What librarians eat! Vol: 3 issue: 2 - February 2015

What Librarians Eat! V O L :

3

I S S U E : 2

F E B R U A R Y

2 0 1 5

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Health Tip

2

Mushrooms stuffed with brie cheese

3

Green fritters

3

Chili chicken one 4 pot Tangy couscous salad

5

Spaghetti with Spanish flavours

5

Chines style wintery rolls

6

Cheap-as-chips veggie pizza

7

The joy of February brings with it 2 special events, Valentine’s day and also Carnival!

Tuna sweet corn burgers

7

Did you know that worldwide, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine's Day each year ? It is important to remember that valentine’s day is not only for couples, we should always keep our loved ones including family and friends close to heart :)

Prinjolata

8

Love bug biscuits 9 Women’s section 10 Men’s section

11

Ask us something!

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Welcome to the February edition of What Librarians Eat!.

Carnival is also around so I hope all of you have prepared your costumes :) As always, we encourage you to forward any delicious recipes you try at home as well as suggestions in order for us to be able to include more areas of interest.

In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy ツ

Activities for this month: Carnival Party Date: Saturday 7th February Time: 5.00 pm Archery Date: 28th February

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Food you should eat everyday!

1.Blueberries Blueberries have more antioxidants. The antioxidant plant pigments that make blueberries blue guard against heart disease, cancer and age-related blindness and memory loss. They‘re also tops when it comes to preventing urinary tract infections, thanks to antioxidant epicatechins, which keep bacteria from sticking to bladder walls. How much? 1/2 cup (125 mL) of blueberries equals one fruit and vegetable serving per day.

2. Olive Oil The main benefit of olive oil is that it lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and raises “good” HDL cholesterol, thanks to its monosaturated fats. How much? Include up to 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of olive oil in your diet every day.

3. Broccoli Consider broccoli your number one cancer fighter, thants to its sulfur compounds, such as sulforaphane, which you can smell as broccoli cooks. These compounds signal our genes to boost production of enzymes that detoxify potentially cancer-causing compounds. Eat more broccoli and you could slash your risk of everything from breast and lung cancer to stomach and colon cancer. How much? 125 mL (1/2 cup) of cooked broccoli is one fruit and vegetable serving.

4. Cinnamon.

Cinnamon is one of the most powerful healing spices. It‘s become most famous for its ability to improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes. The apple pie spice can help prevent blood clots and has antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties.

5.Tea Tea‘s antioxidants offer protection from heart disease, stroke and cancer. They appear to protect against heart disease by slowing the breakdown of ―bad‖ LDL cholesterol, preventing blood clots and improving blood vessel function. People who drink a cup or two of tea a day have a 46 percent lower risk of developing narrowed arteries.

6.Eggs A source of high-quality protein, eggs might give your meal more staying power too. A recent study found that when people ate a scrambled-egg-and-toast breakfast, they felt more satisfied and ate less at lunch. Even if you‘re watching your cholesterol, a daily egg can likely fit into your eating plans. Egg yolks contain lutein and zeaxanthin—two antioxidants that help keep eyes healthy.

7.Oranges An excellent source of vitamin C, just one large orange (or a cup of OJ) contains a full day‘s dose. Vitamin C is critical for producing white blood cells and antibodies that fight off infections.

8. Dark Chocolate If you are going to enjoy some chocolate regularly, make it dark. Aim for just 20g for roughly 100 calories and 5-7g of fat and remember when it comes to the nutritional benefits of chocolate, the darker the better.

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Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie Cheese This is one good-tasting appetizer. Its very forgiving so you can use pretty much any meltable cheese and any herb that takes your fancy. And yeah, apparently any kind of mushroom too :) Wash and remove the stems from the mushrooms.

Pat dry with a dry kitchen napkin.

Melt butter in a skillet and add the mushrooms.

Sprinkle with some salt and toss them around until well coated with the butter.

Arrange these on an oven-proof dish stem side up and set aside.

In the same skillet, add minced garlic and onion and fry lightly for 30 seconds. Then add the chopped coriander Ingredients:

leaves and sprinkle some salt.

12 mini portobello mushrooms

Toss around for a minute until the leaves soften. Take

1 small onion, chopped fine

care not to fry or burn it.

1 small block of brie cheese

Cut the brie into small squares and lightly press into

3 tbsp grated mozarella

the mushrooms, where the stems were removed from.

1/4 - 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh

Top off each mushroom then with grated mozarella.

coriander leaves

Finally sprinkle the coriander leaves mixture evenly.

2 cloves garlic, minced

Bake in a 180C/350F oven for 15 minutes/until the

1 tbsp butter

cheese is melted and soft.

Salt to taste

Green fritters Squeeze the courgettes between your hands to remove any excess moisture, or tip onto a clean tea towel and twist it to squeeze out the moisture.

Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the broccoli, courgettes and most of the dill, and mix together. Add the flour, mix again and season.

Ingredients:

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan.



Put a large serving spoon of the mixture in the pan, then add 2 more spoonfuls so you have 3 fritters.

Leave for 3-4 mins on a medium heat until golden brown on one side and solid enough for you to flip over, then flip over and leave to go golden on the other side.

Repeat to make 3 more fritters (there is no need to add any more oil to the pan after the first batch). Scatter with the remaining dill to serve.

    

140g courgettes, grated 3 medium eggs 85g broccoli florets, finely chopped small pack dill, roughly chopped 3 tbsp gluten-free flour or rice flour 2 tbsp sunflower oil, for frying

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Chilli chicken one-pot A prepare-ahead one pot that will please all ages and is easily made for a crowd, just reheat and add some garlic bread and a salad Ingredients: 

2 large onions, halved and sliced



2 tbsp olive oil



265g chorizo ring, peeled and



thickly sliced 4 red peppers, deseeded and cut



into large chunks 2 x 400g/14oz can chopped



tomato 2 chicken stock cubes



½-1 tsp dried chilli flakes



2 tsp dried oregano



16 boneless skinless chicken thighs



3 x 410g/14oz cans red kidney beans, drained

To serve 

15g pack coriander, chopped



2-3 avocado, skinned and sliced



good squeeze lime juice

Here is a very easy way of how to make

chunky oven chips that might be tasteful to go with this yummy chilly chicken!!

Ingridients:  750g potatoes (about 3 

medium large), peeled groundnut oil, for drizzling



sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Fry the onions in the oil for 5 mins until they become soft and start to colour.

Add the chorizo and fry for a few mins more. Stir in the peppers, then pour in the tomatoes, followed by a can of water, the stock cubes, chilli and oregano.

Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the sauce, pushing them under the liquid. Bring to a simmer, cover, then cook in the oven for 40 mins. Add the beans, stir, then cook for 20 mins more. You can make this up to 2 days ahead and keep chilled.

To serve, reheat on the top of the stove or in the oven at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 for 1 hr 10 mins until piping hot.

Stir in most of the coriander, toss the rest with the avocado, lime and a little salt, then pile this on top. Serve with Garlic & oregano bread (below) and a bag of green salad tossed with olives, cherry tomatoes and finely sliced red onion.

Heat oven to its highest setting, ideally 250C/fan 230C/gas 9. Cut each potato into 1cm-wide slices, then into 1cm-thick sticks. Blanch in a large pan of boiling water for 3 mins, then drain well.

Shake the potatoes out onto a roasting pan, drizzle with oil, ensuring each chip is evenly coated, then season well. Bake for about 15-20 mins, turning the potatoes at least twice, until golden brown and crisp.

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Tangy couscous salad Ingredients: 

300g couscous or bulghar wheat



vegetable stock



2 courgettes



1 tbsp olive oil



100g feta cheese, crumbled

 

20g pack parsley, chopped juice 1 lemon

Cook the couscous or bulghar wheat in vegetable stock according to pack instructions. Trim the ends off the courgettes, then cut into slices.

Heat a griddle pan or grill. Drizzle the courgette slices with oil, then season. Cook for 2 mins, then turn over and cook 1-2 mins more until softened and golden brown. Tip into a large bowl along with the cooked couscous or bulghar wheat, then mix through the remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

Spaghetti with Spanish flavours Ingridients:      

80g pack sliced chorizo sausage 300g bag fresh spaghetti 20g pack flatleaf parsley (a good handful) 2 red peppers from a jar, in brine or oil 2 tbsp olive oil 50g finely grated fresh parmesan, plus extra to serve

Put a pan of water on over a high heat to boil. Meanwhile, snip the chorizo into strips with scissors, and chop the parsley and peppers (check for stray seeds first).

When the water is boiling briskly, add the spaghetti with a good measure of salt, stir and return to the boil.

Cook for 3 minutes.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil, add the chorizo and peppers and plenty of black pepper. Cook for a minute or so, until heated through and the juices are stained red from the paprika in the chorizo. Scoop half a mugful of pasta water from the pan, drain the remainder and tip the spaghetti into the frying pan.

Add the parsley and parmesan, toss well and splash in the pasta water, to moisten. Hand round extra parmesan at the table.

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Chinese-style wintery rolls Make the filling. Slice the carrot into long, thin lengths. Then cut into long, thin ‗julienne‘ sticks. Cut the leek into three, halve, then cut into sticks. Slice the celeriac and celery, then cut into julienne sticks as before.

Halve the onion lengthways, then slice thinly. Slice the peppers into sticks. Cut the chilli into thin shreds. Cut the ginger into small julienne sticks and chop the garlic. Mix everything together in a bowl with half the picked herb leaves.

Heat olive oil in a wok until very hot and add half the veg. Toss Ingridients:                   

1 medium carrot, trimmed 1 medium leek, trimmed, outer leaves removed ½ celeriac or small kohlrabi, peeled 2 sticks celery, trimmed 1 small red onion ½ each red and yellow pepper, cored, deseeded 1 large fresh red chilli, deseeded 2 cm knob fresh root ginger 2 fat garlic cloves 25g bunch coriander, leaves picked 25g bunch flatleaf parsley, leaves picked 2-3 tbsp olive oil 1-2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil 100g mung beansprouts or mixed bean sprouts 1 tbsp sesame seed, lightly toasted 6 large spring roll wrappers (about 25cm square) 1 egg white, lightly beaten groundnut or vegetable oil, for deep frying

for 30 secs to wilt, then remove from the heat, season and toss in soy and sesame oil. Drain in a colander set over a bowl.

Repeat with remaining veg. Mix in bean sprouts, sesame seeds, remaining herbs and extra soy, if liked.

When the filling has cooled, peel off a spring roll wrapper – it will feel slightly sticky. Cover the remainder with a tea towel.

Lay the wrapper on a board and brush the edges with egg white.

Spoon a sixth of the vegetables in a line on the top third of the wrapper.

Fold over the top of the wrapper and press well down all round. Fold in the sides, then roll up firmly, pressing the end in well. The roll should be about 18cm long. Repeat process with the remaining filling and wrappers. The rolls can be chilled at this point for up to 3 hrs, uncovered, in the fridge, until ready to cook. (You should only cook the rolls just before you‘re ready to serve, so that they remain crisp.)

Heat a deep fat fryer or large pan a third full of oil to 180C (or

For the dipping sauce

until a cube of bread crisps and turns brown). Deep-fry two



rolls at a time for 5 mins until golden and crisp. Drain on paper

   

draining juices from vegetables (see step 3) 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 2 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

towel. Mix ingredients for the sauce and pour into 1 larger or six very small bowls. Trim the ends off the rolls, then cut in half diagonally. Serve on one large or six small plates with sauce.

Garnish with herb leaves or salad.

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Cheap-as-chips veggie pizza Ingridients:  200g carton passata  pack of 5 large Middle Eastern flatbreads  ½ x 750g bag frozen spinach, defrosted  1 garlic clove, chopped  3 balls mozzarella, patted dry and torn  5 medium eggs  freshly grated nutmeg  small bunch basil  shaved parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), to serve Heat the oven to as high as it will go. Spread 1-2 tbsp of passata over each flatbread. Squeeze as much water as you can from the spinach (this will prevent your pizzas from being soggy), then scatter on top, leaving a gap in the centre. Divide the garlic and mozzarella between the pizzas, seasoning generously as you go .

You will probably only be able to bake 2 pizzas at a time. So put 2 on a baking tray, carefully crack an egg into the middle of each, and season with nutmeg and some of the basil. Bake for 7 mins until the cheese has melted and the egg is cooked to your liking.

Repeat with the remaining pizzas and ingredients. Serve, garnished with a little more basil and some Parmesan. Cut into slices and share between everyone.

Tuna sweetcorn burgers Ingridients:  85g white bread, torn into pieces  198g can sweetcorn, drained  2 x 185g cans tuna in water, drained well  25g grated cheddar  3 spring onions, finely chopped  1 egg, beaten  2 tbsp vegetable oil  wholegrain bread rolls, lettuce, salsa, to serve

Whizz the bread in a food processor to crumbs, tip into a bowl, then whizz half the sweetcorn until finely chopped. Add the chopped corn, remaining whole corn, tuna, cheese, spring onions and some seasoning into the bowl with the bread and mix well. Add the egg, bit by bit (you may not need it all), until the mixture is sticky enough to be shaped into four even-size burgers.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then cook the burgers for 5 mins on each side until golden and hot through the middle. Stuff into wholemeal buns with your favourite lettuce and a good dollop of salsa.

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Prinjolata, Malta’s carnival cake Sponge Ingridients:     

4 eggs 200g caster sugar ½ tsp best quality vanilla extract ½ tsp lemon zest, chopped finely 200g self-raising flour

Filling Mix Ingridients:  

2 tbsp whisky/Vermouth (or one of each) 50 g pine nuts, roasted and chopped finely, but not ground  50 g glace’ cherries (mixed colours)  2 tbsp cocoa nibs  250g butter, softened  2 tbsp icing sugar  1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingridients:  250ml cream, whipping  half packet of shop-bought topping mix in white  glace’ cherries, halved, to decorate  flaked almonds, to decorate  50g chocolate, melted in bain marie, to decorate Prepare dariole moulds by lining them with cling film leaving overhang, or do the same with a 22cm basin, if making a single cake.

Sponge: Preheat oven to 180°C. Using a mixer, beat the eggs and caster sugar together until smooth and thickened; this takes 5-8 mins.

Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat in. Pour the mix into a single sponge cake tin and bake for around 25 mins unitil risen and lightly golden.

Turn out the sponge and allow to cool on a wire rack. Then, break the sponge into small cubes (1 cm max).

Put the sponge cubes into a large bowl, sprinkle over the whisky and/or Vermouth and add the chopped glace‘ cherries and cocoa nibs, stirring in well.

Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan over a medium heat, dry, no oil. Toss them and make sure they don‘t burn – they toast very quickly. Chop using a herb cutter board to fine pieces. Do not grind them up in a food processor.

Add pine nuts to the sponge mixture. Set aside while you make the filling…

Filling: beat the softened butter and sugar together well. Add another tbsp whisky to the mix to loosen it as it can be stiff.

Transfer the sugar-butter mixture to the bowl with the sponge crumb mix. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the whole lot together until well mixed. The sponge will completely disintegrate and blend in. It will be a stiff mixture, but persevere and add a tiny drop of whisky or water to loosen if need be, but not much.

Forming the dome cake: using a tablespoon, take good spoonfuls of mixture and dollop into the dariole moulds, pressing down gently between each spoonful to get rid of gaps.

When the moulds are filled, cover over the top with the excess cling film and chill for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Topping: beat up the cream along with half the topping mix until it‘s thick and forms soft peaks, but do not over beat other wise it will granulate.

Turn out the little cakes from the dariole moulds on to serving plates. Spread over the whipped topping roughly.

Decorate with halved cherries and sprinkle over almond flakes, or pine nuts. I ran out of pine nuts and found almond flakes more interesting to decorate with.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl placed over simmering hot water (bain marie). Drizzle it messily over the little cakes.

Keep cakes chilled til ready to serve.

Particularly if using fresh cream, eat within two days and keep cakes chilled in the fridge.

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Love bug biscuits Ingredients:

    

175g plain flour 100g chilled butter, cubed 85g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg yolk

To decorate     

500g ready-to-roll fondant icing red food colouring 100g icing sugar black food colouring edible pearly ball decorations

You will also need  

8cm heart-shaped cutter 6cm heart-shaped cutter

Put the flour, butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk in a food processor. Dribble in 1 tbsp water and blitz until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Tip onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring together, then wrap in cling film and chill for 20 mins.

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use your 8cm heart cutter to stamp out heart shapes – you‘ll have to re-roll the trimmings to make 20 biscuits. Put the hearts on 2 baking trays and bake for 12 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through, until pale golden and crisp. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Dye your lump of icing with red food colouring and wrap in cling film until ready to roll. Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick icing. Dye the icing with the black food colouring. Pour the icing into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle attached (or use a small sandwich bag and snip off the corner). Roll out the red icing to 3mm thick and use your 6cm cutter to stamp out hearts. Stick onto the biscuits with a little of the black icing.

Use the black icing to give your love bug a head at the pointy end, draw a line down the centre to give it wings, then add spots. Stick 2 pearly balls onto each love bug‘s head, then leave to set on a wire rack. You can pack your love bugs into boxes or cellophane bags to give as gifts for Valentine‘s Day.

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For 4 people :

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Dos and don’ts for faboulous nails!

Do coat the outside of the nails with polish or ridge fillers, which can help protect the nail and prevent breaking and splitting, at least while the manicure lasts.

W O M E N ‗ S S E C T I O N

Do moisturize the cuticle area to prevent cracking and peeling, which can hurt the matrix.

Do wear gloves to protect nails and cuticles from housework, gardening and washing dishes Do be cautious when doing office work. Nails and cuticles take a beating filing, opening letters (use a letter opener), typing (use the flat of your finger pads on the keyboard instead of the tips of your nails) and handling papers.

Do apply hand cream frequently, especially after you're done washing your hands, and pay attention to the cuticle area.

Don't use nail products that contain formaldehyde or toluene. They pose health risks for the nail and for your entire body as well.

Don't soak nails for long periods, and never use any kind of soap or detergent when soaking.

Nails and cuticles that become engorged with water weaken, and the longer soap or detergent is in contact with skin and nails (despite the advertisements for Palmolive dish detergent) the greater the potential for damaging the nail and cuticle structure Don't allow any manicurist to touch your hands with utensils that have not been properly sterilized. The importance of this step cannot be stressed enough. Risking your health and well-being for a manicure is just not worth it, and that is a definite possibility with bacteria-laden nail instruments!

Don't ignore nail or cuticle inflammation. Disinfect the skin as soon as you can with an antibacterial or antifungal agent. Any change to the nail's appearance needs to be checked out by a dermatologist.

VALENTINE’S DAY NAIL ART IDEAS YOU’LL HEART!!

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Men’s Section Incredibly Simple Things Any Man Can Do To Look Better 

If you can‘t grow a beard, don‘t grow a beard.

 

Opt for slimmer jeans.

 

Clean those fingernails and keep ‗em trimmed.

 

Ditch the white socks.

 

No tennis shoes unless you‘re at the gym.

 

Clean up the stray hairs between your eyebrows.

 

Important: Trim your nose hair.

 

Don‘t let your mustache grow past your top lip, or curl near your mouth.

 

Shave your neck!

 

Don‘t let your shirt creep past your butt.

 

Stand up straight.

 

Own a soft, well-fitting sweater or five.

 

Exercise basic hygiene so you don‘t emanate disgusting smells.

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“Ask Us Something!”

Homemade Baci (with Nutella and hazelnuts) Place 20 whole hazelnuts aside.

Ingridients:

Chop the rest of hazelnuts into “granella” (small pieces) and place in a bowl



with the Nutella and cocoa powder. Mix well until incorporate it to form a

100 gr. (~1 cup) whole hazelnuts  Half of a 13 oz. (375 gr.)

Nutella jar = about 7 oz. (200 gr., about 1 1/2 cup)  1/3 cup (40 gr.) unsweetened cocoa powder  6 oz. (160 gr.) good quality dark chocolate

smooth dough. You can use a blender but I prefer a fork and my hands.

Form 20 balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place a whole hazelnut in the middle of every ball.

Place the sheet in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes (or a few hours in the refrigerator).

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave (a minute or two on high, stirring in between)

Tip : You can insert a small love note and put them in a box just like

Dip the chilled “baci” into melted chocolate, using two small forks then place

the original Baci :) ♥♥♥♥♥

them again on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Allow them to dry a few minutes. Wrap as desired and accompany with a love note.

Nutella Hot Chocolate Put Nutella and 1/3 cup milk in small saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk until blended

Ingridients:

Add remaining milk, increase heat to medium-high, and whisk until hot



3 tablespoons nutella

and frothy.



1 1/3 cups milk PAGE

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