Kadoo Pish Gaza - Iranian Courgette (Zucchini) Dip

Kadoo pish gaza – courgette (zucchini) dip - is a simple recipe from Iran which is traditionally served at breakfast time, or as a starter, with thin, flat bread. You can also eat it as a snack with crackers or vegetable sticks.

Courgettes or zucchini are a type of summer squash that resemble a cucumber in size and shape. They are low in calories and provide reasonable amounts of vitamin C, potassium and carotenes.

Carotenes are powerful antioxidants and help to protect the body from cancer and other chronic diseases.

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, carotenes (especially lycopene), biotin and vitamin K. They're also a very good source of B vitamins and dietary fibre.

Lycopene has been shown to be extremely protective against breast, colon, lung, skin and prostate cancers. It's also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb courgettes (zucchini)

• 1 tsp salt

• Juice ½ lemon

• 1 tbsp olive oil or 2 tbsp water

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 225g/8oz tomatoes, blanched (placed in boiling water for a few minutes to soften and split the skins, making it easy to remove them), skinned, chopped.

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp ground paprika

• Salt to taste

• Fresh parsley to garnish (finely chopped)

Method

Cut 0.6cm/¼” from head and tail of each courgette (zucchini), then grate into a bowl. Mix in 1tsp salt and lemon juice. Allow to sit for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat oil or water in a saucepan and sweat onion until soft and translucent. Add tomatoes, pepper and paprika and cook gently for 10 minutes.

Squeeze excess liquid out of courgettes (zucchini), add to pan and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the courgettes (zucchini) are tender. If there is still a lot of liquid left in the pan after 10 minutes, cook for longer to reduce it otherwise your dip will end up too watery.

Blend to a smooth puree and season to taste. Serve garnished with fresh parsley, with flat bread or crackers.

Nutritional information

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Creamy courgette (zucchini), leek, lime and basil soup

If you're looking for a light summer soup, you'll love this recipe. It's sweet, creamy (though no dairy products involved), light and delicious.

Courgettes or zucchini are a type of summer squash that resemble a cucumber in size and shape. They are low in calories and provide reasonable amounts of vitamin C, potassium and carotenes.

Carotenes are powerful antioxidants and help to protect the body from cancer and other chronic diseases.

Leeks have similar nutritional properties to onions. They are a good source of vitamins B6, C and folic acid; the minerals manganese and iron; and dietary fibre.

Like onions, leeks contain numerous beneficial substances, including flavonoids. In clinical studies, these substances have been shown to help decrease blood lipid levels and blood sugar levels.

The active blood sugar lowering compound is believed to be allyl propyl disulphide (APDS). Evidence suggests that APDS competes with insulin for breakdown sites in the liver, thereby increasing the life span of insulin.

Whenever possible, I add sea vegetables to my recipes, as they are rich in minerals and soluble fibre, which soothes the digestive tract.

So here's the recipe - hope you enjoy it - and please leave any questions or comments below.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Olive oil (1 tbsp)
• A small pinch of fine sea salt
• 3 medium leeks (sliced in half lengthwise, washed and cut in small pieces)
• 3 courgettes (zucchini) (washed and sliced)
• 1 strip wakame sea vegetable (soaked for 5 minutes and cut into small pieces)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1-2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2-3 cups water
• 1 dessertspoon of white (shiro) miso. You can use a stock cube or home made vegetable stock instead. I use miso because it's full of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants. Please click here to read more about cooking with miso.
• Fresh basil to garnish

Method

Heat a saucepan, add the oil and a pinch of sea salt and gently saute the leeks for 5 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent

Add the rinsed wakame sea vegetable, courgettes (zucchini) and just enough water to cover the vegetables. If using dried basil, add now.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until soft. If using fresh basil, add now after the other vegetables have cooked so you preserve the flavour.

Add the lime juice and blend to a smooth consistency, adjusting the liquid if necessary.

Dilute 1 dessert spoon of white miso in a little water and add gradually to the soup. Keep tasting until you have added enough miso to obtain a flavour you love.

Serve garnished with some fresh basil.

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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Sea vegetables - nature's secret for healthy longevity?

The health benefits of consuming seaweed were recognised over three thousand years ago, particularly in Asia, where marine algae are still prized for their nutritional content. The vast majority of marine algae are edible, with only a few tropical species being poisonous. Some species, however, are specially selected for their appealing flavour, texture or culinary versatility; these include dulse (Palmaria palmata), nori (Porphyra tenera), sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) kombu (Laminaria japonica), wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), arame (Eisenia bicyclis), hijiki (Hizikia fusiforme) and agar-agar (Sphaerococcus euchema).

Sea vegetables are low in fat, low in calories and rich in essential minerals, vitamins and protein. The mineral content of seaweeds is very significant and is likely to explain many of their beneficial effects on health. Seaweeds provide all of the 56 minerals and trace minerals required for the body’s physiological functions. Indeed, they contain 10 to 20 times the minerals of land plants and an abundance of vitamins and other elements necessary for metabolism. The modern diet is severely depleted of minerals due to a general decline in soil and crop mineral content, and to refining and processing which strips food of minerals and other vital nutrients. Thus, addition of seaweed into the diet is very important to ensure adequate intake of minerals, which are in a highly assimilable form because they are integrated into living plant tissue. Sea vegetables are especially useful for vegetarians and those abstaining from dairy foods because of their high levels of calcium, iron and iodine.

In addition to minerals, seaweeds contain vitamins A, B, C, and E, and Porphyra species are reported to contain vitamin D. Moreover, some seaweeds contain what appears to be vitamin B12, which is normally found only in animal products.

Seaweeds contain 50 to 60% polysaccharides, notably cell wall structural polysaccharides that are extracted by the hydrocolloid industry. Despite this large quantity of carbohydrate, sea vegetables add few calories to the diet; this is because much of their starch consists of a substance called algin. Alginates are not easily digested by the body, acting like soft fibre, soothing and adding bulk to the digestive tract. Scientific studies have shown that alginates inhibit absorption of toxic metals and radioactive isotopes such as strontium-90 in the digestive tract. All sea vegetables contain significant amounts of protein, sometimes as much as 48%.

Lipids represent only 1-5 % of algal dry matter and show an interesting polyunsaturated fatty acid composition, particularly regarding omega 3 and omega 6 acids which are concentrated in the galactolipid fractions.

Sea vegetables have traditionally been used in Asia to treat cancer, heart disease and thyroid problems. Other medicinal uses are currently being investigated. Scientific research aimed at
explaining the positive effects of seaweeds on health is in progress. Some key findings related to breast cancer, heart disease, thyroid problems, immune function, inflammation, and anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity are reviewed in a peer-reviewed paper by Jane Philpott MA (Oxon), MSc, PhD in the Nutrition Practitioner Journal. The paper also includes practical information on how to prepare and cook nori, arame, dulse, kombu, wakame, hijiki and agar-agar is given, as well as some recipes.

For information and practical tuition in cooking and eating sea vegetables, come to a Cooking for Health course, held throughout the year in Somerset, UK.