GRAINS

The following is a list of commonly used herbs.

Basil: Sweet, warm, and aromatic. Although sweet basil (or

Italian basil) is more common, Thai basil also has a distinct

flavor. Thai basil has a purple stem, instead of green like sweet

or Italian basil, and is closer to the flavor and aroma of mint

than other basils. Use with meats, seafood, and vegetables.

Sweet basil complements the flavor of tomatoes very well.

Basil has a strong and delicious flavor, especially in sauces

like pesto. This is one of the easiest herbs to grow in a home

garden.9

Cilantro: Fresh and earthy. Cilantro refers to the leaves of the

coriander plant. Use with traditional Mexican-style dishes,

meats, salads, and sauces. Cilantro adds a great brightness

of fresh flavor to foods.

Chives: Delicate onion flavor (not as potent as yellow or

red onion). Use chives fresh to maintain color and flavor.

Chives are commonly added to baked potatoes, soups, and

egg dishes.

Dill: Sweet and aromatic. Use with seafood, egg dishes, soups,

potato salad, or vegetables. Add to vinegar and oil to make

an herb salad dressing.

Mint: Sweet and aromatic. Use with salads, sauces, and stirfry dishes. Mint is also commonly used in baking. Adding a

few mint leaves and fruits like lemon, pineapple, orange or

berries to water (also called infusing flavors) is a fun way to

create a healthy, refreshing drink.

Oregano: Savory and earthy. Use with meats and vegetables.

Oregano is a basic ingredient in Italian and Mexican cooking.

It complements the flavor of tomatoes in pizza and soups.

Parsley: Savory, aromatic, and subtle. High in vitamin K. Not

only is parsley a garnish for any dish, it goes wonderfully

with grilled meats and vegetables, and in salads.

Rosemary: Strong and fragrant. Use with meats and hearty

vegetables. Place a few leaves on top of roasts or baked

chicken and potatoes.

Sage: Strong and aromatic, tastes best cooked. Sage pairs

well with roasted poultry, stews, and casseroles. As a possible

health benefit, sage may improve mood and cognitive

functions.10

Thyme: Fragrant and fresh tasting. Thyme complements other

herbs, such as rosemary and oregano. Use with chicken, meat,

seafood and hearty vegetable stews/soups. It is a key herb

used to make Cajun gumbo.

Prices of herbs from various stores range from less than

$1.00 to upwards of $3.00 per bundle, and can usually be

used for 2-3 servings of recipes. The average price for fresh

herbs is $1.50 (about $0.75-$0.50 per recipe). This makes them

an affordable part of any recipe. The prices of all herbs listed

here were collected at local grocery stores (high-end stores,

megastores, and supermarkets) twice during spring/summer

and fall/winter near the University campus area. All price

data was compiled and averaged.

Spices:

Spices come in incredibly diverse varieties, flavors, and

colors—almost as distinct as the array of tasteful dishes they

can be used to flavor. Not only do these powerful spices pack a

punch on the taste buds, but also possibly for your health and

wellness. Just like herbs, many spices contain antioxidants.1,2,

8

 Additionally, the American Institute for Cancer Research

referenced turmeric, black pepper, and garlic for their possible

cancer-fighting benefits.7

The following is a list of commonly used spices.

Black pepper: Pungent, strong and aromatic. Black pepper, or

peppercorn, is the dried berry of the Piper nigrum vine.5 Use with

any dish as a flavoring agent.

Bay leaves (dried): Savory and earthy. Use with meats,

vegetables, soups, and stews.

Cayenne pepper: Spicy, aromatic, and colorful. Adds spicy,

hot taste and bright red color. Try blending cayenne pepper and

paprika to make a milder taste.

Chili powder/Chili peppers: Savory, strong, and pungent. A

common ingredient in chili and in Mexican cuisines. Use with

chicken and meats.

Cinnamon: Sweet and aromatic. Cinnamon comes from the bark

of the Cinnamomum spp. plant and cinnamon is available as

dried tubular sticks or ground powder.5

 Use with baked goods

and fruits. Cinnamon complements the flavor of apple in apple

pie. A stick of cinnamon can be placed in coffee, tea, or warm

apple cider.

Cumin: Strong and aromatic. Ground cumin comes from the

seeds of the Cuminum cyminum plant.5

 It is an important

ingredient for traditional Mexican and Indian dish flavoring. Use

with meats, stews, and vegetables.

Paprika: Savory, earthy, and colorful. High in vitamin A. Use

with meats and other dishes for a red coloring. Paprika can be

used to flavor rice or season vegetables and salads. It can also

liven up soups with a bright, red color.

Turmeric: Aromatic, warm, and bitter taste. Curcumin, chemical

compound with antioxidant properties in turmeric.3,4 Research is

ongoing.8

 Turmeric is a staple ingredient in curry powder. Use in

curried dishes. Add turmeric to egg salad to give an extra yellow

color. Turmeric complements lentil recipes. Mix rice with raisins,

cashews and season with turmeric and cumin

Cuisine

Dark red kidney beans have a slightly nutty flavor, which works well in recipes for appetizers, salads, casseroles, soups, stew, chili, sauces, and sides. They are especially common in the cuisine of Northern India. Light red and white kidney beans have similar flavor and texture. Light red is popular in Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean (rice and beans). They also make excellent baked beans. White kidney or cannellini beans are favored in Italy where they are also called fazolia beans.

Nutritional Values

The three kidney beans are reservoirs of dietary fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, flavonoids, various B-vitamins, and minerals. They are also low in fat and cholesterol.

Specifically, dark red kidney beans contain Vitamins B-5 (pantothenic acid), B-6 (pyridoxine), B-9 (folic acid), and C, minerals calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, zinc, and molybdenum. Light red kidney beans seem to have more folic acid, calcium, and iron per serving than the dark reds. Evidence indicate that cannellini beans have slightly more fiber, folic acid, the highest amount of molybdenum per one-cup serving, and a lower glycemic index (GI) than the other two beans.

Peanuts are packed with healthy fats and high-quality protein. They’re also fairly high in calories.

Description :

Peanut is an important crop grown worldwide. Commercially it is used mainly for oil production but apart from oil, the by-products of peanut contains many other functional compounds like proteins, fibers, polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which can be added as a functional ingredient into many processed foods. Recently it has also revealed that peanuts are excellent source of compounds like resveratrol, phenolic acids, flavonoids and phytosterols that block the absorption of cholesterol from diet. It is also a good source of Co-enzyme Q10 and contains all the 20 amino acids with highest amount of arginine. These bioactive compounds have been recognized for having disease preventive properties and are thought to promote longevity. The processing methods like roasting and boiling have shown increase in the concentration of these bioactive compounds. In the present paper an overview on peanut bioactive constituents and their health benefits are presented.

Keywords: Peanut, Functional ingredients, Health benefits

Introduction

Peanuts or “groundnuts” as they are known in some parts of the world are the edible seeds of a legume. India is second largest producer of peanuts in world, with total production of approximately 7.131 million metric tons per year (USDA, PS&D database 1996–2000). Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is technically considered as pea and belongs to the family (fabaceae) of bean/legume. Although a legume; it is generally included amongst the oilseeds due to its high oil content. Peanuts are rich in protein, oil and fibers (Suchoszek-Lukaniuk et al. 2011). Apart from oil, peanuts are widely used for production of peanut butter, confections, roasted peanuts, snack products, extenders in meat product formulation, soups and desserts.

There are thousands of peanut cultivars around the world. Certain cultivars groups are preferred for particular uses because of differences in flavor, oil content, size, shape, and disease resistance. For many uses the different cultivars are interchangeable however, the most popular cultivars are Spanish, Runner, Virginia and Valencia. Most peanuts marked in the shell are of the Virginia type, along with some Valencias selected for large size and the attractive appearance of the shell. Spanish peanuts are used mostly for peanut candy, salted nuts, and peanut butter. Most Runner cultivars are used to make peanut butter (Woodroof 1983). China leads in production of peanuts, having a share of about 45 % of overall world production, whereas India has (16 %) share and the United States of America has (5 %) (USDA 2015)

Peanuts are consumed all over the world in a wide variety of forms, most of which are traditional cuisine. Peanuts are being used as the complete dietary source for people on expeditions to diverse areas like Antarctica, space and trekking. It has notably been the source of elimination of malnutrition amongst the population in many African countries in the recent years (Guimon and Guimon 2012).

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History of peanuts : 

The history of peanuts dates back to the times of the ancient Incas of Peru. They were the first to cultivate wild peanuts and offered them to the sun God as part of their religious ceremonials. They used to call peanuts as ynchic. The modern history of peanut popularization began with the civil war of the 1860s in America. George Washington Carver who is known as the “father of peanut industry” as he developed more than three hundred products derived from the peanut (Carver 1925).

Peanut butter was created in the 1890s by the St. Louis physician as the soft protein substitute for people with poor teeth. In 1895, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patented a “Process of preparing nut meal” and used peanuts to serve the soldiers. According to John Mariana’s ‘Encyclopedia of American food and drink,’ a process for roasting shelled peanuts in oil was developed in the early 1900s and packed in the airtight bags under the “Planters” label. Rosenfield J licensed his invention to the pond company, the makers of peter pan peanut butter, in 1928, Rosenfield began making his own brand of peanut butter, this was the beginning of commercialization and popularization of peanut butter in the America which gradually spread all over the Europe and Asia.

SUMMARY

Millets are small cereal grains that belong to the grass family. Resilient in harsh environments, it’s commonly cultivated in Asian and African countries.

Toor dal, also known as Arhar dal, is an important legume crop which is mainly used for its edible seeds. It is a rich source of various nutrients including proteins, complex carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

Apart from its nutritional value, it also has many health benefits. It is useful in diabetes as it helps to lower blood glucose levels due to the presence of antioxidants. It aids in weight loss by lowering the cholesterol levels. According to Ayurveda, it is Grahi (absorbent) in nature due to which it helps to manage diarrhea.

Toor dal is beneficial in wounding healing due to its anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. It also helps in managing skin infections as it has antimicrobial properties.