16th fia fia cooking--[Central Island -Nukufetau] Pawpaw Salad (16/05/2012)

<<<To Eat is To Be Healthy>>>

           TODAY SPECIAL : Pawpaw Salad (5-8 Servings)    

           RECIPE:

 

 

Ingredient	Condiment
Pawpaw	4-6 teaspoons of salt
6 cloves of garlic	Sugar or tauti (palm sugar)
2 chilis	Vinegar
4-6 limes or lemons
8-10 tomatoes
Peanut (can)
Tuna can or Raw yellow fin tuna

photo by Jancsi

photo by Jancsi

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

 

   DIRECTION:

1.     Peel the pawpaw, remove the seed, and use half of it to grate.

2.     Add some salt into the pawpaw shred and marinate it for 15 minutes.

3.     Squeeze the lemon, chop the garlic finely, shred the chili, and cut the tomatoes into halves.

4.     Crush the peanuts.

5.     Prepare the sauce:

6.     Mix the garlic, chili, 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar (or tauti), 1 ½ tablespoons of vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes, and put some tuna flakes or raw fish if you have.

7.     Squeeze the shredded pawpaw. （After that the pawpaw will be crisper.）

8.     Pour the sauce into the bowl, and mix with the pawpaw shred.

9.     Marinate all the ingredients for 6-8 hours.

10. Sprinkle some crushed peanuts before serving.

 BENEFIT OF PAWPAW  

§  The fruit is very low in calories (just 39 cal/100 g) and contains no cholesterol; but is a rich source of phyto-nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

§  Papayas contain soft, easily digestible pulp/flesh with good amount of soluble dietary fiber that helps to have normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation.

§  Fresh, ripe fruit is one of the fruit with highest vitamin-C content (provides about 103% of DRA, more than in oranges, or lemons). Research studies have shown that vitamin C has many important functions like free radicals scavenging, immune booster, and anti-inflammatory actions.

§  It is also an excellent source of Vitamin-A (provides 1094 IU/100 g) and flavonoids like beta carotenes, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthins. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties; help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play role in aging and various disease processes. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes has known to protect body from lung and oral cavity cancers.

§  Papaya fruit is also rich in many essential B-complex vitamins such as Folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin, and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish and play vital role in metabolism.

§  Fresh papaya also contains good amount of potassium (257 mg per 100 g) and calcium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids and helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure countering effects of sodium.

§  Papaya has been proven natural remedy for many ailments. In traditional medicine, papaya seeds are anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, and analgesic, and they are used to treat stomachache and ringworm infections.

Safety profile

§  Papayas contain white milk like latex substance, which can cause irritation to skin and provoke allergic reaction in some sensitized persons. 

§  Ripe papaya fruit can be safely used by pregnant women. Unripe green papaya should be avoided in pregnant women as it contains lot of papain, a proteolytic enzyme that used commercially to tenderize meat. Unripe papaya fruit, seeds, latex, and leaves also contain carpaine, an alkaloid which could be dangerous when eaten in high doses. Unripe papaya, however, used safely as cooked vegetable

 

 

 

 

15th fia fia cooking--Sponge Gourd Fried Egg (15/05/2012)

 <<<To Eat is To Be Healthy>>>   

TODAY SPECIAL: Sponge Gourd Fried Egg (6 Servings)

RECIPE                      PLACE:Fusi Alofa Association Tuvalu

Ingredient	Condiment
500g sponge gourd	Salt
Bacon	Sugar
0.5 onion	Black pepper
6 eggs	Corn flour

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

             DIRECTION:

1.     Peel the sponge gourd, remove the seeds, and dice it.

2.     Dice the half of onion.

3.     Cut the bacon into small pieces.

4.     Beat the 6 eggs, add some salt, sugar, and black pepper and mix it.

5.     Stir-fry the onion and bacon for a while, and put the spongy gourd into the wok to stir-fry about 3 minutes.

6.     When all the ingredients become cooler, sprinkle some flour, mix it, and pour them into the eggs. (The purpose of adding flour is to prevent the water comes out.)

7.     Pour the eggs into the wok, make the shape to be a circle, and fry the eggs over medium heat.  

8.     Stir the middle part of the frying eggs with chopsticks to make the egg becoming solidification easier.

9.     When the 80% of eggs become harder, turn it over to continue frying over low heat.
(If it’s not easy to turn over with a spatula, you can take a plate to cover on the wok and make the wok and plate upside down, and slide the egg from plate to wok, and then re-opened fire on low heat to cooked eggs.)

10. Until the eggs are fully cooked, you can remove it and cut into pieces to serve.

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

  Benefits of Sponge Gourd 

• A nutrition powerhouse: sponge gourd is loaded with nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin C, riboflavin, zinc, thiamin, iron and magnesium. It is also low in fat and calories.
• An ideal weight loss food: Being low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in dietary fiber, it becomes the ideal choice for anyone who wishes to lose some weight quickly. It also has a very high water content, making it a very low calorie vegetable (only 60 calories in 100 gm of cooked ridge gourd).
• Cure for jaundice: The juice prepared from sponge gourd is a natural remedy for jaundice. The juice can be prepared by pounding the bitter ridge gourd and squeezing it through a cloth.
• Blood purifier: Because of its blood purifying properties, it helps to purify, restore and nourish liver protecting it from alcohol intoxication.
• Lowers blood sugar level: It contains insulin-like peptides, alkaloids and charantin, which help to lower blood and urine sugar levels without altering blood insulin levels.
• Good for stomach: Cellulose in ridge gourd helps to overcome constipation and also aids in curing piles.
• Skin care: When sponge gourd is allowed to mature and dry on the vine, it can be harvested as a sponge. Sponge gourd has been used traditionally as an exfoliating product when bathing. They are very good for removing dead skin cells leaving the skin smooth and conditioned. They can also help stimulate the skin thus making it healthier and more vibrant.The blood purifying properties make sure that you stay away from pimples and acne. Sponge gourd can also help control body and foot odor.

• Strengthens immune system: A glass of sponge gourd juice mixed with other healthy vegetables in the morning can help to strengthen your immune system against any infection.

 

 

 

14th fia fia cooking--Bottle Gourd Braised Pork (12/05/2012)

 <<<To Eat is To Be Healthy>>>   

TODAY SPECIAL: Bottle Gourd Braised Pork (5 Servings)

RECIPE                             PLACE:Fetuvalu Secondary School

Ingredient	Condiment
500g bottle gourd	Salt
200g pork	Soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic	Black pepper
3-4 sliced ginger	Sugar
8 mushrooms	Sesame oil
2 spring onions	Corn flour
2 bowls of broth	Soybean oil

        

photo by Tracy

photo by Lader

photo by Tracy

   

             DIRECTION:

1.     Mince the pork, and marinate it with 1 clove of garlic, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, some sugar and 1 teaspoon of corn flour for 15 minutes.

2.     Soak 8 mushrooms into the water for 10-15 minutes to make them soft.

3.     Peel the bottle gourd and chop it into strips. (If the bottle gourd is too mature, you can remove the seeds in the middle part.)

4.     Slice the ginger, mushrooms, and 3 cloves of garlic.

5.     Cut the spring onion into small pieces for decoration.

6.     Use the hot oil to stir-fry the ginger, mushrooms, and garlic for a while.

7.     Put the minced pork into the wok stir-fry for a while, and add 1-2 bowls of broth to braise 3-5 minutes.

8.     Put the bottle gourd into the wok, and add 2-3 teaspoons of salt, 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil, I teaspoons of black pepper, and some sugar, braise over high heat for 3-5 minutes. (If it’s necessary, add some more broth into the wok.)

9.     Sprinkle the spring onion before serving.

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

photo by Tracy

                     

          Bottle Gourd is good for:

•     Bottle gourd is an excellent vegetable for hypertension patients.
•     It is a suitable vegetable for light, low-cal diets as well as for children, people with digestive problems, diabetics and convalescents.
•     High in water content, and easy to digest when cooked.
•     Be effective in treating constipation.
•     Be helpful in treating urinary disorders.
•     Bottle gourd is recommended by ayurvedic physicians for balancing the liver function.
•     Drinking a glass of bottle gourd juice once in the early morning helps in treating grey hair.
•     Mixing the juice with sesame oil for massaging the scalp every night, provides an effective medicine for insomnia.
•     A glass of bottle gourd juice, mixed with a little salt, helps in preventing excessive loss of sodium from the body. It quenches thirst, prevents fatigue and keeps one refreshed during summers.
•     Bottle gourd juice is also very useful for shedding extra calories and maintaining optimum health.

13th fia fia cooking--Pumpkin Risotto (27/04/2012)

 <<<To Eat is To Be Healthy>>>   

TODAY SPECIAL: Pumpkin Risotto (5 Servings)

 RECIPE                                           PLACE:Funafuti Maneapa

Ingredient	Condiment
500g pumpkin	Salt
3-5 chicken legs	White pepper
1 onion	Black pepper
3 cloves of garlic	Sugar
1 carrot	Corn flour
1 cucumber	Butter
Dry mushroom
Milk (or milk powder)
Rice

photo by Jancsi

photo by Jancsi

photo by Jancsi

photo by Jancsi

photo by Tracy

photo by Lader

photo by Lader

photo by Lader

photo by Tracy

 

       

         DIRECTION:

1.     Bone and peel the chicken legs.

2.     Boil the chicken bones and stew over low heat for 1 hour. (You also can use the rice cooker or use the coconut to make a fire to make the broth.)

3.     Chop the chicken into small chunks and marinate with the salt, black pepper, sugar, and corn flour for 20-30 minutes.

4.     Peel the pumpkin and chop into blocks. (Using about half of the medium size pumpkin)

5.     Steam the pumpkin over low heat for 20-30 minutes.

6.     Dip 5 dry mushrooms for 15 minutes and dice them.

7.     Wash the 2 bowls of rice, and dip in the water for a while.

8.     Dice the quarter of medium size pumpkin, carrot, and onion, slice the garlic.

9.     Press the steamed pumpkin into paste.

10. Stir fry the garlic, onion, and mushrooms with the butter for a while, and then the diced pumpkin and carrot, and pour the rice, 3 bowls of milk, pumpkin paste, and broth into the wok, season all the ingredient with some salt and a little bit of sugar.

11. Stew the rice for 20-25 minutes over low heat, and during that time add the broth when the rice becomes dry.  

12. Cut the cucumber into strips for garnish food.

13. Till the rice almost been done, put the chicken into the wok to stew for a while.

14. Sprinkle some black pepper on the top and put the shredded cucumber aside before serving.

Benefits Of Pumpkin

•      Pumpkin GOOD for:

•     Artery: Beta-carotene helps prevent build up of cholesterol on the arterial walls, thus reducing chances of strokes.
•     Staying young: Being rich in alpha-carotene, pumpkin is believed to slow the process of aging.
•     Eyes: Pumpkins have been known to reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a serious eye problem than usually results in blindness, and also prevent cataract formation.
•     Bowel: The high amount of fiber, present in a pumpkin, is good for the bowel health of an individual.
•     Blood pressure: Being loaded with potassium, pumpkin is associated with lowering the risk of hypertension.
•     Immune system & Bone: The presence of zinc in pumpkins boosts the immune system and also improves the bone density. 

         Pumpkin Seeds are GOOD for: 

•      Prostate: They promote overall prostate health, apart from alleviating the problem of difficult urination that is associated with an enlarged prostate.
•      Mood: They comprise of L-tryptophan, a compound that has been found to be effective against depression.
•      Bone: They are believed to serve as a natural protector against osteoporosis.
•      Anti-inflammatory: They have been known to reduce inflammation, without causing the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.
•      Kidney: Studies have revealed that they help prevent calcium oxalate kidney stone formation.