Banner Top

Food & Fitness Links

Food & Fitness

Cool food for warm weather

Amplify your antioxidant intake

Fight free radicals with these healthful and power-packed dishes.

By Joan Teotico
Photos by Rommell Torres

FEBRUARY 2012

The fight against free radicals seems endless as the unstable molecules—linked to aging, heart disease and cancer—are generated within our bodies. This is due to factors both natural and unnatural like aging, exercise, stress, smoking and exposure to sunlight and pollutants.

But antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals, can defend ourselves from these attackers. Numerous studies have also shown that fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of antioxidants.

Bienvenido Chavez, the executive chef of Eastwood Richmonde Hotel in Quezon City, created these exquisite yet highly nutritious recipes. Ready to fend off free radicals with fine dining?

Orange vegetable salad with yellow fruit chutney and baked pita chips

Squash, carrots and dark green, leafy vegetables and mangoes are rich in beta-carotene, which helps maintain healthy vision and is also linked to the reduction of breast cancer risk in women before they hit menopause.

Ingredients:

Salad

½ cup squash, cubed
½ cup carrots, cubed
1 tsp olive oil
½ Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp salt
½ Tbsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp baked pita chips, cut into squares
1 cup mixed greens
3 Tbsp roasted cashew nuts or pine nuts
¼ cup orange segments
½ cup yellow fruit chutney (recipe below)
1 Tbsp alfalfa sprouts, for garnish

Yellow Fruit Chutney

2 Tbsp red onion, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ginger, minced
½ Tbsp green chili finger, minced
5 Tbsp medium ripe mango, chopped
5 Tbsp fully ripe papaya, chopped
1 tsp honey
2 tsp coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp iodized salt
½ Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp golden raisins or sultanas

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C (300 °F). In a bowl, toss the squash and carrots in olive oil, garlic and seasoning. Make sure they’re evenly coated. Place on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Do the same thing with the pita, but bake it in a different tray for five minutes or until golden brown. After baking, let it cool before serving.

2. For the chutney, sauté the onion, mustard seeds, ginger and chili in olive oil for three minutes over medium heat or until the onion turns translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and season it. Keep on stirring until it turns to mush. Let it cool before serving.

3. For plating, place the greens first then top with carrots, squash, orange segments and cashew nuts. Garnish with pita chips and alfalfa sprouts. Serve the yellow chutney on the side.

Makes 4 servings

Chef Bienvenido Chavez is the group executive chef of Prestige Hotels & Resorts and executive chef of Eastwood Richmonde Hotel located at Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City. He is also a senior member of the Emirates Culinary Guild and a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Abu Dhabi Chapter. Email him at bchavez@richmondehotel.com.ph. For more of his antioxidant recipes, get a copy of the February issue of HealthToday magazine from your favourite newsstand or bookstore.