Salad recipe: Tonno e fagioli (Tuna and cannelini bean salad)

With summer pretty much here in Sydney, I thought some tasty salad recipes were in order.

Salads are not just the lettuce tomato cucumber boringness that one would normally conjure up in one's mind. There are so many salads that are not only tasty, but healthy, refreshing and nourishing- not to mention they "hit the spot" in hungry bellies.

Try this one, with more to come.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.

Tonno e fagioli salad

1 x 400g can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.

1 x 200g can of tuna (in spring water). Drained.

1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

1/2 cup flat leaf parsely, roughly chopped.

1/2 red capsicum, sliced finely

1 x punnet grape or cherry tomatoes, halved.

2 spring onions, shredded

1/2 red onion, sliced finely

1 tb mini capers

Optional: finely chopped red chilli, for some heat.

Salt

Black pepper

Extra-virgin oil.

Optional: 1 tb whole egg mayonnaise, for extra creaminess.

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the beans, tuna and onion and toss through.


2. Add the chopped vegetables, salt to taste and toss lightly.


3. Dress with the olive oil, (and mayo) with plenty of freshly cracked pepper and a sprinkling of capers.


4. Serve with crusty wholemeal sourdough and good olive oil.

• Makes ~3 small serves, or 2 just hearty serves in my household!

This is a great hearty lunch, full of protien, vegetables and low GI carbohydrates, with virtually no saturated fats.

This salad transports well, so its a great picnic salad or lunch at work/school.

Can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Enjoy! It's one of our faves.

A Moment on the Lips, A Lifetime on the Hips

Most of my clients are busy working professionals, juggling work, commuting and a healthy social life at the same time. Although I always try to encourage good old home cooking, sometimes takeaway is just the easiest solution to getting timely food which fills your belly and satisfies that ravenous hunger.

Unfortunately, take-away foods are packed with FAT, SALT and other nasties, that we are all trying to get away from. Why so? Cos they are fast and they taste good. The human body is programmed to like fat, sugar and salt. In the cave-man days, these nutrients were scarce, so we sought them and prized them like diamonds and pearls. These days, they are abundant, cheap and easily available- contributing to the weight issues of today.

What's your favourite? Thai, Chinese, Indian, Pizza? Read this before you make up your mind.

A serve of thai chicken green curry = 5 teaspoons of fat, 530 calories, and 2/3 tsp of salt.

For an average man, it would take ~ 107 minutes of hard cycling to burn it off.
An average woman would need to cycle, - hard, for ~134 minutes (2 hr 14 mins) to stop that from reaching your hips.

How's that yummy salad with vinegarette looking now?

Low GI Foods: Don't be fooled

It's true: Low GI (Glycaemic Index) carbs give you sustained energy release, keep you fuller for longer and keep the diabetes monster at bay.
Why??

Well, it's due to the way the carbohydrate molecule is structured and its fibre content. Our bodies take longer to digest some types of carbs rather than others. But be also aware that the glycaemic index of a food is also affected by the fat content of that food. High fat foods can also claim to be low GI too, but they are obviously not a healthy choice. Not all low GI foods are made equal.

For eg. Nutella claims to be a low GI food, but is it healthy?



Not exactly.

Although this product may be low GI, it contributes this sensational statement to its high fat content (>30% fat) and NOT due to its wonderful fibre content or carbohydrate structure.

In actual fact, 1 serve of nutella has the same amount of fat as 2 tsp of margarine,
.........but it has twice the calories!!

So next time you read low GI at the supermarket, check to see if you are actually reaping the health rewards by choosing high fibre, low GI carb sources, and not getting a secret serve of fat instead!

Just some food for thought.

Whats for dinner tonight? Chinese hot pot

There is nothing more warming (and healthy) on a cold winter's evening than to have a bubbling pot of stock on the table with fresh green leafy veges, sliced fish, beef, mushroom and all the varieties of tofu ready and waiting to be eaten Chinese fondue style.

It's low fat, high protien and packed with veges and goodness, and you can eat as little or as much as you desire. Children find it fun, as it is hands-on and interactive, and adults (like me) also love this aspect, as you get to take your time to eat and also hear/share your stories of the day with your family/friends.

The best thing is, at the end of the meal, you get to drink a lovely flavourful hot soup, a stock which has been prepared with all the ingredients you cooked in your hotpot. (You can also add your favourite udon/ramen/rice noodle in here for a hot steaming bowl of noodle soup).

My favourite ingredients:

• Enoki, shitake, oyster mushrooms
• Sliced beef
• Sliced salmon and ling fish
• Pressed tofu
• Tofu puffs
• Squid balls
• Tong Oh (chrysanthemum leaf vegetable)
• Wong bok (chinese cabbage)

AND my special hot pot dipping sauce. Here's the recipe

Serves 2

3 clove garlic
1 knob ginger, chopped
2 hot chilis
2 scallion/spring onions
4 tb reduced salt kikkoman soy sauce
1 tsp korean sesame oil
2 tb fresh coriander, shopped finely.

Blend the raw ingredients with 2 tb soy sauce in a mini food processor until chopped finely. Divide into your 2 dipping bowls. Pour the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil into the 2 bowls and top with fresh coriander.

Enjoy your hotpot. It's our favourite and in winter you can guarantee it being on our dinner table at least 3 times a week.

Food:Life:Nutrition

Just a little blog space for me to share a few things along the way. Food is what makes my world go round and I am hoping if you are reading this, it is for you too. Whether it be my favourite places to eat, to a few nutrition tips and recipes. These are my thoughts.