My Recipe

Baked Mussel with Hot and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

450 g – Frozen mussel in half shell (New Zealand Green-lipped)
5 Tbsp – Onion (finely shredded)
1½ Tbsp – Garlic (minced)
2 to 3 pieces or to taste Red chili pepper (minced)
about 4 sprigs – Cilantro leaves

Sauce:

2 Tbsp – Tomato paste
2 Tbsp – Ketchup
2 Tbsp – Lime juice
1/2 tsp – Salt
2 Tbsp – Sugar
2 tsp – Fish sauce
2 tsp – Cornstarch
5½ Tbsp – Water

Method:

1. Thaw frozen mussel in refrigerator overnight. Drain and dry mussel with paper towel.
2. Pre-heat oven to 475ºF.
3. Mix sauce by thinning tomato paste and ketchup with water. Then whisk in the rest of the ingredients.
4. Arrange mussels on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each mussel sparingly with salt and white ground pepper. Bake for about 6 minutes or until heated through.
5. Discard liquid in each mussel shell. Remove baked mussel onto serving platter.
6. Heat wok or small saucepan. Add 1½ Tbsp oil. Sauté garlic, onion and chili pepper until fragrant. Add sauce ingredients. Keep stirring until sauce reboils and thickens. Spoon over mussels. Garnish each mussel with a cilantro leaf. Serve warm as an appetizer.

• See my other recipes ….

Christmas Kazari Sushi

Early Ovary Removal May Raise Arthritis, Osteoporosis Risk

Women under the age of 45 who have their ovaries removed are more likely to be diagnosed with arthritis and have lower bone mineral density, a predictor of osteoporosis, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed data on more nearly 7,700 women from NHANES III, a nationally representative survey conducted between 1988 and 1994.

About 45 percent of women who had their ovaries removed were diagnosed with arthritis, compared to 32 percent of women who did not have their ovaries removed.

Women who had both ovaries removed before 45 and who never used hormone replacement therapy had on average lower bone mineral density than women with intact ovaries. Women without ovaries were also twice as likely to have very low bone mineral density.

The study’s authors concluded that women who have their ovaries removed for cancer prevention should be closely monitored for osteoporosis over the long term.

The research was presented at the 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Read more ….

A Recipe of Fish with Fennel and Eggplant

Ingredients

1 large purple eggplant
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups Japanese eggplants, diced 1 inch thick
Flour for dusting
2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
4 6-ounce swordfish, grouper or mahi-mahi steaks
1 tablespoon butter
1 fennel bulb, finely shredded
3 blood oranges, segmented
1 bunch chives, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Wash large purple eggplant and score along the length. Season the cavity, insert garlic and bake in oven. Remove when tender, scrape out and place insides into a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste and purée, adding olive oil to emulsify the purée and make it smooth.
2. Season diced Japanese eggplants with salt and set aside for at least half an hour, then dry well and dust with flour, shaking off the excess. Preheat a sauté pan and add 1/4 inch olive oil. Once oil is hot, add eggplant and fry until crispy on all sides. Remove from oil and rest on paper towel. When cool, place in a bowl and dress with some lemon juice, salt and pepper if desired, oregano and olive oil. Set aside.
3. Wash and dry swordfish steak and season with salt and pepper. Preheat a sauté pan and sear fish in olive oil and butter for about a minute on each side on high heat. Remove from the pan and set aside, but keep warm. Toss shredded fennel with orange segments. Spread serving plates with a spoonful of eggplant puree. Top with the sautéed eggplant, swordfish steak, fennel and orange mixture and a sprinkling of chives. Serve hot.

Source: The Globe and Mail