Anise stars in this all-in-one Asian Hot Pot

This is a divine recipe -  soooo easy and quick but guaranteed to tantilise the taste buds.  Of course, if you don't have Daikon (Asian radish), you could easily substitute with green beans or broccoli etc, adding in the last 10 mins so it remains a little crunchy. Don't leave out the star anise - it is so pretty with amazing flavour!

Clara 

Fragrant Asian spices for this all in one Hot Pot



Anise is the star

ASIAN CHICKEN HOT POT

to serve 6
1/2 to 2/3 cup shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp chopped ginger

1 medium onion quartered or 6 spring onions, sliced

2 to 3 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 kg / 2lb chicken thighs (each thigh cut into 4 slices or breast cut into approx 6 pieces)

3 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 daikon (white radish), cut into chunks or substitute with broccoli or green beans
8 fresh shitake mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup coriander and/or basil
cracked black or white pepper

Rice to serve

Preheat oven to 180C / 355 F.  In an ovenproof casserole dish, mix chinese wine, soy, garlic, ginger, spring onions, star anise and cinnamon then add chicken. Cover and bake for 3/4 hour or until chicken is just tender. Add carrot, daikon and mushrooms and cook uncovered for a further 15 minutes

Place rice in bowl, add chicken and vegetables. Ladle over sauce. Sprinkle with coriander and pepper.

Boneless chicken breasts / thighs:

Average per person:- buy 5 oz / 150g

or to serve 6 - 2lb /1kg

Parsley Salsa Verde with olive oil provides health and taste to pasta



Flat leaf parsley considered to have
the best taste



Pasta with salsa verde



Loaded with flavour and nutrition, this is a sensationally, simple way to serve your favourite short pasta.  Great as an accompaniment or stirfry 24 green prawns in a little oil for 1 to 2 mins and add to pasta for a main course to serve 4

For Salsa Verde, pulse to a smooth paste:-
1 1/2 cups (1 average bunch) flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic
1  to 2 tbsp capers
2 anchovy fillets
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or more up to 1/2 cup (I prefer to serve olive oil on table for individual choice - see note)
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1tsp Dijon mustand
Salt & Pepper

Cook 400g / 12oz short pasta in boiling salted water until al dente then drain (reserve 4 tbsp cooking water).  Toss pasta with Salsa Verde (adding a little reserved water if needed.
NB - The Mediterranean-style diet, recognised by experts as a healthy way to eat, particularly as we age, with a heavy focus on vegetables, fruits, fish, legumes, whole grain and of course olive oil.  High in mono-unsaturated fats, olive oil has been linked to a reduction in coronary heart disease risk and cholesterol.  

In the United States, producers of olive oil may place the following health claim on product labels:

Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tbsp of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.

Amazing health benefits of parsley underrated

I have grown parley successfully in our small plot, and what's more, from seed.  It likes the  rich, well dug soil and a sunny position (it grows in part sun in our plot).  What I like about it that it keeps on growing, actually being a biennial and is always ready to be harvested to be used in salads, savoury dishes such as pasta and as a garnish.  I read that in USA it is most often used as a garnish, but it is far too good for just that! Keep reading and eat more parsley.
Clara

Flat-leaf / Italian / Continental parsley
known for it's stronger flavour



petroselinum crispum

Parsley is one of the most important herbs for providing vitamins to the body. It's like an immune-enhancing multi-vitamin and mineral complex in green plant form

With more vitamin C than any other vegetable -  three times as much as oranges and about the same as blackcurrants, twice as much iron as spinach, rich in Vitamin A it also contains folate, potassium, calcium and flavonoids that act as antioxidants.


Curly parsley often used as a garnish
but has a pleasant flavour

Raw parsley cleanses the blood,  maintains elasticity of blood vessels, and is said to benefit the sexual system. Chewing parsley prevents bad breath!

.

History

The English introduced it to the world after getting it from the Romans who got it from the Ancient Greeks who thought that Hercules used a garland of parsley so they would crown the winners of games and war with garlands of parsley in honor of the great feats of Hercules. Greek soldiers fed parsley to their horses so they would run better.

Small herb plot yields antiageing greens

Today was a beautiful day in Sydney following serious serial rain.

As you know I am passionate about leafy greens and herbs, so today G and I sowed some seeds - flat leafed parsley, known for it's excellent flavour, spinach (perpetual leaf, easy to grow with continuous cropping - according to the packet), some shallots for salads which harvest in 8-12 weeks, to join the existing rocket which can be sown all year round - love the peppery flavour added to roasted veges, and wilted rocket is divine. Our basil crop is doing well - this part of the land has a few hazards re survival of the species - insects, possums (protected) whilst mint has flourished with the wet weather.

It was  a good day, as G & I worked our little plot which doesn't have quite enough sun and even though the yield isn't huge, I adore being able to pick a few leafy greens, knowing that they are such a powerhouse re antiageing qualities.
For exciting nutritional info re leafy greens go to 

Babyboomers benefit from eating green leaves.

Clara
Click on 'comment' at bottom of page to have your say or email clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au
 http://www.babyboomerconnections.com.au/

Spicy chicken cakes with Asian dipping sauce a versatile winner

Hi there
Versatile little morsals, chicken cakes  can be served hot or cold, are great finger food, perfect for picnics, a  starter served on a bed of rocket or spinach (dressed with a little of the dipping sauce) or as a main for lunch with a salad. 


For a different spin, form mixture into small balls and serve as finger food using tooth picks to serve or pile mixture into a loaf tin and slice to serve.
Clara

Spicy  Asian Chicken Cakes 
Chicken mince – half kilo / 3/4 c breadcrumbs
1 onion or 2 Spring onions -  chopped
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon or lime (no pith)
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
1 egg, beatenfinger
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tsp ginger
2-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and stems 
Method
1. Preheat oven (medium to high) for about 20 mins. 
2. Combine chicken mince, breadcrumbs and onion in a large bowl.  
 3. In a blender, process sauces, lemon rind, ginger, garlic, coriander and egg together.  Add to chicken mince.

4. Line an oven tray with oven paper and spray with oil.  5. Spoon mixture into an egg ring, lift off to leave a round shape.  Then use ring again to shape the next cake. 

Can be reheated before serving with a dipping sauce of equal amounts of fish Sauce,  sweet chilli sauce and lime juice – add chopped coriander and / or mint and garnish dish with extra coriander. 

Spicy Salmon supplies essential Omega 3's

Is It a Parsnip or a Radish?

This was a promised dish in Wisconsin which didn't happen because radish was mistaken for parsnip.  Worth waiting for and sooooo healthy! Thanks R.

It's really impossible to tell unless you do the taste test which can get you into some trouble at our market. So I highly recommend reading the descriptions. At any rate, parsnips are a  lovely base for a meal of spinach and baked salmon.

Simply simmer the chopped parsnips till soft, add a small amount of butter, season to taste and mash. Top the parsnips on a bed of sauteed spinach and finish off with your baked salmon. I like to bake the salmon (medium to high heat, for 10 to 15 mins) in white wine and seasonings and then add a spicy mustard and brown sugar and broil for a few minutes. Walla! R

Nutritionally, Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and a unique type of health-promoting fat, the omega-3 essential fatty acids. As their name implies, essential fatty acids are essential for human health but because they cannot be made by the body, they must be obtained from foods.

Parsnip is:

• Low in Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol
• High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Manganese, and Potassium

Spinach, being a leafy green is the little black dress of cuisine; a virtual powerhouse of nutrition.

Click on 'comment' at bottom of page to have your say or email clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au
 http://www.babyboomerconnections.com.au/