knee injuries and spring cleaning

It's been about two weeks since I've legitimately exercised, and it's been hard trying to eat clean with all the bakery goods and sweets tempting me :(

Two weeks ago my left knee started swelling for some weird reason, and pressure would build up in the joint if I ever walked too much or stood for too long. After two trips to the hospital (most people just go to the hospital for check ups since there aren't many private clinics here), one X-ray session, lots of limping, hours of waiting, and two doctors with very different ideas of what could possibly be wrong with my knee, I'd like to conclude that it's just inflammation ^_^ possibly, maybe, hopefully...

I'm happy to say my knee is a LOT better than before :) except the occasional slight swelling from walking too much. Sad to say I still can't run or do vigorous cardio for a while...BUT at least it's healing right?! :D

Anyways, I had a pretty hard time keeping my diet clean these two weeks, thanks to all of the mochi, bread, egg tarts, cakes, etc. that suddenly appeared out of nowhere -_- (thanks a lot relatives. haha just kidding). I'm usually good at this self-control thing--or rather, I used to be really good at this self-control thing...

Every morning I start out with this incredible burst of confidence in my self-discipline; but then as the day goes on, I randomly sneak in a few bites of cake here, or a nibble of bread there, and my willpower gradually diminishes down to nothing.

happy valentine's and several unrelated recipe ideas

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone's enjoying their chocolates and roses and dates and dinners with candle lights and whatnot, and I'm guessing a chocolate post would be most appropriate but sadly, this is not a post about chocolate or Valentine's Day.

This is a post about recipe ideas that are very much unrelated to Valentine's Day.

:)

I haven't posted in a while huh? It feels weird, probably because I used to post almost every single day when I first started up this blog...well, times have changed!

So instead of celebrating Valentine's Day I've compiled a few simple and healthy recipes that I tested over these past few weeks.

mini gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with avocado chocolate mousse

I know what you're thinking. Avocado chocolate mousse? Right?! I had my doubts at first too since I've made this mousse before. Sadly it didn't go well topped on the butter-and-sugar chocolate cupcake I'd made. Tried it again and it somehow magically and nicely paired with the gluten-free chocolate cupcakes :) the raspberry too.

The avocado and chocolate pairing is kind of an acquired taste. I was a bit skeptical in revisiting this recipe, but this time I found the subtle avocado flavor rather pleasant and just different. Though the distinctiveness of the cocoa and of the avocado offsets the palate at first taste, the flavors marry and becomes a smooth creaminess that just simply...works. Yay for healthier chocolate fixes :)

green pancakes

I'm slightly confused. And I feel a little bit bad. My thoughts are pretty scattered and I'm not sure which path to take or if I should just venture both at the same time?

I'm talking about food.

For the past few days I've been considering purchasing a few cookbooks to educate and familiarize myself with a certain cuisine. I'm thinking French or Japanese, but probably French, for now. I'm debating between Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table, but I have yet to actually flip through them at a bookstore before making any rash decisions.

I feel like I'm taking a really big risk. I mean, really, French cuisine? It sounds daunting and kind of impossible for where I am now, but I want to be challenged. I want to experience something new, so maybe emerging myself into the depths of a new style and culture--a new level of food and sophistication--may be good for me, maybe...

 

And then there's this other thing on my mind. In the past month I began--I guess you could call it this--a lifestyle change, not just a come-and-go health kick or one of those fad diets. I'm actually paying more attention to what foods I put in my body; I'm discovering healthy alternatives to be used in place of things like butter and sugar and unnatural oils, while all at the same time trying to make the food still just as delicious. I'm not saying healthy can't be delicious, but I have a lot to learn before I really try to come up with anything on my own. 

quinoa nori wrap

So I figure I'd go with a savory recipe today and stock up on ingredients before attempting another baked good. 

Quinoa nori(seaweed) wrap! I actually got the idea from Cassey Ho's Instagram, Blogilates. Cassey is a super energetic and fun Pilates trainer whom I've been following for quite some time now. Her workout videos on Youtube are INTENSE but AMAZING and she was and still is my inspiration to lead a healthier lifestyle =) Thank you Cassey!

On my Trader Joe's run last night I also bought a pack of red quinoa. MAJOR super food packed with proteins and it's healthier than brown rice! I often find quinoa in salad recipes but substituting it for sushi rice worked out pretty well too :) It tastes amazing with creamy avocados that even my older sister, who rarely eats anything healthy, enjoys it (but she added mayonnaise, of course).

I couldn't find my sushi roller so I put it on my silicone baking liner instead. I had planned to use that as a roller but I ended up rolling it with my bare hands anyway.

Assembled!

 

It tasted somewhat like a California Roll, probably because of the avocados. I attempted using scissors to cut my wrap into bite size pieces but the nori became too soggy so it didn't cut well. My quinoa spilled too :( But if you DO want to cut it into sushi roll pieces I suggest you assemble your wrap as quickly as you can and cut it while the nori is still firm. I ate mine like a burrito, but hopefully your pieces turn out better than mine did if you do decide to cut them :)