Monday, May 22, 2006

Spicy seafood, meat and vegetable hotpot

From

Ong Tao’s Kitchen (21-05-2006)
with chef Jason Vinh of Omni Saigon Hotel

Hotpots feature heavily in Vietnamese cuisine, and like similar Thai dishes, they are often sour, spicy and salty.

Local chef Jason Vinh of Omni Saigon Hotel says this seafood, meat and vegetable hotpot is an especially healthy one, and can be made with ingredients easily found in Viet Nam – pumpkin flowers, Chinese cabbage, oyster mushrooms, water spinach, and herbs like lemongrass and galangal. A hearty dish, it can be served as a first course or eaten alone for a light meal.

Ingredients:

* 2kg pork bone

*150g white radish, sliced

*150g onion, peeled

*100g white leek, sliced

*100g carrot, cubed

*3 litres of water

*10 lemon leaves

*6 pcs small chillis

*120 g ginger, sliced

*7 pcs lemongrass cut in 3-4cm slices

*120 g galangal, sliced

* ½ pkt Tom Yam paste

*3 pcs lemon juice plus 20g fresh coriander

*1 tbs sugar + 2 tsp chicken powder + fish sauce to taste

* 200g choy sum + 200g Chinese cabbage + 150g oyster mushroom + 200g water spinach

* 1 kg fresh noodle + 200g onion + 200g pumpkin flower

* 300g tiger prawn + 300g squid cut in rings + 200g New Zealand beef, sliced + 150 g fish ball cut in half + 150g pork liver, sliced

Preparation:

-Clean pork bone and cut white radish in 6-7cm wide slices; cube the carrot and slice the leeks. Combine the bone and water in the stockpot. Bring the stock to a boil over low heat. Skim the surface of oil, as necessary. Simmer 3 to 4 hours. Add the vegetables during the last hour of simmering. Strain the stock. Add stock to the other stockpot; add lemon leaves, lemon grass, chilli, ginger, galangal and coriander. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes and then add Tom Yam paste and adjust seasoning.

- Wash the vegetables and cut into 3 to 4cm except oyster mushrooms. Place vegetables, seafood and meat on the plate.

- Add stock in clay pot and bring the stock to a boil over low heat. Add meat, seafood and vegetables and simmer 1 minute. Add fresh noodles and serve immediately.

The hot pot is served every day except Sunday at Omni Saigon Hotel’s Cafe Saigon, 253 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Phu Nhuan District, Tel: (08) 844 9222 Story Link

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Eat your heart out

Was reading a story today in the Boston Globe of a study showing that white, middle-aged English people are much healthier than white, middle-aged Americans.

Snip

Eat your heart out, Yank

May 15, 2006

MEDICAL researchers recently set heads to shaking on both sides of the Atlantic with a study showing that white, middle-aged English people are much healthier than white, middle-aged Americans. The English have less cancer, less high blood pressure, less heart disease and stroke, and less diabetes. To make sure that the difference was not just the result of stiff-upper-lip Brits keeping quiet about what ails them, the researchers also examined biological data, which confirmed the disparity.

The results are so striking because there is no ready explanation for them.

Full Story Link

Monday, May 01, 2006

Spring Time Is Seafood Time

Seafood stew recipes:

Here are some favorites seafood recipes from Dr. Gabe Mirkin. He has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties. Dr. Mirkin's latest book is The Healthy Heart Miracle, published by HarperCollins. He wrote the chapter on sports injuries for the Merck Manual (both lay and physicians' editions), the largest selling book worldwide with over one million copies in print

Seafood Stews: Healthful Recipes from Around the World
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

I love the seafood stews that come from almost every region that borders on an ocean! They’re wonderful served over whole grains instead of white rice or pasta. Here are some of my favorites to get you started.

High concentrations of mercury and other toxins have raised concerns about the safety of some seafoods, but this appears to be a turf battle between various fishing interests more than an actual health threat. I believe that the benefits of seafood far outweigh the potential health concerns. If you are pregnant or nursing, check with your doctor for the latest guidance.

Cioppino (from Italy)
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, or 1 green and 1 red, chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped, to taste
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups bouillon or dry red wine, or some of each
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, undrained, broken up
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon Italian spice blend or oregano
3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut in 1/4" slices
3 pounds (total) seafood -- your choice: shrimp, squid, any firm white fish cut in 1" chunks, clams, mussels, scallops, etc.
1/2 cup chopped flat parsley
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
cooked whole grains of your choice (optional)

Combine the onions, garlic, peppers, celery and bouillon or wine in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and spice blend and cook 10 minutes more. Add the zucchini. Return the liquid to a boil and add the seafood. Cover the pot, reduce the heat and cook, stirring once or twice, until the seafood is done (5-10 minutes.) Add the parsley and black pepper; serve over whole grains if desired.

8-10 servings

Kejenou (from Africa)
1 large onion, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 cup bouillon + 1 extra teaspoon bouillon granules
8 parsnips, sliced
1 28 oz. can Italian style (plum) tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 pound fresh green beans, sliced, or 1 cup frozen green beans
1 pound firm white fish fillet of your choice, cut in chunks
Cooked whole grains (optional)

Cook the onion and green peppers in the bouillon for 5 minutes to softern. Add the parsnips, tomatoes and spices and cook 10-15 minutes or until the parsnips are just tender. Add the green beans and simmer 5 minutes; add the fish chunks and simmer 5 minutes more, or until the fish is firm and no longer translucent, and the green beans are crisp-tender. Serve over whole grains.

4-6 servings

Paella (from Spain)
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup bouillon
2 teaspoons oregano
pinch cayenne, to taste
4 cups cooked barley, brown rice or other whole grains of your choice
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, undrained, broken up
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1/2" chunks
1 pound asparagus, cut in 1-2" pieces (reserve the tips)
1 6-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained
2-3 pounds cleaned mixed seafood of your choice (peeled shrimp, scallops, lobster tails, mussels, clams, 1" chunks of any fish)

Cook the onion, celery and garlic in the bouillon to soften, 5-10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the asparagus tips; bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes or until the asparagus are tender. Stir in the asparagus tips, artichokes and seafood, cover and cook about 5 minutes more, or until the seafood is opaque and any shells are opened.

6-8 servings

Louisiana Oysters and Shrimp
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 pound shrimp
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
2 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cups okra or green beans, cut in bite-size pieces (fresh or frozen)
1 pint shucked oysters and their liquid
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooked brown rice or barley

Bring the water and bay leaf to a boil in a pot, add half of the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in a colander. Bring the liquid back to a boil and cook the other half of the shrimp the same way. Run cold water over the shrimp, drain and set them aside. Strain the cooking liquid and return 1 cup of it to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the chopped onion, garlic, green pepper and celery, and simmer 5-10 minutes or until they are tender. Add the tomatoes, parsley, hot sauce, thyme and fennel to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the okra or beans and simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the shrimp. Add shrimp and the oysters (with their liquid) and cook just until the oyster edges are curled, about 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice, with ground pepper and additional hot sauce to taste.

6-8 servings

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Read his Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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