Red Rapture

I’ve been trying to stick to a healthier, more fulfilling diet  so everyday I pack some greens and bring them to the office for lunch. But all the work has to be done the night before. Thought i’d just snap a few pictures tonight to document the process.

First I wash and chop up half a carrot and half a Japanese cucumber

Throw in some cherry tomatoes and diced celery

I love edamame but it’s too expensive to buy them straight from Japanese restaurants. The next best alternative is to get salted ones in the frozen section of NTUC (or Fairprice Finest for some people). They’re sold at only $2.90 a pack. To preserve the shelf life, I only thaw a handful at a time when I want to eat them.

Then they have to be shelled… but the colour is so vibrant and lovely!

The other Japanese vege I love is wakame and it’s incredibly easy to prepare. Soak a few dried leaves in some hot water and they’ll reconstitute in two minutes. I love the sea-salty flavour and it’s got wonderful health benefits — great for lowering triglycerides.

Mint is great, nature’s own spearmint.

Tonight I added something new. Chestnuts! Or rather, just one. I thought it would add something really crunchy to the whole mix.  But after I sliced it up I realise it was much wetter than I expected, so I’m hoping it won’t be all soggy tomorrow.

I raided the fridge and found this stuck in a corner, a gift from the sister’s boyfriend in Paris. It’s really yummy so I scooped out a dollop and plonked it down with the cherry tomatoes.

No salad is complete without the leaves. These will be lightly rinsed and shredded tomorrow just before I toss everything together.

Salad dressing is really easy too. Sometimes I add some Japanese sesame and soy sauce, or if I want something sweeter,  a spoonful of apricot jam (the diabetics’ version for reduced sugar). If I can be bothered, a little lemon juice mixed with some honey or maple syrup works too. But usually the vegetables have enough flavour on their own to go without any dressing.

I love my lunches. Increasingly I’m finding it hard to stomach cooked food sold at the usual cheap places. I get incredibly thirsty from all the MSG and I just feel really bloated after, as if I can literally feel all the lard and oil clogging my arteries.

I’ve started saving some recipes on Epicurous on my iphone so I can modify them from time to time.  This week I’m also looking to try a Thai version with lemongrass, and perhaps something provencal with flaked tuna and apples.