Celery, fennel, cucumber and radish pressed salad

Celery, fennel, cucumber and radish pressed salad
www.cookingforhealth.biz

The ancient Chinese believed that the seasons have a profound cyclical effect on us and we should aim to live in harmony with climatic changes.

The summer offers an abundant variety of plants and our diet should ideally reflect this.

Aim to use brightly coloured summer vegetables and fruits and combine them imaginatively.

On the hottest days, we need to balance the heat of the external environment with a cool atmosphere - eating outside under a gazebo or picnics by the river - and by serving more cooling, fresh foods, such as salads, sprouts (alfalfa, mung), cucumber, tofu and flower and leaf teas, such as mint, lime flower and chamomile.

This recipe uses a simple technique called pressing.  This involves salting the vegetables, applying pressure, draining off any excess liquid and then rinsing to remove the salt.  Salting and pressing has the effect of "cooking" the vegetables in the sense of making them more digestible, but preserves the active living enzymes.

The recipe also uses a product called ume plum seasoning, which is fermented from umeboshi plums.

The umeboshi, salt pickled plum, is one of Japan's most remarkable traditional foods, revered since ancient times both as an everyday food and a potent health tonic.  The oldest Japanese record of pickled plums is in a medical text written about one thousand years ago.

Umeboshi were used to prevent fatigue, purify water, rid the body of toxins, and cure specific diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, and food poisoning.  Slowly, extensive folklore developed about umeboshi's ability to prevent and cure certain diseases.

During the samurai era, the pickled plum was the soldier's most important field ration. It was used to flavour foods such as rice and vegetables, and its high acidity made it an excellent water and food purifier, as well as an effective antidote for battle fatigue.

Its taste has been described as the culinary equivalent of a cold shower.

Besides its dramatic flavour, the Japanese pickled plum has remarkable properties:

• Alkalizing effect.  Regular consumption of umeboshi ensures the maintenance of a mildly alkaline pH level in the blood.
• Antiseptic and antibiotic potency.  An antibiotic substance has been extracted from umeboshi plum which can destroy pathogens in the gastro-intestinal tract.
• Stimulates the function of the liver.  A substance called picric acid found in umeboshi plums helps the liver to clear out artificial chemicals from the body.
• Enhances peristaltic movement of the intestines.  A substance called catechic acid found in umeboshi plums speeds transit time through the gut, has an antiseptic effect and helps the digestion of proteins.
• Laxative effect.  Pectic acid in the peel of umeboshi plums relaxes the muscles of the gut.

Other medicinal uses of umeboshi plums include:

• Prevention of fatigue
• Prevention of ageing
• Stimulation of detoxification
• Stimulation of appetite
• Treatment of food poisoning
• Treatment of hangover
• Treatment of motion and morning sickness
• Treatment of common cold and influenza.

In Japan, a piece of umeboshi each day is regarded as one of the best tonics available.

A variety of umeboshi-based products such as whole plums, paste or vinegar are available on the market. All of them can be used as a salt substitute in cooking, adding variety and valuable healing properties to our daily food.

In the UK you can buy ume plum seasoning in supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Waitrose and also in health food stores.

Radish

Ingredients

4 stalks celery, washed and finely chopped
1/2 cucumber, washed, thinly sliced and chopped in quarters
12 radishes, washed and finely chopped
1/3 bulb fennel, washed and finely sliced
Few drops ume plum seasoning
Sea salt
1 tsp apple juice concentrate
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Fennel

Method

1. Mix cucumber and radish together, add a few drops of ume plum seasoning and leave for 30 minutes
2. Place celery and fennel in a bowl with a few pinches of sea salt and mix together, place another bowl on top containing a heavy item, such as a bag of flour and leave for 30 minutes
3. Rinse vegetables and drain well
4. Combine celery, fennel, cucumber and radish and season to taste with a few drops of apple juice concentrate and fresh lime juice
5. Serve garnished with alfalfa sprouts if available

Celery, fennel, cucumber and radish pressed salad
www.cookingforhealth.biz

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Celery and sweetcorn chowder

Celery and Sweetcorn Chowder
www.cookingforhealth.biz

This simple, sweet, soup recipe was given to me by my cookery teacher Montse Bradford.  It can be served warm or cold.

Soup helps to relax us and prepare the digestive system for the rest of the meal. 

The basic ingredients of any soup are: a sea vegetable; two or more land vegetables; and usually one fermented seasoning, such as miso or soya sauce.  

Sea vegetables have numerous health benefits and are added to increase the mineral content of a dish and to enhance flavour.

You can use regular sea salt to season if you wish but this does not contain the other beneficial nutrients found in fermented foods like miso.

This soup contains celery, which has traditionally been used for a variety of medicinal purposes and contains vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients with numerous positive effects on our health.  

Ingredients

1 strip kombu sea vegetable, simmered in 4 cups water for 15-30 min

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pinch sea salt

1 bunch celery, washed and chopped into small pieces

285 g/10 oz sweetcorn kernels

1 dessert spoon white (shiro) miso, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Place the dried kombu sea vegetable in a pan with 4 cups of water and simmer gently whilst you are chopping the vegetables
2. Chop the onions and celery and saute in olive oil with a small pinch of sea salt until the vegetables are soft and translucent.  The salt helps to draw water out of the vegetables and prevents burning.
3. Remove the kombu from the water and add the water to the chopped sauteed vegetables until it just covers them.  If you need to add more water at this stage you can.  Simmer the vegetables for 15-20 min or until soft.
4. Blend until smooth using a hand blender or food processor.
5. Add the diluted miso a little at a time until and taste until you achieve the level of seasoning you require.  If you do not have miso, you can use sea salt to taste.
6. Simmer the soup for 2 minutes and serve garnished with fresh herbs.  You can also serve it cold.

Sauteing the vegetables in a little olive oil

Nutritional information

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Celery, cucumber, apple, parsley and lime juice

Green juices are a great way to include a wider variety of vegetables in your diet, are packed with nutrients and easy to digest.

Where possible try to use organic produce.

Wash all produce thoroughly.

If you don't have an expensive juicer, don't worry - a cheaper one will be fine.

For advice on different types of juicers and their pros and cons please check out Jason Vale - the Juice Master.

Here is a delicious recipe for a refreshing, cooling green juice, ideal for a warm day.

Ingredients
1 stick celery
1 piece cucumber (approx 10cm)
1 apple
2 sprigs parsley
1/2 fresh lime

Instructions
Put celery, cucumber, apple and parsley in a juicer and process.  Add juice of 1/2 lime at the end.

That's it.  Easy peasy and so good for you.  Do you know why?  What will you give your body by drinking this delicious juice?  Here are some of the magic ingredients in the ingredients:

Celery
Celery is an excellent source of vitamin C and fibre, as well as potassium, folic acid and vitamins B6 and B1. It is also a good source of calcium and vitamin B2.  Whilst celery does contain more sodium than many other vegetables, this is offset by very high levels of potassium.  Celery contains substances called coumarins which have anti-cancer properties.  A few animal studies suggest that celery seed extracts may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as protect the liver from damaging substances such as the pain reliever acetaminophen (Tylenol). But researchers don' t know whether these effects also occur in humans.

Cucumber
In addition to containing a large amount of water which keeps you well-hydrated, cucumbers are also a good source of vitamins C, A and folic acid.  The skin is rich in fibre and contains a variety of important minerals including silica, potassium, magnesium and molybdenum.  Silica contributes to the strength of our connective tissue and is important for bone health.

Apple
Apples are a good source of vitamin C, pectin and other fibres, and potassium.  Most of the apple's important nutrients are contained in its skin.  If apples are raw and unpeeled, they are also a great source of many phytonutrients, such as ellagic acid and flavonoids such as quercetin.  The old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" has a great deal of truth in it.  In a review of various studies, apple consumption was shown consistently to be associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma and type 2 diabetes, compared with other fruits and vegetables.

Parsley
Parsley is extremely rich in a large number of nutrients, chorophyll and carotenes.  It is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid and iron and also contains many minerals including magnesium, calcium and zinc.  Numerous health benefits have been ascribed to parsley, including use for urinary tract infections, kidney stones, constipation, flatulence, fluid retention, high blood pressure and prostate conditions, though clinical evidence for these effects is limited.  There is some evidence that parsley extracts have anti-oxidant activity.

Lime
Limes are an excellent source of vitamin C and provide good levels of vitamin B6, potassium, folic acid, flavonoids and the important phytochemical limonene.  Limes contain several phytonutrients that have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.  In particular, research has demonstrated that lime juice can affect cell cycles: it can modulate the decision a cell takes to divide (mitosis) or die (apoptosis) or even influence activity of the immune system.  Lime also has an antibiotic effect and has been shown to protect against cholera.

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