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Yumi Stynes

Does the question “What’s for dinner?” make you groan with despair?

Are you lacking both time AND inspiration?

Author Yumi Stynes and cookbook publisher Simon Davis are both busy, love food, and here to help.

In a podcast you can whack on for the drive home from work, you get meal ideas realistic enough to be cooked that night, AND you get laughs while learning more about the food you've been cooking every day.

Easy recipes and cooking hacks that will save you time and get you loving food again. For recipes, videos and laughs, check out: instagram.com/5minutefoodfix/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@5minutefoodfix

And to contact the show: foodfixemail@gmail.com

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5 Minute Food Fix

Yumi kicks off the episode with a confession that SOUNDS bad but if you're an over-worked, under-slept working parent, you probably get it.

And HOW GOOD IS FRESH CHEESE?

Get some inspo for how a little tub of bocconcini could level up tonight's meal XX 

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BOCCONCINI FOR THE WIN

If you've been referred to this podcast because one of your friends knows you like camping - this episode is for you!

Yumi is a keen hiker and so a lot of the food she makes in *normal* life, she's assessing as to whether it could be repurposed as something lightweight and long-lasting that could come on a multi-day hike.

This recipe, from Meera Sodha's wonderful book EAST - delivers. 

Of course, Yumi has to make adjustments, so her version is:

In a HEAVY BASED PAN

Fry up 2 stalks of curry leaves with 2 cinnamon quills, 1.5tsp of finely grated fresh turmeric, 1 lightly bashed lemongrass stalk, cut into 3, tbs black mustard seeds, 2 long red chillies, 1.25tsp salt.

Add a pre-chopped fennel bulb OR onion.

Fry until the onion or fennel is soft.

After 10-15 mins, add in 150g - 200g of dried red lentils, 2 tins of coconut milk and a tin of water. Stir well.

Cook for about 25 - 30 mins until the lentils are soft and creamy.

Top with some crispy fried curry leaves! DELIGHTFUL!

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Curry Leaves - as gift, as hiking food, as delightful garnish

Both your hosts tend to obsess over foods, recipes or ingredients and deep-dive with said specialty before turning to grab a new obsession.

For instance, Yumi (me) right now is in the thick of trying to make the perfect Char Kway Teow (fresh, wok-fried Malaysian noodles that are beyond excellent when done well).

Simon revisits one of his past obsessions, sweet paprika, and is delighted to find a new way to cook with it that is both super-simple, and fast.

The sweet paprika that Simon recommends looks like this.

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Brown Butter Pasta with Smoked Paprika

In this episode, Yumi confronts Simon with something questionable he did with a shot of coffee... And she then razzes him about how she improved his own recipe!

FULLY LOADED PECAN BROWNIES

Line a 20cm square cake tin.

Put the oven on to 180C

Melt in a bowl over hot water 125g chopped butter and 100g dark 85% chocolate,

Remove from heat and allow to sit for a moment.

Quickly add in 3 beaten eggs

300g (1 1/2 cups) white sugar

115g (3/4 cup) plain flour

30g (1/4 cup) Dutch cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Then stir through 180g of pecans. This batter will be very stiff! 

Bake for 30 mins. No less! Be careful not to overdo it and have your nose on HIGH ALERT for any burning smells.

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Upgrading Simon's "Universally Appealing Brownie" recipe

MARMALADE shouldn't be out-of-reach for the average home cook!

And if you LOVE the weird, spreadable, sour, sometimes bitter preserve, then you really must try home-made, because there's nothing as good available to buy in mainstream shops, although Simon does have a few he thinks are "pretty good".

DELICIOUS RUBY BLOOD ORANGE MARMALADE

1.5kg blood oranges

1kg sugar

2tsp agar agar powder (optional)

METHOD

Wash the skin of the blood oranges, remove any stickers and seeds and prepare to get chopping.

Cut off the rough nubby ends of the oranges then halve them, and slice them into crescents slightly thinner than a 20c piece. (Same thickness is fine.) Compost excess pith.

Soak the orange slices overnight in just enough water to cover them.

Next day, sterilise 6-8 jars with metal lids by putting them in a cool oven and then turning it on to 100C for 30 mins.

In a large pot, bring the blood orange slices and their water to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and set a timer for 40 mins. 

When the timer sounds, pour in the sugar. Stir to assist it to dissolve. Set another timer for 40 mins and keep cooking it gently so it's bubbling, but not furiously. 

Now you'll need to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Keep stirring and watch the level of heat so that it doesn't scorch the bottom of the pan.

In the last minute, scatter over the Agar Agar powder and mix through well.

Allow the jam to cool a little - say, 15-20 mins.

Arrange the sterilised jar in your biggest sink. Pour out the marmalade into the jars using a ladle or heatproof jug. Screw the lids on tightly. When the jars are cool enough to handle, wash them clean of spatters and spills.

Add a cute label if you can be bothered.

Store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Serve on toast, with a cheeseboard, on scones or muffins. DELIGHTFUL!

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Yumi spills the secrets to her MARMALADE

I finally got my hands on a copy of Sami Tamimi's FALASTIN - and it's a remarkable cookbook. It's got one of my favourite tomato recipes in the entire world, a rice dish where you use Greek yoghurt almost as a stock to make a creamy white risotto (incredible), and this dish, which I have (since recording) made multiple times. It's easy, really nourishing, and has flavours that transport you to the wonderful culture and food of Sami's homeland.

SESAME CRUMBLE

50g white sesame seeds

25g black sesame seeds

150g rolled oats

50g flaked almonds

sea salt

cardamom seeds, removed from the pods and crushed

50g smooth peanut butter

1 egg white

100g honey

1tbs rose water

2tbs olive oil

Combine and bake at 160g for 18-20 mins, stirring twice.

Serve on top of fruit and yoghurt.

PS. If you want to find out more about the GRANOLA I have perfected (it really is perfect) have a look here - or search for GRANOLA TEMPLATE, episode 295

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A delightful Sesame Crumble

Yumi is still very much hung up on the cookbook that is TOMATO by Clare Thompson, which so far has been yielding a DELIGHTFUL number of heavenly recipes, including the one which inspired her to get into a Black Olive Tapenade...

Because who doesn't love a foodie quest? 

Find a hundred grams of the best pitted black olives you can afford!

Moosh them up with 6 anchovies and a tablespoon of capers and 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a sprig of thyme!

Use a sharp knife, a mortar and pestle, or a nutribullet-sized blender: The results will differ in texture, but will all be delicious!

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Black Olive Tapenade - for Tomato Carpaccio

Utterly thrilled with his work perk of a whole ton of beautiful, fresh pistachio nuts, Simon has gone nuts experimenting with this ingredient.

He's tried nearly everything, but today's dish is far-and-away his favourite:

PISTACHIO TRAY-BAKE CHICKEN

Heat oven to 220C

To make the pistachio paste:

Chop 1 cup of shelled and roasted pistachios with one small bunch parsley. Get it quite well chopped and fine and then into a bowl.

Add zest of 1 lemon, 2 finely grated garlic cloves, a pinch salt, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 3 tbs olive oil.

MIX WELL til you have a chunky paste.

Take a bunch of broccolini and toss with 1tbs of the pistachio paste and set aside

600g boneless, skin-on chicken thighs. Coat them with the remaining pistachio paste.

Pop on tray and roast for 15 mins and then add the greens and roast for another 10 mins or until the greens are cooked and the pistachio crust has gone golden.

Serve with Simon's Lemon Yoghurt. (Greek yoghurt enlivened with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.)

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Pistachio Encrusted Chicken

Yumi is going back to her mother's country with this particular culinary love affair.

Zenzai is the name for Adzuki Beans when they're cooked and sweetened, but still hold their beany shape. There's fantastic info about it on this website which is particularly helpful if you love cooking Japanese food!

Sweetened beans can be a weird concept if you're not accustomed to it - but give it a chance, it's extremely digestible and leaves the body feeling invigorated and powered!

ZENZAI 

200g Adzuki Beans

1 Litre of water

150g brown sugar

pinch salt

Boil the adzuki beans for 45mins. Drain and rinse them well then top them again with fresh cold water and bring back to the boil. Consider how watery/thick you want your finished product to be when you add the water. (Motto: "You can always add more [water, in this case], but you can't take it away!") Cook for 15 mins before adding the sugar and salt. Allow some water to evaporate but not so much that the pan is dry. Check the beans after another 30 mins. You want them soft and yielding. 

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Zenzai Adzuki Beans

Borrowing heavily from Maggie Beer's famous recipe for SOUR CREAM PASTRY, Yumi gets super-inspired in the kitchen and devises a PIE RECIPE for the ages.

SMOKED ALMOND PASTRY

In a food processor, mix 240g plain flour with 30g smoked almonds. Add in 160g chilled, cubed butter and whizz for 20 seconds.

Add in 125g sour cream, and 40g of olive oil and whizz together for 30-50 seconds, until the dough forms a ball.

Get the dough up out of the food processor, and roll into two balls. (If you love metrics, I weigh the base ball to be 340g (bigger) and the lid ball to be 290g.)

Wrap in plastic or beeswax and refrigerate until needed (at least 2 hours, overnight is fine).

FILLING

Dry roast 1 big, cubed sweet potato for 20mins on 180C.

Dry cook 500g baby spinach until it's all wilted. This looks goofy like the pan is overfilled but it shrinks down, be patient and watch it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.

Allow the sweet potato and the spinach to cool.

Combine these ingredients with 500g fresh ricotta, 120g finely grated Grana Padano (I used the microplane) and a pinch of salt.

Mix well.

TO ASSEMBLE

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Roll out the pastry in 2 pieces. 

The larger piece goes into the base of the pie.

If you're prepping ahead, you can stop here and refrigerate the crust. This will also prevent shrinkage!

Fill the pie with your sweet potato-ricotta-spinach mixture.

Top with the lid.

Trim, decorate, get fancy with the edges (or don't) and remember to cut a slit in the lid for steam to escape.

Brush the lid with a whisked egg yolk, a shake of salt and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Bake for 30-40 mins. Serve in fat wodges with a side of tomato sauce.

LOSE YOUR MIND and RELISH THE LEFTOVERS!

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Yumi's Showstopping Spinach, Ricotta and Sweet Potato Pie

What is a Tarka? Simon explains and there's a really good picture of what it looks like on top of a daal here.

CASHEW SPICE TARKA

1/4 cashews

1 tbs ginger

2 sprigs curry leaves

1/4 tsp nigella seeds

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

Meera Sodha's 

1 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp mustard seed

1 long green chilli

curry leaves, all fried in smoking hot oil

QUICK NO-FRY BASIC RED LENTIL DAAL

1 small Spanish onion, thinly sliced

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 tbs grated ginger

1 tsp grated garlic

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 cinnamon quill

300g red lentils

600ml water

ADD EVERYTHING TO A POT, PRESSURE COOKER or SLOW COOKER and cook for about 40 mins. Add salt and pepper. Then top with a Tarka of your choice!

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How to add interest (and spice) to a curry

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