Category: Food

  • The Zen Gourmand Slays a Dragon

    If you’ve ever wondered how on earth to eat a dragon, the ZenGourmand has the low-down on the how-to.

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  • How to eat a Dragon

    You take a sharp knife, cut it in half and eat it by scooping out the innards with a spoon!

    Seriously!

    Don’t believe me?

    OK, here we go…

    The other day I was picking up some fruit at the local super market when my eyes fell on these pretty strange looking, bright pink, sort of scaly fruits that were about 12 – 15 cm long (5-6") and with varying diameters making some look somewhat elongated and others almost perfectly round.

    I just had to pick one up to see what this was. Well, the tag said that this was a "Dragon Fruit", aptly named so as the skin certainly had that dragon scales look and the shape of some of them made them look positively medieval in a fairytale sort of way.

    I’d never seen these before, certainly not in the local supermarkets. I conservatively put one of them in my basket and, after checking out, brought the Dragon back to my house.

    I had no clue what I had just brought home. I assumed it was edible and that you would be able to eat it raw. I Googled around for a bit and in no time found all my answers.

    A Dragon Fruit is:

    • the fruit of several species of cactii
    • also known as ‘strawberry pear’, ‘pitaya’ or ‘pitahaya
    • immune system enhancing, antioxidant, vitamin rich, digestive tract function boosting, colon cancer and diabetes fighting, blood pressure and cholesterol reducing as well as cough and asthma targeting in it’s health benefits department
    • low in calories
    • very zen

    These Dragons come in 3 different versions:

    • Hylocereus undatus – pink skin and white flesh
    • Hylocereus polyrhizus – pink skin and red flesh
    • Selenicereus megalanthus – yellow skin and white flesh

    You already know how to eat this Dragon since I told right at the beginning, however, it is widely recommended to chill the beast in the fridge prior to devouring. As you will see from the pictures below, the fruits have dark seeds throughout – a bit like a Kiwi. One warning – this fruit looks more exotic and exiting than it tastes. The taste is actually pretty bland but reminiscent of a Kiwi-Melon hybrid.

    So there, go slay a Dragon 🙂

    Live Dragon Slain Dragon
    Red and White Dragons

     

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  • Baby Spinach & Carrot salad – the vinaigrette!

    Yesterday I hinted on releasing my secret recipe designed to make the “Baby Spinach & Carrot” salad a superior culinary Zen Gourmand experience.
    Take a deep breath because here it goes…

    This is to make a salad for an enlightened couple (that’s 2 people resonating on the same page; adjust to suit actual number of gourmands):

    We start by preparing my secret vinaigrette.

    In a medium sized mixing bowl, saucier or other suitable vessel add:
    2 tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar
    2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    1 (preferably 2 or even more) cloves of Garlic, pressed (use a decent Garlic Press or chop really fine)
    1 tbsp of Ketchup
    1/2 tsp of Honey
    1/2 tsp of Dijon Mustard
    1/2 tsp of fresh, carefully picked and chopped Thyme leaves (if available, otherwise use dried)
    1/2 tsp of fresh, carefully picked and chopped Tarragon leaves (if available, otherwise use dried)
    Whisk these ingredients together to make a homogenous vinaigrette.
    Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

    Now on to the salad.

    Gently scrub and peel 2 medium sized carrots.
    Coarsely shred or grate these carrots.
    Take 1 good handful of washed, dried and chilled baby spinach.
    Artistically arrange the leaves on a plate.
    Arrange half the grated/shredded carrots in the center of the spinach using up about 2/3rd’s of the available spinach-estate.
    When I feel particularly in tune with the Universe, I arrange the spinach and the carrots in a Yin-Yang pattern – quite attractive too, actually.
    Repeat to make 2 plates.

    Serve with my secret vinaigrette on the side.
    Offer fresh ground pepper.
    Optionally, and only if you are within your prescribed weight range and free of any other contra-indications, offer to liberally grate some really tasty Parmigiano Reggiano on top of this creation.
    It will double the benefits of the the iron and vitamins in this salad by sheer psychological subversion – trust me.

    Enjoy.

    Baby Spinach & Carrot Salad

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  • Spinach & Carrot Salad vs. Dragon Fruit

    I started to write about the “Spinach & Carrot Salad vs. Dragon Fruit” on http://www.juliemoorespa.com/zen_gourmand.html.
    Unfortunately, all the batteries for my digital camera died on me and I wasn’t able to download the amazing pictures for my “Dragon Fruit” essay.
    So please bear with me.
    I will have them (the pictures) and the essay, on-line ASAMBAC (As Soon As My Batteries Are Charged).
    At least, you can read up on the Spinach & Carrot Salad at http://www.juliemoorespa.com/zen_gourmand.html.

    Hmmmm….

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