Everyone knows that Columbus discovered America by accident.Floated in India, but a little overshot. But not everyone knows why he was swimming there. The whole thing turned out to be spices. They were transported by long sea route from India, and they were worth their weight in gold. So the opportunity to find a shortcut and save on transportation would be very useful. Europe's favorite spices then were black pepper and nutmeg. Especially nut. Added it to many dishes because of its taste and smell. By the way, the name of this nut is translated from Latin "fragrant". Very speaking title. In addition to such an attractive from the point of view of cooking properties, he also has a number of others.
From the point of view of medicine, nutmeg is a panacea.In small doses, it tones the entire body, helps to recover from gastritis and ulcers. Very good effect on memory, can serve as a cancer prevention. Nutmeg is often used in cosmetology in the composition of masks and creams. But with such treatment, the main thing is not to overdo it. Due to the amphetamine it contains, hallucinations and other narcotic "joys" may occur.
Produce this spice in hot countries, for example,in India, Brazil, in Sri Lanka. The usual nutmeg is used in cooking (actually it is a sunflower seed), and nutmeg is also used instead of nut. On sale you can find both whole nuts and powder from them.
In Europe, the tradition to add nutmeg to foodhas almost fifteen hundred years. According to legend, in the Middle Ages they often made minced meat patties, which added so many spices that they became almost inedible. The main thing was to show that a house is rich if it can use so many spices. Fortunately, today this tradition has not been preserved, and spices are added to the measure. This is especially important in dealing with nutmeg. For one portion should be no more than one tenth of a gram.
Now the most important point:what dishes use nutmeg? Almost everywhere! Due to the peculiar smell, it has found its use in meat dishes, fish, vegetable, mushroom dishes. Smoked meats, sausages, canned foods, sauces are often prepared using this spice. They are flavored pastries, drinks, cocktails, dairy dishes, sauces ... It is more difficult to say where it is not used. So almost any dish that you cook in the kitchen can be decorated with its smell.
Here are some simple and interesting recipes.
Nutmeg with Kefir
For him, we need 40 grams of fatty kefir and olive mayonnaise, spices - pepper, nutmeg, paprika, salt - to taste, a few sprigs of parsley, onion and basil.
Beat mayonnaise with kefir, add choppedgreens and ground spices. Sauce nutmeg with kefir ready. You can use it with dishes of poultry, fish or pasta. If mayonnaise and kefir are low-fat, then even on a diet, you can treat yourself to this sauce. The protein in the dish is nutmeg with kefir relatively little, which means that active muscle growth does not threaten you. But it contains trace elements, vitamins, animal proteins and fats, and kefir stick will help the normal functioning of the intestines. About olive oil and say nothing - a storehouse of nutrients. It can even be added to the diet of small children, however, after five years. In addition, it is not necessary to offer nutmeg with kefir to people who have problems with the liver, stomach, pancreas, atherosclerosis or diabetes. All the rest - to your health!
Nutmeg with Milk or Eggnog
Ingredients: raw egg, 150 grams of milk, 40 grams of wine, 25 grams of sugar, a pinch of salt, nutmeg.
Mixer beat egg, wine, sugar and salt. Add milk. Sprinkle with nutmeg on top just before serving.
Using spices and spices in the kitchen canto give habitual recipes a new charm. The main rule: do not overdo it with them. Add them little by little, like with salt, here it’s better to add less than to spoil the whole dish.
