Beet salad

My friend, Maria, was the first person to introduce the flavor of beets. She was originally from Spain and loves cooking. She used to boil beet roots, slice and simply season them with lemon juice and olive oil. I was fascinated its rich taste as well as the beautiful vivid color.
Since then, I am a big fun of beet salad. Today I prepared this beet salad using a Turkish recipe. Grind garlic and chop dills. Mix them with smashed beets and olive oil. Then, add a tablespoon of yogurt. No salt or pepper necessary. It is very refreshing and delicious.

Banana Bread

We have seven big banana clusters in our yard. This is like a total of 20-30 individual trees. Every year they produce a few bunches of bananas.

For the first few years my husband promoted his bananas and gave away most of them to his friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, our bananas are not sweet but very sour. So people who appreciate our bananas become fewer and fewer every year. These years none of them eats our bananas including my husband and I.

So, this year when I first tried this delicious banana yogurt bread, I was extremely pleased that our bananas are certainly valuable. Because our bananas are not sweet, I added honey, which enhances and gives them an extra flavor. Also I put yogurt to make the mixture smooth. Perhaps, adding some liquor brings extra richness on this delicious bread.

It is already November, but a few clusters of bananas will be ready for Thanksgiving and even Christmas! Indeed, Louisiana is a semi-tropical place.

Ingredients:
2 bananas, smashed
2 eggs
80g sugar
2 tablespoons of honey
1 cup and 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/3 cup of yogurt
4 tablespoons of butter, soften

Optional: ¼ cup of crashed walnuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins and/or etc.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 320 F degrees.
2. Put the eggs in a large bowl and beat them well.
3. Add the sugar and mix them well.
4. Add the honey, flour, baking powder, yogurt, butter, banana and walnuts and stir them well.
5. Bake it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.
6. Take the banana bread out of the pan and let it cool off. Slice to serve.

Greek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts

According to the Global Sex Survey done by Durex, a British condom maker, every year, Greece has ranked No. 1 as the most sexually active nation in the past few years. My husband, whose native country is Greece, said, “This might not be accurate because Greek men are more likely to exaggerate how macho they are.” He may be right. It is difficult to tell this survey is correct since the questions are so intimate and it is impossible to verify the results are true.

It is said that this simplest Greek dessert, Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts, is an aphrodisiac. Couples eat this sweet before going to bed. Is this dessert really an aphrodisiac?

Surprisingly, yogurt, honey and walnuts contain high amounts of “fertility vitamins”, such as vitamins C, E, essential fatty acids (EFA), and zinc.

As stated by Bell Online:
Vitamins C, E and EFA are important for women.
Vitamin C “helps to protect cells and strengthen the immune system.“
“Vitamin E may increase egg quality. “
“EFA can help the health of your reproductive system, insulin levels, heart and brain.”

For men, Vitamins C, E and zinc are essential.
“Vitamin C has been shown to reduce DNA damage in sperm by 91%. It is also shown to reduce agglutination and abnormalities.”
“Studies show that vitamin E can increase sperm potency by 2 ½ times.“
“Even a mild zinc deficiency can cause drastically lower sperm counts. Zinc may also improve sexual function.”

Yogurt is rich in zinc. Walnuts are high in EFA and also they contain some good amounts of vitamin E. Honey is an excellent source of vitamin C. Some vegetables and fruits are high in vitamin C. However, after harvest, they rapidly loose their vitamin C potency. As compared with these vegetables and fruit, honey keeps its vitamin C well.

So, is Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts an aphrodisiac? Honey is rich in tyrosine, which helps reduce stress. Eating this simple, yet, extremely healthy dessert may help relax. As result, people may feel intimate with their partners and this may be consistent with the results of the Global Sex Survey.

Greek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup walnuts
3-5 tbsp honey

Directions:
Place the Greek yogurt in a bowl. Add the walnuts and honey. That’s it. Enjoy it!

Yogurt dip/salad (Tzatziki)

Greek style yogurt, which is richer and creamier than regular plain yogurt, has been popular in US for the past few years. When I first tried to prepare this Greek dish a several years ago, the rich and creamy yogurt was not available in the US markets. So I had to drain regular plain yogurt overnight to make it like the Greek one. Thanks to many companies making and selling Greek style yogurt in local markets, I no longer wait overnight to prepare tzatziki! Health benefits of yogurt are numerous. It is well known that yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and protein. Also it is rich in vitamins A, B, D and E. Moreover, a recent study shows eating yogurt can enhance the immune system to prevent from hay fever and allergies! This dish can be served as an appetizer. Dipping pita bread in it is my favorite way of eating tzatziki. Also it goes well with grilled meat or seafood as a yogurt sauce.

Ingredients:
500g Greek style yogurt (If you cannot find it, use regular plain yogurt which should be drained overnight.)
½ cucumber
½ cup chopped fresh dill
2-4 cloves of ground garlic
Salt to taste
¼ cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Wash and finely chopped or roughly ground the cucumber. Squeeze and drain the water well.
2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well.
3. Refrigerate it for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle additional olive oil. Serve with olives, pita bread or grilled food!