Lithuanian Cold Borscht

Lithuanian Cold Borscht - Beetroot Soup ❧

Ingredients:

1lb beets (2-3 beets, depends on size)

½ english cucumber (or 2-3 baby cucumbers)

2-3 eggs

Small bunch of green onions (like 4-5 stems, not more)

Small bunch of fresh green dill

1 quart of original buttermilk (kefir)

About 1 quart of cold boiled water

3 tablespoons of original sour cream

Salt to taste

How to prepare:

Prepare ingredients: boil beets skin on and cool them down till room temperature (this takes some time, you can boil them in advance, even a night before to speedup the process; using canned beets is another alternative, but I never did it myself). also boil eggs till hard, cool then down too, rinse greens and cucumber. Once boiled beets are cooled down, skin them: Take big cooking pot and grate there boiled beet into it using big slots of grater: Peel and dice eggs. If cucumber has hard bitter skin – remove skin, also if seeds appear to be hard – remove them too. Then dice cucumber and add to the cooking pot. Clean green onion, chop it and add to the cooking pot. Add finely chopped fresh dill. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sour cream and season with salt. Mix everything. Add all buttermilk. Add about the same amount of water (or more, to taste) and mix everything. Cover cooking pot with a lid and put it to the fridge or cool place for about an hour to let flavors meld. Serve cold out of fridge as a soup course before main dish. Works perfect for hot summer days.

Taramasalata

Taramasalata ☼

Serves: 4

-200g smoked cod's roe

-50g (1 thick slice) stale white bread, crusts removed

-2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

-8 tbsp olive oil

-3 tbsp lemon juice

-1 garlic clove, crushed

-freshly ground black pepper

To garnish:

-wedge of lemon

-sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

Preparation method

Prep: 1 hour 10 mins

First soak the roe in a bowl of cold water for about 1 hour to remove some of the saltiness. When ready to prepare, soak the stale bread in the milk for 5 minutes. Rinse and drain the roe thoroughly, cut in half lengthways, then, with the skin side down on a board, scrape the roe off the skin with a knife. Put the roe in a blender or food processor. Squeeze the bread dry and add it to the roe. Blend together, trickling in the olive oil while the motor is running. Now add the lemon juice, a little at a time, adding a little extra, if liked, for a sharper taste. If the mixture is slightly thick, you can slacken it with a little boiling water, rather than adding more oil or lemon juice. Add the garlic and season to taste with pepper. Spoon the taramasalata into a bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with a lemon wedge and sprigs of parsley.

Food allergies in children

Food allergies in children  웃 유 

What is food allergy?

It is a reaction by your immune system to a normal amount of a particular food. This reaction happens every time that food is eaten.

Although food allergies are rare, they are most common in children under the age of four.

The most frequent food allergies are to:

- milk

- eggs

- fish

- nuts

- citrus fruit

- tomatoes

What are the symptoms?

Children with food allergies often have several different symptoms. These include:

- severe infantile eczema or skin rash

- vomiting and diarrhea for no apparent reason

- asthmatic bronchitis or asthma

- allergic cold (itchy, streaming eyes and nose).

How do food allergies begin?

A hypersensitive reaction towards food is usually a type 1 allergic reaction to something in the diet. This means your child's immune system produces a class of antibodies called IgE in response to a particular food. These antibodies cause the allergic symptoms.

Almost one third of the population omit certain foods from their diet or their children's diet because they believe they cause an allergic reaction. In fact, only about 3 per cent of children suffer allergic reactions towards food, and most will outgrow them before they reach the age of three.

Who's at risk?

Type 1 allergic diseases are to some extent inherited. For this reason you may want to talk to your GP or allergy specialist before you get pregnant if there is a family history of allergy, hay fever, eczema or asthma.

What should I do if I suspect my child has a food allergy?

Contact your doctor first.

- Do not put your child on a strange restricted diet that could result in malnutrition.

- A change in your child's bowel movements is not a sign of food allergy.

- It is completely normal for a child's bowel movements to change if their diet is changed.

- Most importantly: relax. Don't assume that your child is suffering from a food allergy until this has been confirmed by an allergy specialist.

How are food allergies treated?

A diet that eliminates the food is the main treatment for this type of allergy.

In rare cases, eating even a small amount of the food can cause anaphylactic shock (severe difficulty breathing and heart malfunction), leading to collapse.

Anaphylactic shock needs immediate treatment with adrenaline, so seek medical help straight away if your child suddenly begins to have difficulty breathing.

Banoffee Cheesecake

Banoffee Cheesecake ❣

Prep time: 110 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Base:

100g (3½oz) butter, melted

250g (9oz) digestive biscuits

Filling:

100g (3½oz) butter

100g (3½oz) dark brown soft sugar

397g can Carnation Condensed Milk

Topping:

4 small bananas

300ml carton double cream, lightly whipped

grated chocolate

You will also need:

20cm (8”) loose-bottomed cake tin, greased

Method

To make the base, process the biscuits until crushed. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the base and 4cm (1½") up the sides of the tin. Chill the base while you make the filling. To make the filling: place the butter and sugar into a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Add the condensed milk and bring gently to the boil, stirring continuously. When the caramel has started to boil, remove from the heat and pour over the biscuit base. Cool, and then leave to chill for about 1 hour, until firm. To serve, remove the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate. Slice the bananas, fold half of them into the softly whipped cream and spoon over the caramel base. Decorate with the remaining bananas and finish with the grated chocolate.

Simple Carrot Soup

Simple Carrot Soup ✰

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

500g carrots, chopped

1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock

100g low-fat soft cheese

Ground black pepper

Method

Put the onion and carrots into a large saucepan with the stock. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20-25 mins, or until the vegetables are tender. Blend the soup to a puree using a hand-held stick blender or transfer to a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth. Add the soft cheese and blend again until it is thoroughly mixed in. Reheat gently, then serve.

Chocolate Brownies

The easiest recipe for chocolate brownies ❤

Ingredients

175g butter
2 eggs, beaten
125g light brown soft sugar
100g dark chocolate
75g self-raising flour
50g cocoa, sieved
1 tsp boiling water

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Prepare an 18cm square, deep tin by lining with nonstick baking paper. In a bowl, beat together the butter, eggs and sugar. Put the chocolate in a food processor and whizz into small pieces. Add the butter and egg mix. Turn out into a bowl and stir in the flour and cocoa, then add the water. Transfer mixture to the prepared tin, and bake for 30 minutes. Insert a skewer into the centre to make sure it’s cooked – it should come out clean. When cooked, leave to cool in the tin, before cutting into 12 bite-sized squares.

Keep Calm and Bake Cakes

☺ Happy Easter ☺

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns ❀

Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. The cross on the top symbolises the Cross Jesus was crucified on.

There are superstitions in Ireland related to Hot Cross buns and Good Friday for example:

Hot Cross Buns made on Good Friday, have magical powers, they will not go mouldy, but if you keep a Hot Cross Bun from one year to the next your house will be protected from fire.

Ingredients for making Hot Cross Buns

1lb plain flour

2 oz caster sugar

1 oz fresh yeast or 1 level tablespoon dried yeast

¼ pint lukewarm milk

1 level teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon mixed spice

1 level teaspoon cinnamon

4 oz currants

2 oz chopped mixed peel

2 oz butter, melted and cooled

1 beaten egg

For the Glaze:

2 oz granulated sugar

3 tablespoons milk

For the cross:

2 small strips of short crust pastry per bun

How to make Hot Cross Buns

Sift 4 oz flour into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Blend the yeast with the milk and water.

Add to flour and sugar. Mix well and leave for 30 minutes or until frothy.

Sift remaining flour, salt and spices into another bowl.

Add the rest of the sugar, currants and peel. Toss lightly together.

Add to yeast mixture with butter and beaten egg.

Mix to a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean.

Turn on to floured board and knead for 5 minutes (or until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky).

Cover and leave to rise until double the size.

Turn onto floured board and knead lightly, divide into 12 pieces.

Shape into round bun.

Stand well apart on floured baking tray.

Cover and leave for another 30 minutes.

Cut a cross on top of each bun with a sharp knife and lay strips of pastry in each cut.

Bake in a hot oven (220 degrees C / 425 degrees F) for 20 – 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.

Brush twice with glaze, made by dissolving sugar in milk and boiling for 2 minutes.

Serve warm with lashings of butter.

Makes 12 buns.

Happy Cooking xx

Banana

Health Benefits of Bananas ✌

Bananas consist mainly of sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and fiber, which makes them ideal for an immediate and slightly prolonged source of energy.

Reducing Depression

Bananas contain tryptophan, an aminoacid that can be converted to serotonin, leading to improved mood.

Anemia

Bananas are relatively high in iron, which helps the body’s hemoglobin function.

Constipation and Diarrhea

Due to their content in fiber, they help restore a normal bowel function. In addition, diarrhea usually depletes your body of important electrolytes (of which the most important is potassium, contained in high amounts in bananas). They also contain pectin, a soluble fiber (hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract.

Eyesight Protection

Research published in the Archives of Ophthalmology has proven that adults consuming at least 3 servings of fruit per day have a reduced risk (by 36%) of developing age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

Healthy Bones

Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound that nourishes probiotic (friendly) acteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce enzymes that increase our digestive ability and protect us from unhealthy bacteria infections. Thanks to fructooligosaccharides, probiotic bacteria can increase both in number and functionality, increasing our body’s ability to absorb calcium. In addition, green bananas contain indigestible short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are very nutrient to the cells that make up the mucosa of the stomach. These cells, when healthy, absorb calcium much more efficiently

Healthy Kidney

About 190,000 cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed each year. Research published in the International Journal of Cancer has shown that daily consumption of whole fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, is highly protective to kidney health. The results show that, over a long timeframe (13.4 years), women eating more than 2.5 servings of fruits and vegetable per day cut their risk of kidney cancer by 40%. Among the fruits, bananas were especially protective. Women eating bananas four to six times a week halved their risk of developing the disease compared to those who did

not eat this fruit. The conclusion of the study is that frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, cabbage and root vegetables, may reduce risk of kidney cancer. This is because bananas and many root vegetables contain especially high amounts of antioxidant phenolic compounds, while cabbage is rich in sulfur, necessary for effective detoxification of potential carcinogens.

Blood Pressure

Bananas are extremely high in potassium (about 4673mg), yet very low in sodium (1mg), thus having a perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Heartburn

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood-sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Smoking

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. They contain vitamins B6 and B12 they contain, as well as potassium and magnesium: these substances help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Ulcers

This is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicle cases. It also helps reduce acidity and reduces irritation. Bananas stimulate the cells on the internal stomach lining to produce a thicker mucus (which protects against acid). Additionally, bananas contain protease inhibitors that help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of ulcers.

Nerves

Bananas are high in B vitamins that have been shows to improve nerve function.

Mosquito Bites

Many people report that rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite is very effective in reducing itching and swelling.

Stress Relief

Bananas are high in potassium, which helps normalize the hearthbeat and regulate the body’s water balance. During periods of high stress, our body’s potassium levels tend to be rapidly depleted: eating bananas is a healthy way to rebalance them without using drugs.

Stroke Risk

According to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can reduce the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.