Real Food: Don't get Thai-ed in to boring diets
The warmer weather recently has us all thinking about getting fit and losing the winter padding. This time of year also coincides with Thai New Year, which is celebrated as a water festival in Thailand, with water fights, festive food and spending time with family and friends.
This had me thinking about Thai food, one of my favourite cuisines, and its many health benefits. The World Health Organisation has conducted a very comprehensive study on the benefits of Thai cuisine and its health-promoting ingredients.
Ireland has become very cosmopolitan and we are now au fait with Thai curries, Tom Yam soup, coconut milk, lime leaves, lemongrass, chilli, galangal, coriander and coconut milk, that make up some of the diverse dishes in Thai cuisine.
When I was putting together my Cook Yourself Slim course recently, Thai salads featured heavily as they tick all the boxes for trimming waistlines while being highly nutritious, packed with flavour and texture and visually appealing. All these elements are vital if you are trying to stick to a healthy plan. Force yourself to eat cardboard-like diet food and you'll soon rebel.
The distinctive ingredients we know and love in Thai food also each have phenomenal health benefits that are now widely documented.
Chilli
For such a small fruit, chilli truly packs a mighty flavour and health punch.
Proven to lower LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure, chilli also heals artery walls to help prevent cholesterol 'plaquing' onto the damaged tissue. Chilli promotes good circulation and strengthens capilliaries in the eyes.
The intense flavour taste-bud tingle from chilli also helps tell our brains when you are full so we don't overeat but can still leave the dinner table feeling satisfied.
Galangal
Similar in flavour and characteristics to ginger, with which it can be substituted, galangal has incredible anti-inflammatory properties.
Include it in your diet if you suffer from painful joints, psoriasis or ezcema. Also beneficial for anyone suffering from an upset stomach or nausea.
Coconut milk
This misunderstood food contains healthy fat that helps lower LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure. It also helps our bodies utilise essential fatty acids, such as those found in salmon, much better. As an added bonus, coconut fat helps kill candida albicans, which is an aggressive yeast that can overpopulate our bowel. Diabetes, ME and fibromyalgia sufferers in particular suffer with candida overgrowth which can lead to headaches, lethargy and depression.
Other predominant ingredients, such as garlic, lemongrass and coriander, all have terrific immune-boosting and digestive benefits. I particularly like Thai salads as they combine high quality protein in appropriate amounts with lots of crunchy vegetables in a delicious healthy dressing.
Diep Le Shaker Thai Beef Salad (Serves two)
180g sirloin steak
50g baby salad leaves
2cm lemongrass, grated using a fine grater
2 lime leaves (available frozen from the Asian market), finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
Half mango, diced
Half cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2tbls fresh coriander
2tbls cashew nuts, chopped
dressing:
1tbls Thai fish sauce
1tsp sugar
juice of 1 lime
Half chilli, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Method
Heat a little sunflower oil in a pan, season the steak and sear both sides on a high heat. The steak should be rare to medium rare. Allow to rest and then thinly slice.
Mix together the lemongrass, shredded lime leaves, shallots and dressing. Pour over sliced steak and allow to infuse for five to 10 minutes.
Toss together the mango, tomatoes, baby salad leaves, coriander, spring onions, beef and dressing.
Serve immediately garnished with cashew nuts.
Recipe courtesy of Diep Le Shaker Thai Restaurant. Visit www.diepleshaker.ie for more new recipe ideas
Also www.thaifood.ie for all Thai ingredients
www.rozannestevens.com
- Rozanne Stevens
Irish Independent
