Wednesday, December 17, 2008

COLESLAW

1 large cabbage head, shredded
1 onion, sliced or ringed
3/4 cup lemon extract
3/4 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon mustard
Dash of salt
Dash of sugar

  • Arrange cabbage and onion in a serving bowl. Set aside
  • On a cooking pan combine sugar, lemon extract, oil, mustard and salt. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Let it cool.
  • Pour cooked mixture over cabbage and onion.
  • Toss.
  • Chill before serving.
(This recipe is from the book Cooking Smart by B.M. Varona & D.A. Varona. For book orders, please email or comment on this blog.)

VEGETARIAN SPAGHETTI

1/2 kilo spaghetti, cooked
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup vegetarian meat, ground
1/2 cup water
1 pack Italian spaghetti sauce
3 sausages, cut crosswise
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Dash of brown sugar
Cheese, grated

  • Saute garlic, onion, and bell pepper in oil.
  • Add vegemeat and stir occasionally until slightly brown.
  • Pour in water and tomato sauce.
  • Season with salt and a dash of sugar.
  • Simmer until sauce thickens.
  • Pour on top of cooked spaghetti.
  • Serve with cheese and sausage toppings.

Monday, December 15, 2008

VEGETARIAN STROGANOFF

3/4 kilo vegemeat, cut into strips, slightly fried
2 potatoes, cut into strips slightly fried
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
4 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt to taste
Red pepper

  1. Melt margarine on a heated skillet over low fire.
  2. Add cream of mushroom soup.
  3. Gradually stir in milk and rest of ingredients.
  4. Season with salt.
  5. Simmer for 3 minutes.
  6. Serve hot.
Easy to prepare, huh? This one is good for the holidays!

(This recipe is from the book Cooking Smart by B.M. Varona and D.A. Varona. For book orders, please send me an email.)

MACARONI ROYALE

2 cups macaroni, cooked, drained
1/2 cup canned pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 cup canned fruit cocktail, drained
1/2 cup red gelatin, cubed
1/2 cup sweetened kaong, canned or cooked, drained
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Nestle cream or 1 cup soyannaise
Sugar to taste
Dash of salt
Lettuce

  • Mix all ingredients gently
  • Serve on a bed of lettuce.
  • Chill before serving.
(This recipe is from Cooking Smart by B.M. Varona and D.A. Varona. To place a book order, send me an email)

Exercise - To A Healthier and Slimmer YOU!

I love exercise! It makes me feel great inside and out. Good thing the company that I work for established an aerobics program for us employees to join in. We sweat our bodies away twice a week. Since I joined the class, here are some of the remarkable changes that happened:

  1. Goodbye, PMS!
    - a day in every month, I get to suffer from this terrible pain. Luckily, I found the secret, just have a regular exercise and you'll be pain-free!
  2. Healthy body - exercise helps keep the blood in my body well-circulated thus keeping me healthy. Note also that it reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
  3. No more muscle pain - before my regular exercise, my upper back used to ache extensively.
  4. I feel & look better - I lost several pounds since I started with this regimen and my skin looked brighter.
There are more, and I mean more benefits of exercise but those things listed above where the things I notice on my body.

So what about you? What health tip can you share? Post on my comment to share...who knows you may be of help to someone.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Vegetarian Afritada

Afritada is a tasty Filipino dish that you can try in your home. But of course this applies for non-meat lovers since this is a vegetarian recipe.

1/2 kilo gluten or vegemeat, cubed
1 cup potatoes, cubed, fried
1 carrot, cubed
1 cup canned or frozen peas, drained
1 bell pepper, squared
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced
3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water
Salt to taste
Cornstarch or bread
crumbs (optional)

  1. Saute garlic and onion in vegetable oil.
  2. Add tomatoes and cook until well done.
  3. Add soy sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  4. Add gluten or vegemeat, potatoes, bell pepper, carrot, and peas. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes over low fire or until mixture is well-blended.
  5. Add water then thicken with cornstarch or bread crumbs, if desired.
  6. Season with salt.
  7. Serve hot.

TOFU STEAK

3/4 kilo tofu, sliced, slightly fried
2 tablespoons catsup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 onion, ringed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt to taste

  • Saute 1/4 part of onion slightly. Set aside the rest for garnishing.
  • Add soy sauce and catsup.
  • Dilute cornstarch in water, then add to mixture. Stir until evenly mixed.
  • Add tofu and season with salt.
  • Simmer for 2 minutes.
  • Garnish with onion rings.
  • Serve hot.

HARD BOILED EGGS WITH TOMATOES

This is a very simple easy-to-do recipe.

6 eggs
18 tomatoes, sliced as desired
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Salt to taste
Lettuce

  • Place eggs in kettle and add water just enough to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil. (Boil with kettle uncovered)
  • Once water begins to boil, set time for 12 minutes. Immediately remove eggs and place in tap water.
  • When cooled, remove shells and slice as desired.
  • Mix eggs and sesame oil.
  • Season with salt.
  • Arrange mixture on platter.
  • Garnish with tomatoes and lettuce.

(This recipe is from the book Cooking Smart by B.M. Varona and D.A. Varona)

Monday, December 1, 2008

HOT & SPICY ONION GLUTEN

3/4 kilo gluten, sliced to desired sizes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced lengthwise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon water
Salt or seasoning to taste

  • Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a bowl.
  • Add gluten and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes.
  • On a separate bowl, mix in remaining soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste.
  • Heat skillet and pour in vegetable oil.
  • Add onion and garlic. Stir until onion is tender.
  • Add gluten and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until lightly brown.
  • Stir in the soy sauce-chili paste mixture.
  • Stir in remaining cornstarch and the water.
  • Season with salt, then cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
  • Serve hot.

GLUTEN CURRY

3/4 kilo gluten, cubed, slightly fried
2 cups potatoes, peeled, cubed, fried
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
2 red or green bell peppers, sliced
2 cups thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon calamansi extract
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

  • Dilute curry powder and cornstarch in water
  • Saute garlic and onion in vegetable oil
  • Add bell peppers, coconut milk, and curry powder-cornstarch mixture. Simmer for 1 minute.
  • Add gluten, calamansi extract, and potatoes.
  • Season with salt.
  • Serv hot.

(Source: Cooking Smart by Blecenda Miranda-Varona & David Arsulo Varona)

GLUTEN STEAK

3/4 cup gluten, sliced big
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato catsup
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Brown sugar to taste
Vegetable oil
Parsley, onion rings, and bell pepper rings (optional)

  • Soak gluten in soy sauce, water, and catsup for about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside mixture.
  • Fry gluten in vegetable oil and set aside.
  • Saute onion, then add soy sauce-catsup mixture and mix.
  • Add sugar and salt to taste.
  • Add cornstarch and stir until sauce thickens. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  • Pour sauce over gluten
  • Garnish with parsley, onion rings, and bell pepper rings.
  • Serve hot.

(Source: Cooking Smart by Blecenda Miranda-Varona & David Arsulo Varona)

Thursday, November 27, 2008

BANANA --- THE WONDER FRUIT!

As the old saying goes, a banana a day (take note, not apple anymore!), drives the doctor away. This yellow-colored fruit contains fiber, iron and is very rich in potassium plus a lot more nutritional values. A person with a body low in potassium doesn't need to spend for an expensive drug, just a banana will do!

According to studies this fruit of different varieties has the following health benefits:

  1. Anti-depression - lightens up the mood of a depressed person. Been there, done that and tried banana, it did work! (for the time being, of course, unless you want to digest a banana every minute?!)
  2. Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS) - lucky for those who don't have it but for some PMS can be terribly painful. Forget the pills, ladies...hav' a banana!
  3. Stress - too much problem at work or at home? Banana can be a solution, it's high-potassium content helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates body water's balance.
  4. Tried giving up smoking? Bananas may be of help. It contains B6 & B12, potassium and magnesium that helps the body recover in nicotine withdrawal.
  5. Food for the brain - a study had shown that students with more banana intake is inclined to get higher exam results or grades.
  6. Body beautiful - aside from the good taste it gives, bananas will help you in losing those ugly fats. For those who usually eat snacks or dinner, this fruit is highly recommended instead of those cholesterol-filled snacks.
  7. Constipation - even the uneducated and tribal people know about this. Older folks encourages the intake of bananas whenever a child has constipation for it's high-potassium content can help restore normal bowel content. No need for laxatives to attain relief.
  8. Mosquito bite - rub the inside of the banana peel onto the bitten part and voila! See for yourself!
  9. Anemia - bananas are rich in iron that helps regulate normal blood flow and production of hemoglobin.
  10. Stroke - including bananas in one's daily diet cut the risks of death by strokes as much as 40%.
There are a lot more reasons why you've got to eat bananas. As for me, I consume it mainly for its taste, the health benefits are just a plus! No wonder monkeys love 'em!

Free Cure for Headaches

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Veggie Burger

Mix the following:

- 1 grated carrot
- ½ cup collards
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 beaten egg
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 ½ cups of cooked rice or millet

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Shape it into small sized patties. Fry this until it becomes golden brown. Bake at 400 °F on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes per side.

Useful Tips in Cooking Vegetarian Meals for Kids

Vegetarian meals entails are meatless. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers. Find ways to incorporate vegetarian meals in your children's diet to make them grow healthier and stronger..

Kids are generally picky and refuse to eat vegetables. Prepare meals with vegetables subtly included to make kids enjoy eating vegetables.

Vegetables can be cooked through stir frying, steaming, and sautéing, without losing the key nutrients. They are good sources of Vitamin A, B and C. Some minerals found in vegetables are iron, iodine, zinc, calcium and selenium. Children who regularly eat dark green vegetables and beans develop more red blood cells in their bodies.

Here are some tips when preparing vegetarian meals for kids:

• Modify the kid's favorite recipe. Use soya-based meat equivalents for a meat-free meal.

• Let your kids pick vegetables in your backyard and let them wash it. Getting them involved in cooking is positive reinforcement.

• Have fun making designs of boiled veggies on a plate with your child.

• Add vegetables to burgers. This is similar to one of the fastfood joints which provide "vegeburgers" and bean burritos. Also try making patties out of vegetables.

• Cook oven-baked fries instead of fried.

Children's repulsion to vegetables is often seen as just psychological. Find ways for children to enjoy eating vegetables. Cook meals that children normally like, and incorporate veggies without losing the meaty taste. After all, children who eat veggies are healthier and develop stronger immune systems.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

BENEFITS OF BEING A VEGETARIAN

Here are some of the perks of not eating animal meat:

  1. Longer life - according to a study in Loma Linda University, vegetarians live as much as 15 years longer than animal eaters. They are less likely to have heart ailments, cancer and high blood disease.
  2. Money-saver - think of how much the price of meat have accelerated for the past years whereas vegetables and fruits can be grown from your own garden.
  3. Weight-trimming - on the average, vegetarian people weigh less than meat eaters and are less likely to be obese.
  4. Internal vacuum - fibers which are found in vegetables and fruits are good for cleaning up our body.
  5. Stronger bones - too much protein consumed by eating animals makes the bone weak.
  6. Avoid some food-borne diseases - foot and mouth plus bird flu from chicken meat and beef are some diseases that will be avoided.
These reasons are just the tip of the iceberg... there are a lot more!

Vegetarianism

So you have decided to be a vegetarian. That's a healthy choice you have made! Congratulations! There are different reasons for being a vegetarian, it maybe due to health, religion or ethics. Studies have shown how beneficial it is to a person if he/she follows a healthy habit especially in the intake of food. Vegetarianism is categorized as follows:

  1. Ovo-vegetarian - people who include eggs and milk in their diet
  2. Lacto vegetarian - excluding eggs, they consume dairy products
  3. Pesca vegetarian - includes fish in their meals
  4. Vegan - eat plant-based food and does not consume any kind of dairy product

Whatever your reason maybe or whatever kind of vegetarian are you, I applaud you for taking a big step! Along the way, temptations may come...but keep in mind that health is indeed wealth! So you've got nothing to lose except those fats!