Today I'd like to share with you a very quick and easy stir fry made with broccoli and orange segments besides other ingredients. Needless to say it is packed with nutrients and low in calories so it's ideal for all of us who are constantly watching our weight but want to eat well.

Broccoli is an extremely nutritious vegetable and at the moment it is in season locally and so cheap to buy. It's an excellent source of Vitamins C, K and A as well as dietary fibre. It is extremely low in calories but still contains a large amount of other vitamins and minerals. Broccoli is also known to have anti-cancer effects as it has compounds which deactivates cells which promote tumour growth as well as cancer suppressants. So it is really worth eating quite a bit of broccoli especially that which is locally grown and in season.

Recipe

Broccoli and Orange Stir Fry

1 bunch broccoli, washed and cut into flowerets
2 oranges preferably slightly sweet, segmented (can omit or substitute if desired)
5 cherry tomatoes (the local variety are sweeter so try and get these)
1 leek
100g mushrooms

Chop everything up into small pieces suitable for stir frying. Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a stir fry pan. Add the broccoli and let cook for a few minutes. The add the leek, followed by the mushrooms a few minutes later. Finally add the cherry tomatoes and the orange segments. Fry for a further 7 - 10 minutes until the broccoli feels tender but not too soft. It should remain a fresh green and not become dull in colour. Serve as an accompaniment.

I am a member of the Slow Food Movement (International). As stated on the respective website, this is a movement which was created to counteract fast food and fast life and the disappearance of local food traditions. The aim is to try to create an interest in the food we eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

On this blog and now on my soon to be launched Culinaria and Wellness website (www.culinariaandwellness.com) there will be ideas on how to appreciate food more and more about our own food culture. One activity which is a really good idea and to be held by the Slow Food Movement (Ireland) is Grandmother's Day held on April 25th. This is the first ever day dedicated towards Grandmothers but the aim is for grandmothers to meet their grandchildren and focus on stories about foods, getting children to taste traditional foods and teach them how to cook them where possible. We are losing so many traditions with respect to food - this is one great idea to revive some.

Other activities organised by the Slow Food Movement in different countries make you think and wonder if we practice these ourselves:

eg Time for lunch campaign (do we have time for a well prepared balanced lunch or do we just walk out of the house with no lunch at all and buy fast food from a shop nearby work?)

Defence of biodiversity

Linking producers to co-producers

Taste Education - to reawaken and train the senses and the study of all aspects of food. This is meant to help people make daily choices about food with awareness and responsibility turning the consumer into a co-producer where possible and choosing Good, Clean and Fair Food.

My last note about food taken from the Slow Food Movement: Food means pleasure, culture and conviviality and the act of eating can influence values, attitudes and emotions......

Karen Mugliett
 13/02/10

Good fruit and vegetables are at the heart of healthy cuisine and all health experts and nutritionists are in agreement that we need to eat more fruit and vegetables: 5 a day (3 veg and 2 fruit) is the standard set by the WHO but the National Cancer Organisation in the US has gone a step further and recommends 5 a day for children, 7 a day for women and teenage girls (4 veg and 3 fruit) and 9 a day for men and teenage boys (5 veg and 4 fruit). This is so that you will half your changes of getting cancer.

Local Produce

If you can get it locally it is better. Local produce is usually cheaper and tastier and it is good to support the local industry. Locally grown food is also more nutritious than food that has been flown in from another country. Fruit and veg for export has often been picked before ripe and kept chilled to avoid spoilage so this means they fail to develop the complex flavours and nutritional compounds available in food that has been allowed to ripen naturally. That's why we often say, 'Dik ta' Malta u t'toma ahjar' (that's Maltese grown and tastes better). The other major reason why one should by locally grown food is to avoid contributing to pollution which is a result of tne long distance transportation of food. I am a great supporter of local initiatives and agriculture produce and we should take advantage of the many different varieties of the produce we have our farmers producing and working hard for.

Should organic produce be available it is worth trying out but any fruit or vegetable is grown according to legal trading standards and so even where pesticides are used they have been the ones which have been approved to be safe for human consumption. Obviously whether organic or non-organic, these should always be washed thoroughly before using because of the risk of microbial contamination or pesticide use. Obviously organic grown produce is beneficial in support biodiversity, animal welfare, sustainable growth patterns and soil health.

So my message today is see what is locally in season and go for that primarily - it will be cheaper and fresher so more nutritious, tastier and minimises on pollution. Don't refrain from asking your green grocer 'X'hawn bhalissa ta' Malta?' (What's available right now from local produce?). He will definately be able to tell you.

Karen