tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77366747838831699802024-03-18T09:51:34.852-07:00Karyn in the KitchenA blog about ordinary cooking, using fairly ordinary ingredients, as part of an ordinary lifestyle.The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-801239621366017642012-07-19T06:11:00.002-07:002012-07-19T06:12:48.613-07:00Sparkling raspberry jellies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BSmLK4Sh2SDes2CJ36zQbHR5NkSZ5pZ25CVLOP_hxpNvoQJ6_dw0_zJOgnFZekt23zDZydb_ImN7jsxWDXkhAiroSQa0f3SSNWq7vbpGOycatG6gUUwTcsRsDfwZ0ctW27IvrcJOHsBY/s1600/Raspberry+champagne+jellies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BSmLK4Sh2SDes2CJ36zQbHR5NkSZ5pZ25CVLOP_hxpNvoQJ6_dw0_zJOgnFZekt23zDZydb_ImN7jsxWDXkhAiroSQa0f3SSNWq7vbpGOycatG6gUUwTcsRsDfwZ0ctW27IvrcJOHsBY/s320/Raspberry+champagne+jellies.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparkling raspberry jellies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Did you know you could make jellies with sparkling wine? It's a long time since I tried, and I'd forgotten what a nice touch the bubbles are. <br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04;">Ingredients</span></h4>
6 gelatine leaves (see notes below if you can't get these)<br />
150ml raspberry cordial (or squash if you can't get cordial)<br />
100g caster sugar<br />
500ml sparkling wine<br />
250g fresh raspberries<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04;">Method</span></h4>
<ul>
<li>Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water.</li>
<li>Heat the cordial with the sugar in a saucepan over low heat to dissolve the sugar.</li>
<li>Remove the gelatine leaves from the water and gently squeeze out excess water. </li>
<li>Add them to the cordial mixture and stir until the gelatine has dissolved.</li>
<li>Remove from heat and leave to cool for about half an hour.</li>
<li>Stir in sparkling wine, but gently, so as not to stir out all the bubbles.</li>
<li>Plop the raspberries into 8 glasses and pour the mixture over. See notes below if you want to get a bit fancier.</li>
<li>Serve in the glasses with a dollop of creme fraiche/cream/ice cream and a mint leaf.</li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="color: #783f04;">Notes</span></strong>:<br />
For a less posh version, or if you can't get hold of gelatine leaves, use raspberry jelly (jello to you Americans). Leave out the caster sugar and use just enough boiling water to dissolve the jelly. If you're using block jelly/jello rather than powdered, you can dissolve it in the microwave with no added water. Then continue as for the rest of the recipe.<br />
<br />
For a more posh version, plop only half the raspberries in to the glasses and then pour only half the jelly mixture over them. Set the remaining jelly mixture aside, in a relatively warm place, and put the glasses into the fridge for two hours. Then top up with the remaining raspberries and the rest of the jelly mixture. That will give you a layered look. </div>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-23444532534647559982012-07-06T00:11:00.000-07:002012-07-09T06:50:01.137-07:00Gluten-free Chocolate Orange Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNAynOhlePVTfZOivx3Q4UaEd6IkbOGhn4CNMIsOQfAaMJFrGOGq4oFGndzJGPa0PX5CJfHxxj2UOy-aF85LZ04n41gK8dX9sOuW49X1Cf2a0KDqaljK1zvq7zSRxmvqLIvC1SwGGoho/s1600/IMGP8353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNAynOhlePVTfZOivx3Q4UaEd6IkbOGhn4CNMIsOQfAaMJFrGOGq4oFGndzJGPa0PX5CJfHxxj2UOy-aF85LZ04n41gK8dX9sOuW49X1Cf2a0KDqaljK1zvq7zSRxmvqLIvC1SwGGoho/s320/IMGP8353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It's
great to see Karyn back in the kitchen after her break, and great to be back
guesting here too. I recently discovered that not only do I have an intolerance
to cow's milk proteins, but I'm also intolerant to wheat. Now as strange as it
might seem, rather than filling me with dread, my first thought was 'oh good, I
can play with all my favourite recipes again!' I now have some yummy savoury
and sweet biscuits recipes and a tasty brownie recipe in the bag, but wanted
something a bit more 'special occasion', and was really just waiting for the
excuse to try something. Thursday was National Charity Day at my company, where
every office, all over the UK, spends much of the day doing stuff to raise
money for local charities...and one of the events at my office was a cake
competition. So here's my entry- didn’t win, but sold out fast when it was
sliced and sold to raise even more money. Of course I had to make 2 - one for work and one for the family!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For the
cake<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1 large
orange (or as I had to hand, 3 clementines!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">200g
castor sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Either</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> 200g ground almonds </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Or </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">100g ground almonds and 100g
polenta (this gives a nice nutty texture) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1
teaspoon gluten-free baking powder (if you're not making this for someone with
a gluten problem, then use plain old baking powder!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1/2
teaspoon bicarbonate of soda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">25g cocoa
powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For the
syrup and filling<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1 large orange
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">50g
castor sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">100g good
dark chocolate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Method<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Put one
of the oranges (or all of the clementines) into a pan of water, bring to the
boil and simmer for about 2 hours (Or until the fruit peel is nice and soft).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Grease the bottom and side of 2 cake sandwich tins, and line the bases with
greased baking parchment or greaseproof paper. Pre-heat the oven to 180<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">°</span></span>C.<br />
When the orange (or clementines) is ready, roughly chop into big pieces and
remove any seeds. Then bung the whole lot, peel and all, into a food processor
and whiz until it’s pulped. Divide the pulp roughly into 3, and set 2 lots to
one side.<br />
Add half of the eggs, ground almonds, polenta (if you’re using it) baking
powder and bicarbonate of soda and sugar to the pulp left in the processor and
whizz until mixed. Pour the runnier than usual batter mixture into one of the
cake tins. <br />
Put 1 of the other portions of pulp into the processor (don't bother to
clean it first!) and add the other halves of all the ingredients and the cocoa
powder, and whizz till mixed. Pour that into the other cake tin. <br />
Bake both cakes for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check after 30 minutes, and
if it's getting a bit too brown, put some tinfoil on the top. I used a fan oven
and mine were done after 45 minutes. Leave to cool completely in the tins. <br />
Meanwhile you need to make thin little strips of zest from the other orange.
You can either use a julienne maker, a zester that allows you to remove strips
of zest, or a vegetable peeler, and then cut those thicker slices into thin
strips. Bung them, the juice of the orange and the sugar into a pan. Boil up
together to make a thin syrup.<br />
Use a cocktail stick to make lots of holes in the top of the chocolate cake.<br />
Melt the chocolate (either in a bowl over a pan of water, or in the
microwave) and beat the remaining orange pulp into the melted chocolate. It
does get a slightly lumpy texture, but who cares when it tastes so good.<br />
Put the orange cake onto a plate, spread a thick layer of the
chocolate/orange mix onto it and put the chocolate cake on top. Spoon about
half the syrup carefully over the top, giving each spoonful time to sink into
all the little holes! Then put the pan back on the heat and boil until the
syrup is sticky. Spoon the thick syrup carefully over the top making sure the
thin strips of zest sort of gather in the centre - or at least don't fall off
the sides!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_ULDkEb07QUsfweC61YxwggGQp75dsGKijaSWkIvOP4LZQ2jsExzU6Il4nCXtyOba8TtnMHtuoLgXyITAZwerYIWJ3KwSw2c6gpHQ-qmqmFb_qLsH31ZsSImny2UvaNPfO-0ucfWQUI/s1600/IMGP8354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_ULDkEb07QUsfweC61YxwggGQp75dsGKijaSWkIvOP4LZQ2jsExzU6Il4nCXtyOba8TtnMHtuoLgXyITAZwerYIWJ3KwSw2c6gpHQ-qmqmFb_qLsH31ZsSImny2UvaNPfO-0ucfWQUI/s320/IMGP8354.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
So decadent you don't really need to add anything - but I bet it's heaven
warmed very slightly with clotted cream!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-84220416776422589792012-07-02T09:20:00.000-07:002012-07-02T09:20:54.334-07:00Lettuce cups with turkey breast and edamame beans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lettuce cups</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've been on a diet, lately, and was appalled to discover how many calories there were in a single, unadorned tortilla. I've also been experiencing some problems with some wheat products. So I was really pleased to come across a recipe for lettuce cups which I have predictably tweaked and am about to share with you.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04;">Ingredients</span></h4>
500g turkey breast or similar lean white meat<br />
30ml sweet chilli sauce<br />
45ml soy sauce<br />
15ml sesame oil<br />
100g frozen edamame (soya) beans<br />
15ml olive oil<br />
3-4 spring onions<br />
Fresh mint leaves (some)<br />
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves (some)<br />
30ml omega mix (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds)<br />
Lettuce leaves (gem lettuce for preference, but go with what you like/can get)<br />
Lime wedges<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04;">Method</span></h4>
<ul>
<li>Mix together chilli sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil</li>
<li>Add the meat and marinate for about 15 minutes (longer if the meat pieces are thick)</li>
<li>Chop the spring onions and steam together with the soya beans until just done and then drain, rinse in cold water and set aside</li>
<li>Remove the meat from the marinade (but don't throw that away) and fry in the olive oil until done through.</li>
<li>Remove the meat from the pan and slice finely.</li>
<li>Into the pan, place the veg you set aside earlier, the sliced meat, the marinade, the herbs (chopped), the omega mix and a small splash of water.</li>
<li>Give that lot a quick stir to heat through.</li>
<li>Arrange individual lettuce leaves on a plate and spoon the mixture onto each.</li>
<li>Fold the edges of the lettuce leaves over and eat with your hands as you would a tortilla.</li>
</ul>
Because my strapping sons can't be doing with this sensible food, I chopped up their lettuce leaves and served the meat mixture over a bed of egg noodles.</div>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-16297465316812546032012-06-25T03:56:00.001-07:002012-06-25T03:56:33.412-07:00Lime sponge with lime curd and marshmallow topping<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The coconut is optional</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A while ago, a friend had a birthday. Friends have a way of doing that. And when they do, it's rather fun to bake them a cake. Not just any old cake, but something unusual. So this is what I decided on on this occasion.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #783f04;">
<b>Oven temperature</b></div>
170<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #783f04;">
<b>Ingredients</b> </div>
<div style="color: #783f04;">
...for the sponge</div>
<br />
125g butter<br />
120g caster sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
120g self-raising flour (or plain flour plus10mls of baking powder)<br />
Grated zest of 2 limes<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #783f04;">
...for the curd</div>
<br />
I have already provided the recipe for this curd, but for the sake of convenience, let's include it here<br />
250ml sugar<br />
2.5ml salt<br />
60ml cornflour<br />
250ml lime juice <br />
Grated zest of two limes<br />
15ml lemon juice<br />
45ml butter<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #783f04;">
...for the topping </div>
375ml sugar<br />
2 egg whites<br />
pinch salt<br />
80ml water<br />
pinch cream of tartar<br />
5ml vanilla<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #783f04;">
<b>Method</b></div>
I would advise you to make the curd first, so that it has time to cool while you bake the cake. That way, they should both be ready for use at about the same time.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #783f04;">
...for the curd</div>
<ul>
<li>Place the salt, sugar and cornflour together in a saucepan and gradually stir in the orange juice.</li>
<li>Stir over a medium heat until the mixture becomes glossy and thick.</li>
<li>Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well.</li>
<li>Allow to cool completely before spreading on the cake or it will
sink in to the sponge rather than forming a filling between your layers.</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #783f04;">
...for the sponge</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cream butter and sugar until soft and light.</li>
<li>Stir in grated zest.</li>
<li>Beat the eggs well and stir into the egg butter mixture. If it starts to curdle a bit, sprinkle in a bit of the flour to calm it down.</li>
<li>Sift and fold in the flour.</li>
<li>Divide between two cake pans and bake for about 20 minutes, or until done (test with skewer, or by 'spring-back' method - cake should spring back when gently poked with a forefinger).</li>
<li>Allow to cool.</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #783f04;">
...for the topping</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Combine the sugar, water, egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the top of a double boiler. No, I don't have one either, so I use a bowl (which I later place over a saucepan of water). It works.</li>
<li> Beat well.</li>
<li>Place over rapidly boiling water and beat constantly until the mixture is able to form stiff peaks. This should take about 7-10 minutes. And I don't need to urge to to exercise caution when using your electric beater near both a hot cooker plate and water, do I?</li>
<li>Remove from the heat, and beat in the vanilla.</li>
<li>Keep beating until the mixture is cool and of the right consistency for spreading on a cake.</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #783f04;">
...bringing it all together</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I like to place the flat (bottom) surfaces of a layer cake together - it sits better that way. So I turn one layer 'upside down'.</li>
<li>Spread the curd liberally over the flat side of one layer.</li>
<li>Top with the other layer, flat (bottom) side down.</li>
<li>Spread the marshmallow topping all over the top and sides of the cake.</li>
<li>You can choose to sprinkle with dessicated coconut at this point.</li>
</ul>
</div>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-87207190062480421092012-06-05T10:09:00.000-07:002012-06-05T10:10:15.398-07:00Nutella fudgesicles<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkkVS3PPQHQjI11iC7SEhlpiiLiulT3WR8h460v89VxAXAJ4-OL6ClvgFiGY5WgA8E0ENMzgCqmlkEoDoJGUKaaW5vluKdLmkWAUJPrQr3Yq3mvviRCIIOSh7roqHqvpF-PO7jQ2x6fpm/s1600/IMG_0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkkVS3PPQHQjI11iC7SEhlpiiLiulT3WR8h460v89VxAXAJ4-OL6ClvgFiGY5WgA8E0ENMzgCqmlkEoDoJGUKaaW5vluKdLmkWAUJPrQr3Yq3mvviRCIIOSh7roqHqvpF-PO7jQ2x6fpm/s320/IMG_0374.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a great photo, but you get the idea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So... it's been a long old time, hasn't it? My life has been transformed yet again since my last post and some tough lessons have been learned.<br />
<br />
But let's set that aside for now, because I simply have to share with you this delicious and far-easier-than-pie recipe.
I came across it on <a href="http://dailywaffle.com/">Daily Waffle</a> via Pinterest. The original recipe listed an ingredient I'd never heard of, so I thought I'd try a substitute. It so totally worked. And I think several other things might work, too, so I'll add a list at the end of things you might like to try.<br />
<br />
But before we get down to things can I just make one thing very clear? Nutella is not a health food. Okay? It's healthier than many things, but it's crammed full of sugar. I mean, there's even been a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2012/04/nutella-consumer-class-action-settlement/">class action</a> on the subject. So please don't think that these fudgesicles constitute a healthy snack for your family and then come and sue me when that turns out not to be the case. This is a <i>treat</i>. Okay?<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #783f04;">Ingredients</span></h4>
375ml Alpro soya milk - chocolate flavour<br />
125ml Nutella<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #783f04;">Method</span></h4>
Whisk the ingredients together and then freeze for at least a couple of hours until set. Literally, that's it.<br />
<br />
If you have a set of those popsicle moulds, they're ideal. The recipe is enough for 5 popsicles using my moulds. But you could use an ice cube tray, with or without lolly sticks.<br />
<br />
I have used recipes for frozen treats before and they form crystals or granules, which I don't like. This recipe didn't. Not even slightly. The texture was sublime. Sublime I tell you.<br />
<br />
So. Now to the alternatives. Instead of the Alpro soya milk, you could try:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Flavoured cow's milk</li>
<li>Unflavoured cow's milk, and then add a few drops of vanilla/almond/peppermint/whatever essence</li>
<li>Almond milk</li>
<li>Rice milk</li>
<li>Coconut milk... or cream</li>
<li>[insert brilliant idea here]</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-85774646353035571932012-01-03T07:59:00.000-08:002012-01-03T08:09:41.184-08:00By way of explanationI owe you an explanation. We had a good thing going, you and I. And then I just disappeared. That was rude, and I'm sorry.<br />
<br />
So what happened?<br />
<br />
Well, early in September, my family of four became a family of five. <br />
<br />
Normally, new arrivals to a family come with several months' advance notice, and weigh in at about 3.5kgs. Not always, as it turns out. Some of them arrive fully grown.<br />
<br />
Skye is 19 years old, stands at least 6'1"(185cm) and weighed a very scrawny 55kgs (less than 9 stone or around 120lbs). I am pleased to say that he now weighs considerably more than that, and he continues to gain weight and build muscle mass. He has had a very difficult life, and is torn between a burning desire to turn things around and an abject fear of losing his identity.<br />
<br />
Originally, he just needed a place to stay. He had arrived in our town - having walked 40 miles from another city - in search of his estranged father because he had nowhere else to go. He had exhausted all his other options, and was in a rather dark place. Living with his father (for reasons I am exploring in a book he and I are writing together, but do not feel released to reveal here) was a very stressful and traumatic experiment. He was on the brink of returning to a life on the streets of London. Yes, I said 'returning'. <br />
<br />
By this time, he had befriended our sons, and was spending many nights sleeping on a mattress on the floor of my elder son's bedroom.<br />
<br />
Permit me a proud mother's moment to interrupt my narrative in order to brag a little: my elder son has the smallest bedroom in the house. A mattress on the floor in there takes up all remaining floor space, but this has never stopped him from offering friends the opportunity to stay over when visiting the town (of course, when the friends are girls we have to make a different arrangement, but that is another story). We have several regular visitors, and have grown very fond of them. By the time we became aware of Skye's plans to head for London, many was the morning that I would go into my elder son's bedroom and find him sleeping on the mattress on the floor, while Skye had the bed.<br />
<br />
But back to my story.<br />
<br />
We couldn't stand by and let this lad head back to a life that had nearly killed him on more than one occasion, so we converted my studio in the loft into a bedroom and offered him a home with us. I checked with my younger son that he was okay with this arrangement, and he said two things: first, he had had a dream in which he had introduced someone to "my brothers, Björn and Skye" and secondly, that he believed that God had sent Skye to us for us to love.<br />
<br />
People keep telling us what a wonderful thing we're doing, but that's not how it seems to us. And actually, I wish they'd stop. There was a while there when I started to 'believe my press' as the saying goes, and very nearly broke the fragile, precious thing we hold in our hands as a consequence. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecc 9:10). So we do this, and we do it unstintingly. It isn't always plain sailing, as you can imagine. There have been and will continue to be some very rocky moments, and new challenges around every corner. But we love him. Simply put: I used to have two boys, and now I have three. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6JOWEI1iUyFG4BAt5B_cltMLtto4-oR506jkhAcqHoKxcE78xypXDLc30omVFvGu2Zg-xQkXQmDUmMg68DUhNGiU021GSntKH6MvLQ3arZ_EBUZHSuYs3taLL7tWDgQAKaQjnNitrB_o/s1600/thirds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6JOWEI1iUyFG4BAt5B_cltMLtto4-oR506jkhAcqHoKxcE78xypXDLc30omVFvGu2Zg-xQkXQmDUmMg68DUhNGiU021GSntKH6MvLQ3arZ_EBUZHSuYs3taLL7tWDgQAKaQjnNitrB_o/s320/thirds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left: Skye (19), Torvald (18), Björn (20)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>His background is almost as far removed from ours as it possible to be, but I don't give a fig. He never had a champion before, but he does now, and woe betide the person who threatens, insults or judges him!<br />
<br />
So what does this have to do with you, you might ask?<br />
<br />
Simply this. I have been so occupied with the change in my family's structure and dynamic, that I have stepped down from several of my projects, including this one. <br />
<br />
I just felt that you had the right to know.<br />
<br />
Oh... and our younger son now frequently introduces people to "my brothers, Björn and Skye."The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-37096482944920209822011-08-24T08:48:00.000-07:002011-08-24T08:48:56.527-07:00Plum jam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.365project.org/1/1858407_abhiuvwx68_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://media.365project.org/1/1858407_abhiuvwx68_m.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br />
I was recently given a large bag of slightly overripe plums, so I did what one does with large quantities of fruit that won't get eaten. I made jam.<br />
<br />
Before we get started on the actual recipe, I should just debunk a few jam myths:<br />
<ul><li>'Pound for pound' for all jams, i.e. use a pound of sugar per pound of fruit. Not all fruits work well with these proportions.</li>
<li>Only use fresh fruit, preferably under ripe. You can make jam with frozen fruit, and you can also use very ripe fruit, but you might want to add a source of pectin.</li>
</ul><span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
Plums - as many as you have<br />
Sugar - equal weight to plums (if you ca get preserving sugar, great, but it's not essential)<br />
Water 30ml per 500g of plums<br />
Lemon juice - half a lemon per 500g of plums. If your plums are very ripe, up the lemon juice quantity<br />
Jam jars with lids (see below for yield information)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>Wash plums.</li>
<li>Place the plums and water in a large saucepan (better to err on the large side, you will need extra space when it boils up) and stew slowly until the skins are soft. I have a tendency to assault them with a wooden spoon during this stage, to release the juices.</li>
<li>Add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.</li>
<li>Add the lemon juice and boil rapidly without stirring until the jam reaches 105C (220F). I use a sugar thermometer, but there are <a href="http://www.allaboutyou.com/food/testing-for-a-set-22880">other ways</a> of testing a jam for readiness. I found that this stage went very quickly for purple plums, but it varies from fruit to fruit and also depends on the ripeness of the fruit.</li>
<li>While the jam is boiling, sterilise the jars. You can expect a yield of 1.66 times the weight of the fruit you used. Make sure you have enough bottles!</li>
<li>Before bottling the jam, prepare the bottles with boiling water, or they will crack from the heat of the jam.</li>
<li>Fill the jars right up and immediately screw the lids on. As the jam cools, it will shrink slightly, drawing the lid down and sealing the jars properly.</li>
<li>Wait for the jam to cool and set and enjoy on toast with cheese.</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-50950557150451652852011-08-16T08:24:00.000-07:002011-08-16T08:24:30.101-07:00Zucchini (aka courgette) and carrot muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtdfkQS8orxTWaIzCYF2b9jas4p2v2IhckTCnlv-9AwqPX6RHVSIScY6RbYkUmiE_xKzR2kMNvgtQAuZpBlM9Mo2Mp_RMwr7w-_Ki0VRu7bQqek7klNEeltlJyKAX5jIavkaEArJ4pLUi/s1600/muffins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtdfkQS8orxTWaIzCYF2b9jas4p2v2IhckTCnlv-9AwqPX6RHVSIScY6RbYkUmiE_xKzR2kMNvgtQAuZpBlM9Mo2Mp_RMwr7w-_Ki0VRu7bQqek7klNEeltlJyKAX5jIavkaEArJ4pLUi/s400/muffins.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I finally get to add a recipe to the Z section of my <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html">recipe index</a>. Woohoo!!<br />
<br />
This is not a recipe with a back story, more's the pity. This is one of those google-and-tweak jobs that you do when you have a boatload of something-or-other and need a recipe to use it up.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Oven temperature</strong></span><br />
180C<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
175ml vegetable oil<br />
2 eggs<br />
175ml sugar<br />
125ml dark brown sugar<br />
5ml vanilla extract<br />
500ml plain flour<br />
2.5ml baking powder<br />
2.5ml bicarbonate of soda<br />
Pinch salt<br />
10ml cinnamon (or you might prefer ground cardamom seeds)<br />
375ml grated raw zucchini (skin and all)<br />
125ml grated carrot<br />
125ml chopped pecan nuts (optional)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>Pop about 12 cupcake cases into muffin trays, or grease up muffin trays for about a dozen muffins.</li>
<li>Beat the oil and sugars well.</li>
<li>Add eggs and vanilla and beat some more.</li>
<li>Sift together the dry (powdered) ingredients into a separate bowl and then stir into the wet ingredients.</li>
<li>Stir in the veg and nuts.</li>
<li>Divide between the muffin cups/cupcake cases. These should be about 3/4 full to allow space to rise.</li>
<li>You might like to sprinkle the top with more cinnamon (or cardamom).</li>
<li>Bake for about 20 minutes until done (test with a skewer).</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-90606199816951614192011-08-11T08:06:00.000-07:002011-08-11T08:06:34.723-07:00What do I do with....courgettes?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/zucchini/raven_ryyder/zucchini.jpg?o=139" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p200/raven_ryyder/zucchini.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Courgettes, aka zucchini or baby marrow are a lot more versatile than people give them credit for. These vegetables, if left to their own devices can grow very large indeed, but are (in my opinion) at their best when harvested young - anything between finger and banana sized. Speaking of bananas, courgettes may have green or yellow skin. One thing to note - they have tiny hairs on the skin which can trap little grains of grit... adding a most unwelcome crunch to the eating experience. So wash them well before using, but don't peel them.<br />
<br />
Let's explore a few things you could do with them once you've done that.<br />
<br />
I have encountered cooks who can't think of a use for one lonely courgette (or carrot, or whatever) when cooking for more than two people. A single courgette doesn't have to be left to rot in the veg compartment of the fridge. You can do things with them so that they don't go to waste.<br />
<br />
Raw:<br />
Pretty much as you would with a cucumber (although it tastes comp-uh-letely different), you could slice a courgette into your salad. You could also cut it into 'fingers' to use as crudites with dips.<br />
<br />
Steamed or boiled:<br />
Courgette works really well as one of the veg in the traditional meat-and-two-veg meal. You can steam or boil it for this. I suggest either halving them lengthwise or cutting them into fat chunks, rather than the sort of thin slices that you would for a carrot. They cook quickly!<br />
<br />
Stir fried:<br />
Absolutely yummy in a stir fry, this might be where you want to slice the courgettes fairly thinly. Unless of course, you're using the teeny weeny ones (finger sized), then I'd just halve them lengthwise. Courgette is also one of the traditional ingredients of <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2903/ratatouille">ratatouille</a>.<br />
<br />
Roast/baked:<br />
If you're doing a huge joram of roasted mixed veg (beetroot, carrots, potatoes, peppers, etc.), try throwing in a few large chunks of courgette. As an alternative, you could use them with (or even instead of) cauliflower and/or broccoli in a <a href="http://britishfood.about.com/od/recipeindex/r/caulicheese.htm">cauliflower cheese bake</a>.<br />
<br />
While in Australia on his gap year, my elder son spent some time with the <a href="http://thekitchencrusader.blogspot.com/">Kitchen Crusader</a>, and he taught me one of her tricks with courgette. Thinly slice lengthwise and use the slices to line an oiled loaf tin. Fill with cheesy mashed potato. Bake in a moderate oven for about half an hour or so and turn out onto a plate. I'm just imagining adding bacon to that... among other things.<br />
<br />
Soups:<br />
Because they cook so fast, and can disintegrate, they may not be at their best in a stew, but there are some fantastic <a href="http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/333/courgette-soup-recipe/">courgette soup</a> recipes out there!<br />
<br />
Cakes:<br />
Just yesterday, I was given some courgettes straight from someone's garden. I used some in a stir fry for dinner, and the rest were used to make courgette and carrot muffins. They were absolutely delicious, and I will share the recipe with you next week. But if you happen to have some courgettes to hand and you don't want to wait for my recipe, get googling - the Internet is your oyster!<br />
<br />
So... happy cooking!<br />
<br />
Image by <a href="http://s128.photobucket.com/home/raven_ryyder">raven_ryyder</a>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-57762352536807233942011-08-10T07:04:00.000-07:002011-08-10T07:04:17.394-07:00Carrot, beetroot and banana cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI0GOn036s0CcIxQM0vXIzS7T1Jz3VwibcjS5jsLYcgzO5OBsWzRppknLllnYmQ619ApkCUx6w2ToPAAlBHea0Grqycox6B_AdjKiVMjVElTaXw6XjhOn1awX7ZjyHrOTkWRxzBkW_mxp/s1600/banana%252C+beetroot+and+carrot+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI0GOn036s0CcIxQM0vXIzS7T1Jz3VwibcjS5jsLYcgzO5OBsWzRppknLllnYmQ619ApkCUx6w2ToPAAlBHea0Grqycox6B_AdjKiVMjVElTaXw6XjhOn1awX7ZjyHrOTkWRxzBkW_mxp/s400/banana%252C+beetroot+and+carrot+cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You may already know that it is possible to use beetroot (beets, to you Americans) in cakes. Or you may think I have wigged out. But I haven't. Honest. Try it.<br />
<br />
I mentioned recently that I had found some beetroots on the marked-down-for-quick-clearance shelf at my local supermarket. Well, on that same day, I also found some past-their-best carrots and a bag of totally over-ripe, bruised bananas.<br />
<br />
Please don't ever throw your over-ripe bananas out. I know how it goes: you have a family of banana-lovers, and you buy a large bunch because they're on a special. Then, just that week, the kids decide they're not in the mood for bananas and your spouse goes out of town on business. So they begin to look a little unsightly.<br />
<br />
I don't enjoy the taste of over-ripe bananas on their own like that, but in this state, they are at their best for use in baking or smoothies, because the flavour is strong and sweet. So bake a banana loaf, or make up some smoothies. Both these things can be frozen.<br />
<br />
Just as an added extra to today's recipe (and I will get to it, I promise), here's a smoothie I used to give my kids when they were little and feeling unwell enough to be off their food (all quantities are 'some'):<br />
banana<br />
honey<br />
plain yoghurt<br />
vanilla ice cream (just a smidge)<br />
raw porridge oats<br />
<br />
Just zhoozh that lot up together in the blender and serve with ice and a curly straw.<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, back to what I did with the rest of the beetroots and the other things I found that day:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Oven temperature</strong></span><br />
180 (you might have to reduce this - see method below)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
250ml sugar<br />
250ml oil<br />
3 eggs<br />
375ml plain (cake) flour<br />
7.5ml baking powder<br />
7.5ml bicarbonate of soda<br />
10ml ground cinnamon<br />
250ml grated carrot (about one 5"/12cm carrot)<br />
250ml mashed banana (about 3 smallish bananas)<br />
250ml grated, raw beetroot<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Icing</span><br />
250ml icing sugar<br />
'Some' cream cheese <br />
Little lemon juice<br />
Little water, if necessary<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>Cream sugar, oil and eggs well.</li>
<li>Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb and cinnamon together and add to the creamed mixture.</li>
<li>Add remaining ingredients. Blend well together.</li>
<li>Pour into a deep cake pan and bake for about an hour. Check from time to time with a skewer. I found this baked really slowly, and the top started to burn a little, so I lowered the oven temperature and covered the cake with foil.</li>
<li>Allow to cool on a rack. Don't ice it until it has cooled down completely.</li>
</ul><span style="color: #783f04;">Icing</span><br />
<ul><li>Mix a little icing sugar with the cream cheese until creamed.</li>
<li>Keep adding icing sugar and mixing in.</li>
<li>Add a little lemon juice for bite.</li>
<li>If it gets too stiff, add just a tiny bit of water.</li>
<li>Spread over the cooled cake.</li>
</ul>Just so you know, this cake lasted less than an afternoon in my household! Oh, and that saucer (in the photo) is one of only two left from my late grandmother's tea service. I am very fond of it.The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-8141569850454491392011-08-08T09:45:00.000-07:002011-08-08T09:45:13.095-07:00(Sort of) Borscht<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJGTP1n6goYd5hD6i8nyleFd0taRuoWxyav-Eg1B3MXXxuc81pBw8AWV8vOqSwu4-OK9XSNyvr3jOJBU3mNnwbzZVj4gruPwcsDilzYqfNlfRvL7QfXj7JndtIR0UhqiR_eXpAe4PtbVe/s1600/borscht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJGTP1n6goYd5hD6i8nyleFd0taRuoWxyav-Eg1B3MXXxuc81pBw8AWV8vOqSwu4-OK9XSNyvr3jOJBU3mNnwbzZVj4gruPwcsDilzYqfNlfRvL7QfXj7JndtIR0UhqiR_eXpAe4PtbVe/s400/borscht.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You've probably realised that I'm a pretty transparent, heart-on-my-sleeve sort of person. I'm no good at dissembling (and have no interest in acquiring the skill, either, come to that). So if you are connected to me in other spaces, you will know the brutal truth that the reason that I have not been posting many recipes here, lately, is that I simply can't afford the ingredients. It occurred to me that, if I was being so up-front about it on Facebook and Twitter, there was no reason to be coy about it here.<br />
<br />
We are currently in a fairly difficult financial position that is set to get immeasurably worse within the next few months. Of course, we continue to hope for a miracle and to work hard at making sure we have left no stone unturned, but, for now, it is what it is. We have been blessed by friends who have given us food hampers, which has been wonderful and kept us all fed, but I have been uninspired recipe-wise. I hope you understand.<br />
<br />
Be all that as it may, my local supermarket has a shelf where they sell fresh produce that has passed its best. I decided to pull my head out of my... erm... navel and get creative with what was on offer there. This is what I did yesterday, with a bag of no-longer-firm beetroot (beets, to you Americans) I found. Variations of beetroot soup (probably best known as borscht) are very popular in most East European countries.<br />
<br />
The thing you need to know about this soup is that it is extremely low in fat (apart from the soured cream, that is, and you could always choose to leave that bit out) and highly nutritious.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #783f04;">Ingredients</span></strong><br />
15ml olive oil<br />
1 onion, finely chopped<br />
1 stick celery, sliced (optional - I leave this out because I have one son who loathes it)<br />
3 or 4 beetroots, peeled and grated<br />
1 large potato, peeled and grated<br />
1 carrot, scraped and grated<br />
1.25l stock - meat for omnivores, vegetable for veggies<br />
Black pepper<br />
Splash of red wine<br />
Generous pinch of sugar<br />
Soured cream<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>In a large saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onion and celery until the onion becomes slightly translucent.</li>
<li>Add the carrot, beetroot and potato just briefly.</li>
<li>Add the stock and bring to the boil.</li>
<li>Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.</li>
<li>Season with black pepper (and salt if you feel compelled) to taste.</li>
<li>Add the red wine and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.</li>
<li>Serve, with a dollop of soured cream and crusty brown bread.</li>
</ul><span style="color: #783f04;">Some things you can try with this soup:</span><br />
<ul><li>Add a sprig or two of dill - it's surprising how well dill works with beetroot!</li>
<li>Add about 15ml of freshly grated ginger root (instead of the dill, not as well as).</li>
<li>Instead of either of the above, about 5ml horseradish will put hairs on your chest, if you like the stuff (I don't).</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-37898443780921611192011-08-04T07:22:00.000-07:002011-08-04T07:22:29.326-07:00What do I do with...eddoes?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://image.made-in-china.com/4f0j00yBGtPwEmaRzf/Fresh-Taro-Eddoes-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://image.made-in-china.com/4f0j00yBGtPwEmaRzf/Fresh-Taro-Eddoes-.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is one of those things that regularly appears on the 'exotic' stand in the fruit and veg section of our larger supermarkets, along with mooli, yams, okra and dudhi. It's one of those things you might pick up and look at from various angles, wondering "What's one of these? To which cultural group is this an everyday thing? What would I do with it? Would the kids even eat it if I bought one and had a go?" Okay, you might not. But I did. So now you don't have to!<br />
<br />
They are found in places like the Caribbean and are popular with West Indian cultures. We have a great many people of West Indian descent in our area, so it's no surprise that our supermarkets stock these corms - they know their target market! Apparently, they are also a staple in parts of Africa, but I never encountered them in any of the parts I visited. I must not have visited the right parts - after all, it is a <em>large</em> continent!<br />
<br />
Eddoes look a bit like hairy, striped potatoes, and you can pretty much treat them as you would a potato. Chips, mash, roast, sauteed... the whole shebang.<br />
<br />
To be honest, that is really all I need to say about them. They have a slightly different taste: sweeter and slightly nutty, with a silkier in texture. They feel a little slimy when you're working with the raw version, but don't be put off, they don't taste slimy when cooked.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaKkQxAL4yCoTUdLHoyfEwiwioh85w7YWzAj9hPoY8-E-6iCHxOU0vViRqmlZfwxnDtF-VrSiNZaltUvmRaVEfYWbpCZ_npgPrL5AsuossyaxRwR0OUZ5j86hKeVeGHsdR_uVoPRhRll1/s1600/DSC_0283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaKkQxAL4yCoTUdLHoyfEwiwioh85w7YWzAj9hPoY8-E-6iCHxOU0vViRqmlZfwxnDtF-VrSiNZaltUvmRaVEfYWbpCZ_npgPrL5AsuossyaxRwR0OUZ5j86hKeVeGHsdR_uVoPRhRll1/s200/DSC_0283.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our eddo experiment...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We tried <a href="http://caribbeanpot.com/409/">this recipe</a>, which has them coarsely mashed with sauteed onion and a dash of chilli. Very nice, they were, too. All four members of the family approved. Tesco has also provided a <a href="http://www.itzcaribbean.com/eddoes_caribbean_food.php">few recipes</a> that are worth exploring.The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-56709542392667650402011-07-28T09:05:00.000-07:002011-07-28T09:10:24.541-07:00What do I do with...cauliflower?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidh_T0_y4R4xsi-jjK6YCT4AoaQw7McUwmb464koYVptvP5Trd0j0rQsoMdSuNKcjZppJ8JCON0id8PQnA4G_3N0SLQiZ6E337gh9gDpLmWSx4Xs0aJqzPLE6D5a3Fv8P2kNGMXSvVd6OI/s1600/cauliflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidh_T0_y4R4xsi-jjK6YCT4AoaQw7McUwmb464koYVptvP5Trd0j0rQsoMdSuNKcjZppJ8JCON0id8PQnA4G_3N0SLQiZ6E337gh9gDpLmWSx4Xs0aJqzPLE6D5a3Fv8P2kNGMXSvVd6OI/s400/cauliflower.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I suspect that, for most people, the knee jerk thing to do with cauliflower is to serve it with cheese sauce. But, my very earliest childhood memory of cauliflower is fishing it out of the bottle of pickled veg before my Dad got to it. They were his favourites, too, so competition was hot!<br />
<br />
From this, you will deduce that you can <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1636,153170-228197,00.html">pickle</a> it very successfully. <br />
<br />
It can also be eaten raw, chopped up into small pieces in a salad or larger pieces to serve with a dip.<br />
It works very well in a stew. You should pop it in fairly late, though, because it contains high levels of water and could go a bit mushy otherwise. Mind you, some people like it like that. In fact, if you cook it long enough to go fairly soft (don't destroy it!), you can mash it up with potatoes.<br />
<br />
Served as a veg in its own right, it can be steamed or boiled (I prefer steamed, you won't be astonished to hear). If you fancy adding the cheese sauce, or even just white sauce, you go right ahead, but don't be misled into thinking that this is the only option and that cauliflower is off the menu if you've run out of milk and/or cheese.<br />
<br />
I once ate a cream of cauliflower soup that was absolutely delicious and was astonished to discover how easy it was to make. <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1389/cream-of-cauliflower-soup-with-sauted-wild-mushroo">Here's</a> one example, but there are many others. I have also found that a cream of cauliflower-and-butternut soup works very well, and you can make it by following the cream of cauliflower recipe, and just adding some cooked butternut at the blending stage. As far as I'm concerned, butternut and cauliflower were made for each other (a bit like Forrest Gump's peas 'n keerits).<br />
<br />
If you like a bit of bite to your food, try this <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5233/cauliflower-curry">cauliflower curry</a>. Veggies may like this <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/03/cauliflower-chickpea-curry-recipe">chickpea and cauliflower curry</a>, which adds the protein source.<br />
<br />
Image by <a href="http://www.ianbritton.co.uk/">Ian Britton.</a>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-20622743712463344812011-07-21T13:55:00.000-07:002011-07-21T14:14:24.237-07:00What do I do with... carrots?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mrg.bz/3C6JhY" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://mrg.bz/3C6JhY" width="400" /></a></div><br />
When I was a child, my grandfather had a vegetable garden in which he grew carrots. My grandparents' home was where we spent our Christmas holidays (which were in the height of summer, remember), as did all the rest of family: my mother's siblings and their spouses and - in due course - children. The cousins all played in the garden. When we got thirsty, we drank water straight out of the garden tap. If there was a hosepipe attached to the tap, we drank straight out of that. It didn't occur to us to do anything else. When we felt peckish, we dug up a carrot or pilfered some beans.<br />
<br />
I still remember the taste of a just-washed carrot straight from the garden.<br />
<br />
So, yes. You can eat them raw. Just like that, or dipped in houmous or sour cream and chive dip. You can also grate them up and pop them in a salad. <br />
<br />
And before I go getting all sensible, they make a wonderful <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/wendy-wilsons-banana-carrot-and-nut.html">cake</a> ingredient (but the icing absolutely has to be cream cheese icing!).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>They can also be steamed or boiled (I prefer steaming) until just soft to serve as a vegetable. If you're not accustomed to cooking carrots, it is better to err on the side of raw rather than slushy and completely overcooked. If you saw Forrest Gump, you will know that 'peas 'n keerets' are a very good combination!<br />
<br />
You could <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/roast-beetroot-with-rotmos.html">mash</a> them together with potato and swedes, which is very popular in Sweden (although they don't call swedes by that name there, as you might expect).<br />
<br />
Carrots can also be roasted. Just pop them in with your <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/roast-parsnips.html">parsnips</a> and/or <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/roast-beetroot-with-rotmos.html">beetroot</a> next time.<br />
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And there is an endless supply of soup recipes involving carrots to one degree or another. Too many for me to even start trying to link to them all.<br />
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One really great thing about carrots is that you can grate them up into mince dishes while cooking (a) to make the dish go a bit further and (b) to get some veg down the neck of your picky eaters without their even noticing.<br />
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Image by <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/creative/kumarnm">kumarnm</a>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-55369399978985499942011-07-20T06:59:00.000-07:002011-07-20T06:59:29.078-07:00Lemon and poppy seed cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwz5XAdNISH5iVoTcY-dPyM6aQ-o0G6CLAmyohh35SlJ4_zUez0iCKKyL65_64OSEEU2c_fJfUBF6rVA9NELpbRy7NP7MRMXeDQOdRpvO4RJMkhfROC6mFcDEv4HIr8P8YyTtDkCSr2C5F/s1600/DSC_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwz5XAdNISH5iVoTcY-dPyM6aQ-o0G6CLAmyohh35SlJ4_zUez0iCKKyL65_64OSEEU2c_fJfUBF6rVA9NELpbRy7NP7MRMXeDQOdRpvO4RJMkhfROC6mFcDEv4HIr8P8YyTtDkCSr2C5F/s400/DSC_0211.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My boss's husband is a keen gardener, and he has been collecting up the seeds from the many poppies in his garden, ready for next year's crop. I decided to put some of them to culinary use. I genuinely had every single ingredient in the cupboard, so I was able to make these without spending any... what's that stuff called again?<br />
<br />
Every second person you speak to has a recipe for these, it seems. This is the one I used. I reckon (predictably enough) that they'd be even better with lime!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Oven temperature</strong></span><br />
180C<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
Cupcakes<br />
275g caster sugar<br />
200g butter, left at room temperature for a couple of hours to soften<br />
540ml self raising flour<br />
4 eggs, separated<br />
Juice and grated zest of 3 small lemons<br />
2.5ml vanilla extract<br />
Poppy seeds (some)<br />
Cupcake cases (about 18ish)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Icing</strong></span><br />
250ml icing sugar<br />
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon<br />
Little water<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #783f04;">Method</span></strong><br />
<ul><li>Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.</li>
<li>Sift in the flour and mix well.</li>
<li>Add lemon juice, lemon zest, about 10ml of poppy seeds and vanilla and beat some more.</li>
<li>Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with clean blades and then fold into the main mixture.</li>
<li>Place your cupcake cases into muffin pans and spoon in the mixture. The cases should be about 3/4 full.</li>
<li>Bake for about 20-25 minutes until done (test one or two with a skewer).</li>
<li>Cool in the muffin pan for a little while before placing them on a cooling rack.</li>
<li>Ice as follows: mix together the lemon juice, zest and icing sugar. If it is a little stiff, add just a bit of water.</li>
<li>Plop a dollop on top of each cooled cupcake and then sprinkle with some of the poppy seeds.</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-48655034452313769832011-07-14T07:14:00.000-07:002011-07-14T07:17:36.107-07:00What do I do with...cabbage?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS136RES3wnYhULDblHyl0kne8KRB4vU5YDtf7BAxH84sT4wItLPCBEh0HyXNQ8Si0hOnZKr7AGBLS7AWfY0gMPKQyEO5DqlfaTY9QBvSggTon3YrMYZyxafdk50o47Qi7nowy6JtNTcP4/s1600/cabbage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS136RES3wnYhULDblHyl0kne8KRB4vU5YDtf7BAxH84sT4wItLPCBEh0HyXNQ8Si0hOnZKr7AGBLS7AWfY0gMPKQyEO5DqlfaTY9QBvSggTon3YrMYZyxafdk50o47Qi7nowy6JtNTcP4/s400/cabbage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I find it surprising how many of the people in those healthy eating type programmes, where the person's diet is given a makeover, don't recognise a cabbage, let alone know what to do with it. It strikes me as being one of the most commonplace of vegetables. However, just in case you're not familiar with it, here are some ideas as to what to do with this versatile vegetable.<br />
When I was a child, I loathed cabbage... except for my Gran's <a href="http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/496731/pickled-red-cabbage">pickled red cabbage</a> (note: the link doesn't go to my Gran's recipe, that is lost to the grave, more's the pity), but then I was pickle-mad, it has to be said - I had been known to eat an entire bottle of gherkins in a sitting, and then drink the vinegar!<br />
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This iffy relationship was not improved when I went to boarding school and was regularly served a grey-ish substance that had once been cabbage, until the life was boiled out of it.<br />
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My relationship with cabbage now could hardly be further from that. And the same is true of my family. In fact, it is a miracle that my husband still has all ten fingers, because he regularly steals raw cabbage as I'm chopping it, and eats it straight into his mouth with a look of sheer bliss. Nor have I ever had to put up with the whinging my mother used to get at the dinner table: both my sons have happily eaten cabbage from the get go.<br />
<br />
Until I moved to the UK, I only knew one kind of cabbage (other than <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/37341">red</a>), and that was the sort that is known as green cabbage, here. There are also <a href="http://nerd-alert.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/cabbage.jpg">white cabbages</a> which (as the name implies) are almost white, and very tightly packed. The leaves are much firmer and more brittle. But I think my favourite must be <a href="http://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/images/suttons/VECAB1712.jpg">savoy cabbage</a>. It is much darker, with curly leaves and has a stronger taste, somewhere along the road to Brussels sprouts, but not quite <em>that</em> strong.<br />
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Cabbage can be eaten raw in salads. There are scores of recipes out there for salads that involve cabbage. In the UK, the most popular is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/21/nigel-slater-classic-coleslaw-recipe">coleslaw</a>. When I was a child, my Mom used to make a salad she (perhaps unimaginatively) called 'cabby appy' for family barbecues: cabbage and apple salad. This involved chopped cabbage and apple with raisins (and sometimes roast peanuts), all mixed up with mayonnaise.<br />
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All cabbages can also be steamed or boiled, but take care not to destroy the stuff completely until you're left with a barely identifiable, watery mass. I tend to steam mine and I like to add caraway or cumin seeds.<br />
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You can also use finely sliced cabbage very successfully in a <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/lazy-beef-stirfry-with-thai-ish-twist.html">stirfry</a> with carrots, onions, bean sprouts, bell peppers, baby corn and sugar snap peas (and meat, if you like).<br />
<br />
Cabbage is absolutely delicious in soups and <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/cabbage-bredie.html">stews</a>, and it features heavily in a great many traditional European dishes, some of which I have even shared on this site, such as <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/kaldolmar-swedish-cabbage-rolls.html">kåldolmar.</a><br />
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Cabbage is also the main ingredient of sauerkraut. You could <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1502859/Home-made-sauerkraut-recipe.html">make your own</a>, or buy it from the supermarket and then use it in Polish <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/bigos.html">bigos</a>.<br />
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In researching this post, I have come across some fabulous sites offering cabbage recipes. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/23/red-cabbage-recipes-fearnley-whittingstall">some great ideas for red cabbage</a>, while Cherie Stihler has dedicated <a href="http://www.cheriestihler.com/CC/recipes.html">an entire page</a> to cabbages in general.<br />
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Image by <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/creative/richcd">richcd.</a>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-25968532798279227272011-07-11T09:20:00.000-07:002011-07-11T09:20:14.201-07:00You may notice some service interruptionsFor personal reasons I won't lay at your doorstep, I am going to have to reduce the frequency of my posts on this blog for a while.<br />
I have tried to avoid having it come to this, but reality got in the way, as it does. I toyed with the idea of posting recipes without photos, but thought better of it. I like to provide you with evidence that the recipe I'm posting works with current ingredients and equipment. For example, I have noticed that my older recipes call for far more salt than more modern recipes, and I want to give you an accurate run down of what I <em>actually</em> use, not what the original recipes ask for.<br />
<br />
I hope that you will continue to swing by as and when I am able to share recipes. I will keep posting links on Twitter and Facebook, so that you are still notified when there is something new to try.The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-19447085258104195482011-07-08T09:05:00.000-07:002011-07-08T09:05:46.250-07:00Lime drizzle cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi231q3OKE6Jiy4sTp2jVAoBCxmhTTr2YrNBUqHK8XEvW83eO9wrg99KVx5duqrtNLniikxghoo3naJEkx2IASECnZyIBEcEGRb_B258_ZwzOFwCr-Xk7dZQQ-8EIWr33SbaksapYXpAYRa/s1600/DSC_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi231q3OKE6Jiy4sTp2jVAoBCxmhTTr2YrNBUqHK8XEvW83eO9wrg99KVx5duqrtNLniikxghoo3naJEkx2IASECnZyIBEcEGRb_B258_ZwzOFwCr-Xk7dZQQ-8EIWr33SbaksapYXpAYRa/s400/DSC_0097.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I recently made these for my neighbours' 58th wedding anniversary. I promise to make something far more splendiferous for their diamond anniversary in a couple of years' time.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Oven temperature</strong></span><br />
180C<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
100g butter, kept in a warm place for a couple of hours to soften it slightly<br />
125ml caster sugar<br />
1 large egg, separated<br />
5ml vanilla extract<br />
175ml plain flour, sifted<br />
10ml finely grated lime zest (or you could use lemon)<br />
5ml baking powder<br />
60ml milk<br />
juice of half a lime<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Icing</span><br />
25ml lime juice<br />
60ml icing sugar<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla.</li>
<li>Add the sifted flour, zest and baking powder and beat until it is all blended together.</li>
<li>Add the milk and beat a little before adding the lime juice and beating a bit more for good measure.</li>
<li>In a separate bowl (with clean blades) whisk the egg white until it forms peaks.</li>
<li>Fold egg-whites into the rest of the mixture.</li>
<li>Grease your cupcake pan, or pop a paper cupcake case into each hollow.</li>
<li>Divide the mixture among about 8-10 cupcake spaces and spread it evenly.</li>
<li>Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Cool in the baking tin for a few minutes, then remove and place in a huddle on a flat plate. Poke a few holes in their tops</li>
<li>Whisk the juice and icing sugar together, then drizzle over the cupcakes.</li>
<li>Pop the cupcakes onto a cooling rack until cooled. </li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-68304102313124536732011-07-07T09:09:00.000-07:002011-07-07T09:09:24.002-07:00What do I do with....parsnips?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.parsniprecipes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/parsnips-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.parsniprecipes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/parsnips-5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Parsnips something look like anaemic carrots. In fact, in Afrikaans, parsnips are called 'witwortels' (white roots) to distinguish them from 'geelwortels' (yellow roots). Because the yellow roots are more common, they are usually simply referred to as 'roots' (wortels).<br />
<br />
However, they have a very different taste. I can remember being surprised to find them so sweet and not even slightly turnip/swede like in taste.<br />
<br />
I have previously shared a recipe for <a href="http://karynkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/roast-parsnips.html">roast parsnips</a>, which is my favourite thing to do with them, but you can also:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/article6920045.ece">Roast them with honey</a> a la Jamie Oliver (who also seems to like them with cumin)</li>
<li>Add them to a <a href="http://www.parsniprecipes.co.uk/thai-parsnip-and-carrot-salad-recipe/">salad</a></li>
<li>Boil/steam them as you would carrots. In fact, you could mix them together with carrots for a bit of interest</li>
<li>Use them in a soup as an additional ingredient - just grate some into your existing recipe</li>
<li>Use them as the main ingredient of a <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3198/spicy-roasted-parsnip-soup">soup</a> (or even <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/curriedroastparsnips_84173">this</a>)</li>
<li>Make them into <a href="http://zestycook.com/super-sweet-parsnip-chips/">chips</a> (which you can also do with carrots and beetroot, by the way)</li>
</ul>In fact, in my research for this post, I came across an entire site dedicated to parsnip recipes. So I shall leave you with a link to <a href="http://www.parsniprecipes.co.uk/">said site</a> and urge you to go off on a parsnip-fuelled adventure.The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-34013901620005865792011-07-06T11:59:00.000-07:002011-07-06T11:59:16.720-07:00Cardamom babka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8FBvCKc-6h3si7llyN9i_JGAZdy1MD_D9JumcEyU9KGrg83m388SAUh2Fc-wZt6nHIri39qO9h7zLyVbXcl0qOp2KFyqgZ7B_k-CMh5Z1jx88dIzvOMs9Q6MdbZC9L9IZ9jdjeCmQU4j/s1600/DSC_0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8FBvCKc-6h3si7llyN9i_JGAZdy1MD_D9JumcEyU9KGrg83m388SAUh2Fc-wZt6nHIri39qO9h7zLyVbXcl0qOp2KFyqgZ7B_k-CMh5Z1jx88dIzvOMs9Q6MdbZC9L9IZ9jdjeCmQU4j/s400/DSC_0165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is a variation on <a href="http://www.tessakiros.com/">Tessa Kiros's</a> recipe for 'Bobba's babka' from her book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Cloudberries-World-Family-Recipes/dp/1741964318/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309978697&sr=1-4">Falling Cloudberries</a>. Kiros is <del>one of </del>my favourite favourite<del>s</del>. She has a mixed heritage, has lived in various parts of the world, and loves preparing food for people. What a brilliant combination!<br />
<br />
Her beautifully presented books are what inspired me to attach a little back story to each of my recipes on this blog. You can curl up and read them even if you're not in the mood for cooking that day... mind you, chances are that you soon will be.<br />
<br />
This recipe is quite time consuming, but there are long periods when you can get on with other things while it looks after itself in a warm place.<br />
<br />
I made this on Saturday to take to church on Sunday, but it didn't quite work out as planned, due to a rookie mistake on my part. Does it serve to encourage you to learn that I also make rookie mistakes, or does it cause you to lose confidence in my recipes? I'm going to take a chance. I shall reveal the rookie mistake at the appropriate moment.<br />
<br />
I used a bread maker to mix up the dough, because yeast is my nemesis. Before I got my bread maker, I never produced a successful yeast-including product. Since I got my bread maker, I have never failed to produce a successful yeast-including product. Simple as. <br />
<br />
I am going to share the recipe as per the original (non-bread maker) instructions, and then explain what I did differently.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Oven temperature</strong></span><br />
180C (adjust for fan assisted ovens)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
625g plain (cake) flour<br />
5ml salt<br />
80ml caster sugar<br />
15g dried yeast<br />
250ml tepid milk<br />
60ml vegetable oil (plus a little extra for brushing)<br />
2 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />
<br />
15ml ground cardamom (Kiros calls for cinnamon)<br />
100g dark brown sugar<br />
60g butter, softened<br />
<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
10ml milk<br />
30g soft brown sugar<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt.</li>
<li>In a smaller bowl, mix together the yeast, milk and oil and leave for 10 minutes to let the yeast start to do it's thang.</li>
<li>Scrape out the yeast mixture into the larger bowl (make sure you get it all - it tends to be reluctant) and mix well.</li>
<li>Add the eggs and mix some more.</li>
<li>Tip it out onto a floured surface and knead it well for about ten minutes.</li>
</ul>OR... bung all the above ingredients into a bread maker and set it to 'dough' then proceed as below.<br />
<ul><li>Brush the top with oil and pop it oily side down into a large, clean bowl. Brush the surface that is now on top with oil, too.</li>
<li>Cover with cling film (Saran wrap) and leave in a warm place for about an hour and a half to rise... and it <em>will</em> rise. It should now be about twice the size it was.</li>
<li>Split the dough in half and roll out one half on a floured surface. You need to get it about .5cm thick. It should preferably be a roughly rectangular shape of about 25x45cm, but don't panic if the shape isn't perfect.</li>
<li>Mix the cardamom with the butter and brown sugar and spread half of this over the rolled dough. Spread it well and evenly.</li>
<li>Roll the dough into a sausage along its longest edge and set aside, while you repeat this process with the rest of the dough.</li>
<li>Now lay the two sausages side by side and sort of twist/braid them together. Pinch the ends together well. When you've entwined them, give them a few extra twists, to tighten up the loaf.</li>
<li>Pop them into a greased 30cm loaf tin (and this is where my rookie mistake came in. I forgot to grease the loaf tin. I mean... really???) and leave in a warm place for another hour or so, to rise some more.</li>
<li>Mix together the egg yolk and milk and brush the top of the loaf. Sprinkle with brown sugar.</li>
<li>Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when you poke it right in the middle.</li>
<li>If the ends are cooking too quickly, and the middle too slowly, Kiros recommends you cover the ends of the loaf with foil.</li>
<li>Cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning out onto a cooling rack. For those of us who have made rookie mistakes, this is the moment when half the loaf empties out and the other half stays behind in the tin. It tastes, just as good, mind... it just doesn't look good enough to serve to guests.</li>
<li>Serve slightly warm or totally cooled (if it lasts that long) with or without butter.</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-64898666719187554202011-07-05T09:45:00.000-07:002011-07-05T09:45:52.277-07:00Chicken madras<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8f1KEDSKNAC7VJTscBQVNAl0GPhHOdM_YG4Y0ZgaYweqA1XFVNf4lwVJtDaPkE4CJH7EIISZJCruZyZzrSjO33VYRPqxjt_o1sC0SoVuJZszxtlsIddsKcbu4CUBw2BBCuIdXLGh3Jrj/s1600/coriander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8f1KEDSKNAC7VJTscBQVNAl0GPhHOdM_YG4Y0ZgaYweqA1XFVNf4lwVJtDaPkE4CJH7EIISZJCruZyZzrSjO33VYRPqxjt_o1sC0SoVuJZszxtlsIddsKcbu4CUBw2BBCuIdXLGh3Jrj/s400/coriander.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Since I appear to have deleted my photos of this dish, I have opted to use a photo of coriander leaves/cilantro. Image by <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/creative/beglib">beglib</a>.<br />
<br />
The Indian foods I have eaten since moving to the UK have been so very different from the Indian foods I used to get in Durban, South Africa. It makes one realise what a large, multicultural country India is. <br />
<br />
The Indian descendants living in South Africa are largely Tamils, whose forebears hailed from from the southern parts of India. The food they now eat in South Africa has of course been adapted over the generations based on the ingredients available to them. <br />
<br />
It didn't occur to me at the time, but I never ate at an 'Indian' restaurant all the years I lived in Durban. I don't even remember seeing one. I guess it would be a bit like having an Italian restaurant in Rome, since Durban is often referred to as 'the capital of India', boasting over a million people of Indian heritage (possibly the largest in the world outside of India itself). <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, while I was teaching at a performing arts school in the Indian sector of town, I got to know all the take-away places and greasy spoons nearby. My students, to whose parents a white teacher at the school was still something of a novelty, used to bring me Tupperware dishes of this or that "my mother made for you, mem." Sadly, I never got the recipes of all these wonders. In many cases, I didn't even get the names. But, as a struggling student, I was enormously grateful for the free meals!<br />
<br />
I always knew when there had been a wedding in the family, because then I'd get <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barfi">burfi</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalebi">jalebi.</a> Maybe both! My housemates used to love that!<br />
<br />
The Indian foods on offer in England usually owe their heritage to Kashmiri or Punjabi traditions. So it's naan bread instead of roti, more meat, less beans... and in general the food is more aromatic. Oh, and I haven't seen a <a href="http://www.phuthu.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/chilli-bites.jpg">chilli bite</a> in aaaaages!<br />
<br />
There are of course, 'Indian' dishes which have been invented in both England and South Africa, just as macaroni cheese is an American dish with a nod to Italian roots. But even those tend to follow the patterns of the cultural heritage of the local populations.<br />
<br />
Over the years, my palate has become less hardy, and there is no way I could eat the fiery hot samoosas I used to scoff after the final class on my way to a singing gig 'back in the day'. <br />
<br />
Today's dish has a bit of bite to it, but is still within what I would consider a reasonable range. It's one I learned to make in the UK, even though it hails from the more southerly parts of India (Chennai).<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
800g chicken, skinned and cut into bite sized pieces<br />
1 large onions, finely chopped<br />
6 tomatoes, finely chopped<br />
2-3 small green chillies (adjust to taste), chopped<br />
2.5cm piece of ginger root, peeled and grated (or just use the 'very lazy' kind in a tube)<br />
4 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
5ml chilli powder<br />
2.5ml ground cumin<br />
2.5ml ground coriander seeds<br />
5ml turmeric<br />
5ml nutmeg<br />
2 cloves<br />
3 cardamom pods<br />
Garam masala (some)<br />
Bunch coriander (cilantro) leaves<br />
Pinch salt<br />
75ml oil<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>Heat the oil over a moderate heat in a heavy-based saucepan. Pop in the cloves and cardamom pods.</li>
<li>Add the onions and fry them well. Not just to the translucent stage you may be used to, but until they are well browned.</li>
<li>Stir in the green chillies, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Stir for a couple of minutes. </li>
<li>Season with a pinch of salt and stir some more.</li>
<li>Add the chicken and stir for about 3 minutes to seal it. If it sticks a bit, add just a little water (no more than 50ml).</li>
<li>Add the nutmeg and tomatoes and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes over a medium heat.</li>
<li>Sprinkle with garam masala and fresh coriander leaves to serve.</li>
<li>Serve with rice, naan bread, roti....or whatever starch your little heart desires.</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-26955738862256338822011-07-04T09:03:00.000-07:002011-07-04T09:03:19.353-07:00Granny juice (aka lemon squash)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.365project.org/1/1516932_abfqsu3679_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://media.365project.org/1/1516932_abfqsu3679_m.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
When my kids were little, they both had a tendency to wheeze when given any commercially available squashes. We eventually identified the culprit as sulphur dioxide, a commonly used preservative in South Africa in those days, especially in fruit products.<br />
<br />
So we avoided them. Since pure fruit juices, while abundant and richly varied in South Africa, were beyond our budget on any grand scale, this meant that the kids' liquid intake was somewhat restricted.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, John's Mom used to make lemon squash - which the boys dubbed 'granny juice' - in vast quantities. It was delicious and refreshing. And, yes, it contained a lot of sugar, but absolutely nothing else nefarious. <br />
<br />
And of course, it works just as well with limes... or a combination of the two.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
12 unwaxed lemons, <em>thoroughly</em> washed<br />
1kg sugar<br />
2l (2,000ml) water<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>If you're feeling dedicated, use a grater to grate off the zest of about half the lemons. Otherwise, use a vegetable peeler, but be careful not to get any of the pith.</li>
<li>Place the zest, water and sugar into a saucepan (not an aluminium one!) over a low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. The liquid should be a yellow shade and smell of lemons.</li>
<li>Strain out the zest and set the liquid to one side.</li>
<li>Squeeze the juice out of the lemons and add to the liquid (which will have cooled down a bit by now). It is very important not to boil the juice, or even to heat it up too much, because that will destroy the vitamin C (apparently).</li>
<li>Bottle and keep until needed. Make sure the bottles are well sealed.</li>
<li>To drink, dilute just as you would any other squash to get the strength you require.</li>
</ul>Oh... and the photo is my own. Just so you know ;o)The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-87317516268624773322011-07-01T07:39:00.000-07:002011-07-01T07:39:14.830-07:00Risotto with an eastern twist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0j3yLgOJ6knsWa3PSIddLerz7h0RqnVZ1ruW7NFFxFsMLSPGSFsKajIe72rDveUL9wb_aKRUA9xwzcW0yEqa239TGkliFouttLU1ltZBqmVvQJjQfxvJ9QI-X-l-fe212564aMMW_U-Ru/s1600/DSC_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0j3yLgOJ6knsWa3PSIddLerz7h0RqnVZ1ruW7NFFxFsMLSPGSFsKajIe72rDveUL9wb_aKRUA9xwzcW0yEqa239TGkliFouttLU1ltZBqmVvQJjQfxvJ9QI-X-l-fe212564aMMW_U-Ru/s400/DSC_0104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is based on another recipe from my <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamlyn-Colour-Cookbook-Veggie-Feasts/dp/0600617319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309531076&sr=1-1">200 veggie feasts</a> book. In the original version were ingredients of the sort not found in the average kitchen (most people I know have never even <em>heard</em> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirin">mirin</a>, for example... and Blogger's spellchecker certain doesn't seem to know what it is!) and I was not about to send you on wild goose chase for the sake of a few mls of this (30mls in the case of the mirin, for example) and a dash of that.<br />
<br />
So I adapted. <br />
<br />
As you would expect.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
1200ml of veg stock (alright, you can use chicken if you must!)<br />
15ml soy sauce<br />
30ml white wine (or use sake or mirin if you have it)<br />
60ml sunflower or olive oil (or replace 15mls with sesame oil, if you have some)<br />
A few spring onions, chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
2.5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and grated (or a tablespoon of the 'very lazy' kind in a tube or bottle - don't use dried ground ginger if you can avoid it - it's nowhere near as nice)<br />
375g arborio/paella rice (or bog standard rice, if it's all you have)<br />
4 kaffir lime leaves, ripped up, or the grated zest of 1 lime<br />
250g mushrooms (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiitake">shiitake</a> if you can get them, otherwise - you know - whatever), sliced<br />
About 30ml chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves with a few extras for garnish<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><strong>Method</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>Warm up the stock, wine and soy sauce, but don't let it boil.</li>
<li>Heat 45ml of the oil in a saucepan or large frying pan and throw in the spring onions, garlic and ginger and stir fry on high for about a minute.</li>
<li>Lower the heat and add the rice and the lime leaves. Stir for about a minute until all the grains of rice are coated.</li>
<li>Add about 150ml of stock and stir until absorbed. Keep stirring and adding stock until you have about half a cupful left in the jug. You might like to turn the heat off on the rice while you do this next bit.</li>
<li>Use the remaining oil in a different panto fry the mushrooms for about 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the coriander and mushrooms to the rice, with the remaining stock. If you turned the heat off before, turn it back on now, but keep it low.</li>
<li>Stir until the liquid is pretty much absorbed.</li>
<li>Garnish with a few bits of fresh coriander leaf.</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-7956604094631528312011-06-30T09:33:00.000-07:002011-06-30T09:33:30.319-07:00What do I do with... green beans?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6A_IlneJbycB82cRgTk4vzJzdjx9btM8hvr0qbgEUdvN1V944IjMLBXBxzgD8Xnl-UD9uSjfMeU7I_Bi-kgKmuTB2ocDfDTV5naR_0gAyKcSAWXpez2sEj5l_kmdZpM7SkyjEQYiyFB1/s1600/green+beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6A_IlneJbycB82cRgTk4vzJzdjx9btM8hvr0qbgEUdvN1V944IjMLBXBxzgD8Xnl-UD9uSjfMeU7I_Bi-kgKmuTB2ocDfDTV5naR_0gAyKcSAWXpez2sEj5l_kmdZpM7SkyjEQYiyFB1/s400/green+beans.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You very probably already know this, but in case you don't: you're supposed to eat the pod part of a green bean, too. Unlike other beans, you don't eat just the seed-bit and throw away the outside.<br />
<br />
Green beans are readily available in frozen or canned form, but they're so easy to cook, and no initial faff is required, so you might as well buy them fresh and score all the extra nutrients.<br />
<br />
I was always non-plussed by the fact that the package labels on green beans in UK supermarkets advise one not to eat them raw. All through my childhood, it was the norm to help ourselves to the green beans and carrots growing in my grandfather's vegetable garden. The beans were eaten as is. The carrots were first given a wash under the garden tap.<br />
<br />
I can only think that fears of some dread foreign disease were behind the caution (witness the recent E-coli hoo-ha). But I live dangerously and carry right on eating raw green beans - even those that come from the supermarket!<br />
<br />
So, if you're ready for a life on the edge, you can eat them raw, too. Just like that, or chopped up into a salad. Or dipped in houmous. Mmmm. Hust give them a good rinse first.<br />
<br />
Otherwise you can boil or steam them (whole or sliced). You can steam them in your microwave or on the hob. Give me a shout if you're not sure about how to do either of those. Don't keep going until the life and goodness have been cooked out them, though! Ugh - the memories of grey beans at boarding school.... shudder.<br />
<br />
Some people struggle with the fact that cooked green beans 'squeak on your teeth'. And it's true - they sometimes do. I have a son with tactile issues and green beans were always a challenge for him. I found that cooking them just that little bit longer solved the problem (as does eating them raw).<br />
<br />
I once knew a woman who had worked as an au pair in Greece where she had learned to prepare green beans like this:<br />
<br />
Blanch them (dip them in boiling water for a couple of minutes), then stir fry them with some crushed garlic in olive oil. Add a little lemon juice for zing. Verrrrry nice!<br />
<br />
Then an Afrikaans friend used to mix them up with roughly mashed potato, which she sprinkled with pepper. I have to say, though, that she boiled the poor beans to death first.<br />
<br />
Another very popular Afrikaans dish is <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=123755">groenboontjiebredie</a> (green bean stew - and oh boy, did I struggle to find a decent <strong>English</strong> recipe for you!), which you might like to try one cold evening.The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736674783883169980.post-62398301268487186532011-06-29T08:30:00.000-07:002011-06-29T08:30:28.675-07:00Ginger beer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0ByAsfK_Dpe_v-wkysL_wjDhRiZbkYgcyHwD58Ru_Ts84IJ6mbq2P2tIlccUPBf3hccTUbpL-eymji5A2ze3l_9rbpWFofTPU5ObBNjmrZFoFmUA6YWMrI1LKEDQfBw3sbxwuZRX6gI0/s1600/ginger+beer+and+lime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0ByAsfK_Dpe_v-wkysL_wjDhRiZbkYgcyHwD58Ru_Ts84IJ6mbq2P2tIlccUPBf3hccTUbpL-eymji5A2ze3l_9rbpWFofTPU5ObBNjmrZFoFmUA6YWMrI1LKEDQfBw3sbxwuZRX6gI0/s400/ginger+beer+and+lime.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I really enjoy ginger beer, but the stuff that is sold commercially under that name is hardly worth drinking. However, I have a recipe (you might have guessed) that you might like to try.<br />
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It comes out of a a delightful little book that was put together in aid of Hospice in South Africa many years ago. It contains a collection of recipes from South African 'celebrities' (I use quotes because I'm not sure that the MPs included in the book should be given that label). I will be sharing other recipes from the book at some point, I'm sure, having recently rediscovered it hidden between two larger books on my recipe bookshelf (aka the windowsill in the conservatory).<br />
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I would like to explain why I purchased the book, if you don't mind: <br />
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During my Gran's agony-ridden final days, the Hospice people were a great comfort and help to us, visiting three times a day with the blessed syringe-borne relief for my Gran. Two of the workers even attended her funeral. They had not had the enormous privilege of knowing my Gran as a whole person in possession of a sound mind and a gentle heart, but they came anyway. And I'm glad they did, because they got a glimpse into the sort of a woman my Gran had been before the cancerous scourge had robbed her of her dignity, her graciousness and her humility.<br />
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Okay, now that I have utterly ruined my mascara, let me get back to the recipe for ginger beer, which - I should probably mention - takes about 10 days, and you will need a fair few 2l bottles, so get collecting.<br />
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According to the book, this recipe is a firm favourite of Nelson Mandela, but since this claim is made by a fictitious alter ego of a female impersonator, who allegedly made it for him, I'd take it with a pinch of salt, if I were you!<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Stage 1</span><br />
10ml yeast<br />
80ml sugar<br />
80ml grated ginger root (or you can use ground ginger, if you like)<br />
500ml water<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Stage 2</span><br />
1,250ml sugar<br />
2l (2,000ml) hot water<br />
4l (4,000ml) cold water<br />
200ml lemon juice<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>Method</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Stage 1</span><br />
<ul><li>Place the water in a jug or bowl and stir in the yeast, 10ml sugar and 10ml ginger. </li>
<li>Leave overnight.</li>
<li>Each day, for seven days, stir in another 10ml sugar and 10ml ginger.</li>
</ul><span style="color: #783f04;">Stage 2</span><br />
<ul><li>Dissolve sugar in the hot water.</li>
<li>Add the cold water and lemon juice.</li>
<li>Strain the stage 1 mixture through a muslin and add it to the above.</li>
<li>Bottle and allow to stand for 1-2 days at room temperature. It's probably a good idea to leave a bit of space at the top of the bottles... just in case! And screw those caps on well.</li>
<li>Refrigerate and enjoy with ice and a sprig of mint or a slice of lime.</li>
</ul>The upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.com1