are likely to face some teething problems.

If newbies are not nurtured well in this beginning stage,
they may easily give up, hence the following suggestions are recommended:


Suggestion 7:

Look for technical and emotional support (group)


Often it is the lack of skill and technical information,
that intimidate and hinder organic newbies from venturing further into organic living.

Simply, they do not know what are the viable options.

Therefore, it's important to do a lot of humble learning (and unlearning + re-learning)
when one has decided to step on an organic path.

There are a lot of technical support information and channels,
including
   Holistic Wellness Search Engine,
   Health Foodshops Listings,
   Easy Sprouting Protocols,
   Vegetarian Wellness Courses

that I have set up in the past 5 years
to nurture and support the general public on an organic path.

Also, when on a bumpy ride along the organic path,
one will easily feel lonely,
swayed away by negative sentiments against organic lifestyle
and eventually give up a quality lifestyle.

From the very beginning, it's vital to submerge oneself
among a group of postive minded people,
especially friends who are supportive of organic concepts.

In view of that,
I have also created several channels to serve this function, e.g.
   Cielo Sereno Organic Tours
   Organic Living Meetup Group
   Vegehub.org/network.htm

Please make good use of all these resources to support your personal growth,
(for they will only exist for as long as there is a need).


Lastly,

Suggestion 8:
Embrace organic living with a well-wishing attitude and heart-felt gratitude
The organic landscape in Singapore is actually still in its infancy stage,
strictly speaking.

Like nurturing any newborn, we need to give them love, words of encouragement
and forgiveness for their mistakes.

In the past 10 years, I have seen organic retails opened and closed.
Many many of them who are still "surviving" are just barely breaking even
and or still in deficits.

These organic players stay on (in the organic circle)
for a big dream to heal the Earth
and by great compassion for the general welfare.
If they were to stay for profits, 90% all of them would have been extinct by now.
(no exaggeration)
Therefore, we should give them our kindest understanding
and most positiveness thinking and deepest gratitude.

A simple question:
If we don't offer our full support to sustain their businesses,
when they close down, where are we going to get our organic supplies?

Mutual appreciation,
that's the key to help organic circle in Singapore grow strong and united.
When the organic community is united and has enough muscle to flex,
then only we have hope to bring the price down by economy of scale
and eventually overturn our fate of chemical intoxication!

Utopic as it sounds,
but it doesn't seem like we have any other choice.

Hope this blog series have given you clarity and
the courage to take on an organic path.

-- Buy your favourite organic item today :)


With love,
Kee Yew
pureland2012-at-gmail.com

How-to-kick-start-with-Organic-Living

{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}

How to kick start with Organic Living (3)

Planting potted edible plant
is also part of organic living

Going 100% organic is not quite possible
in Singapore just yet,
mainly because:

i) Singapore doesn't have
big enough land to grow large enough variety of organic produce,
and has to constantly rely on imported food.

ii) there is not sufficient awareness yet to justify larger range of
organic food to be imported

iii) foreign organic food producer may not even
have sufficient quantity to export to Singapore.


When organic food is not accesible,
try the following suggestions:

Suggestion 5:

Go for unpopular local / Malaysian produce

Unpopular produce means
produce that are not quite appreciated by general public
because they are too common,
offer less gastronomical satisfaction or
have less commercial value (from farmer perspective)

For examples:
 .small-and-ugly-easily-perishable local banana,
 .non-Sarawak-cultivar 'siap-siap' pineapple,
 .not-so-sweet fluffy-flesh papaya,
 .course texture wild spinach,
 .mostly-unheard ulam Raja,
 .thought-to-be-poor-people-food sweet potato leaves,
 .sour-tough-texture-seedy guava etc...

All these fresh produce are usually
non-cultivar, traditional wild type crops that don't sell particularly well.
Hence, altho' not organic,
they have less chance from being sprayed or sprayed with less pesticides.
-- pesticides also incur substantial cost to farmers,
hence they need to justify whether to spray by considering the commercial value.

Why local/Malaysian ones only?
Because the distance is relatively short,
and the chance of dipping the produce in strong preservatives is lower.
(e.g. ugly Malaysia banana vs beautiful looking Filipino banana)

Also, because if the produce are native species,
they tend to grow more robustly and attract less pest problem (hence pesticides)


Suggestion 6:

Grow your own favourite edible plants

This is definitely not a solution to suffice the your organic need at home,
but it's a way to 'cut cost' and to minimise purchase of tainted food out there.

Growing a few edible plants at home,
will also reduce the commercial value of that particular type of plants,
and help farmer justify less spraying.

Usually these are small edible plants which are suitable for HDB flat corridors
e.g Basil, Pandan, chilli, sprouts and some TCM herbs.


Going organic isn't just eating organic food.
As you can see so far,
it also involves make-over of one's lifestyle and eating behaviour =)

It's fun!!!

Enjoy organic,
Kee Yew
pureland2012-at-gmail.com


How-to-kick-start-with-Organic-Living

{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}