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Damper: Make a simple Australian bush bread using self-rising flour, salt, and water, traditionally cooked over a campfire.

Introduction: The Australian Bush Bread, Damper

Damper is a traditional Australian bread that has been a staple of the country’s cuisine for centuries. This bread was originally created by the early settlers who lived in the outback, where access to fresh bread was limited. The damper is made from a simple combination of flour, salt, and water, and is cooked over a campfire. This bread is easy to make and is perfect for camping trips, outdoor gatherings, or as a side dish for a hearty meal.

Ingredients: Self-Rising Flour, Salt, and Water

The ingredients for making damper are simple and easy to find. Self-rising flour is the key ingredient for this bread, as it contains baking powder, which helps the bread to rise. You will also need salt to enhance the flavor of the bread. Finally, you will need water to mix the dough. The amount of each ingredient you need will depend on how much bread you want to make.

For a basic recipe, you will need two cups of self-rising flour, one teaspoon of salt, and one cup of water. Mix the ingredients together until they form a dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth. You can add additional ingredients like cheese, bacon, or herbs to the dough to add extra flavor to the bread.

Method: Cooking Damper Over a Campfire

To cook the damper, you will need to have a campfire or a fire pit. The traditional method of cooking damper is to wrap the dough in foil and place it in the coals of the fire. Alternatively, you can place the dough on a stick or a metal skewer and cook it over the fire.

Cook the damper for about 30 minutes or until it is cooked through. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Once the damper is cooked, remove it from the fire and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. This bread is best served warm with butter or jam.

In conclusion, making damper is a fun and easy way to experience traditional Australian cuisine. With just a few simple ingredients and a campfire, you can create a delicious and hearty bread that is perfect for any outdoor gathering. Give this recipe a try and enjoy the taste of the Australian outback.

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Australia

Salt and Pepper Squid: Coat tender squid rings in a seasoned flour mixture and deep-fry until crispy and golden.

Introduction: Discover the Perfect Recipe for Salt and Pepper Squid

Succulent and tender, salt and pepper squid is a popular Chinese seafood dish that has made its way to restaurants all around the world. The dish is characterized by crispy, golden-brown squid rings seasoned with salt and pepper. This delectable treat is perfect as an appetizer or as a main dish with steamed rice.

Making salt and pepper squid is not as difficult as it may seem. With the right ingredients and a little bit of patience, you too can recreate this restaurant-style dish at home. In this article, we will take you through the steps to cook up a batch of crispy and flavorful salt and pepper squid.

Ingredients and Preparation: Coat Squid Rings in a Seasoned Flour Mixture for Best Results

The first step in making salt and pepper squid is to gather all the necessary ingredients. You will need 500 grams of cleaned squid rings, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder. You will also need vegetable oil for deep-frying.

To prepare the squid rings, first, rinse them under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, black pepper, and five-spice powder. Coat the squid rings in the flour mixture, making sure each ring is evenly coated.

Cooking Instructions: Achieve Crispy and Golden Squid Rings with Deep-Frying Method

To cook the squid rings, heat up a pot of vegetable oil to 180°C (350°F). Carefully drop the squid rings into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry the squid rings for 2-3 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the squid rings from the pot and place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Season the squid rings with a little bit of extra salt and black pepper, and serve them hot with a side of sweet chili sauce.

In conclusion, salt and pepper squid is a delicious and easy-to-make recipe that is perfect for seafood lovers. By following these simple steps, you can achieve crispy and golden-brown squid rings every time. So, fire up that stove and get ready to impress your family and friends with your very own salt and pepper squid!

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Australia

Anzac Biscuits: Combine oats, flour, coconut, and golden syrup to make these traditional Aussie biscuits.

What are Anzac Biscuits?

Anzac biscuits are a traditional Australian biscuit that has its roots in the First World War. The biscuits were originally baked by the wives and mothers of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who were fighting in Gallipoli. The biscuits are made from a combination of oats, flour, coconut, and golden syrup, and are known for their hard texture and long shelf life.

Ingredients and Recipe for Anzac Biscuits

To make Anzac biscuits, you will need the following ingredients:

  • 1 cup of rolled oats
  • 1 cup of plain flour
  • 1 cup of desiccated coconut
  • ¾ cup of brown sugar
  • 125g of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of golden syrup
  • 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tablespoons of boiling water

To make the biscuits, preheat your oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, coconut, and brown sugar. In a saucepan, melt the butter and golden syrup together over a low heat. In a small bowl, mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water, and then add it to the melted butter and golden syrup mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll the mixture into balls and place them on the baking tray, flattening them slightly. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

History and Significance of Anzac Biscuits

Anzac biscuits are named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of the First World War. The biscuits were originally known as “Soldier’s Biscuits” as they were made by the women back home and sent to the soldiers as a form of care package. The biscuits were designed to have a long shelf life and survive the journey to Gallipoli. Today, Anzac biscuits are a symbol of remembrance for those who have served in the armed forces and are commonly eaten on Anzac Day, which is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand.

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Food

Flour – Information, Tips and Home Remedies

The term flour is derived from the Old High German Melo and belongs to the same word family as grinding. Today, flour generally refers to the powder that results from grinding cereal grains. It can be obtained from many different grains or even other foods such as potatoes or seeds.

Flour – an all-rounder

In this country, the term is primarily used to describe types of flour made from grain, the most common types being wheat, spelled, and rye flour. These varieties are divided into different quality levels, which are identified by numbers.

  1. Wheat flour type 405: very light flour with good baking properties, mild taste
  2. Rye flour type 1370: darker flour, suitable for rye slices of bread
  3. Wholegrain flour does not have a number but is marked as such.

The higher the number, the less processed the flour is and the more vitamins and minerals it contains.

Tips and home remedies

Whole wheat flour is the best choice for a healthy diet. Due to its complex carbohydrates, this serves as the basic component of a high-fiber whole food diet. Examples:

Be careful when there is a lot of flour dust in the air: this “mixture” is very flammable, so open fire should be avoided.

Effect and use in the household

Flour is an important ingredient in many pasta products, even serving as a base for bakers to calculate the amounts of other ingredients. Flour binds liquid and gives the dough its firmer consistency.

  • The individual types of flour are used for different baked goods. Wheat flour is well suited for sweet pastries and cakes, while slightly savory rye flour is often the basis for bread dough. In addition, the white powder is very suitable for binding sauces.
  • For a so-called roux, fat is heated and flour is added, then the mixture is deglazed with water or broth and boiled.
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health

Daily White Flour Products? A Study Reveals Shocking Results

A warm roll from the bakery can sweeten the morning for many. But experts now advise caution, because the white flour rolls that many of us like to eat are not healthy for us in the long run. We explain what the concerns about the white flour diet are all about.

Higher blood pressure from white flour

According to the analysis, people who ate more than 350 grams of white flour products per day had a 27 percent higher risk of premature death than those who ate less than 50 grams of refined grains per day. Higher refined grain intake was also consistently associated with higher blood pressure.

Although white rice is also a refined grain, the researchers could not find any increased risk here.

Even in the group with the highest consumption of more than 450 grams per day, there was no increased risk of premature mortality or a heart attack.

Replace white flour products with whole grain products

The study only demonstrated an association but did not examine the underlying causes of the association. For this reason, the analysis provides only indications, but no definitive causality. However, there are good possible reasons for this association.

The researchers advise replacing white flour products with whole grain cereals. With whole grain products, the whole grain is processed, making the products more nutritious. They are richer in protein, fiber, B vitamins, and many other nutrients that may help lower blood pressure, reduce gum disease, boost the immune system, and help manage weight.

White flour products contain mostly simple carbohydrates and are very starchy. After consumption, blood sugar rises rapidly and leads to high glucose concentrations in the blood. Over time, these fluctuations in blood sugar can lead to weight gain and, in the worst case, diabetes.

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Cooking Tips

Baking With Coconut Flour: How to Bake Gluten-Free and Low Carb

Coconut flour is gluten-free, high in fiber and low in carbohydrates. We explain what is important when baking with coconut flour and what you should pay attention to.

Coconut flour can be an alternative to wheat flour. Those with celiac disease and a sensitive digestive system will equally benefit from coconut flour. It is gluten-free, low-carb, high-fiber, low-fat and cholesterol-free. It is used in a variety of healthy recipes. For example in cakes, smoothies, sauces, soups, spreads and desserts.

To obtain coconut flour, the fresh flesh of the coconut is dried, de-oiled and then ground into flour. Since coconut flour has traveled a long way and the coconuts used are usually harvested and processed by hand, it is important that you use fair, organic products.

In most recipes you cannot substitute coconut flour 1:1. This is mainly because coconut flour is very absorbent. One option is to replace just a portion of the wheat or whole wheat flour with coconut flour. You can easily replace a quarter of the flour with coconut flour without having to change the rest of the recipe. But there are also ways to completely replace the flour.

A commonly mentioned variant is to add one egg for every 30 grams of coconut flour. Depending on the quantity, however, this can lead to a fairly high number of eggs, which unfortunately neutralizes the positive property of coconut flour to be low in cholesterol. Another option is to increase the liquid content. You have to add water, oil and (plant) milk accordingly until the dough has the desired consistency.

The easiest way is to look for recipes that are specifically tailored to use coconut flour. We show you how to bake delicious brownies with coconut flour.

Baking brownies with coconut flour: the ingredients

The brownies are not only gluten-free, but also vegan and sugar-free. This makes them ideal for a vegan or gluten-free diet. You need the following ingredients:
115 g ground almonds
30 g coconut flour
60 grams of cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
140 g agave syrup
120 g vegetable margarine
7 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Bake brownies gluten-free

Mix almonds, coconut flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a bowl.
Mix the margarine and agave syrup together until the mixture is foamy.
Add the applesauce to the margarine and agave syrup while stirring.
Now stir in the dry ingredients.
Place the batter in a springform pan or on a small baking sheet.
Bake the whole thing at 175 °C top/bottom heat for about 40 minutes.
Let the cake cool down well and then cut it into pieces.

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Food

White Flour: Why You Shouldn’t Eat It Anymore

White flour is a classic baking ingredient – but you should avoid it. But whole grain isn’t necessarily a better choice, experts say. We show when you should use which flour.

Type 405 white flour is probably the most commonly used type of flour. It is considered fattening and is said to make you addicted and even infertile. Although many of the myths about white flour have now been debunked, it should still be removed from the menu. Because there are much better alternatives.

White flour under criticism

White flour is ground flour (usually from wheat), i.e. only the inside of the grain. The inside also contains all the calories.

The miller, on the other hand, sifts out the edges and seedlings of the grain. However, they contain valuable fiber, vitamins, minerals and healthy unsaturated fatty acids.

The body converts white flour into sugar very quickly – its glycemic index is very high. This means that glucose enters the blood very quickly and the blood sugar level rises by leaps and bounds. The blood sugar level drops just as quickly, however, since the sugar only lasts for a short time. Then food cravings follow, because the body wants to increase the blood sugar level again.

Products made from white flour therefore have a lot of calories, do not keep you full for long and make you hungry again. If you then turn to white flour products again, you will supply your body with even more calories.

According to studies, eating a lot of white flour can promote obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and joint damage.
However, the health consequences also depend on the rest of your diet and lifestyle.
The intestinal flora should also be able to influence how white flour affects health (study).
In a study involving more than 80 subjects, researchers also showed that the body can utilize 100 more calories from wholemeal flour than from white flour. This corresponds to a walk of about 30 minutes. Dark bread provides our body with more energy than light bread.

Avoid white flour and use whole grains

The best alternative to white flour is wholemeal flour (wholemeal wheat flour is also good). Wholemeal spelled flour is even better because it contains more nutrients than wheat products. Wholegrain rye flour contains the most fiber and B vitamins:
Wholegrain flours contain the whole grain and not just the inner core.
The roughage in wholemeal flour swells up in the stomach and provides an additional feeling of satiety. They also inhibit the release of hormones that make you hungry.
The fiber also stimulates digestion and helps against constipation.
The blood sugar level does not rise as quickly and not as high and also falls more slowly. Whole grain products keep you full for longer.

Wholemeal bread is not always good

Even with whole grain bread, the blood sugar level can rise quickly and then fall again shortly afterwards – making you hungry again quickly. This is due to the processing of the flour, says Prof. Andreas Pfeiffer from the German Institute for Human Nutrition. In the science magazine Quarks & Co., Pfeiffer explains that the rise in blood sugar is the same with finely ground bread – regardless of whether it is white flour or wholemeal flour. Because the body can quickly absorb the starch in finely ground bread.

Better: buy coarse wholemeal bread. It fills you up for a long time and is healthy. It is best to use 100 percent whole grain and organic quality. In this way you ensure that there are no residues of chemical-synthetic pesticides in the flour.

Basically, wholemeal bread is darker than bread made from white flour. However, you should not only rely on the color, because some bakers mix in malt syrup and turn the bread into “black bread”. That’s why you should definitely look at the list of ingredients and ask your baker how high the whole grain content is. The bread must have at least 90 percent wholemeal flour/meal in order to be called wholemeal bread.

Scientists from Harvard University warn against being misled by the “whole grain” on grain products when buying. In principle, whole grains are healthier, but many products contain more sugar and calories than other products. So you should not blindly buy every product that says “whole grain”, but look at the nutritional table and list of ingredients.

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Food

Tapioca Flour: These Local Produce Make it Unnecessary

Tapioca flour, tapioca pearls or tapioca starch: What is the use of the cassava root powder and are there regional alternatives to the binding agent from South America?

What is tapioca flour?

Tapioca is a by-product of making cassava flour. It is very fine and has a consistency like wheat flour or powdered sugar. It is pure starch and is also called tapioca flour, tapioca flakes or tapioca starch. The cassava plant originally comes from South America, especially from Brazil. It now grows in all areas with a tropical or subtropical climate.

Use of tapioca flour

Many Asian recipes, especially desserts, include tapioca pearls. If you soak them, they make, for example, a pudding similar to rice pudding or bubble tea.

In Brazil you can find tapioca flour in the form of crêpes on the daily menu. These are usually served as breakfast – from savory to sweet. The advantage of tapioca flour is that it does not require any fat for frying. The substance reacts with heat and automatically turns into a kind of pancake.

Tapioca flour is gluten-free and tasteless. So it’s no wonder that you find it mostly in gluten-free recipes.

It is also popular as a binding agent for sauces, soups and desserts. Tapioca is also used as a binding agent in the manufacture of tablets and gummy bears.

Regional alternatives to tapioca flour

If you pay attention to your ecological footprint, you should not use the cassava root and its flour, because: the long transport to Germany already makes tapioca flour a climate sinner. However, the cassava plant withstands periods of drought well, which keeps its water consumption within limits.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives to tapioca flour. Because even before the Brazilian root was widespread in our latitudes, grandmas and co. used corn starch or potato starch to thicken their sauces. These are good regional alternatives to tapioca and are also gluten-free.

You can use corn or potato starch to thicken sauces just like tapioca starch. You can also transfer the quantities 1:1. You shouldn’t notice any difference in taste, since both tapioca flour and corn and potato starch are tasteless.

However, Brazilian crêpes cannot easily be made from regional alternatives. This is because corn or potato starch does not melt in the same way that tapioca flour does.

If you do have to use tapioca flour, then make sure it is organic. Organic cultivation largely avoids the use of pesticides. You can get tapioca flour in organic quality in the organic market or in the health food store. Most Asian stores do not carry organic products.

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Food

Wholemeal Spelled Flour: Calories, Nutritional Values and How to Use it

With its valuable nutritional values, wholemeal spelled flour is considered to be particularly healthy. Here you can find out how many calories, fibre, protein and minerals are in spelled and how you can use the flour.

Wheat flour is the most commonly used flour in the world, but in recent years the ancient grain spelled has experienced a well-deserved renaissance. Wholemeal spelled flour is not only popular with wheat intolerance, but also with a healthy balanced diet.

Wholemeal Spelled Flour: Calories and Nutritional Values

Due to its high nutrient content, wholemeal spelled flour is often traded as a healthier alternative to wheat flour. The flour made from the whole spelled grain not only scores with complex carbohydrates, a high protein content and lots of fiber – the spelled flour also contains numerous minerals and vitamins.

The calories and nutritional values ​​of wholemeal spelled flour are subject to fluctuations and differ slightly from flour to flour. Among other things, we looked at the nutritional values ​​of dm’s organic wholemeal spelled flour – information per 100 grams:
Calories: 353 kcal – Wholemeal spelled flour has a relatively high nutrient density. The high calorie content is due, among other things, to the large proportion of protein and fiber – these are therefore “healthy” calories.
Carbohydrates: 64 g (of which sugar 1.7 g) – Like all wholemeal flours, wholemeal spelled flour is also rich in long-chain carbohydrates, which provide the body with energy over the long term and are considered the “healthy” carbohydrates.
Protein: 14 g – With around 14 percent protein, wholemeal spelled flour supports muscle building. Since spelled contains all eight essential amino acids, it is an excellent source of vegetable protein.
Fat: 2.6 g – There is relatively little fat in spelled, which is why it is also suitable for a low-fat diet – which incidentally applies to many types of grain.
Fiber: 8.4 g – With more than eight percent fiber, wholemeal spelled flour is one of the foods rich in fiber. Spelled thus supports healthy digestion and keeps you full for a long time.

Wholemeal spelled flour – rich in minerals and vitamins

However, wholemeal spelled flour is not only convincing with its valuable macronutrients: The micronutrients it contains also show that spelled is rightly considered healthy. Spelled flour contains the following vitamins:
B vitamins: The main ingredients in wholemeal spelled flour are vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B6. Spelled flour thus contributes to a healthy metabolism and immune system.
Vitamin A: With a relatively high content of beta-carotene (the precursor of vitamin A), spelled can also contribute to healthy skin and eyes.
Vitamin E: Wholemeal spelled flour contains vitamin E, also known as tocopherol. Among other things, this vitamin helps to protect the body cells from free radicals.
Wholemeal spelled flour also contains the following minerals and trace elements:
iron
potassium
copper
magnesium
sodium
phosphorus
zinc
According to a 2008 scientific paper, spelled flour contains about 30 to 60 percent more iron, zinc, copper, magnesium and phosphorus than wheat flour.

By the way: It matters whether you use white flour or wholemeal flour, especially with regard to the vitamin and mineral content. Because: Most of the micronutrients are in the outer layers of the grain, which are also processed in the wholemeal flour. See the next section for more tips on flour types.

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Food

Corn Flour: Nutrients, Application and DIY Recipe

The gluten-free flour can bind not only sauces and dumplings.

Corn Flour – gluten-free flour made from the kernel of corn

Maize flour is obtained from corn in various ways: In this country, the corn grain is usually dried and then ground. In other processes, the dried corn is first roasted before being dried and ground. Maize flour from Mexico is very special: there the corn kernels are first fermented before they are dried and ground. You can find out why this makes the flour healthier below.

Depending on the production method, cornmeal differs in colour, taste and nutrients. In most cases it is characteristically yellow in color, but sometimes it is relatively light to almost white. It usually tastes slightly sweet, sometimes with a nutty note – and the typical corn taste is usually still in the flour.

By the way, cornmeal, cornmeal and polenta are not the same thing: cornmeal is coarser than cornmeal. Polenta, on the other hand, is a porridge made from cornmeal. In a separate article we will show you how to cook polenta and use it to make polenta thalers.

Corn starch also differs from corn flour: For corn starch, the starch is washed out of the grain using a special process. You can read exactly how this works and how you can use cornstarch in our article on cornstarch.

Cornmeal: nutrients and health

If you have celiac disease or a wheat allergy, corn flour is an interesting alternative to wheat or spelled flour: corn flour is completely gluten-free. When baking, however, you cannot simply replace wheat flour with corn flour: the latter lacks the binding properties of gluten. More on that later.

Compared to other whole grain flours, corn flour has a relatively low protein content of around seven to nine percent. Instead, cornmeal contains a lot of carbohydrates – mainly in the form of starch. In addition, there are around five percent dietary fiber in corn flour. The exact nutritional values ​​depend heavily on the manufacturing process.

Nutritional values ​​of corn flour per 100 grams:
Energy: 344 kcal
Fat: 0.8g
Carbohydrates: 74 g
Protein: 7.7 g
Fiber: 4.8 g
With over seven percent protein, corn flour cannot compete with wholemeal spelled flour, but it can still serve as a source of vegetable protein.

One problem: corn kernels (like other grains) contain phytic acid, which locks in certain nutrients and makes them inaccessible to humans. If you ferment the corn kernels before grinding, phytic acid is broken down. The traditional Mexican method for this is called “nixtamalization”. It makes the cornmeal from Mexico particularly healthy.

Cornmeal in the kitchen: tips and recipes

Corn flour is particularly popular in Mexican cuisine: Tortillas and nachos are well-known products made from corn flour in this country. In some South American countries, corn cakes are made from corn flour.

You can also thicken soups and sauces with cornmeal and use it as an ingredient in dumplings.

Corn flour does not contain gluten and is an alternative to wheat flour. However, you cannot bake pure corn bread without gluten. Instead, you can combine corn flour with other gluten-containing flours and thus enhance the look and taste of your home-baked bread: You can easily replace about ten percent of the flour with corn flour. This way you can bake delicious cornbread.

You can also make pudding from cornmeal. This is significantly finer than polenta, but not quite as homogeneous as cornstarch pudding.

Make and buy cornmeal yourself

If you have a strong grain mill, you can make corn flour yourself: To do this, you must first dry the corn kernels and then grind them as finely as possible. However, it is said that some grain mills are clogged by the corn and then no longer work properly. The easier option is therefore to buy ready-made corn flour.

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