the foodie - Issue No.20

the foodie

Issue No: 20

Mar - Apr 2013

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the foodie March - April 2013 spring… a time to be happy Spring officially begins on 20th March and with it we celebrate World Happiness Day. Spring welcomes pleasant weather, fresh produce, and much more. In this issue of the foodie we dedicate a feature to the local champion of spring fruits – the strawberry. So ripe and tasty, in our feature we suggest to use strawberries for breakfast, lunch and even dinner.

easter We end March with Easter and lamb will be the popular staple for many Easter Sunday celebrations.

Therefore we have put together a dedicated lamb feature with our suggestions for a Sunday roast and some suggestions to make good use of the leftovers. Please do not forget to check our butchers this Easter. They will be well stocked with premium lamb imported from Scotland and New Zealand.

sweet tooth. Arkadia Foodstore as well as Arkadia Home are your best source for your kitchen baking needs. From marzipan sheets to figolli cutters, premium cooking chocolate to utensils, you will find all on your visit to Arkadia.

the wrong year of 1993 which should have been 2003. Please excuse us for this error. We might have had an extra tipple as the New Year arrived!

figolli competition

Visit www.arkadia.com.mt to find out more

We are sure that many shoppers of Arkadia Foodstore will be carrying out their annual ritual of figolli baking. We are quite curious about the great talent out there and therefore we have decided to organise a small competition to find out. Participation is quite easy.

Just send us a photo of your figolla to info@thefoodie.com.mt by Tuesday, 26 March 2013. During Easter week we will post the photos we have received on our facebook page. The photo with the most likes will get a €50 voucher from Arkadia Foodstore.

figolla for charity

Arkadia Foodstore once again plans to launch its PICNIC2GO offer in Gozo this Easter. PICNIC2GO will be once again a fantastic pack of essential products for shoppers from Arkadia Foodstore. Offer starts on Wednesday, 27 March 2013. Please visit www.arkadia.com.mt in the days to come to find out more.

We are happy to announce that on Easter Saturday, David’s Bakery will be setting up a massive figolla at Arkadia Commercial Centre.

Customers can get a piece of the figolla in return for a donation.

The charity which will benefit from this initiative still needs to be announced. More information following soon but we are really excited about this initiative.

figolli baking anyone?

erratum

With Easter we also welcome baking time. For those who have chose to fast, lent will be over and quite a few will rediscover their

In our last issue we mentioned our upcoming 10th Anniversary since opening Arkadia Foodstore at Portomaso, St. Julian’s. We quoted

picnic2go

new website for arkadia

opening hours Gozo Mon-Sun: 8am-8pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3335 Portomaso Mon-SAT: 8am-9pm SUN: 8am-8pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3350 Sign up to e-mail updates from Arkadia Foodstore by e-mailing to thefoodie@arkadia.com.mt Published by: Arkadia Marketing Ltd. Fortunato Mizzi Street, Victoria, Gozo Tel: 2210 3000 | E-mail: thefoodie@arkadia.com.mt Contributors to this issue: George Larry Zammit Claire Borg Carla Vella To advertise please contact : George Larry Zammit Tel: 2210 3207 E: gzammit@arkadia.com.mt

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Pre- & Post-Easter

Celebration Prepare yourself for a perfect Sunday roast. Lamb is Malta’s staple for an Easter Sunday celebration. In this feature we suggest a juicy leg of lamb for the carvery board. Afterwards make good use of the leftover trimmings with a interesting Monday lunch or dinner.

Recipes & Photography by Claire Borg

roast leg of lamb with rich gravy Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 Leg Of Lamb 2 Tbsp English Mustard 1 Tbsp Rosemary Sea Salt And Black Pepper 2 Large Carrots 1 Large Onion 1 Tbsp Chopped Garlic 1 Glass Of Red Wine 1 Glass Of Water 2 Tbsp Bisto Gravy Granules Method Heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Rub the leg with mustard, and then sprinkle it with rosemary, salt and pepper.

Peel, wash and slice the onion and carrots and together with the chopped garlic place at the bottom of a dish.

Place the lamb over the vegetables, add the wine and water and place in the oven for about an hour and a half (depending on the size of the leg). Take out of the oven, scoop the vegetables and roasting juices into a small pot.

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Using an electric blender, blitz everything together until smooth. If too thick, add some hot water. Place on the stove, bring to a simmer, add the stock granules and dissolve. Serve the carved lamb with the hot thick gravy on the side.

lamb wrap with red cabbage, mint & prunes Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 Roast Lamb Trimmings Red Cabbage Fresh Mint Pitted Prunes Iceberg Lettuce Red Leicester Cheddar Cheese (or another cheese of your liking) 4 Wraps English Mustard Method Spread some English mustard over the wrap, then lace shredded cabbage mixed with some mint, then lettuce, the pitted prunes, cheese and the cold lamb.

Wrap tightly and roll. Repeat with the 4 wraps. Place on a hot griddle to toast and warm if desired.

roast leg of lamb with rich gravy

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roast zucchini & brown mushroom quinoa with lamb Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 150 Grams Red Quinoa 150 Grams White Quinoa 1 Small Can Of Sweet Corn 4 Small Zucchini (Long Courgettes) 150 Grams Brown Mushrooms Big Bunch of Rocket Leaves (Rucola) ½ Cup of Mint Leaves 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 2 Tbsp Wholegrain Mustard 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 2 Tbsp Golden Syrup Black Pepper & Salt Chilli Flakes (Optional) Cold Roast Lamb

lamb wrap with red cabbage, mint & prunes

Method Mix both quinoas and place in a pot with cold water (about 2 litres), bring to the boil and cook for 14 minutes. Drain, rinse and cool.

Make a dressing with the oil, mustard, vinegar and golden syrup. Grill the sliced zucchini and mushrooms.

Set aside. Roughly chop the rocket leaves. Finely chop the mint. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, add the dressing and season to taste. Serve with sliced roast lamb and more grilled vegetables on the side.

Only the Finest Selection of Lamb

roast zucchini & brown mushroom quinoa with lamb

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Our butchers at Arkadia Foodstore stock the finest cuts of lamb freshly imported from renowned breeding regions in Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand. Considering roasting a whole leg of lamb? Grilling some lamb chops?

Or just interested in minced lamb to make your own home-made lamb koftas? You can find it all from our butchers. Make sure you enquire about the latest cuts they plan to stock. Our butchers will do their utmost to assist you in preparing your Easter celebration.

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Figolli

Every family has its own secret recipe.

All good, slightly different, traditional almond filled pasties to celebrate Easter.

Giving you a few ideas on how to make them 'look' a bit different, but still taste the best!

Version 1 Coated with melted chocolate, then with alphabet letters to write names, or Happy Easter.

Great idea for kids to decorate their own figolli!

Version 2 Use cutters and cut our shapes of coloured sugar paste.

Decorate with melted chocolate, colourful icing cutouts and sparkly sprinkles!

Version 3 Our absolute favourite. Dark melted chocolate brushed on liberally, and sprinkled with a generous helping of dies fruit and nuts. We have used walnut and cranberry but create your own mixes...be creative!

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n tion tioti mpmetipe a CoCo FiFiggoolllla Send us a photo of your best figolla to info@thefoodie.com.mt by Tuesday, 26 March 2013. Photos will then be posted on our facebook page and the photo with the most likes will

win a â‚Ź50 voucher from Arkadia Foodstore.

Let the figolli baking begin!

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Luscious Fields of

Strawberries Everybody loves them! Bright red, juicy, sweet strawberries shall be screaming to be picked up from the fruit display. For many considered as a fruit, a strawberry is technically classified as a flower.

Strawberries are actually part of the rose family.

Strawberry season is on! Let’s support our local farmers by opting for local produce. Here we have put together a set a strawberry inspired recipes ideal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Get ready for a vitamin C overdrive... breakfast fruit platter with baby pineapple, pink grapefruit, honey pomelo & strawberries

strawberries

have more vitamin C than an orange, that's 140% of our daily recommended amount.

Breakfast breakfast fruit platter with baby pineapple, pink grapefruit, honey pomelo & strawberries Ingredients Yield: Serves 6 Baby Pineapple Honey Pomelo 2 Pink Grapefruits 2 Punnets Strawberries Method Wash strawberries, Segment the grapefruit. Cut the peeled pineapple. Remove the thick outer skin from the pomelo, and then peel the skin off each segment.

Arrange nicely on a platter and serve.

Try something different Forget about caster sugar with your cup of fresh strawberries and cream.

Try some freshly grinded black pepper instead. You will be pleasantly surprised!

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strawberry & almond oat cakes Ingredients Yield: Makes about 12-15 oat cakes 1¼ Cups Wholemeal Flour ½ Tsp Salt ½ Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda ½ Tsp Cinnamon 1½ Cup Agave Syrup or 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar ¾ Cup Soft Butter 1 Egg 1 Egg Yolk 2 Tsp Vanilla Essence 3 Cups Oats 1 Cup Dried Strawberries (or Cranberries) 1 Cup Blanched Almonds (Reserve 15 Whole Almonds for Topping)

Method Beat together the sugar or agave syrup, with the butter and vanilla. When pale in colour, add the egg and yolk, then the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, mix well. Add the dried strawberries and the almonds.

Scoop spoonfuls onto a lined baking tray. Place an almond on top of each and bake in a hot oven set on medium - gas mark 6 - 190 degrees and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Leave to rest for about 5 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack.

Can be stored in an airtight container or frozen and used when needed.

Pomelo - The grandfather of grapefruits The pomelo is the largest fruit of the citrus family. More sweet than sour, with juicy meat and pulp, pomelos are native to South and Southeast Asia.

This gentle giant of the citrus family can enhance a healthy diet full of vitamin C and low on calories and fats . Pomelo is regularly available from the fruit & vegetables section of Arkadia Foodstore.

strawberry & almond oat cake

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middle eastern brown lentil salad with peppered cheese, strawberries & egg

Dinner speck, artichoke & strawberry risotto

Lunch middle eastern brown lentil salad with peppered cheese, strawberries & egg Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 200 Grams Brown Lentils – Soaked ½ Red Pepper 3 Local Gbejniet (Peppered Cheese) 1 Tin Chick Peas 1 Small Bulb of Fennel 1 Cup of Finely Chopped Parsley 1 Cup of Finely Chopped Mint 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic 1 Punnet Strawberries 4 Hard-Boiled Eggs Chilli, Salt Olive Oil Method In a big pot of water, cook the lentils until soft. Drain and cool. Drain and rinse the chick peas. In a large bowl, mix the lentils, finely chopped pepper, local cheese, finely chopped fennel, parsley, mint and garlic.

Drizzle with oil, season to taste and rest for 30 minutes, so the flavours infuse together. Place in a platter and decorate the rim of the platter with hard-boiled egg and strawberries.

Serve with toasted pitta bread and mint tea.

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Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 300 Grams Arborio Rice 1 Small Onion 1 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Garlic 70 Grams Butter 1 Glass White Wine 2 Stock Cubes (Chicken or Vegetables) 1 Strip of Speck (5mm Thick) – Diced 8 Slices Speck - Finely Sliced 4 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese 10 Strawberries - Finely Chopped 3 Artichokes Method Clean artichokes. Trim and peel and chop. Make 1.5 litres of stock with boiling water and stock cubes. Set aside. Cook the garlic and butter in butter. Add the artichokes and diced speck, cook and then add the white wine. Cook gently. Add the rice and cook until all liquid is absorbed. Ladle some stock over the rice, and cook whilst also stirring to prevent sticking. Keep adding stock until the rice is done. Just before serving, season to taste, add parmesan cheese, the chopped strawberries and sliced speck. Mix well and serve with more speck and strawberries on top. speck, artichoke & strawberry risotto

Fresh Fish Fish is a superfood. It is packed with vitamins and minerals, low in fat and high in protein,and is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating fish once or twice a week may reduce the risk of diseases ranging from childhood asthma to prostate cancer, depression to arthritis. Eating fish during pregnancy may reduce the risk of a premature baby. Healthy ways to enjoy fish include baked, poached, grilled and steamed.

a sample of fresh fish available from Arkadia Foodstore, Portomaso

What’s available at the fish counter

Healthy ways to cook fish

At Arkadia Foodstore in Portomoso we pride ourselves on a large selection of fresh fish available daily. If you are a fish lover you should definitely check out our fish counter stocked daily with the latest catch.

Healthy ways to cook fish include:

Daily fish Salmon, Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Bassa fillet, Gurbel, Perch fillet, Trout.

Wild catch Red Snapper, Black Tail Bream, Black Bream, Striped Bream, Red Scorpion Fish, John Dory, European Heck, Monk Fish, Sword Fish, Tuna, Red Mullet, Mackerel, Wild Sea Bass, Dusky Grouper, Red Grouper, and many more.

•

Baking – make shallow cuts along the top of the fish. Put into a greased dish and cover with foil.

Flavour with herbs, lemon juice and olive oil. Bake at around 180°C and baste frequently.

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Shallow frying – dry and flour the fish. Place a small amount of oil or butter in the pan. Fry the fish at a medium heat.

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Grilling – cut slashes into whole fish to help the heat penetrate the flesh. Place fish on a preheated grill. Baste frequently.

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Poaching – not suitable for flaky varieties. Place fish in gently simmering stock. Whole fish should be placed in a pan of cold stock, which is then slowly brought up to a gentle simmer.

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Steaming – put fish in a steamer or on a plate over a saucepan containing gently boiling water.

Cover.

Types of Fish cuts The types of fish cuts available include: • Fillet – the boneless flank of the fish.

• Dressed – with head and fins (entrails, scales and gills are removed).

• Steak – cross-sections taken from a dressed fish.

• Gutted – whole fish with entrails removed.

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Dear Diary, Today I ate...

By Carla Vella

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