Healthy, Fun Eats: Homemade Handrolls Recipe

Lil Miss A-chan proudly holding up her Temaki (Japanese for Handroll), filled with very healthy sliced cucumbers, carrots and pan-fried Tilapia fillet.

I love food, and eating healthy to keep fit. I grew up in an Asian family in Honolulu, so we ate tons of fish and rice growing up. The daily challenge of feeding my daughter healthy food everyday is one I know is a universal one, particularly for those on a budget like me ;-). Today I'd like to share one of my $10 dinner recipes that's healthful, kid-approved, and pretty yummy. It's one I grew up with back in Oahu, but very easy to apply anywhere you are in the world.

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS:

You'll need

1) ROASTED SEAWEED for wrapping, which is available at most supermarkets in the Asian food section, Costco, or you can find it online. Seaweed should be cut into 4" by 2-3" rectangles. Scissors are the best tool for this.

The Beauty Benefits of eating seaweed are outstanding: it's a great source of zinc and antioxidants helping to strengthen the immune system. It is considered to have anti-aging properties; its rich iodine content helps maintain healthy thyroid function and can assist with weight loss (thumbs up!); it helps boost energy levels due to its vitamin B and iron content; AND seaweed's bounty of vitamins, minerals and amino acids makes it an amazing food for improving the health, as well as the strength of hair, skin and nails. I mean, WOW, right?

Roasted Seaweed: Delicous on its own, and the essential wrapper for Handrolls

2) TILAPIA or any thin white fish fillet. Beauty Benefits of Tilapia: Tilapia has B12 (which gives skin its healthy coloring), selenium (an antioxidant) and phosphorous (helps with cell repair) and I bought 2 pounds of it for $5, which is a good deal, in my opinion.

BUDGET TIP: I optionally chose to beef up my tilapia portions by battering them in a Korean pre-prepared batter called "Jun" and/or Korean Pancake Mix. It is essentially a lightly seasoned egg and flour base that you can easily mix with just water to coat meat or veggies in, then pan-fry them in. It helps to add some bulk to your meat if you need to stretch out your portions, and you want to save some money $. This batter can be purchased at Korean Supermarkets for a couple dollars a bag.

Korean Pancake Mix: "JUN" - use to easily add bulk to your meats and veggies.

3) STEAMED WHITE RICE. I like Nishiki brand; and I would suggest cooking at least 2 cups of it for a family of 3-4.

4) Sliced raw, pickled or steamed VEGGIES of your choosing to put inside the handrolls, e.g. cucumbers, carrots, avocado.

5) SOYSAUCE and wasabi and/or any other sauce or garnish to taste.

DIRECTIONS:

1) After slicing the veggies in long, thin strips so they will be easy to roll up in the hand-rolled sushi. You can also slice Japanese style pickles (easily purchsed at any Asian style supermarket).

2) Put your rice  to cook and start on the tilapia.

3) I like tilapia because it's easy to cook and easy for kids to eat -- soft, not so fishy and delicious. And of course, budget friendly. The battering, just involves lightly coating the filets in the "jun" mix and then putting them aside.

The battering, just involves lightly coating the filets in the "jun" mix and then putting them aside.

4) Put a touch of olive oil on a large non-stick skillet on med-high heat. The fish should pan-fry for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. The meat should fork easily when done.

After that the fish was just pan-fried for about 5 minutes on each side on med-high heat with a touch of olive oil on a non-stick pan until golden brown.

6) After cooling the filets off after removing them from the pan, set all the handroll/temaki ingredients, family style on the dining table, with an abundance of seaweed for lots of fun wrapping. Each family member can get a plate and serve what they want to put in their roll.

And let the wrapping feast begin!

A handroll - so delicous, healthful and fun to make.

Enjoy and let me know how your temaki festival goes!

--N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

#ALOHANUYBEAUTY Post 4: Eat Fresh Fish for Beautiful Skin

Fresh caught Marlin from Oahu, grilled and offered to my family with Aloha. Thank you to @_jordo and friends
for their generosity.

#ALOHANUYBEAUTY Post 4: Eat Fresh Fish for Beautiful Skin

To be invited for freshly caught fish on a charcoal barbecue, beachside is pretty normal occurrence in Hawaii. It's something I took for granted growing up -- having Korean seasoned meat & seafood and picnics along the sunset almost weekly as I was raised tropically. Now I know what a treasure it is being in NYC. Fresh fish is an abundance all around Hawaii -- ahi (tuna), marlin, are caught every day by local fisherman and it's possible to eat it all day long and have it taste of the ocean and not the freezer if you want.

Fish is packed with omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) like omega-3 and omega-6, which reduce inflammation in the body -- and so help you fight acne (which is essentially a type of inflammation) and can help with various health problems like rheumatoid arthritis, depression, prenatal health, and dementia, amonth others.

Try eating fish several times a week to promote good health and beautiful skin.

-- N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

Waterproof Hair Sun Protection & Skin-Healthy Treats: Chatting w/ blogger Catherine Toth in Honolulu

Creator of TheCatDish.com, Catherine Toth and I dish about Hawaiian Beauty, Style and Food

Who doesn't love hot summer styles and eats? Well embracing my trip home to Honolulu, Hawaii, I joined forces with my friend and blogger, Catherine Toth of TheCatDish.com (I'm a huge fan of all her travels and food journeys!) to bring you a fun piece about local Hawaiian beauty -- a combination of relaxed casual styles, lots of sunning and skin awareness, and yummy hot weather eating.

I hope you enjoy what we can bring to you about local Hawaiian style. It's a beautiful place, with gorgeous style! Let us know what you think!


Hawaiian Eats and Hair Sun Protect Product List:

1) Jewelorjuice.com: One of Catherine's favorite spots for Acai Bowls. You can buy acai jewelery or other beads and accessories there as well! And not to mention, the acai berry has the highest concentrations of antioxidants than any other fruit - so it is excellent for your skin to benefit in anti-aging. Happy Skin-Beautiful Eating!

2) Waterproof natural hair sun protection alternative: sesame oil*: Use Neutrogena Body Oil ($10)

3) Ouidad Sun Shield Sun & Sport Leave-in Conditioner Spray ($20)

4) L'oreal Paris Vive Pro Shampoo/Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair w/ UV Filters ($5)

--N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

The Mommy Break Sandwich, a Recipe

The Mommy Break Sandwich: homemade simple banh-mi sandwich with a side of iced coffee

I adore my daughter, like all parents love their kids. After the struggle of putting her to bed, I'll sometimes find myself watching videos of her dancing or singing. Even though it seems ironic in a sense, that after those final hours of making and feeding her dinner, bathing her, having her hang and swing from me like a pet lemur, that I'd want any more of her (particularly if she throws an anti-toothbrush tantrum) instead of a break! But of course I do, and we all do. That's why we raise them everyday, despite the hard, because they're so irresistible.

But breaks are highly important. And as mothers, we work incredibly hard to support our families -- and our jobs, as caretakers are 24-7. We're designed to be highly attuned to when our little ones need breaks, but sometimes it's easy to forget when we need our own rest. The last couple of months I'd been running around with the usual busy mom plate, juggling a variety of different projects, and it wasn't until today that I realized what a break I needed. Daddy and daughter were gone to Grandma's for the day, and after some chores I made myself a sandwich. For the first time in a while, as I was tasting the crisp and crunchy cucumber while slicing, and feeling refreshed by the aliveness of the cilantro, I finally absorbed the moment I was in.

As I stood in the kitchen eating in quiet, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I then encouraged myself to go sit at the table and enjoy my tranquil and late Sunday lunch.

Nuy's Banh-Mi Sandwich Recipe 1-2-3:

In Honolulu, where I grew up, Vietnamese banh-mi sandwich shops were as accessible as the popular Subway chain. And one that my friends and I would always frequent after school when we were starving was Ba-Le Sandwiches & Bakery. Given that I am obsessed with cucumbers and cilantro, and both are in the banh-mi sandwiches -- well, I say no more! This is my easy version of the banh-mi sandwich:

1) Start with two slices of your favorite white or French bread, toasted. You may choose to spread mayonnaise (I recommend using the Japanese Kewpie version), or leave plain.

2) Add turkey cold cuts and/or sliced cheese (I suggest a mild one like Provolone or Swiss).

3) Also add sliced Hot House or Kirby cucumbers, and cilantro. Enjoy!

-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

Snowy Days, Happy Skin and Warmth

My daughter, some of our dear friends, and I built a snowman after a big snow fall.
I felt that perhaps he needed a little color amidst all the white.

It has been snowy day after snowy day here in New York City. Every week we seem to get a new, crazier blizzard or storm, and the salt stains on my favorite pair of weather-proof boots rise up like the layers you see in a canyon.

BRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Both my daughter's skin and mine have been drier than ever as the heater's have been cranked up to their hottest temperatures to keep us warm. For this I've been moisturizing us, sometimes twice daily, with Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion ($8.00 for 18 oz.), and I've also recently introduced a new humidifier into the home, the Walgreen's Warm Steam Vaporizer ($16). It's got a fantastic price, and is great for those like me who suffer from sinus issues. For soothing those really rough, super dry and itchy patches of skin, I still depend on Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream ($14.00 for 16 oz.), for both of us.

And, to digress slightly, when I can, I've been making the occasional stew to warm up my family's tummies from the inside. The newest dish I introduced into the dinner rotation was a rendition of Chicken Adobo, after being inspired by a New York Times article. And, I've been roasting lots of veggies (loving brussel sprouts). The way the high heat softens and sweetens everything that gets cooked, I barely have to coax my daughter to eat her daily greens!

After all, happy skin isn't just about adequate hydration. It's about healthy, wholesome eating too.

-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.