Getting more into Vegetables: Bitter Gourd

Still on my quest for a healthy lifestyle, I am now trying to get myself more on vegetables. In focus: Bitter gourd! Also known as bitter melon or bitter squash, this vegetable is known by other names locally.It is widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, but with an extremely bitter taste. That explains the reason why I did not like it when my mom served bitter gourd when I was a kid.

Now that I need to have more vegetable on my diet, then bitter gourd is one of the vegetables that I should start eating again. Bitter gourd pods can be easily bought from Asian shops selling fresh produce. Some local fruit shops also sell them. I also found out that most Asian shops are also selling bitter gourd teas in either powder or tea bag choices. Bitter gourd has a few health benefits including lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels so that explains that it is also sold as a health supplement.

On with my bitter gourd adventure, I prepared sauteed bitter gourd with onions, tomatoes and eggs. I am still within my 6 eggs a week limit so I am alright. Surprisingly, I enjoyed my vegetable dish of the day! I was tempted to cook rice but resisted the urge or else I would have ended with more than one cup of rice.

Some tips in cooking bitter gourd:

1. After slicing the bitter gourd pod and removing the seeds with a spoon, wash the bitter gourd and sprinkle generous amount of salt. Let is stay for a few minutes before washing and slicing it. This will help in cutting the bitter taste.

2. Make sure that your pan is really hot and allow the vegetable to cook for some time, approximately 10 minutes or until it is a bit translucent and soft. Bitter gourd is quite dense so it is not a good idea for a quick stir fry.

3. Make sure you have the right amount of oil to coat the bitter gourd. Just enough to coat it. Add a little bit more while cooking when it the bitter gourd seems to dry out. I sometimes add just a little bit of water to help it cook more.

Bitter gourd as with other vegetables should be taken in moderation. I think this goes the same for almost everything in life. I think variety and balance is the key. I have been having sweet juices from fruit and vegetable juices so I need a bitter balance with the bitter gourd. I still have two months to go before I see my doctor so my adventure still continues.

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is a sweet alternative to have kids and adults eat vegetable. Like the brilliant colours of autumn bringing good emotions, the carrot cake is a healthier option as carrots are known for its antioxidants and antiseptic properties. I used a recipe from frame>by>frame baking Cookbook of Parragon Books Ltd. and added some personal touches.  To add a healthier twist, I added crushed pineapple to make it more moist, used less fat cream cheese and gluten free icing sugar for the cream icing. Once you get used to doing this recipe, you can make your own version as well, as it is quite flexible.

It is an easy cake if you have already prepared all the ingredients especially the carrots and the walnuts. All the rest is just basically a dump, mix and pour process. Take this carrot cake, a sweet treat adventure you can also try, as I welcome my first Autumn experience in Melbourne, Australia.

You can also make cupcakes of this recipe.Bake it for 20 minutes.

Ingredients

¾ cup sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

Generous ¾ cup light brown sugar

3 eggs beaten

1 ½ cups grated carrots

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup walnut pieces (roughly crushed), plus extra for decorate

½ cup crushed pineapple

 Grated rind of 1 orange

1 ¼ cups self raising flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Candied carrot strips to decorate

Frosting

 Scant 1 cup cream cheese

Generous ¾ cup confectioners’/icing sugar

2 teaspoon orange juice

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350^oF/180^oC. Grease and line a 9-inch/23-cm square cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar and eggs. Stir in the grated carrots, raisin, walnut pieces, pineapple, and orange rind.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl, and then mix evenly into the carrot mixture.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until well risen and firm to touch.
5. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire to cool completely.
6. For the frosting, mix the cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and orange juice in a bowl and beat until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake and swirl with a palette knife.
7. Decorate with candied carrot strips and chopped walnuts

Greek Soup: Fasolada

Greek healthy soup

My husband is Greek. Though his family came to Australia while he was still young, the family still has kept some Greek traditions especially with the food. Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine and is basically a vegetable dominant food. Yoghurt and cheese also are used more often in the dishes.

Fasolada is definitely one of my favourite Greek dishes. It is a very hearty soup and just the one you need on a cold Melbourne day.  Fasolada or fasoulada is a Greek and Cypriot soup of dry white beans, olive oil, and vegetables, sometimes called the "national food of the Greeks".Unlike the Italian fagiolata, the Brazilian and Portuguese feijoada, and the Spanish fabada, fasolada does not contain meat. (Definition from Wikipedia)

Almost all Greek household has their own take of the Fasolada. This is our take on this well loved dish.  It is quick and easy. A popular bean dish, it is usually eaten with feta cheese and crusty bread.

Ingredients
1 pound beans
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 regular sized capsicum (optional)
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped (optional)
1 6oz-can tomato puree
3 quarts water
1 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Carrots are rich in beta carotene, anti-aging and antiseptic properties.

Studies show that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Parsley is rich with an antioxidant arsenal that includes luteolin, a flavonoid that searches out and eradicates free radicals in the body that cause oxidative stress in cells. Luteolin also promotes carbohydrate metabolism and serves the body as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Capsicum has been known to be beneficial to the mucous membranes. It is also good for eyesight as well as smooth skin. It promotes cardiovascular health, by helping lower the blood pressure. It also has antioxidant properties, which help neutralize the free radicals responsible for damaging tissue and cells.

Directions

1. Wash the beans and place them in water, allowing them to soak for a day or night.

2. Drain the water  and rinse well under running water.

3. Add the beans in a large pot filled with enough water to cover the beans and boil, covered, for about 30 minutes.

4. Drain the beans and return them to the pot, fill the pot with enough water to barely cover the beans.

5. Chop onions, celery and carrots and add them to the pot. You can also add the capsicum.

6. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil.

7. Return pot over heat and simmer until the beans are tender.

8. When the beans are soft, add salt, pepper, tomato paste, 1 can of tomatoes and stir.

9. Bring mixture to boil and allow an additional 20 minutes of boiling time.

10. Add the parsley 15 minutes before removing from the heat.

11. Remove from heat and serve hot.