Something for Eid!!!

Hello everyone out there; Eid Mubarak!!! Taqaballah mina wa minka (Amin)

Today I have got something fantastic for you called MELTING MOMENTS; although a bit fatty but never mind it is Eid so let's feel free to indulge for once we only celebrate Eid-Fitri once in a year; we can think about losing the extra fat later.

I got this recipe from ‘theboywhobakes.co.uk’ then decided to try it adding my own twist and it tasted so yummy…I mean it's the best thing since the creation of slice bread; so yummy, so buttery, so rich ;) you just don't want it to finish.

You don't have to be expert to make this fantastic cookie. They can be made in almost any flavour that springs to your mind, try adding vanilla paste or chocolate instead of orange. Get your Apron and off we go to the kitchen. You can thank me later.

Ingredients

For the biscuit: - 250g unsalted butter, room temperature

                          Zest of one orange

                         2tsp orange juice

                         250g Plain flour

                         85g icing sugar

                         40g custard Powder

                         1/4 tsp of salt

For the filling: - 75g unsalted butter, room temperature

                          150g icing sugar

                          2tsp orange juice

                           Pinch of salt

                           Orange marmalade/ strawberry jam/ raspberry jam

·         Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan, 325F, Gas 3) and line two baking trays with parchment papers

·         Place butter, orange zest and juice in a bowl and beat together till smooth and creamy

·         Sift the remaining ingredients and mix together in a bowl either with hand, mixer or wooden spoon until you form a uniform dough

·         Using your hand, roll the dough into small balls about 20g each (I weigh this) and place onto the prepared trays leaving space between them

·         Dip a fork inside flour and press it onto the centre of each biscuit leaving an indent

·         Bake the biscuit in the centre of the preheated oven for 20 - 25minutes or until uniformly coloured. It should not be brown around the edges

To confirm they are fully baked, there should be uniform golden colour across the base when a biscuit is flipped over. If there is a darker, almost damp looking patch in the middle pop them back into the oven and bake for a few minutes

Allow the biscuit to cool on a baking tray for five minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Whilst the biscuit is cooling make the buttercream. Place the butter into a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the icing sugar little at a time, beating until fully combined. Add the orange juice and salt and beat together until light and fluffy

To assemble the biscuits place the buttercream into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle, pipe a circle of buttercream around the edge of half the biscuit (you can use a spoon if you don’t have a piping bag) fill the hole left behind with some jam or marmalade then top with a second biscuit. 

They will keep for about five days in a sealed container

ENJOY YOUR BISCUIT!!!

Drinks

In my previous post about water I advised that we should have about 6-8 glasses a day and this is dependent on the weather and daily activities. It is not only water that is classified as drink. All drinks count but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest; it is best to avoid alcoholic drinks.  Drinks include milk, soft drinks, tea, coffee, energy drinks, fruit drinks, smoothies e.t.c

When choosing the type of drink to consume, we should try to choose the healthier ones for a healthy, balanced diet. Try to avoid soft drinks with added sugar because of their high sugar content which can damage the tooth and drinks that are high in sugar are often high in calorie and eating too much calorie can lead to weight gain. Check the nutritional contents on soft drinks such as fizzy drinks and juice drinks so as to make healthier choice
Take a drink whenever you are thirsty in order to avoid dehydration; dark yellow urine during the day is one of the symptoms of dehydration. Water is the healthiest form of drink as it does not contain calorie and sugar. Choose semi-skimmed or skimmed milk for a healthy choice of milk and limit the intake of flavored milk, condensed milk, milkshakes and milk-based energy or sport drinks because they contain added sugar. Choose fruit juice and smoothies that are made up of 100% fruit as they contain a lot of vitamins and also count as one of our five-a-day instead of juice drinks that contain as little as 5% fruit juice and contain added sugar. Tea and coffee contain caffeine which is a stimulant. It is fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a healthy diet but make sure they are not the main source of fluid in the diet. Energy drinks also contain caffeine and are often high in sugar. Some contain other stimulants, vitamins and minerals or herbal substance. Caffeine is not suitable for young children and pregnant women should consume a small amount of caffeine because it causes the baby to have low birth weight. After high intense exercise that last for more than 40minutes drinks that contain little added sugar and salt such as sport drinks and their home-made version should be consumed in order to replace the extra fluid lost as sweat. Sport drinks are similar to soft drinks as they are high in calorie; they should only be consumed when taking part in strenuous exercise

Remember Don't just consume any drink choose the healthy ones!!!

Salt

Salt is made up of sodium and chloride and it is the main source of it in the diet. It helps in food preservation, sharpening the taste bud as well as making food tastier and more appetizing. Excessive consumption of salt triggers high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke

Most people consume more salt than is required in the diet. The recommended amount of salt to be consumed by an adult is 6g a day which is equivalent to a level teaspoon. Most salt in the diet is not from cooked food; about 75% of the salt in the diet is from everyday food such as processed foods, bread, biscuit, breakfast cereals crisp, bacon, and cheese.  The following foods are always high in salt: prawn, dry fish, anchovies, soy sauce, salted fish, stock cube, pizza, ready meals, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces, pickles, gravy granules e.t.c.   In order to be able to reduce the amount of salt we consume we should try to reduce the consumption of foods high in salt, snack with fruits rather than biscuit, reduce the salt added to food and use black pepper to season foods such as scrambled egg, pasta, pizza, fish rather than salt, add fresh herbs and spices such as ginger, lime, garlic and chilli to food to taste. A squeeze of lemon makes food taste saltier without adding salt. We should choose foods with lower salt content by checking and comparing labels before buying ; this can be done by checking the nutritional figure for salt and sodium per 100g, the ones high in salt is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium) while low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (0.1g sodium).

Remember Snack with Fruits instead of Biscuits for a healthier diet

Foods high in Fat and/ or sugar

We should eat very little from this group. The UK healthy eating guideline recommends not more than 8% from this group, Australia recommends a very small amount once in a while leaving it out of the main circle and America does not have it in or around their circle so that people will not eat much from it. Foods that are high in fat includes :- butter, margarine, other spreads including reduced fat spreads, cream, rich sauce, gravies, ice-cream, cookies, cakes, puddings, pastries, cooking oils, oil-based salad dressing, fried foods including fried chips, biscuits, crisp, most chocolate. Foods that are in sugar includes:- Jam, sweets, sugar, honey, cakes, biscuit, ice-cream, puddings, pastries, fizzy drinks (excluding diet drinks), juice drinks e.t.c.

The body needs some fat to function properly. Fat helps in transporting fat-soluble vitamins to the body. They also provide the body with more concentrated form of energy.  Foods that contain a lot of fat are high in calorie; so people trying to lose weight should eat less of it as 1g of fat provides 9kcal which is more than double the amount of fat gotten from carbohydrate and protein. We should cut down on foods containing saturated fat (such as some foods from animal origin, cakes, biscuits, pastries) and Trans fat which are found in small amount in meat and dairy products as well as hydrogenated vegetable oils and foods made with them; this is because they can raise the cholesterol level. There are two types of essential fats that should be supplied by the diet in small amounts; omega-3 fatty acid (which is found in olive oil also present in small amount in rape seed oil, walnut and soya oil) and omega-6 fatty acid (which is found in sunflower, corn and soya oil as well as spreads made from them). Sugar adds sweetness and flavor to food but we should try to consume very little from it as it causes tooth decay. Processed foods are usually high in fat, sugar and salt. Diets high in fat and sugar are associated with modern day illness such as obesity, heart disease, tooth decay, type-2 diabetes, over-weight, high-blood pressure and other coronary-heart disease. In order not to eat too much from this group, we should try to use very little amount of fat in cooking, eat scones, malt loaf and teacakes rather than cake and biscuit, spread bread with low fat spread, sliced banana or low fat cream cheese instead of jam, marmalade, syrup or honey, compare food labels and choose reduced fat and reduced sugar foods where possible, choose foods containing unsaturated fatty acid, limit consumption of sugar and sugar-containing foods, dilute fruit juice with sparkling water instead of soft drinks, choose can of fruit in juice rather than fruit in syrup, try leaving butter out when making sandwich.

Remember Try reducing the amount of sugar you add to foods, snack with fruits and vegetables rather than junks and use unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat

Water

Happy World Water Day !!!.
World Water Day is held every 22nd of March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water and support for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. It dated back to 22nd March 1993 and it was recommended at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.

Water is very important in our existence. About two-third of the body weight is water. An adult can survive for many weeks without food but can survive for only a few days without water. Though it is not classified as a nutrient, it is very important in our diet and the need for water in our body is second to air. In order to be healthy, it is important that we replace the fluid we lose when we breathe, sweat or urinate. The amount of water needed in the body is determined by temperature, state of health, physical activities, diet and nature of work. In the temperate climates such as UK, about 1.2litres (6-8 glasses) of water and other fluids are required in the body daily.
There are many uses of water in the body such as regulation of body temperature, lubricant for joints, medium for body reactions and swallowing. Drinking a lot of water prevent illness as the water we pass out of our body cleanse the body. Drinking too much water is not good as it can lead to water intoxication.
We should not replace food with water in our diet as each of them plays different roles in the body.

We should ensure that we drink pure water. If we are not sure about the pureness of our water we can boil it and leave it to cool before drinking.
We should try as much as possible to avoid wasting water.
I hope you enjoy your celebration

Remember As an individual we are one drop but together we are an ocean; let's manage the water we have!!!

Meat, Fish and Alternatives

Our body need a wide range of food in order to function properly. The meat, fish and their alternatives are very important in our diet as they help in tissue and body growth and repair, healthy red blood cells, nerves functioning as well as providing energy because of their protein, iron, vitamin B-complex, phosphorous, calcium, omega-3, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D content.

Foods in this category includes meat, poultry, fish, egg and other non-dairy sources like bean, nuts, tofu, pulses (e.g. ,chickpeas, lentils, split peas), mycoprotein(quorn), seitan, legumes, pulses, nuts etc.

Like the milk and dairy products group it is recommended that we eat moderately from this group. About 2-3 portions (12%) will satisfy our daily requirement. We should try to eat 2portions of fish per week one of which should be oily fish such as fresh tuna, herring, sardine, and mackerel because of their omega-3 content which help in protection against heart disease. Some meats are high in fat most especially saturated fat and eating a lot of this can increase the cholesterol level which increases the risk of heart disease. The type of meat we choose and the cooking method can make a huge difference to this. We should avoid adding extra oil or fat when cooking and use grilling or roasting method rather than frying. Roast on a metal rack over a roasting tin so fat can run off. If you decide to fry, fry with oil that is high in unsaturated fat such as rape seed or sunflower oil. The healthy eating guidelines advise us to choose lean meat. We should also try to remove any visible fat from meat as well as skin from poultry. Generally, the more white we see on raw meat, the more fat it contains. We should also cut down on red meat (pork, beef or lamb) as well as processed meat such as sausage, salami, ham, bacon and pate. Reduce the amount of meat in dishes and add more vegetable, pulses and starchy foods. Eggs should be boiled or poached rather than fried. Eating raw egg can cause food poisoning, try using pasteurised egg when using egg to prepare food that won't be cooked such as home-made mayonnaise, mousse as pasteurisation help in killing the bacteria in egg. Eating a lot of non-dairy sources of protein is good.

Remember Beans and Pulses also count as one of our 5-a-day. 

Thank you for reading.

Milk and Dairy Products

Hola a todos
I hope you have eaten your 5-a-day; I had mine by eating banana with my cereal, 1 handful of red grapes as a snack and vegetable salad (cabbage, yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, carrot, cucumber and sweet corn) as my lunch.  Today I will talk about Milk and Dairy Products.

The foods that belong to this category include: all varieties of milk such as cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk and plant-based substitutes such as soya milk, rice milk, oat milk and almond milk for vegan and people with lactose intolerance and dairy products such as cheese, fromage frais and yogurt.  Butter, egg and cream are not included as they fall into other groups. They are great sources of protein and calcium in our diet. They also contain fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), vitamin B-complex and  minerals. They help in body growth and repair, development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. The UK, USA and Australia's healthy eating guidelines recommends that we eat moderately from this group. About 2-3 portions will satisfy our daily requirement.
A portion can be: A 200ml glass of milk
                           A small 150ml pot of yogurt
                           A matchbox size (30g) serving of cheese.
It is recommended that we choose low fat version of these foods such as skimmed & semi-skimmed milk, low fat yogurt and reduced fat cheese (Children below 2yrs should take full fat version).
Thank you for your time.

Remember to use skimmed milk instead of whole milk!!!

Bread, Cereal and Potatoes

Bonjour mon amie, comment ca va?, I hope you have not forgotten your five-a-day

The Bread, Cereal and Potatoes is one of the most important groups in the 3 healthy eating guidelines  They serve as staple foods for most countries and are important in most recipes.

These foods provide the body with energy as they are the main source of carbohydrate in our diet. They  also contain calcium, vitamin B and iron..According to the eatwell plate(UK government's guideline to healthy eating) 33% of our daily food should be from this group as well as 50% of our total energy... When cereals and bread are eaten in their unrefined forms e.g wholemeal bread, oat, brown rice, brown sugar, wholemeal flour e.t.c they provide the body with dietary fiber which help in preventing heart disease, aiding  digestion, reducing risk of diabetes and help in energy balance  People on diet are advised to eat the unrefined forms because of their low calorie, role in digestion and energy balance which in turn leads to weight loss. The government has also advised us to eat wholemeal and wholegrain because of their fiber content.  We should try to eat enough of these foods because their deficiency in the body results in the use of protein  for the production of energy which affect protein's functions. Excess consumption of refined forms of these foods such as white bread & sugar can lead to Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure e.t.c.
Thank you for your time

Don't forget to substitute that white bread for a brown one and take oat instead of cornflakes for a healthier diet!!!

Fruits and Vegetables

Good evening everybody, hope u all enjoyed your day just like I did. You know I had a fixed smile on my face all day the type you have when you are doing that particular thing you love :)

We are going to discuss about FRUITS AND VEGETABLES one of the sections mentioned in the three healthy eating guidelines I talked about yesterday.

Fruits and vegetables are very important in the diet as they provide the body with many nutrients some of which includes vitamin A, C, E, folic acid, carbohydrate, minerals, carotene e.tc. The World Health Organisation recommends that each individual should consume at least 400g of fruits and vegetables daily which led to the introduction of a program called 5-a-day (don't mistake this with 5-alive because 5-alive does not count as it has got added ingredients) in UK, USA, Germany e.t.c. The program encourages people to consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables daily because of their roles in the body some of which includes body processes and temperature regulation, aiding digestion, body repair e.t.c. It even helps in weight loss!!!I can view the mental images of ladies smiling at this, never mind we all want to look good and fit...Don't bother worrying about how you are going to eat enough because it is easier than imagined it can be fresh, canned or dried and we can have them as snacks instead of our usual crisps, biscuits e.t.c, we can eat them with our foods, add to sandwich, use to make soup, stew, dishes, eat alone, eat as salad, squeeze out the juice or even buy a fruit juice just make sure you check the ingredients to see it is 100% fruit juice. They are cheap and available everywhere and you can have them anytime of the day!!!.  Almost all fruits and vegetables counts. Examples of portions that counts toward 5-a-day are:- 150ml of fruit juice, fresh/dried or canned fruit and vegetable, Fruit and vegetable in convenience foods like ready meals, smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable, Beans and pulses e.t.c. Try to eat a variety daily. Although sweet potato, parsnips and red pepper counts, Potato, plantain, yam and cassava do not count as they are eaten as starchy foods and they play other important roles in the diet.
I hope you have enjoined reading this today, don't forget to join me on our date tomorrow same venue same time, till then I remain ME Thank you very much for your time
Good bye xoxoxo


Remember: 5 fruits and vegetables a day don't eat less just eat more

Nutrition

Hello everybody, I hope you all had a stress free day just like I did here. My recipe for today was meant to be banana syrup but I decided to talk about Healthy Eating habits for a while before moving on to recipes. Our diet plays a really important role in our life. It is very important to follow a good diet in order to be healthy. The government has made it easier for us to eat healthily by providing us with guidelines to healthy eating. The image below shows the UK, USA and Australia's guideline to healthy eating.

The three guidelines all encourage us to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other carbohydrates and less of fat and sugar. They all encourage us to eat moderately from the fish, meat, eggs, beans and other non-diary sources of protein as well as milk and diary foods group.
Remember Those little changes in our diet are really important.

I hope you had a nice time reading my today. Thank you for your time and have a fulfilled day.

See yah tomorrow................

MYSELF

Let's get started by talking about myself. My name is Raji Barakat 'Yemi, A native of Nigeria studying for Bsc. Food and Consumer Management in United Kingdom. I have a great passion for food and Nutrition and I am going to be blogging about it. I hope you have a nice time reading through my posts. This is just a picture of me in Nottingham, there is no picture of food today. Join me tomorrow in making my Banana syrup!!!, a new idea that just occur to me