I have been thinking about fresh herbs which are always nice to have, but difficult to always have them available when you need them. The chicken recipe I posted yesterday was supposed to have fresh tarragon. It is winter here, so couldn't grow it outside, in an apartment there isn't room to grow it (and lots of other herbs) inside so I would have to buy it specially. So, you do that and end up with a large bunch of tarragon which wouldn't keep fresh all that long so most of it would be wasted. It's OK
for professional cooks because they are using this stuff all the time, but impossible for the home cook without access to a herb garden of some kind. If only. Talking of herbs and, of course, spices, I was completely out of cloves and cashews. I don't buy the latter at my grocery store any more as I can get them far cheaper at Bulkville which has recently opened in the same shopping mall. Much to my surprise my grocery doesn't sell whole cloves. Bulkville only had Pepper Cashews, I tasted one, not bad, Matt is a pepper freak anyway, so that's what I bought. As for the cloves, I ended up with way more than I needed, but they do keep. I will certainly buy all my herbs and spices there, it is so much cheaper. Mind you it is a bit of a walk for me, but surprisingly I managed pretty well yesterday. I just discovered a few other uses for cloves.
- Ayurvedic medicine used cloves for tooth decay, halitosis, and bad breath.
- In Chinese medicine, clove was considered to possess aphrodisiac properties.
- Ground cloves are traditionally applied to minor cuts for healing purposes.
- Clove tea is a popular warm beverage to relieve congestion.
- Clove oil helps relieve headaches, flatulence, as well as reduce stretch marks.
- It is also popularly used as a bug and insect repellant. Just add a few drops to water and see them vanish!
I use them when I make bread sauce to go with turkey, I stick an onion with cloves and then sweat it in milk for a long time prior to adding fresh breadcrumbs (having removed the onion and cloves) then some butter and cream. I should make it more often, no reason not to have it with chicken.
Well, went to see the urologist who examined Matt and has determined that he doesn't have a bladder infection but is sending him for a kidney ultrasound. Assume that's what mine will be on Thursday. I was delighted by the ride. Joe picked us up promptly, dropped us at St. Mary's and told us to phone the office when we were ready. Did so and it turned out he was already outside waiting for us. Great. Doing the same thing on Thursday. It costs less than parking and is door to door of course.
Wednesday, today, we are going to the Mandarin again with a couple of friends, haven't been with them since Sept./Oct. Suspect it was for my free birthday meal in September. We usually go together at least once a month. Oh dear, I'll have to eat more Hot and Sour Soup!!!
OK, went back to early blogs and came across this Weight Watcher's recipe which we used to make a lot at one time, well Matt did. If you can't get plaice, flounder is very similar.
Plaice and Tomato Pinwheels
Serves 2
12 oz plaice fillets
4 tsp made mustard (that's Coleman's or Keen's mixed with water). You could use Dijon for a milder flavour
8 oz cherry tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbs chopped parsley
1 tsp powdered rosemary
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Skin the fillets, slit in half lengthways and spread one side with mustard. Wrap each half
fillet around a tomato, mustard side inwards. Secure with wooden cocktail sticks. Arrange
the fillets in a shallow dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Bake in the over 400°F, for 15-20 minutes. Serve with French cucumber salad.
French Cucumber Salad
Serves 2
4 oz. cucumber, peeled and diced (if you use an English cucumber, no need to peel)
pinch mixed herbs
2 Tbs cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
ground black pepper.
Arrange the cucumber on the plate, mix the herbs with the vinegar and pepper and pour
over the cucumber.
As they are shown in the picture, I suppose I had better add the rest.
Pineapple Sherbet.
Serves 2
1 envelope gelatine
4 rings unsweetened pineapple
4 tbs pineapple juice
4 tbs lemon juice
pinch powdered ginger.
Dissolve the gelatine in a heatproof dish with 2 tbs water, over hot water. Place the
pineapple rings and juice in a blender, blend until smooth. Add the dissolved gelatine.
Blend for 2-3 minutes. Pour into 2 dessert glasses then chill and sprinkle with ginger.
Have a great dayWell, went to see the urologist who examined Matt and has determined that he doesn't have a bladder infection but is sending him for a kidney ultrasound. Assume that's what mine will be on Thursday. I was delighted by the ride. Joe picked us up promptly, dropped us at St. Mary's and told us to phone the office when we were ready. Did so and it turned out he was already outside waiting for us. Great. Doing the same thing on Thursday. It costs less than parking and is door to door of course.
Wednesday, today, we are going to the Mandarin again with a couple of friends, haven't been with them since Sept./Oct. Suspect it was for my free birthday meal in September. We usually go together at least once a month. Oh dear, I'll have to eat more Hot and Sour Soup!!!
OK, went back to early blogs and came across this Weight Watcher's recipe which we used to make a lot at one time, well Matt did. If you can't get plaice, flounder is very similar.
Plaice and Tomato Pinwheels
Serves 2
12 oz plaice fillets
4 tsp made mustard (that's Coleman's or Keen's mixed with water). You could use Dijon for a milder flavour
8 oz cherry tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbs chopped parsley
1 tsp powdered rosemary
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Skin the fillets, slit in half lengthways and spread one side with mustard. Wrap each half
fillet around a tomato, mustard side inwards. Secure with wooden cocktail sticks. Arrange
the fillets in a shallow dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Bake in the over 400°F, for 15-20 minutes. Serve with French cucumber salad.
French Cucumber Salad
Serves 2
4 oz. cucumber, peeled and diced (if you use an English cucumber, no need to peel)
pinch mixed herbs
2 Tbs cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
ground black pepper.
Arrange the cucumber on the plate, mix the herbs with the vinegar and pepper and pour
over the cucumber.
As they are shown in the picture, I suppose I had better add the rest.
Pineapple Sherbet.
Serves 2
1 envelope gelatine
4 rings unsweetened pineapple
4 tbs pineapple juice
4 tbs lemon juice
pinch powdered ginger.
Dissolve the gelatine in a heatproof dish with 2 tbs water, over hot water. Place the
pineapple rings and juice in a blender, blend until smooth. Add the dissolved gelatine.
Blend for 2-3 minutes. Pour into 2 dessert glasses then chill and sprinkle with ginger.
I didn't realize cloves were so useful. My mom used to stick them in oranges and set them around the house as air fresheners.
ReplyDeleteThat is also a well known use for them Liz, I had forgotten that.
DeleteI don't think we've ever used cloves in cooking.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found a service that's great for rides.
I don't use them a lot Alex, should look up more ways of using them in cooking.
DeleteThe ride was great yesterday.
I love cloves, but not alone. Their taste is too strong. Kind of makes me think of coffee, the smell is divine, the taste, bitter. Hope your appt goes well on Thursday...
ReplyDeleteWhat do you use them for Lisa? I love coffee anyway, would not be able to drink French coffee any more though. Have to drink decaf anyway.
DeleteI've heard of some of those uses for cloves. I love bulk food stores, though now that my kids are grown, I hesitate to buy anything in large quantities.
ReplyDeleteThat's the beauty of those stores though Susan, you can buy itsy little bits if you want.
DeleteClove tea? I will try that.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what it's like Diane, I have a plethora of cloves.
DeleteI freakin' LOVE clove. Love it with cinnamon and apples. Love it in savoury dishes and, I use pure clove oil when I wash my prep towels that are used in the kitchen. Just an all around wonderful spice.
ReplyDeleteWe use cloves in apple pies, in England, Ivy. Where you would use cinnamon. I much prefer it but then it was what I was brought up with.
DeleteI know ... I've been following Mary Berry for years. But really, truly, the best is a combo of the two. To me. Also, I grew up with clove as well as nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger and allspice. Not just cinnamon.
DeleteForgot you would know Ivy. Yes, we used all those spices too.
DeleteI remember doing a pomander with an orange and cloves in my blue birds or campfire group when I was a kid. What I remember the most about it was how much my thumb hurt from pushing them through the rind.
ReplyDeleteYou're right JoJo. Never tried orange rind, but your thumb can hurt from just pushing them into an onion for bread sauce.
DeleteI heard some chef saying to chop up any leftover herbs and put them in ice cube trays and top up with water and freeze. Then when you need them just add the ice cube to your dish - I've tried it with parsley and it works really well, but I haven't the patience to let things defrost naturally so it doesn't work (for me anyway) for anything uncooked. And cloves are just wonderful to smell - we used to be given them to chew on if we had toothache as children.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that too Fil, but it would be a bit of a bother to do that I think. I remember the toothache bit, not sure it worked very well.
Delete