Pan Fried Orange Juice Toman Fillet

Ingredients
toman fillet, 4 pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise, low fat
1/4 cup Chinese parsley, chopped
2 tbsp orange juice
Pan salt/pepper season to taste

Method of preparation
1. Combine salt, Chinese parsley pepper and orange juice.
2. Pour mixture over the fillet. marinate and keep in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
3. In a heated skillet, add in some corn oil and sear the fish on both sides over medium heat.
4. Mix the mayonnaise, orange juice and Chinese parsley evenly and place mixture in a sauce bowl.
5. Once the fish is done, serve it warm with the mayonnaise-orange juice sauce.

Note: Using a low-fat mayonnaise will certainly help to cut down the dietary fat intake by at least 50%.

Cod Fish With Broccoli

I cooked this dish last night for my husband's baon. You see, he is advised not to eat from their company canteen or buy take outs as he needs to eat food that has less salt, oil and low in cholesterol. This meal I cooked is just perfect for him. Cod fish with brocolli. Why cod fish? For those who have no idea what a cod fish is and its nutritional value, here are some information for you courtesy of www.whfoods.com.

What is cod?
The white, mild flavored flesh of cod is available throughout the year and is a wonderful substitute for meat protein with its versatility making it easily adaptable to all methods of cooking. Cod belong to the same family (Gadidae) along with both haddock and pollock. It's not surprising that the words "cod" and "cold" are so similar since cod need the cold, deep, Arctic waters to grow, reproduce and survive.

Health Benefits
Besides being an excellent low-calorie source of protein (a four-ounce serving of cod provides 52.1% of the daily need for protein for only 119 calories), cod contains a variety of very important nutrients and has also been shown to be useful in a number of different health conditions.

Cardiovascular Benefits
Fish, particularly cold water fish like cod, have been shown to be very beneficial for people with atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Studies show that people who eat fish regularly have a much lower risk of heart disease and heart attack than people who don't consume fish. Cod, specifically, promotes cardiovascular health because it is a good source of blood-thinning omega-3 fatty acids, but is also a good source of vitamin B12 and a very good source of vitamin B6, both of which are needed to keep homocysteine levels low. This is important because homocysteine is a dangerous molecule that is directly damaging to blood vessel walls, and high homocysteine levels are associated with a greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke(homocysteine is also associated with osteoporosis, and a recent study found that osteoporosis occurred more frequently among women whose vitamin B12 status was deficient or marginal compared with those who had normal B12 status.) Cod is also a very good source of niacin, another B vitamin that is often used to lower high cholesterol levels, something else that can lead to heart disease.

Eating fish, such as cod, as little as 1 to 3 times per month may protect against ischemic stroke (a stroke caused by lack of blood supply to the brain, for example, as a result of a blood clot), suggests a meta-analysis of 8 studies published in the July 2004 issue of Stroke.
Data on nine independent groups participating in eight different studies found that, compared to those who never consumed fish or ate fish less than once per month, risk of ischemic stroke dropped:
9% in those eating fish 1 to 3 times per month
13% in those eating fish once per week
18% in those eating fish 2 to 4 times per week
31% in those eating fish 5 or more times each week.

Even though this cod fish I bought which is imported from Chile is a bit expensive, I try to cook cod fish for my husband at most three times a week because of its nutritional value.

So you want to ask how to cook this recipe of mine? There's no secret in my cooking, just the normal procedure where I sauted a lot of garlic on a tablespoon of olive oil and added onions and tomatoes. I then add in the cod fillet, a teaspoon of salt and ground pepper. After that, I added chopped broccoli and let it simmer for a few minutes. So simple, right?

Water Chestnut Soup

I went to Shop and Save Supermarket to buy some stuffs so I can cook soup for my husband. He requested something different and extraordinary. He said that the common soups I prepared for him are repetitious already and his taste bud is clamouring for something different. On the shelf over there, I noticed something different and as the label stated they are water chest nuts. With its extraordinary look, I asked myself how to cook them? As I was keen to know how, I asked the sales staff which is a Chinese and she told me how. So, look at my water chestnuts.

Just look how I peeled off the skin and chopped them.

Now, here is my chicken with water chest nut soup. So delicious!

By the way, you want to know what a water chestnut is? According to www.about.com the knobby vegetable with the papery brown skin is a staple in Chinese cooking. The water chestnut is actually not a nut at all, but an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes. (This is why the ones that you purchase in the store may have a muddy coating.) The name "water chestnut" comes from the fact that it resembles a chestnut in shape and coloring. Indigenous to Southeast Asia, it has been cultivated in China since ancient times.

Availibility: Water chestnuts require a long frost-free growing season (7 months) which means that they are only grown in semi-tropical areas, including a few States such as California and Florida. Fresh water chestnuts are available year-round in Asian markets, either packaged or in bins. Unless you live in an area where they are grown locally, they are generally not available in local groceries and supermarkets. Canned water chestnuts are available year round at most groceries and supermarkets.

Selecting Water Chestnuts: When choosing fresh water chestnuts, look for firm ones with an unwrinkled skin and no soft spots - otherwise when you peel the water chestnut you may find it has softened and turned mushy. Generally, it's best to buy a few more chestnuts than needed, just in case a few have spoiled.

Nutritional Information: Nutritionally, water chestnuts are a good source of potassium and fiber. They are low in sodium, and fat is virtually non-existent. Caloriewise, one cup of water chestnut slices contains about one hundred-thirty calories. Low carb dieters, beware: water chestnuts are high in carbohydrates. You may try replacing them with low carb bamboo shoots.

Ampalaya Con Carne

My husband is progressing well since he survived brain accident or stroke. Since he already recovered, already concentrating on his functional skills and wishes to gain weight, he requested for a pork meal. So I went to Prime Supermarket and bought some food stuffs without any recipe in mind. And these are what I bought. Look.

Can You guess what I cooked? Remember, I used less salt and oil with my cooking. As you can see below, I used Pan salt which has lower sodium and Olive oil.

Your guess is right. I cooked ampalaya con carne. Just look below and see my ampalaya con carne straight from the casserole. Sarap tingnan di ba?

So what is so outstanding with this meal I cooked? The ampalaya of course. You know why? They are midget bitter gourd from Thailand. And as its name implies, the taste is really bitter but challenging. Yes, you will be challenge to take some more bites. I'm not joking. You can ask my husband. And he will surely tell you that my version is the best.

Joking aside, bitter gourd is really good for health. That is why I see to it that I include this vegetable in my cooking once a week at least. And I choose the midget ones than the big common ones. Why? The small ones are more nutritious. I think.