Broccoli Pesto Pasta.

• Ingredients

• 400g dried spaghetti pasta
• 1kg broccoli, cut into florets, stems thinly sliced
• 55g (1/3 cup) pine nuts, toasted (though might not be compulsory)
• 1/2 garlic clove, thinly sliced (though might not be compulsory)
• 185ml (3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 60g (2/3 cup) shredded vegetarian hard cheese (or parmesan)
• Finely grated vegetarian hard cheese, to serve.
  
  • Nutrition

  Energy 4200kJ	Fat saturated 12.00g
  Fat Total 64.00g
  Carbohydrate Total 76.00g	Dietary Fiber 16.00g
  Protein 35.00g

   
  
  • Method
• Step 1
  Cook pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to pan.
• Step 2
  Meanwhile, cook broccoli in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool slightly. Process the broccoli, pine nuts, garlic and half the oil in a food processor until a coarse puree forms. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the shredded parmesan and remaining oil.
• Step 3
  Stir pesto into pasta and season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving dishes and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Nutritional Value of Maize.

Originally called hindi by Tanzanians, maize is a grain more commonly known Maize comes in several varieties, such as popcorn and dent corn, which is ground and used for products such as corn chips. Sweet corn is the variety that can be eaten right off the husk. It's a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and other vitamins and minerals.

The Basics

Sweet corn is a variety of maize with a high sugar content that softens when heated. It should be eaten as soon as possible after being picked because the sugar turns to starch, causing the kernels to lose flavor. Heat speeds up that process, so refrigerate or freeze corn until you're ready to use it. The nutritional values provided are for yellow corn, but white corn has essentially the same nutrients, except for vitamin A.

Basic Nutrition

One cup of sweet corn contains 125 calories, 5 g of protein, 2.9 g of dietary fiber and 27 g of energy-providing carbohydrates. The total fat content of 1.9 g includes no cholesterol and 1.4 g of healthy unsaturated fats.

Vitamins

A cup of sweet corn contains 10 mg of vitamin C, which is an important antioxidant and also necessary for the synthesis of collagen. It provides all of the B vitamins except vitamin B-12. A one-cup serving delivers 0.23 mg of thiamine, 0.08 mg of riboflavin, 2.56 mg of niacin, 0.14 mg of vitamin B-6 and 61 mcg of folate. Corn contains a small amount of vitamins E and K. Yellow corn contains 271 IU of vitamin A, while white corn only has 2 IU.

Minerals

One serving contains 3 mg of calcium, but this is just a trace amount based on the recommended daily intake of 800 mg/day established by the Institute of Medicine. Corn provides 0.8 mg of iron, 129 mg of phosphorus and 392 mg of potassium, compared with recommended adult daily intakes of 4,700 mg/day for potassium, 700 mg/day for phosphorus and 6 to 8 mg/day for iron. Corn also contains 0.24 mg of the trace mineral manganese, which functions as an antioxidant and is essential for metabolism.

Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and omega-6 are essential fatty acids because they're needed for brain function and vision. Higher consumption of essential fatty acids is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Corn provides 0.84 g of omega-6 and 0.025 g of omega-3. The adequate intakes for omega-3 are 1.6 g/day for men and 1.1 g/day for women, and for omega-6 they're 17 g/day for men and 12 g/day for women, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

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Italian-Style Meatloaf.

• Ingredients

• 600g pork and veal mince
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 small tomato, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Steamed corn cobs and green beans, to serve

• Nutrition

Energy 1734kJ	Fat saturated 4.60g
Fat Total 13.40g	Carbohydrate sugars -
Carbohydrate Total 30.60g	Dietary Fibre 6.00g
Protein 39.50g	Cholesterol 153.00mg
Sodium 320mg

All nutrition values are per serve.

• Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a 7cm-deep, 9cm x 22cm (base) loaf pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at long ends.
2. Step 2
   Combine mince, onion, garlic, capsicum, tomato, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, oregano and egg in a bowl. Press into prepared pan.
3. Step 3
   Bake for 50 minutes or until firm to touch. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out onto a board. Slice. Serve with corn and beans.

5 Easy Meals With Minced Meat

 1) Thai chicken, basil and chilli stir-fry

Stir-fry 500g chicken mince until browned. Remove from wok. Stir-fry 2 thinly sliced eschalots, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 stick finely chopped lemongrass and 2 thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves. Return chicken to wok with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves and mint leaves. Serve on cooked rice noodles.

2) Meatballs

Combine 500g pork and veal mince with 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, 1 lightly beaten egg and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Cook meatballs in a frying pan, in batches, until browned all over. Meanwhile, cook 1 chopped brown onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves in a large saucepan until softened. Add a 700g jar tomato pasta sauce and 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves. Add meatballs. Simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with cooked pasta and extra grated Parmesan

.

3) Mexi-beans and mince

Cook 1 chopped brown onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves until softened. Add 600g beef mince. Cook, stirring, until browned. Add 1 teaspoon chilli powder and 2 teaspoons ground coriander. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon plain flour, 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 1 cup beef stock. Simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in 2 x 125g cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with corn chips or warmed corn tortillas, sour cream and guacamole.

4) Lamb and hokkien noodle stir-fry

Cook fresh hokkien noodles following packet directions. Drain. Stir-fry 500g lamb mince until browned. Remove from wok. Stir-fry 1 brown onion, cut into wedges, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 cups broccoli florets, 1 thinly sliced carrot and 1 chopped red capsicum until just tender. Return mince to wok with 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Add noodles. Stir-fry until heated through.

5) Sloppy joes

Cook 1 chopped brown onion and 2 cloves crushed garlic in a frying pan until softened. Add 600g beef mince. Cook, stirring, until browned. Add 1 teaspoon chilli powder. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Spoon mixture onto the base of toasted bread rolls and top with sliced dill pickles, coleslaw and roll tops.