Tikachu's Kitchen

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:30:00 +0000

Servings: 48 pieces

Ingredients:

300 ml of unsalted soft butter

600 grams of all-purpose flour

500 grams of oats

1 cup of raisin

300 grams of sugar

100 grams of brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking sofa

A pinch of baking powder

A pinch of salt

Preparation Steps

Mix butter, sugar and brown sugar in a bowl.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Next, add baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Pour oats and chocolate chips.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough on baking sheet (do not oil it).
Bake at around 350 degrees F (medium to high heat) for 11-12 minutes. Look at the bottom of the cookie to see if it’s thoroughly baked.

Steamed Mussels with Herbs

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:25:00 +0000

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

24 fresh mussels

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 green limes, juiced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Thyme and rosemary

Preparation Steps:

Prepare steamer filled with water, throw thyme and rosemary in the water.
Steam mussels in the steamer over medium heat until they open.
Sprinkle with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
Return the mussels to the steamer and heat for 1 minute.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, garnish to your taste.

Cheese 101: Tips for Selecting Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:11:00 +0000

Cheese 101: Tips for Selecting Cheese

Cheese, cheese, cheese! Unless you’re lactose-intolerant or non-dairy vegetarian, who will deny their obsession towards this wonderful dairy produce? It is the perfect addition to bakery, salad, and pasta-based cuisines. There are hundreds of types of cheese currently available, some of them are considered exotic and can only be manufactured in certain regions, while others are available at the minimart. In my spare time, I present you the basic knowledge of selecting the right type of cheese for the right type of cuisine!

Cheddar Cheese

It is easily the most widely used, multi-purpose cheese throughout the world. Cheddar originates from cow’s milk and derives its name from the English village of Cheddar. It is usually pale yellowish and available at minimart in chunks or sheets. Cheddar cheese is usually mild tasting, but some may have sharper, saltier taste depending on the length of its fermentation. It is also one of the cheapest cheese available in the market. It is commonly used as a companion to breads and pastries, cookies and brownies as well as hamburgers.

Blue Cheese

Blue cheese is easily recognized by its bluish/greenish mold color. It is a unique cheese due to its original method of manufacturing, which involves storing cow milk and/or goat milk in a moldy cave for months. It is considered the best cheese in the world, and the flavor is tangy and strong. It has some distinctive sub-types depending on their place of origin, such as Gorgonzola from Italty, Roquefort from France and Stilton from English. Blue cheese can be eaten by itself with red wine, crumbled into salad, as a filling for omelettes or as garnish for martini. It can also be melted onto grilled lamb to enhance its flavor.

Feta Cheese

The oldest cheese in the world dated back to the ancient Greece civilization, Feta cheese has a soft, mushy consistency with grainy texture, and is usually made from a mixture of sheep and goat milk. It is white, a bit sour and strong in aroma, and is available in blocks. Standard feta cheese is aged for two months, and can be eaten natural with olive oil and oregano, as filling for pie or crumbled and mixed into classic Greek Salad dish.

Swiss Cheese

It is probably the most familiar-looking of all cheese due to its popular depiction in cartoons and comic strips. Swiss Cheese is distinguishable by holes produced during its aging, as a result of carbon dioxide bubbles. What most people don’t know is, that those holes are known in the culinary world as ‘eyes’. Although it originated from Switzerland, Swiss Cheese is widely manufactured in England, France and Germany.

Gouda Cheese

Gouda originates from the Netherlands, and was named after the city Gouda. It is made from cultured cow milk heated until the curds separate from the whey, creating a sweeter-tasting cheese. The cheese is then soaked in brine solution to enhance its flavor and dried out for a few days before coated with wax. It has a caramel-like taste and comes in a disc-shaped form, giving it the title ‘golden wheel’. Gouda is used to season hot or cold salad, with casserole, or simply eaten naturally with white wine. The smoked/flavoured version of Gouda Cheese makes a lovely flavor enhancer for burgers and pasta cuisines.

Mozarella Cheese

Mozarella is a very popular Italian cheese used on pizzas, bruschettas and pastas alike. It is derived from the Italian verb ‘mozzare’, meaning ‘to cut’, due to its spinning-cutting method of packaging. Mozarella is generally white to pale yellow in colour, and is made from cow milk, water buffalo milk or skimmed milk. It has a very thick consistency and is known for its stickiness. It is best served melted.

After knowing your cheese, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test and create an awesome cheese-infused cuisine. Happy experimenting!

Mushroom Puffball

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:02:00 +0000

Servings: 9

Ingredients:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

1 ½ tablespoon of unsalted white butter

80 grams of mixed mushrooms, chopped

1 smashed garlic clove

1 tablespoon of dry white wine

Fresh thyme

1 teaspoon of oregano

2 table spoons of crème fraîche

Salt and pepper

Preparation Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Flour a cutting board and place pastry on it, then cut it using 2,5-inch biscuit cutter (not all the way through).
Bake the puff pastry for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, melt butter on a pan, add mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Simmer it over medium heat for 4 minutes until the mushrooms shrink. Season with salt, pepper, and add wine. Reduce the sauce, and add oregano. Last, pour in the crème fraîche, stir thoroughly.
Use knife to create a hole on each puff pastry, then fill the cavity with mushroom mixture.

Choco-lover Antioxidant Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:13:00 +0000

This smoothie does not only have high antioxidant contents, but also fiber which will help your digestive system and calcium!

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh, unsweetened milk

1 banana

1 cup of sweet cherries

2 tablespoon of brown sugar

3 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup of plain, hi-calcium low-calorie yoghurt

Preparation Steps:

Blend milk with cocoa powder, and then add banana and cherries and yoghurt. Make sure all ingredients are mixed well and creamy. Pour into glasses, garnish with cocoa powder and cherry

Fish and Chips with Tartar Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:11:00 +0000

Servings: 2

Nutrition/serving:

Calories: 393 kcal, Protein: 35 g, Carbohydrate: 56 g, fat 10 g, fibre 3 g, salt 0.96 g

Ingredients:

450 g of potatoes, peeled and cut into french fries size

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 white fish fillet @140 g each.

Grated zest and 1 lemon, juiced

1 tbsp of capers, chopped

2 tbsp of yogurt

1 tbsp of grated mozarella cheese

Parsley leaves for garnish

Lemon wedge to serve

Fish and Chips Preparation Steps:

Heat olive oil in a frying pan, toss the potatoes and sautee until brown and crisp, then take it out.

Next, put in the fish to the pan and fry it one-sidedly for 10 minutes, while occasionally shaking it to avoid stickiness.

Sprinkle the fish with half lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add parsley and lemon zest too.

Tartar Sauce:

Mix the capers, yogurt, grated mozarella cheese, minced parsley and lemon juice. 1 serving equals 1 spoonful of sauce.

White Potato Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:37:00 +0000

I believe that soup is a healthy and perfect way to lift those appetites before the main course! Nothing beats a fine dining with low-fat hi-nutrition soup entrée!

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 garlic

2 medium-sized leeks, chopped to finesse

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

5-6 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

2 ½ pounds of potatoes, peeled and diced

1/3 cup of sour cream

A pinch of salt and black pepper

Preparations:

Rinse the garlic, peel and mince.

Melt the butter in a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add leeks and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add minced garlic, broth, bay leaves and salt. Reduce heat and simmer for around 30 minutes.

Add potatoes and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes more.

Dispose of the bay leaves. Add sour cream and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Mash some of the potatoes and let it mix with the soup to give it more consistency. Add black pepper.

Serve on a soup bowl with bruschetta or pieces of french bread! Garnish with mint leaves or basil :D

Guide to Spotting Food Spoilage

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:27:00 +0000

Cooking in a proper and healthy manner is only one half of the work; selection of fresh and good-quality ingredients is also important! Most people tend to ignore the fact that food kept for long periods in the fridge has lost the healthy nutrients necessary for the body, because they still appear fresh!

Food spoilage can be caused by two factors, namely natural decay and contamination by micro-organisms.

Here are some tips to knowing when your food is no longer fit for cooking:

Moisture Loss

Moisture loss mostly occurs in fruit and vegetables, especially one with large amounts of water, but it also occurs in other foods like meat, fish, and cheese due to evaporation of water from the surface. This is easily spotted by appearance and texture. Colorful food will appear discolored and has dry skin.

Browning

Enzymes inside the fruits and vegetables may cause browning or discoloration when exposed to air. Freezing these fruit/vegetable pieces helps slow down the cell-degradation process, but it’s better to not keep the halves.

Moulds

Moulds are tiny vegetations just visible to the naked eyes. They grow from spore cells, settle and multiply on certain foods such as meat, cheese, fruit and bread stored in damp conditions. Moulds remain active at low temperature but will be destroyed at a temperature of more than 70 degrees C. It appears as fluffly mass, mostly white in colour.

Bad Smell

Food may look fresh after a few days of storage, but do not only rely on one sense! Smell it, is it acidic? Rotten-smelling? The bad smell mainly comes from microorganism contamination such as bacteria, and at this state the food may cause digestive problems.

So what’s the best way to keep your ingredients fresh?

Arrange your fridge as such so that you know which fruit/vegetable/meat was stored first. I, for example, always arrange meat/vegetables from the left to the right by the order of storage.

When it comes to food, it’s never a good idea to buy in bulk unless you’re planning a feast. Besides, food is not a fashion item and it is rarely labeled ‘buy 1 get 1 free’ or such. Buy ingredients according to your needs, while taking the frequency of shopping into consideration. Experts suggest you store fresh ingredients for a maximum of 3 days.

Store your fresh ingredients in a vacuum plastic bag or tupperware for maximum length of storage and minimum risk of contamination.

Always look at the expiry date of factory-made ingredients or bakery products. Pick one with a later expiry date

Well, there you go, some tips to know when not to use expired/bad/spoiled food. Hope this helps! Enjoy your food and stay healthy!

Healthy Chicken Kebabs!

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast (diced)

1 red bell pepper (combine with green or yellow ones, if you like), diced to 2-inch wide pieces

1 onion, diced the same way

Kebab skewers (made of bamboo or stainless steel)

Barbeque sauce:

Mix and simmer the following ingredients for 15 minutes:

3 tablespoon of soybean sauce

½ cup of water

½ cup of apple vinegar (or squeeze 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon of yellow mustard

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

½ teaspoon of cayenne

A pinch of salt and black pepper

Preparation Steps:

Preheat the grill to high heat

Thread the chicken, bell pepper and onion pieces onto the skewers

Oil the grill gate lightly and place kebabs on the prepared grill

Turn the kebabs frequently and brush it with barbeque sauce for 20 minutes.

Serve garnished with celery or chopped green onions.

The Right Way of Preparing Instant Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:01:00 +0000

Phew! After being soooo busy with work-business-work-business (it’s ultra-hectic, you guysss!), I was finally inspired create put a new blog post. This ‘revelation’ occured to me on Sunday night, during the holiday season in Indonesia, where we couldn’t find any food vendor (everybody is rushing to their hometown for the holidays! Literally, they look they’re evacuating from an impending disaster....) and were forced to eat.... omg, instant noodles!

I hate to admit that I used to be a big lover of it, and so did my family. This was before a doctor told us how bad instant food and canned/processed food are. Did you know that 95% instant noodle consumers never knew the proper way of preparing it, A.K.A, they never knew they SHOULDN’T (this is important, people!) to dump the cooked noodle water into which the chemical food hardener/preservatives dissolves.

This chemical ingredient does not only make the overall food tastes artificial... (blech!) but also increases the risks of cancer, gastrointestinal problems, and bloated belly!

Now I know even the most up-scale people have not missed an instant noodle session (I mean, how else would it be the best-selling mass-produced food products ever, right?), so I’ve come up with some tips to prepare your instant noodle without jeopardizing your health!

Preparation Steps (The Healthy Way)

Even if your instant noodle comes with a styrofoam bowl, i strongly suggest to use a food-grade container.
Boil 3 glasses of water and wait until the water is fully bubbling, as this will be used for the instant noodle soup, and it will also ensure that all preservatives/hardener in the noodle dissolve within 3-4 minutes of cooking time.
Pour the ingredients into your bowl, and add a cup of boiled water from the pan.
Start cooking your instant noodle by simmering it in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes (I like mine for 5 minutes). Note: How do you know if an instant noodle is ready to eat? Easy! The water it boils in should be deep yellowish and the noodle itself should be loose and slippery when you try to pick some with ur fork!
After the noodle is cooked, dump the cooked water slowly down the sink, or simply use a stainless steel sifter to take the noodle without the water, into the bowl.

Et voila, you have a much healthier bowl of instant noodle at your disposal!

(for the record, I am strongly against instant and processed food >_<)

Enjoy your noodle and stay healthy, people!

I HAVE RETURNED

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:15:00 +0000

It's been a while since I last wrote an article on my blog. I've been really busy with work and business (and still am, =.=) But I have determined to come back and write more articles. Someone out there might need it and find it useful, which is the initial reason I started the blog in the first place. I have several recipes I have yet to put on my blog, but I haven't had the time to edit them. So I'll celebrate my return with a little healthy menu for your wonderful summer day:)

Summer Day Yoghurt Apricots

4 servings

Nutritional info: 250 calories per serving

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb of fresh apricots, halved and pitted
- 2 tbs of light brown sugar
- 9 oz of non-fat vanilla yoghurt
- 6 tbs of strawberry puree

Preparation:

1. Prepare grill for cooking. On a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill and on lid.

2. Arrange apricots, cut sides up, in a roasting pan and sprinkle with brown sugar, patting and pressing with fingers to help evenly adhere.

3. Cook apricots in pan, covered with grill lid, without turning, with low heat until sugar is melted and apricots are softened (about 5 minutes).

4. Serve apricots with yogurt on top, and pour some strawberry puree. Yum Yum Yum ^_^

This recipe is good for dessert after lunch on a hot, sunny day :D

Rise and Shine Blogger Template

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 May 2010 05:16:00 +0000

Rise and Shine is the third Blogger Template that I've created. :) It was based on two column layout and has both top and footer navigation menu. I've also already embedded so many useful Blogger hacks on the template such as pagination, read more button, related posts, avatar comments, Back to Top Button, Google Buzz and Twitter retweet button and Social Bookmarking Buttons. Special thanks to AllBlogTools.com for these useful Blogger hacks.

Click here to download this template in XML format.
Click here to download this template in ZIP format (images included).

Click here to view the demo template

Template Installation Instructions

Download a template and unzip.
Go to the Layout section in your blog (Dashboard → Layout → Edit HTML ).
Supports your previous template (Download full Template).
Find and upload your template.
Enjoy your new blog design.

To Customize the Template

For color and the font size, some Blogger templates offer an option to change it from the Dashboard (Dashboard → Layout → Fonts and Colors). Here you can see the result directly in the template.

Major changes in the templates needed to know at least a little CSS and HTML. A quick way to modify a template is change the images in the CSS code, for others with the same dimensions. That is the process to change the header of a design, for example.

Additionally, some templates have their own settings instructions and customization, refer to the same download page of your template.

To edit the top menu and the footer links, you could edit it through the menu directly from the Dashboard (Dashboard → Layout → Page Elements).

How To Activate/Edit the Rise and Shine Template Embedded Features (Jquery Image Gallery, Retweet Button, Light Box, etc)

To learn how to activate the Lightbox, you can learn it from here.
To learn how to activate the Jquery Image Gallery, you can learn it from here.
To edit the retweet button, you can simply go to Dashboard → Layout → Edit HTML then check Expand Widget Templates box. Find this code your_twitter_user_name and then replace it with your own Twitter username.
To edit the pagination style, you can learn it from here.

Enjoy!

Your Weekly Diet Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:18:00 +0000

The hardest part of having diets and counting calories is to determine what type of food and how much you should eat in a day. Here is an example of diet menu in a week, totalling in less than 1500 calories a day. Try to eat breakfast just after you wake up, lunch between 12-2 pm, and dinner about 4-6 hours before you sleep. Snack can be consumed in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner (but not after dinner!)

Add that with 1 hour of exercise everyday, and you’ll be fit and healthy =D

Day 1:
          Breakfast: Whole grain cereal with 1 glass of skim milk
          Lunch: Risotto, sautee using olive oil instead of butter
          Dinner: Honey-Glaze Chicken with Mushroom
          Snack: 1 cup of dried blueberries

Day 2:
          Breakfast: 1 tall glass of strawberry smoothie
          Lunch: Carnival Bruschetta
          Dinner: Pork Loin with Herbs and Veggie
          Snack: 2 bananas

Day 3:
          Breakfast: 2 slices of toast bread with feta cheesespread
          Lunch: chicken wonton soup
          Dinner: Pizza Margarita
          Snack: chocolate bar

Day 4:
          Breakfast: Tuna sandwich with low-fat cheese
          Lunch: Salsa Rice
          Dinner: Baked chicken with olive oil, lemon juice, spices and herbs
          Snack: Cranberry Sorbet

Day 5:
          Breakfast: Baked potato with peas and carrots
          Lunch: Fruit Salad (no dressing)
          Dinner: Whole wheat spagghetti with tomato sauce
          Snack: Chocobols

Day 6:
          Breakfast: Blueberry Muffin
          Lunch: Caesar salad with olive oil
          Dinner: Chicken and Noodle
          Snack: Toasted corn tortillas

Day 7:
          Breakfast: sunny side up egg with 2 bacons
          Lunch: Brown rice with mushroom
          Dinner: Cajun Halibut
          Snack: sweetcorn with salted skim milk

More recipes will be coming, and more weekly meal plans will be written on this blog. So, keep checking on Tikachu’s Kitchen ;)

TOP 10 Food Myths

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 06:23:00 +0000

Hi, all =D After taking a long easter break, I came up with some ideas on what to write in my blog. This article was inspired by an event which occured during an easter celebration at church. There were some older women talking about the best time to avoid weight gain is eat dinner early. While it is true that your metabolism is slower when you sleep at night, overall what matters is your calorie intake and output PER DAY. Aside from that one, there are lots of food myths generated over the ages that I want you to know as well, since it can badly wreak havoc on your diet

1. If it says ‘fat-free’, it doesn’t have any calories

People need to know that fat is different from calorie. Any fat-free food might have some calories left in it. It is best to consult food packaging’s nutritional table to confirm the amount of calories contained within.

2. Avoid red meat

If you have diabetic or heart disease and go to a physician, most likely he will say that you can eat any food, but not in large portions. This is true to an extent. Even though red meat is associated with human health problems, it will hardly harm you if consumed in a balanced nutritional proportion

3. Carbs make you fat

Carbohydrate is the main source of energy for the human body, and it does not cause weight gain unless it contributes to excess calorie intake. There are even some forms of diet which suggest people to eat high-carb but low-fat food products. However, since high-carb but low fat food makes you get hungry sooner, it tends to trigger overeating.

4. Exercise makes you hungrier and eat more

Research has shown that after 20 minutes of exercise, people eat no more than those who haven’t done anything. People who are physically active, however, need more calorie intake and are suggested to eat more to avoid the body from being deprived of nutrition.

5. Protein makes you strong

Athletes and bodybuilders eat very high portion of protein because most people believe it is a source of muscle strength. However, research has shown that people who eat high carb and no protein can sustain their stamina better when doing physical activities in a long period of time.

6. Processed food is not as healthy as fresh food

In fact, a lot of processed food are more nutritious because they are packed with additional vitamins and mineral extracts. Some frozen vegetables even retain more vitamin and minerals because they are frozen before transported, whereas fresh vegetables sometimes takes days and lose nutrition on the way to the supermarket.

7. Don’t eat egg if you’re on a diet

Researchers suggest people to eat one egg per day. It is packed with protein and can make you feel fuller compared to other food of the same volume. Poached eggs are the healthiest.

8. Certain food burn calories

Calories can only be burned through physical activities, even the slightest one like breathing, since every movement that we make requires the cooperation between hundreds of muscles in our body. But of course, the more active you move, the more calories you burn.

9. Drink Diet Coke

Even if the nutritional table says 0 calorie, most nutritionists don’t believe that any food that has taste can contain no calorie. Besides, coke isn’t the best drink for your health. Drink water or lemon juice =)

10. Decaf coffee has no caffeine

Decaf coffee contains between 8 and 32 milligrams of high-octane zip in average, whereas regular coffee contains 100-150 milligrams. Better choice of substitute for coffee is herbal tea, rich in anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Pork Loin with Herbs and Veggy

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 07:31:00 +0000

6 servings

Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 325 kcal, Fat: 12 g, protein: 56 mg, zinc: 19 mg, carb: 15 mg

Ingredients:

- 1500 g of boneless pork loin

- 6 small shallots, peeled

- 3 tablespoons of whole grain mustard

- 700 g of baby artichokes

- 150 ml of dry white wine

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 2 medium-sized lemons

- 12 garlic cloves: 4 peeled, 8 unpeeled

- 250 ml of low-salt chicken broth

- ½ teaspoon of salt

- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

- ½ teaspoon of fresh rosemary

Preparation:

Sauce:

- Grate 2 teaspoons of of lemon zest.

- Blend or grind the zest with 4 peeled garlic cloves, rosemary, salt, and pepper, add mustard, mix thoroughly.

Veggies:

- Fill a large saucepan 2/3 full of water.

- Cut peeled lemon in half, squeeze the lemon into the water, sprinkle with salt and boil.

- Trim the stem and peel the artichokes, and boil in salted water with lemon for about 8 minutes.

- Mix artichokes, 8 unpeeled garlic cloves, shallots and olive oil in a medium bowl, sprinke with salt and pepper

Pork:

- Grill pork slices fat side up on a pan coated with olive oil

- Rub the mustard sauce on the pork and let it marinade for 30 minutes.

- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roast pork until the crust is brown for about 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F.

- Arrange the veggies around the pork. Roast for another 45 minutes.

- Transfer the pork to a pyrex and cover it with aluminium foil for 15 minutes, et voila, your healthy yet delicious dinner menu =D

The Truth About Obesity

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:23:00 +0000

Dear readers,

Just a few days ago I came across a really good educational TV show titled “Obesity”. It is both inspiring and terrifying that I thought I should spread this information to everybody through my blog. It is a seed of many serious health disorders and has triumphed as the most serious health factors in the 21st century. Sadly, only a small percentage of people know how dangerous obesity is, because for thousands of years men have adapted to only just enough food, and food was, until the 19th century, a matter of necessity, not leisure. With the growing economy and mass-production, agricultural technology and supermarket around the world, food consumption rate increases at an alarming rate each year. While on the other hand, 21st century technology such as transportation and digital entertainment triggered physically-inactive lifestyle, requiring us to burn less calories than our ancestors.

The Vice of Men

Medically, obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it has become dangerous for human health. Our body is naturally designed to store excess fat when we eat more than we need, a crucial factor when we were still living at nature’s mercy and food was not always available. With the advancement of human technology, notably agriculture and food industry, food became the most widely manufactured products in the world and human has learned to process food in such a delicious manner that it has been more than just necessity: it is our worldly pleasure, and to obese people: their vice. The modern society’s addiction to junk food (zero nutrition excessive fat food) and high-sugar or salt snacks has also endangered human health.

Statistics

Obesity is the leading preventable causes of death throughout the world. In the United States alone, obesity is estimated to cause 100,000 to 365,000 of deaths every year. On average, obesity reduces life expectancy by 6 – 7 years. Extreme cases of obesity even reduces life expectancy by 10 years.

Statistics have shown that our calories intake has increased significantly over the last 40 years in all parts of the world except Eastern Europe. The United States has an average calorie intake of 3,754 kcal, almost twice as needed, in 2003. Europeans came in second with 3,394 kcal per person, followed by Asia (2,648 kcal per person) and Sub-saharan Africa (2,176 kcal per person).

Medical Aspect

The human body needs varied amount of energy every day in order to function properly. The variety depends on age, sex, metabolism and daily activities. This energy is measured in ‘calories’. On average, young male adult need 2500 kcal/day, whereas women averagely need 2000 kcal/day. Children and older people require less energy, whereas physically active people need more. Rough temperature also makes us burn more energy, and thus requiring more food calories.

Human store fat differently according to their sex. Women store fat under their skin, and are more even throughout the body. Men, however, store excessive fat around their internal organs, and therefore obesity is more dangerous to men than women! Fortunately, men generally have higher metabolism than women, and can burn calories and reduce fat faster.

The dangers of obesity include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleeping disorders, cancer, and osteoarthritis. In addition to that list: hormon imbalance, depression, hypertension, infertility, birth defects and pregnany difficulties, multiple sclerosis, migraines, stroke, liver disease, gallbladder disorder, hair loss and skin problems, and other physical and psychological disorders. Only a very small percentage of obesity cases are caused by genetic and thyroid factors. In order to measure levels of obesity, the medical world uses Body Mass Index (BMI) as follows:

BMI = weight (kg) / height2 (meter)

The ideal weight should be between 18.5 – 24.9. Overweight is between 25.0 – 29.9. Class I obesity is 30.0 – 34.9, class II obesity is 35.0 – 39.9, above 40 is morbid obesity, and above 50 is super obesity.

Treatment

The primary treatment for obesity is change of eating habits and physical exercise. Anti-obesity drugs may also be given to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption, although not always recommended. In some extreme cases in which no conventional method works, an obesity patient has to undergo gastric bypass or intestinal bypass, meaning a large percentage of his/her stomach must be removed to force small portion of meals or his/her intestines are shortened in order to absorb less fat. This method, however, most likely comes with complications and post-operational disorders.

I hope this article is as eye-opening to you as the TV show and the research have been for me. It is our responsibility to pay attention to our biggest asset in life: our health.

Be informed, be aware =)

Non-Fat Cranberry Sorbet

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:31:00 +0000

Servings: 8

Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 75, Protein: 3 g, Carb: 9 g, Fiber: 9 g,

Ingredients:

- 800 g of frozen cranberries

- 900 ml of water

- 250 ml of fresh lemon juice

- 200 ml of skim milk

- 300 g of low-calorie sugar

Preparation:

- Boil cranberries, water and sugar and stir it until the cranberries burst (around 15 min)

- Puree the cranberry mixture until it is smooth, and freeze it about 2 hours.

- Stir together the cranberry puree, fresh lemon juice and skim milk in an ice-cream maker, then move it to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Makes a special dessert for a special occasion. Sprinkle it with dried berries/raisin, yum yum =d

Get to Know Your Berry!

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:22:00 +0000

No, obviously we’re not gonna discuss a popular cellphone brand, although there is somewhat a close relation to it. “Berry” is an english term for an edible small-to-medium sized pulpy, juicy, usually bright-coloured fruits (psst, tomato, one of the healthiest nature produce there is, also belongs to the berry family!) Most berries are audible, but some like the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and potato tree fruits (Solanum tuberosum) are poisonous to us.

The bright colors displayed by berries are produced by natural plant pigments, notably polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanins and tannins concentrated on the skin and seeds of berries. These chemicals mark the nutrients contained in these lovely-looking fruits. Berries are especially rich with antioxidants and therefore are used in skin care products to fight off free radicals.

There are many types of fruits that are technically from the berry family, such as melon, tomato, grapes, even banana and lemon! All of them contain good vitamins and minerals for the human body and are the most popular fruits on Earth =)

Here are a list of berries with notable level of antioxidant (I really want to make article that has tomatos and oranges in it but it will be too long, so tune in for the next article :D) :

Strawberries – Strawberries are excellent sources of vitamin C and antioxidants, marked by its bright red colors. It can be consumed fresh as it is, processed as jelly, dried and mixed with other fruits into cereal bars, sliced and put in your salad, or made into juice, milkshake, smoothy and yoghurt. Strawberry is also one of the first industrial food flavoring created and is still one of the most popular food flavoring! ^_^

Blueberries – a popular base ingredient for skin care products, blueberries have a wide range of varieties because they tend to adapt with their local environment. Blueberries can be processed to puree, juice, or dried, or made into jellies, jams, snack foods, and cereals. Blueberries contain dietary minerals, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and fiber. Research also shows that a blueberry contains anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant, and possibly anti-cancer properties, are known to block certain virus like hepatitis C, slows down our body’s aging process, and prevents Alzheimer. A must have in your fruit basket! :D

Grapes – Known since the Classic age as fruit of the Gods, grapes probably are the most widely processed food in human civilization. It has been processed into jams, wine, raisins, juice, vinegar, and even drugs. Grapes also have a wide range of colors: green, black, purple, red, yellow and pink. Most of the species are native to Mediterranian areas. The chemical contents in grapes are found to reduce risks of heart failure, cancer, degenerative nerve diseases, viral infections and even Alzheimer. Like most other berries, it also contains antioxidant which is good for your skin =)

Blackberries – ~~a popular choice of accessory for the ‘cool’ people of modern day, blackberries are probably the most expensive considering the built-in features which are commonly found in medium-end....~~ ehem. Blackberries are edible aggregate fruits that botanics refuse to call ‘true berries’. There are currently 375 species of blackberries known to men. Blackberries contain dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, betacarotene, and folic acid. The seeds are especially rich with omega-3 acids, protein and ellagic acids.

Raspberries – Raspberries are especially rigorous and can thrive in some of the most difficult environments, and therefore contain a lot of nutrients and anti-disease properties. Raspberries are packed with antioxidants (ranking 3rd of the top antioxidant fruits after cranberries and blueberries), vitamin C, minerals and dietary fiber, vitamin B1, B2 and B3, folic acid, and iron. Raspberries are also good as anti-inflammation, pain relief, anti-cancer, anti-cardiovascular disease, anti-diabetes, anti-allergies, and anti-aging food.

Cranberries – Cranberries are so popular in the food industry due to their taste, nutrient content and antioxidant qualities that they are stamped as ‘superfruit’. 95% of cranberries produced throughout the world are processed into supermarket products such as juice, sauce, syrup, yoghurt, wine and dried fruits. Only 5% are sold fresh to consumers, because they are considered too sharp to be eaten plain. When kept frozen, cranberries can be stored up to nine months. Cranberries rank first as fruits with the most anti-oxidant content known to man. They contain all the nutrients found in all other berries. Be careful when choosing cranberries products though, since most of them contain too much sugar!

And that’s your 3 minutes berry education ;)

Recipe of the Week: Honeyglaze Chicken with Mushroom

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:19:00 +0000

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 189, Calories from fat: 74, Total fat: 8.3 g, Cholesterol: 55 mg, Sodium: 1.2 g, carb: 7.3 g, fiber: 1 g, protein: 21.7 g

Ingredients:

- 4 boneless chicken breasts

- 10 pieces of medium-sized Shitake mushroom

- 1 dash of garlic powder

- 2 teaspoons of honey

- 1 dash of black pepper

- 4 tablespoons of soy sauce

- 3 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a heat-resistant glassbowl, mix the honey, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, oyster sauce and honey.

3. Put the chicken breast into the bowl and cover it with the ingredients.

4. Cover the bowl with aluminium foil and bake it for 30 minutes.

5. Open the oven door, get the bowl, open the aluminium covering, put the shitake mushrooms in the bowl, cover the bowl again, and bake again for 20 more minutes.

Healthy Spices, Herbs and Flavorings to Have in Your Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:44:00 +0000

My gastronomical lecturer in college used to point out how salt and pepper are mainly the only spices that european people need to put in their food. My conclusion is that the reluctance or ignorance of spice usage is one of the factors of salt addiction phenomena in modern societies. Salt addiction has not been a serious issue in regions with spicy local delicacies, though. Spices not only make your meal requires less salt to be tasty, but it also contains a lot of nutrients good for your body. Unlike during the middle ages when spices are considered luxury goods and colonial powers fought over areas producing these, the people of modern world have the privilege of acquiring them cheap in stores throughout their country. This article will give you a list of which spices besides salt and pepper that you should keep in your kitchen (best in the form of powder so that it won’t significantly alter the texture of your meal):

- Chilli powder. A good addition to almost any type of food, but it is best served in soups or sprinkled on top of crispy snacks. You might want to choose salt-free chilli powder if available. Chilli naturally contains three times the amount of vitamin C contained in oranges, carotene (provitamin A), most B vitamins, potassium, magnesium and iron. Too much of this will cause gastro-intestinal inflammation though, so use it at appropriate amount =D

2. Lemon lime. Lemon juice is a natural way of decontaminating your meat, getting rid of fishy scents in your seafood, and freshen your salad =D It’s always good to have lemon around, and it is best served in soups, salad, and as an ingredient for marinade. You can also use lemon zest to add strong flavor in your main course or even dessert. Lemon contains vitamin C, antioxidant which is good for your skin.

3. Garlic. Most people doesn’t like the smell of garlic, but they’re a favorite in chinese dish and its flavor complements vegetables. Garlic is best minced raw and raw put on food after it is served, not when it’s being cooked. Garlic contains anti-cancer nutrients, lowers your cholesterol, acts as anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal agent. To counter garlic breath, use parsley or mint leaves to go with the food.

4. Young ginger powder. Ginger powder has a mild pungent flavor which compliments dishes such as seafood, goatmeat and vegetarian cuisine. You can use it in cookies, crackers, curries, soups, and non-sweet dessert. For beverages, it is best served with lemon or honey.

5. Soybean sauce. Soybean sauce is widely popular in Asia, and is used mostly like people use tomato ketchup. It can be used for sauteeing, in spiced soups, or to compliment fried food. Soybean contains natural vitamins and minerals needed by our body, and it was produced using fermentation process which makes it packed with good biotics. Since soybean already contains salt, it is a good reason to not pack your meal with salt.

6. Nutmeg. Nutmeg is a seed of Mystirica trees found across Asia. It has a slight sweet, light and delicate favor, and is usually used in light meals. It is best grated fresh and sprinkled in salad, baked potatoes, to complement molten cheese, sauteed vegetables, or to be put in curry dishes. It can also be sprinkled on top of a cinnamon or ginger-flavored cake. Just a pinch of nutmeg powder is enough to add spice flavor to your meals.

7. White pepper. Unlike black pepper, white pepper has stronger scent and taste. It is a great substitute for chilli powder because it has both heat and spicy taste common in chillis. White pepper is a traditional ingredient used to relieve flu and is known to fight off skin problems. It is best sprinkled in small amount on almost any kind of food including soups, pasta, sauteed dishes, grilled dishes, and as a marinade ingredient.

8. Ginger is most likely one of the best spice you want to keep in your kitchen. It has analgesic, sedative, antipyretic and antibacterial properties, and is known to prevent skin and ovarian cancer cells. It also treats cold and flu, indigestion problems, cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Ginger is best sliced and boiled in soupy dishes to add flavor to the food. In powder form, ginger can be added to curry or tomato soups and sauteed dishes.

9. Chinese Five-Spices Powder. The Chinese five-spices powder is a practical way of adding flavor to almost all kinds of chinese food in just a pinch. It contains clove, cinnamon, star anise, sichuan pepper and ground fennel. It is based on the yin and yang philosophy implemented in traditional cuisine. It is best used to marinade meat.

10. Brown sugar. Brown sugar is a good substitute for the regular white sugar you use when cooking dishes. One trick to avoid using artificial flavor enhancement is to combine brown sugar, salt and white pepper. Brown sugar contains less calories than white sugar.

Diversify your spices and flavorings and make each meal special. Happy cooking ^_^b

Golden Noodle with Chicken and Veggies

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:15:00 +0000

6 servings

Nutritional information per serving: Calories: 212, Protein: 12 g, carb: 23 g, fiber: 43.7 g, Cholesterol: 1.8 g

Ingredients:

- 750 grams of whole-wheat fetuccini

- 500 grams of steamed chicken breast, shred it to pieces

- 50 grams of frozen peas and carrots, steam it well

- 50 grams of beansprouts

- 2 cloves of garlic, mince it

- 2 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce

- 3 tablespoons of olive oil

- salt and pepper

Preparation:
- fill a medium-sized pan with water and boil it
- put 1 tablespoon of salt in it, then put in the fetuccini and cook it for 15 minutes
- take out the fetuccini and put it in a bowl, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix it to keep it from being sticky
- in a frying pan or wok, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- put in the minced garlic and beansprouts, stir it until it is a bit yellow
- put in the chicken breast, peas and carrots
- stir it a little, put in the fetuccini and the remaining ingredients: sweet soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and pepper
- stir it again for a bit, and it’s ready :D

Food for When You’re Not in Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:17:00 +0000

Everybody has their share of sickness, even those in perfect shape. Illness can be contracted through human contact, our surrounding environment or the food we eat out. When you get sick, our body chemicals work in abnormal situation, trying to cope and fight the foreign existence invading it. In this state, your body needs the right combination of nutrients to help fight off the sickness. Here are some menu you should include when you’re not in shape:

1. Chicken Soup. Chicken soup has been used for flu remedy for ages and in different civilizations throughout history. It reduces mucus and helps coughing it out. Chicken soup is best served with vegetables in it.

2. Green Tea. Green Tea is known to fight cancer and heart disease. It lowers your cholesterol level, burns fat, prevents diabetes and stroke and staves off dementia. It also has anti-viral, anti-bacterial effects and is good for your body immunity.

3. Chilli. Spicy chillis are the best source of vitamin C, one of the important elements for your body immunity. Orange-reddish fruits and vegetables such as oranges, red guava, bell peppers, strawberries and papayas also contain this natural healthy nutrient.

4. Probiotics drinks. Probiotics beverages and yogurt can reduce the symptoms of cold and flu, as it contains good bacterias obtained from fermentation process that help fight off the bad bacterias in our body. It is proven to reduce fever, cough and runny nose, especially on children. Other fermented food such as tofu, cheese and sauerkraut.

5. Sea Fish. Sea fish contains antimicrobial substances which helps fight off even swine flu. The best way to retain the healthy nutrients in fish is to steam it. You might want to try chinook and pink salmon, light tuna and sardines.

So next time you catch a flu, pay attention to what your meal can do to your body :D

My 10 Healthy Cooking Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:53:00 +0000

Most people think that healthy cooking is a hassle, but the truth is, it only requires a little change in your kitchen rules. By replacing or adding several cooking ingredients with healthier ones, you do not only reduce the amount of fat contained in your food but also add those extra nutrients necessary for faster metabolism! Here are 10 simple and healthy cooking techniques you can apply at home:

1. Replace vegetable oil with monounsaturated oil when applicable. Olive oil is naturally a lot healthier than palm or vegetable oil. If you’re a little tight on budget, however, use olive oil only for sauteeing, grilling patties or as salad dressing. For deep frying, mix it with non-cholesterole oil.

2. Use herbs. Salt and pepper are generally the ingredients that you need to flavor most food. However, usage of additional herbs such as thyme, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, chilli powder, cinnamon, ground paprika, mint leaf, celery, etc., does not only add to the taste and flavour, but certain spices are also known to increase your metabolism and help fight certain diseases. There are various herbs and there are basically no rules to using them in your dish. Just experiment with mixing and matching them!

3. Use less salt. When you experience with different herbs, it is the best reason to reduce the amount of salt you pour into your food. Modern civilization’s addiction to salt contributes to the high rate of hypertension, cardiovascular, and obesity cases. Salt makes you crave for more food and makes greasy, unhealthy food taste better when you are supposed to stay away from them!

4. Steam, not boil! When dealing with vegetables, it is best to steam instead of boiling to keep the nutrients within the veggie.

5. The lower the better. When it comes to fat content, the lower the better. Stay away from full-cream milk, butter, jelly jam, sugar coating, saturated fat, canned food, and instant food packages. Use skim milk, non-cholesterol vegetable oil, canola oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, corn oil or olive oil.

6. Always have greens in the refrigerator. Remember to always include vegetables in your food when applicable. There are hundreds of vegetables to choose from, so don’t say it doesn’t go with your dish!

7. Smaller cuts. When serving red meat or potentially high-calorie food, cut the food to smaller pieces so you’ll eat less and slower.

8. Go nuts. Nuts and beans are great source of nutrition. Put extra red beans in soup and black beans/walnuts in your salad, or put nuts in a jar with a little bit of salt and fried garlic as your choice of healthy snack!

9. Be stealthy! If your children refuse to eat vegetables as it is, make puree out of the vegetables and sneak it in their food, such as in pancakes, waffles, meatballs, nuggets, or omelette!

10. Prevent preservatives from entering your stomach. When you’re in a hurry, instant noodle or pasta might be practical and fast. But remember, factory-produced instant food are packed with preservatives. When you boil instant noodle and pasta and wants it soupy, replace the cooking water that’s full with preservatives with a clear, newly boiled water.

And that’s your simple tips of healthy cooking! =)

Cajun Halibut

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:18:00 +0000

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 128, Calories from fat: 24, Total fat: 2.7 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Total carbs: 0.6g, Protein: 23.9g

Ingredients:

- Cajun Halibut:

- 4 pieces (around 4 ounces) of halibut steak
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of garlic powder
- a pinch of red pepper
- a pinch of paprika

Salad:
- One half of red onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons of corn
- Parsley, chopped to finesse
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of black pepper
- One half of lemon, squeeze to get the juice

Preparation:
1. Mix the garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper and rub evenly on the steak surface.
2. Preheat a skillet on medium heat and spray it with oil to prevent the steak from sticking to the surface of the skillet.
3. Cook the fish on the skillet for 4 minutes each side until it is tender.
4. Once the steak is done, rub red pepper powder evenly on top
5. To make the salad, mix all salad ingredients in a bowl with your hand and refrigerate it for 1 hour.

Time to have a nice outdoor lunch on a sunny day, Cajun style ;D

Fantastic Organic!

noreply@blogger.com (Kartika Christensen) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:36:00 +0000

Dear readers,

Did you know that one non-organic apple contains more than 20 different pesticides?

The world has been a victim of physical consumption. We buy things because they look good, and this, unfortunately, also goes for food. In order to meet the customers’ demand for flawless, shiny fruits, the farmers use various types of pesticides, harmful materials, to keep pests at bay. It’s not just a matter of physical consumption, however, because the invention of pesticide brought crop production to a whole new level. Farmers lose less percentage of their crop per harvest, and some pesticides also keep the produces fresh for a longer period.

Few people know the consequences of consuming farm produces packed with these harmful chemicals. In the last decade, however, people are getting more aware of health and the environment, and thankfully they have established a new agricultural technology to make what we call ‘organic food’. So, what is organic food and why does it benefit us?

What does ‘organic’ mean?

Unlike the conventional, modern, agricultural produces, organic food are raised without the use of chemical additives, such as pesticides, chemically-enhanced fertilizers, hormones, etc. Organic food are heavily regulated industry and usually come from minor-scale agricultural industry, hence the price and number in the market. A large percentage of organic food are bought directlyfrom the growers.

Generally, organic means that 95% of the produce is non-chemical. It must be free from artifical food additives, and cannot be undergoing chemical process such as chemical ripening, food irradiation and genetic modification. The only pesticide allowed is the non-synthetic ones.

Health Factors

Research has proven that pesticides largely contribute to risks of cancer, obesity (!!!), Alzheimer, and even birth defects. Pesticides are also associated with acute health problems such as abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems. Long period of exposure to pesticide also leads to respiratory problems, memory disorders, cancer, depression, neurologics deficits, miscarriages and other acute syndroms. It’s so ironic that the fruits and vegetables we eat as a part of healthy diet menu actually make us prone to these dangerous health disorders!

Identifying Organic Food

Organic farms and produces are usually certified by the country’s health department, and they bear the label ‘Certified Organic’. They are also quite more expensive (around 40% more expensive than non-organic food). But don’t worry, because the benefits totally worth the money you spend =). Organic food also have better taste than most non-organic food.

Other Benefits of Organic Food

Aside from its health benefits on human, organic food are also good for:

1. The environment. No artificial chemical and harmful pesticides are released into the environment, which may harm the soil, water and the wildlife.

2. Energy-saving. Organic farms use less energy and produce less waste compared to the conventional farming.

3. Food supply. Soil on organic farms have higher water retention, making organic farms yield 50% more produces even in drought years.

What are you waiting for? Next time you are in a supermarket and passes by the vegetable section, grab some organic produces and try them out ;)