Domesblissity: Salads/Vegetables

Showing posts with label Salads/Vegetables. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Benefits of not eating meat: Save money & the environment

What is the the true cost of eating red meat? I want to offer you some alternatives to eating red meat. Here are some benefits of not eating meat to save money and the environment.

Benefits of not eating meat to save money & the environment Domesblissity.com

Other sources of protein

Contrary to popular opinion, red meat (as in beef or lamb, for example) isn’t the highest source of iron in our food. Obviously yes, red meat or liver is high but so are sardines, eggs, canned salmon, chicken, duck etc.

And then there’s the plant protein options like legumes (lentils, chickpeas), tofu, nuts, wholegrain cereals and green leafy vegetables, for example. For more info on protein sources and how much you actually need, check out this article for more information.

I must admit, I do love a nice piece of steak but I honestly can’t remember the last time I had one, let alone lamb. When I did buy beef more regularly, I’d look for whole rumps on special for $10 per kg or less and the butcher would slice it.

Looking at Coles website recently, the price per kg of red meat is outrageous and that’s why I don’t buy it. Also I know I can get my protein and iron from other, less expensive resources. Check out these cost examples from Coles (as at September 2020):

sliced rump steak @ $24.00/kg
sliced eye fillet steak @ $44.00/kg
sliced porterhouse steak @ $42.00/kg
veal sizzle steak @ $30.00/kg
lamb leg steak @ $28.00/kg
lamb back strap @ $50.00/kg

Cost on the environment

When you start to look at the harm that is being done to the environment in order to farm beef, it’s truly eye watering and very sad. Some quick stats:

Cows must consume over 7kg of vegetation to produce 500gm of meat.
Producing just one hamburger uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 32km.
A typical pig factory generates the same amount of raw waste as a city of 12,000 people.
Of all agricultural land in the U.S., 87 percent is used to raise animals for food.
In 2018 alone, NSW lost 60,800 hectares of woody vegetation – or about 200 times the size of Sydney’s CBD.

You can read more about the harmful effects on the environment by farming.

Alternatives to not eating meat to save money & the environment

So when you consider any or all of the above, it’s certainly a lot cheaper to eat other sources of protein which will help you reduce your grocery spend. Here are 5 quick tips:

Consider 2 serves of fish per week
Consider 2 serves of egg based dishes per week
Consider more plant based meals
Use lentils to replace mince/ground meat
Use poultry like chicken, duck or turkey

There are so many recipes on the internet. You only have to look at Indian recipes for beautiful vegetarian meals. Here are some links to inspire you:

11 ways to use chickpeas

13 Indian style salads & vegetable dishes

10 easy vegetarian meals

Can you live without red meat?

Friday, March 20, 2020

How to cut onions without crying

It took memany years to work out how to cut onions without crying – particularly if theyneeded to be finely diced.

One strategymight have involved wearing swimming goggles. Luckily that was in the agebefore mobile phones and social media!

I triedholding my breath.

I tried afancy chopping gadget (waste of time, money and space).

I tried afood processor. What a pain to clean – and if anything it made the tears worse!

I tried redonions. Brown onions. White onions. New onions. Old onions.

But still myeyes would water and sting – giving me a tiny glimpse into what those with Dry Eye syndrome experience daily.

If I wasreally lucky my nose would start streaming in sympathy (yes, I’m beingsarcastic!).

There had to be a better way.

I’m notsure how I hit upon this method – perhaps in a kitchen hints column in amagazine – but I’ve been using it for years now and all I can say is IT.REALLY. WORKS.

And now I’msharing my secrets with you.

How to Dice an Onion without the Tears

Cut off the “top” and “tail” of the onion

Peel while rinsing under cold water

Place the onion with a flat side down on the cutting board, as this creates a stable base.

Hold the knife in front of you and carefully make thin slices all the way across the onion, making sure you don’t cut all the way through to the bottom (try to get as close as you can, but not all the way).

Now turn the onion 90 degrees, and make thin slices across that intersect the previous cuts. Once again, be careful not to cut all the way through (it’s not the end of the world if you do, but it does make the next step quite a bit trickier).

Insert the knife into the middle cut, and slice it all the way through.
Take the two resulting halves and lay them flat side down on the cutting board.

Make more fine slices through each half and watch how you suddenly have piles of diced onion!

You will have a bit of onion at the end of each half which is not neatly diced, but as it’s already sliced it’s quick and easy to chop finely.

And voila! Diced onions and not a tear in sight.

I’m notsure if it’s the rinsing in water while peeling, or taking a methodicalapproach to it, but for some reason it’s extremely rare now for an onion to makemy eyes sting and water (top tip – DON’T make the mistake of touching your eyeswith oniony hands, yee-ouch!).

It’s so effective I can even make up several mince meals at once and freeze them, because even though I need to chop several onions I still don’t cry.

This means I get to enjoy cooking with onions (and eating the yummy results) much more often. And considering onions are packed with nutrients like vitamin C, antioxidants and folate, as well as full of flavor – I’d say that’s a win!

How to cut onions without crying

Saturday, November 9, 2019

15 Easy to Prepare Platter Salads for Dinner Time

The weather is warming up, it’s time to drag the barbecue out and start grilling that meat. Summer time is here. There’s pasta salad, potato salad and coleslaw to make but no time, right? These easy to prepare platter salads are great to prepare ahead of time and make the perfect accompaniment to any family dinner.

Easy to Prepare Platter Salads for Dinner Time Domesblissity.com

There are no hard or fast rules with these recipes. In fact they are a great way to use up vegetables and/or fruits that are getting near their use by date.

It’s best to keep a good supply of pantry staples like oils, vinegar, herbs and spices, nuts, canned pulses etc to throw together these one platter salads so everyone can help themselves and, most importantly, you aren’t spending a lot of time in the kitchen preparing a variety of salads.

If you’re looking for platters, I love this three (3) piece porcelain set from Kovot.

Meal Suggestions

Dinner can comprise grilled, poached, fried, baked meats, for example, with one of these salads. Serve with bread rolls, pita bread, Lebanese bread, garlic bread and you’ve got an easy meal on the table.

Add the grilled meat to the salad or just have another protein like canned pulses, boiled eggs or cheese for a meat free dinner.

Ingredients List

Vegetables

Tomato, cucumber, onion (red, spring, white, brown), cabbage, leftover roast vegetables, avocado, corn, capsicum (peppers), lettuce (iceberg, gem, cos), broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, snow peas, olives, pumpkin, sweet potato, frozen vegetables

Fruit

Pears, pomegranate, lime, orange, apples, melon, pineapple, berries, lemon

Herbs (Fresh or Dried)

Parsley, coriander (cilantro), mint, oregano, basil

Spices

Salt, pepper, dried coriander, cayenne pepper, sumac, Dijon mustard, cumin, paprika, onion powder, fennel seeds

Other

Extra virgin olive oil, eggs, canned pulses (chickpeas, lentils, black beans), nuts (any kind), sugar, vinegar (white wine, red white, white, apple cider, rice wine), pasta (any kind), cheese (goat’s cheese, feta, cheddar, mozzarella), fruit juices, Greek yoghurt, mayonnaise, honey, sesame oil, seeds (sesame, pumpkin, chia), soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic (fresh or crushed), ginger (fresh or crushed), pesto, tahini, grains (couscous, quinoa)

Platter Salads

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea, & Arugula (Rocket) Salad

Grilled Peach & Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Chopped Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing

Of course, you are not limited to the ingredients in these recipes. They really only serve as a guide. It’s all about using the fresh vegetables you have plus any canned pulses you’d like to add for more protein or even to eat as is as a whole meal.

Check out the ingredients list and keep a few different oils, nuts, seeds, vinegars etc in your pantry so you can make any or all of these platter salads for your next dinner or barbecue. I trust it makes meal times more easy and enjoyable for you and your family.

15 Easy to Prepare Platter Salads to make Dinner Time Easier Domesblissity.com

Sunday, July 7, 2019

20 sweet or savoury tahini recipes

If you’re looking for a versatile ingredient that keeps well in the pantry, even after being opened, tahini is it. A perfect alternative to peanut butter and allergy free, tahini is perfect. Here are 20 sweet or savoury recipes using tahini.

What is tahini?

Tahini is ground sesame seeds, usually blended with a neutral flavoured oil to form a paste widely used by Middle Eastern countries and is a common ingredient in hummus. It really is what makes hummus taste so good.