-
Brown sugar vs white sugar
Have you ever found yourself in the supermarket staring at sugar packets and not knowing which one to buy? Which one is healthier: brown sugar vs white sugar? What about raw sugar? What is sugar? The sugar you buy at the supermarket to put in your coffee is sucrose, a disaccharide (= two sugars) composed of glucose and fructose. Types of sugar White sugar: this is your regular table sugar. Caster sugar: has a smaller crystal size than white sugar. It is used for coating bakery products and confectionery. Brown sugar: is a moist, golden brown, very fine crystal product, made using selected refinery syrups. Raw sugar: is a free…
-
Recipe: Easy seco de cordero (Peruvian lamb coriander stew)
Easy seco de cordero is a weeknight-friendly version of the classic Peruvian lamb and coriander stew, which happens to be one of my favourite Peruvian dishes. What makes it easy is the use of ground lamb instead of stew cuts that must be cooked low and slow. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. Seco is traditionally served with rice plus beans, potatoes or yuca (cassava). The starches help soak up the sauce. Feel free to serve it with cauliflower rice or your choice of vegetables and/or salad for a lower-carb version. Top with some salsa criolla for added freshness. If you don’t have ají amarillo paste, you can sub other…
-
Should you take BCAAs?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use them to purchase a product, I will get a commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to products that I personally use and/or recommend. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) is the name given to three of the nine essential amino acids. BCAAs are sold as a sports supplement to increase muscle synthesis and recovery. Today we answer the question: Should you take BCAAs? What are BCAAs? BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids are leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are essential amino acids (EAAs), meaning they cannot be made by our bodies and must be taken from the diet. Unlike other…
-
Recipe: Salsa criolla (Peruvian pickled onions)
Salsa criolla (Peruvian pickled onions) is an essential accompaniment to all sorts of dishes, such as tamales, arroz con pollo, chicharrón, seco and papa rellena. Of course you don’t need to make Peruvian food to enjoy salsa criolla. You can pair it up with any rich and/or dish that is on the dry side and could use some a bit of juicy tangy zing. If you have time, prepare the onions several hours before using them. They keep well in the fridge for 3-5 days.
-
Book review: The Food Lab (J Kenji Lopez-Alt)
The Food Lab is J Kenji Lopez-Alt’s fantastic book that documents the results of his culinary experiments. If you like to cook and are science-minded, this is a must-read. The author J Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Culinary Advisor for Serious Eats and the chef and co-owner of the restaurant Wursthall in San Mateo, California. He has science in his genes (both his father and maternal grandfather are scientists) and studied Architecture at no less than the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). I first ran across his work through Serious Eats several years ago and have been a follower ever since. Kenji makes frequent guest appearances in food podcasts such…
-
Product review: Tummify probiotic shots
Tummify probiotic shots are an alternative to other probiotic products in the market that are higher in sugar. This is a product designed for gut health. Tummify probiotic shots Tummify probiotic shots are 98% sugar free and certified organic. Each shot contains 35 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of a 13 multi-strain formula (see more details in the Nutrition information section below). The product comes in 5 and 20-packs containing single serve (65ml) plastic bottles, which are BPA-free and recyclable. Ingredients Fresh organic milk (99%), monk fruit juice concentrate, prebiotic fibre, kefir cultures and probiotics. For reference, these are the ingredients in the most popular probiotic product, Yakult: Original: Water, skim…
-
Diet and blood pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common chronic condition that represents a risk for cardiovascular health. Besides other lifestyle factors, there is a clear link between diet and blood pressure which we’ll discuss in this article. Blood pressure levels In Australia, blood pressure is classified as follows (1): Category Systolic (mmHg) Diastolic (mmHg) Optimal <120 and <80 Normal 120-129 and/or 80-84 High-normal 130-139 and/or 85-89 Mild hypertension 140-159 and/or 90-99 Moderate hypertension 160-179 and/or 100-109 Severe hypertension ≥180 and/or ≥110 Isolated systolic hypertension >140 and <90 Target recommendations vary for individuals that have other health conditions. Dietary factors Sodium In about half of people with hypertension and a quarter…
-
Recipe: Vegan zucchini soup with corn and coriander
Another soup for me to use up one of my least favourite vegetables: zucchini. This time I came up with a vegan zucchini soup with corn and coriander based on the flavour of Peruvian green tamales. As with my zucchini and leek soup, this one is vegan (therefore automatically dairy-free), gluten-free and low in calories. It is also low in protein so I recommend adding some protein or eating it as a side dish.
-
Gluten free sliced bread
If you follow a gluten free diet for health or preference reasons, you might know that good gluten free sliced bread is hard to find. This applies to taste, texture and, most importantly, nutrition. Brands Some of the most popular sliced bread brands offer gluten free options, including the big supermarket brands. Examples include Helgas, Abbott’s Village, Woolworths and Coles. A little harder to find are Genius Gluten Free, Well & Good, Venerdi, Deeks and Naturis. Ingredients While regular bread can be made with 3-4 ingredients (flour, water, salt and yeast – which you can omit as a deliberate ingredient if making sourdough), gluten free bread is not easy to…
-
Recipe: Peruvian-style split peas with ham
Split peas (“arvejitas partidas”) are fairly common legumes in the Peruvian diet. They’re cheap, tasty and very nutritious. Enjoy these Peruvian-style split peas with ham with garlicky rice and a fried egg for a hearty meal. In Perú we mostly use green split peas but feel free to use any kind you can find (i.e. yellow or read). Mum used to cook them with bacon but I used ham in this recipe. You can obviously omit the meat if you’re a vegetarian. If that’s the case, I’d suggest you use smoked salt and/or a pinch of smoked paprika for that smokey flavour you’ll be lacking. Finally, if you don’t have…
