Sunday 26 January 2014

Roman Oxtail Stew (Coda alla Vaccinara).

Roman Oxtail Stew (Coda alla Vaccinara) Recipe | SAVEUR: "Coda alla Vaccinara" -
is a modern Roman oxtail stew made from oxtail and various vegetables, most notably celery.
Serves 4
4 tbs plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1.5kg ox tail
4tbs vegetable oil
150g pancetta
2 sticks of celery, sliced thinly (in fact - 1.5 kilo of celery for every kilo of tail)
4 carrots, cut into thick rounds
15 shallots, whole and peeled with roots cut off
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
150g tinned prunes, stoned
600ml beef stock
350ml red wine

Italian Soffrito


Italian Soffrito

In reality, soffrito means "softly fried", and it's actually the Italian version of "sweating", or cooking aromatic vegetables at a low temperature. It's used in the same way mire poix is, by being a flavourful base to just about anything savoury.

Friday 24 January 2014

Haricot beans.

Pros: Haricot, or white beans, are a good all-round food. They are rich in
soluble fibre which helps to reduce the level
of 'bad' cholesterol in the blood, thus cutting the risk of
heart disease, strokes and even diabetes. Beans
have an extremely low glycaemic index, which means that it takes the body
longer to break down the complex carbohydrate into simple sugars and hunger
pangs are kept at bay longer. This, and because they are very low in fat
and cholesterol, makes beans a perfect food for dieters and diabetics. As
an added bonus, eating beans will give you potassium, iron, magnesium and
manganese.
Cons: Canned haricot beans can have a high salt content. Rinse them before use.

Haricot
These beans are probably best known covered in tomato sauce and called 'Baked Beans'. They are small, oval, creamy coloured beans, which if purchased dried, must be soaked and cooked prior to use. Haricot beans are also known as navy beans because of their extensive use at sea during the 19th century.
Uses: Slow-cooked casseroles, especially pork recipes, salads. They are the principle ingredient of such dishes as cassoulet and haricot lamb.
To store: Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, canned beans should be transferred to a non-metallic container, covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To prepare: Soak the dried beans in water for at least 5 hours and drain. Place the beans in a saucepan and cover with water, boil briskly for 10 minutes. If the beans are to be cooked in a recipe, then follow the recipe. If the beans are to be served as a vegetable simmer for 1-1½ hours until tender. Five minutes before the end of cooking time, add salt to taste. Drain and serve.

The World's Healthiest Foods.

Thursday 23 January 2014

Cook with Pea Shoots.

Pea Shoot, Sugar Snap Pea and Orange Salad
Makes 4 side or 2 main servings

1 small bunch fresh pea shoots, thick stems removed, and hand torn, about 2 packed cups
1 cup fresh sugar snap peas
1 large orange, peeled and cut into segments
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Toss pea shoots, sugar snap peas, and orange segments in a medium bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust as necessary. Pour over salad, toss well and serve.

The Yellow House » Garlicky pea shoots:
The basics: Get some peas (there are certain varieties sold specifically for sprouting, but any variety sold for growing will do, really.
I use an organic, dwarf grey sugar pea, which is known to be a nice salad green).
 Put them in some sort of container: a wide-mouth jar or glass bowl.
Add water and let them soak for a few minutes.
Then, rubberband some cheesecloth over the opening of the jar and drain out the water (it doesn’t need to be completely dry inside; a little damp is good).
Set the jar on your windowsill.
Do this every day for a few days—add water, drain through the cheesecloth, and allow to sit on the windowsill.

Garlicky pea shoots
You will need
1 clove of garlic, pounded to a paste in a mortar and pestle, or crushed and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups pea shoots, loosely packed
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Heat the oil and garlic in a skillet until very hot, but do not allow the garlic to brown. When the oil shimmers, add the pea shoots, and stir to coat with oil. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the shoots have wilted a bit and their leaves look a bit frizzled. Salt and pepper to taste.
To add into scrambled eggs, remove the pea shoots from the skillet and set aside in a bowl. In the same skillet, make scrambled eggs your favorite way (I’m a low-and-slow kind of girl). Just before the eggs are cooked as much as you’d like them to be, stir in the pea shoots. Serve with crusty toast.

I always reserve a few uncooked pea shoots to toss on at the end.

How to Buy, Store and Cook with Pea Shoots

Wednesday 22 January 2014

Red Cabbage and Apple Salad With Ginger Vinaigrette

Ingredients
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups packed shredded red cabbage
2 cups packed shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water
1/4 cup toasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
Preparation
1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl.
Whisk in olive oil, salt, and pepper; set aside.

2. Toss cabbages together in a large serving bowl.
Toss apple slices with lemon juice to keep from browning.

3. Add apple, raisins, and half the sunflower seeds to cabbage.
Toss with the dressing.
Garnish servings with remaining seeds.

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing.

- less than 50 calories per serving
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (7-ounce) bottles roasted red bell peppers, drained
Preparation
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Soup. The root celery+stalk celery.

Celery and Its Root Soup » Not Eating Out in New York:

" Celery and Its Root Soup
(makes about 4-6 servings, or 1 quart)

1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling on each bowl)
1 very large celery root (or two small ones), yielding about 1 lb peeled cubes
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (or substitute with water)
salt and white pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
handful celery leaves (for garnish)
1/4 cup very finely sliced celery stalks (for garnish)

Sunday 12 January 2014

Cozy Potpourri Blends

Potpourri  is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant material, used to provide a gentle natural scent to perfume a room.
The word "potpourri" comes into English from the French word "pot-pourri."
Here are a few recommended blends to get you started:
Apples, cinnamon, cloves
Lemon, rosemary, vanilla
Pine branches, orange, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cranberries
Lemon, orange, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves
Lavender, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon
Orange, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves

Thursday 9 January 2014

Супчик. Овощной с макаронными изделиями.

La cuisine tunisienne - Исправляюсь:
Сегодня будет хлалем биль худар, что в переводе с тунисского означает - макаронные изделия с овощами.
Типа супа густого должно получиться.

Итак, мне понадобилось следующее:

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Meat piroshki.

           Serve these with borscht or consomme.  
Dough
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt 
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shortening
Knead, let it rise until doubled in volume. 
Meat filling
2 cups cooked ground beef
1 -2 hard boiled eggs (optional)
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 Tbsp oil
1/2 Tbsp buller
salt and pepper
sour cream
Saute the onion; add to the ground meat, eggs, season, add enough sour cream to moisten or, instead, use 1 cup mashed potatoes. 
Pinch off pieces of dough and flatten them into rounds with your hands. Put one tablespoon of fillng on the round, seal the edges toghether to form an oblong bun and plase on a greased cookie sheet.  Proof for 10 min, bake at 350F for 25 min until golden brown. 

Дрожжи.

Соотношение свежих и сухих дрожжей.
Да, конечно.
Можно использовать сухие дрожжи вместо прессованных.
Сухие дрожжи при этом перед употреблением надо размачивать в теплой воде (45С), прежде чем вмешивать в опарное тесто или активировать прежде чем вмешивать в безопарное.

По количествам сухих дрожжей по сравнению со свежими берут так:

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Пирожки с капустой

Пирожки с капустой:

'via Blog this'

Томленая фасоль по-старинному

Кулинария - Томленая фасоль по-старинному:
Рецепт
на 2-2.5л

фунт мелкой белой фасоли (2 стакана, 450г, сорт "белый горох" или похожий)
1.25л холодной воды
1 луковица, мелко порезать
1/2 ст.л. соли (8г)
2ч.л. яблочного уксуса
1 ст.л. сахара-сырца
1/2ч.л. столовой горчицы
1/4 стак мелассы (черной рафинадной патоки)
1/2 стак несоленого кетчупа
щепота черного перца
100г тощего канадского бекона кубиками или полосками (срезать внешнюю полосочку жира), в вегетарианском варианте - ещё одна мелко порезанная луковица

Salad time.

Fennel and Fern » New Year Resolution: Salad time:

'via Blog this'

13 Best Recipes of 2013-Willow Bird Baking.

Willow Bird Baking’s 13 Best Recipes of 2013 > Willow Bird Baking:

'via Blog this'