Monday 28 April 2008

Squidly Noodles

NAME: _ Squidly Noodles




INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
approximately 1 young squid tube per person
approximately 1/4 brown onion per person
1 serve medium thin spaghetti per person (or use fettucini)
1 small clove or 1/2 a large clovegarlic per person
1/4 to 1/2 small red chilli per person (depending on spiciness wanted)
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp grapeseed oil




METHOD:
Prepare the ingredients - slice the squid tube into 2mm thick rings, cut the tentacles separately if desired, slice the onion into crescents 3mm thick. Chop the garlic medium, 1mm - 2mm cubes is fine. squeeze out the seeds and dispose of, and slice the chilli into thin rings.

Start the water boiling, clean salted water sufficient to boil the pasta in. When the water starts boiling place the frypan on medium heat with the oil and drop in the onion crescents and chopped garlic, fry gently for a few minutes, then put the pasta into the boiling water and the squid and chilli rings into the frypan.

Occasionally toss the contents of the frypan and stir the pasta to prevent clumping. Toss a tablespoonful of the salted pasta water into the pan to soften the onion with steam, if desired sprinkle a pinch of salt over everything. The onion should be medium brown and the squid rings gone white as the pasta is done.

Drain the pasta and refresh under cold water for a fw seconds, then put pasta in the frypan and toss lightly to coat all the pasta.




SERVING:
Serve immediately. Enjoy.




NOTES:
This recipe comes out like pasta con aglio e olio but the sweet onion and the mild squid flavours really seem to pop out. Squid seems to have no redeeming dietary features that I can see, but some things don't need no steenking justification...

As it's our winter coming on here in Australia, I am tending towards foods with a few extra carbs and calories - this is a natural cycle our bodies go through as a survival thing. By avoiding trans fats and using EVOO and grapeseed oil at least we can feed the need without too much harm


Fried Pork Liver and Onions

NAME: _ Fried Pork Liver and Onions






INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
As much pork liver as you want. I can generally eat 300g - 500g at a sitting
1/4 of a medium brown onion per 200g approximately
tbsp of olive oil
tsp of grapeseed oil
White sourdough bread, toasted, about two slices per person




METHOD:
Slice the onion into thin (3mm at the widest edge) wedges so it forms many litte "crescents" of onion. Cut the liver into 1cm slices in whichever direction takes your fancy, I generally split it into two or three lenghtways slices as large as possible.

Frypan should be large enough to take each batch of liver and onion without piling up. Start the frypan at medium heat, put in the onion wedges and collect to one side, place in however many slices of liver as fit with it and keep going on medium heat.

Once the underside of the liver has sealed, flipt each piece over and lightly salt the sealed side. Do this again once the other side has sealed. Toss the onions to prevent any overcooking. Let the liver stay until lifting a corner reveals crispiness and browning, at which stage, turn it one last time, toss the onions again, and allow the undersideto crisp to the same doneness.




SERVING:
Serve layer of dark brown fried onion on toast topped with the slices of liver, and a lettuce/tomato vinaigrette salad on the side.




NOTES:
Liver is much maligned, mostly because Lambs Fry is the only way many people know it from, and that's probably one of the least appetising types of liver and the worst possible way to cook it, too... Lamb liver is slightly bitter (strike one) and has a soft pasty texture (strike two) and has a lot less in common with our body chemistry than pork liver. (strike three and that's out of the menu!)

It contains many key hormones minerals and vitamins that we need. Cripsy fried like this, it is delicious and the thorough cooking should kill any chance of parasites - never eat undercooked liver - and the light caramelised taste of the onions sets the flavour perfectly.

You could use beef or lamb's liver but the texture and flavour are not the same, pork liver has a firm meaty texture and a less bitter and more nutty favour. Pork body chemistry is also closer to ours and provides some things that mutton and beef don't. In moderation (i.e. don;t cook this every day for a month) some pork product every month is good for us.

If you're on the Body Friendy Zen Cookbook diet, make this meal at times when you're taking soya products more as it will balance the active ingredients in the soya perfectly.


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