PESTO SAUCE RECIPE.. OLIVE OIL HEALTH BENEFITS

THE BENEFITS OF OLIVES AND OLIVE OIL

PESTO SAUCE RECIPE

Olive is a fruit, bitter and tart in taste.
Olive oil is cold pressed olive juice. That’s why it's so healthy and is used in the finest cuisines all over the world. Cold pressed means that the olives are picked and squeezed and are not boiled before squeezing.

The green olive and black olive are the same plant; green olives are pickled before ripening, where black olives are pickled after being ripened.

Olive oil contains a wide variety of valuable antioxidants that are not found in other oils

Of all the categories, extra virgin olive oil presents the highest nutritional and health qualities, as well as the most "flowery" taste- robust, flavorful and wholesome.. 

Olive oil in culinary

Extra virgin olive oil is mostly used as a salad dressing and as an ingredient in salad dressings. It is also used with foods to be eaten cold. If uncompromised by heat, the flavor is stronger. It also can be used for sautéing.

If it is heated above 350 °F (177 °C), the unrefined particles within the oil are burnt. This leads to a deteriorated taste. Also, the pronounced taste of extra virgin olive oil is not a taste most people like to associate with their deep fried foods.

Olive oil can substitute margarine or butter in a 3:4 ratio for most recipes. In other words, if your recipe calls for 1 cup of margarine or butter, you can substitute with 3/4 cup olive oil (plus 1/4 cup margarine/ butter). 
Do not make this substitution if you plan on cooking the recipe at 400°F (200°C) or higher. The olive oil will start to smoke at these high temperatures and will give your food a metallic taste.link here

Olive oil and skin care 

Extra virgin olive oil has been known for generations not only for its healing qualities but also as a natural, deep penetration moisturizer, regenerating skin cells and softening the tissue.
It is also used in soap and cosmetics.

The higher the temperature to which the olive oil is heated, the more one should prefer the use of refined olive oils. 

Olive oil, a natural health remedy

The health benefits :

Prevention of heart disease

-It has been suggested that long-term consumption of small quantities of this compound from olive oil may be partly responsible for the low incidence of heart disease associated with a Mediterranean diet- whereby olive is a mainstay in the Mediterranean culinary.Even bread or toast are commonly dipped in olive oil.

Olive oil has a very high proportion of monounsaturated fats, most notably oleic acid and this helps prevent heart disease.

“It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises HDL (good cholesterol) to prevent heart disease. Consuming olive oil is good for your health”- American Heart Association

 “Scientific studies suggest that eating about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily will reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.” US Food and Drug Administration site. Olive oil slowed breast cancer

“Recent research suggests that olive oil slowed breast cancer in rats. This study compared a corn oil diet to an olive oil diet and showed that a corn oil diet stimulated more cancers than a control diet, while olive oil led to fewer and smaller tumors than the control diet.” link here

-Olive oil is high in antioxidants Vitamin A and E which helps neutralise cancer-causing free radicals in our body, carotenoids.

-Olives grow in a warm environment  and the fruits contain a fenol-like substances  as protection from heat and bright sunshine. These substances  play a role in the prevention and cure of thrombosis and arteriosclerosis.
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel

Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.

-Olive oil is very easy to digest and mild for the intestines! 

Our energy must not be wasted. We need the energy to burn calories. We also need energy to fight illness and stay healthy. That is why we have to chew our food longer, before swallowing, so that the stomach will not have to use extra energy to digest food.

Test on the goodness of olive oil.   link here

Try this out. Pour some olive oil on your hands, notice that you can easily wash it off. It disappears fast in the sink and you don't need a lot of hot water and detergent to wash it away. Because your body is like a glass of water it reacts the same. 

If you have eaten some olive oil, your body will evaporate it within 1½ hour via your pores. This means your body can handle it easily and does not have to waste any energy to digest it. 
This works differently with baking butter and other products, especially those based on animal products. In this case you have to scrub hard and need hot water and detergent to dissolve the fat in the water so it can be washed away.

Use more olive oil 

Oil and butter based on vegetables are to be preferred but olive oil is best of course.

Everything you eat based on fruit or vegetables, will make you look and feel much healthier and younger too!

Recipe featuring olive oil.  

The Pesto sauce can be used as a sauce for pasta or for meat. It can be used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. One classic use is to spread the pesto onto slices of bread before toasting them.

PESTO SAUCE RECIPE (Italian ) 

Ingredients

4oz (100g) fresh basil

About  8 oz (200gm) extra virgin olive oil.

1/3  cup freshly grate Romano cheese or parmesan

1/4 cup pines nuts (check “tips” below for substitutes)

4 cloves garlic- crushed

Freshly ground salt and pepper 

Preparation

Preheat  oven to 425°F (222°C). Toast the pine nuts in oven until slightly brown (10-15minutes). In a small frying pan (skillet), heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil, saute garlic on medium heat.

Mix the basil, garlic, cheese, pine nuts. Use a mortar and pestle/ blender to turn it into a smooth paste, slowly adding in the oil to reach a paste-like consistency.

This sauce can last for a week, if  stored in an airtight jar, top with a thin layer of olive oil  to prevent oxidation and keep refrigerated . If stored frozen, it can last several months. For longer storage, do not mix in the cheese, as it can get spoilt. Add the grated cheese later, before serving. 

 Ingredient substitutes and Tips.   

With all the tips here, you will find that pesto is a very versatile sauce and that you now have like half a dozen pesto recipes already.

1-You may replace some or all of the pine nuts with sunflower seeds, walnut, pistachios, almonds or sun dried tomatoes.  

2-For a creamy sauce, take two tablespoons of the pesto in a pan and heat on medium-low. Add one cup light cream and bring to a simmer. Use for pasta. Serves two. Alternatively, may add crème cheese instead.

3-Change the taste by changing the base of the pesto from basil to other  herbs/vegetables like cilantro (coriander) or spinach.

4-Do a slight twist to the standard basil/garlic combo , add shallots for a sweet taste.

5-Mix fresh chives, marjoram, and thyme with the basil to produce something akin to Valdostano-style pesto.

6-Another variant is to replace the basil with equal parts of leaf parsley and spring onions, or use arugula for a spicy result.

7-A vegan variant can be made by mixing walnuts, fresh basil, olive oil and small amounts (such as a table spoon per cup) of white miso paste.

This recipe is linked to The mad scientist’s hosting kitchen chronicles “Theme- Go nuts”  

http://madscientistskitchen.blogspot.in/2012/06/guest-hosting-event-kitchen.html.

FLAKED ALMOND AND PEAR TART RECIPE. PEAR AND FLAKED ALMOND TART RECIPE.

A SPECIAL GUEST POST

I sure feel happy and honoured to receive yet another guest post. This time it’s from none other than my dear blogger friend Dr Jehanne who blogs at the cooking doctor. Check out her  link here

Dr Jehanne is currrently working abroad. Despite her busy work schedules, performing surgeries and very often on stand by for hospital calls, Dr Jehanne still find time to always prepare home cook food for her family. She has a very cute and trendy little girl.

The last time we had a chat, her husband just came back from work and her pies and puffs just came out very well done from the oven, ready to be served for dinner.  She being a doctor, i remembered asking her for a health tip and she replied “ Eat home cook food with no additives is the healthy way.”  I am not a health freak, but i put reasonable efforts to keep a healthy lifestyle. Thanks doc for your tip, a great reminder for me...

I also wish to congratulate Dr Jehanne for “the cooking doctor” turns 1 last May and she celebrated her milestone, with her article being featured in BBC Good  Food Asia magazine . She came up with Fraisier using dragon fruit-  a Flamboyant beauty.. (see dragon fruit image at my sidebar)

I feel honoured and very pleased and i thank you very much Dr Jehanne for finding time in your super hectic schedule, to do this guest post for me- the awesome “Flaked almond and pear tart recipe”- another flamboyant beauty. Here, a bouquet specially for you dear. Let’s hear it from her.

I have known Ms Wan Maznah for sometime now, almost during the early days of my blogging last year. Hailed from the same country as me, and with a superb blog, Cooking Varieties which focuses on healthy lifestyle, it is no wonder that we click instantly, all the while sharing messages and comments on each others' posts. I was elated when the topic of guest posting came up, and  I am more than happy to contribute to Wan's lovely blog. I wanted something special and befitting the Cooking Varieties, something healthy yet entertaining enough for her varied readers.

So I came up with an afternoon tea idea. Something moreish, indulgent yet healthy too. Packed with flavours and pretty on the eye. Ideal for parties, yet beautiful on its own for a solo treat. 

Pear and almond tart-who would have though that pears would take over the classic place of apples perfectly?

Now I might be biased, but I love tarts. I love pears and certainly almond too. I try to incorporate fruits into our daily lives, not purely for health reason but we as a family genuinely love fruits. Although we seldom get good peckham pears, every time I see the good ones in the market, they always end up in our household soon after-straight to the mouth or a notch higher as dessert, or poached in light syrup.

Apart from the daily five, pear is also known for its anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties to combat cancer, and also prevent hypertension, stroke and lowers the cholesterol level. As pear contains high amount of fibre, it is also naturally good source as mild laxative and also preventive of colon cancer.

Good news for moms out there: Pear is one of the fruits with lower risk of allergic reactions so it is ideal to be introduced as first solid food for babies, mostly in puree form or juice.

For this recipe, I combined almonds into the flour for the pastry as well as flakes in the filling. Almonds are truly a baker's dream as it is universally delicious for pastries and cakes alike. But more so than that, with its rich source of vitamin E and amino acids, almonds should be incorporated into the diet more often, especially as its monounsaturated fat can lower the HDl (bad) choleserol.

Before I go on my rant, let's get on to the recipe. Little morsels of delight that would make you forget all the above facts as their beauty brings in the Parisienne patisserie charm with it. Adorn your favourite tiered plates with the tarts, put the kettle on and invite those guests in. For they are in for a little treat.

FLAKED ALMOND AND PEAR TART- perfect for afternoon tea

Shortcrust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
7 tbsp unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
2 tsp cold water

Filling:
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond oil or extract(optional)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 ripe Peckham pears-peeled and julienned
12 cup almond flakes

Method
1. Prepare the shortcrust pastry. You can use several tartlette moulds like I did here, or a large 20 cm flat tart pan.

2. In a food processor, combine almond flour, plain flour and salt. Diced in the cold butter into the flours and whizz until crumbs are formed. Alternatively you can also use tip of your fingers.

3. Add in the egg yolk and just enough water to form a dough. The dough will not stick to the mixer bowl.

4. Form a disk and chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

5. In the meantime, prepare the filling. Hand whisk the almond flour, sugar, egg, almond oil, butter and plain flour together until cream is formed. 

6. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to around 2 cm thick circle and fill the moulds of your choice.

7. Blind bake the pastry cases by piercing the dough and fill the tartlette with ceramic baking beans (or cooking beans) so the dough does not puff up whilst baking.

8. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C.

9. Remove the half-baked tartlettes from the oven. Spoon in the almond cream on the base and garnish with julienned pears and almond flakes.

10. Lower the oven temperature to 170C and bake for another 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown.

11. Serve warm with dollop of creme fraiche, plain Greek yogurt or vanilla ice-cream, or just as it is. 

SEQUENTIAL EATING. PROPER FOOD COMBINING. LIQUID VEGETABLES- THE HEALTHIEST WAY. SPINACH, CARROT AND SWEET POTATO SOUP .

SEQUENTIAL EATING

PROPER FOOD COMBINING

LIQUID VEGETABLES- THE HEALTHIEST WAY
SPINACH, CARROT AND  SWEET POTATO SOUP 

When the quality of food consumed is better, great  things will happen to the body and the mind. 

The amazing intelligence  present  in every cell of the body and the  wisdom of the body in its operation, will immediately  manifest (shows). 

My regular readers  will be able to recall my earlier post on EATING FRUITS- BEFORE OR AFTER MEALS?  where I have posted excerpts from Dr Stanley-link here   

“Graying hair, balding, nervous outbursts, and dark circles under the eyes will not occur if you eat fruit on an empty stomach.”

Dr Stanley said, 
“In my opinion and experience as a nutritional consultant in Natural Hygiene (I began studying nutrition in 1936), sequential eating represents the most advanced approach to understanding proper food combining.
After testing and retesting the concept on myself thousands of times, as well as on others, including the experience of Dr. Cursio, his family, his patients, as well as other Hygienic doctors - Dr. John Mega, Dr. Marvin Telmar, Dr. Anthony Penepent, etc.

FOOD COMBINING

Example- generally fruits takes 15mins-30 mins to digest and  meat takes about 3-4 hours to digest.

Any quick digesting foods must wait till the slowest digesting foods leave the stomach before they too can leave - a process which can take up to 6 or 8 hours. 

While waiting, the faster digested foods like fruits, vegetables and some of the starches undergo some decomposition and fermentation. This produces gas, acid and even alcohol along with indigestion. .....

SEQUENTIAL EATING REFERENCES
  ...... Grutzner fed rats morsels of food of 3 different colors. First the black, then the white second, and third the red color. Shortly after, the animals were sacrificed, the stomach frozen and then cut in sections. The different colored food was found to be in layers.

...Dr Stanley said, a famous case written during the American Civil War, where a soldier received a gunshot wound which caused a large visible opening to appear in his stomach. His digestion was studied for a period of time by several doctors present, and they observed that his food digested in different.

layers.

BASIC RULE - WATERY FOODS FIRST
To simplify this concept of sequential or layered eating, the basic rule is:
Eat the most watery food first .....

BAD FOOD COMBINATIONS TO AVOID- see examples at end of post

He also advised to really chew all foods properly before swallowing- thus, less energy will be use in digesting process....... eating less food varieties at the same meal, also makes it easier to digest them. When there is more food variety, people tend to overeat. 

He added, conservation of energy in the digestive process is the key to all healing. What he meant is that, our energy must be spent on keeping healthy, not in digesting food. (Success in healing is measured in terms of energy available. This was known by the early masters of Natural Hygiene).

My mind now seriously thinking again of what he said. So, to be at best of health and to heal diseases, is mainly through eating healthy foods of the highest nutritional value, which is “super foods”.  I don’t think I will eat that chicken burger (filling) anymore- they have been manufactured a year ago, definitely this is not a super foodie. It is junk, I guess the “life force” is gone a long time ago.

Excerpts of what Dr Herbert said on “A BETTER NUTRITIONAL PROGRAM’:

HIGH QUALITY NUTRITION-

To summarize: the quality of food is higher, when it is closer to it’s natural state, in its raw, unfired (raw) form.

In this form, all the enzymes are found intact. The amino acids are in their finest form. The minerals, vitamins, trace elements, carbohydrates and "life force" are present. The life force, in turn is capable of reproducing healthy tissues. 

When the quality of food consumed is better, great  things will happen to the body and the mind. The amazing intelligence present in every cell of the body and the wisdom of the body in its operation, will immediately  manifest ( will be seen). 

Dr Stanley summarized that, when food that goes into the body is of higher quality than the existing/ present  body tissues, the body begins to discard the lower grade materials and tissues and take the more superior materials. The body now has new and healthier tissues.

HEALING BY NATURE

BY nature our body is very selective and always aim to improve towards better health. The body always tries to produce health and always will, unless our interference is too great. Only then do we fail to recover and degenerate further into disease.

The self-curing nature such as on colds, fevers, cuts, swellings, injuries, etc. are examples of how the body tends towards being healthy always - unless we do something to stop the process.

Finally, he advised those who wants to practice a better diet, to be consistent. Don’t quit after a few days, with excuses like-“old diet is better, the new one makes me feel sick”. 

It is true about feeling weak or may be feeling sick. but he needs to give his body a chance to adjust and complete its first phase of action - recuperation. If he had waited a while longer, he would have begun to feel better than before he started

THE IMPORTANCE OF BLENDED SALADS

Liquified vegetables by blending makes:
1 -  The absorption and assimilation of its vitamins, minerals proteins etc. will increased to approximately 5 times  more, as compared to eating and chewing the salad.
2 - The blended salad will digest and leaves the stomach in 15 to 20 mins, as compared to 30 to 60 minutes for a tossed salad eaten whole.. Etc.

RECIPE

SPINACH, CARROT AND SWEET POTATO SOUP –BLENDED FOR A MORE SUPERIOR VALUE

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic- slice

3 shallots- slice

3 cups finely chopped spinach

½ cup baby carrots- very thin slices

1 small sweet potato – very thin slices

4 cups chicken stock (1+3)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Olive oil for sauté

Cooking technique:

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic and shallots until golden brown. Add in 1 cup chicken stock and sweet potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are half cooked, add in spinach and carrots. 

Cover with lid and put off fire when sweet potato is cooked. Spinach will be cooked al dente.

Leave to cool. Next, pulse it in a blender, until done.

When ready to serve- heat up the remaining 3 cups of chicken stock, add in salt and pepper. 

When stock boils, add in blended veggies for 2 minutes only. Put off fire. Serves hot.

NOTE:

BAD FOOD COMBINATIONS TO AVOID- 

According to Dr Stanley, here are some examples of bad food combinations to avoid. This is very interesting and after reading many times and thinking deeply on this, I am eager to follow his advice at best. Some examples are:

1. Mixing dried sweet fruit, honey, maple syrup or bananas with nuts or seeds
2. Mixing starch foods with fresh or acid foods or fruits
3. Mixing dried sweet fruits with acid fruits.
4. Never eat dried sweet fruits with or after concentrated proteins
5. Eating raw, fresh or dried fruits after any cooked food
6. Avoid drinking beverages or even water during or after meals 

ANTI WRINKLE FOODS. WHAT IS COLLAGEN. WHAT IS VITAMIN K FOR. THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF SWEET POTATOES

ANTI WRINKLE FOODS

WHAT IS COLLAGEN

WHAT IS VITAMIN K FOR 

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF SWEET POTATOES

SWEET POTATOES

SWEET POTATOES: A vegetable packed with cholesterol-lowering fiber, beta carotene, other compounds and also helps clear up our arteries
The purple/ blue in sweet potatoes are due to anthocyanin is believed to be good for a haelthy heart and hinder tumor cells progression. Antocyanin accelerate body cells turnover, thus when our body cells are renewed faster, this means the cancer cells die faster...
The orange color variety contains beta carotene, another great antioxidant. Carotenoids can offer protection against some cancers, macular eye disease and cardiovascular problems

I was really amazed when i read the findings from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, on the nutritional value of sweet potatoes, as compared to other vegetables.

Their study: on the vegetables is based according to their fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. 

Their Results: The sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value- 184 points

Next, number two  is, the common potato, earns - 84 points

Sweet potatoes earned 100 points more than the number two (84 points), the common potato. What a great difference. Other vegetables, must be much less. With this new found knowledge (for me) i am determined  to eat more sweet potatoes than ever. It is a very flavorful food ingredient.

In the 4:1 ratio of veggies to other foods, we may include 1 to 2 servings from  fruits and that they can be combined with vegetables for the most part.

RECIPE- EXTRA SIMPLE DESSERT,

YET VERY NUTRITIOUS AND FLAVORFUL 

Wash and clean thoroughly sweet potatoes. Boil in water with some salt added. Serve with syrup for a sweet taste.

Use organic  palm or cane sugar to make the syrup  and add in a few cloves  when boiling it

What do you eat with your boiled sweet potatoes?

VITAMIN K 

 SOME FACTS TO NOTE:

-Taking broad-spectrum antibiotics can reduce vitamin K production in the gut by nearly 74% (in human body).

-For the elderly there is also a reduction in vitamin K₂ production in the body. link here

-Vitamin K may be used as a 5% cream, to diminish postoperative bruising from cosmetic surgery and injections.

-Also used to treat broken capillaries (spider veins)

-To help fade hyper pigmentation and dark under-eye circles

Vitamin K and cancer:

-Researchers in Japan did a two year study on vitamin K₂  in the prevention of bone loss in females with liver disease. They also found that women in the vit K supplement group were 90% less likely to develop liver cancer

-A German study performed on men with prostate cancer found a significant benefit in vitamin K₂ consumption.

I HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT TIP FROM JASNA, WHO WAS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, WHICH I FEEL HAS TO BE PUBLISHED, FOR ALL TO SHARE...

 "Lots of essential tips for looking good and feeling well, Wan... Vitamin K is also needed for blood clotting; without it, even small cut in skin can lead to excessive bleeding. 

Thank yo so much Jasna.. Her  link here

       

WRINKLE PREVENTING FOODS

Vitamin C  helps to produce collagen in the body,  keeps the skin from direct sunlight attack. link here

PAPAYA: very beneficial in reducing wrinkles. Papaya has high level of vitamin C, in every 100 grams of papaya contains 78 milligrams of vitamin C that can help to rejuvenate the skin and prevent dryness.

WALNUT: and other kinds of nuts contain vitamin E, which is essential for the skin. It will rejuvenate your skin.

WHEAT: contains magnesium and vitamin B which are helpful for skin regeneration. Magnesium and vitamin B replace dead skin cells with new skin cells

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: They are very good for skin health. Fruits and vegetables are sources of vitamins and fiber needed by skin. Also help digestive system to work, so that no toxin remains in the body.

COLLAGEN:

Collagen nourishes the skin from the inside, 

This renewal of skin cells will help maintain the highest level of skin texture,  strengthen skin tissues, prevents dehydration (drying) and thus reduce wrinkles.

Collagen also helps repair joint tissues and also in the formation and repair of bones.

Vitamin C is a must in the production of collagen.

COLLAGEN CANNOT BE PRODUCED WITHOUT VITAMIN C.

Collagen occurs in many places throughout the body. Over 90% of the collagen in the body, however, is of type one.

So far, 28 types of collagen have been identified and described. 

The five most common  are:

Type 1:  skin, tendon, vascular ligature, organs, bone (main component of the organic part of bone)

  

    Type 2:  cartilage (main component of cartilage)

  

  Type 3: reticulate (main component of reticular fibers), commonly found alongside type I.

     

           Type 4: forms bases of cell basement membrane (eye lens, kidney)

  

    Type 5:  cell surfaces, hair and placenta

Collagen-related diseases most commonly arise from genetic defects or nutritional deficiencies.