The Art of Seasoning

Heartier Choices

Every year since 1963 the American Heart Association designates February as American Heart Month, because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.

A very simple equation to make any food tasty is to add extra salt or sugar or saturated fat. The three exact ingredients that your cardiologist and dietician will ask you to cut down on, for a healthier heart. Then does it mean that if you cut down on the fat, salt or sugar, your taste buds take a vacation and you land up eating dull bland food?

Fortunately spices and herbs are excellent for taste enhancement and are heart friendly too.

The inspiration for many of my recipes, are from some special foods that I enjoyed when I was traveling abroad. I have given it a healthy twist, with the spice techniques that I learnt when I was growing up in India. After all, the soul of Indian cooking lies within the delicate art of using spices. It is not, which spices you use, but how you use them that makes a huge difference.

Aromatic Bean Stew a la Jamaican style

Last year I visited Jamaica and loved the spicy bold adventurous foods. I asked the chef for the recipe., The recipe called for 1 can of coconut milk. Since we all know that the high saturated fat in coconut is unhealthy. I decided to see if I can make this recipe without any coconut milk. Well the taste of this bean stew just turned out to be average. Nothing to be very happy about!
I experimented with the quantity of coconut milk and used the low fat version.  The recipe serves 8 and the quantity of coconut milk used is 1/3 can, which literally translates to about 1.5 teaspoon of lit coconut milk in every serving.
Bingo  I had great tasting Jamaican stew which was healthy too.

1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (whole)
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 can tomato , diced and peeled ( 15 oz)
1 can garbanzo beans, low sodium (15 oz)
1 can kidney beans, low sodium (15 oz)
10-12 baby carrots
1/3 can lite coconut milk (15 oz)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 medium sized sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 cup water

Grate ginger and garlic and keep aside. Crush coriander seeds in a mortar pestle. Peel and Chop sweet potato into 2 inch cubes.
Remove  Garbanzo beans, kidney beans and baby carrots  from the cans and rinse in cold water, thrice. ( rinsing the canned beans three times at least removes the excess sodium, that is used in canning process)
Heat a thick bottom pan. Add oil and throw in the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute. Add crushed coriander seeds and chili flakes
Mix well and throw in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Adjust salt and chili flakes as per taste.
Serve piping hot with brown rice or couscous

Hema’s Hints:
1. Mix and match different beans for variety.
2. Replace sweet potato with pumpkin or red potato

.

 

Going Bananas

A bowl of diced banana with half cup of milk, sweetened with a teaspoon sugar awaited us everyday after school. After school snack was very simple when I was growing.
“Did you not get bored eating that everyday”, my daughter gasped!

“Not really” I smiled, “Sometimes I would sneak in an extra spoon of sugar or two, when my mother was not looking”. I never dared to complain about having the same snack everyday, because I knew what my mother would have said, “Stay hungry till dinner then”

Hygienically packed in its thick soft skin, full of nutrition, easy to digest, Bananas are one of nature's ideal snacks. It is perhaps the cheapest and the most extensively eaten fruit. Rich and poor, young and old alike relish the humble banana.

This humble fruit is a powerhouse of nutrition and good health. Cooked or ripe bananas are very well digested and the nutrients are absorbed well. This fruit is a fair source of B vitamins and calcium. It contains appreciable amounts of many trace minerals as well as fiber. Apart from this, the fruit has many important acids, enzymes and physiologically important chemical compounds.Banana is a good source of potassium, which is a vital mineral for muscle and nerve function. Potassium also helps to regulate blood pressure. They also contain a high level of natural sugar in both their fresh and dried form, which they release quickly into the blood stream. This explains why many athletes especially tennis players often eat banana before and in between competition.

Bananas should be stored at room temperature for ripening purpose. Do not keep it in the fridge as it prevents ripening of the fruit.

My late father would say that the banana flavor is at its peak, when it develops small black dots on them But once the banana has ripened, it cannot be kept for long as it spoils easily. Very often I land up with a couple of very ripe bananas, which is not enjoyed by any of my family members. I have found various ways to enjoy very ripe bananas. They taste great in banana milk shakes, or  fruit smoothies. But by far the best way to enjoy over ripe banana is banana bread.

My friend Sarita Chugh bakes the most divine Banana-Date cake with  cocoa. It is super moist from the bananas, with mellow sweetness from dates, and the perfect crunch on top of the cake with chocolate chips and nuts. By far this is the best tasting cake I have ever eaten and is loaded with nutritious ingredients too.

I recommend this cake as the perfect Valentine dessert. This year instead of buying roses or chocolates for your significant other, why not make this heavenly dessert?

Simply Divine Cake

1      cup dates, finely chopped
1 ½  cups water, boiling
1      teaspoon baking soda
½     cup unsalted butter
1      cup sugar
1      cup ripe banana pulp
2      eggs, lightly beaten
1      teaspoon vanilla
1 ½  cup all purpose flour
1      tablespoon cocoa powder
1      teaspoon salt
6      ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
½     cup walnuts or almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour 9 inch square pan. Keep aside.Mix dates and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool, then stir in soda.

In mixing bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and blend until smooth. Mix flour, cocoa, and salt.
Add flour mixture and dates to creamed mixture and beat together until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, chocolate chips and walnuts. Sprinkle over top of cake.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until cake tests done.

What a nut- Walnut

As a child growing up in Pune, India,  Every summer I looked forward to two frail women, who would come in our neighborhood with a gigantic cloth bags on their backs. They would sell fresh walnuts from the valley of Kashmir. An old bed sheet would hold all the walnuts and all four corners were pulled together to make a bag that was hauled on their backs. Cheerfully they would tell about how good the harvest was that year and how they picked the best of walnuts for us. “You will never find such tasty walnuts anywhere in the world ”, they claimed. Those illiterate women had mastered the art of selling without attending any top management schools.

My mother would buy the years supply of in shell-walnuts and stored it carefully. My mother insisted that eating a couple of walnuts before an exam was very lucky. My siblings and I were given the ‘lucky walnuts’ during exam days. The luck factor about the walnuts was very convincing for us to gobble it down before rushing to exams. She knew that if she gave a lecture, about how good the walnuts were for our health or the perfect brain food, it would be a wasted effort.

Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 fatty acids - the good fats) that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts. More than a decade of scientific evidence shows that incorporating walnuts in a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart disease by improving blood vessel elasticity and plaque accumulation. Walnuts have also been shown to aid in the lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and the C-Reactive Protein (CRP). CRP was recently recognized as an independent marker and predictor of heart disease.

Nuts in general are high in calories, so moderation is the key. The best approach is to reap the health benefits of eating walnuts but not add excessive calories to your daily intake. Therefore, instead of just adding walnuts to your current diet, eat them in replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats (such as cheese and meat) and limit your intake of these tasty treats to about 8-10 walnut halves.

Here are three of my favorite walnut recipes.
 Perfect Protein Relish
This is a perfect high protein spread for vegetarian sandwiches.
Frozen Edamame beans are available in the frozen section of any grocery store.
 Edamame beans are tender soy beans, which very high in protein too.
1 cup walnuts
1 cup Edamame beans, thawed
 3-4 green chilies
½ cup cilantro
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

 In a blender add all the ingredients and make a smooth paste.
It stays fresh for 3 days.

Hema’s Hints: 1. You may replace Edamame beans for Lima beans in this recipe.
2. Add this spread to a tortilla or lavash , with some fresh veggies to make a tasty veggie roll for quick lunch.

Massala Walnuts
2 cups walnut halves
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon chili powder
 ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
 1 teaspoon lime juice
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a big pan.
Add chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper, sugar and
salt and stir quickly. Add lime juice (Keep your face averted as oil will splatter).
Add Walnut halves and toss it well. Pour the contents on a
baking tray and bake for 7-8 minutes.
Cool completely and store.

Hema Hints: 1. Instead of baking it in the oven, slow roast
the walnuts on low heat in pan for 8-10 minutes
2. For variation add ½ teaspoon Chaat masala
(available in Indian grocery stores) instead of black pepper.

 Waldorf salad
 My gourmet friend Karen Kim serves this elegant Waldorf salad in Belgian Endives for her annual Christmas party. I find it an interesting way to enjoy a salad

2 granny smith apples, diced
½ cup walnuts chopped
2 celery sticks, diced
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 fresh basil leaves, minced
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon chili powder
3 Belgian endives heads
Make ¼ inch cubes of apples and celery. Place it in a bowl.
Add chopped walnuts, mayonnaise, black pepper, basil leaves
salt and pepper. Mix it well and keep aside.
Wash Belgian endives and trim 1/8 inch off the stem end
 of the endive and separate the leaves. Discard any leaves
that are brown and rinse the remaining leaves under cold water.
 Lay them on a paper towel to dry.
In the hollow of each endive leaf, place a spoonful of
apple-walnut salad Repeat with rest.
 Finally sprinkle Chili powder on the stuffed endives
Arrange in a fancy platter and serve as an appetizer

 Hema’s Hints:
You may replace mayonnaise with non-fat cream cheese in this recipe.

The Flax of Life

Last week I was in the dentist’s office for my regular cleaning appointment. I was glancing through a health magazine while waiting for the dentist to see me. An article on nature’s wonder-food, flaxseeds, caught my attention. The article went on to describe how researchers have found that flax seeds are helpful in fighting heart disease, guard against hypertension, prevent cancer, control diabetes, and a long list of other health benefits. I did not finish reading the article, but it sparked my interest in finding out more about this wonder-food.

I visited a neighborhood health store and decided to seek out the flaxseeds. I was astounded to find that flaxseeds, was none other than “akshi” which my grandmother and mother used in making chutney, a relish, for our everyday meal in India. These seeds are flat, oval, glossy, and are pointed at one end. The color of the flaxseed ranges from light to dark reddish brown. Whole flaxseed comes with Mother Nature’s own finest packaging—its natural hard hull keeps it fresh.

Flaxseed has long been valued for its health benefits but only recently have researchers investigated its helpful compounds. One of the unique characteristics of flax is the oil in the seed. Flaxseed is over 40 percent oil. Like other vegetable oils, flax oil is a mixture of fatty acids, but it is the highest single source of a fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid or ALA.

Whole flax seeds are sold inexpensively at natural-food stores and It is best to buy them whole and grind them as needed in a coffee grinder. It is imperative to grind these tiny, hard-shelled seeds, or they will pass through the body undigested.
 Ground flax meal is also available in some health stores but it should be refrigerated in an airtight, opaque container, where it will keep for up to 30 days. You’ll know that flax meal has spoiled if it smells like oil paint.

I personally think that flax seeds have a major flaw.
The taste is boringly bland. Thanks to the art of seasoning, healthy food can really taste good too
Here are two of my favorite recipes with flax seeds.

AKSHI CHUTNEY  (Flax seed Relish)
1 cup flax seeds
4-5 dried red chilies ( or as per taste)
¾ teaspoon salt ( or as per taste)

In a toaster oven place the seeds, and red chilies at 250 degrees for 10-12 minutes. You will get the nutty roasted aroma.
Alternatively you may roast this mix in a pan on medium heat for 7-8 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes and grind the seeds to the consistency of cornmeal in a coffee grinder. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for one month.

Hema’s Hints:
1. Mix 1 tablespoon flax chutney to 2 tablespoons low fat cream cheese to make a delicious and nutritious spread for bagels.
2. Add the flax seed chutney to cooked beans or stew
3. Sprinkle this mix on salad as a final garnish
4. Replace Mayonnaise in sandwiches with blend of one tablespoon flax chutney with ½ tablespoon of plain yogurt.

FLAXSEED SCONES
My English friend, Julie Jenkins, introduced me to the world of scones. I decided to add flaxseed to make it more nutritious. These scones are perfect for tea or brunch.
13⁄4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1⁄4 cup flax seed
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon orange essence
1 teaspoon orange rind
1⁄2 cup dried cranberries (chopped)
8-10 almonds (chopped)
1⁄2 teaspoon orange essence
3⁄4 cup buttermilk
1⁄4 cup oil

Heat the oven to 400°F.
On a cookie sheet place a wax paper and grease well.

Grind the flax seeds to a coarse texture in a blender or coffee grinder. In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients well and keep aside.
Mix buttermilk, oil, and orange essence together. Mix the dry ingredients with the buttermilk mix.

Knead gently with floured hands. Form the dough into a 7-inch circle across, 1⁄2 inch high. Place this on the greased cookie sheet. With a sharp knife make 8 wedges, leaving them in place.
Sprinkle sugar over these wedges.

Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes, till the crust develops a golden hue and the center is semi-firm. Cool completely and
Serve hot with a pat of butter.

Hema’s Hints:
1. For variety, replace orange essence with 1⁄2 teaspoon of cardamom powder.
2. Whole wheat pastry flour is available in health stores.

If this article has piqued your interest, and would like more information and recipes about flax seeds, here are some interesting sites:
http://wunderflax.wordpress.com/
http://gvflax.wordpress.com/category/recipes/