Browsing Category

Sides

how to cook polenta

Once in a while we flirt with polenta, like Colin Farrell with Elizabeth Taylor. It’s not serious, but it loiters on our hit list.

Polenta has the creaminess of mashed potato, with a pinch of unfamiliar excitement. That might be the yeast flakes talking, giving flavour-bombs to everything it touches.

Potatoes will still beat polenta on the nutritional circuit, so we’ve added extra vitamins with the tomatoes, summer kale and garlic in this recipe. And if you really want to glow, let some avocado join the party.

Tomatoes are beefed up with lycopene. These carotenoids behave like boisterous antioxidants in the body. Think of an internal system of Pacman, and you’ve got the idea. We like antioxidants because they help to counteract mischief-making oxidants in our blood stream. These pesky oxidants, or ‘free radicals’ don’t do our skin any favours either. Want to know the best remedy for dull skin? More water and more sleep.

If you’re off dairy, some mushrooms pan-fried in a splash of tamari and olive oil will add some badass umami notes, to replace the Parmesan cheese. Think of umami as our plate’s BF.

100g polenta (ground maize)

500ml stock

Fistful of grated Parmesan, or 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

Fistful of sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed (adults only)

Fistful of baby spinach, rocket or red summer kale

Start by downloading a good podcast to keep you company in the kitchen. You’ll be locked to the saucepan for 6 minutes. Bring your stock to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan. (I spotted handsome heavy-based saucepans on sale in TK Maxx this week).

Slowly pour your ground maize into the stock, whisking all the while. Turn down the heat to a gentle pitter-patter. As you stir the maize, it will become creamy and thick. Tumble in the remaining ingredients. If you are using yeast flakes in place of Parmesan, add a few drops of olive oil from the sundried tomatoes at this stage.

Keep stirring until the cheese has melted (if using) or the maize doesn’t stick to the side of the saucepan. Now you are ready to dish the hot polenta into individual bowls.

Serve alongside a simple bowl of olives or Sunday’s roast chicken. Also excellent with curries and stews. Leftovers can be scraped into a small shallow dish, pre-lined with cling film. As soon as the leftover polenta sets, you can cut up into squares and tuck them into lunchboxes or pockets.

June 28, 2014

Lunchbox, Sides, Treats & Snacks, Vegan &/or Raw

The Secret to Seriously Smooth Hummus

They’re not called Bloke Peas for a good reason. Chickpeas are puffed with feline-friendly compounds.

There’s magnesium, a mineral many of us crave once a month when we become a crazed version of a slightly-less-bonkers self. Magnesium has the magnificent ability to relieve cramps by helping our blood vessels relax. Good news for headaches and varicose veins too.

Then there’s isoflavones, a plant-based phyto-oestrogen considered among some as ammunition in the fight against breast cancer. It looks like our body converts isoflavones into compounds that mimic some of the effects of oestrogen.

Why is this important?

The female reproductive system is influenced by oestrogen. Studies on the specific benefits of plant-based phyto-oestrogens have yielded mixed results, but they seem to have some correlation to reduced risk of hormonal cancers, and may even play a role in bone density.

Phyto-oestrogens have already been used to improve menopausal symptoms. Some women prefer to take phyto-oestrogens than opt for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). I do like the idea of being prescribed hummus for hot flushes!

If you haven’t cooked chickpeas from scratch, you are missing out on one of the creamiest beans on Earth. Tinned chickpeas are fine, but hardly make me breakdance. Try this hummus recipe, and make MC Hammer proud.

The Very Best Hummus Recipe

Yotam Ottolenghi is the High Priest of hummus. We have an alter in our fridge built for his recipe, and dip into it all week. Even fussy toddlers struggle to resist its charms.

1 & ¼ cup / 250g dried chickpeas

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

up to 1 cup / 240g tahini sesame paste

2-4 tablespoons lemon juice

2-4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

100ml ice cold water

Start the night before, by rinsing the chickpeas and soaking them in 2 cups of cold water.

The next day, drain the chickpeas. Tumble them into a medium saucepan, crank up the heat, and add the bicarbonate of soda. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

Add 1.5 litres of fresh water and bring to a rolling boil. Using a slotted spoon, skim off any foam that floats to the surface during the first few minutes. The chickpeas can cook anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on their size and type. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger. Almost, but not quite, mushy.

Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a food processor bowl. You could also use a hand-held blender. Whiz the chickpeas into a stiff paste with the tahini, lemon, garlic and sea salt. With the motor still running, drizzle in the iced water and allow it to mix until you get a very smooth paste.

Chef recommends transferring the hummus to a cling-wrapped bowl and leaving it to rest for at least 30 minutes. But I found this step difficult. I think you will too.

Stamp your signature on it. We used blue cornflowers and chives in our photo today. Swirl some glossy olive oil on top, or sprinkle with pomegranate seeds? Perhaps date syrup and fresh coriander? Dried paprika and chilli flakes? Over to you …

June 22, 2014

Lunchbox, Salads & Suppers, Sides, Vegan &/or Raw

Mojo Rojo & Courgetti

Known as Mother Nature’s sting, chilli peppers are electrifyingly hot. And devious.

Eating them will rev up your metabolism, heart rate, body temperature and mood for Barry White. Legend tells us that the great Aztec emperor Montezuma necked a chilli chocolate drink in preparation for visits to his lady friends. There could be something in that.

Chillies are also great for the blues. The compound capsaicin helps hotwire our feel-good endorphins, easing stress and massaging nerves. Think of it as sunshine for the veins. Capsaicin also distracts the chemical responsible for transmitting pain messages to the brain. Have some at hand when opening your next visa bill. Or treat yourself to this mojo.

If you don’t like setting your mouth alight, here are a few tips on keeping the sweating and swearing at bay. Never drink water, beer or wine to calm the fire in your mouth. This will only enhance the storm. Take olive oil, egg yolk or something fatty to absorb its blaze. Greek yoghurt is often used to help dilute a chilli’s enthusiasm. And finally, be sure to wear industrial mascara to weather the floods of tears.

Mojo Rojo

As soon as I met Rojo, I knew it was love. My chest swelled, my lips burned, and I began levitating at the table. He is from Moro restaurant, and works for Sam and Sam Clarke. Such is his popularity, he’s rarely available. This is despite having a permanent fixture on Moro’s menu.

So here it is. An adaptation of Moro’s legendary Mojo Rojo, designed to do funny things to our thighs.

2 large red peppers, 3 medium

1 red chilli

3 slices rye or gluten-free bread, crustless

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

5 fresh bay leaves, stalks removed

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar

4 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon raw honey, coconut nectar or maple syrup

Deseed the peppers, and roughly chop into chunks. Roast on a baking tray with a little olive oil for 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees.

Roughly chop the bread into cubes like croutons. Lightly fry in a little olive oil for 60 seconds.

Then deseed your chilli and finely chop its flesh. Add everything to a high-speed food processor. Briefly pulse into a smooth dip, and serve in a pottery dish. You could thin it down with a few tablespoons of water or lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Or use Greek yoghurt if the chilli is too loud.

We love ours besdie a lazy 10-hour shoulder of lamb, or with soba noodles mixed through some courgetti. Fix a small courgette to a spiruliser, and kabam! Spaghetti from courgette. Fat carrots work really well too. If you don’t fancy forking 30 quid out for another kitchen gadget, you could use a potato peeler to scrape ribbons from the vegetables instead.

After this piece was published, spirulisers were sold out on Amazon and kitchen stores across Dublin! Thank you Irish Times!

May 31, 2014

Older Posts

Newer Posts