Tahini and the bad TBHQ

CONSUMERS TIP:
Always read the labels of the products you consider to buy.

Do not buy the Tahini if it contains TBHQ. If you see the letters TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone)  on the label of any food item, my advice would be to avoid it. It is added to many foods as a preservative, such as sauces, crisps, chips, crackers, mayonnaise, pastes etc. (It is even found in certain brands of pet-food, cosmetics and baby-skin products. It is a chemical preservative which are actually a form of BUTANE (JET-FUEL)! The risks and side-effects can be very alerting.

I quote from the following website:  http://www.naturalnews.com

“Consuming high doses (between 1 and 4 grams) of TBHQ can cause nausea, delirium, collapse, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and vomiting. There are also suggestions that it may lead to hyperactivity in children as well as asthma, rhinitis and dermatitis. It may also further aggravate ADHD symptoms and cause restlessness. Long term, high doses of TBHQ in laboratory animals have shown a tendency for them to develop cancerous precursors in their stomachs, as well as cause DNA damage to them. It is also suggested that it may be responsible for affecting estrogen levels in women.
This seems to be quite an extensive list of side-effects for such a seemingly innocent preservative...”

home made humus

Humus    .....

.....The Gourmet Geek©

(Explanation: Humus .... you pronounce it with a guttural hard g-sound true to the Mediterranean way. They eat it with Tapas, as a filling in Pita-bread with fresh vegetables, or just as a tasty and healthy dip with their food. Chic-peas are of the Legume family (beans) and can be part of the protein in your diet. The digestive fiber as part of it can be very valuable to your health.)

INGREDIENTS:

1 tin of chickpeas (... drained and you keep one cup of the liquid to add to your Humus.)
1 cup tahini ( Sesame Paste).... available at health shops
1/2 cup lemon juice (or to taste)
2 cloves garlic (or to taste) ( chopped and crushed)
1 teaspoon salt  ( I use only the Himalayan Pink Salt)
ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 Tablespoons extra virgin Olive oil
2 Tablespoons pine nuts ( Optional)- you can use pecan-nuts or almonds instead)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley ( you can use dried parsley but the fresh parsley just taste better!)

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Add all ingredients together in a food processor or Bar-mix.  ( In the days when I did not have a food processor, I mixed all the ingredients and then crush it with my potato masher. If you want a finer texture, you can press it through a kitchen sieve.)

2.       Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you use it.

3.        Enjoy! :-)

My Lekker Middetereense Groente

My Special Mediterranean Vegetables©

By the Gourmet Geek

This is my favourite recipe, and I enjoy it as a meal-on-it’s-own, on toast, with any meat or braai. Use enough olive oil, and do not over-cook. I sometimes, just pop it in the oven as a roast, when I am too busy to watch the pan. I use the vacuum-packed dried ,black olives of one of our local Olive farms -  convenient and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium Brinjal

1 Red Onion; 

2 cloves of garlic (chopped and crushed)

1 pk Button Mushrooms ( or 2 big black mushrooms)

6 Sundried Tomatoes (if available)

A handful of black olives

1 Red Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for cooking

3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary

2-3 whole basil leaves.

Pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

METHOD:

Chop all vegetables in bite-size pieces.  Sauté onion in hot oil and then add garlic. Fry for a few minutes then the rest of the vegetables. Turn down the heat to medium and cover with a lid to steam until cooked for a pleasant and nutritious dish! (For the preparation of the Brinjal, see the consumers tip)

Uiteindelik

Uiteindelik maak ek tyd om my kos-blog te begin! ...ek gaan meestal net die resepte wat in die SUNSHINE COAST EXPRESS verskyn, maar dalk sal daar later meer tyd wees om baie meer te skryf. Tot later dan!