Author: PK
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Gram Flour
Gram flour (also called Besan Flour) is a high fiber flour made from ground chickpeas. It is used in many Indian dishes and unsurprisingly has the same nutty bean taste as a chickpea.
In India and the region it used in everything from snacks to main dishes to deserts. Did you know that Gram flour is used to make papadums?
Here I am heating it in oil to thicken and flavour an Indian soup called Chicken Shorba.
I have some recipes using this type of flour in the links below.
Dietary Info: Great for vegans and contains no gluten.
Enjoy,
PK
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USING GRAM FLOUR (BESAN FLOUR)
MORE INDIAN CUISINE
THE FULL GICICI INGREDIENTS LIST
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Growing Oyster Mushrooms At Home
If you have ever thought about growing your own mushrooms but thought it was too time consuming or difficult, rest assured. I bought an oyster mushroom grow bag from David Proudmore (Swan Valley Gourmet Fungi) when I was at the FarmersMarket: Manning – Perth.
I want to share how easy and fun it was. It is also exceptionally cheap!!
The only problem was working out what to do with all the mushrooms. I had to share a lot of them with my friends and family and see the bottom of the post for recipe ideas. 🙂
Their instruction sheet was simple to follow and the bag was already pinning (showing early signs the fungi was fruiting). They say you should get at least 2 and hopefully 3 blooms or flushes of mushrooms from the same bag.
I cut the bag where indicated and then put it in a plastic tub (no lid) lined with moist newspaper.
This is the first bloom:
I then changed the newspaper, cut off little bits of failed/stunted pins, put the bag back on and let the kit rest. During this time I didn’t mist but I did keep an eye out for bugs and mould.
So far I had harvest almost 1.3kg of mushrooms from 2 main bouquets and several smaller ones and was looking forward to the next bloom.
When on day 21 the bag started pinning again I started misting.
I will add to this post until the bag is finished and then I will compost it. I will also be posting how you can grow several types of mushroom on coffee grounds. The process starts by placing the bottom part of an mushroom stem in a jar of coffee grounds!
Enjoy,
PK
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USING OYSTER MUSHROOMS
MUSHROOM DISHES
GROWING MUSHROOMS
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Gourmet Hot Dogs In 15 Minutes
It doesn’t take much to turn your humble snag in a bun into something a bit fancy.
We are a bit hooked on the concept and just like we do for tacos and wraps, my family puts everything in the middle of the table and then you build your own hot dog.
Here are a few examples but the sky is the limit. 🙂
Sausage, melted cheese, chilies and BBQ sauce?
Smashed avo and carrot?
Or maybe some egg and coriander?
Yum!
Enjoy,
PK
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15 MINUTE MEALS
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GICICI Foto Friday 21 September 2018
Here are my favourite photos from the week gone. 🙂
In the kitchen:
In the garden:
Out and about:
Enjoy and feel free to use any of these images,
PK
Related Links:
- Please see more of my favourite photos here.
Please consider subscribing to a weekly email summary of our posts or check us out on Facebook @growitcatchitcookit.
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PK’s Simple Tom Kha Gai
My way of making Tom Kha, a Thai coconut, chicken and galangal soup, one bowl at a time is great if you have a family with widely different stands on what they will or won’t eat. For example, I love tomatoes, mushrooms and spring onions so I use lots of them in my bowl. My lads don’t so they get more mushrooms, carrot and corn.
It is also great when you have your friends over for lunch or dinner. Simply put a big pot of soup on the table with the vegetables and rice separate and everyone can build their own bowl. Don’t forget slices of lime, chopped Thai chilies and extra fish sauce. 🙂
Note: I think this makes enough soup for 2 hungry adults.
Steps
- Preparing the ingredients
- Bringing the soup to the boil
- Serving
Ingredients
- 1 poached chicken breast
- 1 small coriander plant (roots and leaves), whole
- 1 chunk of fresh galangal, bruised
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
- 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce for the pot and 1 Tbsp for each serving bowl
- 1 Tbsp lime juice for the pot and 1 Tbsp for each serving bowl
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 Thai chiles, sliced (optional but encouraged)
- Your personal choice of vegetables
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Equipment
- 1 chef’s knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 saucepan/soup pot
Preparing the ingredients
- Cut your poached chicken breast into cubes or slices.
- Bruise the galangal chunk and the lemongrass stalk and add to the pot.
- Bruise the kaffir lime leaves, or like I have put little tears in the edges to release the flavour better, and add to the pot.
- Add one small coriander plant.
- Add:
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 Thai chiles (optional)
Bringing the soup to the boil
- Let everything come to a boil really slowly to infuse all the flavours. I don’t move it very often and then only a gentle swirl.
- Once you have a gentle boil, turn the heat down a bit and add the poached chicken.
- Cook until the chicken is safely warmed through but not for too long or it will go stringy.
Serving
- Build up a bowl of your favourite vegetables and add 1 Tbsp fish sauce and 1 Tbsp lime juice.
- Add some chicken and then add as much soup as you want (liquid only, the rest stays behind).
- Provide your guests with some cooked rice, slices of lime, extra chiles and fish sauce.
Enjoy,
PK
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MORE THAI DISHES
MORE ASIAN CUISINE
CHICKEN DISHES
MORE SOUP POSTS
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GICICI Foto Friday 14 September 2018
Here are my favourite photos from the week gone. 🙂
In the kitchen:
In the garden:
Out and about:
Just some of the amazing food served up by the friendly staff at The Bada Bing Cafe.
Enjoy and feel free to use any of these images,
PK
Related Links:
- Please see more of my favourite photos here.
Please consider subscribing to a weekly email summary of our posts or check us out on Facebook @growitcatchitcookit.
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PK’s Easy Oyster Mushroom Omelette
I have to admit to being an omelette novice. So I went on the hunt for some help.
I learnt so much from watching two amazing youtube videos. One is by Jamie Oliver and the other by a chef I have only just stumbled upon called Jacques Pépin. I have attached their videos to the bottom of this post.
As I have a overwhelming amount of oyster mushrooms I decided to test my new knowledge with them. Practice makes perfect but I don’t mind as the not so good ones taste amazing too. 🙂
The Technique
The oyster mushrooms easily split/peel into nice little strips. I then cooked them quickly in some oil and butter.
I then whisked 2 eggs for about one minute. You really want to mix the white into the yolk but you don’t need to over do it either.
I then melted some butter in my fry pan. Note that I am using one that has curved sides as this helps when you come to fold the omelette over.
I added the egg and slowly moved the curds around using a spoon. I always thought you just left the egg alone until it ‘set’ and then flipped it. The liquid egg will move into the spots left behind by you moving the curds, forming more curds. This process gives the omelette a creamier texture.
Once you get the egg cooked to your liking (some like it runnier than others) stuff the omelette with the mushrooms and fold it over.
Then serve. 🙂
Cooked through but still lovely and creamy on the inside.
Please watch the master chefs’ videos below.
Enjoy,
PK
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DISHES USING EGGS
OYSTER MUSHROOMS
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15 MINUTE MEALS
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Homemade Fruit Fly Traps
It is that time of year when the fruit flies are buzzing around my compost bins and worm farms in droves. This is despite me covering the top layer of kitchen scraps in both with a layer of newspaper to reduce the infestation.
So, this year I decided to try making homemade traps. I asked my crack team of little assistants to each make a different trap and then we trialed them out in my shed next to my mushrooms growing crates and with the door closed.
Both trap types consisted of a jar, liquid bait, a method of letting the flies in but not out and an elastic band. My assistants both made traps using cider vinegar and detergent (this stops the flies being able to sit on the liquid indefinitely).
However for the one way entrance, one lad used plastic film with some skewer holes in it, the other a cone made from some scrap paper. I made one of the former myself and put it next to my worm farm.
You can’t see in this photo but after 1 hour they both type of trap had several dead flies in them. Just as well as the competition to see who got the most flies had heated up. 🙂
This is my one in the same time frame but next to the worm farms.
So, both traps work really well. I would say though that the plastic film version holds up better outside if you are expecting rain. If you are careful you can reuse the film again and again. Indoors
Enjoy,
PK
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ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BUG CONTROL
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Paul’s Oyster Mushrooms With Olive Oil And Garlic
I gave Paul a bunch of oyster mushrooms the other day and this is what he did with them.
Ingredients: oyster mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt & pepper
In a hot wok, drizzle some olive and throw the mushrooms in and let it sizzle. During this stage don’t stir the mushroom around as you want to get a golden colour all round and reduce the water content to increase flavour.
After a couple of minutes give them a flip and let it sizzle for a couple more minutes then add in chopped garlic and parley, give it a toss and season to taste.
If you want, drop a knob of butter to add more flavour, stir, serve and munch.😀
Enjoy,
Paul
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
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MUSHROOM DISHES
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15 MINUTE MEALS
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Japanese Mayonnaise
This rich and creamy Japanese mayonnaise is just like its best friend, Japanese Roasted Sesame Dressing, in that it goes well with almost everything. It sweet, tangy and thick.
I love it with salads, crumbed meat, seafood and of course noodle and rice dishes. It is a must have when I have sushi. 🙂
I also love how it holds its shape, allowing for a bit of flourish when serving.
I have some serving suggestions for you and recipes using this dressing in the links below.
Dietary Info: Contains MSG
Enjoy,
PK
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
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THE FULL GICICI INGREDIENTS LIST
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