You can also bake in preheated oven at 200°C, for 10-15mins, to do this, place the spring rolls on a baking tray, brush with a little oil and bake.
Vivian Onyebukwa
• Minced chicken breast
• Cabbage, finely shredded/grated
• Carrots, peeled, grated
• Chicken stock (substitute with water and stock cubes/salt)
• Finely cut green bell pepper
• Green peas
• Onions, minced or finely sliced
• Spices (stock cubes, curry, black pepper) •Vegetable oil for frying
• Spring roll wrappers/sheets
Spring roll wrappers/sheets ingredients:
– Water
– All-purpose flour
– Corn flour (cornstarch), potato flour or tapioca flour
– Salt
How to make spring roll wrapper/sheets
• Mix the ingredients. Add the water, bit by bit, as you mix the batter. Mix thoroughly until you get a stretchy batter. Now knead the batter by lifting it up and slamming it back on the bowl.
• Do this repeatedly until the batter is really stretchy, then cover and keep in the fridge for 2-3hours
• After 2-3 hours, the batter would be a bit solid but still stretchy.
• Now heat up a non-stick pan and cup the batter in your palm.
• Quickly make a thin circular smear on the pan. •As the sides of the sheets begin to pop up, lift it up and place on a plate or damp towel.
For the “binder” (flour mix):
1 tablespoonful all-purpose flour
3 tablespoonfuls of cool water
Spring roll preparation:
• Place the grated cabbage into a pot, add the chicken stock and salt to taste and boil until the cabbage is tender. In the absence of a chicken stock, you can make use of stock cubes and a little water.
• Add the grated carrots and the green peas and simmer until the carrots are tender. Then pour into a strainer and strain out the liquid from the vegetables.
• In a pan, heat up vegetable oil, add the minced onions and garlic powder and fry a bit. Then add the minced chicken.
• Stir fry the minced chicken until the colour changes from pink to white. Then add the stock cube (stock powder), curry powder, black pepper and mix thoroughly.
• Now add the strained vegetables and mix well into the chicken. Add the chopped green peppers and stirfry the mixture for just about 3 minutes. Put off the heat and leave to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, add a tablespoon of flour and a little water. Mix thoroughly and set aside. This would be used to bind the spring roll wrappers.
• Spread out the spring roll wrappers and add the filling. Fold together and seal the edges with the ”binder”.
• Heat up the oil until very hot and fry the spring rolls until crusty and brown. Place a paper towel to drain out excess oil.
• You can also bake in preheated oven at 200°C, for 10-15mins, to do this, place the spring rolls on a baking tray, brush with a little oil and bake.
READ ALSO: How to prepare curried chicken fried rice
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AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEANS (3)
Contd from last edition
• Reduced risk of cancer
Some studies have shown that beans act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. These effects could reduce the risk of cancer. Research published in 2015 analyzed whether beans might have antioxidant properties that fight intestinal cancer. Black beans were shown to have the highest antioxidant activity. A 2016 study also found that chemicals in Northeast China black beans could slow the growth of colorectal cancer by damaging cancer cells.
• Diabetes and glucose metabolism
Beans may help stabilize blood glucose levels or even prevent diabetes. Beans are high in fibre, which can help lower blood glucose.
A 2015 study in mice found that a chemical found in soybean leaves could help the body maintain healthy glucose levels. Soybeans also support the healthy functioning of pancreatic cells. The pancreas produces insulin, which regulates blood sugar.
• Preventing fatty liver
Fatty liver is a metabolic disorder that occurs when fats accumulate in the liver.
Research published in 2016 found that adzuki beans improve the accumulation of fat in the liver of mice. This result suggests that these beans might preserve liver health and reduce the risk of fatty liver, although more studies in humans are needed.
• Controlling appetite
The fibre and healthy starches in beans can help prevent food cravings. People may feel fuller after consuming beans, which may prevent overeating and even help with weight loss.
• Improving gut health
Research has shown a variety of beans, especially black beans, enhance gut health by improving intestinal barrier function, and increasing the number of healthy bacteria. This may help prevent gut- associated diseases.
READ ALSO: Have a taste of sardine pizza
Culled from: Medical News Today
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Does alcohol expire?
Here is your key to making sure that your favourite booze hasn’t gone bad.
Wine
Wine can expire. Basically, the nicer the wine, the longer it can be stored, unopened. Cheaper wine should be drunk in a year or two of purchase. If you are storing a wine, especially if it’s nice, make sure you store it on its side. This way the cork won’t shrink or develop holes.
If you open a bottle of wine, it’s only good for a couple of days or a week. A sparkling wine can become flat within two days, so make sure you finish it quickly. How do you know if your wine has gone bad? Examine the smell, taste and colour . If the colour has changed, or if it doesn’t taste normal, it’s probably bad.
Spirits
With alcohols like gin, vodka or whiskey, you don’t have to worry about an expiration date; because they are distilled, they won’t expire. You may notice that if a bottle remains unopened for a long time it may become cloudy, but the taste or alcohol content will not change. Even if you open a bottle and let it sit, it will not expire, but the alcohol may start to evaporate as it oxidizes. It is recommended that you drink spirits 6 months to a year after being opened. After a spirit has expired, you can still drink it, but the alcohol content will be decreased.
Tequila
Tequila can last for years if unopened, but once Tequila is opened, the shelf life decreases to 3-6 months. Oxidation and evaporation degrade the quality. Although it may not taste as great, it is technically okay to drink. The only thing that will make you sick is if you overdo it.
Liqueurs
Generally, unopened liqueurs can last up to a year. If you see crystallization, discolourization or curdling, the liqueur should be thrown away. If you have a creme liqueur, it should be thrown out after about 18 months. If they have been opened, they should be consumed after a year. But, with cream, dairy or egg-based liqueurs it is important to check the expiration date as you can actually get sick from consuming them if they are expired.