10 Health benefits of Ginger

Ginger, a kind of herb has been used as a natural remedy for many ailments for centuries. Various health research studies have proved that ginger is highly effective for treating various health problems and shows great effect on the human body. Ginger works wonders for many problems from cancer to migraines. Ginger has a wide variety of properties like Anti-viral, Anti-fungal, Anti-nausea, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-septic, Anti-Bacterial that makes ginger a special herb. Besides this Ginger is power packed with various vitamins A,C,E,B-complex,potassium,silicon,sodium,magnesium,iron,zinc,calcium,beta-carotene.

Here we list Top 10 Health Benefits of Ginger.

1. Ovarian Cancer Treatment: According to the study of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center that Ginger powder induces cell death in all ovarian cancer cells to which it was applied. It will be a powerful weapon for treating ovarian cancer.

2. Colon Cancer Prevention : According to the research done at university of Minnesota that Ginger slows down the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

3. Control Diabetes: Ginger lowers the blood sugar levels. Drinking one glass of water mixed with one table spoon of ginger juice in the morning helps to regulate the sugar level.

4. Morning Sickness : A review of several studies has concluded that Ginger just works like vitamin B6 in the treatment of morning sickness.

5. Migraine Relief : Ginger has the ability to stop prostaglandins from causing pain and inflammation in blood vessels which helps us to get relief from Migraine. Make ginger paste by adding ginger powder in the water and apply on the forehead.

6.Prevents Cold and Flu : Ginger has been used as a natural treatment for cold and flu, It boosts the immune system of our body by inducing sweating. When you are suffering from cold and flu, you must consume ginger several times a day.

7.Menstrual Cramp Relief : Ginger is a natural pain killer which can be used to reduce menstrual pain. When you are suffering from menstrual cramps, you are advised to drink ginger tea with brown sugar.

8. Heartburn Relief : Ginger promotes healthy heart; It lowers cholesterol and helps blood from clotting. Ginger can be used as a natural heart burn remedy. Try to drink ginger tea several times in a day to get instant relief.

9. Reduces Pain and Inflammation : Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and works as a powerful natural painkiller.

10. Settles Upset Stomach : Ginger calms down an upset stomach because of its carminative properties. It boosts the immune system of our body. Experts have recommended that eating ginger after a large meal helps to improve digestion.

Asun: Spicy Goat Meat

So over the weekend, I catered for the food at an event and one of the things on the menu was Asun (Spicy goat meat) and I will be sharing the recipe on how to make this great Yoruba delicacy.

I bought a whole live goat which I slaughtered myself. Although it is way cheaper getting a live goat, slaughtering the goat maybe huge task especially for the faint hearted. Thus buying goat tenderloins at your local market will do.

For this dish, the ingredients are:

Goat meat

Red pepper

Red Onions

Seasoning  

Oyster Sauce

Vegetable oil

Salt

For the final step of the Asun, use a coal grill (if available) to give the goat meat a traditional smoky taste.

1^st step has to do with a lot of cutting so a very sharp knife comes highly recommended. Cut goat meat into tiny chunks leaving skin on. Next, put goat meat in a pot, add some water followed by some seasoning and slow cook on medium heat till meat is tender.

Dice the red pepper and chop the red onions.

Place a sauce pan on you pre-heated coal grill. Add 2-3 table spoonful of vegetable oil. Then add the chopped onions and diced red pepper. Stir fry and add the boiled goat meat. Stir fry and add some oyster sauce. Add some of the goat stock and stir till you get your appropriate consistency.

 

Edible Worms

So I’m on a short holiday in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria and so far, I have had a great time especially with various delicacies I have had to sample here.

I was greeted with Ukodo (yam and pepper soup) when I got in and just yesterday, on my way to a popular beach resort, I came across some kids selling an old and rare favorite of mine… Edible Worms.

I must have spent a fortune buying this highly nutritional delicacy. I bought roasted, boiled and live ones (for later). I sure had a blast with my worms last night as I made a worm burger with lettuce, tomatoes and a boiled egg.

Edible worms are rich in calcium and I am quite sure you would fall in love with it should you find the courage to try it out. The taste is simply fantastic!

Anytime you find yourself in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, do remember to try some out. You will be glad you did.

 

 

OWHO SOUP

 OWHO SOUP

 

Really loved in the South-South part of Nigeria. Here is how you can whip up this great Niger Delta delicacy

 

INGREDIENTS                                                         QUANTITIES

 

Bush meat                                                                   8 medium pieces

Smoked fish                                                    2 medium size

Smoked prawns                                                          1 cup

Potash (ground)                                                          ½ teaspoon

Dry pepper (ground)                                       1 tablespoon

Palm oil                                                                       3 cooking spoons

Seasoning                                                        1 tablet

Water                                                                          2 cups

Native salt                                                                   to taste

Egidije                                                             2

                                               

 

 

METHOD

 

Wash the fish and bush meat thoroughly and break the fish into pieces.

Place both in a pot, add salt and ½ cup of water then steam for about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining water, smoked prawns, pepper and Maggi Crayfish.

Stir.

Add the potash and stir thoroughly.

Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the native salt to taste.

Remove from heat and allow cooling for about 5-10 minutes.

Add the palm oil.

Stir to thicken then serve with starch, Eba or boiled   plantain.

 

 

 

Random Pictures of Some Mouth Watering Dishes

Do feel free to send a mail requesting for any of the recipes.

Have a great week ahead.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

A great sauce for eating rice, spring rolls, yam etc.; the ingredients are all readily available in grocery stores and the dish itself is really easy to make.

For this dish, we will be using:

Chicken breast

Vegetable oil

Flour

Diced garlic, ginger and chopped onions

Eggs

Ketchup

Sugar

Rice/white vinegar

Chopped Green pepper

Chopped Red bell pepper

Chopped carrots

Chopped Pineapples

Seasoning

Dip chunks of chicken in egg wash and coat with seasoned flour. Deep fry and set aside on paper towels.

Mix some ketchup and a quarter cup of vinegar in a bowl. Add some sugar to the mixture and set aside.

 

In a sauce pan, heat up 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil and throw in the diced garlic and ginger followed by the chopped onions. Then throw in the fried chicken; stir on low heat for about 3mins and add the chopped green and red pepper followed by the chopped carrots and some seasoning. Stir for another 3mins then add the ketchup mixture. Bring sauce to a boil and add the chopped pineapples. Put out the flame. Serve with basmati rice.

 

 

 

Crispy Chicken

It’s yet another weekend and I will be sharing an all-time favorite recipe of mine: Crispy Chicken. Nothing beats that first bite you get from a piece of juicy, well prepared crispy chicken and I will be showing you how you can make that perfect crispy chicken right in your homes.

In making crispy chicken, I have decided to break down the steps into 4 in order to simplify the whole process. These steps are:

·         Brining

·         Marinating

·         Coating

·         Deep frying

Brining

Brining helps improve the taste of the chicken and also makes it super juicy!  To brine, you would need:

Half a cup of salt

Half a cup of sugar

Lemon

Chopped Onion

Pepper corn (uziza seeds)

Bay leaves

In a pot of water, throw in the salt and sugar. Squeeze in the lemon juice and throw what is left of the lemon into the pot. Throw in the chopped onion. Blend the pepper corn with a spice blender (or grind with a mortar and pistil) and add to the mixture. Add the bay leaves and heat up mixture on a burner. Do not allow mixture to boil. Allow the mixture to cool and drop in you chicken. Place the brining chicken in a fridge and allow to brine for between 2-5hrs.

 

Marinating

Marinating allows all your seasoning and aromatics really sink into your chicken. For your marinate, you need:

Garlic and Ginger

Mustard

Soy/Oyster Sauce

Seasoning

Take out your Chicken from the brine and place in a bowl. Add the chopped garlic and ginger, mustard, oyster sauce and seasoning. Mix everything up and place in a fridge for it to marinate for about 2hrs.

 

 

 

Coating

To coat your chicken, you would need:

Flour

Paprika

Dry pepper

Seasoning

Eggs

Mix the flour, paprika, dry pepper and seasoning in a bowl. In a separate bowl, break in some eggs.

Dip the marinated chicken in the egg wash and coat with the flour mixture. Repeat the process (so chicken gets really crispy). Place chicken on a tray and allow to stand for a while.

Deep Fry

Heat up some vegetable oil till it gets super-hot and drop chicken in piece by piece. Reduce flame and allow frying on medium heat.

Allow to fry till it gets golden brown. Take out chicken and place in a bowl containing  paper towels.