Grilled ostrich fillet with Egyptian dukkah & cucumber raita

1 Comment December 24, 2014 nutritionadsa

Ostrich fillet is a truly South African (and healthy alternative) for the braai this festive season. The latest NutritionConfidence recipe from Vanessa Marx (Dear Me) combines this South African speciality with the gorgeous Spinach, Beetroot & Pomegranate salad we posted a few days ago. The raita bursts with flavour while being low in sugar and fat.

Our dietitians say:

Ostrich meat is a great alternative to other ‘red meat’ sources. Classified as a ‘white meat’ due to its fat content, it’s low in fat (even lower than some chicken cuts) and saturated fat; but also a good source of biologically available iron.

A tip from the chef: Ostrich fillet is best cooked on a high heat for a shorter period. This recipe cooking time would result in a medium rare steak, depending on the thickness of the steak. For a rarer steak, cook for one minute less on each side.

Ingredients

2 x 150g ostrich fillet steaks

80g Egyptian dukkah

30ml sunflower oil

Salt flakes

1/2 cup low fat plain yoghurt

1/2 a medium cucumber

10g fresh coriander

The juice of 1/2 a lemon

Salt & pepper

How to make it

For the steaks

– Put a griddle pan on a very high heat.

– Drizzle the ostrich steaks with oil and coat in the dukkah. Season with salt flakes.

– Once the griddle pan is searing hot, lay the steaks onto the griddle. Do not move them around, leave them to grill on the first side for around 2-3 minutes. Turn the steak over and grill on the other side for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove the steaks from the grill and leave to rest for 2 min on a cutting board.

For the raita

– Cut the cucumber into small cubes about 5mm, or for a time-saving method, grate.

– Chop the coriander roughly.

– Mix the cucumber and coriander into the yoghurt.

– Season the raita with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

To serve

– Slice the steaks into 1cm thick slices and arrange on a plate or serving platter.

– Add dollops of raita on top of the steaks, and serve with a fresh seasonal salad, or side dish of your choice.

Serves 2

Spinach, Beetroot & Pomegranate Salad

Chat 5 Comments December 19, 2014 nutritionadsa

Just in time for the festive season a brand new NutritionConfidence recipe! A delicious Spinach, Beetroot & Pomegranate Salad from chef, Vanessa Marx.

We love it because the colourful salad contains a powerhouse of nutrients. ‘Good for you’ fats from the seeds and oil; phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fibre from the deep coloured veg; paired with a creamy, lower fat alternative to regular hard (previously known as) Greek style feta. And we love it because it looks so festive!

Good For You!

Deep coloured vegetables like beets and spinach contain many “non-nutrient” compounds called phytochemicals. These are biologically active, natural occurring chemical compounds which also provide the colour, taste and aroma to fruits and vegetables. In relation to cancer, phytochemicals help metabolise drugs, toxins, carcinogens and mutagens.

Also, beetroot juice may improve the performance for some athletes in some situations due to its high nitrate content.

 

Ingredients

100 g baby spinach

1 medium beetroot

50 g Danish feta cheese (lower in fat than Greek)

1 Pomegranate, or 100 g fresh pomegranate arils

50 g radishes

30 g baby spring onions

30 ml olive oil

10 ml raspberry or red wine vinegar (or other of your choice) – optional

 

How to make it

– Boil the whole beetroot, with the skin on, until soft (you should be able to pierce the beetroot with a knife effortlessly).

– Wash the baby spinach and pat off the excess water with some paper towel, or spin in a salad spinner if you have one.

– Wash the radishes and thinly slice them.

– Once your beetroot is cooked, leave it to cool slightly. While it’s still a bit warm, use your hands to rub the skin off the beetroot. Give the beetroot a rinse to remove the excess skin. Cut into small cubes.

– If you have a whole pomegranate, cut it in half. Hold the pomegranate half in your hand with the cut side toward your hand, leaving a gap between the pomegranate and the palm of your hand, by gripping the edges of the pomegranate with your fingertips. Hold the pomegranate over a large bowl, and using a large spoon, whack the back end of the pomegranate and the seeds will release from the shell. Repeat this until you have retrieved all of the jewels.

– On a plate or serving platter, arrange the baby spinach.

– Assemble your salad by adding the chopped beetroot, crumble over the feta, add the slices radishes, sprinkle over the pomegranate jewels and baby spring onions. Drizzle the salad with olive oil & vinegar & serve

Serves 2

Add this NutritionConfidence recipe card to your collection!

Rooibos, Pomegranate & Cinnamon Iced Tea

Image 1 Comment December 17, 2014 nutritionadsa

With temperatures soaring across the country Summer is definitely in full swing. Our latest NutritionConfidence recipe is a refreshing, delicious Rooibos, Pomegranate & Cinnamon Iced Tea. We love it because it’s packed with flavour and the perfect alternative to sugar-sweetened ice tea!

Cinnamon, the spice hero:

Cinnamon provides a natural sweet taste to food and beverages, without adding calories and research suggests that cinnamon may have a beneficial effect on short term blood glucose control in type 2 diabetics. In traditional herbal medicine cinnamon is considered a remedy for respiratory, digestive and gynaecological ailments.

Ingredients

(Makes 2 L)

4 rooibos teabags

2 L water

1 cinnamon stick (+/- 5g)

1 orange, sliced with skin on

1 pomegranate, pitted

Honey, xylitol or sugar to taste (optional)

Ice to serve

How to make it

– Boil 2L of water.

– Put the tea bags into a large jug or bowl (min 2L), and add the boiling water.

– Add the cinnamon stick and orange slices.

– Leave the tea to cool to room temperature, or even better, leave to steep over night.

– Strain the tea to remove the teabags, cinnamon and orange

– Stir in honey, xylitol or sugar adding little bits at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. Diabetics, remember to use xylitol for a sugar-free option.

– Add the fresh pomegranate jewels and top up with ice to serve.

– Serve in large jars for a vintage feel and add some fresh herbs or edible flowers for a fresh summery touch.

 

Launch of NutritionConfidence Recipes

Leave a comment December 8, 2014 nutritionadsa

We have partnered with award-winning chef, Vanessa Marx (from Dear Me), to develop the NutritionConfidence series of recipes.

The series, which launched in November, with three diabetic-friendly recipes, aims to showcase that delicious food can also be healthy, making it easier to eat the right food more often for a healthy body and mind.

“As part of our daily work we spend a lot of time looking at the scientific side of what we eat and how it affects our bodies, sometimes forgetting that eating food for most people is about so much more than just putting fuel in the body”, says Claire Julsing-Strydom, ADSA President. “In celebration of delicious food that inspires us to make our own meals and is also good for us, we created the NutritionConfidence recipes.”

Each recipe encourages local, close-to-home ingredients; offers alternative flavour tips; and highlights the ‘good-for-you’ hero ingredients. The three diabetic-friendly recipes include:

• Veggie Burgers – made with butternut, sweet potato, lentils and almonds, wrapped in iceberg lettuce and served with guacamole and salsa
• Rooibos, Pomegranate and Cinnamon Ice Tea – an everyday cold drink solution with all the flavour, but not all the sugar!
• Orange & Almond Torte – made with eggs, xylitol, ground almonds, baking powder and orange zest this is a great sugar and wheat free torte that will be loved not only by diabetics.

“Being a diabetic and a chef, I’ve always looked at ways to create food that is fresh, innovative, delicious and on trend, but also caters for different lifestyles”, says Vanessa. With a focus on using fresh, local ingredients and working with spices and herbs to create flavours, Vanessa’s style is the perfect combination for the NutritionConfidence recipes.

ADSA will roll out NutritionConfidence recipes every month, so pop onto the website www.adsa.org.za to find recipes to suit every occasion with a focus on light meals in January, Valentine’s Day in February, the outdoors in March and chocolate in April.

Welcome to NutritionConfidence

Leave a comment December 4, 2014 nutritionadsa

Welcome to our brand new NutritionConfidence Blog. We are so excited to be sharing our love of nutrition, health and food with you and are looking forward to travelling the journey towards optimal nutrition with you.

The Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) is the professional organisation for Registered Dietitians. Nutrition is a science and Dietitians are the recognised experts in the field of evidence-based nutrition. There are many unscientific health and nutrition publications, fad diets and nutrition gimmicks around – when you consult a Registered Dietitian, you are protected from misleading treatments and misinformation.

If it’s about Nutrition, ask your Dietitian!