Monday, July 12, 2010

CAULIFLOWER



A member of the cruciferous family, composed of underdeveloped flower buds attached to the central stalk. Cauliflower is a great source of a sulfur containing compounds; study by Hu et al (2006) confirmed that vegetables from the cruciferous family, containing Sulforaphane trigger the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals. This is amazing and for this reason it's so important to eat CAULIFLOWER, KALE , CABBAGE and BROCCOLI ORGANIC!!!!!




Hu R, Khor TO, Shen G, Jeong WS, Hebbar V, Chen C, Xu C, Reddy B, Chada K, Kong AN. Cancer chemoprevention of intestinal polyposis in ApcMin/+ mice by sulforaphane, a natural product derived from cruciferous vegetable. Carcinogenesis. 2006 May 4; [Epub ahead of print. 2006. PMID:16675473.

CAULIFLOWER PUREE

1 small head (1kg) ORGANIC white cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets
30g ORGANIC butter, softened
1/3 cup finely-grated pecorino-romano cheese

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add cauliflower. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. Drain and return to saucepan.
Add butter and mash until almost smooth. Stir in cheese. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Serve.


Monday, July 5, 2010

POTATOES

Baking the perfect potato

Turn the oven onto 180 degrees. Rinse and scrub the potato under cold running water. Dry the potato with a tea towel.

Pierce the potato with a fork three times on each side and score a cross in the top of the potato. This allows the steam to escape and prevents the potatoes from exploding. Bake for around 1 hr, till cooked through.

This method will produce a crispy skinned baked potato. If you prefer a soft skinned roast potato, rub with olive oil all over the skin, and then you can sprinkle with sea salt too! Bake for around 1 hour.

Yum, then you can add your topping as you like, coleslaw, sundried tomatoes, olive oil, cheese, the variations are endless.

Monday, June 28, 2010

KIWI SMOOTHIE


2 chopped up organic kiwis

2 organic bananas

1 organic pear

25oml organic Yoghurt



Place the yoghurt into blender, chop fruits and add them in next. Mix for 40 seconds, then smooth for 20 seconds. ENJOY


Palm Oil the most expensive oil

Palm oil is the derivative of the palm tree, grown in the tropical forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). This product is used as a 'cheap' fat in the manufacturer of 1000's of products, and is contained in around 40% of products on supermarket shelves.

The problem with palm oil is not so much the quality of oil, or its processes in the body, but the severe damage that is occurring due to its production.

In South East Asia alone, every hour the equivalent of 300 football fields of pristine forests are decimated to produce this oil, this equates to the death of an average 50 orangutans a week and the death of countless tigers in addition to the destruction of our forest's, and local industry. 90% of their habitat has already been destroyed.


All hope is not lost though, we are refusing to stock, sell, eat, taste, wash with any products that contain palm oil and you can do the same…

Three things that you can do right now to foster positive change in our bodies and the world

Check out this documentary www.theburningseasonmovie.com

Sign this petition to ensure that FSANZ establish standards that require the mandatory labeling of all foods containing Palm oil. By doing this you can make educated purchases and vote with your dollars. This great initiative is being driven by Zoo's Victoria. Sign it here

Check your labels, if the type of fat used is not specified contact the manufacturer and find out.


ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne, local organic foods


Monday, June 21, 2010

Kale chips






2 bunches of organic kale, flat or curly



Extra Virgin Olive oils



1 tsp chili powder (use less if you don't want the chips to be spicy)



1 tsp garlic powder



1 tsp onion powder



1/2 tsp cumin



salt and pepper






Lay each piece of kale out on a large cutting board and completely cut out the stem, even up to the tiny, skinny part. Chop the kale into very large pieces, larger than you would for salad or for cooking as they will drastically shrink in the dehydrator. Wash the kale a dry it in a salad spinner or lay out on kitchen towels until completely dry. Spread the kale onto a large baking sheet and spray it well with the olive oil spray. You can also just drizzle the oil and massage it around but you only want a tiny amount to prevent the chips from being too oily. Combine all of the spices into a small dish and then generously massage it into the oiled kale. Season with salt and pepper. Place the kale onto the trays of the dehydrator in a single layer and dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours. The chips should stay crispy for 3 to 4 days if stored in a brown paper bag.

ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne, local organic foods

Sautéed Kale

1 bunch organic Kale, coarsely chopped

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves organic garlic finely chopped

½ cup of vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbs balsamic vinegar


Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.


ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne, local organic foods

Monday, June 14, 2010

Organic Vegetable Stock




The amazing thing about stock is that it is soo very versatile, you can freeze it, cook it, drink it, eat it and its so easy to make. Its also a great way to use up those organic vegies that you don't want to go to waste, but haven't had the time to use.





2 large organic brown onions, halved, coarsely chopped



2 organic carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped



4 organic celery sticks, coarsely chopped



3L (12 cups) cold water



6 fresh organic parsley stalks



10 whole organic black peppercorns



3 dried organic bay leaves






  1. Place all the vegetables in a pot, cover with water. Cook for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Use a fine-slotted spoon or fine metal sieve to remove any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming the surface every 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool slightly.

  3. Place a fine sieve over a large heatproof bowl. Carefully strain stock through the sieve. Discard contents of sieve. Cool to room temperature.

  4. Cover the stock with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Use stock as required.

Notes



  • To freeze: Transfer to a freezer-proof container. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months. Place in the fridge overnight to thaw.