|
COOKING
NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2011
Welcome
to the Hub-UK Newsletter. If you have ideas that
you think might work we would love to hear from
you and by the same token if you think something
is rubbish let us know . . . but do it nicely! newsletter@hub-uk.com
|
 |
| |
|
There is always something happening in supermarkets
- new products, product demonstrations, shelves reorganised
so you can't find anything. Not always interesting,
quite often boring and sometimes a chore but just occasionally
something catches your eye, something is interesting
. . .
December's just too busy in the supermarket
 Everyone
is so busy shopping for Christmas that the supermarkets
don't really bother with special promotions or new
lines so finding something of interest appeared a
bit difficult . . . that is until this morning when
visiting a horse tack shop! I know that sounds bizarre
but bear with me.
The
lady who runs the shop knows I love cooking and we
got to talking about food and health, which led to
my comment that "My doctor says I should cut
down on olive oil because of the fat content"
which naturally led on to the subject of rapeseed
oil.
Do
you use rapeseed oil? Have you heard of the benefits
of using and eating rapeseed oil?
- High
burning temperature (fat that burns is bad for
you in the long term)
- Rich
in Omega 3 and Omega 6
- Rapeseed
oil also contains Omega 9 which may have a role
in helping the immune system and cancer prevention
- There
are claims that rapeseed oil will lower cholesterol
- Rapeseed
oil has half the saturated fat of olive oil –
which is often recommended for its health benefits
. . . so if olive oil is supposed to be good for
you then logic says rapeseed oil must be even better!
Omega
3 is regarded as beneficial in many ways:
- Cancer
– shown to aid in the reduction or treatment
of some cancers
- Cardiovascular
disease – seen as beneficial to the heart and
associated disorders
- Brain
- indications that it helps keep brain more alert
and prevent deterioration due to ageing
- Inflammation
- benefits have been shown in rheumatoid arthritis
sufferers
(There
is no categorical statement saying Omega 3 is this
or that but all the indications are that you will
be better with it than without it. Always consult
your doctor.)
Now most of the rapeseed oil I have bought has been
expensive which is what I said to the lady from the
horse tack shop . . . which is when she asked me if
I knew that Crisp 'n Dry was made from 100% rapeseed
oil.
I was amazed because it is a brand name I have been
aware of all my life - I think my mother used to use
it (and that was a long time ago). I don't
know whether Prince's, who produce Crisp 'n Dry, have
failed to capitalise on the trendiness of rapeseed
oil or whether I just missed it but this opens up
whole new options in the kitchen.
The pricing is good as well. I have been paying over
£5 for a half litre bottle whereas doing a Google
search I could buy it online at £1.85 for 1
litre and £3.40 for 2 litres. It is of course
widely available in all the supermarkets. I can now
keep my more expensive oil for salads and dressings.
As a lover of chips (against doctor's orders)
and roast potatoes . . . and, to put it bluntly anything
I can deep fat fry, I am now going to fill my chip
pan with rapeseed oil with the smug satisfaction that
I have become healthier!
Editorial note: This site is not paid to promote
Crisp 'n Dry and nor is it an expert on health matters.
|
LIVING
THE GOOD LIFE IN SPAIN  |
|
|
Spanish Kitchen Knives
 Arcos
– one of the world’s oldest knife manufacturers
In 1875, Gregorio Arcos Aroca began to turn his small
workshop where he made Spanish knives into what is
now the largest knife factory in Spain. As a family
business Arcos has been in the pursuit of excellence
for over 130 years and displays antique pieces in
the Madrid museum.
Arcos manufacture more than 600 different knife designs
from their Color Prof range designed for chefs
and caterers to their top of the range Kyoto,
Saeta and Terranova models. Arcos knives
are of supreme quality with ergonomic design, each
carrying a 10 year guarantee and have styles suggesting
class and elegance. Based in Albacete Spain, Arcos
now export their quality pieces worldwide to both
the domestic gourmet and professional chefs.
Cooks knives ~ Chefs knives ~ Gift
sets ~ Knife blocks
A craftsman’s work is made easier and ultimately
safer depending on the tools they use. Arcos continues
to invest research and expertise into making knives
that become valued tools for every professional. Success
in the kitchen is also supported by the correct tools
with top quality knives instilling confidence.
Whether you are searching for a set of high quality
knives or a single piece consider Arcos for guaranteed
performance, style and heritage.
To view knives:
www.hub-uk.com/kitchen-knife-shop
or www.orceserranohams.com/pages-shop/knives.htm
|
EASY
TO MAKE RECIPES . . . CUTTING
CORNERS
|
|
|
Celebrations are soon behind us as we move into
January but it is still nice to take time out and have
a romantic meal with your partner. Here is a simple
idea which tastes out of this world.
 Baked
Trout or Sea Bass
Ingredients:
2 medium Trout or 2 small Sea Bass
4 lg spring onions sliced lengthways
1/4 orange bell pepper diced
65gms wild mushrooms cut in half or quartered
7 or 8 thin slices of fennel bulb
Small bunch flat leaf parsley / Italian parsley
chopped
4 thick asparagus spears
2 oz butter
How to make:
- Preheat
oven to 200ºC / Gas Mark 5
- You
will need two large pieces of oven proof tin foil.
- Prepare
all your vegetables - chop, slice, dice, etc.
- Brush
each piece of tin foil with melted butter to an
area the size of the fish.
- Lay
the fish on the tin foil and brush with butter.
- Place
mixture of vegetables in cavity and over the top
of fish laying two Asparagus spears on top of each.
- Pour
any remaining butter over top and add pieces of
butter to top of each.
- Fold
tin foil over fish to form a sealed envelope.
- Place
envelopes on a baking tray and bake in oven for
approximately 40 to 50 minutes depending on size
of fish.
Note:
- You
can vary the vegetables used to suit your tastes
or availability.
Serves 2
Remember measurements only have to be approximately
the same so don't panic if you can't get exact quantities.
Creamy Carrot Soup
 Ingredients:
7 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
4 tblsp butter
2 lbs fresh carrots, peeled
3 leeks, sliced in half lengthways and thoroughly
cleaned
1 sweet potato, peeled
4 stalks celery
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 pint double cream
How to make:
-
In a large pot, bring stock to a boil.
- Chop
all vegetables into small pieces (approximately
1/2 inch cubes).
- In
a sauté pan, over medium high heat, melt
half of the butter. sauté vegetables with
ginger and nutmeg for approximately 15 minutes,
or until vegetables are browned. Add remaining butter
as needed.
- Add
sautéed vegetables to stock, reduce heat,
cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Let
cool to room temperature and then puree in a blender.
Soup should be thick and smooth.
- To
serve, add approximately 1 tablespoon of cream per
serving and reheat. Do not let boil.
Notes:
- Browning
the vegetables before simmering them brings out
their naturally sweet flavours. The browner (without
burning), the better.
- Vegetable
sautéing may require two pans.
- Adding
the cream at the reheating stage, rather than all
at once, extends the refrigerator life of the soup.
- If
you attempt to puree soup before it has cooled down,
the top of the blender will blow so wait until it
cools.
|
JANUARY |
EVENT |
DESCRIPTION |
LINK |
|
23rd-29th |
Farmhouse
Breakfast Week |
It’s
time to Shake Up Your Wake Up with Farmhouse Breakfast
Week.
Farmhouse
Breakfast Week is an annual campaign run by HGCA
(HGCA is the cereals and oilseeds division
of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development
Board) which has been running since the year
2000. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness
of the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast
and demonstrate the variety on offer.
With
one in four people regularly skipping breakfast,
HGCA are challenging the nation to re-evaluate
their morning routine.
Everyone
can get involved in the celebrations . . .
-
Hold an event
- Try
a quick and easy breakfast idea
- Offer
a breakfast product promotion
Why
eat breakfast . . .
-
Breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer than breakfast
skippers.
- Eating
breakfast can aid concentration and mental performance
at work and at school.
- It
provides you with the nutrients and energy needed
for an active lifestyle.
- Research
shows that breakfast eaters are less depressed
and have lower levels of stress than breakfast
skippers.
So
whoever and wherever you are, join us and Shake
Up Your Wake Up with a healthy balanced breakfast.
|
Click
for more
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
29th-30th |
Potato Day |
Spudtastic time for gardeners
Over 200 different potatoes are listed on the
British Potato Variety database and gardeners
can look forward to a choice of over 130 of them
at Potato Day at Ryton Gardens.
This famous event aims to get more of us growing
our own portion of the average 500 potatoes we
each consume each year with a spud event on Saturday
29 (MEMBERS ONLY) and Sunday 30 January 2011 (open
to the public) in conjunction with Webbs Garden
Centres.
This year’s Sixteenth annual event will
give budding growers the chance to buy from over
130 different types of seed potatoes, with 40
organic varieties.
Garden Organic’s Pauline Pears, who has
attended all sixteen Potato Days, said, ”Many
people think the growing season begins in spring
when it actually starts in January, the ideal
time to buy seed potatoes and start chitting them!
Most of us have had a go at growing tomatoes or
runner beans, but not potatoes, and yet they’re
one of the easiest and earliest vegetables to
grow.”
At the event, visitors can buy seed potatoes
by individually by the tuber and in special promo
packs, including blight resistant Sarpo potatoes
alongside less common Edzell Blue, Peach Bloom
and Yeltholm Gypsy varieties. They will also have
a once a year chance to lay hands on rare vegetable
seeds no longer available in the shops at the
Heritage Seed Library Seed Swap.
|
Click
for more |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
29th-30th |
Love
Food Weekend |
Love
Food Weekend on 29th and 30th January 11.00am
to 3.30pm at Big Pit, the National Coal Museum
in Blaenafon South Wales.
What
better way to celebrate Saint Dwynwen's Day than
by exploring the best of local foods with your
loved one?
Sample the delights of local suppliers around
south-east Wales and browse the best of their
products in our special 'Love Food' weekend.
|
Click
for more |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
WHEN
SCHOOLS TAUGHT DOMESTIC SCIENCE
|
|
|
 This
recipe has been handed down through the generations
on my father's side of the family and is something rather
special on cold winter days.
You will either need a mincer or an electric mixer
to do the preparation. I always cook my faggots ahead
and then warm them up when I wish to eat them. This
allows the flavours to intensify and makes the faggots
richer.
Welsh Faggots
Ingredients
1 lb (455 g) lambs liver
1/4 LB (115 g) onions
6 ozs (170 g) white bread crumbs
4 tsp dried sage
1 beef OXO cube
Knob of butter for each faggot
1/2 pt (330 ml) water
Method
- Make
your bread crumbs by putting the dried bread in
the mixer on a high setting until you have fine
bread crumbs.
- Put
bread crumbs in large mixing bowl.
- Chop
onions in the mixer and add to the mixing bowl,
this can be as fine or as coarse to suit your own
tastes.
- Chop
the liver in the mixer and add to the mixing bowl,
this can be as fine or as coarse to suit your own
tastes.
- Add
the sage and mix thoroughly.
- Shape
the mixture into small balls (should make 8 to 10).
- Place
in a greased ovenproof dish or tin.
- Put
a small knob of butter on each faggot.
- Make
stock with OXO (beef) cube and water and pour around
the faggots.
- Cover
with foil and bake in a preheated oven (180°C
/ 350°F / Gas Mark 4) for fifteen minutes.
- Remove
foil and cook for further fifteen minutes.
- Remove
faggots and when cool cover and keep in the fridge
until required.
To
serve:
- To
reheat place the required number of faggots in a
saucepan with beef stock (OXO or preferably Bovril)
two-thirds of the way up the faggots. Bring to the
boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Thicken
stock to make a gravy and pour over.
- Serve
with garden peas (or mushy peas) and thick slices
of freshly buttered bread.
Makes
8 to 10
|
THE
MIXING BOWL . . . RANDOM BITS AND PIECES
|
|
|
Cooking in the oven
Don't you just hate cleaning oven pans where the
juices or fats have got burnt on? If so the answer
is simple - line any dish or pan you are going to
use in the oven with tin foil.
For my sausage meatballs (to accompany Christmas
dinner) I placed them on a tray with a sheet of
baking paper under them . . . no sticking to the surface
and no heavy washing up.
The newsletter will be published online to avoid
creating potential spam problems so if you would like
to be notified when the next newsletter is published
just send an email to newsletter@hub-uk.com
Email
Hub-UK : info@hub-uk.com
|
