Blue berry recipes.

Blue Berry Recipes

Blue berry Jam with apples and strawberries.

2 cups os peeled cored apples

2 cups of strawberries

6 cups of fresh blue berries

7 cups of sugar 

You can substitute the sugar with Stevia or a low calorie sugar.

A large braising pan

1 half a cup of water

I packet of pectin

1/4 cup of lemon juice

Sterilized canning jars

Method

Clean the fruit and put it in the pan with the water and the sugar and bring to the boil.
Add the lemon juice and continue to boil.
Boil for 15 minutes on medium low heat
Add the pectin
Boil for another 10 minutes and when the mixture jells on the back of a spoon it is ready to put into the sterilized caning jars.

Blue berry Crumble

For the fruit 

2 cups of fresh blue berries

3/4 cup of sugar

For the crumble

1 cup of flour

1/4 cup of oats

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

3/4 cup of butter

I large mixing bowl

Make the crumble mixture by rubbing the butter into the other dry ingredients but keep it a little crumbly and not fully integrated. 

Put the fruit into an oven proof dish 

Add the crumble mixture on top.

Bake at 360 degrees Fahrenheit till fruit is bubbly and crumble mixture is brown.

This should take about 30 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry smoothie

1 cup of blueberries

I cup of low fat yoghurt

1 tablespoon of almond or peanut butter

1 cup of ice cubes

I tablespoon of honey or other sweetener

1/2 cup of milk or nut milk

Blend in a blender  till smooth and creamy.

Pour into a long cold glass and enjoy!

Picking blueberries.

Blue berries.

Many berries with blueish coloring are eaten in different parts of the world. There are blueberries grown and loved widely in the USA but eaten all over the world, bilberries in the UK, blackberries and Jaam in India, Bangladesh and other parts of South Asia.

Blue berries seem to be all the rage at the moment and are considered a superfood. They contain antioxidants and phytonutrients which help fight the free radicals damaging our cells.

A blue berry bush 

Blueberries also help reduce the risk of heart disease, cataracts, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, glaucoma, anti aging and the list of benefits just goes on!

One of the most fun things to do on a mild summer day is pick blue berries for your self so google "berry picking" and find a local place that will let you do precisely that! My daughter and I went to a blue berry farm  in Sanford Maine on the East coast of the USA. It was so addictive we ended up picking 12 pounds!
So when we got home I had to decide what to do with them apart from eating them raw by the hand full!

You can make so many things with them. I love making blueberry smoothies, strawberry, blueberry and apple jam, blue berry crumble and blue berry salad to name a few.

Blueberry Jam

Blueberry crumble.

Blueberry crumble.

Kitcheri

My Mum's Kitcheri.

There are many mixed rice dishes eaten by people throughout world. The Korean Bibimbap, Spanish Paella, Jambalaya, Risotto, Spanish rice, Aroz con Pollo, Pillaou rice eaten by Turkish people and Chinese fried rice to name a few of the popular rice dishes around the world!
Kedgeree or Kitcheri is a rice dish that is popular in Indian cookery and in the United Kingdom. It's definitely a comfort food and my Mum has her version that she learned from her mother and her aunts.
 It's so delicious and easy. This recipe will serve at least 10 people.

Ingredients

2 large onions chopped fine
3 tablespoons Olive oil and  4 oz butter
Half kilo rice basmati 3 cups
One and a half cups mung dhal
8 cups water
 1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
5 Bay leaves
5 star aniseeds
2 tablespoons salt
10 cardamoms
2 tablespoons Ginger cut fine

Method

Wash and soak the rice and dhal for  for 30 minutes in medium sized pan.
Put in the oil and butter in the pan
Let the onions cook in the oil for 5 minutes till golden
Add the ginger
Add the spices
Put the water in the pan let it boil.
Add the stock cube and salt
Add the rice and lentils and bring to the boil for 10 minutes
Let it cook on a low heat  with the lid on till the water is all absorbed and the rice and lentils are fluffy.

Serve with  an omelette, fried aubergine, hardboiled eggs, tandoori chicken or fried chicken and a side salad.

Key Lime Pie

Living in a place where it's hot most of the year has made me love refreshing and colorful desserts, especially fresh fruity ones. One of my favorites is Key lime pie made with Key limes. It is so beautiful and great to serve with a back yard barbecue.

Key limes are different from the larger Persian limes in size, taste and flavor. They are smaller, a little paler and the skins are thinner than the bigger lime. The juice is a pale yellow in color and the taste is also different from the Persian lime. Key limes are also known as West Indian Limes or Mexican limes. Key limes are named after the Florida Keys which are a group of islands off the southern coast of Florida in the USA. Key lime pie is associated with being eaten in the Florida Keys but now these days it is served all over the world.
Everyone who makes it has their own version including Jaimie Oliver. Some people use egg yolks for a very rich version but I use the whole egg and it turns out beautifully!

 

Ingredients 

8oz of freshly squeezed key lime juice 

2 packs of graham crackers crushed

8oz butter (melted)

3 eggs

I can of sweetened condensed milk.

8oz Sour cream 

4tsp oz icing sugar

Method

 Start by squeezing the juice of 20 Key limes to make about a cup of key lime juice and put aside.

Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Put the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Empty the crumbs into a bowl and add the melted butter 

Keep crushing the crumbs until a little crumbly but not powdery,

Put the crumbs in  to an oven proof pie dish and stamp the crumbs into the dish and make the base of the pie.

Put the graham cracker pie base into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. 

Bring it out of the oven and set aside to cool.

Crushed graham crackers with butter for the crust.

Freshly squeezed Key lime juice 

In the mean time add your freshly squeezed Key lime juice to a mixing bowl. Add the sweetened condensed milk and the 3 beaten eggs.

Sweetened condensed milk.

Three large eggs.

Eggs, lime juice and condensed milk together. 

Whisk vigorously.

Whisk till the mixture is thick and goes from yellow to white and mixed very well.

Pour the mixture into the pie dish on top of the pie crust. 

Place into the oven and turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
Cook for 20 minutes, take it out and allow to cool.

Fresh out of the oven

Ready for the oven

When cooled add 4oz sour cream on top sweetened with 4 teaspoons of icing sugar. Smooth the sour cream over the pie.
Decorate with some lime zest or a piece of lime.
If you wish you can make a meringue and add this on top of the pie instead.

Finished pie with sour cream on top.

 Sweet and refreshingly tart plus tangy all at the same time.
 Enjoy it!

Fish Pie

I was telling a friend about Fish Pie a dish that my Yorkshire born mother in law taught me. It must have seemed unappetizing because she said it sounded horrible.!This is a classic case of don't speak about something till you have tried it!

It may surprise you to know it is one of the most delicious dishes I have ever tasted! 

It is definitely a British dish, a northern English dish and comfort food at it's best.  A wonderful combination of all things comforting, fish pie can be made with just one type of fish or a combination of fish types and usually has a potato topping but has been known to have a pastry crust.

Recipe

Ingredients 

6 large potatoes.

3 pieces of cod

I piece of fresh salmon

Some smoked haddock

1 bay leaf

half a cup of peas

2 carrots chopped small

1 small onion chopped

8 oz of milk
6oz butter
4oz of all purpose flour

4 oz of water

1 large bunch of flat leaf parsley chopped fine. 

salt and pepper to taste
40z of grated cheddar cheese 

Method

Peel, cut and boil the potatoes  till tender. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl with a little milk and butter. Set aside. Poach the fish gently in the milk and don't let it boil or over cook. Set aside and allow to cool.

Poaching the fish 

Put the fish in an oven proof baking dish. Put the milk aside.

SAUCE

For the sauce put 3 oz of butter in a small pan. Then put a tablespoon of all purpose flour in the pan and stir with a whisk. Wait till all the butter is melted and the mixture is bubbling and turn the heat down to medium. Add the milk from the poached fish and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep whisking at a high heat till the mixture is thick and bubbling. Add the chopped parsley.

Melt the butter and add the flour

Combine the butter and flour 

The sauce 

Pour the sauce over the fish

Cover with the mashed potatoes.

Assembling the pie. 

In an oven proof dish put in the cooled cod and some smoked salmon and the haddock. Add some chopped onions, peas and carrots. Pour the sauce over the fish in the oven proof dish.
Cover the fish mixture and sauce with the mashed potatoes. Drizzle the cheese the top or you can just mix it into the potatoes.

Oven ready.

Cook in a 375* F degree oven for 45 minutes to an  hour till the top is golden and the pie is bubbly.

Serve piping hot while it's hot and serve with broccoli and corn. If you want to spice it up a little serve with chili sauce.
Comfort food at it's best!

Trendy Doughnuts

 What kind of sweet treats do you enjoy and what do you crave when you get a longing for a sweet treat?  Is it  cup cakes, macaroons, a creamy creme brûlée? Cupcakes were the huge trend for a few years but now another sweet crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside  dessert has replaced it as the new trendy sweet food! I have always loved doughnuts but felt a bit guilty when eating them.

Churros

Last summer though I was at a country style wedding in North Carolina and the dessert of choice was doughnuts! I was quite surprised by this turn of events but doughnuts seem to be  the trendy choice of dessert lovers and dessert makers everywhere these days. Even though people are very health conscious there seem to be a few exceptions to the rules that people set for themselves.

 When I was planning a wedding shower at a posh restaurant in Boston I was surprised again to see that doughnuts were the choice dessert! Another occasion I went to an upscale restaurant in Phoenix Arizona and  yet again they were serving very light doughnuts with 3 different sauces.  There was a light fruit sauce, chocolate sauce and a heavier caramel sauce. Not only in the posh restaurants but pastry shops and dessert makers are "including doughnuts in their inventory" according to an article by Joe Stanton in article called "Hmm Doughnuts -Todays Trends in Doughnut Shops."

Traditional doughnut

Paczki

Doughnuts are loved and eaten in many countries. The history of the doughnut goes back to ancient times and there are many recipes and variations. Polish Paczkies, German Berliners, Greek Lokmades, Indian Gulabjamon, Jalebi in the Arab world, Balushahi in Nepal and Pakistan, Olliebollen in the Netherlands, Bombolone in Tuscany, Churros in Spain, Tulumba in Turkey and Moroccan Sfenj, Beignets in New Orleans and Youtaio in China are just a few of the different versions of doughnuts eaten in different parts of the world. Almost every country has it's own variety and flavors.

Doughnuts come in all different shapes and flavors, from thick and filled to thin and stick shaped.  They are  commonly made with yeast, eggs, butter and flour or yoghurt, some with cream, some with eggs, flour and water and the common way to cook it is deep frying. Some are filled with cream or jam, some are filled with custard. They may be covered in sugar, icing , glazed or maybe chocolate. Some are flaky, crumbly, and other are crisp on the outside and soft inside. Most are eaten with tea or coffee and some are dunked in chocolate or as the Chinese version is slightly salty and is eaten with rice porridge.

Doughnuts with cream and rhubarb

Glazed doughnut

Doughnuts were introduced to the USA by the Dutch and have risen to be some of the
most common snack foods available. Chains like Dunkin' Doughnuts and Krispy Creme are some of the most popular purveyors of Doughnuts and millions of doughnuts are consumed all over the world every day.

So this once humble doughnut has suddenly become very hip and is served as part of the menu in some of the finest restaurants! How did this happen and why is the doughnut now regarded so highly by dessert connoisseurs? They are now on the fanciest pastry shop menus in places like NYC and now people seem to be trying out different versions in their own kitchens.

 Even Whole foods Market in the USA is coming up with vegan versions and it's "Posh Vegan Donuts" are flavored with chocolate, chocolate peanut, maple, maple coconut, sugar crumb and plain cake. The reviews of these alternatives are mixed as the lack of dairy products are apparent in the texture and taste of the doughnut.

Decorated doughnuts in all flavors!

The Guardian's Homa Khaleeli in an article called "Rich Cravings:the rise of posh doughnuts" writes, "Makeover sees once humble fried dough turned into a gourmet experience-with fancy prices to match". A trend that started with a fried dough ball has now spread from the USA.  The demand for "classy doughnuts"has spread so far that even Harrods and Selfridges are selling them now and something that cost less than 50p each can now cost over 20.00 for "a box of nine!"
The doughnut has proved to be a dessert that can stand the test of time and can be recreated by  people in so many ways! It can be made at home or given a trendy makeover and sold by the poshest venues in town all over the world!

The Great Immigration Debate

A child cries as his family wait in line in order to get into a reception center for refugees in Opatovac, Croatia

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-crisis-european-leaders-warned-that-greatest-tide-of-migrants-is-yet-to-come-10515085.html

Immigration, migration and the movement of people across the globe is a topic that is very much in the news right now with hundreds of thousands of immigrants coming out of war-torn Syria, parts of India and Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Lybia to name a few.


Surfing the internet recently I saw a heading that said" the US will take Rohingya Boat People" and another one referencing the same subject headed "Nope, nope, nope Tony Abbott says Australia will take no Rohingya Refugees". These headings and articles made me think about this subject of migration across the globe and how it is used and viewed by people and governments.

I am an immigrant twice over. In 1967, I moved from Bangladesh to England with my family and grew up, was educated and lived there till I moved to America with my British husband in 1987. I am now a dual British citizen and US citizen. I feel extremely lucky to have these two passports because I can travel between the two countries with no problem. Recently I moved back briefly to the UK and almost everyday immigration was being discussed on the news. 

I want to examine the way migration is viewed in the USA, Germany and the UK in particular and how it is also viewed around the world, particularly in Eastern Europe. While listening to a discussion about immigration on Public Radio in Arizona and I heard some very interesting arguments about the subject and it made me think of some of the anti-immigration arguments.  


In the United Kingdom and around Europe now there are  thousands of immigrants coming every day from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Libya. The migrants want a safe haven to call home and are "attracted by Europe's relative peace and prosperity". There is a great article in the Guardian called "10 truths about Europe"s migrant crisis". The United Kingdom says they will take 20,000 over 4 years with Germany and some of the other Western European countries willing to take more Syrian migrants in a shorter space of time. 

Other countries, particularly in Eastern Europe such as Hungary, Poland, Serbia and Croatia have been less welcoming.  In an article in the US News and Word Report called "Tension Between Eastern and Western Europe is complicating the response to an influx of migrants." I see this reaction from Eastern Europe as massive hypocrisy when I know thousands of Eastern Europeans  have emigrated to countries like the UK to better their own lives economically. When these countries joined the European Union they pledged to support "European values" such as xenophobia, open markets, open borders, transparent press and media, cultural diversity, open-mindedness, protection of minorities. 

In reality, these Eastern European governments have done nothing of the sort and their societies are full of corruption, oligarchs, cronyism, no freedom of the press. Many people such as in Poland don't think they can share anything with the migrants. They also do not accept racial and ethnic diversity. A September 12th New York Times article by Rick Lyman says "Unlike countries in Western Europe, which have a long history of accepting immigrants  from diverse cultures, former communist states tend to be highly homogeneous, Poland for example, is 98% white and 94% catholic.  

Germany has welcomed the migrants and pledged to take around 800,000 of them, pledging to send $6.7 billion on dealing with them. Austria and Sweden, Denmark have also been welcoming. Rallies in Denmark and Germany have shown support for accepting migrants in large numbers. Why is it that there is such a divide in the attitude of the Eastern and western Europeans?

They conclude that "Eastern Europeans think they are the ones to be helped that was a promise of the unification( of the European Union). Being poorer than western Europe they point out, how can anyone expect solidarity from us?"  The Eastern Europeans feel threatened by the Arab migrants and see them as an Islamic threat to Christian Europe. "There is a general anxiety over the unfamiliar." While Germany sees migrants as a possible boon to their future economic power countries like Hungary see them a massive Islamic threat.

“The countries that have very little diversity are the most virulent against refugees." said Andrew Strohlein, European media director forHuman Rights Watch.
Since the fall of communism, these Eastern European countries have not seen great changes in their economic prosperity. Also unlike the Western Europeans these countries have no colonial past and do not feel any obligation to migrants coming from Muslim countries. 


Today the Pope addressed the issue of immigrants. The Wall Street Journal sums it up "The Pope addressed immigration in a less confrontational way than he has done in Europe, where he has denounced indifference to the fate of migrants who have drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean. He instead appealed to the foreign heritage of most of his listeners, identifying himself as the “son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants.”

“On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life,” he said. “Is this not what we want for our own children?”

I am not an expert in this field and wrote this article to provoke some discussion and thoughts on the ever poignant subject which is in the news. We just need to examine how we would feel if we were in the shoes of those in the migrants themselves.