Herb & Spice Fact of the Day

Cilantro also known as Coriander (Hindi: Dhania - धनिया), is an annual herb. It is native to Southern Europe, North Africa & South West Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant with leaves that are broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The leaves have a sharp pungent aroma, with citrus overtones. Some people identify it as an unpleasant "soapy" taste or a rank smell. Interestingly, there appears to be a genetic component to the detection of "soapy" versus "herby" tastes. The fresh leaves are an ingredient in South Asian, Chinese and Mexican cuisine. Most people have enjoyed it in salsa and guacamole and as a garnish in Indian dishes. As heat tends to diminish the flavor, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before serving. Cilantro seeds are also used in Indian cuisine, in curries and also in pickles.

Like other herbs, cilantro leaves and seeds are rich in antioxidants, with the leaves being especially potent and contain essential volatile oils such as borneol, linalool, cineole, cymene, terpineol, dipentene, phellandrene, pinene and terpinolene and numerous anti-oxidant polyphenolic flavonoids such asquercetin, kaempferol, rhamnetin and epigenin. In addition, cilantro leaves and seeds have been used in traditional medicine as an antibacterial, anxiolytic, analgesic, aphrodisiac, anti-spasmodic, deodorant, digestive, carminative, fungicidal, lipolytic (weight loss), stimulant and stomachic. activity. In traditional Indian medicine, cilantro seeds are also used as a diuretic and carminative agent. Cilantro is one of the richest herbal sources for vitamin K and there is also some evidence to support that cilantro consumption can reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol. So go ahead ... and sprinkle away!! Here's a picture of my cilantro plant from my very own herb garden. Its been going for a little over 6 weeks now ... so Yay! for not having killed it with my black thumb!! :)

Wilted Broccoli Rabé w Kale

So after a few days of eating comfort foods like daal-chawal and peas pulao and other tried and tested and true recipes, I tried something new today. New Veggie #31 is Rapini (or  Broccoli Rabé).  I mixed it up with some kale (New Veggie #23) and made wilted greens this evening. The result was quite outstanding, if I may say so myself. 

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients:

1. One bunch Rapini
2. One bunch Kale
3. 4 cloves of Garlic, diced
4. 1 tsp turmeric
5. 1 tsp mustard seeds
6. 1/4 cup Vegetable broth
7. 1-2 tsp Tamicon, to taste
8. 5-6 leaves of fresh Basil
9. Salt, and pepper to taste.

Directions: Tear large leaves of rapini and kale into smaller pieces. Cut off heads of rapini buds and add to the mix as well. As you get closer to the center of the flowering kale, the leaves and stems get softer and I just kept those whole. Transfer all the greens to a large bowl of water and rinse well and drain. 

Line a skillet with vegetable broth and on medium heat, add garlic, tamicon, turmeric and mustard seeds. Tamicon is basically concentrated tamarind paste, which can be made at home by soaking tamarind pods in water and then squeezing out the pulp and separating it from the seeds and other non-edible parts. Tamarind paste adds a sweet tangy flavor to the dish. If you don't have tamarind on hand, you can use lemon/lime juice as well. Once the broth comes to a boil, and the garlic becomes fragrant, add the greens, cover and reduce heat. Cook until greens are wilted. I like my kale nicely wilted but if you're into eating it raw, make the spice mix in the least amount of vegetable broth and then simply toss the raw kale with the spices. Add chopped basil leaves as a fresh garnish. I love the minty flavor of basil. I served mine with a baked sweet potato and pearl cous-cous. 

Veggie Fact of the Day

Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli Rabé (Rapini) is a common vegetable in the cuisines of southern Italy and its neighbors. It is not ‘baby broccoli’ as is often believed but is actually closely related to turnips. It is, like broccoli, a member of the Brassica family. It typically consists of spiked leaves that surround clusters of green buds that resemble small heads of broccoli. 

Small, edible yellow flowers may bloom among the buds. Like most of the foods in the mustard family, rapini is loaded with vitamin C and contains beta-carotene, fiber, sulforaphanes and lutein. It is also rich in potassium, folic acid and fiber.