Herbed Nut Roast

This is the ideal veggie option to share with friends for a long, lazy Sunday lunch. It's lovely and hearty and full of flavor from the pine nuts and cashews to the nutmeg, garlic, sage, tarragon, garlic, and parsley. It’s full of amazing ingredients from carrots, mushrooms, and butternut squash to cashews, pine nuts, sage, parsley, and tarragon.
                                                                                   

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
6 tablespoons pine nuts
generous ½ cup of cashews
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
7 ounces butternut squash, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
5 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh tarragon
A few good gratings of nutmeg
5 tablespoons rolled oats
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon brown rice flour
½ tablespoon ground chia seeds
Mushroom Gravy (see recipe below)

Method

1.You need roughly the top part of the butternut squash for this (the bit from the stem end to the bulge), so save the rest for later or use it as a side, roasted or mashed. Also you can roast the squash seeds with a drizzle of oil and seasoning for 10 minutes, then sprinkle them over sautéed greens.

2.Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment. Place the pine nuts and cashews on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. They should look golden and give off a toasty aroma when you take them out. Set aside to cool.

3.Meanwhile, place a large nonstick pan over medium heat and heat 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté the celery, squash, and carrot in the oil with lots of salt and pepper. When the celery has started to turn translucent, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and nutmeg and stir well.

4.Place half the nuts in a food processor with the oats and whiz up as fine as they will go. Coarsely chop the remaining nuts, so they aren't too chunky, then add these and the ground nut mixture to the pan. Add the flour and chia seeds and mix well.

5.Press into the prepared loaf pan, cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a cool rack for 15 minutes (it will still be nice and hot). Take it out of the pan and cut into slices; be gentle, as it can crumble. Prepare and serve with Mushroom Gravy.

Several Delicious Dinner Ideas for a Heart-Friendly Meal

The number of cases of young adults suffering from heart trouble has seen a sharp rise in the last few years, and this trend only goes to indicate how much we are lacking in terms of taking good care of our heart. Our lifestyle habits, stress, anxiety and a bad diet can often affect our heart health. While a bad diet can put your heart at risk, a good diet can help in protecting your heart.

According to Bangalore-based nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood, "For a meal to be heart-friendly one must ensure three factors. First, the ingredients used should have a low glycemic index. Second, it should be low on saturated and trans fats and thirdly, it should have decent amount of protein." You can start by making small tweaks to your daily diet like cutting down on processed junk, taking whole grain, or replacing red meat with fish and chicken. Macrobiotic Nutritionist and Health Practitioner Shilpa Arora suggests a few options that you can try for a heart-healthy dinner.
                                             

1.Vegetable Broth

 Hot soups and broths for dinner are perfect to enjoy the nippy weather. Take a break from the greasy and fattening food you have been feasting on. Quick and easy to make, you can hardly go wrong with a vegetable broth. Throw in some heart -friendly veggies like beans, carrots and leafy vegetables and make your way to a stronger heart.

2. Fish with veggies

 Fish boasts of abundant amounts of omega 3 fatty acids that are great for your heart. It is also a rich source of protein that helps in strengthening the heart muscles.

3.Oats Chilla

 Chilla a pancake-like dish and when made with oats it can do wonders for your heart health. Oats are known to contain a type of fiber that helps to bind bile acids and expel them from the body. These bile acids are made from cholesterol. A diet that includes oats is effective in lowering high cholesterol levels in our body.

Full of Soul and Delicious Food

One of the many “welcome back to school” events was the first Black Student Union (BSU) event of the school year. “Taste of Soul” brought students together over a delicious meal and fun activities in Birmingham Plaza on the PLNU campus.
                                             

Held on September 7 between the Fermanian Business Center and the Fermanian School of Business, the Taste of Soul BBQ gave off a positive aura that could be felt all the way from the Greek Amphitheatre. The Birmingham Plaza overlooks the ocean and, conveniently enough, the BBQ began at 6 p.m., just in time for the sunset. With a turnout of about 40 Point Loma students, and a few faculty members, the atmosphere was extremely welcoming and uplifting.

Everyone was encouraged to indulge in the delicious food that the BSU graciously offered at no expense. The buffet-style dinner included pulled pork, fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. Refreshments included lemonade and, wait for it…water. Each table was garnished with a variety of candy in order to keep the energy levels prosperous throughout the night.

Everybody was then asked to engage in a friendly game of musical chairs. No matter how juvenile this game may seem, the members of BSU definitely know how to make it a fun and memorable experience. The irresistible music made the players dance and the onlookers smile. The top five winners were rewarded with water guns which resulted in a friendly, but serious, water fight.

As the sun disappeared from sight, BSU wrapped up the night with some dancing and plugs for their next events. BSU will be hosting a game night September 21 at 6 p.m. in the Commuter Lounge and “Unspoken” (a spoken word event) October 5 from 5 to 9 p.m. in the ARC.

South Korea on the cheap

THE COST of travel continues to increase and unfavourable foreign currency exchange rates add to the woes of those who have only limited cash to spend on a vacation. However, with a little research and a large dose of street savvy, it is still possible to travel on a budget. If you are headed to Seoul, here are some ways to better enjoy your time and also lighten your budget.
                                               

We’re not referring to credit cards, but transportation cards. Don’t be afraid to take public transport because it is a lot more convenient than it sounds. If you buy the T-money card (Korea Transportation Card) or Cashbee card, it can take you on all modes of public transport such as buses, subways and even some taxis. These transportation cards are easily available at convenience stores, including CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, Ministop, With Me, Buy The Way and Story Way. T-money cards are also available from ticket-vending and card-reload machines inside subway stations. They can be easily topped-up at these locations.

They can be used not just in Seoul, but also other metropolitan cities and locations throughout South Korea. Besides enjoying discounts on rides during transfers from bus to bus, subway to subway, bus to subway, or subway to bus (within a transfer time limit), you’ll also save yourself the hassle of having to purchase a single-journey subway ticket for every ride. You can easily pick up a transportation card when you arrive at the airport (at one of the convenience stores). When it's time to fly back home, just return it for a refund on the balance. Or, you might even want to keep the card, as some of them have unique designs (especially the limited-edition ones) and make good souvenirs.

Hotels in South Korea are relatively expensive, so staying at the home of a local might be cheaper than getting a room in a hotel. Also, you might have access to laundry facilities so you don’t have to pack so much clothing. The other alternative is staying at a backpackers' hostel. Some are actually quite nice and comfortable.

Several delicious Vietnamese dishes

Vietnamese cuisine doesn't win any points for complexity. Many of the most popular dishes can be made just as well on the side of the road as in a top-end restaurant.
But it's precisely this simplicity, the subtle variations by region and the fresh ingredients that keep us pulling up a plastic stool for more.
                                               

1. Pho

What list of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho? It's almost impossible to walk a block in Vietnam's major cities without bumping into a crowd of hungry patrons slurping noodles at a makeshift pho stand.
This simple staple consisting of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, a sprinkling of herbs and chicken or beef, features predominately in the local diet -- and understandably so. It's cheap, tasty, and widely available at all hours.

2. Cha ca

Hanoians consider cha ca to be so exceptional that there is a street in the capital dedicated to these fried morsels of fish.
This namesake alley is home to Cha Ca La Vong, which serves sizzling chunks of fish seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric and dill on a hot pan tableside.

3. Banh xeo

A good banh xeo is a crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, plus the garnish of fresh herbs that are characteristic of most authentic Vietnamese dishes.
To enjoy one like a local, cut it into manageable slices, roll it up in rice paper or lettuce leaves and dunk it in whatever special sauce the chef has mixed up for you.

4. Cao lau

This pork noodle dish from Hoi An is a bit like the various cultures that visited the trading port at its prime. The thicker noodles are similar to Japanese udon, the crispy won-ton crackers and pork are a Chinese touch, while the broth and herbs are clearly Vietnamese.

5. Goi cuon

These light and healthy fresh spring rolls are a wholesome choice when you've been indulging in too much of the fried food in Vietnam.
The translucent parcels are first packed with salad greens, a slither of meat or seafood and a layer of coriander, before being neatly rolled and dunked in Vietnam's favorite condiment -- fish sauce.