Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Food and Cookery Column with Carol Taylor – #Horseradish

Welcome to Wednesday’s Cookery column on Smorgasbord and thank you for all your kind comments on Peppercorns I am now trying to get hold of the Tasmanian peppercorn called Pepper berries which are said to be 10 times hotter than the black peppercorn…I saw these last week on MKR which I love watching… anyway I waffle and this week I am showcasing the Horseradish root which I love and also which I can get here…Happy Days!

The horseradish is one of my favourites it goes with so much and really elevates the flavour and although I don’t eat very much beef at all…Beef and horseradish are one of my favourite combinations.

The horseradish is part of the brassicaceae family alongside wasabi, broccoli, mustard and cabbages. Closer to wasabi and mustard when the horseradish root is sliced the enzymes which are released when the plant cells break down produce sinigrin which releases mustard oil.

N.B. As a prior horse owner horseradish is poisonous to horses.

That ugly looking root is also a powerhouse and has many health benefits is low in calories and has no fat only 2 calories per tsp.

Sold ready- made, just grated in jars or buy the root and make your own… Horseradish is native to South East Europe and West Asia and is still mainly planted and harvested by hand, powerful and pungent it is a little bit like Marmite you either love it or hate it!

Paired with beets it is very nice , added to mash potatoes, potato salad, a cheese sauce it has so many uses it is also sometimes added to pickles to add some firmness and a little “ nip”

This next recipe is frozen and can be kept in the freezer until needed… all of these recipes are very quick to put together and can be mad in advance.

Frozen Horseradish Cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 2 tbsp of prepared horseradish
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp of fresh dill finely chopped

Let’s Cook!

Whip the cream until it has thickened and then fold in the other ingredients. Put the mixture in the centre of some oiled waxed paper and use the paper to roll the mix into a cylinder about 1 ½ inched round. Put into the freezer once frozen it is ready to use.
When needed slice into ¼ inch slices and use to top steak, fish or vegetables. Return unused portion to the freezer.

Did you know that in Germany horseradish schnapps is still brewed and also some people still add it to their beer???

I add it to my Bloody Mary and I will also gift you my favourite tried and very rigorously tested recipe.

Carol’s Bloody Mary

Ingredients:

• 3 ¼ cups of tomato juice
• 1 ¼ cups of vodka ( or thereabouts) Hic
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp horseradish
• 2 tsp Tabasco sauce or peril peril sauce
• 2 tsp lea & Perrins sauce ( Worcestershire sauce)
• ½ tsp celery salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 stalks of celery with leaves.

Let’s Brew!

Combine everything together in a jug or cocktail shaker and TASTE… this is where I adjust and give it a tweak or two…I make my own tomato juice and as tomatoes vary so does the TASTE….It is a fine art and needs much testing to get this just right …
Chill in the fridge until required… this recipe makes about 6 glasses.

To serve.

Add some ice to a chilled glass and fill with the Bloody Mary mix…pop in your celery stick and a slice of lime and or some olives and if you are feeling really ….well.. If you have some bacon to use up then crisp it up and stick a slice in with the celery… Anything goes when I am making cocktails.

Enjoy!

Did you know??

In England horseradish used to be named “redcole” and our American cousins used to call it “stingnose? It is very pungent and if you take a sniff it can or will make your eyes water and in the South of America it was rubbed on the forehead to relieve headaches so maybe the connection to the name is there.

Horseradish Sauce.

Ingredients:

• ½ oz freshly grated horseradish, soaked in 2 tbsp hot water.
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• A pinch of English mustard powder (optional)
• A pinch of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 fl oz double cream, lightly whipped.

Let’s Cook!

Drain the soaked horseradish and mix with other ingredients. Chill until ready to use. This sauce can be used in any recipes which ask for prepared horseradish.

Smoked Trout, Horseradish and Apple.

Ingredients:

•  8 oz smoked trout with all skin and bones removed.
•  1 cup sour cream
•  ¼ cup prepared horseradish
•  1 clove garlic finely chopped
•  2 tbsp Olive oil
•  1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
•  2 tbsp spring onions finely chopped
•  1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
•  ¼ tsp salt
•  1 desert apple peeled, cored and finely chopped
•  A pinch cayenne pepper

Let’s Cook!

In a small bowl whisk the cream, horseradish, garlic, oil and vinegar together until well blended. Add the spring onions, parsley, salt and cayenne pepper and mix well.

Gently fold in the apple and the trout…Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with crackers or as crostini.

Enjoy!

Another sauce I make with horseradish is this one and it is lovely spread over meat in a sandwich or used as a glaze or when mixed with cream cheese used as a burger relish or hotdog topping it is awesome.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of grated horseradish (soaked as above)
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp of honey
• 6 oz cream cheese (optional)

Let’s Cook!

Drain your horseradish and mix all the ingredients together with or without the cheese it is lovely hot and spicy.

Another lovely addition is grating a couple of apples into your prepared horseradish and

Enjoy!

What do you make with horseradish??

Until next week have fun, stay warm and upright (if) you have snow and laugh a lot xxx

The other posts in the series can be found in this directory: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/carol-taylors-food-and-cookery-column-2018/

About Carol Taylor

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetables ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use have to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology:  https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

New additional Blog: http://myhealthyretirement.com/welcome-to-orienthailiving-my-first-post/

Blog: https://blondieaka.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

If you have missed previous posts in the Cook from Scratch series you can find them here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/cook-from-scratch-with-sally-and-carol-recipes/

Looking forward to your comments and any questions that you have for Carol, and it would be great if you could hit a few share buttons..thanks Sally