After the Earthquake & Fukushima not having much water I cooked this dish in the oven just to be on
the safe side.
The aftershocks made me scared to use the open gas fire.
Pork chops with Sauerkraut, apples and sweet potatoes cooked in the oven.
4 boneless pork chops
2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 medium onion, sliced
2-3 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 can/ glass jar sauerkraut ( 750 g )
100 ml wine/ white
one casserole dish for slow cooking
1.Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking oil. Quickly brown the pork chops on each side. Set aside.
Wash sweet potatoes with warm water and scrap them with a brush.Cut in slices.Set aside.Peel the onion and slice them.
Wash the apples, peel, core and slice them like the potatoes.
2.Arrange sweet potato slices in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with the onion slices, then the apple slices. Sprinkle brown sugar, nutmeg and salt over the apples, and grind a little pepper. Place the pork chops on top of the pile, and cover with sauerkraut and wine. Cover the dish, and cook on Low for about 2 hours in the oven. It can go an extra hour without drying out though.
3.Serve pork and vegetables with juice from cooking spooned over them and with mush potatoes.
Health benefits
Health benefits have been claimed for raw sauerkraut. It contains vitamin C, lactobacilli, and other nutrients. However, the low hp and abundance of lactobacilli may upset the intestines of people who are not used to eating acidic foods.Cooking it with apple and sweet potatoes makes the Sauerkraut mild.
Before frozen foods and the importation of foods from the Southern Hemisphere became readily available in northern and central Europe, Sauerkraut provided a source of nutrients during the winter. Captain James Cook always took a store of Sauerkraut on his sea voyages, since experience had taught him it prevented scurvy. German sailors continued this practice even after the British Royal Navy had switched to limes, earning the British sailor the nickname "Limey" while his German counterpart became known as "Krauts".
Sauerkraut is also a source of biogenic amines, such as tyramine, which may cause adverse reactions in sensitive people. It also provides various cancer-fighting compounds including isothiocyanate and sulphoraphane.
Nutrition and health benefits Raw Sweet Potato Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 360 kJ (86 kcal)
Carbohydrates 20.1 g
Starch 12.7 g
Sugars 4.2 g
Dietary fibre 3.0 g
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 1.6 g
Vitamin A equiv. 709 μg (79%)
- beta-carotene 8509 μg (79%)
- lutein and zeaxanthin 0 μg
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.1 mg (8%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.1 mg (7%)
Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.61 mg (4%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.8 mg (16%)
Vitamin B6 0.2 mg (15%)
Folate (Vit. B9) 11 μg (3%)
Vitamin C 2.4 mg (4%)
Vitamin E 0.26 mg (2%)
Calcium 30.0 mg (3%)
Iron 0.6 mg (5%)
Magnesium 25.0 mg (7%)
Phosphorus 47.0 mg (7%)
Potassium 337 mg (7%)
Sodium 55 mg (2%)
Zinc 0.3 mg (3%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: nutritiondata.comSource: USDA Nutrient database
Besides simple starches, sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Pink, yellow and green varieties are high in carotene, the precursor of vitamin A.
Best are the one coming from Okinawa.
In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fibre content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According to these criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 points over the next on the list, the common potato.(NCSPC)
Sweet potato varieties with dark orange flesh have more beta carotene than those with light coloured flesh, and their increased cultivation is being encouraged in Africa, where vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem. Despite the name "sweet", it may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance.
The peptic substance (0.78 percent total, 0.43 percent soluble) present in fresh tubers contains uronic acid (60 percent) and methoxyl (4 to 5 percent). Other constituents include phytin (1.05 percent), two monoaminophosphatides (probably lecithin and cephalin), organic acids (oxalic acid), phytosterolin, phytosterol, resins, tannins, and colouring matter.
Since the radiation level is a bit higher in Japan it is a good way to protect yourself and your family with
food high in beta carotene.
Sauerkraut is easy to get in the OK stores and many supermarkets.
Try it! My husband loves it.
