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goji berry health benefitsFennel - Delicious and Nutritious

I love Fennel (the bulb) � which surprises me because I never liked aniseed (even when, at 16, Pernod was the only thing to get drunk on in friends� parents� drinks cabinets!). I�m not that keen on liquorice either and the flavour of fennel is definitely in that taste area � only for me at least � sufficiently different to be one of my very favourite veggies.

What to do with it - the raw...

I particularly like it raw, either grated or shredded on a mandolin in a green salad or added as an exotic twist to homemade, dairy-free coleslaw, so... white cabbage, carrots, onions and fennel with a dressing made from a blend of sunflower oil, apple cider vinegar and almond butter. Absolutely delicious.

...and the cooked.

If I eat it cooked, I like to sweat it in a teeny bit of oil with leeks, onion, garlic and plenty of dried tarragon. The tarragon does something really special to the flavour of the fennel and leeks. A divine combination. I introduced my gourmet father to this recipe back in April and he has served it at dinner parties twice since then - only he uses naughty butter instead of oil. It really is delicious and I urge you to try it.

I also like it as a soup. Again it�s a doddle to do. Simply place half a red onion and a crushed, chopped clove of garlic into a pan with a splash of olive oil. Gently fry until they start to go clear then add a roughly chopped fennel bulb to the pan along with a Marigold organic, yeast- and gluten-free vegetable stock cube and some water. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for about 7 minutes. I take it off the heat at that point and using a hand blender, blend it in the saucepan, sat on the chopping board. Blend until smooth and return to the heat for a minute before serving with a handful of sprouted seeds sprinkled on top.

How about roasted? Not the best way to cook from a nutrition point of view I know, but if you go really easy on the oil and keep the chunks small enough to reduce the cooking time, it�s delicious chopped and roasted with chunks of red and yellow pepper, whole garlic cloves and slices of onion, sprinkled over with rosemary.

So that�s a few ideas on what you can do with it, but what does it do with you?

Well, it�s an excellent source of fibre, so aside from helping lower high cholesterol levels, there is also evidence that it can help diarrhoea or constipation too, so if you suffer from IBS you should try it. And since fibre also removes potentially carcinogenic toxins from the colon, fennel bulb may also be useful in preventing colon cancer. Like broccoli, it contains those all important phytonutrients including one called �anethole� the primary component of its oil. Believed to enhance immunity, anethole has been shown to reduce inflammation and to help prevent the occurrence of cancer. It seems to be able to protect the liver from toxic chemical injury. At 100mg per 100g, it contains just a little less calcium than full-fat milk (118mg per 100g*) except unlike milk, fennel is very low in cholesterol. It is a great source of Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium and Manganese and a good source of Niacin, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper.

So if you are having a BBQ this weekend, how about making a batch of the coleslaw suggested above or adding some fennel to your green salad. Or even skewering chunks of it with organic chicken and red and yellow pepper to make some delicious kebabs. Don't forget to invite me round!

*The Dairy Council

Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who 'cured' herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.

She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit the Live In Essence website for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at hello@claireraikes.com.

Celebrate Easter in Style with Roasted Lamb

From historical times, roasted lamb has been a traditional delicacy for ushering in the spring season. Roasted lamb is also the most savoured meat item in Easter dinner. There is a reason for association of lamb with the spring season. The natural breeding cycle of sheep results in ample production of lamb during the months of March and April. Hence we get to hear about the term spring lamb.

Before our mouth starts to water over a dish of roasted lamb, let�s differentiate between a lamb and a sheep. Formally, a lamb is a sheep that is less than a year old. A baby lamb is six to eight weeks old while a spring lamb is even younger. It is only three to five months of age. Once a lamb crosses its first birthday, it is referred to as �yearling�. It matures to mutton once it reaches its second birthday. Present day animal husbandry practices, allow you to obtain lambs of varying ages throughout the year.

Now let�s move on to intricacies behind roasted lamb. The most favoured part of lamb is the �rack of lamb�. Actually, rack is a cut from the rib section. Eight ribs constitute a full rack. If you happen to order a rack of lamb in a restaurant, you will be served with �Frenched� bones. This is an arrangement for beautification purposes only. The meat is scrapped off the ribs. Though the �Frenched� rack has visual appeal, it deprives you of the �true� taste of lamb. Devoted lamb admirers will suggest relishing of the meat first and thereafter nibbling on the bones.

Having said this far, let us get introduced to a highly popular lamb recipe for the next Easter- the roasted rack of lamb. To feed two, you will require 1 full rack of lamb; olive oil; 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary; 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme; salt; pepper; a cup of red wine; 3 chopped garlic cloves and one tablespoon of butter.

First check whether the butcher has removed the chine bone from the rack. Next, trim excess fat from the rack without overdoing it. Apply olive oil lightly on the rack. Next sprinkle half the quantity of rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper on both sides of the rack. With a grate at the bottom, place the rack on your roasting pan and then put it into a pre-heated oven at 375 degree. Continue to cook when a thermometer placed at the dead centre of the meat shows readings of 125 degrees for rare; 130 for medium rare; and 135 for medium.

After cooking, allow the roast to rest for a while on a serving plate covered with an aluminium foil. Let the meat re-absorb the juices and the foil keep it warm. To prepare the sauce, pour wine on the roasting pan and bring it to boil. Add the other half of rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. When the quantity of the sauce reduces to half, add butter. Prepare individual chops from the roasted mass and serve hot after spreading sauce over them. To make the dish even more delicious, you can substitute homemade beef or veal stock for the wine. A composition of stock and wine would be the best bet.

Americans consume a pound of roasted lamb or other lamb delicacies throughout the year. You will be interested to know that lamb is a delicacy that is even more popular in other parts of the world. Particularly, inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries savour it. The item is conspicuous in so many dinner tables during the Easter.

Chris McCarthy owns InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce and BBQ Sauce Catalog. InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce and BBQ Catalog also has a large selection of BBQ Rubs.

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