Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
Yeah I do like my food spicy.
I'd still recommend you use the same selection of spices, just lower quantities if you prefer a milder version.
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Recipes, kitchen tips and tricks
- Thread starter Sassy Colombian
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I'd still recommend you use the same selection of spices, just lower quantities if you prefer a milder version.
Yes will do and nice to see you fry them first to release the flavours .
You forgot to add the chocolate. Chilli aint chilli without chocolateBy popular demand, well from Sassy anyway, here's my chilli recipe. I use 500g low fat steak mince, but it would work equally well with diced braising/stewing steak which you probably use over in the US. This will serve 4, or 3 large portions in my case.
I use a large saucepan. Adding about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium heat fry a chopped small onion until soft. Add a handful of dried red chillies and fry for another couple of minutes, then add 3 or 4 chopped medium fresh chillies, removing the seeds if you don't want it hobs of hell. Fry for another couple of minutes, stirring all the time, then turn temp down to low and add 3/4 cloves of garlic crushed. Stir fry until garlic is lightly browned and then add the spices. 1 tsp of ground cumin, 1 tsp of ground coriander and 3/4 tsp of ground chilli. (1 tsp if you like it really hot). Mix the ground spices well with the other ingredients and fry for 3 or 4 minutes over low heat.
Turn the heat up to medium again and add the steak mince making sure it is well mixed with the other ingredients, and stirred regularly so that all the meat browns. At this stage add a mugful of hot beef stock, a large tin of chopped tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato puree, 2 or 3 tsp of sugar, handful of dried Italian herbs, a dash of cider vinegar and a few slugs of good quality red wine. Season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasoning if required.
Cover and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes or so. Add half a chopped pepper (red or green) and 250g of diced brown button mushrooms, Then add a tablespoon of paprika (NOT the smoked variety as this dramatically alters the taste as I discovered once) and cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Check the density of the gravy. It will possibly be too thin as sometimes the mushrooms have a lot of water content. If so, remove the saucepan lid and continue to cook uncovered. After about 30/40 minutes of simmering in total, add a small tin of red kidney beans rinsed and stir in. Simmer for another 10 minutes or so then it should be ready to eat.
I like mine with lots of grated fresh parmesan over and served with boiled brown rice, but you can add sour cream if that's your bag. I like hot spicy food and this is made to my taste.
Right, I'm just off to cook it now. Just need to open a large bottle of San Miguel and put an 80s playlist on my CD
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
Yeah, I've seen that in some TV programs. Never tried it myself although I do like a nice mole sauce.
How do you add the chocolate and at what stage in the process. is it powered or do you just sling in some chocolate and let it melt?
Add about 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 squares of dark chocolate at the same time you add your passata or tomato paste.
It balances the heat of the chillies and also balances the acidity of the tomatoes as well as improving the overall depth of flavour.
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
Have to get me some chocolate in. Always willing to experiment a little
Charles Hawtrey
Player Valuation: £50m
Heard recently that if you cook rice and then refrigerate for 24 hours - then reheat when you want to serve, it breaks down all the longer chain carbs in the rice and reduces the glycemic effect dramatically! Could be a godsend for diabetics craving some of the white death!
Sassy Colombian
Member: Team PoP
For the first time this year I decided to try to keep my herbs alive throughout the winter. Some of them are are usually very resistant to the cold weather and won’t die unless it freezes for various days. But this year I have decided to cover them with clear plastic during the night and uncover them during warmer days. We will see how they do. In previous years when I would cut them and air dry them, have you ever try that?
Air Drying: Drying works well for herbs like oregano, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Before drying, shake to remove dirt and discard any withered leaves. (You can gently wash the herbs, but be sure to dry them thoroughly to prevent mildew.) Secure the stems together using twine or a rubber band and hang upside down in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place away from sunlight. If you don’t have a dark spot, or if dust is a concern, you can cover the bundle with a paper bag; just ensure that there is enough space for air to circulate. Leave to dry until the leaves crumble, anywhere from 1-4 weeks. Store in an airtight container for up to a year.
Oven Drying: Although we prefer the above method because it doesn’t use any energy (and there’s something romantic about hanging herbs to dry!), oven drying is faster than air drying and a good option for those living in humid environments. To oven dry, spread herbs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (metal can affect the flavor) and place in a 150° F oven with the door slightly ajar. Check herbs frequently and remove when crumbly; it may take between 1-4 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to a year.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Cheers, my lemon balm looked really good out of the freezer. Wasn't brittle at all and kept its lovely smell. I've got some tangerine mint, has a lovely orange scent, which I'll freeze tomorrow and hopefully will turn out the same as the lemon balm.
Sassy Colombian
Member: Team PoP
That’s great to hear. So you chopped it and place it straight in the freezer or did you use the ice cubes tray with water? And would you store them in the freezer and just take them out as needed.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
I had a ton of it and the plan was to chop it finely, well that went into the bin. So coarsely chopped it was, piece of cling film on a tray, spread it as evenly as you can and bung it in the freezer. I've put it in one of those little plastic cash bags and in a plastic tub into the freezer. I suppose I'll see if it works when I use it.
Sassy Colombian
Member: Team PoP
Let me know how well it works, if the weather gets too cold I may cut some of my herbs and do the same.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Will do, might try this recipe :
Lemon Balm Cake Recipe - Recipes
www.self-sufficient.co.uk
I also have lemon verbena so another possibility with this recipe, or might be interchangeable with the lemon balm.
Lemon verbena cake Recipe | Food From Portugal
Want to prepare a different cake with special flavor? We have an excellent option for you! Try this recipe of Lemon Verbena cake.
www.foodfromportugal.com
magicjuan
Player Valuation: £60m
Could also kill some too. Reheating cooked rice is very risky. Bacillus cereus stays in rice after cooking. Especially true from takeaways.
I went to Mexico a few years ago and gave it to the head chef in the hotel and he told me it would be too expensive to put on the menu using chocolate ,I said it was just for him to try .Funnily enough we went around the town and not one restaurant had it on their menus . I wanted to taste a traditional chili con carne .
I could though find a chinese and a french take away !
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