Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Food Profile: Spinach

OK, we all have seen Popeye time and again gain super-human strength by downing a can of Spinach... Believe me, spinach is very good for you... In-fact I just downed some myself last night...

There is some great information from http://whfoods.org.

For detailed information, visit the web-page at http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43&utm_source=rss_reader&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_feed.

Food Profile: Spinach
Calorie for calorie, leafy green vegetables like spinach with its delicate texture and jade green color provide more nutrients than any other food. Although spinach is available throughout the year, its season runs from March through May and from September through October when it is the freshest, has the best flavor and is most readily available.

Health Benefits
We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been protecting himself against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time.

Tips for Preparing Spinach:
Spinach, whether bunched or prepackaged, should be washed very well since the leaves and stems tend to collect sand and soil. Before washing, trim off the roots and separate the leaves. Place the spinach in a large bowl of tepid water and swish the leaves around with your hands as this will allow any dirt to become dislodged. Remove the leaves from the water, empty the bowl, refill with clean water and repeat this process until no dirt remains in the water (usually two to three times will do the trick). Cut away any overly thick stems to ensure for more even cooking. If you are going to use the spinach in a salad, you can dry it in either a salad spinner or by shaking it in a colander. If you are going to cook it, you do not need to worry about drying it well as the remaining water will serve to help it cook. Spinach is one of the few vegetables we suggest quick boiling (for one minute). That's because boiling will help to reduce the amount of oxalic acids found in spinach, resulting in a sweeter taste.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
• Add layers of steamed spinach to your next lasagna recipe.
• Toss steamed spinach with pressed garlic, fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.
• Pine nuts are a great addition to cooked spinach.
• Spinach salads are a classic easy and delicious meal or side dish.

Read the complete article athttp://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43&utm_source=rss_reader&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_feed.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Long Island Iced Tea

OK, the summers are here, the temperatures are rising fast and we need constant amount of fluid in our system... (and by fluid I mean - stuff which make us more fluid... mellow down man)...

So here's the first shot...


Type: Cocktail Drink, Alcoholic
Serving Dish: High Glass

Long Island Iced Tea...
(serving for 1)
(Picture for reference only, the picture has ice cubes instead of crushed ice)


Stuff you will need:
  • 2 tea spoon vodka
  • 2 tea spoon gin
  • 2 tea spoon gold rum
  • 2 tea spoon gold tequila
  • 2 tea spoon triple sec (its an orange-flavoured liqeur)
  • 20ml (freshly squeezed is good) lemon juice
  • 20ml (freshly squeezed is good) orange juice
  • 1 tea spoon sugar syrup
  • crushed ice
  • cola
Stuff to make it look good:
  • lemon slice

Mixing the stuff together:
Actually here, all you do is mix it all together... best if you have a cocktail shaker:
  • Pour the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, orange juice, sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker.
  • Add the crushed ice and shake well.
  • Fill a highball glass half full with crushed ice. Strain over the mixture, then top up with the cola.
  • To make it look good while serving it, just garnish the glass with a slice of lemon.

OK, I made the thing and downed it... I must tell you, holding the bottles of vodka, gin, rum and tequila in my hand, I was wondering - "what the heck, just have these instead - save the time..."

But after it was made, and after I sipped it down... This was infact quite nice... I would recommend it to all those who are sitting out in the sun on a lazy Saturday afternoon... Down this and get a little more lazy!!!

Additional Resources:
1. Highball Glass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highball_glass)
2. Triple Sec (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Sec)