Tag: properties

Elderberry flowers: properties, recipes and cooking tips – Italian Cuisine

Elderberry flowers are fried in batter and used to prepare a fragrant syrup, to try with beer or sparkling wine, for intriguing cocktails, in fruit salad and on ice cream

THE elderberry flowers they bloom in May and are harvested when the pistil is still fresh. They can be found in the open countryside, where the air is clean and they color the roadsides with small white flowers, which appear together in umbrellas facing downwards (left image), in this case we speak of Sambucus negro. You have to be very careful, because in nature they exist variety are similar though poisonous for humans, as in the case of Sambucus ebulus, which has irregular inflorescence, with white flowers from pointed petals is pink or red stamens (right image), so if you are not more than sure that they are edible, do not collect them.

Elderberry flowers: properties

Elderberry flowers, as well as their fruits, are edible and rich in beneficial properties, among the main therapeutic uses, elderberry works with function: diuretic, emollient, antineuralgal, laxative, diaphoretic (promotes sweating), hematic, antirheumatic, purifying and stimulating bronchial secretion. It is prepared in the form of extract, as brew or decoction.

Elderflower herbal tea

There elderflower herbal tea strengthens the immune system, it is useful against cough, cold and fever since it stimulates sweating. To prepare it you just need water and elderberry flowers dried, then stock up on elderberry flowers, let them dry in the sun and keep them in an airtight jar to prepare infusions and herbal teas.

Herbal tea ingredients
150 ml of water
2 teaspoons of elderberry flowers

Boil the water in a saucepan and pour two teaspoons of dried elderberry flowers; let it rest for 5 minutes, then strain and drink.

Elderflower syrup

The elderflower syrup is an excellent health ally, rich in vitamins, trace elements and flavonoids it has purifying and draining properties, it helps to relieve the symptoms of cold and fever. If you are following a weight loss diet, a spoon mixed with water, juice and yogurt, taken between meals, is an ideal antidote against nervous hunger.

Syrup ingredients
15-20 elderberry flowers
1.5 l water
4 untreated lemons
sugar
vinegar

Cut 15-20 elderflowers at the base of the umbrella, then without washing them in order not to eliminate the perfume, put them in a large jar with 4 untreated lemons cut into rings and 1.5 liters of water. Close the jar and let it rest at room temperature for 2-3 days, stirring occasionally. only then the liquid: put one colander on a saucepan, line it with a canvas and pour all the contents of the jar; close the tea towel around the flowers and wring to squeeze the juice. Add the same weight of sugar and 50 g of apple cider vinegar to the liquid and boil for 2-3 minutes. Transfer it immediately into bottles filling them up to 1 cm below the edge. Close them and keep them in the fridge. The syrup lasts 2-4 months.

Elderberry flowers fried in batter

THE fried elderberry flowers they will make you dream, they have the consistency of clouds, they are soft and fluffy. You can make both sweet and savory, in batter with or without eggs, choosing between sparkling water or beer. If you prefer a thicker batter use eggs, otherwise for a lighter version try without. The choice between carbonated water and beer depends on your taste, to feel all the scent of elderflower, natural, use sparkling water if not for a richer flavor flavor opt for beer. We preferred one full-bodied batter but that would leave room for the flavor of elderberries, with eggs and sparkling water.

Batter for 20 elderberry flowers
150 g 00 flour
200 g sparkling water
2 egg whites
1 yolk
salt
pepper

Whip 2 egg whites and aside, in another bowl, pour water, flour, 1 yolk and mix well with a whisk to obtain a velvety and lump-free consistency. Add the beaten egg whites a little at a time and stir until the batter is not smooth and frothy. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the elderberries in the batter and fry them in plenty of hot peanut oil. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with a pinch of salt.

Sweet elderflower pancakes

The pancakes they are the sweet version of fried elderberries. Prepare with the batter classic crepes, but with the addition of a pinch of sugar and a dusting after frying.

Sweet batter ingredients
250 g milk
100 g flour
2 eggs
salt
sugar
icing sugar

Collect 2 eggs in a bowl and shuffle with flour, a pinch of salt and sugar. Then, working with the whisk, exotically the mixture the milk until you get a rather batter liquid and lump-free. Dip the elderberries in the pancake batter and fry them in plenty of hot peanut oil. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Panaché

The beer mix most popular is definitely beer and gazzosa, the classic mixed beer, but you can pour 2 tablespoons of syrup in a mug of beer and create a very pleasant panaché. Try it also in sparkling wine, keeping the same proportions, 2 tablespoons of syrup for wine glass.

Hugo cocktail, the elderflower drink

The Hugo cocktail, for Hugo friends, it's a slightly alcoholic drink, fragrant and fresh, for the presence of the elderflower syrup and of mint. A cocktail quick and easy, so you can easily prepare it at home.

Ingredients for 1 drink
60 ml of prosecco
60 ml of soda water (or carbonated water)
30 ml of elderflower syrup
mint (fresh)
ice

Put in a wide chalice several ice cubes. Add the prosecco, the seltz (alternatively you can use a very carbonated water) and the elderflower syrup. Jumbled up all and complete with fresh mint leaves.

Chios mastic properties and food uses – Italian Cuisine

Lentisk mastic, produced in Greece on the island of Chios, is a natural superfood resin used for numerous food products and recipes, including ice cream and spoon desserts

Lentisk mastic, also called Chios mastic or tear, is a natural resin that comes out of the mastic trees and grown mostly on theGreek island of Chios, Aegean island overlooking the Turkish coasts. This precious resin has been known since ancient times for its extraordinary properties, including its healing and antioxidant properties, which make it an interesting superfood in the kitchen.

The mastic tears, which are the basis of the economy of this small Hellenic island and exported to many countries in the Middle East, are a precious ingredient for the pharmaceutical industry and, in refined form, for hygiene and beauty products. But it is their food use that is particularly interesting and versatile. Let's find out the characteristics and use of these drops of resin.

Properties of mastic mastic

Chewing has been known since ancient times for both its characteristic flavor and its beneficial and healing qualities, and used in various ways. Famous is, for example, its ancient use for beauty products or for medical treatments Hippocrates. Among the numerous properties of Chios resin we mention the curative, antiseptic, antibacterial and antioxidant one and that of helping digestion and fighting cholesterol.

The name "tear of Chios" comes from the particular collection process, laborious and tiring, which takes place for about a month during the summer. To obtain this crystallized resin it is necessary to engrave the mastic trunks, and then wait two weeks for it to come out. The resin tears, initially yellow, are then washed thoroughly and deprived of all impurities until they become milk white drops.
In recent years, the production of chewing has slowed down for a period due to the fires that hit the Greek island in 2015 and 2016, during which the flames destroyed some mastic crops.
Finally, it is important to know that since 2015 mastic has been officially recognized as a natural and product of protected origin (PDO) of the European Union.

Food use of mastic: from liqueur to desserts

From a food point of view this resin is famous for its slightly bitter and at the same time pleasantly balsamic and refreshing taste (reminiscent of cedar and pine), and is mostly sold in crystal forms in transparent sachets.
Nowadays, chewing is widely used both as the main ingredient of marketed products and as an ingredient in Greek and oriental recipes.
Among the most popular and popular products in Greece we find the chewing gum, already used in ancient Greece to whiten teeth and prevent plaque formation, and aromatic liqueur Masticha (or Mastika). The latter is drunk as a digestive, often lengthened with water or ice, or is used for cocktails or to flavor fresh fruit salads, ice cream or desserts of various types. In Greece it is also very popular and widespread chew dessert, sold in jars similar to those of Greek yogurt. In this case, the resin has a dense consistency reminiscent of honey, and in addition to being used in the preparation of oven or pastry recipes, it can be dipped with a teaspoon in a glass of water and then consumed as if it were a lollipop. This sweet in Greece has the name of "submarine”And it is one of the favorite comfort food of children.
Finally, Chios resin is also used for the production of aflavored water of course also available in grocery stores and supermarkets. The water Mastiqua it is thirst-quenching, has a delicious taste and can be drunk straight or added to lemonades, summer drinks and cocktails (e.g. Mojito).

As we have seen, chewing can also be purchased in crystals and added to both sweet and savory recipes. In Greece it is mainly used for puddings and spoon desserts, but also for cakes, traditional sweets such as lo tsoureki (braid of bread eaten during the Easter period) or for gelatinous sweets loukoumi.
In Arab countries it is added to milk, ice cream, spoon creams, but also used for savory preparations like chewed cheese produced in Syria and Lebanon. Mixed with salty ingredients, this natural resin can be combined with rice or meat dishes, such as Arab Saliq.

Photo: lentisk mastic resin in Greece; my mom’s recipe and more chewed sweets; rose and mastic desserts and flavored water_Greece, Ivana De Innocentis.

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properties, benefits and how to use them in the kitchen – Italian Cuisine

Rich in nutrients and excellent supplements, thanks to their innumerable properties they are very useful to our body in many different ways. Let's find out together

Sunflower seeds are nothing more than i fruits of the Helianthus annuus, an annual plant belonging to the family of the Astaraceae. As well as flax seeds, pumpkin seeds or chia seeds, due to their numerous nutritional properties they are considered as a natural supplement able to make health benefits of our body.

Why are sunflower seeds good for you?

These oil seeds are very rich in vitamins, especially of groups B and E, and of folic acid. THEto vitamin E is the most powerful antioxidant and helps our body to fight premature aging of tissues, while lFolic acid helps the most pregnant women, Favoring and contributing to the healthy development of the fetus.

sunflower seeds

These seeds are also rich in fiber, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, manganese and linoleic acid

Let's use them in the kitchen

In addition to using them to garnish dishes, salads or smoothies, it is also possible to make an excellent one sunflower seed bread or biscuits, buns, crackers and even breadsticks. To make them crispy and enhance their flavor, they can be toasted for a few minutes in a non-stick pan or in the oven, at a temperature not exceeding 160 ° C. On the market they are often also already toasted and salted, but in order not to frustrate their many benefits the advice is to buy them naturally and then toast them.

Not easy to find, it is always better to choose seeds from organic farming, to be certain that the flowers from which they were derived have not been treated by the use of pesticides.

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