Gluten Free Mini Caramel Hazelnut Flan

2 large ripe bananas

1 cup salted caramel sauce

1 cup organic chocolate hazelnut spread

3 large room temperature egg yolks

Preheat oven to 325 F

Whisk all the ingredients until smooth. Put through a strainer and divide into 8 extra small ramekins (3" by 2"). Place ramekins in a roasting pan with at least 2" around the sides. Fill the roasting pan with hot water to cover the bottom half of the ramekins. The pan should be in the middle rack in the oven. Cover pan with foil loosely and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until set (they will not be completely set in the center). Remove foil and leave to cool completely in the oven before you take them out.

Refrigerate for three hours before serving.

Kenya Bans GMO Foods

www.nature.com - December 4th, 2012

Scientists fear that Kenya's recent banning of the import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be a significant blow to progress on biotechnology research and development in the country.

A cabinet meeting chaired by Kenya's president, Mwai Kibaki, this month (8 November), directed the public health minister to ban GMO imports until the country is able to certify that they have no negative impact on people's health.

In a statement to the press, the cabinet said there was a "lack of sufficient information on the public health impact of such foods".

"The ban will remain in effect until there is sufficient information, data and knowledge demonstrating that GMO foods are not a danger to public health," it added.

The directive comes three years after the government's establishment of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), tasked with exercising general supervision and control of the transfer, handling and use of GMOs.

The NBA board chair, Miriam Kinyua, tells SciDev.Net that for now, the government directive will stand. However, she added that researchers will continue to provide the government with information arising from research into GMO safety, so that a possible review of the directive can be undertaken.

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Artisan Pesto Kielbasa Pear Sandwich

Whatever happened to well-designed and stylishly presented sandwiches? Somewhere with the introduction of focaccia and panini this mainstay has exited stage left! Fresh artisan bread delicately spread with fresh pesto, fresh pear, and kielbasa is hearty and delicious!

4 thick slices of fresh Artisan Sourdough Bread 

2 links Polish Kielbasa (pre-cooked and chilled) 

2 slices of aged cheddar cheese 

1 large very ripe anjou pear, sliced length-wise Fresh Basil Pesto

Green Olives (optional) 

Sea salt and black pepper

Spread a thick layer of fresh pesto over two of the bread slices. Cut sausages in half length-wise and place on top of bread. Arrange sandwich ingredients on top. Mildly season with sea salt and black pepper to taste and close with remaining two bread slices. Serve at room temperature.

Fast Food 'Healthy Options' Don't Mean Fewer Calories

www.huffingtonpost.com - December 3rd, 2012

We at Healthy Living have long known that the 'healthy' items on fast food menus can be anything but. And now, a new study has confirmed that observation: although menus grew between 1996 and 2010 to include 53 percent more items, the average number of calories in each item hasn't changed significantly.  

The major growth area on menus during this 14-year period has been toward "healthy" salads, yogurt parfaits and other lighter-seeming fare. Unfortunately, these items aren't rendered less caloric merely by the addition of iceberg lettuce or apple slices.

"Entree salads, which are increasing in number, can be bad, too. With fried chicken on top and regular dressing, they can have more calories than a burger," lead researcher Katherine Bauer, an assistant professor in the department of public health at Temple University, told HealthDay.

As part of their study, which appeared in the latest issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Bauer and team analyzed the menus of eight national fast food restaurants -- McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, KFC, Arby's, Jack in the Box and Dairy Queen -- using the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center Food and Nutrient Database. They found little difference in the average calorie value of entrees, which clocked in at an average 453 for things like salads and sandwiches. Side dishes like fries, soups and bread maintained an average 263 calories. The researchers did find a slight increase in the caloric values of drinks and condiments.

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