Monthly Archives: February 2013

Beef and Vegetable Casserole

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Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil.
  • 700g of lean beef cut into square chunks and patted dry.
  • 1 medium onion, chopped.
  • 3 cups red wine.
  • 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar.
  • 2 cups water.
  • Seasoning (knorr® cubes, black pepper, salt, dried rosemary, celery stick)
  • 6 medium sized Irish potatoes cut in quarters.
  • 4 medium sized carrots cut in chunky diagonal slices.
  • 1 cup of chopped leeks.

Procedure:

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a stock pot.
  • Sear the beef by browning all sides in the hot oil and remove to a plate.
  • If needed, add a little more oil and fry the onions till translucent.
  • Add the wine, sugar, water. Season to taste and put back the meat.
  • Bring to the boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. If needed, add little water to maintain its level during the course of cooking.
  • Increase the heat to medium, add the potatoes and cook until just tender.
  • Add the carrot and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the leeks, cook for 1 minute and turn off the heat. Leave to rest for 5 minutes and then serve hot.
  • Serves 6.
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In The News Today!

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12 Ways to Stop Wasting So Much Food

Despite my best efforts to shop smart and plan meals ahead, I don’t always get to all the food in my fridge before it starts to turn bad. Right now I have tomatoes, zucchini, bananas, and a loaf of bread about a day past prime eating time. But I’m OK …

http://www.businessinsider.com/12-ways-to-keep-your-food-from-going-bad-2013-2

# US Organic-Food Movement Slowly Takes Hold

The Europe-wide horsemeat scandal has raised concerns about safety standards and food quality in industrial countries. In the US, some farmers are practicing what they say is a more ethical alternative to mass production, part of a growing organic food …

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/02/2013223570886190.html

# Are Junk Food Manufacturers The New Tobacco Companies?

An article published in the New York Times this week examines junk food manufacturers and how their fight for a market share has contributed to the childhood obesity crisis. “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food” looked at over a decade of …

http://current.com/bfd/94058945_are-junk-food-manufacturers-the-new-tobacco-companies.htm

Almen Abdi: English Food Boosts Watford Promotion Challenge

ALMEN ABDI says the good food in England has helped him settle — despite being warned British grub was dire. The Switzerland midfielder joined Watford on loan from Udinese in the summer and has acquired a real taste for the Championship. Abdi, 26 …

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4808539/Almen-Abdi-English-food-boosts-Watford-promotion-challenge.html

Going green

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There are a lot of talks these days about going green. In my understanding, it connotes healthier, more natural and more environmentally friendly options. Sounds good to me and as it applies to my cooking, I think of eating more vegetables and so here is a simple salad recipe you can try out. Bon appetit.

Ingredients:

Lettuce

Cucumber

Tomato

Lemon

Procedure:

  • Wash all ingredients and drain well.
  • As seen from the picture, cut all the ingredients in chunky bits i.e. lettuce in big cuts, cucumber in thick slices, tomato in quarters and lemon in wedges.
  • Combine by layering and then serve by squeezing lemon juice over portions to serve as dressing.

Chef’s tip:

I’ve discovered that when vegetables are cut in big chunks for salads, you tend to get a better taste of each individual vegetable. Plus it makes the task of making salads much easier : )

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Focus on food

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Foods such as muesli contain more calories than dieters think, because current labels do not take into account the calories in fibre. Photograph: Corbis

# Food Labeling Underestimating Calorie Content Of Some Foods, Scientists Say

Dieters have been misled by the outdated system for assessing the calorie content of food for decades, according to research that could redefine how people attempt to lose weight. People who eat high-fibre foods such as vegetables and muesli are …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/feb/18/food-retailers-underestimating-calorie-content

# What 200 Calories Actually Looks Like In Food

What 200 Calories Actually Looks Like in Food One of the best things to do if you’re watching your weight is to just be careful of portion sizes. Eating a whole bag of Doritos? Not good for you. Eating a small handful? Less worse! Something even better …

http://gizmodo.com/5985224/what-200-calories-actually-looks-like-in-food

# Organic Food May Make Us Less Kind

People who buy organic produce are less likely to help others in need, researchers claim. US psychologist Dr Kendall Eskine explains that this is because using organic products makes people feel more secure about themselves, weakening the urge to act …

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/organic-food-may-make-us-less-kind/1076358/

# Dumpster Diving To Raise Awareness About Food Waste

Think dumpster diving is for hipsters and homeless people? Think again. While people have been rummaging through discards for centuries to find edible food to support themselves and their families, dumpster diving is going increasingly mainstream, and …

http://www.care2.com/causes/dumpster-diving-to-raise-awareness-about-food-waste.html

# Quinoa Year Aims To Ease Food Insecurity And Transform The Global Diet

19 February 2013 – Quinoa, a highly nutritious grain-like crop that has made its entry into the food basket of culinary connoisseurs has been a staple for centuries in South America, among pre-Columbian Andean farming communities from Columbia to …

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44180&Cr=food+security&Cr1=#.USSaQKXIbIc

# UN Offers Banquet Of Blemished Food To Highlight Waste

The food was all reject-grade by the standards of European buyers, who sometimes cancel orders after produce has been harvested. The rejected food often rots or is fed to livestock because farmers produce more than local markets can absorb.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/19/us-food-waste-idUSBRE91I0YT20130219

# Nestle Finds Horse Meat In Its Packed Food

The levels found are above the 1% threshold the UK’s Food Safety Agency uses to indicate likely adulteration or gross negligence.” It added, “When reports first emerged in the UK about the fraudulent mislabeling of beef, we enhanced testing of our …

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Nestle-finds-horse-meat-in-its-packed-food/articleshow/18585078.cms

# Five More Food Websites You Can’t Live Without

This website was born out of the genetic engineering (GE) labeling movement, and provides up to date information about what is going on in the campaign to mandate companies to include GE information on food. The group’s home page provides a link to …

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhoffman/2013/02/19/five-more-food-websites-you-cant-live-without/

# Is Horse In Jelly, Sweets And Sandwiches? Food Watchdogs Widen Their Testing…

Sandwiches, stock cubes and gelatine – which is used in sweets and jelly – will now be tested for horse meat, food watchdogs revealed today. Stewing steak and ready meals that contain “beef” which has not been minced will also be examined for the first …

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/horse-jelly-sandwiches-food-watchdogs-1718994

# Mclent? Fish Hits Fast Food Menus For Holidays

If you suspect there’s something fishy going on at your favorite fast-food joint, you’re probably right. The countdown to Easter is on, and that means everyone from McDonald’s to Quiznos is cashing in on the Catholic tradition of skipping red meat in …

http://news.yahoo.com/mclent-fish-hits-fast-food-menus-holidays-190726234.html

Food In The News

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# Supersize Versus Undersize: Food Portions And Obesity

In 2008 Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, and her co-author David Ludwig published a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association directly questioning whether the western food industry could play a …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/18/supersize-undersize-food-portions-obesity

# Will Keeping A Food Record Help You Lose Weight?

One of the standard exercises of many weight-loss programs is keeping a food record. In the pre-digital age, this meant actually filling out a notebook with a notation of every morsel of food that passed through the lips. The amount of the food was to …

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judith-j-wurtman-phd/food-journal_b_2689087.html

# You Cannot Overstate The Importance Of Rice

It is difficult to overstate the importance of rice. Not so much in my kitchen, where it will appear once a week, maybe to bolster a scarlet chicken curry or make a pot of lime and coconut-scented pork go further. It may be the base of a pilau with …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/feb/17/nigel-slate-foreward-february-rice

# Fast Food Affects Liver Same Way As Hepatitis

He also warned that consumers should be wary of items at fast food establishments marked healthy or fresh because there aren’t clear regulations for these items, and the food can often have added chemicals, especially salads. “Some places actually put …

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-17/science/37144087_1_fatty-liver-fatty-foods-junk-food

# Aiyegbusi: From N7,500 In Wife’s Kitchen To N700m Turnover In Food…

The US-trained engineer, who also had a stint with the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi,Lagos, sells palm wine in cans; and this he does profitably in London, USA, Latin America and Nigeria using his company — Olu Olu Food …

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=113637:aiyegbusi-from-n7-500-in-wifes-kitchen-to-n700m-turnover-in-food-processing-business&catid=31:business&Itemid=562

# The Art Of Crafting Food

But those serious about good food will agree that there are a few things that make afood product artisanal. It should be hand-made,of superior quality and made in small batches. This means artisanal food is not for mass consumption or for keeping …

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_the-art-of-crafting-food_1800712

# Rise In Gourmet Food

Ever wondered what constitutes gourmet food or gourmet dining these days? Is it the use of exotic or high-end ingredients? Is it making all food from scratch? Is it artful presentations? If those make a restaurant gourmet, then half the restaurants …

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_rise-in-gourmet-food_1800614