'Full of veg' tomato sauce

"This is a great sauce to have up your sleeve. When it's made properly it will have a lovely, sweet flavour just like tomatoes. After your children get used to eating it, you can whiz the vegetables up a bit less each time until, eventually, you won't have to whiz it at all. This recipe makes quite a big batch. I tend to make loads at one time, let it cool completely, then bag it up and freeze it.

Nutritional Information - Amount per serving:

• Calories 193kcal
• Carbs 25.6g
• Sugar 19.7g
• Fat 5.3g
• Saturates 0.8g
• Protein 6.5g

Serves 6

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 small leek, chopped and washed
• 2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 2 courgettes, grated
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 large pinch dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 x 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed, grated
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat a large saucepan (big enough to hold all the ingredients) over a medium heat. Pour in a good lug of oil then add the onions, leek, celery, peppers, courgettes, carrots and herbs. Cook the whole lot slowly for about 20 minutes with the lid on, until all the vegetables are nice and soft but without any colour at all.

Add the tomatoes, squash, 500ml (17½fl oz) of water and a pinch of salt and pepper to the vegetables. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the squash is soft.

Fish out the bay leaves and allow the sauce to cool slightly before blitzing with a hand-held blender until nice and smooth. Have a taste and season with a little more salt and pepper if needed".

Fonte e imagem: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/-full-of-veg-tomato-sauce

Gorgeous Greek salad

Fotografia: David Loftus

"Nutritional Information - Amount per serving:

• Calories 220kcal
• Carbs 9.8g
• Sugar 8.2g
• Fat 14.5g
• Saturates 7.5g
• Protein 10.1g

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 4 tomatoes, on the vine
• 1 green pepper
• 6 black olives (stone in)
• 1 red onion, peeled
• extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon
• 200 g feta cheese
• 1 few sprigs of flowering oregano
• 1 small bunch of fresh mint

Method

Scratch a fork down the sides of the cucumber so it leaves deep grooves in the skin, then chop into erratic slices at an angle. Roughly chop the tomatoes, deseed and slice the pepper lengthways and add to a salad bowl with the chopped veg.

Destone the olives and tear into the bowl. Halve and finely slice the red onion (you can also try shaving it with a speed peeler), then add to the bowl along with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a good pinch of black pepper and a splash of red wine vinegar.

Toss everything together, then add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Break the feta in half and place on top, add a scattering of flowering oregano, drizzle over a little more extra virgin olive oil and pick over the mint leaves".

Fonte e imagem: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/gorgeous-greek-salad

A de Alecrim

in Jornal Público, 25.10.2012  

Por Pedro Carvalho, nutricionista

 "O alecrim é, provavelmente, a primeira erva aromática de que ouvimos falar na nossa vida. Ainda antes de estarmos despertos para todas as virtudes e benefícios dos alimentos que nos rodeiam, já o “alecrim aos molhos” é um clássico do nosso ensino primário!

De facto, a “flor do monte” faz uma descida etimológica ao extremo oposto ao ser baptizada pelos Romanos de “orvalho do mar”, fruto do seu aroma característico. E o alecrim faz essa junção fantástica entre os aromas da terra e do mar, parecendo que quando o utilizamos estamos a levar simultaneamente uma floresta e uma praia para dentro de casa!

Este fascínio aromático do alecrim faz com que muitas vezes seja plantado junto a apiários de modo a fazer a delícia das abelhas e aprimorar o sabor do mel. Poderíamos passar o artigo inteiro a falar sobre este fantástico e inconfundível contributo sensorial que o alecrim dá aos alimentos que o rodeiam, mas as suas vantagens não se esgotam na sua fragrância.

Neste contexto, o alecrim depois de seco é a erva aromática com maior capacidade antioxidante no seu estado puro, sendo apenas superado pelo cravinho e orégãos, mas em pó. Os compostos que conferem ao alecrim todo este potencial (ácido rosmarínico, cafeico e carnósico) são os responsáveis pelo seu efeito protector em alguns tipos de cancro – com destaque para o colorectal - ao diminuir a expressão de genes pró-inflamatórios implicados no desenvolvimento tumoral.

Também na modificação positiva das “gorduras do sangue” o alecrim tem uma palavra a dizer, tanto na diminuição do colesterol total e triglicerídeos, como na inibição de fenómenos de peroxidação lipídica, evitando assim complicações como a aterosclerose.

O alecrim será assim melhor se estiver mais próximo do mar do que da terra. Embora seja igualmente um excelente tempero para carnes fortes, é na companhia do peixe que alia plenamente o seu aroma ao seu potencial terapêutico.

 

*Assistente Convidado da Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto
pedrocarvalho@fcna.up.pt"

Fonte e imagem: http://lifestyle.publico.pt/dicionario/312147_a-de-alecrim

Molho de Tomate Rápido

Ingredientes

• 1 colher de sopa de azeite
• 1 cebola pequena picada (sensivelmente meia chávena)
• 1 courgete média ralada (uma chávena)
• 1 dente de alho finamente picado
• 1/2 colher de chá de oregãos
• 1 pitada de piri-piri
• 2 pacotes de polpa de tomate (400ml)
• 2 colheres de sopa de manjericão fresco (ou 1 colher de chá de manjericão seco)
• 1/4 colher de chá de pimenta preta (triturada no momento)

Dicas

O molho pode ser congelado em recipientes sem ar, frascos de vidro, tupperwares, etc.

Instruções

Rale os vegetais.
Aqueça 2 colheres de sopa de azeite numa panela grande sobre lume médio. Adicione a cebola e a courgete, cozinhe, mexendo ocasionalmente, durante três a quatro minutos.
Adicione o alho, oregãos e piri-piri, misture e cozinhe mais dois minutos.

Adicione a polpa de tomare, reduza o lume e cozinhe mais dez minutos.

Desligue o lume, adicione o manjericão, a pimenta preta e mais uma colher de sopa de azeite.

Fonte e imagem: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2194470

Savory Greek Beans (Fasolia Gigantes)

"Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 120

Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups dried white beans (Great Northern or cannellini), rinsed
8 cups water

4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, diced, about 1 cup
1 medium onion, diced, about 1/2 cup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh
salt and pepper to taste

Tips

I used to buy these in a jar from Trader Joe's, but now I make my own. They're delicious cold over a salad or on toast, and we sometimes serve them as a pasta sauce (add a can of pureed tomatoes if you prefer a thinner sauce).

Directions

NOTE: To save time, use 2 cans of beans, drained and rinsed, and skip the next step.
You can also soak dried beans overnight to cut the cooking time.
Place the rinsed beans in a large stock pot and cover with water, about 8 cups. Boil for an hour. Beans will still be slightly firm.
After 45 minutes, heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, then when the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook for five minutes, stirring often, then add the carrots. Cook another five minutes, then add the garlic. After two minutes, add the tomato paste and stir well. Cook five minutes. Add the dried spices (if using fresh, add them at the end).
Drain and rinse your beans. Add them to the sauce pan and cover with water by 1 inch. Cook for 30 minutes, or until beans are tender and most of the water has been absorbed. Add fresh herbs (if using), salt and pepper.

Makes 12 half-cup servings. Serve warm or cold".

Fonte e imagem: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1304398

Gratinado de Beringelas

Fonte e imagem: http://www.cienciahoje.pt/index.php?oid=54939&op=all

Lasanha de Legumes

Valor energético	458 Kcal
Proteínas	21 g
Hidratos de carbono	74 g
Lípidos	9 g
Número de Doses	10 Doses
Preço por refeição	0,63 €
Dificuldade	MÉDIA
Tempo de Preparação	MÉDIA

Valor energético

458 Kcal

Proteínas

21 g

Hidratos de carbono

74 g

Lípidos

9 g

Número de Doses

10 Doses

Preço por refeição

0,63 €

Dificuldade

MÉDIA

Tempo de Preparação

MÉDIA

Preparação
Lavar e descascar todos os legumes;
Ralar cenoura, picar cebola e alho francês, cortar tiras finas de lombardo, cubinhos de courgete;
Refogar em azeite os legumes, acrescentar cogumelos e milho;
Juntar tomate e oregãos;
Temperar com sal;
Adicionar a farinha e o creme vegetal;
Juntar o leite e mexer bem para envolver tudo;
Temperar com noz moscada;
Deixar cozer;
Ferver a água e cozer a massa lasanha;
Depois de cozida arrefecer em água fria;
Colocar a massa num tabuleiro e depois o preparado dos legumes;
Depois massa e assim por camadas até encher o tabuleiro;
Colocar queijo ralado no final;
Levar a forno médio para gratinar e acabar de confeccionar.

Qtd	Produto	Preço Unid.	Custo*
0,5 Kg	CENOURA	0,30 €	0,15 €
0,2 Kg	CEBOLA	0,30 €	0,06 €
0,15 Kg	TOMATE CUBOS	2,00 €	0,30 €
0,5 Kg	COURGETE	1,00 €	0,50 €
0,2 Kg	MILHO	4,00 €	0,80 €
0,5 Kg	LOMBARDO	0,60 €	0,30 €
0,3 Kg	COGUMELOS LAMINADOS	2,00 €	0,60 €
0,015 L	AZEITE	2,75 €	0,04 €
0,005 Kg	SAL GROSSO	0,15 €	0,00 €
0,06 Kg	FARINHA	0,34 €	0,02 €
1,2 L	LEITE MEIO GORDO	0,44 €	0,53 €
0,001 Kg	NOZ MOSCADA	30,00 €	0,03 €
0,75 Kg	MASSA LASANHA	3,00 €	2,25 €
0,1 Kg	QUEIJO RALADO	6,00 €	0,60 €
0,1 Kg	ALHO FRANCÊS	0,80 €	0,08 €
0,001 Kg	OREGÃOS	30,00 €	0,03 €

Custo 6,29 €
* Custos meramente indicativos.
0,00 € = abaixo de 0,009 €.
Fonte e imagem:
http://www.programa100porcento.com/receitas.aspx?id=19&cat=3

Lacinhos com atum

Valor energético	559 Kcal
Proteínas	39 g
Hidratos de carbono	56 g
Lípidos	19 g
Número de Doses	10 Doses
Preço por refeição	1,11 €
Dificuldade	FÁCIL
Tempo de Preparação	RÁPIDA

Valor energético

559 Kcal

Proteínas

39 g

Hidratos de carbono

56 g

Lípidos

19 g

Número de Doses

10 Doses

Preço por refeição

1,11 €

Dificuldade

FÁCIL

Tempo de Preparação

RÁPIDA

Preparação
Escorrer o atum;
Lavar e picar os pimentos;
Descascar e picar cebola e alho;
Refogar em azeite a cebola, alho, pimentos;
Acrescentar o tomate;
Juntar o atum e envolver bem;
Juntar as natas e temperar com sal e oregãos;
Ferver água e cozer os lacinhos com sal;
Envolver a massa no preparado de atum.

Qtd	Produto	Preço Unid.	Custo*
1,2 kg	ATUM (enlatado)	8,00 €	9,60 €
0,2 Kg	CEBOLA	0,30 €	0,06 €
0,15 Kg	PIMENTO VERDE	1,00 €	0,15 €
0,15 Kg	PIMENTO VERMELHO	1,00 €	0,15 €
0,005 Kg	ALHO	2,50 €	0,01 €
0,1 Kg	TOMATE CUBOS	2,00 €	0,2 €
0,002 Kg	OREGÃOS	30,00 €	0,06 €
0,005 Kg	SAL GROSSO	0,15 €	0,00 €
0,75 Kg	MASSA LACINHOS	0,70 €	0,52 €
0,01 L	AZEITE	2,75 €	0,02 €
0,2 L	NATAS	1,80 €	0,36 €

Custo 11,13 €
* Custos meramente indicativos.
0,00 € = abaixo de 0,009 €.

Fonte e imagem:

http://www.programa100porcento.com/receitas.aspx?id=14&cat=3

Baked Spaghetti with Homemade Ricotta

Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch

I know this Baked Spaghetti dish has a lot of moving parts but it can easily be simplified by substituting some of the from-scratch ingredients with your favorite store-bought items. However, once you make fresh ricotta cheese you will never return to the store for it!

Homemade Ricotta

1 gallon whole or raw milk
1/3 cup of white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1. Heat milk in a large, heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 185 degrees.
2. Remove from heat and add the vinegar and salt, stirring gently.
3. Cover the pot and let stand for two hours.
4. Carefully transfer mixture to a cheese-cloth-lined colander.
5. Let drain for about two hours.
If you are fortunate enough to have any leftover ricotta from this bake, it can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to a week. Or you might just want to make extra. May I suggest some Ricotta Pancakes? Add a tablespoon of ground food-grade lavender for a nice twist.

Your Favorite Fresh Pasta

Photo by Jerry James Stone
6 large eggs
3 1/2 cups semolina flour, sifted
2 tablespoons ice cold water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch of sea salt
1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
2. Place the yolks into a measuring cup.
3. Slowly add the egg whites to about 7/8 of a cup.
4. Gently whisk together the egg mixture and olive oil.
5. In a large bowl, slowly add the egg and oil mixture to the semolina flour.
6. Knead dough for about 10 minutes.
7. Roll dough into a ball, wrap with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
8. Roll out spaghetti through a pasta machine.
9. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot.
10. Cook pasta for about 2 minutes and drain.

Roasted Tomato Marinara

Photo by Kevin Schuder
10 pounds fresh tomatoes
2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
2 shallots, chopped
6 gloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
2 tablespoons of dried sage powder
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 or 2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of sugar
Olive oil
1. Heat a large saute pan over high heat.
2. Add the tomatoes, don't move them until they burn and blister. Then flip them over, repeating until the tomatoes are charred and softened.
3. In a large sauce pot, warm some olive oil over a medium-high heat.
4. Add the onions, shallots, and garlic. Cook until softened then remove from heat.
5. Add the tomatoes.
6. Deglaze the saute pan with some of the red wine, add it to the sauce pot.
7. Add the remaining red wine, the dried herbs, and the chili powder.
8. Carefully blend with an immersion blender or in batches through a food processor.
9. Add bay leaf and cook at a very low simmer for 2 hours.
10. Finish with sugar.
11. Salt and pepper to taste once cooled.

Baked Spaghetti

Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch

Homemade ricotta cheese
Fresh spaghetti, cooked
Roasted tomato sauce
1 bunch of fresh basil, washed
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated
1. Using a 9 x 13 dish, layer the sauce, ricotta and spaghetti as you would a lasagna.
2. Top with mozzarella and bake at 350°F until the sauce is bubbly.
3. Finish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
This dish is simple in its construction but with all of the fresh ingredients, it is bursting with flavor. Still, don't steer away from modifying it. Spinach and roasted red peppers would be a quick compliment, as would mushrooms.

Fonte e imagens:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Y8zGu/www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/baked-spaghetti-with-homemade-ricotta.php

Surprising Healing Benefits of Spices

By Brynn Mannino, Woman’s Day
Tue, Jun 01, 2010

"Chances are you sprinkle cinnamon into your morning oatmeal or add a dash of oregano to pizza without giving the spices much thought. But did you know your favorite flavors can actually do your body good? According to Christina Suarez, master herbalist and owner of TheGoodHerbCo.com, while spices are only effective when eaten at least daily, each has its own specific health benefits. Read on to find out which additives can burn fat, ease a sore throat or help you get to sleep, and how you can incorporate them into your daily diet.

Cardamom
Fruit of the Elettaria cardamomum plant in the ginger family.
Health Powers: Eases belching, flatulence and indigestion; treats respiratory conditions like coughing, asthma and loss of voice; aids in the elimination of toxins through your skin.
Daily Dose: Stir a few freshly ground pinches of cardamom pods into a shot of OJ or your morning fruit salad, or mix it with white or brown rice before you boil it.
Photo by Shutterstock.



Cayenne
Fruit of the Capsicum annuum plant in the Solanaceae family, along with chile pepper.
Health Powers: Eliminates gas from the stomach and intestines; soothes sore throat, cold and flu symptoms; increases metabolism for weight control.
Daily Dose: Stir into a cup of hot chocolate or any sweet juice drink for a contrasting flavor kick.
Photo by Shutterstock.


Cinnamon
Bark of a small evergreen tree.
Health Powers: Tames nausea and stomach ulcers; functions as a mild anti-inflammatory; increases insulin sensitivity to help focus fat burn.
Daily Dose: Stir into coffee/tea, yogurt, oatmeal or any boxed cereal.
Photo by Shutterstock.

Cloves
Flower bud found at the base of an evergreen tree.
Health Powers: Soothes digestive tract muscles and is a potent antihistamine.
Daily Dose: Mix into your nightly ice cream treat or sneak into mustard spread.
Photo by Shutterstock.


Nutmeg
Fruit of Myristica fragrans,an evergreen tree.
Health Powers: Improves digestion; eases the symptoms of menstruation; induces calm and sleep.
Daily Dose: Grate a small amount into applesauce or plain yogurt. (Note: It’s safe to grate the entire nut, which you can usually buy whole at the supermarket, but you never want to consume more than one nutmeg per day because too much of this potent spice can cause stomach pain, double vision and other uncomfortable reactions.)
Photo by Shutterstock.

Celery Seed
Seed of the Apium graveolens plant in the parsley family.
Health Powers: Flushes the liver of toxins; lowers blood pressure; combats water retention.
Daily Dose: Think salads—tuna, potato and egg all work—which can be tossed onto a bed of lettuce, eaten alone or spread onto bread.
Photo by iStockphoto.

Coriander
Also known as cilantro; the leaves and seeds of the Coriandrum plant in the aromatic Apiaceae family.
Health Powers: Acts as a diuretic; eases seasonal allergies.
Daily Dose: Cook into couscous and quinoa, which you can store and eat with leftovers.
Photo by Shutterstock.




Fennel
Seed of the Foeniculum plant in the aromatic Apiaceae family.
Health Powers: Calms bowel distress; supports milk production in nursing mothers; combats water retention.
Daily Dose: Add to canned minestrones and vegetable soups.
Photo by iStockphoto
 

Oregano
Leaf of the Origanum plant in the mint family.
Health Powers: Loosens mucus; helps treat respiratory illnesses; and calms indigestion.
Daily Dose: Use in any tomato-based foods, like marinara sauces, pizza and soups.
Photo by Shutterstock.


Thyme
Leaf of the Thymus plant in the mint family.
Health Powers: Relaxes the muscle tissue of the gastrointestinal tract; stimulates immune system.
Daily Dose: Toss into any meat-based dishes.
Photo by Shutterstock.


Turmeric
Root of the Circuma plant in the ginger family.
Health Powers: Reduces inflammation (joints, airways); detoxifies the liver.
Daily Dose: Mix in with oil-and-vinegar-based salad dressings.
Photo by Shutterstock."





Fonte:
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/surprising-healing-benefits-spices

Pizza Rápida

Peneirar duas chávenas de farinha (metade farinha integral, um quarto de farinha de centeio e um quarto farinha branca com fermento) e uma pitada de sal.  Adicionam-se duas colheres (sopa) de azeite. Mistura-se bem, até se obter um areão. Nessa altura junta-se um copo mal cheio de água. Obtém-se uma massa elástica e pronta a usar.

Após a massa ser tendida fina e colocada no tabuleiro, deverá ser untada com molho de tomate de modo a não secar.

-->

A cobertura poderá ser feita com tomate e cebola cortados em rodelas finas, azeitonas, beringelas grelhadas, cogumelos salteados com alho, pimento, ananás, etc. Qualquer folheto promocional de pizzas é bom para tirar algumas ideias de novas coberturas.
Antes de ir ao forno a pizza deverá ser coberta com queijo ralado, de preferência mozarela, oregãos e um fio de azeite.
Assa-se a massa no forno quente, cerca de 200ºC, até a massa ficar loura e bem cozida.