Saffron and its use in cooking

All about saffron

Today in home cooking there is a large number of different spices and seasonings that can be added to dishes. However, a spice like saffron isn’t always found in every kitchen. The reason for this is the high price of saffron, as it is considered to be one of the rarest spices. This is what my blog post is about today.

Saffron plant:

Saffron, or crocus, as it is called in ornamental plant cultivation, is a perennial plant of the Iris family, a bulbous species. The plant reaches a height of 25 cm and has narrow linear leaves that appear during the flowering period. The flowers of this plant are large and purple (sometimes yellow or white). On one corm up to three flowers can form. The tubers themselves are rounded and slightly flattened. A crocus plantation blooms for 10-14 days, while a single flower bloom takes 1-2 days. After flowering, triangular shaped fruits are formed from the flower. Saffron seeds are not formed.

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All about eggplant

All about eggplant (aubergines)

Eggplant is the king of the garden. This vegetable has purple-black color with a glossy shine and a cap that looks like a crown, so it really does look like a king. And even the royal family will appreciate its taste! Delicious Parma-style eggplants, stuffed or fried – these vegetables will always make a splash on the table. This is what my blog is about today.

Start growing eggplants:

Eggplant has been around for a long time. They came from India, but they were also eaten in Arabia, where sheikhs and shahs highly valued them. The Arabs introduced them to the people of Spain, who later brought them to this country, and by 1806 they grew both purple and white varieties.

One of the earliest references to eggplant is in a Chinese book from the fifth century. It seems that Chinese women considered it very fashionable to paint their teeth with black eggplant dye. Then they polished their teeth until they began to shine like metal.

But eggplant as a food or fashion accessory was not popular everywhere. In Europe, in the 15th and 16th centuries, eggplants were called “insane apples” because it was believed that eating them made a person crazy. Even when this fear began to fade, the Europeans still refused to eat eggplants, as they considered them poisonous. The eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae family, as are tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, and belladonna. Eye drops obtained from belladonna (also called the deadly nightshade) were used by fashionable women to visually enlarge the eyes. From time to time someone who used the belladonna died from the effects of poisoning. Not surprisingly, by associating eggplants with deadly nightshade, people avoided eating them.

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All about avocados

All about avocados

Avocado is a fruit that can help restore health. Regular consumption of avocados can play an important role in the treatment of many diseases. This is what my blog is about today.

Best ways to eat avocados:

Daily avocado consumption is a great way to add vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and dietary fiber to your daily diet. Here are some ways to use avocado:

1. Just eat it.
2. Make your own avocado smoothie.
3. Make an avocado paste and spread it on bread.
4. Enjoy an avocado milkshake
5. Try cold avocado soup.
6. Make your sandwich healthy by adding a little avocado.
7. Prepare an avocado salad.
8. Eat it raw, seasoning it with crushed pepper and lemon juice.
9. Replace mayonnaise with avocado oil.
10. Replace the mashed potatoes with avocado puree and add some spices to it.

Note: always remember, do not heat or cook avocados. This can lead to the loss of antioxidants and other important nutrients that are sensitive to heat.

Color and appearance:

Avocados are “super foods” that contain many nutrients and provide many health benefits. The fruit is usually oval or pear-shaped. Avocado flesh is yellow in the middle and green near the skin. The peel is dark green.

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Champignons and weight loss: nutritionists’ opinions and recommendations

Champignons have long been attributed as popular products and indispensable ingredients in a variety of dishes. However, it makes sense to ask the question: how appropriate are these mushrooms for diet programs? Their qualities, which make it possible to quickly cope with the feeling of hunger, make it possible to judge mushrooms as diet foods. This is confirmed by other properties. This is what my post is about today.

Champignons are rich in valuable components for the body. First of all, we are talking about vitamins. This applies to ascorbic acid, vitamins Bs, as well as fat-soluble cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol (vitamins from group D). In addition, a large number of fatty acids and a modest content of carbohydrate components in the composition of mushrooms complement their beneficial properties.

Mineral substances, as well as compounds on the basis of which proteins are formed, are also an important component of these fungi. Mushrooms also have a fairly large amount of phosphorus compounds, and this, in turn, gives them the qualities that seafood also has.

Since champignons contain vegetable protein, it is justifiable to include such mushrooms in weight-loss programs for vegetarians too. As a result, the muscles and their tone will receive proper support. This protein serves as a substitute for the proteins that make up meat products.

The content of sugary components in mushrooms is extremely small. As a result – a short list of contraindications to the use of these mushrooms for dietary purposes can be found. Moreover, they can be included in diabetic’s diets too.

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Food from the microwave. Are microwave ovens dangerous?

Food from the microwave. Are microwave ovens dangerous? What is a microwave and when was it invented?

Microwave ovens have taken a strong position in our kitchens. They significantly speed up the preparation and heating of food. Together with the undeniable merits of microwaves, their harmful effects on humans are also discussed. This is what my post is about today.

The history of microwave ovens

The very first patent for a microwave was issued back in 1946 in the USA. The world’s first microwave oven Radarange was released in 1947 by Raytheon and was not designed for cooking, but for the quick defrosting of food.

The installation was used only in the military. The size of the system was impressive – about the height of a person.

The mass of the furnace reached 340 kilograms. The initial power was 3 kW. The installation went to the serial production only in 1949. The official price in 1949 was $3,000.

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What can be made from bananas?

What can be made from bananas? What health benefits do they have?

How are they best stored?

This is what my blog is about today.

There are several ways to enjoy this delicious fruit:

1. Raw – simple peel the banana and eat it fresh.

2. Make your own chilled banana milkshake – the perfect combination of calcium from milk and various nutrients from the banana.

3. If you do not like milkshakes, enjoy a chilled glass of banana smoothie.

4. Make your fruit salad – combine a banana with other fruits.

5. Eat a peanut butter Banana.

6. Children can eat bananas dipped in chocolate.

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Eating insects: absurd or the future?

Eating caterpillars or insects in front of a camera is a demonstration of how nutritious these things can be, but the modern, ordinary person is disgusted even to watch. In some eastern countries, such foods are a common thing; grasshoppers fried in sugar, different types of worms and other “goodies” found in Europe are still surprising to most. This is my post about.

But, here in the Netherlands, there are already companies that have specialized in farming insects for food for 8 years. However, they do not feed people with these crickets or worms, but extract protein from them and use them as bio-additives in other dishes. The benefit of this kind of food is a decrease in the number of farm animals, like cows, in the country, polluting the soil and atmosphere with methane.

Modern biology has had a lot of success in squeezing out insect oil. This fat is yellow and rich in omega-3 acids. With animal meat, man does not get them. Insect oil is added to ice cream or cream that is on cakes and pastries. It is not necessary to even add flavors to the fat from the lionfish, as it smells like fruit. These insects do not feast on corpses but on different types of flowers.

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How to get fit? How to eat healthily? Examples to follow from real Andorrans

How to get fit? How to eat healthily? Examples to follow from real Andorrans

“How can I get in shape?”, – men and women of all ages regularly ask themselves. After all, a slender figure doesn’t only bring self-satisfaction and a great mood, it’s also a sign of good health. This is my post about today.

Where can I find products that have zero calories? How can I eat healthily? What products are best? What sports should I do? What should I do in order to “live” as long as possible?

The answers to these questions are not so important in comparison with where we live. It is the daily life and what surrounds us every day that shapes our habits – our lifestyle, nutrition, behaviour, and preferences. The answer is obvious: only life in the right beautiful place and where the fresh air and the sun shines (both in winter and in summer) can it be possible to find and keep the ideal shape. Under the condition of proper nutrition, of course. But more on that later.

Let’s start with sports in the winter. The European country with one of the largest numbers of sunny days in winter is Andorra. The number of sunny days per year is rarely less than 300. It is for this reason that Andorra is one of the most popular ski resorts. The Grandvalira ski resort alone occupies 1,926 hectares and has 112 descents, being one of the largest ski resorts in the world.

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