Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to what can surely be said a pure genius of a man, quite interestingly Stephen Fry who celebrates his birthday this week. This week’s featured recipes are Gluten-free recipes suitable for celiac sufferers, they are Spicy Gluten-Free Brownie Bites with Almond Chocolate Sauce,Gluten-Free Blackberry Pie on a Spiced Almond Crust and Gluten-Free Chestnut Fennel Cookies. The spice of the week is Tamarind.
Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also included Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson and Tony Slattery. With Hugh Laurie, as the comedy double act Fry and Laurie, he co-wrote and co-starred in A Bit of Fry & Laurie, and the duo also played the title roles in Jeeves and Wooster.
As a solo actor, Fry played the lead in the film Wilde, was Melchett in the BBC television series Blackadder, starred as the title character Peter Kingdom in the ITV series Kingdom, and is the host of the quiz show QI. He also presented a 2008 television series Stephen Fry in America, which saw him travelling across all 50 U.S. states in six episodes. Fry has a recurring guest role as Dr. Gordon Wyatt on the Fox crime series Bones.
Apart from his work in television, Fry has contributed columns and articles for newspapers and magazines, and has written four novels and two volumes of autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot and The Fry Chronicles. He also appears frequently on BBC Radio 4, starring in the comedy series Absolute Power, being a frequent guest on panel games such as Just a Minute, and acting as chairman for I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, where he was one of a trio of hosts who succeeded the late Humphrey Lyttelton. Fry is also known in the UK for his audiobook recordings, particularly as reader for all seven Harry Potter novels.
My first recipe is Spicy Gluten-Free Brownie Bites with Almond Chocolate Sauce, recipe courtesy of Delicious Magazine September 2011. Taken from Snog Healthy Treats Cookbook published by Ryland Peters and Small.
Makes 12, takes 20mins to make, 20-25mins to cook.
50g x Chickpea (gram) Flour
25g x Brown Rice Flour
25g x Potato Flour
25g x Cocoa Powder
1tsp x Baking Powder
1/8 tsp x Bicarbonate of Soda
1/8 tsp x Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp x Sea Salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp x Chilli Powder, to taste (ideally smoked chilli powder, such as chipotle)
120ml x Grapeseed Oil, plus extra for greasing
60ml x Agave Nectar
60ml x Apple Sauce
1 1/2 tsp x Vanilla Extract
60ml x Hot Water
For the Chocolate Almond Sauce
50g x Good Quality Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), broken into chunks
1 tbsp x Almond Butter
1 tbsp x Agave Nectar
Preheat the oven to 160C/Fan 140C/ Gas Mark 3 and lightly oil a 12 hole non-stick mini cupcake tin. Sift the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, xanthan gum, salt and chilli powder into a large bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, agave nectar, apple sauce and vanilla, then add this to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Pour in the hot water and stir until combined. Do not over-mix. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cupcake tin. Bake in the oven for 20-25mins until the tops of the cakes are crisp and a skewer into the centres comes out clean. Leave to coolin the tin.
To make the sauce, put the chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. (Do not let the bowl touch the water.) Stir until melted. Allow to cool before stirring in the almond butter and agave nectar. Spoon a little of the sauce on top of each brownie bite to serve.
Chef’s Tips:Xanthan Gum is often used in gluten-free baking to replace the elasticity you get from wheat gluten. Agave Nectar (also known as Agave Syrup) is made from the juice of a Mexican plant. Gram for gram it’s 1.1/2 times sweeter than sugar. The flour, gum, nectar and Almond Butter are all available from health food shops and supermarkets.
My next recipe is Gluten-Free Blackberry Pie on a Spiced Almond Crust, recipe courtesy of Delicious Magazine September 2011. Taken from Snog Healthy Treats Cookbook published by Ryland Peters and Small.
Serves 8, takes 20mins to make, 20-25mins to cook.
350g x Raw Almonds
1/2 tsp x Ground Allspice
85g x Raisins
2 tbsp x Agave Nectar
1 tbsp x Vanilla Extract
For The Filling
500g x Fresh Blackberries
8 x Soft Medjool Dates, pitted
1 tbsp x Agave Nectar
1 tbsp x Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Greek Yoghurt (0% Fat), to serve (optional)
Salt
To make the pie crust, put the almonds, allspice and a pinch of salt in a food processor and whizz until finly ground and loose. Add the raisins, agave nectar, vanilla and 1 tbsp of water, and process until it begins to form coarse breadcrumbs. Put the mixture in a pie dish 23cm in diameter and 4cm deep, then distribute it along the bottom and sides to form an even layer. Press down with your hands, shaping the crust so it’s flush with the rim. (The pie crust should be about 8mm thick.) Chill, covered, for about 20mins.
To make the filling, put half the blackberries, the dates, agave nectar and lemon juice in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining blackberries. Pour the filling into the pie crust and distribute evenly with a spatula. Chill, covered, for 2hrs, then cut into slices and serve with the Greek yoghurt, if you like.
Spice of the week – Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic (having only a single species). Tamarindus indica is indigenous to tropical Africa, particularly in Sudan, where it continues to grow wild; it is also cultivated in Cameroon, Nigeria and Tanzania. In Arabia, it is found growing wild in Oman, especially Dhofar, where it grows on the sea-facing slopes of mountains. It reached South Asia likely through human transportation and cultivation several thousand years prior to the Common Era. It is widely distributed throughout the tropical belt, from Africa to South Asia, Northern Australia, and throughout South East Asia, Taiwan and China. In the 16th century, it was heavily introduced to Mexico, as well as South America, by Spanish and Portuguese colonists, to the degree that it became very commonly used.
The fruit pulp is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour and acidic, but is often used as a component of savory dishes, as a pickling agent or as a means of making certain poisonous yams in Ghana safe for human consumption. The ripened fruit is considered the more palatable, as it becomes sweeter and less sour (acidic) as it matures. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, sorbets, ice creams and all manner of snacks. It is also consumed as a natural laxative. In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire sauce, and HP sauce.
Imli chutney and pulusu use it. Along with tamarind, sugar and spices are added to (regional) taste for chutneys or a multitude of condiments for a bitter-sweet flavor. The immature pods and flowers are also pickled and used as a side dish. In Regional cuisines, such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, use it to make rasam, sambhar, vatha kuzhambu and puliyogare. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, tender leaves of tamarind are used with lentils, and it is also dried and used in place of ripe tamarind for mild flavour. In southern parts of Kerala, mostly along the coastal belt, it is added to fish curry, masalas and ground coconut for flavouring.
In Guadeloupe, tamarind is known as tamarinier and is used in jams and syrups. In Trinidad and Tobago, tamarind is rolled into balls (5cm in diameter) with white granulated sugar and a blend of spices to create tambran balls.
In Mexico, it is sold in various snack forms: dried and salted; or candied (see for example pulparindo or chamoy snacks). Tamarind snacks, such as Mexico's Pelon Pelo Rico candies are available in specialty food stores worldwide. A sour, chilled drink made from tamarind is served in Egypt. A traditional food plant in Africa, tamarind has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.
The Javanese dish gurame and more so ikan asem, also known as ikan asam (sweet and sour fish, commonly a carp or river fish) is served throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; Some dishes in Manado, Sulawesi and Maluku cuisines use Tamarind. In Myanmar, young and tender leaves and flower buds are eaten as a vegetable. A salad dish of tamarind leaves, boiled beans, and crushed peanuts topped with crispy fried onions is served in rural Myanmar. In the Philippines, tamarind is used in foods like sinigang soup, and also made into candies. The leaves are also used in sinampalukan soup. In Thailand, a cultivar has been bred specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit: it is particularly sweet and minimally sour. It is also sometimes eaten preserved in sugar with chili as a sweet-and-spicy candy. Pad Thai often includes tamarind for its tart/sweet taste (with lime juice added for sourness and fish sauce added for saltiness and umami). A tamarind-based sweet-and-sour sauce is served over deep-fried fish in central Thailand.
Phytochemical studies have revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, sesquiterpenes, alkaloids and phlobatamins and other extracts active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, at temperatures of 4–30°C (39–86°F). Studies on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts on the test organisms showed the lowest MIC and the MBC were demonstrated against Salmonella paratyphi, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhi and the highest MIC and MBC were exhibited against Staphylococcus aureus.
In northern Nigeria, fresh stem bark and fresh leaves are used as decoction mixed with potash for the treatment of stomach disorders, general body pain, jaundice, yellow fever and as blood tonic and skin cleanser. In Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines and Javanese traditional medicine, asem leaves are used as a herbal infusion for malarial fever, the fruit juice as an antiseptic, and for scurvy and even cough cure. Throughout Southeast Asia fruit of the tamarind as used a poultice applied to foreheads of fever sufferers. Tamarind is used as in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for gastric and/or digestion problems, and in cardioprotective activity.
In animal studies, tamarind has been found to lower serum cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Due to a lack of available human clinical trials, there is insufficient evidence to recommend tamarind for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia or diabetes. However, based on human study, tamarind intake may delay the progression of skeletal fluorosis by enhancing excretion of fluoride. However, additional research is needed to confirm these results. Excess consumption has been noted as a traditional laxative.
Other medicinal uses include: Anthelmintic (expels worms), antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, asthma, astringent, bacterial skin infections (erysipelas), boils, chest pain, cholesterol metabolism disorders, colds, colic, conjunctivitis (pink eye), constipation (chronic or acute), diabetes, diarrhoea (chronic), dry eyes, dysentery (severe diarrhoea), eye inflammation, fever, food preservative, food uses (colouring), gallbladder disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, gingivitis, haemorrhoids, indigestion, insecticide, jaundice, keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), leprosy, liver disorders, nausea and vomiting (pregnancy-related), paralysis, poisoning (Datura plant), rash, rheumatism, saliva production, skin disinfectant/sterilization, sore throat, sores, sprains, sunscreen, sunstroke, swelling (joints), urinary stones, wound healing (corneal epithelium).
My final recipe is Gluten-Free Chestnut Fennel Cookies, recipe courtesy of Delicious Magazine September 2011. Taken from Snog Healthy Treats Cookbook published by Ryland Peters and Small.
Makes approx. 25 takes 25mins to make, 12-15mins to cook, plus freezing.
50g x Chestnut Flour
200g x Gluten-free Plain Flour
1/2 tsp x Fennel Seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp x Sea Salt
225g x Unsalted Butter, softened
3 tbsp x Agave Nectar
1 x Large Free-Range Egg
1 tsp x Vanilla Extract
50g x Currants
Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Combine the chestnut and plain flour, fennel seeds and salt in a mixing bowl. Put the butter in a metal or glass bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until light and airy. Whisk in the agave nectar, followed by the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture along with the currants. Fold in using a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. Do not over-mix. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and form into 2 logs (about 5cms thick). Wrap in cling film and freeze for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 160C/Fan 140C/Gas Mark 3. Cut the logs into 0.5cm thick rounds and space them about 2.5cm apart on the prepared sheet. Bake in the hot oven for about 12-15mins until golden. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5mins, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container.
If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.
Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D
