Garlic Chives

Garlic Chives

Hey there! As always, a delight to see you. Fresh pot of coffee waiting for you.. Grab one of those muffins, why don’t’cha? Say…do you like chives? I love ‘em. But when is a chive not a chive? When it's a Chinese garlic chive.

With their white flowers, long green shoots and lack of a bulb, garlic chives bear a strong resemblance to regular chives. That's not surprising, since both are members of the onion family. However, in this case appearances are deceiving. While the standard chive has a mild flavour similar to onions, garlic chives are known for their strong “garlicky” flavour.

The combination of a chive-like appearance and strong flavour makes garlic chives a popular seasoning. You’ll find chopped chives showing up in Asian recipes for soups, stews, salads and even meat marinades. But don’t feel you need to get out the wok to enjoy them. Garlic chives make a flavourful alternative to regular chives in non-Asian dishes. Add garlic chives to srambled eggs or an omelette, or substitute them for regular chives in a recipe for herbed bread or biscuits.

Need another reason to try them? They’re a great substitute for garlic on nights when you don’t feel like smashing and peeling cloves.

Garlic chives or Gau Choy are quite distinctive so don’t bring them home on the bus! Oh, and you can eat the buds, too. Nong and I have them quite regularly.

Garlic chives pack a major nutritional punch for a mere 30 calories per 100 grams. Low in fat and high in dietary fibre and protein, they contain high amounts of Vitamin C and carotene, and are a good source of calcium. They also contain Vitamin B1 and B2. In Chinese medicine, garlic chives are considered to be a yang or warming food.

Like other members of the garlic and onion family, garlic chives contain a sulphur-rich mustard oil that aids digestion and helps promote the flow of blood. The rejuvenating power of this oil has been known since ancient times, when chives were used to heal wounds. Today, Asian cooks put garlic chives’ antiseptic qualities to good use by combining the chives with pork fat to season a wok.

Some large supermarkets carry garlic chives but if you can’t find them, try an Asian grocery store. So there you go. A new food you may not have known about. Good for you, too but don’t let that put you off, eh! Have a salubrious day!

Bob

Mekong dam delay - a reprieve for giant fish

Hi ya! How’re things? Got a busy day planned? Hope you’ve got time for a mug of Java beans and a treat. Say, when I saw this I knew I’d have to share it with you because it’s close to home…at least for me, since the Mekong River runs across the top and east of Thailand.

The world's largest freshwater fish, the Mekong giant catfish, can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now. A decision has been shelved to build a huge dam in Laos that threatens its habitat in the Mekong River, not to mention the fate of fisheries, wetlands, and millions of people who would be displaced.

Officials from the four countries through which the lower Mekong flows failed to agree last week at a meeting of the Mekong River Commission on whether to approve the proposed Xayaburi dam, deferring the decision instead to ministers.

Laos, which wants to make money by selling electricity generated by the dam, could find itself isolated and outvoted. Officials from neighbouring Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam all expressed reservations about the dam, especially Vietnam, which has "deep and serious concerns" about potential damage to the Mekong delta, and wants the scheme delayed at least 10 years to give time for more research into impacts of the dam.

The World Wide Fund for Nature, one of 260 non-governmental organizations opposing the dam, says that as well as the catfish, which reaches lengths of up to 3 metres, other species, fisheries and river connections are at risk. In a study also published last week, WWF calculated that the same amount of electricity could be generated without the same environmental impact from smaller dams built on tributaries.

 

That’s one huge fish, my friend, and, not that they’ve asked my opinion, but I’d sure hate to see anything happen that would reconfigure the Mekong and possibly damage the habitat of this and many other species…primarily so Laos can make money!

 

See ya!

Bob

Sweet & Tangy Baked Chicken

How’s it going today, eh? Keeping well? Good to hear… and I do my best to interject some healthiness into my blog occasionally so, soon as you get that mug filled up from Madge’s selection of fine coffees and carefully choose a treat for the day, why, I’ll let you in on another healthy and delicious recipe of mine.  I love chicken anyway I can get it. It has a lot less fat than red meats, full of protein and this recipe is also packed with selenium, a vitamin that boosts the production of disease-fighting antioxidants.

What You'll Need:

   3 tbsp Dijon mustard

   2 tbsp grade B maple syrup

   2 tbsp olive, canola or sunflower oil, divided

   1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

   3/4 tsp black pepper

   1/2 tsp salt, optional

   4 lb bone-in chicken pieces, skinless and fat-trimmed

   1 1/2 cups whole grain breadcrumbs

Cooking Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix Dijon mustard, maple syrup, 1 tbsp oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Whisk until well-blended.

Dip chicken pieces in mixture until evenly coated on all sides.

Cover chicken and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 6 hours).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack over a large baking sheet to cook chicken.

Mix breadcrumbs and remaining oil on the surface of a large plate. Dredge the meatier side of each chicken piece through the breadcrumb mixture.

Arrange pieces on wire rack, dredged side up. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!

See…I told you I was watching out for your health!

Bob