Recently, more and more disputes are being held about the benefits of semolina. However, dishes prepared from it are very tasty. Therefore, many are in no hurry to completely remove it from their diet. Cheesecakes, casseroles and, of course, semolina are very popular with people of all generations. But those who are attentive to their health and monitor their weight are interested in how useful semolina is, the calorie content of dishes from it and how to prepare them. But to begin with, it would be nice to find out the origin of the cereal itself.
Manka: calories, benefits and harms
Semolina is made from wheat. Its quality will depend on the degree of grinding and the variety of grain crops. Typically, the particle size in semolina is from 0.25 to 0.75 mm. A little, but this is enough to get exactly porridge, not jelly. Wheat, from which semolina is made, can be soft and hard varieties. Sometimes grits are also made from their mixture. Depending on this, it is divided into 3 brands: M, MT and T. It is easy to guess that M is soft varieties and T is hard.
But is semolina useful or harmful? The calorie content of cereals is considerable - 330 kcal per 100 grams. In addition, it contains little fiber, vitamins and minerals, it has a lot of starch and gluten. For some people, its use can be simply dangerous. It is also not recommended for babies to give it too often, because due to the phytin contained in it, it simply “leaches” calcium from the bones. However, doctors recommend it for anyone who has recently undergone gastrointestinal surgery, since semolina, unlike other cereals, is digested in the lower intestine. That is why she is so satisfying. Semolina porridge is boiled quickly, which means that it retains more nutrients in itself.
Semolina porridge in milk
Most often porridge is cooked from milk in milk. Of course, this is not the most dietary way to cook cereals. But certainly the most delicious, if done correctly. The calorie content of semolina on milk is 98 kcal per 100 grams of the finished product. With poor handling, not only lumps can form in the finished porridge, but also an unpleasant film on its surface. How to cook porridge properly?
For 2 servings of porridge you need to take half a liter of milk and 1/2 cup semolina. Bring milk to a boil on the stove and pour semolina into it, stirring continuously. If this is not done, lumps will necessarily form in the porridge. You don’t need to cook it for a long time, literally a couple of minutes. Then turn off the fire, tightly close the pan with a lid and let it brew for 15-20 minutes, until the croup is completely swollen. Then you need to flavor it with sugar and butter. If desired, you can add any fruit, mashed potatoes and jam.
Semolina porridge on the water
For those who follow a diet and want to get the most out of this cereal, decoy on water is more suitable . The calorie content of such porridge is only 80 kcal per 100 grams of product. Combined with nutrition, it is an ideal meal for dieters, especially for breakfast. For a change it remains to supplement it only with fruits and berries, but not too sweet.
If the semolina is completely bored with water, you can cook it with the addition of cranberry juice. Rub 1 cup of fresh cranberries through a sieve, transfer the resulting juice along with the berry to a saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Let it boil, add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and let it boil for 5 minutes, then strain the resulting broth. Bring to a boil again and, stirring, pour semolina. Cook porridge for another 5 minutes, cover the pan with a lid and let it brew for a bit.
Curd casserole with semolina
But perhaps the most popular dish prepared with the addition of semolina is a cottage cheese casserole. After all, this is served in kindergarten. Being a hearty and tasty dish, it is great for preschoolers and schoolchildren. The calorie content of the cottage cheese casserole with the decoy of children, and their parents, is of little interest. It is much more important that the child does not eat just dessert, but really something useful.
Cooking is not difficult. For 4-6 servings in a deep cup you need to mix a pound of cottage cheese, a couple of eggs, 50 grams of soft butter, 50 ml of milk and vanilla. Beat the mass with a mixer and, without stopping beating, add 100 grams of semolina. Cover with a clean towel and allow semolina to swell. This will take 30-40 minutes. Transfer the mass to a heat-resistant form and bake at 180 degrees until golden brown. Transfer the finished dish to a serving plate and decorate with icing sugar. It can be served with jam or condensed milk. The calorie content of
cottage cheese casserole with semolina according to this recipe will be 163 kcal per 100 grams.
Cheesecakes with semolina
Children, and adults alike, enjoy eating not only casserole and semolina cereals. No less tasty are the syrniki with its addition. They are prepared according to different recipes, which means that calorie content will also differ. The most popular 2 recipes: with the addition of dry cereals and from prepared semolina.
According to the first of these two options, you need to beat 3 yolks and 1 egg with 7 tablespoons of semolina, leave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 900 g of dry cottage cheese (squeeze the wet from excess liquid) with 4 tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt and a bag of vanillin. Add the egg mixture and knead the cool dough. Roll in flour and fry from 2 sides in a heated frying pan with vegetable oil.
And in the second option, you first need to prepare a thick semolina porridge from 500 ml of milk and 150 ml of cereal. Cool, add 2 eggs, a little salt and 50-70 grams of sugar. The result should be a mass with which you can work with your hands, and curd is added to it. Fry in vegetable oil on both sides until golden brown. The calorie content of syrniki with semolina according to the first recipe will be 225 kcal, and according to the second - 246 kcal.
Berry soufflé with semolina
But with semolina not only dishes are prepared for every day. Berry souffle - a dessert that is quite suitable for a festive dinner. Any berries will do for him: cranberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. You can use frozen ones, only thaw them in advance. Put 1 cup of berries in a sieve and crush with a napkin. Boil 3 glasses of water in any pan and add the resulting meal. Boil literally 1 minute and strain.
Put what is left on the fire, add about a glass of sugar and bring to a boil again. Pour 3 tablespoons of semolina into a thin stream and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vanillin to the prepared porridge, beat a little, add berry juice, which was previously squeezed, and beat into a lush mass. Arrange the berry souffle in a bowl and garnish with berry. No one will even guess that this dish has semolina. The calorie content of the dessert will be 80 kcal per 100 grams.