A handful of sunflower seeds a day keeps your heart troubles away.
I remembered buying sunflower seeds for my hamsters to gnaw on many years ago. That was the impression I had of sunflower seeds – for little pets to snack on. So I never really considered including them in my daily diet. Since I’m more and more into cooking, all the reading on food has expanded my knowledge and understanding of many understated ingredients. And the sunflower seed is just one of them.
Sunflower seeds help prevent cancer as they are a good source of selenium. They contain magnesium and copper to keep bones healthy as well as Vitamin E that is good for the skin. They are loaded with antioxidants and also keep your heart healthy by preventing bad cholesterol from blocking the walls of arteries. Impressive, isn’t it?
You can add sunflower seeds to your salads or stir-fries like this recipe.
Lemongrass Chicken with Sunflower Seeds Recipe
Ingredients
600g deboned chicken leg, remove skin and cut into bite-size pieces
2 tbsps fish sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
pinch of salt
2 tbsps sugar
3 tbsps water
3 stalks lemongrass (use white parts only), minced
1 small red onion, slice thinly
3 red chillies, deseed & slice thinly
small handful of sunflower seeds
chinese parsley as garnish
Instructions
1. Marinate chicken with fish sauce, minced garlic, curry powder and salt for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
2. In a small pan, heat sugar with 1 tablespoon of water till sugar dissolves. Continue stirring on medium heat till mixture caramelises. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Saute lemongrass, onion and chillies till fragrant. Add chicken and caramel mixture. Stir fry till chicken is thoroughly cooked. Turn off heat and stir in the sunflower seeds.
4. Garnish with chinese parsley and serve.
I like the taste and aroma of the combination of curry powder and lemongrass in the chicken. And the sunflower seeds adds a nutty flavour to the dish. It’s sweet, salty with a tiny tinge of spice. My husband simply loves it!