Good Taste meets Good Health: September 2015

Stevia

How to use Stevia leaves

Are you looking for a different natural kind of sweetener? I usually use honey in my hot beverages or in sauces, but in cold/icy drinks honey doesn’t dissolve. Therefore, I bought a stevia plant in hopes of make my own Stevia syrup.

There are several different ways to use a Stevia plant. It can be used fresh or it can be turned into a syrup. I use the fresh ones during the summer time when I can harvest them and the syrup more in the colder months.

Fresh Leaves

First, pinch 1 to 4 big leaves from the top of the branch to sweeten a cup of tea. Simply, steep them along with your tea bag in the cup. Leave the Stevia in longer for a sweeter drink.

Dry leaf powder

Dry leaves are sweeter than fresh, so one teaspoon is equal to the sweetness of 10 teaspoons of sugar. So be careful when using the powder.

First, dry individual leaves between sheets of paper towels or use a dehydrator. To test the dryness the leaf should be able to crumble easily, and when that happens they are fully dried.

In order to produce a powder you need to grind the dry leaves with a mortar and a pestle into a fine powder. The powder then can be used in protein shakes, smoothies, or even in baking.

Grind the leaves

Disregard the stems

Stevia Extract

It is very simple to make extract with the powder. First, boil two cups of water. Next, add 1 tsp. of your dry leaf powder and reduce the temperature to a simmer until it reduces and it may thickens to the consistency of syrup.

When it reaches the consistency you like, strain it through cheesecloth. Once it has cooled, store in the refrigerator to increase shelf life. Just like that you now have an organic healthy sweetener.

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Tomato Sauce Made with Jersey Tomatoes

New Jersey, the Garden State, is well known for its vegetables and fruits, particularly for its tomatoes.

Tomatoes have a high nutritional value; they are packed full with vitamin C. They contain an important phytonutrient called lycopene that has been proven to help fight aging, as well as, contain anti-cancer properties. It appears to be particularly effective against prostate and colon cancers.

Tomatoes stimulate the production of the amino acid carnitine, which has been shown in research to speed the body’s fat-burning capacity by over 30 percent.

I love tomatoes not just because of the high nutritional value, but more notably the variety in which they can be used. One of my favorites is the little cherry tomato that is great for salsa or bruschetta. Next would be beef tomatoes that are great sliced with some mozzarella cheese. Lastly, plum tomatoes are great for making tomato sauce.

Everyone loves a good tomato sauce; unfortunately, store bought tomato sauces are high in sodium and sugars! 1/2 cup of tomato sauce could have up to 15 grams of sugar and 400-500mg of sodium. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars men should eat in a day is 150 calories (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons) and for women 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons). So by eating a store bought cup of tomato sauce, you might reach your sugar intake for the day. In order to prevent this and save your health a great idea would be to make your own tomato sauce.

Here is what you need to make your own homemade tomato sauce, and if done right the sauce will be able to store for months.

Ingredients

25lbs of juice plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded (to peel, cut a small “X” on the top and drop in to boiling water for 10 seconds and drop in to an ice bath. Skin will easily peel off.) (see “blanching” below)
½ cup of olive oil
6 medium onions, diced
15 cloves of fresh garlic (or more to taste), finely minced
4 cups of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
5 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves (or 3tsp dried)
5 sprigs of fresh oregano (or 3tsp dried)
6 bay leaves (remove when done)
8 sprigs of parsley (or 6tsp dried)
4 teaspoons of sea salt
3 carrots (1/2 of that should be grated and added to sauce, the other half should be added at the end of cooking and then removed)
3 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)

Instructions

Pour the olive oil into a large stockpot over medium heat.
Add diced onion, garlic and grated carrots.
Sauté for 6-8 minutes or until onions are translucent and tender.
Add tomatoes, chopped basil leaves, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, parsley and sea salt.
Simmer on low hear for 3-5 hours or until cooked down and starting to darken
Add carrot piece for the last 30 minutes to absorb acidity.
Remove spring of herbs and pieces of carrot
Use an immersion blender to purée sauce until smooth.
Simmer on low for 30 minutes.
In the meantime prepare your jars. In order to sanitize your jars, I place them in the dishwasher and turn on the sanitize cycle. When your sauce is done, place the hot jars on a top of the kitchen cloth on the counter. With the help of canning funnel, ladle sauce into the jars, reserving ½ inch headspace. Use a nonmetallic spatula to remove any trapped air bubbles, and wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth. Place on the lids and screw bands and tighten. After a couple of hours you will hear a “popp” and your sauce is sealed. You can store them in the refrigerator to improve shelf life or in cold space.

Blanching

The skins of some vegetables e.g. tomatoes, onions, and fruits e.g. peaches and plums will need to be removed before they are ready for use in a recipe.

Otherwise, the skin’s texture can become chewy and rubbery after cooking, and nobody will enjoy that. Blanching is also used with some vegetables like asparagus, corn, peas, in order to keep their color vibrant once canned.

Instructions

1. Wash your vegetables or fruits under cool water.

2. Prepare and ice bath by filling a large bowl or your sink.

3. Fill a large stainless-steel pot two-thirds full with water and bring to boil over high heat.

4. Using a slotted spoon, gently place one item at the time into the boiling water.

Boil for 30 seconds, remove the item with the slotted spoons, and immediately plunge it into the ice bath. Continue until each item has been blanched.

5. Peel of the skin of your vegetable or fruits, they should slip off easily.

6. Cut the tomatoes in half and use your fingers in order to remove the seeds and also squeeze the tomatoes. The less water the tomatoes are having, the thicker and creamier will be your tomato sauce. Alternatively, you can use a food mill for this process.

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Good Taste meets Good Health

Monday, September 14, 2015

Good Taste meets Good Health: Sugar Alternative - Stevia

Sugar Alternative - Stevia