Written by Karen Watts
Photography by Chris Watts
All ex-pats / re-locators / Migrants have one thing in common – they miss food things from where ever “home” was. Those of us who have “migrated” from the UK are often lucky enough to have regular visitors who bring some of these cherished missed items when they come to stay. For us it is the little things: Crumpets, Maynards Wine Gums, seriously strong regional Cheddars, Carrs Crackers and, for me, a big one is Miso. I am thrilled to be able to announce that the AB (Alpha Vita) store on the main Rodos – Lindos Road now sells Miso Paste. In the past all I have managed to find is Powdered Miso at the health food store on Codrington. I love Miso – this amazing substance has huge antioxidant benefits for the human system, tastes fabulous and is very versatile whether you use it in soups, stir frys or just on toast. Especially in the heat when the desire to eat and cook things lessens considerably Miso is a quick and easy way to get a little iron, magnesium and potassium into your system. Current research is also tending to suggest that its high sodium content does not have a harmful effect on the human cardiovascular system. One less thing for our over burdened friends to bring with their swimming trunks.
Noodle & Vegetable Soup (Karens’ Japanese Stylee)
A Gluten and Lactose Free Recipe
Start by making a basic vegetable stock:
10 Dried Mushrooms (any variety, but I like mixed)
900 ml Cold Water
4 Slices of Fresh Ginger
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Dry Sherry
Put all the ingredients in a largish pot and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mushrooms to soak for another 15 minutes.Remove the ginger slices and discard. (This stock is great on its own, by the way.)
The above stock with mushrooms
1 Leek, finely chopped
2 tsp Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp Cider Vinegar
3 tsp Soy Sauce
A handful per serving bowl of Rice Vermicelli
A handful per serving bowl of Baby Spinach, washed, stemmed and shredded (you can use frozen if fresh Spinach is not available)
2 tbsp Miso Paste
1 Spring Onion, sliced
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds. lightly toasted
Toast the sesame seeds on an ovenproof dish on the highest heat in your oven for 2 – 3 minutes making sure they don’t burn.
In a large pot, bring the stock back to the boil. Add the leeks, ginger, vinegar and soy. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes till the leeks are tender.
Put a handful each of noodles and spinach in each serving bowl.
In a small bowl combine the miso with a few tablespoons of the hot broth and stir till smooth. Stir it back into the main soup. Ladle the soup into the bowls and stir to cook through the noodles and spinach. Top with spring onions and sesame seeds.
This will serve 2 people as a meal or 4 as a starter.
If you don’t consume all the soup do not leave any noodles in the liquid – they will disintegrate and change the texture of your soup entirely.
Another light and easy meal for two to prepare in these 40° temperatures is:
Prawns and Melon
A Gluten & Lactose Free Recipe
500 gr Frozen Shelled Prawns, defrosted
1/2 A Honeydew Melon (or any fleshy melon you prefer, but not watermelon)
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
A Glug of Olive Oil
Stir fry the prawns and garlic for 2 – 3 minutes in the oil till the prawns are cooked.
Spoon the prawns and the melon into one bowl and mix gently. Serve with 2 forks and a wedge of lemon, if liked.
Yummy, light and nutritious.
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We have written a lot over the last months about the benefits of both a juicer and the Nutri-Bullet but let’s not forget the good old fashioned blender. Whether you have a hand held variety or a jug blender, nothing starts the day quite like a fruit milkshake or smoothie.
Peachy Fruit MilkShake
A Gluten Free Recipe
400 gr Peaches (3 medium sized) stoned and cut into chunks
100 gr Green Seedless Grapes
250 ml Milk
Seeds Scraped from half a Vanilla Pod
1 dsp Icing Sugar
Put everything into your blender and whizz for 2 minutes. if you prefer it less thick, add a bit more milk and whizz again.
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This week’s last recipe is fairly simple but does use the oven, so make sure you have lots of water, or wine, on hand so you don’t dehydrate while you are cooking.
Honeyed Chicken Thighs
A Gluten Free Recipe
30 gr Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
8 Chicken Thighs, with or without the drumsticks
230 gr Baby Onions, peeled
3 medium size Carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 Courgette, trimmed and thickly sliced
Freshly grated rind and juice of 1 Orange and 1 Lemon
4 tbsp Clear Honey, preferably Greek
3 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Clove Garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp Fresh Root Ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
225 gr Wild Rice
Preheat the oven to 200°. Heat the butter and olive oil in an oven proof casserole dish and lightly brown the chicken pieces in it for about 3 minutes on each side. Lift the chicken out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Cook the onions, carrots and courgettes in the casserole over a moderate heat for 10 minutes.
Mix the orange and lemon grated rind and juice with the honey, mustard, garlic ginger, salt and pepper. Put the chicken back in the casserole dish and pour in the honey mixture. Bring to the boil, then take off the heat.
Cover the casserole and put in the centre of the oven for 50 minutes, basting frequently. After 25 minutes cook the rice.
When the chicken and rice are cooked, spoon the chicken and vegetables into the middle of a large serving dish and surround with the rice. Serve garnished with some sprigs of basil.
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