Cooking at Home

Family Meals Matter: Family meals in a flash

2011-10-19T04:30:00.001-07:00

This may not be the meal that makes him wise and all-knowing, The Wizard of Oz, but it would still be a good meal. Enjoy!
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Oct. 17, 2011

FROM MEALSMATTER.ORG

Planning healthy family meals can be easier when you know your food personality. Whether you love cooking from scratch or prefer to throw together ingredients at a moment's notice, the free Food Personality Quiz on MealsMatter.org can help you prepare healthy meals with tailored recipe recommendations.

The "Meals in a Flash" food personality and related recipe recommendations are perfect for pulling together balanced family meals on busy weeknights without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. These recipes utilize "short cut" ingredients like bagged salad, canned beans and precut vegetables to save you time.

For a family meal in a flash, start with Smoky Corn and Black Bean Pizza, Mango Salad and Honey Baked Bananas. For other fast family meals throughout the week, mix and match Strawberry Mango Smoothies, Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Rice, Baja Bean Salad and Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Bell Pepper Sandwiches.

Visit Facebook to take the Eat Better, Eat Together family meal pledge and follow the Twitter hashtag #EatBetter2Gether for family meal updates. Then register at MealsMatter.org to add these and other recipes to your personalized family meal plan and shopping list.

"Family Meals Matter" features registered dietitian-approved recipes from the thousands of user-contributed recipes available at the free family-nutrition and meal-planning website, Meals Matter, maintained by registered dietitian moms with Dairy Council of California.

SHOPPING LIST (Includes ingredients to make at least four servings of each Featured Family Meal recipe)

SMOKY CORN AND BLACK BEAN PIZZA

1 plum tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
One-third cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella, preferably smoked mozzarella

MANGO SALAD

One-quarter cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces gourmet mixed salad greens
2 cups cubed mango

HONEY-BAKED BANANAS

4 firm ripe bananas, peeled and cut in half cross-wise
2 teaspoons butter, melted
One-quarter cup honey
1 tablespoon orange juice
One-quarter cup chopped pecans

FEATURED FAMILY MEAL

Smoky Corn and Black Bean Pizza

http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/24737

1 plum tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella, preferably smoked mozzarella

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium.
Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough.
Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.
Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Mango Salad

http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/7131

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons olive oil
10 ounces gourmet mixed salad greens
2 cups cubed mango

Preparation

Combine white wine vinegar, honey and olive oil in small bowl and whisk until blended.
Combine salad ingredients in large bowl and toss with dressing.

Cook's notes: To simplify preparation, you can look for jars of fresh mango slices in produce section. Just drain and cut into cubes.

Honey Baked Bananas

http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/45485

4 firm ripe bananas, peeled and cut in half cross-wise
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

Brush bananas with butter, and place in a shallow baking dish. Combine honey and orange juice; stir well, and pour juice mixture over bananas.
Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Do not overbake.

Yield: 4 servings

Other Featured Recipes

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/16292

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup chopped frozen mango
1/2 cup blueberry or grape juice

Preparation

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Use nonfat yogurt if you are watching your calories or fat intake. Double the batch and share with your children they will love this one!

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Rice

http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/17236

1 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup or 98 percent fat free cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can of milk
1 pkg. (1 oz.) ranch salad dressing mix
Paprika
Ranch-style rice (see tip)

Preparation

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet. Add chops and cook until browned.
Add soup, milk and 1/2 pkg. salad dressing mix. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with paprika.
Serve with ranch-style rice.

Tip: Ranch-style rice: Add remaining salad dressing mix to water when making rice.

Baja Bean Salad

http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/16297

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup cucumber - peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 (6 ounce) container guacamole
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup low-fat milk
Shredded lettuce
Corn tortilla chips

Preparation

In a large bowl, toss together kidney beans, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber and onion.
In a small bowl, mix the guacamole, yogurt and salt. If dressing seems thick, stir in a little milk. Stir into the bean mixture, and chill. Serve topped with the shredded lettuce and corn chips.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Bell Pepper Sandwiches

http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/50550

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast tenders
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, divided
2 cups red bell pepper strips (about 2 medium)
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 1 large)
2 (8-ounce) loaves focaccia bread, cut in half horizontally
4 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup vinegar; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is done and vinegar is syrupy. Remove chicken mixture from the pan; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.
Return pan to medium-high heat; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add bell pepper and onion; saute 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 cup vinegar; cook 1 minute or until vinegar is syrupy.
Arrange chicken mixture evenly over bottom halves of bread; top with bell pepper mixture. Arrange cheese over pepper mixture, and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with top halves of bread. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; let stand 5 minutes. Cut each sandwich into 6 wedges.

For more healthy meal planning made simple, go to www.mealsmatter.org

Dairy Council of California, MealsMatter.org.

Taken from KansasCity.com; source article is below:
Family Meals Matter: Family meals in a flash

Tailgating Recipes: The Commissioner’s Jambalaya

2011-10-19T04:29:00.007-07:00

October 17, 2011

By JIM LUTTRELL

A great fan might make it to a dozen tailgate parties in a season. That would fall a bit short of Joe Cahn, the self-proclaimed commissioner of tailgating.

Cahn sold his cooking school in New Orleans in 1996 to tailgate at every N.F.L. stadium. He saw the trip as a good way to see the country and had visions of his own television series, “Charles Kuralt With Food,” he said Sunday while in town for an official visit at Monday night’s Dolphins-Jets game. Since then, he says, he has been to 800 games and traveled some 800,000 miles.

So, Cahn seemed like a good source to contribute to our collection of tailgate party recipes, and he obliged with Joe’s Jambalaya. “This is my favorite recipe because you can put just about anything in it,” said Cahn, 63. “If it walks, crawls, swims or flies, it can be thrown into jambalaya. Everything goes into one pot, so cleanup’s a breeze.”

Cahn, of course, has seen tailgating trends come and go, like brats replacing hot dogs or the predominance of smoked sausage in the Midwest. And at Sunday’s Bills-Giants game he saw “a lot of Italian sausage, a lot of sausage and peppers.” He continued: “The fun part of New York is you see everything. The tailgating is a reflection of everyone who lives in this area and everyone who visits this area.”

Beyond the food, though, Cahn has a romantic view of the pregame parking lot party.

“It’s like walking through thousands of backyards with no privacy fences,” he said. “I don’t know at what point in this country we stopped having neighborhoods. It used to be that if you had a fence it was chain-link, and only then if you had a dog. Now everyone has 6-foot wooden privacy fences.

“When you’re tailgating, you don’t see people watching television to keep company. You don’t see people surfing the Web. What you do see is people in conversation. People standing around talking. Young and old people talking together. You might not have a conversation about politics or religion with a kid, but we will argue about who should be starting or who has the better quarterback with anybody.”

Like any good commissioner, Cahn secures sponsorships to finance his ventures from parking lot to parking lot, including over the years “everything from soft drinks to chili to sausages.” This year, he’s working with the Aluminum Association on their Can Crusade, pitching the idea that aluminum cans are better for the environment and for tailgating.

Cahn will be roaming the parking lot at MetLife Stadium on Monday night, not standing over a pot of his jambalaya. “Roger Goodell will be here,” Cahn said. “Will he be playing football? He’ll be here making sure everything goes right on the field. I’m the commissioner. I’ll be walking around making sure everyone’s having a good time.

“Nobody leaves a tailgate unhappy. We might leave the ballgame unhappy, but not the tailgate.”

It’s not too late to contribute a dish. Use this form to send us your recipes, and please include a picture of your fare and perhaps an interesting back story. We’re still looking for some great barbecue. And who’s serving breakfast?

Joe’s Jambalaya

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds sausage cut in quarter-inch slices
4 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 cups chicken stock or water flavored with chicken bouillon
2 tablespoon seasoning salt
2 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet (browning and seasoning sauce)
4 cups long grain rice
2 cups chopped green onions

(12 to 15 servings)

Method

Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Brown in hot oil in 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat.
Add sausage; cook 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove chicken and sausage from pan; set aside.
Add onion, celery, green bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring, 7 to 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to wilt.
Stir in chicken stock, reserved chicken and sausage, seasoning salt and Kitchen Bouquet.
Bring to a boil.
Add rice and return to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
Cook 10 minutes; remove cover and quickly turn rice from top to bottom completely.
Replace cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
Stir in green onions.
For brown jambalaya, add 1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar to hot oil and caramelize, or make a roux, or use Kitchen Bouquet.
For red jambalaya, add about one-quarter cup paprika or use half stock and half tomato juice or V-8 for your liquid.

For seafood jambalaya, add cooked seafood when rice is cooked.

If using an electric stove, reduce cooking time by 3 to 4 minutes.

Four Tips: Use 1 cup of rice for every 2 cups of vegetables (onion, celery, bell pepper). Use 1 1/4 cups of liquid for every 1 cup of uncooked rice. 1 cup of uncooked rice will make 3 cups of cooked rice, season accordingly. Cook jambalaya for a total of 25 to 30 minutes, stirring well after 10 minutes.

Taken from The Quad of The New York Times; source article is below:
Tailgating Recipes: The Commissioner’s Jambalaya

Getting a little help curing homesickness in the kitchen

2011-10-19T04:29:00.005-07:00

October 17, 2011

By Danielle Haynes
The Tonawanda News

I’m not entirely sure how it took me so long to stumble across Lisa Fain’s Homesick Texan blog. It’s been up and running since 2005, but only just recently came into my consciousness as word of a book starting making its way around the cooking blogosphere.

Lisa Fain, a 7th-generation Texan says that shortly after moving to New York City, she found herself craving a little something from back home ... something she couldn’t necessarily get on the busy streets of the big apple: the food she grew up on. And in Texas, that means at least three things: barbecue, Mexican and Southern cooking.

Being a transplant myself, I’ve found myself in the same predicament, the evidence of which you might have read in this column (think pimento cheese and Texas sheet cake). When you live so far from where you grew up, it can often be difficult to replicate the meals, particularly the comfort food you’re familiar with.

Just as Buffalonions would find it nearly impossible to get a good chicken wing outside of Western New York, for Texans, a good taco joint is few and far between in these parts.

So Fain took matters into her own hands and started re-creating a little bit of the Lone Star state in her kitchen.

Her blog includes everything from authentic recipes passed down in her family for generations, to re-creating meals from her favorite restaurants back home, to giving advice on where to get hard-to-find ingredients like chile peppers and Ro-tel tomatoes, a pantry staple in every Texas home. Basically, this blog was written for me. Actually ... I’m kicking myself for not being talented enough in the kitchen to get there first.

The success of her blog — The Times of London named it as one of the world’s 50 best food blogs — has lead to the recent publication of her recipes in book form, “The Homesick Texan Cookbook.”

The book contains dozens of recipes and tips for making corn and flour tortillas from scratch, pickled jalapeno peppers, breakfast sausage, seven-pepper chili and even kolaches, a Czech pastry found in the town of West.

My only complaint with the book — and it’s no fault of Fain’s — is that some ingredients just can’t easily be found in Western New York. I was unable to find two of the seven peppers used in her (no beans or tomatoes!) chili recipe at my go-to spice store, Penzey’s, for instance. (If anyone has a lead on some pasilla or costeña pepper, give me a shout.)

Cookbook in hand, I decided to test out a Southern classic, something I’ve never tackled before: chicken fried steak with cream gravy. I’ve written before about my discomfort cooking meats — I’m always nervous of bacteria and tend towards over cooking.

Chicken fried steak comes with its own unique set of techniques: First you have to tenderize the meat and once you coat it with the flour and egg mixture, it’s fried, not grilled.

On tenderizing: My goodness, my hands have never been so numb. Yes, invest in a good tenderizing mallet, and even with that I had a hard time beating the top-round steak into the appropriate thickness. Mine turned out thicker than Fain’s because at some point I just gave up. Chunks of raw meat were flying all over the place and I was convinced my neighbors would be pounding on the walls at any second.

I followed the cooking times to a T and resisted the temptation to cut into the meat to test for doneness in the middle of cooking. I would have to trust Fain on this one, and I was pleasantly surprised at my success (as was my roommate). Fain suggests adding a bit of cayenne to the flour mixture you’ll coat the meat in and it provides for a nice little kick.

I’m also happy to report I nailed the cream gravy on my first try. Everyone’s right: You just gotta keep stirring and eliminate those clumps. Boy, was it worth the extra effort to eat that chicken fried steak with cream gravy from scratch.

Maybe I’m a bit biased, but I love the book and plan on recreating just about every recipe in my kitchen. I didn’t grow up with a ton of homecooking like Fain did, so perhaps this is the start of a new tradition.

Now, if only I can get the smell of frying oil out of my house. ...

Find Lisa Fain’s blog at www.homesicktexan.blogspot.com or her book now in stores.

Chicken-Fried steak

11⁄2 pounds top-round steak
11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne
3 large eggs, beaten
1⁄2 cup whole milk or buttermilk
Lard or vegetable oil, for frying

Cut the top-round steak into four pieces and pound beef with a meat tenderizer until flattened and doubled in size.
Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste.
Place flour in a large bowl and add salt, black pepper and cayenne.
In another bowl, mix eggs with milk.
Dredge beef through the flour mixture, then dip into the egg mixture and dip again into flour mixture.
Heat 1⁄2 inch of oil to 300 degrees in a large skillet.
Place beef into skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn over steaks and cook for 5 more minutes.
Remove from skillet and drain on a paper towel. Set cooked steaks in an oven set at 200 degrees to keep them warm.

Cream gravy

2 tablespoons pan drippings, bacon grease or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11⁄2 cups whole milk
Salt and black pepper, to taste

In a skillet on medium heat, combine fat with flour.
Stir and cook until a dark roux is formed.
Add milk and mix with roux. Stir and keep on stirring until mixture thickens while on low heat. Add salt and black pepper.

Taken from Tonawanda-News.com; source article is below:
Getting a little help curing homesickness in the kitchen

Move over Martha: You, too, can get creative in the kitchen

2011-10-19T04:29:00.003-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

By Jennifer Mastroianni

GateHouse News Service

Posted Oct 17, 2011

Whether you are shortcut-minded or timid in the kitchen, Martha White muffin mixes make baking easy on the cook. The pre-mixed pouches are handy pantry staples and can be turned into an endless variety of baked goods.

The company would love to add more recipes to its repertoire, and is encouraging home cooks to come up with a dish and enter it in the Martha White Muffin Mix Challenge. To enter, create an original recipe using at least one pouch of Martha White Muffin Mix and submit it by mail, email or online by Nov. 30. Each original recipe will be judged initially on taste, creativity, appropriate use of product, ease of preparation and appetizing appearance. Five finalists’ recipes will be placed online for consumers to vote for the best recipe and help decide the grand prize winner. The four runners-up will receive $1,000, and the grand prize winner will get $5,000.

For official rules and entry information, visit www.marthawhite.com. Meanwhile, here are some recipes from previous winners to inspire you to get baking today.

HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER BARS

Crust:

No-stick cooking spray

2 (7.4 oz) packages Martha White Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix

6 tablespoons butter, softened

Filling:

1⁄2 cup butter, softened

1⁄2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

Topping:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1⁄4 cup butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray. Stir muffin mix and 6 tablespoons butter together in large bowl until crumbly. Lightly press into prepared baking pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown around edges. Cool completely.

Beat 1⁄2 cup butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium high speed until smooth. Spread over crust.

Microwave chocolate chips and 1⁄4 cup butter in uncovered microwave safe bowl on medium-high for 45 seconds. Stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave at 15-second intervals until chocolate is melted. Cool 10 minutes. Spread over peanut butter filling. Chill 30 minutes or until set. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

-- Martha White

BANANAS FOSTER WAFFLES WITH GINGER WHIPPED CREAM

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1⁄3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 bananas, sliced

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Waffles:

1 (7.6 oz) package Martha White Banana Nut Flavored Muffin Mix

1⁄2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon melted butter

No-stick cooking spray

Topping:

1 cup prepared whipped cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped candied ginger

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet on medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly. Stir in bananas. Heat 4 minutes. Stir in 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla.

Stir together muffin mix, buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, egg and 1 tablespoon melted butter in medium bowl just until blended.

Coat waffle iron with no-stick cooking spray and heat to medium temperature. Spoon or ladle batter onto waffle iron. Cook 3 to 4 minutes according to manufacturer's directions, or until golden brown. Use fork and spatula to remove.

Combine whipped cream and ginger in small bowl. Spoon cooked bananas over waffles and top with dollop of cream. If desired, cut waffles in half and overlap. Makes 2 large or 4 small waffles.

-- Martha White

Taken from BureaugardDailyNews.com; source article is below:
Move over Martha: You, too, can get creative in the kitchen

From the chef's table

2011-10-19T04:29:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaI am always hooked to reading some articles about one chef here, and another there, almost always over the web. For a write-up about them, no matter how simple, is almost always coupled with a recipe or two. And as in most cases, this article, reposted here, comes with a recipe. No matter how simple or easy, there is always something to learn about them.

Enjoy!
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October 18, 2011

Spanish legend Ferran Adria wants to help people eat well at home for less, writes David Wroe.

Any eager foodie who wanted to cook like the great Spanish chef Ferran Adria would once have needed a freeze-dryer, liquid-nitrogen tank and candyfloss machine, among other devices.

Not any more. The man who invented culinary foam and spherification, earning him the - unwanted - title of the ''godfather of molecular gastronomy'', is now bestowing his know-how with ordinary, everyday food. The millions of food fans who never got a chance to eat at his El Bulli restaurant, which shut its doors at the end of July, can now read about pasta bolognese, roast chicken and coconut flan.

The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria is the distillation of three years' home cooking at El Bulli, the restaurant on Spain's Costa Brava voted the best in the world by Restaurant magazine a record five times.

Caesar salad.

The book is based on the nightly ''family meal'', when the restaurant's 75 staff, from Adria down, would sit together between 6.30pm and 7pm and eat a three-course meal. It's also a joint effort with Eugeni de Diego, a head chef responsible for the restaurant's nightly family meal.

''I'd never seen anybody talk about what kitchen staff actually eat,'' Adria tells Good Living during the closing-night family meal at the restaurant. ''In most kitchens you don't find people at my level eating in their own kitchens with their kitchen staff.

''But this is what I do every day. This is what I eat every day. These aren't recipes with incredible tricks or complex methods. Day to day, we at El Bulli like to eat the same things as everyone else.''

It's a refreshingly prosaic approach to food from a man such as Adria, credited with pioneering the greatest food revolution since French nouvelle cuisine.

The book is not just a collection of recipes but also an instruction manual on how an ordinary person, busy with work and family, can run a good home kitchen, making great meals every night of the week.

There are 93 recipes organised into 31 meals of three courses. The basic rules are that each meal is healthy and balanced and must cost less than €4 ($5.40) a head.

''The aim … was to question why people don't cook at home,'' Adria says. ''It can't be about the cost. Today's menu will cost a maximum of €3.50 per person … the price of a really bad sandwich in a bar.''

One El Bulli chef made all 31 menus over 31 days. If he couldn't get all of the ingredients easily at a market or supermarket, the recipe was rejected. Wherever possible, a substitute is listed.

The recipes are given for two, six, 20 or 75 people. There are photographs to explain every step.

Take meal No.23. It's tagliatelle carbonara, followed by cod and green pepper sandwich and, for dessert, almond soup with ice-cream. Or meal No.31: Waldorf salad, noodle soup with mussels, then melon and mint soup with pink grapefruit.

On the night we visited, the family meal was noodles with shiitake and ginger, followed by chicken wings with mushrooms then fruit for dessert. The noodles are slightly oversalted and Adria acknowledges there have been ''some mistakes'' that night but excuses his staff on the grounds they are frantically busy ahead of the final opening night.

El Bulli's kitchen is run with a kind of military precision.

This, Adria says, is the most important thing home cooks can learn: how to prepare and organise a kitchen.

''The main difference between cooking at home and cooking professionally is the level of advance preparation,'' he says. ''The most important thing about this book is not the recipes. The most important thing is … our knowledge and experience of organisation in the kitchen and how people can use that in their home kitchens.''

For example, the book recommends preparing large batches of basic ingredients such as stocks and sauces, dividing them into convenient portions and freezing them.

It also includes advice on shopping. Adria has no objection to online shopping from supermarkets. But when it comes to fish his tip is ''get to know your fishmonger'', because it's best to have personal advice on the right type of fish for a given meal.

There are also basic tips such as the principles of cooking meat, how to fry chips and how to cook eggs. The book stresses the need for a well-stocked basic pantry and correct utensils.

You won't be making spherified olives or parmesan ice-cream, but you will, Adria says, be able to crank out great food every night of the week.

The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria, published by Phaidon Press, $39.95.

Caesar salad

½ garlic clove

2 anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil, drained

1 egg yolk

3 tbsp plus 1tsp sunflower oil

2 tsp sherry vinegar

20g parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 small head Romaine lettuce

3 slices white country-style loaf

500ml extra virgin olive oil

Put the garlic, anchovies and egg yolk into a tall glass or beaker. Process with a hand-held blender until smooth. Very gradually pour in the sunflower oil while blending to make a smooth, thickened sauce that looks similar to mayonnaise. Blend in the vinegar. Stir in 20g grated parmesan. Chop the lettuce into four-centimetre pieces. Put lettuce into a large mixing bowl, add the Caesar dressing and toss well to coat the leaves. Pile the salad onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Scatter with croutons and serve.

Serves 2

Mild olive oil can be used instead of sunflower oil, and cos and iceberg lettuce can be used instead of Romaine. The secret of a good Caesar salad is to use good ingredients and to dress the salad at the last minute.

Fried croutons

20g parmesan, finely grated

30g croutons

Cut the bread into 1.5-centimetre squares. Put a deep pan over a medium heat, add oil. When hot, fry the cubes in batches for six to eight minutes until golden brown and crisp. Lift out of the oil with a slotted spoon. Transfer onto kitchen paper and drain.

If you prefer to toast the croutons preheat oven to 170C. Spread croutons out over a baking tray and bake for eight to 10 minutes.

Serve warm or cold. Makes 100 grams

Source: Good Living

Taken from the Sydney Morning Herald, smh.com.au; source article is below:
From the chef's table

Tuscan kale and white bean ragout

2011-10-18T05:03:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaThis is an article lifted from Heraldnet.com, and it tells the value in food when it is home-cooked, much like comparing a piece of furniture that is handcrafted with one that is coming from an assembly line...
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It's time to put the value back into the value meal.

That's the rallying cry of a new movement that's sweeping the nation's dinner tables.

Slow Food USA's $5 Challenge is part of a larger Food Day celebration scheduled for Oct. 24.

To read on, follow the source article here:
The real value meal: Home-cooked and cheaper than fast food
By Jackson Holtz, Herald Writer

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And here is the recipe from the same article:

Tuscan kale and white bean ragout

This recipe easily can be enhanced with leftover chicken, a stewed chicken carcass, or pasta. Make it a soup by adding more broth.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 small red onion, sliced
1½ pounds Tuscan kale,* rinsed, patted dry and cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide slices
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed
2 15-ounce cans no-salt-added cannellini beans or white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
½ cup vegetable stock or canned low-sodium vegetable broth
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the bay leaf, garlic, crushed red pepper and red onion. Cook until the onion begins to wilt and the garlic begins to turn golden around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the kale and pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add the white beans, tomatoes and stock. Cover, and cook until the kale is wilted and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with up to ½ teaspoon salt.
Transfer the ragout to a serving dish, and drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil. Serve hot.

Per Serving: calories 410; fat 16 g; sat fat 2 g; protein 17 g; carbs 53 g; fiber 13 g; cholesterol 0 mg; sodium 410 mg.

*Tuscan kale is also known as lacinato kale, black kale and dinosaur kale.

Makes 4 servings

Adapted from "Farm to Fork" by Emeril Lagasse

Courtesy of Food Day

Paula's Home Cooking

2011-10-18T05:02:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaFound this website that offers so many recipes!
Check it out, and try them on. And leave a message if you like anyone of them.

Enjoy!

Yummly
Every Recipe in the World

Curry worsens acid reflux

2011-10-16T03:00:00.001-07:00

Beware the curry sauce!
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By Ng Jing Yng, TODAY | Posted: 22 August 2011

SINGAPORE: A recent study conducted by the National University Hospital (NUH) has found that spicy food such as curry worsens acid reflux.

The study, which was published last month, found that patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease - upper abdominal discomfort with symptoms like heartburn - who consumed curry experienced greater and lengthier periods of pain than healthy volunteers.

The study involved 25 patients and 19 volunteers who were monitored over a day for acidity changes.

After consuming 400ml or 800ml of curry, they were again monitored for three hours for changes in pH level in their oesophagus, through which food passes to the stomach.

Results showed that curry consumption led to more oesophageal acid exposure and more episodes of acid reflux in both groups.

But for the patients, it caused more severe upper abdominal symptoms such as heartburn, nausea and belching.

And while the milder symptoms in healthy volunteers went away within 30 minutes, the symptoms in the patients only improved after three hours.

Dr Lim Lee Guan, one of the authors of the publication, said consuming curry does result in more acid moving upwards from the stomach into the oesophagus, thus causing the symptoms.

With gastroesophageal reflux disease increasingly common in Asia due to lifestyle factors such as obesity and dealing with anxiety, the consultant at NUH's department of gastroenterology and hepatology added that symptoms are increasingly common among Asians, with "curry being unique to Asian palate".

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, which can occur at any age, can, however, be managed effectively with medication and lifestyle changes such as weight loss for obese patients, he added.

Raffles Internal Medicine Centre consultant Law Ngai Moh said the research findings are "not completely agreeable" as individuals who do not eat curry from a young age may have aggravated reflux symptoms as compared to those who have been consuming curry regularly.

The gastroenterology specialist added that there could also be other causes for acid reflux like smoking and alcohol consumption.

Adding that scientific data pertaining to the issue is still lacking, Changi General Hospital gastroenterology consultant Poh Choo Hean said patients who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease are advised against spicy food if they complain of discomfort after eating it.

-- TODAY/wk

Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
Curry worsens acid reflux

Nuts-and-soy diet beats low-fat diet

2011-10-16T02:49:00.001-07:00

Posted: 24 August 2011

WASHINGTON: People who ate a diet rich in foods that lower cholesterol, such as nuts, soy, avocado, olive oil and oats, saw a bigger drop in cholesterol than people on a low-fat diet, said a US study on Tuesday.

After six months of eating a diet that specifically included foods that lower LDL cholesterol, the randomised trial showed people experienced a 13 percent drop in low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol).

Those on a diet that just emphasised low-fat foods, including high-fibre options and whole grains, saw a three percent drop in LDL, said the report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"This study indicated the potential value of using recognised cholesterol-lowering foods in combination," said the study.

The trial took place at four different sites in Canada - Quebec City, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver - and included 351 participants with elevated cholesterol levels.

Those on the concentrated cholesterol-lowering regime were divided into two groups - one which had two nutritional counselling sessions and the other which had seven clinic visits over six months - but both saw very similar results.

The trial did not restrict calories or provide subjects with food. All the subjects lost a similar amount of weight - between 1.2-1.7 kilogrammes - during the study.

Foods included in the cholesterol-lowering group were drawn from a list of US Food and Drug Administration approved suggestions for better heart health, including the use of olive oil instead of butter, and margarine products fortified with plant sterols that help block absorption of cholesterol.

Other such foods included avocado, oatmeal, soy, tofu, beans, lentils, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachio nuts and walnuts.

The study had a high overall dropout rate - 22.6 percent - though it noted "this attrition rate is common to dietary studies provided at these levels of intensity."

Another drawback was that it included mainly white subjects of moderate weight with low heart disease risk, so it was "unknown" if similar effects would be seen in "higher-risk, more overweight, or obese patient populations."

- AFP/de

Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
Nuts-and-soy diet beats low-fat diet

Olive oil could lower stroke risk, says study

2011-10-15T08:27:00.001-07:00

Posted: 16 June 2011

WASHINGTON: Older people who eat olive oil have a lower risk of stroke than those who do not, suggested a study of more than 7,000 French people that was published on Wednesday in the United States.

Researchers at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux, France followed 7,625 people age 65 and older from three cities - Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpellier - for a period of five years.

During that time, there were 148 strokes. The subjects were divided into groups according to their use of olive oil, ranging from people who did not use it at all to those who used it in dressing, cooking and on bread.

When researchers adjusted for factors such as body weight, physical activity and overall diet, they found that the so-called "intensive" olive oil users had a 41 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who never ate olive oil.

"Our research suggests that a new set of dietary recommendations should be issued to prevent stroke in people 65 and older," said study author Cecilia Samieri.

"Stroke is so common in older people and olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it."

The findings were published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

- AFP/de

Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
Olive oil could lower stroke risk, says study

How to eat well and save the planet too

2011-09-04T22:50:00.001-07:00

Posted: 25 July 2011

PARIS: Eating used to be so simple. If you liked it and could afford it, down the hatch it went. Yum-yum, end of story.

But the days of carefree consumption of food, alas, are a thing of the past, especially for meat lovers.

If nonstop - and contradictory - pronouncements by doctors in white smocks as to what you should or shouldn't ingest don't spoil your appetite, dire warnings about the ruinous impact of your favourite dish on the environment or the climate probably will.

The fact that a billion people in the world live in or close to the edge of hunger is also a sobering reminder that even basic needs should never be taken for granted.

So what's a gourmand to do?

For those who enjoy the luxury of choice, help has come in the form of what may be the most wide-ranging overview so far on how different foodstuffs - from lentils to lamb chops - impact the environment, the fight against global warming, and the human body.

"A Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change and Health" is just that, a 90-page no-nonsense manual to help define a personal comfort zone between what your taste buds crave and what your conscience will allow them to experience.

Start with the rising threat of climate change, fuelled not just by gas and oil combustion but methane-belching animals and the long chain of production that brings their selected body parts to middle-class dinner tables the world over.

"Our assessment calculates the 'cradle-to-grave' carbon footprint of each food item based on greenhouse gas emissions generated before and after the food leaves the farm," said Kari Hamerschlag, a senior analyst at the non-profit Environmental Working Group in Washington D.C.

The analysis, jointly conducted with the Portland, Oregon-based CleanMetrics Corporation, also includes the pesticides and fertilisers used to grow animal feed, the raising of livestock, as well as the processing, transportation and cooking that follows.

Even disposal of leftovers - a major source of emissions and pollution, as it turns out - are taken into account.

The same criteria are applied to various farmed fish, grains, dairy products and vegetables too.

No surprise, meat is the prime offender across almost all categories considered.

But as is true of George Orwell's bestiary in "Animal Farm", not all edible critters are equal, at least not when it comes to their harmful impact.

Pound-for-pound, lamb is the worst carbon polluter, generating nearly 40 kilos (86 pounds) of CO2-equivalent for every kilo (2.2 pounds) eaten. The next most carbon-intensive animal - also a cud-chewing ruminant - on the list is beef, with emissions of 27 kilos (60 pounds) per kilo.

Looked at another way, eating a modest 110-gramme (four-ounce) slice of braised lamb shank is the equivalent of driving a mid-sized car for 21 kilometres (13 miles). The same amount of beef works out to just over half that distance.

"If your family of four skips steak once a week, it's like taking your car off the road for nearly three months," Hamerschlag said.

Americans eat more meat - exceeding Europeans by 60 percent - than most other developed nations, with 100 kilos (220 pounds) produced each year for every man, woman and child.

But burgeoning middle-class appetites in rapidly emerging economies, led by China, are closing the gap with frightening speed, recent studies have shown.

In terms of health, the study reviews the well-known hazards of excess meat consumption, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It also highlights the widespread and controversial use of antibiotics for livestock and, in the United States, growth hormones.

The next culprit on the scale of climate and environmental impacts is cheese, mainly because of the large quantities of milk needed to produce it.

Pork, farm-raised salmon, chicken and turkey are all on a par when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, but pigs - the most widely-eaten meat in the world, with China accounting for half of global consumption - are in a category of their own when it comes to environmental impact. Runoff from waste into fresh water sources and even the ocean are especially problematic.

As is the fact that global consumption of all meats combined has soared, from about 70 million tonnes in 1960 to about 300 million tonnes today.

Wasted food, the study found, accounts for fully a fifth of the carbon emissions linked to meat and dairy products in the US, with other rich countries not far behind.

"Reducing waste and buying only as much as you can eat is the easiest way to reduce greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts," it said.

Inescapably, inevitably, ineluctably, the report arrives at this conclusion: vegetables are virtuous - especially lentils.

That's a hard truth for meat lovers. But there is advice here even for hardcore carnivores who cannot, or will not, kick the habit.

"Meat, eggs and dairy products that are certified organic, humane or grass-fed are generally the least environmentally damaging," Hamerschlag said, with some studies pointing to health benefits too.

In the end, American nutritionist Michael Pollan's seven-word mantra may be all the advice one needs: "Eat (real) food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

- AFP/al

Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
How to eat well and save the planet too

Olive oil could lower stroke risk, says study

2011-09-04T21:16:00.001-07:00

Olive oil is gaining ground!
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Posted: 16 June 2011

Free: Hotel Recipes

2011-07-28T19:16:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaI guess this can't be charged as plagiarism, or copycat, or whatever. It was offered free...
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by Our Correspondent, Wales On Sunday
Jul 17 2011

Legends abound in the Pembrokeshire countryside.

Wolfscastle Hotel stands on a promontory above the confluence of the Western Cleddau and Anghof rivers, next to the Norman castle from which the nearby village and the hotel take their names.

Wolfscastle was once a vicarage known as Allt-yr-Afon – wooded hill by the river – a name still given it by local people.

Nearby Hill Field is said to be the final resting place of Owain Glydwr, the last native Welshman to hold the title, Prince of Wales.

Our national hero instigated an ultimately unsuccessful revolt against Henry IV, and disappeared in 1412 – his final years remain a mystery – so who knows!

What is certain is that Wolfscastle manager, Bill Crews, is determined to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the hotel – and families are welcome.

Bill started his career in the hospitality industry running a fantastic wilderness lodge in Alaska, near Mount McKinley.

Chef, Owen Hall, has also travelled the world and held two prestigious posts in Australia before returning home to Pembrokeshire.

Visitors to Wolfscastle will find the lovely old building cleverly renovated, incorporating the very best of contemporary style and comfort, without spoiling the character of the original building.

And, of course, the food is a real draw. Wolfscastle has consistently won an AA rosette for culinary excellence, and its foodie delights can be sampled in the restaurant or in the convivial hotel bar.

Wolfscastle is part of Welsh Rarebits, a collection of handpicked, top quality, independently-owned hotels. Order your free brochure online – www.rarebits.co.uk – and view all the properties at your leisure, or call 01686 668030. You can also buy gift vouchers.

WIN

Win a night for two at the fabulous Wolfscastle, and enjoy a delicious dinner cooked by Owen Hall and his team. Just go to the Welsh Rarebits web site www.rarebits.co.uk, go to the competition tab on the left, enter the code WOS4W and follow the simple instructions.

Pan Fried Scallops with Roast Butternut Squash Puree with Chorizo, Lemon & Garlic Butter

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a starter)

Good quality Spanish chorizo
Half a butternut squash
3 cloves garlic
1 block of butter
16 large scallops

Method

Peel and dice the butternut squash and coat lightly with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven at 150C, Gas 2, for 25 minutes or until soft. Puree in the blender with 60g of the butter. Season to taste. Keep warm.
Slice chorizo about 1cm thick and set aside.
Make the garlic butter by finely chopping the garlic, adding the zest of lemon and 75g of melted butter.
While heating a non-stick frying pan, coat scallops in olive oil. When the pan is very hot, add the scallops and cook for one minute on each side or until nicely coloured. Grill chorizo under a hot grill until well cooked.
Arrange scallops on a plate on top of the butternut squash puree, top each scallop with a piece of chorizo and drizzle with garlic and lemon butter. Steamed asparagus can also be added to garnish.

Summer Pudding

Ingredients

1.8 kilo summer fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and red and blackcurrants.
1 pint water
285g caster sugar
20 large slices of white bread, slightly stale with crusts removed
Icing sugar for dusting

Method

Line 10 ramekins with cling film. Place water and sugar into a large pan and bring to the boil. Adding the firmest fruit first, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. Drain the fruit and save the juice. Keep half of the juice to dip the bread into. Place the remaining juice back into the pan and reduce until slightly syrupy, set aside for the sauce.
Once the fruit has cooled, begin to assemble the puddings. Cut 10 pieces of the bread into four triangles each. Cut two discs from each of the other 10 pieces of bread, one for the top and one for the bottom. Dip the bread, a few pieces at a time into the thinner syrup and line the ramekins. Use the circles for the top and bottom and the triangles for the sides. Fill each ramekin with the fruit mixture and cover each with a circle of the bread. Wrap in clingfilm and place on a tray. Add another tray on top and place a weight on it to press the puddings.
Chill for at least a couple of hours and serve with the reduced sauce and fresh berries. Dust with icing sugar.

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Taken from WalesOnline.co.uk; source article is below:
Stunning recipes from the Wolfscastle Hotel

Frittata to the rescue!

2011-07-28T19:10:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaYou could be wondering, to the rescue of what?
I will name two here: health, primarily, and budget.

Most thankful to the author of this article, and the recipe.

Read on!
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07/17/2011

Colorful, Cheap and Healthy – Name This Dish

By Dana Jacobi
for the American Institute for Cancer Research

What can be served as an antipasto, a main dish, or a snack; can be made using vegetables, from asparagus to zucchini, or nearly any other savory ingredient on hand, including spaghetti or smoked salmon; and is equally good served freshly made and hot or leftover at room temperature? A clue: This Mediterranean dish is made with eggs.

Frittata is the answer.

A frittata is one of the most budget-friendly and healthful dishes around. Even with today's ever-increasing food prices, six eggs plus some cheese provide four servings of good protein at reasonable cost. Loading a frittata up with vegetables and herbs from your garden or the market makes it a smart one-dish meal, too.

I find people often have two issues about making a frittata. First, they fear flipping it. Sliding it under the broiler will cook any soft egg left in the center and brown the frittata's top, but you need a pan that fits and has a handle that can stand the heat. And in summer, the oven sure heats up the kitchen. I prefer the slide, cover and flip method described below. If the frittata should stick or break, it will taste great even if it comes to the table looking more like super scrambled eggs.

Watery frittata is the other fear, especially when using spinach, chard or squash, which all contain lots of water. The solution is cooking the vegetables well to drive out most of their moisture. Here, the squash, zucchini, is even browned, which also increases its flavor in the frittata. Mixing cheese into the eggs rather than sprinkling it over the frittata's top, also reduces wetness.

When fresh basil is not readily available, chopped scallions make a good alternative.

Zucchini and Onion Frittata

Cooking spray, preferably olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
8 oz. zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
4 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut cross-wise into thin slices
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Coat pan heavily with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until golden, 3-4 minutes. Mix in garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, until onion is lightly browned. Transfer contents of pan to plate to cool..
Coat pan again with cooking spray and return to heat. Add zucchini and cook until slices look moist and translucent. Using tongs, keep spreading and turning zucchini to brown slices on both sides, 8-10 minutes, adding to onion mixture as zucchini slices brown. Wipe out the pan.
In mixing bowl, whisk eggs and whites until well combined. Mix in cheese, salt and pepper. Add vegetables and basil, and mix with fork to combine with eggs.
Add oil to pan and tilt pan to swirl oil around sides. Set pan over medium-high heat. Pour in egg mixture, spreading zucchini and onion in an even layer. As eggs start to set, use wide spatula to lift frittata around edges while tilting pan slightly so liquid egg flows out and under the edges. Cook until frittata is browned on bottom and set except in center, about 8 minutes. Off heat, invert large plate over pan. Pressing it firmly in place against the pan, invert the two so frittata falls from pan onto plate. Slide frittata back into pan and cook to lightly brown bottom, 1-2 minutes longer. Slide frittata onto serving plate. Serve immediately, or cool frittata to room temperature before serving. This frittata also can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Cut into 4 wedges, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 138 calories, 9 g fat (2 g sat fat), 5 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein,
1 g fiber, 419 mg sodium.

Something Different is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life.

***

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $95 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field, and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its website, www.aicr.org. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.

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Taken from FoodConsumer.org; source article is below:
Healthy Recipes: Zucchini and Onion Frittata

Hot and sweet: chili recipe

2011-06-13T01:53:00.001-07:00

Image by FotoosVanRobin via FlickrFirst that I will post (repost) in my blog, here is a chili recipe that will serve both hot and sweet ingredients in your food.
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By Justin Kane; May 22, 2011

This chili made from Pabst Blue Ribbon will tickle your taste buds.

To me chili is one of the simplest and most pleasurable ways to experiment in the kitchen. No other recipe lends itself to interpretation in the ways that a chili recipe can. You may follow my recipe faithfully, but you'll often find that the best chili is born in a combination of personal taste and tolerance to spicy heat and loose adaptation of another's recipe. The following is what I have found to be the most crowd-pleasing pas de deux of heat and sweet.

Cook Time: 2-3 hours

Skill: Beginner

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 chopped red or green bell peppers

1 chopped poblano pepper

2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped shallot

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 pounds 85% lean ground beef

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon baking cocoa

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon marjoram

Two 28oz cans crushed tomatoes

One 6oz can tomato paste

32oz beef stock

Two 16oz cans red kidney beans

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

½ can of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer

Tabasco, salt, black pepper, sugar, honey, crushed red pepper and bell pepper seeds to taste.

Directions:

In a large pot heat the olive oil, when hot sauté the onions, shallot, and garlic for approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, bell and poblano peppers. For additional depth of flavor you may try quick roasting the poblano pepper on your stovetop before chopping it. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, marjoram, and baking cocoa, let simmer for 10 minutes. Next add the beef stock, red kidney beans, and balsamic vinegar. Lastly stir in the flour and the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, cook for about two hours. Season to taste and enjoy.

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Taken from norwood.patch.com; source article is below:
Patch Recipes: Blue Ribbon Chili

The Best Barbecue Recipes - so they say!

2011-06-13T00:46:00.001-07:00

This is coming from The Telegraph, and one of the comments tells me there is more than simple reading the recipes - try them, and you'll taste the difference...
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21 May 2011

A selection of top chefs present their favourite barbecue recipes

Bill Granger's spicy chicken thighs

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 tbsp fish sauce
Black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large red chillies, minced
2 tsp sugar
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

To serve
Cucumber and cashew salad:
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp caster sugar
200g vermicelli
2 cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced
Handful fresh mint leaves
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp cashew nuts, crushed

Whisk the fish sauce, pepper, garlic, chillies and sugar together. Put the chicken in a bowl and pour over half the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes (set the rest of the marinade aside).

Place chicken thighs on a hot barbecue and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until browned and just cooked through (how long depends on your barbecue).

While the chicken is cooking, add the lime juice and sugar to the marinade that you set aside. Stir until the sugar has dissolved to make a dressing.

Pour boiling water over the vermicelli and leave for a minute until soft. Drain under cold water, place in a bowl and add the cucumber, mint, onions and cashews. Add dressing, toss and serve with the chicken thighs.

Cooking meat, by Keith Goddard, head chef at 101 Pimlico Road (www.101pimlicoroad.co.uk)

The perfect barbecued steak

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
1 whole beef bavette
Salt and pepper
1 head of garlic, crushed
200ml extra virgin olive oil
1 stick rosemary
1/2 lemon, zest only
1 dried chilli, crushed roughly
6 whole pink peppercorns
1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt

To serve with:
warm bread
cucumber
a dressed green salad

Lay the beef bavette out on a worktop and let come to room temperature, about 45 minutes. In the meantime prepare your barbecue as desired, until the flames have died down and the barbecue has deep red embers and is very very hot – this is extremely important! It will take at least half an hour to achieve the correct intensity of heat.

Place the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, chilli, pink peppercorns, lemon zest and sea salt into a pan and warm gently either on a stove or on your barbecue. Do not get the oil too hot or let it smoke. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 20 minutes.

When your barbecue has reached the correct temperature and the grills are red hot (but not flaming), season your bavette well with salt and pepper. Place it on the barbecue and do not move for two minutes (for rare); two-and-a-half minutes for medium rare; or three minutes for medium. Then turn over and repeat on the other side.

Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5-7 minutes in a warmish spot on a chopping board. Take a carving knife and cut the meat across the grain at centimetre intervals.

Brush with the infused oil and serve with warm bread, chopped cucumber and a dressed green salad.

Barbecue skewers, by Silla Bjerrum, managing director, Feng Sushi (www.fengsushi.co.uk)

Tips for barbecuing skewers

Always soak your skewers in water first, this will stop them burning.

Always marinade for at least two hours if you can, and overnight if possible. Ziplock bags are excellent for marinating.

Japanese cuisine provides brilliant inspiration for new skewer recipes – think yakitori chicken, teriyaki salmon, miso-marinated tofu, pork belly.

Barbecued spiced lamb skewers with Japanese slaw

Ingredients
500g diced lamb
100g red miso paste
100g yellow miso paste
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp sake (or dry sherry)
2 tbsp mirin (or dry sherry)
2 cloves of chopped garlic
10g of fresh ginger sliced
1 bunch of spring onions
Wooden skewers
1 small red cabbage
1 small white cabbage
1 small red onion
200g soy beans
100ml good quality mayonnaise
2 tbsp yuzu juice (or pink grape)
1 tbsp kimchee chilli sauce
Salt and pepper

First marinate lamb for 24 hours. Rinse meat under a cold running tap and leave to dry in a colander. To make the marinade, gently heat miso paste with sugar, sake and mirin in a saucepan until all ingredients are dissolved. Then add ginger and garlic. Leave to cool down.

Add lamb chops and miso marinate to a ziplock bag and give a good shake to ensure the meat is fully coated. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours (these also freeze well).

On the day: soak wooden skewers in cold water. Peel first leaves off the cabbages, cut them in half and remove hard core. Thinly slice both cabbages in long strips and ad to mixing bowl. Clean onion, cut in half and also slice thinly and add to bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and blanch soy beans for 2 minutes before rinsing in cold water, drain and add to bowl.

In a separate bowl mix mayonnaise with yuzu juice and kimchee and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and put aside until serving.

Rinse lamb under the running tap and dab dry. Rinse spring onions and cut into 3cm-long pieces. Alternate pieces of lamb and spring onion on each skewer, making eight in total. Gently brush with oil and barbecue until medium rare.

Serve with Japanese slaw and cold beer.

A barbecued dessert by Tristan Welch, head chef at Launceston Place (www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk)

Baked strawberries and rhubarb with cream and mint

Serves 4

Ingredients
400g of fresh strawberries washed and cut in half
150g fresh rhubarb
50g icing sugar
1 small bunch of mint
4 good dashes of rum
Fresh cream to finish

First lay eight sheets of tinfoil squares two by two; these will be the base for the parcels.

Take the strawberries and divide them between the four squares of tinfoil, placing them to one side and leaving enough room on the opposite side so it can be folded over evenly.

Now slice the rhubarb and scatter over the four piles of strawberries, along with a dusting of icing sugar and a dash of rum.

Fold over the foil to cover the fruit then crimp the edges to seal the parcel.

To cook place the foil parcels on the glowing embers of the barbecue for 3-6 minutes depending on the strength of your barbecue .

To serve, break into the parcels and sprinkle fresh mint and cream.

Vegetarian barbecue, by Robin Gill, head chef at Sauterelle (www.sauterelle-restaurant.co.uk)

For best results corn cook in leaves (only buy fresh; this helps steam the corn but gives it a smokey flavour).

The day before your barbecue, dry a couple of bunches of thyme, rosemary and bay leaves in the sun or in a low heated oven. Then during the cooking, add the dried herbs to the coals towards the end of your cooking for an added depth of flavour.

Try peeling and grilling cucumber on the barbecue and use it for a tzatziki – fantastic flavour and a dish in itself.

Barbecued smoked aubergine with cumin

Ingredients
2 large aubergines
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin powder
2 sprigs fresh mint~
Lemon juice
1 tbsp greek yoghurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt, to taste

To serve
This is great with pitta, halloumi or couscous

Stab the aubergines with a fork (about eight times) all over. Place on the barbecue on the direct heat and cook, turning every two minutes until the outside is completely black and the centre is soft .

Remove and allow to cool for a couple of seconds then peel away the skin, drain and discard any excess water then place in a food blender (processer), add the mint , garlic and salt and blend. Add the oil in slowly, then finish with the yogurt. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and lemon.

Gourmet barbecue, by Allan Pickett, head chef at Plateau (www.plateau-restaurant.co.uk)

Use a heavy-bottomed pan, this should prevent the risotto from catching on the barbecue.

Don’t take it too seriously! Have some fun with different flavours. Crab and dill, wild garlic and asparagus, saffron and octopus are risottos I would try.

Why not try cooking a sea trout that has been stuffed with lemon and herbs, then rolled in buttered foil and placed on the barbecue for the time you are cooking your risotto.

Barbecued English parsley risotto with snails and garlic butter

Serves 6

Cooking time approx 35minutes

Ingredients
800g risotto rice (Carnaroli is my favourite)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
5 snails per person (tinned ones will suffice)
1 bunch of English curly parsley (chopped)
1-1 ½ litres of vegetable stock or quality chicken stock
100ml olive oil

For the garlic butter
250g butter
1 bunch of flat parsley (finely chopped)
6 cloves of garlic (crushed to a purée in a pestle and mortar)
Pinch of salt and a twist of white pepper
100g of shallots (finely chopped)
50g grated parmesan cheese

Make the garlic butter by adding all the ingredients into a bowl and work them together with a spoon (it helps if the butter is at room temperature before you start).

Heat this mixture up in a pan on your barbecue until it bubbles gently.

Drain the snails of their cooking liquor, wash them quickly under cold water and allow them to drain briefly. Then add them to your garlic butter and keep in a warm place. This process allows them to take on a nice garlic flavour.

To make the risotto, warm a pan (large enough to take all ingredients) and then add the olive oil and your onions. Cook them (without colouring them) for around 5 minutes then add the rice.

Return to the heat and add the hot stock, ladle by ladle, stirring your rice as you go.

Continue to do this for about 15 minutes.

Most of your stock should have been absorbed by the rice, it’s fine if some is left over.

Remove from the heat and add in your parmesan and another good knob of butter. Lastly, add in the chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve in a large bowl or dish with the snails on top. Add in a couple of spoons of red wine sauce.

Rotisserie-cooked free-range chicken, chips, watercress, saffron and black garlic aioli

Ingredients

For brine
3 litres of water
180g salt
30g sugar
Bring to boil and allow to cool in fridge

1 whole 2.5lb chicken
2 bunches watercress
2 large potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward or Rooster)
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp white wine
Pinch of saffron
1tsp Dijon mustard
150ml extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves black garlic
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

The fresh chicken needs to be submerged in the brine for 12 hours before needed.

Light the bbq, and allow the coals to die down and create a medium and steady heat, then push the hot coals outwards slightly so it creates a well directly underneath where the chicken will be rotating. This will stop flare-ups and blackening of the chicken.

Place the chicken on a board and push the spit-roasting rod through the cavity and out of the neck. Ensure that the forks on the spit are holding the bird firmly in place. With some heavy duty butcher’s twine (this should hold up to the heat), truss the bird’s legs and tie in the wings to stop any part from flapping about.

Place spit onto the bbq and set counter balance (you need to try and keep the weight as even as possible). The ideal rotation time is about 80-90 seconds per turn.

This size of bird will take about 70-80 mins to cook over medium heat coals. You can test by pushing a small knife into the fattest part of the thigh and seeing if the juices run clear; if not continue cooking. I would advise gently basting the bird with olive oil and a little rosemary. Brush every 15 minutes or so to create that beautiful, crisp tasty skin.

Once the bird is safely rotating you can make the aioli and chips.

Pre-heat a deep fat fryer to 160C, slice the potatoes about 2-3 mm thick. Quickly wash away any excess starch and dry well on paper towels. Place into fryer and cook whilst occasionally stirring until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with sea salt.

• Add the saffron to infuse in the wine. In a blender, add the egg yolks, mustard, saffron white wine, vinegar and peeled black garlic. Whilst blending slowly, add in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice

Once the bird is ready serve with fresh watercress and chips and a bowl of Aioli to dip it in

Rotisserie cooking, by Warren Geraghty, executive chef at The Olde Bell, Hurley (www.theoldebell.co.uk)

Tips on rotisserie cooking

Cook on a medium, steady heat to allow even browning and cooking.

Birds such as chicken or guinea fowl benefit greatly from brining. A 3lb bird would need 12hours brine at 6 per cent; this helps retain the moisture in the bird.

Whole lambs up to 25-30lbs can be cooked on the rotisserie (an olive oil and spice marinade can be used for about four hours prior to cooking).

Try to baste the meat at least once every 10-15 minutes.

Tips on salads for barbecues

Keep the salads fresh and vibrant – a little acidity really works well with the flavour of grilling.

Simplicity is the rule to grill cooking; a lovely grilled piece of fish or meat and a flavoursome seasonal salad is all that is needed for a perfect meal.

Using raw ingredients in the salads will add a lovely textural element to the dishes

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Taken from telegraph.co.uk; source article is below:
The best barbecue recipes

Fragrant basmati rice

2011-06-12T22:37:00.001-07:00

Image by tiny banquet committee via FlickrThere is an article on how to cook basmati rice to come up with an aromatic, full-bodied and delicious rice grains. Here's the short catch phrase:

Fabulous aroma and soft, fluffy texture: three easy tips to achieve perfectly cooked basmati rice

Interested, follow it here:
Basmati rice: Drawn by the fragrant one

Kosher: Just Potatoes

2011-06-12T17:42:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaIf you are looking for a kosher dish, and on potatoes, this may be one that you can consider. It is lifted from The Jerusalem Post.

Read on!
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By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
05/21/2011 18:35

Lag Ba’omer is when we get to use our bonfire lighting skills and roast potatoes and marshmallows.

A new Hebrew cookbook, Potatoes, written by celebrity chef and food writer Israel Aharoni and veteran food journalist and author of many cookbooks Nira Russo, was published in time for the holiday and it contains more than 120 recipes, many useful tips and general information about different kinds of potatoes, methods of cooking and utensils.

This is not only a beautiful album with spectacular photographs (by Nelli Sheffer), but unlike other cookbooks, is a very useful one that you will keep handy in your kitchen.

The tips will add flavor to your everyday cooking and the information about methods and utensils will save you time and work.

The book is divided by cooking methods – baking, frying, boiling, steaming and pies – but to quote the writers: “Our main pride is the basic recipes made perfect. Our secrets to producing velvety mashed potatoes, basic but excellent latkes, our know-how of producing the perfectly baked potato in a home oven, and once and for all: how to make a good rosti.”

From the book we chose recipes that suit both Lag Ba’omer and Shavuot, and can be served as side dishes or main dishes with salad.

PERFECT MASHED POTATO

Add cheese to the mashed potato and discover heaven.

✔ 3 Tbsp. olive oil
✔ 2 zucchini, washed and cubed
✔ 1 chopped onion
✔ 4 or 5 red medium potatoes
✔ 11⁄2 cups water
✔ Salt & black pepper
✔ Pinch nutmeg
✔ 30 gr. butter
✔ 2-3 triangles of “La vache qui rit” cheese (or similar cheese)
✔ 1⁄4 cup milk Heat oil in pan or wok, trim ends of zucchini and onion.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-cm. slices.

Add the potatoes to the pan, and mix while cooking for 5 minutes. Place vegetables in a pot, add water and cover. Lower heat and cook for 10 minutes.

Discard some of the cooking water. Place back on the stove and turn heat up. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add half of the butter. Press using a hand masher. The heat will dry the potatoes making it more absorbent for additions. Spreading the mashed potato on a pan will quicken the drying of the mashed potato.

When dry, add cheese and mix well.

Spread again, add milk, mix. Add butter, mix and taste. Add salt if necessary.

The secret: Adding “La vache qui rit” gives smoothness and richness to the mashed potato.

The same idea can be applied to a simple baked potato: Take a small piece off the end while still hot, insert 1 triangle of cheese or more and mix with a fork.

More: Use Boursin, the French cream cheese. Yes, it’s expensive, but one dollop of herb Boursin will upgrade any mashed potato or soup. Did anybody mention calories?

MASHED-POTATO STUFFED POTATOES

A very pretty way of serving potatoes.

You simply bake young long potatoes, remove both ends, dig out the inside, place them “standing,” and fill them up with mashed potato. This makes for a very nice vegetarian main dish.

✔ 6 medium size long potatoes
✔ 4 egg yolks
✔ 30 gr. butter
✔ 1⁄2 cup cream (or 1⁄4 cup sour cream and 1⁄4 cup cream)
✔ 1 tsp. sugar
✔ 1 tsp. mustard
✔ Salt, pepper
✔ 2 Tbsp. ground Parmesan cheese or other hard cheese

Heat oven to 200º. Wash potatoes and bake on a grid over a baking sheet about an hour. Cool. When cooled cut each potato in half in the middle and place with cut side up. Empty the potato carefully.

Place in a bowl and mash with all ingredients except cheese. Fill the potatoes.

Create a small scoop on each potato using an icing nozzle or ice-cream scoop.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake until golden brown. Serve immediately.

POTATO TILES WITH HERBS

✔ 1 kg. peeled “Desiree” (red) potatoes
✔ 1⁄4 cup olive oil
✔ 2 cloves garlic, chopped
✔ 5 leaves sage, chopped
✔ 2 Tbsp. thyme leaves
✔ 2 Tbsp. rosemary leaves chopped finely
✔ Salt, black pepper
✔ 1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese ground Slice potatoes to 3 mm. thick rounds.

Cook in boiling salty water 6-7 minutes.

Drain and wash with cold water. Drain all the water.

In a bowl, mix together oil, garlic, herbs salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes and mix well. Make sure all the potatoes are coated with the oil mix.

Place potatoes in an oven proof dish in lines, like tiles.

Sprinkle cheese over the potatoes and place in a pre-heated 200º oven for half an hour, until potatoes are browned nicely.

The best spuds

Besides a nice bonfire, one of the holiday traditions is open-fire baked potatoes.

It is advisable to pay attention to the potatoes. All kinds are good for open fire roasting, but baking potatoes are best. Look for the yellowish Marvel or the Vivaldi.

Choose mature potatoes with a smooth clean skin of similar medium size. Smell them to make sure they are not rotting.

Wish to outdo everyone else’s potatoes this year? Here is how:

Scrub each potato well. Dry with a kitchen towel, place on a large aluminum foil square. Remove a slice from the top, and make deep cuts almost all the way through the potato. Rub cut side with oil and sprinkle salt. You may add any herb. Wrap potato with the foil.

Another delicious way is to slice potatoes almost all the way through, and spread with either mayonnaise or prepared tehina, wrap with aluminum foil and bake for half an hour.

Tip: String six to eight potatoes on 1⁄3- cm. metal wire. Wrap and bury in the ashes. Check after 25-30 minutes. The wire assures a thorough even baking and makes removing the potatoes from the fire much easier.Subscribe to our Newsletter to receive news updates directly to your email

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Taken from The Jerusalem Post; source article is below:
Cooking Class: Just potatoes

Report: Nigel Slater's herb recipes

2011-06-10T02:19:00.001-07:00

Image by avlxyz via FlickrI have copied this article from the source as indicated below, and hopefully, as in my reproducing this article here, many will be able to reproduce Nigel's dishes with equal sophistication, or simplicity, if you like to call it that - if not completely modifying (or enhancing, if desired) at all...
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Now is the time to raid your herb garden. Don't be afraid to experiment, and always use a generous hand

- Nigel Slater
- The Observer, Sunday 22 May 2011
- Article history

I lost a lot of herbs last winter. Several varieties of thyme (lemon is always a little vulnerable), a couple of the marjorams that are so useful on pizza, and a fine-leaved tarragon all gave up the ghost during the cold snap. Tucking a new tarragon plant into a favourite old pot last night it occurred to me that I have been growing herbs, in one form or another, for most of my cooking life. Initially in a plastic pot by the sink in my first bedsit, then on the window ledge of my flat and now in the garden, the kitchen potherbs have met with mixed success. Some, like the lemon verbena whose citrus leaves are so refreshing when used to make a pot of tea, have lasted a decade or more. Others, such as the thymes, have a tendency to survive a year or three at most. This year's long, bitter winter resulted in me losing more than ever before.

My garden soil is rather richly composted, which makes it a poor home for most herbs, so I grow everything other than lemon balm and parsley in pots. Thyme, oregano and sage all prefer growing in light, well-drained soil – the sort of soil they would have in the wild. (I mix gravel in with garden soil for them.) In my experience only basil and coriander will tolerate rich, soggy soil. Herbs like it hot and tough, thriving on rocky hillsides, but they all hate sitting in cold damp soil or being allowed to dry out completely. With me, they often get both.

The soft-stemmed tender herbs – dill, coriander, tarragon, mint, chervil and wonderfully acidic sorrel – are the most appropriate to summer cooking. Their flavours are cool and gentle (though tarragon in quantity can be pushy) and they often complement one another when thoughtfully mixed. Mint and coriander are especially successful together (try them with a salad of hot peas and feta cheese or to finish off a prawn and noodle stir-fry), as are parsley and tarragon. Chervil, not often in the shops because of its fragile, lace-like nature, smells and tastes of an English garden in midsummer. It likes to hold hands with young, bloomy goat's cheeses and any white fish that has been steamed or poached, but don't put it with anything fatty such as mackerel or pork.

I used to maintain that one herb at a time was enough. But this spring I have been adding several culinary herbs at once to purist-style green salads, so you get sudden hits of aniseed, mint or citrus as you chomp your way through the shy, pale lettuce. The mixture of refreshing leaves coupled with the occasional explosion of palate-tingling herbs works because the base is monotone, everyday lettuce. Added to a mixture of hot, bitter and sweet leaves, the herbs would produce something too complicated and messy tasting.

Last night, dinner was a frugal mix of brown basmati rice and cold chicken made to feel luxurious with the addition of a few stalks of asparagus. It's amazing how far a two-quid bunch of spears will go. The pilaf was OK as it stood, but the excitement that came from a generous addition of compatible herbs – from lemony sorrel to clean-tasting mint added in great, fragrant handfuls – turned workaday into wonderful.

Likewise the new potatoes we ate with pieces of baked salmon tail the day before took off the minute I stirred a spoon of thick, lactic crème fraîche and a handful of tarragon into them. Tarragon is happy with any dairy produce, which is why it is so astonishingly good with mayonnaise, but it particularly relishes the sour edge of crème fraîche. I sometimes put a tablespoon of chopped tarragon and another of crème fraîche into the gravy of a roast chicken. If it seems too potent, knock the aniseed edge off with an equal quantity of flat-leaf parsley.

A certain timidity with summer herbs is a good thing until you get to know their strengths (marjoram can be terribly bitter in quantity, and lovage has murdered anything it has shared a plate with). But good things can come from a generous hand and a willingness to experiment, maybe even a little wild abandonment.

ROAST CHICKEN, HERB AND ASPARAGUS RICE

Initially intended to make the most of a small amount of asparagus and tender herbs, this straightforward rice dish has also proved to be an excellent way of using up a quantity of cold roast meat from the weekend. I have used chicken here, torn off in rugged, juicy pieces, but cold lamb or beef would be good, too, though I would probably swap the gentle aniseed charms of chervil for the more punchy notes of tarragon. This week I added small leaves of sorrel because I happened to have some, but they should be considered a treat rather than being essential to the recipe.

Serves 2 as a main dish
asparagus 250g
brown basmati rice 120g
butter 30g
bay leaves 2
black peppercorns 6 whole
thyme leaves from a couple of sprigs
roast chicken 250g of leftovers
spring onions 4 thin ones
parsley 3 or 4 sprigs
mint 4 bushy sprigs
sorrel (optional) 4 or 5 leaves
chervil a few sprigs
lemon olive oil 3 tbsp

for the yogurt:
chopped mint 2 tbsp
a little salt
olive oil a tbsp
garlic small clove, crushed (optional)
yogurt 100ml, thick, but not strained

Trim the asparagus and cut into short lengths. Boil or steam for 4-5 minutes until almost tender. Drain and cool quickly under running water.

Wash the rice 3 times in cold water, moving the grains around in the water with your fingers. Warm the butter in a small- to medium-sized saucepan, add the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme leaves, stirring them around in the butter for a minute or two, until the fragrance wafts up. Drain the rice and tip it into the pan, cover with a couple of centimetres' depth of water and bring to the boil. Season with salt, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to a simmer. Leave to cook until the rice is tender, but has some bite left in it – about 15 minutes. Set aside with a lid on, but the heat off.

Tear the chicken into large, jagged pieces and put them into a large mixing bowl. Trim and finely slice the spring onions. Chop the parsley and mint. If you are using sorrel, shred it finely. Pick the leaves from the chervil and add with all the other herbs to the chicken. Fluff the rice up with a fork. Tip the warm rice into the herbs and chicken, add the steamed asparagus and toss gently with the lemon oil. Correct the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and serve. The mixture should be light, green and fresh. Serve with the following yogurt sauce.

Yogurt to accompany the rice:

Stir the mint, salt and olive oil into the yogurt. You could add a small clove of crushed garlic, too, if you fancy. Spoon the mixture over the pilaf at the table.

NEW POTATOES, CRÈME FRAÎCHE AND TARRAGON

Tarragon can be a bit of a bully on its own and benefits from being mixed with other milder herbs, such as parsley. I use about half tarragon to parsley to season a simple cream sauce for steamed new potatoes. Partner this with ham or baked fish for a herbal summer lunch.

Serves 4 as a side dish
new potatoes 500g
tarragon the leaves from 4 or 5 sprigs (about 2 tbsp)
flat-leaf parsley 4 sprigs
crème fraîche 4 heaped tbsp

Gently rub the new potatoes clean, washing them well under running water, but leaving the skin be. Boil or steam them until tender. Drain, thickly slice and return them to the stove, this time over a gentle heat.

Remove the leaves from the tarragon and parsley stems and chop roughly. Put the crème fraîche into the pan with the potatoes. Fold the potatoes gently into the melted cream and herbs till they are lightly coated.

Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or visit
guardian.co.uk/profile/nigelslater for all his recipes in one place

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Taken from guardian.co.uk; source article is below:
Nigel Slater's herb recipes

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