A recipe for the heart  – Purple sprouting broccoli  & mange tout with an oriental dressing

Purple sprouting broccoli is in season and besides tasting very good, medicinally has some pretty compelling reasons to be eaten.  Now this tasty and quick recipes make broccoli infinately more interesting and edible. 

Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Chilli and Sesame Dressing

 Serves 3-4

 Ingredients

 350 g purple sprouting broccoli

200g mange tout

salt

 For the dressing: 

  1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

 1 tbsp sesame oil

 1 tbsp lime juice

 1 tsp Thai fish sauce

 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce

 1 small red chilli, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Salt to taste

 Cooking Instructions

1.  Start by preparing the broccoli by cutting it into even-sized pieces, stalks as well.  Top and tail and take the rind off the mange tout.  Wash thoroughly.
2.  Place both of the ingredients into fan steamer, place into a saucepan, add a little boiling water, sprinkle with a little sea salt and place the lid on firmly shut to allow to steam cook for about 4 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, to make the dressing, place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl, stir well and taste, season as per your preference.�When the vegetables are cooked, remove from the steamer and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables, toss it around and serve straight away. 

 Serve with steamed rice or with a meat/tofu main dish

 Health tips 1:  Did you know that broccoli contains more vitamin C than most citrus fruits and it has more calcium than a glass milk and has more fibre than whole wheat bread. 

 Health tips 2: The best way to eat broccoli is to steam it, boiling it loses its mineral value very quickly, though broccoli can be eaten raw as well. 

 Broccoli is high Vitamin A, C and Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic acid), B6, B9 (Folate).  It also comes packed with lots of good minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

 Broccoli for weight loss

Broccoli  is considered a low-glycemic food which helps to normalize blood sugar. One of the keys to weight loss is controlling the body’s response to insulin.  

 The real potent nutritional value of broccoli lies in substances called isothiocyanates.  (Don’t let the name put you to sleep).  Isothiocyanates are a class of very potent anti-carcinogens. Meaning, they fight and help prevent cancer.

Broccoli is Anti-cancerous

Specifically, tests have shown that broccoli’s anti-cancer compounds greatly protected mice from stomach cancer. Although you don’t hear about stomach cancer much per se, it is actually the second most common form of cancer.   Studies conducted at the John Hopkins University (USA) showed that broccoli contains compounds that trigger the body to produce a substance (sulforaphane) that, in turn, manufactures enzymes that are powerful cancer fighters.

Author – Kumud Gandhi – Founder of The Cooking Academy – A unique cookery school that put the medicinal value of ingredients at the heart of every thing they teach.  www.thecookingacademy.co.uk

Cauliflower & Cheese Soup

It’s definately soup day today!  The sun may be out but dont be fooled into thinking it’s spring, the temperature is touching 4 degrees in Hertfordshire today and thus demands soup to warm up the cockles.  Would someone please tell where the cockles can be found on the human anatomy!!  It’s a northern expression that sounds great but what are cockles ?  

I had this soup for supper yesterday and thought of a dear customer who is confined to a pureed food diet for the time being.  I thought of her instantly as she described her pain and dedicate this recipe to her.  

Cauliflower & Cheese Soup  

 Serves 4

 Ingredients

 1 Cauliflower – Florets separated and cut down if very large pieces

4 or 5 charlotte potatoes – peeled and cut in half

1.25  litres of vegetable stock

4 sticks of celery – finely diced into ½ cm cubes

5 bay leaves

25g unsalted butter

1 tsp salt or to taste

5 black peppercorns fresh or dried, add in whole

50 g cheddar cheese or Manchego cheese

Splash double cream or crème fraise

 Cooking Instructions

 In a large pan, melt the butter then add the bay leaves, celery, and black peppercorns garlic and cook for 15 minutes without colouring but softened. Now add the cauliflower and potatoes and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring gently from time to time.  

 Now add the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

 Remove from the heat and liquidise the soup very gently; or if you prefer a little more texture then use a potato masher to mash the solid vegetables.  

 Return to the heat; now add the cheese and cream and check the seasoning after the cheese has disintegrated (cheese can be salty and will therefore add its own seasoning).  Sprinkle a little cheese on top and grill for a few minutes to develop a little crust … garnish with a few strands of rocket if desired or trying to show off your culinary skills to your family and friends …..

 Serve with some fresh crusty bread  - enjoy

 Cooks tip 1: Use broccoli instead of cauliflower if desired

Cooks tip 2: Manchego Cheese or stilton cheese is delightful

 Health tips 1: Cauliflower is from the same family as broccoli.  It is rich in folate, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. 

 Folate helps in making and stimulating blood; Folate is also essential for growth of body tissues and can prevent severe diseases like cancer and heart disease.   Vitamin C, acts as anti-oxidant; Vitamin E and beta-carotene, makes our immune system strong.

 Recipe by Kumud Gandhi – copyrights to The Cooking Academy Cookery school

Turkey Somosas's - great for left over turkey or chicken

Turkey Somosas – A great recipe for left over turkey

If you always have the problem ‘What to  do with left over turkey’ then here’s a great alternative to the usual curry pot. 

Have a go at making our tried, tested and much loved recipe for Turkey Somosas and turn leftovers into scrummy canapes  for your guests over Christmas.  It is easy to make and there are lots of ingredients that can be used as substitutes to use up all your left over vegetables from the fridge.  For example if you can’t find somosas pastry then use filo pastry, or even puff pastry and instead of frying them just bake them in the oven brushed with a little egg. 

Turkey Somosas

 Ingredients:

Section 1 – somosa filling

300g cooked turkey meat – shredded of the joint

5 stems salad onions finely chopped

2 finely chopped Thai chillies (these are much less hotter so provide volume and texture)

100g garden peas

60g sugar snap peas finely shredded (substitute with Red pepper if necessary)

30g bean sprouts

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp grated ginger

Salt to taste

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 large handful chopped coriander

30 g or a handful of fresh coriander

4 tbsp chilli & fennel spice blend – see our web site for the recipe

 Section 2

Somosas pastry or Filo pastry

50g Plain flour

Cold water

Vegetable Oil to fry

Cooking Instruction:

To make the somosas filling:

 In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients in section 1 and mix well.  Taste to season accordingly with salt and additional chillies if required. 

 Filling the somosas:

1. Start by making a flour paste (edible glue) to bind the somosas together. Mix flour and water in a bowl until it is pancake consistency. 
2.  Now separate the somosa pastry one slice at a time covering the pastry you are not using with a slightly damp cloth. Create pocket as shown in the class and fill. Be careful to seal all the edges to prevent leaking whilst frying.
3. Heat oil to deep fry and slowly slide the somosas into the oil at the sides, cook for 1.5 minutes on either side or until golden brown.
4. Remove from oil onto absorbent paper to drain any oil and serve. 

 Cooks Hint 1: Don’t be afraid to be generous with the ‘edible glue’ as it will dry out like the pastry and stop the somosa from opening in the cooking process

Cooks Hint 2: Be careful the oil is not too hot as it will brown the somosas without heating the filling sufficiently. 

Cooks Hint 3: The somosas can be frozen flat on a tray once made but before frying

 Serving Tip: Allow somosas to cool for a moment or two before serving as they are too hot to eat straight away.

 Recipe by Kumud Gandhi – Founder of The Cooking Academy- Cookery School

Recipes to pep up the Brussels

Brussel Sprouts!  Are you still boiling  yours ?

Love or loathe them, they’re a fabulous little winter vegetable packed with earthy flavour and goodness, their medicinal qualities are somewhat overshadowed by their reputation for smelly after-effects.  But it all depends on what you do with them. So here are 3 alternative recipes:

 Steam the sprouts with just 50 ml water and covered either in the microwave or on the hob.  Once fully cooked, mash with parmesan cheese, some double cream a little black pepper and salt to season – serve them as an alternative mash potato or bubble & squeak patties.

 Another alternative is to toss them in a little butter, a generous helping of garlic and sliced almonds, fry on a high heat for 2 minutes, then turn them out into a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.  Serve with any other main course dish

My third suggestion is equally simple, quick and tasty.  Tossing a knob of butter into a baking tray, add some pancetta or lardons, the raw sprouts topped and tailed, some chesnuts and some rosemary, mix together and roast for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.  Once cooked, season with a little pepper, salt is unnecessary as it will come from the pancetta or lardons.

Nutritional Value of the ‘Super food’ league

Brussel Sprouts are high in antioxidant properties, they have three times the level of vitamin C of an orange.  Unlike most vegetables, Brussel Sprouts are high in protein as well, providing just over a quarter of their calories. Four-to-six sprouts contain the adult daily requirements for vitamin C.  They’re also an excellent source of vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin K, beta-carotene, potassium and folic acid during pregnancy.     As if this wasn’t enough, Brussels sprouts contain numerous cancer-fighting phytochemicals in the form of glucosinolates.  A 100 g serving of cooked Brussels sprouts provides 35 calories, 2.3 g of protein, no cholesterol, 0.4 g of fat, 7.2 g of carbohydrate, and 3.3 g of fibre.  With such an impressive resume their definately worth their salt! 

Recipes by Kumud Gandhi – founder of The Cooking Academy- a Cookery school in Hertfordshire  that puts the medicinal value of food at the heart of everything they teach.  For further infromation please contact Sonia Basra at The Cooking Academy 01923 778880

Jazz up the Cranberry sauce - Recipe from The Cooking Academy

Cranberry sauce – spice it up !

 If you like the idea of cranberry sauce but find traditional jars too sweet then you might like my alternative. My ‘left over turkey’ somosa recipe will be a willing accompaniment as a dip to this dish so look that one too.  

I’ve taken a regular jar of cranberry sauce, add 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground roasted cumin, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 3 tbsp of orange juice.  The consistency is now perfect as a dip, to accompany your turkey roast dinner or the somosas. Give it a go…..

Recipe by Kumud Gandhi – Founder of The Cooking Academy

Kumud's recipes for Leek and Potato soup

Kumud’s recipes for Local leeks and potato soup

On a cold winters night like tonight this recipe for Leek and Potato soup will go down a treat!  Both leeks and potatoes are at their best and so what better time to eat the seasonal good stuff.  This recipe is very quick and easy and cook time is really quite manageable for after work without losing the will to live!   With such little maintenance you can go grab a bath whilst the soup is simmering and it’ll ready to eat on your return.  

Serve with some crusty wholemeal bread and make the meal a really nourishing treat as well as a winter warmer.

Nutritional Value:

Leeks are packed with anti oxidants, folic acid and are a good source of vitamin A, C, E and K .  Leeks also contain small amounts of zinc and potassium.  Its’ anti oxidant  and vitamin C value is the greatest as they develop resistence against bacteria and infectious agents.   For this time of year its just the sort of vitamin boost the body needs to keep it fighting fit.

 Leek & Potato Soup

 Serves 4

 Ingredients

 2 leeks, finely shredded, white & green parts

4 large rooster potatoes, peeled and diced

2 shallots, finely diced

750ml vegetable stock

A pinch of salt (0.25g)

4 sticks of celery – finely diced into ½ cm cubes

2 shallots, finely diced

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

5 bay leaves

25g unsalted butter

1 tsp salt or to taste

Pinch of black pepper

Splash double cream

 Cooking Instructions

 In a large pan, melt the butter then add the bay leaves, shallots, celery, and garlic and cook for 15 minutes without colouring but softened. Now add the leeks and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring gently from time to time before adding the potatoes. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

 Now add the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender to breaking up in the liquid.

Remove from the heat and liquidise the soup very gently; or if you prefer a little more texture then use a potato masher to lightly mash the solid vegetables.

Return to the heat; add the black pepper, stir and check the seasoning level, salt etc… now add the cream and serve with some fresh crusty bread

Cooks tip 1:

Cut the leeks lengthways from the top and fan open to ensure you wash out the grit from the top part of the leaves. 

Easy Dinner party win - recipe from Kumud Gandhi, the Cooking Academy

Griddle scallops in lime & ginger

 These delightful sea jewels are at their best at the moment – worthy of having a go.   Great as a dinner party starter or canapes!  Go On – knock the socks off your friends with this very easy dish…..

Ingredients

 250g Scallops – cleaned   

 Marinade/ dressing

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Grated zest and juice ½ ripe lime

1 tsp fresh ginger grated

1 small hot chilli fresh or flakes

1 tbsp fresh coriander – set a few leaves aside to garnish at the end

Salt to taste at the time of cooking

 Cooking Instructions

 Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together

1. Add the scallops, mix gently and set aside for 30 minutes
2. Heat the griddle to very hot, season the scallops with a little salt then place on the griddle for 1-2 minutes either side until cooked.
3. Spoon a little dressing on the scallops and serve immediately, makes an excellent starter – food to impress!  Enjoy

 Recipe by Kumud Gandhi – The Cooking Academy

The barbeque season might over for us but you can still use this fantastic marinade in lots of other ways to add great flavour to your menu!  This recipe is one of many you can learn to cook.  If you want to change the way you cook way not attend one of our cookery classes, and learn to cook great mid week meals in 20 minutes.  Our One day Fish cookery class is a mean feast of a day to add to your weekly repetoire to increase your fish intake.

Moroccan Chilli Marinade  

 This is a fabulous marinade that can be used with Chicken, lamb, vegetables as a mixed grill or even tofu; it really is quite versatile and yummy!

 I’ve recently used it with a Sea bass and cooked it in a banana leaf pouch or tin foil pouch, which ever is most convenient. The fish remains very tender as the marinade protects it from drying out whilst cooking. 

 The marinade can be made days ahead and refrigerated or make a greater quantity and use as a pesto sauce to add to ingredients of your choice. 

 Ingredients:

 6 tbsp good olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp ground roasted cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

 ¼ tsp turmeric

1 chilli finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic very finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Sea salt to taste

  Instructions:

 Place all the ingredients in a clean sterilized jam jar.  Place the lid on and shake very well.  Leave for at least 2 hours to allow the flavours to release and infuse in the oil.

 Use with chicken, lamb or vegetables as a marinade or as a cooking sauce and cook on a low heat.

  To book onto one of our cookery classes call The Cooking Academy on 0845 0 68 58 48  or email cara@thecookingacademy.co.uk

The long vilified eggs make a come back!

 “With its poor reputation for being high in cholesterol and fat, many people have been scared of eating eggs.  But it couldn’t be further from the truth.”  Says Kumud Gandhi founder of The cooking Academy January 2011

 “The ‘low fat and low cholesterol’ mantra has been chanted by millions of people over the last 30 years and yet we are no closer to weight control or the reduction of cardio vascular related diseases.”

 Fat is an essential part of our diet, it is very important for the heart and most other parts of the body in order to function correctly.  We all know it’s the good fat that we need, meaning monounsaturated, this type of fat actually helps to break down bad fat in the body.  Today we consume less fat, and yet we’re fatter!  Sounds harsh, but it’s the reality.  This is the mantra I teach at The Cooking Academy, don’t discriminate against all fat, the fat in eggs is good for you. 

 Let’s tackle the issue of cholesterol first.  When the story first broke about eggs contributing to high blood cholesterol it referred to a study conducted on rabbits in 1908 by a Russian scientist M.A. Ignatovsky.  However rabbits eat a herbaceous diet, one that is high in fibre and low in starch and fat.  Naturally, testing the effects of eggs on rabbits is likely to have an adverse reaction to their bio chemistry.  Unfortunately this bit of isolated research triggered numerous warning to avoid foods high in cholesterol, particularly eggs and prawns.  The results of the study were extrapolated to humans who consume a omnivorous diet without further research and published world wide, to the detriment of the eggs industry. 

 Most people make more cholesterol naturally in the body than they consume in food.   It is true to say that eggs contain higher amounts of cholesterol but this does not make a big enough contribution to the cholesterol found in our blood.  Research shows that there is no link between egg consumption and the risk of cardio vascular disease. 

 There is however a growing body of evidence to suggest that a moderate consumption of eggs, 1 egg per day,  7 eggs per week can have a very positive impact due to the high nutrition content in eggs .  (Harvard school of public health 2006)

 Eggs contain all the amino acids in the correct proportion and therefore it’s a good source of complete protein.  The amino acid in egg yolks is also excellent for burning fat.

However this is only achieved by eating the whole egg, not just the egg white since 90% of the nutrient value of an egg is in the yolk.   Organic, free range eggs have no affect on the blood cholesterol because the hens have fed on a natural grass diet instead of corn or soya feed which is excessively high in Omega 6 & 9).  The more natural the hens feed the better the nutrient value and taste of the egg. 

 The Nutrient Value of an Egg

Each whole egg contains iron, zinc, phosphorus, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid. In addition, the egg yolk contains all of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.   

Thankfully eggs are now making a bit if a come back.  A scrambled or poached egg with some whole meal bread is an excellent way to start the day, though there are no rules to say it has to be a breakfast. Throw in a few fresh tomatoes and basil and it makes a great simple supper! If you’re looking for healthy ways to cook eggs come to our nutritional cookery classes here at The Cooking Academy. 

 For Further Information, Please Contact:  Kumud Gandhi, The Cooking Academy on

Tel 0845 0 68 58 48. 

E:kumud@thecookingacademy.co.uk

 About KUMUD GANDHI

After a career in the commercial world, Kumud Gandhi went on to pursue her life-long ambition of working with food and re-trained in food science. She now runs a very successfulCookingAcademyand catering company The Saffron House. Often called upon to provide expert comment for national print media, radio and television, Kumud offers a unique insight into the diverse world of cooking and a deep understanding of the nutritional and medicinal value of foods. 

 Kumud is a firm believer that “we are what we eat”, and is campaigning to bring healthy cooking skills into the classroom so that schools offer education in basic nutrition and food science to learn fundamental every day life skills. In 2006, Kumud set up The Cooking Academy; a unique cookery school that teaches how to cook real food whilst exploring the chemical composition, nutritional and herbal values of food so that recipes look and taste great; are quick and easy to make and encourage well-being. Kumud has catered for a host of celebrities and high profile individuals like Madonna, the Prince of Wales,  and the Saudi Royal family with her special focus on food being visually creative, exciting to the palette, and nutritional to the body.

Feeling Moody, Folic Acid could be the answer!

If you regularly drop your moods levels and feel irritable, the chances are you could be deficient in folic acid or vitamin B.   

Folic acid is not just for the pregnant as it is often associated, It helps the production of new cells along with iron.  It is essential for nerves and strengthening the mind. 

One of the best ways in which you can take in folic acid is through vegetables like brocoli, green beans or asparagus.  They are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phosphorus which invigorate your skin, arteries and your stomach function to help digestion, in other words the conversion of what you eat to mineral value to the blood cells. 

Try having asparagus with parma ham or steamed as a vegetable or stir fry, or even risotto.  The first option is great as a lunch, quite portable and compact to pack yourself from home, great for kids too.

 Written by Kumud Gandhi – Food writer, broadcaster and Founder of The Cooking Academy cookery school. Kumud Gandhi has a background in Food science and teach the importance of healthy eating for improved performance at work and school and for general well being. Contact Kumud on kumud@thecookingacademy.co.uk