BROWN RICE V WHITE RICE

I found this nutritional chart on wikipedia.org whilst trying to find out if brown rice is healthier than white rice as recent headlines seem to be telling us...

I like both , depending on what is being served with it, I would always choose white rice with a curry for example.

I find brown rice more satisfying ie. I don't feel like I need something else to eat after a couple of hours, it has a completely different taste to white rice, the problem I had when I first started to use it was that I couldn't cook it without it ending up in sticky mess, didn't look very appetising at all !!! But fortunately the internet came to the rescue and that is not now a problem, I always end up with lovely looking brown rice to serve- 'Cooking Brown Rice'

Nutritional  Value per 100g of cooked rice.

Calories 130 111

WHITE RICE                                                 BROWN RICE

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0% Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 1% Calcium 1%

Iron 1% Iron 2%  

Vitamin D 0% Vitamin D 0%

Vitamin B-6 5% Vitamin B-6 5%

Vitamin B-12 0% Vitamin B-12 0%

Magnesium 3% Magnesium 10%

As you can see there are fewer calories in cooked brown rice,  more Magnesium,  

Potassium,  Dietary Fibre, iron , fat , sodium, and Sugar  but less carbohydrate and slightly less protein.

So at the end of the day it all depends on which diet you are on….

Banana Cake - The Healthier Option

There are lots of recipes on line for banana cake, this one is THE HEALTHY OPTION.

It's quick to make and even better it's not messy.

You only need 10 minutes to mix it and 30 minutes to bake it.

                                                                 INGREDIENTS 

  75 g       Raisins                                               

    1 tsp    Powdered Cinnamon 

150 ml     Boiling Water

175 g       Whole-Wheat Flour

    1 tsp    Baking Powder

200 g       Banana

    1 tsp    Lemon Juice

                Pinch of Salt

125 g       Fat Free/Sugar Free Yogurt 

      
      METHOD

1. Pre heat  the oven to 190 degrees C    ( 75  F or 5 Gas )
2. Prepare 22 cm x 22 cm baking tin.
3. In a small bowl mix together Raisins, Cinnamon and Water. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl sieve together Flour and Baking powder. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl mash the banana, then add Lemon Juice, Salt and Yogurt. Mix together thoroughly.
6. Add the Banana mixture to the flour bowl and blend together until all is combined.
7. Add the raisin mixture to the above and mix well.
8. Bake for 30 mins.

This recipe can be played around with, any flavour of yogurt can be used plain or fruit.

Morcila - Spanish Sweet Black Pudding -

Photo by heymrleej

Yes, you did read the title correctly, this pudding is sweet, cake like, most people are put off because it looks like the Scottish Black Pudding, which you either love or hate.


I have never made it, it is a speciality and can be purchased at most butchers or local supermarkets in the Canaries and Spain.

Photo by Ardo Beltz de:Benutzer:Ardo Beltz

I  have converted a few of my friends to it, they are at first put off by the look, but once they tried it and realised it was sweet and the white bits were in fact almonds not gristle, in the main they loved it.

Can be served separate as a starter or with the main meat dish, cooks great on the barbecue.

It's one of the dishes that you must try a least once when you are on holiday. 

Healthy Biscuits - Is Ther Such a Thing ......

OK, I created these 'biscuit bites' because I love having a biscuit with my cup of tea.....trying to be good with the ' fat thing ' so wanted a healthy biscuit, they are not sweet, so would not be to everyone's liking, but they seem to work for me.

Not sure what to name them, still thinking about it.....anyway here's the recipe




Ingredients

1. 300 g    Wholemeal Flour
2. 16   g     Baking Powder
3.  ½   tsp  Salt
4.  1    tsp  Ground Ginger
5.  2    tsp  Cinnamon
6.  1    tsp  Ground Cumin
7.  50  g     Ground Almonds
8.  40  g     Chopped Raisins 
9.  70  ml   Sunflower oil
10.  2           Eggs
11.  100 g    Fat Free Muesli Cereal Yoghurt (or similar)
12.               A Little milk for mixing if needed.

Method

• Set oven at 180 c ( Gas Mark 4 or 350 f ) to warm
• Sieve together :-  1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6,  into a large mixing bowl.
• Add 7 and 8 - mix in well
• Rub in 9 until similar to bread crumbs
• Add Yoghurt and mix well
• Beat the 2 eggs together in small bowl
• Add to mixture a little at a time until a stiff rollable dough is formed.
• Add a little milk if needed.
• Lightly Flour a rolling board and roll dough out to a ¼ cm thickness.
• Using a 5 cm round cutter, cut out the biscuits.
• This should make about 50 
• Bake in oven for 8 mins

Notes

• I normally roll out the dough in 2 halves, it's easier.
• Instead of Cinnamon and Ginger try Rosemary and Garlic Powder.
• Can be ate on their own or with Cheese etc....

Coconut Cake

Dry Mixture                               

• 350 g Self-raising Flour
• 1 tbs custard Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 250 g Ground Coconut

Wet Mixture

• 125 g Butter
• 225 g Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 200 ml Milk

Method

1. Pre Heat Oven to 325 f  (160°)
2. Sieve Flour, Custard Powder and Baking Powder into a bowl.
3. Mix in Ground Coconut.
4. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and smoothish.
5. Add 1 egg at a time to the creamed butter and sugar mix, blend one egg in at a time. before you blend the second one. Don't over blend.
6. Add milk , mix until combined with egg mixture, but don't over mix.
7. Add wet mixture to dry mixture.
8. Blend together.

This should make a stiffish mixture, should plop of your wooden spoon, you don't want it to run off, nor do you want to have to scape it off.

If it's too stiff add a little more milk, if it's too runny add a little more flour.

Pour mixture into a loaf tin, only half  fill the loaf tin ( this allows the cake to rise).

This mixture will make 2 standard size loafs.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 mins.

Test by putting a skewer into the center, it should come out clean, if it doesn't bake for a few more minutes.

Leave to cool, although it tastes just as good warm !!!!

Banana Chutney

Ingredients

• 500g Bananas
• 325g Raisins
• 225g Sugar
• 20g Salt
• 12g Ground Cinnamon
• 25g Curry Powder
• 250ml Balsamic Vinegar
• 200ml White wine Vinegar
• 
  

Method

1. Peel and cube the bananas into small cubes.
2. Add vinegar and boil until the mixture looks like porridge.
3. Add fruit and spices and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
4. Spoon into sterilized jars and leave to cool.

The longer you can leave Chutney before you use it the better it tastes, as all the flavours work together.

Mojo Salsa (Picante)

This salsa can be keep for several weeks in the fridge, adjust the amount of chili to get the desired heat.


This is a hot Spicy Salsa great with Papas Arrugadas or as a dip for BBQ meats etc.

Ingredients

• Tsp Pimento Ducle (Sweet pepper powder)
• 4 Gloves Garlic
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 4 Tsp Paprika Picante (Hot pepper powder)
• 1 Tsp Turmeric
• 3 tsp Ground Chili's
• 3 dsp Stale Bread Crumbs
• 200ml Olive Oil
• 100ml Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 cinnamon Stick
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Dsp Runny Honey
• 200ml Water

 Method

1. In a blender blend the pimento dulce, garlic,cumin, paprika picante, turmeric, ground chilli's, bread crumbs, olive oil and balsamic vinegar,
2. Pour into a saucepan.
3. Add cinnamon stick, bat leaf, honey and water.
4. Bing to the boil
5. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove the bits.
7. Pour Sala into a sterilized jar.