recipe

Glorious Ginger Tea

Ginger has been known for thousands of years both as a cooking ingredient and as medicine. This perennial herb originally comes from China and India. Today, it is widely grown in Asia, Australia and in the Americas. While the delicate leaves of ginger can be used in salads, its root contains the real benefits. The root called “rhizomes” are rich in Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper and dietary fiber.

Ginger’s root has a very distinctive, tangy taste. It is used in many Asian dishes to balance their flavours. Also, a very aromatic tea can be made of its root. Drinking ginger tea is an excellent way to enjoy a range of health benefits associated with the plant.

The root of ginger is known to be very beneficial for a number of conditions. It helps combat nausea, improves digestion and helps the absorption of food. It prevents bloating and some people feel that it boosts their appetite. Ginger detoxifies the liver and it has anti-inflammatory properties, which make it a good remedy for joint and muscle problems. For people who suffer from respiratory problems due to allergies or to common cold, ginger can be a remedy, too. The root also improves blood circulation by preventing fat blocking arteries. In addition, it can relive pain related to menstrual discomfort; it strengthens immunity, boosts fertility and relives stress.

 

Though the health benefits are proven, ginger also can cause some side effects. If an excessive amount of ginger tea is consumed, digestive problems and acidity may present themselves. Also, too much ginger tea may lower blood sugar levels. Ginger may also disturb some anesthetic agents, causing bleeding and the slowing down of the healing process. Therefore, it is best to avoid ginger for a while for those, who have a surgery scheduled. Ginger may also disturb a good night’s sleep, so it is best not to drink ginger tea at night. Generally, ginger should also be avoided by people who suffer hemophilia or similar conditions; those who have hypertension and those who have gallstones. Also, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should avoid ginger tea, just to be on the safe side.

It is remarkably easy to make ginger tea. Try it today and enjoy the health benefits. The recipe below is for four servings, so drink it with your family or friends to avoid over-indulgence!

Ingredients:

  • 500 ml water
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of honey or agave nectar
  • Juice of half a lemon

Optional additions: pinch of pepper, camomile flowers, fresh mint leaves, half a teaspoon of turmeric.

Preparation method:

  • Peel the ginger root with a peeler.
  • Grate the ginger with a grater.
  • Boil the water.
  • Place the grated ginger in a teapot and pour over the water.
  • Add the cinnamon, lemon juice and honey/agave syrup. Stir well.

You may serve it hot or cold with ice-cubes. It is lovely both ways! Enjoy!

Mexican Quesadillas with Black Beans & Sweet Potatoes

Quesadillas are very popular in Latin America. They originally come from colonial Mexico, but the dish evolved over time and today it exists in many different forms. Most of the time, quesadillas are served in flour or corn tortillas (a type of thin flatbread) that are made from finely ground wheat flour. They are filled with a savoury mixture, which may contain cheese, vegetables or meat. Once the tortillas are filled, they are folded into half.

Mexicans traditionally make their tortillas in a “comal”, which is a flat griddle. It is a very old kitchenware, which was originally used by the Aztecs. The word “comal” comes from the Nahuatl language, from the word “comalli”. “Comals” are generally round or oval-shaped and made from heavy cast iron. It is an important kitchenware, which is traditionally handed down from generation to generation because it is believed that the “comal” will cook better tortillas if it is tempered over many years of usage. “Comals” are also popular in the modern kitchens of Mexico.

Mexican quesadillas are typically made with partially cooked tortillas that are warmed up in the “comal” and filled with “oaxacacheese, a white, semi-hard cheese. Originally, the tortillas with the cheese on top are fried gently in the “comal” until the cheese melts. Cooked vegetables and / or cooked meat are then added, as well as fresh avocado or guacamole, chopped onions, chilli peppers, coriander and tomatoes. Salsas may be added as topping, too.

Tortillas are normally cooked without using oil. However, some recipes suggest that they should be fried in oil to make “quesadillas fritas”. In this version, the quesadillas are immersed into hot oil. They are deep-fried until their exterior is crispy.

The dish is extremely versatile and you can create your own version based on your personal taste. Serve the quesadillas with fresh salad, chopped onions, green or red salsa, fresh cream, and guacamole. These sides and dips give complexity to the dish.

The below quesadillas with black beans & sweet potatoes are very nutritious and healthy. The original recipe is designed by Rip Esselstyn but I made slight changes to it to suit my personal taste. I am happy to recommend either the below version or the original that can be found on the website on Forks over Knives. Try it today and enjoy a Mexican-style lunch or dinner!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 200 gram brown rice (cooked)
  • 225 gram vegetarian re-fried beans
  • 235 millilitre tomato sauce or pre-made salsa
  • 225 gram fresh spinach
  • 225 gram black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of chilli powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of cumin
  • Jalapeño peppers (diced)
  • 8 whole-wheat tortillas

Preparation method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius.
  • Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters. Bake them on a baking tray for 45 minutes to one hour, until soft.
  • In a separate pan, cook the rice according to packet instructions.
  • Once the sweet potatoes are soft, remove them from the oven and place them in a mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and mix them with the tomato sauce / salsa, rice and fresh spinach.
  • Place the sweet potato mash in a saucepan and mix in the black beans and the refried beans. Season with onion powder, chilli powder and cumin. Mix well and heat the mixture over medium heat.
  • Fry both sides of the tortillas gently in a frying pan.
  • Fill tortillas with the mixture and fold them in half to form a half-moon shape.
  • Serve immediately with side dishes including salads, onions and dips.

Bon appetite!

Almond & Lentil Stew from England

Across time and cultures, the consumption of stew has been very common. For example, there are references to stew-type meat-based dishes from the era of Herodotus, who recorded that Scythians consumed such dishes from the 8th to the 4th Century BC. Historians also suggest that Amazonian tribes made stews 8000 years ago. In the Roman Empire, fish and lamb stews were consumed and the Hungarian goulash is also known since the 9th Century.

The English cuisine also used stews of various ingredients as staple. However, the term “stew” did not appear commonly until the 14th Century as a verb, referring to the preparation method or “vessel for cooking” of stews. The term “stew” as a noun only appeared in 1756 in Devil’s Drive by Byron, in which he mentioned an “Irish stew”.

 

Over centuries, the dish was mostly referred to as “pottage”, “stewpan” and “hotpot” in England. Nevertheless, the dish was common and mostly it was eaten by necessity, by the poor. They mixed up vegetables and grains and cooked them slowly in liquid to allow flavours to mingle and to achieve a homogenous consistency and a gravy-style sauce. In better times, the vegetables in the dish were supplemented with fish or meat. Wealthier households added spices, almonds and sometimes wine to add variety and flavour to the dish.

When “English stew” is mentioned in gastronomic history, the term tends to refer to a beef-based dish, which includes onions, root vegetables and potatoes. Normally, it is simmered in water or stock slowly and sometimes red wine or beer is added to it.

I found a vegetarian English stew designed by Nigel Slater on BBC Food, which is perfect for vegetarians who want to enjoy typical English flavours without the beef or any other meat component. The dish is rustic and hearty and it is perfect for a substantial, nutrient-rich lunch or dinner. Let’s see how to make it!

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra for frying the almonds
  • 1 carrot (chopped)
  • 1 stalk celery (chopped)
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 turnip (chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 150 grams of baby button mushrooms (halved)
  • 250 grams of green lentils
  • 2 litres vegetable stock (home-made or if packaged, use organic)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • handful of almonds
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • 10 cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Preparation method:

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the carrot, celery, onion and turnip until softened. It takes about five minutes.
  • Add the garlic and mushrooms. Fry for a further five minutes.
  • Add the lentils, pour over the stock and add the herbs. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes to the stew and warm through.
  • Just before the stew is ready, fry the almonds in a separate saucepan, in a splash of olive oil with the cinnamon for two minutes. (Be careful as it burns easily.)
  • Serve the lentil stew with the almonds on top.

Bon appetite!

Pommes Boulangere from France

The French term, “pommes boulangere” simply means “potatoes from the baker”. It is a lovely baked potato-based dish with a little story behind it. Centuries ago, when homes in rural France were not equipped with ovens, women still wanted to present baked dishes to their families. For Sunday lunches, they prepared potato-based casseroles in their homes. On their way to church, along with a piece of lamb they took their casseroles to the local baker’s. While they attended the service, the meal was baking in the shop’s oven. When the service was over, they just picked up their dishes and soon enough, they could serve roast lamb surrounded with pommes boulangere” to their families for a Sunday treat.

It is important that “pommes boulangere” is made of very thinly sliced potatoes and onions. If it is prepared this way, the top layer of the potatoes will be crisp and slightly brown, while the lower layers will become thick and moist.

Non-vegetarians can enjoy this dish in the traditional way, served with roast meat. For vegetarians, it can be served with steamed or stir-fried French beans or mixed vegetables. Alternatively, it can be offered with a lovely salad. In my view, fresh spinach works particularly well with this dish.

I found the following recipe for 6 portions on the website of Forks over Knives. It was designed by an American chef, Ramses Bravo. In my opinion, it is lovely when it is freshly-baked, but perhaps the next day it is even better as the flavours get absorbed into the potatoes and the tastes mature a bit. Now, let’s see the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 leek (thinly sliced)
  • 1 yellow onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 stalk celery (thinly sliced)
  • 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion
  • 5 litre low-sodium vegetable broth (preferably home-made or if you used packaged, use organic vegetable stock)
  • 9 medium potatoes (peeled and very thinly sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

Preparation method: 

  • Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius. Place the leek, onion, celery, shallots, and garlic in a large dry saucepan over low to medium heat and cook until the onion starts to brown (approximately 5 minutes). Stir occasionally to avoid the ingredients sticking to the pan.
  • Stir in the granulated garlic and granulated onion and cook for further 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and simmer. Cook until the liquid reduces to half.
  • Add the potatoes and stir the ingredients until well combined. Decrease the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are translucent, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid the potatoes sticking together.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and thyme. Transfer to large baking dish (approximately 33 cm x 22 cm) and bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. The potatoes should turn tender in the dish and the top layer of them should brown slightly.

Bon appetite!

Marvellous Mediterranean Spaghetti from Italy

I am a big fan of Italian flavours and I believe that there is nothing better than an easy pasta dish for a light, weekday dinner. I often browse recipes on the website of “Forks over Knives”, where I have recently come across this pasta dish. When I prepared it for the first time, it was an instant hit for us. It has fresh, spring-like qualities and it is an incredibly well-balanced dish, in my view. The vegetables just work perfectly well in its sauce and the dish is simply very delicious.

When I looked at the recipe more closely, I discovered that it was developed by Ella Woodward, the author of the popular food blog “Deliciously Ella”. She deserves full credit for this marvellous spaghetti. Nevertheless, I made some minor modifications to the original recipe due to the fact that some ingredients are not always available in the area where I live.

Mediterranean Vegetable Spaghetti from www.deliciouslyella.com
http://deliciouslyella.com/
Let’s see how to make this marvellous mediterranean spaghetti with my minor changes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet of durum pasta
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into small pieces
  • 2 plum tomatoes, deseeded and sliced into eights (if plum tomatoes are not available, other types can be used)
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 large or 2 smaller aubergines, sliced into small rounds and then quarters (alternatively use 1 zucchini, as per the original recipe)
  • 1 bunch of spinach
  • Handful of olives (use deseeded and sliced ones if possible)
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • Salt according to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of Italian or French dried herbs
  • Pepper according to taste
  • 200 ml water

Preparation method:

  • Boil the pasta, according to packet instructions. Once it is ready, set aside.
  • Put the sliced aubergines in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and olive oil. Set aside.
  • Put the peppers, tomatoes, salt and dried herbs into a saucepan. Add the water to the saucepan and simmer the vegetables slowly. In case the vegetables start to brown, add more water and stir gently. Slowly cook for a few minutes.
  • Once the vegetables wilted, add the tomato purée and the juice of the lime.
  • Cook the vegetables for a few more minutes and let it slowly combine to form the sauce.
  • Once the sauce is ready, add the cherry tomatoes, aubergine slices (or zucchini slices) and the spinach leaves. Cook gently until the ingredients mix well.
  • Add the olives and additional dried herbs according to taste.
  • Combine the sauce with the pasta and mix well. Cook for a further a few minutes as the pasta will need to be heated.

Mediterranean Vegetable Spaghetti from www.myrecipes.com
www.myrecipes.com
 This pasta dish is perfect on its own. If you prefer, you may serve it with parmesan.

Bon appetite!

Oui Ratatouille!

Ratatouille is a great vegetarian stew with full of summery flavours and nutrients. It is quite easy to make and it is also very versatile. It can be served as a main or as a side, or even as filling for sandwiches or savory crepes. Also, the base recipe can be easily adjusted according to different personal preferences. It may even be served hot or cold, according to individual taste.

Ratatouille inspired sandwich - from www.marthastewart.com via Pinterest
www.marthastewart.com, Pinterest
Ratatouille originates in Nice, in Provence. It is known to be a country dish, created by farmers during the summer season, when fresh vegetables were abundant in this region of France. The name of the dish comes from the French world “touiller”, which means “to stir” or “to toss” in English. The first part of the world “rata” is a French slang word that means something like “chunky stew” in English.

Typically, aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and garlic are included in the traditional recipes of Ratatouille and the dish is spiced with fine herbs. If you like other vegetables like mushrooms, squash and potatoes, you may add them to your own preferred version of Ratatouille. Spicing is also a matter of personal preference. For true French flavours, use “Herbes de Provence”. You may also consider trying marjoram, thyme, basil and parsley.

Some recipes suggest that for the best result, Ratatouille’s ingredients should be cooked separately before combining them. This method is known to preserve the flavours of the individual ingredients better and it avoids a soggy and mushy texture in the stew. This tip is definitely worth trying!

Ratatouille’s taste, versatility and the simplicity of its preparation definitely contributed the global success of this quintessential French dish. Now, let’s try making it based on the below recipe of BBC Food (serves two people as a main course):

Ratatouille from BBC Food
BBC Food
Ingredients:

  • 2 aubergines
  • 4 small courgettes
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • “Herbes de Provence” spice mixture
  • small bunch basil, roughly torn

Preparation method:

  • Cut the aubergines into 2.5cm/1in slices. Cut the courgettes into 2.5cm/1in slices. De-seed the peppers and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
  • Score a cross in the base of each tomato and place them in a pot. Pour over boiling water to cover and set aside for one minute. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel away the skins. Cut them into quarters, then scoop out and discard the seeds. Chop them up into small pieces. Alternatively, use good quality canned plum tomatoes.
  • Place the aubergines and courgettes in a pan and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper.Fry the aubergine slices in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen towels.
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook over a gentle heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown and very tender. Stir in the peppers, garlic, sugar, some salt and pepper. Add the “Herbes of Provence” spice mixture and half of the basil. Mix the ingredients, cover and cook over a very gentle heat for 20 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the aubergines and the courgettes, mix the ingredients and cook for a further few minutes. Scatter with the remaining basil and serve.

Bon Appetite!