12
May/13

10 great ways to use Bicarbonate of Soda

by under Nutrition & Food Information, What's happening

10 Different uses for Bicarbonate of Soda?

Bicarbonate of Soda is a wonder worker around the home. It cleans shimmers and shines all kinds of surfaces. Mildly abrasive, its gentle yet effective cleaning action works on everything from ovens and kitchen surfaces to baths, sinks, loos, floors and more. We have listed just a few of the many uses for bicarb below.

• To remove mildew on a shower curtain, first make a thick paste of Bicarbonate of Soda and water. Smear it on the curtain and leave overnight until dry. Then wash the curtain normally and the mould will disappear.

• After cleaning the oven, brush the inside with a light Bicarbonate of Soda and water paste. When you next clean the oven the dirt will come away easily.

• With stained mattresses, make a paste with Bicarbonate of Soda and water and spread it on the stain and leave to dry. Later, brush off the dry Bicarbonate of Soda, which should have absorbed all the stain.

• You can clean baths too! Apply Bicarbonate of Soda with a damp cloth to remove stains and polish chrome fittings.

• Car enthusiasts often use Bicarbonate of Soda to polish chrome fittings. It works better than some commercial products.

• Soak stained cups and pans Bicarbonate of Soda and water, and stains will disappear.

• Bicarbonate of Soda takes away smells in fridges and freezers. Just keep an open tub in the corner of your fridge to absorb odours.

• If you have rusty utensils, cut a potato, dip it in Bicarbonate of Soda and then rub away the rust.

• Dishcloths and face flannels left to soak in Bicarbonate of Soda and water are fresher than if washed in most commercial products.

• A pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda in a vase of water will keep flowers much fresher and prevent the water from becoming stagnant.

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12
May/13

Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubard

by under Recipes

A very funny line from a sitcom in the early eighties ….  And now I’m showing my age!

Seasonal Rhubard made into Jam!

 

Rhubarb is one of my favourite ingredients for this time of year and I grow it in my garden.  This year I’ve made some conserve with it as well as poaching to make compote to eat with breakfast or as dessert.  I also blanch it then freeze it and use it for smoothies  or for fruit crumbles (which is love) for later on in the year.

Rhubarb Conserve

 Ingredients:

450g rhubarb

450g sugar

Zest ½ orange

Juice of 1 orange

2 tbsp of lemon juice 

Cooking Instructions: 

  1. Cut the rhubarb into 1 cm/1/2 inch pieces and place in bowl, now sprinkle the sugar over them.  Leave for 6 hours or overnight.
  2. Transfer the rhubarb and sugar into a deep pan.  Add the orange zest and orange juice. (Not the lemon juice at this point). 
  3. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and then add the lemon juice and boil steadily until setting point is reached.
  4. Allow to cool slightly, stir well.  Then spoon into sterilized jars. 

Cooks Tip 1: Remember no need to put in the fridge! 

 

 

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12
May/13

What is Quinoa

by under Nutrition & Food Information

What is Quinoa

Although Quinoa is a relative newcomer to the Bristish supermarket it has long been a revered ingredient in South America.  Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato. 

In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fibre and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. 

What is Quinoa  made from

Quinoa is a species of goosefoot family and is  grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. 

Cooking Quinoa

Quinoa is very easy to cook and should be cooked in a similar way to cous cous or rice.  Add a stock cube or season the water to add flavour to the quinoa whilst its cooking. 

Germination & Sprouting

Quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional value. Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin content. In fact, quinoa has a notably short germination period: Only 2–4 hours resting in a glass of clean water is enough to make it sprout and release gases, as opposed to, e.g., 12 hours with wheat. By germinating the seeds, besides its nutritional enhancements, softens the seeds, making them great for salads and other cold foods.

For more information contact Kumud Gandhi at The Cooking Academy

 

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10
May/13

Recipe – New seasoned Asparagus with Quinoa

by under Recipes

Asparagus with Quinoa & Chervil    

New season Asparagus with Quinoa & delicate chervil

Aparagus is in season and what better way to enjoy the goodness of this great vegetable than with something equally as interesting as quinoa.  Together this combination is a powerhouse of taste and nutritional goodness.

 Quinoa is a great protein that can easily replace a starchy carb like risotto.  It’s easier to cook then you think and seasoned correctly can be a very tasty and healthy ingredient.  It’s equally diminutive cooking time, makes it a big hit with me, its then finished with salty pecorino cheese and the delicate liquorice flavoured chervil; yielding, soft flavours and textures of spring.  I originally found this recipe on the ‘food 52’ blog site but I have adjusted it to my preference and used quinoa instead of couscous.  

Serves 2 

Ingredients: 

4 tablespoons salted butter divided into 2
1 tsp of finely chopped garlic
200g quinoa

150 ml good white wine
200 ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
100g finely grated Pecorino
50g chopped pistachios, toasted if desired
3 finger pinch roughly chopped chervil leaves 

Cooking Instructions: 

  1. Toast the quinoa in the oven at 120 degrees for about 8 minutes to enrich the flavour. 
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and garlic and gently toast again, this time with the butter for about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the wine and half of the stock bring to boil then drop the temperature to very low and cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes.  When the liquid is nearly absorbed add the asparagus and the rest of the stock and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.
  4. Once the quinoa and asparagus are tender, stir in the Pecorino, pistachios, chervil and remaining butter. Sprinkle servings with additional Pecorino, pistachios and chervil, if desired.
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29
Apr/13

Roquefort for Calcuim & Cardio

by under Nutrition & Food Information

Reasons to enjoy Roquefort

Roquefort contain vital anti inflammatory properties.

Roquefort contain vital anti inflammatory properties.

Roquefort – whilst known for mould and blue veins also has anti inflammatory properties that could help to guard against cardiovascular disease – say scientists from Cambridge.  Despite its high salt and fat content scientists believe these anti-inflammatory properties could help to explain why French  people enjoy such good health; French women live the longest in Europe – approximately years longer than British women. 

 

For more information contact Kumud Gandhi at The Cooking Academy or come to our nutritional cookery class to learn more about everyday nutritional cookery

 

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28
Apr/13

Recipe – Spagetti alle Vongole

by under Recipes

 

Spagetti alle Vongole

Spagetti alle Vongole

The weather is still a little nippy but the sun was out brightly today – perfect weather for Vongole i think! The pasta is warming andstill carby yet the dish is light and refelcts the sunshine. 

I hope you’ll try it - the recipe is incredibly simple for something that tastes rather special, and clams are available quite easily at the moment and reasonably priced.  

Spagetti alle Vongole    

 Serves 2

 Ingredients:

300g small clams (carpet shell are great!)
350g spaghetti or fettuccini or linguini

30g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic, finely chopped

1 large shallot

½ medium heat red chilli, finely chopped

¼ tsp black pepper
150ml dry white wine
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Zest and juice of ½ a lemon 

Cooking Instructions:

 Rinse the clams in cold running water, and scrub if necessary, then put them into a large bowl with a couple of tablespoons of flour and salt, cover them with cold water and leave for an hour or so. 

  1. When you’re ready to use them drain and rinse to remove any grit or sand.
  2. Put the spaghetti into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes under the recommended time, until nearly done.  Slightly  more than aldente since it will continue cooking once its in the vongole sauce.
  3. Meanwhile, put half the butter and all the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and soften the shallots, garlic and chilli.
  4. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes before adding the drained clams, and turn up the heat.  Cover and leave for a couple of minutes until most of them have opened. Discard any that are still closed.
  5.  Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan along with the remaining butter. Toss well and leave for a minute, then stir through the chopped parsley, black pepper, lemon zest and juice, season to taste and serve.

 

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22
Apr/13

Cookery teambuilding events

by under What's happening
Corporate Cookery events - Teambuilding at The Cooking Academy

Corporate Cookery events – Teambuilding at The Cooking Academy

Corporate cookery team building

If you are looking for change from the usual team building events then The Cooking Academy is definately the place to come. We are a cookery school with an absolute passion for food, which of course you would expect; but our unique approach to food and eating makes our cookery classes inspiring, motivational and fun; the perfect combination for a team building event.

Cooking classes to build a team

Our team building cookery classes allow people people to learn, relax and enjoy each e=others company in a non competitive way, building a spirit de corp that enables colleagues to bong with a shared experience. Cooking and eating together is a traditional nurturing activity that brings out the best of humanity, leaving a lasting connection with each other. 

Some of our corporate clients include: Astra Pharmaceutical, Glaxo, McDonalds, Barclays, BMW Finance, Lloyds TSB, and many more. 

Learn to cook in the bargain

As well as the corporate objective – our cookery classes are a life skill and valuable lesson in the science of food. Each of our events also incorporate a spice trail about the origins of spices and their chemical composition, an analysis of how they work with our human biology and shy they create the flavour they do. Added to that the technical skill of learning a range of recipes to build up on when they return home and enable them to cook delicious, nutritious dishes time and time again.

Office party events

If you are simply looking for a group event that everyone can take part in, A cooking class for your team is a fantastic opportunity to include food and wine into the events with a learning element. Our classes are fun and challenging in a non competitive way, enables colleagues to laugh with each other and create shared experiences, allowing you to enjoy each others company, whilst eating, drinking and learning.

If you would like to find out more about our corporate cookery classes please contact Kumud Gandhi here at The Academy and see what kind of event we can put together for you.

Tel : 0845 0 68 58 48

email: kumud@thecookingacademy.co.uk

 

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4
Apr/13

An exciting new chapter… Cooking Classes In London

by under What's happening

 

Our new London Location – Old Street – London 

Food is our passion, and over the last 7 years we’ve been overjoyed at bringing our unique teaching style to thousands across this country and beyond, helping them to improve their cooking skills and hone their hidden talents. In June 2013 we’re excited to be able to bring The Cooking Academy to even more people with our brand new second location in Central London.

Cooking Classes in London

Easily accessible from The City and The West End, our new kitchens are minutes from Old Street Tube Station in the heart of the Capital, and they provide another space for people to come and learn how to cook their favourite cuisine with The Cooking Academy’s unique approach.

We’ll be offering our popular Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese cooking classes, as well as Corporate Classes and teambuilding events for those of you who want a inner London location. Being 10 minutes from Liverpool Street and 15 minutes from Oxford Circus means we’ll be more accessible than ever before, and we look forward to welcoming both existing and new customers to our new location.  Of course, whilst this is all very exciting, you needn’t worry that classes at our Hertfordshire location will run less frequently as they’ll still be running regularly!   If you currently have a voucher for our Hertfordshire kitchens and would like to change it to one for our Central London location, we’ll be happy to do that for you at no extra cost.

If you’d like to book yourself a place on one of our Central London courses, simply visit our website and purchase a voucher for any of the relevant classes, and mention the fact that you’d like to visit us in London when booking your date!

We’re very excited about this new chapter for The Cooking Academy, and we look forward to welcoming you very soon!

Kumud and The Cooking Academy Team

 

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27
Mar/13

My Savoury Potato Cakes – Aloo Tikki’s

by under Recipes

Aloo Tikki's - Recipe by Kumud Gandhi - The Cooking Academy cookery school

I was talking to a dear customer today, Nick is a regular on our classes and really embracing Indian food in all its glory.  He’s about to join me on our ‘Cook like an Indian’ class – the two day comprehensive Indian.  We got talking about food ! yeees can you believe it?  Nick was describing something that sounded like Aloo Tikki’s – a traditional savoury potato patti kind of dish.  They are really yummy, so I thought I’d share them with you too!  I hope you have a go – they are really simple to make.   

Aloo Tikka’s  

 My Aloo Tikka’s are a favourite throughout India and are commonly eaten as a street food or late afternoon snack.  I think they work well as a starter in the context of modern dining or an additional dish…  The Aloo Tikka’s in my picture contain gardens peas as a variation on the theme or you could also add cooked chickpeas.   

Ingredients:

 400 g potatoes, (i like Maris Pipers) peeled and quartered

½ tsp salt or to taste – definitely add whilst the potatoes are boiling

1.5 tsp roasted cumin seeds

½ tsp green chillies – finely chopped

¼ tsp hot chilli powder

2 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp chaat masala (optional)

¼ tsp turmeric

1 tbsp lemon juice

A generous handful of chopped fresh coriander

4 strands spring onions – finely chopped 

Cooking Instructions:

 Boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked, drain.  When cooled enough to handle peel and grate (not mash – the texture becomes too sloppy) then place in a bowl.

  1. Add the dry spices, ginger fresh chillies, lemon juice and herbs including the spring onions, mix well and season to taste.
  2. Divide the filling into equal sizes portions and shape into cookie sized discs, around 7 cms diameter by 2 cms thick.  Dust a little semolina flour over them and place them on a tray in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set and firm up. 
  3. When you’re ready to cook them, heat a few tsps of oil in a non stick pan and when the oil is warm place in them.  Fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side until they are crisp and golden. 
  4. Serve with a chilli and mango dressing or tomato chutney.  

Cooks Tip 1:  You could try adding some cooked chickpeas or gardens peas to the filling to add texture and sweetness.  Just mash them up a little before adding! 

 

Recipe by Kumud Gandhi –Writer & Broadcaster, Founder of The CookingAcademyCookerySchoolin Rickmansworth Hertfordshire

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22
Mar/13

Paneer Tikka Kebabs

by under Nutrition & Food Information, Recipes

I’ve just been asked for my recipe for paneer tikka kebabs following my tweet about my dinner plans.  It is of course the recipe we cook in our cookery class and is always popular with the delegates.  So for all those of you who have not attended the Indian class, here it is.  Do enjoy and do pass to all your friends

Paneer Tikka Marinade 

Serves 2

 Ingredients:

12 pieces of fresh paneer cubed into 2cm square pieces

1 dessertspoon natural yoghurt Greek or bio yoghurt

1 tbsp Lemon juice

½ tsp fresh grated ginger

½ tsp finely chopped garlic

¼ tsp red chilli flakes

¼ tsp paprika 

1/8th tsp salt to taste

½ tsp tomato puree

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

3 finger pinch of fresh coriander 

Method:

  1. Place all ingredients except the paneer in bowl, mix well and taste.
  2. Add paneer and mix well and set aside to marinate for as long as possible, overnight is ideal.
  3. Place on a tray in a hot oven for approximately 12 minutes at 180° or 10 minutes if fan assisted.

 

Cooks Hint 1: The paneer can be marinated and used up to 3 days later. 

Cooks Hint 2: If you’re using this spice blend with chicken to make Chicken Tikka masala, add 1 tbsp of oil as well the yoghurt to the mixture.   

 

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