Tag Archives: zucchini

The zucchini or courgette is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini, is a deep yellow or orange color.

It consists of nearly 95% water, squash contains a lot of good things: minerals, trace elements, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B3, provitamin A. .. the list goes on! Source of fiber, very helpful transit, zucchini also contains pectin, which makes it soft when cooked.

Native to Central America, zucchini ranks in the Cucurbitaceae family. In addition to its very low caloric value, this vegetable has other advantages thinness. Indeed, zucchini has a low glycemic index. Therefore, this food does not raise blood sugar levels in the blood, and we then avoids any risk of gaining weight.

Moreover, its high satiety factor allows it to be properly satisfied by tasting it, even more if it is eaten raw. Moreover, poverty in sodium and potassium richness make it a vegetable diuretic. Mainly composed of water, zucchini also helps us eliminate toxins and fat, and therefore limit cellulite.

Zucchini is also rich in potassium, a trace element known to play a role antihypertensive (element used to reduce high blood pressure), notably through its vasodilatory effect. That is to say that this food causes an increase in the diameter of blood vessels thereby reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease. It also contains rutin, a polyphenol that protects the cardiovascular system by increasing the resistance vessels, which retards the oxidation of cholesterol.

Moreover, the quality of its many fibers varies depending on the maturity of the vegetable. Young, zucchini contains soluble fiber that promotes intestinal contractions. Thus, it is highly recommended for people who have a delicate digestive system, colic, constipation, gastritis or … More blackberries, zucchini contains insoluble fiber, which facilitates intestinal transit and thus protect colon cancer.

Through its many health benefits, regular drinkers is a very good thing to continue to enjoy good health. A minimum of calories, a maximum of minerals and trace elements … Raw or cooked, the squash is without moderation.

Tempura – shrimp and vegetable fritters

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Ingredients :

  • 150 g of flour
  • 1 cup of ice water
  • 1 egg
  • 8 shrimp
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 pepper
  • 4 shiitake hats

Preparation :

In a bowl put the egg and beat slightly, add ice water, mix well then add to as and flour, stirring gently to avoid lumps.

Cover and let stand 1 hour and reserved in the refrigerator.

Shell shrimp, leaving tails then make a small cut on the back of the shrimp and remove the black vein.

Peel and cut the carrot and zucchini in two in lengthwise and then into four and then a stick of one cm.

Peel and cut sweet potatoes in half and then sliced ​​to one cm.

Cut the pepper in stick and the shiitake hats in two pieces.

Heat oil over high heat. Dip the vegetables and shrimp in batter and then put a small quantities in the oil and cook 3 minutes.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve.

Tips : you can use different ingredients as onions, eggplant or white fish (cod).
The secret of a good tempura is the thinness of the batter must be thinner than pancake batter, and remain cool.
Oil the contrary must be at 180 ° C (you can tell that this temperature was achieved by dropping a drop of batter, which should immediately dip and rise to the surface very quickly with a sizzle and without be black) .
This contrast in temperature that allows rapid cooking and perfect, the crust formed very quickly making the donut crunch the teeth, preventing oil from getting inside too, which keeps the flavor and color vegetables.

 

Anecdotes : The tempura is usually served as is, in a basket of woven bamboo or a plate placed on absorbent paper. We picked up a piece with his chopsticks and plunged into a ramekin individual, containing added grated horseradish lemon juice (or rice vinegar) and soy sauce.

Kogi Mandou – Beef Ravioli

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Ingredients :

For 8 at 10 raviolis

  • 60 g of ground beef
  • 150 g of tofu
  • 100 g of mung bean sprouts
  • 130 g dried Chinese noodles
  • 70 g of ground pork
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 2-3 Shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped chives
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • pepper
  • sesame oil
  • salt

For the dough:

  • 200 g flour
  • 1 egg white
  • a pinch of salt
  • 10 ml oil
  • 1/2 glass of water

Preparation of the stuffing :

Put tofu in wet gauze, close and squeeze well to drain the tofu water.

Boil Chinese noodles and cut them into pieces about 1.5 cm.
Blanch the mung bean sprouts, then let them cool and drain. Cut into pieces likechinese noodles. Chop the zucchini and mushrooms.

Put everything in a bowl, add the ground beef and pork, for the farce,
add the onions, garlic, sesame oil, salt and pepper, one egg or more if necessary, the mixture should give a paste.

Preparing the dough:

Put in a bowl the flour, oil, water, salt and egg white and then knead and wrap in cellophane and refrigerate about 1 hour.

Sprinkle flour the work surface so that the dough does not stick. Cut dough into small pieces 3 × 3 cm each, flatten finely each piece into round shape. The thickness should be about 3 mm, and diameter of about 8 cm.

Preparation of Mandou:

Place some farce in the center of the circles of dough, not too much or the doughwill break.
Moisten the edges of the circle, then fold dough in half, pressing edges to glue them and get a crescent shape.
Then roll the Mandou, then press firmly again to paste. Leave Mandou on floured surface to prevent them sticking.

Place in a steamer basket on baking paper, cook about 10 minutes the Mandou, or made fry in a pan with a little oil.

Serve with sauce and rice.

Tips : Generally we eat the Mandou with a sauce made of soy sauce, sesame oil and chili powder.

Anecdotes : This Korean recipe is much eaten in winter, but also during Seollal (lunar new year). This recipe is fun to make in family, for example children can participate in manufacturing of dough. The Mandou has its China origins.