Kitchen tips

I had to share these with you! Did you know that Jamie Oliver has a new series of programs called '15 minute meals'? I watch them daily because this man inspires me to like cooking! From two programs, heres what I have learned:

- Now and again we can all eat a Rump steak, right? When you buy your meat, make sure you buy it THICK, don't buy the thin slivers! Why? Because they will cook right through too quickly. This is how he did it. He put oil into his pan which he has on full gas - he sprinkles the board with salt, pepper and 5-spice (which I believe is Ginger, paprika, coriander, curry and cumin, could be wrong...) and puts the meat into the spice which picks it up on both sides. Then he puts it into the hot oil and turns EVERY MINUTE for four  or five minutes. This is too avoid the moisture that forms on the bottom of the meat dampening the oil.
Yesterday I noticed that the shops sold thin slivers of Rump steak - which is odd, living here in a cuisine country!

- Second tip was how he savored his chicken filets. He put four or five on kitchen paper. Sprinkled salt and pepper over them and fresh Rosemary. Then he closed the kitchen paper over the top of the meat, and bashed the filets lightly with a roller pin. Why? So that the rosemary gets 'bashed' into the meat to give it more flavor. Liked that one!

Thirdly I noticed that he slices his asparagus with a potato peeler and eats them raw, on salads. Never knew you could eat them raw, but it is logic! I love raw mushrooms too.

Fourthly, he was preparing a salad with that very thin angel hair pasta. He doesn't boil it in a pan of water. He put hot water from the kettle into a bowl and puts the pasta into it for three to four minutes to swell before its ready.

To save time with a potato dish, he slices them in his Kitchen machine, peel and all, cooks them for 3-4 minutes and they are ready to go into the oven together with onions and cream!

To remove the stalk of a Paprika, just push it in and then pull it out!

Never use oil or butter in a griddle pan - the beauty of it is that the meat cooks in its own fat, which is healthier.

Such a clever man, I really like him.