A Huge Giveaway

By Seb Evans

Jan 5, 2022

A Huge Giveaway

We've Gone NUTS (and so should you)

 

What a week it's been... there's definitely *something* in the air.

BUT, we have partnered up with our friends at ManiLife to bring you an unbelievable prize consisting of a year's supply of ManiLife peanut butter for you and a friend (that's 48 jars!!), AND a 4-week Banquist course for two (worth £200). So you can go around spreading the good stuff!

ManiLife’s smooth and crunchy peanut butters are created using single estate hi-oleic peanuts which are roasted for a deeper, more intense flavour by experts, then blended in small batches for stand-out quality and taste. 

This winning combination of provenance and flavour is the reason that ManiLife is the chef’s choice of peanut butter. 

So head over to the ManiLife website for a chance to win! Good luck nutters! 


This Week's Chefs Tip: Save a Dish That's Too Salty 

Answered by Phil Howard, Master of Classic British Cuisine

Adding salt to dishes throughout the cooking process is very important, but we've all been guilty of adding just a little too much. 

Diluting could be a solution. Adding less salty broths, stocks or water to your dish will help reduce the overall salt content. It may take away some other flavours from your dish however, so taste again to see if it needs more acidity, spice or freshness in the form of herbs. 

Adding acid is also an option. Lemon juice or mild vinegar can help reduce the intensity of the saltiness and lift the dish a little. Just take care to add a drop at a time, tasing all the way. 

Bulking out the dish with additional vegetables just as peas, spinach or grated carrot can also help reduce overall salt levels. For example, adding spinach to a curry or peas to a stir-fry can help with balancing salt levels. 


This Week's Recipe: Chickpea and Beetroot Filo Pie

Recipe by Nigel Slater, taken from his segment in the Guardian


Veggie options over the Christmas period can often be a bit of a last minute thought. But this recipe puts a little love into your meat-free alternative! With vibrant beetroot, warning spices and crispy pastry, the tart makes a great centre piece for any festive table. 

In Nigel's poetic words, "I think of filo pastry as edible wrapping paper. Something in which to hide fragile things such as feta cheese and thyme leaves, ricotta and lemon zest or ricotta and honey. A crust so fine it will shatter into thousands of pieces when trapped with a pastry fork. Filo’s point is its crispness. As you crunch through the crackling crust, it is something to hear as much as to taste." 

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

  • Onion 1, large
  • Olive oil, 3 tbsp
  • Garlic, 3 cloves
  • Mustard seeds, 3 tsp
  • Cooked beetroot, 500g
  • Garam masala, 2 tsp
  • Chickpeas, 2 x 400g cans
  • Filo pastry, 6 sheets
  • Olive oil, 3 tbsp

For the sauce:

  • Carrot, 150g
  • Coriander leaves 4 tbsp, chopped
  • Kefir, 200ml

  1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion and cook for about 10 minutes until translucent. Peel and crush the garlic, add to the onion then stir in the mustard seeds and continue cooking until the onion is gold in colour.
  2. Put the cooked beetroot into a food processor and blend to a thick purée. Blend in the garam masala, salt and pepper, then stir into the softened onions. Drain the chickpeas and add them to the beetroot, then set aside to cool.
  3. When the filling is cool, preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Line a 20cm tart tin with a sheet of filo, letting it overhang the tin where necessary, brush it with olive oil then place a second sheet on top. Brush the second sheet with olive oil. Place a third sheet in the tart tin, at a slight angle to the others, brush with oil and place another sheet on top.
  4. Spoon the beetroot filling into the tart, gently smooth the surface, then loosely fold the overhanging pieces of pastry over the filling, leaving the centre open. Place the tart on the preheated baking sheet and leave to bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes. (If the pastry is browning too quickly, then cover lightly with a piece of silver foil.)
  5. To make the sauce coarsely grate the carrot and fold into the kefir with the chopped coriander. Serve with the warm tart.

Your Questions Answered: 

‘Why is my red cabbage a bit rubbish??’ From Alexia, Norfolk

Answered by Delia Smith, whose no-nonsense style is exactly what we need right now!

I always recommend making your braised red cabbage the day before or even weeks in advance and freezing it. Allowing it to sit and mature will help intensify the flavours, allow the cabbage to soften and allow all the ingredients to muddle together. 

You also want to make sure you give your cabbage enough time to reduce down, for the liquid to evaporate and the cabbage to wilt, releasing it's natural sweetness. 

I love adding a touch of sharp fruitiness to the cabbage in the form of a granny smith apple, when cooked down it's delicious with the cabbage and aromatic spices. 

Finally, sweetness and acidity are both required when braising red cabbage. I opt for brown sugar and some red wine vinegar. The balance between the two is essential. These can be added gradually until you have the taste that you desire. 



This Week's Recommendation: ManiLife Rich Cocoa 

ManiLife Rich Cocoa is the newest member of the ManiLife peanut butter family. 

The guys at ManiLife searched high and low for the fairest, finest cocoa. And they found it in the heart of Tanzania and then blended it with their smooth nut butter. The result is rich and chocolatey and really is a peanut butter like no other. 

We would highly recommend generously spreading this on hot toast, slathering onto pancakes or spooning generously straight from the jar.

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