Loaded with vitamins and minerals inclusing A, C, E, calcium, potassium and iron, Kale is a member of the cabbage family; Brassica Oleracea. Ocotber is the beginning of the long season for Kale and is readily available throughout the colder Winter months.
Kale is delicious steamed, simmered or sautéed, however, unlike cabbage it is better when cooked until soft rather than left with a bite.
Fancy a delicious and warming soup now the weather is getting gloomier? Click here for our Caldo Verde recipe. click here.
Pumpkins certainly pack a punch when it comes to nutritional value, containing an abundance of vitamin A, C, E and antioxidants. With no saturated fat to worry about,pumpkins are also a low calorie vegetable containing only 26calories per 100g.
Pumpkins are the fruit of a fast growing vine and come in a vast array of colours from yellow and orange to green, brown and grey.
The seeds of a pumpkin can be roasted and enjoyed as a nutritious snack as they are an excellent source of protein and healthy unsaturated fatty acids your heart will love.
With virtually the entire vegetable being edible, they can be enjoyed stewed, baked or fried. However, in order to retain their nutritional value, it’s best to enjoy them steamed.
Why not try making a traditional Pumpkin Pie recipe this month click here.
Oranges are in season from October through to the end of February. There are two classifications; sweet and bitter. Not surprisingly, the sweet option is the most commonly eaten. Popular varieties include Valencia, Navel, Blood and Persian.
In addition to providing a rich source of Vitamin C, Oranges are an incredible source of a variety of other nutrients including dietary fibre in the form of pectin which has been proven to reduce cholesterol and help protect the health of the colon.
Kept at room temperature, oranges will last for a week. However, if you’d like them to last that little bit longer then store them in the fridge where they will happily sit for up to 2 weeks.
To see our Mint and Orange Tea Recipe, click here.
Unbelievably, there are over 7000 varieties of apple in existence. In the UK they are in season from late September through to the end of the year, with a variety to suit any taste from red, green and yellow to sharp, sweet, soft and crunchy.
For more interesting and tastier varieties visit your local market or pick your own farm. Don’t forget when choosing an apple, to give it a sniff as the more pungent the aroma, the fresher and better quality the apple.
Kept cool, fresh apples can last for up to a month and can be enjoyed as a healthy snack by itself or in salads or stewed and baked in a variety of puddings.
Click here for an easy and delicious apple pie recipe that your Granny would approve of. click here.