How can oils be healthy if they’re so fattening?

Oils may be “fattening” in the sense that they’re pretty high in calories compared with other foods. All oils have around 120 calories per Tbsp, so you can easily gain weight if you use too much. Even butter has fewer calories than oil (100 per Tbsp of butter) because of its water content.

What’s more, “whipped” butter sold in a tub has even fewer calories—about 60 to 70 per Tbsp, thanks to the air that’s been incorporated into the mix. And tub “light” margarine spreads have only 30 to 50 calories per Tbsp.

But since oils contain fats that are good for you, you’re better off getting that 120 calories from a healthy oil rather than stick or tub butter. By the way, if you’re inclined to cut out fats entirely, don’t: We do need some fat to be healthy. Without it, our bodies can’t absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K, and we miss out on fatty acids that are essential for the health of your skin, hair, heart and brain—and just about every other part of your body.

Spicy Fried Boiled Egg (Telur Bumbu ala Warteg)

1/2 kg of egg, boiled

Spices (blend)
5 shallots or 1 medium red onion
3 cloves of garlic
5 Candlenuts
1 tablespoon coriander
2 cm of ginger
2 cm of Kencur (optional)
2 bird's eyes chillies (optional)
3 or 4 big red chillies, seeded (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon galangal powder (laos/lengkuas)
1 stalk of Sereh ( Fresh Lemon Grass )
3 fresh Kafir Lime Leafs
Salt and sugar to taste
100 ml water

Cook the eggs with boiling water, when it's done, peel the skin off.
Heat the oil and fry the egg so that the outer part turn into brown. Set aside.

Blend or grind all the ingredients for spice paste, except lemongrass and kaffir lime leafs.

Use the leftover oil, sauté the spice paste with lemongrass and kaffir lime. Add the water and the eggs inside, cook about 5 or 6 minutes until the water absorbed.

Roasted Tempe (Tempe Bakar Berbumbu)

3 pieces tempe medium size, cut into pieces (as desired)
300 ml water

Spices:
3 garlic clove, shred
2 cm galangale
8 small red onion, shred
1 tbsp tamarind juice
3 tbsp shaved brown sugar
3 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp salt

mix the spices with water, boil
add tempe to the boiled water, cook and stirr once in a while till the water all gone
roast tempe, spread the spices residue to both side of tempe till aromatic, then remove and serve with steam rice.

Meatballs Soup (Bakso Kuah)

meatballs:
275 gram minced beef
2 white eggs
35 gram tapioca flour
75 gram crushed ice cube
2 tablespoons of fried garlic
2 tablespoons fried shallots
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
salt and pepper to taste

the broth:
250 gram Beef ribs
750 ml water
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and fried
1 stalk onion spring, finely chopped
1 stalk celery leaf, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Other ingredients:
150 g dried egg noodles, cook and set aside
Any Green salad (and bean sprouts)
Fried shallots
Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) and Chilli sauce (sambal)

Directions

Mix all ingredients for meatball and grind them in food processor until it's sticky. Then put in fridge for one hour.

Boil some water for cooking the meatball. Scoop with 2 tablespoons and make round ball and drop the meatballs into boiling water. When it's floating, it means it's done. Set aside.

the broth : boil the beef ribs into 750 ml water, add the salt, pepper and the rest of ingredients. Cook until it's boiling. Then add the meatballs inside.

To Serve: place the meatball with cooked egg noodle, green salad and bean sprouts, and garnish fried shallots. Add sweet soy sauce and sambal if you like. Then pour with the broth. Eat when it's hot or warm.

Medan Style Chicken Soup (Soto Medan)

2 chicken thighs
1 stalk of Lemongrass (Sereh)
3 fresh Kaffir Lime leafs (daun Jeruk Purut)
1 cm Galangal (Laos/Lengkuas), crushed
1 Salam leaf (you can substitute with bay leaf)

125 ml coconut milk
2 tablespoon of lime juice
1 litre of water

2 tablespoon of fried shallots
1 stalk of spring onion, chopped

Spice Pasta
4 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (you can use fresh turmeric as well)
1 cm of ginger
2 Candlenuts (Kemiri), pan-broil
Salt and sugar to taste

Wash the chicken, and then pour the lime juice over it. Leave it for 10 minutes). Wash again.

Simmer chicken in 1 litre of water together with salt, salam leaf, lemongrass, lime kaffir leafs, and the galangal. Cook until the chicken is tender. Take it out from the stock and leave it to cool. Separate chicken meat from the bones and shred finely. Meanwhile keep cooking the stock with low heat.

Fry the chicken. Set aside.

With remaining oil, sauté the spice paste for a minute or two until fragrant. Put the fried spice paste into chicken stock. Cook until the spice is absorbed. Then add the coconut milk. Continue cooking.

Serve with plain rice (nasi putih), Perkedel (potato croquettes), cracker and garnish with fried shallot and spring onion.

Egg Pancake Roll with Coconut Filling (Dadar Gulung)

Coconut Filling:
250 g grated coconut
150 g palm or 100 g caster sugar
1-3 inch cinnamon stick
100 ml water
salt to taste

Pancake:
250 g plain flour
1 egg
250 ml coconut milk
100 ml water
1 teaspoon juice from Pandan leaves* (or few drops of pasta pandan)
salt to taste

*Blend the pandan leaves with 150 ml water, squeeze the pulp then sieve the water. If you use pandan paste or food colouring, skip this step.

Coconut Filling: Mix the grated coconut, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Fry the mixture in a dry pan over medium/low heat, add the water. Constantly stirred for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is dry. But don't get burn! Set aside and remove the cinnamon stick.

Pancake: combine the flour, egg, pandan paste, coconut milk, salt with the rest of water. Whisk them well into a smooth batter, just like you make pancake mixture. When it's ready, prepare non-stick frying pan (use 8-inch frying pan if you have) and pour 3 tablespoon of the batter into the pan. Make sure the pan is equally covered with the batter so it becomes a thin layer pancake. Fry for one minute, turn the pancake over and fry for another minute.

Place 2 teaspoons of coconut filling on the near edge of the pancake. Fold over once then tuck in the left and right sides and fold over once more then roll.

Savoury Crispy Pancake (Martabak Telor)

250 g minced beef
1 small leek, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
3 eggs
4 gloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaf
1 tablespoon curry powder
salt and white pepper to taste

Dough
2 cups plain flour
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup water
pinch of salt

Prepare the dough by combining all ingredients and kneading them into an oily elastic dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. Divide into four and roll each piece into a ball. Pull out with lightly oiled hands on an oiled or marble surface to make a large thin circle.

Heat oil, saute garlic and onion for few seconds. Add the meat until the meat changes color. Add leek and celery and continue sauteing for 2 or 3 minutes. Add curry powder, mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Set aside.

To make martabak, take a bowl, put the filling, eggs spring onion, salt and pepper, mix well. Heat a frying pan, fill the center of each circle of dough with the mixture, fold in the sides and ends to completely enclose the filling envelope fashion. Fry it until golden brown on one side, turn and fry the other side.

When its done, cut into pieces. Best serve with vegetables pickles and sliced chillies.

Green Soybeans Porridge (Bubur Kacang Hijau)

250 gram green soybeans
750 ml water
300 ml coconut milk (substitute fresh milk)
100 gram sugar (or 100 gram brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Pandan leaf

Coconut Sauce
200 ml thick coconut milk
2 cm ginger, crushed
a pinch of salt

Clean green soy beans. Then cook with water until it’s soft. Add more water until the soybeans become porridge. Stir well while cooking.

When the green soya is ready, add coconut milk, vanilla and pandan leaf. By the time the coconut milk is half left, add sugars (or brown sugar) and salt. Keep stirring it.

Cook until it becomes thick like porridge. To prepare the coconut sauce, just by boiling all the ingredients.

Serve the green soybeans porridge (bubur kacang hijau) with the coconut sauce.

Cilantro, Soapy but has many Health Benefits

This herb, popular in Mexican and Asian dishes, is surprisingly divisive. There's even a website dedicated to cilantro-haters. The aldehydes give cilantro its fragrance and give off that soapy smell and flavor, but some people find it pleasing.

Want to make it more palatable? Crush up the leaves, which converts the aldehydes into a less noxious aroma, making it easier to eat.

On the other hand, Cilantro has many health benefits, such as:

Protects against the Salmonella bacteria
Reportedly works as a natural chelation treatment
Aids in digestion and helps settle the stomach and prevent flatulence
An anti-inflammatory that may alleviate symptoms of arthritis
Protects against urinary tract infections
Prevents nausea
Relieves intestinal gas
Lowers blood sugar
Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesteraol (HDL)
A good source of iron
A good source of magnesium
Rich in phytonutrients and flavonoids

Sweet ,Spicy, and Sour Fruits Salad (Rujak Buah)

Unripe Mango
Pineapple
Melon
Cucumber
Sweet potato
all fruits thinly sliced

Sauce :

100 g fried peanut
2-3 bird's eyes chillies (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
100 g palm sugar
1 teaspoon tamarind juice
100 ml water

Peel and Clean all fruits then sliced. Store in the fridge for 15 minutes
Grind and blend all ingredients for the sauce.

Serve fruits with sauce.

Fried Meatball (Bakso Goreng)

250 g Minced beef/Chicken/Prawn (or mixed meat)
35 g tapioca flour
75 g ice cube, crushed
2 white eggs
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fried shallots
2 tablespoons sesame oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients for meatball (except spring roll wrapper) and grind them in food processor until it's sticky. Then put in fridge for 45 minutes to one hour.

Heat oil in deep fryer, and fry with medium heat until it is golden and cooked.
Serve with fresh chillies or chilli sauce.

Chicken Spring Roll (Lumpia Ayam)

For Filling

1 chicken breast, cook until tender, keep the stock.
Cut the meat into small pieces.
2 big carrots, thinned sliced
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlics, chopped
1 tea spoon of pepper
½ tea spoon of sugar
A pinch of salt or, chicken seasoning

For wrapping
20 Spring Rolls Sheets

The filling : Heat 3 table spoon of oil, and stir fry the onion and garlic. Then add chicken meat and carrots. Pour some of the chicken stock, just enough to make the carrots tender. Add pepper, salt and sugar. Cook about 10 minutes or until the carrot is tender and water absorb.

Place the spring roll wrapper with one corner at the bottom so that it resembles a diamond. Brush the four edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg or water. Add the filling in the bottom part of the wrapper in a thin log shape, not touching the edges. Leave the bottom few cm clear. Lift the wrapper over the top and tuck it in under the filling. Fold over the left side, and then the right side and roll it up to form a tube. Brush a little more egg along the top part and seal the roll. Repeat until all the rolls are finished.

Once the oil is hot, deep fry the spring rolls until lightly brown, which should take only a minute or two. Put them on the toweled tray to let them drain. Serve your crispy spring rolls as an appetizer. serve with a sweet and sour sauce or chili sauce.

Unusual uses for vinegar: Remove stickers

If you’re just getting around to removing that Kerry/Edwards decal from your bumper, or trying to peel a price tag off a new purchase, you’ll never guess what magic ingredient is about to make your life a lot easier.

Warm a little bit of white vinegar on the stovetop or in the microwave and then dip a rag into it. Hold the rag over the sticker until it’s thoroughly saturated, and it will peel right off without leaving sticky residue behind. This trick also loosens wallpaper adhesive.

Sweet Marinated Bean Cake (Tempe Bacem)

250 g tempe, cut into 6-8 pieces
1 cm of galangal*
2 Salaam leaves (bay leaves)
250 ml thick coconut milk
250 ml water
*can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of galangal powder

Spice Paste
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of coriander
4 shallots or half medium red onion
1 tsp of tamarind (asem jawa)
2 tbsp of palm sugar/brown sugar
salt to taste

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Boil the coconut milk/coconut water together with tempe, galangal, Salaam leafs, and spice paste. Add the water and continue cooking until the spices and water are absorbed. Then cool them off.

Heat up 50 ml oil into deep frying pan and fry the tofu both sides, but don't do it too much (too dry/crunchy).

Health Benefits of Sage

Do you know that Sage may help Preserve memory, soothe sore throats? Herbalists recommend sipping sage tea for upset stomachs and sore throats, a remedy supported by one study that found spraying sore throats with a sage solution gave effective pain relief.

And preliminary research suggests the herb may improve some symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease by preventing a key enzyme from destroying acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in memory and learning.

In another study, college students who took sage extracts in capsule form performed significantly better on memory tests, and their moods improved.

Warteg Style Omelete (Telur Dadar ala Warteg)

5 eggs
2 tablespoons rice flour
3 stalks spring onion

Spice paste
6 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 red chillies
1 bird's eyes chilli (optional)
salt to taste

Whisk the eggs slowly with fork but do not foamy it.

Grind or blend the spice paste. Then put in a bowl and mix it with rice flour and spring onion (and grated coconut, optional).

Add the egg into the mixture.
Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan the fry the egg with low heat.

Cut into pieces and serve with steam rice.

Chile Peppers Boost Metabolism

Chile peppers add a much-appreciated heat to chilly-weather dishes, and they can also give a boost to your metabolism. Thank to capsaicin, the compound that gives fresh chiles, and spices including cayenne and chipotle, their kick.

Studies show that capsaicin can increase the body's metabolic rate (causing one to burn more calories) and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry. In fact, one study found that people ate 16 percent fewer calories at a meal if they'd sipped a hot-pepper-spiked tomato juice (vs. plain tomato juice) half an hour earlier.

Recent research found that capsinoids, similar but gentler chemicals found in milder chile hybrids, have the same effects-so even tamer sweet paprika packs a healthy punch. Capsaicin may also lower risk of ulcers by boosting the ability of stomach cells to resist infection by ulcer-causing bacteria and help the heart by keeping "bad" LDL cholesterol from turning into a more lethal, artery-clogging form.

Tofu Croquettes (Perkedel Tahu)

300 grams white tofu
200 grams small prawn, finely chopped

1 tbs fried shallots
1 1/2 tbs fried garlics
1 stalk of spring onion
1 stalk of celery leaf

1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

150 grams flour
1 tsp Chicken seasoning powder

Blend all the ingredients (except spring onion and celery) using food processor until well mixed.

Add spring onion and celery, then shape the tofu mixture into a small square. Before you do it, taste if it's already salty.

Fry with deep frying pan until golden brown.
Serve.

Salty Coconut Ebi (Serundeng Ebi)

1/2 fresh coconut, shred
1 cup ebi (dry shrimp), rinse with water and fry without oil till dry
2 garlic clove
3 small red onion
1 tea spoon salt
3 table spoon grated brown sugar
2 laurel/bay leafs
1 tea spoon tamarind juice
2 fresh chili
1 table spoon cooking oil

Shatter the spices: chili, garlic, red onion, brown sugar, salt, and add tamarind juice

Heat cooking oil, add the spices, just mix it till aromatic, add the scraped coconut and ebi, mix all well till dry then remove.

Ready to serve.

Apple "diet" foods that make you hungrier

Yes, we all know that apples are great for you, particularly for those who are in diet. They contain lots of vitamins and fiber, but a single apple is not a balanced snack. If you don’t eat anything else with your afternoon apple, you may overeat at dinner.

Better choice: Apple with 5-10 almonds or a cheese stick. Spend a few more calories on your snack so you won’t be ravenous later.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

May help: Quell inflammation, inhibit tumors. Turmeric, the goldenrod-colored spice, is used in India to help wounds heal (it's applied as a paste); it's also made into a tea to relieve colds and respiratory problems.

Modern medicine confirms some solid-gold health benefits as well; most are associated with curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has been shown to help relieve pain of arthritis, injuries and dental procedures; it's also being studied for its potential in managing heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

Researcher Bharat Aggarwal is bullish on curcumin's potential as a cancer treatment, particularly in colon, prostate and breast cancers; preliminary studies have found that curcumin can inhibit tumor cell growth and suppress enzymes that activate carcinogens.