Monday, September 29, 2008

Satay Tempeh with Rice

GET
Brown organic rice

1 packet of unflavoured organic Tempeh
Soya sauce, organic
Tasmanian Pepper, (Tasmannia lanceolata) or any other fine pepper
Olive Oil
Apricot Jam
3 (hot?) chilies

'Satay' sauce
3 Tbsp. of Peanut butter (or better organic Macademia/Cashew butter)
1 tin of organic coconut milk
1 Lemon grass stick, 3 x 2 cm of the white bottom bits
2 Limes
Soya sauce
1 sm. onion
3-4 large cloves of garlic
3 - 4 Chilies of your desired 'hotness', 'Birdseye'
1 tsp. of rapadura sugar

DO
The Rice
Take a cup (mug for 2 people) of the rice, wash it. Add to pot with good lid. Add 2 1/2 of the same cups of water. Boil up for 5 min. Turn down the heat and simmer with the lid closed. Do not open! After 45 min. switch off the heat and let it stand on the warm oven for another 15 min.

The Sauce
Fry the finely chopped onion golden. Add chopped chillies and garlic. Fry for a short period. Take off the flame. Add the peanutbutter/macadamia butter, stirring. Add the coconut milk. Add 3 small hot 'Birdseye' chilies, 1 Tbsp of soyasauce, 2-3 pieces of the lemon grass, 1 lime/juice, the rapadura sugar, let it gently simmer for a short time, or till it has a sauce consistency. Switch off and let it rest for a while on the warm stove.

The Tempeh
Mix soya sauce, apricot jam, 2 Tsps. Olive oil, Tasmanian pepper and 3 small chilies, let it rest
Cut up Tempeh, paste mixture on the pieces, cover and let it soak in the marinade for at least 30 min. ( if not more.) Fry golden in olive oil.

Serve with freshly copped coriander leaves, mango slices and a lychee-drink. The dish also makes for a nice 'picnic' or as a skewered BBQ.
Image:
Koehler's Medicinal-Plants 1887, Arachis hypogaea - 163, uploaded via Wikipedia
Links:
Diy Tempeh
Tempeh burger recipe

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Meat and gastro - What is the human caused connection?

97% of bacterial gastro-enteritis in humans is traceable to 'domesticated' meats. " Chicken and cattle are the principal sources of C. jejuni pathogenic to humans..." Animals living in their own habitat only accounted for 3 %. Campylobacter jejuni, living in the gut of poultry and mammals is being distributed into the human food chain. Preparing or consuming the infected meat is the main route for infection.
A lot needs to be done at the source of meat-production, transportation and processing, to not 'spill the guts' around. Sporadic gastro-enteritis through water or restaurants is very common. Even by being a vegetarian, one is still exposed to this 'slop-back' via water and implements. What a 'culture'!
The DNA sequencing research was conducted by Daniel Wilson, of the University of Chicago, and formerly Lancaster University, United Kingdom
via Wilson DJ, Gabriel E, Leatherbarrow AJH, Cheesbrough J, Gee S, et al. (2008) Tracing the Source of Campylobacteriosis. PLoS Genet 4(9): e1000203. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000203
Image: Egyptian relief, Berlin Museum 08

Friday, September 5, 2008

Bread - Storage - with Linen and Cinnamon

Organic bread is best bought daily from a place that stores it in an airy, dry place on untreated wood. It can be tossed directly into a washable cloth bag (no packaging necessary), thrown into the bike or backpack. In the household it is best to place it in a washable pure-linen bag. In summer it is slightly moistened and then it is placed tied up into a large pot. Quality bread stays fresh that way for a long time.

In the fast-life, industrial bread has to travel long carbon-belching distances. Freed out of its plastic bag, it is quickly befallen by black bread mold. A new paper has been developed that is coated in cinnamon essential oil and solid wax paraffin which it is said should enhance anti fungal activity.
Maybe, one could add a cinnamon stick to one's bread bag/container?

Update
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia ) May Prevent Common Types Of Foodborne Illnesses, 0714