Flavor Of Valley

Flavor Of Valley

Aloe Vera

The aloe vera plant is about one or two feet tall with prickly and bitter leaves, which act as a defence to keep animals and insects from feeding on the plant. The leaves hold a gooey translucent gel, also extremely bitter, and known all over the world for it's unbelievable healing properties. This translucent gel is made up of around 96% water, some organic and inorganic compounds, a type of protein which contains 18 of the 20 amino acids found in the body and lastly, Vitamin A, B, C and E. Another part of the aloe vera plant which is used is the 'sap', a yellow-coloured liquid stuck to the skin of the plant from the inside. When dried and purified, the powdered aloe is often used as a laxative, though it's effectiveness is questionable.

GINGER
Botanical name: Zingiber officinale
Prized for its medicinal and culinary properties in Asian cultures for thousands of years, ginger, also known as ginger root, is an underground rhizome. It's a little strange-looking, like a small, rounded, brown cactus. But the fragrance is pleasantly pungent, and the flavor completely unique, reminiscent of citrus with acidic notes.
Ginger is a versatile addition to soups, sauces, marinades, and a number of other dishes, from baked apples to stir-fried vegetables. A cup of tea, of course, is one of its hallmarks, not just for pleasant flavor, but soothing qualities.

Eggs with Pastrami

3-4 eggs
½ cup pastrami, torn into pieces
1-2 Tbsp butter (optional)
A pinch of salt
A pinch if paprika

Take the butter over the skillet and melt over medium heat. Then, tear the pastrami into small pieces and sauté in butter for 2 minutes. Crack the eggs carefully and sprinkle with salt and paprika. You may either close the lid and cook over low heat without disturbing the eggs, or give a gentle stir folding the eggs and cook until eggs are done.
Serve hot.
ENJOY

Apple Cookie Rolls
This is one of my favorite cookies and with this recipe I won the cookie category of Food Science Bake Contest:)
1 cup yogurt
1 cup sugar
250 gr margarine/butter, melted
1/2-1 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
7-8 cup flour
½ cup confectioner’s sugar for garnish
Filling:
3 apples, peeled, cored and shredded
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup crushed walnuts/pecans

Mix all the dough ingredients, but flour and confectioner’s sugar. Add flour slowly and form a non sticking dough. Knead for 4-5 minutes. Then, cover the dough with a clean cloth and leave for resting.
Meanwhile, cook shredded apples with sugar for about 10 minutes over low-medium heat. When they turn to brown stir in cinnamon and walnuts/pecans.

Peach Jam

14 medium peaches, peeled
7 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Peel peaches and cut them in cubes or any shape you like (not thin). Place one layer peach one layer sugar into a pot. Then keep in the refrigerator overnight. The next day bring it to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce the heat and cook stirring occasionally until it thickens (for about 35-40 minutes). Stir in lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour into jars or containers with lids.
ENJOY

Possible health benefits of spinach
Diabetes management: spinach contains an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic acid, which has been shown to lower glucose levels, increase insulin sensitivity and prevent oxidative stress-induced changes in patients with diabetes. Studies on alpha-lipoic acid have also shown decreases in peripheral neuropathy and/or autonomic neuropathy in diabetics.1
Of note, most studies have used intra-venous alpha-lipoic acid and it is unsure whether oral supplementation would elicit the same benefits.1
Cancer prevention: Spinach and other green vegetables contain chlorophyll which has shown to be effective at blocking the carcinogenic effects of heterocyclic amines which are generated when grilling foods at a high temperature.2

Swiss chard
What's New and Beneficial About Swiss Chard

Stuffed Kadaifi

1 lb kadaifi
150 grams butter
1 cup walnuts/pecans, in chunks

For the Syrup:
3 cups water
2 ½ -3 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

First mix sugar and water in a pot and boil the syrup for about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and let it cool.
Melt butter and drizzle all over the kadaifi. Using your hands, try to mix the butter with kadaifi evenly. If the kadaifi pieces are too long, break them into smaller pieces with your hands. After tossing the kadaifi, take a small Turkish coffee cup and fill half of it with kadaifi and make a hole in the middle. Place about 1 tsp walnuts/pecans inside and fill the rest of the cup with more kadaifi. Gently press on top of the cup. Grease an oven tray and flip the cup upside down on the tray. Make sure to press on top of the kadaifi before flipping, otherwise the shape won’t come out well. Use the same procedure for all the kadaifi left.

Spinach and Potato Frittata
2 tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes, chopped
1 cup torn fresh spinach
2 tbsp green onions, sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat and place potatoes, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, green onions, and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
Beat together eggs and milk in a bowl. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Lower the heat, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm.
Serve Spinach and Potato Frittata warm.
ENJOY
***This is a vegetarian dish.

PUMPKINS

Pumpkin: It’s yummy and it’s seasonal. And we’re in the middle of a full-on flavor takeover. There’s pumpkin in your bagels, beer and coffee. Starbucks has sold more than 200 millionPumpkin Spice Lattes in the past 10 years. Even the makers of Pringles are getting in on the action. While most pumpkin-flavored treats should be added to the once-in-a-while list, pumpkin itself (not to be confused with artificial pumpkin spice flavoring) is actually one of the healthier foods of the season. Here are six reasons it’s OK to be totally obsessed with this season’s superfood.
1. Feel Fuller
Pumpkin seeds pack about 1.7 grams of dietary fiber per ounce, while mashed pumpkin has only 50 calories per cup and 3 grams of fiber. “Fiber helps keep you fuller longer, which keeps your appetite at bay so you eat less overall,” says nutrition and fitness expertJJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet.
2. Boost Vision

Porcupine Meatballs with Enchilada Sauce

Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (approximately 20 ounces) enchilada sauce
1/4 cup water

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine turkey, rice, bell pepper, onion, salt and black pepper; mix well. Shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter; place in slow cooker. Combine enchilada sauce with the water; pour over the turkey porcupine meatballs. Cover and cook on LOW setting for about 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours or until rice is tender. Converted rice (Uncle Ben's) tends to hold up a little better than regular long grain. Check near the end of cooking time to make sure rice does not get mushy. To serve, spoon sauce over meatballs.
Makes about 2 dozen meatballs.

Ravishing Radishes
Botanical name: Raphanus sativus
Offering a peppery, satisfying crunch with every bite, radishes have a unique place in the hearts of veggie lovers. A root from the Brassica family and a cousin to cabbage, the many shapes, sizes and colors of different radish varieties is surprising.
In the U.S., the average large radish is red, round with a glistening white interior and roughly the size of a ping pong or golf ball. Another type is the creamy white daikon - a true tuber with the tail to show for it, and a winter radish, while the red ones proliferate in the spring. The original radish was black. Other varieties come in pink, dark grey, purple, two-tone green and white, and yellow.

Health Benefits of Lime

The health benefits of lime include weight loss, skin care, improved digestion, relief from constipation, eye care, and treatment of scurvy, piles, peptic ulcer, respiratory disorders, gout, gums, urinary disorders, etc.
The first fruit that comes to mind in terms of medicinal uses is the reliable lime. This sour citrus fruit can do what many advanced medicines cannot. Lime, bearing the scientific name Citrus Aurantifolia, has been used for ages in the treatment of various ailments.

6 Health Benefits of Mulberries

Mulberries are delicious and nutritious, people all over the world enjoy it. Mulberries are a product of the Morus alba tree. Its leaves, which also contain nutrients and are even used as food for silkworms, are thin, glossy and light green; the fruit, like grapes, is red or white and grows in bunches called “drupes.”
1. Source of Antioxidants
Antioxidants help lessen the damage caused by free radicals and the entire mulberry plant- leaves, stems, and fruit, contains antioxidants. [1] [2] One antioxidant in particular, resveratrol, has gotten much attention. Research published by the University of Texas Health Science Center credits resveratrol for positive effects on age and longevity. [3]
2. Immune System Support
Mulberries contain alkaloids that activate macrophages. Macrophages are white blood cells that stimulate the immune system, putting it on high active alert against health threats. [4]
3. Supports Healthy Blood Sugar

Rolled Fruit Cake
4 eggs
½ tsp baking powder
10 tbsp sugar
8 tbsp flour (white, all purpose, sifted)
½ tsp vanilla extract
Coating and garnish:
Whipped cream
Strawberry or any kind of fruit preserve
1 ½ banana
1 kiwi fruit, sliced
6-8 strawberry or red grapes, cut in halves
Pine apple, chunked
(Fruits are optional, you can use all types of fresh or canned fruits)

Place 10 tbsp sugar and egg yolks in a deep bowl and whisk with a mixer. In a different container mix the baking powder and flour. In another bowl, mix the egg whites until they form white foam and add them to the sugar-egg yolk mixture. Then, slowly add the flour-baking powder mixture and vanilla extract. Mix for 3-4 minutes.