the foodie - Issue 23 (Sep-Oct '13)

the foodie

Issue No: 23

Sep - Oct 2013

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the foodie September - October 2013 another feast for foodies

Three realities we need to accept: 1. Summer is soon over; 2. School is back; 3. Christmas is swiftly approaching. With this in mind Claire has prepared for us a fitting new set of recipes. Lovely photos but most importantly lovely recipes for you to try and experiment at home.

In Claire’s first feature we enjoy the wonders of seafood which we are so lucky to enjoy living on these Mediterranean islands. Even though summer is rolling over, we suggests some tasty appetizing antipasti. We conclude our recipes with some lactose and gluten free teatime treats which can also be ideal for that daily packed lunch.

We would also like to take this opportunity to share the great news about Claire’s new food blog - www.claireborg.com. We hope you enjoy the wonderful photos and recipes.

opening hours

With this issue we would like to remind our customers about the current opening hours at Arkadia Foodstore. Our foodstore in Portomaso is currently opening from Monday to Sunday from

8AM to 9PM. In Gozo, Arkadia Foodstore is open from Monday to Sunday from 7AM to 8PM. For the latest opening hours we recommend that you visit our opening hours section on our website – www.arkadia.com.mt.

easier to fulfill. Therefore keep forwarding your thoughts by sharing your concerns and/or suggestions to customercare@ arkadia.com.mt.

PRIMA Points = FREE Christmas Shopping

Gozo Mon-Sun: 8am-8pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3335

We know it is quite early to be talking about this, but YES, Christmas is just a few months away. That is why we would like to remind our customers to check their current balance of PRIMA points so they discover how much free fashion and home shopping they have accumulated. Christmas will soon be upon us but those PRIMA vouchers will certainly come in handy for some preChristmas gift shopping.

thank you for your feedback

We can never stop thanking our customers for the constant and ongoing feedback they send to us about their shopping experience and potential improvements that can be made. We promise to deliver a convenient and rewarding shopping experience at Arkadia Foodstore. Customer feedback makes our job much

opening hours

Portomaso Mon - SUN: 8am - 9pm (including Public Holidays) Tel: 2210 3350 Sign up to e-mail updates from Arkadia Foodstore by e-mailing to info@thefoodie.com.mt Published by: Arkadia Marketing Ltd. Fortunato Mizzi Street, Victoria, Gozo Tel: 2210 3000 | E-mail: info@thefoodie.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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Let's Fish Living on such a beautiful group of islands, surrounded with the deep blue Mediterranean sea, we all should be eating more fish! Here are some recipes that are a bit off track from our usual traditional recipes. Still easy to make, very tasty and healthy. A typical Italian/San Franciscan fish stew, simple fish cakes and finger licking sticky tasty prawns! Can all be prepared as a starter or as a main. So, let's fish!

Recipes & Photography by Claire Borg

cioppino Ingredients Yield: Serves 2 150g Chunk of Filleted Fish like Swordfish or Lampuki 150g Salmon Fillet 12 Fresh Mussels 20 Fresh Clams (Vongole) 4 King Prawns Fresh Basil - handful Fresh Parsley – small bunch Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Onions – peeled and sliced 6 Cloves of Garlic - peeled 1 Green Pepper - cleaned 6 Fresh Tomatoes – peeled and chopped ½ Cup Tomato Passata 4 Tbsp Tomato Paste (Kunserva) 1 Glass of White Wine 3 Bay Leaves 1 Tsp Dried Oregano 1 Small Chilli (optional) ½ Fish Stock Cube ½ Litre Boiling Water Method Cook the sliced onions and the whole cloves of garlic in some extra virgin olive oil. Add the dried oregano, the bay leaves and half of the basil. If you fancy some heat add the chilli. Cook together for a few minutes.

Add the sliced green pepper, add half the wine and cook for another few minutes, or until the pepper is soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste and passata. Stir well, add the rest of the wine and season to taste. Add the boiling water and the stock cube, stir and cover. Leave to simmer gently for about 40 minutes. If the sauce dries up, add some more hot

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water. It should resemble a thick soup.

Add the chunks of fish and cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove and set on a serving dish. Cover whilst you cook the rest of the fish. Add the prawns (trim off the antennae) and cook for around 5 minutes. Remove.

Next add shellfish, cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Remove. Add the remaining chopped basil and parsley to the stew, stir and set aside. Serve the soup in individual bowls and the shellfish and fish in a large bowl in the centre of the dining table. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and serve with toasted crusty bread.

pan-fried prawns with whiskey, lime and honey Ingredients Yield: Serves 2 12-16 Uncooked Tiger Prawns – head off 6 Cloves of Garlic – peeled & halved 1 Chilli (optional) - chopped 2 Shots of Whiskey Knob of Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt & Pepper 1 Tbsp Local Honey 2 Limes Method Defrost the prawns and rinse. In a heavy based pan, drizzle some olive oil and add the butter and garlic.

Over a high flame, toss for a few seconds, then add the prawns, chilli and the juice of one of the limes. Add the whiskey and flambé. Add the honey, give them a good stir, season and cook for about 4-6 minutes, or until the prawns turn pink and are cooked through.

Slice the other lime, mix in and serve immediately.

n? ow etitio u kn Comp Diolldayo Fig Cioppino is a fish stew originating from San Francisco. Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s by Italian fishermen who settled in San Francisco, many from Genoa, Italy. Originally it was made on the boats while out at sea and later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco.

The name comes from ciuppin, a word in the Ligurian dialect of the port city of Genoa, meaning "to chop" or "chopped" which described the process of making the stew by chopping up various leftovers of the day's catch.

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pan-fried prawns with whiskey lime and honey

fish cakes with dill aioli Ingredients Yield: Makes about 18 300 Grams Salmon Fillet 200 Grams White Fish Fillet 1 Large Potato - boiled ½ Lemon 2 Bay Leaves 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds 1 Egg Yolk 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise 2 Tablespoons Oat Bran 2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley 1 Tablespoon Dried Dill 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley 4 Cloves of Garlic – Minced 1 Tablespoon of Very Finely Chopped Onion Salt & Pepper Chilli (optional) Vegetable Oil for Frying For the coating, mix together ½ Cup Bread Crumbs ½ Cup Oat Bran 3 Tablespoons Dried Parsley

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fish cakes with dill aioli

Method In a large pot of boiling water, add the ½ lemon, bay leaves, the fennel seeds and some salt. Add the fish and poach until just cooked. Drain and leave to cool.

Mash the potato, add the egg yolk, mustard, mayo, oat bran, herbs, garlic, onion and some seasoning. Mix well. Add the flaked fish and fold in. Form the patties and roll in the coating mix. Leave on a baking tray, cover and leave to stand in the fridge for half an hour.

In a heavy based pan, heat a good amount of vegetable oil and fry the patties until golden. Serve warm with garlic aioli.

quick garlic and dill aioli Ingredients 1 cup of mayonnaise 3 cloves of garlic – minced 1 tbsp dried dill some lemon juice black pepper Method Mix everything together. Can be prepared ahead and kept in fridge. Perfect for fatty fish dishes like salmon and shrimp.

News Lactose Free Mozzarella di Bufala

No need to visit Portobello Road

For our lactose intolerant customers, we are happy to announce the availability of lactose free Mozzarella di Bufola. Now you enjoy a classic Caprese salad without the lactose. Enquire further at our delicatessen counter to find out more

Anything and everything a chap can unload is sold off the barrow in Portobello Road‌ but apart from this popular British song, our customers can enjoy an allyear-round selection of Portobello mushrooms from our Fruit & Vegetables section.

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Convenient Garlic

Ahh Beef Wellington!

We are firm believers that nothing beats fresh produce, but we also know that some of customers actually find the displeasure of pealing garlic. No worries further because you can now enjoy the comfort of purchasing ready-made crushed garlic from our foodstore. You can easily find it near our prepared dips in our chiller section.

We are excited to announce the availability of preprepared wellingtons from our butcher counter at Arkadia Foodstore, Portomaso. There are three types to choose from: classic; onion chutney; or fresh chicken liver parfait. Pre-heat your oven, pop it in, and after the recommended time you will have delicious feast fit for kings and queens!

Fresh Pasta‌ Che Bella!

Special Offer on Terrines

We all love pasta in many shapes and many forms.

Our firm favourite is our current selection of fresh pasta which you can find in our chiller section. From long to tubular to filled, we recommend a peak to find that delicious ingredient to make your home dinner a success!

Please note the fantastic offer currently on at our delicatessen at Portomaso. Customers can purchase 250g of their preferred terrine and get another 250g for free. This offer is limited until stocks last. Indulge yourself on a classic French delicacy.

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Lactose & Gluten Free Teatime Treats Lactose free and gluten free do not mean taste free! Using some creative substitutes we can cheat and avoid the stuff that many people have become intolerant to. These beautifully sweet recipes will fulfil that craving we are all tempted for from time to time. Perfect matches with a good quality brewed coffee or a pot of tea. Is it tea time yet? Yes! Polly put the kettle on! Let’s all have tea!

Lactose Free

Lactose Free

chocolate orange cookies

lemon & raspberry biscuits

Ingredients Yield: Makes 24 cookies 125 Grams Soft Butter 85 Grams Brown Sugar 75 Grams Castor Sugar 1 Egg 150 Grams Plain Flour 35 Grams Cocoa Powder ½ Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda Zest of 1 Orange

Ingredients Yield: Makes about 30 biscuits 550 Grams Plain Flour 250 Grams Sugar 250 Grams Butter 2 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda 2 Small Eggs 1 Tsp Vanilla Essence Zest of 2 Small Lemons Raspberry Jam

Method Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Method Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Grate the zest off the orange and mix it with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Leave to rest for an hour to infuse the flavours of the zest.

Sieve the bicarbonate of soda and flour into a large bowl. Mix in the sugar and lemon zest. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and the essence together. Rub in the butter into the flour mix, and when it resembles a breadcrumb texture, add the egg mix and bring the dough together. Do not overwork.

Beat together the soft butter, orange sugar and the rest of the sugars till evenly combined. Add the egg and mix well. Sieve the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda, then mix all into the butter mixture. Line a baking tray. Scoop full teaspoons of the batter onto the tray.

Bake in the pre-heated over for about 12-13 minutes.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

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Wrap biscuit mix in cling film and rest in the fridge for an hour. Roll out the pastry on a clean, floured surface and cut in the desired shapes. Place on a lined baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven until just golden.

Leave to cool. Spread over raspberry jam and decorate with a smaller biscuit on top or sprinkle with some vanilla sugar.

chocolate orange cookies

lemon & raspberry biscuits

lemon slice

coconut macaroons

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Gluten Free

lemon slice

Ingredients 200 Grams Condensed Milk 125 Grams Butter 75 Grams Desiccated Coconut Zest of 1 Lemon 100 Grams Gluten Free Biscuits - Crushed 100 Grams Oat Bran (or 200 Grams Oat Bran If Not Using Gluten Free Biscuits) Icing 150 Grams Icing Sugar 30 Grams Melted Butter 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest 1 Tbsp Hot Water Topping 50 Grams Toasted Desiccated Coconut Lemon Juice of Half a Lemon Method Melt the butter and condensed milk together. Mix the other ingredients, then add the milk/butter mix

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and stir until evenly combined. Press evenly into a lined tray with the back of the spoon (16cm x 27cm approx.). Chill in the fridge until you make the icing.

To prepare the icing, sift the icing sugar and add all the other ingredients and mix well. Spread over the chilled slice and top with toasted coconut. Keep in fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Gluten Free

coconut macaroons Ingredients 1 Tin (400 Grams) Condensed Milk 3 Tins full of Desiccated Coconut Method Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Scoop out one tin of condensed milk into a large mixing bowl. In the same tin, measure 3 tins full of desiccated coconut. Mix together. With wet hands mold even amounts and place on a lined baking tray.

Small balls, cones or just spoon-fulls.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 8 minutes, until just starting to become golden.

Autumnal

Antipasti A touch from the Middle East, a classic French pate, Greek ingredients and a Sicilian influenced salad! These starters/ antipasti bring to your table 3 vegetarian options and if served all together they make a little feast with which you can entertain and impress a small group of friends for a lunch. What’s missing? A good bottle of wine I guess! Buon Apetit! the foodie - 11

goose pate with poached pears and melba toasts Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 300 Grams Goose Pâté (you can find several type of pâté and terrines from the delicatessen at Arkadia Foodstore) 1 Crusty Baguette 150 Grams Walnuts 3-4 Pears Method In a large pot of water, poach the pears for about 15 minutes (depending on size) or until cooked. Drain and cool. Cut the baguette in very thin slices. Toast on both sides until very crisp. Set aside.

Arrange a board with the toasted baquette, the goose pâté, shelled walnuts and sliced poached pear.

grilled fennel salad Ingredients Yield: Serves 2 2 Fennel Bulbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt & Pepper 2 Oranges Some Mint Leaves Method Cut the fennel in half and slice very thinly. Season with salt and pepper and toss in some oil. On a very hot griddle, grill for a few minutes until cooked but still crunchy. Peel and slice the oranges, and arrange the grilled fennel with chopped mint and fennel tips on top. Serve warm or cold.

felafels Ingredients Yield: Makes 15 2 Cans Chick Peas – rinsed & drained 1 Chilli 4 Tbsp Gram Flour (or Plain Flour)– or as needed 1 Small Onion 3 Cloves of Garlic 1 Tsp Ground Cumin 1 Tsp Grated Lemon Zest ½ Cup of Chopped Parsley Juice of Half a Lemon Method In a powerful food processor, blitz the onion, garlic and parsley until fine. Add the lemon zest , and chopped chilli and blitz again. Add the chick peas, lemon juice and cumin and season to taste. Blitz, using the pulse action until crumbly to fine. Transfer mix into a clean bowl. If the mix is too soft, add the gram flour a little at a time to achieve a thick pasty consistency. Gram flour is made from ground chickpeas or lentils. If you do not have any, use regular flour. Place the whole mix in the fridge and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Shape into patties and fry until golden in vegetable oil. Drain on kitchen towels. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a salad of mint, parsley, rucola and onions and lemon wedges. felafels

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Pumpkins are not just for carving!

Healthy facts you should know about pumpkins: •

Contains 9 Important nutrientsVitamin C, Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, alpha and beta carotenoids, which help prevent cellular damage as well as lutein for eye health

•

Helps support healthy kidneys, bladder and prostate

•

Helps lower cholesterol

•

Helps with digestive health

•

Can help prevent osteoporosis (a progressive bone disease)

•

High protein value in the seeds

•

Contains essential fatty acid oil

grilled fennel salad

stewed pumpkin with black olives and authentic greek feta cheese Ingredients Yield: Serves 4 400 -500 Grams of Pumpkin – washed, seeds removed and cut into slices Olive Oil Glass of White Wine 150 Grams Authentic Greek Feta Cheese 100 Grams of Black Olives Salt & Pepper 1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary Pinch of Cinnamon Pinch of Nutmeg Method Use a large pan that can permit you to lay all the sliced pumpkin flat. Place the pumpkin (skin on).

Add the salt, pepper, rosemary and spices, a drizzle of oil, wine and a glass of water. Cook covered until the pumpkin is soft, then remove the cover and cook until all the juices have evaporated and the pumpkin starts to caramelize slightly. Switch off, scatter with the olives and crumble the feta cheese. Serve warm from the pan. Also delicious when cold. stewed pumpkin with balck olives and authentic greek feta cheese

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Fun & Healthy My quick tips for healthier children and children's lunches

By Carla Vella

With kids going back to school very soon, many mums may be starting to think about healthy lunch options. Children are generally fussy eaters and to get them to eat a variety of healthy foods might be quite the challenge for parents. From speaking to some of my friends who are parents the best way to get your kid to eat a healthy lunch is to keep the children involved, whether it’s shopping for the meal, making it or educating them about what they are eating.

1 Let them help out One good way to keep them interested in the meals that you plan is to take them food shopping with you and let them help pick out the fresh fruit and vegetables. The various colours in the vegetable and fruit section is appealing to children . You can keep them interested by explaining how important certain fruits and vegetables are for our well-being. For example ‘Carrots are very good for your eyesight – you can have super vision like a superhero’.

2 Keep portions small When making lunches, remember to keep portions small for children. You can’t expect a 4 year old to eat the same amount as a 10 year old. If they see too much on their plate, they immediately feel disheartened and only start to pick at their food.

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3 Creative Imagine yourself as a healthy food salesperson.

Food is what you sell it as. Sell healthy food in a more creative way. Try to look at food from a child’s perspective. Keep it interesting, colourful and simple.

Use shaped cookie cutters on bread to make a simple sandwich exciting.

4 Involve them in the kitchen Kids love to help in the kitchen, it keeps them busy and it might even tempt them to try out different foods and textures.

Sometimes, the aroma of the food that you are preparing is enough to open up your little one’s appetite. They will learn to appreciate food and enjoy mealtime!

5 Diets are not for kids.

Do not put your kids on low carb diets. Each meal should consist of a little of everything, just like your own: fruit & veggies; protein; wholemeal grains 6 Avoid excessively salty & sugary foods Training your child’s body to know less about sugary and salty foods will help them keep salty and sugar cravings at bay. Once your child learns from an early age to eat healthy meals, they will grow up to live a healthier lifestyle.

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