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Garam Masala Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Mint Raita
Photo Credit to Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food Blog
I’m always on the lookout for healthier snack alternatives so when I came upon a recipe for Garam Masala Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Mint Raita created by Carolyn, the blogger for the All Day I Dream About Food Blog, I knew I had to share it. Click here to see the original recipe post.
I’m already an eggplant fan, but the fact that they can be made into “chips” is this side of awesome. What a great way to take care of crisp-salty food cravings as opposed to reaching for a bag of potato chips. Even better, the eggplants in this recipe are baked as opposed to fried and when dipped into a refreshing raita dip, this is one snack that I could easily have on a daily basis.
While visiting Carolyn’s All Day I Dream About Food Blog, be sure to check out the Recipe Index. Along with more indulgent dishes, you’ll also find some tasty Low Carb and Gluten Free recipes like the Cinnamon Chipotle Brownies or the Walnut Rosemary Crusted Chicken, which are great if you have a dietary restriction. Until then, I hope you enjoy chowing down on these delicious eggplant chips.
Garam Masala Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Mint Raita
Chips:
2 japanese eggplants
1 Tbs. Frontier Naturals Sea Salt, Fine Grind
3 Tbs. Now Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Frontier Natural Products, Organic Garam Masala
additional Frontier Naturals Sea Salt, Fine Grind to taste
Raita:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1 tsp Simply Organic Ground Cumin
Frontier Naturals Sea Salt, Fine Grind and Simply Organic Black Pepper to taste
Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch slices and lie in a single layer on a large parchment-lined baking sheet (you may need two baking sheets). Sprinkle with salt and let sit for an hour to remove some moisture. Blot dry with a paper towel.
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil and garam masala. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with the oil mixture and place back on baking sheets. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until slices are crisp and browned but not burnt. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional salt to taste. Serve warm.
For the raita, whisk yogurt, cilantro, mint and cumin together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve alongside eggplant chips.Serves 8.
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Filed under Cooking, Recipes and Food Issues
The Benefits of a Few Extra Zzzzz’s
Whether you nap at home or work, as little as 10-15 minutes can make a positive difference in how you feel and function.
“The most talked about benefits are improved mood and performance,” says William A. Anthony, PhD, author of The Art of Napping and The Art of Napping at Work. Naps, he says, also improve concentration, alertness, creativity, and reaction time.
There are long-term benefits, as well.
“[Naps] tend to reduce the chance of heart attacks, strokes, and certainly stress,” explains James B. Maas, PhD, a Cornell University sleep researcher and author of Power Sleep. He cites one study that showed a 30% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in people who napped.
“Changes in metabolism and heart, pulse, and breathing rates are all the sorts of things that are modified and reduced in a period of quiescence,” says Dr. Maas.
Following Your Body’s Lead
How long is the ideal nap? Most experts say it is anywhere from 15-30 minutes.
“Long enough to reap the benefits and restore some of the sleep debt that we’re all carrying, but short enough so you don’t go into delta, or deep, sleep,” says Dr. Maas.
A full sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, says Pierce H. Howard, PhD, author of The Owner’s Manual for The Brain. Because nappers typically reach only the alpha state or light sleep stage, they tend to feel refreshed instead of sluggish when they wake.
“But if we get into deep sleep, or REM state, and then wake up before the cycle’s over, we feel like a truck hit us,” says Dr. Howard.
The Measure of a Nap
You are ready for a nap when you start feeling drowsy, and that commonly takes place eight hours after you get up in the morning or 12 hours after the midpoint of the previous night’s sleep. For the average person, that time occurs somewhere between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. As a result, people become tired and less alert. Statistics also show that between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. is the time when the most industrial, traffic, and domestic accidents occur.
Making Up for Lost Sleep
“We’ve cut down on our sleep by 20% over the last 100 years, and the human body can’t keep up with that type of change,” says Dr. Maas. “The best solution is good nocturnal sleep, but as a stop-gap measure, napping is a tremendous success.”
Poor health and eating habits, stress, exercise (or lack of it), lack of fresh air, and working under artificial lights can also induce the craving for a nap.
Napping and Sleep Disorders
If you are healthy and do not have a sleep disorder, you should be able to take a judiciously timed nap and sleep at night without any problems, says Dr. Anthony.
For people with sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy, a nap may also prove beneficial.
“I recommend napping for patients with excessive daytime sleepiness caused by disorders,” says Karl Doghramji, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. On the other hand, if a person cannot sleep at night from insomnia, a nap during the day might add to the problem. It all depends on the person.
Workplace Napping
Because many people are at work during the afternoon when the drowsy feeling sets in, they ignore the need for a nap. Instead, they go to the water cooler, drink caffeine, or stare at their computer screen and don’t do anything, says Dr. Anthony.
But it makes sense to take a quick nap at work for two reasons. During that period, workers are not highly productive and are more error prone. And if you work through that period, some negative aspect of fatigue can emerge later. For example, once you are home, you might fall asleep in front of the television, and studies show that evening naps may interfere with regular nighttime sleep.
Tips for Successful Napping
The experts offer the following tips for incorporating naps into your life:
- Give yourself permission to nap. Do not feel guilty.
- Remember all the performance, mood, and health benefits you gain by taking a nap.
- Avoid caffeine after your first morning cup of coffee.
- Surround yourself with items that make you comfortable, like a favorite pillow, blanket, soothing sounds, and a couch or chair.
- Use an alarm clock or timer, so that you will not slip into a deep sleep or worry about when you will wake up (which makes it hard to relax).
- Nap consistently at the same time every day, even if it is just a quick rest.
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RESOURCES:
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
REFERENCES:
Anthony WA. The Art of Napping. Burdett, NY: Larson Publishing; 1997.
Anthony WA. The Art of Napping at Work: The No-Cost, Natural Way to Increase Productivity and Satisfaction. Burdett, NY: Larson Publishing; December 1999.
Howard PJ. The Owner’s Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research. Austin, TX: Bard Press; 2000.
Maas JB. Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance. New York, NY: HarperCollins; 1999.
National Sleep Foundation website. Available at: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/.
Filed under Sleep Center
Exercises for Babies and Toddlers
Car seats, strollers, and high chairs are great for keeping your little one safe and secure while you are traveling or getting things done at home.
But, if kids spend too much time being sedentary, it can interfere with their motor development. Also, they can get too comfortable being sedentary and less likely to play and be active. This inactivity adds to the rising rate of childhood obesity.
You do not need to engage your child in any serious physical activity, just encourage him to do more of what kids are naturally inclined to do—explore and play. To help your child learn to use muscles and develop coordination, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education has exercise guidelines for young children. Just keep in mind that if an activity is too difficult, kids become frustrated and lose motivation to try again.
Infants (Birth to 12 months)
Engage your infant in some activity every day. This includes setting up safe areas for the infant to play in, playing games with him, and carrying him to different environments to explore. Do not keep infants in baby seats or other restrictive settings for long periods of time.
To encourage your infant to be active, try the following:
- Lay your infant on a blanket on the floor with a few toys.
- Provide brightly colored, easy-to-grasp toys that can be squeezed or have different textures to encourage reaching and grasping.
- Place the infant on his tummy facing you, encourage him to lift his head and kick his legs.
- When the baby is learning to roll over, hold a favorite toy just out of reach to motivate him to keep trying.
- Play peek-a-boo or patty-cake; help move your child’s hands so he learns the motions.
- Carry the child to a new environment, set him down, and let him explore. Be sure the area is baby-proofed.
Toddlers (12 to 36 months)
As walking skills progress, toddlers have a lot of energy. Encourage them to use it all! Toddlers should accumulate at least 30 minutes of structured physical activity each day. Unstructured activity should exceed 60 minutes. Do not keep your child in a baby seat or inactive for long periods of time.
Try the following:
- Bounce, throw, and chase balls to develop hand-eye coordination . Use soft balls that will not break anything.
- Dance to music and follow-along songs to promote body awareness and balance.
- Play “Simon Says” and “Follow the Leader.”
- Provide safe, sturdy objects to ride, push, pull, balance on, and climb.
- Make chores into games that kids can help with, for example: 1) During dinner preparation, have him carry something to the table that will not break or spill or 2) On laundry day, have him throw dirty clothes into the laundry basket
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years)
As kids gain more strength and balance, it is easier for them to get the recommended minimum of one hour of structured physical activity each day. Unstructered activity should take up 1 hour to several hours per day. Some suggestions:
- To promote balance, help the child walk along a line on the ground. Be sure that it is a safe area with no cars around.
- Lay out objects to create a maze or tell a child to run around a tree and back, providing vigorous exercise plus mastering turns and balance.
- Around age 3, children learn to hop and are ready for the game “hopscotch,” which will promote balance and strengthen leg muscles.
- Around age 4, kids learn to skip; practice skipping with them across the yard, or work it into a game of “Follow the Leader.”
- Provide safe objects to ride, push, pull, balance on, and climb.
Emphasize fun, not competition. Preschoolers lack the social and cognitive development for organized team sports. Getting involved can leave them frustrated and make them lose interest in sports.
For Kids of Any Age
Physical activity should become part of the family’s daily routine. This means parents, too! Kids are more likely to stick with it if they see their parents and older siblings being active. Look for chances to fit in exercise and make it a part of your family’s lifestyle.
Plan day trips or vacations that include hiking, kayaking, swimming, bicycling, roller skating, skiing, or horseback riding. At home, set limits on TV time and encourage kids to get outside and play. Also, involve the whole family in housework and yard work. Try to make these activities fun.
If you make exercise a priority in your life, your children will likely do the same.
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RESOURCES:
American Academy of Pediatrics
National Association for Sport & Physical Education
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
REFERENCES:
National Association for Sport & Physical Education website. Available at: http://www.aahperd.org/Naspe/
Optimism: A Powerful Ally
Take a close look at that glass of water. Half empty? Half full? What you see could make a difference, not only in your daily health, but in how long you live. In one study, for example, researchers tracked 839 people over 30 years. In the 1960s, study participants took a standardized test to determine whether they were optimistic, pessimistic, or somewhere in between. Those who scored high on the pessimism scale turned out to have a 19% greater chance of premature death than those who scored more optimistically.
The Power of Optimism
“I believe we have compelling evidence that optimists and pessimists differ markedly in how long they will live,” says psychologist Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania. “It is not clear if pessimism shortens life, optimism prolongs life, or both.”
Seligman says there are at least four ways that optimism can affect longevity. Optimists tend to:
- Be less passive than pessimists and less likely to develop learned helplessness or negative and debilitating responses to things that happen to them
- Be more likely to practice preventive health measures because they believe their actions make a difference
- Suffer depression at a markedly lower rate than pessimists (Depression is associated with mortality.)
- Have better functioning immune systems
The Bright Side
For decades, psychologists have studied the link between positive thinking and physical and mental health. According to Seligman, author of Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, it is more important to change negative thought patterns into positive ones than to worry about being optimistic. The picture of optimism he paints is not one of Pollyanna-like blindness to reality, but of a learned optimism grounded in accuracy and non-negative thinking.
Based on the results of several large-scale studies, Seligman discovered that optimists are more successful than pessimists. Optimistic politicians win more elections, optimistic students get better grades, optimistic athletes win more contests, and optimistic salespeople make more money.
Why would this be so? In his book Self-help Stuff That Works, Adam Kahn says it is “because optimism and pessimism both tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies. If you think a setback is permanent, why would you try to change it? Pessimistic explanations tend to make you feel defeated, making you less likely to take constructive action. Optimistic explanations, on the other hand, make you more likely to act. If you think the setback is only temporary, you are apt to try to do something about it.”
Optimist vs. Non-optimist
How can you determine whether you think more optimistically or pessimistically?
“I do not like to use the word pessimistic because most people would never consider themselves pessimistic,” says Khan, “But, many people are willing to admit they are not optimistic.”
Khan, like Seligman and other experts on motivation, defines optimists and non-optimists by how they explain events in their lives. Optimists see setbacks as specific, temporary, and changeable. Because of this, they are motivated to take action. Non-optimists tend to look at setbacks as general, permanent, and hopeless—symptoms of widespread failure that cannot be changed.
For example, an optimist who did not follow through on an exercise routine for a week might say, “I had a lot going on this week. I did not plan my time too well. I will have to do better next week.” A pessimist in the same situation might say, “I have no self-discipline. I obviously will not be able to meet my goals. Exercise just is not for me.”
A Matter of Degree
Dr. Pierce Howard, author of The Owner’s Manual for the Brain, contends that the line between optimism and pessimism is far from clear-cut.
“You are not just an optimist or a pessimist, it is a matter of degree,” Dr. Howard says. “You can be successful in life anywhere along the continuum.” He points out that pessimistic thinkers make great tax accountants, while optimists are more suited for careers in sales.
A Good Mood
Mood also has an influence on whether optimistic or pessimistic thoughts dominate your brain, according to Dr. Susan Vaughan, author of Half Empty, Half Full, a book that explores how gaining control over moods can result in more positive thinking.
“Mood is a powerful filter on how we see things,” maintains Vaughan, who sees most people as a blend of optimism and pessimism, depending on the situation.
She points to three methods optimistic people tend to use to lift their moods:
- Alternative thinking—When bad things happen, optimists tend to take them less personally and come up with multiple alternatives for why they might have happened, then work actively to fix the situation.
- Downward comparison—Though it sounds unkind, optimists compare themselves to others who are in worse situations as a way to brighten their own spirits.
- Relaxation—Optimists tend to use exercise, yoga, and even “putting on a happy face” as ways to relax and improve their moods.
Optimism: Not Always the Answer
Not everyone agrees that the solution lies in being optimistic. “The idea that optimists are healthier than pessimists is overly simplistic,” says Dr. Howard Friedman, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside. “Many times, excessive optimism can be harmful to one’s health. This is especially evident among teenagers, who take many risks.” Friedman contends it can be damaging to think optimistically when it comes to difficult health choices like quitting smoking, using condom, or wearing seatbelts. “I do not agree that in general we should try to make everyone more optimistic. There is absolutely no evidence that trying to do so will improve the general health of the population,” Friedman says.
A Better Strategy
Seligman concurs that there are times when it pays not to be optimistic, such as when planning for a risky future, when advising those with poor chances for the future, and when trying to be sympathetic to others’ problems. When the cost of failure is high, he advises, optimism is the wrong strategy.
Still, there are times when optimism can be a powerful ally. When achievement is the goal, use optimism. If trying to recover from depression. for example, optimistic thoughts can boost your morale.
Negative to Positive Thinking
Seligman argues that optimism, like other interpersonal skills, can be learned. “The way you explain setbacks to yourself is as much a habit as the way you tie your shoes,” agrees Khan. “It is no harder or easier to change a thought habit than it is to change a physical habit.” He recommends writing about setbacks and practicing arguing with your less optimistic thoughts until a more realistic vision of what has happened and what is likely to happen in the future emerges.
“It takes work, discipline, and focus,” Khan says. “But if you do not think you have these things, those are the first non-optimistic thoughts to tear apart.”
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RESOURCES:
American Counseling Association
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Psychological Association
REFERENCES:
Optimism and health. Harvard Medical School website. Available at: http://harvardpart…. Accessed May 1, 2008. Updated May 8, 2011.
Positive psychology. Martin Seligman Research Alliance at the University of Pennsylvania website. Available at: http://psych.upenn.edu/seligman/pospsy.htm .
Segerstrom S, Taylor S, Kemeny M, Fahey J. Optimism is associated with mood, coping and immune change in response to stress. APA PsycNET website. Available at: http://psycnet.apa…. Published June 1998. Accessed May 9, 2011.
Filed under Mental Health, Stress Management
Turmeric: Helpful for Dyspepsia, Indigestion and Other Types of Digestive Relief
Turmeric is a widely used tropical herb in the ginger family. Its stalk is used both in food and medicine, yielding the familiar yellow ingredient that colors and adds flavor to curry. In the traditional Indian system of herbal medicine known as Ayurveda, turmeric is believed to strengthen the overall energy of the body, relieve gas, dispel worms, improve digestion, regulate menstruation, dissolve gallstones, and relieve arthritis, among other uses.
Modern interest in turmeric began in 1971 when Indian researchers found evidence suggesting that turmeric may possess anti-inflammatory properties. Much of this observed activity appeared to be due to the presence of a constituent called curcumin.1 Curcumin is also an antioxidant.2 Many of the studies mentioned in this article used curcumin rather than turmeric.
What Is Turmeric Used for Today?
Turmeric’s antioxidant abilities make it a good food preservative, provided that the food is already yellow in color, and it is widely used for this purpose.
Turmeric has been proposed as a treatment for dyspepsia. Dyspepsia is a catchall term that includes a variety of digestive problems, such as stomach discomfort, gas, bloating, belching, appetite loss, and nausea. Although many serious medical conditions can cause digestive distress, the term dyspepsia is most often used when no identifiable medical cause can be detected.
In Europe, dyspepsia is commonly attributed to inadequate bile flow from the gallbladder. While this has not been proven, turmeric does appear to stimulate the gallbladder.8 More importantly, one double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggests that turmeric does reduce dyspepsia symptoms.9
Another double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggests that, when taken along with standard medications, curcumin can help maintain remission in people with ulcerative colitis.40
Based on test tube studies, animal studies, and some preliminary human trials, curcumin and turmeric are frequently described as anti-inflammatory drugs and recommended for the treatment of such conditions as osteoarthritis (OA) and menstrual pain.3,17,18 In a 2011 study, researchers investigated the efficacy and safety of turmeric for treating knee OA.45 One hundred and seven people were randomized to receive ibuprofen (800 mg daily) or turmeric (2 grams daily) for 6 weeks. Both groups experienced a similar degree of improvement in their symptoms, and the side effects did not differ between the groups. Although this study is far from conclusively, some advocates suggest that curcumin is superior to standard medications in the ibuprofen family because, at standard doses, there is comparatively little evidence of harm to the stomach.4,5 Contrary to some reports, turmeric does not appear to be effective for treating ulcers.6,7
Animal and test tube studies suggest (but definitely do not prove) that turmeric might help prevent cancer.19-26
Weak evidence hints that curcumin might help prevent the heart and kidney injury potentially caused by the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.41-42
Some researchers have reported evidence that curcumin or turmeric might generally help protect the liver from damage.28-31 However, other researchers have failed to find any liver protective effects, and there are even some indications that turmeric extracts can damage the liver when taken in high doses or for an extended period.32,33
On the basis of even weaker evidence, curcumin or turmeric have also been recommended for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, cataracts, chronic anterior uveitis (an inflammation of the iris of the eye), fungal infections, multiple sclerosis, and treating high cholesterol.12,34-39,46
One preliminary study failed to find curcumin helpful for lichen planus, a disease of the skin and mucous membranes.43
A 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 36 seniors failed to find that consumption of curcumin (at a dose of up to 4 g daily) led to improvements in cholesterol profile.44
What Is the Scientific Evidence for Turmeric?
Dyspepsia
A double-blind, placebo controlled study performed in Thailand compared the effects of 500 mg curcumin 4 times daily against placebo, as well as against a locally popular over-the-counter treatment. A total of 116 people were enrolled in the study. After 7 days, 87% percent of the curcumin group experienced full or partial symptom relief from dyspepsia as compared to 53% of the placebo group, and this difference was statistically significant.9
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a disease of the lower digestive tract marked by alternating periods of quiescence and flare-up. Curcumin has shown some promise for helping to maintain remission and prevent relapse. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 89 people with quiescent ulcerative colitis were given either placebo or curcumin (1 g twice daily) along with standard treatment.40 Over the six-month treatment period, relapse rate was significantly lower in the treatment group as compared to the placebo group.
Dosage
For medicinal purposes, turmeric is frequently taken in a form standardized to curcumin content, at a dose that provides 400 to 600 mg of curcumin 3 times daily.
Safety Issues
Turmeric is on the FDA’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list, and curcumin, too, is believed to be fairly nontoxic.1,16 Reported side effects are uncommon and are generally limited to mild stomach distress.
However, there is some evidence to suggest that turmeric extracts can be toxic to the liver when taken in high doses or for a prolonged period of time.32,33 For this reason, turmeric products should probably be avoided by individuals with liver disease and those who take medications that are hard on the liver.
In addition, due to curcumin’s stimulating effects on the gallbladder, individuals with gallbladder disease should use curcumin only on the advice of a physician. However, safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, and those with severe kidney disease have also not been established.
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Click here to review the References for this article at the iHerb Health Library.
How to Get Creative in the Kitchen
Creative cooks use kitchen utensils—as well as gadgets not normally found in the kitchen—in unusual ways to make healthful, tasty meals in no time. Here are some of their secrets and tips.
If you can push a button, you can make gazpacho.
Put chopped, fresh tomatoes (it doesn’t matter how many) and about one-third as many peeled, seeded, chopped cucumbers into a blender; add a little chopped onion and minced garlic along with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil; toss in spices such as pepper, dill, and a dash of wine vinegar; push mince, grate, purée, shred, or whatever other button you want, and voilá —healthful soup that can go straight to the table without any fussing at the stove.
The point here: Blenders are not just for smoothies (or daiquiris).
“Untapped” Equipment
That’s how it is throughout your kitchen. You’ve got “untapped” equipment that can be used in ways you haven’t thought of to prepare dishes that are nutritious, low in fat, and good-tasting all at once. Some of the country’s top chefs and cookbook writers have been onto it for some time.
Consider the way the blender is used by Rozanne Gold, who was consulting chef to The Rainbow Room in New York for nine years and is author of several Recipes 1-2-3 cookbooks. “If I make linguini,” Gold says, “I take some of the hot cooking water, fresh parsley, and flavored olive oil and blend them together in the blender to pour over the pasta.” She adds, “I just recently started freezing olive oil in little ice cube trays.” Just a cube of frozen oil “makes the sauce very, very creamy” without adding too many calories to a dish that’s going to feed several people.
Gold also uses Dixie cups to make yogurt cheese. Her method: Take about a half dozen cups, poke little holes in their bottoms with kabob skewers, and fill each cup with yogurt. Then put the cups on a rack with a pan underneath, and refrigerate. When the liquid drains out (after four to eight hours), remove the yogurt from the cups. Each perfectly shaped yogurt cheese mound—high in calcium and with little to no fat—can then be used, say, as the centerpiece of a dessert surrounded by a fruit coulis and sprinkled with berries. Or try it as a first course—surround with oven-roasted tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.
Simple Tricks to Add Flavor With Spices
Another trick of Gold’s is to use a metal tea ball “with all the little holes in it” to make something of a bouquet garni. “Put spices in it,” she says, “and dip it into soups or stews.” That way, “you don’t have to mess around with a cheese cloth.” You can also fill a tea ball with star anise, cinnamon, and cloves to flavor a warm apple cider. With cooking in general, the more you make of spices, herbs, and the like, the less fat you need to carry flavor.
That’s why Sarah Fritschner, author of The Express Lane Cookbook, makes spice rubs with a coffee grinder. Few words will send a busy cook away from a recipe faster than “with a mortar and pestle,” she says. But a coffee grinder can grind fresh spices in seconds to rub on lean cuts of meat and take over the taste buds where the fat ends. (The grinder easily comes clean by rubbing with a dry paper towel.)
For two to three pounds of chicken breast, Fritschner recommends:
- Two tablespoons of ground cumin
- One tablespoon each of paprika, chili powder, and dried oregano
- Two teaspoons light brown sugar
- One teaspoon each freshly ground pepper and salt
New Uses for Pots, Pans, and the Like
For making the best-tasting tofu dishes, which are high in the soy protein that may help ward off heart disease, Asian cooking connoisseur Nina Simonds recommends a cast iron frying pan or Dutch oven—but not necessarily for cooking the tofu. Rather, she uses heavy cookware “as a press to get as much liquid as you can out of it. It’s the best thing to do with tofu to get people to eat it,” she says. “Getting the water out allows other flavors to penetrate.” Simonds adds that people also find the firmer texture of water-pressed tofu more to their liking.
One easy way to make tofu is to put barbecue sauce on it and bake at 350° for 25 minutes, Or, grill it over medium-high heat for five to eight minutes on each side until it’s brown.” Simonds, the author of A Spoonful of Ginger: Irresistible, Health-Giving Recipes from Asian Kitchens, also recommends seasoning it with—what else?—ginger.
Steven Raichlen, who penned the High-Flavor, Low-Fat Cookbook series, advises turning a wok into a stove-top smoker. Line the wok with foil and put a tablespoon of wood chips at the bottom—cherry, hickory, or whatever flavor suits you. Then put a round cake rack on top of the wok and put your kitchen fan on full blast to deal with the smoke.
“I love to smoke salmon that way,” Raichlen says. “Turn the heat on high, and when you see whiffs of smoke, turn it down to medium. Then cover it. Cook the salmon for about 20 minutes.” It gives the fish that “hammy, bacony flavor” without any fat, Raichlen explains. It also works on chicken breast.
Raichlen also recommends using the grill for things that are often deep-fried.
“I live in Miami,” he says. “One of my favorite dishes is fried plantains—the Cuban version of French fries. Cooking them over a high-heat grill gives them the same carmelization of sugars [as frying] and wonderful taste without the fat.
“The whole trick to cooking a plantain,” explains Raichlen, who also authored Healthy Latin Cooking, is to “let it ripen till it’s so black it looks like you should throw it out.”
John Willoughby, co-author of License to Grill, had no unusual grilling recommendations, but he did suggest using a garlic press to juice ginger as opposed to using a ginger grater. “You scrape your knuckles with the grater,” he says.
James Peterson, who wrote the James Beard Award winning cookbook Vegetables, doesn’t use a garlic press for any reason. “It’s hard to clean and doesn’t work very well,” he opines. “I crush garlic with the side of a knife.
“I hate gadgets because I can never find them,” Peterson adds. Which may be why he has found uncommon uses for a number of common kitchen tools. For instance, he peels kiwis by maneuvering a dessert spoon or elongated soup spoon under the skin (after cutting off the two ends). “The pulp slips right out,” he says, and you can make “pretty rounds or wedges” to top fruit salads or other healthful dishes. “If you use a peeler,” Peterson notes, “it could just crush the kiwi. You’re also likely to waste a lot of the fruit. It’s hard to peel.”
To juice a lemon, Peterson cuts it in half crosswise, sticks a fork into it, holds it over a bowl, and rotates the fork with one hand while squeezing the lemon with the other. No juicer needed.
Hangers, Combs, and Toothbrushes in the Kitchen?
Peterson grills bell peppers on his electric stove by bending a wire coat hanger into a trivet-like device. If you’ve got a gas stove, he says, the pepper grills easily. It doesn’t work so well with an electric one. That’s where the hanger comes in. Bend the sides of the hanger down and set the thing flat on the stove-top electric coil. Then place the pepper on top. The distance from the heat source created by the wire is just enough to give the pepper some charred skin.
Peterson isn’t the only one to use items in the kitchen that come from other rooms. The author of The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, Jack Bishop, sometimes employs a plastic comb to “imprint ridges” into gnocchi. (“The ridges are where the sauce adheres,” he explains.) Rolling the gnocchi over a comb can make it a little easier to create the ridges than working with the tines of a fork. “Presumably,” Bishop says, “it’s a comb you haven’t used on your hair.”
Another bathroom tool found in Bishop’s kitchen is a toothbrush “to get lemon zest out of a grater.” Half the zest always “ends up between the little holes in the grater,” he says. “It’s wet and sticky, and banging it against the counter to get it out doesn’t work.” But with a toothbrush, “you can brush it all out. Just put the toothbrush in the dishwasher to clean it,” he advises.
Finally, Paula Wolfert, who wrote The Cooking of Southwest France, says she uses a melon baller “to remove the choke from artichokes.” In addition, she explains that a great way to get some of the fat out of homemade confit of duck is to steam it in your couscous cooker. “You could also steam the confit in a covered colander over boiling water,” she offers.
Of course, if you’re making your own duck confit, you probably have your own couscous cooker.
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Filed under Cooking, Recipes and Food Issues
Suggested Uses for Nutmeg Essential Oil
Nutmeg is valued by great cooks everywhere for its versatility in the kitchen. Its nutty, spicy, and slightly sweet taste makes it a valuable ingredient in everything from meat dishes to desserts. So prized was nutmeg that in the Middle Ages the Dutch plotted extreme measures to keep the price high, while the English and French hatched their own counterplots to obtain fertile seeds so they could cultivate it themselves.
Besides its culinary uses, nutmeg is also a highly valued aromatic. The Romans used it as incense, and the Egyptians for embalming. Indians found nutmeg to be perfect for intestinal disorders, and Italians found it useful in combating the Plague. In the Middle Ages, nutmeg was grated and used with lard as an ointment for hemorrhoids. Today, nutmeg is used in aromatherapy for a variety of ailments, from circulatory problems to boosting libido.
Therapeutic uses:
Appetite, arthritis, bad breath, circulation, digestive problems, fainting spell, gout, impotence, libido, muscle pain, nervous fatigue and rheumatism.
Essential Oil Applications:
For arthritis, gout, muscle pain, and rheumatism, use 2-3 drops in a carrier oil and massage on affected area. Can also be used in a diffuser.
To stimulate appetite, use 2-3 drops in a diffuser.
For bad breath, use a few drops in water as a mouthwash.
For circulatory health, mix 2-3 drops in a carrier oil and massage all over body.
For digestive problems, use 8-10 drops in bath water. Can also use 2-3 drops in a diffuser.
To revive after a fainting spell, use 2-3 drops on a cotton ball or handkerchief; place under nose of the person who fainted.
For hemorrhoids, mix 2-3 drops of oil with 2 tablespoons of liquid lanolin. Apply to affected area. Can also add to a carrier oil.
For nervous fatigue, use 2-3 drops in a diffuser, or add 8-10 drops in bath water.
For impotence and to revive libido, use 6-8 drops in a bath.
Mixes Well With:
Bergamot, clary sage, clove, geranium, lime, myrrh, orange, rosemary, tangerine and tea trea.
Extraction Method:
Steam or water distillation
Parts Used:
Dried worm-eaten nutmeg seed (worms eat all the starch and fat content).
Safety Information:
Avoid if pregnant. Very large doses can cause nausea or stupor
More Info:
The Power of Aromatherapy
Getting Started with Aromatherapy
The Choosing, Blending and the Caring of Your Essential Oils
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Filed under Aromatherapy
Salsa Verde Sliders with Avocado Mayo
Photo Credit to Nikki of The Tolerant Vegan Blog
Hamburgers are such an American iconic dish which are known for its specific ingredients; namely, hamburger patty, mayo, ketchup and/or mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickle. But with people trying to lessen their meat intake, I’m always on the lookout for meatless versions.
So when I came upon this recipe for Salsa Verde Sliders with Avocado Mayo from Nikki, who writes The Tolerant Vegan Blog, I knew I had to share it. It’s a great alternative or a break from a traditional burger and I’m sure that your body would probably appreciate the fresh vegetables that make up these veggie patties. Click here to see original recipe post.
For those of you are just becoming vegan or have been vegan for a number of years, Nikki’s vegan recipes will be a great fit for your lifestyle plus they sound pretty tasty, too, like her Baked Blueberry Donuts or her Chocolate Potato Cake with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting. You can also check out the “Eat” tab section of her blog to get even more recipe inspirations.
Salsa Verde Sliders with Avocado Mayo
1/4 cup Now Foods, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1-15 oz. Eden Foods Organic Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill, Cornmeal, Fine Grind
1/2 cup Ian’s Natural Foods, Panko Breadcrumbs, Original Style
1 tsp Eden Foods, Sea Salt, Portuguese Triple Sea Water Washed
1/2 cup salsa verde
12 slider buns of your choice
1 avocado (pitted, meat only)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise, such as Veganaise
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
mini heirloom tomatoes for topping (optional)
To make the burgers, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for 20 minutes, until caramelized. Chop vegetables while the onions are cooking. Combine the caramelized onions, black beans, carrots, corn, bell pepper, spinach, cornmeal, breadcrumbs and sea salt in a large bowl and stir. Add in the salsa verde and use your hands to form patties.
Pour two tablespoons of olive oil into a skillet and fry the patties over medium heat. They should cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until they begin to brown. Cook longer for a crispier burger, and add more olive oil each time you add new patties to the skillet.
While the burgers are cooking, whip up the mayo by placing the avocado, Veganaise and garlic in a bowl and stirring with a fork until combined. Place the burgers on the buns, top with mayo (and put mayo on the bottom if you’re like me and you love a mess) and tomatoes.
iHerb sells thousands of natural food items, everything from stevia to gluten free flours to much more! Click here to take a look at our product offerings. If you’re new to iHerb, you can use Coupon Code WOW123 to get $5 off your first order.
Filed under Cooking, Recipes and Food Issues
Learn More About Triglycerides
Blood triglycerides may be an important factor in your risk for heart disease. Your doctor may become concerned if your cholesterol level is too high. But another type of fatty substance found in the blood, known as triglycerides, may also need to be monitored in the effort to prevent heart disease. That is because research has identified high triglyceride levels as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, even when cholesterol levels are normal.
What Are Triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a form of fat present in food, human body fat, and blood. Blood triglyceride levels are affected by dietary fat and are manufactured in the body from other energy sources, such as carbohydrates. Triglycerides are also stored as body fat.An elevation of blood triglycerides is referred to as hypertriglyceridemia. The blood test to measure triglyceride levels is easy and can be done along with a routine blood test that also measures various types of cholesterol. (The most accurate results are obtained when a person fasts before this test.) Triglyceride levels can be quite variable, so several measurements may be needed to provide accurate baseline values.
How High Is Too High?
An elevated triglyceride level can be an independent medical problem or can be due to another existing medical problem. For instance, people with poorly controlled type 1 or type 2 diabetes often have elevated triglyceride levels. Elevated triglycerides can also be brought on by thyroid disorders, kidney problems, obesity, excess alcohol, and taking certain medicines.The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) classifies the ranges of fasting triglyceride levels in the following way:
- Normal—less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (1.7 mmol/L)
- Borderline high—150-199 mg/dL (1.7-2.2 mmol/L)
- High—200-499 mg/dL (2.3-5.6 mmol/L)
- Very high—more than or equal to 500 mg/dL (5.7 mmol/L)
Studies have found that high triglycerides levels may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other conditions. There are steps that you can take, though, to lower your levels.
Ways to Tame Triglycerides
Here are some tips from the experts:
- Increase physical activity —Aerobic exercise can help with weight loss and can decrease triglyceride levels at the same time. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week. But, first get approval from your doctor.
- Maintain a healthy weight—Studies have shown losing weight and maintaining an ideal weight to be associated with decreased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol.
- Cut down on carbs —Carbohydrates are basically divided into two categories: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates tend to be sweet, such as soft drinks, desserts, candies, and syrup. Complex carbohydrates are found in bread, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables. If recommended by your doctor, reduce your intake of simple carbs.
- Eat more fruits, veggies, and low-fat dairy products—Include these choices as part of your healthy diet.
- Choose fats wisely —Instead of choosing foods high in saturated and trans fats, pick food that contains unsaturated fat. Examples include certain oils (eg, olive, corn, canola), nuts, seeds, avocados, and food with omega-3 fatty acids (eg, fish, flaxseed).
- Eat more fish —Omega-3 fatty acids are found in all types of fish, but are more abundant in fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herring. Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include tofu, soybeans, flaxseed, canola oil, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.
- Limit alcohol —According to the American Heart Association (AHA), small amounts of alcohol can increase triglyceride levels.
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RESOURCES:
National Cholesterol Education Program
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
REFERENCES:
Austin MA, et al. Cardiovascular disease mortality in familial forms of hypertriglyceridemia: a 20-year prospective study. Circulation . 2000;101:2777-2782.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity for everyone: how much physical activity do adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov…. Updated May 10, 2010. Accessed June 15, 2010.
DynaMed Editorial Team. Hypertriglyceridemia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated June 10, 2010. Accessed June 15, 2010.
National Cholesterol Education Program website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncep/index.htm .
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov .
Triglycerides. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4778. Accessed June 15, 2010.
Filed under Cholesterol and Heart Health
The Healthy Haven 