GRAINS OF PARADISE: HEALTH BENEFITS OF GRAINS OF PARADISE, USES AND HISTORY: RECIPE RAS EL HANOUT, SPICE MIXTURE

GRAINS OF PARADISE, AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA

Grains of Paradise have been traded since the 9^th century, and were very popular in Europe. They come from West Africa and were taken across the Sahara Desert by intrepid spice traders. They were used as a pepper substitute as they were cheaper than peppercorns, although now they are a rare commodity in Europe, and more expensive than pepper. There are actually two plants which produce these seeds or grains, Aframomum melegueta and Aframomum granum paradisi. They are also known as Guinea grains and Alligator pepper. The seeds are red-brown and have irregular shapes.

   They come from the same family as ginger and the plant looks a little like the one that produces cardamom seeds. They have a peppery flavour with hints of ginger, cardamom and citrus, and are faintly flowery. You can chew them to freshen your breath and get the full delightful flavour. You can put them in your pepper grinder with black pepper and use them as a condiment, which will give foods added interest. They are used in Ras el Hanout which means Top of the Shop, a Moroccan spice mixture which we give below. They are good to flavour vegetables and go well with potatoes, aubergines, pumpkins and okra. They are also good ground and rubbed into chicken or meat before it is cooked. Try some on your steak. They should be ground and added to dishes about 15 minutes before they are cooked to get the full flavour from them.

   The seeds and rhizomes are used in West Africa in traditional herbal medicines, and are reputedly aphrodisiacs, stimulants and diuretics. Studies carried out on lab rats support the idea that they increase the libido (in rats) and that they can reduce pain and inflammation so may be good to treat arthritis. However they have yet to be tested on humans.

  They were used to flavour the old wine, Hippocras along with cardamoms and ginger, and Gerard, the English herbalist, recommends them to be taken with “Sacke “for stomach problems. They are used in Scandinavian countries to flavour aquavit, and are one of the ingredients of Bombay Sapphire gin, and are used in the brewing of some beers.

   In 1629 they were used by the inhabitants of Norwich in north eastern England to flavour herring pies. They were one of Elizabeth I’s favourite spices and were very popular in the Renaissance. This may be because the wily traders gave them the exotic name of Grains of Paradise in the 14^th century as a marketing ploy so that they could make more money from their sale. In the 12^th century they were half the price of pepper, so clearly traders felt they were not making enough money out of them. 

   The spice mixture below can be added to meat dishes, especially those that have lamb as a main ingredient, but they perk up almost every dish.

RAS EL HANOUT

Ingredients

This recipe makes ½ a cup of spice mixture and you can add coriander seeds, or other spices of your choice to it

2 tbsps grains of paradise

¼ cup cinnamon or cassia pieces

2 tsps ground ginger

2 tbsps turmeric

1 tbsp black peppercorns

2 tsps cardamom seeds (husks removed and discarded)

2 tsps cloves

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Method

Dry fry the spices to release their aroma, then grind together and store in an airtight jar.

This spice powder will keep for up to 6 months.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

  

HOW TO MAKE SPICY FISH FINGERS: EASY AND TASTY RECIPE

SPICY FISH FINGERS

Ingredients

1 kilo boneless fish cut into strips

5 tbsps besan (chick pea flour)

5 tbsps cornflour

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp garam masala

salt to taste

2 eggs

oil for frying

Method

Clean the fish and wash then strain well.

Put the besan in a bowl together with the cornflour, spices and pastes and mix well with a very little water. Now add the eggs and stir well to make a batter.

Cover the fish with the batter mixture on all sides and leave for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry the fish, for 5 minutes (approximately).

Remove the fish fingers, dry on absorbent paper and serve with chips (French fries) etc.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

HOW TO MAKE DELICIOUS PRAWNS IN TEN MINUTES

TEN - MINUTE PRAWNS

Ingredients

250 gr prawns, shelled and de-veined

100 gr mushrooms, chopped

4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano or ajwain

2 tbsps brandy

freshly ground black pepper

single cream for garnish

prawn stock

olive oil for frying

Method

Heat the olive oil in a pan, and add the garlic, mushrooms and prawns. Stir well and continue stirring for 5 mins, then add the other ingredients apart from the cream (or natural yoghurt). Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve on toast with a swirl of cream.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

RUE HERB ( RUTA GRAVEOLENS): HEALTH BENEFITS OF RUE HERB USES AND HISTORY: RUE CHEESE DIP

RUE, RUTA GRAVEOLENS

Rue is a herb that was known to the ancients and used to ward off spells and witches. Perhaps this was because of its strong smell which isn’t exactly pleasant. It originated in Southern Europe, and is believed to have been yet another of those herbs that was introduced to Britain by the Romans. It grows wild in Britain in northern England, but this plant was not much used in medicine as its smell is even more pungent than Garden Rue, which has been grown in gardens for centuries for its medicinal properties. Its Latin name “graveolens” comes from gravis meaning heavy and olere meaning smell. Ruta comes from the Greek, reuo meaning to set free, and this may be a reference to the fact that rue was highly esteemed and thought to rid the body of a great number of ailments.

   Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, used rue as the principle ingredient of an antidote to the poison of Mithradates Eupator and it was thought by ancient Greeks to be able to ward off witchcraft as they used it when eating with strangers as it stopped nervous stomach complaint and indigestion, which, they believed were induced by the witchcraft of strangers they ate in front of.

    Pliny wrote that artists and sculptors consumed a lot of rue in the belief that it would help keep their eyesight in perfect shape.

     Gerard the English herbalist tells us that Dioscorides believed that rue grew best under the shade of the fig tree. In fact rue likes to grow in sheltered spots. He went on to say this about the plant: - “if a man be anointed with the juice o rue, the poison of wolf’s bane, mushrooms and todestoles, the bites of serpents, stinging of scorpions, bees, hornets and wasps will not hurt him”.

     Rue water was sprinkled in houses to rid them of fleas and lice, and in the Middle Ages people would carry a bunch of rue when they went out to ward off the plague and other diseases. Judges would take it into court rooms with them so that they were not contaminated by the prisoners brought to the dock. People thought that the strong smell of the plant could kill diseases that were contagious.

     Rue is also known as the Herb of Repentance possibly because brushes of rue twigs were used to sprinkle holy water in churches before High Mass. It was also called Herb of Grace.

      Shakespeare makes reference to this in Richard III: -

        “Here in this place

          I’ll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace;

          Rue, even for ruth, shall shortly here be seen,

          In the remembrance of a weeping queen.”

Again in Hamlet, he has Ophelia say in Act 4 sc 5:-

         “There’s fennel for you and columbine; there’s rue

            for you, and here’s some for me; we may call it

            herb-grace o’Sundays. O you must wear your rue with

            a difference. There’s a daisy: I would give you

            some violets, but they withered all when my father

            died; they say he made a good death.”

Here Shakespeare gives rue the meaning of regret as well as the name of the herb.

   Dikes of Saxony used rue as a symbol of honour and the Order of the Rutenkrone (Crown of Rue) was bestowed on Queen Elizabeth II’s father. In Britain rue has been used since the middle of the 17^th century in the Collar of the Order of the Thistle in Britain.

   The expressed juice of rue was once used to cure earache, but rue must be treated with caution and it is not advisable to use it without a doctor’s supervision as it can have violent side-effects and induce vomiting. It has been used to bring about abortions and acts on the uterine muscles. It is a useful anti-spasmodic though when you get stomach cramps and it has been used as an emmenogogue to regulate the menstrual blood flow. Pregnant and breast-feeding women should avoid using it.

   A tisane can be made from the young tops of the rue plant- 1 ounce of tops to 1 pint of boiling water, left to steep for 15 minutes. This is a good antispasmodic and can be used to calm anyone who is hysterical. Rue has sedative properties. Culpeper recommended it to be applied externally to relieve joint pains, especially those connected with sciatica. The bruised leaves should be applied to the painful area. You can make a hot poultice with the leaves and apply it to the chest to relieve chronic bronchitis too. The plant contains rutin which supports and strengthens the inner walls of blood vessels and helps reduce blood pressure. Fresh leaves can be bruised and applied to the forehead and temples to get rid of headaches and the juice will prevent nightmares and help with nervous conditions. Chewing a leaf has the same effects as chewing kalvanji or Nigella sativa seeds; this will relieve nervous headaches and prevent giddiness.

   The whole herb can be used in poultices but the most potent part of the plant is the top, picked before it flowers.

   The recipe below has been adapted from a recipe used by the Romans.

RUE CHEESE DIP

Ingredients

½ bulb of garlic, peeled and finely minced

4 oz crumbly Feta cheese

2 celery stalks, finely minced with hard veins removed

½ bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely minced

½ bunch of rue leaves, finely minced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsps white wine vinegar

black pepper

Method

Make a creamy paste with the Feta cheese by pounding it with a little olive oil. Blend all the other ingredients then add the Feta to the blender with the rest of the olive oil and the wine vinegar.

Store in the fridge until you are ready to use it. (Leave to stand for 15 minutes if you want to serve it almost immediately.) It is best to keep it overnight for best results.

This has Taste and is a Treat.