What Librarians Eat! Vol: 1 Issue: 1 January 2014

Welcome

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

What Librarians Eat! J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4 V O L : 2 I S S U E : 1

On a side note related to the social events committee, we would like to announce three

new members who joined us in December. These are Luke Brincat, Sarita Piscopa and

Jessica Parnis. Together with Rachel and Ryan now the committee is made up of 5

people.

We encourage staff members to pass on comments or ideas to any member of the

committee so that we can all work efficiently in bringing fun activities to the Library

staff.

Wow, a whole year has passed since the first issue of the library’s foodletter. We are

so happy that we have reach our 1st anniversary edition!

Even though we know you have enjoyed reading as much as we have enjoyed creating

it, we still wish to receive more feedback and suggestions for the many more

foodletters to come.

It has been a wonderful year of food related articles and recipes and we guarantee to

have more coming each month, starting with this issue.

After all the festivities its time to have a break from the heavy banquets we all love. So

this issue is dedicated to warm and hearty meals that are have less calories.

Hope you enjoy it and as always, send us your requests or comments so that together

we can make this initiative grow bigger.

Health Tip 2

Chorizo, lentils and chickpeas soup

4

Slow-braised pork shoulder with cider & parsnips

5

Spicy African chicken stew

6

One-pot fish with black olives & tomatoes

7

Salmon burger with wombok & apple remoulade

8

Sausage and pasta salad

9

Ask Us Something!: French Croissants

10

P A G E 2

Health Tip of the Month:

Move More

Begin a year with exercise

Physical activity strengthens your heart and lungs and

improves your immune system. Anything that moves your

limbs is not only a fitness tool, but a stress buster. Make it a

daily challenge to find ways to move your body.

1. Climb Stairs

2. Walk the dog

3. Wash the car

4. Park farther from the store when you shop

5. Ride a bike or swim

6. Take a walk in the country side or along the promenade

For more information on health issues please visit: (pressing Ctrl and clicking the link will take you to the link)

https://ehealth.gov.mt/HealthPortal/healthyliving/healthier_you/fitness/pa_topics.aspx

P A G E 3

The Benefits of Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you

can do for your health. It can help:

Control your weight

Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease

Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome

Reduce your risk of some cancers

Strengthen your bones and muscles

Improve your mental health and mood

Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're

an older adult

Increase your chances of living longer

If you're not sure about becoming active or boosting your level

of physical activity because you're afraid of getting hurt, the

good news is that moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk

walking, is generally safe for most people.

Start slowly. Cardiac events, such as a heart attack, are rare

during physical activity. But the risk does go up when you

suddenly become much more active than usual. For example,

you can put yourself at risk if you don't usually get much

physical activity and then all of a sudden do vigorous-intensity

aerobic activity. That's why it's important to start slowly and

gradually increase your level of activity.

P A G E 4

Chorizo, lentils and

chickpeas soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil

120g chorizo sausage, diced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, sliced

2 carrots, thickly sliced

1 heaped tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes

800 ml chicken stock

1x400g tin chickpeas, drained and

rinsed

80g red lentils

Fresh seasoning

1 tbsp chopped parsley

This recipe is straight out of the Book Aroma Kitchen recipes Vol. 2 by Manwel. It is a heart

warming soup with a kick. One of my personal favourites on rainy stormy days.

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan and fry the

chorizo sausage for 2 minutes to release its juices

in the pan.

Add in the garlic and onion and cook for a further

5 mins.

Add the carrots and celery and cook for 2 mins.

Then add the smoked paprika and dried chilli

flakes.

Stir the ingredients together well and continue to

cook for another 5 mins.

Pour in the chicken stock, along with the lentils

and chickpeas.

Season the soup well with salt and pepper.

Cover with a lid and reduce the heat.

Continue to cook the soup for another 20-25 mins,

or until the lentils are cooked through.

Just before serving, stir in the chopped parsley and

serve the soup in deep bowls.

P A G E 5

Slow-braised pork shoulder with

cider & parsnips

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1kg/2lb 4oz pork shoulder, diced

2 onions, sliced

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

3 parsnips, cut into chunks

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp plain flour

330ml bottle cider

850ml chicken stock

handful parsley, chopped

mashed potato and greens, to serve

(optional)

Shoulder is the ideal cut for this warming one-pot, which is packed with autumn flavours and perfect served with

a side of mash

Heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.

Heat the oil in a large lidded flameproof casserole and brown the meat in batches, then set aside.

Fry the onions, celery and parsnips with the bay leaves for 10 mins until golden brown.

Sprinkle in the flour and give a good stir, then add the pork and any juices back to the dish.

Add the cider and stock so that the meat and vegetables are covered.

Season and bring to a simmer, then cover and put in the oven for 2 hrs. Serve sprinkled with parsley, with mashed

potato and greens, if you like.

P A G E 6

Spicy African chicken stew

Cayenne pepper and Scotch bonnet chillies give this boldly flavoured peanut casserole a fiery kick.

Ingredients

500ml chicken stock, heated

340g jar smooth peanut butter

2 onions, halved and thinly sliced

3 tbsp sunflower oil

3 tbsp finely chopped ginger

½-1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

3 tsp ground coriander

3 tsp ground cumin

1-2 scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded and chopped

2 bay leaves

400g can chopped tomatoes

2 x 800g pack chicken thighs and drumsticks, skinned

3 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

good handful coriander, chopped,

rice and lime wedges, to serve (optional)

Pour the hot stock over the peanut butter

and stir until dissolved.

Heat a very large pan and fry the onions

in the oil for 5 mins to soften.

Add the ginger, cayenne, if using, ½ tsp

black pepper, coriander, cumin, chillies

and bay and cook, stirring, for 2 mins.

Tip in the tomatoes and the peanut stock,

then stir in the chicken pieces.

Put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer

for 30 mins, stirring frequently to make

sure the peanut butter doesn’t stick to the

base of the pan.

Stir in the sweet potatoes, peppers and

chopped coriander, then cook for 30 mins

more.

Serve sprinkled with the reserved corian-

der, with rice and lime wedges for

squeezing over, if you like.

P A G E 7

One-pot fish with black olives &

tomatoes

Ingredients

175g black olives in oil, stones removed

1 large onion, roughly chopped

400g can chopped tomatoes

4 boneless white fish fillets such as Ice-

landic cod or hoki, each weighing about

175g/6oz

Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/conventional 200°

C/gas 6.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil from the olives in an oven-

proof pan.

Tip in the onion and stir well, leave to cook for a

minute or two and then give it another good stir.

Add the tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Bring

to the boil, then add the olives.

Put the fish, skin side down, onto the sauce and

drizzle over a splash more oil from the olive jar.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the fish is

cooked.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve straight

from the pan, with lemon wedges for squeezing

over.

Five minutes on the hob, 15 minutes in the oven, this

tasty fish dish is one-pot cooking at its best.

P A G E 8

Salmon burger with wombok &

apple remoulade

Ingredients

1/2 small wombok (Chinese cabbage),

finely shredded

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh dill

1 Granny Smith apple, cut into

matchsticks

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

65g (1/4 cup) aioli

1 tbs olive oil

500g skinless salmon fillet, pin boned

1 French bread stick (baguette),

quartered, split lengthways

Olive oil

A crispy cabbage, apple and dill salad is sublime with fresh salmon. Take fish burgers to new heights with this

fresh version that’s bursting with flavour.

Combine the wombok, onion and dill in a bowl.

Place the apple in a small bowl and drizzle over the lemon

juice. Toss to combine.

Stir the aïoli and apple into the cabbage mixture.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium

heat.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper.

Cook the salmon for 5 minutes each side or until just

cooked through.

Place the bread on a baking tray, cut-side up, and lightly

spray with oil.

Cook under grill for 1-2 minutes or until light golden.

Flake the salmon into large pieces.

Divide the wombok and apple remoulade among the bread

bases.

Top with the salmon and bread tops.

Sausage and pasta salad

Ingredients

375g tortiglioni or large spiral

pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

500g pork sausages

2 zucchini, sliced lengthways

250g yellow or red teardrop

tomatoes

125g rocket

300g cheese of your choice, sliced

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, following

packet directions, until tender. Drain. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in 1

tablespoon oil. Set aside to cool.

Preheat grill and plate on medium heat.

Grill sausages, turning, for 15 minutes or until just cooked

through. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool slightly.

Grill zucchini, turning, for 6 minutes or until char grilled. Trans-

fer to a plate.

Toss tomatoes in remaining oil.

Thickly slice sausages.

Add sausages, zucchini, tomatoes, rocket and bocconcini to

pasta.

Pour over dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Monday night dinner is taken care of with this easy, budget-friendly salad the whole family will

find satisfying.

“Ask Us Something!”

How do I make Chocolate French Croissants?

Ingredients

2 sheets of pre-made puff pastry (the

ones you buy from the supermarket

and are usually kept next to the refrig-

erator section)

Nutella (as much as you like)

Sea Salt

1 Egg

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C.

Roll out 1 of the sheets of puff pastry (usually they are round, if not, use a large plate to cut it in a round shape)

Starting from the middle, spread the Nutella on the pastry.

Leave an inch from the sides so that no excess Nutella escapes.

Layer the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the other with the Nutella in the middle.

Make sure to seal them together. Use a rolling pin to apply a little pressure and stick them together.

Roll the whole thing up and put in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. This will make sure that the pastries do not sepa-

rate while cooking.

Take the roll out of the freezer and spread flat on

a table.

Cut into triangles starting from the centre. The

best way is to cut the roll into half, then quarters

then cut the quarters into 3 separate triangles.

This will give you at least 12 croissants.

Grab the triangles and elongate a little bit the

sides. Then starting from the edge roll it up so

that the tip will be placed on top, like the ones in

the pictures.

Repeat this process for all the triangles and then

place them into a baking tray.

Egg wash the croissants and sprinkle a little sea

salt on top to make them extra crispy.

Bake them for at least 15 minutes.