Tag: vegetable cuisine

Agar agar, zero calories: what it is and how to use it in the kitchen – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

Agar agar: just take a look around social networks to immediately realize how much it has become one of the emerging products used in the kitchen. Popular among the food influencers and it is carving out an important space for itself among those who love to eat vegetarian or vegan dishes without giving up more traditional recipes.

What is agar agar

Agar agar is a product completely vegetal which is obtained from the processing and subsequent drying of algae red. Very famous in Japan, where it is called Kanten, it is a natural gelling agent which can be used in the preparation of jellies and desserts, especially to replace the gelatine.

Among its characteristics, in fact, there is an incredible ability to absorb liquids as soon as it comes into contact with them: it is therefore ideal for preparing jellies for cakes and completely vegetable desserts and puddings. It can be found on sale in all specialized shops and in the most well-stocked supermarkets and is completely odorlesstasteless and colorless so it does not modify the natural flavour of foods. Not only, agar agar it is also calorie-free and therefore suitable for low-calorie diets.

Agar agar powder

HeikeRau

How to use agar agar in cooking

Agar agar can be found on the market in different formats: barsflakes or more commonly in dust.
To use agar agar in the kitchen there is an important parameter to keep in mind: for 1 liter of liquid you will need approximately 4/5 g of product in powder. Furthermore, unlike isinglass gelatin, agar agar melts at temperatures between 85 and 90 degrees and becomes jelly at a temperature of 35-40 degreesthe. When using it in recipes it is good to remember that a teaspoon of agar agar corresponds to approximately eight sheets of isinglass. Finally, to obtain the maximum effect, it is best to use it within six months from opening the package.

Agar agar: recipes in which it can be used

Being a completely natural and highly performing solidifier, agar agar as mentioned can be used for replace the isinglass or other types of thickeners in pudding, panna cotta, cream, cheesecake, cake and dessert recipes.

Let’s find out how to use agar agar

Broccoli and chickpea soup, the winter-warming recipe to make – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

Broccoli and chickpea soup with pecorino croutons is the perfect winter dish. In fact, like all recipes that have the power to warm the hands, the body and even the soul in the cold periods of the year, the broccoli and chickpea soup with pecorino croutons is also a peasant soup.

Most of these soups are based on legumes and cereals, but among all the land soups (because sea soups also exist), chickpea soup beats them all. It is perhaps the simplest soup, but also richest in flavour. In this version we decided to use these super protein legumes combined with broccoli, rich in chlorophyll, magnesium and high quantities of vitamin C. Light and nutritious, like any real self-respecting soup, even the croutons that accompany it acquire flavor and taste because they are soaked in Roman pecorino, but nothing prevents you from using Sardinian pecorino. Creamy and velvety, this chickpea and broccoli soup is very simple to prepare and therefore suitable even for less expert hands in the kitchen who want to impress at the table.

The recipe for broccoli and chickpea soup with pecorino croutons

Difficulty: easy
Time: 40 minutes

Black cabbage, the superfood to cook in 20 recipes – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

What a precious super food kale! This vegetable belongs to the Cruciferae (or Cruciferae) family of the Brassicaceae (or Brassicaceae) genus, varieties of leafy cabbages such as their cousins savoy cabbage, cauliflower, hood cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoli and so on. But unlike cauliflower and broccoli, does not develop a central head: It grows with long, crisp, curled dark green leaves with bluish hues.

The name derives from the Greek kaulós, which in fact means stem, stem, it is also called pen cabbage, palm cabbage or Tuscan cabbageprecisely because Tuscany deserves the credit for having been able to make the most of it with healthy and comfortable recipes such as the famous ribollita.

Properties of black cabbage

Black cabbage is a concentrate of beneficial substancesa precious source of mineral salts, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, sodium, sulfur, manganese, fluorine and selenium. As for vitamins it is certainly no less, in fact we find vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and K. But there are other good reasons to love it, does not contain cholesterolprovides approximately 49 calories per 100 grams of product, has decongestant, purifying, diuretic, antioxidant and laxative propertiesBe careful not to cook it for too long, it could have the opposite (astringent) effect. All these healthy properties make it a true wonder, excellent in the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases or painful symptoms: flu, sore throat, cold, sunburn and eczema, arthritis, wounds, skin rashes and sores, red and tired eyes, muscle pain , insect bites, gout, chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety, intestinal worms, gastric ulcers and colitis.

It is extremely valuable for the stomach and intestinesthanks to the presence within it of glutamine, which helps keep the barrier between the inside of the intestine and the rest of the body intact, so much so that its effectiveness seems to be even superior to the action of classic antacids. Great to be hired orally in the form of juice, juiced, blended, steamed, raw, fermented or dried, which used for external use in the preparation of compresses and bandages, let’s see together how to prepare them.

Dry the kale

The need for dry the kale comes from the fact that, unlike other types of cabbage, it grows continuously and to avoid eating it non-stop in the autumn/winter period, it is best to dry it and enjoy its benefits all year round. As always, start by eliminating the central rib, you can keep the leaves intact or cut them into strips, depending on what you will use them for once dried. For a softer effect it is possible to steam the leaves for about ten minutes and lightly salt them on the surface. In this case, drain the leaves and dry them well before proceeding with drying. Then place the leaves on a very finely woven grate, place it in a semi-shaded, ventilated place and at a temperature not lower than 15°C. In the evening hours, it is important to transfer the cabbage leaves to a closed and non-humid place, to avoid the formation of mold. Let it dry until you have a product that “cracks” when touched by your fingers.

You can do thealso drying in the oven, but be careful not to let the leaves blacken, otherwise you risk losing all precious virtues. In this case the oven must be set to the fan function at 100°C, place the cut leaves on a sheet of lightly oiled baking paper and leave the door slightly open, drying will be finished when the leaves are slightly crunchy. As a last option use the dryer, place the leaves in the baskets, adjust the hot air temperature to around 35°C and leave to dry for a few hours, about five or six.