a very yummy vegetarian chili

In the very stressful times of food safety scares in China (especially with many types of meats), I've tried extra hard to steer away from consuming them. To convince my boyfriend to follow my path on the other hand- has been a little more difficult. If you are like me in that you want to explore options of eating vegetarian without just eating salad after salad everyday (and to get those around you to join) here is a good recipe to try!

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup of kidney beans, dried (canned if you must)
• 3 tomatos
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 red onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 cup of barley
• 2 carrots
• a few large stalks of celery
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with its juice
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of curry powder
• 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 1 heaping tsp of chili pepper
• a few splashes of worcestershire sauce
• olive oil
• 2 ears of fresh corn
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cans of vegetable stock

Directions:

Soak kidney beans and barley for 30 minutes. Drain. Put in the rice cooker for about an hour, respectively.

Barley is shown above. Do the same with the kidney beans in another bowl.

No pressure cooker? No problem!

Dice all the vegetables, and use knife to shave corn kernels off the cob. 

Sauté garlic, onions, and peppers on a pan with olive oil in medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Pour the rest of the ingredients (the spices, sauces, veggies, beans, etc.) into a large pot, and combine the sautéd vegetables. Simmer for 2 hours and you should have a concoction that looks like this!

Wait 'til Albert finds out how many veggies were used to make this super delicious dish!

Garnish with chopped cilantro, a dollop of fat-free greek yogurt (in place of sour cream) and shredded cheese if you desire!

Though there wasn't cornbread to accompany this dish - we were still very satisfied. Feel free to substitute with whole wheat toast as I did for health's sake. And there you go.

pita pizza

Easy, pretty healthy, affordable and delicious. 

Whole wheat pitas can be found at Cityshop, my Shanghai friends. Instead of your conventional Middle Eastern way of eating them (by stuffing them), I find that they make a fine pizza crust. 

Try slicing them if you'd prefer a thin-crust pizza.

Preheat your oven to medium-high heat, and get the works ready. 

You can put whatever you'd like on it - I'm a huge fan of fresh basil...

Tomatos, garlic...

and of course, cheese!

Spread olive oil evenly on pita - follow with tomato sauce and garlic. Sprinkle with a little bit of Italian seasoning and garlic powder if desired.

 Boyfriend likes the meat so I put a few slabs of prosciutto on it

Bake until all the cheese melts and the veggies are soft  - and voila!

mint and radish salad

Grab two handfuls of mint and radish, and whatever seasonal green is at your local market. Wash and toss, and mix with washed mint leaves and sliced radish (heads and tails removed.) Drizzle olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a dash of Italian herbs, sugar and salt/pepper. Mix in juice of one lime and toss in a large bowl.

I've added edamame, arugula and sriracha peas to my version. I didn't get a chance to grab a red onion or cilantro but both would certainly add to the flavor and texture. Feel free to get creative - this is an easy yet unique salad that allows lots of improvisation!

hidden gems

Shanghai is definitely a city filled with fascinating and talented individuals. This weekend I was able to attend Mozaik's event - where Linda and Rinnie showcased their line of gorgeous bags and leather goods, and my friend Sally premiered Lil Ark, her accessories line. 

Everything is boutique and handmade - and both lines are absolutely charming! A sneak peek below:

I brought home these!

My new friend, Mocha, who I wish I could also bring home.

For more information on Mozaik, visit their website here. Lil Ark's website coming soon!

spotlight: strawberries and taiwanese jujubes

A big fan of nature's bounty, I usually keep my eyes peeled for seasonal fruits and veggies. I grew up affiliating strawberries as an early summer treat in the states, but I've realized the last few years living in Shanghai they are in season here by early spring. I've since stocked up on them - a big bag every other day- in efforts to not only taking advantage of the high season, but to also promote a healthier lifestyle. 

Did you know the following about strawberries?

• They aid in weight management
• Boost fiber
• Regulate blood pressure
• Reduce inflammation
• Fight bad cholesterol
• Help keep wrinkles at bay
• Help fight cancer
• Promote eye health
• Boost immunity with vitamin C

I've recently also come across a whole lot of this peculiar green fruit being carried by many of my neighborhood fruit vendors. Prior to moving to Shanghai two years ago, I never tried these before. Known as "台灣密棗", aka Taiwan Jujube, they have a juicy and crisp texture, and remind me of biting into an apple crossed with an Asian pear. The Chinese have a huge demand for dates and jujubes in general, and while these are usually the ones that are already dried and used in popular Chinese desserts, both the fresh and dried have a wide range of health benefits. Apparently the jujube has been used in Chinese medicine for 4,000 years, and this fruit helps with everything from keeping your skin youthful to cardiovascular health. The Taiwan Jujube variety can be found at a Shanghai fruit vendor near you within the next month or so - usually 20-30 RMB for a dozen.

The jujube has the following health benefits:

• It contains potassium, phosphorus, manganese and calcium as major minerals, as well as high amounts of sodium, zinc, iron and copper
• It also has a good amount of vitamin C (20 times the amount as citrus fruits), riboflavin and thiamine
• The vitamin and mineral content of the fruit helps to soothe the stomach, ease sore throats, suppress the appetite, support cardiovascular health, enhance and cleanse the blood vessels

Yummy and healthy, indeed! Definitely fill up on strawberries and jujubes while they are in high season!

spring on yongkang lu

It seems as though spring arrived overnight to Shanghai. This past weekend we enjoyed weather up to 70-80 degrees though just a week earlier it was 20-30 degrees. What better to do than to soak up the warmth with friends during the weekend and enjoying a cold beer or a good glass of hard lemonade at Handle Bar, Yongkang Lu? This comfortable little space is sandwiched between all the fun and cheer on the Yongkang strip, and bike enthusiast or not, you can count on good beer on draft and friendly service. 

Handle Bar

50 Yongkang Lu, near Jiashan Lu

永康路50号, 近嘉善路

breakfast, lunch, dinner... and everything in between

Savory Crepe with spinach, cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes

Breakfast might be my favorite meal of the day. So why limit having breakfast dishes (both savory and sweet) to the early hours of the morning? Though these may not be the healthiest of choices, they are some of my favorite breakfast or "early snack" dishes of the east and the west - available throughout most hours of the day - and can be found in Shanghai.

Sweet Crepe with bananas, Baileys, vanilla ice cream, powdered sugar

Chicken Sandwich with homemade chips and pickle

French toast with Challah and fresh berries

Soup dumplings with chicken and foie gras

yum!

This past Sunday was also the Lantern Festival, aka 元宵節. After a lovely walk around Xintiandi in the afternoon to enjoy the lovely weather, I made sure I got my 湯圓 fix in the evening. 

Crepes are from Crepes and Co.
French toast and chicken sandwich are from Bloc
Soup dumplings are from Din Tai Fung
Tang yuan from my local Taiwanese grocery store