Everyone can get all the health support they need by just eating real food. Shunning whole food for pills, powders, or potions is missing a huge opportunity for dietary diversity. Flavourful food is one of the great joys of life.

So what’s the man (yes, I’ve been watching Game of Thrones) to do when given an infinite choice of delicious whole foods to choose from? You could Google “most nutritious food” and find a recipe that way, but luckily, I’m here to give you a recipe that includes two incredibly delicious and nutrient-dense ingredients: garlic and kale.

Garlic has been a favourite medicinal ingredient for years. It’s proven to have disease fighting properties and can lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s also high in vitamins C, B1 and B6, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, and selenium. Kale is packed with fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. All of kale’s brassica family are very nutritious but for building strength, kale is the best of the bunch.

Bringing these two flavoursome ingredients together, I give you Roasted Garlic Soup with Kale Crisps. The soup is luxurious, and the kale crisps are a fantastic alternative to a carb-heavy crouton for crunch.

Roasted Garlic Soup

I have combined two cooking methods for the enormous garlic content to really showcase the flavour and pack in the goodness. Warning: this soup must only be consumed if you are alone or have a mutual accord regarding breath with your companion.

Ingredients:

• 5 whole heads of garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 knob of butter
• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 250ml whipping cream
• Few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Juice of half a lemon
• Teaspoon of olive oil.

Method:

1. Heat your oven up to 160 degress Celsius. Chop the very top of four of the heads of garlic.
2. Drizzle a little olive oil into each, then place in an ovenproof dish in the oven to roast for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a saucepan over a low heat. Halve then finely dice the onion, and put the butter and chopped onions into the saucepan. Pop the lid on and leave to slowly tick as the garlic roasts, stirring occasionally.
4. After 30 minutes, take the four heads of garlic out of the oven and set them aside to cool a little.
5. Peel and finely chop all of the cloves on the fifth and final head of garlic and add to the onion pan. Cook for 3 more minutes.
6. Squeeze the soft, slightly caramelized cloves of roasted garlic straight out of the skin into the saucepan and give it a good stir. Now add the stock and fresh thyme. Bring to the boil then simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes.
7. Take the pan off the heat and remove the thyme. Purée using an immersion blender or liquidizer whilst gradually adding the cream.
8. Finish with the lemon juice, season, and enjoy.

Kale Crisps

You can buy washed and chopped kale in a bag from most supermarkets these days, making this recipe a trifling affair. If you can’t find the prepared stuff, just get a head of kale or cavelo nero. In that case, remove the woody rib, tear it into small pieces, then rinse and dry thoroughly.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag or 1 head of kale
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Sea salt to season.

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Spread the kale in a thin layer on a baking sheet or tray.
2. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat.
3. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the extremities catch a little colour.
4. Empty the kale into your serving bowl and sprinkle with salt.

Serve together. Boom – done.

Want to discover more delicious foods with medicinal properties?

Top 10 Foods to Fight Inflammation

The post Deliciously Nutritious: Garlic Soup with Kale Crisps appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Chocolate milk is a popular and convenient choice for pre-workout fuel. And a quick hit of sugar and some easy-to-digest protein does check some of the boxes for a solid pre-workout shake. But why buy a bottle of engineered-to-last-a-year, store-bought crap when you can make it yourself? If it’s strength and health you’re after, we can do far better with some nutrient-dense but just as delicious ingredients.

Inspired by a simple homemade chocolate milk recipe of cocoa powder, icing sugar, and a drop of vanilla extract, enter The Best DIY Pre-Workout Shake. Instead of sugar, this recipe uses a ripe banana for a sweet hit of carbohydrate and an added potassium boost to stop you cramping mid-workout. I’ve also mixed in almonds to maximise your energy levels and pack an extra punch of protein and magnesium.

For the final flourish, I’ve added chocolate’s best bedfellow, coffee, for a perfect pre-workout pick-me-up. Enjoy.

The Best DIY Pre-Workout Shake

Prep Time: 2 mins

Cook Time: N/A

Yield: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 300ml milk of your choice
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 20 whole almonds, or 1 dessert spoon of almond butter
• 1 shot of espresso or your favourite freeze dried coffee dissolved in a little boiling water
• Dash of vanilla essence

Method:

1. Load all the ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend until thick and creamy.
3. Boom. Done.

More Like This:

• 3 Quick and Easy Snacks for Your Pre-Workout Arsenal
• Kilner Jar Noodles: Convenient Carbs for Athletes
• Salads For Athletes: 4 Recipes to Boost Your Nutrient Intake
• New on Breaking Muscle UK

Photo courtesy of Tim Harrison.

The post The Best DIY Pre-Workout Shake appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In the past, I have been an advocate of certain traditional dishes and spaghetti carbonara was at the top of that list. I don’t think all grains are hell-sent or that carbs will jump out at you in the middle of the night, but at this stage in my life a giant plate of pasta just isn’t part of my eating plan. The ensuing blood sugar rollercoaster isn’t optimal for a lot of other athletes, either.

For a long while, I skulked around, missing my favourite dish. Occasionally I just had it because I don’t believe in denying myself anything, but I felt like crap afterwards. Then by chance, I bought a discount hamper of short-dated stuff from a local deli which included a couple of tins of cannellini beans. They sat there for a week or so before it occurred to me to make this dish with them.

I’ve swapped out the refined flour pasta for a pulse-based dish even more convenient than the original classic. For those training hard, the beans are similar in calorie density to pasta with the added bonuses of essential minerals, protein, and fibre. Cannellini carbonara. It even sounds good.

Cannellini Carbonara

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 400g tins of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 250g lardons or diced streaky bacon
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 100g Parmesan cheese
• 6 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Put a saucepan of salted water on to boil.
2. Put the bacon and garlic cloves into a large frying pan and set over a high heat. Stir regularly to ensure even cooking. It should take about 10 minutes until the pancetta and garlic are crispy.
3. Whilst this is cooking, pour the beans into the saucepan of salted water and turn the heat down to a simmer.
4. In a separate jug, mix the egg yolks with the parmesan. A little pro tip: grab a fork to stir the egg and cheese mixture, then slowly add a ladle full of the simmering bean water to the mixture and stir it continuously.
5. When the bacon is crispy, take if off the heat. Add a little of the bean water to this pan to lift any of the delicious flavour off the bottom of the pan.
6. Drain the beans, add them to the bacon pan and mix thoroughly. Then add the egg mix and stir briskly.
7. Serve on warm plates topped with copious amounts of fresh black pepper and more parmesan. Boom – done.

More Like This:

• Supercharged Snacking: Gluten-Free Mexican Scotch Eggs
• Kilner Jar Noodles: Convenient Carbs for Athletes
• 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Avoid Eating Beans
• New on Breaking Muscle UK

Photo courtesy of Tim Harrison.

The post Cannellini Carbonara: A Tasty Alternative for Pasta Lovers appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It is apparent to me that everyone does not enjoy the days of prep and spontaneous chaos that I thrive on for my day-to-day cooking and meals. Most people want convenience, and this is the reason the cardboard carb market of today continues to thrive. Pot Noodles, for example, are as popular as ever. Now, I can’t quite match the tear-top convenience of that crap, but a great-tasting quick dish made with real food is in my wheelhouse.

I have come up with a better version of the Pot Noodle using Kilner jars: Kilnerdles. My main upgrade in the Kilnerdle is the addition of miso paste, a Japanese stock packed with umami, and fresh ginger and lime juice for a fresh zing. Then I add the noodles that give my dish its hilarious portmanteau and finish with some theme flavours and of course, lots of vegetables.

Pork Kilnerdle

I wanted to use the classic combination of pork and Chinese five-spice powder in this one. Be careful not to use raw pork. Cured meat is a great idea – garlic sausage would be perfect, but don’t use one prepared with paprika as it will taste a little odd.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp miso paste
• ½ tsp five-spice powder
• ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 nest of wholewheat noodles
• 5 slices of garlic sausage
• ½ carrot
• Handful of mange tout
• 1 slice of red cabbage
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• Wedge of lime

Method:

1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil.
2. Cook the noodles for two minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Put the soy sauce, five-spice powder, and Miso paste into a clean Kilner jar. Top with the noodles and sausage, and cram in as much veg as can fit. Pop the lime on top.
4. When it comes to chow time, boil the kettle, pop open the lid, and remove the lime. Pour in enough water to top the noodles.
5. Close the lid and leave to rest for 4 minutes.
6. Squeeze over the lime, stir, and enjoy.

Mushroom and Broccoli Kilnerdle

Vegetarians don’t have to be left out of the party. Use the same basic ingredients and method, just make a few changes to the flavours and you’re good to go.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp soy sauce.
• 1 tsp miso paste.
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes
• ½ clove of garlic, grated
• ½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 nest of wholewheat noodles
• 3 button mushrooms, finely sliced
• A few broccoli florets
• Slice of red cabbage
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• Wedge of lime

Method:

1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil.
2. Cook the noodles for two minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Add to a Kilner jar with the soy sauce, miso paste, chilli flakes, garlic, and ginger.
4. Top with the mushrooms, chopped up broccoli, some red cabbage, and the spring onions. Bung in the lime.
5. When it comes to chow time, boil the kettle, pop open the lid, and remove the lime. Pour in enough water to top the noodles.
6. Close the lid and leave to rest for 4 minutes.
7. Squeeze over the lime, stir, and enjoy.

Try adding some beef jerky to the mushroom recipe, using cooked chicken and peas, or even prawns or salmon. Boom – done. Enjoy.

More Like This:

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• Save Time and Money: Streamline Your Meal Prep
• Eating Clean On the Go: It’s All In the Planning
• New on Breaking Muscle

Photos courtesy of Tim Harrison.

The post Kilner Jar Noodles: Convenient Carbs for Athletes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

After just three years of life, my daughter Maddie-Ane had developed a hearty disdain for salad. And it’s unsurprising with how they are put together most of the time.

Vegetables Are King

Getting enough nutrient-dense food in is crucial for anyone’s diet. This is my first Breaking Muscle article in a while and frankly, my views haven’t changed much. I still believe you need to prioritise eating enough vegetables over worrying about food timing or the latest diet craze from Milan.

Vegetables deliver complex carbohydrates for your macro needs, and plenty of vitamins and minerals for your micro needs. But before you get the blender out, let me stress the importance of dietary fibre being in the mix as well. Fibre is essential for gut health, ensuring nutrients are transported through the body at the right pace instead of being rushed through in a smoothie or health shake. It’s also crucial to have some chewable substance to your food to prepare your body for effective digestion and to cue the brain to accurately interpret the calories consumed.

With this in mind, this month I’ve turned my attention to jazzing up the humble salad – and even Maddie-Ane has given her seal of approval.

Celeriac Remoulade

Coleslaw is a popular salad for most people, and remoulade is a great favourite of mine at the moment. This recipe is very good with cold cuts, or as a side for steak or pork.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ celeriac
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp chopped capers
• 25g chopped cornichons
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• Juice of half a lemon

Method:

1. Peel the celeriac with a sharp knife, cutting off the tough knobbly outer. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, cut into very thin slices, then shreds.
2. Put the celeriac into a bowl with the capers, cornichons, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Stir together and serve.

“Kind Of” Indian Salad

This recipe is essentially an exercise in making something exciting from ingredients available from convenience stores. I live in the middle of nowhere and managed to get everything I needed for this. If you want to reduce fat content in your diet then you can use low fat yogurt. The idea of using yogurt as a base for salad dressing is true for the other recipes too.

Ingredients:

• ½ cucumber
• 1 large carrot
• 1 red onion
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• Fresh coriander (optional)

For the Dressing:

• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tsp mint sauce
• ½ tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin

Method:

1. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.
2. Slice and place the cucumber in a bowl. (This stops the salad going sloppy.)
3. Peel the carrot with a peeler to make long ribbons.
4. Peel and slice the onion and add the lot to the bowl along with the tomatoes and toss together.
5. Now make the dressing. In a small bowel put the yogurt, lime juice, and mint sauce. Then if using cumin seeds, toast them a little in a dry pan then add to rest of the ingredients and mix. If you use ground cumin, just add it with the other ingredients.
6. Put the dressing in the salad bowl and toss it all together, finishing with a few fresh coriander leaves.

Oriental Bean and Radish Salad

I haven’t yet bothered to Google the definition of salad, but I think this one edges towards being a vegetable side dish. But we’re all friends here, and you can always let it cool to eat later.

Ingredients:

• 200g French beans (or whatever pod legumes you can get.)
• 8 radishes
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 knob of butter

For the Dressing:

• 1 Tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

Method:

1. Put a large pan over a medium high heat, add the butter and lightly crush the garlic clove. When the butter begins to foam, add the beans. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile finely slice the radishes with a sharp knife or mandolin. When the beans have taken a little colour, add the 5 spice powder and toss.
3. Remove the pan from the heat then add the soy sauce, vinegar and half of the radishes, tossing it all together.
4. Transfer to your serving dish of choice, then top with the remaining radishes.

Beetroot, Orange and Almond Salad

The name of this recipe is pretty much the ingredients list, but there is a lovely little trick in the dressing. I really like beetroot as a food, and considering I am a kettlebell guy the obvious Russian link is always worth a nod. Beetroot is great for you, but some people don’t find it very palatable – pairing beetroot with fruit can really open up the door to liking it.

Ingredients:

• 200g cooked beetroot (not pickled)
• 1 large orange
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds
• A few fresh mint leaves

For the Dressing:

• 1 tsp ground all spice
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Method:

1. Peel the orange by cutting off the top and bottom with a sharp knife then work your way around, cutting off the skin. There may be some juicy flesh still on the skin. Don’t waste it -squeeze the juice into a glass and add to the dressing.
2. Slice the orange and the beetroot and put into a bowl.
3. Lightly toast the almonds in a dry pan and add to the bowl.
4. Mix all of the dressing ingredients with the orange juice, then dress the salad. Top with a few mint leaves.

More Like This:

• Veg Doesn’t Have to Be Boring: Basic Prep Skills + 5 Side Dishes
• 3 Recipes to Get Your Kids Excited About Vegetables
• Why You Need Phytonutrients and the 4 Best Places to Get Them
• New on Breaking Muscle UK

Photos courtesy of Tim Harrison.

The post Salads For Athletes: 4 Recipes to Boost Your Nutrient Intake appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

– Leonardo Da Vinci

As a Hardstyle kettlebell coach this is pretty much my training mantra, but it also applies to cooking, especially fish. There are only two ways I cook fish at home – frying and poaching – and I use the former far more often than the latter.

Fish is a much more delicate protein than meat, so it requires a delicate hand. Overcooked fish isn’t inedible, but a properly handled piece is much better.

Frying: Basic Method

Frying, often tautologically referred to as pan-frying (can you fry in anything else?), is my go-to method. Like I said about that recipe for brassicas and greens, if you are unsure what to do, do this and it will be great.

“You are probably already aware of the visual change as fish cooks. It loses the translucence and takes on a more opaque quality. Watching for this change is really all you need to know.”

The main key to frying a piece of fish well is observation. You are probably already aware of the visual change as fish cooks. It loses the translucence and takes on a more opaque quality. Watching for this change is really all you need to know. Aside from that, here’s the basic method:

1. Put a pan on a high heat, with a little oil. As with meat, don’t cook it straight from the fridge. Season both sides with salt only (remember pepper will burn).
2. Put the fish into the pan, skin side down. If it curls then rest a small ramekin or saucer on top to tease it down. Don’t prod it with a spatula as this will squeeze out some of the yummies and could cause the skin to detach, and don’t slash the skin.
3. When the fish appears opaque to about halfway through, flip it over and cook the other side for one minute.
4. Remove and rest before serving. Then a quick sauce can be made in the pan with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of wine and a knob of butter.

Why do I cook it mostly skin side down? First, because crispy skin is tasty and limp skin is gross. If I have paid for a fillet of fish, I’m sure going to eat all of it. The skin also acts as a barrier to protect the delicate flesh from the harsh heat of the pan and stops some of the lovely oils from seeping away, which are super good for us and tasty.

Poaching: Basic Method

This is a less used method in my house, but it’s still great. Poaching is better suited to larger fish or thicker portions of something like salmon, turbot, or large cod. It is important not to think of poaching as boiling. The temperature has to be a lot lower than that, at a gentle heat. As the fish cooks, the agitation of boiling will break up the flesh, leaving it scraggily.

So what we do instead of boiling is immerse the fish into a hot liquid medium, most often lightly flavored, and cook gently for about ten minutes. Notice I said liquid, because this can be done using multiple mediums:

• Milk: Often used for smoked fish. The milk can then be used to make something like a chowder.
• Water: Flavored with a few herbs, some vegetables, and a little vinegar. This light stock is called a court bouillon.
• Oil: This would be referred to as confit. In all cases the temperature is kept relatively low. +50°C (+122°F) is Heston Blumenthal’s recommendation, but that may be a tad under for a lot of people, and maintaining that exact temperature is nearly impossible in a domestic setting. So instead, you can use a more old-fashioned but good technique of cooking in residual heat, as I will explain in the poached fish recipe that follows.

Continue for Two Fish Dinner Recipes

Fried Fish With Lemon and Butter

I went to the shop to buy some fillets of bass for my wife and I came away with red snapper because it looked better. My point is, this recipe works for any small fillet of fish: bream, bass, snapper, cod, haddock, trout, and so on. Just buy what looks best. I served it with boiled new potatoes and that broccoli from last month.

Yield: Serves 2

Prep: None

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 x fish fillets
• 1 teaspoon oil for frying – use an oil with a high smoke point like peanut oil or coconut oil
• 1 lemon
• Knob of butter
• Salt

Method:

1. Put a large pan on a high heat with a little oil. Season both sides of the fillets with a little salt.
2. Lower the fillets into the pan one at a time, holding the thin end. Lower them in away from you, so you don’t get splashed with hot oil.
3. Leave the fish alone, unless it curls in which case, as I mentioned above, rest a ramekin or saucer on top to encourage it down.
4. When the flesh has turned opaque to about halfway through the fish, turn, add a knob of butter and cook for one more minute. Then remove from the pan and set somewhere to rest.
5. Take the pan off the heat, squeeze in the lemon and add a big knob of butter. Stir it round to emulsify and lift any flavour and pour over your fish.
6. Serve with boiled new potatoes and broccoli. And that is pure class.

Poached Skate Wing

Once again, I approached the fish counter planning to buy a couple of salmon fillets. Instead, I found myself attracted to some sustainably caught skate wings, so they came home with me. I had already planned a little salad to go with them. I wanted to use broad beans, as bitterness goes so well with salty. Add a little dill and cucumber – and done.

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Fish:

• 2x skate wings
• 100g broad beans (fava beans)
• Half of a cucumber
• Sprig fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon sour cream

For the Court Bouillon:

• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lemon, halved and juiced
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Court bouillon for poaching

Method:

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the broad beans and bring back to the boil for one minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and refresh under cold running water.
2. Add all of the court bouillon ingredients including the lemon halves to the pan. Bring back to boil, then switch off. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes while you shell the broad beans.
3. Shell the broad beans, if you want, by pinching one end and squeezing out the bright green bean.
4. Now bring the court bouillon back to the boil. Switch off the heat and when it stops bubbling lower in the fish, put the lid on, and leave it for 10 minutes.
5. Halve the cucumber and scrape out the seeds using a teaspoon, then slice it. Mix the broad beans with the cucumber, sour cream, and dill.
6. Put piles of salad onto plates and top with the cooked fish. Serve with boiled spuds.

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The post The Key to Perfectly Cooked Fish (Plus 2 Recipes) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Vegetables are often endured rather than enjoyed. I believe this hints at the key. If you can enjoy eating vegetables rather than tolerating them as a necessary evil, you are on the road to success.

Cooking Is the Key

So why aren’t people enjoying their vegetables? “Because they’re horrible!” No, although in some cases the perfectly uniform, immune-to-seasonality supermarket offerings are less flavorsome than the gnarly, still-got-some-dirt-on-them farm shop options. But I digress. Vegetables are the essence of freshness and are usually packed with complex natural sugars. How is that not yummy?

“If you can enjoy eating vegetables rather than tolerating them as a necessary evil, then you are on the road to success.”

Because vegetables are being handled wrongly. In a lot of cases, the go-to method for cooking is boiling, which is rarely the best option. It tends to leach out flavor and color. You’ve probably seen the green-hued water going down the drain. That wasn’t just the beautiful color you poured down the drain – it was the flavor and a fair few of the essential nutrients, too.

In this article, I will show some of the techniques to creating better vegetables and share a few appealing side dishes for your repertoire.

The Basics: Cutting an Onion

After a brief online chat with the Queen of the Swing, Tracy Reifkind, I’ve decided to start at the beginning. She said she loved the picture at the top of my Facebook page, which is me chopping an onion for a guacamole. Chopping an onion correctly is a perfect real-world place to reconnect with your food.

Here’s how I dice an onion:

1. Cut the top off, the point end, and leave the root intact.
2. Place the cut end face down on your board, then cut in half through the root.
3. Now peel your halves and set the halves cut-side down on your board.
4. Make multiple cuts from root to tip all of the way through to the board, allowing the root to hold it all together. That’s why I left it on, you see.
5. Cut width-wise at right angles to the last cuts, and voilà.

How to Blanch an Onion

The next step is blanching. To some this may seem like an unnecessary complication, but it has many functions and is the main difference between domestic and professional vegetable cooking.

Blanching comes from the French word blanc, which means white. Rarely are you actually whitening anything, but more avoiding altering its color. That basically describes one of the process’s functions. Blanching sets the color of green vegetables, making them appealing to the eye. After all, the first taste is with the eye, and the more we stimulate our senses with food, the more satisfying it is.

“Blanching sets the color of green vegetables, making them appealing to the eye. After all, the first taste is with the eye, and the more we stimulate our senses with food, the more satisfying it is.”

Blanching is also referred to as “parboiling.” The partial boil starts the cooking process, which allows further processes to be more thorough. It has another benefit, in that it leaches out bitter flavors that can turn people off some vegetables like sprouts, chicory, broad beans, and so on. (Although on a more advanced note, bitter flavors are useful to offset saltiness.)

So how do we do this trick? Easy.

1. Bring a large pan with plenty of salted water to a rapid boil. There needs to be enough water so that the addition of the vegetables doesn’t drop the temperature too much. As far as salt is concerned, Italians have a typically poetic guide for salting blanching water. They say it should be as salty as the waters of the Mediterranean ocean. But that little bit of lyricism doesn’t provide me with any actual insight as I have never been there, so roughly half a teaspoon per pint is fine.
2. Drop in your trimmed vegetables and boil for 2-3 minutes.
3. Immediately transfer the vegetables to either a bowl of iced water or set them in a colander under running cold water. This is to cool the vegetables as quickly as possible, thus halting the cooking. Then drain to remove excess water.

From here, knowing how to brown vegetables is a simple little bit of knowledge that can make meal times a lot more pleasant. Brassicas – which are your cabbages, all of the broccoli family, and Brussels sprouts – have a lot to gain from a little browning. This idea is often illustrated with the popular idea of frying blanched cabbage or Brussels with bacon.

To brown the vegetables, all you need to do is chop and blanch the vegetables as above, ensuring they are thoroughly drained and evenly patted dry with a clean tea towel. Then quickly sautée them in a pan with a little butter just before serving. This is also an opportunity to add a little flavor if you like. Garlic is always a welcome addition.

Continue to Page Two for Five Recipes

1. Blanched Broccoli

This easy broccoli recipe is a perfect accompaniment to a simply cooked piece of fish (I’ll get into fish cooking next month). This is my go-to technique for all greens, especially the mysterious farm shop finds like rainbow chard or sprout flowers.

Ingredients

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 clove garlic
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Trim the florets off the broccoli and chop them down to roughly the same size. Then – waste not, want not – peel the woody outer surface off the stalk and slice the stalk into pieces about as wide as a gambling chip.
2. Drop the prepared broccoli into the boiling water for two minutes. Then drain in a colander either under cold running water or, better yet, in iced water. Then drain again. It can now be left until a few minutes before dinner (which, incidentally, fits with resting time nicely. Remember last month’s article!)
3. A few minutes before dinnertime, put a sauté pan or wok onto a high heat. When hot add a bit of oil and throw in your drained broccoli. Now cover and leave for two minutes. Don’t touch it so it has a chance to catch some yummy charred bits.
4. Lift the lid and add the chilli flakes, crushed garlic, and a little butter. Give the pan a shake and replace the lid. Leave for another minute before serving.

2. Perfect Glazed Carrots

Okay, on to carrots. Boiled to death or left a bit crunchy (“al dente”), they are a staple on many dinner tables. But there is another better way.

Unlike green vegetables, carrots are a bit too substantial for a quick blanch to make much of an impact. But boiling has the same problem in that some of the flavor is leached out into the water and thrown away. The technique I’ll show you captures any lost flavor in a little butter so it stays as a glaze. Delicious. This method is easy, but takes a while, so get them on early.

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots
• 1 desert spoon (2 teaspoons) butter
• Salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Put a wide based pan onto a medium-low heat.
2. Prepare the carrots by scrubbing clean and top and removing the stalks, then cut them in half along the length. Lay them cut side down and slice on the diagonal into about half-inch pieces.
3. Put the knob of butter and a desert spoon of water into the pan along with the prepared carrots. Put the lid on and leave for 45 minutes. Check after 5 minutes that the temperature isn’t too high. They shouldn’t be sizzling or getting any color.
4. When cooked, season and serve.

3. Celeriac Puree

Celeriac or celery root purée is a sophisticated alternative to mashed potatoes. The slightly aniseed taste enhances pork and red meat to no end. Plus it’s pretty simple. The same technique works well with cauliflower, too.

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac or celery root, peeled and roughly chopped
• Milk
• A knob of butter
• Salt to season

Method

1. Put a saucepan onto a medium heat. Add a knob of butter and the chopped celeriac. Cook for five minutes stirring regularly. It should start to brown a little.
2. Pour in enough milk to cover. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
3. Blend it all with either a stick blender or in a food processor. Add a pinch of salt, then taste and add a little more if necessary.
4. That will be perfectly sufficient, but if you’re feeling posh, pass it through a fine sieve.

4. Mushroom Stew

I’m on a roll now, so here is another amazing and versatile recipe. Just this week alone I have served this with chicken breast and, on a separate occasion, a pork tenderloin. Both were quickly seared then gently poached in this aromatic awesomeness.

This also makes a great vegetarian meal by swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock, adding a big bunch of spinach, and serving on wholemeal toast. Mmm, I think I will now I’ve said that.

Ingredients

• 25g (about 1oz) dried mushrooms (I used porcini, but a mixed bag would also work)
• 200g (8oz) button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
• 1 liter (about 32oz or 4 cups) chicken stock
• Butter for frying

Method

1. Boil the kettle, then put the dried mushrooms into a small bowl and cover with boiling water.
2. Toast the fennel seeds in a large frying pan until fragrant. Tip them into a pestle and mortar along with the garlic, chilli, and a little salt. Pound into a coarse paste. Put the pan back onto the heat.
3. Put a little butter into the hot pan. Add the paste and fry for a minute. Add a little more butter and the button mushrooms. After a few minutes when the mushrooms have browned a little, take the rehydrated mushrooms out of the water and add to the pan. Don’t throw away the liquid, but instead tip it slowly into the pan. Discard the last little bit as there maybe a little grit in it.
4. Add the stock to the saucepan and bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
5. If you want to thicken the sauce, mix two teaspoons of corn flour with cold water. Add to the stew, stir thoroughly, and turn up the heat for one minute. Check seasoning and serve.

5. Ratatouille

I could go on and on with wonderful vegetable recipes, but I’m racing towards my deadline so I’ll finish with one more – my favorite, ratatouille. Again, it can be a meal in its own right but is also an amazing accompaniment to any dinner.

No dish simultaneously divides and unites the sons of the world’s greatest cookery nation quite like this one. Every French chef has their own definitive version that came from their grandmother, and nothing else seems to unite them in doe-eyed sentimentality quite as much as this classic dish.

Now, I’m not French, I’m British, which is why I’m going to have to say “eggplant” and “zucchini” instead of “aubergine” and “courgette.” But I have my own way of preparing ratatouille, and this also gives me a chance to share a couple of techniques I use:

• Purge the Eggplant: After slicing, sprinkle the eggplant with a little salt to draw out some of the water. Then rinse and drain. This purging process removes some of the bitterness. I would recommend this process whenever you are cooking with eggplant.
• Add the Tomato Vine: Have you ever smelled vine tomatoes in the grocery store, or even better, while they are still on the plant? Smells good, but that isn’t what tomatoes taste like, right? That’s because that aroma is in the vine not the fruit. If you add the retained vine at the end of cooking, boom – more yummy.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 2 zucchini, also cubed
• 4 large vine tomatoes, chopped roughly and with vines retained
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed, left whole
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat up a large frying pan. Now put the eggplant into a colander and sprinkle with salt, then set over a bowl.
2. Put a little oil into the pan and fry the zucchini for a couple of minutes, browning each side. Set aside in a bowl. Do the same with the red pepper.
3. Quickly rinse the eggplant of the excess salt under running water, spread out on a tea towel and pat dry then fry and add to the rest of the veg.
4. Lastly, cook the tomatoes in the pan for 3 minutes, then add the garlic cloves and all of the vegetables back into the pan with the thyme and bay leaves. Cover, turn down the heat, and cook for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes turn off the heat, lift the cover, season with salt and pepper, then throw in the reserved tomato vines for a minute before serving.

More Like This:

• How to Grill, Roast, and Stew Meat Like a Pro
• Do the Math to Make the Most of Micronutrients
• 7 Simple Ways to Get More Greens in Your Diet
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 courtesy of Ayton West Photography.

Photos 2-6 courtesy of Tim Harrison.

The post Veggies Aren’t Boring, Your Cooking Is: Simple Skills + 5 Recipes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So, I am embarking on a short series of articles on basic techniques people can use to make all kinds of wonderful meals. As always, I shall indulge in a little creativity, too. I think it is sensible to start with the cornerstone of a paleo-ish life, so let’s talk about meat!

In this fit-food, clean-eats, paleo/primal movement, I often come across great ideas (and some not so great) with either poor instruction or poor execution. Sometimes I fear I, too, have neglected my duties as a teacher.

So, I am embarking on a short series of articles on basic techniques people can use to make all kinds of wonderful meals. As always, I shall indulge in a little creativity, too. I think it is sensible to start with the cornerstone of a paleo-ish life, so let’s talk about meat!

Before You Begin: Get a Good Thermometer

My first tip is another little repent. I completely forgot to include the most basic addition to any kitchen in my Christmas wish list article: a digital probe thermometer. This is an invaluable addition to any kitchen and, in these days of that famous Internet shopping goliath, it is readily available for just a few quid/bucks.

With a temperature probe in your arsenal, the perfectly cooked steak is elusive no more. Creating one becomes a simple application of knowledge, which I will go into shortly. Sames goes for a roast or stew.

Cooking Chops and Steaks

Let’s start with chops, or steaks if you prefer. Basically, these are single servings of a tender cut of meat, which we will cook rapidly with a high heat. My preferred method is in a flat pan or on the barbecue, but some people prefer a broiler.

There are few pointers to this method that a lot of people don’t know:

• Temperature: Never cook meat straight from the fridge. Give your meat half an hour to come to room temperature. Then the cooking process won’t have that fifteen to thirty degree temperature difference to make up before the cooking even begins. In the case of rapid cooking, making up for that difference may never happen, leaving you with a burnt outside and a raw middle.
• Salt and Pepper: Don’t pepper your chop until after cooking. The temperature required to cook the meat well will also burn the pepper, making it slightly bitter. Salt is fine before cooking, contrary to some advice. Although it will draw out water, it is no more than will be evaporated through the cooking process anyway.
• Flipping: Flip often, every fifteen seconds or so. This may seem over the top and maybe even counterintuitive. I used to think that disturbing the meat as little possible would speed up the process and thus yield the best results. But having read about and applied a regular flipping technique, I found that allowing some of the work to be done by the residual heat results in a much more palatable, evenly cooked slab of meat.
• Rest: There is no division of opinion among professionals here, yet it is often overlooked in a domestic setting. The term “rest” is quite literal. When you apply heat to the meat the proteins contract, forcing out moisture that remains within the meat but runs out when cut. When you rest the cooked meat those fibers relax, drawing the liquids back in and giving you a consistently moist cut of meat. This prevents that leaking-onto-the-plate thing that scares people a bit. It also allows for an even level of cooking and makes the meat more tender.
• Cooking Medium: Choose a frying medium that has a high smoking point. Sadly, olive oil will not do as it burns at a relatively low temperature. Lard, ground nut oil, rapeseed oil, or coconut oil are all good choices. My preference is lard as it is neutral in flavor and has a high smoke point.

Core Temperatures

Here comes the science bomb: the core temperatures to aim for. These are most commonly applied to cooking beef steak, but they apply to all meats. The temperature is measured by inserting the tip of the probe into the meat. Aim to hold it at the center. Be careful not to push it too far because you may end up measuring the temperature of the pan.

The temperatures I list below are the temperatures to look for on the probe screen. They are actually five degrees less than the temperature will be after resting.

• 40ºC (104ºF) – Rare
• 45ºC (113ºF) – Medium rare
• 50ºC (122ºF) – Medium
• 55ºC (131ºF) – Medium well
• 60ºC (140º) – Burned (sorry, “well done”)

After the meat has come out of the pan, add freshly ground black pepper. Then, I like to give it a quick brush of oil. This prevents the surface of the meat from getting dry and improves the appearance. It is also an opportunity to add a little flavor if you wish.

Recipe: Basic Pork Chops

This is a typical meal for me. I cook a piece of meat as above, more often than not pork as it is better value. Then as the meat is resting, I sauté some vegetables. There is a lot of scope for preference and creativity here. Oh, and I only use one pan, too.

Ingredients:

• 2 pork chops
• 200g (7oz) mushrooms
• 200g (7oz) green beans
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• Lard for frying
• Olive oil

Method:

1. Make sure your chops have been out of the fridge for half an hour or so. Put a bit of water and a pinch of salt in the pan and set on a high heat. When the water boils, add the beans and cook for one minute. Drain the beans in a colander and cool quickly in cold water, then drain.
2. Put the pan back on a high heat with a little lard. When the pan is really hot, salt your chops and lower into the pan slowly. Flip every fifteen seconds. After six flips, start to probe the meat. After each flip, insert the probe into the center of the meat. In the case of pork I aim for medium well, 55ºC (131ºF).
3. When the meat reaches the desired temperature, remove and set aside somewhere draft-free. Sprinkle with pepper and brush with olive oil.
4. Now add the crushed garlic to the pan, along with the sliced mushrooms and blanched beans. Toss the vegetables in the pan until they start to take on a little color. Then add a squeeze of lemon and serve.

Roasting

Now on to the next cooking method: roasting. Cooking your meat slowly at a relatively low temperature is one way to roast it. But this would not brown the meat and give you any yummy caramelized bits (this is known as the Maillard reaction, if you’re interested). So what we do is have a sizzle time first, where we cook the meat at a very high temperature for twenty minutes.

To roast your meat, take it out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking. Then heat your oven up very high to 220ºC-240ºC (425ºF-450ºF). Salt the meat, then place it on a rack in a roasting tin (if you have a rack). Put it in the oven for twenty minutes.

After the sizzle, remove the meat from the oven and turn the temperature down to 140ºC (275ºF). Pepper the meat and return to the oven. Now give it twenty minutes per 500g (approximately 1lb) Probe the meat to take the temperature at the center. The same cooking temperatures apply. Rest for half an hour before you dare carve it.

Slow Cooking

Slow cooking either in a pan on the stovetop or in a slow cooker is brilliant. If you have enough time to ignore your dinner for a few hours, you can be treated to some of the tastiest dishes from the cheapest cuts.

The cheaper cuts of meat tend to be the tougher ones. They are tough because they have a high amount of connective tissue. This is good news for us fit freaks, because that connective tissue is pure protein that breaks down when subjected to low heat for a long time. Then your body can process it and use it to get da gainz. How cool is that? All you need is patience and a little technique.

Here are some of my tips for perfect slow cooking:

• Browning: Although it is not essential to brown the meat first, I would always recommend it otherwise the results can be a tad insipid. This is simply done by cooking the meat in small batches in a very hot pan for a few minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan as it will slow down the whole process.

• Thickening: Again, you don’t have to thicken the sauce but not doing so can leave you with a watery sauce. The protein that dissolves will thicken slightly, but if you want to thicken it some more, which I would recommend, then you have two options: wheat flour or corn flour.

• Wheat Flour: Wheat flour has to be cooked out, otherwise it will give a raw flavor. So what we do is roll the meat in flour with a little salt, pat off the excess, then cook in a pan. The flour will combine with any fats during the cooking process and thicken the sauce.
• Corn Flour: Given the recent enlightenment to wheat intolerances, corn flour is making a comeback. It doesn’t need cooking out like wheat flour. However, just throwing it in slapdash will leave you with a lumpy sauce. Corn flour thickens when heated to boiling point, and if it isn’t evenly distributed it will set in dollops and look lumpy. So what you have to do is mix the corn flour with a little cold water and mix to a smooth paste. Then take whatever you are thickening off the heat, stir in the corn flour paste, and put it back on the heat. When the corn flour cooks it will thicken. This technique is often used for gravy.

• Tomato Puree: A lot of stew recipes include tomato puree. It always needs a little frying, otherwise it will lend a very bitter flavor to your stew. So I usually add it to the vegetables as they fry.

Recipe: Basic Stew

A basic stew consists of a tough cut of meat, the trinity of vegetables (carrot, onion, and celery), and liquid stock and/or booze. All of the stew/casserole one-pots tend to be a variation on that theme. You then add other applicable flavors like herbs and maybe some spices. I will illustrate the corn flour thickening technique here.

Ingredients:

• 500g (approximately 1lb) meat – beef is what I have today
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, also roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, again, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 liter (4 cups) stock
• A sprig each of thyme and rosemary, and a bay leaf (optional but recommended)
• 1 Tablespoon corn flour
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat up a large heavy pan over a medium high heat with a little lard in it. When the pan is hot, add the meat in a single layer. (This is why you have to do it in batches.) Keep turning until brown, then set aside. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
2. Once all of the meat is browned, then tip in the chopped vegetables. Again, stir it all around until it catches a little color, then add the tomato puree and cook for a further minute. As I said, never use tomato puree without frying it a bit.
3. Add your liquid. If you are using an alcohol like ale or wine, that would go in now and be left for a few minutes to reduce. Tip in the stock and add the browned meat back in along with any juices that have seeped out.
4. Bring to the boil then turn the heat right down to a simmer. By that I mean so low that just a single small bubble breaks the surface at a time. Then leave for at least two hours. Four is better. Some recipes call for all-night cooking with a tough cut like oxtail.
5. Now take the pan off the heat, add the herbs, then mix the corn flour in a small cup with a little bit of water to form a thin paste. Add the paste to the stew while continuously stirring to ensure it disperses evenly. Then put it back onto a high heat. When it comes to the boil it will thicken and you are done.

More Articles for Meat Lovers:

• Is Red Meat Actually Dangerous? Or Do We Actually Need It?
• Game On: 3 Classic Wild Game Recipes, With a Twist
• Home Curing 101: Create Delicious Cured Meats at Home
• The Newest Articles on Breaking Muscle

The post Let’s Talk About Meat: Grill, Roast, and Slow Cook Like a Pro appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So, I am embarking on a short series of articles on basic techniques people can use to make all kinds of wonderful meals. As always, I shall indulge in a little creativity, too. I think it is sensible to start with the cornerstone of a paleo-ish life, so let’s talk about meat!

Before You Begin: Get a Good Thermometer

My first tip is another little repent. I completely forgot to include the most basic addition to any kitchen in my Christmas wish list article: a digital probe thermometer. This is an invaluable addition to any kitchen and, in these days of that famous Internet shopping goliath, it is readily available for just a few quid/bucks.

With a temperature probe in your arsenal, the perfectly cooked steak is elusive no more. Creating one becomes a simple application of knowledge, which I will go into shortly. Sames goes for a roast or stew.

Cooking Chops and Steaks

Let’s start with chops, or steaks if you prefer. Basically, these are single servings of a tender cut of meat, which we will cook rapidly with a high heat. My preferred method is in a flat pan or on the barbecue, but some people prefer a broiler.

There are few pointers to this method that a lot of people don’t know:

• Temperature: Never cook meat straight from the fridge. Give your meat half an hour to come to room temperature. Then the cooking process won’t have that fifteen to thirty degree temperature difference to make up before the cooking even begins. In the case of rapid cooking, making up for that difference may never happen, leaving you with a burnt outside and a raw middle.
• Salt and Pepper: Don’t pepper your chop until after cooking. The temperature required to cook the meat well will also burn the pepper, making it slightly bitter. Salt is fine before cooking, contrary to some advice. Although it will draw out water, it is no more than will be evaporated through the cooking process anyway.
• Flipping: Flip often, every fifteen seconds or so. This may seem over the top and maybe even counterintuitive. I used to think that disturbing the meat as little possible would speed up the process and thus yield the best results. But having read about and applied a regular flipping technique, I found that allowing some of the work to be done by the residual heat results in a much more palatable, evenly cooked slab of meat.
• Rest: There is no division of opinion among professionals here, yet it is often overlooked in a domestic setting. The term “rest” is quite literal. When you apply heat to the meat the proteins contract, forcing out moisture that remains within the meat but runs out when cut. When you rest the cooked meat those fibers relax, drawing the liquids back in and giving you a consistently moist cut of meat. This prevents that leaking-onto-the-plate thing that scares people a bit. It also allows for an even level of cooking and makes the meat more tender.
• Cooking Medium: Choose a frying medium that has a high smoking point. Sadly, olive oil will not do as it burns at a relatively low temperature. Lard, ground nut oil, rapeseed oil, or coconut oil are all good choices. My preference is lard as it is neutral in flavor and has a high smoke point.

Core Temperatures

Here comes the science bomb: the core temperatures to aim for. These are most commonly applied to cooking beef steak, but they apply to all meats. The temperature is measured by inserting the tip of the probe into the meat. Aim to hold it at the center. Be careful not to push it too far because you may end up measuring the temperature of the pan.

The temperatures I list below are the temperatures to look for on the probe screen. They are actually five degrees less than the temperature will be after resting.

• 40ºC (104ºF) – Rare
• 45ºC (113ºF) – Medium rare
• 50ºC (122ºF) – Medium
• 55ºC (131ºF) – Medium well
• 60ºC (140º) – Burned (sorry, “well done”)

After the meat has come out of the pan, add freshly ground black pepper. Then, I like to give it a quick brush of oil. This prevents the surface of the meat from getting dry and improves the appearance. It is also an opportunity to add a little flavor if you wish.

Recipe: Basic Pork Chops

This is a typical meal for me. I cook a piece of meat as above, more often than not pork as it is better value. Then as the meat is resting, I sauté some vegetables. There is a lot of scope for preference and creativity here. Oh, and I only use one pan, too.

Ingredients:

• 2 pork chops
• 200g (7oz) mushrooms
• 200g (7oz) green beans
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• Lard for frying
• Olive oil

Method:

1. Make sure your chops have been out of the fridge for half an hour or so. Put a bit of water and a pinch of salt in the pan and set on a high heat. When the water boils, add the beans and cook for one minute. Drain the beans in a colander and cool quickly in cold water, then drain.
2. Put the pan back on a high heat with a little lard. When the pan is really hot, salt your chops and lower into the pan slowly. Flip every fifteen seconds. After six flips, start to probe the meat. After each flip, insert the probe into the center of the meat. In the case of pork I aim for medium well, 55ºC (131ºF).
3. When the meat reaches the desired temperature, remove and set aside somewhere draft-free. Sprinkle with pepper and brush with olive oil.
4. Now add the crushed garlic to the pan, along with the sliced mushrooms and blanched beans. Toss the vegetables in the pan until they start to take on a little color. Then add a squeeze of lemon and serve.

Roasting

Now on to the next cooking method: roasting. Cooking your meat slowly at a relatively low temperature is one way to roast it. But this would not brown the meat and give you any yummy caramelized bits (this is known as the Maillard reaction, if you’re interested). So what we do is have a sizzle time first, where we cook the meat at a very high temperature for twenty minutes.

To roast your meat, take it out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking. Then heat your oven up very high to 220ºC-240ºC (425ºF-450ºF). Salt the meat, then place it on a rack in a roasting tin (if you have a rack). Put it in the oven for twenty minutes.

After the sizzle, remove the meat from the oven and turn the temperature down to 140ºC (275ºF). Pepper the meat and return to the oven. Now give it twenty minutes per 500g (approximately 1lb) Probe the meat to take the temperature at the center. The same cooking temperatures apply. Rest for half an hour before you dare carve it.

Slow Cooking

Slow cooking either in a pan on the stovetop or in a slow cooker is brilliant. If you have enough time to ignore your dinner for a few hours, you can be treated to some of the tastiest dishes from the cheapest cuts.

The cheaper cuts of meat tend to be the tougher ones. They are tough because they have a high amount of connective tissue. This is good news for us fit freaks, because that connective tissue is pure protein that breaks down when subjected to low heat for a long time. Then your body can process it and use it to get da gainz. How cool is that? All you need is patience and a little technique.

Here are some of my tips for perfect slow cooking:

• Browning: Although it is not essential to brown the meat first, I would always recommend it otherwise the results can be a tad insipid. This is simply done by cooking the meat in small batches in a very hot pan for a few minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan as it will slow down the whole process.

• Thickening: Again, you don’t have to thicken the sauce but not doing so can leave you with a watery sauce. The protein that dissolves will thicken slightly, but if you want to thicken it some more, which I would recommend, then you have two options: wheat flour or corn flour.

• Wheat Flour: Wheat flour has to be cooked out, otherwise it will give a raw flavor. So what we do is roll the meat in flour with a little salt, pat off the excess, then cook in a pan. The flour will combine with any fats during the cooking process and thicken the sauce.
• Corn Flour: Given the recent enlightenment to wheat intolerances, corn flour is making a comeback. It doesn’t need cooking out like wheat flour. However, just throwing it in slapdash will leave you with a lumpy sauce. Corn flour thickens when heated to boiling point, and if it isn’t evenly distributed it will set in dollops and look lumpy. So what you have to do is mix the corn flour with a little cold water and mix to a smooth paste. Then take whatever you are thickening off the heat, stir in the corn flour paste, and put it back on the heat. When the corn flour cooks it will thicken. This technique is often used for gravy.

• Tomato Puree: A lot of stew recipes include tomato puree. It always needs a little frying, otherwise it will lend a very bitter flavor to your stew. So I usually add it to the vegetables as they fry.

Recipe: Basic Stew

A basic stew consists of a tough cut of meat, the trinity of vegetables (carrot, onion, and celery), and liquid stock and/or booze. All of the stew/casserole one-pots tend to be a variation on that theme. You then add other applicable flavors like herbs and maybe some spices. I will illustrate the corn flour thickening technique here.

Ingredients:

• 500g (approximately 1lb) meat – beef is what I have today
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, also roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, again, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 liter (4 cups) stock
• A sprig each of thyme and rosemary, and a bay leaf (optional but recommended)
• 1 Tablespoon corn flour
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat up a large heavy pan over a medium high heat with a little lard in it. When the pan is hot, add the meat in a single layer. (This is why you have to do it in batches.) Keep turning until brown, then set aside. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
2. Once all of the meat is browned, then tip in the chopped vegetables. Again, stir it all around until it catches a little color, then add the tomato puree and cook for a further minute. As I said, never use tomato puree without frying it a bit.
3. Add your liquid. If you are using an alcohol like ale or wine, that would go in now and be left for a few minutes to reduce. Tip in the stock and add the browned meat back in along with any juices that have seeped out.
4. Bring to the boil then turn the heat right down to a simmer. By that I mean so low that just a single small bubble breaks the surface at a time. Then leave for at least two hours. Four is better. Some recipes call for all-night cooking with a tough cut like oxtail.
5. Now take the pan off the heat, add the herbs, then mix the corn flour in a small cup with a little bit of water to form a thin paste. Add the paste to the stew while continuously stirring to ensure it disperses evenly. Then put it back onto a high heat. When it comes to the boil it will thicken and you are done.

More Articles for Meat Lovers:

• Is Red Meat Actually Dangerous? Or Do We Actually Need It?
• Game On: 3 Classic Wild Game Recipes, With a Twist
• Home Curing 101: Create Delicious Cured Meats at Home
• The Newest Articles on Breaking Muscle

The post How to Grill, Roast, and Stew Meat Like a Pro appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I suck at poetry

Bacon

Paleo and primal eating are huge in the world of sports and fitness now, with bacon being held as the divine ambrosia. This has inspired ranges of apparel extolling the virtues of the piggy treat and even poetry…sort of.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I suck at poetry

Bacon

But there is also the problem of nitrates and other chemicals, including celery salt. On top of that, the vast majority of bacons – even the fancy farm shop varieties – contain sugar in the cure, making it impossible to entirely eliminate sugar, if that is your aim.

What Is Curing?

The term “uncured bacon” is a baffling oxymoron. Uncured bacon is pork. I regard the salt as the main defining ingredient. In the best quality hams, like prosciutto di Parma and jamón ibérico, salt is the only ingredient other than pig. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary defines the word cured as, “Preserved by salting, drying, etc.”

That definition also indicates what the process of curing is. The salt, by way of osmosis (as you may remember from high school chemistry) draws water out of the cells of both the meat and bacteria (the potentially hazardous and spoilage types). This kills bacteria and creates an environment that is no longer favorable for their growth.

“At its best, the seemingly dark art of home curing is applying the minimum amount of cure for the minimum amount of time to render the meat as safe as the process can, therefore yielding the most palatable end product.“

Preservation is the primary purpose of curing. It allowed people to store meat without it spoiling in the days before refrigeration. The curing process also concentrates the protein. Because there is less water, curing tenderizes tough tissue and, most importantly, enhances the flavor.

Once Upon a Time

I don’t actually believe this, nor can I remember where I heard it, but I am a born raconteur who will never miss the chance to tell a story. Apparently the ability to cure meat was one of the advances that allowed humans to go from nomadic tribes moving with the seasons to settled tribes with ready sources of food. Curing allowed them to go out and hunt but set up a permanent camp.

The story I originally heard went on to say this was also the reason vegetarians often regress to bacon. By the above rationale, our species thrived due to their love of the stuff. Hmm.

How to Do It

But I digress, so on with the show. At its best, the seemingly dark art of home curing is simply applying the minimum amount of cure for the minimum amount of time to render the meat as safe as the process can. Curing also yields the most palatable end product.

The simplest and most reliable way to achieve this goal is through what I would call a pancetta-style process. The exact quantities of salt and sugar and curing times are easily stipulated by measuring proportions:

• Amount of Salt/Sugar: Calculate five percent of the weight of the boned meat – that’s how much salt you will use. Cut the amount of salt in half, and that’s how much sugar you use.
• Curing Time: Cure the meat in the refrigerator for three days per 500g.

Then the meat is tied and left to dry. It can be eaten immediately, like bacon. If left to dry further, it will lose around thirty percent of its original weight in water and can be eaten as an air-dried ham. Exciting, eh? Or of course, you can smoke it.

The curing process is pretty simple, too. All you need is a sealable bag, big enough to lay the meat flat. You rub the cure into the meat, then put the meat and all of the cure into the bag. Refrigerate and turn daily. The salt will draw out water to form a brine, which will then cure the meat thoroughly.

Basic Cure: Herby Salt

First thing that I do is make the basic cure. The salt I use is PDV (Pure Dried Vacuum). This is pure salt that has been dried and sealed to keep it granular rather than using an anti-caking agent. Here’s how to do it:

1. Put the salt into an airtight container with a fresh bunch each of thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
2. Add a tablespoon each of black peppercorns and juniper berries.
3. Seal it and give it a good shake. Then it is ready for when you need it.

You can then add an extra flavor appropriate to whatever meat you are using. I like fennel with pork and maybe mint with duck, but you can get creative here – or not. It will blow your socks off either way.

Recipe for a 1.7kg Pork Belly

So you get an idea of the whole process, here’s how I recently cured a 1.7kg pork belly.

1. Make the cure. The piece of pork I had was 1.7kg, so I mixed 85g of my herby salt with 42g of soft brown sugar and a teaspoon of fennel seeds.
2. Put the pork into a sealable bag. I got a vacuum pack bag from my butcher.
3. Rub the cure on both sides of the belly and tip the rest in. Push as much air out as possible, then seal the bag. I used everyone’s favorite product – duct tape – to seal it.
4. Refrigerate for 3 days per 500g. For my 1.7kg piece, I refrigerated it for 10 days, turning daily. You will see the brine forming from the water drawing out of the meat.
5. After the correct number of days have passed, take the pork out of the bag and rinse it thoroughly. You can now roll and tie it. Look this up on the Internet, as it is very rewarding to tie a bacon properly. You could slice it and cook it straight away, but it is best left to dry somewhere cool. As I said, when it has lost 30% of the original weight it can be eaten as a charcuterie cut, i.e. raw. So go on and have a slice, but leave the rest because it is worth the wait.

To keep the numbers simple, try to work with round numbers. For example, a boned, rolled belly of pork weighing 2kg would need 100g of the salt mix and 50g of brown sugar.

It’s Not Just for Pork

This fun is not out of bounds for kosher eaters or anyone with aversion to swine, as the same process can be applied to a breast of lamb or even better mutton. In fact, just before Christmas an occasional customer of mine approached me with my favorite question of the year. Knowing I’m a foodie and a Scandi-phile he asked, “Have you ever tried salted mutton ribs?”

This was right up my alley: odd cuts of unpopular animals, cured – yum. A little bit of research led me to create what I would call lambchetta – that is, a cured breast of lamb or mutton. So I did it, but with a tiny floral tweak.

Ingredients:

• 1kg breast of mutton
• 50g herby salt
• 25g soft brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender

Method:

1. Mix the salt, sugar, and lavender together.
2. Put the lamb in a bag, rub it with the cure on both sides, and tip in any remaining cure.
3. Push out the air and seal the bag.
4. Leave to cure in the fridge for 6 days.
5. Take out of the bag and rinse thoroughly, then slice and fry in a dry pan. You could then cook a few tart berries in the pan to make a lovely cleansing sauce.

Do you cure your own meats? Share your experiences and favorite recipes in the comments below!

Further Reading for Bacon Lovers:

• 2 Easy Homemade Bacon Recipes
• Don’t Mess With My Bacon: The Truth About Nitrates
• Nitrates and Nitrites: Should We Stop Eating Bacon?
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 2 courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Home Curing 101: Create Delicious Cured Meats at Home appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Historically, game meats were accompanied by rich, indulgent sides representing the affluence of the landowners. It is my intention to stay true to some of the classic combinations but not make them so rich that you feel like Augustus Gloop.

Rabbit Ragu

I call this Rabbit Ragu, but it is a good recipe for almost any meat. It’s basically just old-fashioned cottage cookery, the likes of which have been prepared in my draughty little abode for generations. Meat browned (or not) and simmered with mirepoix vegetables – carrots, onion, and celery or fennel. Obviously, I then make a few additions, but nothing scary.

The beauty of this kind of cookery is that it automatically comes with at least three portions of veggies. And any protein locked up in connective tissue is liberated through the long slow-cooking process.

“It’s basically just old-fashioned cottage cookery, the likes of which have been prepared in my draughty little abode for generations. Meat browned (or not) and simmered with mirepoix vegetables – carrots, onion, and celery or fennel.”

This recipe is great served with some broad pasta like pappardelle if you are okay with carbs. I only occasionally use pasta and I only ever use wholewheat. Here, I have kept it super healthy by serving it with braised lettuce, which is both delicious and a tad vengeful, as my vegetable garden failed.

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

Meat:

• 1 rabbit, jointed
• 2 rashers smoked bacon (about 2 slices)

Note: A “rasher” of bacon is simply another way to say a “slice” of bacon. Drawing a blank in my mind as to its origin and meaning, I hastily deferred to Britain’s breakfast food expert and author of “The Breakfast Bible,” Seb Emina. He quickly pointed me in the direction of this little gem: “Rasher on the coales, q. rashly or hastily roasted.” So there you have it. The term seems to refer the speed of cooking. I thought it was to do with a ration or allowance, which shows how much I know.

Mirepoix (all finely chopped):

• 1 onion
• 1 large carrot
• 2 sticks celery or ½ fennel bulb

Sauce:

• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. wholegrain mustard
• 1 sprig rosemary leaves
• 1 sprig thyme leaves
• A few twists of black pepper

Method:

1. Put a large, heavy pan over a medium-high heat. Put in the bacon and fry until brown and crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Next, put the jointed rabbit pieces into the pan with a little extra oil if the bacon hasn’t let out enough and turn the heat up. Take the time to brown thoroughly all over. Then remove and set aside.
3. Put the mirepoix (finely chopped carrot, onion, and celery/fennel) into the pan along with the garlic. Stir and color for a couple of minutes, then put the rabbit and bacon back into the pan with any juices that have seeped out.
4. Tip in the can of tomatoes, the mustard, and enough water to just cover. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for eight hours.
5. Now you can serve it however you like – crammed into a baked sweet potato or with a little pasta. Or, like I did, you can cut a little gem lettuce into quarters and brown quickly in a hot pan with a little oil.

Pro Tip: Only add the herbs and pepper about half an hour before it finishes cooking to retain the flavor. Or, if you are going to chill the dish and reheat another day, add the herbs and pepper just before you reheat it.

Pheasant with Winter-Spiced Barley Risotto-not-Risotto

This recipe was one of those educated-guess experiments that didn’t end with toast for dinner, which does happen. Instead, we now have a new regular dinner fixture. I love game birds or chicken with roasted potatoes and bread sauce, but that is clearly a carb-on-carb nightmare. So I put the wonderful bread sauce flavors into some braised pearl barley (also known as “risotto-not-risotto”), a better quality source of carbs, with roasted root vegetables on the side.

Here are a couple of helpful hints for preparing your game bird for the oven. Hopefully you can get your friendly neighbourhood butcher to do this, but it is easy enough to do yourself.

1. Take the wings off. They get in the way when browning and carving and really aren’t worth the trade-off.
2. Remove the wish bone. That way you can finally achieve that Hollywood carve or, in the case of smaller birds, remove the cooked breasts whole. To do this, simply lift the flap of skin at the neck end (the wing end, not the cavity end), then find the wish bone with your finger, running down the back of each breast fillet. Take a small sharp knife and make four cuts, one on either side of each side of the bone. Now run a finger behind it and just pull it out.

There, that wasn’t difficult, and neither is the rest of this recipe.

Yield: Serves 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 oven-ready pheasant, or one in the feather and a spirit of adventure!
• ½ cup pearl barley
• 1 onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 1 ½ cups (350 mL) chicken stock
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsnip
• Butter
• Fresh nutmeg

Method:

1. Heat the oven up to 160°C (325ºF), then put a large pan or very heavy roasting tin on the hob over a medium to high heat. Add a good knob of butter.
2. Take the time to thoroughly brown the bird all over, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the barley into a saucepan along with the stock (a ratio of 3:1). Peel the onion, leaving it whole, and attach the bay leaves to the onion with the cloves. Bring it to the boil, then simmer for half an hour.
4. When you have thoroughly browned the bird all over, remove it from the pan, throw your rustically prepared root vegetables in, and toss them around to coat in oil and juices, then plonk the bird back in the middle.
5. Put the whole lot in the oven for 30-35 minutes (similar to the barley cooking time. Neat, eh?) and then chill or work out for a bit.
6. After the half-hour take the pan out of the oven, remove the bird, and set it somewhere warm to rest. I like to brown the vegetables a little more on the hob.
7. Take the onion out of the barley and discard. Plonk in a good knob of butter and work it in. It will then become creamy and glossy. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
8. Now halve or carve the bird by cutting down between the leg and breast with a large knife. Pull out the legs then cut all of the way through the joint. Then to remove the breasts run your knife along the breast bone to cut the skin and carry on down following the ribs to remove in one piece.
9. Put a good spoon of the barley onto a plate and grate loads of fresh nutmeg on top. Top with the root vegetables and pheasant.

Venison Stroganoff

Although there was nothing particularly challenging in the first two recipes, I did make you wait a while to reap the fruits of your labor. So I thought I should offer you a quickie. And if you are a bit of a foodie, this is an opportunity to show off your farm shop deli find of fantastic paprika in a cool tub.

The only variation between this stroganoff and any other is the protein. So if you fancy it, swap the venison for the traditional beef or try pigeon, pheasant, rabbit – whatever, really. It is a great recipe for lean meats, so perfect for game, and the spiciness is more a familiar flavor than game to the modern palate. It works well as a gateway recipe to explore the wonderful high-quality, thrifty world of game.

“There are loads of stories as to the origins of this dish. The one I like the most, and the one that is most appropriate for the Girevik Chef (my professional alter-ego), is that it was created for Pavel Stroganov.”

I have left the recipe pretty traditional, but changed the accompaniment. Matchstick potato fries are a popular side dish for stroganoff. Although I don’t think potatoes or fats are the devil, increasing the surface area of a starchy vegetable to ensure it absorbs as much fat as possible is a bit too far. So I have served it with a celeriac and apple salad that visually evokes the matchstick fries, but also brings the lovely combination of fruit and game to the table.

There are loads of stories as to the origins of this dish. The one I like the most, and the one that is most appropriate for the Girevik Chef (my professional alter-ego), is that it was created for Pavel Stroganov.

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Venison Stroganoff:

• 1 ⅕ lb (680 g) venison steaks, sliced into thin strips
• ½ oz. (15 g) button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large red onion, halved and sliced
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• Sour cream (or crème fraîche for a lower fat option)
• A bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• Ghee (clarified butter) for frying
• Salt and pepper to taste

Celeriac and Apple Salad:

• ½ celeriac
• 1 crisp green apple, like a Granny Smith
• Handful chopped hazelnuts

Basic Dressing:

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp apple vinegar
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• A squeeze of lemon juice

Method:

1. Put a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat with a knob of ghee. Throw in the onions and toss around. Keep the pan moving and fry until browned. Meanwhile, toss the venison pieces in the paprika.
2. When the onions have browned, remove and set aside. Add a bit more ghee, then add the venison pieces. Turn the heat up to full and brown. When browned, remove the venison and put with the onions. Then repeat the process for the mushrooms.
3. When the mushrooms have browned, put the venison and onions back into the pan and add the sour cream (or crème fraîche). Bring to the boil then put a lid on and turn off the heat.
4. For the salad, first put all of the dressing ingredients into a clean jam jar and shake. This is a great basic dressing for all occasions, the brown brogue of food.
5. Peel the celeriac, then slice it thinly into matchstick size pieces. Throw into a bowl with a little of the dressing. Then slice the apple, leaving the peel on, into thin slices. Quickly add to the bowl and toss in the dressing to stop it browning. Finally, add a few chopped hazelnuts and serve.

More Fit Food Articles:

• Re-Wild Your Plate: 3 Easy, Tasty Game Meat Recipes
• 3 Delicious Protein Recipes That Aren’t Boring
• 2 Easy Homemade Bacon Recipes
• What’s New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Game On: 3 Classic Wild Game Recipes, With a Twist appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

RELATED: Eating to Recover: How and What to Eat Post Workout

For post-workout food, I change the emphasis to get plenty of protein to help build and repair muscle and connective tissue. The debate on whether or not we should be eating carbs, what kind we should eat, and how many to consume after exercise is not my field of expertise. I’m in charge of the grub. But I do think when you completely limit what you can eat at any point, you neglect an opportunity to get all the nutritional diversity you need.

“Even when cooking for a purpose like ‘post-workout,’ my goal is to produce and eat something pleasing, tasty, and satisfying.”

My favorite post-workout meal is an omelette of some description, maybe with ham and a little parmesan or sauerkraut. It’s a prime example of what I strive for: high protein that is instantly available. This means it needs to be quick to produce or, better still, prepared ahead of time.

Here are three of my favorite post-workout recipes:

Chocolate Mousse

My favorite fit-food recipes are the tried-and-tested classics that also happen to meet our needs, just like the best vegetarian recipes are recipes that don’t happen to contain any meat. A classic French chocolate mousse is a fine example of this philosophy, made with whole eggs for high-quality protein, a little sugar for quick-release carbs, and every fit person’s favorite treat: dark chocolate.

RELATED: 7 Articles for Chocolate Lovers

This recipe packs in about 22g of protein and 9g of carbs per serving. I’m pretty sure that comes close to the proportions recommended in at least one of the many definitive articles on the matter. I can guarantee it will be a lot more satisfying than any protein shake.

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids
• 6 eggs, separated
• A squeeze of lemon
• 20g caster sugar

Method:

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (being careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl) and leave undisturbed to melt.
2. In another large, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar and whisk a little longer until they are glossy and form stiff peaks.
3. When the chocolate has melted, remove from atop the pan and whisk in the egg yolks.
4. Using a metal spoon (the finer edge will knock out less air than a wooden one), put one third of the egg whites into the chocolate and fold in fairly quickly. When completely mixed, add the rest of the egg whites and again fold together.
5. Spoon into some retro floral glass mousse bowls or wine glasses, then place in the fridge to set for at least three hours. Voila – my favorite. Great with a nice cup of coffee.

Vege’ Protein Snack Eggs

As someone wise recently mentioned, the best vegetarian recipes are the ones that just happen to not include meat. As you may have guessed, this recipe is one of those cases. I set out to come up with another egg recipe, but this time with a bit of carbs and more diversity in the protein source.

RELATED: 5 Easy Ways to Get More Plant-Based Protein

What I ended up with was like a Scotch egg wrapped in a kind of falafel mix, with the umami, salty hint of sundried tomato. In fact, that is exactly what it is. Below I have outlined how to make the fiddly, soft-centered egg, but you can also hard boil your eggs to make it easier if you prefer.

To achieve the gastro-style soft egg yolk, you must put your eggs into a pan with enough cold water to just cover, then place over high heat. When the water comes to a rolling boil, take the pan off the heat, cover, and set aside for three minutes, or five for medium and ten for hard boiled. The eggs become progressively easier to peel with time. After that time, remove the eggs from the hot water and place into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking.

“What I ended up with was like a Scotch egg wrapped in a kind of falafel mix, with the umami, salty hint of sundried tomato.”

When the eggs are completely cool, tap the rounded end on the edge of the sink and peel under a trickling tap, letting the water work between the egg and the shell. At the halfway point you should be able to tease the rest off with a teaspoon. From here on in, it’s a doddle.

Ingredients:

• 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Half of a small jar sundried tomatoes (about 5oz)
• A pinch of salt
• A twist of pepper
• 1 Tablespoon wholemeal flour
• 4 eggs

Method:

1. Cook the eggs to your preference as outlined above.
2. While they are cooling, put ¾ of the chickpeas and the flour into a blender and whizz until smooth. Then add the tomatoes and a little seasoning and whizz briefly again.
3. Divide the chickpea mixture into four balls. Place a ball onto a square of cling film and flatten out to make a roughly six-inch circle that is a bit thinner towards the outside (this is to avoid a massive pile of mixture at the top of the finished product).
4. Place a peeled egg in the middle of the circle of chickpea mixture. Gather up the edges of the cling film to completely encase the egg, then twist the top to wrap it tightly. Repeat with the next three eggs.
5. These can now be crisped up quickly under a hot grill so they’re ready to go in your post-workout nosebag.

Mackerel with Brown Basmati Rice Salad

Fish is another good tasty source of dietary protein, which is probably why about a quarter of all of the recipes featured in fitness publications are for salmon. I’ve stayed away from salmon for two reasons:

1. I’m bored of seeing salmon recipes.
2. I think the king of fish should be reserved for special occasions.

A lot of people don’t have the resources to eat wild salmon regularly, and the farmed varieties frankly fall below the quality standards of other underused, abundant, delicious fishes. Mackerel is lovely, and since I live in Wales I am never short of anglers offering me fresh, line-caught, wild fish. It is also readily available in the regular economy, and not just in the barter system of fishmongers.

RELATED: Why Simply Adding Fish Oil Doesn’t Work

Again, I’ve diversified the sources of protein in the interest of varied diet, with a little rice accompaniment. In this recipe, I use the rice cold as a salad for convenience, so you will have to pre-cook it. Brown basmati rice is easy to cook, though. Rinse it off, then add to boiling salted, water and simmer for twenty minutes.

I also cure the fish a little, which firms up the surface and adds more flavor. You can make plenty of cure, as it will keep in an air-tight container for another time.

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Salad

• 4 mackerel fillets
• 150 g brown basmati rice, uncooked weight
• 1 small red onion.
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, chopped
• 4 Tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Ghee for frying

For the Cure

• 200g salt
• 1 Tablespoon coriander seed, bashed in a pestle
• Zest of one lime
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Method:

1. Mix all of the cure ingredients together, then sprinkle a thin layer of it onto a plate and lay the mackerel fillets flesh side down on to it.
2. Peel, halve, then slice the red onion and put it into a non-reactive container with the vinegar to pickle a little. You now have about half an hour to work out.
3. Workout done? Good. Put a large pan onto a medium-high heat then rinse and pat dry the fish. Put the rice into a bowl, take the onions out of the vinegar and add to the rice along with the coriander.
4. Add one dessert spoon of the vinegar and put a good-sized knob of ghee into the pan. Lay the fillets skin side down into it and turn the heat up.
5. When the fish filets are cooked to about half way through, flip them over and cook for another minute. Remove from the pan and serve with the wonderful palate-cleansing rice salad.

Photo 1 courtesy of Joe Purches of Aytonwest Studios.

Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of Tim Harrison.

The post 3 Mouth-Watering Post-Workout Recipes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.