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Ask Lucy
Weight Watchers Senior Food Editor, Lucy Kelly, answers your cooking questions.
Do you have a cooking question to ask Lucy? Send an email to asklucy@weightwatchers.com.au and your question might be published here.
*Please note: Unfortunately we will not be able to reply to e-mails.
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| In our house we eat a lot of stir-fries but we don’t like ginger and most of the recipes use it. Is there anything we can use as a substitute for ginger? CH, Devenish, VIC |
Lemongrass is a good substitute for ginger. You can also use more garlic, chilli, green shallots and fresh coriander to add extra flavour.
To prepare lemongrass, trim the base and remove the tough outer layers. Trim the stalks to use the white part only, discarding the tough greener stalks. Finely grate, process or crush in a mortar and pestle.
Lemongrass is easy to grow, too. Soak the bulb end of a few
stalks in water for 2-3 weeks until 1-2cm of roots grows.
Plant it in rich soil in the garden or a pot in a warm sunny position.
Alternatively, Gourmet Garden make a prepared lemongrass in
a tube that keeps for months in the fridge. You can buy it from the
fresh produce section of supermarkets. |
| Are there tricks to beating egg whites to form soft peaks? Mine are often flat. SB, North Rocks, NSW |
There are some golden rules to beating eggwhites to perfect peaks.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before you break the eggs.
- When you separate the eggs, make sure no yolk gets into the whites as this will prevent them forming peaks.
- Use the freshest eggs you can and keep them at room temperature to get better volume.
- Crack the egg and drain the white into a saucer while keeping
the yolk in the shell.
- Check the white for traces of yolk or shell before adding to
other eggwhites and set aside if you see any yoke.
- Before you start, make sure your bowl and beaters are clean
and dry. If there is any trace of oil or grease on your equipment,
the eggs will not form peaks.
- Now your whites are ready to beat. The whites form a peak
when you lift the beaters out and the peak folds over softly
to one side.
- Be careful not to overbeat the whites. Test by lifting the beaters
out after a couple of minutes and then keep testing the peaks
every 20-30 seconds until soft peaks form.
- When combining with other ingredients, fold beaten eggwhites
gently with a metal spoon to maintain as much volume as possible.
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| How do you cook polenta and what are some different ways you can use it? HP, Speers Point, NSW |
There are two ways to use polenta: as a soft creamy consistency, similar to mashed potato; or allowed to set, when it can be grilled, baked or chargrilled. Polenta can be served
with salad, meat or vegetable dishes.
To make either style, use one part polenta to four parts liquid. For example, you need two cups of liquid to cook every ½ cup of raw polenta. You can use water, stock or skim milk to make polenta, but adjust the POINTS® values accordingly. Boil the liquid in a saucepan,
then add the polenta gradually, stirring constantly over a low heat
until thick.
For added flavour, stir in some parmesan or feta cheese, spinach
or semi-dried tomatoes. If you go for creamy-style polenta, serve
it immediately. For firm polenta, pour the mix evenly into a lined tray
and refrigerate until set. Cut into wedges and grill before serving.
Alternatively, you can also make chips with the firm polenta.
Cut the set polenta into batons, place on a lined baking tray,
spray with oil and roast for 25 minutes in a 200°C or 180°C
fan-forced oven until golden brown, turning half way
through. Serve with sea salt and cracked pepper to taste.
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