Vegetarian Healthy Avocado Sushi

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup short grained white rice (sushi rice)
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 sheets nori (dry seaweed)
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin strips
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced

Method

1. Combine the water and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover,
   reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender
   and water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the
   vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool.
2. Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap to keep the rice from
   sticking. Place a sheet of seaweed over the plastic. Use your hands to
   spread the rice evenly onto the sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch of
   seaweed empty at the bottom. Arrange strips of cucumber and avocado
   across the center of the rice. Lift the mat and roll over the
   vegetables once and press down. Unroll, then roll again towards the
   exposed end of the seaweed sheet to make a long roll. You may moisten
   with a little water to help seal. Set aside and continue with remaining
   nori sheets, rice and fillings.
3. Use a sharp wet knife to slice the rolls into 5 or 6 slices. Serve cut
   side up with your favorite sushi condiments.

Wild Mushroom Pasta Sauce

Pasta is a staple dish in many cultures now. With the Italians bringing there culinary delights with them as they travel the world. It traces back to Roman times.

Little packets of exotic dried wild mushrooms are readily available in delicatessens and speciality food stores. Any variety will add a rich earthy flavour to this, or any dish.

• 40g dried wild mushrooms, such as porcini, mousserons or a mixture
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 500g fresh speciality mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, or wood ear, sliced
  
• 1 tblsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup reduced beef stock
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 350g pasta shapes such as penne or sprials

For this pasta sauce recipe soak dried mushrooms covered in warm water for half an hour then drain an reserve liquid.
Heat olive oil in a pan and cook onion and garlic over medium heat until soft but not coloured.
Add sliced mushrooms and raise heat. Toss mushrooms to stir-fry. Add rosemary and stock and simmer to reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper too taste.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to packet instructions until just tender. Drain well and toss with pasta sauce. Serve immediately.

Healthy Veggies

The best veggies are the ones that grow above ground. Being exposed to sunlight offers nutritional value. If its a below ground veg it's used by the plant for energy storage. Which makes it high in carbohydrates. A Broccoli head is the flower before it goes to seed. This means the plant is pouring all its energy into creating new flowers which will become seeds.

When it comes to vegetables, the darker the better. Dark and steamed, steaming softens the veg without pulling all the good stuff out. Full on boiling basically cooks out the nutrients (which is good for things like stock!). Don't tell your self you're eating veg when eating potatoes or other starchy vegetables. Starchy below ground veg contain rapidly absorbed carbs, not good.

The colored ones have many types of carotenoid [like vitamin A] & flavonoids [phytochemicals] that prevent all kinds of unhappy events (cancer, heart & vascular trouble, strokes, etc). Especially the "above-ground" portions of veggies has fiber, slow-release energy and no fat. Cabbage, broccoli & Brussels sprouts are anti-cancer. Garlic is probably heart-healthy.

Baked Halibut with Almonds

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• 4 5-to 6-ounce halibut fillets
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Whisk cornmeal, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pinch of black pepper in small bowl. Dredge fish in cornmeal mixture and place on prepared sheet. Bake fish until just opaque in center, 10 to 13 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets.

Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add raisins and wine; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes to soften raisins. Add almonds, lemon juice, and parsley.

Place fish on platter. Spoon sauce over.

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Orange/Orange Juice

• Being rich in calcium, oranges have been associated with protection and maintenance of the health of bones.
• Beta-carotene, a nutrient present in oranges, is a very powerful antioxidant that protects our cells from damage.
• Consumption of oranges has been found to result in lesser outpouring of mucus secretions from the nose.
• It is said that oranges are beneficial in maintaining the dental health of an individual.
• Oranges have been associated with keeping blood pressure under check, mainly owing to the presence of magnesium.
• Oranges, being rich in Vitamins B6, help support the production of hemoglobin in the body.
• Regular consumption of orange juice can significantly increase HDL levels and improve the LDL-HDL ratio of a person.
• The folic acid present in oranges helps in proper brain development.
• The high content of potassium in oranges helps maintain electrolyte balance in the cells and also aids the maintenance of a healthy cardiovascular system.

Consumption of oranges can help an individual in dealing with the following ailments:

• Alcohol Addiction
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Bowel Disorders
• Constipation
• Cough and Cold
• Dyspepsia
• Fever
• Heart Diseases
• Indigestion
• Influenza
• Measles
• Pimples and Acne
• Pneumonia
• Pyorrhea
• Respiratory Problems
• Rheumatism
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid

Blueberry Nutritional Information

Just a short post on some interesting stats found on the back of a pack of Organic Blueberries! Kind of interesting.

per 100g Blueberries

1. Calories 51
2. Water 83.4g
3. Proteins 0.7g
4. Fat 0.4g
5. Carbohydrates 12.0g
6. Fiber 5.2g
7. Ash 0.2g
8. Potassium 70.0mg
9. Magnesium 7.0mg
10. Calcium 11.0mg
11. Phosphorous 13.0mg
12. Iron 0.5mg
13. Zinc 9.0mg
14. Sulphur 9.0mg
15. Sodium 5.8mg
16. Vitamin C 19.9mg
    

Truffle Notes

While there are many kinds of truffles (as well as truffle products) available on the market today, for me black truffles from France and white truffles from Italy are always my first choice. In recent years, however, black Himalayan truffles have arrived on the scene, and every year they improve in size as well in flavor. They are, without a doubt, a great value. There has also been a tremendous improvement in quality of both black and white truffles from Oregon, the white ones in particular. While I do use them in certain dishes and encourage the producers who are trying to establish the American truffle market, I also regretfully do not consider them equal to their European counterparts.

The use of truffle oil by chefs has come under a lot of fire by truffle purists, perhaps because it has been used to excess and is a laboratory re-creation of the natural flavor and aroma of truffles. I prefer to think of truffle oil as perfume and use it in a diluted ratio of 6 parts olive oil to 1 part truffle oil to "help" those fresh truffles of any given year that seem a little short on flavor or aroma.