Sage
Sage is a herb with greyish green leaves. It
is often used in meat dishes. It was used
medicinally before it was ever used as food. It
is considered a tonic for the liver, kidneys and
stomach. Often sage is used as a tea to help
with digestive problems and to help regulate the
menstrual cycle. It has been known to be used
for spiritual and supernatural purposes.
Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables have played a major part in
the cuisine of Asian countries for centuries.
They can be used as the major component of a
recipe or just as a highlight by way of
flavouring. They are used in soups, stews and
stir fries. In the West, nori would be the most
well known sea vegetable. It is the only one
that is used without needing to be soaked prior
to usage. It is famous in Japanese cooking
particularly in its role as the wrapping for
sushi. Other sea vegetables are laver, arame,
wakame and kombu. Sea vegetables are very
nutritious, having more protein than meat and
more calcium than milk.
Seeds ......various
Seeds are usually quite small in size but
they are packed with nutrition and flavour.
They are used in both sweet and savoury
recipes. The most popular in our cuisine are
sesame, sunflower, poppy and pumpkin seeds. In
general, seeds contain a large amount of iron
and vitamin E. They are said to reduce
cholesterol in the blood. this is particularly
so for sunflower seeds. seeds can be
incorporated into breakfast cereals, baking and
in salads.
Silver beet (Swiss Chard)
Silver beet is a member of the beet family.
Silver beet leaves are dark, ribbed, green and
glossy with their stems being white or coloured
from yellow through to red. The leaves of
younger plants can be shredded and used in
salads. Older leaves can be used as a cooked
vegetable. Some people only eat the leaves but
others eat the chopped stems as well. Silver
beet contains a great deal of fibre and is
packed with vitamins. Silver beet should be
eaten promptly after picking as it does not
survive well in the refrigerator.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is made by fermenting soy beans
with other ingredients such as wheat, salt water
and a yeast culture. It is left to ferment for
between six months and three years.
Sprouted Seeds
Many seeds, pulses and grains can be sprouted
to create a nutritious food that can be eaten in
salads or added at the last minute to cooked
foods such as stir fries. Sprouted seeds
contain vastly more vitamins than non-sprouted
seeds. This is especially so for vitamins B and
C. Seeds can very easily be sprouted at home
with very little equipment needed. A handful of
seeds can be placed in a large jar with water.
The water is rinsed around the seeds and then
tipped out. A piece of muslin can be held tight
over the mouth of the jar to retain the seeds
yet allow the water to drain out. The watering
and draining process should be repeated 2 - 3
times per day. Depending on the seeds used you
can have edible sprouts in 3 - 4 days. When the
sprouts have matured they should be removed from
the jar and placed in a sealed container in the
refrigerator.
Squash
Because they have a high
water content all squash are low in calories.
Strawberries
Strawberries are rich in
Vitamin B complex and vitamin C. They also
contain potassium and have good skin cleansing
properties. they are the only fruit to have its
seeds on the outside. The average strawberry has
200 seeds. There is a museum in Belgium just
for strawberries. Strawberries are a member of
the rose family.
Swede
Swedes are spherical root vegetables that
have a pale orange flesh. They should be peeled
and can then be used grated in salads or used
cooked in stews or casseroles. Prior to
pumpkins being readily available swedes were
carved out for use at Halloween.
Sweet Corn
Corn is also known as maize
and it belongs to the grass family of plants.
We are mainly accustomed to the yellow variety
but corn can also be blue, red, black and multi
coloured. Humans have cultivated corn for over
10,000 years. Corn can not only be eaten as corn
on the cob but it can be processed into
cornflour, corn syrup, grits and popcorn. It is
also used in the manufacturing industry for
products that are not edible such as for
cardboard and for bio degradable containers. It
is also needed for the manufacture of alcohol
and ethanol. Corn is an excellent carbohydrate,
rich in vitamins A, B, and C and fibre.
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