domingo, 9 de septiembre de 2012

PIDI KARUNAIKIZHANGU CHOPS / YAM FRY

I love chops made with vazhakkai and senaikizhangu ( Elephant yam ).Recently I bought small sized black colored pidi karunai kizhangu from my native.I heard its a good remedy for piles. We usually make vatral kulambu by adding this kizhangu. This time i tried chops by searching the recipe.I got from a discussion forum hub. It was very nice and aromatic with the perfect blend of spices. The original recipe was named as 'Karunai kizhangu kola ' and it was told to deep fry. But i followed the same recipe and made in dosa tawa instead of deep frying. I would say this recipe is apt for making with elephant yam and raw banana. My doter loved it very much.We enjoyed with sambhar  and curd rice !!
                                                              yam fry
INGREDIENTS
  • Pidi karunai - 4 nos
TO GRIND:
  • Pottukadalai/ Fried gram dal/ Dalia - 3 tbsp
  • Tamarind paste - 1/2 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - A pinch
  • Cloves - 2 nos
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
  • Fennel seeds/ Soambu - 1 tsp
  • Garlic cloves - 4 nos
  • Red chillies - 5 - 7 nos
  • Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp
  • Ginger - 1 small piece
  • Salt & water - As needed.
  • Lime juice - Optional
  • Coriander leaves - To  garnish.

METHOD
  1. Wash & soak the kizhangu in abundant water for sometime to remove all the mud.
  2. Pressure cook in high flame for 1 whistle.It should be half done.(Skin should be hard to touch)
  3. Now grind all the items given above adding required salt & water to make a smooth paste.
  4. Remove the skin of the kizhangu and chop it round.
  5. Now mix the paste ans marinate for sometime. The  kizhangu should be fully coated with the paste.
  6. Now heat the dosa tawa and sprinkle some oil. Cover Cook the marinated pieces for sometime.Keep the flame low for even cooking. flip the pieces to cook the other side and do the same.
  7. I Wanted a brown layer to be formed so i kept for a longer time.
  8. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and add lime juice if necessary.
  9. Karunai kizhangu Chops is ready !!

NOTE:
  • If u want to try kolas , just cook the kizhangu well till it mashes.Mash it with ur hands and add the paste.Mix well. Add finely chopped onions and coriander leaves . Make small balls and deep fry them in batches.
  • If u wish to try the same with senai / elephant yam , add little more tamarind paste by avoid the irritation in tongue.Add less tamarind paste to make the same with raw banana.
 I am glad in sending this recipe to priya's event..




KITCHEN CLINIC
Description
These tender and tropical perennials grow up to a height of 12-18inches (around 30-45cm) in a spacing of 24-36inches (around 60-90cm). The leaves are around 50 cm in length and consist of many oval leaflets. These plants bloom around spring producing mauve or magenta colored flowers with fragrance. 3-4 years are generally required for the corms to be harvested. These evergreen plants can be grown in container as well if the soil is acidic. Elephant yam is an edible tuber. It is one of the oldest plants known to provide food. It is so called because of its huge size and resemblance with the elephant foot. It is widely consumed as a food crop, usually boiled or baked.
Buying tips
It is preferred to buy elephant yam from the markets where it is available is a fresh condition. It is preferable to wear gloves while handling the elephant yam as the sap of these plants causes skin irritation.
Elephant Foot Yam 300x200 Know about Karunai Kilangu (Elephant Foot Yam)
Culinary usage
Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) can be consumed in many ways safely only after removal of its toxic materials. In scarcity of different staple foods, yam is used. So it is also sometimes referred to as a 'famine food'.  Before cooking, the wild forms must be soaked in water and boiled for a long time to remove bitterness. The outer brown skin of Karunai is thoroughly washed and removed. Then they are generally cut into small cubes. It can be boiled in clean water as well as with a pinch of turmeric in water. Delicious recipes are available for cooking elephant yam.
  1. Elephant yam can be cooked in tangy sauce.
  2. Using minimal oil and by shallow frying yam kabab can be made.
  3. Deep frying half boiled Karunai in red chilli and turmeric powder can make a nice side dish.
  4. Adding paste made of coconut, snuf and jeera to the deep fried Karunai, it can be roasted and served as a delicious dish.
  5. Boiled Karunai can be also consumed by mixing it with lemon-juice, mustard paste and salt. Green chillies can also be added to the preparation for enhancing its taste.
  6. Yum pulusu ia a dish made of elephant yam. It is made by cooking it in nice tangy and spicy tamarind sauce.
  7. Yam can also be eaten as a supplement of cereals.
Storage For planting purposes only the fully matured, cured and graded tubers are used for storage. Cool and well ventilated places are used for storing. Generally the tubers are stored in single layer. If there is insufficiency is storage space, then the tubers can be stored in two layers as well. But storing the tubers in a heap should be avoided.
In seed bank vaults, the dried and packed seeds are stored at a sub zero temperature. The seeds resemble a flat lens. The light brown, apical seeds of diameter 5mm have membranous wings which are usually 10mm long and about 7mm wide.
Medicinal values It has been proved that Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) has many medical benefits as its root is highly stomachic, restorative, carminative and tonic.
  1. The cooling effect of Karunai Kilangu can be a cure for Hypertension.
  2. It is often use as a treatment for piles.
  3. Yam helps to reduce cholesterol levels in blood.
  4. It can even act as an anticoagulant.
  5. Elephant yam can be safely consumed by diabetic people.
  6. Karunai Kilangu helps to maintain the hormonal balance by increasing the estrogen level in women. It can relieve the women from pre-menstrual syndrome as well.
  7. Hemorrhoids patients are also prescribed to have elephant yam.
  8. Powerful antioxidant Vitamin C is present which delays aging.
  9. It is also provided as a medicine for treatment to patients suffering from acute rheumatism.
  10. Irregular bowel movements and constipation can also be cured with its intake.
  11. However, it should be borne in mind that elephant yam is a cooling food. Hence patients suffering from cold, sinus infection or asthma should avoid its intake.
Where to buy the vegetable in US This plant is grown mostly in tropical regions like Florida. Altamonte Springs, Brooksville, Cape Coral, Fernandina Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Lakeland, North Fort Myers, St. Augustine, Tampa, Winter Haven are the places in Florida where the plant grows. Clayton and Sacramento in California, Kenner in Louisiana, Portland in Oregon, Reynoldsville in Pennsylvania, Puyallup in Washington and Cabin Creek in West Virginia are also known for growing this plant.
Nutritional and dietary information Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) has a rich nutritional profile.
It provides energy about 330KJ/100g (approximately).
Potassium, Phosphorous and Magnesium are the key minerals found in elephant yam. It also contains trace minerals like zinc, copper and selenium.
  1. It also contains Calcium. 50-56mg/100g of its contents is Calcium.
  2. Its 18-24% is carbohydrate content.
  3. About 0.8% is fibre.
  4. Its water content is about 72-79%
  5. 1.7-5.0% of its content is protein.
  6. It has omega-3 fatty acids.
Diosgenin, a molecular hormone which has potential anticancer effects, is found in yam.
  1. Elephant foot yam is high on vitamin B6 content.
  2. It also contains Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
From its wide medicinal benefits and nutritional profile we can hereby conclude that elephant yam is very potent source of nutrition. So its consumption will prove beneficial to health. It can also be consumed by people looking for weight reduction as it is low on fat content (0.2-0.4%).


martes, 4 de septiembre de 2012

Barbecue Sauce Reviews

barbecue sauce
Right now I have three open bottles of barbecue sauce in my fridge. I received each one as a sample to try. Welcome to the life of a food writer and frequent specialty food reviewer. So here's my feeling about barbecue sauce, the best barbecued meat doesn't need any sauce at all. It's smoky, spicy, tender and succulent (I'll post soon about Franklin Barbecue in Austin and you'll see what I mean). But for those of us who do not live in Texas or have a smoker, barbecue sauce is a great way to add flavor to all kinds of meat. You can cook with it or add it at the table to chicken, ribs, beef, whatever you like really.

I have three bottles so I figured why not compare them in a blind taste test? I cooked some boneless beef short ribs (flanken) very plainly. I like cross cut short ribs because they are flavorful and tasty even without any sauce and don't require a marinade. Flanken is a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, if you can find it. It isn't as tender as steak, but cut thin it is equally delicious cooked rare or well done. Really.

Each of the sauces were good, and each had a different flavor profile but for me and my other taster, my husband, there was one clear favorite.

The first bottle was 1849 bbq sauce (14oz $5). I don't know much about this brand, even how I ended up with it. But I can tell you I like it. If you're wondering why it's called 1849, according to the website, it's because in 1849, the average man ate 6 pounds of meat a day. Unlike the others, it has a strong smoky flavor, though by comparison it does seem a bit sweet. It has both molasses and brown sugar in it. If you like smoke, this is a good choice.

The second bottle was Pendleton mesquite bbq sauce (18oz $6.50). This sauce is more vinegary, so perhaps it would be better for cooking than for using at the table? It's also much thinner and seemed spicier than the others, but I think that may just be the vinegar. Or it could have been the whiskey, one of the more unusual ingredients. While it is called mesquite, and it has 'natural mesquite flavor' listed as one of the ingredients, I didn't get much wood or smoke flavor.

The third bottle was SFQ (the original San Francisco-style barbecue sauce) (8oz $5). What is San Francisco-style bbq? Well the idea is that it includes some signature flavors of San Francisco, namely coffee, chocolate and in a bit of a stretch, red wine in the form of red wine vinegar. This sauce is very complex but well balanced with just a hint of heat. It was the clear favorite when compared with the others and I highly recommend you try it. I have no doubt some serious work went into getting the formula just right because no one flavor dominates, the spice and seasonings all meld together beautifully. I couldn't stop dunking my short ribs into this sauce. I'm convinced it would make just about anything taste good.

So why buy bbq sauce instead of making it? Convenience, plain and simple. It's a great to have on hand for when you have limited time or energy for making sauce from scratch. I sometimes use it to dress up sandwiches too, though having 3 bottles is probably more than anyone needs...Do you have a favorite bbq sauce? Let me know which one you prefer in the comments.

domingo, 2 de septiembre de 2012

Blackberry Mini Tarts Recipe

Blackberry mini tarts
Last week Driscoll's held a wonderful event for bloggers that I got to have a hand in planning. Bloggers brought dishes made with fresh blackberries, got insider cooking tips from cookbook author and cooking teacher Rick Rodgers and an inspiring food photography tutorial and demo from food photographer Caren Alpert.

I learned about pastry tampers, (the secret to quickly forming small tart shells in mini muffin pans) improvising with FedEx boxes and tin foil to get more light in food photos, ate a fabulous of dinner made from Rick's recipes, and tasted some divine desserts from some of my fellow bloggers. I particularly loved Irvin's tangy lemon and blackberry pie. I hope he posts the recipe soon! Rick made a cream cheese crust pastry with a savory filling and a blackberry topping. It was surprisingly similar to my dessert recipe.

I got the original recipe from the Land 'O Lakes website. I adapted it for Thanksgiving using cranberries and no nuts or glaze, then tweaked both the ingredients and the techniques to make it work with blackberries. Driscoll's blackberries are so good right now that I wanted to use them raw. I like desserts with at least some tangy flavor and blackberries have such a great balance of sweet and sour, thanks to a good ratio of natural sugars and organic acids. You could top the custard filled tarts with any kind of fresh berry you like. What makes this recipe so easy is that you mix the dough and the filling in a food processor. You could probably do it using a stand mixer if you prefer.

mini tarts

Blackberry Mini Tarts
Makes 36

Crust;
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

2 6-oz packages blackberries, each berry cut into two or three pieces

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine flour, butter, cream cheese and salt in food processor. Blend until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough into 36 equal pieces. Place 1 piece of dough into each ungreased mini muffin pan cup. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of cup or use a pastry tamper! Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a bowl or food processor, cream together the sugar and butter then mix in egg, vanilla and salt. Spoon about a teaspoon into each tart crust then bake another 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the top of the custard begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes then remove from pans using a knife if necessary. Place about 3 pieces of berry in each tart shell.

Enjoy!

viernes, 31 de agosto de 2012

Pears in mulled cider


Given how much leftover wine we have in the house (I'm also a wine writer for those of you who don't know) I normally poach pears in red wine but I tried them again the other day in cider and I'm not sure I don't prefer them that way. It seems to preserve the pear flavour better. (You could also use an off-dry perry, of course)

This is a great way to use those greenish brown conference pears which never look very appealing but have a superb flavour. You want them not quite ripe enough for eating but not rock-hard either. I'd pick them out by hand rather than buy a bag of them even though they tend to be cheaper that way. You can tell the stage they're at by pressing the top of each pear gently by the stem. There should be a tiny bit of give.

A great dessert for when you've had an indulgent carb-laden main course like a pie!

Serves 4

4 evenly sized, not quite ripe conference pears
330ml medium dry cider
4-5 heaped tbsp unrefined caster sugar
A fine strip of lemon peel + a little lemon juice to taste if needed
1 small cinnamon stick
Pouring cream or vanilla ice cream to serve

Keeping the pears whole remove the peel carefully with a small sharp knife, leaving the stalk on. Fit them side by side in a medium-sized saucepan and pour over the cider. Add enough water to cover the pears. Remove the pears from the liquid and set them aside.

Add 4 heaped tbsp of unrefined caster sugar and place the pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Taste the liquid and add a little extra sugar if you don't think it's quite sweet enough (ciders vary).

Return the pears to the pan along with the lemon peel and cinnamon stick and bring the liquid to the boil. Turn down the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 45 minutes until the pears are soft. Remove them carefully from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a shallow glass dish.

Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon then turn the heat up and boil the remaining liquid by about two thirds until thick and syrupy. Check for sweetness adding a little lemon juice if needed. Pour the syrup over the pears and leave to cool.

Serve just warm or at room temperature with double cream or vanilla ice cream and some crisp home-baked biscuits or shortbread.

Oh, and a happy Thanksgiving to my American readers. I suppose this should have been a pumpkin pie really but I'm sure you've got zillions of recipes for that. This might make a nice change ;-).

miércoles, 29 de agosto de 2012

DAL PALAK

I tried this recipe from Mrs. Mallika badrinath's kurma book. It's a nice combination for roti.I made slight changes in the actual recipe according to our taste buds.I googled so many recipes before trying this one but i found most of the recipes used toor dal / moong dal . I used masoor dal as mentioned in the cookbook.Check out the amazing health benefits of masoor dal in kitchen clinic section. U'll surely try this recipe Winking smile.

dal palak

INGREDIENTS

  • Masoor dal – 1/4 cup
  • Palak / Pasalai keerai – 2 bunches  (hope u all the know the size we get in india) (roughly 2-3 cups after chopping)
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt and water – As needed,

To grind

  • Green chilly – 2 –3 nos
  • Ginger – 1 inch piece

To temper

  • Cinnamon – 1 small piece
  • Cloves – 2 nos
  • Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp
  • Jeera – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilly – 1 no (pinched into two)
  • Garlic cloves – 5 nos (chopped finely)
  • Big onion – 1 no (chopped)
  • Tomato – 2 nos (-do-)
  • Curry leaves – a few

METHOD

  • Pressure cook masoor dal and palak with turmeric powder for 2 –3 whistles. The dal should be mushy.
  • Grind the ingredients given under "grind" to make a smooth paste by adding required water.
  • Now heat a kadai and temper all the items given above in the same order.
  • Add onions and tomatoes and saute till tomato turns mushy.
  • Add the ground masala and saute well for few mins.
  • Then add the cooked masoor dal & palak mixture and add the required water .
  • Allow it to boil well for few minutes.

Serve with roti.!!

Note: If u want to serve this for rice , just omit the cinnamon & cloves and try the same.

KITCHEN CLINIC

MASOOR DAL

Masoor daal is used in every household to make curries or sambar. It is a very common lentil and easily available as well. Masoor daal cooks very fast and does not need any kind of soaking before cooking it. Even tough people may treat it asa simple lentil; it has many properties which are good for health. People who are purevegetarians can eat this lentil everyday. They will get the same amount of strength that non-vegetarian people have.

Many times we see that people complain about having less blood in their body. Doctors recommend some medicines which will increase the blood and red blood cells in the body for such people. Instead of eating those medicines such a person can have curry made of masoor dal twice a week and they would never complain of less blood. This lentil is good as a remedy when a person is facing dysentery problems. Masoor daal is good for the excretory system and helps keeping it clean. It is good for people facing illnesses due to impure blood.

Masoor daal reduces the growth of cough in the lungs and helps reduce acidity as well. Soup made of this lentil is given to a patient suffering from fever. It will give strength to the body of the patient as well as keep the blood pure. People who have piles and bleed as lot during excretion should definitely have masoor daal. It will help reduce this problem.

Powder made from masoor dal should be used instead of soap for infants and children. This helps restore the moisture in the skin of children. It brings a glow to skin and prevents it from cracking in the winter season. It is used as a face pack when people have very oily skin. It reduces the oil produced from the skin and helps reduce acne and pimples. It also prevents itching of skin.

Our daily diet can include a bowl of lentil soup everyday. This will increase the protein content in our body and make us healthy and fit. Masoor dal will also help increase the digestion rate. Many Indian recipes are made using masoor dal.




martes, 28 de agosto de 2012

PIDI KARUNAIKIZHANGU CHOPS / YAM FRY

I love chops made with vazhakkai and senaikizhangu ( Elephant yam ).Recently I bought small sized black colored pidi karunai kizhangu from my native.I heard its a good remedy for piles. We usually make vatral kulambu by adding this kizhangu. This time i tried chops by searching the recipe.I got from a discussion forum hub. It was very nice and aromatic with the perfect blend of spices. The original recipe was named as 'Karunai kizhangu kola ' and it was told to deep fry. But i followed the same recipe and made in dosa tawa instead of deep frying. I would say this recipe is apt for making with elephant yam and raw banana. My doter loved it very much.We enjoyed with sambhar  and curd rice !!
                                                              yam fry
INGREDIENTS
  • Pidi karunai - 4 nos
TO GRIND:
  • Pottukadalai/ Fried gram dal/ Dalia - 3 tbsp
  • Tamarind paste - 1/2 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - A pinch
  • Cloves - 2 nos
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
  • Fennel seeds/ Soambu - 1 tsp
  • Garlic cloves - 4 nos
  • Red chillies - 5 - 7 nos
  • Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp
  • Ginger - 1 small piece
  • Salt & water - As needed.
  • Lime juice - Optional
  • Coriander leaves - To  garnish.

METHOD
  1. Wash & soak the kizhangu in abundant water for sometime to remove all the mud.
  2. Pressure cook in high flame for 1 whistle.It should be half done.(Skin should be hard to touch)
  3. Now grind all the items given above adding required salt & water to make a smooth paste.
  4. Remove the skin of the kizhangu and chop it round.
  5. Now mix the paste ans marinate for sometime. The  kizhangu should be fully coated with the paste.
  6. Now heat the dosa tawa and sprinkle some oil. Cover Cook the marinated pieces for sometime.Keep the flame low for even cooking. flip the pieces to cook the other side and do the same.
  7. I Wanted a brown layer to be formed so i kept for a longer time.
  8. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and add lime juice if necessary.
  9. Karunai kizhangu Chops is ready !!

NOTE:
  • If u want to try kolas , just cook the kizhangu well till it mashes.Mash it with ur hands and add the paste.Mix well. Add finely chopped onions and coriander leaves . Make small balls and deep fry them in batches.
  • If u wish to try the same with senai / elephant yam , add little more tamarind paste by avoid the irritation in tongue.Add less tamarind paste to make the same with raw banana.
 I am glad in sending this recipe to priya's event..




KITCHEN CLINIC
Description
These tender and tropical perennials grow up to a height of 12-18inches (around 30-45cm) in a spacing of 24-36inches (around 60-90cm). The leaves are around 50 cm in length and consist of many oval leaflets. These plants bloom around spring producing mauve or magenta colored flowers with fragrance. 3-4 years are generally required for the corms to be harvested. These evergreen plants can be grown in container as well if the soil is acidic. Elephant yam is an edible tuber. It is one of the oldest plants known to provide food. It is so called because of its huge size and resemblance with the elephant foot. It is widely consumed as a food crop, usually boiled or baked.
Buying tips
It is preferred to buy elephant yam from the markets where it is available is a fresh condition. It is preferable to wear gloves while handling the elephant yam as the sap of these plants causes skin irritation.
Elephant Foot Yam 300x200 Know about Karunai Kilangu (Elephant Foot Yam)
Culinary usage
Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) can be consumed in many ways safely only after removal of its toxic materials. In scarcity of different staple foods, yam is used. So it is also sometimes referred to as a 'famine food'.  Before cooking, the wild forms must be soaked in water and boiled for a long time to remove bitterness. The outer brown skin of Karunai is thoroughly washed and removed. Then they are generally cut into small cubes. It can be boiled in clean water as well as with a pinch of turmeric in water. Delicious recipes are available for cooking elephant yam.
  1. Elephant yam can be cooked in tangy sauce.
  2. Using minimal oil and by shallow frying yam kabab can be made.
  3. Deep frying half boiled Karunai in red chilli and turmeric powder can make a nice side dish.
  4. Adding paste made of coconut, snuf and jeera to the deep fried Karunai, it can be roasted and served as a delicious dish.
  5. Boiled Karunai can be also consumed by mixing it with lemon-juice, mustard paste and salt. Green chillies can also be added to the preparation for enhancing its taste.
  6. Yum pulusu ia a dish made of elephant yam. It is made by cooking it in nice tangy and spicy tamarind sauce.
  7. Yam can also be eaten as a supplement of cereals.
Storage For planting purposes only the fully matured, cured and graded tubers are used for storage. Cool and well ventilated places are used for storing. Generally the tubers are stored in single layer. If there is insufficiency is storage space, then the tubers can be stored in two layers as well. But storing the tubers in a heap should be avoided.
In seed bank vaults, the dried and packed seeds are stored at a sub zero temperature. The seeds resemble a flat lens. The light brown, apical seeds of diameter 5mm have membranous wings which are usually 10mm long and about 7mm wide.
Medicinal values It has been proved that Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) has many medical benefits as its root is highly stomachic, restorative, carminative and tonic.
  1. The cooling effect of Karunai Kilangu can be a cure for Hypertension.
  2. It is often use as a treatment for piles.
  3. Yam helps to reduce cholesterol levels in blood.
  4. It can even act as an anticoagulant.
  5. Elephant yam can be safely consumed by diabetic people.
  6. Karunai Kilangu helps to maintain the hormonal balance by increasing the estrogen level in women. It can relieve the women from pre-menstrual syndrome as well.
  7. Hemorrhoids patients are also prescribed to have elephant yam.
  8. Powerful antioxidant Vitamin C is present which delays aging.
  9. It is also provided as a medicine for treatment to patients suffering from acute rheumatism.
  10. Irregular bowel movements and constipation can also be cured with its intake.
  11. However, it should be borne in mind that elephant yam is a cooling food. Hence patients suffering from cold, sinus infection or asthma should avoid its intake.
Where to buy the vegetable in US This plant is grown mostly in tropical regions like Florida. Altamonte Springs, Brooksville, Cape Coral, Fernandina Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Lakeland, North Fort Myers, St. Augustine, Tampa, Winter Haven are the places in Florida where the plant grows. Clayton and Sacramento in California, Kenner in Louisiana, Portland in Oregon, Reynoldsville in Pennsylvania, Puyallup in Washington and Cabin Creek in West Virginia are also known for growing this plant.
Nutritional and dietary information Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) has a rich nutritional profile.
It provides energy about 330KJ/100g (approximately).
Potassium, Phosphorous and Magnesium are the key minerals found in elephant yam. It also contains trace minerals like zinc, copper and selenium.
  1. It also contains Calcium. 50-56mg/100g of its contents is Calcium.
  2. Its 18-24% is carbohydrate content.
  3. About 0.8% is fibre.
  4. Its water content is about 72-79%
  5. 1.7-5.0% of its content is protein.
  6. It has omega-3 fatty acids.
Diosgenin, a molecular hormone which has potential anticancer effects, is found in yam.
  1. Elephant foot yam is high on vitamin B6 content.
  2. It also contains Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
From its wide medicinal benefits and nutritional profile we can hereby conclude that elephant yam is very potent source of nutrition. So its consumption will prove beneficial to health. It can also be consumed by people looking for weight reduction as it is low on fat content (0.2-0.4%).


jueves, 23 de agosto de 2012

Bread Baking Babes - Stromboli

Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms was the lucky lady to choose our bread for May, and she chose the Stromboli.


The stromboli is a sandwich in every slice - meat and cheese layered on a lovely bread dough, rolled up and baked. The recipe is straightforward to make and the results are delicious.


Our stromboli was layered with proscuitto and salami and swiss cheese and basil.  I rolled it up as tight as I could, sprinkled it with salt and baked it.


Unfortunately I forgot the apparently critical step of piercing the bread before cooking, presumably so your bread doesn't bake up hollow like mine did.


Regardless of the big air pockets in the bread, it was delicious. As Elle mentioned in her post to us Babes, this is a perfect picnic food. If the warm weather decides to stick around, maybe we'll find out!

Please visit Elle for the recipe, and all the deets on being a Buddy with her delicious pick. And please visit the participating Babes (listed over on the left) to see their breads as well.

Cheers!