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Food Recipes

Chicken And Moringa Tomato Sauce Recipe

This is a chicken and Moringa tomato sauce recipe submitted by Chef Esther (Esther Ibizugbe). She uses a combination of chicken and moringa in tomato sauce. Below is her recipe with ingredients, instructions and other tips.

If you have ever read the article we published in the past about the importance of Moringa, you will know how important that plant is. Don’t get it confused, the post talked about seeds. This one right here is talkin about Moringa seeds.

Chicken And Moringa Tomato Sauce Recipe

Chicken And Moringa Tomato Sauce Recipe – Chef Esther

Chef Esther says;

Hey all, you know how most people say Moringa leaves can cure everything (don’t know how true that is oo), well my Mum (Chairlady) decided to plant the tree within the house. It is easy to plant and they grow really fast.

Anyways I ran out vegetables today and decided to try out the fresh Moringa leaves for a change and it came out amazing and tastes great. I hope you try this out and remember you can always substitute ingredients. 

Ingredients For Making Chicken And Moringa Tomato Sauce

Below are the ingredients you need to make your own Chicken-moringa tomato sauce;

  • Moringa leaves (washed)
  • Tomatoes
  • Pepper
  • Onions
  • Ginger (peeled)
  • Garlic (peeled)
  • Knorr cubes
  • Curry
  • Thyme
  • Tomato paste
  • Grinded crayfish
  • Canola oil (can use whichever you have)
  • Chicken (boiled or fried)
  • Chicken stock/Water

Instructions For Preparing The Chicken And Moringa Tomato Sauce

  • Place your tomato, pepper, onions, ginger, garlic and a little water in the blender and grind to a paste, depending on your preferred consistency.
  • Heat up oil in the pot for about a minute and add the chopped onions. Stir for another one minute so it does not burn before adding the blended paste.
  • Allow to boil for 5 minutes before adding chicken and grinded crayfish (people start the method by frying tomato paste first before adding the blended tomato. You can do whichever)
  • Boil for another 3-4 minutes then add tomato paste, chicken stock/water and salt to taste. If you are using chicken stock, be careful when adding the spices because they were already added when boiling the chicken, so it doesn’t become too salty.
  • After about 4 minutes, add the Moringa leaves and boil for about 2 minutes to retain the freshness and serve!

IMPORTANT NOTE:

To have a different taste and flavour, you can use seafood, beef, stock fish, etc to garnish the sauce.

ALSO SEE: Moringa Seed: Benefits & How It Helps In Weight Loss

Categories
Food & Nutrition Knowledgebase

The Differences Between Broilers and Layers Chicken Meats

Broilers and Layers are both chicken types which can be consumed. In this era when there is serious campaign against consumption of imported chickens, the sales of farm reared live or freshly slaughtered chickens have sky-rocketed but it has not gotten anywhere near its peak.

The market is still large enough for tens of thousands of farmers to maximise. In my little spell as a poultry farmer in the past two years, I have come to the realization that very few consumers know the differences between these birds and their meats. This had made many people to make wrong choices only to later find out their errors.

LAYERS CHICKENS WITH EGGS

Differences Between Broilers and Layers Chicken Meats

When these chickens (layers and broilers) are yet to be slaughtered and de-feathered, it is quite easy to identify them. Broiler birds are usually white in colour while layers are commonly brown or black. However, this is not the rule as there are layers that are white in colour too, the brown and black are just more common.

In many situations when consumers are about to purchase the meat of birds for consumption in the open market, they cannot tell the differences between the chickens that meet their preference in terms of taste, texture and flavour.

Let me start by explaining the background differences between the two types of birds:

Broilers are birds raised only for meat production while Layers are those raised mainly for egg production. In most cases, after layers are low in egg production, they are sent into the market as meat birds. Now lets see the differences between the meats from both birds.

FRIED CHICKEN THIGH

(1.) Broilers meat are usually juicier and softer compared to that of layers. This is because broilers are market ready when they are between 8-12 weeks old since they are only grown for their meat value. They contain higher values of fat and protein due to their diet composition.

On the other hand, layers meat are tough and are usually sold into the market when they are about 2years old. They start laying in 24 weeks and many of them lay for more than a year before their eggs production begins to reduce until they no longer lay eggs. That is when the birds are sold out.

(2.) Layers are usually enjoyed by those who love tough meat. It is important to state that the nutrient value in these birds are lower compared to that in broilers. During cooking the meats from both birds, mild and low heat is required for broilers while high heat can be deployed for layers.

SEE: How To Slaughter Animals To Make Meat Tender!

For a good number of eateries and restaurants, broiler meat are fried directly without cooking them unlike the layers meat that compulsorily needs cooking before frying. They are also grilled and roasted easily.

ALSO SEE: Beef is for Cow, Pork is for Pig Meat, See All Meat Names

I do hope this short article will help you a bit.

Categories
Food & Health

Foods People With Blood Group B Should Totally Avoid

Many people do not know that their Blood Type is the key that opens the door to the secrets behind their health, diseases, physical vitality, emotional strength and long life. In fact, it determines a lot of things in our life than many would believe.

I have not always known this myself too. A doctor friend of mine introduced me to a book by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo with Catherine Whitney, titled “Eat Right 4 Your Type”. The book talks about 4 Blood Types, 4 Diets, revealing the individualized diet solution to staying healthy, living longer and achieving your ideal weight for blood types O, A, B and AB.

Foods People With Blood Group B Should Totally Avoid
I cannot discuss all what the book contains because there are about 388 pages of it, in fact I think that would be illegal to do. So, I am just going to discuss some of the thing I learnt inside, and take excerpts from the books where necessary.

Food That Persons With Blood Type B Should Avoid

You blood type determines how susceptible you are to illness, foods that you should eat or stay away from and how you should exercise. Here, I will talk about those foods you should stay away from because do do more harm than good to you.

1. Corn

For people with Type B blood group, the biggest food concern when it comes to weight gain are corn, buckwheat, lentils, peanuts and sesame seeds. Each of them has it’s own type of lectin.

Corn Blood Group B Should Avoid
Each of these lectins affect the efficiency of Type Bs metabolic process, which results in fatigue, fluid retention and hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is characterized by severe drop in blood sugar level after eating a meal. This leads to tiredness/fatigue.

2. Wheat

Just like Type Os, Type Bs react to the gluten in wheat germ and products made from whole wheat. The gluten lectin adds to the problems caused by the other metabolism-slowing foods.

Wheat Blood Group B Should Avoid
“When food is not efficiently digested and burned as fuel for the body, it gets stored as fat.”

3. Chicken

You need to give up chicken. Why? Chicken contains a Blood Type B agglutinating lectin in its muscle tissue. Yes, this may not be easy to give up because chicken is already a part and parcel of many diets in this part of the world.

The agglutinating lectin attacks the bloodstream and potentially lead to strokes and immune disorders. Now, here is a good reason to let it go.

Chicken Blood Group B Should Avoid
If you are already too used to eating chicken, then you should explore other poultry options like turkey and pheasants. People have been told chicken is healthier than beef but this is not the case for Blood Type Bs.

4. Shellfish — Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, etc.

They contain lectins too. These lectins are disruptive to the type B system. This is not to say that you should run from sea foods. In fact, Type Bs thrive well on sea foods, especially fish such as cod and salmon, which are rich in nutritious oils.

Shellfish Blood Group B Should Avoid

Other common ones to avoid include, Anchovy, Beluga, Butterfish, Clam, Crab, Crayfish, Eel, Frog, Herring, Octopus, Lobster, Mussel, Oyster, Salmon roe, Shrimp, Snail (escargot / Helix pomatia).

5. Nuts and Seeds

People with Blood Type B should avoid consumption of most nuts and seeds. Peanuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds contain lectin, which interfere with Type B insulin production.

Type Bs can eat some beans and legumes without any issue. However, beans such as lentils, pintos and black-eyed peas, contain lectins which interfere with Type B insulin production.

Nuts and Seeds Blood Group B Should Avoid

Some other seeds and nuts (and their products) to avoid include, Cashew, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Peanut butter, Pumpkin seed, Sesame seed, Sesame butter, Sunflower seed, Sunflower butter.

6. Tomatoes. Yes, Tomatoes!

According to Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, author of the book, “Eat Right 4 Your Type”, Type Bs should eliminate tomatoes completely from their diet. “The tomato is are vegetable called a panhemaglutinan. This means that it contains lectins that can agglutinate every blood type.

While the tomato lectin has little effect on Type O and Type AB, both Type B and Type A suffer strong reactions, usually in form of irritations of the stomach lining.

Tomatoes Blood Group B Should Avoid

I am not out here to spill everything in the book to you. I just noticed we in this part of the world consume these groups of food a lot. These are just some of the foods you should avoid.

Beyond the dark side, there is also a wide range of foods you can choose from to remain healthy. You may also be surprised that there are groups of food which Type Bs thrive on, but are no-go areas for other Blood groups.

If you would like to learn more about this. You should get yourself a copy of the book.

Categories
Food & Health

Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

Bone marrow is the soft mushy stuff we find inside bones when we break them open. It is something some people in many parts of the world would not leave untouched after eating the meat attached to the bone.

In this part of the world, many would use their pre-molars and molars to crack open bones to get access to the bone marrow. Many people suck out bone marrow not because they think it has health benefits but just to get the taste of it.

Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow
Photo: 303magazine.com

While it is easier to crack the bones of poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.), it could be quite herculean to do the same for bones of animals like cow, sheep and goats. As hard as the bones of such animals can be, some people would stop at nothing to the marrow. However, the question poses itself, is it really worth the trouble?

ALSO SEE: Every Animal Meat Is Not Beef! See All Their Names

So, Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

We asked in the last paragraph — is the trouble of cracking bones to eat the bone marrow really worth the trouble? Well, I think I would say yes. But cracking with your teeth? I wouldn’t be so sure. Below are the benefits you derive from eating bone marrow;

Bone Marrow Helps Build Immunity Against Diseases

For me, one of the most important benefits of eating bone marrow. Immunity to diseases is really a great blessing and something we strive to achieve every day. Bone marrow contains myeloid and lymphoid stem cells. The foundations for red and white blood cells, these cells build immunity and help provide oxygen to cells.

Blood Clotting & Healing of Wounds

Bone marrow assists in blood clotting. It contains Collagen, the protein-rich substance which when subjected to heat, cooks down to gelatin. This can also help repair the body.

ALSO SEE: Foods that help heal wounds fast!

Cindy Micleu, instructor at the Jade Institute complementary healing center says, Collagen deficiency can lead to poor wound healing, easy bruising and bleeding gums. Collagen in bone marrow can help the body rebuild itself.

Using Bone Marrow For Fighting Cancer

Dr. Astrid Brohult, a Swedish oncologist conducted extensive research on the administration of calves’ marrow to children with leukemia. In the initial stage of her test, she was hoping it would replenish white blood cells destroyed by radiation therapy.

Some of the children administered the bone marrow improved immediately with many experiencing increased energy and white blood cell normalization. After her extensive research, Dr. Astrid Brohult eventually isolated a group of compounds that are known as alkylglycerols (AKGs) in the calves’ marrow. She discovered they were the reason for the important process of normalizing white blood cell production.

Bone marrow contains conjugated linoleic acid which is known as a potent cancer inhibitor.

A Good Source of Essential Fatty Acid

Bone marrow is a good source of essential fatty acids. Thinking that bone marrow contains a high percentage of fat — about 96 percent. One would normally ask about the composition of the fat. What kind of fats are contained in the marrow? Ones with healthy fatty acids?

Bone marrow contains less amount of polyunsaturated fat. Bone marrow is a great source of omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for the proper functioning of the brain. Bone marrow is also a good source of glycine. Glycine is an amino used to make and repair other proteins in the body.

With all these said, one could conclude that cracking bones open and eating the bone marrow isn’t a bad idea after all.

Categories
Food & Body Food & Nutrition Food Processing

Behold! The Super Pizza That Burns Body Fat

How would you feel to eat as much Pizza as you want and not be scared of getting fat? Well, this seems a reality now as musclefood.com has come out with a Pizza recipe that does not only help burn fat, but also contains as much protein as three chicken breasts and 5 times less carbs than a standard slice. Should we call this a “SUPER PIZZA”?

This new development in Pizza processing has been making the rounds for some weeks now and I had to wait to see a lot of information about it before deciding to share with you. The manufacturers of this Pizza claim that you can now get slim by eating this pizza. I am waiting for more testimonies from people as much as you are. However, looking at the ingredients and composition of this pie, I would say their claims make sense.

pizza burning fats
Photo: dailymail.co.uk

This chicken and peppers pizza has 73 calories and 2.4g of fat per slice

One of the that have eaten this Pizza said:

I was a bit sceptical at first as I was expecting a dry and crumbly base but I was pleasantly surprised.

You can’t actually taste the difference from a regular pizza even though there’s protein in the base.

Composition of the Pizza

The online retailer, musclefood.com claims that the high protein pizza contains just 82 calories per slice. This is way below the calories of more than 300 in some fast food alternatives.

They also claim that it contains the same amount of protein as three chicken breasts and five times less carbohydrates making it perfect for people on a weight loss plan or those body building.

Darren Beale from Musclefood.com has the following to say:

High protein isn’t just for bodybuilders and fitness fanatics, it’s for those wanting to lose weight – increased protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer – and for those wanting to lead a much healthier lifestyle.

He continues;

We’re expecting these pizzas to be popular. Products like our high protein cookies and bread have flown off the shelves as soon as they’ve gone on sale and we’re expecting these to be the same.

The gluten and soy-free pizza comes in two different toppings, Chicken and Pepper, and Ham and Mushroom, with the pea protein base adding approximately 10g of protein to the pizza.

Here is a video from MuscleFood that teaches you how to make such low carb meat pizza. Click here to watch it now!

Categories
Food & Body

Foods That Suppress Appetite And Make You Less Hungry

Whether you are on a weight loss mission or you are fasting and want to resist the urge to eat by suppressing your appetite for food, you should know that there are some foods that you can add to your diet in order to achieve this. Some of these foods are foods that we see and eat often for their taste but they have other functions we may have not noticed; others, many people don’t like to eat because of their taste.

The objective of fasting (not for religious reasons) and weight-loss plan is to make you eat less and burn more calories than you consume, therefore, you cannot afford to eat large quantities of foods.

So what now happens when you get hungry?

When your body needs food, it produces a hormone called ghrelin that causes hunger — it signal hunger to the brain when it gets secreted. You start having some elevated level of appetite — this you can suppress by eating some of the foods listed in this article. 

Foods That Help To Curb Hunger & Appetite for Foods

When you add these foods to what you eat in the right manner, you won’t get hungry like you usually would.

1. One piece of Apple can do the magic

Of course you know the saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This is very true and one of the ways it is true is that eating an apple before or after a meal helps keep you full faster and for a longer period.

eating apple
Photo: saidaonline.com

It has been reported that the pectin in a piece of apple can keep you full for 1-2 hours. So, why don’t you just eat apple before and after your food. It tastes great and even contributes to whitening of teeth amongst other benefits.

2. High-Water, High-Fiber Foods help curb hunger

These type of foods that are high in water and fibers give us the feeling of being full and prevent us from eating too much. Example of such foods is the vegetable family — they fill the stomach, and helps digestion. These foods, even when you eat large volumes of them, are usually low in caloric density. Therefore, they help you shed weight without feeling like you’re on a restrictive diet.

Often when we want to lose weight, what we do is to eat less foods. But what if you could cut calories, yet still eat plenty of food, and not be feel hungry? This is the dream of any dieter and these type of foods should be incorporated into your diet.

These vegetables, for example Lentils, Lima beans, Spinach, etc., will help you through your diet plan and not make you give up when it matters most. You are often full, less hungry and cutting on your calorie intake. These high fibre foods also help prevent constipation and relieve it in case we have it.

vegetables

Barbara Rolls, PhD, and some of her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University have done extensive research on the “volumetric” theory of eating more low-calorie, high-volume foods.

They have this to report; ”We have found in numerous studies that when you allow people to eat as much as they want of foods that are high in volume yet low in density (calories), they eat less at the meal or during the day.”

3. Lean Protein Helps To Reduce Hunger Too

If you are wondering about what lean protein is, here is a quick description; many proteins are high in saturated fats that contribute to cardiovascular disease, so it is better to consume lean proteins. These lean proteins are described as a 1-ounce serving that has 2 to 3 grams of fat.

There is evidence of the ability of lean protein from foods such as lean meat, fish, poultry (chicken, turkey, for example), soybeans, and eggs, to help with fullness and weight loss. The white meat from chicken and turkey are especially good sources of lean protein. Fish provides lean protein together with omega-3 fatty acids that lower cholesterol and inhibit inflammation.

Wayne Campbell, PhD, a professor of Nutrition at Purdue University said “You are most likely to feel fuller after eating protein than other nutrients, including fiber, and one of the theories behind why higher-protein diets work well with weight loss is because it helps you not feel hungry.”

Oily fish

It may also interest you to know that even though you can add lean protein at any meal you want to take, research has shown that adding it to your breakfast may be better than other meals in the day. A research that was conducted on this theory revealed that when people eat foods like eggs that rich in protein for breakfast, they tend to eat less during the day compared o when they eat foods that are rich in carbohydrates.

With this knowledge in your head, you can actually start your weight loss diet by including these foods in your meal. If you are going to fast for religious or health reasons (fasting has a lot of health benefits), you can also ad these foods to those that you eat in the morning as they make you full without adding calories to your body. It is not surprising that breakfast is regarded as the most important meal of the day.

Categories
Food Safety News

NAFDAC Warns Against Eating Imported Chicken, Turkey

The National Agency for Food And Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC) has issued a strong warning to people who consume imported or smuggled frozen meat such as chicken and turkey in Nigeria. NAFDAC Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, who gave the warning at a media briefing in Lagos, said that these foods have been implicated in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and antibiotics resistance.

frozen chicken turkey

These diseases include cancer, kidney disease, and hypertension amongst others. He, therefore, warned Nigerians to stay away from imported frozen chicken and turkey because they have been discovered to be causative factors in these non-communicable diseases.

Dr. Paul Orhii said that these frozen products have been found to contain substances that can predispose one to kidney, liver and lung diseases as well as certain types of cancers and drug-resistant bacterial infections.

At the briefing, a study, titled “Prevalence, Quality and Acceptability of Frozen Poultry Meat in Major Cities in Nigeria” carried out by experts from the University of Ibadan titled “, was presented. It was made clear that importation of these products have been banned by the Federal Government, but some people still indulge in smuggling them into the country.

Dr. Orhii said that NAFDAC is discouraging people who patronize frozen meat such as Chicken and Turkey because they have been found to contain contaminants that are hazardous to human health. The contaminants can be formaldehyde, at times it can be a high level of antibiotics residue and other contaminants like heavy metals. “And that is why we are discouraging members of the public from consuming them.

The study, which Orhii referred to, was carried out by Prof. Olumide Tewe (lead researcher), Prof. S.S. Abiola (meat technologist), Dr. O.A Abu (nutritional enzymologist), Dr. C.I. Alarima (agriculture extensionist), Dr. O.A. Olabisi (public health specialist), Mr. S, Adelani (chief technologist) and Mr. R.A. Aromoye (administrative assistant).

Heavy metals (which have been found to be present in imported or smuggled meat) may cause toxicity-related mutagenesis (mutation), carcinogenesis (cancer) and other severe health hazards. Others (the result of heavy metals) are cardiovascular diseases, skin disorders, and neurotoxicity lung and nasal cancer in humans”. Excerpts: GuardianNGR

ALSO SEE: Top Reasons To Stop Buying Meat The Way We Do

Categories
Food Processing

The Unknown Dangers of Fried Foods & Re-using Oil

Hello friends, it is really my delight to write on this topic as I have had loads of families, friends and clients call me to find out what the real truth is about fried foods. There had been contradicting views from different professionals in the field of nutrition and body health on the benefits and dangers of consuming fried meals. While an ample of information is readily available for you to digest on the internet, a few of them are people and region specific which might be completely wrong for you to apply.

Are there healthy fats, which ones are dangerous?

Fats in the past few years had been labelled as a complete terror which have cause many illnesses and diseases. While these claims are true in a sense, it is clear without doubt that healthy fats exist and should be included in your diets. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats found in fish, fish oils and some plant based foods need to be included in your diet at recommended daily intake. Usually at least 20 percent of your daily meals should include healthy fats.

frying chicken

For individuals who cannot give up on fried foods, it is important to make use of healthier oils. Unsaturated oils like canola, corn, peanut, soya bean oil should be used to fry your foods. These oils add fewer calories to the food than the regular hydrogenated oils which is commonly used especially in developing countries.