What’s so great about Grapefruit?

Oatmeal isn’t the only heart-friendly breakfast: Enjoying one grapefruit a day can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels by 15.5% and triglycerides by 27%, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistr

This may sound like funny science but eating more of this citrus can help you lose pounds: People who ate half of a grapefruit before each meal (without making any other dietary changes) shed an average of three and a half pounds over 12 weeks, found a study from the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California.

And lastly here is a fun little recipe I found laying about the internet.

Grapefruit and corn summer salsa

This recipe calls for using a mandoline to shave the vegetables paper thin. If you don’t have one, you can use a food processor fitted with the slicing blade, though the vegetables will not be cut as thinly.

1 small red onion
4 medium red radishes
4 cloves garlic
½ jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds discarded
1 large ruby red grapefruit
1 ear corn
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and ground black pepper

Use a mandoline to shave the onion, radishes, garlic and jalapeno into a medium bowl. Toss well.
Slice off the top and bottom of the grapefruit, then set the grapefruit on one of its flat sides on a cutting board. Carefully cut down the sides of the grapefruit, working in strips, to slice off the skin and white pith, removing as little of the grapefruit flesh as possible. Try not to press the grapefruit while doing this because well you don’t want to press the juices out. Next cut out the grapefruit segments its fine if the segments don’t hold together while doing this. When all of the segments are removed, squeeze the membranes of the grapefruit to add as much juice as possible to the bowl, then discard. Mix gently. Cut the kernels from the ear of corn. To do this, stand the ear on its wide end and saw back and forth down the length of the cob. Add the kernels to the bowl, then mix. Add the sugar, mix, then season with salt and pepper. The salsa can be served immediately, or refrigerated. If chilled, let warm to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Though this salsa is great with chips you could also spoon it over grilled fish, such as salmon.

TOMATOES!

Today we talk about one of my least favorite foods the Tomato I’m not sure why I find them so unappealing by them self but I do.  However I do enjoy ketchup, spaghetti sauce and  bruschetta.  If you don’t know what bruschetta just know its delicious it is an antipasto from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese; the most popular recipe outside of Italy involves basil, fresh tomato, garlic and onion or mozzarella. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer. In some countries, a topping of chopped tomato, olive oil and herbs is marketed under the bruschetta name.

Salt

 

Can you imagine a world without Salt?  To me salt is like the Force It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.  Except instead of binding the galaxy together it brings flavors in a dish together. 

Agua Fresca

With summer in full swing I’m sure your looking for a cool refreshing beverage that might not be lemonade. Not that there is anything wrong with lemonade but might want to give an Agua Fresca a try.

Marvelous Mangos!

Mangos are great I love them I just don’t love cutting them. They have that pit in the middle you have to cut around and you can peel it before you cut it at the risk of your fingers or you peel it after you cut it and lose some of the meat. OR you just get them precut for slightly more or just eat them one of my favorite ways and get dried mango’s.

Basil.

I love basil pesto and but basil can be expensive to buy if you use it as much as I do so just grow it.   Honestly if enjoy Italian cooking, you’ll want to include basil in your garden. Just know there are different types of basil to choose from. The most common is sweet basil, Purple basil which can be used like common basil though it’s a little less sweet recently rediscovered by many cooks, lemon basil adds a lemony basil fragrance to both the garden and the kitchen and lastly Thai basil adds a licorice flavor and tastes great in Asian cooking. Just know that Basil is a heat-loving annual herb.

Kiwi bird or fruit the true story of the underrated melonette

Kiwis are an under-appreciated fruit, but the sweet flesh beneath that fuzzy skin is packed with vitamin C.  and they taste good they are one of my go to snacks when I want some thing sweet that isn’t a candy bar.