Welcome to Zema's Top 10 Countdown to Nutrition

Health tip #9 - Think out of the box. Next time you are at the grocery store, try a new fruit or veggie you would never have thought of purchasing before. This tip comes from Jill Motew, President and creator of Zema’s Madhouse Foods, a line of ancient-grain, gluten free baking mixes. Jill, a native of Highland Park, is a self-taught health foodie. Jill caught the “alternative health food” bug early in college while shopping and cooking for all her friends. Jill lived on the island of St. John, where she developed a love of tropical flavors and then headed North to the Redwoods, where she learned about “hippie food”. She lives in Highland Park with her husband and 5 kids, 3 dogs and 2 lizards.

The Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish is an everyday component of Asian cuisine. In fact, it is the most widely grown vegetable in Japan. You’ll find it with your meal at almost any Japanese restaurant. It can be prepared almost anyway you like, including raw, fried, grilled, boiled.

Eaten raw, Daikon has a spicy taste and is deliciously crunchy. Daikon is also good for you. It is very low in calories, helps in digestion and is a a good source of vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium. There is even some evidence that it helps fight cancer.

The word Daikon is made up of two Japanese words: dai, which means “large” and kon which means “root”. There are many varieties grown (coming in many different shapes and sizes) but the most popular looks like a big white carrot (pictured below). Other popular names for Daikon are oriental radish, Chinese radish or Japanese radish.

Daikon Radish and Ginger Salad

2 t. minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons olive oil(or canola oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons GF, low-sodium soy sauce
1 large daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced, cut into matchsticks
1 bag of broccoli slaw
3 green onions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced

In a large bowl, whisk together the ginger, oils, vinegar and soy sauce. Toss all the vegetables in the bowl with the vinaigrette, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Great with grilled salmon or chicken for a meal.

For more information about Zema’s Madhouse Foods GF Baking mixes, please visit www.zemasfoods.com or our facebook page.