Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is entitled A Road To The Future and is dedicated to two forward thinking pioneers who were way ahead of their own lifetimes John Loudon McAdam and H G Wells, who share the same birthday this week. The featured recipes this week are Red Velvet Cupcakes, Cajun Spiced Salmon andSpicey Fillet Steaks.
I’ve decided to have a little change in direction with a feature of this blog. Instead of featured herb or spice, I’m going to feature a much maligned and/or forgotten about ingredient. And this week’s much maligned ingredient is Kidney Beans.
John Loudon McAdam John Loudon McAdam (September 21, 1756 – November 26, 1836) was a Scottish engineer and road-builder. He invented a new process, “macadamisation”, for building roads with a smooth hard surface that would be more durable and less muddy than soil-based tracks.
Modern road construction still reflects McAdam’s influence. Of subsequent improvements, the most significant was the introduction of tar (originally coal tar) to bind the road surface’s stones together – “tarmac” (for Tar Macadam) – followed later by the use of hot-laid tarred aggregate or tar-sprayed chippings to create better road metalling. More recently, oil-based asphalt laid on reinforced concrete has become a major road surface, but its use of granite or limestone chippings still recalls McAdam’s innovation.
H G Wells (Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946)) was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books. Together with Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback, Wells has been referred to as “The Father of Science Fiction”.
Wells was an outspoken socialist and sympathetic to pacifist views, although he supported the First World War once it was under way, and his later works became increasingly political and didactic. His middle-period novels (1900–1920) were less science-fictional; they covered lower-middle class life (The History of Mr Polly) and the “New Woman” and the Suffragettes (Ann Veronica).
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My first recipe is Red Velvet Cupcakes. Recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, courtesy of Good To Know website.
Makes 12, and takes 25mins to cook.
For the red velvet cupcakes:
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 egg
10g cocoa powder
20ml red food colouring (preferably Dr. Oetker’s as red food colourings vary in strength)
½tsp vanilla extract
120ml buttermilk
150g plain flour
½tsp salt
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½tsp white wine vinegar
For the cream cheese frosting:
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold
You’ll also need:
12-hole cupcake tray, lined with large cupcake cases
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 mins, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile for the cream cheese frosting: Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 mins. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
When the cupcakes are cold, spoon over the cream cheese frosting on top.
My next recipe is Cajun Spiced Salmon. Recipe by Barney Desmazery, courtesy of Good Food Magazine Oct 2011.
Serves 2, takes 25mins to prepare, 5mins to cook.
2 x Salmon Fillets, approx 140g each
Juice of 1 x Lime
Pinch of Chilli Powder
½ tsp x Ground Cumin
½ tsp x Smoked Paprika
½ tsp x Ground Coriander
Pinch of Soft Brown Sugar
Drizzle of Sunflower Oil
Steamed Rice, to serve
For The Salsa Ripe Avocado, peeled and diced
Handful of Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
2 x Spring Onions, sliced
Juice 1 x Lime
Splash of Olive Oil
Bunch of Coriander, half roughly chopped, half picked into sprigs
Put the salmon in a bowl, pour over the lime juice and leave the salmon to “cure” for mins. Meanwhile, mix all the spices together with the sugar. Lift the salmon out of the lime juice and roll in the spices so it’s completely coated.
Heat the grill to high. Grease a baking tray, then sit the salmon, flesh-side up, on the tray. Grill for 5mins, until the salmon is cooked through and the edges are starting to blacken. While the salmon is cooking, gently mix all the salsa ingredients together with the roughly chopped coriander. When the fish is cooked, serve with the salsa, some rice and the coriander sprigs.
Much Maligned ingredient of the week – Kidney Beans
The kidney bean otherwise called the chili bean, with its dark red skin is named for its visual resemblance to a kidney. The kidney bean is also known as the red bean, although this usage can cause confusion with other red beans. Red kidney beans (rājmā in Hindi and Punjabi) are an integral part of the cuisine in northern region of India. Red kidney beans are used in New Orleans and much of southern Louisiana for the classic Monday Creole dish of red beans and rice. The smaller, darker red beans are also used, particularly in Louisiana families with a recent Caribbean heritage. They are a common ingredient in chili con carne. Small kidney beans used in La Rioja, Spain, are called caparrones.
Raw kidney beans, and some other beans, contain the toxin phytohaemagglutinin, which is destroyed by boiling for at least ten minutes. Dry beans must be boiled prior to slow cooking to avoid poisoning. Even a few beans can be toxic, and beans can be as much as five times more toxic if cooked at 175°F (80°C) than if eaten raw, so adequate preboiling is vital. Cases of poisoning by slow-cooked beans have been published in the UK; poisoning has occurred in the USA, but has not been formally reported.
My final recipe is Spicey Fillet Steaks. Recipe by Valli Little, courtesy of Delicious Magazine Oct 2011.
Serves 6, takes prep 10mins to prepare, cook 10mins to cook + resting.
2tbsp x Olive Oil
4 x 180g Fillet Steaks
2 x Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tsp x Fennel Seeds
25g x Sun-dried Tomato Paste
½ tsp x Chilli Flakes
2 tbsp x Balsamic Vinegar
125ml x Dry Red Wine
125ml x Beef Consommé or Beef Stock
Rocket Leaves to serve
Heat the oil 1 tbsp at a time in a large frying pan over a high heat. In batches, cook the steaks for 2mins on each side until seared but still rare. Season and then rest, loosely covered, for 5mins. Reduce the heat to medium, then cook the garlic, fennel, tomato paste and chilli for 1min, stirring.
Add the vinegar, wine and consommé to the pan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 2-3mins until reduced. Slice the steaks and serve with rocket leaves and the sauce.
Your Future’s Whatever You Make It, So Make It A Good One
If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.
Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D
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