What's cooking / VT cookbook merge

[Stevo985]

I'm currently growing my own chillis. Can't wait until they're done and I can whack them in some curries!

[theunderstudy]

I grew my own chillis last year, superb they were. The jalopenos turned out bostin'.

[Stevo985]

Yeh I've got Jalapenos, plus Tabasco, Anaheim and two I can't remember. Red something and Dutch something.

Edit: Hungarian Hot Wax and Demon Red

[Shillzz]

Fair play, I've never been even mildly successfull in the quest to grow chillis. Same can be said for Corainder, the stuff just flowers at every damn opportunity. Which is a shame, because I use it all the time and I cant always be arsed to line the pockets of my local Budgens store for the privilege.

[BOF]

10 foods to supercharge your health

Basically, if you're not eating home made Indian then why the f**k not

10 foods to supercharge your health

The opening weeks of a new year can be a time when we feel at our most motivated to make big changes to our diet in order to lose weight and improve our health.

However, radical changes to our diet rarely stick. I find that clients are not motivated by hearing about what they shouldn't be eating or drinking. Instead, they like to hear about simple, effective changes they can easily incorporate into their lives. A good strategy for lasting change is to focus on adding to your diet rather than eliminating items.

1 Spices Not only do spices add flavour they also have antioxidant power, which means they help protect us against diseases. For example, one teaspoon of ground cinnamon has the equivalent level of antioxidants as half a cup of blueberries. In addition, they have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation has been identified as a precursor to many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer's. Cinnamon, ginger and turmeric are particularly beneficial to health and should be used liberally. Try adding half a teaspoon of cinnamon to your porridge in the morning. Turmeric is wonderful in a curry and use ginger in a stir fry.

2 Berries All fruit is nutritious, but berries are particularly high in antioxidants which help protect us against ageing and diseases. They're also packed with vitamin C, which helps ward off colds and they've been shown to protect our brain and boost memory. Add fresh or frozen mixed berries to your porridge in the morning, or pop them into your lunch box for a tasty snack. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and cranberries are among the most nutritious.

3 Garlic Eat one clove of garlic per day to keep those pesky bugs away. Garlic is known as 'nature's antibiotic' and for good reason. Garlic contains allicin, a powerful antibiotic agent. It's best to crush garlic and leave it to stand for 15 minutes before adding it to your dish. This will trigger an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds found in garlic. It's also best to add it towards the end of the cooking process.

4 Tea Certain teas have powerful health benefits and are a great way to stay hydrated. Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins that may slow down the growth of cancer cells. In laboratory studies, catechins stop free-radical damage to cells and reduce the number and size of tumours. Rooibos tea tastes similar to normal breakfast tea but doesn't contain caffeine and is believed to alleviate health problems such as irritability, insomnia, headaches, hypertension and anxiety attacks.

5 Nuts If you're looking for simple ways to improve your health snacking on nuts and seeds may be satisfying. Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, a good source of protein and fibre, and offer potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, and heart-healthy mono unsaturated fat. So ditch the biscuits and make nuts your snack of choice -- choose raw, unsalted ones and one palmful a day is enough.

6 Oats The health promoting powers of oats are truly impressive. Oats are low in calories, high in fibre and protein. They're a rich source of magnesium, potassium. zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and B vitamins, which help soothe our nervous system and give us long-lasting energy. However, it's the cholesterol-lowering power of oats that draws the most attention. The specific fibre -- beta glucan-- in oats is the soluble fibre that seems responsible for this benefit. If you don't like porridge try oat cakes or make your own oat crumble or flapjacks (see website for more ideas).

7 Legumes The bean family is a cheap, tasty, and non-perishable food that can be easily incorporated into any cuisine. Beans are a delicious source of protein, fibre, B vitamins, iron, folates, magnesium and many phytonutrients. Because of their high vitamin B and magnesium content, they help our bodies deal with and resist stress. Try adding half a tin of lentils or kidney beans into a Bolognese sauce.

8 Oily fish Most of us are deficient in omega 3 essential fatty acids, which is why we need to consume oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines or take a fish-oil supplement. They are called 'essential' fatty acids because they are needed for normal nervous-system function, memory and mood regulation. Studies have noted that in countries where much fish is eaten, such as Japan and China, rates of depression are low. Omega 3 also helps lower cholesterol and acts as an anti-inflammatory, so it can help those suffering from arthritis.

9 Olive oil If you were to make one change in your kitchen switch to extra virgin olive oil in place of other fats. So many studies have verified the health-promoting qualities of extra virgin olive oil that the European Union has embraced it as the oil of choice, and is investing to promote consumption in its member states. Studies have demonstrated that adding olive oil to your daily diet could reduce your risk of breast and colon cancer.

10 Leafy vegetables The likes of spinach, rocket, kale and cabbage are powerful health promoters. Regular consumption of green leafy vegetables seems to lessen our risk for many of the most common diseases of the 21st century, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Aim to eat at least two portions per day.

Elsa Jones is a nutritional therapist and presenter of How Healthy Are You? on TV3. Elsa offers individual consultations and weight-loss courses. Visit www.elsajonesnutrition.ie

[TheSufferingVilla]

Want to have a go at making so quality Satay Sauce, any suggestions?

[peterms]

Want to have a go at making so quality Satay Sauce, any suggestions?

Here's a fairly typical westernised one, aimed at using ingredients easily available from supermarkets.

Thai recipes will often include some shrimp paste (1/2 or 1 tsp), some chopped fresh coriander root, probably more chili, galangal instead of ginger, no tomato ketchup. Blend all that together, heat through in a pan with a little veg oil until it thickens (it can burn easily, so keep stirring and watching). Thai recipes may add sugar and tamarind juice after cooking.

Another slight variation is that Thai recipes may include only a little coconut milk at the blending stage, just enough to let the mixture blend properly, with the rest of the coconut milk being added to the pan after the mixture has started to cook.

Most recipes I've seen will have onion and garlic, cumin and coriander, chili, fish sauce and/or shrimp paste, peanuts, coconut milk as the main liquid, and sugar and lime or tamarind. Hot, salt, sweet, sour, peanutty.

Nancy Lam uses a different type of nut, candlenuts, similar to macademias but slightly toxic when uncooked. I've never used them, but her satay sauce was always brilliant.

[Shillzz]

...Sprinkle with a tiny bit of fresh parsely, ideally flat leaf.

Chow Down.

Good recipe.

I would add the chorizo at step 2, ie between the shallots and the rice, add the fish with (or instead of) the peas, and add more than a tiny bit of parsley. And fish stock instead of veg (actually chicken stock would work here, strangely), and some garlic and chilli, with the shallots.

It's a good shout.

The thing is that I eat a lot of Risotto with Chorizo, and I eat a lot of stuff which begins life as Garlic, Chilli and Shallots. So it was really as much about getting away from that and doing something different.

The only problem with the recipe is the price of Monkfish!

[Juju]

Nancy Lam uses a different type of nut,

What have gay sheep got to do with this?

[peterms]

Nancy Lam uses a different type of nut,

What have gay sheep got to do with this?

You're a Laandaan boy aren't you Juju?

Haven't tried Nancy Lam's? You should. Indonesian/Malaysian/generally that part of the world, happy to do veggie stuff though giving a bit of notice will help.

I ate there for years, pretty well from when she started up until I moved away. One time she took a dislike to a party of 8 mouthy gits, in her tiny 18 cover place, and said to them "I don't like you. **** off." They laughed. She made herself bigger, leaned over them, and said "No, I mean it. **** off. All of you. Now." And so they did, breaking the window on the way out. We stood in the doorway as a show of solidarity, and they crept off. Half her trade and all her profit gone, in one show of not being bossed around by yuppy clearings in the woods.

Every time I ate there, she cooked a special for my son, not on the menu, and later broke off from cooking, grabbed him by the hand, marched him next door to the sweet shop, bought him ice cream and sweets and brought him back before returning to cook.

Oh, and the food was amazing.

She and Ben must be near retirement age now. Go while you still can. Give her my regards, and ask if she still remembers taking little Joe next door for sweets. You'll find her in Lavender Hill, SW11.

[BOF]

Made an indian tonight that contained no onions, garlic or ginger!! Proper recipe too, not something I just conjured up.

Coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, black pepper and 20 ground green cardamoms, salt, sugar with diced pork.

[Juju]

Lavender Hill, SW11.

Aha. Once upon a time, the family owned a fish shop up there. IT then became a car showroom in the 70's and is now a trendy wine bar. I'll look out for it, its only 12m from Croydon...

[BOF]

Made my own Indian recipe today for the first time Wanted to use some ingredients I had in stock that hadn't been called upon in the recipes I'd done to date. So here it is.

50ml peanut oil

4 chicken breasts (diced)

1½"x1" ginger (chopped)

5 cloves garlic (chopped)

3 large onions (chopped)

250g passatta

200ml natural yogurt (whisked)

(t=teaspoon)

1t coriander powder

1t cumin seeds (ground)

1t extra hot chilli powder

1½" cinnamon stick (ground)

½t turmeric

1t jaggery

1 star anise (ground)

½t asafoetida powder

1t fenugreek seeds (ground)

½t nigella seeds (ground)

1t black pepper (ground)

2 bay leaves

salt to taste

Roast all the spices that need to be ground - cumin, cinnamon, star anise, fenugreek, nigella, pepper for about a minute, then grind them.

Fry the onions & bay leaves in the oil for ~15-20 mins til they go transparent/beige.

Add the garlic & ginger with just enough water to stop it going dry and fry for 5 mins

Add the powdered spices (coriander, chilli, turmeric, asafoetida) to the pan and fry for 3 mins

Add the ground spices with a little water and fry for 5 mins.

Now add the chicken and fry for 10 minutes.

Now add the passatta, yogurt and some water and simmer until the chicken is cooked.

Add the jaggery and add salt to taste.

Gotta say I'm well impressed with the results. It's not an arse burner cuz others have to eat it but it is delicious. I was gonna add apple vinegar but it doesn't need it because the only sweet ingredient is the jaggery so it would be too tart.

[smug mode]

Oh and I've virtually replaced rice as the accompaniment in favour of chana dal. F*ckin' delish !

[claret75]

Will someone tell me how to cook rice well? Mine mainly turns out ok, but not quiet right.

[BOF]

What's not quite right with it, and then we can tell you how to fix it.

[Ryan.]

The only tip I would give is to pour boiled water over the rice when its cooked to get rid of the starch riddled water.

[Ryan.]

Here's my curry that simmering away nicely right now...

I can't emphasize enough what difference a non stick pan makes.

[peterms]

Will someone tell me how to cook rice well? Mine mainly turns out ok, but not quiet right.

The general idea with rice is that first you boil it, then you steam it. Several methods do this as separate operations. Here's a simpler method.

For a long-grain rice like Basmati, if you want it as separate grains:

Take two handfuls per person (simpler than measuring and weighing). Wash it in several changes of cold water, stirring it around with your hand to loosen the starch so it will drain off. You want to get rid of as much starch as you can. Then leave it to soak in fresh water for a couple of hours.

Get a saucepan with a heavy base and a tight fitting lid. Melt a small amount of butter, enough to cover the base of the pan and no more, drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve, rinse under the tap to get rid of any loose starch, and add to the pan. Add the cooking liquid, and salt. Best is home-made stock to suit what you're cooking, eg if you have stored some chicken, veg or other stock in the freezer or if you make some at the time. Water is fine if you don't have stock. If you use a stock cube, don't add salt, as they're mostly salt anyway. You want enough liquid to cover the rice plus about half a centimetre. It will probably look like it's not enough.

Make a cover to go on the rice. This is a circle of greaseproof paper, shaped to fit the pan, which rests on the surface of the water to help the rice to steam. Simplest way is to tear off a piece of paper, place the saucepan lid on it, fold the paper against the edges of the lid, remove the lid, and press down all the creases you have just made. It won't be perfect, it doesn't need to be.

Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down, push the paper circle down so it's resting on the surface of the water - probably part of it won't quite touch, but you're just looking to get most of the paper as close to the rice as you can. Put the lid on the pan, turn down the heat to very low, and set the timer for 10 minutes. Don't take off the lid to check. If you had the water boiling when you pushed the paper down, then even the lowest heat should be enough to keep the water boiling, if the size of the pan is suitable for the ring, ie not a massive pan on a tiny burner.

After 10 mins, check a couple of grains to see if it's cooked. Usually, it will be. If it's still slightly hard in the centre of the grain, put the paper and lid back, and cook for one minute and check again.

Once it's cooked, you can turn off the heat and just leave it there until you need it, so it's worth doing it a little bit before you have to finish off the rest of what you're cooking.

This method should give you perfectly cooked rice with all the grains separate, and nothing stuck to the pan. Serve it straight from the pan, don't rinse it with boiling water - you got rid of the starch a couple of hours earlier.

You can also vary this by adding things with the liquid, like whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, dried chillis or whatever), or lemon juice, or some saffron threads soaked in a small amount of boiling water - whatever you like.

[Ryan.]

...Or you could just rinse at the end and save yourself the hassle :winkold:

[leviramsey]

You could also try marinating your rice in Japanese schoolgirls' shoes

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of stealing student girls’ indoors footwear (uwabaki), adding a touch of dashi, and selling them as “hentai-don”

Don is the rice bowl dish that restaurants like Yoshinoya sell with meat and onions on top, usually as gyudon, and a recent symbol of Japanese deflation as chains compete to discount their ubiquitous meals and attract customers feeling the pinch of the recession. However, I expect even this product innovation was beyond the imaginations of the executives!

The nefarious suspect is 49 years old and and is amazingly said to have stolen around 748 gym shoes and slippers. He apparently simmered the pilfered goods for a week, before adding them to tamago gohan. The final pièce de résistance were bras and swimsuits grated and sprinkled on top. He then sold the groundbreaking “hentai-don” for 850 yen (about US$10). Even the eggs in the tamago gohan were stolen from the school hens!

Still, it seems the current trend with Japanese men accused of terrible crimes is for them simply to write a book about their escapades, so perhaps the publishing industry will embrace this culinary pioneer!