What does it mean to have an organic garden?
Does organic gardening mean you have to put up with insects eating your plants or unattractive flower beds?
The short answer is that organic gardening means not using synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Ideally, organic gardening replenishes the resources as it makes use of them. Like feeding depleted soil with composted plants, or planting legumes to add nitrogen to an area that had been planted with heavy feeder. The bigger picture involves working in cooperation with nature, viewing your garden as a small part of all the natural system
Savour the flavour of herbs
It's easy to incorporate herbs and spices into your daily diet. Try these simple ideas:
Basil: Health benefit - anti-cancer; Use in Asian stir-fries, tomato salads and pesto
Coriander: Health benefit - aids digestion; Use in Salads or as a garnish for Asian and Indian dishes
Cumin: Health benefit - anti-inflammatory; Use in curries and Middle Eastern dishes
Dill: Health benefit - anti-bacterial; Use in fish and potato dishes
Flat-leaf parsley: Health benefit - anti-microbial; Use in salads, soups, stews and salsas
Garlic: Health benefit - lowers cholesterol, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial; Use in sauces, stir-fries,
soups, marinades, curries, casseroles
Ginger: Health benefit - arthritis pain relief, anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory; Use in Asian stir-fries,
Indian curries, fruit desserts and fruit juices
Lemongrass: Health benefit - anti-cancer; Use in Asian soups, stir-fries and tea infusions
Mint: Health benefit - anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, aids digestion; Use in fruit salads, fruit drinks,
Asian-style salads
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Milk Alternatives
Here is some interesting and health alternatives for you to enjoy with your breakfast or in your coffee.
Goat Milk and Other Ruminant Milk
Goat, sheep, and other ruminant milks contain similar proteins to cow's milk and are considered to have a high degree of cross-reactivity. That means that people with an allergy to cow's milk are likely to react to other ruminant milks, too.
If you or a loved one have a dairy allergy and you're considering trying goat milk (say, drinking it yourself, or giving it to a toddler), consult an allergist first. These milks do contain lactose and are not suitable for those who are lactose-intolerant without prior use of an over-the-counter lactase supplement.
Soy Milk
The most widely available dairy-free milk alternative is soy milk, which can be found both in cartons on supermarket shelves as well as alongside milk in dairy cases. Competition from national brands, like 8th Continent and Silk, has lowered prices across the board, making soy milk one of the more cost-effective milk alternatives.
Soy milk is high in protein, making it an attractive alternative to milk for cooking and baking. Soy itself has a strong, distinctive taste, so make sure you like it before adding it to a sauce or to your favorite cereal.
Nut Milks
Almond milk is among the most common nut milks. Like soy milk, nut milks are high in protein and are useful for baking. You may find their taste blends in with baked goods, coffee, or nutty cereals better than soy milk, although personal tastes vary. Nuts are also high in "good fats" and Vitamin E. One drawback to both soy and nut milk: both of these are common allergens in and of themselves.
Rice Milk
Unlike soy and nut milks, rice milk is not especially allergenic, making it an attractive choice for families concerned about avoiding allergens in young children.
Rice milk, especially in its vanilla flavor, is quite sweet. But its texture is the most watery of all milk alternatives, and it is not particularly useful for cooking. Being low in protein, it does not make a good nutritional replacement for milk unless heavily fortified. It is best used as a beverage and for pouring on cereal.
Hemp Milk
A newer milk alternative, hemp milk may be difficult to find in some places. Its protein level and texture fall in between that of rice and soy milk. It is more watery than regular milk when poured, but has enough protein for use in some cooking applications -- sauces that don't rely on large amounts of protein, for example
Oat Milk
Like hemp milk, oat milk has a moderate amount of protein, making it more useful than rice milk for cooking. However, it's still not a true drop-in replacement for cow's milk in baking.
Oat milk may not be suitable for those with celiac disease, who may be sensitive to avenin protein found in oats. Oat milk is fairly mild and nutty tasting, and is a natural match for hot cereals and many breakfast foods.
ALMOND MILK
1/2 Cups raw, whole almonds
2 1/2 Cups filtered water
Pinch salt (optional)
2 pitted dates (optional)
1. Combine above ingredients as preferred in the blender.
2. Start blender on slow speed for a few seconds, then switch to high speed, blending until smooth.
3. Strain milk through a fine mesh strainer, cheese cloth or sprout bag to remove almond pulp, and set pulp aside. Makes 2 1/2 Cups of milk.
This quantity of water will create thick, creamy milk. For other purposes, thin with water to preferred consistency.
To make almond milk sweeter, simply add more dates.
To make almond cream, reduce the quantity of water to 1 Cup to create a very thick liquid and strain off pulp
STRAWBERRY BANANA ICE CREAM ( with cashew nut )
1 small frozen banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/3 cup cashew milk*
That is it my friends…it really couldn’t be more simple!! The natural sweetness from the fruits was more than adequate and the cashew milk gave the creaminess needed. Simply blend the frozen fruit up together in the high speed blender and then added the milk. It solidified into this sublime ice cream instantly. If you do not have a high speed blender you should add the milk in at the same time as the frozen fruit; this will allow the blades to mix all of the ingredients more efficiently. You may have to place it in the freezer for it to become completely solidified. Or, you can also try to put the ingredients into a food processor.
Serve this to friends and family and they’ll never guess that it was raw ice cream. It is simple to make and delicious in both taste and texture.
Best of all, since it was made with healthy ingredients, there’s no need to feel guilty for eating this sweet treat. This is truly a recipe for guilt free ice cream.
*Cashew milk: If you are not ready to make your own nut milk yet, you can swap this out for an almond milk that you would find at your local grocery store. Or, if you are feeling fabulous and up for the challenge, you can make the raw cashew milk by following the steps below.
CASHEW NUT MILK:
1 cup cashews – leave to soak over night
1 T agave nectar (or you can use dates instead)
1 1/2 cups of filtered water
(you can also add vanilla seeds from pod for added flavoring)
1. Place the cashews in a small bowl and pour over some filtered water and leave to soak over night.
2. The next day, rinse the cashews thoroughly and drain well.
3. Place them into a high speed with 1/2 cup of filtered water and blend up until all the nuts become liquid form.
4. Add the agave nectar and the rest of the water to reach the sweetness and consistency you desire. It is all about getting it to the right taste and consistency for you.
5. Then store the milk in a glass bottle and keep it in the fridge. It will last a couple of days.
Note: If you do not have a high speed blender, you can always use a normal speed blender but simply strain the nut milk through a nut bag (or cheese clothe) before storing in the fridge.
Goat Milk and Other Ruminant Milk
Goat, sheep, and other ruminant milks contain similar proteins to cow's milk and are considered to have a high degree of cross-reactivity. That means that people with an allergy to cow's milk are likely to react to other ruminant milks, too.
If you or a loved one have a dairy allergy and you're considering trying goat milk (say, drinking it yourself, or giving it to a toddler), consult an allergist first. These milks do contain lactose and are not suitable for those who are lactose-intolerant without prior use of an over-the-counter lactase supplement.
Soy Milk
The most widely available dairy-free milk alternative is soy milk, which can be found both in cartons on supermarket shelves as well as alongside milk in dairy cases. Competition from national brands, like 8th Continent and Silk, has lowered prices across the board, making soy milk one of the more cost-effective milk alternatives.
Soy milk is high in protein, making it an attractive alternative to milk for cooking and baking. Soy itself has a strong, distinctive taste, so make sure you like it before adding it to a sauce or to your favorite cereal.
Nut Milks
Almond milk is among the most common nut milks. Like soy milk, nut milks are high in protein and are useful for baking. You may find their taste blends in with baked goods, coffee, or nutty cereals better than soy milk, although personal tastes vary. Nuts are also high in "good fats" and Vitamin E. One drawback to both soy and nut milk: both of these are common allergens in and of themselves.
Rice Milk
Unlike soy and nut milks, rice milk is not especially allergenic, making it an attractive choice for families concerned about avoiding allergens in young children.
Rice milk, especially in its vanilla flavor, is quite sweet. But its texture is the most watery of all milk alternatives, and it is not particularly useful for cooking. Being low in protein, it does not make a good nutritional replacement for milk unless heavily fortified. It is best used as a beverage and for pouring on cereal.
Hemp Milk
A newer milk alternative, hemp milk may be difficult to find in some places. Its protein level and texture fall in between that of rice and soy milk. It is more watery than regular milk when poured, but has enough protein for use in some cooking applications -- sauces that don't rely on large amounts of protein, for example
Oat Milk
Like hemp milk, oat milk has a moderate amount of protein, making it more useful than rice milk for cooking. However, it's still not a true drop-in replacement for cow's milk in baking.
Oat milk may not be suitable for those with celiac disease, who may be sensitive to avenin protein found in oats. Oat milk is fairly mild and nutty tasting, and is a natural match for hot cereals and many breakfast foods.
ALMOND MILK
1/2 Cups raw, whole almonds
2 1/2 Cups filtered water
Pinch salt (optional)
2 pitted dates (optional)
1. Combine above ingredients as preferred in the blender.
2. Start blender on slow speed for a few seconds, then switch to high speed, blending until smooth.
3. Strain milk through a fine mesh strainer, cheese cloth or sprout bag to remove almond pulp, and set pulp aside. Makes 2 1/2 Cups of milk.
This quantity of water will create thick, creamy milk. For other purposes, thin with water to preferred consistency.
To make almond milk sweeter, simply add more dates.
To make almond cream, reduce the quantity of water to 1 Cup to create a very thick liquid and strain off pulp
STRAWBERRY BANANA ICE CREAM ( with cashew nut )
1 small frozen banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/3 cup cashew milk*
That is it my friends…it really couldn’t be more simple!! The natural sweetness from the fruits was more than adequate and the cashew milk gave the creaminess needed. Simply blend the frozen fruit up together in the high speed blender and then added the milk. It solidified into this sublime ice cream instantly. If you do not have a high speed blender you should add the milk in at the same time as the frozen fruit; this will allow the blades to mix all of the ingredients more efficiently. You may have to place it in the freezer for it to become completely solidified. Or, you can also try to put the ingredients into a food processor.
Serve this to friends and family and they’ll never guess that it was raw ice cream. It is simple to make and delicious in both taste and texture.
Best of all, since it was made with healthy ingredients, there’s no need to feel guilty for eating this sweet treat. This is truly a recipe for guilt free ice cream.
*Cashew milk: If you are not ready to make your own nut milk yet, you can swap this out for an almond milk that you would find at your local grocery store. Or, if you are feeling fabulous and up for the challenge, you can make the raw cashew milk by following the steps below.
CASHEW NUT MILK:
1 cup cashews – leave to soak over night
1 T agave nectar (or you can use dates instead)
1 1/2 cups of filtered water
(you can also add vanilla seeds from pod for added flavoring)
1. Place the cashews in a small bowl and pour over some filtered water and leave to soak over night.
2. The next day, rinse the cashews thoroughly and drain well.
3. Place them into a high speed with 1/2 cup of filtered water and blend up until all the nuts become liquid form.
4. Add the agave nectar and the rest of the water to reach the sweetness and consistency you desire. It is all about getting it to the right taste and consistency for you.
5. Then store the milk in a glass bottle and keep it in the fridge. It will last a couple of days.
Note: If you do not have a high speed blender, you can always use a normal speed blender but simply strain the nut milk through a nut bag (or cheese clothe) before storing in the fridge.
This is Raw dessert
Lemongass Cheeze cake
Ingredient
Put all ingredient in high-speed blender
Place lemongrass cheeze into the cake mold and keep in the freezer to harden for several hours.
Remove the mold from freezer and turn upside down and will keep for several days in freeze.
Ingredient
Put all ingredient in high-speed blender
Place lemongrass cheeze into the cake mold and keep in the freezer to harden for several hours.
Remove the mold from freezer and turn upside down and will keep for several days in freeze.
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