Alice Bianchi – Beijing Kids

Puff… and Puffed Quinoa it will be!

Nimo_Wanjau — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 04:00:00 +0000

When I was a kid I loved to watch TV with my mum, in the evening, gossiping about my schoolmates and eating some salty (very salty) puff-corn, while she got the sweet ones. At that time I had have never thought that it was possible to pop other things that pop-corn. After all, have you ever heard another word starting with "puff-" other that "puff-corn"??

Well, after few years, I can say YES. I have discovered so many different things to pop, and I am always learning (with a lot of burning here and there, of course). Yesterday one of my clients asked about quinoa. And I am asking it to you now: is it possible to puff quinoa? Of course it is! And here are 5 easy steps to do it!

Step 1
Take a strainer and pour the quinoa into it. Once done, rinse it properly under cold running water. Before eating, it is important to rinse off the saponin, because it is a bitter substance present in quinoa. This bitterness can have beneficial effects in terms of cultivation, as it is a crop that is relatively untouched by birds and thus requires minimal protection. But it also represents the major anti-nutritional factor found in the grain. Fortunately, most of these saponins are concentrated in the outer layers of the grain (seed coat, and a cuticle-like layer) which facilitates their removal industrially by washing the grains with water.

Step 2
Get a baking sheet and spread the rinsed quinoa on it. Once done, you can take an oven to dry it as low as possible by keeping the door propped open. Make sure that you stir the grain regularly so that it dries up thoroughly.

Step 3
Take A high quality-bottomed pot and heat it over a burner emitting moderate heat.One done, take 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and swirl it in such a manner that it completely covers the bottom. To create a single layer across the bottom, pour sufficient quantity of quinoa on it.

Step 4
Get the lid and cover it tightly. Once done, shake the pot constantly as the quinoa starts popping.

Step 5
Take a waiting bowl and pour the puffed quinoa into it just after the popping sound slows.

And.. PUFF: PUFFED QUINOA IT WILL BE! You can then eat the puffed quinoa or treat it as an ingredient in baking and cookies. How did your come out? Let me know!

Share it with your friends.

This post first appeared on April 2, 2014 on the Well Being Nourish site.

About the Author
Alice Bianchi is a certified health coach based in Beijing. She has a passion for working with individuals and families to improve their health and lifestyle. Alice strives to create a supportive environment to motivate her clients to achieve their current and future health goals. She received her training at Institute for Integrative Nutrition-New York (IIN) and is a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). She has obtained Continuing Education from Venice University, Beijing Capital Normal University, Taipei University, Peking University and has been living in China for the past seven years. Alice is also actively involved in the Slow Food Beijing planning activities (www.slowfood-beijing.org). For more information, visit her blog at www.wellbeingnourish.com.

Photo courtesy of Well Being Nourish & Luis Tamayo (Flickr)

Well Being Nourish: Christmas and Vegetarians? They can Get Along Pretty Well

Admin — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 07:00:00 +0000

In Italy we have the saying "Christmas with yours, Easter with whom you like most," (Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi). I have been in the capital for two years and this second one passed really fast for me. Without realizing it, we are already well on the way towards December 25th, but this time I won’t be able to spend it with my family back in Italy.

They all know what I love and spend hours telling me about their preparations, how the family menu will look, and how many desserts there will be on the table, as I am on the opposite side of the screen, watching my mum in the kitchen as she excitedly shows me the already-bought ingredients. How do I feel?? Saliva flows out of my mouth and I suddenly feel sad.

How can I spend a Christmas lunch without my mum’s delicious vegetarian menu?

This one is is going to be spent here, with friends, and that is a good thing. The bad news is that I am the only vegetarian, and I won’t have my mum cooking for me. So I needed to prepare myself accordingly. I need talk to my friends about this as well, but what I will say? Well, here are some options:

Option 1 – I host the Christmas lunch. This is easy; I can decide the menu and make it veggie-friendly, but I am not sure how much happy my friends would be.

Option 2 – Go to someone else’s place and they decide the menu. In this case it will be very important to:

Communicate well in advance. Not everyone knows what to cook for vegetarians so I will need to speak to the host in advance.
Joke about vegetarianism. Yes, the veggie jokes may still come up over lunch so making a bit of fun of myself will be my tactic. After all, they’re the ones eating the same boring and predictable food as last year!
Thank my host if they have put in the effort and prepare a lovely veggie option for me. I hope this will encourage them to eat more vegetarian food as well.
Show my veggie status. I will be happy to contribute to the day with an amazing meat-free dish, to help everyone appreciate the food and (hopefully) realize that being vegetarian isn’t all about salad!

Option 3 – Hope one of my non-vegetarian friends reads this blog post. This way they have host me at their place and rack their brains about what to cook for me. Here some tips for you my friend:

Let’s have a chat in advance. I don’t have any food allergies or ingredients I simply don’t like (apart from meat) but remember to check it with your other guests!
Read the labels. Supermarkets and food companies are now very good at labeling foods that are vegetarian, so it won’t be so difficult to find something out there for me.
Make plenty. Food that is suitable for vegetarians isn’t just for vegetarians and the meat-eaters will definitely want a taste as well. So remember: the more you cook, the happier us guests will be!
Keep the roast potatoes and other veggies separate from the meat. Please remember to cook the potatoes in a vegetable oil and keep them away from meat, otherwise I can’t eat them.

And what’s one of the best things about Christmas for a Vegetarian? At least we no dot have problem with cakes!

So… who is going to bring the panettone this year??

This post first appeared on December 13 on the Well Being Nourish site.

Photo courtesy of Well Being Nourish

Well Being Nourish: Eat Your Fruits!

Nimo_Wanjau — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Well Being Nourish Founder and certified Health Coach Alice Bianchi provides advice on getting enough fruit during the October break.

Beijing is already experiencing the seasonal changes to autumn with fresh breeze and windy evenings, our body needs to adjust itself to the new weather and we would like to give you some tips on how to do this.

Autumn is the season of “mists and mellow fruitfulness” and it certainly is a great time for fruit, and vegetables too. Lots of delicious varieties are in season, such as blackberries, plums, apples, pears and pumpkins, just to name a few.

Apples are a source of loads of nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, vitamin C and dietary fiber. They are great to eat raw, baked with sultanas, or in warming puddings such as crumbles, tarts and strudels. When made into a sauce or chutney, apple is a perfect partner for grilled meats, especially pork.

Pears are another delicious autumn fruit. Pears contain minerals such as zinc, plus vitamins C and E, and some B vitamins. They make a great snack on their own, or with some cheese.

Blackberries are delicious on their own, added to apple crumble or made into compote to serve with yoghurt. Plums are lovely as they come, or try them sliced with brandy and brown sugar.

But what really hits this time of the year is the brilliant FIG! Although dried figs are available throughout the year, there is nothing like the unique taste and texture of fresh figs. They are lusciously sweet with a texture that combines the chewiness of their flesh, the smoothness of their skin, and the crunchiness of their seeds. Figs are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. Since many people not only do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, but do consume high amounts of sodium as salt is frequently added to processed foods, they may be deficient in potassium. Low intake of potassium-rich foods, especially when coupled with a high intake of sodium, can lead to hypertension. Figs are a good source of dietary fiber: fiber and fiber-rich foods may have a positive effect on weight management.

When I mention figs, how can I not mention my lovely new creation, the Raw Fig Goji Squares? If you want the recipe, have a look at this!

This post first appeared on September 27 on the Well Being Nourish site.

Photo courtesy of Well Being Nourish

About the Author

Alice Bianchi is a certified health coach based in Beijing. She has a passion for working with individuals and families to improve their health and lifestyle. Alice strives to create a supportive environment to motivate her clients to achieve their current and future health goals. She received her training at Institute for Integrative Nutrition-New York (IIN) and is a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). She has obtained Continuing Education from Venice University, Beijing Capital Normal University, Taipei University, Peking University and has been living in China for the past seven years. Alice is also actively involved in the Slow Food Beijing planning activities (www.slowfood-beijing.org). For more information, visit her blog at www.wellbeingnourish.com.