Showing posts with label and. Show all posts
Showing posts with label and. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Lamb and Cannellini Bean Hotpot
You know how I am waiting for my kitchen to be rebuilt and Im living in amongst the new units? Well I cant get at most of my cookbooks and I hadnt realised how much I refer to them. There is a little bit of the shelf at the right hand side that is accessible and I managed to extract a little book called Lets Cook Simple Suppers by BBC Good Food (probably free with the Good Food Mag) and in it I found this recipe to use with my lamb chops. The recipe is actually for haricot beans but it does suggest cannellini or flageolet beans as an alternative.2 onions, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 x 500g can haricot beans, drained (or use cannellini or flageolet beans instread)
1 tsp dreid oregano
150ml/1/4 pint vegetable stock
200g can chpped tomatoes
8 lamb chops or 4 lamb leg steaks
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan oven 180C. Fry the onions in 2 tablespoons of the oil for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, beans and half the oregano, and stir briefly. Add the stock and tomatoes, season, then bring to the boil.
2. Tip and bean mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Lay the chops on top of a single layer.
3. Sprinkle with the remaining oregano, drizzle with the remaining oil and seaon. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the chops are tender and nicely browned.
You may notice in my photograph there are also mushrooms in my version, just a little bit of fridge-led cookery :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Cauliflower and Egg Stir Fry
Inspired from Poojas (Experiments In my Kitchen)
Ingredients
Cauliflower florets-500gms
Eggs-4 to 6( i used only egg whites)
Onions big chopped-1
Garlic clove crushed-3
Red chilly powder-2tsp
Curry powder-1tsp
Turemeric-1/4tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Heat oil in a pan add the crushed garlic, onions and cauliflower florets. Saute for 2 mins and add the turmeric, red chilly powder, curry powder and salt. Add required water and cook the cauliflower until done and dry. Now break the eggs in a bowl season with red chilly powder and salt. Beat the eggs till fluffy and add it to the cooking cauliflower. Stir fry both cauliflower and eggs till dry. Serve hot with Chapati or Rice.
Get up and go smoothie
Get up and go smoothie
Ingredients
- Yogurt 1 cup
- Crushed ice 1 cup
- Milk ½ cup
- Sugar 1 tbsp
- Raspberries/ Strawberries frozen ½ cup
- Raspberries jelly crystals ½ packet
Method
- In a blender blend together 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup crushed ice, ½ cup milk, 1tbsp sugar, frozen raspberries/strawberries and ½ apcket jelly crystals.Pour into serving glasses and serve immediatley.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Layered Potato and Minced Meat Bake Mubattan Kusha مبطن بطاطا في الفرن
This version of mubattan includes all the ingredients of the fried version, but they are in layers, with the potato slices sandwiching the meat mixture. A quick and easy recipe makes this the family-friendly Mubatan. With a salad its a complete meal, heartier and healthier than the side dish or appetizer fried mubattan which is often reserved for Fridays and guests.
Serves 4 as Main Meal
Ingredients
500g minced lamb or beef
5-6 medium size potatoes sliced
2 chopped medium size onions
2 chopped medium size tomatoes ( optional )
50g butter ( about 2 tbspoons )
2 cups finely chopped parsley
1 tsp red chilli pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
Topping
2 chopped medium size tomatoes ( optional )
50g butter ( about 2 tbspoons )
2 cups finely chopped parsley
1 tsp red chilli pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
Egg Mixture
3 eggs
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tbs chopped dill
2 tbs white flour
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tbs chopped dill
2 tbs white flour
salt and pepper
Topping
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
Pour the rest of the egg mixture onto this top layer of potatoes.
corn oil for brushing
vegetable oil for frying
vegetable oil for frying
Cook the minced meat. Put 2-3 tbs butter in the frying pan, add the minced meat and cook on medium heat. Do not cover and stir occasionally until it releases its own liquid. When the minced meat has dried, add 1 cup of hot water, half the amount of chopped onion, all the spices. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the rest of chopped onions, the chopped parsley, and the chopped tomatoes (if used). Cook for another 10 minutes. The meat mixture should now be somewhat moist, with a little liquid in it. Remove from the heat. Set aside.
Peel and cut the potatoes into thin slice. Brush with corn oil and place on previously heated tray,
and grill until golden from both sides.
Layer half the potatoes in a casserole dish.
Beat three eggs with the flour, the chopped herbs, pepper and salt.
Pour half of this mixture over the potatoes layer.
Spread the meat mixture evenly over the potatoes slices, pressing down with a spoon
Layer the other half of the potato slices on top of the filling, in an overlapping pattern.
Pour the rest of the egg mixture onto this top layer of potatoes.
.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the surface, and place the dish in the oven for about 30 minutes. Press the edge of a knife in to see if it is cooked
.
Let it rest before serving
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Icelandic cookbooks in English Cool Dishes and Cool Cuisine
There are a number of Icelandic cookbooks available in English, most of them published in Iceland and aimed at the tourist market. Most are printed on heavy, glossy paper and some have gorgeous colour photographs in them, both of which makes them expensive. Buying one for the equivalent of 50 US Dollars or more and then discovering it isnt what you were looking for is an expensive mistake. Therefore I decided to review as many of them as I could get my hands on, to make it a little easier to decide which one to invest in.
Not all of the Icelandic cookbooks in the book stores are available from the library. I will stick to the ones I could get from the library, as I have been able to read them all the way through.
First up are Cool Cuisine and Cool Dishes, which is a baby version of the former. They were written by Icelandic food writer Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir, with photographs by Gísli Egill Hrafnsson and published by Vaka-Helgafell in 2004.
These books combine gorgeous food photography with Icelandic recipes, most of which are traditional, although some are more traditional than others. By that I mean that there are recipes in the books that go back over a century, side by side with recipes that are less than 20 years old. A few are new, inspired by Icelandic raw materials.
You cant go wrong with these books as souvenirs for yourself or as gifts for a true food lover. Unlike some of the other Icelandic cookbooks I looked at, they are purely about the food, and are representative of what Icelanders really eat. You will not find fermented shark in there, nor sheeps heads or pressed sheeps testicles, but some of the old traditional food is in there, like smoked lamb (only how to cook it, not how to smoke it) blood pudding and halibut soup with prunes.
Cool Cuisine is 147 pages long and has some 92 recipes, more if you count separately the dishes that come with recipes for side dishes.
Cool Dishes is 72 pages and the recipes number 42. All the recipes in this book are found in the other, and all of what I would call the necessary recipes are in this one.
Verdict:
Of the Icelandic cookbooks I have been looking at, these two are definitely the best buys if you are looking for nice foodie coffee table books that are still useful as cookbooks.
Cost:
I checked the prices in the Penninn book store, which are representative of the prices you can expect to pay for these books. They may cost more in tourist shops.
As of the time of writing Cool Cuisine costs 2290 kr. and Cool Dishes costs 920 kr.
Practical information:
All the measurements in the books are in metric, including the teaspoons and tablespoons, and the temperatures are given in centigrade (Celcius).
Read More..
Not all of the Icelandic cookbooks in the book stores are available from the library. I will stick to the ones I could get from the library, as I have been able to read them all the way through.
First up are Cool Cuisine and Cool Dishes, which is a baby version of the former. They were written by Icelandic food writer Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir, with photographs by Gísli Egill Hrafnsson and published by Vaka-Helgafell in 2004.
These books combine gorgeous food photography with Icelandic recipes, most of which are traditional, although some are more traditional than others. By that I mean that there are recipes in the books that go back over a century, side by side with recipes that are less than 20 years old. A few are new, inspired by Icelandic raw materials.
You cant go wrong with these books as souvenirs for yourself or as gifts for a true food lover. Unlike some of the other Icelandic cookbooks I looked at, they are purely about the food, and are representative of what Icelanders really eat. You will not find fermented shark in there, nor sheeps heads or pressed sheeps testicles, but some of the old traditional food is in there, like smoked lamb (only how to cook it, not how to smoke it) blood pudding and halibut soup with prunes.
Cool Cuisine is 147 pages long and has some 92 recipes, more if you count separately the dishes that come with recipes for side dishes.
Cool Dishes is 72 pages and the recipes number 42. All the recipes in this book are found in the other, and all of what I would call the necessary recipes are in this one.
Verdict:
Of the Icelandic cookbooks I have been looking at, these two are definitely the best buys if you are looking for nice foodie coffee table books that are still useful as cookbooks.
Cost:
I checked the prices in the Penninn book store, which are representative of the prices you can expect to pay for these books. They may cost more in tourist shops.
As of the time of writing Cool Cuisine costs 2290 kr. and Cool Dishes costs 920 kr.
Practical information:
All the measurements in the books are in metric, including the teaspoons and tablespoons, and the temperatures are given in centigrade (Celcius).
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Amish food and good health
The modern trend in the mainstream markets
In America white sugar today added the malicious campaigns of MSG, fractional oils, salts, etc. in the shelves of our favorite grocery stores, or a complete takeover even though this is luckily not indefinitely. The above mentioned additions to unnatural food have simply no place in Amish kitchen. It has often been said that ignorance is bliss. Now, in this case ignorance is actually protection, because have more developed to go companies out of their way to produce these harmful carcinogens. Amish people believe in hard work without abbreviations, so quality in the food really questions
The paradox of the health
What is most shocking is can be, that, as one who knows even a little of the Amish recipes can guess, the unnecessary use of butter and lard in the Amish food has a negligible effect on the Amish. Unless, of course, an outsider such as you and I all day, this similar would spend the energy of swinging a sickle probably would be not the case for us! Is a couch potato would complement not with this kind of diet.
Additional advantages of simplicity
The lack of convenience allows surely longer. While their meals consumed much time in preparation of the simple way of life, are the Amish culture in their creation, literally from the ground up together. If the men produce the ingredients for long but skillful toil, the women must work together well to the meal produce effectively, what is particularly important for the holidays. In this way, the extra time is well used to strengthen the community.
One of the most extensive collections of Amish recipes you will find here: Amish recipes [http://www.amishfriendshipbreadstarterrecipe.com/].
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Seared Wild Halibut on White Bean and Garlic Puree
I feel like I have to apologize any time I post a clip from my old blog, since many of my older viewers have already seen it. But, as stated ad nauseum, I want all the clips I’ve previously filmed to be archived here. Besides, if you watch it again to may see something you didn’t notice the first time you watched it (like how I give the wrong name for the beans I used!). Another reason for the "easy" post today is I have lots of personal business to take care of, as well as beginning my part-time "Chef to the Stars" gig that I mentioned in the Spring Training/Las Vegas post.Fast and very healthy, this halibut is served on top of a puree of white Italian beans and garlic. This is a great, lower-carb alternative to the more common base of garlic mashed potatoes. Feel free to use ANY fish in this dish, as everything tastes great on top of these white beans!
I’ll also show you how easy it is to make fish steaks into boneless, skinless, fish fillets.
2 Wild Halibut Steaks Or Fillets
1 Jar White Italian Beans (10 Oz)
4 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Bunch Fresh Italian Parsley
4 Tbl Butter
Red Pepper Flakes
Black Pepper
Salt
2 Tbl Olive Oil
1 Lemon
Monday, May 5, 2014
Peach and Escarole Salad – Cause Im Tired of Greens You Can Gum!
This magnificent peach and escarole salad was inspired by one Michele and I had on our recent trip to New York City. We were taken out to dinner by my publisher (which has nothing to do with the story, but I really enjoyed typing that) to a place called Hearth, in the East Village.The salad course was a plate of roughly torn escarole, dressed with a slightly sweet sherry vinaigrette. As I ate, I kept thinking to myself, damn, this is one delicious salad. The odd thing was, it took me a good while to actually put my finger on what exactly made it so wonderful.
Then it hit me. It was made with real, full-grown, somewhat tough, slightly bitter greens. 95% of the salads I eat in restaurants these days are made with the ubiquitous "baby greens" – that bland, one-dimensional, melt-in-your-mouth mixture of lettuce, so soft and delicate you dont even need a set of teeth to eat them.
This was the polar opposite of that. I had almost forgotten how interesting a salad could be! So, when Michele brought home a couple small heads of escarole one afternoon, I decided to film a salad recipe video, combining the mas macho greens with sweet peaches, goat cheese, and walnuts.One trick with escarole is to make sure you are using a sweet enough dressing to offset the bitterness. I accomplished that with a dressing of sherry and rice vinegar, and then, just to hedge my bets, I added some perfectly ripe peaches to the mix. The result was one of the best salads Ive had in years. Enjoy!
Peach and Escarole Salad Ingredients:
1 small head escarole (smaller is better, as it gets too bitter when large)
1 ripe peach
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
View the complete recipe
You eat the foods that boost metabolism what should lose speed metabolism and weight
What is to lose the abbreviation by weight? She could fast-food meal, not the kind you keep in mind, but the good kind, I am talking about edible amphetamines. This food to eat, and you are guaranteed... more calories burn, straight from there to sit and listen to the radio. But you have not forgotten that this is only a temporary solution, it will let up. "The only way the rest to change metabolism, to gain or lose weight or extra muscle building," says Janet Walberg Rankin, PhD., Professor of exercise physiology at Virginia Tech.
It looks as follows, if you eat enough of these foods, you go boost energy and metabolism, for enough days to lose weight. And that is, if you did nothing. How about a little exercise add the routine and the possibilities are endless. So lets get a SIP of this delicious metabolism smashing food and put some pounds.
What are some of the major problems facing people today, faced when you try to lose weight and increase her metabolic rate?
Not sure what foods that increase metabolism
If I eat the day Im going to get Bold
I have just a slow metabolism
How can I increase my metabolism, now that Im older?
There is a safe and simple program that I can follow in order to lose weight?
Lets go over a few definitions first. Learn all the time "Metabolism", but what is it? The process of converting food into energy (movement and heat). Metabolism occurs in your muscles and whats organs and the result of which we often call "burn calories". Metabolism is essentially the speed with which your body engine runs.
Then comes this notion of "Basal metabolic rate". "Basal metabolic rate" is the metabolic rate or caloric expenditure necessary to basal to maintain body functions as your heart beat, breathing, muscle tone, etc.. It is, how quickly your "engine" when running you in a position, or sleep in physics. Basal metabolic rate accounts for about 75% of the calories that you consume on a daily basis! There is a simple formula for this and I will be on the go in another article.
Now, we have described some of the terms, lets get back to the most important question "what foods boost metabolism and answer the above questions"
Leave us some of the first easy to do and then Ill give you a list of the super foods, to increase the metabolic rate.
When I eat all day, I get Bold...A little known fact is to your metabolism slows down if you starve themselves, go. Contrary to popular belief is that you must eat 300-400 calories meals throughout the day. Eat these smaller metabolism booster meals four to six times per day.
I have only a slow metabolism... This could be true. If you start it by means of these foods in your recipe- s, food, cooking and snacking, and you do not lose weight are, should go then probably and have checked your thyroid. Could there be something wrong.
I will be on the other three points with a list of food and snack to eat. By eating this nutritious food, along with diet and exercise, you start to trim unwanted pounds safely and effectively. No matter how old are you. Here is a list of 10 healthy snack foods that are full of nutrition and metabolism-boosting the performance. And the best part is that you all are really good taste.
Drink plenty of water
Green tea
Apples and pears
Oatmeal
Broccoli
Low -fat yogurt
Grapefruit
Hot peppers
Lean beef, pork, chicken and Turkey
Salmon, tuna and sardines
Soup
Small snacks can also help to keep your body from the fuel, to prevent the 3-hour Office Blahs. "If you limit the number of calories your body for fuel has, can put your metabolic rate temporarily," says Susan Roberts, PhD., Chief of the energymetabolism-lab at Tufts University in Boston. This makes it easier to pack on the pounds and severe burn back to you.
Here is how and why these super foods increase metabolic rate.
Each of these healthy foods and Weight loss -Booster hold full longer on fewer calories, you
Water rich fresh fruit, vegetables and soup will dilute the calories in your food, so that you can eat the calories more and not past due
You track the digestive system and continuous insulin levels, which is to prevent fat storage high fiber whole grains, fruit and nutritious vegetables
Lean meat will increase your metabolism and burn calories, due to take to digest more energy than other food
So, if you seriously want to stay to lose weight and trim, you need food to eat, the increased of metabolism.
If you seriously, weight to lose, then you need to download our free report on "101 everyday tips for 10 pounds to lose" at foods that boost metabolism
Many articles that were published on a variety of topics. Co-author of the best-selling golf eBook called "Putt Lights Out". This eBook, visit http://www.puttlightsout.com . More information on metabolism, lose weight and related topics, and visit http://www.facts-about-metabolism.com
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Groovy Focaccia and Salmon with Tomato Vinaigrette
I love olive oil, so I was intrigued when I was asked to review some oils from Groovy Food, I was sent two different oils:
Omega Cool Oil –a clever organic blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9. Specially pressed from flax, hemp, pumpkin and evening primrose seed oils, serving up a perfectly balanced amount of essential fatty acids, which our bodies crave. Cool Oil is also the perfect accompaniment to cold foods and as such is ideal when drizzled onto salads, blended into smoothies or used simply for dipping breads and olives.
High Five Cooking Oil – sees a unique yet complimentary fusion of five cold pressed virgin seed oils. Blended to perfection High Five Cooking Oil is the ideal healthier alternative to other cooking fats. Offering high nutritional properties whilst graced with a subtle flavour, the oils unique characteristics ensure the great taste is retained even when cooking at high temperatures.
I thought Id put the oil to the test with a bit of baking and some cooking.
Groovy Focaccia
500g strong white flour
2tsp dried yeast
1 1/2tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
175ml water
75ml white wine
75ml High Five Omega Cooking Oil
2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
3 tbsp Omega Cool Oil for drizzling
Sea salt flakes for scattering
1. Put the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, wine and High Five Cooking Oil into your bread maker and set for dough.
2. When the dough programme finishes, roll or pull the dough out, oil a baking sheet or roasting tin and fill with the dough.
3. Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place to rise for about an hour to an hour and a half.
4. Us your fingertips to gently press into the surface of the dough, brush with a little High Five Cooling Oil and scatter over the rosemary and sea salt.
5. Heat the oven to 200C and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
6. Sprinkle with the remaining Omega Cool Oil.
The Groovy Focaccia was very good, although I did miss the taste provided by the olive oil. I also tried dipping the focaccia in the Omega Cool Oil but I felt that the flavour of the oil didnt lend itself to dipping.
I was planning on having some salmon fillets for supper so used the oil in Recipe #2:
Salmon with Tomato Vinaigrette
4 salmon fillets
2 tbsp Omega Cool Oil
1 tbsp champagne or wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp caster sugar
4 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper
1. Mix the Omega Cool Oil, mustard, vinegar, garlic and sugar together. Add the diced tomatoes.
2. Brush the salmon with oil and place in a hot frying pan skin side down to crisp the skin, when skin is brown, turn the salmon and cook for 2 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave as the heat in the pan will cook the salmon through.
3. Place the salmon onto the plate and spoon over the vinaigrette.
Serve with roasted red peppers filled with chopped tomatoes and garlic and drizzled with High Five Cooking Oil.
The salmon was delicious as was the roasted red pepper and I would say that the lighter flavour of the seed oil was a really good match for the fish and the vinaigrette was quick easy and one of the best ways of adding a bit of zing to farmed salmon that I have found.
The Groovy Food Oils collection is available throughout Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores nationwide, selected health food retailers and online at freefromandfinefoods.co.uk.
Omega Cool Oil – 250ml – from £8.49
High Five Cooking Oil – 500ml - from £6.99
The company themselves are very passionate about their products as you can see from their website: www.groovyfood.co.uk.
Disclosure Statement: I received two bottles of oil from Groovy Foods to review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. The prices are correct at time of posting.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Pasta with Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes and Grilled Italian Sausage
When it comes right down to it, my favorite summertime treats are tomatoes (with Georgia peaches running a very close second). Not just your run-of-the-mill tomato, though a warm one eaten freshly picked from your own garden is a delight, Im talking about those big, brilliant, beautiful, burstingly plump heirloom tomatoes. To me, tomatoes carry a certain nostalgic quality. I can recall, when I was home from school during summer break, the aroma which erupted from a perfectly ripe tomato when sliced for my lunch time ham sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy these summer jewels is to prepare them with as little fan fare as possible and let them shine in their most natural state.
This tomato sauce is of the "no cook" variety, but when the tomato juices mix with the starchy pasta, a surprisingly luxurious consistency is created which clings perfectly to the pasta. I started with a Cherokee Purple Heirloom tomato diced into a very pieces placed in a mixing bowl with 1 minced clove of garlic, a big bunch of fresh basil, a sprig or two of fresh oregano, a splash of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, a good seasoning of sea salt, and a spoonful of sugar. I stirred to combine well and let it hang out on the kitchen counter until the rest of the meal was ready.
Next, I grilled a few hot Italian sausages over medium heat until they were just cooked through. Meanwhile, I cooked the pasta according to the directions while the sausages took a minute to rest.
Finally, I drained the pasta and added it to a large mixing bowl. I poured in the "tomato sauce" and tumbled in the sliced sausage with a few tiny fresh mozzarella balls and a mound of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. After tossing well, I enjoyed it with a little fresh sprinkle of cheese!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Beef and Broccoli
I have been thinking about making beef and broccoli since last week when a co-worker suggested it as a good way for me to use some left over steak. On that particular night, however, I remember really wanting some french fries and decided to make my version of a steak sandwich instead. I am actually glad I waited a few days because the anticipation was well worth it. I promise you, this was better than most beef and broccoli you have ever had, if not THE best!
The first place to start is with the rice. I used Jasmine rice which is my absolute favorite with Asian influenced food. I only made one serving which is 1/2 cup of rice to 1 cup of water. Placed it in a saucepan with the lid on over low heat and left it steam for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. If you are not ready, just put the lid back on and it will stay hot for quite some time.
For that delicious rich brown sauce in a mixing bowl combine, 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of chinese garlic chili sauce, 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and about 1/4 cup of water (after adding the sauce to the pan, you can add more water if it is a little too thick). Set aside.
For the beef part of this beef and broccoli, I used a small New York strip steak and, while it was still very cold, sliced it as thinly as possible against the grain. Dredge the steak through some corn starch and set aside.
Next, I sliced and prepped all of the veggies including a sliced mini portabella mushroom, 1/2 a chopped onion, 1 cup of broccoli florets (par cooked for 50 seconds in the microwave), 2 minced garlic cloves and about 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger. Heat a large skillet or work and add 2 teaspoons of canola or peanut oil and add the mushrooms all by themselves so they get an opportunity to brown and not just steam. When nicely browned remove from the heat and set aside. While the pan is hot, add a bit more oil if necessary and the cornstarch coated beef to the pan. Cook until brown on one side and turn each over to brown on the other. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Wipe out the pan, add a little oil and add the chopped onion and let cook for a minute before adding the broccoli florets. Cook for a minute and add the minced garlic and ginger. Return the mushrooms and beef to the pan and stir to combine. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan and allow to come to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let flavors come together for about 5 minutes. Serve hot over Jasmine rice.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Calzone and Caesar Salad
I am usually a devout thin and crispy crust pizza eater, but recently I have had this image of a calzone stuffed with spicy pepperoni, sweet bell pepper, earthy mushrooms, onions, fresh tomato sauce and oozing with melty mozzarella cheese in my mind that I simply had to have. Actually, I think it was the first calzone I have ever eaten. Delicious, indeed!!
You can certainly use any pizza dough but I happened to have a ball of my favorite pizza dough recipe in my freezer which I used. After letting it thaw and rise in a covered bowl placed in a warm place, I rolled it out to a thin 1/8 inch round. Next, so as not to create a soggy calzone, I lightly covered the dough with my favorite fresh tomato sauce and sprinkled over some shredded mozzarella. I thinly sliced mushrooms, bell pepper and onion and placed a layer of veggies over the cheese. Finally, a few pepperoni rounds, a shaving of pecorino romano cheese and a sprinkle of oregano. Carefully, peel one end of the pizza up and fold the whole pie in half such that it resembles a half moon shape. Crimp the edges as you would the crust of a pie, brush with olive oil and top with pecorino romano cheese and oregano. Bake in a 425 degree oven on a pizza stone or baking sheet for approximately 20-30 minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. A perfect meal when enjoyed with a crispy Caesar salad!
Caesar Salad
Romaine lettuce
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
pecorino or parmesan cheese
anchovy filets, optional (but delicious!)
salt
pepper
croutons
Wash and thoroughly dry romaine lettuce. Tear into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon and minced anchovy. Drizzle in olive oil until dressing becomes creamy, thick and emulsified. Add fresh grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Dress salad sparingly with the dressing, add croutons and toss well to combine. Serve cold with a few extra grinds of fresh pepper.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Seared Scallops with Orange and Jalapeno Dressing – Hot But Not
F
or someone that doesnt eat a lot of spicy food, this video recipe for Seared Scallops with Orange and Jalapeno Dressing may seem pretty intimidating.
Along with the orange "supremes," a very healthy amount of diced jalapenos form the base of this great appetizer.
Jalapenos are not a super spicy variety of pepper, especially if they are prepped the way I demo here. We want the pleasant bitter-sweet heat of the fruit, but not that burning sensation that many associate with jalapeno.
Those sliced peppers you had on the nachos were unpleasantly hot because they retained the seeds and white membranes that contain all the capsicum (the substance that gives peppers their fire). By the way, this does make a great excuse for why you drank so much beer.
If you use the technique I show in the video, you will be amazed at how mild, and great tasting jalapenos can be. Once cut correctly, in a "Brunoise" as I joke about during the recipe, the peppers make a perfect partner to the sweet orange and crusty seared scallops.
This would make a very cool first course for those upcoming holiday parties, but make sure you watch the searing technique carefully. A very hot, very good quality pan is critical, as are dry, wild day boat scallops.
If the scallops are wet, and/or the pan is not hot enough, you will get the dreaded "boiled" scallop – a pale, shriveled knot of disappointment. Done properly however, this is one fantastic seafood recipe. Time and money allowing, maybe even practice before the big day. Enjoy!
Ingredients (for 4 scallops):
2 small jalapeno, brunoise cut
1 sweet orange, sectioned
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sambal (Asian red chili condiment), optional
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 day boat scallops
salt to taste
Read More..
or someone that doesnt eat a lot of spicy food, this video recipe for Seared Scallops with Orange and Jalapeno Dressing may seem pretty intimidating.Along with the orange "supremes," a very healthy amount of diced jalapenos form the base of this great appetizer.
Jalapenos are not a super spicy variety of pepper, especially if they are prepped the way I demo here. We want the pleasant bitter-sweet heat of the fruit, but not that burning sensation that many associate with jalapeno.
Those sliced peppers you had on the nachos were unpleasantly hot because they retained the seeds and white membranes that contain all the capsicum (the substance that gives peppers their fire). By the way, this does make a great excuse for why you drank so much beer.
If you use the technique I show in the video, you will be amazed at how mild, and great tasting jalapenos can be. Once cut correctly, in a "Brunoise" as I joke about during the recipe, the peppers make a perfect partner to the sweet orange and crusty seared scallops.This would make a very cool first course for those upcoming holiday parties, but make sure you watch the searing technique carefully. A very hot, very good quality pan is critical, as are dry, wild day boat scallops.
If the scallops are wet, and/or the pan is not hot enough, you will get the dreaded "boiled" scallop – a pale, shriveled knot of disappointment. Done properly however, this is one fantastic seafood recipe. Time and money allowing, maybe even practice before the big day. Enjoy!
Ingredients (for 4 scallops):
2 small jalapeno, brunoise cut
1 sweet orange, sectioned
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sambal (Asian red chili condiment), optional
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 day boat scallops
salt to taste
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Tart with olives and capers a greek treat from Kitchen Nomad
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What will you cook today? | |
World cuisine delivered monthly, from Kitchen Nomad | |
Kitchen Nomad is a new subscription service that delivers speciality products and recipes from around the world to your door. Their vision is to offer customers a convenient opportunity to discover world cuisine and cook new recipes in their own kitchen. All this made possible through their website www.kitchennomad.co.uk.
Each month, Kitchen Nomad will select a different country of the world, carefully source authentic products and typical recipes of that country, pack it all up in a beautiful box and deliver it right to your door. So expect brilliant surprises ahead, perfect to discover new tastes in your kitchen.
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The first Kitchen Nomad box, launched in June, is based on Greece. The box itself is very well presented, and creates genuine excitement when it is received as there is no way of knowing what is inside, or which country it is themed on, until you actually open it.
Inside there are 9 authentic Greek products, such as Cassia Bark (a cinnamon spice), Orzo (a type of pasta) and vine leaves. The retail value of the products is at least the cost of the box, so it is value for money as well as an experience of discovery and taste.
All the products are sourced from small, speciality suppliers and would be difficult to find in your average supermarket. Not only does this mean that you will get to try something new that you wouldn’t normally be able to buy, but it is good for small businesses too.
There are also five authentic Greek recipes covering starters, mains and desserts that make use of the speciality products, such as Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), Youvetsi (a Mediterranean stew) and a fig & walnut bake. The box does not contain any fresh or perishable products such as meat or fresh vegetables, so you will need to supply these yourself. The upside of this is that you can choose when to cook the meals, rather than having to cook them within a day or two of receiving your box.
For the June box,Kitchen Nomad have partnered with Tonia Buxton – a famous cook of Greek origin and host of the Discovery Channel’s ‘My Greek Kitchen’ cookery programme – and The Real Greek restaurant group, home of authentic Greek and Eastern Mediterranean food and generous hospitality, with six restaurants in London - so you can be sure that the recipes are truly authentic and will help you make delicious meals.
When asked about her involvement, Tonia Buxton said “I was approached by Kitchen Nomad to see if I wanted to work with them, and I really liked the concept so I met with one of their founders to find out more. I share their vision for helping people discover world cuisine so I happily agreed to give them some recipes from my book”. If you like Tonias recipe, then she also has a book "Tonias Greek Kitchen" more details on her website.
or Tart with olives and capers as a quick and easy supper dish which can be put together and baked after work.
From the box
16 Kalamata olives
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
4 tbsp of Kalamata olive oil
At Home
1 sheet of puff pastry (works with any kind of pastry)
4 large vine tomatoes
1 tsp of caster sugar
salt and pepper
fresh basil or rosemary to garnish
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Serves 4
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5. Hold back from eating it straight away and leave to cool for a few minutes - the tomatoes will be blisteringly hot.. then garnish with torn fresh herbs before cutting in to slices.
I could probably have left the tart in for a little longer, but we were hungry! It was really simple to make and tasted delicious. There was enough left to take to work for lunch, so I can also recommend eating it cold as it was lovely and moist and tasty.
The Kitchen Nomad box concept is unique on the current market, and has been developed by three friends (an Italian girl, a French girl and a British guy). Clara Fain, one of the founders, commented “We all like to travel, and love trying new food, so we thought this idea was a good mix of both! We hope we can help take peoples’ taste buds on a culinary journey!”
Through their website (www.kitchennomad.co.uk), customers can subscribe to receive a new box every month. There is also an option to buy a one-off box (or more!) as a gift – perfect for that hard-to-please food lover.
Each box will contain 7-9 speciality products, five authentic recipes, and some interesting information about the culinary habits and customs of the country in focus. Watch out for their future boxes, what will you cook next?
I was provided with the Kitchen Nomad Greek box to review, I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Poached Apricots with Honeysuckle Syrup and Gluten Free Granola
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There are two different kinds of Natures Path Nice and Nobbly Gluten Free Granola, the Pumpkin Seeds, almonds, raisins and cinnamon type and another with Blueberries, Raspberries Strawberries and Yogurt Chunks.
You may remember that I reviewed The Foragers Kitchen by Fiona Bird, back in May. I was enthusiastic about the book at the time and was eagerly anticipating the different seasons. One of the foraged ingredients that really intrigued me was Honeysuckle. I had not idea you could do anything with Honeysuckle although Ive always love the smell of it and it grows in abundance in the hedges up the lanes to our farm. This year with the warm weather, it has been particularly prolific.
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| Honeysuckle Flowers |
Honeysuckle Syrup
Makes 1 small bottle
What to forage and find:
2 large handfuls of honeysuckle (12-15 blossoms)
Scant 1 1/2 cups (350ml) boiling water (50ml will evaporate or soak into the blossom)
1 cup (200g) superfine (caster) sugar
What to do:
1. Allow the honeysuckle blossom to steep in the water for as long as possible (at least 8 hours)
2. Strain the blossom liquid well, and squeeze the blossom to ensue that you have as much liquid as possible.
3. Put the blossom water into a saucepan, and add the sugar.
4. Dissolve the sugar over low heat, then boil rapidly to reduce and thicken the syrup to about 3/4 cup (175ml)
Ive been asked what Honeysuckle syrup tastes like, it tastes a little like honey and a bit like the flowers smell, its a lovely sweet floral flavour. I did wonder if it was just the sugar, but I also made some Elderflower syrup (more of that in a future post) and it tastes completely different.
Fiona suggests that you drizzle this syrup over ice cream. If you keep one or two small plastic bottles of the in the freezer you can glaze your Christmas ham in wild summer blossom.
The Foragers Kitchen is published by CICO Books
RRP £16.99
Popular online book store £10.87
Thanks to Fiona Bird and Mark at Cico Books for allowing me to publish this recipe.
I received the Natures Path Gluten Free Granola for review, I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Random Recipes Beetroot and Black Cumin Soup
For the New Year, Dom at Belleau Kitchen has invited us to cook from a new cookbook. Now I only got one cookbook for Christmas and it features nothing but...CHOCOLATE! However, the house is still full of chocs and biscuits, the fridge still has two jars of homemade mincemeat and we have only just finished the Christmas cake, so I really couldnt face making any more sweet things.
So instead I turned to the books I won from Ren Behan at Fabulicious Food, I got all three of the Moro cookbooks by Sam and Sam Clark. I randomly chose the original Moro book from the three. Then I opened the book in a random sort of way and found that I had chosen
Beetroot Soup with Black Cumin
Beetroot Soup with Black Cumin
4tbsp olive oil
1/2 large Spanish onion,thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 rounded tsp black cumin or normal cumin seeds
750g raw beetroot, peeled and finely diced
1 large potato, finely diced
1.25 litres cold water
3 tbsp good quality red wine vinegar
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
100g home-made or Greek yoghurt, thinned iwht a little milk an seasoned with 1 garlic clove crushed to a paste with sea salt and black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 mintues, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to colour. Now add the garlic and cumin and cook for 2 more minutes to release their flavour, followed by the beetroot and potato. Pour in the water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until soft, about 15 minutes (I dont think I chopped mine small enough as it took much longer to soften). Place the vegetables and the cooking liquid in a blender or food processor and blend until just smooth. You may need to do this in two stages. Return to the pan, add the vinegar, half the parsely and salt and pepper to taste, bearing in mind you may need more salt than you think to blance out the acidity of the vinegar. Servie with a little yoghurt on top, the rest of the parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
The soup was very easy to make and looks incredible, it has an interesting sweet and sour taste with the combination of the sweet beetroot and the red wine vinegar. I was a bit disappointed that I couldnt taste the cumin and I did actually use black cumin but I cant say it was obvious. I would make it again but might increase the amount of cumin, or maybe use some ground as well as cumin seeds.
1/2 large Spanish onion,thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 rounded tsp black cumin or normal cumin seeds
750g raw beetroot, peeled and finely diced
1 large potato, finely diced
1.25 litres cold water
3 tbsp good quality red wine vinegar
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
100g home-made or Greek yoghurt, thinned iwht a little milk an seasoned with 1 garlic clove crushed to a paste with sea salt and black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 mintues, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to colour. Now add the garlic and cumin and cook for 2 more minutes to release their flavour, followed by the beetroot and potato. Pour in the water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until soft, about 15 minutes (I dont think I chopped mine small enough as it took much longer to soften). Place the vegetables and the cooking liquid in a blender or food processor and blend until just smooth. You may need to do this in two stages. Return to the pan, add the vinegar, half the parsely and salt and pepper to taste, bearing in mind you may need more salt than you think to blance out the acidity of the vinegar. Servie with a little yoghurt on top, the rest of the parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
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