In the spotlight - Figs

There's more to figs than fig rolls. It's common knowledge that figs are high in fibre, whether fresh, tinned or dried. However, in their fresh state figs are relatively low in vitamins and minerals, but when dried weight for weight their content of micronutrients shoots up; calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese and copper become more concentrated. Manganese is a constituent of various enzymes involved in the processing of carbohydrate and fats in the body, while copper is essential to maintain the health of blood vessels, bones, nerves and the immune system. Lesser known still is the fact that fig puree can be used as a fat replacement in baking; it's possible to replace between half and the full amount of fat in recipes for cakes and cookies. Figs are naturally able to retain moisture, which helps them to take on the role of a fat replacer. The puree is very easy to make - simply blend 200g of dried figs with 50 - 100ml of water, then use it to replace an equal weight of butter or margarine; store what you don't use in the fridge. While not entirely guilt free, your baking will be that bit healthier.

Photo freely available via Wikimedia Commons

In the spotlight - Melons

While it's true that you're never going to get melons in season within the UK - that is unless temperatures soar - it's nice to have fruit in the months towards the end of the year that remind you of sunnier days. With the clocks going back this coming weekend and the prospect of shorter days, now is as good a time as any to indulge in some tropical fruit. At one time it was mainly the Honeydew melon that made an appearance, but now there are half a dozen different varieties available; so whether your prefer Galia or Water melons, you've got permission to tuck in to these sunshine fruits, even if they have travelled a long way to get to your plate.

Although melons have a very high water content, they are a good source of Vitamin C - particularly the orange fleshed Cantaloupe variety - so don't just use them as a handy base to attach your loaded cocktail sticks at a party - cheese, pineapple and pickled onions anyone? Enjoy a large slice of melon as it comes, cube it to serve with other fresh fruit either in a bowl or on skewers, or freeze melon balls to use in place of ice cubes in drinks. A popular starter, serve melon with berries, sorbet, Parma ham or seafood. If you really want to take this fruit further, there are numerous recipes available for chilled melon soup or sorbet, amongst other dishes. However, sometimes the simple approach works best. Enjoy!

Photo by Asio Otus via Wikimedia Commons

In the spotlight - Guavas

It's that time of year again when more of us starting to pick up coughs, colds, sore throats and the flu. No one likes to feel under the weather, so it's no surprise that we do our upmost to avoid the aforementioned conditions, which for some people includes taking a high dose Vitamin C supplement. This vitamin has long been heralded as a prevention and way of reducing the severity of a cold, linked to its beneficial action on immune function, but is this substantiated by scientific evidence? A review of the evidence in 2009 indicated that Vitamin C is not effective in preventing a cold in the general population, though is effective in doing so in athletes who train in subarctic conditions - strenuous exercise has been shown to dampen the immune system, as can the cold, which would explain this finding. This review also found that although Vitamin C does not reduce the severity of cold symptoms, it can reduce the duration of a cold.

Despite these findings, if you are still thinking of reaching for a Vitamin C supplement, avoid those with mega-doses. The body's daily requirement is 40mg, but supplements with a daily dose of a gram or more - 25 times the recommended amount - are available. Taking such high doses of this vitamin might be detrimental to health, as high doses of Beta-carotene and Vitamin E have been linked with an increased risk of mortality, though further research is still needed to see whether the same applies to Vitamin C.

The safest way to top up your Vitamin C levels is through your diet. Citrus fruits are well known for being rich in the vitamin, with berries, kiwis and green veg as other useful sources. However, tropical fruits are also a good bet for Vitamin C, particularly guavas, which have 4 times as much Vitamin C gram for gram as oranges do.

With some tropical fruits you can be left wondering what the best way to prepare them is. However, it's easy with a ripe guava, as you can eat the whole fruit; though if you prefer the skin can be peeled and cutting the fruit in half is the easiest way to remove the seeds. While the obvious choice for how to eat guava might be to chop it with pineapple and papaya to serve in a fruit salad, what else can you do with guava?

Like a lot of fruits with soft flesh, guavas can be combined with other fruits to make a smoothie. They can also be used in baking - there are lots of recipes on the internet for cakes and desserts. It's not just sweet dishes where guavas make an appearance; they work well as part of a savoury course too. For example, chunks of guava can be served in a salad with cheese, they can be threaded on skewers with vegetables or meat to barbeque, added to a curry or pureed and combined with seasonings to form a marinade for chicken, pork or fish. There's not really any limit to what they can be used for in cooking, so push the boundaries and be more adventurous in the kitchen.

If you're struggling for inspiration, take a peek at the following websites:
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/fresh-guava
http://www.food.com/recipe-finder/all?foodido=11828,12622,12623,13046,17210,17369,18254,19693

Photo by Fibonacci via Wikimedia Commons

In the Spotlight - Bean sprouts

I went through a stage while at university where I would eat bean sprouts as part of a salad; I'm not sure what gave me the idea - it wasn't as if I even ate them in a stir-fry very often - but I liked the added crunch they provided. What I didn't know at the time was that bean sprouts are a notorious carrier of Salmonella and E. coli - they were linked to the E. coli outbreak that killed 30 people and left thousands unwell last year in Germany. The warm and humid conditions required for sprouts to grow are also ideal conditions for bacteria to multiply and when they do so the appearance of the sprouts are not altered, so it is difficult to know that they are actually contaminated. Although high temperatures would kill such bacteria, this would prevent the beans from sprouting. As with other food borne infections, it is young children, the elderly and anyone with a weakened immune system who are at most risk; these groups are advised to avoid raw bean sprouts altogether. The advice for the rest of us is to wash them well - ideally a hot rather than cold wash - if we are to eat them raw and even doing so if cooking.

Although not particularly high in vitamins, bean sprouts are still a source of Vitamin C and various B vitamins; as stir-frying is a light cooking method, it allows their content to be conserved. Bean sprouts are a useful source of protein for anyone who avoids animal protein. Like many other vegetables, they are also a good source of fibre.

Bean sprouts are present in most ready-made stir-fry packs, but you can easily make your own mix using whatever combination of vegetables that you wish; so whether you fancy peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn, carrots, cabbage, sugar snap peas or green beans, toss them all in. Don't forget about bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, which can also add some interest to a stir-fry.

Stir-fry sauces that you buy tend to be very high in salt, which you can control if you make your own, adjusting the amount you add; don't forget that soy and fish sauce, along with other similar condiments, are also high in salt. Try the following suggestions:
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/tag-5622/stir-fry-sauce-recipes.aspx
http://uktv.co.uk/food/homepage/sid/6518
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/stir-fries
http://www.cooksunited.co.uk/rs/s0/stir+fry+sauce/recipes.html