Thursday, February 25, 2010

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Tea anyone? BY Roscoe Dames: This week brought back some memories of my early days in Salisbury, England during my conversation with Stephen Twining, a tenth generation Twining of the Twinings of London tea dynasty. We talked about this wonderful 300-plus years of history beginning in 1706 with Mr. Thomas Twining. As a matter of fact, many persons would be shocked to know that the first known tea room at 216 Strand, London opened back in 1706 is still operating today. In addition, the logo, created in 1787, is one of the world's oldest in continuous use. Stephen Twining spoke fondly of the incredible legacy of his family-owned business, the exciting changes over the years, the blending techniques and various challenges in keeping the blends consistent over the years. Twinings sells a variety of regional and flavored teas such as Lapsang Souchong, Lady Grey and Darjeeling, as well as infusions, coffee and hot chocolate. It is generally accepted that the company was the first to blend Earl Grey during the premiership of Charles, the 2nd Earl Grey, although this is disputed. Over the years consumer tastes have changed and Twinings has kept up with those changing tastes with the introduction of blends and infusion brands. Twinings of London has a broad selection of teas from black, chai, green, herbal, red, oolong, white, loose tea, decaf, cold brewed iced, decaf teas to hot chocolate. Twining confirmed that afternoon tea at 4 p.m. is still alive and well across the pond in jolly old England. Cup of tea anyone? Cooking is about sharing and having fun in the process so allow me to share the great recipes from Roscoe's Kitchen and be sure to listen to Star 106.5FM every weekday at 6:25 p.m. Make sure and e-mail us at roscoeskitchen@ivoryglobalpromotions.com with your comments and recipes so that we could share your experiences and creations with our audience. CHICKEN & NOODLE ONE POT This delicious chicken and noodle one pot blends well with coconut milk and fresh ginger root. 1 tbsp corn oil 1 onion, sliced 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 piece fresh gingerroot, grated 1 bunch scallions, diagonally sliced 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces 2 tbsp mild curry paste 2 cups coconut milk 1-1/4 cups chicken stock Salt and pepper 9 ozs dried Chinese egg noodles 2 tsps lime juice Fresh garlic sprigs, to garnish Heat the oil in a preheated wok or large, heavy bottom skillet. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the chicken and curry paste and stir-fry for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables and chicken are golden brown. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Bring to a boil, then break the noodles into large pieces, and add to the wok. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are just tender. Add the lime juice and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the chicken and noodle one-pot at once in warmed deep soup bowls, garnished with basil sprigs. Source: Parragon Publishing POTATO, APPLE & ARUGULA SOUP This potato, apple and arugula soup is an interesting combination of ingredients. 4 tbsp butter 2 lbs potatoes, diced 1 red onion, cut into quarters 1 tbsp lemon juice 4 cups chicken stock 1 lb of eating apples, peeled and diced Pinch of ground allspice Generous cup arugula leaves, plus extra for garnish Salt and pepper Warm crusty bread, to serve Garnish Slices of red apples Chopped scallions Melt the butter in a large pan and add the potatoes and onion. Sauté gently for a few minutes stirring constantly Add the lemon juice, chicken stock, apples, and allspice and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered for about 15 minutes. Add the arugula to the soup and cook until the potatoes are cooked through Transfer half the soup to a food processor or blender. Process for a minute then stir the puree into the soup in the pan and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with the arugula, apple slices and scallions. Serve at once with warmed crusty bread. Note: If arugula is unavailable, use baby spinach leaves instead for a similar flavor. Source: Parragon Publishing VEGETABLE JAMBALAYA Jambalaya is traditionally made in three parts, with meats and vegetables, and is completed by adding stock and rice. In this recipe we just left out the meat to create an absolutely delightful vegetarian version. Scant 1/4 cup brown rice 2 tbsps olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges 1 eggplant, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 oz baby corn, halved lengthwise 1/2 cup frozen peas 3-1/2 ozs small broccoli florets 2/3 cup vegetable stock 8 oz canned chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp creole seasoning 1/2 tsp dried pepper flakes Salt and pepper Cook the rice in a large pan of boiling water until cooked through. Drain and set aside until needed. For some color and texture cook a mixture of wild, red and brown rice. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggplant, bell pepper, baby corn, peas, and broccoli to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, creole seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender. Add the rice to the vegetables mixture and heat through, gently stirring until piping hot. Transfer to warmed serving dishes and serve at once. BEEF COOKED IN WHOLE SPICES This is an old technique of cooking meat with whole spices. 1-1/4 cup oil 3 onions, finely chopped 1 inch piece fresh gingerroot, grated 4 garlic cloves, sliced 2 cinnamon sticks 3 green cardamoms 3 cloves 4 black peppercorns 6 dried red chilis 2/3 cup plain yogurt 1 lb lean beef, cubed 3 fresh green chilis, chopped 2-1/2 cups water Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté, stirring, until golden brown Reduce the heat, then add the ginger, garlic, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, and dried chilis to the skillet and stir-fry for a few minutes. In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with a fork. Add the yogurt to the onion mixture in the skillet and stir to combine. Add the beef and 2 of the fresh chilis to the skillet and stir-fry the mixture for about 5 minutes. You can substitute the beef for some lean boneless lamb. Gradually add the water to the skillet, stirring well. Cover and cook the beef and spice mixture about an hour, stirring and adding more water if necessary. When thoroughly cooked through, remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the beef and spice mixture to a warmed serving dish. Garnish with chopped fresh chili. Source: Parragon Publishing BEEF AND ORANGE CURRY The combination of the citrus and curry flavors gives a bit of zing and pizzazz to this beef. 1 tbsp vegetable oil 8 oz shallots, halved 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 lb lean round steak or short loin beef, trimmed and cut into cubes 3 tbsp curry paste 2 cups beef stock 4 oranges 2 tsps cornstarch Salt and pepper 2 tbsps chopped cilantro, to garnish Boiled basmati rice, to serve Raita 1/2 cucumber, finely diced 3 tbsps chopped fresh mint 2/3 cup lowfat plain yogurt Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the shallots, garlic, and beef cubes and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the beef is evenly browned all over. Blend together the curry paste and stock. Add the mixture to the beef and stir to mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. Grate the rind of 1 orange. Squeeze the juice from the orange and another. The other two oranges remove the flesh and cut in segments. Blend the cornstarch with the orange juice. At the end of the cooking time, stir the orange rind into the beef with the orange and cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring constantly for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the orange segments. To make the Raita, mix the cucumber with the mint and stir the yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the curry with rice and the cucumber Raita, garnished with chopped cilantro. SPICE OF THE WEEK: SAFFRON The world's most expensive spice is the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus, which is native to Asia Minor. It takes 250,000 flowers to make just one pound of saffron. Fortunately, only a small quantity of saffron is needed to flavor and color a dish, whether sweet or savory. Saffron is sold as strands and in powder form, and has a beautiful flavor and aroma. Wednesday January 27, 2010