Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1 Life's Too Short to Eat Bad Food Wed, 19 May 2010 20:28:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Recipe: Sensational Pizza http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-sensational-pizza/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-sensational-pizza/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 17:06:27 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=717 Post from: blog1

Recipe: Sensational Pizza

]]> If you are interested in reading about the esteem in which I hold pizza as a go to food, read my simple version comments. I won’t go over it again, but suffice to say when it comes to pizza I am definitely a fan. Kids usually are too, however the ones in our family could spot a exotic pizza at fifty paces and are unlikely to be impressed. In fact the chances of a pizza with sun dried tomato and artichokes being deemed “yucky” are pretty high. Kids like the familiar, so you may be safer go with the simple version. However this base recipe doubles easily (or split it between two smaller pizza trays), so why not make one adult version and one for the small people. That way pizza night stays fun and (relatively) calm for all.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup lukewarm water
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 100g sun-dried tomato (not packed in oil)
  • 150 g sliced mushrooms
  • 200g lean ham shredded
  • 100g roasted red peppers
  • 3 -4 anchovies
  • 2 fresh tomato, deseeded and chopped
  • 50g Olives
  • Olive Oil spray

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the honey in the water. Add the yeast and allow to sit in a warm place for five minutes (the yeast should bubble a little).
  2. Add the water to the flour and mix until it is combined into a workable ball. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Spray the dough with a little olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (This makes enough to fill my 40 cm perforated pizza tray, it may seem like drama, but making it you save 50 calories per slice and personally I find kneading dough quite therapeutic).
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f. Spray the pizza pan with olive oil spray and spread the dough over the pan. Bake the dough (untopped) in the oven for 8 minutes, this will begin to crisp the dough and avoid that sogginess that you can sometimes get from home made pizza.
  4. Soak the sun-dried tomato in hot water for about 10 minutes to soften.
  5. Remove the dough from the oven, top with tomato paste and the other toppings.
  6. Spray the pizza with olive oil spray. Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust begins to brown at the edges

(Yields 8 Slices (or as many as you want to cut it into really, but I need a benchmark to work out the nutritional information))

Per Serve

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
260 5 g 768 mg 40 g 4 g 15 g

Per Slice (base with sauce and cheese only, add your own favourite toppings and change the calories/fat etc accordingly….)

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
179 3 g 125 mg 30 g 2 g 8 g

Serving Suggestions

Whilst I do try to avoid the ubiquitous “dipping sauce” problem is they are so good.  If you are like me and sometimes need a hit, marinara is your best option, and really, you can just use any tomato sauce you like.  If you must have the creamy version, you can do one that will not destroy all your good work if you mix low fat mayonnaise with a little non fat ranch dressing and garlic powder.  It’s not great, but to give you a bench mark, two tablespoons gives you around 40 Calories, whereas the same amount of a well known chain’s “creamy garlic dipping sauce” would give you about 155 calories.

For the simple version of this recipe, click here

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Recipe: Sensational Pizza

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-sensational-pizza/feed/ 4 Recipe: Simple Pizza http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-simple-pizza/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-simple-pizza/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 17:05:17 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=712 Post from: blog1

Recipe: Simple Pizza

]]> I have to come clean, I adore pizza in all its forms and I do mean ALL. I love frozen ones, plastic ones (you know the pizza chains I am referring to) the gourmet ones with all sorts of fun toppings. I love them with and without sauce, I love them with everything from thinly sliced potato to thick slabs of sausage and therein lies the problem. With the exception of certain frozen pizzas that cater specifically to the diet crowd, most pizza you can buy is not so great on the nutrition scale. Don’t get me wrong, I love nothing more than a pizza that has so much cheese on in that you can’t see anything else, but it is not the best thing for your waist line.
We have all seen the diet plans that suggest that you order a vegetarian pizza with no cheese as your diet friendly slice……..Vegetable with no cheese…….I mean seriously…..If you are like me and are in the mood for pizza, vegetable and no cheese is just not going to cut it. Similarly the well meaning people that suggest we buy pita bread or muffins and top with our favourite pizza toppings, again, not going to score well in my house, and lets face it, kids can spot a pita pizza from a mile away and generally are not impressed. So below is my compromise, homemade base, so you can use whole wheat flour if you like, to increase the fiber, but mainly because by making it yourself you are able to control the oil levels. This version does have veg (most are so low in calories that I would suggest toping with as much as you think you can get away with), but it also has meat, again with thought given to the type and how much. So here is my alternative and if I can just wean myself off the creamy dipping sauces, I am off to the races.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup lukewarm water
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 200g Turkey pepperoni
  • 1 tomato, deseeded and chopped (and any other vegetables you can sneak on)
  • Olive Oil spray

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the honey in the water. Add the yeast and allow to sit in a warm place for five minutes (the yeast should bubble a little).
  2. Add the water to the flour and mix until it is combined into a workable ball.
  3. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Spray the dough with a little olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (This makes enough to fill my 40 cm perforated pizza tray, it may seem like drama, but making it you up to 50 calories per slice and personally I find kneading dough quite therapeutic).
  4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. Spray the pizza pan with olive oil spray and spread the dough over the pan. Bake the dough (untopped) in the oven for 8 minutes, this will begin to crisp the dough and avoid that sogginess that you can sometimes get from home made pizza.
  5. Remove the dough from the oven, top with tomato paste pepperoni, tomato and cheese. Spray the pizza with olive oil spray.
  6. Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust begins to brown at the edges.

(Yields 8 Slices (or as many as you want to cut it into really, but I need a benchmark to work out the nutritional information))

Per Serve

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
228 7 g 345 mg 30 g 2g 12 g

Serving Suggestions

I would love to say serve this with a salad, but good luck getting kids to eat salad if pizza is the alternative.  If serving kids though, I sometimes find this pizza works well cut into squares rather than wedges, so it is easier to eat.  Do bear in mind though I have had the “pizza doesn’t look like that” comment when not strictly adhering to the traditional wedge method of presentation when serving anyone under the age of 25.

For the sensational version of this recipe, click here

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Recipe: Simple Pizza

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-simple-pizza/feed/ 1 A tribute to the unsung heroes of the dinner party http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/a-tribute-to-the-unsung-heroes-of-the-dinner-party-2/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/a-tribute-to-the-unsung-heroes-of-the-dinner-party-2/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 17:00:07 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=721 Post from: blog1

A tribute to the unsung heroes of the dinner party

]]> I recently wrote a post that basically outlined the easiest way to entertain on a Friday night after work.  I sited my friend D’s way of coping as a great example of how to deal with weekday entertaining without losing your mind.  The piece itself was generally well received.  That is with the exception of D’s spouse, who pointed out that he had been instrumental in the success of the evening yet failed to rate a mention.  This started me thinking about the role played by most non-cooking spouses and friends in the execution of the perfect dinner party on any night of the week.

When I first started entertaining in what I consider to be a grown up fashion, my spouse used to leave the house for the majority of the prep time.  In his defense that was because I was quite manic.  Having honed my entertaining skills over the years he now doesn’t feel the need to flee the premises.   However he is still very much on call for any and all of the following:

  1. Last minute trips to the store – No matter how organized I am there always seem s to be something that I forget and everyone I know who entertains says the same thing.  To all spouses or friends who pick up all the bits we forget, I say thank you.
  2. Table setting – My spouse typically does not do “pretty”, flowers, centerpieces etc, but the boy can get crockery, cutlery and glassware onto a table at record speed.  To all spouses or friends who know where everything is and more importantly, where it goes on the table, I say thank you.
  3. Drinks – Here’s a tip, when the drinks flow freely, it can make up for a multitude of sins if the meal is less than perfect. To all spouses or friends that keep glasses full and bottles chilled, I say thank you
  4. Clean up – You know the feeling, when the last of your guests leave and you survey the scene of destruction that is your home, it’s good to know you won’t be tackling it alone.  To all spouses or friends that understand that washing up requires more than just a running tap, I say thank you.

It is perfectly possible to entertain alone.  But today I wanted to take time to salute the support staff of a dinner party, those who hover in the background while the chef receives all the accolades.  We could entertain without you, but it would not be nearly as much fun.

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A tribute to the unsung heroes of the dinner party

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/a-tribute-to-the-unsung-heroes-of-the-dinner-party-2/feed/ 0 Recipe: Shrimp and Noodles with XO sauce http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-shrimp-and-noodles-with-xo-sauce/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-shrimp-and-noodles-with-xo-sauce/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 19:37:35 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=698 Post from: blog1

Recipe: Shrimp and Noodles with XO sauce

]]>
XO sauce is a sauce that you will have to go to an Asian grocer for, but it is clearly marked, so you should have no problem. If you cannot find it you can omit it all together or substitute another type of chili sauce, but start with a little and check for temperature. I have given measurements for the vegetables here, but I wouldn’t suggest you weigh them. Really with veggies you can’t really go wrong, so add as much as you like. You can also play around with the types of vegetables you add, broccoli, beans, whatever you have in your refrigerator.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb precooked, hokien noodles
  • 8 oz shrimp, shelled and butterfied
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, very finely chopped
  • 8 oz snow peas ½ red pepper, finely sliced
  • 4 oz baby corn
  • 6 oz of fresh shitake mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 eggs 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons xo sauce

Instructions

  1. Place the noodle in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
  2. Peel the shrimp if they are not already peeled and butterfly.
  3. Combine the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water and whisk well. Pour the egg into a non stick fry pan and cook until set. Effectively you are making a very thin omelet. Remove the egg from the pan, roll up and slice into pieces.
  4. In a small bowl combine the hoisin, soy, ketchup, vinegar and xo sauce, and mix to combine.
  5. In a non stick wok, fry the garlic and ginger until just transparent, about 2 minutes. Do not allow to burn or the dish will be bitter. Add the shrimp fry until it just turns pink. Add the vegetables and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Drain the noodles and add to the wok.  Add sauce and egg to the wok. Mix until just combined. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 as an appetizer or light lunch, 4 for dinner

Per Serve if serving 6

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
301 8 g 839 mg 41 g 3 g 17 g

For the simple version of this recipe, click here

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Recipe: Shrimp and Noodles with XO sauce

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-shrimp-and-noodles-with-xo-sauce/feed/ 2 Recipe: Pork and Noodles with XO sauce http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-pork-and-noodles-with-xo-sauce/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-pork-and-noodles-with-xo-sauce/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 19:36:41 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=703 Post from: blog1

Recipe: Pork and Noodles with XO sauce

]]>
XO sauce is a one of those sauces that if you consider the individual ingredients, you may find it a little odd. That said, once you cook with it you will realize that it gives a flavour that really cannot be duplicated. The XO sauce that I used for this dish was not particularly spicy, so if you buy one that is on the spicier side, you may want to use less. It is a sauce that you will have to go to an Asian grocer for, but it is clearly marked, so you should have no problem. If you cannot find it you can omit it all together or substitute another type of chili sauce, but start with a little and check for temperature. I have given measurements for the vegetables here, but I wouldn’t suggest you weigh them. Really with veggies you can’t really go wrong.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb precooked, hokien noodles
  • 10 oz pork tenderloin
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, very finely chopped
  • 8 oz snow peas
  • 6 oz of fresh shitake mushrooms, quartered
  • ½ red pepper, finely sliced
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons xo sauce

Instructions

  1. Place the noodle in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
  2. Slice the pork very thinly, it is easier to do this if the pork is frozen.
  3. Combine the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water and whisk well. Pour the egg into a non stick fry pan and cook until set. Effectively you are making a very thin omelet. Remove the egg from the pan, roll up and slice into pieces.
  4. In a small bowl combine the hoisin, soy, ketchup, vinegar and xo sauce, and mix to combine.
  5. In a non stick wok, fry the garlic and ginger until just transparent, about 2 minutes. Do not allow to burn or the dish will be bitter. Add the pork and brown slightly. Add the vegetables and stir fry for about 2 minutes.
  6. Drain the noodles. Add the noodles, sauce and egg to the wok. Mix until just combined. Serve immediately.

Serves, 6 as an appetizer or light lunch, 4 as an entree

Per Serve if serving 6

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
311 8 g 778 mg 39 g 3 g 19 g

For the sensational version of this recipe, click here

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Recipe: Pork and Noodles with XO sauce

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/recipe-pork-and-noodles-with-xo-sauce/feed/ 0 Five of the most useless kitchen gadgets on the market today http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/five-of-the-most-useless-kitchen-gadgets-on-the-market-today/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/five-of-the-most-useless-kitchen-gadgets-on-the-market-today/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 18:44:48 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=692 Post from: blog1

Five of the most useless kitchen gadgets on the market today

]]> I would love to meet the inventors of some of these products.  The person who poured their blood sweat and tears into a piece of useless gadgetry.  I can only imagine how much fun a person who was psyched about a Strawberry Slicester would be.  For the most part, my issue with gadgets is that they are too specific.  Because they are designed to do only one thing, they just gather dust in your kitchen cupboard.  There are so many that could make this list,but here are those that are currently my useless top five.

EZ egg cracker.  If the alarming number of egg related gadgets available is anything to go by, then egg cookery is one of the most challenging things you can do in the kitchen.  Of all the egg related gadgets, I think the EZ egg cracker is the one that, above all, deserves to make the list.  The EZ egg cracker cracks eggs.  It does it with alarming ferocity, but it cracks eggs.  Personally at $19.95, unless you have arthritic hands, I can think of a better use of funds.

The Chef’n Strawberry Slicester.   Based on the number of useless gadgets that you can buy, it appears that strawberries are just as pesky as eggs in the kitchen.  Who knew?  The strawberry slicester makes the list, not just because of the fantastic name, although that did have a lot to do with it, but mainly because it is $16.00.  Again, it does what it purports, but for my money, buy a knife. 

The self twirling spaghetti fork.  Yet another invention for people who are apparently too stupid to feed themselves, the self twirling spaghetti fork.  For $27 you can buy a fork that does all that super difficult twirling for you.  SNL producers take not though.  I have a great idea for a skit involving the astonishingly large number of unreported carpal tunnel cases that must have prompted the invention of this product.

Reusable Party Picks.  That’s right folks.   These are metal(ish) sticks that look like nails that are used to spear cocktail food.  You know, the way we old fashioned kiddies do with a toothpick, but for a lot more money.  The advertising says “Turn your party into a hard hat zone with these gorgeously galvanized (looking)[1] party picks. ”.  You can have all that for only $10 for 18. I don’t know about you, but the idea of serving food on faux nails appeals to me about as much as paying 55 cents each for the bloody things. 

Avocado slicer, pineapple slicer, mango slicer etc – I am going to let you into a secret.  There is a wonderful product called a knife and it can slice all these fruits and in some cases a shoe (but that may be another blog post).  To my mind, unless you eat a hell of a lot of one of these types of fruits, having a product that is designed only to slice that and nothing else is crazy.

There are so very many more weird, wonderful and totally useless gadgets for the kitchen and I realize that I am merely scratching the surfact.  One thing that we can be sure of, is that this topic will always be relevant, becuase there will always be another new, usless gadget viing for our attention.

[1] I can only assume a fully galvanised version would have priced the product out of the very competitive cocktail stick market.

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Five of the most useless kitchen gadgets on the market today

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/05/five-of-the-most-useless-kitchen-gadgets-on-the-market-today/feed/ 1 Recipe: Blueberry Mascarpone Crepes http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipe-blueberry-mascarpone-crepes/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipe-blueberry-mascarpone-crepes/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:58:25 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=665 Post from: blog1

Recipe: Blueberry Mascarpone Crepes

]]>
If you’re looking for a dessert for a dinner that is visually stunning, this is the one for you. It also has the added advantage that all the elements can be prepared in advance, so although it looks like you have slaved for days, it is actually relatively simple to prepare. The final thing to note is that this dessert tastes amazing.

Ingredients

For the Crepes

  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 egg
  • 100 ml milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon mite butter, melted

For the filling and sauces

  • 3 cups frozen blueberries
  • 1 2/3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup mascarpone cheese
  • 2 mint leaves
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 mint leaves, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

For the crepes

  1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix to combine.
  2. Combine the milk, egg and vanilla and mix well. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture.
  3. Gradually add the egg and milk mixture and mix until combined. Add two tablespoons of the mixture to a 10 inch non stick fry pan and cook until bubbles form on the top. Flip the crepe and brown on the other side.
  4. Repeat for the remaining mixture.
  5. Note crepes can be made up to six hours in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Allow to return to room temperature before filling.

 For the filling

  1. In a small saucepan heat the blueberries gently until they release their juices, about 5 minutes. Place the cooked berries in a strainer over a bowl and allow to drain thoroughly. Do not discard liquid.
  2. Combine the berries with the cheese, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla and two mint leaves and mix gently until well combined. Filling can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to six hours. Allow to return to room temperature before serving.

For the sauce

  1. Add the liquid from the berries (you should have about ½ cup) to a saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Simmer over gentle heat until the liquid reduces and covers the back of a spoon, about five minutes.

To complete the dish

  1. Place one of the crepes nicest side down on a board. Add just until ¼ cup of the filling to the centre on the crepe. Fold up edges of the crepes to enclose filling.
  2. Combine the fresh raspberries with 1 tablespoon of the sauce and the remaining mint.
  3. Place 2 tablespoons of the sauce on a plate and top with the filled crepe. Place a teaspoon of the fresh raspberries on top of the crepe.
  4. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Per Serve

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
347 11 g 75 mg 54 g 6 g 6 g

 For the simple version of this recipe, click here

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Recipe: Blueberry Mascarpone Crepes

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipe-blueberry-mascarpone-crepes/feed/ 0 Recipe:Blueberry Mascarpone Tarts http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipeblueberry-mascarpone-tarts/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipeblueberry-mascarpone-tarts/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:57:07 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=683 Post from: blog1

Recipe:Blueberry Mascarpone Tarts

]]>
These little babies are another very pretty dessert that have the advantage of tasting lovely. The secret to making them a simple dessert rather than a sensational one is that you buy the phyllo tart shells. I have made them, and you have my blessing if that is your preference, but they are very fiddly. If you want the instructions read my recipe for Mascarpone fig tarts. In keeping with the fact that this is a simple version of a recipe, I suggest you buy them but still take credit.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups frozen blueberries
  • 1 2/3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup mascarpone cheese
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 mint leaves, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh blueberries
  • 24 store bought fillo pastry cases

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan heat the blueberries gently until they release their juices, about 5 minutes. Place the cooked berries in a strainer over a bowl and allow to drain thoroughly. Do not discard liquid.
  2. Combine the berries with the cheese, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla and two mint leaves and mix gently until well combined. Filling can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to six hours.
  3. Allow to return to room temperature before filling the tarts.
  4. Add the liquid from the berries (you should have about ½ cup) to a saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Simmer over gentle heat until the liquid reduces and covers the back of a spoon, about five minutes. Combine with the fresh berries.
  5. Divide the cheese mixture between the pastry cases and top with fresh berries.
  6.  Serve immediately.

Makes 24

Per Tart

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
115 2 g 14 mg 22 g 1 g <0 g

For the sensational version of this recipe, click here

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Recipe:Blueberry Mascarpone Tarts

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipeblueberry-mascarpone-tarts/feed/ 0 The Demise of Western ‘Culture’ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/the-demise-of-western-culture/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/the-demise-of-western-culture/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:39:43 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=647 Post from: blog1

The Demise of Western ‘Culture’

]]> We’ve all done it.  Be it the clandestine trip through the drive through, the late night foray into the restaurant or the service centre stop out of necessity, we’ve all eaten fast food. 

On a recent trip north I found myself needing lunch on one of those endless strips of highway that crisscross the western world.  Options limited, I pulled into a service centre.  The service centre is a world unto itself.  The eerie thing about them, at least in this part of the world, is that they are all exactly the same.  There is one design for a service centre and when that design is no longer functional, they pull them all down and rebuild them.  Again, all built to exactly the same design.  The same vending machines line the walls and the same fare adorns the brightly lit menu hung behind the same bored teenager manning the counter.

At least that is the way things should be.  As I approached the bored teenager on this sunny spring day the following option was presented.  Spicy Thai Grilled McMini Sandwich.   Thai, grilled, I was in a McDonalds on the side of the Highway for heaven’s sake.  When dining at my local Thai restaurant I do not think to order a Big Mac and so in McDonalds should not be given a Thai option.  There are so many things wrong with this menu item that I don’t know where to start.  Which class at Hamburger University was responsible for this foray into the unknown?  Did the clowns take a trip to Bangkok and come back with more than just a rash?

Businesses must evolve, not accepting this spells disaster, but evolution for evolutions sake should be seriously considered.  McDonalds does burgers and fries.  The salads I get, we need healthier options, but a Thai Chicken McMini Sandwich? 

Arriving at my destination, having finished my Cheeseburger, I decided to see how widespread this phenomenon was.  To my horror this insidiousness was everywhere.   Spicy Chipotle Boneless Wings at Wendy’s, Iron grilled sandwiches at dairy queen.  Burgers and fries people, you make burgers and fries.  You make them in all their greasy glory and I for one salute you.  In this sea of fast food fusion, Burger King stands alone by staying true to its roots.  They make burgers, not burgers that I would want to have in my regular meal rotation, but ones that I do want every now and again.

The Economist has a Big Mac index and this is because, in theory, a McDonald’s burger is a constant in a world that changes so fast it makes your head spin.  When one of the world’s most respected publications uses your product to make “exchange rate theory more digestible” you know that you have a consistent product.  Why the change? 

As a staunch advocate of healthy eating I recognize that you will rarely find a fast food menu item topping the chart for nutrition.  But isn’t that the point?  If you are sensible about what you eat most of the time you can afford a slip every now and again, which brings me to the Service Centre options.   If I am of the mind to eat something that I probably shouldn’t, it sure as hell won’t be a Spicy Thai Grilled McMini Sandwich.

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The Demise of Western ‘Culture’

]]> http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/the-demise-of-western-culture/feed/ 0 Recipe: Lunguini and Meatballs (Sensational Version) http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipe-lunguini-and-meatballs/ http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/2010/04/recipe-lunguini-and-meatballs/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:53:37 +0000 Simple or Sensational http://www.simpleorsensational.com/blog1/?p=637 Post from: blog1

Recipe: Lunguini and Meatballs (Sensational Version)

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You can’t beat a meatball recipe with 3 grams of fat. This is also quite a versatile recipe and can just as easily be spaghetti bolognaise. All you need to do is cook the onion until transparent, add the meats and brown. Obviously you would not include the egg. You can also use different pastas, spaghetti being the obvious choice. Finally if you really want to make this sensational you can make your own pasta.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs 
  • 1 small onion, very finely chopped
  • 7 oz lean ground beef
  • 7 oz lean ground turkey
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
  • 1 egg white
For the Sauce
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  •  600 ml (or one bottle, I think they are a little more) of strained crushed tomatoes, (eg Sugo)
  • 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Handful of fresh basil, chopped
  • 600g whole wheat linguini

Instructions

For the Meatballs 
  1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Form the Mixture into small balls (about 30). Don’t be tempted to make them too big or they are too difficult to eat.
  2. Refrigerate on a plate until the sauce is ready.
For the Sauce 
  1. Fry the Onion and garlic in a non stick pan until transparent. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the sauce is rich and thickened.
  2. At this point you will need to taste the sauce, tomatoes can be a little bitter and you may need to add a little sugar.
  3. Season with salt and pepper and if you like a little dried chilli. (Side note this sauce freezes really well).
To complete the dish
  1. Heat a non stick saucepan and add the meatballs in a single layer. If you don’t have a saucepan big enough to take them all cook in batches until just browned.
  2. Add the tomato sauce to the saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally making sure that you don’t break up the meatballs. I find that a spatula works well.
  3. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta until done (I say done, because let’s face it people go on and on about how pasta should be ‘al dente’ ….it’s your dinner, bite it, thrown it against the wall, do whatever you do to check that it is done the way you like it).
  4. Divide the pasta between six bowls and top with the sauce.
  5. Sprinkle with a little parmesan if you like (it adds a few more calories) serve immediately.

(Serves 6)

Per Serve

Calories Fat Sodium Carbs Fiber Protein
312 3 g 301 mg 42 g 8 g 26 g

 For the simple version of this recipe, click here

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Recipe: Lunguini and Meatballs (Sensational Version)

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