CRAB SALAD WITH AVOCADO CREAM

Ingredients

Crab salad

·         4 crabs, live

·         3 tbsp of crème fraîche

·         2 tbsp of lemon juice

·         2 tbsp of finely chopped mint

·         2 tbsp of finely chopped tarragon

·         2 carrots, finely sliced

·         2 turnips, finely diced

·         salt

·         pepper

Avocado cream

·         2 avocados, large

·         2 tbsp of crème fraîche

·         2 lemons, juiced

·         salt

·         pepper

Lemongrass vinaigrette

·         1 lemon grass stalk, heart only

·         125ml of olive oil

·         1 lemon, zest and juice

·         2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar

·         1 tbsp of chilly sauce

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         1/2 tsp of  Dijon Mustard

·         salt

·         pepper

To plate

·         4 tomatoes, quartered

·         2 pink grapefruit, segmented

·         1 handful of mint leaves

·         4 sprigs of chervil

·         1 handful of watercress, sprigs only

·         For the vinaigrette, finely chop the lemongrass and place into a pot with the oil. Fry until the lemongrass starts to sizzle.

·         Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 30minutes - 1 hour before straining the oil into a bowl and discarding the lemongrass.

·         Combine the infused oil with the remaining ingredients, whisk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

·         For the avocado cream, blend the avocado flesh with the crème fraîche and half the lemon juice until smooth.

·         Season well and pour the remaining lemon juice on top. Chill until ready to serve.

To make the salad, marinate the carrots and turnips in the lemongrass vinaigrette for 10 minutes.

·         Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the crabs and cook for 6 minutes.

·         Plunge into cold water for another 5 minutes before removing the flesh. Mix with crème fraîche, lemon juice, chilli and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

·         Serve onto plates with the marinated vegetables, tomato quarters and pink grapefruit segments. Pour over the avocado cream and garnish with mint leaves, chervil and watercress.

SCALLOPS, PEA PURÉE AND CUMIN FOAM

Ingredients

scallops

6 scallops

1 tbsp of olive oil

10g of butter

1/2  lemon

salt

black pepper

Pea purée

20g of shallots, very finely diced

1 tbsp of oil

400g of frozen garden peas

4g of salt

200ml of milk

Cumin foam

55g of crème fraîche( Sour cream)

110ml of Fish stock

2.5g of cumin seeds

2g of salt

2.5g of lecithin

Method

·         To make the pea purée, sweat the shallots in the oil until soft but not coloured. Add the garden peas salt and milk and simmer for 8 minutes.

·         Drain off the milk into a jug and pour the peas into a blender. Blitz for 2 minutes until ultra smooth adding enough of the milk to make a thickish purée. After blending, cool as quickly as possible as the colour will begin to fade fairly quickly.

·         Heat a non stick pan over a medium flame. When the pan is hot, pour in a spoon of olive oil, add the scallops and cook until golden on one side. After approximately 2 minutes turn over, add a knob of butter, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Transfer to a plate along with the cooking juices.

·         To make the cumin foam, combine the ingredients and blitz in a blender for 1 minute. Gently heat to approximately 40°C and no higher than 50°C.

·         Using a hand blender fitted with an aerator, foam up the mix then let it rest for a minute.

·         Spoon some pea purée into the centre of the bowl. Add a cooked scallop and some pea shoots around the edge. Spoon the foam around to finish and serve immediately.

SCOTTISH TABLET

Ingredients:

500 ml / 1 pint of water

225 gm/ 8 oz butter, chopped in pieces

1.8 kg/4 lbs of super refined fine caster sugar

450 gm / 1 lbs of condensed milk

optional

flavoring as desired

Preparation:

Butter a 30cm x 10cm /12" x 4" or 18cm/ 7" square tin.

In a large, deep pan saucepan, absolute 4 pint minimum but preferable larger (a stock pot works very well) heat the water to a low simmer then add the butter. Stir until melted. Add the sugar and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Raise the heat to high and bring the sugar to a hard boil for 5 minutes (the mixture should boil really fiercely which helps to reduce the liquid and colour the mixture) stirring all the time to prevent the sugar from sticking and burning. If you have a thermometer take the temperature to 120°C/ 250°F (also known as hard ball stage in candy and toffee making).

Once the sugar is boiling, slowly add the condensed milk - TAKE CARE - the sugar is at a very high temperature and may splatter. Stir well then lower the heat and simmer for 20 mins. The mixture will bubble and resemble a moon crater, but don't be put off, keep cooking. The mixture will also start to slightly darken.

After twenty minutes or once the mixture is visibly thickened, remove the pan from the stove and beat the mixture vigorously for 5 - 10 mins, add any optional flavorings (see note below).

Pour into the greased pan and when the tablet is cool but still soft, cut into 1" squares - you can even put the pan in the freezer to make sure it is completely cold.

Wrap in grease proof paper and store in an airtight tin.

Write up in FWD magazine

You can check out the magazine through the URL down below
http://issuu.com/fwdlife/docs/august_2014/113?e=3833061/8663093

RIB-EYE STEAKS WITH CHIPS AND BEARNAISE SAUCE

Ingredients

For the béarnaise sauce

2 tbsp tarragon vinegar

50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar

1 tsp white peppercorns

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 egg yolks

200g/7oz unsalted butter, melted

salt and black pepper

¼ lemon, juice only

2 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves, finely chopped

For the chips

vegetable oil, for deep frying

400g/14oz frozen chips

For the rib-eye steaks

4 x 280-350g/10-12oz rib-eye beef steaks

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g/1¾oz butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation method

For the béarnaise sauce, place the vinegars, white peppercorns and shallot into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.

Remove the peppercorns and pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl. Add the egg yolks to the bowl and whisk well.

Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk the eggs together until pale and thick. Gradually add the melted butter, whisking constantly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the lemon juice and chopped tarragon leaves. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the warm pan until ready to serve.

For the chips, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 160C/325F. 

Place the chips in the fryer, a few at a time, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender but not coloured. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and increase the temperature on the fryer to 190C/375F.

Meanwhile, for the rib-eye steaks, season the steaks with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a frying pan until very hot and add the butter and olive oil. When the butter is foaming, add the steaks and fry on each side for 2-3 minutes (for medium) or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the heat, cover and rest in a warm place for at least two minutes before serving.

For the chips, return the chips to the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked all the way through. Remove the chips again using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt to taste.

To serve, pile the chips on one side of each plate. Place the steak next to the chips along with a spoonful of béarnaise sauce.

Gaelic Coffee (traditional Scottish coffee)

Here are some good ways to round off a meal - whether it has been a Scottish one or not.

Ingredients: 

3 dessertspoons Drambuie liqueur/whisky 
1 level dessertspoon light brown sugar 
Fresh, strong coffee 
Double cream

Method: 

Heat a stemmed wine glass with hot water and dry quickly. Add the Drambuie and stir in the sugar. Pour in the coffee, leaving an inch below the rim. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved and pour in the cream over the back of a teaspoon so that it floats on the surface to the depth of about half an inch.

Black pudding and goat's cheese

Ingredients

2 slices black  pudding

2 slices of goat's cheese (with rind)

1-2 teaspoons of modena balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon of clear honey

mixed salad leaves and a few cherry tomatoes.

Method

1. cook the black pudding slices on a baking sheet or tray under a medium grill.

2. when nearly cooked through, place the slices of goat's cheese on top of the black pudding slices and return to grill under a low heat.

3. combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a teacup.

4. when the goat's cheese has softened and gone very light brown, remove from grill and transfer to a serving plate.

5. garnish with the salad leaves and a few chopped cherry tomatoes and then drizzle the plate with the balsamic dressing.

6. serve and enjoy

BALMORAL CHICKEN

Ingredients       

150g/5oz chopped haggis, 2 chicken breasts, 4-6 rashers of streaky bacon, whisky sauce.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200’C (400’F and Gas6).

Use a knife to cut a slit along the side of each chicken breast. Do not cut all the way along, leave about 1-2cm at the ends.

Slot haggis into the chicken breasts.

Wrap the chicken in 2 or 3 slices of bacon.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Optional: cover the chicken breasts in foil for extra moisture.

Serve with vegetables and pour whisky sauce over top.

This dish can also be made with black pudding.

Whisky sauce ingredients

250ml of chicken stock, 2tbsp of whisky, 100ml of double cream, 1tbsp of Dijon mustard, 20g butter.

Preparation

Mix chicken stock and whisky in a pan, bringing to the boil and reducing the volume by half.

Add the mustard and cream, continue to stir.

Add butter, this will thicken the sauce. Ready to serve.

BAKED POTATO

ingredients

2 fat, floury potatoes 

olive oil

flaked sea salt

for the gratinated smoked trout filling

2 smoked trout fillets

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives

2 handfuls grated mature cheddar cheese

1 tsp hot horseradish sauce or english mustard

2 large knobs of butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the curried cream cheese topping

150g/5oz cream cheese

1 tbsp medium curry paste

4 spring onions or ½ small red onion, chopped

2.5cm/1in piece cucumber, chopped into dice

1-2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

small handful chopped fresh mint or coriander leaves

good squeeze of lemon or lime juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

preparation method

preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas 6.

wash the potatoes well, dry them and prick several times with a fork. pour some olive oil into your hands and rub over the potatoes, then scatter over some sea salt which should stick to the oil. place directly on the shelf in the oven and bake for 1¼-1½ hours, depending on the size of the potato. when cooked, the potato should be golden-brown and crisp on the outside and give a little when squeezed. serve split open with lots of salted butter or try one of the fillings below.

for the gratinated smoked trout filling, preheat the grill to medium-high.

split the baked potatoes in half and scoop out most of the fluffy flesh with a fork into a bowl. flake in the trout and add the parsley or chives, three-quarters of the cheese, the horseradish or mustard and butter and stir with the potato flesh until just combined. season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

spoon back into the potato skins, sit on a baking sheet and scatter over the remaining cheese. grill until the cheese is bubbling and pale golden-brown.

for the curried cream cheese topping, mix together all of the curried cream cheese ingredients and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

CARAMBOLA ( STAR FRUIT, CHATURAPPULI OR VAIRAPPULI)

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CARAMBOLA

• Star fruit may lower cholesterol levels.
• A decoction of leaves and roots can help cure headaches, ringworm and chicken pox.
• The fruit is known to cure hangovers and prickly heat.
• The fruit has also been used to treat sore eyes.

COOKING TIPS

• Sweet variety carambola are eaten fresh or miked with other fruits in salads. Fresh juice can also be processed into juice.
  
• Sour type fruits are favored in cooking as they give unique tart flavour to poultry, meat and seafood dishes.
• Fresh fruits can be added in stews, curries and stir fries with chicken, fish and seafood.
• The fruit can be used to make sauce, pickle, chutney, tarts and jam.

RECIPE

Seared Scallops With Carambola Sauce, Parsnip And Succotash

Servings:6

Ingredients

For the scallops

18 large scallops  rinsed and patted dry

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Parsnip purée

3 parsnips, peeled and cut into thirds

2 cups water

2 cups heavy cream

1 lemon

1 tablespoon butter

1 bunch fresh thyme

Succotash

2 ears corn

1 medium sized carrot

1/2 cup fava beans

1/2 cup English peas

1/2 cup lima beans

1 bunch chives, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon olive oil

Carambola sauce

3 carambola (starfruit)

1 bottle white wine

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved and seeded

1 cup butter

1 lime

Directions: 

For the scallops:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper.Heat up cast iron pan until nearly smoking hot, add the oil and gently put the scallops in the pan.When golden brown, turn the scallops over and finish cooking in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve until time to plate.

For the parsnip purée:

Put parsnips in a pot, cover with the water and add the thyme and halved lemon. Cook until tender, then drain. Transfer parsnips into a blender, add butter and cream and season with salt. Purée until very smooth and pass through a chinois.

Succotash:

Cut the corn off the cob. Peel and thinly slice the carrots. In a pot of boiling water, separately blanch the fava beans, English peas and lima beans until they are tender. Remove the outer layer of the fava and lima beans. 

Heat up a sauté pan, add the oil, corn and carrots. Cook for about 2 minutes then add the beans and peas. 

Toss and finish seasoning with the chives, salt and pepper.

Carambola sauce: 

Slice the carambola thinly so they look like a star.Put them in a pot with the vanilla beans, sugar and wine.

Cook them down on low heat for about 3 hours or until the are nice and tender and wine has reduced by one-third.

When ready to serve, add the butter slowly while whisking it.

Finish with a squeeze of lime and salt.

COCONUT

COCONUT MILK SHAKE

Ingredients 

1 cup coconut milk

1 banana

3 small scoops vanilla ice cream

2 teaspoons sugar

½ cup crushed ice

Direction

1.     Peel and cut banana into big chunks

2.   Add coconut milk, banana and sugar in a blender jar. blend until mixture become smooth

3.   Add ice cream and crushed ice in it; blend again until a frothy mixture.

4.   Thick coconut shake with coconut milk and ice cream is ready. Transfer to a serving glass and serve with a straw

GROWING & CARING FOR PAPAYA TREES

GROWING & CARING FOR PAPAYA TREES

The Papaya tree (Carica papaya) is a tropical fruit that originated in Mexico and South America. It is now grown throughout the North American tropics and other tropical regions around the world.

The fruit of the Papaya is also called pawpaw and is eaten raw without the skin. The fruit is sweet, low in calories and high in potassium and vitamin A. Papaya is also used in drinks, jellies, salads, desserts and is also dried and candied.

There are many varieties of Papaya, but the main varieties grown in the U.S. are Red Lady, Maradol, and various Solo types. To successfully grow Papayas, you need a frost free climate, lots of sunlight, lots of water and good soil. If you give your plant all of these conditions, then you can grow a papaya from seed and generally have fruit in 6 to 12 months.

Growing Tips for Papayas:

·         Climate: Thrive in subtropical and tropical climates. Zone 10 to 11. They do not tolerate freezing temperatures and are damaged or killed if temperatures go below 32 degrees.

·         Pollination: The female plants produce fruit and may be cross pollinated with others by insects and wind. There are plants that may be self-pollinating (bi-sexual).

·         Growth Habit: The papaya is a short lived, fast growing woody herb. They generally have a single trunk and grow 10 to 15 feet tall, but some plants have been known to grow taller.

·         Sun Light: Grow best in full sun. Papayas love the heat and sunlight.

·         Fertilize: Papayas are heavy feeders and require regular fertilizing. Adding compost is also recommended.

·         Water: Papayas have large soft leaves and evaporate a lot of water in warm weather, so they need above average watering.

·         Soil: Papayas do best in rich soil that is high in organic matter. Make sure your planting location and soil has good drainage to avoid root rot.

·         Harvesting: Generally, fruit is picked when there is 1/5 to 1/3 color change in the fruit. After picking, keep at room temperature to fully ripen. Ripe fruit will keep 4 to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Caribbean  papaya salad

      1 ripe papaya
2 tablespoon cilantro
juice of a lime
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
 pinch salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 bird chili pepper
1 red onion 

      The first step is to cut, seed and peel the papaya (in the video below I’ll show you how simple this is). Basically all you have to do is trim off the stem area, then cut in half length-wise. Then use a spoon to scrape off all the seeds and discard. Now cut into segments and peel. I used a sharp paring knife, but  a potato peeler will work just as well. Give it a rinse with cool water and cut into 1 inch pieces (cube).cut red onion into small pieces

      Put the pieces of papaya in a bowl and chop the pepper and cilantro.

      It’s now time to assemble everything. In the bowl with the papaya, add the chopped pepper and cilantro, squeeze in the fresh lime juice as well as the other ingredients… don’t forget to grate the ginger into the mix as well.  Now (be gentle if your papaya is fully ripe) toss and serve. Works great if you can leave it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to marinate a bit and chill.

      

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BANANA

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BANANA

·         Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin -- the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.

·         Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar.

·         Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and nighttime leg cramps by eating a banana.

·         Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana.

·         Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.

·         Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.

·         Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.

·         High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke. 

·         Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.

·         Bananas act as a pre biotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.

·         Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.

·         Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.

·         Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn and GERD.

·         Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids. 

·         Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds strong bones by increasing calcium absorption.

·         Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium.

·         Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing free radicals and protection from chronic disease.

·         Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness.

·         Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation.

·         Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana.

·         Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day.

·         The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan, helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

·         Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium to speed recovery from the effects of withdrawal.

·         Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place.

PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SMOOTHIE

Recipe:

      Half of one banana

      1/2 cup smooth or crunchy low-fat peanut butter
1/2 cup of non-fat milk
6 ice cubes
1 tablespoon of chocolate whey protein powder

Place all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.