We Love Cooking!:
nutrion

I started this blog because I have had this idea for a while now and felt that I needed some sort of outlet for it.

I originally started thinking about it when I was sick and, instead of taking all the usual commercial medicine, like those 4 flu tablets, I treated it with lemon juice and honey in boiling water. It was just a normal common cold. I also made sure I ate healthily every 2-3 hours. I went for a walk to get a little exercise, got lots of rest and went to bed early.

The next day I felt just fine and it got me thinking that, and I know this is stating the obvious, but most common sickness are caused by a lack of care for yourself. Of course you can pick up things from various bacteria but at the end of the day if your immune system is strong enough it should be able to handle things.

I would like to think I have a fairly strong knowledge of nutrition but this train of thought meant I began researching further, the healing properties of different ingredients, how they can affect mood, and particularly foods affecting the immune system. There is quite a lot of information written about it but very few recipe's available with this in mind. So I decided to start creating my own.

The posts so far, I feel haven't really hit the nail on the head when it comes to talking specifically about mood food, so I hope to include more information about just that in future posts. If there is anything you think I should include, exclude feel free to comment!

Broccoli
Is a food I have only recently taken to eating, as I had only tried the steam variety! The sulphur the veg emits during the cooking process is generally what puts most people off. But now I use broccoli all the time raw in salads and cooked in stir frys, it's the type of veg that can fit well in lots of dishes. Apart from it being tasty, it also has huge health benefits. Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family and as you can imagine shares all the highly nutritious values of it's large green cousin! Here's just three reason's to eat BROCCOLI!

1. Broccoli like cabbage contains cancer fighting properties.


2. One cup of cooked broccoli contains 74 mg of calcium, plus 123 mg of vitamin C, which significantly improves calcium's absorption.


3. It's perfect for building your immune system as its packed with Vitamin C plus small but helpful amount's of zinc and selenium.

Asparagus
Is another veg which I have only just started a love affair with! This are just so tasty especialy drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar and thrown on a griddle pan. But wait, you guessed it THEY'RE HEALTHY TOO! I recently saw asparagus growing in a field and it was the strangest sight! Reason's to eat asparagus? Why let me give you a few!

1. Asparagus are extremely high in folate which is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system. 1 serving supplies almost 66% of RDA of folate!


2. Asparagus is a natural diuretic thanks to its mineral profile and active amino acids!


3. Asparagus are very low in calories.

Now generally I am a Chicken and fish fan so this dish mostly came about because my girlfriend gently suggested that I should cook something other than chicken tonight! Not one to dissappoint I head to the butchers with this in mind and picked out some lamb chops. Ok I know carrot and cabbage mixed together is coleslaw but there's something off putting about coleslaw which make my mind conjure up images of soggy cabbage drenched in watery cheap mayonnaise. Ew! So that why I'm sticking with carrot and cabbage salad!

Oregano Lamb Chops

• 4 good quality lamb chops
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped finely
• 3 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of good quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• A good pinch of sea salt and ground pepper

Put the lamb chops in a ziploc food bag and add the chopped garlic plus the rest of the ingredients to the bag. Zip Lock the bag then shake so that the mixture completely coats all the lamb. Then put the bag in the fridge to marinate, while you prepare the salad. It's like sooo easy!

Simple Carrot and Cabbage Salad

The salad is just as easy. You will need:

• 1/4 of white cabbage
• 1 Large carrot
• 1 tablespoon of homemade mayonaisse
• A good pinch of Sea Salt and Ground Pepper.

Peel the carrot and slice into thin strips and place in a large bowl. Then chop the cabbage finely and seperate into pieces. Add the cabbage, mayo, salt, pepper and mix it all up! Put the salad mix in the fridge.

I normally cook this for just my self and my girlfriend so I take two of the chops out of the marinade bag, reseal it and freeze. I find that when the meat is defrosted in the marinade it makes it very tender. So anyway take the lamb chops out of the fridge and place on a hot grill and cook till brown on both sides (about 5 mintues either side). Take the carrot and cabbage salad out of the fridge and put a portion on a plate and place a golden brown chop ontop!

Enjoy!

THE SENSUAL VEGETABLE THAT IS THE CARROT!
Carrots have always been and will probably always be my favourite vegetable! Something I read recently pointed to the fact that carrots Beta-carotene levels were not reduced during the cooking process which is great news as roast carrot is one of my favourite dishes! Here's just 4 reasons to EAT CARROTS!

1. They contain lung-healing, immune boosting, beta carotene.
2. One carrot a day will increase the beta-carotene levels in the body.
3. Carrots can regulate blood sugar.
4. And if in fact YOU are a LADY Carrot's can help increase menstrual flow.

CABBAGE! CABBAGE! CABBAGE!

Now cabbage would have been a completely no go area when I was a kid and I would avoid it like the plague, partly due to I think the memories of the horrible smell coming from the boiled version! However now that I'm just that little bit older, wiser, and slightly more well read, I can say that Cabbage truly is one of the greatest super foods and here's why:

1. Cabbage has a nitrogenous compound known as indoles, and indoles can according to recent research lower the risk of cancer.
2. Cabbage has an extremely high level of Vitamin C, chlorophyll, and Vitamins A, E and B.
3. It speeds ulcer healing and improves digestive health.
4. It is rich in antibacterial sulphur compounds which fight infection.
5. And on top of all that It's soooo low in calories! So dig in!

1. In a recent study Oregano had 3 to 20 times higher antioxidant activity than the other herbs studied.
2. Oregano is a great source of fibre.
3. A balanced diet with herbs such as Oregano can have huge beneficial health effects.