Positive Life NSW

It is a well-known fact to regular readers of my column that I am a full-on tea devotee. Yet, despite sounding as though I drink the whole spectrum of available teas, I am, in fact, more a black tea drinker than any others. I don’t mind green teas as an occasional sip (I really love jasmine green and gunpowder), but as far as I am concerned nothing quite beats the guts and flavour of a good English Breakfast, a quality Assam or Darjeeling, or a good Nandana, Oolong or Ceylon black.

As somebody who was raised on ‘Lan Choo’ (mainly for the gift labels my mother used to collect from the top of the pack), my tastes in tea have certainly come a long way. I don’t like herbal teas and I don’t apologise for not liking them. I think it is a male thing, as I don’t know any men who really enjoy herbal teas. I think the biggest put-off with them is that so many of them are based on chamomile, a herbal I really dislike because of its overpowering flavour. However, having said that, I don’t let my personal tastes affect my sales pitch on our newly launched site TeaCoffeeChocolate (www.teacoffeechocolate.com.au) where you will find a large range (and still growing) of all teas, including large ranges of herbals and botanicals (I define a botanical as a tea with flowers in it).

The health benefits of teas have been much debated over the last few years. Although scientific research into the benefits of tea drinking is still on-going, I think few nutritionists and dieticians would deny the benefits derived from tea drinking. I think it is also important to emphasise the taste benefits of tea as well and I would not advise people to drink teas they don’t enjoy just to gain a perceived health benefit.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant polyphenols. It is suggested that they reduce the risk of gastric, oesophagal and skin cancers, and drinking even 1–2 cups of tea a day can lower cholesterol levels. All Camellia sinensis leaves contain polyphenols, and the levels are only altered by the amount of processing they go through. Studies suggest that the higher levels are in white and green tea, though there is no drop in health benefits from drinking black teas.

As to teas such as Oolong (Wulong) being promoted purely as weight-loss teas, I have to say that I find it a bit concerning that tea is promoted this way, often without advising people to consult with a health professional to obtain not only the correct information of tea, but to get the proper advice on healthy eating. Just drinking tea is not going to make you loose weight and you should be checked out for the underlying causes of weight gain.

Speaking of health issues, it is good to see HIV organisations promoting giving up smoking. I gave up 13 years ago and have no regrets. In fact, it is probably the best thing I ever did to get my health back on track, especially as someone who had AIDS – and survived.

Finally, I’d like to correct an editing error in the last column (So can you cook? No 36) which made it sound as though we had only got Ampy four months ago – it’s amazing what a misplaced bracket close can imply – before getting Benji. We have, in fact, had Ampy for almost five years. And, just as a follow-on with Benji, he is no longer so skinny or mangy looking. He has turned into a beautiful dog and, surprisingly, is lapping up all the attention.

Now, for some light, healthy summer eating.

Vegetable Cassoulet

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cans cannellini beans, drained
1 can borlotti beans, drained
3 lemon thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Extra 2 tablespoons olive oil
Extra 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
Extra 3 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves only
½ cup finely grated Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan, add leeks, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add cannellini and borlotti beans and stir to combine. Add lemon thyme, bay leaves and stock. Season with salt & pepper, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a 6-cup capacity ovenproof dish. Heat extra oil in a heavy-based pan, add extra garlic and breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until pale golden. Remove from heat, add extra lemon thyme and Romano cheese, and stir to combine. Spread breadcrumbs on top of beans and vegetable mixture, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until top is golden and crisp.
Serves 4

Roast Sweet Potato & Feta Salad

⅓ cup flaked almonds
1kg orange sweet potato (kumera), peeled, cut into 3mm pieces
Olive oil spray
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
150g baby rocket, washed, dried
150g Persian feta, or any marinated feta

Balsamic dressing
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 220°C. While the oven is heating, put almonds on a tray. Put in oven and cook for 4–6 minutes or until toasted. Set aside. Line a large roasting tray with baking paper. Put sweet potato on tray, spray with olive oil spray and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 40–50 minutes or until golden and tender. Set aside to cool.

To make balsamic dressing, combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar. Shake to combine. Remove lid. Microwave on high for 10 seconds to melt honey. Replace lid and shake again. Arrange rocket on a platter. Scatter over the sweet potato. Crumble over the feta and sprinkle with almonds. Pour on dressing and serve.
Serves 4

Pear, Prosciutto and Parmesan Salad

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons water
½ cup walnuts
3 firm, ripe pears, halved, cores removed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
200g baby spinach
10 slices prosciutto, torn into strips
40g parmesan, shaved

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Combine sugar and water in a small bowl. Add walnuts and toss to coat. Spread on prepared tray and bake for 8–10 minutes or until golden and caramelised. Set aside to cool. Break into pieces.
Peel 1 pear half, cut into chunks and put into blender or small food processor. Add vinegar, mustard, pinch of salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. With motor running, slowly pour in oil. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Cut remaining (unpeeled) pear halves into 1cm thick wedges and put in a bowl. Add spinach, prosciutto and parmesan. Pour over dressing and toss to combine. Scatter over walnuts and serve.
Serves 4

Banana & Raspberry Loaf

This is a really delicious loaf to have for a weekend breakfast (make it the night before) or as an accompaniment to morning or afternoon tea.

Butter, to grease and serve
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 large, ripe bananas, peeled, mashed
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup vegetable oil
1½ cups plain flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon bi-carb of soda
1¼ cups frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 14 x 21cm loaf pan. Line base and long sides with baking paper. Combine egg whites, banana, sugar and oil in a bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and bi-carb of soda. Fold together until just combined. Fold through raspberries. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 1¼ hours, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice, and toast if desired, and serve with butter.
Serves 6.