Department: Deanna On The Radio
Deanna on the Radio #4
I was asked to go on BBC Radio Manchester again recently (no clip this time - sorry!) Tuesday afternoons seem to be North Star Delicatessen's regular moment of media glory- do you think Nigella should be watching her back? This time, they asked me to come up with the subject matter, so I had to think about something that was close to my heart - Superfoods.
It bothers me that the show's host Becky Want, and many people like her, don't cook, so instead of just giving out a load of recipes, I wanted to explain what she could get out of it if she put in a bit of effort.
I thought I'd try and get across the unknown health benefits that many seemingly ordinary foods have. It's my aim to persuade people that cooking and eating healthily needn't be boring, expensive or time consuming and some foods that we take for granted could be working magic on your body and mind.
Below is a list of common foods and their beneficial properties regarding certain conditions. Most of this information comes from one of my favourite books Superfoods
Things you didn't know about....
Apples - Pectin and vitamin C help keep cholesterol levels stable. Pectin also helps protect us from the ravages of pollution, binding to heavy metals like lead and mercury in the body and carrying them safely out.
Garlic - Amazingly effective against cancer, heart problems, lung infections ranging from colds to bronchitis, rheumatism, arthritis and gout.
Lentils - About 100g supplies about two-thirds of an active man's daily protein needs (eat with something containing vitamin c in the same meal to improve absorption). They also contain good amounts of B complex vitamins which help avoid poor memory, irritability and other signs of nervous wear and tear. (try our own puy lentil salad with feta, red onion, parsley and sunshine tomatoes.)
Pineapples - Cures digestive problems as it contains an enzyme, bromelin, which can digest many times its own weight of protein in a few minutes. It breaks down only food and dead tissue leaving our guts miraculously unassailed.
Basically, if you can manage to make small changes in your diet like having brown rice and wholegrain bread instead of white, eat porridge for breakfast and snack on foods like grapes, nuts and seeds, you stand a better chance of being the best you can be.
Deanna’s Recipe(s) of the Week #9 - One Chicken = Three Meals.
I’m on the radio again this week and will be talking about budget food shopping and cooking tips.
It seems to me that this is the perfect subject for this time of year given that students are now starting or returning to university, and some folks will away from home for the first time. Eating properly is so important, especially if you need to keep your brain power at its optimum, and good eating does not have to entail lots of time or lots of money.
Here are a few useful tips that will help you to eat well on a budget.
Shopping
1) Seek out local ethnic shops. For Mancunians,here are some wonderful and amazing Indian shops in Chorlton, Cheetham Hill and Rusholme and they'll usually have a superb range of fresh vegetables and fruit at a fraction of supermarket prices. Fresh herbs are especially good value. Buy as much veg as you think you’ll need, but avoid the pre-packaged ones - you can’t test their quality anyway.
2) The Chinese supermarkets are great value too (we love the Wing Yip), and as well as a wide range of really fascinating snacks and sauces, they often sell bargain boxes of Chinese beer (but remember to drink responsibly). These stores are also the best places to buy great value frozen seafood.
3) Buy in bulk if you can afford it. You’re bound to go through a sack of rice in a term for example, and you could always split the cost with your house mates.
4) Everybody knows which are the cheaper supermarkets but whichever chain your local is, look for special offers like discounts on the meat and fish counter. The best time to go is in the evening when things are reduced, especially on a Sunday.
5) Buying from independent delis isn’t always more expensive - you can just buy the amount of meat, cheese and salads you want instead of having to buy a bigger tub. Some also have regular sampling and promotions, or reduce the price of things like fresh bread at the end of the day.
6) MOST IMPORTANTLY – decide on your weekly shopping budget and stick to it!
Cooking
There are loads of ways to eat delicious, healthy food on a budget, but here's how to make a chicken last a good few delicious meals.
Buy the biggest chicken you can afford - I’d love to wax lyrical about organic, hormone-free, farmer-friendly birds here, but let's save that for another blog entry.
Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about an hour and a half in a medium hot oven, basting with the juices every now and then. I like to pour a little bit of hot water into the bottom of the roasting tin to keep it moist and help with the gravy. Serve with delicious veg, roast potatoes and gravy.
The next day, assuming you have any left, strip the meat off the carcass. I’m not really sympathetic with people who are happy to eat food, but not handle it - pretend you're a caveman or Henry VIII and get into the spirit! Discard the skin, put the bones in a pan and the meat in a separate bowl.
It's easy to make some chicken stock with the bones. Add a chopped onion, carrot, stick of celery, parsley, bay leaf and a few whole peppercorns. Cover with water, bring to the boil and then turn it down to its lowest heat. Simmer for about an hour and a half, skimming off any scum with a metal spoon. We’re going to use this as a base for a soup. (If you want to make a Chinese style soup, add a knob of ginger and some spring onions instead of the veg listed above.)
Drain the liquid into a bowl and, after it has cooled, refrigerate if not using immediately.
To make a Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup, in a pan, gently fry some roughly chopped onions, carrots, celery, peppers – whatever veg you want really, add a can of chopped tomatoes, the chicken stock, some dried herbs like oregano or thyme and cook for about 25 mins. You can also add a can of drained beans if you like, or some chilli to make it spicy. Add salt and pepper (and a pinch of sugar if it needs it), some of the chopped up chicken (leaving half for the recipe below!) and serve with bread.
This last recipe is a delicious Chicken Stir Fried Rice. if you have left over chopped bacon or a few frozen prawns, you can turn it into Special Fried Rice.
For this, you’ll need about 400g of cold cooked rice (great for leftovers) – oddly, this doesn’t work so well with rice that has just been cooked. Cook about 100g of frozen peas in the microwave covered with water for about 3 minutes. Heat about 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok until really hot. Stir fry the rice for about a minute, then add the drained peas and the chicken (plus the bacon &etc. if you're going for the full "special" version!).
Continue to stir fry over a high heat for about 5 mins. Add 2 beaten eggs and about 100g of fresh beansprouts and continue to stir fry for a couple of minutes or until the eggs have set. Sprinkle over some soy sauce and garnish with chopped spring onions. There’s no reason why you can’t throw in some other vegetables too.
So there you go - three fulsome, hearty meals from a single chicken - good eating, good value... and good luck!
She’s at it Again!! Deanna on the Radio #2
Having clearly not disgraced herself with her previous appearance (see here), the folks at BBC Radio Manchester asked Deanna to come into the studio last Tuesday to take part in the Becky Want Show and to talk a little on the subject of women chefs. I'm sure you'll agree our girl comes across brilliantly. (Thanks again to Sam for the clip)
Deanna on the Radio!
Deanna appeared on the radio last Saturday as a guest on BBC Radio Manchester's Becky Want's Retail Therapy show, live from The Trafford Centre. Amid the hustle and bustle of the Saturday morning shoppers, Deanna valiantly plugged the deli and spoke knowledgeably about cheeses and meats and whatnot, and generally did us proud. If you didn't hear it, the clip is below. (My grateful thanks to the ever helpful Sam Tonge for the clip).
-
Search North Star Deli
-
North Star Deli Info
-
Join the North Star Deli Mailing List!
-
RSS
-
Syndicate
-
Latest North Star Deli News
-
North Star Deli Departments
-
North Star Deli Archives
-
North Star Deli Links
-
Admin
