Healthy Eating

Fish and Tofu-Two Type of Protein

Fish-Protein for Good Health

Fish is good for us; however, you may have to look at which one that suitable for your diet.  Some fish contents more oil than others.

The best way to cook fish is grilled, steamed, wrapped in baking paper then baked, if you wish to have a treat, pan - fry them.  Always small serve fish, garnished with vegetables for anyone.

To Pan Fry Fish

Baby Barramundi

125-155 g fish

Omit the sauce, served with lemon

Tofu-Vegetables Protein

Tofu is a good source of protein and potassium, it made from soybeans. 

Gentle cooking tofu is poached in spicy sauce, sweet sauce and garnished with rice or noodles.  Tofu salad is also in our menu, it is easy to prepare as well.  I think tofu is the best vegetable protein and inexpensive. 

Cooking Tofu-Poaching on Soy Sauce

First, boil the tofu for a few minutes

Poach on a Sauce

Serve the tofu, garnished with steamed rice or noodles.

Tempeh is another food that contains a lot of protein, it is made of soybeans.  Braise tempeh in coconut milk or spiced with chilli then stir fry.  It makes delicious vegetarian dishes too.

I am sorry that I don't have the picture, but you can purchase the tempe in supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.  Tofu and Tempe are readily available in the Netherlands not only in Australia.

Until Next Post 

Happy Cooking

Thanks For Stopping By

Susy

Meat for Healthy Eating

Meat-Protein for Good Health.

White Meat-Chicken

To shop a whole bird of fresh chicken is a good idea because we can enjoy all parts of the meat, from the red, meat-legs and thighs and the white meat, the breast and wings.  Together they make the delicious flavour.
How to cook the chicken healthily, this is what I do:
Skin the chicken, cut into small pieces.  If you want to cook the whole bird, I would say you could, but you may have to use the steaming or poaching methods.

To clean and Skin, a whole chicken.

Now you have it.  The chicken is skinned, clean and chopped into small pieces.
Cook the pieces according to what you want to have.  Pan fried, grilled or steamed are the healthy way.

You would have the frame from the breast, boil it for the stock, it can be used to make light sauces or for soups as well.



Red Meat 
Lamb, beef and Venison
Buy the lean meat, lamb meat is good, but sometimes it is fatty.  Get the loin, rack of lamb,  cook by grilling or pan fried, discard the fat before serving.  It applies to beef as well.  Buy the leanest mince, steak or if it is a joint get the rib eye fillet.  The rib is easy and quick to cook.  A lean blade beef is excellent for braising, it does take a long time to prepare, and it is inexpensive. Venison meat is lean, taste a little gamy, you have to cook carefully as they get easily tough.
A small serve of meat is the best way for our diet.

Cooking a small rack of lamb-pan-fried

Rack or lamb is ready to cook

Spice the lamb with preserved lemon

Pan fry the rack of lamb, cook for 0-12 minutes

Rest it for 4-5 minutes, discard the fat, slice then serve for healthy eating.

The lamb cooked well, it is not to rare and not over cooked.  It tends to be hard if it is well done.  Serve one piece if you have to watch the protein intake, or two is a good serving for everyone.

At the end of the day, we know what we need to have for a proper healthy diet, it is up to us to choose and to take any food for a healthy living.

More posting about cooking for healthy eating, until next time.  Stay Tuned

Thanks For Stopping By

Susy

CITRUSES

Citrus Plants and The Harvest.

The citrus plants: Tahitian lime, Kaffir lime, Lisbon lemon, Mandarin and Pomelo trees are doing well in my backyard.  In fact, the Lisbon lemon is growing very well, it is the first time to harvest this year, the lemon is very juicy with thin skin.  The limes were plenty, and now the new baby limes have started, I could have the fruit all year round.  I used limes for cooking, baking, and I also preserved them. The Mandarin plant is having a rest, it has a few fruits only, and now they are ripening.  There are only three Pomelos, but I am pleased with them.  The fruits are much bigger than last year's.

Tahitian Lime Tree

The Harvest

The limes turn yellow if you leave them too long on the tree.

Two Pictures of a Kaffir Lime Tree

The Harvest

Lisbon Lemon Tree

The Harvest

Mandarin Tree

The Harvest

They are very small mandarins this year.

Pomelo Tree

The Harvest

The Largest Weighs 804gr

Other things that you can do with citruses are to add to drinks, flavouring for cakes, marinade meat, chicken, fish dishes.  I love lemon and limes in my cheesecakes.

I think it is worthwhile to have varieties of citrus trees in the garden.  Every family should at least have a lemon tree, it is so versatile.  Basically, they are easy plants to look after,  you have to fertilise them regularly.
It has been a good harvest from a couple of citruses this year.

Thanks For Stopping By

Until Next Post

Susy

They are Open

From Buds To Blooms

In August my Cymbidium orchids are blooming at their best.  The Orchids show is here every year.  People come to see to enjoy the flowers and to purchase the plants.  The orchid growers and orchids club will be there to assist you if you wish to ask questions about orchids or growing them.  The fun bit for me is if I could get flowering orchid plants to take home to add to my collection.

These orchids are open beautifully at the moment.

Pink Cymbidium

Yellow Cymbidium is bright and beautiful.  A later collection. 

Two years in a row, it flowers healthily.

More Pink Cymbidium Pictures

Deeper Pink Cymbidium

Five long spikes have been flowering for over a month.  It has deep colour pink and pretty petals,  the lips have a touch of yellow

Small Cymbidium Cascading Orchid

It is a beautiful miniature cymbidium, it has been great to have it.  It flowers almost every year, it does look so spectacular when a lot of spikes flowering in full bloom.

 It has been a good year for some of my orchids, soon some more cymbidium orchids and dendrobiums are flowering, they are budding now.

Budding Orchids

Cymbidium with six long spikes

Dendrobium Speciosum(Australian Orchid) with 10 spikes are budding.

Within a month these buds are opening, we will have more beautiful flowers, and also lovely fragrance from the Dendrobium speciosum orchid.

The power of beautiful flowers never stop to amaze me, they brighten up the place and create a better spirit.

Have a good week and enjoy your days

Until Next Post

Thank For Visiting

Susy