Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• Corn kernels from 1 cob of corn
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 – 2 red chillies, finely sliced
• Handful of coriander
• 4 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 iceburg lettuce, leaves separated
• 25g feta cheese

Preparation method

1. Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the corn. Stir well and allow to turn golden brown.
2. Add the spring onions, garlic and chillies and stir well.
3. Roughly chop the stalks of fresh coriander and add to the corn with the cherry tomatoes.
4. Stir well and squeeze in the lime juice.
5. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Stir in the coriander leaves thoroughly and pile the mixture on the lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

The post Roasted corn and feta lettuce wraps appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Lettuce was first cultivated by the Egyptians who realised the value of its seeds and learned how to nurture this weed. They then passed this knowledge on to the Greeks and Romans.

Do you ever wonder why salad is eaten before the main course? In ancient Rome, people believed that eating lettuce would cause them to go to sleep, so they would eat their salad at the end of the meal. However, the tyrannical Roman Emperor Domitian thought that it would be fun to torture his guests during royal feasts. So he decided to start his banquets by serving lettuce at the beginning—so that his guests would feel drowsy and be forced to stay awake throughout the event! Let’s move on to the recipe.

Lettuce salad with miso sesame dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients

• ½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
• ½ red cabbage, shredded
• 1 carrot, julienne
• 1 celery stick, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Splash of rice vinegar
• Salt, to taste

Preparation method

1. Make the salad by mixing together the lettuce, cabbage, carrot and celery.
2. Make the dressing by whisking together the miso, honey, olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar and 1 tbsp of water. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and add more honey if it tastes too bitter or add more rice vinegar if it tastes too sweet.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.

The post Lettuce salad with miso sesame dressing appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 gem lettuce, leaves separated
• A large handful of salad leaves
• 20g fl at leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 15g mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 large cucumber, roughly chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 small radish, finely sliced
• 3 tbsps olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsps za’atar

Preparation method

1. Make the salad by finely chopping half the leaves and mixing them with the other salad leaves, parsley, mint, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and radish.
2. Make the lemon za’atar dressing by mixing together the olive oil, lemon juice and za’atar.
3. Dress the salad with the dressing by pouring it over and mixing well.
4. Serve the salad sprinkled with the lemon zest and garnish with whole gem lettuce leaves.

This was first published in the April 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

The post This Za’atar dressing will make your lettuce salad come alive appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Carotenoids are good

“Carotenoids reduce oxidative stress, oestrogen levels, and help in inflammation,” says Dr Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD, associate professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona. This makes them useful bioactive compounds in cancer prevention.

Carotenoids are primarily found in the colourful portion of the plants. So, having a colourful diet will ensure that you get all the carotenoids you need. Natural sources of carotenoids include orange coloured fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, mangoes, and sweet potatoes.

Types

The most popular carotenoids are lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene. German researchers say that carotenoids like lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene improve skin health and reduce effects of skin ageing.

Further, natural carotenoids, including beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, may help decrease the risk and even reverse the development of age-related macular degeneration [AMD], the leading cause of blindness, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA].

Let us now discuss the two most important carotenoids that benefit women.

Lycopene

The antioxidant property of lycopene protects our DNA [our genetic material] inside the white blood cells, playing an important role in preventing heart disease.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women with the highest plasma levels of the antioxidant lycopene had a 34 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease [CVD], compared to women with lower plasma levels of the nutrient.

Red fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, watermelons, figs, pink-grapefruits, apricots and pink-guavas are common sources of lycopene.

Beta-carotene

Beta-carotene is helpful in treating unpleasant menopausal symptoms of vaginal dryness and frigidity. Research shows that a combination of beta-carotene and evening primrose oil is effective in reducing the itchy, crawling sensation in the skin that often occurs during menopause. It also reduces the risk of ovarian cancer in women after menopause.

Some natural sources include sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli, fresh thyme, and lettuce.

Bioflavanoids work best

Bioflavonoids act as antioxidants and are found in citrus fruits, berries, green tea, soy products, herbs, and spices. Bioflavonoids affect blood vessel strength and permeability and have an anti-inflammatory effect—important to women with allergies, menstrual cramps, or arthritis. They are useful in lifting mood and increasing energy levels in women with PMS or menopause.

“Giving women vitamin C with bioflavonoids has shown to help reduce hot flashes,” says Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of The New Natural Alternatives to HRT.

The post The benefits of eating colourful veggies appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.