The Cooking Police

Enter and Win Your own E-Business

2010-12-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

Mixer Recipes For Halloween

2010-10-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Spider Cookie Sandwiches Recipe

source : http://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Spider-Cookie-Sandwiches-Recipe

By Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day | November 3, 2009

These irresistibly soft—and spooky!—cookies are a cinch to make, using cocoa powder mixed into ready-made cookie dough, and cream cheese and marshmallow cream for a dreamy middle layer.

Active Time: 24 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Recipe Ingredients

cookie dough

Recipe Preparation

1. In a sturdy electric mixer with paddle attachment, stir cocoa into cookie dough. Or, knead cocoa into cookie dough in large bowl. Shape into an 8-in.-long log; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight until firm.

2. Heat oven to 350ºF. Unwrap dough; cut into 1⁄4- in.-thick slices (you should have 24). Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set. Let cool slightly on baking sheet; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

3. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Add marshmallow cream; beat until fluffy. Remove 1⁄3 cup, tint orange, and spoon into quart-size ziptop bag; reserve. Spread a slightly rounded Tbsp frosting on half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, pressing gently to sandwich together.

4. Snip a tiny corner off bag with orange frosting; pipe web design on top and down sides of cookies. Refrigerate until serving.

A Little Bit of The USA Stirs a Lot of Emotion Downunder.

2010-10-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

So what a ride it's been into the BMW of kitchen appliances. I kid you not this has been extraordinary.

How did I come to selling kitchenaid mixers on ebay ? Simply through the advice from my partners son, but wow the journey we have been on.

I've been a member of ebay for years and have had those middle of the morning brainstorms of how to come up with my own million pixel idea, alas it's not so easy. We certainly got away from the fly by night internet schemes and have now stuck with ebay for over twelve months starting with selling second hand text books.

My partner had investigated ebay at great lengths and we were keen to become drop shippers or at least be able to work with wholesale items, but this path in Australia doesn't seem to be as easy.

In fact yes we started with some major errors in selecting our first products.

Ignorance is not bliss as they say and can put you out of business before you start. Hence selecting guitars from DHgate....whoops not a good idea...great to give you a feel for a fast moving sale, but hold on there you may just get sued. Anyway learned the hard way with an ebay violation.

Back to books we go, but still looking for something of interest to others we could sell. Cooking or Art....well art's a really hard sell on ebay particularly if you trying to sell your own, so cooking, but what to sell. What I think is good about cooking items is they rarely have a seasonal down turn outside of the typical couple months a year when many sales slow down.

In searching for what sells on ebay you can use https://adwords.google.com as a guide, but firstly ask someone in the industry, they will quickly tell you about some of the high quality products cooks are after. Using the key word tool can refine your product choice. It is important also to look a popular TV programs whether that's Martha Stewart, Masterchef Australia, The Circle, Iron Chef, Food Safari, Ellen, Oprah..as these are the shows that people watch and come to ebay to try and find for a good price. Look also at popular magazines, newspapers and movies as they can also give you some ideas to search with google adwords. Remember this will guide you to refine what you sell along with review sites. Be careful however as some review sites can be rigged by competitors. Something I have found over the course of the past 2 weeks.

A Little Bit of The USA Stirs a Lot of Emotion Downunder.

In Australia the Sunbeam Mixmaster is our version of the Kitchenaid mixer. Also a great mixer and an appliance that was built to last, my mother's having now lasted 40 years. " They don't make em like that any more ". Now I can't speak as a pastry chef, but both these products certainly are solid and stir emotions of cooks world wide.

Kitchenaid mixers have the advantage of quality plus colour selection, which becomes a center point of any kitchen. The stir in Australia is the price at which these Kitchenaid mixers are sold for here.

In Australia they range from anywhere from $630 - $700+, depending on chosen colours. There is one Kitchenaid recognized official distributor Peter Mcinnes, but doesn't mean there aren't other suppliers with equal quality products on the Australian market. As sellers looking for a product to sell the kitchenaid mixer certainly appealed as there seemed to have quite a price variation. We just simply looked for an Australian distributor willing to give us a reasonable margin. This is where the can of worms seemed to open.

Many main suppliers here do not want to deal with ebay sellers, whether they see it as a stigma, I am not certain, but what happens with competition is that the ultimate price for the Australian buyer starts to become more reasonable, but then all of a sudden people seem to forget this is a product for making beautiful pastries and cakes as well as assorted attachments for pasta making, mincing, ice-cream making and more.

I know cake judging competitions become competitive as well and the sunbeam mixmaster or kitchenaid mixer will give you award winning creations every time, but as sellers in Australia I think we can start to be a little less greedy. With the Australian dollar matching the USD we can look forward to more choice for the Australian market.

Cook up a storm.

KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer Empire Red Buy It Now.

2010-10-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

Australian Buyers Only.

The KSM150’s unique mixing action and 10-speed control combined with the 4.8L stainless steel bowl make it the perfect partner in any kitchen. Each mixer comes with a flat beater, a wire whip and a dough hook, which allow mixing, whipping and even kneading bread dough.

It is so useful for making home made sausages and pasta, plus all that slicing and dicing of salads when I am entertaining. Batters are also no problem when you use your stand mixer.

The Artisan series is one of the most popular in the KitchenAid mixer collection and for good reason. This updated version is larger than the previous 4.5qt mixer and comes in a gorgeous range of colors including the attractive red color as shown.

Welcome these Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixers KSM150 are suitable for Australian buyers and include the following features.

Controls: 10 speed solid state
Construction: Die cast metal
Capacity: 4.8L
Dimensions: 365 x 360 x 250 (mm)
Weight: 11kg
Motor Power: 300W
Voltage: 220-240 V
Hertz: 50-60 Hz
Manufactured: In U.S.A

Please contact me for further details.

WARRANTY - Warranty held with the distributor Appliance Surplus,

please refer to their website

www.appliancesurplus.com.au for terms

Delivery 10-12 business days
excluding weekends and public holidays

Any Questions Please Email Me.

Come Check Out Our Auctions............

Spanish Chicken and Prawn Rice Pilaf

2010-05-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

As a huge fan of Masterchef I've decided to go through the whole range of recipes. I'm loving the discoveries. I've never really used a lot of paprika before, but now have become a massive fan. This recipe is quite easy and absolutely delicious. If you have children who don't like food being too hot then only put a teaspoon of paprika as it gets quite hot. Using a lot of lemon will also help if you don't like food to hot, but if you are a lover of hot food then go for it.

Oh and if you are vegetarian then you can use a range of vegetables..mushrooms, Zucchini, Indian Cheese, tofu....be creative, but the basis of this recipe can work as there is fantastic flavours.

Spanish Chicken and Prawn Rice Pilaf

1 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely diced
200g chicken, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp McCORMICK Paprika Sweet Hungarian Style
1 tsp McCORMICK Chilli Flakes
2 tsp McCORMICK Ground Turmeric
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups low salt chicken stock
2 cups water
12 green prawns
1 cup fresh parsley
1 lemon

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Method

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry onion, chicken, paprika, chilli, turmeric and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add in rice and tomato paste then stir for a further 2 minutes and turn heat to low.
3. Add stock and water, a cup at a time, to the pan and stir regularly until liquid soaks into the rice.
4. Add in prawns five minutes before serving, and finish with parsley.
5. Season with a wedge of lemon and cracked pepper.

Nutrition per serve: 1885 kilojoules (450 calories), 7g fat (including 1g saturated fat), 67g carbohydrate (including 4g sugars), 3g fibre and 620mg sodium

Chicken Stock

2010-04-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

Chicken Stock

1 Whole Chicken, about 3 pounds
8 cups water
2 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 stalks of celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 sprigs of parsley
1-2 sprigs of sage
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme (please, no Simon and Garfunkel jokes)
2 tsp. salt
Cut the chicken up into pieces.
Put the chicken, and the rest of the ingredients into a large kettle, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 3 hours.
Remove the chicken, and place in a bowl to cool.
Pour the stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth, and chill.
When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones, and freeze or refrigerate the chicken for another use.
Skim the fat off of the stock, and refrigerate, freeze, or use immediately.
Yield: About 6 cups of stock, about 4 cups of chicken.
Don't feel constrained by the ingredients and amounts listed in this recipe. You can use other herbs for a different flavor. You could add ginger peels and lemongrass for an Asian flavor. Just let your imagination run wild.
You don't need to use a whole chicken either. You can buy the bone-in chicken breasts, and remove the bones before cooking. Then just put the bones in a plastic bag, and put them into the freezer. Then when you're ready to make the stock, just take the bones out and use them in the stock.
Once you've learned to make this chicken stock, you can use it as a basis for many different soups... chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, peanut butter soup... again, just let your imagination run wild with it, and enjoy!

Soups For Winter and Summer.

2010-04-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

As well is being and easy way to save some money soups provide many more health advantages and

are often a great idea for all times of the year. I'm a big fan of the continual soup as long as you leave out the Carbs like potato and pasta then this soup can be added to on a continual basis. Making sure you heat everyday to keep it from going off you will always have a ready meal for lunches or nights you don't feel like cooking.

Creating the soup starts from creating your own stock. Yes you can use the package version, but if you have close to use-by vegetables in your fridge and you don't want waste these ingredients then this is an easy place to start. So what do you put into a stock ? Here's a few ideas onions ( Brown, White, Leeks, Green any sort will be fine ) garlic, celery, the stems or whole parts of green vegetables such as broccoli, Carrot ,Parsnips or like. I like to add some herbs and spices at this stage so parsley, thyme, chives along with pepper ( I like black pepper, sometimes whole ) and salt. Save some for the main soup. Think Chilli, ginger, asian herbs, lime juice, lemon for a different spin.

Oh before I forget I love barley in my winter soups as well as lentils and kidney beans. Most recipes say to soak these over night. You can do this if you like, but find that you can just through them in at the beginning of the cooking process and by the time you've been cooking your soup for a few hours they are generally soft enough. If you don't like lentils or kidney beans barley is a must for taste. You can always also use the tinned variety of these if this is easier.

If you are going to make a chicken or meat soup then you can cook up some bones or whole chicken in a saucepan with the above ingredients until the chicken or other meat such as ham, is basically falling of the bone. Cool this down and remove the meat. Put the meat to the side and then strain the stock through a strainer into another large pot or bowl if you don't have another pot.

Then I like to include and start with some of the above listed stock ingredients to start the main pot of soup. This is all about adding flavor. I start with a little bit of olive oil to cook the onion and then the celery, carrot and parsnip the reason for this is that a little bit of oil will hold flavor. once your have cooked your vegetables you can then add the chicken or other meat that you intend to use for the soup.

If you are vegetarian then you can look at adding more legumes and a larger variety of vegetables. Remember if you want and ever lasting soup then don't add pasta or potato. You could make a smaller soup of the larger stock and then add these ingredients, but don't add to the major one. The other things I liked to experiment with in terms of a vegetable soups was adding different oil varieties ie ..a little bit of semi dried tomato oil, which contains various Italian herbs as well as artichoke marinade. It give soups an interesting flavor and adds a different dimension if your not adding meat.

So to keep these as continual soups all you have to do is to keep adding more basic ingredients and herbs and these soups will last for a long time. You will always have something on the stove that is healthy tasty and ready rather then having to rush down to your local take-away.

Here is a list of soups for you to try :

Vegetarian Soup : Italian Vegetable Soup , Three Vegetable Soup, Carrot and pumpkin soup with peppers, Parsnip soup with curry powder and coriander, Sweetcorn Soup

Chicken Soups : Chicken Soup, Pho (Vietnamese soup), Harira soup with chicken,

Chicken and wakame soup with buckwheat noodles,

Meat and Other Soups : Pea soup with crisp prosciutto, Classic French onion soup with rabbit and black wood fungus won tons, Chilled tomato soup, Gazpacho with broad beans (gazpacho com habbas)

Jamie at Home - Homemade Egg Tagliatelle

2010-01-02T00:59:00.000-08:00

Now I've looked across the internet and this is by far the easiest way to make pasta...I have included the hand made version if you do not have a blender, but Jamie Oliver's demonstration here is to me the best and simplest and will give you a very light pasta.

How to Make Fresh Pasta

2010-01-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

Wild Salmon With Wasabi-Avocado Sauce

2009-12-17T22:55:00.001-08:00

Wild Salmon With Wasabi-Avocado Sauce

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Christmas Food The Light Way.

2009-12-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

I'm like most people love Christmas for food. I always think some traditions are a great thing, but living in the Southern Hemisphere makes some of these Northern Hemisphere traditions less then enjoyable on a hot day. For those of you who would like to enjoy Christmas food here are some sexy not so over the top recipes to tempt your taste buds and keep food your friend on this day.

Here is a starter that can be prepared more then a few days earlier and cooked on the day...
This comes from the magazine Delicious and is a recipe that I tried from this edition and think that it's beautiful.

Prawn & Lemon Arancini :

Make 60.

Ingreditants :

2 Preserved Lemon Quarters, flesh and with pith discarded, rind chopped
1 cup (300g) whole-egg mayonnaise
1 tbs olive oil
50g unsalted butter
2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
300g arborio rice
200ml dry white wine
1L chicken stock, kept at a simmer
150g green prawn meat, finely chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
half-cup (40g) freshly grated parmesan
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
half-cup (75g) plain flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups (200g0 packaged breadcrumbs
Canola oil, to deep fry

Instructions :

Stir the chopped preserved lemon into the mayonnaise. Thin out with a little warm water, then cover and chill until needed.

Heat olive oild and 20g butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until almost evaporated. Add stock, a ladleful at a time,stirring and making sure each is absorbed before adding the next,until rice is al dente.

This will take about 20 minutes. With the final ladleful, stir in prawn meat,zest,cheese, parsley and remaining butter. Season. Spread on a tray and allow to cool, then chill for 30 minutes.

Place flour, egg and crumbs in separate bowls. Roll 2 heaped teaspoons risotto into a bite-size ball. Repeat to make 60 balls. Roll first in flour, then egg, then coat in crumbs. Chill for at least 1 hour until firm. ( You can do this up to 24 hours ahead.)

Half-fill a deep-fryer or large pan with canola oil and heat to 190c ( a cube of bread will turn golden in 30 seconds ).

In batches of 10, fry arancini for 2-3 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towel. Keep warm in low oven, then serve with the lemon mayonnaise.

I think looking at Asian foods for Christmas is also a great approach.

Particularly for a Christmas night when you may have ventured to more then one Christmas celebration. It is safe to presume that many of us may not even be up for any more to eat.

Keeping it simple with some smoked salmon cut finely dressed with dill, rice wine vinegar, light soy and other available fresh herbs like basil, Vietnamese mint, plain mint, coriander and Wassabi makes a great light plate for the end of the night.

Also include a fish dish which has been cooked purely in some lime juice. You can try this recipe with any fish make sure however it is fresh and not frozen as the fish tends to have not flavour.
Add lime juice from 2 -3 lemons add 2-3 cloves of garlic, slices of red onion or spring onion, add fresh herbs , salt pepper, chilli, light soy and mix well, making sure the whole fish pieces are well covered. Make this in the morning or night before Christmas day the marinade will cook the fish and will be a delicious addition with your smoked salmon.

You can serve these dishes with noodles, rice and salad and these will make a nice light Christmas night dinner.

Doughnuts With Ricotta, Coffee Ice-Cream And Chocolate Sauce

2009-09-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

RECIPE RODNEY DUNN PHOTO LUKE BURGESS STYLING JANE ROARTY

0g dried yeast
90ml milk
20ml rum
500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
250g sugar
3 eggs
100g butter, softened
vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
150g fresh ricotta (recipe follows)
coffee ice-cream (recipe follows) to serve
Chocolate sauce:
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup thin cream

Combine yeast, milk, rum and 20ml water in a bowl and leave to froth up for 5 minutes. Sieve flour and salt into another bowl, add 50g sugar, eggs, butter and yeast mixture, then combine. Cover with cling film and leave to prove for about 1 hour. Roll out dough to a 2cm thickness on a floured surface and, using a 6cm-round cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Cover with oiled cling film and allow to double in size (about 30 minutes). Heat oil in a saucepan or deep-fryer to 150°C. Add doughnuts, in batches, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towel. Combine chocolate and cream in a bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until smooth, then keep warm. Next, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon, roll doughnuts in sugar mix, halve, then fill with ricotta. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve with ice-cream. Makes 12.

Ricotta

2.5 litres milk (must be full cream)
60ml white vinegar

Heat milk in a large saucepan over a low heat until almost boiling; do not boil. Stir in vinegar and, using a slotted spoon, remove curds as they rise and place in a muslin-lined colander to drain. Squeeze out excess liquid, cover ricotta and refrigerate until required. Makes 500g.

Coffee ice-cream

375ml milk
450ml thick cream
60ml strong espresso coffee
5 egg yolks
150g caster sugar

Combine milk, cream and coffee in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Place yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until thick and pale, then whisk in hot cream mixture. Return mixture to the saucepan and stir over a low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon; do not boil. Cool, then refrigerate until chilled. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Makes 2 litres.

Benefits of Beetroot

2009-09-08T22:38:00.001-07:00

I think one of the most enjoyable ways to cook Beetroot is to bake or roast it. The sweetness and texture it provides creates a very interesting meal. Roast it with vegetables such as Sweet Potato adding your favorite herbs like Thyme and Garlic. Not forgetting your extra virgin olive oil.

For Vegetarians it's beautiful with a range of vegetables and for meat eaters try Roasting it under a Turkey leg and even for the more adventurous de-bone the Turkey leg and stuff it with a combination of Basmati, Wild Rice and Mushrooms cooked on a bed of Beetroot, Potato and Sweet Potato. Don't forget your herb.

Growing beetroot in the backyard garden is a must for people who take their health seriously.

It is a rich source of carbohydrates, has no fat, it is a great source of fibre and has built up a reputation throughout Europe that it has anti-carcinogenic properties in the red colouring matter.

It's not common knowledge that the leaves, which are also edible, are a great source of iron and foliate, along with beta-carotene. Studies are being undertaken to substantiate the claims that beetroot increases the uptake of oxygen by as much as 400 per cent. Beetroot is one of the many vegetables with a range of antioxidants which help to fight various diseases.

Read the Rest of this Article Here Benefits of Beetroot

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Wow This Site Looks Delicious.

2009-07-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for beautiful food sites and this is one of them. 101 Cookbooks includes some beautiful food photography and recipes. Heidi is also an example of the relationship between art and food.

Reference Directly From Site.

About 101 Cookbooks

The premise this site was built on is best summed up in two sentences: When you own over 100 cookbooks, it is time to stop buying, and start cooking. This site chronicles a cookbook collection, one recipe at a time.

101 Cookbooks started in early 2003 when I looked up at my huge cookbook collection one afternoon and realized that instead of exploring the different books in my collection - I was cooking the same recipes over and over. I seemed to buy a new cookbook every time I stepped out the front door - always with good intentions. I would regularly go through my collection of books and magazines and carefully tag each recipe that piqued my interest. I ended up with shelves full of books brimming with Post-it notes and drawers full of recipes clipped from my favorite magazines - neatly organized by course, flavor, region, or ingredient.

I made a resolution (although it turns out that I wasn't very good at keeping it). I would stop buying cookbooks, or at least scale back, and start trying new recipes. In the process I hoped to learn new techniques, explore unfamiliar ingredients, discover/keep track of new recipes, document my successes and failures, and hopefully inspire other cooks to do the same.

The site has evolved a bit since the early days. Now I choose and write about the recipes that intersect my life, my travels, and my everyday interests - often they are from my cookbook collection, sometimes not - they might come from a friend or family member, or I might write about a recipe I created myself. I focus primarily on natural, whole foods and ingredients.

Here is Heidi Swanson's recipe journal don't miss it.

Super Easy Pizza Dough recipe - Best Recipes

2009-07-29T00:51:00.001-07:00

Super Easy Pizza Dough recipe - Best Recipes

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Just and up-date to the perfect Pizza dough. I tired this last night in fact my first attempt ever at pizza dough. It produces and acceptable base and works quite well. I think a wholemeal flour would be nice with this recipe.

What I was looking for with this recipe search was something close to what you can buy in a shop....so my search continues.

Here's an interesting link that gives you more insight to pizza and pizza dough.

The Food Police.

2009-07-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Grocery Store Wars.

2009-07-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Very Funny Organic Food Animation.

Growing Jerusalem Artichokes.

2009-07-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

I can't leave the subject of Jerusalem Artichokes without encouraging you grow your own. I have found them to have a fabulous taste and yes to me addicting. They are fantastic in various combinations. Try them with fresh market bought potatoes,fennel,pecans, whether you use them with a roast, soup or savory pie you will find this vegetable to be delicious and a highlight comfort food for Autumn/Fall or Winter.

From http://www.greenharvest.com.au/Plants/jerusalem_artichoke_info.html

PLANTING

Propagation is by tubers, any small piece left in the soil after harvest will probably shoot, so plant it where you want it to grow, as it can be hard to eradicate (in cooler areas). The recommended planting time is spring. To plant, cut the tuber into 2 or 3 sections, each one with an "eye"; cover the tubers with soil to a depth of 10 cm. Plant in rows 70 cm apart, 25 cm between plants in full sun, mulch well. Jerusalem artichoke needs a good supply of potassium, this can be supplied with wood ash, avoid high nitrogen fertilisers or the tops will grow at the expense of the roots.

HARVEST

Tubers can be harvested 4 to 6 weeks after flowering. Even though the flowers are pretty, yields will be better if the flower buds are pinched off as they appear. In cooler areas with well-drained soils it is better to dig them only as you use them. In subtropical areas and poorly drained soils the tubers may rot if left in the ground once the tops die back, so it is better to dig the whole harvest at once. Tubers do not store well out of the ground. Take care to store them in slightly damp sawdust or sand in a dark place; or store them in a plastic perforated bag in the bottom of the fridge.

Jerusalem Artichoke Excellent Advernture.

2009-07-21T04:48:00.000-07:00

An Excellent Adventure Jerusalem artichoke.

I get excited when I learn about the quality of seasonal produce. Plus if you are short on funds then save your money and go to your local market. Look also for your regional market, as this is where you are going to find the gem of fresh produce.

No this is not and old episode of the Young Ones, but this week I discovered the sexiness of Jerusalem Artichokes.

You might be mistaken to think that this looks like ginger, but this is in the same family as the potato or yam. I think what I like most about this vegetable is the smell, but it has some very important qualities.

The misnamed Jerusalem artichoke has no real link with Jerusalem, and isn't related to other artichokes. It looks a bit like a knobbly pink-skinned ginger root and has a sweet, nutty flavour, reminiscent of water chestnuts.

Although not widely used (perhaps because of its awkward appearance or anti-social effects - see NUTRITION), it is an inexpensive and versatile food that can be used both raw and cooked and makes a delicious soup.

Jerusalem artichokes are very rich in inulin, a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its parabiotic (bacteria promoting) properties. These health benefits come at a price; the food can have a potent wind-producing effect.

Jerusalem artichokes also contain vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium and are a very good source of iron. (ref eat the seasons).

The Healing Power of Jerusalem Artichoke Fiber by Michael Loes, M.D., MD.(H.) of the health advisory board of The Doctors Prescription for Healthy Living. Antibiotics are very important medicines but may end up destroying both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria in the body. Inulin is a widely used natural medicine in Europe that helps persons taking antibiotics.

Cooking : With Jerusalem artichokes, the plumper they are the better - there will be fewer knobbly bits to discard. A good trick to determine flavour is to nibble on one. Avoid those that are soft or sprouting. Choose those of similar size as this will ensure they cook evenly.

Method

Wash 750g Jerusalem artichokes. Preheat the oven to 350C. Place the artichokes in a baking pan with 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and toss so they are coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, then toss and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Check them with a sharp knife - they should pierce easily.

Loin of Lamb with Jerusalem Artichokes and Wild Mushrooms - Recipes

2009-07-21T04:46:00.001-07:00

Loin of Lamb with Jerusalem Artichokes and Wild Mushrooms - Recipes

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Natural Organic Foods

2009-07-07T01:03:00.000-07:00

Natural organic food is not for everyone. There are many circumstances where even the person who might like to go organic and consume only natural organic food and food products will be at a loss as to how to go about this in an economically viable manner.

The reason for this might seem self evident to some people, but the truth of the matter is that no matter how far organic food and food products have come down in cost, it is still bordering on the expensive, and most middle to low income families find it almost impossible to buy natural organic food on any kind of regular basis.

Therefore there has to be some impetus, a driving force if you will, behind their desire to buy natural organic food and the stumbling block of increased monthly outgoings. These factors vary from person to person and according to each personal situation.

For instance a middle income family with two teenaged kids and a toddler or baby might find that they have to make certain sacrifices to go organic. This can involve anything from cutting down on restaurant outings to cutting back on certain unwanted luxuries such as gourmet roasted coffee to redistributing the natural organic food chain within the family itself.

This can lead to mom and dad getting only a small percentage of organic foods, or none at all in their diets, with the bulk of the natural organic food and organic food products being purchased for their children.

This is of course in the cases where the benefits of organic foods have tipped the scales for parents, and where they want their children to consume less of pesticide and chemical fertilizer enriched food, and more of natural organic food.

It is also true that families without very young children, or one-person families, will also go to the extent of consuming natural organic food if the need is great enough or if they feel that it won’t significantly change their easy lifestyle.

The one thing that remains steady throughout is the desire of more and more people to add natural organic food and food products to their weekly grocery bill, despite the considerable dent it would put in their pockets. People are looking more and more at what they are consuming, and are taking more of an active interest in finding “natural” outlets for this.

It was into this niche that natural organic food and food products crept into and took hold. These days, the mantra on the lips of many people is, eat healthy and live healthy. The diet and fitness revolution is truly upon the world now, but it is being crowded to a corner by the natural organic food revolution which takes things that one step further.

Click Here To Find Out More.

This Weeks Home Cooking.

2009-06-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 25.6.09

I've decided to create and Indian meal as this is something I miss and can't get anywhere in my home town so here we go here are the resources I used online to create my three dishes.

I have chosen Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks, Palak Panner and Gujarati Potatoes.

As I can't stand the local grocery version of Tandoori paste I have chosen to make my own using the following recipe as a base:

This is a Gordon Ramsay Tandoori Paste , but for a recipe for Halibut, I think that the base should be fine also for the Chicken Drumsticks as well.

Tandoori curry paste

1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons sweet Paprika
1 teaspoon hot Chilli powder
Juice of half a Lemon
2 tablespoons groundnut oil (I used peanut Oil )
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Turmeric
1 tablespoon Tomato puree
3 Cloves Garlic crushed
Large knob of fresh root Ginger finely grated
150 g tub Natural Yoghurt ( I used 200g )

Tandoori curry paste

For the tandoori paste, toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan until fragrant. Tip into a pestle and mortar and grind into a powder. Mix in all the other ingredients and stir until you have a smooth paste.

This is the Recipe I'm using for Palak Paneer.

You can also watch the video here:

Ingredients

2 bunches (500g) English spinach
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cm piece ginger, crushed
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste
225g paneer, cubed (Indian cottage cheese)
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (or kasuri methi)
Pinch garam masala
1 tbsp thickened cream

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Preparation

Remove spinach leaves from stems and wash leaves well. Blanch in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes then refresh in cold water, drain, squeeze out excess water and puree until smooth.

Heat oil in a heavy based pan. Add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and onions and fry until golden brown.

Add tomatoes and cook until they become a soft paste. Stir in spinach puree and season with salt. Add the paneer cubes. Finish with fenugreek leaves, garam masala and cream. Serve hot.

Note: Frozen spinach can be substituted for fresh spinach. Fresh spinach need not be pureed to achieve a more textured dish typically served in Indian homes.
( This is what I used mainly as Spinach in the local supermarket was outrageous and my own spinach has not grown due to drought)

Fresh tomatoes can be replaced with chopped canned tomatoes.

Finally I've chosen to do:

Gujarati potatoes

You can see the video here :

Ingredients

400g pontiac potatoes, peeled, cooked then cubed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 - 6 fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tsp sesame seeds
3 - 4 sprigs fresh coriander, chopped

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Preparation

In a bowl combine the cooked potato, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli. Season with salt. Toss to evenly coat potatoes with the spices.

In a heavy based pan or kadhai, heat the oil and add mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds and cook until sizzling.

Add spiced potato to the tempered oil. Stir gently to coat potatoes. Add desiccated coconut, sesame seeds and fresh coriander. Serve warm potatoes with any Indian bread.

Here is my complete answer to the Perfect Chinese Pork Bun.

2009-06-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Chinese Pork Bun Recipes, There seems to be a lot of them?

2009-06-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Now this posting comes out of last night dinner attempt. Mainly out of purchasing one of those large steamers. We'll we set out to make steamed wontons and Chinese Pork Buns.
I'm not sure what went wrong with the buns, but anyhow this has lead me to a search online for the correct recipe and techniques that need to be applied when starting down the Chinese Pork Bun road.

Here is one recipe I've found online please feel free to add your own and best techniques particularly creating the best dough.

Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound finely chopped pork
1 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]

Directions:

Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in 1 3/4 cups warm water, and then add the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until mixture is frothy. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons shortening and the yeast mixture; mix well. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover it with a sheet of cling wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has tripled in bulk. Cut the pork into 2 inch thick strips. Use fork to prick it all over. Marinate for 5 hours in a mixture made with 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce. Grill the pork until cooked and charred. Cut roasted port into 1/2 inch cubes. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Mix cornstarch with 2 1/2 tablespoons water; add to the saucepan, and stir until thickened. Mix in 2 tablespoons lard or shortening, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cool, and mix in the roasted pork. Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a long roll, and divide it into 24 pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of the hand to form a thin circle. The center of the circle should be thicker than the edge. Place one portion of the pork filling in the center of each dough circle. Wrap the dough to enclose the filling. Pinch edges to form the bun. Let the buns stand for 10 minutes. Steam buns for 12 minutes. Serve.

Note: Hoisin sauce, also called Peking sauce, is a thick, reddish-brown sauce that is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chile peppers and various spices. It can be found in Asian markets and many large supermarkets. Look in the Asian or ethnic section.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Chinese Pork Buns (Cha Siu Bao) serves/makes 24

Reference.

Now For Something Sweet. Chocolate and Jaffa Souffle.

2009-06-17T20:54:00.000-07:00