Roasted yellow zucchini with squash

I got some yellow zucchini and squash in my  CSA produce on Tuesday and since I was barbequing, I decided to prepare it as a side dish. I love roasting vegetables as its so easy and with just olive oil and some seasonings it tastes delicious. The yellow zucchini is high in vitamin C and fiber and has beta carotene, which is a form of vitamin A. I added a green jalapeno to give it a kick.

Ingredients
2 yellow zucchini
2 yellow squash.
1 green jalapeño chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
Method
Chop the zucchini and squash into moon shape sizes. Place in a dish add the jalapeño and Pour olive oil, garlic and seasonings. Mix well and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I usually roast my vegetables in a roasting pan in a single layer as it prevents the vegetables from being mushy.

Farmers Markets

I cannot believe its already the end of July, time has flown by. I have a new found admiration for women that work full time and look after the house. I am working full time this summer as a Culinary instructor at Harlem Children Zone and when I get home at 5, I really do not feel like cooking, but the produce that is available at the farmers market is so fresh and delicious that it would be really sad to not use it

I am part of a CSA( Community Supported Agriculture) where every week, I pick up a bunch of fruits and vegetables that come from a  local farm, the cost is 14 dollars and  produce is different every week and you never know in advance, so come Tuesday, I decide what to cook using all the fresh produce. I also go to the farmers market near work in Harlem and near my house weekly. I love the colors of all the fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. In July the fresh produce is abundant and all local. The taste is so different from the produce at the grocery store.

I have realized that exploring farmers markets is one of my favorite past times, I am like a kid in a candy shop and don’t realize how much money I have spent till I get home. In Miami, the Coconut Grove Farmers market was amazing, in Chicago the Lincoln Park farmers market was divine and here the 67th St market is exhilarating. Whenever I travel, I love to explore the markets. The European fresh markets are huge and so diverse. The St. Joseph market in Barcelona has been my favorite so far.

So this week, I got some yellow squash, nectarines and red peppers and mint. I made   a salad with red peppers and mint and added quinoa and chick peas to make it more substantial. I made a nectarine crumble and I roasted the yellow squash with olive oil and garlic. Such simple ingredients but explosive fresh taste. I used good quality olive oil and fresh garlic and freshly squeezed lemon juice for my salad dressing.

In conclusion, we have less than 6 weeks of summer left and I hope everyone is able to go to a farmers market and taste the juicy, crunchy flavorful produce. I even love the fresh butter and cheese at the market. I have to admit that the fresh fruit breads and muffins are my weakness!!

 

Probiotics

I wanted to talk about probiotics as I have been doing research on gut and foods that heal the gut.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system. … But your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called “good” or “helpful” bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.

I personally feel that taking a probiotic supplement is not the best way to go for your health. We need to get all our nutrients from the fresh food we eat.

Lactobacillus is one of the active bacteria that our gut needs, in order to prevent the bacteria from diminishing we need to eat cultured foods that have probiotics in them.

Examples include, fermented foods like yogurt, kefir sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and Lassi and many others. Apple cider vinegar is also fermented and is great to use in salad dressings. I have a great dressing recipe, which I will add.

We need to add these foods regularly to our diet. I personally have added kefir and yogurt to my diet, both have active cultures of Lactobacillus. The Food and Drug Administration require yogurts that have active cultures to be labeled. It’s very important to understand that all yogurts do not have active cultures, especially the sweetened ones. Pasteurized milk does not have any cultures as the pasteurization process kills all active bacteria.

The sheep milk yogurt, I ate in Crete daily, is cultured with raw milk and the lactic acid is what gives the slightly sour taste, but because it’s made with whole milk, it’s creamy. The Fat in grass fed animal milk is fine in moderation as it has omega 3s which have shown to have benefits to the body. Sheep milk protein is easier to digest than cows milk protein.

So read the labels on yogurt and try add some of the above fermented foods in your diet.

Our gut health is crucial to prevent many diseases and with all the processed foods we consume the gut bacteria are diminishing which then leads to inflammation and many other health problems.

Cretan Diet

I just returned from Crete and apart from the drop dead views, the food is what I will miss.

The food in Crete is all grown in Crete and everywhere you go, you buy local. The apricot, cherries and oranges were juicy and bursting with sweetness. The vegetables which included fresh butter lettuce, sweet tomatoes and crisp cucumbers were  full of flavor. The fresh herbs like oregano and thyme added amazing aroma to our salads and grilled chicken. Not to forget the taste of fresh olive oil and olives.

What I loved the most was the fresh Sheep milk yogurt and cheese, oh my god that taste was just so creamy and unforgettably melt in your mouth. I added Greek walnuts, dried figs and local thyme honey to the yogurt every day. The yogurt is set in clay pots, which takes away some of the sourness of the yogurt. I am on the lookout for home made sheep milk yogurt in New York!

greek-yogurt.jpg

I returned to New York with a few of the foods, but the yogurt and cheeses were obviously not allowed. I decided to do some research on Sheep’s milk and was surprised at the benefits compared to cows milk. I also did some research on the benefits of yogurt and Kefir a yogurt drink that is pretty common in Greece.  In my next blog I will share the information I learnt which pertains to a healthy gut.

So back to the Cretan diet, characterized especially by a high consumption of vegetables and olive oil and moderate consumption of protein,”researchers found that people who eat a Mediterranean diet have lower odds of having a heart attack” studies done on world diets have shown the Mediterranean diet to be the healthiest in terms of heart health. What’s amazing is that if we eat local this diet even tastes good and is not that expensive. This diet is not low in fat as olive oil is calorific, but a small amount is satiating and keeps you full. I personally feel the low fat craze has made our taste buds dull and causes increased hunger. Low fat products are also processed, they are changed from their original state, usually by adding some sugar or artificial ingredient,the Cretan diet is not for weight loss, but for flavor and heart health its the best way to eat.

Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler: Obesity problem ‘is worse than we think’ – The Washington Post

Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. David A. Kessler discusses the issue of obesity in America saying, “I think we have failed in giving nutritional advice to people.”
— Read on www.washingtonpost.com/video/postlive/wplive/former-fda-commissioner-david-kessler-obesity-problem-is-worse-than-we-think/2018/06/20/a98edecc-74c7-11e8-bda1-18e53a448a14_video.html

Frozen Food Fan? As Sales Rise, Studies Show Frozen Produce Is As Healthy As Fresh : The Salt : NPR

Frozen Food Fan? As Sales Rise, Studies Show Frozen Produce Is As Healthy As Fresh : The Salt : NPR
— Read on www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/05/17/611693137/frozen-food-fan-as-sales-rise-studies-show-frozen-produce-is-as-healthy-as-fresh

Now That Calorie Labels Are Federal Law, Will We Eat Less? : The Salt : NPR

Now That Calorie Labels Are Federal Law, Will We Eat Less? : The Salt : NPR
— Read on www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/05/07/609052865/now-that-calorie-labels-are-federal-law-will-we-eat-less

Roasted baby peppers and cauliflower with Asiago and Parmesan

Today, my nephew came for dinner, so I made a chicken biryani. We needed a simple vegetable to complement it.

I wanted to use some of my vegetables in the fridge and decided to roast the vegetables. I had cauliflower and peppers that I sliced and then made a olive oil mix with fresh garlic, red chili flakes and some herbs. A few minutes before I served it, I sprinkled some Asiago and Parmesan cheese. It was a great side to the spicy biryani. Sadly I was unable to get a picture once it was done, we consumed it immediately. It was delicious and it will be a side, that will be my go to.

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that is an anti carcinogen. It is very high in Vitamin C and is a good source of magnesium and B6.

1 head of cauliflower has 12 grams of fiber and 1700 mg of potassium. It also has iron, vitamin K and folate.

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
  • 6 small baby sweet peppers
  • 4 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup shredded Asiago and Parmesan cheese.

Method

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the cauliflower and peppers on a roasting pan. Mix the olive oil and all the herbs and spices and then mix it into the vegetables. Roast for around 30 min. Sprinkle the cheese mix and then roast for 10 more minutes.

Time flies! Raw Mangoes

I cannot believe that April 16th was my last post. I love blogging but somehow between traveling and fasting, I just didn’t get to open my laptop and got caught up with other things. Not to say that this has not been on my mind, I have been making notes on paper, regarding Nutrition advice. Sadly in the cooking department, I have been very lazy and hardly cooked till yesterday.

Hopefully over the next few weeks, I will put it all down here. My cousin Asma’s advice was just put something small down weekly, but don’t stop. Sadly I didn’t take the advice and realized now that she was absolutely right.

So most of my Muslim friends know it’s Ramadan and we fast from Sunrise to Sunset. It is hard, but by Gods Grace we get through it. The warm weather makes it harder due to thirst and it’s very important to get our fluids either from foods or liquids so we do not get dehydrated.

On a side note, please read my friend Dr. Shamaila’s Facebook page, she has taped a great video on the health related concerns on fasting. It’s called the Healing Med.

After some research, I came up with a list of foods that help with hydration.

I bought watermelon, pineapples lemons, mint, cucumbers and radishes, I also bought a lot of salad ingredients to get my leafy greens. I found some raw mangoes too.

Since I was missing Pakistan, I decided to use my raw mangoes and I remembered a recipe that an Indian friend gave me. It is a salsa made with cucumber, mint, pineapple and the raw mango. It turned out delicious and fresh and sour and sweet. My husband and son loved it, even though they do not like the taste of raw mangoes. I on the other hand can eat raw mangoes daily with salt and chili powder.

Raw mangoes are usually green in color, they are excellent sources of Vitamin C due to their citric acid. They are great in helping the liver detoxify the body and can be used in the prevention of excessive water loss. In Pakistan and India they are used to make a refreshing drink to cool the body. My mother in law even made raw mango curry!

Cucumbers are low in calories and contain a large amount of water and soluble fiber, they are amazing for hydration and weight loss.

Pineapple are rich in vitamins and enzymes. They help strengthen the immune system and help with digestion.

This salsa recipe is topped with a mint chutney, that is a bit different from the ones we make back home.

Raw Mango Salsa

Ingredients

  • 2 raw green mangoes peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
  • 1 cup chopped cucumbers
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 4 green chilies
  • 1/4 cup raw peanuts
  • 1/4 cup curry leaves
  • 1-2 teaspoon fresh ginger
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice.
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Method

In a blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients starting with the cilantro and ending with the sugar. Do not add too much water. The ginger flavor can be strong, so add less if you find it over powering.

Mix the raw mango, cucumber and pineapple and let them sit for sometime, so the flavors can mix, then add the chutney and serve.

We had it as a side to our dinner which was a ground beef with peas and khitchri which is rice cooked with with yellow moong daal. I have added pictures of my meal..l.

My photography is pretty bad, hopefully in the next few months, Saniya can help me improve!!

Watch your portions

Portion Control

“Even when you’re making healthy food choices, portion size matters. While it’s not necessary to be thin to be healthy, overweight and obesity are associated with many negative health consequences. Eating oversized portions packs on the pounds because, healthy or not, all foods and most beverages have calories, and consuming excess calories causes weight gain.

Managing portion sizes in today’s food environment is a constant challenge. How much we eat is influenced by how food looks and smells, how tasty it is, how long we sit at the table, social norms, and even the size of the package or how much we’re served. A review of 72 controlled trials on portion control found that people eat and drink more when they are offered larger-sized portions, packages, or plates than when offered smaller-sized versions of the same food or meal. This is a big concern for all of us when we consider that restaurant portions and package sizes have increased substantially over the past few decades. A typical muffin in the U.S., for example, is 333 percent bigger than the standard USDA serving size, and a serving of pasta offered at your favorite restaurant could be up to 480 percent larger. Being mindful of the size of the plate or the serving size is important because, as we become accustomed to seeing these portions, we may see them as the norm rather than the exception.

Mastering Portion Sizes

Don’t let packaging and marketing distort your image of how much food you need. Try these tips to manage portions in an oversized world:

• Use 9-inch plates and smaller bowls and serving spoons.

• Don’t bring serving dishes to the dining table. Serve food before sitting down.

• Never eat out of a package. Try portioning snacks into individual containers or bags for grab-and-go eating.

• Use a measuring cup occasionally to check how your serving of cereal compares to the package serving size.

• Don’t “supersize” it.

• Split restaurant entrees, or have half packed up in a to-go container before being brought to the table.

• Order appetizers or small plates as entrees.

• Skip appetizers, soup, and dessert when eating at a restaurant.

• Choose nutrient-rich, minimally processed foods, such as whole fruits, non-starchy vegetables, beans, nuts, and low-fat or fat free yogurt, which are more satisfying than starch- or sugar-rich foods.”

This is a preview to a great book called-

Change your diet. Change your life.