Basil bread with celery seeds
450g strong, unbleached white flour
50g rye flour
300g bottled water
100g sourdough starter
15g olive oil
30g chopped basil leaves
20g celery seeds
3g baker’s yeast
10g kosher salt
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Steep the chopped basil in 15g olive oil and leave overnight at room temperature covered with cling film. Next morning put the flour in a mixing bowl with the water, sourdough starter, celery seeds, basil, salt and baker’s yeast. Mix together well and knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes. Leave to rise covered with a tea towel for about 2 hours. Take the dough out of the bowl. Shape into a disc and fold over 4 edges to the centre, turn over and mould into a ball. Leave the dough to rise on a greased flat baking tray or in a well-floured banneton (seam up) for 1.5 to 2 hours or until it has doubled in bulk (Cover with a tea towel). Pre-heat the oven @ 220°C, with a shallow tray of water at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Brush with rye flour and slash, as desired, with a lame or razor blade. Bake for 26 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire tray, covered with a tea towel.
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5 May 2017
5 May 2017
5 May 2017
Basil
Basil is considered one of the healthiest herbs. It's best when fresh, exuding a sweet, earthy aroma that indicates not only the promise of pleasantly pungent flavour, but an impressive list of nutrients. Vitamin K, essential for blood clotting, is one of them. Just two tablespoons of basil provides 29 percent of the daily recommended value.
Basil also provides vitamin A, which contains beta-carotenes, powerful antioxidants that protect the cells lining a number of numerous body structures, including the blood vessels, from free radical damage. This helps prevent cholesterol in blood from oxidizing, helping to prevent atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and stroke.
Other vitamins and minerals in basil include iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium. Not surprisingly, basil also has antibacterial properties and contains DNA-protecting flavonoids. It's the flavonoids and volatile oils in basil that give it the most health benefits, the former protecting on the cellular level, with antibacterial properties related to its volatile oils.
5 May 2017
5 May 2017
Celery Seeds
1. One of the most important benefits of celery seeds is because of its cancer fighting ability. It has some active components that are helpful in fighting cancerous tumours, such as polyacetylenes and phthalides.
2. The other significant health benefit of celery seeds is that it helps in managing the blood pressure levels. Having celery seeds everyday helps in promoting good blood pressure levels.
3. It protects as well as reverses the bad effects of acetaminophen on the liver, which is an analgesic. Having celery seeds everyday balances the harmful effect on the liver. Although this benefit is not backed by any scientific report but many people have made use of the benefits of celery seeds.
4. Benefits of celery seeds include the ability to reduce the cholesterol level. The cholesterol blocks the arteries which increases the risk of heart problems. Herbal experts often use celery seeds to cure circulatory system problems.
5. Celery seeds have many nutrients as well as substances such as flavonoids, linoleic acid, coumarins and several volatile oils. Because of the presence of the above named components celery seeds are helpful in curing many diseases.
6. Celery seeds are known to have anti inflammatory agents. Having celery seeds everyday helps in treating pain and inflammation of the joints. Having celery seeds everyday helps in curing inflammation related ailments such as gout, rheumatism as well as arthritis.
7. Celery seeds stimulate the uterus and helps in easing muscle spasms, especially related to the female reproductive system. Celery seeds are helpful in easing menstrual cramps and pains. If women have it on everyday basis then it really eases the symptoms of menstrual discomfort.
8. Celery seeds are diuretic in nature and because of this property they are extremely useful. The excess urinations caused due to the diuretic nature of celery seeds helps flush out the toxins along with extra water from the body. The health benefits of celery seeds are most importantly helpful in flushing out the uric acid along with urine.
9. As the celery seeds are diuretic in nature they are recommended to people with kidney stones, water retention, as well as gout. Celery seeds do not permit extra accumulation of uric acid as well as fluids in the human body.
10. Celery seeds are antibiotic as well as antiseptic in nature. These properties are excessively essential in curing many kinds of infection in the body. Celery seeds are especially useful in curing infection of the urinary tract. Herbal experts have recommended the consumption of celery seeds to treat bladder ailments, kidney troubles and cystitis.
You can add dried celery seeds to your food, this will help enhance the spicy flavour and make your food more nutritious. The benefits of celery seeds are definitely helpful for maintaining a healthy body in the natural way.