negative calories??
We thought it was appropriate to feature this much-maligned veggie in January, in the spirit of all those new health regimes and diets that get started at the beginning of a new year.
For those of you who, like us, are feeling a bit scales-shy after SO much cake, some celery in your veg box might be the very thing. We’re talking, of course, about that oft-cited “factoid” that celery actually contains “negative” calories. That is, we supposedly burn more calories crunching it than we gain digesting it! Now we have no idea if this is actually true, but it certainly is a pretty low calorie snacking option.
Historically, celery was also valued for its sedative powers, and it’s ability to reduce hypertension. This may be due to the “phthalide” compounds celery contains. And one last strange celery fact before we get down to business: After Top Gear’s Richard Hammond recovered from his horrific motor crash, he discovered that he liked celery, having previously hated it!
SPOTLIGHT ONE: Celery is in good condition when the sticks have a solid, rigid feel, and the leaves are at the most only slightly wilted. It can be stored in the salad drawer for up to two weeks, and it can be eaten raw or cooked in stir-frys, stews, bakes and soups.
SPOTLIGHT TWO: Here’s a new celery recipe from us.
tuna, sweetcorn and celery
Tuna, Sweetcorn and Celery Salad Mix
This recipe is brilliant for that moment when you (or the kids!) are starving and need something NOW… The texture and combination of flavours are hugely satisfying for munching at lunchtime.
And if it’s closer to dinner time, how about serving it stirred into freshly cooked pasta!
Ingredients: Serves 2 as a main course
1 can of tuna in brine or spring water, drained and broken up into chunks;
4 or 5 sticks of celery, diagonally sliced into 1cm pieces;
200g tin of sweetcorn, drained;
For the dressing:
5tbsps sunflower or grapeseed oil;
the juice & zest of half a lemon;
1 tsp Dijon mustard;
1 tsp sugar;
salt & fresh ground black pepper
Method:
Put the celery, tuna and sweetcorn in a bowl.
Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.
Mix well and serve.
Cupboard-To-Table: 10 minutes
And now over to you… Are you working to eat more healthily? And will celery be featuring in your lunches or dinners this month?
“Put the celery, tuna, sweetcorn and tomatoes in a bowl.”
Where do the Tomatoes come in? lol
Alan – good spot! We’ve corrected. Are you a celery fan?
Yep love the stuff!
We are going to try this for our lunch tomorrow!
Alan
We frequently do our own “version” of this recipe using mayonaise instead of the dressing but it sounds so tasty I’ll have to give it a go
Well we tried it for lunch.
Great!
I personally would prefer using vinigar rather then lemon and we used a tin of shredded tuna by mistake. but all in all it was a very nice lunch
Evelyn – I LOVE this recipe with mayo too – it’s too scrumptious for words.
Alan – very happy that you tried it for lunch. I know what you mean about the lemon versus the vinegar – it does make a difference to the taste. I particularly like it with balsamic vinegar.
What else do you folks use celery in, then?
When I used to go to Switzerland for work, I often had braised celery braised in butter and milk (full everything not slimmers stuff!). It arrived on the plate as a ‘tied up bundle tied with some celery!
Very nice.
Some one told me about pickled celery but I haven’t tried it yet!
Well the first one sounds very interesting, Alan. Pickled celery … hmmm … not sold on that one though : )
Now I’m wondering whether you’re a fan of “Salsify”? We’re going to be featuring it in February, so keep your eyes peeled!