Ramen cu lapte de cocos - Lavinia Dinca Nutrition

My favorite type of men is ramen. 😉
Unknown

Oh ... that taste! I think I have a new favorite recipe. Yeah it contains coconut milk, which doesn't have a great reputation. But what does it matter? I made sure to add other vegetables in abundance that would bring me a high intake of nutrients. And while 80% of our diet is nutritional for the body, we can keep the remaining 20% for the pleasure of taste, right?

Coconut milk... healthy or not?

Coconut milk has become very popular lately, and I can't lie that I like it too, and I use it quite often in various recipes. Its creamy consistency comes from the fact that coconut water is mixed with coconut pulp, which is rich in saturated fats and calories . However, if the source of our coconut milk is safe and the milk is organic, without too many food additives, it is also healthy, because it contains nutrients : iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium.

There are no studies yet to show the correlation between coconut milk and its effects on metabolism and weight. Even though coconut oil / milk and palm oil are the only plant products that contain saturated fats, which are known for their negative effect on health, I believe that if coconut milk is consumed in moderate amounts, it does not harm the body. In addition, it is recognized that saturated fat in coconut products differs of saturated fat in animal products and is absorbed differently by the body.

But what are saturated fats?

Fats are macronutrients that play an essential role in our health. The body needs fat for energy and for the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. We mention 3 categories of fats:

Saturated: found in animal products such as dairy, meat, eggs, but also in coconut or palm oil . They are considered "bad" because excessive consumption is correlated with heart disease, leading to increased LDL cholesterol. However, these saturated fats are also divided into other categories, which have different effects on health, but we will not go into details now. We recognize them by the fact that they get solid at cold temperatures.
Unsaturated: found only in plant products , in various forms: omega 3, 6, 9. Most of them contain mainly omega 6 : canola oil, sunflower, soybean, corn etc., which is considered an inflammatory factor in the body if consumed in large quantities. There are healthier oils, rich in omega 3 : hemp or flaxseed oil, and in omega 9 : olive oil. These oils are always liquid, regardless of temperature.
Trans: the type of fat that should be avoided and is found in fried, or heavily processed foods . Not recognized as safe for health, and the World Health Organization is signaling this .

Let's start cooking now...

Preparation time 40 min

For aprox 3 persons

Ingredients:

3 tbsp of olive oil
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 red bell pepper cut in small pieces
5 mushrooms cut in pieces
2 grated carrots
1 can of creamy coconut milk - 400 ml
1 veggie bouillon cube (but optional)
600 ml water
2 tsp red curry paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
125g soba noodles (or other type)
300g firm tofu - I used normal and squeezed the water, cut in small pieces
2 tsp sweet paprika powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 handful of baby spinach
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add the pieces of tofu, together with 1tsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp curry powder and cook it on all sides until it's getting brown. After it's done, set it apart.

2. In a bigger pot heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and add the garlic, ginger, mashrooms and red pepper. Let it cook until the mushrooms have shrunk.

3. Add the coconut milk, water, bouillon cube, soy sauce, red curry paste, paprika powder and stir. Let it cook until it starts boiling.

4. Add the noodles and let them cook until done, according to the package instructions. Two minutes before being done, add the grated carrots, but keep some for garnish.

5. Stop the heat and add the spinach.

6. Plate it with some tofu, remained grated carrots and roasted sesame seeds.

Have a great meal!