O is for Oysters

As a young woman, I intensely disliked oysters, which is such a shame as my parents loved them and would scarf them down at the drop of a hat. I remember a time on one of our boats, we happened to go aground – I don’t know if it was intentional, but when the tide went out we were right in the middle of some oyster beds, then oddly enough, my uncle fell overboard and when he did he just happened to have a sack in his hand. Later after much prepping, my parents called us kids in to try them. I had one and yuk, my boyfriend didn’t like them either, but I had an exchange student from France staying with me and after calling her in they had to throw her out – my father said it was like a Disney movie, the shells piled up and the bread went down. Some 40 or so years later, when we lived in North Carolina, I learned to love them. Matt even built me a small fireplace in our backyard solely for steaming oysters. Googling I learn there are lots of different kinds of oysters and they are of the same family as the humble clam. Oysters have been eaten since pre-history. Oyster shell middens have been found in ancient coastal sites. They were an important food source for primitive man. Like so many things, overfishing has decreased their numbers and pollution or disease has also decimated the oyster population as well. Some types of oysters are harvested only for their production of pearls. They may well be returned to the sea. It is widely believed that oysters are an aphrodisiac and in fact some of their nutrition content can stimulate the male sex drive. It is widely believed that oysters should not be eaten in the summer or in months without an R in them. There is some basis for this because they can spoil very easily in the summer months. 

Oysters can be eaten in many ways, my parents always ate them raw. I learned to eat them steamed and enjoyed them. Since then I have eaten them raw and enjoyed them too, especially when I had some top notch oysters in England once. Delicious. Oysters Rockerfeller is a very famous dish. I have never eaten it though.

Oysters Rockefeller

Makes 8 first-course servings

BON APPÉTIT | SEPTEMBER 1999

The original recipe for oysters Rockefeller, created at the New Orleans restaurant Antoine's in 1899, remains a secret to this day. The appetizer, oysters topped with a mixture of finely chopped greens and copious amounts of butter and then baked in their shells, was considered so rich that it had to be named after the richest man of the day, John D. Rockefeller. A few years later, no self-respecting restaurateur would be without his own version on the menu. This lighter take features spinach, watercress, green onions and grated Parmesan.


Ingredients
1 garlic clove
2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound (about) rock salt
24 fresh oysters, shucked, shells reserved
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Finely chop garlic in processor. Add spinach, watercress and green onions to garlic. Process, using on/off turns, until mixture is finely chopped. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.

Combine butter, breadcrumbs, Pernod, fennel and hot sauce in processor. Process until well blended. Return spinach mixture to processor. Process, using on/off turns, just until mixtures are blended. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Sprinkle rock salt over large baking sheet to depth of 1/2 inch. Arrange oysters in half shells atop rock salt. Top each oyster with 1 tablespoon spinach mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until spinach mixture browns on top, about 8 minutes.


Have a great day

N is for Nutmeg

N is for Nutmeg

Nutmeg is an interesting spice. The trees take about 7-9 years after planting to produce viable nutmeg but the 'seed' itself is covered in a lacy, reddish vein which is, in fact, Mace another very popular spice.  This is the only tropical fruit that is the source of two different spices, obtained from different parts of the plant. Several other commercial products are also produced from the trees, including essential oils, extracted oleoresins, and nutmeg butter. Now that I didn't know. Once upon a time people kept a whole nutmeg in their kitchens and grated off what they required. I remember my mother always had a nutmeg to use in such a way and I occasionally got  the job of grating.

Obviously nutmeg is widely used in all kinds of dishes, but this one appealed to me.



Grilled Jamaican Jerked Pork Loin Chops


Recipe by:Ryan Nomura


"I like to buy a whole pork loin then cut them into chops so that I can get the thickness just right. You

can also use the marinade with pork tenderloin, baby back ribs, and chicken."

Ingredients

1/2 (12 ounce) bottle lager style beer
3 fluid ounces dark rum
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 scotch bonnet chile pepper, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
8 (6 ounce) pork loin chops
kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste 

Pour the beer, rum, molasses, soy sauce, and lime juice into a bowl. Stir in the garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, and marjoram. Season with allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Place the pork chops into a zip top bag, and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
Prepare an outdoor grill for medium heat. Take the pork chops out of the marinade, place on a plate, and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes as the grill heats.
Season the chops to taste with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Grill the chops on both sides until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Allow the pork chops to rest for about 5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.

Have a great day
 

M is for Mushrooms

M is for Mushrooms which, according to information I read from Mushrooms Canada, are a very healthy food. A half-cup serving of cooked sliced mushrooms has a mere 14 calories, virtually no fat, 1 gram of fibre and is a source of phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms are also a good source of riboflavin, and are the only vegetable in the produce section with natural Vitamin D. All that goodness with little calories and fat. In fact reading the information provided at this site they are really a very healthy power food and are good for helping with things like cancer, diabetes, and a long list of other ailments. Do read the links, it is worth having this knowledge. This is another excellent link to find out all about mushrooms and the different varieties. We tend to use Crimini these days instead of the regular button mushrooms as they have more flavour. Of course I love Portbella but they tend to be rather pricey.

I posted this recipe earlier in the year but I thought it would be a good fit for this A to Z particularly as I am still somewhat occupied with home problems - this being written in March.

Pepperoni Mushroom Pizza Wonton Cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients
24 wonton wrappers
Canola oil cooking spray
1 cup dry mini pepperoni slices
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8-10 white button mushrooms, chopped, plus 2-3 more for slicing
1 small jar of your favourite pizza sauce
chopped cilantro or fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with some canola oil cooking spray and line each muffin cup with 2 wonton wrappers, offsetting them to create a “flower petal” effect.
3. Layer some of the shredded cheese, the pepperoni slices, and the chopped mushrooms into each of the cups and spoon a tablespoon or so of the pizza sauce over top.
4. Add another small sprinkling of cheese and a few more pepperoni slices on top of the sauce, and add one mushroom slice on the very top.
5. Bake the wonton cups for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and the mushrooms brown, and serve immediately.

Have a great day
 

L is for Lamb

L is for Lamb

It occurred to me to write about lamb because so many people in North America just don't like it or eat it. There are or were, many places in Europe where lamb is eaten and beef is way too expensive for the majority to eat. Sheep are also such an easy animal to raise compared to cattle. In England to have a joint (roast) of lamb for Sunday dinner (usually at lunchtime) was a fairly normal course of events. Usually served with mint sauce or often with onion sauce which, as a youngster, I never enjoyed and have never tried it in my later years. I should do so I guess. Of course if you can get, and can afford, locally grown lamb or mutton it is usually a better deal than the frozen from the Antipodes although their lamb is delicious and is what I always use. Here local lamb is generally twice the price of New Zealand imports. We use a lot of the animal in England, including brain, heart, kidneys and liver all of which are or were enjoyed in various forms. There is a theory that a lot of North Americans were in Europe during the Second World War and were fed mutton instead of lamb although cooked the same which is my many developed a dislike for the meat. These days mutton is a premium meat and not readily available although, when cooked right, it is delicious. It is a tough meat and needs lots of cooking, often by stewing. Lamb being younger, is much more tender and a roast is enjoyed without a lot of cooking. Sheep were one of the earliest animals to be domesticated by man for it's fleece, it's milk, it's skin and it's meat all of which were widely used. I once had a card holder made from sheep skin, such loft leather. If you want to know more, Wikipedia have a long article about the animals and their many breeds.

Interesting, this recipe is from the supplier where I buy lamb kidneys. I don't know if they mean Rye or Bourbon Whiskey or Scotch Whisky. Probably either would do.

Lamb Roast with Maple and Whiskey

Courtesy of Charles Quality Meats
– Saturday market vendor

(Serves 10, takes 1 ½ hours)

Ingredients:

• 1 Ontario lamb shoulder roast, 4 lbs., deboned
• 2 Cloves of garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup whiskey
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ tsp. fresh thyme
• ¼ tsp. clove
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 Dried apricots
• 3 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub the inside of the roast with garlic, 3 tbsp. whiskey, and 3 tbsp. maple syrup. Add salt and pepper, and sprinkle with clove and thyme.
• Spread the apricots along the inside of the roast, then close and tie it.
• In a pan, heat the olive oil to medium-high. Salt and pepper the outside of the roast, then brown the sides and ends.
• Transfer it to an oven proof dish and baste with maple syrup and whiskey.
• Place in oven, basting it regularly with the drippings, for 1 ½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Let the finished roast sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
• Serve with baby potatoes and roasted root vegetables.

Have a great day
 

K is for Kidney

K is for Kidney

 Lamb's Kidney

Kidney is another thing which used to be eaten a lot in England and is certainly used in Europe. I personally have used beef (or ox as it is called in the UK) kidney and lamb's kidneys off and on all my life. The beef kidney is best for Steak and Kidney pie or pudding

Beef Kidney

although people do use lamb's kidneys for it too. In my mind lamb's kidneys are best for frying for breakfast or making into Devilled Kidneys which used to be a very popular Victorian breakfast dish. My father wasn't quite a Victorian but when he was born people were still eating that way so he imbibed these kinds of dishes with his mother's milk as it were. We always had wonderful breakfasts at home

and kidneys appeared on the menu many times, along with kippers, smoked haddock, herrings fried in oatmeal, salt beef, belly of pork and many other things which are difficult to obtain these days. None of these boring old cereals for my father thank you. I am making myself hungry. I will have to go to the local market for some lamb's Kidneys. I have included a picture of Steak and Kidney Pudding which I used to make quite a lot at one time. Unfortunately, the suet pudding, which is delicious, tends to include way too many calories for me these days so I just make the steak and kidney, without the pudding part. No, this is not a sweet pudding, it is quite savoury and delicious.

By trimming, this recipe means cutting the kidney in half and then removing all the white part which I do with scissors.

Devilled kidneys on toast



By James Martin
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
4 lambs' kidneys, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp tomato purée
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp English mustard powder
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
2 slices white bread, toasted
1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley


Method



Heat a frying pan until hot, then add the butter and kidneys and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden-brown all over.


Place the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée, lemon juice, mustard powder and cayenne powder into a bowl and whisk together well.


Pour the dressing onto the kidneys and stir well to combine. Cook for a further minute or two, until the kidneys are completely cooked through. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


To serve, place the toast onto two plates and top each slice with the kidneys and pan juices. Garnish with flatleaf parsley.


Have a great day

J is for Jackfruit

J is for Jackfruit

This is a fruit which is related to the mulberry and the fig. It is also the largest fruit in the world and can weigh as much as 80 lbs.35 inches in length and 20 inches diameter. The fruit is native to parts of South and South East Asia and there seems to be as many ways of preparing the fruit as there are countries in that area. A lot of countries use it in curries and some dry out the seeds for use in curries too. I think the only way we will ever come across it is frozen in packages but if it's not available at your supermarket, it probably soon will be. More and more strange fruits seem to be making their way into the stores. The picture doesn't give you any kind of perspective on it's size. The skin looks like a canteloupe to me too.

Jackfruit Curry with Bell Peppers and Cashews

Shauna McCoy

• 2 packages frozen jackfruit, preferably unripe/green, OR 2 cans prepared jackfruit in
  
  water or brine (not syrup), drained
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 12 wedges
• 1 large green bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped/sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped/sliced
• 5 dried black mushrooms, soaked in water for 2 hours to rehydrate then drained, thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry roasted (unsalted) cashews
• 1 can coconut milk
• generous handful of fresh basil for garnish
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil for stir-frying
• white wine (or white cooking wine) for stir-frying

PASTE:

• 3 large green onions (or 6 small), sliced thin
• 2 fresh red chilies (or more if you want it ultra spicy), sliced thin
• 8 whole lime leaves, fresh or frozen, snipped into tiny strips
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 Tbsp dulse, snipped into flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 4 Tbsp tamari sauce
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar

PREPARATION

1. First, prepare the curry paste. Place all paste ingredients together in a food processor or mini-chopper and process well. Lime Leaf Tip: Prepare the lime leaves using kitchen scissors to cut out (and discard) the hard central stem. If lime leaves are frozen, you can quickly thaw them by running under some hot water. Set paste aside.
2. Cut jackfruit into desired bite size pieces, either in strips or cubes/chunks (as you would with chicken). Set aside.
3. Place 2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry 3 minutes.Add a little of the wine (1/2 to 1 Tbsp. at a time) instead of more oil whenever wok/pan becomes dry.
4. Add the bell peppers. Continue stir-frying another 3 minutes, or until peppers have softened and turned bright in color. Again, add a little wine when wok/pan becomes dry to keep ingredients frying nicely.
5. Add the green jackfuit and black mushrooms. Stir-fry another 3 minutes and add wine for stir-frying if needed.
6. Add the paste you made earlier, plus the coconut milk. Stir well to combine.
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, allowing curry to gently simmer 2-3 minutes, or until ingredients are nicely cooked, but not overcooked. Tip: Try not to overcook this curry, or you will lose the fragrance and taste of the paste.
8. Just before serving, add the cashews, gently stirring them in. Now do a taste-test, looking for a balance of salty, sour, sweet and spicy. If not salty enough, add more tamari, or a little salt. If too salty for your taste, add another squeeze of lime/lemon juice. If not spicy enough, add more fresh chili. If too spicy, add a little more coconut milk. Add a little more sugar if too sour.
9. To serve, either portion out in bowls or on plates, or ladle the curry into a serving dish. Sprinkle with generous amounts of fresh basil, and serve with brown rice or quinoa. ENJOY!

Serves 4 – 6, depending on how much they like curry!

Have a great day
 

I is for ilama.

ilama

1.Definition: tropical American tree grown in southern United States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit

2.Definition: whitish tropical fruit with a pinkish tinge related to custard apples; grown in the southern United States

The ilama (also known as the tree of the ilama, Annona diversifolia) is a tropical fruit tree found in Central America. The name is derived from theSpanish from the Nahuatl ilamatzapotl, of which the rough translation is "old woman's sapote". The name is also applied to a similar fruit, soncoya orcabeza de negro (A. pupurea), which is cultivated as an alternative to the cherimoya. The soncoya is similar in size to the ilama, but grey-brown in color with hard bumps on the surface, and orange flesh that tastes like mango or pawpaw.

The ilama fruit is either eaten on the half-shell or scooped out with a tool, usually chilled when served. It is sometimes served with a little cream and sugar to intensify the flavor, or with a drop of lime or lemon juice to bring in a tart and bitter tinge. The only recipe I could find was for the Custard Apple which is called the Chirimoya in Mexico where this recipe originates.

Mousse de ChirimoyaServes six 

Ingredients
1 ripe chirimoya (300 or 400 gr.)
1/4 Cup heavy cream
2/3 Cup whole milk
1leaf of unflavored gelatin
1 Tbsp sugar

Decoration
I or 2 white grapes per individual mousse
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp dark rum
Sprigs of fresh mint

ProcedureCut the chirimoya in quarters and carefully remove the seeds.  Put the chirimoya flesh into your blender jar.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the milk, the cream, and the sugar.  Stir constantly to make sure that the mixture does not stick.  Dissolve the gelatin in cold water.

Once the mixture begins to cook, add the dissolved gelatin.  Allow the mix to cook for a minute more, without moving the saucepan from the burner.  After a minute, take the pan off the fire and allow the mixture to cool.

Once the mixture is cool, pour it into the blender along with the chirimoya flesh.  Blend until the mixture is smooth and silky.

Pour the mixture into individual-serving ramekins and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours before serving.

To make the grape garnish, roll each grape first in the rum and then in the brown sugar.  Prepare the garnish just before serving.  Unmold each ramekin onto a small dessert plate and top with one or two grapes, a small spoonful of rum, and a sprig of fresh mint.

Have a great day

H is for Honey

Honey is pretty incredible stuff. It is one of the few (if not the only) foods that doesn’t spoil. It is another thing I buy at Barrie’s Asparagus farm as they have a source from a local apiary. It is delicious honey and for me, having diabetes, it is wonderful for a quick sugar lift if and when necessary. I wish I could carry it with me but I have to rely on gummy bears or something then. Honey is made by honey bees and other less well known bees as well as honey wasps.  We only eat honey bee honey though.They collect the nectar from flowers and turn it into honey By a process of regurgitating and evaporation then storing it wax honeycombs for storage. Although it doesn’t spoil, it is not recommended for infants as it does sometimes contain a bacterium  Clostridium botulinum which can be dangerous to them. It has a long history and has been used for flavourings, making alcohol, and has a role in religion and symbolism. It’s flavours can differ depending on the bees’ source of nectar. One of the oldest drinks in the world is Mead or Honey Wine and if you are ambitious, you can Google recipes to make it. Apparently it has become a lot more popular since A Game of Thrones. I also read an article which I researched about crystallised honey. I knew there was nothing wrong with such honey, but was unaware that it was due to storage in cool temps. In fact crystallised honey is delicious on all kinds of things such as toast, muffins, oatmeal, rhubarb. You name it.  Only the pure honey bought from apiaries will crystallise as it is in it’s natural state and has not been processed in any way.

Here is an easier drink recipe using honey. Pale Ale is made in the States.

Honey Lime Ginger Pale Ale Shandy

Ingredients

1 cup honey
3/4 cup Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
6 cups Filtered water
1/3 cup Lime juice
1 inch Piece of fresh peeled gingeroot
Lime wheels for garnish
1 bottle Half Pints St. James Pale Ale

Directions

In a blender, combine honey, lemon and lime juice; process for about 30 seconds. Using a fine food rasp, grate ginger and add to blender with half the water; process for about 30 seconds. Pour contents from blender into a large mason jar with remaining water, stirring to mix, and place in fridge to chill.
To Assemble:
Pour half of beer into a tall chilled glass. Fill to top with chilled Honey Lime Ginger Lemonade. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve.

Have a great weekend.

G is for Galangal

G is for Galangal

Galangal is a root from the ginger family that looks a bit like a knobbly Jerusalem artichoke. It is widely used in South-East Asian cuisine, particularly Thai cookery and is an important ingredient in Thai curry pastes. It can be bought as fresh root, dried root or dried, ground powder. I have never personally used it although I know many of my friends have done so. I understand it tastes like a milder form of ginger and is not as all pervasive in flavour as this pungent relative although personally I love  the taste of ginger.


Thai Massaman Chicken Curry

From: The Hairy Bikers

For the massaman curry paste

6 cardamom pods, seeds only
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 cloves
1 ½ star anise
1 tsp whole white peppercorns
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 Tbs groundnut oil
1 oz  peanuts
5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
5 lime leaves, finely sliced
1 1/2 in piece fresh galangal, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks lemongrass, outer leaves removed, inner core finely chopped
1 tsp shrimp paste
2 Tbs fish sauce
½ tsp grated or ground nutmeg
2 Tbs palm sugar
2 Tbs cold water

For the chicken curry

2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 red onions, sliced
500 grams chicken breast, cut into 1.5cm/ ½in strips
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1.5cm/ ½in cubes
2 bird’s-eye red chillies, cut almost in half lengthways (or more, to taste)
9 fl oz good-quality chicken stock, preferably homemade
7 fl oz coconut milk
2 tomatoes, skins removed, flesh roughly chopped
6 lime leaves
2 Tbs fish sauce
1 ½ Tbs palm sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 lime, juice only
small handful sweet Thai basil (or normal basil), plus extra sprigs to serve
1 oz roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

To serve

steamed sticky rice
1 large red chilli, sliced diagonally

1. For the massaman curry paste, heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the cardamom seeds, cumin seeds and cloves and dry-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.

2. Transfer the spices to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder.

3. Blend the ground spices with all of the remaining massaman curry paste ingredients in a food processor, until smooth and well combined. (Alternatively, pound the paste until smooth in a pestle and mortar.) Chill until needed, covered.

4. To make the chicken curry, heat the oil in a medium-sized, flameproof, lidded casserole. Add the onions and fry for 8-10 minutes, or until softened and light golden-brown.

5. Increase the heat, push the onions to one side of the casserole, then add the chicken strips to the other side and fry for 2-3 minutes on all sides, or until sealed all over.

6. Add half of the massaman curry paste to the casserole (see tip). Stir well to coat the chicken and onions in the paste. Fry the mixture for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.

7. Add the potatoes, chillies, chicken stock, coconut milk, tomatoes, lime leaves, fish sauce, palm sugar and soy sauce to the casserole. Stir well and bring the mixture to the boil, then cover the casserole with the lid and reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (do not overcook the chicken as it will become dry). Season, to taste, with a little more fish sauce or some lime juice.

8. Just before serving, stir in the basil leaves and half of the peanuts.

9. To serve, spoon the Thai massaman curry into bowls and garnish with the extra Thai basil leaves, the sliced red chilli, and the remaining peanuts. Serve with steamed sticky rice.

Servings: 6

Have a great day

 

F is for Fennel

F is for Fennel

For those of you who were interested in my daikon recipe a couple of days ago, I googled and duck fat can be bought. Amazon.com has it for instance and it is not exhorbitantly expensive as I expected, it is $8 something with $5 delivery.

Fennel has a very delicate taste but can be used for many things. I use it in my Tortières and a couple of months ago I found the recipe I post below. There are three main types of this aromatic plant. Bitter and sweet fennel are both used as herbs. They have pale green, celery-like stems, bright green, feathery foliage and greenish-brown seeds, all of which have a strong aniseed flavour that particularly complements fish. Florence fennel, also called finocchio or Italian fennel, is eaten as a vegetable and has a broad, bulbous base with a mild aniseed flavour. It is also part of the carrot family which does surprise me and has yellowy flowers which I have never seen nor can I find a picture of them.

Having made this dish twice, we both feel that for us there is too much fennel. I would, in future, halve the amount specified. 

Linguine with Fennel and Tuna

Martha Stewart.

Fennel is sometimes mistaken for anise (fennel does belong to the same plant family, but anise is an herb). It is also called finocchio, which alludes to its common use in

Italian cooking.

6 Servings

• 1 pound linguine
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, (8 ounces each)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons capers
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) solid light tuna, drained

1. Cook linguine according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
2. Trim fennel bulbs; reserve 1/4 cup chopped fronds. Quarter, core, and thinly slice bulbs crosswise; cook in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add to pasta along with fronds, lemon juice, capers, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and reserved pasta water.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Flake in tuna. Gently toss.

Have a great day
 

E is for Egg

Obviously everyone knows about the humble egg and yet I believe it is one of the most versatile ingredients ever discovered. Most people think of chicken eggs when they think of  them at all, but there are many other bird's eggs which have been eaten by humans (and other animals) for thousands of years. Not that anyone eats alligator eggs as far as I am aware. Other popular choices are duck, quail, roe and caviar. I know that once upon a time in the north of England, the fisherman would go out for lobsters and when they found a female with eggs, they would eat her roe instantly as a great treat. We used to eat a lot of roe in England but always cooked in one way or another. Caviar, which is roe of course, was not usually eaten cooked and many people would never try it. I have never eaten the really good stuff, but even the cheaper kinds are excellent to my palate.

Egg and Lemon or as the Greeks call it Avgolemono, is so very  typical a flavour in Greece. I made this recipe a while ago. It was delicious but, unfortunately I didn't have any dill and I subbed with cooked chicken. It was still very good. Me being me, I nearly forgot to take a picture. It would have looked much nicer with a dill garnish.


Greek Egg and Lemon Soup with Chicken, Rice and Beans

I used cooked chicken from a store bought rotisserie. Obviously cooking times have to be changed.

4 cup chicken broth

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, fat trimmed (about 8 oz.) 

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or finely minced 

1/4 cup rice 

1/2 cup cooked navy beans 

1 egg, separated, at room temperature 

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon) 

1/4 cup chopped dill salt and pepper to taste

Add the chicken broth, chicken, minced/crushed garlic, and brown rice to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until both the rice and the chicken are fully cooked – the rice should be tender and the chicken should be cooked through, with no pink in the middle when you cut into it. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, tear into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. Beat the egg white with a whisk in a medium bowl until it is white and thick. Lightly beat the egg yolk, then add the egg yolk to the beaten egg white and whisk together. Slowly pour the lemon juice into the egg mixture as you whisk. The mixture should be pale yellow and fairly thick. Slowly add a thin stream of the hot broth-rice mixture to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking the eggs vigorously as you do so, to temper the eggs. Use about half of the broth mixture in doing this. Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pan, whisking the soup as you do so. Continue to stir, and add the chicken pieces, chickpeas, and dill to the pot. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, to heat all ingredients through and slightly thicken the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot. Servings: 2

Have a great day
 

D is for Daikon

D is for Daikon

To start the day; I am receiving comments from lots of new people, thank you so very much. I try and return the visits, but many of you are not leaving me a viable link to your blog. On the A to Z website there is a description of how to make a hyperlink which you can leave on a comment so people can just click on it and reach your blog.

Many of you will be familiar with this white radish which hails from the orient. Although it was once from South East Asia, today it is grown all over that area. The Japanese make many different pickles from it. I have also discovered it is grown in North America but not for culinary purposes but to improve soil compaction. The leaves are sometimes harvested for animal fodder. I personally have only ever eaten them raw. A long white crunchy vegetable from the radish family, daikon is similar in appearance to fresh horseradish but packs a lighter peppery punch similar to watercress. Unlike other radishes, it is as good cooked as it is raw. It is also known as mooli.

Here is a recipe using daikon in a salad. I found this on BBC Good Food

Poached smoked salmon salad

Ingredients

For the smoked salmon

• 500g/1lb 2oz duck fat
• 500g/1lb 2oz whole hot-smoked salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

For the salad

• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 50ml/2fl oz rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cucumber, peeled, finely sliced
• ¼ mooli (daikon), peeled, finely sliced

To serve

• 25g/1oz red amaranth leaves
• 25g/1oz coriander cress

Method

1. Heat the duck fat in a saucepan over a medium heat until it melts and its temperature reaches 60C/140F (use a cooks' thermometer to check this). Add the smoked salmon pieces and poach for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
2. For the salad, whisk the caster sugar, rice wine vinegar and water together in a bowl until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. To serve, mix the salad dressing, cucumber and mooli together in a bowl until well combined. Spoon some salad into the centre of each of 4 serving plates. Top each with a piece of poached smoked salmon and scatter over the red amaranth and coriander cress.

Have a great day
 

C is for Cashew Nuts

C is for Cashew Nuts

These are the oddest looking nuts, growing out of the bottom of a fleshy plant. This is directly from Wiki The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple.

It can grow as high as 14 metres (46 ft), but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 metres (20 ft), has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields.

The cashew seed, often simply called a cashew, is widely consumed. It is eaten on its own, used in recipes, or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter. The cashew apple is a light reddish to yellow fruit, whose pulp can be processed into a sweet, astringent fruit drink or distilled into liquor.

The shell of the cashew seed yields derivatives that can be used in many applications from lubricants to paints, and other parts of the tree have traditionally been used for snake-bites and other folk remedies.

Originally native to northeastern Brazil, the tree is now widely cultivated in Vietnam, Nigeria and India as major production countries.

In February I happened to watch a programme about Cashew Nuts, a programme called Food Unwrapped asks why cashews are never sold in their shells. The fruit part is edible straight from the tree and is supposed to have more Vitamin C than an orange. However, the nut is covered in a poisonous shell which could do serious damage to you. The natives burn the nuts in a pan of flames in order to remove the oils in the shell. Large producers do this by boiling the nuts, but it is now known that the shell yields useful derivatives as mentioned above.

I personally eat these nuts as they come from the store and don't usually cook with them, but this is A to Z.

Thai Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Recipe by:Shane Faz

AllRecipes

"A spicy, Thai style chicken dish with flavours of cashews, spring onions, and soy sauce. Serve over

rice."

4 servings

2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 ounces raw cashew nuts
2 fresh hot chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 1/8 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
5 tablespoons light soy sauce
5 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Add all ingredients to list

Heat sesame oil in a wok, and add cashews. Once brown, transfer cashews to a bowl. Set aside.
Add chile peppers to wok, and sir fry for 20 seconds. Stir in chicken, and season with pepper and salt to taste. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Stir in soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Stir in cashews and green onions, and stir fry for 2 minutes.


Have a great day