Brown rice with roasted sesame, a power food

I often eat a bowl for breakfast. It gives me a lot of energy, and I don't crave anything sweet for the whole day!

Makes 4 servings


Rice:
2 cups brown rice
4 cups water


Salted sesame:
4 handfuls raw sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. I use a rice cooker to cook the rice. It takes about 1/2 hour to cook, but let it sit for 1/2 hour more.
2. Rinse the sesame seeds using a strainer, drain well. Set the toaster oven to dark brown, spread sesame seeds on the pan, toast until brown and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a lid to cool.
3. Grind the seeds using a coffee grinder.
4. Mix well with salt.
5. For every bowl of rice top with 1 to 2 teaspoons of salted sesame seeds. Chew really well for rice allowing rice to turn into liquid before swallowing. The combination of brown rice and sesame seeds is believed to cure a lot of diseases.

Cutting a cantaloupe

I buy it 2 days ahead of time and let it sit on the kitchen counter to let it ripen. Pick one that has a yellow skin and a lot of fragrance.

Cut the cantaloupe in half.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

Place the cut side down to the cutting board.
Cut into 8 sections.

Peel the skin for each section.

Put 4 sections together and slice.

Save the rind and seeds to make broth, it makes a very flavorful soup.

Cutting a pineapple

Pick a pineapple that has a yellow skin and firm to the touch. Buy it 2 days ahead of time, place it on the kitchen counter top to let it ripen. Use a big bowl to save the skin and core, it makes a very flavorful broth.

Cut it in half.
Cut each half in 8 sections, leave the bottom in tact.

Cut the bottom.
Core, and peel each section.

Place 4 sections together and slice.

Fruit salad, don't under estimate its natural sweetness

Making fruit salad is my specialty, everyone keeps requesting it for every occasion. To make the best fruit salad, it has to start with selecting the best fruits. You need a sharp knife, to handle the fruits very gently and after all a lot patience. It takes about 2 hours to put together a beautiful, delicious fruit salad like this.

Makes 20 servings

• 1 pineapple, pick one with a yellow skin but not soft to the touch, I bought it 2 days ahead of time to let it ripen on the kitchen counter top.
• 1 honey dew or melon from Brazil, pick one that is firm, with a lot of fragrance, buy it 2 days ahead of time and let it ripen on the kitchen counter top.
• 1 cantaloupe, find one with a yellow skin, a lot fragrance, buy it 2 days ahead of time and let it ripen on the kitchen counter top.
• 1 small water melon or you can buy 1 quarter of a big one.
• 2 Asian pears.
• 5 clementines.
• 1 pound red grapes, make sure they are firm to the touch. Red grapes are healthier than green ones.
• 1 pound cherries, choose the deep dark ones, firm to the touch.
• 1 pound strawberries.

Steps:

I wash everything 3 times and put them in the colander, strainer, basket to let them dry.
Slice the pineapple, set aside.
Slice half of the cantaloupe, set aside.
Slice half of the honey dew, set aside.
Slice half of the water melon, set aside.
Cube the Asian pears, set aside.
Peel and section the clementines, set aside.

In a big bowl, gently fill a little bit of different pieces of fruits up to about 7/8 of the bowl.


Stem and cut the strawberries in half, arrange them to side of the bowl.

Use the melon baller to make honey dew balls and arrange them next to the strawberries.

Make the cantaloupe balls and arrange them next to the honey dew.
Make the water melon balls and arrange them next to the cantaloupe.
Fill the middle with cherries.
Here you have it, a very healthy, attractive and wonderful fruit salad.

Toasted portabella mushrooms (edited)

This is a very quick and easy way to cook your mushrooms. I have made them so many times, they can be served with rice, bread, salad...

Makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 portabella mushrooms, washed and dried.
  

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or equivalent sweetener
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano (or five-spice powder)
• 1/2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

Steps:

1. Mix the sauce together. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.

2. Apply the sauce to the mushrooms. Brush sauce on the top and bottom of each mushroom.

3. Set the toaster oven to dark toast.

4. Lay the mushrooms on a baking pan, stem side up.

5. Toast 4 times.


Can be served with broken rice, pickled carrots, tomato, cucumber and lettuce.


Or as mushroom burger
Or as mushroom sandwich (banh mi chay)