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Brown Sugar

I'm sure most of you hate the thought of hard blocks of brown sugar. I used to buy brown sugar and just chuck it in the fridge after opening, which led to scraping around the blocks of hardened sugar or banging it against the counter whenever I needed to use it.

I figured it was time to consult my best friend, Google, when I bought a new packet of brown sugar. I read there are some ways to soften already hardened brown sugar like putting a piece of bread or a slice of apple in the bag, but I just bought a packet full of soft brown sugar. The easiest way to keep it soft was to leave it in the freezer.

So I dumped all the brown sugar in an empty ice-cream container (I seem to have a lot of those in my cupboard :p) and kept it in the freezer. It's amazing! It really does stay soft, and I love how easy it is to measure out a cup when I need it for baking.

Brown sugar in the freezer = awesomeness!

Homemade Ice Cream

Since the weather was getting hot, I decided baking time is over (for a while). I scoured the net for easy ice-cream recipes that I could make without an ice-cream maker. I try to avoid buying kitchen equipment that can only do one thing because I don't like clutter.

Anyway, I found recipes where you make a custard on the stovetop and then freeze, but then you had to check and whisk it every half-hour or so. I was feeling quite lazy to do that and just wanted a yummy and EASY recipe.

Then I found the holy grail. Who knew, just 3 simple ingredients could make a lovely vanilla ice-cream? And all you had to do was mix it and chuck it in the freezer for 6 hours before it's ready! No stovetop required. No checking in every 30 minutes. No nothing. So simple!

I decided to make just plain vanilla and if I wanted anything fancy in it, I'd just mix it in before eating. That way my ice-cream will be more versatile.


Easy Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine
Recipe from Kevin and Amanda (thanks guys!)

2 cups heavy cream
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 vanilla pod or 1-2 tsp vanilla extract

Pour the condensed milk into your ice cream container (I used one of the commercial ice cream containers I had in my cupboard), and then mix in the vanilla.

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Use a mixer if you have one. I was only armed with a large balloon whisk and metal bowl, so I got a pretty good arm workout. A blender works too (my friend tried it!).

Fold the whipped cream into your ice cream container. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or until set. I did it the night before and had a lovely ice cream dessert for lunch the next day :)

Everyone who tried the ice-cream could NOT believe the ingredients and they all agreed it was creamy and better than commercial ice-cream. It's amazing! Try it and let your friends think you had to slave away in the kitchen without an ice-cream maker :p

My father-in-law had a bowl and told me to throw away the recipe as it was ruining his diet. He didn't want me to make it anymore. Little does he know how simple it is. The ingredients are already etched in my brain :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

My sister loves Nestle Toll House's recipe. While I was trying to find a better recipe, I stumbled upon this. It's the same Nestle recipe which uses 1/2 the butter! Anything that lessens butter but tastes the same should be good, right? So, I tried the recipe and fell in love. I'm going to forever use this! It's a keeper.

Interesting thing I learnt:

• Since it uses less butter, the cookies don't spread out much while baking. Thus, whatever shape you put on the pan prior to baking will come out about the same after it's done! I love that. So I get to shape it nicely or have a rustic look (because I'm just lazy :p), etc.

@nestlefoodie’s Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Recipe from Chris Garboski, adapted from the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe  (copied from La Fuji Mama - you can get the printable version from her site)

Makes 60 cookies  

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 large eggs 

2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips  

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate large mixer bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the dough is creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the dough well after each addition.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes and then remove the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Yum! The same goodness with lesser fat and calories! Yay!

Cheesecake Brownies

I love brownies! They taste so good and you'll feel so bad for eating them. But once you finish the pan, you just crave for more. Sigh..

Sometimes just having brownies isn't enough, and that's when you need to have a delicious layer of cheesecake on top. Yum!

Cheesecake Brownies
I used the cheesecake recipe from Almost Bourdain and the brownie recipe from Desert Candy. I silently stalk these blogs (but now that I've linked them, they'll know who their silent stalker is :p).

1 stick (8 tbsp, 4 oz, 113g) butter
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup sugar (all white sugar, or half white/half brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
pince salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder


Cheesecake:
285 g (10 oz) cream cheese
4 1/2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs

(I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9x13" pan for 35-40 mins.)

Preheat the oven to 350F, grease an 8" square baking pan lined with non-stick baking paper or aluminum foil. On top of a double boiler, or in the microwave, melt together the butter and the chocolate. Let the mixture cool slightly, stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour and cocoa powder. Pour into prepared pan.

To make the cheesecake, whisk the cream cheese, sugar and eggs until smooth. Place large spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture on top of the chocolate mixture and swirl with a butter knife.

Bake in the oven 18-20 mins. Immediately move the pan to the freezer or to an ice bath for about five minutes to stop the cooking, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 16 - 2 inch squares.

Hummingbird Cake

It seems like my earlier posts are all about health and vegetables. I may sound like a health freak by now but I'm actually not because I LOOOVE eating cake and ice-cream!

I baked my first cake when I was about 6 or 7. My sister and I had this children's cookbook which we pored over and made all kinds of cookies -- chocolate chip, honey, zebra, etc. We loved baking together with our mom and it was great quality time.

I hadn't been baking a lot in such a long time since then and only started again recently. Thus the reason for the existence of this food blog -- to keep record of the recipes I like and will refer to in the future.

My first attempt to start baking again had me reading a hummingbird cake recipe. It's really easy but you just have to get your butt to the supermarket unless you always have plenty of pecans, canned pineapples and bananas lying around your kitchen.

Hummingbird Cake
from Joy of Baking

1 cup (110 grams) pecans, toasted and finely chopped
3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (180 ml) safflower, corn, or canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) can crushed pineapple, do not drain
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium sized bananas)


Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting: 
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound box (454 grams) (about 3 2/3 cups) confectioners (powdered or icing)sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (55 grams) finely chopped pecans


Garnish: (Optional) pecan halves



Hummingbird Cake: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven.
Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.

Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop finely.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.

In another large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, pineapple, mashed bananas, and finely chopped pecans. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.


Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and cream cheese, on low speed, until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the finely chopped pecans.


To assemble: Place one cake, top side down, onto your serving platter. Spread with about a third of the frosting. Gently place the other cake layer, top of cake facing up, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate the cake for about one hour so the frosting has time to set.

Serves 10 - 12 people.


Notes: 

• I tend to find that most frosting recipes online uses waaaaayyyy too much sugar for me! So I usually start with 1/2 cup and gradually add on from there. 
• I have done this cake with toasting the pecans and also without. They both worked fine and I couldn't tell the difference, but I'm no MasterChef.
• You can even make them in cupcake cups. Can't remember how many cups I got though.

The Microwave is My Friend

I like using the microwave to heat and de-frost food because it's fast and convenient, but I haven't actually used it to cook a dish. I have however tried 3 desserts using the microwave, but that will be for a different blog post.

I also avoid frying food. Especially deep-frying. I find that I'm sensitive to oily food and will feel sick if I eat too much of it (which isn't that much). I don't try to be THAT healthy, but my body just makes me.

So, besides WHFoods, I also like to read Science Daily for more info on healthy food and cooking.

Here are some very interesting and informative articles:

Antioxidant Levels In Cooked Vegetables Vary With Cooking Method -- Healthier To Griddle-Cook Or Microwave

This article shows that these methods make the highest loss of antioxidant for:

• Cauliflower - don't boil and microwave

• Peas - don't boil

• Zucchini - don't boil and fry  

Green beans, beets, garlic - keep their antioxidant levels after most cooking treatments (boiling, pressure-cooking, baking, microwaving, griddling and frying). 

Vegetables that increase their antioxidant levels after all cooking methods - Green beans (except after boiling), celery and carrots. 

Artichoke - the only vegetable that kept its high antioxidant level during all cooking methods. 

Griddle and microwave cooking helped maintain the highest levels of antioxidants, produced the lowest losses while "pressure-cooking and boiling [led] to the greatest losses".

Culinary Shocker: Cooking Can Preserve, Boost Nutrient Content Of Vegetables

Boiling and steaming maintains the antioxidant compounds of vegetables. 

Frying causes a significantly higher loss of antioxidants in comparison to the water-based cooking methods.

Now, I'm glad I don't like frying and fried food, but my family loves french fries. Glad to find out that Microwave Pre-Cooking Of French Fries Reduces Cancer Chemicals

The discovery of acrylamide - a possible carcinogenic in humans -- has led to much research being done to investigate the benefits of alternative cooking methods. Acrylamide forms during processes such as frying, baking and roasting where high-temperature and low-moisture conditions exist.  

Although numerous studies have been conducted to explore the possibilities of reducing acrylamide levels in French fries, a team of researchers from Turkey has shown that by reducing the frying time and hence the acrylamide formation by microwave pre-cooking of potato strips prior to frying. 

The researches showed that microwave application prior to frying resulted in a marked reduction of the acrylamide level in the surface region. When the potato strips were subjected to frying after a microwave pre-cooking step, acrylamide content in the whole potato strip was reduced by 36%, 41% and 60% for frying at 150, 170 and 190oC respectively. 

"Microwaving French fries before cooking takes little time and in fact, microwave pre-cooked samples fried to the same degree of cooking appeared to have a more acceptable colour, probably due to the more gentle heat treatment they experienced during frying," says lead author Koray Palazoglu, of the University of Mersin, Turkey.

Lazy Pasta Recipe

This only works if you have tomato soup already made.

From my earlier post on tomatoes, we see that when eaten together with broccoli, they work best against cancer. So I decided to make pasta with broccoli for a quick lunch.


Lazy Pasta Recipe

Pasta
Tomato Soup
Chicken or Prawn
Broccoli
* Optional - Bird's eye chili and/or Dried Chili (I like my pasta spicy)

In a pot of boiling water, cook the pasta you wish to make -- I made spaghetti.

Steam the broccoli for 5 minutes. I love using my rice cooker's steamer.

In a pan, heat some olive oil and cook the chicken or prawn with some chili, according to taste. Add in the tomato soup. Done!

To serve, place pasta in bowl. Pour the tomato sauce over and place the broccoli on top. There you have it, a healthy and quick meal.

Note: If you want a more spicier sauce, add in some chili sauce as well.

Broccoli

Broccoli is considered one of the Top 10 Healthiest Vegetable to eat. So if you're not a fan of vegetable, try to at least have broccoli in your diet. WHFoods says that it provides you with a special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you cook it by steaming. Raw broccoli is good but steaming it is better as the cholesterol-lowering ability of raw broccoli improves significantly when it is steamed.

How to prepare :
Cut the broccoli florets into quarters and let sit for several minutes before cooking to enhance its health-promoting benefits. Steam for 5 minutes. 

WHFoods recommends to include broccoli as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis. Have it at a minimum, 2-3 times per week, and have a serving size of 1-1/2 cups. The best would be to have it 4-5 times per week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups. 

Spinach

I like spinach. It's one of the vegetables that I've always liked. I especially love making poached eggs on spinach. Yum!

We all know that spinach is a great vegetable, but what's the best way to cook it?

According to WHFoods, they recommend boiling it to help reduce its concentration of oxalic acid. And to keep boiling time for just 1 minute to minimize loss of nutrients and flavor. The boiling water after cooking spinach should be discarded. Do not drink it or use for stock because of its acid content.

• Use a large pot (3 quart) with lots of water and bring to a rapid boil. Add spinach to the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Begin timing as soon as you place the spinach in the pot if you are using 1 pound or less of spinach. If you are cooking larger quantities of spinach bring the water back to a boil before beginning timing the 1 minute. 
• Do not cover the pot when cooking spinach. Leaving the pot uncovered helps to release more of the acids with the rising steam. Research has shown that the boiling of spinach in large amounts of water helps decrease the oxalic acid content by as much as 50%.  

They also recommend to include foods belonging to the chenopod family- including beets, chard, spinach and quinoa - in your diet 1-2 times per week. For leafy food like spinach, the recommended serving size is at least ½ cup, and even more beneficial, one full cup.

Tomato Soup

I bought a whole pack of organic local tomatoes at the supermarket the other day thinking that I would be using it. A few days passed by and I still haven't cooked anything using tomatoes. As they were getting riper and I had a whole bunch to use, I decided to make tomato soup.

Found these 2 recipes online 

• Garden Fresh Tomato Soup 
• Fresh Tomato Soup 

and decided to make a mix of the two :)

Feel free to use whichever recipe I linked above or my adapted version. My version would include a bit more garlic and no salt as I tend to omit salt in my recipes whenever possible. I also mixed in some roux as I've never tried that before and wanted to experiment with it. Just go with what works with your tastebuds!

Easy, Fresh Tomato Soup 

4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped (about 8-10 medium sized tomatoes)
1 medium sized onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth (or veg stock or a mix of both)
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar, or to taste

* Optional - For the roux:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil. Using medium heat, cook the onions until translucent and then add the garlic. Cook for a few minutes but don't let it brown.

Add in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft. Add in sugar to taste and it's done!

* If you want the soup thickened, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mix it well. Stir constantly as you don't want the roux to burn. You will see the yellow color start to become darker. Cook until it is medium brown. If small black specks start to appear, it has burned and you will need to start over as it will give a bitter taste. Once it's done, whisk in a bit of the tomato soup and then stir in the rest.


Notes:

• Most recipes would require you to blend the soup but I prefer my soup chunky as it gives a rustic and more wholesome look. Okay, I'll admit that I'm a bit lazy as well.
• Having the roux thickened the soup and it really was nice, but it can also do without for a healthier soup.
• Or, you can add 1 cup of milk or cream instead for a 'bisque'.
• Had the leftover soup the next day and it was even more delicious!
• I would have added carrots and celery if I had them. Maybe about 1/2 - 1 cup each. If I did, I would have chopped them roughly about the same size to let it cook evenly. 
• If I felt I need some meat in the dish, I'd add tiny meatballs!

But, wait!

I also tried this method today and it's another way to get a thickened soup without doing a separate roux.

Easy Tomato Bisque from ehow.com.

I used the same ingredients as my recipe above. The ehow.com recipe is a bisque, so it calls for half-and-half. I'm just doing a normal tomato soup.

The alternative method:

Heat the olive oil. Cook the onions with sugar. Add in garlic and cook a little more. Add 1 tablespoon flour and stir constantly for 1 about minute.  Add in the chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup has thickened. Voila!

Tomatoes

I never liked eating tomatoes when I was young. I started liking them in my late teens. And last year, I had the most awesome tomato soup in a hotel in Kerala! How random. But then again, I haven't tried many because I don't go to a restaurant and order tomato soup.

So, let's see all the goodness of tomatoes that WHFoods can tell us about:

• Lycopene - a carotenoid found in tomatoes (and everything made from them) - studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. Prevention of heart disease has been shown to be another antioxidant role played by lycopene. They're found to be protective against a growing list of cancers which include colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. 
• For the most lycopene, use the Whole Tomato (with peels) and choose organic
• Organic ketchup delivers 3 times as much of the cancer-fighting carotenoid, lycopene, as non-organic brands. Also, choose the deepest red organic ketchup, tomato sauce, juice and other tomato products for high lycopene levels.
• Lycopene has been shown to help protect not only against prostate, but breast, pancreatic and intestinal cancers, especially when consumed with fat-rich foods, such as avocado, olive oil or nuts. (This is because carotenoids are fat-soluble, meaning they are absorbed into the body along with fats.)
• Tomatoes and Broccoli Team Up to Fight Prostate Cancer. They're even more successful against prostate cancer when working as a team in the daily diet, shows a study published in Cancer Research.
• Cooked tomatoes may be better than raw tomatoes as chopping and heating make the cancer-fighting constituents of tomatoes and broccoli more bioavailable. 
• Practical Tips: While the phytonutrients in tomatoes become more concentrated when they are cooked into a sauce or paste, and more bioavailable when eaten with a little oil, those in broccoli will be greatly reduced if this vegetable is overcooked. Steam or healthy sauté broccoli no more than 5 minutes.
• Also, broccoli's cancer-preventive compounds form after it has been cut, but heat denatures the enzyme necessary for this process. For optimal nutrient formation, cut broccoli florets in half or into quarters, depending on their initial size, and let sit for 5 minutes before cooking.
• Serving Ideas: 
• Healthy sauté broccoli and onion, then add to your favorite breakfast omelet and serve with grilled tomatoes. 
• Enjoy a bowl of tomato soup along with a salad including broccoli florets for lunch. 
• Add lightly steamed broccoli florets to the tomato-paste toppings on your favorite pizza. 
• Healthy sauté broccoli florets along with other favorite vegetables, such as onions and mushrooms, add to pasta sauce and use to top whole wheat pasta or brown rice. 
• For a quick snack, serve raw broccoli florets along with the carrot and celery sticks, dip and crackers, and toast your prostate's health with a glass of tomato juice.
   
• Tomatoes and Green Tea Team Up to Prevent Prostate Cancer. Other lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables - tomatoes, apricots, pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya, and guava. Regular consumption of both green tea and foods rich in lycopene resulted in a synergistic protective effect, stronger than the protection afforded by either, the researchers noted. 
• Practical Tips: 
• Get in the habit of drinking green tea and eating lycopene-rich foods. Take a quart of iced green tea to work and sip throughout the day or take it to the gym to provide prostate protection while replenishing fluids after your workout. 
• Pack a ziploc bag of apricots and almonds in your briefcase or gym bag for a handy snack. 
• Start your breakfast with a half grapefruit or a glass of papaya or guava juice. 
• It is especially important when cooking tomatoes to NOT use aluminum cookware since their high acid content will interact with the metal. This may result in the migration of the aluminum into the food, which will not only impart an unpleasant taste, but more importantly, may have deleterious effects on your health.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

• To make your own tomato paste, simply healthy sauté a couple of cloves of chopped garlic and/or 1-2 large chopped onions a couple of minutes until translucent, then add 8-10 chopped whole tomatoes, a teaspoon of dried or several teaspoons of fresh chopped oregano, basil, and any other herbs you enjoy, such as parsley or rosemary, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Remove from the heat, drizzle with olive oil, and add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. For a fancier version, sauté chopped olives and/or mushrooms along with the garlic and onions.
• Tomatoes are a great addition to bean and vegetable soups.
• Enjoy a classic Italian salad-sliced onions, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil.
• Combine chopped onions, tomatoes, and chili peppers for an easy to make salsa dip.
• Purée tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and scallions together in a food processor and season with herbs and spices of your choice to make the refreshing cold soup, gazpacho.
• Add tomato slices to sandwiches and salads. To keep things colorful, use yellow, green and purple tomatoes in addition to red ones.
• Begin lunch or dinner with some spicy tomato juice on the rocks with a twist of lime.
• Snack on tomato crostini: in the oven, toast whole wheat bread till crusty, then top with tomato sauce, herbs, a little grated cheese, and reheat until the cheese melts. Top whole wheat pasta with olive oil, pine nuts, feta cheese and a rich tomato sauce for lunch or dinner.  
• While drinking 13.5 ounces of plain tomato juice every day may seem a bit challenging, enjoying a cup of tomato juice with lunch, a cup of hot tomato juice into which an ounce of tomato ketchup has been stirred along with some freshly ground pepper as an afternoon "soup" break, and/or a Virgin Mary (the alcohol-free counterpart to the Blood Mary) before dinner would provide some taste diversity along with the amount of tomato products effective in the research.  

Onions and Garlic

Most of my favorite dishes start with sauteing onion and garlic. As I want to cook healthily, I found interesting facts at WHFoods' Onions and Garlic articles:

ONION

• Don't overpeel onions as the flavonoids are more concentrated in the outer onion layers.
• The quercetin in onions do not get degraded when they're simmered to make soup. It's just transferred into the water. You can preserve the health benefits of onion by making onion soup using a low-heat method.
• Several servings of onion each week are sufficient to statistically lower your risk of some types of cancer. For colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer, between 1-7 servings of onion has been shown to provide risk reduction. But for decreased risk of oral and esophageal cancer, you'll need to consume one onion serving per day (approximately ½ cup). 
• Try to include at least 1 medium onion in your recipes and one-half of an onion in your individual food portion. 
• To bring out the sweet flavor of onions use the Healthy Sauté method of cooking onions for just 7 minutes. Cut onions into slices of equal ¼-inch thickness to help them cook more evenly. The thinner you slice the onions the more quickly they will cook.  
•  to enhance their health-promoting properties.
•  The Healthiest Way of Cooking Onions - how to enjoy them as a healthy side dish. Heat 2 TBS vegetable or chicken broth over medium heat in a stainless steel skillet. When broth begins to steam, add onions and cover for 3 minutes. The onions will release a small amount of liquid. Uncover, add another 2 TBS broth, and continue to stir for 4 minutes, leaving the lid off. For the best flavor toss onions with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste while they are still hot. For details see, 7-Minute Healthy Sautéed Onions

GARLIC

• Increase the health benefits of garlic by letting it sit for 5 minutes after it is chopped or crushed as it will give the alliinase enzymes in garlic an opportunity to work on behalf of your health. 
• For example, in the absence of chopping or crushing, research has shown that just 60 seconds of immediate microwaving will cause garlic to lose some of its cancer-protective properties. Immediate boiling of whole, intact garlic will also lower these properties, as will immediate addition of a very low-acid ingredient like lemon juice.
• Have at least one serving of an allium vegetable-such as garlic-in your meal plan every day. Try to include at least ½ clove in your individual food portion. If you're preparing a recipe, we recommend at least 1-2 cloves.
• It is recommended using raw chopped or pressed garlic. However, if you cannot tolerate raw garlic, you can add chopped garlic to foods while they are cooking. It is best to add it towards the end of the cooking process to retain the maximum amount of flavor and nutrition
• Do not store garlic in oil at room temperature. Garlic-in-oil mixtures stored at room temperature provide perfect conditions for producing botulism, regardless of whether the garlic is fresh or has been roasted.  
• Add chopped garlic towards the end of the cooking time to retain maximum flavor and nutrition. Too much heat for too long will reduce the activity of the health-promoting sulfur compounds that have formed by letting it sit for 5-10 minutes; it will also make garlic bitter. Therefore expose garlic to heat for as little time as possible (5-15 minutes).
  
   

About Me

I love food. I enjoy eating good food and at times I am inspired to cook or bake.

I am not a masterchef and I love making simple dishes. Like they say, less is more.

This blog is mainly a food reference for me. But I like sharing my knowledge, nice recipes and great finds, so you're welcome to browse through :)

I might also do restaurant reviews to record my opinion because at times I find myself forgetting what dishes I enjoyed :p

Some random things about me:

• I love the smell and taste of sauteed onion, garlic and chili when starting a savory dish.
• And when baking, the smell of butter, sugar and eggs mixed together is just heavenly.
• I don't own fancy kitchen appliances. I mix, whisk and cut everything by hand. Sure it takes time but I don't mind it. 
• I love Thai food. Bring on the spicy chilies!
• I don't consume alcohol and I don't eat pork, so this blog will not contain info/recipes on those.
• I love soups and am beginning to like eating vegetables.

Recipe Index

Soup

Tomato Soup

Mains


Dessert
Cake