Thursday, July 21, 2011

Chicken liver parfait, treacle tart and coconut oil good for us

Chicken liver parfait with oat sourdough
Food Diary (July 20, 2011)
Breakfast: Rolled oats with strawberries and sunflower seeds
Lunch: Chicken liver parfait with oat sourdough
Dinner: Cabbage in oyster sauce with rice

Today I bought cabbage. When I removed the outer layer of leaves and took a good hard look I saw a few very tiny black spots. And then these moved a little bit. They were insects, almost too small to notice. I washed the leaves but the insects refused to leave, they were stubborn. I took off a few more layers until there were no more insects, well that’s what I think anyway. I am not a vegetarian so eating insects unknowingly is not a problem but I felt sorry for vegetarians, especially the very strict vegetarians. 

I noticed the insects because I gave it a detailed scrutiny. I wonder if restaurants do the same, I very much doubt it. I have read that each year we consume a pound, or more, of insects. Insects are good for you so don’t feel bad after reading this. 

Washing vegetables is still a good idea. Even if all the insects are not washed away, at least those left behind are clean! 

Today's Favourite Photo
Source: Sparklette
Treacle tart



Today’s Favourite Blog
Source: Care2
Oh coconut, poor coconut. Finally coconuts are getting the attention they deserve. In the past coconuts received a bad reputation because of its high saturated fat content, but this is now changing. The care2 article states that the saturated fats in coconut oil is healthy for a variety of reasons:
-        Fifty-five to 65 percent of the saturated fats in coconut oil are medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which have been used as dietary supplements to improve nutrient absorption and sports performance.
-        Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid. Preliminary studies have shown that lauric acid may help the body fight viruses.
-        As the result of eating coconut oil, the human body steps up its production of ketone bodies — beneficial compounds produced when fatty acids are broken down for energy. Because these compounds are used to advantage by the brain, researchers are currently studying coconut oil as a possible treatment for people with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Lou Gehrig’s and multiple sclerosis, as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
-        Coconut meat is rich in phytosterols, cholesterol-like compounds found primarily in nuts and legumes. Phytosterols have been shown to naturally reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
-         Fresh coconut meat is an excellent source of fiber. A 1-cup serving provides about 29 percent of the daily recommended amount of dietary fiber. Note that nutrient levels drop slightly when coconut is dried.
-        Both raw coconut water and freshly squeezed coconut milk are rich in a host of minerals, including potassium, manganese and magnesium

Its all good news but the question I ask myself – it this really true or a case of history repeating itself. The ‘non-coconut’ lobby was more powerful than the coconut lobby years ago so they won. Are the coconut lobbyists more powerful now and therefore they can convince us that coconut is good, or is this change in sentiment really driven by facts? Unfortunately I lack expertise to form a qualified view but I love coconut so I will continue eating them, irrespective of which lobbyist is more powerful. 

19 comments:

  1. I am absolutely in agreement that if nothing else, treacle tart is good for the soul - yum!

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  2. i have seen those tiny insects on veggies too... especially lettuce! i try not to think how the food was prepapred when i go to restaurants coz if i start scrutinizing, i might throw up ...lol

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  3. I love coconut oil, so regardless, I will continue to use it when I can find it.

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  4. i love cabbage! my favorite way to eat it is "steamed". yes, that's something that i have to watch out for - bugs on veggies and fruits! i like to go shopping for my produce every three days so that it doesn't get old or gross. and i still can't get over the fact of how much saturated fat coconut oil has... i know it's super healthy though. i don't like the taste of coconut (other than coconut water), so don't really eat it, but i love the smell! hahaha use it on my skin as a lotion at night (the extra virgin one) and my skin looks fantastic in the morning.

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  5. i am eating coconut sugar at the moment i hear its low gi and a healthier option for sugar :)

    hm, i dont usually wash my vegies.. is that disgusting would you say? i mean, you're not gonna die from a bug, right?

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  6. Love chicken liver :D
    We use coconut very often here in our everyday foods ... curries, desserts, beverages (does pina colada with coconut cream count?), drinking it fresh ... i do that after every tennis game (the juice not the pina colada altho that sounds good too..hmmm). Read somewhere the juice has the same electrolyte profile of the human plasma and was used as IV replacement during wars when they have to. Good stuff!
    Oh, and I always give my veges a finally dunk in salted water after all the washing. Don't know if that helps very much but I'd like to think so esp when I know leeches hide in between the leaves sometimes ... haha .. too much info?

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  7. Hi Mr. Three-Cookies! Your story about insects on veggies was very funny. I just laughed in front of my computer myself. We consume a pound of insects every year? Really?? :-O

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  8. Hmm, never had chicken liver pate. Looks tasty though!

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  9. Cakelaw: agree, treacle tart is good for the soul!

    Cakewhiz: its good not to think about it, plus they are not harmful

    Kristen: glad to hear, I think the same way:)

    Junia: you don’t like the smell but like the taste? That’s really interesting. Coconut oil is really good for the skin, it’s a popular moisturizer in many countries

    Two fit and fun gals: I have never tried coconut sugar, would definitely like to try. About not washing veges, not sure??? For some veges washing may help get rid of some of the pesticides and dirt maybe

    ping: pina colada absolutely counts and I agree, drinking it after the game would be good, it may even motivate you to play more often:) I didn’t know coconut water was used as IV replacement during ways.

    Nami: the pound is an estimate, it would be more or less. More for vegetarians:)

    yummychunklet: you should try, its really delicious

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  10. Chicken liver parfait looks very interesting and tasty.

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  11. I have also heard about all the "free protein" we consume every year without knowing it and apparently insects and worms have a very high quality protein :-)
    You can't imagine how happy it makes me to learn coconut is not that bad!

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  12. Love the Harry Potter treacle photo :) I'm hearing the theme song in my head now!

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  13. It's been YEARS since I've eaten treacle tart - but now I'm going to have to make one - perfection!!
    Mary

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  14. So when will you post an insect recipe ;-) lol. Yeah about the studies of good/bad foods. They are always changing their minds. Eat everything in moderation I say.

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  15. Yay for coconuts! Interesting about the cabbage and insects - I always roughly wash my veg as I believe that a little dirt is good for you. I must eat more insects than the average!

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  16. I am a little grossed out to think I may unknowingly eat insects! Thanks for the heads up!

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  17. Angie: thank you

    Sissi: sometimes good things are free)

    Parsley Sage: it is awesome, I really wanted to have a slice when I saw it

    Mary: good on you:)

    Cheap Ethnic Eatz: I prefer to cook them together with other food, so same recipe:) If you have a favourite recipe, please feel free to share!

    Angela: yay!

    Hazel: I also heard that a little dirt strengthens the immune system, plus you get more proteins!

    Maris: sorry about that

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  18. I love coconut milk and coconut, I am so used to it as most of the South East Asian dishes contain some.

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