Cool Ancient Greek Menu - Orange with Honey (Portokalia me Meli ! )

In ancient Greece, fresh fruits are savored as a favorite dessert snack or more or less eaten as breakfast menu. This one in particular is one of the easiest to make and it requires only a big round fresh Orange to be dipped with marvelous Greek Honey.

Just peel the orange skin and cut nicely into thin slices before drizzling with some Greek thyme honey! You can also sprinkle some fresh Cinnamon on top to create that special unique taste to remember.

Oranges are best known as a good source of Fiber and Vitamin C. It helps fight gum diseases, prevents flu, prevents Scurvy and has a lot of health benefits for the skin in promoting healthy cells.

Honey is able to nourish the body with its wide ranges of vitamins and minerals to benefit health by preventing diseases and infections. It is also anti-inflammatory, anti-septic and bears anti-oxidizing effects to ward off free-radicals and damages to the bodily cells. It is best known as ladies' beauty food, helps in anti-aging and promotes fast healing.

No time to waste, lets make Portokalia me Meli !

Berry Good Cranberries!

Cranberries are yet another natural source of Vitamin C which helps to antioxidize. They are most popular for their ability to fight urinary tract infection( can happen to anyone and the symptoms are discomforts when passing urine).
Studies have shown that among elderly patients, a 50% reduction of infection was reached for those who drank 300 ml of cranberry juice everyday for over 6 months. A daily portion of cranberries would also help in treating and preventing the disease.

Cranberries are antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory making them great sources  in the prevention of ulcers, gum problems, cystitis, and other types of infection. They also promote blood circulation and is able to provide relief for asthma patients. Cranberries have Tannins which can not be destroyed by cooking and these help in the upkeep of cardiovascular health by inhibiting the oxidation of bad cholesterol to protect against atheroscelrosis.

They belong also under the category of natural anti-aging solutions and is able to protect the brain from neurological damage.

Pretty Sweet Blueberries :)

Ever wonder about those little packs of blueberries on sale in hypermarts? They are usually very expensive despite only a small amount. Blueberries are an excellent source of antioxidants and if you forgot again, antioxidants are what that protects our cells from damage, and it can even reverse damages already done, ease away environmentally caused side effects as well as aids in the the prevention of cancerous cells and chrnonic diseases. Sounds cool right?

They are.. that is also why these berries are dear and exclusive. Bluberries have the ability to improve the elasticity of our tiny blood cells and walls of arteries making them stronger and more elastic, they are also very good for the eyes.. Heard of billberry? They belong the same family of healthy berries also blue in color but smaller in size.

Blueberries are able to prevent aging and in recent studies, neuroscientists discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity, a finding that has important implications for humans. These highly regarded berries are anti-inflammatory as well and possess swift healing properties.

Cocktail Recipe - Lemon Sprite GT

With some fate of creativity and abundance of lemons available, I have invented a special cocktail for the fun of Christmas. I call it, Lemon Sprite GT, and GT stands for Green Tea.

Usually, it takes a lot more ingredients to make up all those fancy cocktails you can get at bars. But this one is a simplified home made version which bears a welcoming taste. 

Guests would love it and you would not have to waste too much effort and money on it. You do not even need a blender or a shaker.. :D

So what are the ingredients?

1) One Lemon
2) 220ml Sprite or 7Up
3) 40ml Green Tea (ready packs, mildly sweet)
4) 50ml Jack Daniels Whisky
5) Ice Cubes

How to Make Lemon Sprite GT?

Squeeze the lemon juice into a flask and pour everything in. Taste a little to check make sure you have acquired that Zingy bubbly refreshing feeling that is just right. Make sure you place enough ice cubes to chill the drink. Pour into glasses and garnish with a little lemon skin on the edge of the glass.

Yum Yum Salted Duck Eggs - "SIEN YA DAN"

Made from duck eggs and bears fine sandy texture on the yolks which is nice to chew and golden in resemblance of the moon. Ever since eggs are so popular, duck eggs have to be by all means fancier, however possibly not as healthy with higher levels of cholesterol undergone long periods of preservation.
Salted Duck Eggs is a Chinese delicacy made by soaking the duck eggs in Brine and then packing them in damp salted charcoal resulting in an egg that is externally black in color. The best part of this egg lies in its yolk which is brightly colored, round, firm in texture and is usually very tasty. Traditional Chinese moon cakes call for these yolks to produce higher values for sale. Home methods for eating the Salted egg is to add them into plain congee/porridge diminishing the flat taste or simply to be eaten with rice and other main dishes.

Similar salted eggs are sold in the Philippines which are dyed red to distinguish them from fresh duck eggs. The method that they use to process the egg is called Pateros which is done by mixing clay (from ant hills or termite mounds), table salt and water in the ratio of 1:1:2 until the texture of the mixture becomes smooth and forms a thick texture similar to cake batter. The fresh eggs are then individually dipped in the admixture, and packed in 150-egg batches in newspaper-lined 10x12x18 inch wooden boxes to be slowly drained.

Despite their irresistable fine tastes, one salted duck egg yolk weighing about 70g contains 359mg of cholesterol. The recommended cholesterol intake for a healthy diet should be less than 300mg a day, hence it is recommended by the Health Promotion Board of Singapore to eat smaller portions in moderation. If taken regularly, there might be a greater risk of elevating blood cholesterol levels. However, there were also many health experts in the West and in the rest of Asia whom believed not all the cholesterol in an egg can be absorbed, thus the actual negative impact is much less, although not established at this time.

Chicky Chick Chicken Eggs

In most Asian countries, you can find three types of eggs available in the marketplace. The most common being the usual chicken eggs that came fresh from the farms. Usually, these eggs are graded by size and color bearing grades 'A', 'AA', 'B', 'C' and 'D' decreasing in price as the size goes down. These eggs can be scrambled, grilled, boiled or fried eaten alone or be added to other main dishes, soups or desets as complements or enhancers. Eggs are priced affordably allowing every home to enjoy a decent amount of protein easy enough to cook and tasty enough making them a basic ingredient everyday.

Eggs are great for the eyes as they contain lutein and zeaxanthin aiding to prevent macular degeneration (degeneration of the macula area of the retina which is responsible for central vision) and cataracts. They are a good source of Choline which helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system and is low in Saturated fats. Their wide arrays of vitamins and minerals may also promote healthy hair, skin, nails and our body reproductive systems. Some studies have link them towards the prevention of breast cancer cells and on contrary to previous belief, moderate consumption of eggs does not have a negative impact on cholesterol. In fact, it is shown that regular consumption of two eggs per day may improve a person's lipid profile.

Boiled eggs are best to deliver health benefits because they are not cooked further under high levels of temperature causing changes in their chemical chain. One 80g egg has an estimated calorie value of 80 cals. According to new research from the Rochester Centre for Obesity in America, eating eggs for breakfast could help to limit your calorie intake throughout the rest of the day, by more than 400 calories. So do not be surprised, an egg a day helps keep you in Shape!

Salmon Fish o Salmon Fish!

Paying a visit to any fine dining Restaurants soon? Here just to inform that the place might sell one of the best beauty food in the world. Yes, that Wild Salmon  which is 100% natural in flavor and color, eaten raw or cooked appears to rank top 5 best beauty food in the World because of its rich source of Omega-3s. 

The omega-3s in salmon reduces inflammation on the cellular level that can cause redness, wrinkles, and loss of firmness.Its nutrients play a key role in keeping the skin's outer layer soft and smooth and also helps in maintaining our brain functions.

Eating wild Salmon has also been known to improve conditions of Arthritis by supplementing the loss of Omega 3s needed for prostaglandin formation in aid to diminish arthritis symptoms. So eat some today to return yourself that vibrant youthful glow!

Traditional Sweet Ginkgo BeanCurd Soup

The Chinese people love occasional deserts that can make up the long busy day at work. One common favorite of such is the sweet Ginkgo Beancurd soup, a desert cooked with rock sugar and barley. It is easy to drink, mildly sweet allowing the whole body to feel replenished and refreshed without pumping too much sugar into the blood.

Ginkgo nuts are the seeds of the lotus plant and they are known to be one of the oldest plants existed with a pretty sturdy rate of survival. The leaves are used to treat a variety of ailments and conditions including asthma, bronchitis, fatigue, and tinnitus (ringing or roaring sounds in the ears). It is also known to be able to improve memory, blood circulation, prevent Alzheimer's disease, improve sexual health, and decrease intermittent claudication (leg pain caused by narrowing of arteries).

To make this soup, first is to ensure that you wash the Ginkgo nuts and take out the black stripe from the middle of the nut. This stripe is very bitter and contains toxic. Be sure to remove them first. Then follow these steps:

1. Rinse the barley, cut the beancurd strips and soak them from 20 minutes.
2. Bring water to boil and add ginkgo nuts, barley and the beancurd strips
3. Cover the pot and boil for 15 minutes on high
4. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour
5. Add the rock sugar and cook till dissolve (The reason for adding rock sugar last, is to make sure the sweet taste do not get dissolved during the long hour cooking.)
   
6. Beat the eggs (optional to put eggs, if you are egg allergic, opt them out)
   
7. Remove the soup from the heat
8. Stream the beaten eggs into the soup before serving.

Word of Caution: Some people are allergic to Ginkgo nuts causing them headache, nausea, gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, dizziness, or allergic skin reactions. However, these reactions are more prone if user is taking Ginkgo pills or other forms of extract. The desert itself should be mild enough not to cause too much problems for anyone.