35 Edible Foods That Cause Only One Question: How Did Our Ancestors Know It Was Edible?
Nowadays, people are well aware of what and how to eat, what food is healthy, which is a rare delicacy. Restaurateurs go off their feet to surprise their sophisticated and demanding customers with new combinations of tastes. But it was not always so. Our ancestors made fundamental discoveries when they found a new way of cooking or found out which fruits are edible and can kill.
Unique and strange products that we eat
We at Bemorepanda have selected unique and strange products that are now well known to everyone. But how did people learn about their properties for the first time? How could one guess what to do with coffee beans, that honey is edible, and poisonous fish can be eaten? Internet users tried to answer these and other questions, and we share their answers with you. How do you think our ancestors learned about edible products? Share your opinion in the comments.
1. Oysters
Someone looked at the mucous contents of an accidentally broken shell, and suddenly a bright thought came to his mind: “Let me taste this rubbish! ... Look, it's not bad! — youdontknowme6 / Reddit
2. Coffee
What genius managed to pull off an experiment with coffee beans? After all, they first need to be fried. And then to realize that they can be ground ... Still tasteless. What if you add some water and boil it? Well, that's already something! This is how our ancestors came up with coffee in the morning! — OriginallyFromNYC / Reddit
3. Dogfish
Only a tiny part of this fish of the pufferfish family is edible, and the rest of the features are deadly poisonous! So how did the first gourmets of humanity know which piece of fish was edible? They probably cried and injected themselves, but ... they continued the experiments! — Michael_Stone_UDA / Reddit
4. Lobster
Most likely, the fisherman who caught such a lobster decided and took a chance: “Well, he looks terrible with these claws of his. Let me try and see how it tastes...” — quoted / Reddit.
5. Gympie Gympie
The Gympie Gympie tree, or stinging tree, grows in Australia. It is also known as the suicide plant because its burn is so painful that local sources have reported that people and animals have even committed suicide to avoid the pain. This pain can last for weeks, months, or even years.
Stinging tiny hairs cover the entire plant, but someone (perhaps a smart native) discovered that if each hair was carefully removed from a mulberry-sized fruit, it was quite edible! Imagine how much people worked to ensure that the fruit could be eaten! — __hey__its__me__ / Reddit
6. Chili pepper
Imagine that you find this bright pepper pod, bite it with an appetite ... and feel that a volcano has flared up in your mouth! But this does not stop you, and you decide he is perfect! You start adding it to your dishes like a spice. -Edgar- / Reddit
7. Bread
All the sky stars must converge so that someone would be the first to suddenly think of combining the ingredients and baking bread! He took flour and yeast from somewhere, got salt - and here you are not a cake, but a loaf! spheroid / Reddit
8. Honey
When you meet a swarm of aggressive wild bees in the forest, which are so easy to anger, it will forever discourage you from climbing into their hollow. But someone took a chance and climbed in, giving humanity sweet fragrant amber honey! Thank him very much! — coconut-greek-yogurt / Reddit
9. Mushrooms
People have always picked mushrooms. But how can you tell what is edible from what is not? No way - only guided by bitter experience. Take some pretty mushrooms, eat them raw, or even cook them, and you'll die. But if you boil them 3-5 times, everything will be in order! — anon/Reddit
10. Snails
The French must have been omnivores or very hungry since it occurred to them to collect slugs and cook hearty dishes from them! Not only that, but they also declared them a delicacy! — anon/Reddit
11. Cassava
An exotic root crop from the South American continent is like our potato. It is common in hot countries, just like our potatoes. There is the same side dish, and they make flour from it.
But cassava is poisonous unless it is peeled and thoroughly cooked. If eaten raw or improperly cooked, one of its chemical components will be attacked by human digestive enzymes and release the deadly poison cyanide. Just two cassava roots can contain a lethal dose. But one ancient Indian from Peru or Bolivia still figured out how to cook cassava properly! — Nuovo/Reddit
12. Castoreum
Castoreum, or beaver stream, is a sweet-tasting exudate released from the glands of the beaver, with which the animal marks territory. It has a powerful creosote odor and is used as an odor fixative in perfumery. And it is also used by some culinary specialists (though secretly).
For example, Blue moon contains the secret ingredient that gives Blue Moon its vanilla and berry flavors - gourmets suspect the product is spiced with castoreum. Who came up with the idea to add this “beautiful smell” to food? — BCProgramming / Reddit
13. Yogurt and cheese
At first, people drank fresh milk directly from under the cow. But they wanted to save some for later, and that's how sour cream, butter, cheese, and yogurt were born. Or maybe everything is more straightforward - the products turned sour, and I had to strain my brains and prepare fermented milk products. — NCCAM/Reddit
14. Blue cheese
The first one who declared it a cool delicacy, most likely, got hungry and went to the pantry for cheese. There he saw that the cheese was covered with mold, absolutely all! “So what? I’ll eat it anyway,” the gourmet decided and ate it. And so as not to point fingers at him, he declared moldy cheese the most expensive and best. — chayne108 / Reddit
15. Hakarl
This Viking dish is, in fact, rotten and then dried shark meat. Shark meat is unsuitable for food, but the ancient Icelanders were not at a loss and came up with a way to cook it - do not throw away the caught fish!
The Greenland shark is gutted and decapitated, then placed in a shallow hole, covered with sand and gravel, and pressed down with rocks to drain the liquid. So the shark is fermented for as long as 6-12 weeks, after which the carcass is cut into strips and hung to dry for several months. The crust on the meat is removed and then cut into small pieces and served. — msvivica / Reddit
16. Pokeberry
The plant, which lives in the southern United States, has edible leaves. Well, how edible? Eating them raw will make you sick or even die, as the whole plant contains a neurotoxin that causes respiratory paralysis. The toxin will still kill you if you boil or fry the leaves.
How can this be edible? The Indians found the recipe! If you boil three times, drain the water three times, and only then fry the leaves, then perhaps you will eat and stay alive! — Kulladar / Reddit.
17. Maple Syrup
It was invented where a lot of maples grow - in Canada. A curious mind suggested: "Let's poke a hole in this tree, collect the juice, boil it for three days and see what happens!" — lovelyb1ch66 / Reddit.
18. Rice
It's just a cereal that grew itself and did not touch anyone. But a wise guy looked at a bunch of thick grass and thought: “Let me take these spikelets and dry them, break them, then polish them and cook them. Let's see what happens!" And the result was a lumpy and tasteless mess that has been feeding countries such as China and Indonesia for millennia. — snortypuff / Reddit
19. Artichoke
Walking along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the first connoisseur of artichokes was very interested in the weed - prickly purple thistle: “What a wonderful plant! I’ll take it and start growing it, so it later becomes a gourmet delicacy!” — Sidmesh / Reddit.
20. Durian
A prickly and smelly fruit that is difficult to open. But, oddly enough, it has a very delicate vanilla taste. Someone hungry ate it for the first time, holding his nose with his fingers! — yirao / Reddit
21. Nopal
The cactus, known to us as prickly pear, whose fruit has been a staple food in Mexico for thousands of years. They still eat it now, cutting off the thorns - it tastes like green beans, and the texture is tender, crispy, and juicy. The first gourmets did not see that the cactus pads were covered with sharp thorns. "It's nothing! I bet this cactus tastes amazing!” — ThePeasantKingM / Reddit.
22. Truffles
It is now truffles served in Michelin-starred restaurants for big money, and the first person who appreciated them most likely herded pigs in an oak grove. “What is it that my piglet is rummaging under a tree and eating with appetite? It must taste damn good if pigs eat it!” — anon/Reddit.
23. Cranberry
Having tried cranberries directly from the bush, you can wrinkle - the berries are tart, sour and bitter. But someone did not look at it and began to use cranberries in pastries and salads - and it went! Yummy, what else to look for? — ctophermh89 / Reddit
24. Onion
How can one recognize the current favorite and leader in cooking in this nodule with a terrible smell and tears when cut? No way! But it occurred to someone to dig, remove the husk, chop, and put the onion in the stew. — dogsolitude_uk / Reddit
25. Chocolate
A true genius has created this sweet masterpiece from bitter cocoa beans! But how did he know? — Skitzcordova / Reddit
26. Lutefisk
Fish in lye is another strange Scandinavian masterpiece. First, you go to the fish store. Then you leave it hanging on a stick for a few months to dry. Then put in water for a couple of days. Then you put it in lye water for a couple more days. And at the end, you put it back in clean water, cook, and eat. Why so much work to spoil the fish? — anon/Reddit
27. Noodles
Five points to the one who first thought of rolling out the dough thinly, then cutting it into long strips. It turns out delicious! buzzbuzzwakeup / Reddit
28. Sea urchin
The first person to taste a sea urchin most likely dived into the depths of the sea and suddenly saw ugly prickly lumps at the bottom. "Remove anyway!" thought the diver, piercing all his hands. — Miryam / Reddit
29. Palm's heart
“Something this year is a crop failure of coconuts! Let's eat the whole coconut tree! No, only the core is better, and we will throw everything else away! — Cracked_Emerald / Reddit
30. Acorns
You can't eat them straight from the tree. But how hungry you must be to figure out how to grind acorns into powder or leach tannins three times! And then they can make flour or "coffee." — mobiusteph/Reddit
31. Aki fruit
Even though most of this fruit is poisonous, it is still eaten. In Jamaica, aka is considered the national fruit and delicacy. They do not cook poisonous seeds but fresh hard peel. How was anyone able to figure this out in the first place? Xero-theory / Reddit
32. Caviar
It is hard to believe, but there used to be so many sturgeon, beluga, and stellate sturgeon that caviar was the food of poor fishermen. Once upon a time, they walked knee-deep on it ... - jack28415 / Reddit
33. Guinness, cola, or any black drink
How did these drinks become popular? They were created by accident, and the sales went: “Look, this is not so bad for our business!” — Zeruvi/Reddit.
34. Olives
They are so tasteless on the tree that someone decided to pickle them: maybe at least they can be eaten like that? Or crush and get oil? This ancient Greek was a genius. — _thatsmeinthecorner_ / Reddit
35. Pufferfish
How did people know that only a certain part of the pufferfish is not poisonous if cut properly? — SuccessfulFailure9 / Reddit
10 myths about how you really need to eat right, and why science decides everything here
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There are many beliefs in our society that, upon closer examination, turn out to be prejudices. It is better not to eat animal milk, diabetics should not eat fruits, vegetarians will not last long without protein ... Let's figure out with the help of experts in the field of edible and inedible who is our enemy and who is our friend.
We have found and debunked several popular myths about proper nutrition.
At Bemorepanda, we liked the advice of the American writer, educator and health food activist Michael Pollan the best. It has only 7 words. Read with us.
Myth #1: Fresh fruits and vegetables are always healthier than canned, frozen, or dried ones.
Despite the strong opinion that "fresh is better", studies have shown that frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious and healthy as fresh ones.
“They can also help save money and be an easy way to ensure that families have consistent fruits and vegetables,” says Sarah Bleach, former director of food security and health equity at the USDA and professor of public health policy at the Harvard T. X. Chan. "One word of caution: Some types of canned, frozen, and dried foods contain ingredients such as sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, so be sure to read product labels and look for foods that are low in these additives."
Myth #2: All fats are bad.
When studies published in the late 1940s found a relationship between a high-fat diet and high blood cholesterol, experts decided that reducing the total amount of fat in the diet would reduce the risk of heart disease.
By the 1980s, doctors, health experts, the food industry, and the media were reporting that a low-fat diet could benefit everyone, although there was no conclusive evidence that it could prevent cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity.
Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, assistant professor of medicine at UCLA's Center for Human Nutrition, says that as a result of the negative message about fat, many people - and food manufacturers - have begun to replace calories from fat with calories from refined carbohydrates (white flour and sugar).
Suffice it to recall the effect of low-calorie SnackWell cookies, when people began to overeat, confident that this is acceptable, since the food is dietary. “Instead of helping fellow citizens stay lean, this approach has led to an increase in overweight and obesity,” she explains.
In reality, Dr. Surampudi added, not all fats are bad. While some fats, including saturated and trans fats, can increase your risk of disease, healthy monounsaturated fats (found in olive and other vegetable oils, avocados, some nuts and seeds) and polyunsaturated fats (found in sunflower and other vegetable oils, walnuts) , fish and flaxseed) help reduce the risk.
"Good" fats are also important for providing energy, producing important hormones, maintaining cellular function, and absorbing certain nutrients.
If you see a product labeled "fat-free," don't automatically think it's healthy, says Dr. Surampudi. Instead, opt for foods with simple ingredients and no added sugar.
Myth #3: “Calories in, calories out” is the most important factor for long-term weight maintenance.
It's true that if you take in more calories than you burn, you're more likely to gain weight. And if you're burning more calories than you're consuming, you should be losing weight—at least in the short term.
However, the study does not suggest that eating more food will lead to sustained weight gain, i.e. obesity or obesity.
"Rather, it's the types of foods we eat that may be long-term drivers of these conditions," said Dr. Dariusz Mozaffarian, professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Over-processed foods—refined starch snacks, cereals, crackers, energy bars, baked goods, soda, and sweets—can be especially harmful to weight gain because they digest quickly and fill the blood with glucose, fructose, and amino acids, which are converted into fat by the liver. Instead, maintaining a healthy weight requires a shift from counting calories to prioritizing healthy eating in general—quality over quantity.
Myth #4: People with type 2 diabetes shouldn't eat fruit.
This myth arose because fruit juices, which can raise blood sugar levels due to their high glucose and low fiber content, are confused with whole fruits.
However, it is not. Some studies show, for example, that those who consume one serving of whole fruits per day — especially blueberries, grapes, and apples — have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to other scientific sources, if you already have type 2 diabetes, then eating whole fruits can help you control your blood sugar levels.
It's time to dispel that myth, says Dr. Linda Shiue, GP and director of health nutrition and lifestyle at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco: Everyone, including type 2 diabetics, needs healthy nutrients found in fruit - fiber, vitamins , minerals and antioxidants.
Myth #5: Plant-based milk is healthier than animal-based milk.
There is an opinion that vegetable milk, for example, from oats, almonds, rice, is more useful and nutritious than cow's.
“That's just not true,” says Kathleen Merrigan, a professor of sustainable food systems at Arizona State University and a former US assistant secretary of agriculture. “Consider protein: Generally, cow’s milk has about eight grams of protein per cup, while almond milk has one to two grams and oat milk has about two to three grams per cup.”
Plant-based drinks can vary in nutritional value, Dr. Merrigan said, but many contain more added ingredients, such as sodium and sugar, that will degrade health faster than cow's milk.
Myth #6: White potatoes are unhealthy.
Potatoes are often frowned upon in the nutrition community due to their high glycemic index, which means they contain fast-digesting carbohydrates that raise blood sugar levels. However, potatoes may actually be good for your health, says Dafena Altema-Johnson, food community and public health program officer at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Better Future.
It is rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber and other nutrients, especially when eaten with the skin. In addition, potatoes are inexpensive and available year-round in grocery stores, making this product more affordable. The most useful cooking methods are: frying, baking, boiling and air grilling.
Myth #7: Peanut foods should not be given to infants in their first years of life.
For a long time, experts have been telling new parents that the best way to prevent food allergies in children is to not feed them allergenic foods like peanuts or eggs for the first few years of life. But now, according to allergy experts, it's best to introduce peanut products to your child's diet as early as possible.
If your child does not have severe eczema or an identified food allergy, you can start introducing peanut products (such as water-diluted peanut butter, peanut puffs, or peanut powder, but not whole peanuts) at about 4-6 months, when your child is ready for solid food. “Start with two teaspoons of smooth peanut butter mixed with water, breast milk, or formula two to three times a week,” advises Dr. Ruchi Gupta, professor of pediatrics and director of the Feinberg Northwestern School of Medicine Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research. . - If your baby has severe eczema, first ask your pediatrician or allergist about whether you can start giving peanut products at about 4 months.
It is also important to feed your baby a variety of foods in the first year of life to prevent food allergies,” says Dr. Gupta.
Myth #8: Plant protein is incomplete.
"Where do you get protein from?" is the #1 question vegans get asked,” says Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist and professor of medicine at Stanford University. The myth is that plants are completely lacking in certain amino acids, also known as the building blocks of proteins. But in fact, plant foods contain all 20 amino acids, including the nine essential, essential amino acids.”
“The only difference is that the ratio of these amino acids is not as ideal as in animal products. Therefore, to get an adequate portion of nutrients, you just need to eat a variety of plant foods throughout the day: beans, grains and nuts and consume enough protein in general. Most people in prosperous countries get everything they need: it's easier than many people think, ”says Dr. Gardner.
Myth #9: Eating soy-based foods can increase your risk of breast cancer.
The high doses of plant estrogens in soy, called isoflavones, stimulate the growth of breast tumor cells (according to animal studies).
“In humans, this association has not been confirmed,” says Dr. Frank B. Hu, professor and chair of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan. So far, scientific evidence does not point to a link between soy consumption and the risk of developing breast cancer in humans.
In contrast, consumption of soy-based foods and beverages—such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso, and soy milk—may even be protective, reduce the risk of development, and increase survival in this disease. Soy products are also a source of beneficial nutrients associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, including high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, adds Dr. Hu. “The results of the study are clear: feel free to include soy products in your diet.”
Myth #10: Basic nutritional guidelines change all the time—and by a lot.
“That’s not true,” says Dr. Marion Nestle, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Nutrition, Nutritional Research, and Public Health at New York University. - In the 1950s, the first dietary recommendations for the prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. contained advice to balance calories and minimize foods high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Modern dietary guidelines call for the same.”
Yes, science is developing, but the rules of healthy eating remain unchanged. Writer Michael Pollan summed it up in seven simple words: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. According to Dr. Nestle, this council worked 70 years ago and continues to work today. And it leaves plenty of room for eating the foods you love.
A balanced diet with the right foods is the cornerstone of a healthy body. True, different peoples have very different taste preferences, and food that is considered healthy and useful in one part of the world may not be consumed at all in another. Although, of course, something in common is found in the cuisines of most peoples of the world. Bemorepanda collected some interesting facts about different products.
1. If you find it difficult to wake up in the morning, one fresh apple will help with this task even better than a cup of strong coffee.
2. Coffee and tea are quite addictive in many people.
3. Puffer fish is considered the most dangerous food in the world. If not properly prepared, you can easily die by eating just a bite. Fugu is only served in the best restaurants in Japan.
4. Nowadays, many additional ingredients are added to bread, one of the staple foods. One of these food additives is a product of duck feather processing.
5. Honey, so popular in many countries, is the semi-digested pollen that bees regurgitate.
6. In an especially large dosage, coffee can easily be poisoned.
7. In a number of Asian and African countries, insects, cooked in one way or another, are quite common and demanded food product.
8. In total, about 2 thousand species of plants for food are grown in the world.
9. Natural food colors are made not only from plant materials, but also from insects, in particular from some species of beetles.
10. Over the past decades, the content of nutrients in food has decreased significantly, as the priority is to reduce costs, not improve quality.
11. Some varieties of green apples shine so beautifully because a gene from a salmon fish has been inserted into them.
12. Apples, as you know, are very useful, but their bones are poisonous, especially in large quantities.
13. The usual orange carrot was once purple. Its orange varieties were bred by people, not nature.
14. We often decorate our meals with fresh herbs. This is a very old tradition - for example, the ancient Romans used parsley for this purpose.
15. The smell of garlic repels mosquitoes. However, it sometimes scares people off too).
16. Dairy products are not in demand in most Asian countries, with the exception of the Philippines.
17. Oysters are indeed a natural aphrodisiac, and quite powerful.
18. Apples and peaches absorb more pesticides as they grow and ripen than any other fruit.
19. Onions, when cut, release a corrosive gas that irritates the eyes, which is why tears come to them.
20. Of all meat products, the top 3 most popular are chicken, beef and pork.
21. Bananas are very popular in many countries. In India alone, they are grown over 20 million tons annually.
22. Bananas, melons and watermelons are botanically referred to as berries, and tomatoes are referred to as fruits.
23. Among all fruits, apples are the first in the world in popularity. Oranges follow with a small margin.
24. Honey can be stored longer than any other food. Subject to a number of conditions, it may not deteriorate until 2000-3000 years.
25. In Southeast Asia, hot peppers are included in almost all dishes.
If you often find yourself seeing faces and familiar outlines in the clouds, in a carpet pattern, or looking at fruits and vegetables, you do not need to run to a psychiatrist at all, because you are most likely not sick with anything. With you, just simply, there are visual illusions called pareidolia, forcing you to see a familiar image in a random object. We've put together for you pictures of funny fruits and vegetables in which you can see faces, as well as familiar shapes that make them look different than usual.
It looks like the whole crop has mutated
"I am free!"
This tomato looks like a duck
Pickled cucumber, eerily reminiscent of an Alien
"I love you, but at least this time take off your headphones!"
Radish that miraculously grew in the shape of a foot
Spooky face in a cut tomato
Chinese bitter gourd with a very cute face inside
"There is a silhouette of a camel on the skin of my apple."
"This banana looks exactly like my mom's dog."
Broccoli's reaction to all her haters
“Today we found this incredible carrot hand on our farm when we were digging carrots for juice.”
These potatoes make us feel a little uncomfortable
This sweet potato is like a seal and we must protect it at all costs!
Strangest Egg I've Ever Seen
A sweet potato that looks like a human hand
Yo!
“Even the potatoes silently judge me. Even potatoes ... "
Who among us would refuse practical advice that is sometimes so necessary? Probably only the one who knows everything in the world and does not need hints, but there are probably only a few such people. Therefore, we want to share with you culinary life hacks that will surely come in handy if you decide to conjure in the kitchen.
Recommendations for rolling stuffed pita bread that you can fry and get yummy
If you have a man-shaped cookie cutter, then you also have a deer cookie cutter. Amazing, isn't it? Take a look at the photos below to understand how it works.
Use an apple slicer to cook chips
You can make grilled cheese in a waffle iron
Two frozen pizzas and one baking sheet? Not a problem!
Store grapes in the freezer to use as ice cubes in your wine. And when you're done drinking, you can eat wine grapes.
Just look at this!
When you've finished with a can of mustard, don't throw it away, but make a delicious salad dressing with just 4 ingredients: leftover mustard, apple bite, butter and jam (or berry mixture)
Cooking method:
- In a mustard jar, add 15 ml of jam (preferably from sour berries).
- Fill the jar 25% with apple cider vinegar.
- And 75% vegetable oil.
- Close the jar with a lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Enjoy the delicious dressing that can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks!
If you really feel like making a homemade hot dog but don't have buns, baked potatoes can be a great alternative.
Empty ketchup bottles make great batter dispensers
Grind some white rice in the grinder to remove odors.
If you want your French toast to have a delicious golden crust, add a little brown sugar to the egg before dipping the bread in this mixture.
In the event that you like grilled fish, but you do not want to suffer, cleaning the grill, just make a lemon "pillow" by placing the fish on it
The case when the lid is too small for the pan
Use a spoon to secure the strainer
If you prefer to cook rice in bags, then this life hack will tell you how to let the water drain.
Use parchment paper to keep the meat from sliding out when you beat it
Cooking meatballs? Lubricate your hands liberally with oil. The meat will not stick to your hands, and you will get a smooth, uniform meatball texture
If you need to cook perfectly shaped scrambled eggs, then use onion rings
Weekends exist for that, to sleep, relax and not spend a lot of time on a routine. But no one canceled delicious family dinners. Therefore, fresh ideas for easy-to-cook dishes will come in handy.
What are the best fast lunch ideas to try?
Lunch is a meal that some very busy people neglect. Other people make a fuss if they don't get a delicious meal. The dinner recipes that we have collected for you will seduce the former and appease the latter.
Easy Chicken Salad
A step-by-step recipe with a photo of cooking chicken salad in a fragrant dressing at home. The soy-lemon dressing adds a special piquancy to the dish, which favorably emphasizes the taste of the dish. Of course, the salad can be dressed with ordinary mayonnaise, sour cream or even sunflower oil. However, using the proposed sauce, you will bring new fresh notes. Moreover, such a sauce is universal, it can be seasoned with almost any salad, and familiar dishes that have become boring for a long time will sparkle with a new interesting taste.
Ingredients for preparing a tender chicken salad in a fragrant dressing:
- Boiled chicken fillet - 1 pc.
- Processed cheese - 100 g
- Eggs - 1 pc.
- Cucumbers - 1 pc.
- Green onions - 5-7 sprigs
- Mustard grain or pasty - 0.5 tsp.
- Soy sauce - 2 tbsp. l.
- Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. l.
Recipe preparation:
Wash green onions, dry and chop finely. Wash cucumbers, dry and cut into cubes with sides of 0.5 mm. Boil eggs. Cool, peel and cut into cubes the size of cucumbers. Cut the melted cheese into cubes of the same size as all the products. Boil the chicken in salted water and set aside. Then cut into pieces or tear along the fibers. Combine all foods in one bowl. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, soy sauce with vegetable oil and season the ingredients. Toss the chicken salad in the soy-lemon dressing, chill and serve.
The Quinoa, Avocado, and Cherry Tomato Salad
The Quinoa, Avocado and Cherry Tomato Salad recipe is presented in the Salads category, and it will take you no more than 15 minutes to prepare this dish. To make this dish at home according to the recipe from the author Evtushenko, you will need: quinoa, ripe avocado, cherry tomatoes, quail eggs, a handful of salad mix, half a bunch of parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, dry Italian herbs, a mixture of ground peppers, salt.
Ingredients:
- 150 gr. kinoa1 pc.
- ripe avocado 250 kg.
- cherry tomatoes 6-8 pcs.
- quail eggs 3 pcs.
- salad mix to taste
- half a bunch of parsley
- 1-2 tbsp. l. lemon juice
- 2-3 tbsp. l. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs to taste
- ground pepper mix
- salt to taste
Recipe preparation:
Rinse the quinoa with cold water (to remove possible bitterness), add water and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt at the end. Cut the avocado into small cubes, and cherry tomatoes in half. Boil the sawn eggs, you can leave the yolk slightly watery, it will be even tastier. Cut in half. Let's prepare the dressing. Chop the parsley very finely, add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Italian dry herbs to it. Add the dressing to the cooked and cooled quinoa, mix. Now add avocado, tomatoes and salad mixture, mix and taste for salt. Add if necessary. We spread the salad on plates, lay the quail eggs on top.
Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is just a godsend for those who follow a healthy diet. Similar in appearance to rice or couscous, this vegetable side dish is much healthier, lower in calories, carbohydrates, and sugars, and higher in fiber. It goes perfectly with meat dishes, and in itself it turns out very tasty if you mix it with herbs and roasted almonds. In addition, cauliflower rice is a great way to introduce a healthy vegetable into the diet of children who, to put it mildly, do not favor it. Mix it in half with regular boiled rice and serve as a side dish. Little picky people are unlikely to notice that not all the rice in the plate is real.
Ingredients for the recipe:
2 small cauliflowers, broken into florets, strong stems discarded (about 8 cups florets)
3 art. l. olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
1/4 st. chopped almonds
1/4 st. chopped parsley
Recipe preparation:
Pulse the cauliflower in the bowl of a food processor until coarse crumbs are about the size of a grain of rice (see note). It should turn out 6 - 7 tbsp. cauliflower rice. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat. Stir in the white parts of the onion and fry until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add cauliflower, 1 tsp. salt and a little black pepper. Stir to coat cabbage completely with oil. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender but still crumbly, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the heat and stir in the green onions, parsley and toasted almonds. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.
Arugula, Tuna, and Avocado Salad
Easy, beautiful salad of tuna, avocado, tomatoes and arugula recipe. Ideal for a festive table, as a light snack. In general, this is a Spanish salad called "Timbal". It looks beautiful, it cooks very quickly (you don’t need to cook or prepare anything in advance), and most importantly, it’s tasty and healthy! Save quickly so you don't forget!
Ingredients
Avocado (large) - 1 or 1.5 pcs.
Cherry tomatoes (the sweetest) - 10 pcs.
Canned tuna in oil - 1 can (170g)
Arugula - 1 bunch
Garlic - 1 clove
Lemon juice - 1-1.5 tsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Sea salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste
How to cook tuna, avocado, tomato and arugula salad recipe step by step:
We cut the avocado in half, remove the stone, take out the pulp with a spoon and knead it with a fork / spoon in mashed potatoes. Add lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic clove. Salt, pepper and mix. ⠀ Cherry tomatoes cut into small cubes (you can also take ordinary large tomatoes, but they are less sweet and you will need to peel them, remove the hard core, seeds and drain the juice). We transfer the tuna to a plate and drain most of the oil (so that the salad does not float during assembly) and knead a little with a fork. I collected the salad in a serving ring, but it can also be served in portioned cups, here, as you like. Put a layer of mashed avocado on a dish, then spread a layer of cherry tomatoes, and on top - tuna. We take off the ring. Decorate with arugula leaves. ⠀
Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla
Quesadillas are especially popular in the southwestern United States. Here it is cooked like the traditional Mexican version, only sometimes local ingredients may be included. This recipe has a lot of vegetables and no meat. However, if desired, you can add, for example, cooked chicken. Sour cream sauce only enhances the pleasure of an already tasty quesadilla, which definitely cannot be called bland. If the dish seems too spicy, reduce the amount of dried red pepper. In any case, by preparing such a quesadilla, you can arrange a real feast for the taste buds.
Ingredients for the recipe:
Quesadilla
4 wheat tortillas with a diameter of 25 cm.
- 450 gr. black beans with spices, mashed
- 2 tbsp. l. olive oil, extra for grilling 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 3/4 st. corn kernels (about 1 ear)
- 2 tsp crushed dried red pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 st. chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 st. grated cheese
Sour cream with lime and cilantro
- 1/2 st. sour cream
- 1/4 st. chopped cilantro leaves
- Juice from 1/2 lime
- A pinch of salt
Recipe preparation:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute bell peppers and onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add corn, dried red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes. Move everything to a bowl and add cilantro. Heat a 2-burner long cast-iron grill or large skillet over medium heat. Lay 2 tortillas on a work surface and evenly coat them with the roasted black bean paste. Place the tortillas on the griddle, buttered side up (if using a saute pan, place one tortilla first). Cover evenly with the onion and pepper mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Top with another tortilla, spread with black bean paste, and cook until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. Turn the quesadillas over to fry them on the other side. Cut each into 8 triangles, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with sour cream sauce.
