Last weekend we did an amazing course with Lina Loo at the Singapore Branch of Light Love Laughter Academy. It was called Ultimate Living Chef and it covered recipes and lifestyle tips for aspiring raw food practitioners. Although we are not vegan, at least not yet, we greatly enjoyed this course and benefited already by seeing an amazing impact living foods have on your body!
Throughout the 3-day intensive program Lina taught us many delicious recipes; she showed us how to make delicious green smoothies, make your own milk and cheese from nuts, raw food breads and how to sprout! We also had a session where we made our own raw cocoa chocolate nuggets, brownies and vegan desserts! Yum!!!
As a part of the program we also had few transformational yoga sessions with Jolyn and Linda, it had an enormous impact on the quality of our brething, flexibility and focus.
Linda holds many interesting workshops and teaches about vegan lifestyle including great tips of where to shop for the best quality organic products and fresh fruit and vegetables. Check out her blog and read articles on food and courses offerings: http://rawfoodlifestyles.com/
If you would like to learn more about this, please contact me! I am more than happy to share more details about Linda’s teachings! You should come and try her delicious recipes yourselves!!!
Few weeks back we made a trip to one of the Singapore get-away islands in the north east of Singapore called Pulau Ubin. This small island is nothing like Singapore, there are no traces of modernization, no skyscrapers, no shopping malls, no restaurants… In fact, it is like Singapore good few decades back when it was a ‘kampung’ – a village! It is a great spot for Singaporeans when they want to a break from modern lifestyle…
Our trip started in Changi Harbor Terminal, where we bought tickets for the bumboat. We had to wait until the boat was full and the cigarette smoking ‘captain’ decided, we could take off! The emergency vests on the boat were all covered in mould so we really doubted the safety of the boat, aiyoh…
Pulau Ubin welcomes its visitors in a small harbor, so called jetty, with few shops where you can rent bikes, small ‘restaurants’ looking more like hawker centers serving famous seafood. We decided to try it out and had a steamed fish and a coconut drink! I must say they were both delicious, and from what we saw on other tables, food looked fresh and quite tasty! We rented a bike, got a map of the island and off we disappeared in the jungle!
The roads around Pulau Ubin are rather rustic but it was quite nice break from the stylish and concrete Singapore! The island is small, but we wanted to explore every corner of it! We pedaled through the whole island, under the coconut trees, near old rubber tree plantations and old kampong houses, there was even a Buddist temple there! Pulau Ubin has a great biking trail system, with different difficulty levels from blue to black, so every biker can enjoy a day out cycling here. There are many break-out stations with locals selling fresh coconuts, cold drinks and other refreshments.
One of the surprises we had was weather changing in seconds! We visited an observation tower, had a break walking around the jungle and on the coastal boardwalk in the east part of the island and we took a turn to the central Pulau Ubin. It started raining, but as the rain did not bother us initially we decided to continue along the road. Little did we know about rain in Pulau Ubin… Within few seconds it was lashing rain, really lashing! It took us about a minute to get to the next shelter, and… we were completely soaked!
One of the highlights of the trip was amazing nature experience! We saw few interesting birds’ species, fish types, monkeys, even the komodo dragon! We took a wrong turn that turned out to be a dead end with a Buddhist temple, and on the way back to the main road a komodo dragon crossed out way! I wanted to stop and take a picture, but Herve was the sensible one and reminded me that after all these lizards can be dangerous and very fast… Few years back there were stories of komodos attacking people in Indonesia… we took off as quickly as our leg muscles allowed us…
After returning the bikes we went to the Secret Garden where they grow various types of fruit, flowers, herbs and vegetables. It was the first time I saw fields of aloe vera, lady fingers, or curry trees! It is well hidden in the other side of Jetty, Herve discovered this place when he was in the island some time ago, a magical and secluded place…
When we finished visiting the Secret Garden the dark clouds were back, so we rushed to the bumboat. Luckily there was one just leaving, so when we just got on board, a huge thunderstorm began! Pulau Ubin was an interesting and relaxing island, perfect for a day break from Singapore, especially for nature and cycling enthusiasts, but with that thunderstorm, we were happy we were on our way home…
One of the great benefits of travelling to new places is discovering new foods and cuisine. Singapore is a never-ending-story when it comes to food, as on almost every corner of this mysterious country you can find foods you would not know of or have never tried before! I mean all types of food, meats, seafood, various types of rice and noodles, dumplings, sweat and sour, boiled, fried, steamed, you name it… Last week I went to discover the exotic fruit Singapore has to offer with a group of girlfriends, what an excursion it was!
Fruit markets are very popular in Singapore, not only among tourists, but actually you can spot a lot of locals going there and enjoying the great variety of fruit on a regular basis. The fruit markets have tables and fresh water, they serve fruit and drinks so they are like small outdoor ‘fruit bars’! We saw many of them in the Gaylang area and they were all quite busy. The must-have in every fruit stand is DURIAN, a very special fruit I came across with already, and let me say: yak!, a fruit of special importance to South East Asian, they call it a ‘king of fruits’ here. Its distinctive odor is unforgettable, locals consider it fragrant, but I think it’s very overpowering and somehow offensive as it is very difficult to get rid off once you are around it for too long! Let me also remind you durians are forbidden in all kinds of transport, you can pay a fine is you are caught with it in the train or other public places! Well, those who are durian-lovers please forgive my resistance to ever falling in love with this part of Asian culture, I found other exotic fruit I came to enjoy and unfortunately, they are not durians…
So we chose one of the biggest food markets in Geylang; we ordered coconut drinks and a few types of fruit to sample, we sat down and started the exotic fruit tasting feast! We tried dragon fruit, mangos, rambutans, longans and mangosteens! These were amazing, juicy, sweet, fresh, rich in antioxidants and most importantly, so delicious!
Dragon fruit, also known as Pitaya fruit, is one of the cactus species with creamy sweet pulp inside. It is very nutritious and has very intensive color, beware as it might stain your clothes! You can find dragon fruit with red/purple or white pulp. Yummy!
Rambutans are vivid red fruit covered with hairy spikes that taste a little bit like lychees. To me they looked like ‘hairy fruit! They have white juicy flesh inside which is very sweet yet refreshing. Very original flavor I must admit!
Longans, also known as ‘dragon eyes’ because their shape and size, are small, hard, round, their shells are brown and thin. They are quite fun to open, as they are very juicy and the shells are firm, so it is not easy to get to get to the fruit especially to the first-timers. The fruit flesh inside is also white and sweet…
Mangosteens we tried are purple and have thick shells (there are also yellow ones, but we didn’t try them at the time). When you peel them you find white juicy flesh inside. It’s sweet and very refreshing! It’s called the "Queen of Tropical Fruits", it is one of the most popular tropical fruits in South East Asia and, contrary to what the name might suggest, they are not related to mangoes at all. They do not taste like mangoes… Mangosteens were my favorite fruit of the evening! Definitely, you need to try when you visit Singapore or any other neighboring country!
After all those delicious fruit we were all full and high on sugar. I cannot wait for another discovery trip like that! So girls, what are we discovering next, lah? We did Singapore Sling, Japanese chocolates, vegan food, exotic fruit, what about the famous Singapore chili crab and seafood, can?
One of my favorite dishes is lemon grilled salmon with rice and veggie salad! This is also one of the easiest meals to cook, as you need to boil rice, cut vegetables for the salad and put salmon in the oven for about 20 minutes! That’s so easy and quick…
Grilled Lemon Salmon
I usually place a slice of salmon in aluminum paper, sprinkle lemon and lime juice over it, add some herbs and spices, let it marinate a little and bake in the oven for 20 minutes in 250°. It has always worked for me and it tastes fantastic! I like adding garlic sprinkle and Italian herbs on top, as these bring a nice flavor to the fish. If you have green onion you can add it also, it adds a nice aroma to salmon... When you take it out of the oven in the aluminum and put the salmon slices directly on the plate, pour the lemon sauce over it. But I serve it in the ‘aluminum boats’ because the salmon does not get dry as it stays in the lemon dressing throughout the whole meal!
Our recent change in diet made us experiment with food. At the beginning we were a little lost as we couldn’t reprogram our minds to think: these lovely vegetables are your whole meal! Enjoy! Actually, the typical meal has always been: meat + potatoes/rice/pasta + side salad. This is purely psychological… So now we buy products we never even used before but also, use the usual ingredients in a most unusual way. Here’s one!
Skinny Veg Pizza
I used the wraps/flatbread as a pizza base and topped it with tomato sauce, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, carrots (Herve’s invention!), parmesan and herbs. You can add any other veg on the top, depending on your personal taste buds or what you have in your fridge! Too easy? Well, definitely easy, delicious and healthy! And quick, as the prep time was about 10 minutes and cooking, between 8-10!
Tomato sauce: tomato paste, pesto sauce, oregano, Italian herbs, oil of olive.
Cooking tip: as the wrap/flatbread is quite soft, you may place it on the aluminum paper instead of the oven grill directly.
It is amazing how popular culture and media can formulate our views and habits. No news, that’s common knowledge, right? Well, it is easier to go with the crowd, we eat and drink what we want, we buy and wear what’s trendy, we do what’s common and expected of us in our cultures… We have free will to make life choices that can change our future. Do we really?
Recently we changed our eating habits with Herve and eliminated meat from our diet. What the hell? You have been eating it all your life? Well, a little bit of information and observation (have to give credit to Fred for this), and you realize, wow, we are ones of those people following the mass and eating according to the media standards: fast food, meat, ham, burgers, chicken nuggets and wings, milk and yoghurts, eggs… Here’s a thing, that’s just great marketing that works pretty well, but there is little truth about what we really consume while eating those. Good quality meat is expensive so it must be a luxury; we all want to have it, why wouldn’t I eat a lovely steak with my friends? They say milk is healthy and high on calcium, prevents osteoporosis, really? Again, that’s just good PR…
Before the 20th century people cultivated land, lived more active lifestyles and ate plant based foods, there were no cancers, diabetes, heart and cholesterol diseases, metabolism-related illnesses, obesity, etc. Today, we are at a high risk of suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess weight, and many others death causing heath problems. Why? Unhealthy shift of lifestyle choices: consuming animal based foods, often in excess, smoking, alcohol, high amount of calories intake vs. very low physical activity, increased use of mechanized transportation and a greater labor-saving technology at home, less physically demanding work, taking up less active recreational pursuits such as TV or computer games, living fast-paced lives that force us to rush forward without thinking of our health and lifestyle. Shall I continue? No need I think…
According to a 2006 report by the Livestock, Environment And Development Initiative, the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation worldwide, and modern practices of raising animals for food contributes on a "massive scale" to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Factory farming requires large areas of land and large quantities of feed, what leads to forest cutting and increased rate of species extinction. What is more, producing a certain quantity of food in meat requires much more water than producing the same amount of food in grain; it roughly takes 60, 108, 168, and 229 pounds of water to produce a pound of potatoes, wheat, corn and rice respectively; a pound of beef however, requires 12,000 gallons of water! Factory farming is also known for its cruel treatment of the animals… (more details: Wikipedia)
Using your link Ivano :)
So going green starts here, in our house, in our kitchen, with our family and friends. Do not let popular culture and society habits take control over your lifestyle choices, this is your life, your body and your future. If eliminating meats can have such enormous benefits to my health and the environment, we choose to go green!
We are a Polish/French couple living in Singapore... Discovering new fascinating yet totally foreign culture; learning new things, visiting interesting places and getting to know the Singaporean lifestyle...
