Tag Archives: parsley

Pasta Salad with Parsley

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Parsley pasta salad

Ingredients for Pasta Salad with Parsley 4/18/13

  • 1-1/2 c. elbow whole wheat pasta
  • 4 quarts boiling salted water
  • 1/2 red sweet bell pepper
  • 1/2 green sweet bell pepper
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 c. cherry tomatoes
  • 1 c. curly leaf parsely

Dressing for Pasta Salad with Parsley

  • 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 c. raw sugar or honey
  • 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to pkg. directions in boiling water with salt, drain and rinse in cool water.

Make the dressing while the pasta cooks.

Place the vinegar in a small sauce pan and add the sugar or honey and heat until the sugar or honey is dissolved. Allow to cool, mix in the garlic, salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl and surround the bowl with a towel to hold in place. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

  • In a salad bowl mix in the following vegetables
  • Seed and chopped the peppers
  • Chopped the red onion
  • Peel the cucumber if desired and slice lengthwise. Using a spoon to remove the seeds and chopped the cucumber
  • Cut the cherry tomatoes in half
  • Fold in chopped parsley
  • Fold in pasta
  • Cover with dressing and mix
  • Refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to mix
Parsley pasta salad

Pasta Salad with Parsley

Garnish with fresh parsley, Enjoy!

A few facts about the ingredients of the Pasta Salad with Parsley: This information is from the book “Nutrition Almanac” Gayla J. Kirschmann and John D. Kirschmann

Sweet bell peppers contain vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, phosphorus, and Potassium. Red has more vitamin C than the green.

Onions have vitamin B-6, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, lycine, and isoleycine.

Cucumbers have fiber, vitamin A, and potassium.

Tomatoes have vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

Whole grain pasta contains the germ of the grain which still have most of its nutrients.

Parsley is loaded with vitamins, including vitamin A, & C. It helps with high blood pressure, heart problems, inhibits allergies, diuretic and may even help with PMS.

Check out my blogs on growing parsley and high blood pressure.

Happy Cooking!

 

 

 

 

 

High Blood Pressure- Herbal Remedies from A to Z

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High Blood Pressure (HBP) also known as Hypertension is today’s A to Z

Over 65 million Americans have been diagnosed with HBP, not to mention those who have it and are not aware or have not been diagnose. It is the most common heart disease in the USA and HBP an lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney damage, pancreatic damage and eye diseases.

Hypertension occurs when cholesterol, toxins, and plaque deposits are found on the walls of the blood vessels. Which in turn causes the blood flow to be constricted and less blood flows through the veins causing HBP.

HBP is known as the silent killer because many do not know they have HPB until the symptoms become severe enough.

High blood pressure is a serious condition and should be monitored by a health care professional. Your blood pressure should be taken on a regular basics. If you do not have a monitor at home, try your local pharmacy they usually have a blood pressure station.

Try taking your blood pressure at the same time, every time and in the same situation. Research has shown the arm should be bent and near the heart. Normal reading is 120/80.

Blood pressure is represented by a pair of numbers.The first is the systolic pressure which is the pressure exerted by the blood when the heart beats, forcing blood into the blood vessels. This reading indicates blood pressure at its highest.

The second reading is the diastolic pressure, which is recorded when the heart is at rest in between beats, when the blood pressure is at its lowest. Both represent a ratio of systolic blood pressure to diastolic blood pressure.

Research suggests HBP is higher in women after menopause, men and African Americans.

While researching this subject, I found most of the books and doctors same the same thing. Diet and Exercise!. UGG! for some of us. In this case it is absolutely true, both diet and exercise can help to lower your HBP.

Diet plays an important part and some of the food recommended for reducing HBP include:

  • Potatoes, and the water they were cooked
  • Watermelon seed tea
  • Avocadoes
  • Lima beans
  • White and pinto beans
  • Dried peas
  • Almonds
  • Parsley, benefits the blood and is a natural diuretic
  • Yams
  • Bananas
  • Carrots, benefits the blood
  • Celery and celery seed, benefits the blood
  • Green leafy vegetabels
  • Garlic, raw, benefits the blood, contains chemicals that help in lowering HBP
  • Reishi oriental mushrooms
  • Onions, lipid lowering activity
  • Cucumbers, high in potassium, phosphorus and calcium diuretic and calming
  • Apples and apple cider vinegar

You’ve heard of an apple a day will keep the doctor away, but with HBP it should be two. Apple Cider vinegar taken on a regular basis mixed in with grape juice may help.

Research have shown herbs that may help include:

  • Hawthorn berries, nourishing the heart and will dilate and strengthen the blood vessels
  • Yarrow relaxes the blood minor blood vessels and improves blood flow
  • Rosemary is a general tonic for the circulatory system
  • Cayenne pepper may help to stabilize the blood pressure
  • Raspberry leaf tea
  • Hyssop tea with honey and lemon
  • Marjoram ease effects of blood pressure for dilating blood vessels

Vitamins: B-Complex may help to detoxify the liver and prevent fatty deposits in the arteries. Vitamin C nourishes the veins and improves arterial function. Vitamin E supplies oxygen to the blood. CoQ-10 along with omega 3’s are nutrients that provide oxygen to the vessels and help with HBP.

Calcium and magnesium may be missing in those suffering from HBP, along with potassium.

Research has shown deep breathing may help to lower blood pressure. Take a deep breath and hold it for 10 seconds, and exhale slowly for ten seconds. Repeat these deep breathing exercises two or three times a day, for a minute or so.

The less oxygen we take in, the harder the heart has to work, the harder the heart works the higher the blood pressure.

Stress can cause problems with HBP so take time to relax and meditate with no distractions or noise. I know not an easy task in today’s world. But your health is important so take time to smell the roses.

Some have found help using foot reflexology for lowering blood pressure:

  • Use both thumbs and rub the center of the arch at the point between ball and heal of the foot
  • Rub your foot for about a minute or two.
  • Or Rub the arch of the foot with a tennis ball if the using your thumbs is a problem.
  • The tennis ball will help to stretch the arch of the foot as well

Most health care professionals recommended taking in less salt. Salt retains water which puts extra pressure on the veins.

Sugar can have an effect by retaining salt in the body which can increase HBP. OH OH! Here is the bad news, milk chocolate, coffee, sodas, and tea can increase the blood pressure. There are some herbs to avoid as well, licorice and ephedra.

Always check with your health care professional before trying any home remedies, high or low blood pressure is a serious condition.

Good Health!

 

 

 

Bouquet Garni and Fine Herbs

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In a previous post,”Fresh Herbs in the Kitchen”, I mentioned herbs used in Bouquet Garni and Fine Herbs. What exactly is bouquet garni and fine herbs blend? I hope the following will answer the question.

Bouquet Garni is a small bunch of aromatic fresh herbs and spices tied together and used in stocks, soups, stews, and sauces.

The herbs are tied together to keep the herbs contained so the flavor not the bits of the herb  will infuse the food. Fresh herbs have a tendency to look bad in the dish if they have cooked for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Plus all their flavor is gone after the long cooking time. Both dried and fresh herbs along with spices can be used. If using dried herbs use method two.

Method #1: Tie two or three sprigs of Italian parsley (flat leaf) with one or two sprigs of thyme, and a bay leaf. You can include marjoram, French tarragon, rosemary, or sage in one or two sprigs each depending on the flavor desired.

Try tucking the herbs between two stalks of celery before tying for additional flavor. Some bouquet garni contain peppercorns, whole allspice, and whole cloves. Once the dish is cooked, remove the bunch of herbs.

Method #2: The bouquet garni is place in a small square of cheesecloth or clean muslin. The herbs are chopped and usually dried with this method. Bring the corners together and tie with a string with a tail long enough to hang over the edge, (not too long, you don’t want it to catch on fire) or tie to the handle of the pot. This makes it easy to remove. The dried herbs can also be placed in a tea ball instead of cheesecloth.

The bouquet garni can be made ahead from either fresh or dried. The fresh can be frozen and added to the pot straight from the freezer. The dried can be place in an airtight container for future use.

Fine Herbs blend: are usually added to the dish in small quantities in vegetables, eggs, chicken, soup, salads, sauces and fish dishes. Add the last few minutes of cooking to retain their flavor.

Fine herbs include finely chopped in equal amounts of chervil, chives, tarragon, and parsley.

A jar of dried fine herbs make a wonderful gift to anyone who enjoys cooking.

To make the gift jar of Fine Herbs blend: Fine a pretty jar or container with a tight fitting lid and add the dry herbs in equal amounts listed above. Include a few of your favorite recipes to the jar. Tie with a pretty bow. Don’t forget a label for the jar with the date the herbs were dried. Herbs loose their flavor after a certain amount of time. Six months to a year.

Happy Cooking!