SALMON WITH VIVALDI POTATO SOUP. HEALTH BENEFITS OF POTATOES. VIVALDI POTATOES FOR SLIMMING

HEALTH BENEFITS OF POTATOES.

VIVALDI POTATOES FOR SLIMMING 

SALMON WITH VIVALDI POTATO SOUP

This is a very easy to prepare, yet highly nutritious and delicious one dish meal, which is very suitable for lunch.

All you need to do is

1 slice fresh salmon- clean and cut into half

1 large onion-minced and sauté in 1 tbsp olive oil until caramalised.

Add in 3 cloves, 1 star anise, 2 cardamom and  half inch cinnamon- just a touch of spices but not too heavy. 

Next, add in 3 cups chicken stock , 3 vivaldi potatoes (or use baby potatoes), salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper.

When potatoes 70% cooked, add salmon. After 10 mins,

Add long beans-cook al dente.

Garnish with minced coriander for enhance flavor. Scallion if you like.

Serve hot 

POTATOES Extract links- here  and  here

Eating  potatoes in the form of greasy fries/ chips or even baked with fats, can be a health hazard. Minus the fat, a baked potato becomes an exceptionally healthy low calorie, high fiber food. Baked, steamed or healthy sautéed but not friedâ"

Health benefits

Our food ranking system qualified potatoes as a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber and antioxidant.

Humans can  survive healthily on a potato diet supplemented only with milk or butter, which contain the two vitamins not found in potatoes (vit A and D)

Culinary uses

Potatoes are prepared in many ways: skin-on/ peeled, hot/ cold. The only requirement involves cooking, in order to swell the starch granules.

A normal size baked potato has about 11.5% of our daily value for fiber, which is mostly in the skin. For cholesterol-lowering, colon cancer preventing and bowel supportive fiber, eat the skin as well as its creamy center.

If you want to watch what you eat, this is it…

Scientists make 'slimming' potato - extract link  here 

vivaldi

vivaldi-large- The Vivaldi received a Gold award in the Fresh Produce category at the National Quality Food Awards. albert-bartlett.co.uk image  

After 9 years of research and breeding, according to scientists, the potato, known as the Vivaldi, has more than a third less carbohydrate than usual. Allied Laboratory Services tests suggested that on average, Vivaldi has 26% less carbohydrate and 33% fewer calories.

The potato was developed by a company, Naturally Best’, in Lincolnshire, England and named after Antonio Vivaldi, the Baroque music composer.

It has a  yellow skin and pale yellow flesh and which are resistant to scab. Also known as the ‘butterless baker’, due to it’s creamy texture and flavor.

Although potatoes are among the Nightshade Vegetables, controversial foods, yet they are far from being the devil’s food.

Potatoes have high concentration of vitamin B6. 100g of baked potato contains 21 per cent of the daily value of vitamin B6, which is benefial for:

1-Building body cells- Vitamin B6 is needed for virtually all cells renewal.

The creation oh Heme  needs B6 (the protein center of our red blood cells) The creation of  phospholipids needs B6 (cells for messages between cells).

2- Brain Cell and Nervous System Activity-  B6 is needed for normal brain function, lack of which can cause sleeping problems and depression. B6 is a stress relief vitamin.

3- Cardiovascular Protection- Many essential chemical events in the body are made by a process called methylation, for example, genes can be switched on and turned off in this way. 

Switching on and off genes is particularly important in cancer prevention
An example is gene p53. It is a tumor suppressor gene, thus it is good for tumor prevention.

High homocysteine levels often increase risk for heart attack/ stroke and damage blood vessel walls. Vitamin B6 can help keep this levels low.

RED SPINACH AND SHITAKE SOUP RECIPE. SPINACH HEALTH BENEFITS

RED SPINACH AND SHITAKE SOUP

SPINACH HEALTH BENEFITS

Green leafy vegetable spinach is often recognized as one of the functional food for its nutritional, antioxidants and anti-cancer constituents.
Spinach  is very low in calories and fats (100 g of raw leaves provide just 23 cal), but has a good amount of soluble dietary fiber.

Fresh 100 g of spinach contains about 25% of daily intake of iron; one of the richest among green leafy vegetables. Iron is important for red blood cells production.

-Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the  eyes. It is an antioxidant which protects  light-filtering functions.
-This helps protect the eyes from "age related macular disease" (AMD), especially in the elderly.

-Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin, mucus membranes and is a must for vision. Vitamin A and flavonoids helps against lung and oral cavity cancers.
-Vitamin K plays vital role in strengthening bone mass by promoting osteotrophic (bone building) activity in the bone. 

-It also helps patients with Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

-Spinach also contain  B-complex vitamins like vitamin- B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), riboflavin, folates and niacin. Folates help prevent neural tube defects in the offspring.

100 g of farm fresh spinach has 47% of daily recommended levels of vitamin C.

Potassium helps in controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
Manganese and copper are antioxidant co-factors.
Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
Zinc is an enzyme co-factor which helps growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis.

It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Link here    and various sources

Regular consumption of spinach in the diet helps prevent osteoporosis (weak bones), iron deficiency anemia and is believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases, colon and prostate cancers.

On safety profile

Do noit reheat spinach left-overs.  It may cause nitrates to be converted by certain bacteria (into poisonous nitrites and nitrosamines).
This usually happens on nitrate-rich foods, such as spinach and many other green vegetables..

Because of its high vitamin K content, it interferes with drug metabolism. Patients taking anti-coagulants such as "warfarin" are encouraged to avoid spinach in their food.

Some vegetables , like spinach contains oxalic acid. The oxalic acid  may crystallize into oxalate stones in the urinary tract. People with known oxalate urinary tract stones are advised to avoid oxalic acid veggies.     
Matured old spinach leaves (boiled) are known to be good for vision and heart health..

It may also contain goitrogens which may interfere with thyroid hormone production . Avoid spinach if you have thyroid dysfunction

RECIPE

RED SPINACH AND SHITAKE SOUP

Ingredients

10 stalks red leaf spinach- cut

100 grams inoki mushroom/ shitake or

10 pieces oyster mushrooms (halves)

1 large onion- cut into 4

10 pieces medium size anchovies/ half cube anchovies paste

1 tbsp mushroom paste (from canned  soup)

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

2 green chili/ chili pepper

The  healthy way to cook

Fill up cooking pot with 3 cups of water, shitake, anchovies, mushroom paste and onion. Bring to boil

After boiling for 7 minutes, add in spinach, salt, pepper, sugar. The minute spinach wilted al dente, put off fire and immediately remove pot from hot stove.  

The spinach should be of fresh color and not wilted. Serve with rice and simple fried fish/ simple spicy fried chicken etc.

ROSE BUDS WITH HONEY RECIPE. JASMINE BUDS WITH HONEY RECIPE. SPINACH SOUP RECIPE

ROSE BUDS WITH HONEY.  JASMINE BUDS WITH HONEY.

 SPINACH SOUP RECIPE

HOW CHARMING...HOW ADORABLE

ROSES

Rose perfumes are made from “attar of rose” or “rose oil”, which is obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The weight of oil extracted is about two thousand flowers to produce one gram of ESSENTIAL OIL.

 An associated by product of this, is “ROSE WATER”, which is used for cooking, cosmetics and medicine. ROSE WATER is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

In France, “ROSE SYRUP” is made from rose petals extracts. In the US, this French ROSE SYRUP is used to make rose scones and marshmallows.

The aggregate fruit of a rose is called "rose hip" known to contain vitamin C

Rose is the name of color halfway between red and magenta on the HSV (RGB) color wheel.

Red roses are used to make “Rose red dye” and being used to dye wool.

Rose red color matches well with green.

MENU FOR SUPPER:  ROSES BY MOONLIGHT - This beautiful  recipe name was given by 
 My Adorable One- How charming....

MENU FOR BREAKFAST:  JASMINE BUDS- Such a fragrant flower

As for me, I eat 3 rosebuds with honey  for  supper, eat nothing else at this hour. Remove and throw away the outer petals, cut each bud into half. Pour over honey or nectar. Enjoy, it’s traditionally believed to help maintain youthful skin, but i eat only twice a week.

JASMINE BUDS     A TRADITIONAL NUSANTARA RECIPE  

I do the same for jasmine buds, 7 buds a day, during breakfast. I am not a 
health or beauty freak, I just simply enjoy eating them raw…


 so, if you are a health or beauty freak, eat rosebuds and jasmine buds  twice 
a week for each - perhaps with honey, nectar or salad dressing. Enjoy.

JASMINE:

Jasmine, a member of the olive family, is also used for making jasmine tea, jasmine syrup, ESSENTIAL OIL and jasmine ABSOLUTE used in perfume and incense.

There are about 200 species of jasmine flower, I am referring to the one (buds) as shown in the photo above. It is the national flower of Indonesia, by the name “melati putih”. It is also the national flower of Pakistan, Philippines, Hawai and Tunisa. In Malaysia we call it “bunga melur”.

Used in perfumery and aromatheraphy, ABSOLUTES are similar to ESSENTIAL OILS. They are concentrated, highly-aromatic oily mixtures extracted from plants.

Essential oils can be produced through steam distillation techniques.

Absolutes require the use of solvent extraction techniques.

NECTAR:

Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants, either by the flowers, in which it attracts  pollinating  animals ( such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds), or by extrafloral nectarines. Nectar is produced in glands called nectaries

Nectar is an ecologically important item, the sugar source for honey.

For a complete breakfast, I normally eat the food above- but the one in the photo is too much, I eat only half of that and I bet you all too. See my earlier post on meat balls..

http://cooking-varieties.blogspot.com/2011/10/suji-meat-balls-recipe-authentic-meat.html

COLOR PIGMENTS;

Best eat the 5 color varieties of fruits and vegetables, for maximum nutritional value. They are green, orange/ yellow, red/blue , white and red.

The green color of leafy veggies is due to the presence of the green pigment, chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll has been proven effective against cancer.  The darker the green, the higher the content of vitamins. (examples-broccoli, lettuce, zucchini, kiwi)

The yellow/ orange color of fruits and vegetables are due to the presence of “carotenoids”, which are also affected by normal cooking processes or changes in pH. (examples- papaya, carrots, oranges, sweet potatoes, mangoes, corn, cantaloupes(honey dew melon) and apricots).

 The red/ blue color of some fruits and vegetables  (e.g.  blackberries, blueberries, grapes, beets, eggplants, figs and red cabbage ) are due to “anthocyanins”  (antioxidant compounds) which are sensitive to changes in pH.

When pH is neutral, the pigments are purple  and when acidic, red and when alkaline, blue. These pigments are very water soluble. Anthocyanin is believed to be good for a healthy heart. Fresh blueberries contain more anthocyanin.

The white and brown group- garlic, onions, bananas and mushrooms. Their particular phytochemical is allicin, which would help to prevent certain cancers and which would be good for heart health.

The red group. They contain lycopene, (an antioxidant) which could reduce the risk to contract prostate cancer  and many more health benefits. Its effect would be even greater when tomatoes are cooked. Their flavor is destroyed in the refrigerator.  Hold them at room temperature. Other red fruits and vegetables are red carrots, red watermelons, dragon fruit and papayas (but not strawberries or cherries).

SPINACH SOUP:

Cook first then blend.

Saute garlic in 1 tsp oil, add chicken broth. You may use chicken cube stock and add water to it. When boiled, add in salt, pepper, minced yellow capsicum and spinach.

After 2 minutes, turn off fire, immediately pour veggies into a bowl and let cool.

Do not leave veggies in cooking pot as  the heat  makes them overcooked.

When cooled- blend. When ready to serve, boil again on high heat, the moment it boils, turn off fire.

Water-soluble nutrients are destroyed with prolonged cooking time. When you cook vegetables in water, those nutrients will leach into the cooking liquid, so try to use the cooking liquids in soups and stews.

STUFFED BITTER GOURD RECIPE. BITTER GOURD STUFFED WITH FISH RECIPE.

STUFFED BITTER GOURD

For the sake of it’s great health benefits, I tried my best to acquire the taste of bitter gourd. Whenever I cook this, i will say it is not bitter, it only tastes unique. May be one day I will make a salad dish out of the red pith, since it is edible and sweet. Ahaaa what says you.

Ingredients:

3 pieces Spanish mackerel – makes 2 cups ( or red snapper )

5 cm young ginger root

6 pieces shallots

2 tbsp concentrated tamarind juice

1 tbsp sugar and salt to taste

Blend all the above ingredients.

1 cup grated coconut ( preferably not fully ripen yet)

¼  cup minced coriander leaves

¼ cup  minced daun kesum ( you may substitute this with sweet basil leaves)

1 large size bitter gourd

The way to do it

Put  all the blended ingredients, grated coconut and coriander etc in  a bowl and mix well to form a dough.

Slice bitter gourd on an angle, about 2cm cuts and remove pith and seeds. 

Stuff in fish dough. Shape the balance of dough into balls

If you feel that the gourd is too bitter for your taste buds, you may cut it first and soak the cut gourd in salt water for an hour, then rinse, before stuffing in the fish.

This is a vintage recipe where the daun kesum makes a world of difference in taste.

Ingredients for soup

2 tbsp spice soup powder

1 shallot- slice

2 pieces garlic- minced

Salt and pepper

4- 5 cups water (depends on quantity of your gourd slices)

2 tbsp cooking oil.

Saute shallot and garlic until wilted. Add in soup powder. Stir for a few seconds, add in water.

Only when the water boils, add in stuffed bitter gourd. When bitter gourd looks crisp tender, may be about 15 minutes, turn off fire and remove pot from the stove top. This helps maintain color of the gourd.

The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish per week to help prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

chinese phenotype

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF BITTER GOURD

Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, is low in calories but big on nutrients, with twice as much potassium as a banana and twice the beta-carotene of broccoli. It is the most bitter of all edible fruits.

The fruit is often eaten green. It can also be eaten  ripe and of yellowish color. However, it becomes mushy and more bitter as it ripens.

Unripe seeds and pith appear white, they are removed before cooking. However, the pith will become sweet and turns red when the fruit is fully ripe. The pith can be eaten uncooked in this state and is a popular ingredient in some southeast Asian salads- I have never tried this before.

How to treat asthma with bitter gourd roots. Grind the roots of bitter gourd into a smooth paste. Mix one teaspoon of the paste with one teaspoon of honey or one teaspoon of tulsi (Holy Basil) leaf juice. Drink the solution once every night before bedtime. Continue the process

Medicinal plant project- wiki (Excerpts):

There are many medicinal and health benefits of bitter gourds:

-Help diabetics lower their glucose levels (hypoglycemic effect) and detoxify the body

-To stimulate digestion, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure

-To prevent tumors, balances hormones and enhance immunity

Ivy Gourd

A scene at the supermarket veggie section- Sue said to Susan:

Susan you were the one who introduced me to Ivy Gourd, ooooopss!,
 I mean introduced Ivy Gourd to me..... just a smile for you…..

BEY’S SOUP ( Begova Čorba)- TRADITIONAL BOSNIAN RECIPE

BEY’S SOUP( Begova Čorba)

Soup from the Ottoman's Empire time. The first three rulers of the Ottoman realm were titled Bey.’

This is a special guest post by blogger chef, Jasna Varcakovic, from Jasna’s kitchen creations, also an Interior decorator in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Born in Bosnia, lived in a few European countries - loved them all and finally settled in  Australia  and a mother of 2 teenage boys.

Check out Jasna’s blog for more exotic recipes from around the world at:  http://jasnaskitchencreations.blogspot.com/   

Jasna said: Thank you for choosing to blog about Bosnian food,...I feel honoured! 

  

The photos below  were  taken in Bosnia - April 2011 (Spring)

Jasna Varcakovic - 
About me:

I was born in Bosnia in 1966, when my country was stil part of Yugoslavia.
 I had a very  happy childhood, living in Montenegro and Bosnia.

I finished medical (nursing) high school, and started studying Agriculture in Croatia when Civil war in Yugoslavia started.

I had to flee to Austria, where I met my husband. I had my first son in Austria. Our future there was uncertain, so we applied for a refugee visa for Australia.

We got it and arrived in Australia in 1994. It took some time for us to adapt to new country. I’ve fallen  in love with nature, weather and the people of Australia.   

 3 years later I had my other son and we managed to bring our parents here. In a couple of years we bought our first home in which we still live.

8 years ago I completed my Diploma in Interior decoration, and started my own business.

I love reading, painting and cooking, but my biggest 'hobby love' is blogging.

 Cheers from Sydney 

Jasna V.

In Bosnia April 2011

BEY’S SOUP( Begova Čorba)

Ingredients: 

5-6 chicken pieces with bones ( 500g)

2-3 carrots

½ bunch of parsley leaves

2stalks celery

¼ lemon

2 tbs ghee ( clarified butter)

1 ½ tbs flour

300g okra, fresh or canned (small preferably, or cut if big ones)

2 eggs

Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

150 ml sour cream

Extra parsley leaves for garnish

Method:

Cook chicken pieces with carrots, celery and parsley leaves in 3 liter water. Add ¼ lemon and some salt and pepper.

When cooked, strain liquid (keep): dice chicken and vegetables.

In a large saucepan, heat ghee and flour. Cook for a few minutes, should stay pale.

Pour the strained liquid, add diced ingredients. Bring to boil, then add okra (ladies finger/ bendhi) and cook until soft.

Add beaten eggs and sour cream. Season to taste and garnish.

http://jasnaskitchencreations.blogspot.com/ 

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