Sunday 29 September 2013

Healthy cooking oil

 Healthy Cooking Oil

        You can see more no of adds on TV, News daily, magazines about the good oil ranging from the good old ground nut oil to the recent rice brand oil, claiming their worth everyday, but to what extent these claims are true?
        Confusing! Buying the right oil  for health has become a Himalayan task.

        Basically, every cooking oil is pure fat obtained from plants or animals.  One gram of cooking oil whether its from plants or animals provides nine calories, and the researchers recommend  a maximum of 20grm or 4 teaspoon of oil is enough for an adult, are we on this table? with only 4 teaspoon of oil!!

        So obviously, the type of oil we use in our food determines the health, like heart diseases, obesity, acidity,etc.. All cooking oil is made up of a combination of fatty acids, either its is from plants or animals, in way of saturated, mono-saturated or poly unsaturated.  The combination of their proportions classify the oil as saturated, mono unsaturated, or poly unsaturated.

       Saturated fats the no 1 health deteriorater, found in animals fats, like ghee, butter, lard(a fat that's found in meat) , and coconut oil, and palm oil from plants also are very high in saturated fat,  a fat that is a definite big  NO NO for your heart health, the best fact about this fat is they not only raise the LDL (the bad cholesterol) in blood but also they reduce HDL( the good cholesterol) in blood, they always work more for their money, nice!!

       Those oils which has the  mono unsaturated fatty acids and poly unsaturated fatty acids are recommended good for health in view for their quality of bringing down the LDL cholesterol. But again in this also the oil which we use should have the combination of both than using one them continuously, and omega 3 fatty acids are extremely good for the heart, selecting an oil rich in omega 3 fats is also becoming a vital issue on selecting the oil. So which oil to choose?

       Mustard oil, canola oil, olive oil, groundnut oil, and gingelly oil have the best combination of good and bad fatty acids, out of these oils gingelly oil is an excellent option. Though soybean, corn, sunflower and safflower oils have low saturated  fatty acid content, the MUFA content is lower than the PUFA content, which is not a good factor.  Mustard oil is been found to have reducing the chances of heart disease almost by 70%, and moreover the nutritional content in mustard oil is found almost equal to the much praised olive oil. So cooking in mustard oil seems to be the best option when compared in terms of its cost effect with olive oil. This could be the wisest health investment one could make.


Best Oil for Frying




       Now we will see which is the best oil for frying? when we talk about cooking you can ask why separate frying, because frying occupies almost 75% of our cooking all over the world and especially, the east. The high heat during frying decomposes or breaks down the oil producing cancerous substances.  So the choice should be naturally for the oil that can withstand the high temperature without foaming and smoking, with this in mind we can go only for groundnut oil and gigellly oil, which has the quality to withstand the excess temperature of frying.

       All said and done, the best bet is to use a variety of oils judiciously, by making a combination of all the oils  which will ensure a healthy intake of the oil factor. So that you can also need not worry of less or more fatty acids intake, by using one oil alone.  Use mustard, sesame, canola and olive oil for cooking, and groundnut and gingelly oil for frying, and olive oil for salads, and your pasta.  Most importantly what ever oil you use the main point to be remembered is use it LESS.


Trans Fats

        Try to avoid the more speaking fats one can't  ignore the latest demon on the health scene the trans fats or vegetable oils.  These oils are partially hydrogenated. These hydrogenated oils help to improve the texture, flavor, taste and spread ability of food manufactured with them.  This is more used by the processed food industry all over the world.  You can find this oil in biscuits, crackers, cookies, rusks, breads and buns and breakfast cereals, bread spreads and salad dressings cakes, and cake mixes, microwave popcorn, pizza, burgers and French fries, heat and eat curries, artificial creamers, chocolates, and candy and ice creams.

       You can ask if trans fats make food so tasty, why are they are called bad?  Because trans fat foul up the body's entire machinery. They cause weight gain and excess abdominal fat both risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. They increase LDL cholesterol which is the main ingredient for clogging up arteries and lower HDL cholesterol. The trans fats interfere with metabolism of fats and elevate blood triglyceride levels, if one continues to eat trans fat rich foods, it sets the stage for a heart attack.

       Like other oils , we can say a safe limit for trans fats.  Though some amount of trans fats are found in whole milk and meats it is so harmful since it comes naturally when  compared with the artificially hydrogenated trans fats that's available in the market.

Remember:


    As a general measure, cook wholesome meals at home with healthy oil

    When shopping, avoid foods that mention shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient.

    Since it is now mandatory to put trans fats content on the label, choose foods with no transfats.

    Avoid eating at roadside fast foods.

    Restrict eating out, avoid gravies, creamy sauces and salad dressings.

    Opt for stir fried over fried and grilled over curried.


                                             LESS IS ALWAYS MORE HERE.


Thursday 26 September 2013

Microwave facts and Microwave cooking

Microwave cooking

how to use your microwave oven effectively

Microwaves have evolved as a special cooking device. Combination ovens as they are now called, integrate convection cooking and baking with the microwave feature. But how should we microwave effectively.

Nuts and Micro power:

        Hard nuts like pecans, walnuts and Brazil nuts can be de shelled in the microwave with ease. Take  a bowl filled with water, placing the nuts inside, cover it and bring to a boil on high for 3 -4 minutes. Let the nuts remain in water for a minute, then drain and cool. Open them with care, as the shells will have filed with water. The nut meals should come out whole.

        Slightly softer almonds and chestnuts can also be easily peeled after using the microwave. Bring one cup of water to a boil in about 1 to 2 minutes on high place the almonds in the boiled water and microwave again on high for a minute. After draining, the skins should peel easily.

       Ches nuts can be done with equal ease. Place in a bowl of water after making a cut in the ends. cover and let it come to a boil. Boil for another minute, cool for 5 to 10 minutes, peel one at a time, leaving the rest in water.

       It is easy to toast nuts in the microwave and they are also tasty to eat. A microwave dish or bowl, sprayed with spray oil or butter, is to be used for toasting seasoning, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Toast seeds for 3 to 4 minutes on high and nuts for about 3 to 7 minutes. The nuts needs to be stirred every couple of minutes as soon as they begin to brown, take out. The nuts will darken, as they cool.

      Exercise prudence, be very careful of what dishes, you microwave your foods in. Be cautious while using anything that does not say microwave safe. Manufacturers will tell you there  is a reason for leveling. Many plastics are not microwave safe, giving off to sins when heated. Many plastics can dissolve or warp at quite low temperatures. Be careful not to use take out packaging, unless it contains no metal which can prove detrimental to microwave safety or waxed paper, as they will melt your food.

Defrost with Ease:

      The microwave is the most convenient way to defrost meat. Leaving it on the kitchen counter in open air is tantamount to inviting bacterial growth, leading food poisoning. By using the microwave, one can do away with the risk. However, one has to be careful not to end up with half cooked, half frozen meat. Most microwaves have special settings for defrosting. Flip through your microwave manual and also pre test to avoid problems. Most microwaves have a 10 minute per kg setting. The food requires to be constantly checked, so do turn and rearrange it at constant intervals.

Chocolates to melt:

      A microwave is also ideal for melting chocolates. Take a microwave safe dish placing chocolate chips, or baking chocolate, broken into squares or block chocolates onto it. It is preferable to use a measuring cup. And determine the time setting accordingly. For one cup or more cook on high for 1 minute, then stir. Cook for 30 seconds more and stir until chocolate is completely smooth. For quantities less than a cup, start at 30 seconds and an additional 15 seconds interval as needed.


     If you want to dish up a quick chocolate sauce, add to 1 cup of chocolate chip, 1/4 cup of non fat milk and stir hard and serve immediately.

Raising Bread:

     The microwave also gives excellent effects in raising bread dough which is otherwise a very tedious process. After kneading the dough, arrange it in a bowl, cover with wax paper and microwave on low (10%) power for 5 minutes, rotate the bowl and microwave for 5 more minutes. Let it remain for 5 to 8 minutes there.

     Following which, cook in a conventional oven. However do not forget to test the power of the oven which is an essential prerequisite. It is important that the temperature is kept very low, when raising bread. An excellent test is by way of microwaving 2 tablespoonfuls of refrigerated margarine in a small cup. The margarine has to be heated on the lowest setting for 4 minutes. If it dissolves totally, the temperature is too high and will probably kill the yeast. If the butter still has chunks and clots, then it is perfect for raising dough.

Creamy cheese:

     Soften the cream cheese for cake, dips, appetizers, turn on the microwave. Collect all kinds of light, cream or harked cheese and microwave in an uncovered bowl on medium (50%) for about one minute until soft. To prevent it from taking shape as it softens, make sure to mix it well with a spoon or spatula. This will make it easy and fluffy, and also be rid of any clots.

Rewarming snacks:

     There is nothing more unappetizing than food that has been kept for long. Snacks specially lose their taste due to varied reasons like heat and humidity. It is pu7nishement to eat a soggy chip or pretzel. Rewarm your snacks in the microwave to revitalize them put pretzels, potatoes, corn chips or popcorn in paper bag. You can microwave them uncovered on high for 1/2 to 2 minutes, depending on the amount. Mix and let it remain for 5 minutes then serve.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Kitchen Cleaning Tips

Your kitchen may appear clean and safe. But is it so in reality? Here are some few tips to ensure this.

Your kitchen, the holiday destination that's been voted No. 1 by all neighborhood cockroaches, ants, rodents, and most household cat species. Your toilet exists because of your kitchen.

Most regular measures to be taken are so simple that at times one tends to overlook them. Sure, you wipe the table, basin, gas stove, Owen, or cooking platform clean of oil, spilled liquids and food debris. But once in while, a touch of detergent or an antiseptic solution should be diluted, and this should be applied to the same surfaces, if you feel so lazy to mix detergent go for the readily available cleaners that come in different combination and in different flavors, it won't work forever, but it keeps the vermin populace away, and with no raw material to lure them in, your purpose is doubly served.

Commonly touched objects and surfaces while cooking or culling operations are in progress are often overlooked fridge door handles, gas buttons, light or fan switches, Owen handles, door knobs and laps.

Chopping boards are among those utensils which need to be cleaned thoroughly. Apparently, there is a tendency for food matter to get driven into the grooves made by the knife. Bacteria could collect here. If the board is not scrubbed well. it will then mix with ingredients subsequently sliced.

Washed cutlery should be properly dried before being tucked  into the drawer. Excess water draining from washed items should be wiped away or pushed into the basin. Mosquitoes can be attracted to such collections.

As far as possible try not to leave unwashed dishes overnight. If it's unavoidable, immerse the utensils in water so that night life cannot get at it, do not leave a knife in the basin. In the clutter of unwashed dishes, it's so easy for the person washing to reach for a plate not seeing the knife underneath and slice a thumb open.

Do not dum0p vegetable remnants, rice grains, crumbs etc down the drainpipe. And choked pipes need to be unblocked as soon as possible for obvious reasons. You can either use a powder preparation available in the market, or manually open the trap and scoop out the junk.

Do you shut the gas valve every night before retiring? It is supposedly a good habit, and one should also keep the kitchen ventilators open, just in case, if you are sure that you don't have any external disturbances to your kitchen in your area.

Just as you defrost and clean your fridge do not ignore your microwave. If on heating the chicken rolls, your kitchen suddenly fills with the warm aroma of home cooked and roasted cockroaches, you know it is time.

Keep kettle spouts covered, when not in use, no telling what climbs into such openings, especially at night. Ditto with all pans and pots and water filters.

Wear an apron, not just to keep ingredients from splashing spattering staining your apparel, not just so you can dry your hands at significant moment, but more importantly so that you will have something to explode into if you suddenly sneeze while frying the mackerel.

Fruits kept in a bowl should be kept covered with a lid or a basket.

And keep no flammable material curtains gloves near the cooking range

Needless to say, half these steps are never implemented regularly and most of us  are still alive, anyway. What does this prove? we are lucky, that man are tough? Certainly! Man has a series of in built defence mechanism that can dull the edge of unsafe substances.

But why take risk and chances? It is like the case of a woman who on serving her family one lunchtime, found a boiled lizard  in the rice, and lucky enough she found it before it is too late. 

Friday 6 September 2013

Herbal power

Herbs are leaves of aromatic plants which come so handy as natural remedies in our kitchen.  There is always a healthy herb for every season and every reason.  These are top seven herbs for health that serve as the natural medicine. Herbs are used as seasonings, they can reduce reliance on salt, you can use them to give subtle or strong accents to soups, sauces, raitas, stews, casseroles, at the same time these herbs possess some of the great medicinal qualities that help you to heal your self.

Basil














Key Nutrients:
This is a very common plant in our garden, basil contains Vitamin A, and C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium.

Benefits of Basil:
Basil leaves helps treat headaches, dizziness,vertigo, stomach cramps, nausea and constipation, Basil oil is used to treat insect bites and minor cuts, and this is also very good remedy for bronchitis and colds.

Bay Leaf:


















Key Nutrients:
Bay leaf contains Calcium, iron, magnesium, Vitamin A,B,C, and E. This is a very common ingredient in Indian non vegetarian dishes.

Benefits:
Bay leaves are used to treat stress and anxiety. They also improve digestion and help detoxify the system.
Bay leaf oil is antibacterial. To repel household pests naturally spread some crushed leaves in the kitchen.

Coriander Leaf:



















Key Nutrients:
Vitamin A, B and C, iron, calcium and zinc.

Benefits:
Coriander leaves are diuretic, and help detoxify the system. They also help improve quality of blood, lower cholesterol levels and improve the eyesight

Mint:.



  













Key Nutrients:
Calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin A and C.

Benefits:
     Mint is used as a treatment for indigestion, colic, heartburn and flatulence. It also can stimulate the appetite and cure nausea and headaches, peppermint tea can help soothe a dry throat.
Mint ointment is good for headaches, mint is also used a flavor for mouthwash and toothpaste.

Dill:

















Key Nutrients:
Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin A, C and E.

Benefits:
Dill is used to treat colic, flatulence and indigestion, it is an effective appetite stimulant and helps stimulate milk in nursing mothers.

Parsley:

















Key Nutrients:
Vitamin C, Chlorophyll, Calcium, sodium, and magnesium.

Benefits:
Parsley improves digestion, blood quality and lowers blood pressure, it is also a good medicine for anaemia.

Oregano:


















Key Nutrients:
Calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and Vitamin A and C

Benefits:
Oregano is a powerful antioxidant has powerful natural anti cancer properties.  It aids digestion, helps to get rid of intestinal parasites, treats nausea and diarrhoea.

Usage:
Though herbs are fresh and fresh is always best, herbs are often dried and powdered so that they can be consumed all year round. That is great, too. Don't overcook them when leafy greens are overcooked, they lose their chlorophyll as well as other nutrients. Cook on low flame and for a happy green color and maximum iron, add a twist of lemon.