Long Lazy Lunches and Chocolate Munchies

n this fast-paced life that we lead, our weekends and leisure time are precious to us all. So the bigger opportunities that we get to enjoy them, the more the better. Like meals that we can throw together, put in the oven and forget for a couple of hours or sweet things that we can enjoy with a hot cuppa. These are exactly the things I’ve got for you for this week’s recipes, they are: – Chocolate Millionaire’s Shortbread and Pork & Chickpea Curry.

My first recipe is Chocolate Millionaire’s Shortbread Courtesy of Delicious Magazine.

Makes 16 squares, Takes 15mins to make, 25-30mins to cook, plus cooling

100g x Unsalted Butter, softened
50g x Golden Caster Sugar
175g x Plain White Flour
150g x Dark Chocolate Cake Covering
150g x White Chocolate Cake Covering

For the Caramel
110g x Unsalted Butter
110g x Golden Caster Sugar
397g x Can of Condensed Milk

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20cm x 20cm baking tin and line with baking paper. Cream together the softened butter and caster sugar in a food processor until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour until the dough comes together. Tip the dough into the tin, spread evenly over the base, then flatten using the back of a spoon. Prick all over with a fork, then bake for 20mins until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely in the tin.

To prepare the caramel, put the butter, caster sugar and condensed milk in a medium non-stick pan over a low heat. Stir until the butter and sugar are melted. Increase to a medium heat and bring to the bol, stirring constantly for 5mins or so until it thickens and darkens slightly. Pour the caramel over the shortbread base and allow to set. Once set. Melt the dark and white chocolates separately accordingly to pack instructions. Pour both over the caramel in a random pattern, then swirl together using a cocktail stick. Allow to set, cut into squares and serve.

My final recipe is Pork & Chickpea Curry, Courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine February 2012.

Serves 8 – 10, Prep 20 mins plus marinating, Cook 2 hrs 15 mins

1½ tsp x Black Peppercorns
2 tsp x Fennel Seeds
1 tsp x Coriander Seeds
2 tsp x Cumin Seeds
1 tsp x Chilli Powder
½ tsp turmeric
2 x Garlic Bulbs, peeled, cloves separated
100ml x Red Wine Vinegar
1.5kg x Pork Shoulder, cut into 2.5cm pieces
50ml x Vegetable Oil
3 x Large Red Onions , finely chopped
2 x Red Peppers , deseeded and roughly chopped
1 x400g can of Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp x Dark Muscovado Sugar
2 x 400g tins of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
450ml x Chicken Stock
Rice, to serve

Heat a small pan over a medium heat. Add the peppercorns, fennel, coriander and cumin seeds, and dry-fry for about 1 min, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Tip into a small food processor with the chilli powder and turmeric. Put the garlic in the pan and fry for 1-2 mins until flecked golden. Add the garlic and vinegar to the spices and process to a coarse paste. Put the pork in a bowl. Add the paste and mix with your hands to combine – it’s best to use disposable gloves, as turmeric stains. Leave to marinate for 15 mins.

Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Heat oil in a flameproof dish and fry the onions until beginning to colour. Increase heat to high, add the pork and fry, stirring often, for about 10 mins until darkened. Add the peppers, tomatoes and sugar, and cook for 10 mins more until the tomatoes have reduced and the paste clings to the meat. Stir in the chickpeas and stock. Put on the lid, bring to a simmer, then put in the oven for about 1½ hrs until the meat is tender and the sauce thickened. Eat immediately with rice, or cool before freezing in batches for up to 3 months.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by 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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This Chicken’s All Wrapped Up for Winter

Keeping warm over the winter months can help prevent colds, flu or more serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression. Every winter in the UK, 25,000-30,000 deaths are linked to the cold weather. Currently, approximately four million households in the UK are in fuel poverty. This is when a household spends more than 10% of its income to keep warm. The government’s advice on getting ready for winter aims to reduce cold-related illness and deaths. Key tips include:

Keep your home warm. Your main living room should be between around 18-21C (65-70F) and the rest of the house at a minimum of 16C (61F). You can also use a hot-water bottle or electric blanket (but not both at the same time) to keep warm while you’re in bed.

Eat well. Food is a vital source of energy, which helps to keep your body warm. Try to make sure that you have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day and keep active in the home if you can.

Wrap up warm, inside and out. Layer your clothing to stay warm and wear shoes with a good grip if you need to go outside. If possible, stay inside during a cold period if you have heart or respiratory problems.

Check on older neighbours or relatives to make sure they’re safe and well. Make sure they’re warm enough, especially at night, and have stocks of food and medicines so they don’t need to go out during very cold weather.

With this in mind this week’s recipes are both warming, filling and quick to make. They are Spiced Omelette Wrapsand Chicken with Wine & Mushrooms.

My first recipe is Spiced Omelette Wraps, original recipe by Nigella Lawson.

Takes seconds to prepare, 2 mins to cook, serves 1

4 x Fresh Eggs
1 x Heaped tsp of Ground Spice of Choice (Curry Powder, Chilli Powder or Cajun Spice)
Mixed Dried Herbs (optional)
Sea Salt
White Pepper
1 x Large Wrap (Flatbread, Tortilla, Naan Bread or North Staffordshire Oatcake)

Beat the 4 eggs together, add a touch of salt & pepper and your spice of choice and mix until combined. Heat a frying with a teaspoon of oil. Add the egg mixture, swirl it around in the pan allowing it to run to the edges. Make a small hole in the middle of the omelette so that the mixture cooks in the middle as well as the edges. Lift the edges of the omelette off the frying pan, to allow steam escape from under the omelette. As the omelette cooks the egg will set, but will remain slightly runny on top, so (depending on confidence) by placing a spatula under the cooking omelette flip it over. If you’re not brave enough to do so, put under a hot grill to finish but be very careful all the same.

Once the top has set, turn it out on top of your wrap/flatbread/etc, add a little sauce if needed and roll. If you have excess “wrap” at the bottom of your roll, tuck it up so that you don’t lose any of the content.

My final recipe is Chicken with Wine & Mushrooms, Courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com first printed in GoodFood Magazine February 2007.

Serves 4, Prep 5 mins, Cook 15 mins

4 x Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 tbsp x Plain Flour, seasoned
150ml x Chicken Stock (use ½ a stock cube) 
250g x Chestnut Mushrooms, halved
A Few Thyme Sprigs, leaves only
150ml x Red Wine
1 tbsp x Mild Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil

Toss the chicken in the flour, then tap off the excess. Mix 1 tsp of the excess flour with a little stock and set aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the chicken, mushrooms and thyme. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 mins, turning the chicken breasts over once until golden.

Lift the chicken out, then set aside. Pour in the wine and the remaining stock and boil for 5 mins or until reduced by half. Add the flour and stock mix, stirring until the sauce thickens a little. Put the chicken back into the pan, along with any juices from the plate, then simmer for 5 mins or until cooked through and the sauce is glossy. Serve with mash.

Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to do so by using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
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Hail & Farewell to the Sound of Steam & Thunder

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to Reverend W. Awdry who’s birthday is remembered this week and to the memory of Ray Bradbury who sadly passed away last week. The recipes this week are taken from the Good Food Magazine, they are Mustardy Pork & Apples, Blackberry & Apple Loaf and Apple Pie Samosas.

Reverend W. Awdry, OBE (15 June 1911 – 21 March 1997), was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children’s author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry’s acclaimed Railway Series.

Ray Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) was an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers of speculative fiction. Many of Bradbury’s works have been adapted into television shows or films.

The full version of this article can be found at www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk

My first recipe is Mustardy Pork & Apples Courtesy of Good Food magazine, March 2006.

Serves 4, prep 5 mins, cook 20 mins.

4 x Pork Steaks, approx 140g each, trimmed of excess fat
1 tbsp x Oil
2 x Eating Apples, cored and cut into eight
1 x Onion, halved and sliced
A Small Handful of Sage Leaves, torn, or 2 tsp x Dried Sage
100ml x Chicken Stock (from a cube is fine) 
2 tsp x Dijon Mustard or Wholegrain Mustard

Rub the pork steaks with a little oil and season with pepper and salt to taste. Heat a large frying pan and fry the steaks for 2 mins on both sides until golden. Transfer to a plate. Adding a little more oil to the pan, fry the apples, onions and sage for 5 mins or until the apples have softened.

Pour in the stock and spoon in the mustard, then return the pork to the pan and simmer for 10 mins until the sauce has reduced by about a third and the pork is cooked through. Serve with veg and mashed potatoes.

My next recipe is Blackberry & Apple Loaf Courtesy of Good Food magazine, September 2002.

Cuts into 10 chunky slices, ready in 2 hours, including baking.

250g x Self-Raising Flour
175g x Butter
175g x Light Muscovado Sugar
½ tsp x Cinnamon
2 rounded tbsp x Demerara Sugar
1 x Small Eating Apple, such as Cox’s, quartered (not cored or peeled)
2 x Large Eggs, beaten
1 x Orange, finely grated zest
1 tsp x Baking Powder
225g x Blackberries

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Butter and line the bottom of a 1.7 litre loaf tin (see tip below). In a large bowl, rub the flour, butter and muscovado sugar together with your fingers to make fine crumbs. Measure out 5 level tbsp of this mixture into a small bowl for the topping, and mix in to it the cinnamon and demerara sugar. Set aside.
Coarsely grate the apple down to the core and mix in with the eggs and the zest. Stir the baking powder into the rubbed-in mixture in the large bowl, then quickly and lightly stir in the egg mixture until it drops lightly from the spoon. Don’t over-mix.

Gently fold in three quarters of the berries with a metal spoon, trying not to break them up. Spoon into the tin and level. Scatter the rest of the berries on top. Sprinkle over the topping and bake for 1¼ -1 hour 20 minutes. Check after 50 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it is browning too much. When done the cake will feel firm, but test with a skewer.
Leave in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out, then cool on a wire rack. Peel off the paper before cutting. Will keep wrapped in foil or in a tin for up to 2 days.

My final recipe is Apple Pie Samosas Courtesy of Good Food magazine, February 2010.

Serves 4, prep 20 mins, cook 25 mins

2 x Cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
50g x Caster Sugar
1 tsp x Ground Mixed Spice
50g x Sultanas
4 x Filo Pastry Sheets
25g x Low-Fat Spread (we used Flora Light), melted

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the apples, sugar, mixed spice and sultanas in a saucepan with 2 tbsp water and cook, covered, for 6 mins or until the apples are soft, stirring once or twice. Tip into a shallow dish and spread out to cool slightly.

Cut the sheets of filo in thirds lengthways, then brush lightly with the melted spread. Place a spoonful of the apple filling at the top of each strip, then fold over and over to form triangular parcels. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 mins until crisp and golden. Serve with low-fat yogurt, if you like.

“The sound I hear today is the thunder of a giant’s footsteps fading away. But the novels and stories remain, in all their resonance and strange beauty.” – Stephen King talking about Ray Bradbury

Tune into my shows on 6townsradio “The Thursday Morning Show with TheRealTonyc” every Thursday from 10-12 & my Sunday show “UndertheCovers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.

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

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
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In Remembrance

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to those who those who have fallen in conflicts the world over so that we can enjoy life Remembrance Day and An Ode to Remembrance.This week’s recipes are all original recipes from the 1940’s and were firm wartime favourites, they are Scotch Sausage Carrot Fudge and 5 Dishes from 1 recipe.

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries to remember the members of their armed forces who have died on duty since World War I. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognised as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the official end of World War I on that date in 1918, as the major hostilities of World War I were formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. (Note that “at the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.)

The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during World War I. This was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilt in the war.

An Ode to Remembrance is an ode taken from Laurence Binyon’s poem “For the Fallen”, which was first published in The Times in September 1914. The poet wrote For the Fallen, which has seven stanzas, while sitting on the cliffs between Pentire Point and The Rumps in north Cornwall, UK. A stone plaque was erected at the spot in 2001 to commemorate the fact. The plaque bears the inscription “For the Fallen. Composed on these cliffs 1914.” The poem honoured the World War I British war dead of that time and in particular the British Expeditionary Force, which had by then already had high casualty rates on the developing Western Front. The poem was published when the Battle of the Marne was foremost in people’s minds.

The line Lest we forget is often added to the end of the ode, which is repeated in response by those listening, especially in Australia. In the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the final line of the ode, “We will remember them”, is repeated in response. In Canada, the last stanza of the above extract has become known as the Act of Remembrance, and the final line is also repeated.

The “Ode of Remembrance” is regularly recited at memorial services held on days commemorating World War I, such as ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day, and Remembrance Sunday. In Australia’s Returned and Services Leagues, it is read out nightly at 6 p.m., followed by a minute’s silence. In New Zealand it is part of the Dawn service at 6 a.m. Recitations of the “Ode of Remembrance” are often followed by a playing of the Last Post. In Canadian remembrance services, a French translation is often used along with or instead of the English ode.

The full version of this article can be found at www.chefgarfyinfo.blog.co.uk

www.intimately-yours.org

My first recipe is Scotch Sausage courtesy of www. woottonbridgeiow.org.uk

230g x Cooked Sausages
450g x Cooked Mashed Potatoes
28g x Butter
A little milk
Seasoning
Yolk of egg
Breadcrumbs
Fat for frying

Mash the potatoes with the butter and the seasonings, adding sufficient milk to make a fairly stiff mixture. Divide each sausage in two, cover with mashed potatoes, egg and crumbs, and fry in hot fat.

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My next recipe is Carrot Fudge courtesy of www.show.me.uk. First printed Recipe in Colleen Moulding’s “Frugal Recipes from Wartime Britain”.

4tbsp x Finely Grated Carrot
1 x Gelatine Leaf
Orange Essence or Squash
A Saucepan
A Flat Dish

Put the carrots in a pan and cook them gently in just enough water to keep them covered, for ten minutes. Add a little orange essence, or orange squash to flavour the carrot. Melt a leaf of gelatine and add it to the mixture. Cook the mixture again for a few minutes, stirring all the time. Spoon it into a flat dish and leave it to set in a cool place for several hours. When the “fudge” feels firm, cut it into chunks and get eating!

www.intimately-yours.org

My final recipe is 5 Dishes from 1 recipe courtesy of www.thecoops.me.uk

1 level tbsp x Dried Egg
115g x Flour
Pinch of Salt
284ml x Milk & Water combined

Mix the dry ingredients. Add enough of the liquid to make a stiff mixture. Beat well and then add the rest of the liquid and beat again.

Yorkshire Puddings
Get a knob of fat smoking hot in a baking tin, pour in the batter, cook in a brisk oven for 30 minutes.

Toad in the Hole
Use the Yorkshire pudding batter with Sausage or meat leftovers and bake for 30minutes.

Batter Puddings
Same as Yorkshires, but omit the salt and add sugar and fruit. Serve in a baking dish.

Sweet Pancakes
Get a knob of fat smoking hot in a frying pan. Cook each pancake separately and roll up with lemon and sugar, to serve.

Savoury Pancakes
As Above, add onions, leeks or grated cheese… but omitting the sugar and lemon.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

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

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
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The Apple of Our i

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is entitled The Apple of Our i and is dedicated to one man, whose visionary creations helped change the world forever Steve Jobs, who sadly lost his fight with cancer on October 5th. And in honour of Steve and his achievements all the featured recipes this week have apples as their main ingredient, they areSpiced Apple Samosas, Apple-Cobbler, and Chicken and Apples in Honey Mustard Sauce.

I’ve decided to have a little change in direction with a feature of this blog. Instead of a 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 Broad Beans.

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American computer entrepreneur and inventor. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. He also previously served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios; he became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, following the acquisition of Pixar by Disney. He was credited in Toy Story (1995) as an executive producer.
In the late 1970s, Steve Jobs, with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Mike Markkula, and others, designed, developed, and marketed one of the first commercially successful lines of personal computers, the Apple II series. In the early 1980s, Jobs was among the first to see the commercial potential of Xerox PARC’s mouse-driven graphical user interface, which led to the creation of the Macintosh. After losing a power struggle with the board of directors in 1985, he resigned from Apple and founded NeXT, a computer platform development company specializing in the higher-education and business markets. Apple’s subsequent 1996 buyout of NeXT brought Jobs back to the company he co-founded, and he served as its CEO from 1997 until 2011. In 1986, he acquired the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm Ltd which was spun off as Pixar Animation Studios. He remained CEO and majority shareholder at 50.1 percent until its acquisition by The Walt Disney company in 2006. Consequently he became Disney’s largest individual shareholder at 7 percent and a member of Disney’s Board of Directors.

His aim to develop products that are both functional and elegant earned him a devoted following.

On August 24, 2011, Jobs announced his resignation from his role as Apple’s CEO. In his letter of resignation, Jobs strongly recommended that the Apple executive succession plan be followed and Tim Cook be named as his successor. Per his request, Jobs was appointed chairman of Apple’s board of directors. On October 5, 2011, Apple announced that Jobs had died at the age of 56.

The full version of this article can be found at www.chefgarfyinfo.blog.co.uk

www.intimately-yours.org

My first recipe is Spiced Apple Samosas, courtesy of Good Food Channel website.

Makes 2, takes 30mins plus resting to prepare and takes 15mins to cook.

For the apple filling
A Knob of Butter
A Pinch of Ground Cinnamon
A Small Handful of Sultanas
4 x Bramley Apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

For the pastry x Self-Raising Flour, plus extra for dusting
100g x Butter
4tbsp x Water
Vegetable Oil, for deep-frying
Caster Sugar
A Pinch of Ground Cinnamon
A Pinch of Ground Allspice
Vanilla Ice Cream, to serve

For the apple filling: melt the butter in a pan, then add the cinnamon, sultanas and apples and slowly stew them. As they become soft, take off the heat and gently mash with a potato masher. Leave to cool.

For the pastry: tip the flour into a mixing bowl and with your fingers slowly rub the butter into it until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Moisten with the water and mix with a wooden spoon. Squeeze the mixture into a dough, adding more water if necessary but making sure it doesn’t become sloppy. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Flour your surface and gently roll the pastry with a rolling pin until very thin. Cut two circles in the pastry using a breakfast bowl. Cut each circle in half, then dip your finger in water and run it across the straight side of the semi-circle, fold over and seal the moistened edge. Carefully open the pastry in your hand to create a cone.

Spoon the cooled apple filling into each pastry cone, leaving enough space to fully seal the pastry. Using a wet finger, seal the edge of the cone and check all edges. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and allspice.

Carefully add the samosas to the hot oil and cook until puffed up and slightly coloured. Drain on kitchen towel, then toss in the spiced sugar. Place two samosas in a serving bowl and serve with a large scoop of good vanilla ice cream.

www.intimately-yours.org

My next recipe is Apple-Cobbler, courtesy of Landolakes.com.

Serves 12, takes 20mins to prepare and takes 40mins to cook.

2kgs x Tart Cooking Apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4-inch
220g x Sugar
3/4 tsp x Ground Cinnamon
450g x All-Purpose Flour
450g x Sugar
2 x Large Eggs
2tsp x Baking Powder
3/4tsp x salt
150g x Butter, melted

Heat oven to 350°F. Place sliced apples in ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan.
Stir together 220g of sugar and 1/2tsp of cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle this over the apples.

Combine remaining cinnamon, flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Pour melted butter over topping. Bake for 45 to 55 5minutes or until lightly browned and apples are tender. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

www.intimately-yours.org

Much Maligned ingredient of the week – Broad Beans
Vicia faba, the Broad Bean, Fava Bean, Field Bean, Bell Bean or Tic Bean, is a species of bean (Fabaceae) native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. Broad beans have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture, being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. It is believed that along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they became part of the eastern Mediterranean diet in around 6000 BC or earlier. They are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion, because they can over-winter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil. These commonly cultivated plants can be attacked by fungal diseases, such as rust (Uromyces viciae-fabae) and chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae). It is also attacked by the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae).

The broad bean has high hardiness cvs. This means it can withstand rough climates, and in this case, cold ones. Unlike most legumes, the broad bean can be grown in soils with high salinity. However, it does prefer to grow in rich loams.

In much of the Anglophone world, the name broad bean is used for the large-seeded cultivars grown for human food, while horse bean and field bean refer to cultivars with smaller, harder seeds (more like the wild species) used for animal feed, though their stronger flavour is preferred in some human food recipes, such as falafel. The term fava bean (from the Italian fava, meaning “broad bean”) is usually used in English speaking countries such as the US, however the term broad bean is the most common name in the UK.

Broad beans are eaten while still young and tender, enabling harvesting to begin as early as the middle of spring for plants started under glass or over-wintered in a protected location, but even the main crop sown in early spring will be ready from mid to late summer. Horse beans, left to mature fully, are usually harvested in the late autumn. The young leaves of the plant can also be eaten either raw or cooked like spinach.

The beans can be fried, causing the skin to split open, and then salted and/or spiced to produce a savory crunchy snack. These are popular in China, Colombia, Peru (habas saladas), Mexico (habas con chile) and Thailand (where their name means “open-mouth nut”). Broad bean purée with wild chicory is a typical Puglian dish in Italy.

In the Sichuan cuisine of China, broad beans are combined with soybeans and chili peppers to produce a spicy fermented bean paste called doubanjiang. In most Arab countries, the fava bean is used for a breakfast dish called ful medames.

Fava beans are common in Latin American cuisines as well. In central Mexico, mashed fava beans are a common filling for many corn flour-based antojito snacks such as tlacoyos. In Colombia they are most often used whole in vegetable soups. Dried and salted fava beans are a popular snack in many Latin countries.

In Portugal, a fava bean (usually referred to as fava in Portuguese) is included in the bolo-rei (king cake), a Christmas cake. Traditionally, the person who gets fava has to buy the cake the following year.

In the Netherlands, they are traditionally eaten with fresh savory and some melted butter. When rubbed the velvet insides of the pods are a folk remedy against warts. Broad beans are widely cultivated in the Kech and Panjgur districts of Balochistan Province in Pakistan, and in the eastern province of Iran. In the Balochi language, they are called bakalaink, and baghalee in Persian.

Broad beans are rich in tyramine, and thus should be avoided by those taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Raw broad beans contain the alkaloids vicine, isouramil and convicine, which can induce hemolytic anemia in patients with the hereditary condition glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD). This potentially fatal condition is called “favism” after the fava bean. Broad beans are rich in L-dopa, a substance used medically in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. L-dopa is also a natriuretic agent, which might help in controlling hypertension.

Areas of origin of the bean correspond to malarial areas. There are epidemiological and in vitro studies which suggest that the hemolysis resulting from favism acts as protection from malaria, because certain species of malarial protozoa such as Plasmodium falcipacrum are very sensitive to oxidative damage due to deficiency of the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme, which would otherwise protect from oxidative damage via production of glutathione reductase. The seed testas contain condensed tannins of the proanthocyanidins type that could have an inhibitory activity on enzymes.

www.intimately-yours.org

My final recipe is Chicken and Apples in Honey Mustard Sauce, courtesy of simplyrecipes.com.

Serves 4, takes 5mins to prepare and takes 25mins to cook.

125ml x Cider
1 1/2 tsp x Cornflour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp x Honey
2tbsp x Dijon mustard
100ml x Flour, for dredging
500g x Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2tbsp x Olive Oil
2 x Small Unpeeled Apples, cored and cut into eighths (use Golden delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Pippin, or McIntosh apples, good cooking apples)
125ml x Chicken Stock
Fresh parsley for garnish

Whisk the cider, cornflour, mustard, honey, salt and pepper (to taste) in a bowl. Set aside. Salt the chicken well and dust in flour. Shake off the excess. In a large non-stick pan, heat the oil and add the chicken breasts. Cook over medium heat until golden brown on one side, approx. 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken, add the apples, and cook until browned on the other side.
Add chicken stock and cider mixture and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer until chicken is tender, approx. 15 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove chicken and apples to serving plates. Spoon sauce over the chicken and apples and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with rice or noodles.

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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2976 Angels Called To Heaven

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. The world will be remembering just one event this week, the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks – The day the world changed. So this week’s blog is dedicated to The Victims and Heroes of 9/11. The recipes this week are Sausage Cobbler, Taverned Bacon and Apple and Plum Charlotte with Custard. The spice of the week is Sesame.

The September 11 attacks (also called 9/11), were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks against targets in New York and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally crashed two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. Hijackers crashed a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. When passengers attempted to take control of the fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, it crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, preventing it from reaching its intended target in Washington, D.C. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the attacks.
Suspicion quickly fell on al-Qaeda, the Islamist militant group. In 2004, Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who had initially denied involvement, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives for the attacks. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harboured al-Qaeda members. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. In May 2011 bin Laden was found and killed.

Many lives were lost on that day, and many more would have subsequently been lost if it had not been for the selfless actions of the American emergency services, many of whom perished on that day. The following poem pays tribute to them and those who died on that fateful day in September.

We Shall Never Forget (9-11 Tribute) by Alan W. Jankowski (from www.9-11heroes.us)

Let the world always remember,
That fateful day in September,
And the ones who answered duties call,
Should be remembered by us all.

Who left the comfort of their home,
To face perils as yet unknown,
An embodiment of goodness on a day,
When men’s hearts had gone astray.

Sons and daughters like me and you,
Who never questioned what they had to do,
Who by example, were a source of hope,
And strength to others who could not cope.

Heroes that would not turn their back,
With determination that would not crack,
Who bound together in their ranks,
And asking not a word of thanks.

Men who bravely gave their lives,
Whose orphaned kids and widowed wives,
Can proudly look back on their dad,
Who gave this country all they had.

Actions taken without regret,
Heroisms we shall never forget,
The ones who paid the ultimate price,
Let’s never forget their sacrifice.

And never forget the ones no longer here,
Who fought for the freedoms we all hold dear,
And may their memory never wane,
Lest their sacrifices be in vain.

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My first recipe is Sausage Cobbler, courtesy of Good To Know website – first appeared in a 1974 issue of Woman’s Weekly magazine.

Makes 4-6, takes 30mins to prepare, 55mins to cook.

6 x Good-Sized Sausages
125g x Belly or Shoulder of Pork, rind and any bones removed, chopped into 6 or 8 pieces
2 x Medium Onions, peeled and sliced
2 x Large Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp x Plain Flour, level
150ml x Cider
300ml x Hot Organic Chicken Stock
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

For the topping:
250g (8oz) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1tsp x Dried Sage, level
45g x Butter
150ml x Milk
1.25 litre x Pie Dish
6.5cm x Plain Cutter

Fry the sausages and pork in a frying pan over a very low heat for 15 mins until they are golden brown. Use a draining spoon to put them into the dish. Set the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Add the onion and carrot to the fat in the pan and fry over a low heat for about 10 mins until softened. Stir in flour and mix well. Take pan off heat and gradually blend in the cider and stock. Put pan back on the heat, stirring all time, to make a sauce. Check the seasoning and pour the sauce over the pork and sausages.

To make the topping: Mix the flour, salt and sage in a bowl. Rub in the butter, then mix in enough milk to make a fairly soft dough and turn it out on to a lightly floured work surface.
Roll the dough out to just under 1.5cm (½in) thick and cut out 8 scones with the cutter. Place them on top of sausage mixture and bake for 30 mins until the scones are golden and well-risen.

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My next recipe is Taverned Bacon, courtesy of Good To Know website – first appeared in a 1966 issue of Woman’s Weekly magazine.

Makes 4, takes 30mins to prepare, 2hrs 20mins to cook.

1.5kg x Bacon Collar Joint
1tbsp x Mustard Powder
2tbsp x Demerara Sugar
600ml x Pale Ale or Cider
3 x Sprigs of Thyme
500g x New Potatoes
3 x Medium Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 x Medium Leeks, trimmed, thickly sliced

Cut the thick skin off the joint, along with some of the fat. Mix the mustard and sugar and rub it over the joint. Put it in a casserole and leave for 20 mins while the oven heats up to Gas Mark 3 or 160°C.
Pour the ale/cider into the casserole and add the thyme, potatoes and carrots. Cook in the oven for 1¼ hours. Add the leeks and continue cooking for 45 mins, until the bacon and vegetables are tender.

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Spice of the week – Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. The flowers of the sesame seed plant are yellow, though they can vary in colour with some being blue or purple.

Sesame is grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds, which come in a variety of colours, from cream-white to charcoal-black. In general, the paler varieties of sesame seem to be more valued in the West and Middle East, while both the pale and black varieties are prized in the Far East. The small sesame seed is used whole in cooking for its rich nutty flavour (although such heating damages their healthful polyunsaturated fats), and also yields sesame oil.

Sesame seeds are sometimes added to breads, including bagels and the tops of hamburger buns. Sesame seeds may be baked into crackers, often in the form of sticks. Sesame seeds are also sprinkled onto some sushi style foods. Whole seeds are found in many salads and baked snacks as well in Japan. Tan and black sesame seed varieties are roasted and used for making the flavoring gomashio. In Greece the seeds are used in cakes, and in Togo they are a main soup ingredient. The seeds are also eaten on bread in Sicily and France (called “ficelle sésame”, sesame thread). In DR Congo and North of Angola, ground sesame or wangila is a delicious dish, especially when cooked with smoked fish or lobsters. About one-third of Mexico’s sesame crop is exported to the United States and purchased by McDonald’s for their sesame seed buns. In Manipur (North Eastern State of India) Black sesame is used in the preparation of a favorite side dish called ‘Thoiding’ and in ‘Singju’ (A kind of salad). Thoiding is prepared with ginger and chili and vegetables are used in the spicy Singu dish. In Assam, black sesame seeds are used to make Til Pitha and Tilor laru (sesame seed balls) during bihu. In Punjab province of India and Tamil Nadu state of India, a sweet ball called “Pinni” in Urdu and ‘Ell urundai’ in Tamil, “Ellunda” in Malayalam, “Yellunde” (sesame ball, usually in jaggery) in Kannada and tilgul in Marathi is made of its seeds mixed with sugar. Also in Tamil Nadu, sesame oil used extensively in their cuisine, Milagai Podi, a ground powder made of sesame and dry chili is used to enhance flavour and consumed along with other traditional foods such as idli. Sesame (benne) seed cookies and wafers, both sweet and savory, are still consumed today in places like Charleston, South Carolina. The seeds are believed to have been brought into 17th century colonial America by West African slaves. In Caribbean cuisine, sugar and white sesame seeds are combined into a bar resembling peanut brittle and sold in stores and street corners.

Ground and processed, the seeds can also be used in sweet confections. Sesame seeds can be made into a paste called tahini (used in various ways, including hummus bi tahini) and the Middle Eastern confection halvah. In South Asia, Middle East, East Asian cuisines, popular treats are made from sesame mixed with honey or syrup and roasted into a sesame candy. In Japanese cuisine goma-dofu is made from sesame paste and starch.

East Asian cuisines, like Chinese cuisine use sesame seeds and oil in some dishes, such as dim sum, sesame seed balls, and the Vietnamese bánh rán. Sesame flavour (through oil and roasted or raw seeds) is also very popular in Korean cuisine, used to marinate meat and vegetables. Chefs in tempura restaurants blend sesame and cottonseed oil for deep-frying. Sesame oil was a preferred cooking oil in India until the advent of peanut oil.

Mexican cuisine refers to sesame seeds as Ajonjolí (derived from Arabic). It is mainly used as a sauce additive, such as mole or adobo. It is often also used to sprinkle over artisan breads and baked in traditional form to coat the smooth dough, especially on whole wheat flat breads or artisan nutrition bars, such as alegrías. Mexico exports a large amount of its sesame seed crop to North and South America. Although sesame leaves are edible as a potherb, recipes for Korean cuisine calling for “sesame leaves” are often a mistranslation, and really mean perilla.

The seeds are exceptionally rich in iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, and calcium (90 mg per tbsp for unhulled seeds, 10 mg for hulled), and contain vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin E (tocopherol). They contain lignans, including unique content of sesamin, which are phytoestrogens with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Among edible oils from six plants, sesame oil had the highest antioxidant content. Sesame seeds also contain phytosterols associated with reduced levels of blood cholesterol. The nutrients of sesame seeds are better absorbed if they are ground or pulverized before consumption, as in tahini.

Sesame seeds contain a high amount of the anti-nutrient phytic acid. Women of ancient Babylon would eat halva, a mixture of honey and sesame seeds to prolong youth and beauty, while Roman soldiers ate the mixture for strength and energy. Sesame seeds produce an allergic reaction in a small percentage of the general population.

Sesame oil is used for massage and health treatments of the body (abhyanga and shirodhara) and teeth (oil pulling) in the ancient Indian ayurvedic system. Ayurveda views sesame oil as the most viscous of the plant oils and believes it may pacify the health problems associated with Vata aggravation.

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My final recipe is Apple and Plum Charlotte with custard. Recipe by James Martin, courtesy of Good Food Channel website.

Serves 6, takes 45mins to prepare, takes 30mins to make.

For the charlotte
500g x Bramley Apples
6 x Plums
175g x Butter
120g x Caster Sugar
4tbsp x Apricot Jam
10 x White Bread Slices

For the custard
8 x Egg Yolks
75g x Caster Sugar
1 x Vanilla Pod
300ml x Milk
300ml x Double Cream

Peel, core and slice the apples; halve the plums removing the stones. Melt 25g of the butter in a large saucepan with the sugar, and add the apples. Cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and add the plums. Cook for a further 5 -10 minutes, until the fruit becomes a smooth purée. Stir in the apricot jam and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Cut the crusts off the bread and cut each slice in half lengthways, and cut each half into 4 even-sized fingers. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan. Dip each piece of bread into the melted butter and line the mould, reserving some pieces for the lid. Once the mould is lined, spoon in the apple and plum purée and top with more butter-dipped bread for the lid. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the dessert is golden brown.

In the meantime, make the custard. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the point of a knife. Pour the milk and cream in a saucepan, add the vanilla seeds and pod, and place over a gentle heat. Bring the mixture to the boil.
Sit the bowl with the beaten eggs and sugar over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk in the hot cream. The mixture will thicken as it cooks. Keep stirring until it coats the back of the spoon. Remove the bowl from the heat and serve the custard straight away with the charlotte.

Sleep Well, The World Will Never Forget You

ChefGarfy =D

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Fry’s Delight

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to what can surely be said a pure genius of a man, quite interestingly Stephen Fry who celebrates his birthday this week. This week’s featured recipes are Gluten-free recipes suitable for celiac sufferers, they are Spicy Gluten-Free Brownie Bites with Almond Chocolate Sauce,Gluten-Free Blackberry Pie on a Spiced Almond Crust and Gluten-Free Chestnut Fennel Cookies. The spice of the week is Tamarind.

Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation “The Cellar Tapes”, which also included Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson and Tony Slattery. With Hugh Laurie, as the comedy double act Fry and Laurie, he co-wrote and co-starred in A Bit of Fry & Laurie, and the duo also played the title roles in Jeeves and Wooster.

As a solo actor, Fry played the lead in the film Wilde, was Melchett in the BBC television series Blackadder, starred as the title character Peter Kingdom in the ITV series Kingdom, and is the host of the quiz show QI. He also presented a 2008 television series Stephen Fry in America, which saw him travelling across all 50 U.S. states in six episodes. Fry has a recurring guest role as Dr. Gordon Wyatt on the Fox crime series Bones.

Apart from his work in television, Fry has contributed columns and articles for newspapers and magazines, and has written four novels and two volumes of autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot and The Fry Chronicles. He also appears frequently on BBC Radio 4, starring in the comedy series Absolute Power, being a frequent guest on panel games such as Just a Minute, and acting as chairman for I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, where he was one of a trio of hosts who succeeded the late Humphrey Lyttelton. Fry is also known in the UK for his audiobook recordings, particularly as reader for all seven Harry Potter novels.

The full version of this article can be found at www.chefgarfyinfo.blog.co.uk

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My first recipe is Spicy Gluten-Free Brownie Bites with Almond Chocolate Sauce, recipe courtesy of Delicious Magazine September 2011. Taken from Snog Healthy Treats Cookbook published by Ryland Peters and Small.

Makes 12, takes 20mins to make, 20-25mins to cook.

50g x Chickpea (gram) Flour
25g x Brown Rice Flour
25g x Potato Flour
25g x Cocoa Powder
1tsp x Baking Powder
1/8 tsp x Bicarbonate of Soda
1/8 tsp x Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp x Sea Salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp x Chilli Powder, to taste (ideally smoked chilli powder, such as chipotle)
120ml x Grapeseed Oil, plus extra for greasing
60ml x Agave Nectar
60ml x Apple Sauce
1 1/2 tsp x Vanilla Extract
60ml x Hot Water

For the Chocolate Almond Sauce
50g x Good Quality Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), broken into chunks
1 tbsp x Almond Butter
1 tbsp x Agave Nectar

Preheat the oven to 160C/Fan 140C/ Gas Mark 3 and lightly oil a 12 hole non-stick mini cupcake tin. Sift the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, xanthan gum, salt and chilli powder into a large bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, agave nectar, apple sauce and vanilla, then add this to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Pour in the hot water and stir until combined. Do not over-mix. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cupcake tin. Bake in the oven for 20-25mins until the tops of the cakes are crisp and a skewer into the centres comes out clean. Leave to coolin the tin.

To make the sauce, put the chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. (Do not let the bowl touch the water.) Stir until melted. Allow to cool before stirring in the almond butter and agave nectar. Spoon a little of the sauce on top of each brownie bite to serve.

Chef’s Tips: often used in gluten-free baking to replace the elasticity you get from wheat gluten. Agave Nectar (also known as Agave Syrup) is made from the juice of a Mexican plant. Gram for gram it’s 1.1/2 times sweeter than sugar. The flour, gum, nectar and Almond Butter are all available from health food shops and supermarkets.

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My next recipe is Gluten-Free Blackberry Pie on a Spiced Almond Crust, recipe courtesy of Delicious Magazine September 2011. Taken from Snog Healthy Treats Cookbook published by Ryland Peters and Small.

Serves 8, takes 20mins to make, 20-25mins to cook.

350g x Raw Almonds
1/2 tsp x Ground Allspice
85g x Raisins
2 tbsp x Agave Nectar
1 tbsp x Vanilla Extract

For The Filling x Fresh Blackberries
8 x Soft Medjool Dates, pitted
1 tbsp x Agave Nectar
1 tbsp x Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Greek Yoghurt (0% Fat), to serve (optional) 
Salt

To make the pie crust, put the almonds, allspice and a pinch of salt in a food processor and whizz until finly ground and loose. Add the raisins, agave nectar, vanilla and 1 tbsp of water, and process until it begins to form coarse breadcrumbs. Put the mixture in a pie dish 23cm in diameter and 4cm deep, then distribute it along the bottom and sides to form an even layer. Press down with your hands, shaping the crust so it’s flush with the rim. (The pie crust should be about 8mm thick.) Chill, covered, for about 20mins.

To make the filling, put half the blackberries, the dates, agave nectar and lemon juice in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining blackberries. Pour the filling into the pie crust and distribute evenly with a spatula. Chill, covered, for 2hrs, then cut into slices and serve with the Greek yoghurt, if you like.

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Spice of the week – Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic (having only a single species). Tamarindus indica is indigenous to tropical Africa, particularly in Sudan, where it continues to grow wild; it is also cultivated in Cameroon, Nigeria and Tanzania. In Arabia, it is found growing wild in Oman, especially Dhofar, where it grows on the sea-facing slopes of mountains. It reached South Asia likely through human transportation and cultivation several thousand years prior to the Common Era. It is widely distributed throughout the tropical belt, from Africa to South Asia, Northern Australia, and throughout South East Asia, Taiwan and China. In the 16th century, it was heavily introduced to Mexico, as well as South America, by Spanish and Portuguese colonists, to the degree that it became very commonly used.

The fruit pulp is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour and acidic, but is often used as a component of savory dishes, as a pickling agent or as a means of making certain poisonous yams in Ghana safe for human consumption. The ripened fruit is considered the more palatable, as it becomes sweeter and less sour (acidic) as it matures. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, sorbets, ice creams and all manner of snacks. It is also consumed as a natural laxative. In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire sauce, and HP sauce.

Imli chutney and pulusu use it. Along with tamarind, sugar and spices are added to (regional) taste for chutneys or a multitude of condiments for a bitter-sweet flavor. The immature pods and flowers are also pickled and used as a side dish. In Regional cuisines, such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, use it to make rasam, sambhar, vatha kuzhambu and puliyogare. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, tender leaves of tamarind are used with lentils, and it is also dried and used in place of ripe tamarind for mild flavour. In southern parts of Kerala, mostly along the coastal belt, it is added to fish curry, masalas and ground coconut for flavouring.

In Guadeloupe, tamarind is known as tamarinier and is used in jams and syrups. In Trinidad and Tobago, tamarind is rolled into balls (5cm in diameter) with white granulated sugar and a blend of spices to create tambran balls.

In Mexico, it is sold in various snack forms: dried and salted; or candied (see for example pulparindo or chamoy snacks). Tamarind snacks, such as Mexico’s Pelon Pelo Rico candies are available in specialty food stores worldwide. A sour, chilled drink made from tamarind is served in Egypt. A traditional food plant in Africa, tamarind has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.

The Javanese dish gurame and more so ikan asem, also known as ikan asam (sweet and sour fish, commonly a carp or river fish) is served throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; Some dishes in Manado, Sulawesi and Maluku cuisines use Tamarind. In Myanmar, young and tender leaves and flower buds are eaten as a vegetable. A salad dish of tamarind leaves, boiled beans, and crushed peanuts topped with crispy fried onions is served in rural Myanmar. In the Philippines, tamarind is used in foods like sinigang soup, and also made into candies. The leaves are also used in sinampalukan soup. In Thailand, a cultivar has been bred specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit: it is particularly sweet and minimally sour. It is also sometimes eaten preserved in sugar with chili as a sweet-and-spicy candy. Pad Thai often includes tamarind for its tart/sweet taste (with lime juice added for sourness and fish sauce added for saltiness and umami). A tamarind-based sweet-and-sour sauce is served over deep-fried fish in central Thailand.

Phytochemical studies have revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, sesquiterpenes, alkaloids and phlobatamins and other extracts active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, at temperatures of 4–30°C (39–86°F). Studies on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts on the test organisms showed the lowest MIC and the MBC were demonstrated against Salmonella paratyphi, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhi and the highest MIC and MBC were exhibited against Staphylococcus aureus.

In northern Nigeria, fresh stem bark and fresh leaves are used as decoction mixed with potash for the treatment of stomach disorders, general body pain, jaundice, yellow fever and as blood tonic and skin cleanser. In Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines and Javanese traditional medicine, asem leaves are used as a herbal infusion for malarial fever, the fruit juice as an antiseptic, and for scurvy and even cough cure. Throughout Southeast Asia fruit of the tamarind as used a poultice applied to foreheads of fever sufferers. Tamarind is used as in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for gastric and/or digestion problems, and in cardioprotective activity.

In animal studies, tamarind has been found to lower serum cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Due to a lack of available human clinical trials, there is insufficient evidence to recommend tamarind for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia or diabetes. However, based on human study, tamarind intake may delay the progression of skeletal fluorosis by enhancing excretion of fluoride. However, additional research is needed to confirm these results. Excess consumption has been noted as a traditional laxative.

Other medicinal uses include: Anthelmintic (expels worms), antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, asthma, astringent, bacterial skin infections (erysipelas), boils, chest pain, cholesterol metabolism disorders, colds, colic, conjunctivitis (pink eye), constipation (chronic or acute), diabetes, diarrhoea (chronic), dry eyes, dysentery (severe diarrhoea), eye inflammation, fever, food preservative, food uses (colouring), gallbladder disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, gingivitis, haemorrhoids, indigestion, insecticide, jaundice, keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), leprosy, liver disorders, nausea and vomiting (pregnancy-related), paralysis, poisoning (Datura plant), rash, rheumatism, saliva production, skin disinfectant/sterilization, sore throat, sores, sprains, sunscreen, sunstroke, swelling (joints), urinary stones, wound healing (corneal epithelium).

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My final recipe is Gluten-Free Chestnut Fennel Cookies, recipe courtesy of Delicious Magazine September 2011. Taken from Snog Healthy Treats Cookbook published by Ryland Peters and Small.

Makes approx. 25 takes 25mins to make, 12-15mins to cook, plus freezing.

50g x Chestnut Flour
200g x Gluten-free Plain Flour
1/2 tsp x Fennel Seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp x Sea Salt
225g x Unsalted Butter, softened
3 tbsp x Agave Nectar
1 x Large Free-Range Egg
1 tsp x Vanilla Extract
50g x Currants

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Combine the chestnut and plain flour, fennel seeds and salt in a mixing bowl. Put the butter in a metal or glass bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until light and airy. Whisk in the agave nectar, followed by the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture along with the currants. Fold in using a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. Do not over-mix. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and form into 2 logs (about 5cms thick). Wrap in cling film and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 160C/Fan 140C/Gas Mark 3. Cut the logs into 0.5cm thick rounds and space them about 2.5cm apart on the prepared sheet. Bake in the hot oven for about 12-15mins until golden. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5mins, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container.

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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