a commonsense approach to eating well, living well and travelling
Tokyo, Japan has recently been voted as one of the top ten most welcoming cities in the world. Everything in its place for its purpose – you can’t stop marvelling at Tokyo’s architecture, history, heritage, culture, systems and infrastructure. We did a three day stopover here and while we clocked up over 20,000 steps each day, we barely scratched the surface of Tokyo.
I normally do the tofu version first for the vegetarians in the household and then follow with the chicken stir fry. When I say tofu, many people say oh tofu, it’s so tasteless. Yes agreed it is bland and does not have a taste as such but that is the point, as it takes on the umami flavours of the other ingredients so well. I have learnt to incorporate tofu into several vegetarian versions of dishes I cook on an everyday basis, you can say I like it.
400 grams firm tofu, drained
2 medium sized carrots cut into batons
400 grams mushrooms (prepared) and quartered
1 large red pepper cut into 4-5 centimetre strips
1 bunch Shanghai green bok choy, washed well, stalks and leaves separated
Ingredients
400 grams chicken breasts
2 medium sized carrots cut into batons
400 grams mushrooms (prepared) and quartered
1 large red pepper cut into 4-5 centimetre strips
1 bunch Shanghai green bok choy, washed well, stalks and leaves separated
INGREDIENTS
250 grams good quality cannelloni tubes
1 large leek, washed thoroughly and cut lengthwise first and then into half moons
500 grams mushrooms chopped into ½ centimetre pieces
250 grams frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
Founded nearly 1200 years ago, this ancient city in the north of Laos is a delightful mix of Buddhist temples and French colonial buildings. Since 1995 Luang Prabang has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage city for its unique blend of architecture and religious culture. Our guide explained that the city has been called such because of the gold image of Buddha, Phra Bang that was gifted to the people of Laos by Cambodia in 11th century. This is on display at the Royal Palace Museum.
Clafoutis is a very simple classic French dessert. I used well drained tinned black cherries. During summer, you can use a punnet of black berries.
1 x 400 grams tin of black cherries in syrup, well drained
200 ml whole milk
100 ml cream
There is an often overlooked rule in history; far more is lost and forgotten than is preserved and remembered. The rule relates to progress. As a species we are on the information highway and know more, but are we wiser?
When I think of wisdom, I am always reminded of this quote from Brian O Driscoll “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”
Our attitude, spirit and tenacity can affect the outcome of any challenge that comes our way. To be proactive, you must also be self-aware to understand who you are and your purpose. Long term thinking and planning allows us to reap the rewards in the future.
We’ve all heard it over and over again about the irreversible damage caused to the planet because of our habits of over consumption. Social media or plain “green” activism is great to create a sense of awareness. It is a nice feeling to like or share a post on planet friendly causes. But this will not change anything. Our daily habits affect every part of our life. Taking time to practise habits that care for the planet, remind me of self-care too.
My son and I don’t know what to have for breakfast as we are not part of the Kelloggs club! I am often looking for interesting ways to have something to eat or drink about 9 or 9.30 after my yoga or walk. This is a very filling choice and can be had anytime of the day!