Thursday, April 26, 2012

 
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Sunday, April 22, 2012

SUMMER SALADS

SALADS THAT ARE EASY AND FRESH, BEETS, CARROTS, GREENS AND APPLES.

Grate two raw peeled beets, three peeled carrots, one peeled kohlrabi and one large green ,peeled apple. Mix all and add a dressing of two tablespoons olive oil, I tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon of date syrup[Silan] If you do not have date syrup, chop up four dates. Add a little lemon juice, salt and .Mix well and pour over the salad.

 LETTUCE, OLIVES, PEPPERS, FETA OR BULGARIAN CHEESE.

 Wash and spin a lettuce. Tear into pieces an place in a large salad bowl. Add thinly slice red peppers, one red onion, two large cucumbers and a few pieces of parsley and chopped leaves. Add ten to twelve black olives and grate feta or Bulgarian cheese over the salad. I make a dressing of olive oil, salt , pepper and lemon juice. Toss the lot. Enjoy Enjoy the summer.

Love and light Rona
 
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Saturday, April 14, 2012

 
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FRUITS AS DETOX DRINKS

EASY EATING AND DETOX THE BODY
SUMMER EATING…SIMPLE HEALTHY MEALS.


When Easter and Passover are over, we are in the first stage of summer If you have long days, hot weather and energy sapping weather, eat and drink correctly to make life easier.

DETOX THE SYSTEM.

I like the idea of clearing the system and having a day a week of light eating.
The fasts and extreme fads of no food, concoctions and trendy ways to detox, do not suit everyone
Make it simple.
When you wake up, have a glass of water, with a squeeze of lemon in it and a dash of honey.
If you are often constipated, have a few dried fruits, soaked in boiled water overnight. Cook a pot of compote and that will be a great start to the day.
You need to eat in order for the bowels to be active.
Bran and roughage are excellent, only if you eat small amounts and drink sufficiently.
Often people are blocking themselves, instead of cleansing the body.

You need to eat slowly and masticate the foods well. Do not drink with meals, rather an hour before and one or two hours afterwards. Our habits of coffees and teas after a meal are fun, but not really good for the body

Try to eat regular meals and very little at the night meal. Snack in between. These can be an apple, a yogurt at the office, a snack bar at the movie or a bottle of water in the car.
The nosh does not have to be tea, coffee or cakes and cookies. A chocolate square can be enough and make you feel good.

Have many fresh vegetables and fruits in season. Enjoy a pot of steamed vegetables once a day. Soups can be hot or cold in summer and enjoy these with a salad and a slice of whole wheat bread. Use olive oil on the bread instead of butter.
Find the low fat cheeses and cottage cheeses for additions to the salad. These are great on rice crackers and are even fun heated. Kids who have asthma and allergies, can often feel better with rice crackers , than bread with wheat.
Do not indulge in sugary drinks , cookies and salty snacks.

Seniors need to eat less at night. A cold soup served in a bowl like yogurts with granolas and cut up fruits are great. You can blend yogurts or buttermilk with cucumbers and tomatoes, peppers and herbs like parsley, dill and basil. Add a slice of bread and cheese,and that is an easily digested meal.

When you have a protein meal, like meat, fish, cheeses and eggs, you do not need fruit afterwards. Skip the carbs with it too. A salad will work just fine.

Drink less liquor and find the pleasure of grape juice served cold. Apple juice and fruit juices are good. These are not nectars that are laced with sugars. Use fresh lemons, mint leaves and make NANA the lovely cold tea for summer. Just use a good blend of tea, mint leaves, and lemon in boiling water. Drink hot or have it cold all day. I add a little honey when I make it.

Instead of ice creams that are commercially created with unknown additives, I freeze a simple yogurt and make fruit smoothies and shakes. Fresh cold milk with a great brownie or crunchy, is a super snack.



THE SKIN AND BODY.
Winter is behind you and you need to exfoliate the skin too. Just use good soap and water to rub off the dead skin and dry flaky bits of winter on your body.
There are lots of masks and foams for this job too. You can use a gentle sponge with Dead sea salt and this will leave the skin feeling fresh.

CLOTHES.
When you buy new garments, look for labels that are eco friendly, easy to wash and made from good cottons and natural fibers. Today you can find bamboo and corn fibers too.

BED LINENS.
You are better off sleeping in cotton, and not synthetics. Some people sweat profusely and synthetics feel awful and full of odors. Towels are better if they are a good quality and washed in hot water.

SHOES AND SNEAKERS.
This is the time to unlace all shoes and let them air out in the sun. Give them all a wash and cleaning, polish and tidy up for the season. Kids need to have the sizes checked as they grow all the time. Small shoes cause problems. Also clean the school bags and lunch boxes.
8)
 
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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

 
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Monday, April 9, 2012

 
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TRAVELLING ROUND THE COUNTRY

Today we toured the north and popped in to the family store and eatery of family Schwartzman at Bat Shlomo. There are a variety of tasty cheeses, bottles of olives, marinated cheeses, herbs and spices and a show of old fashioned tools and kitchen ware. The atmosphere is yesterday and the place has a charm and atmosphere of its own.
We always enjoy cheeses at Passover, as it is a good break from eggs for dairy meals. Whether it is soft, creamy sfatit or the strong aroma of Parmesan, cheese is useful to enhance a dish or simply on a slice of Matzo.

I like to create good salads and add grated Bulgari, feta or ricotta to the vegetables. You only need to add olive oil, lemon, salt , pepper, pesto, or sun dried tomatoes, a little pomegranate juice or balsamic vinegar and the dressing is the final touch.

I love to use goats cheese slices on a thick slice of cucumber, or lightly fried eggplant, on zucchini slices or on half a fig and grill it for two minutes in the oven. You can put a little olive oil on top and the snack is delicious.
Sliced mozzarella cheese, with mint leaves or pesto and tomatoes on a bed of lettuce, topped with a dressing are a great salad.


Cheeses are also a great addition to scones, muffins and in quiches.

Use cheese at room temperature and store them well wrapped in the fridge afterwards.

The countryside is lush and green with many olive trees, fruit trees in full bloom and fields of swaying wheat and vegetables growing everywhere.

Have a great Passover week and enjoy the family time . Love and light Rona

Sunday, April 8, 2012

 
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Thursday, April 5, 2012

 
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STRAWBERRIES

These scrumptious fruits are best eaten alone..............like many fruits they are digested best when eaten alone. Fruits are not always good after proteins and heavy carbohydrate meals.

STRAWBERRY DESSERT

Wash and hull the fruits Leave on a paper napkin to dry. I arrange them in a bowl and sprinkle two to three drops of Balsamic vinegar over them and serve.

Have a great breakfast Cut up ten strawberries, sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon and mix with yogurt and a cut up banana. Lovely light breakfast.

Make a great fruit salad with all the fruits in season. Arrange in layers and have a plateful with pomegranate or grenadella or passiflora pips.

Strawberry Jam. I cut up four cups of strawberries, add the juice of one lemon, half a cup of brown sugar and let it stand for a few hours. Add a teaspoon of cherry liquor...optional Then I cook it all in a double boiler for an hour.
Makes a lovely jam or coulis to serve with custard or ice creaM.

Salad Delight. Cube ten strawberries, two peeled apples, two peeled kohlrabi and half a cup of mint leaves. Squeeze half a cup of orange juice and add this Serve with a little balsamic vinegar, olive oil and grated goats cheese. All you need is a lovely platter to arrange this on lettuce leaves and a chunky bread, glass of wine and a slow easy relaxed hour. Enjoy.


Strawberry smoothie. Blend strawberries, any other berries, a banana and some pomegranate pips in a tall glass. Pour over some buttermilk and grated almonds This is a lovely smoothie to eat as a meal. We do not need to drink concentrated juices and fruits in a quick go. Let the digestion begin in the mouth Savor the taste, relax and enjoy the meal.

Have a lovely week Rona'

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

 
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Monday, April 2, 2012

easy Passover meals

MUSHROOM AND ROOT VEGETABLE STEW.

Two cups of mixed mushrooms.
Two cups of peeled and cut up carrots and sweet potatoes.
Two cups of cubed, peeled potatoes.
One cup of thinly sliced onions.
One cup of peeled cubed Granny Smith apples.
One cup of thinly sliced tomatoes and red peppers.

Fry all of these, in a large pan that is oiled with olive oil. As you turn them add the following spices.
Three crushed cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, one teaspoon pepper, a few bay leaves in a muslin bag. You must remove the bay leaves before serving.
Add three teaspoons of curry powder, half a teaspoon turmeric and half a teaspoon of cumin and a dash of cinnamon. Add half a cup of crushed mint and fresh parsley leaves.
Place all of this into a large oven casserole dish. Cover with three cups of water and a little squeezed juice of two tomatoes, a grated carrot and a few pieces of sliced celery. Cook covered for forty minutes in a medium oven. Check if the vegetables are soft.
Serve this on a bed of cooked brown rice. Add some raisins on top and half a cup of grated cocoanut. You can use a dish of chutney on the side and a bowl of cut up green peppers in a little apple juice. I add a few sliced mushrooms that are sautéed in a little olive oil and sesame seeds. Looks great on top. Enjoy.

COMPOTE OF IRON, PRUNES, APRICOTS, BERRIES ND PINE KERNELS

Wash five prunes, five apricots, two tablespoons of raisins, one teaspoon of pine kernels, cinnamon, two tablespoons of cranberries or any you have, half a cup of orange juice and a large cup of water. Place on a low flame and cook for twenty minutes. Eat this once a day.
Develop a habit of eating prunes and apricots instead of candies.
'Wash all dried fruit carefully……………….


DESSERTS.

FRUIT KEBABS.

Simply wash good fruit and cube . Arrange pineapples, Orange slices, Pears, grapes, in fact all the things in season. I cube apples or cut in rounds and steam them and pears. Them I put them on the kebabs with a date, apricot and mixed fruits. This way they do not discolor.

BAKED APPLES.

Great to make a few days ahead. Easy to warm up and serve for parave pudding with jelly, or with a dairy meal with ice cream..

COOKED APPLES.
Cook apples and puree them, without the skins, for the babies and the older folk.

BAKED APPLES.

Core twelve apples, prick the skins and place in an oven dish. Fill the centers with cut up apricots, raisins and a little cinnamon. I fill the dish half way with orange juice or water with a tea bag in it. These can be served hot after the main meal, or eaten with a blob of ice cream or yogurt. If you need a quick pie, just blend the apples with a little water and fill a pie dish. For Passover use coconut and butter, in place of flour. Watch for cake recipes next time.
HAVE A HAPPY PASSOVER............ LOVE AND LIGHT RONA
 
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