Jonell Galloway
John Dory, Italian green wild asparagus and blood orange sauce
One of my favorite ways of creating tasty but healthy dishes is using fruit and vegetables as sauce. There are millions of ways to do this, depending mainly on the season.
Oranges are abundant at the moment, so I’ve been using a lot of orange juice to liven up dishes. It adds a burst of flavor, yet requires no cream or butter, thus making it low in calories and high in fiber.
The season is short for wild Italian asparagus, so take advantage of it in April and May.
RECIPE
Ingredients
Serves 3 or 4
One bunch wild Italian green asparagus or similar extra-thin green asparagusThick filet of John Dory, 700 to 900 grams / 1 1/2 lbs./2 lbs., 5 cm / 2 in. thick
Juice of one blood orange, with pulp to add fiber (two if you like a lot of sauce)
Olive oil Salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat grill or broiler.
Place John Dory on a roasting tin or broiler pan, skin side up.
Wash asparagus. If ends are woody, cut off woody part.
Jonell Galloway
Recipe
This is another low-fat, high-fiber meal that fits perfectly in to any weight loss plan. All these ingredients are available in April.
4 to 6 scallops per person 6 to 8 spears of green asparagus per person Balsamic vinegar 500 grams / 1 lb. strawberries (for 3 or 4 servings)Szechwan pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat broiler or grill.
Wash, top and slice strawberries. Put into a medium-size saucepan. Cover with Balsamic vinegar, until vinegar is about 2.54 cm / 1 inch above strawberries. Add Szechwan pepper to taste.
Bring strawberries and Balsamic vinegar mixture to a boil, then turn heat down to medium, stirring from time to time. Cook until it forms a sauce of a syrupy consistency, with bits of strawberry in the “syrup”. This usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Jonell Galloway
Bridge2Food reports that the new UK PowerBar Protein Plus 80% Lion Crisp, a protein shake, uses Nestle‘s chocolate and caramel wafers for flavouring. This gives the whey-based shake, a Nestlé brand, a chocolate and toffee flavour and a crunchy texture similar to the popular Lion Crisp, a chocolate-covered wafer bar.
Whey-based protein drinks and bars are often used by athletes and muscle builders as a source of quick protein in the 30 minutes or 1 hour after an intensive workout, when it is considered important to take in protein in order to prevent breakdown of muscle tissue. Whey protein, which is a naturally occurring dairy protein found in cow’s milk, is prized because of its low fat content. It is also thought that because it is usually consumed in liquid form, the body processes it more quickly and efficiently than higher fat, solid proteins. The shake can be made with either low-fat milk or water.
Erratum: On 22 October 2009, I mistakenly reported that the Powerbar was manufactured by Sport Tiedje. It is in fact a Nestlé brand. Sport Tiedje has requested that we remove the photo.
Jonell Galloway
The award-winning Cobb Grill is on sale online at Eboutic until 18 October.
Photo courtesy of Eboutic.
These grills are unique in that they are compact, lightweight, come with their own tote bag, and emit practically no smoke. They are only 12in/30cm high, 12in/30cm wide, weigh 8.5lbs/4kg, and are tabletop.
Although they should not be used indoors, they can be used on the balcony.
Cobb Grills are multipurpose. It would be more appropriate to refer to them as a cooking system than a grill, because they can be used to grill meat, fish and vegetables, as well as to smoke, steam, stew, bake, roast, and stir-fry. It is possible to cook an entire meal for 4 or 5 people all in one grill. Various attachments are available, such as a cast-iron grill for better searing, a wok and a steamer. There is a special system, referred to as the “flavor well” or “moat”, for catching the natural juices that are drained off.
Unique charcoal briquettes, made of recycled, crushed, compressed coconut shells, are used for heating up to a temperature of nearly 600F/300C. Since they are recycled, they are ecological.
The cooking system comes with non-stick surface components and can be put in the dishwasher.
Photo courtesy of Cobb Grill America.
The Cobb Grill is a good and environmentally-friendly investment for any household, thanks to its versatility for cooking food in healthy, fat-free ways. It is specially designed to drain off as much fat and grease as possible, and is endorsed by the South African Heart Association.
Jonell Galloway
Summertime is diet time: an approach to changing your eating habits
Summertime is the best time to start changing your eating habits. Fruits and vegetables are tastier and cheaper in summer, so your tastebuds are satisfied, but with fewer calories and more fiber. You can take advantage of this time to start a lifestyle change that will not only help you lose weight, but hopefully change your way of eating for the rest of your life.
The Swiss seem to have understood some of the basic rules better than others, according to our 27 July 2009 article on the Swiss preference for fresh fruit and milk products.