Lahmacun

Last week I visited a Mediterranean and Turkish restaurant. Earlier I had never had any Turkish food, so, when menu came up, all foods were alien to me and were nothing more than beauiful and yummy looking pictures. There was no English translation for the menu available and the waitress was unable to explain what the ingredients were for the dishes. It was lunch time and I was so very hungry. So, I thought of playing safe and ordered a pizza like dish . It took a long time to come, but when it arrived its aroma spoke for itself. It was a thin piece of dough topped with minced meat sprinkled with lemon juice and wrapped around vegetables. The dish was delicious. It was called LAHMACUM - turkish pizza.

Though I had not tried its recipe at home but will surely try, its very simple, quickly made recipe, so when I'll try it, I shall definitely upload some snaps... till then happy and healthy eating :)

Happy Valentine day

Happy Valentine day Friends..... Its long time that I didn't blog, It doesn't mean that I gave up my experimenting with new food n new restaurants... not at all I'm true Foodeterian By nature. I have bunch of recipes and good food taste stories with me, slowly I'll post them all. Have a nice and chocolaty day!

Bi bimbap - Korean Mixed meal

I'm a die hard fan of Korean food and Dolsot bibimbap (돌솥 비빔밥, "dolsot" meaning "stone pot"), is my favorite one. Almost every second day I eat this.
It is served in a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

The Stone pot (dolsot) is so hot that anything that touches it sizzles for minutes. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil, making the layer of the rice touching the bowl golden brown and crispy.

Bibimbap is cheap and easy to make, requiring a short preparation time and few ingredients. Most ingredients are available in your kitchen. Though I do not have Dolsot (stone pot) still I prepare it as lunch specially on Sunday with lots of variations. I prepare egg poach and put all things together and then keep it in hot oven for 6/7 minute. But eating in Dolsot is really the main fun as it makes crackling sound while eating.

Although it is a high calorie food, I cut it's calories by using lean meat and some times fish, the portions are enormous, meaning you stay full longer. Bibimbap never uses any artificial ingredients--natural, organic ingredients make the bulk of this diet dish. Green leafy vegetables, lean meat, and shredded seaweed provide numerous health and dietary benefits to people who want to lose weight fast, so make sure to fill up.

* I used Stir fried dried Anchovy instead of Meat.


I have adapted this recipe from Maangchi
I'm great fan of her recipes and videos.

Ingredients:
Bibimbap (Mixed rice with vegetables)

For 4- 6 servings.
Ingredients:
Cooked rice
a package of bean sprouts
a bunch of spinach
2 small size of zucchinis
5-7 Shiitake mushrooms
fern brakes (kosari) * I used cut Ottogi seaweeds
200 grams of ground beef (about half a pound) * I used Fish
1 small carrot, eggs
soy sauce, hot pepper paste, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and vegetable oilRecipe:
Arrange everything on a platter.

1. Cook rice. You can use a rice cooker or a stainless pot.
2. Next, you need to prepare a large platter to put all your ingredients on. Rinse your bean sprouts 3 times and put them in a pot with a cup of water. Add 1 ts of salt and cook for 20 minutes. Drain water and mix it with 1 clove of minced garlic, sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
3. Put it on the platter.
4. Put your spinach in a pot of boiling water and stir it for a minute. Then rinse it in cold water a few times and squeeze it lightly. Mix it with a pinch of salt, 1 ts of soy sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic and sesame oil. Put it on the platter
5. Cut 2 small size zucchinis into thin strips, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, and then mix them together. A few minutes later, sauté them in a pan over high heat. When it’s cooked, it will look a little translucent. Put it on the platter.
6. You can buy soaked and cooked “kosari” at a Korean grocery store. Prepare about 2 or 3 cups of kosari for this 4 servings of bibimbap. Cut it into pieces 5-7 cm long and sauté in a heated pan with 1 ts of vegetable oil. Stir and add 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 tbs of sugar, and cook them for 1-2 minutes. Add sesame oil. Put it on the platter.
7. Slice shitake mushrooms thinly and sauté with 1 ts of vegetable oil. Add 2 ts of soy sauce and 1 or 2 ts of sugar and stir it for 2 minutes. Add some sesame oil, and put it on the platter.
8. On a heated pan, put some oil and 200 grams of ground beef and stir it. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 tbs of sugar, a little grounded black pepper, and sesame oil.
9.Put it on the platter.
10.Cut a carrot into strips, sauté it for 30 seconds and put it on the platter.
11. prepare eggs with sunny side up.
12. Put your rice In a big bowl, and attractively display all your vegetables and meat t. Place the sunny side up egg on the center.
13. Serve it with sesame oil and hot pepper paste.
14. Lastly, mix it up and eat!

Hot Bibimbap with Home made Kimchi

Milk Consumption And Type 2 Diabetes

The prevalence of diabetes has reached epidemic proportions.

WHO predicts that developing countries will bear the brunt of this epidemic in the 21st century. Currently, more than 70% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle income countries.

1. An estimated 285 million people, corresponding to 6.4% of the world's adult population, will live with diabetes in 2010. The number is expected to grow to 438 million by 2030, corresponding to 7.8% of the adult population.
2. While the global prevalence of diabetes is 6.4%, the prevalence varies from 10.2% in the Western Pacific to 3.8% in the African region. However, the African region is expected to experience the highest increase.
3. 70% of the current cases of diabetes occur in low- and middle income countries. With an estimated 50.8 million people living with diabetes, India has the world's largest diabetes population, followed by China with 43.2 million.
4. The largest age group currently affected by diabetes is between 40-59 years. By 2030 this “record” is expected to move to the 60-79 age group with some 196 million cases.

Diabetes is one of the major causes of premature illness and death worldwide. Non-communicable diseases including diabetes account for 60% of all deaths worldwide.

Consumption of milk and other dairy products is often recommended to be limited, especially for people with high fat levels. However, the latest study said dairy products that contain fatty acids can prevent diabetes.

According to a study reported in the journal of Annals of Internal Medicine, high concentration of fatty acids referred as trans-palmitoleic acid in the body will reduce risk of diabetes by 62%.

“People with high trans- palmitoleic fatty acid also have higher levels of good cholesterol and triglycerides. It will reduce insulin resistance and lower levels of inflammation signs,” said the leader of researcher, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health.

Palmitoleic acid is actually not only found naturally in the human body, but also in dairy products even in less amount. The sources of this acid, which come from the outside of the body, are referred to trans-palmitoleic acid. High fat milks have this acid level higher than non-fat.

Studies in animals showed that palmitoleic acid protected the body from insulin resistance, which also similarly happened in humans. However, experts had not been able to find the exact cause.

To reveal it, Mozaffarian and colleagues analyzed data from 3,700 people who followed the Cardiovascular Health Study. All respondents were living in the United States and must be 65 years old or over.

Blood samples of respondents were checked to determine trans-palmitoeic acid levels as well as cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein and glucose levels. The respondents were also interviewed about their daily consumption menu.

People with high trans-palmitoleic acid levels appeared to have less levels of fat in the body. They also had higher levels of good cholesterol. Meanwhile, levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) were low.

As expected before, levels of insulin resistance in their body were also low. It meant that their risk for type 2 diabetes is lower too.

Although the results of this study found relationship between milk consumption and lower risk of diabetes, the experts who responded to this study said there was no single study that could be used to guide diet for the people.

However, experts said the results of this study showed that not all high-fat products were bad for health.

Source: This article is combine result of many internet articles

worth to click:Diabetes Care Magazine

Fishy Snack - Stirfried dried Anchovy

멸치볶음 / Myulchibokkeum

I love to eat fish but I used to stay away from dried fish due to the foul smell while preparing. However, last month, while I was eating in a korean restaurant, they served this as a side dish. So, I tried one piece and it tasted so good that I finished it in a couple of minutes. Then I decided to prepare this dish. Thanks to this Lady Maangchi, her site is very helpful in preparing Korean dishes.

The sun dried anchovy side dish is one of the basic Korean side dishes, usually eaten with a bowl of rice.
Recipe Adapted from Maangchi
Ingredients:
* 2 cups dried anchovy, olive oil, brown sugar,
* garlic, hot pepper paste, corn syrup, water,
* sesame oil, sesame seeds

For mild myulchi bokkeum: *Specially for my Baby

1. Stir 1 cup of small dried anchovy in a heated pan for 1 minute.
2. Add 1 tbs olive oil and stir it for another minute.
3. Push the cooked myulchi to the edge of the pan away from the heat.
4. Make sauce by adding 1 or 2 tbs sugar, ½ ts minced garlic, 2 ts water, and 1/2 tbs corn syrup (optional) to the cleared spot on the pan.
5. Tip the pan so only the sauce is over the heat. Simmer it until the sauce looks shiny.
6. Mix the cooked anchovy with the sauce and turn the heat off.
7. Add ½ tbs sesame seeds and 1 ts of sesame seeds.

For spicy myulchi bokkeum:

1. Stir 1 cup of small dried anchovy in a heated pan for 1 minute.
2. Add 1 tbs olive oil and stir it for another minute.
3. Push the cooked myulchi to the edge of the pan away from the heat.
4. Make sauce by adding 1 tbs hot pepper paste, 1 tbs sugar , ½ ts minced garlic, 4 ts water, ½ tbs corn syrup to the cleared spot on the pan.
5. Tip the pan so only the sauce is over the heat and simmer until the sauce looks shiny.
6. Mix the cooked anchovy with the sauce and then turn the heat off.
7. Add 1 ts sesame oil and ½ tbs sesame seeds.

Health Nutrition & Benefits of Eating Anchovy

* Anchovies contain a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are heart friendly. They can help to lower the cholesterol level in blood, thereby reducing the risk of heart ailments.
* Anchovies are also very high on protein and are considered as an essential nutrient for growing children as well as older people. Five anchovies have nine grams of protein and only fifty-five calories.
* Anchovies are a rich source of vitamins such as Vitamin E and D, which are essential for the body. They are also a good source of minerals like calcium and selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral, which plays an important role in cancer prevention.
* Small fish such as anchovies are rated better than bigger fish, because they contain a lesser amount of heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic and environmental toxins. Since smaller fish has a shorter life cycle, the possibility of accumulating impurities is rather low.
(Source : http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-anchovy-6746.html)

Homemade Apple-Cinnamon Cake

From last two days my baby was asking me she want Apple cake. So yesterday I prepared it. It hardly take 10 min to prepare batter. I used curd instead of milk as mentioned in traditional recipes. The result was soft and moist Apple cake. Delicious cake with big chunks of apple and a sprinkling of cinnamon

Ingredients
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup self-raising flour, sifted
50g butter, diced
2 apples peeled, cored and chopped
1 large egg, beaten
100ml curd/yogurt
sprinkling of cinnamon
pinch of salt
Method
Preheat your oven to 175C. Place the sugar and sifted flour into a large bowl along with the butter, apples a sprinkling of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Then mix the egg and curd and pour into the bowl then combine. Grease a cake tin (preferably a circular one) and pour in the mixture (which should be fairly wet). Bake for 40 mins before removing from the oven and sprinkling over the sugar and cinnamon then return to the oven for 10 mins more.

Big Fat Lie?

Many of my friends ask me my fitness secret why I look always healthy never fatty. When I said I eat every thing including dietary fats, no one believes but that's fact. I believe in healthy eating and leaving. I eat every thing BUT in limitation. lets see some facts about FAT:

Eating fat can actually help you lose fat. Your body needs fat to perform certain functions within your body, like providing energy and producing hormones. Any energy that fat provides is energy that isn’t produced from the breakdown of protein. To put it another way – fat is a protein sparing nutrient in the same way that carbohydrates are. Furthermore, by eating fat you will improve your ability to use fat as energy, keeping you lean! (The bad kind on your body—not the food you eat). But deciphering the good from the bad can be hard. For years it was thought that saturated fats were evil and unsaturated fats were healthy. But a 50-year review in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology found that a diet low in saturated fat does NOT prolong life. (So much for that theory.) In fact, research shows that the fat in meat and milk (a saturated fat known as stearic acid) is actually good for you. And omega-3 fatty acids (which are commonly found in fish) can do everything from decrease blood pressure and inflammation, to improve bone healthy and help you lose weight. In contrast, trans fats, which are industrially produced and lurk under names like “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,” will wreck havoc on your body.Problems really arise when you start analyzing how much fat you consume from different sources. Omega 6 fats are healthy (you can find them in foods like corn oil, sunflower and safflower oil, refined grains, and even pastries). But when Omega 6s are consumed in a high ratio compared to Omega 3s, it can cause health issues for your body.

The bottom line: With the exception of trans fats, most of the fat you eat is not bad. But everything has a limit. As a guideline, .4 to .6 grams of fat per pound of your GOAL body weight. So if you’re a 130 pound (59 Kg) woman who’d like to weigh 110 pounds (50 Kg), Dietician would suggest anywhere between 44 and 66 grams of fat per day (110 x .4 and 110 .6 to create the range). Don’t worry about the ratio too much as long as you consume your fats from a variety of whole food sources, and make sure that you consume fish (or use fish oil supplements if you don’t eat fish) 2-4 times per week to provide your body with the Omega 3s you need.
Some good sources of fat include almonds, peanuts, cashews, Brazilian nuts, walnuts, Fish Oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil, Flax Oil, avocados, and lean meats.

Links worth to visit : http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041300.asp
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262

Disclaimer: this article is combine result of from different internet sources.
Picture Source: Google search

Kiddo special- Oat-raisins butter cookies

My daughter is not happy with oat porridge. So I was in a dilemma about how to give her oat, so that she won't refuse to eat. I tried to make these cookies and my first trial clicked very well. I did not use all purpose flour. Instead of that I used common wheat flour. The result was so yummy that the dozen cookies I had made did not even last a day. Now I have to prepare a big second batch of cookies.
Ingredients

* 1 cup Raw Oats (coarsely powder)
* 3 tbsp Butter
* 30 g Green Raisins
* 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, Ground
* 20 g Wheat flour
* 3 tbsp Sugar
* 1/2 tbsp Baking Soda

Directions

Sieve oat powder, wheat powder and baking soda together, mix cut butter in it. Add raisins in it. Make a dough mixing all ingredients. If it feels too dry, mix half tablespoon buttermilk in it. make cookies and Bake for 15 to 20 min. Now enjoy with a cup of black coffee.

Healthy Tomato Macaroni

Whenever I want a quick and full meal I always choose Macaroni. Its easy to prepare and does not require special ingredients.
Here is my quick version. I would love to add some shrimps, but yesterday I did not have them in my fridge.

Ingredients
* 1 cup Macaroni
* 2 Tomatoes
* 4 Garlic Clove
* 1 oz Carrot
* 1 small Green-bell Pepper
* 1 cup Cabbage
* 2 cubes (16 grams) Cheese
* 1/8 tbsp Sea Salt
* 1 tsp Raw Honey
* 1 tbsp Olive Oil Lb
* 2 tsp medium white wine (Optional)

Directions
Boil Macaroni, keep aside. In a pan add 1 tsp olive oil, add garlic and tomato, cook it for 3/4 min, now add all cut vegetables, cook for another 3/4 min. Now add honey,cheese, white wine and salt. stir it well and now add Macaroni stir well and cook for further 2 min.

Wine is optional but I like to add it because it gives a good aroma and taste to your dish.

Yummy potato patties

This one is my and my daughters favorite recipe ..... she likes to eat potato and cheese combination and for me this recipe hardly take 10 min to get ready. This is great recipe for breakfast and for lunch box with yogurt. Full of nutrition and taste .
I made two variety one is simple my daughters choice and another is spicy with oat.

Ingredients:
any vegetables you like to add or present in your refrigerator with boiled potato, boiled egg, cheese, butter and lemon with salt and black pepper.
for second variety I added 2Tsb Old fashioned oat flacks and Tabasco sauce to get some spicy taste.



mixed all ingredients and make patties and keep in preheated oven for 10 min or shallow fry on pan . In second version I do not mixed butter to cut some fat content. Served with sauce or yogurt.


Simple Potato patties

spicy patties with rolled oat
Potato