Chai

Boil freshly grated ginger and cinnamon with
black tea
add milk and sugar to taste

Warming and soothing

Kithcherie-vegetarian chicken Soup

We have been suffering with the boomerang flu and when I finally managed to clamber into the Kitchen-my best ever kitcherie was borne. Its quick and nutritious and does claim to have the life rejuvenating properties of chicken soup.

In a heavy based saucepan add

• a knob of butter(good for sore throat)
• a teaspoon of cumin seeds
• inch of freshly grated ginger
• 1 t salt and pepper
• 0.5 t of turmeric(antibacterial)
• 0.5 cup each of masoor(washed orange/red lentils) and basmati rice
• fill saucepan 3/4 full with filtered water

Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Organic Sausage Rolls

• 1 pkt Organic Pork mince
• 1/2 apple finely diced
• 1 stick of celery finely diced
• 1 T pickled red jalepenos finely diced
• 1 t mustard powder
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1 t garam masala
• 1/2 t each salt and pepper
• 1 T chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 T finely diced shallots- I cheat here and use frozen diced shallots
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• beaten egg for sealing pastry and brushing on top.
  
• 2 pks of organic puff pastry or 1 pack will give you spare mince for just sausages.
• sesame seeds or poppy seeds to sprinkle on top if you like.
  

Baileys Cookies

Great with coffee!

Don't turn your back or they will all disappear very quickly!!
Best to make the coffee whilst in oven ;)

Method and Ingredients:

4oz softened unsalted butter beaten with
2oz soft light brown muscovado sugar
Beat in 1 beaten egg.
Add 1 T Baileys Irish Cream and
1 t Vanilla extract
Gently fold in 5 oz plain flour and 1/2 t baking powder.
Add about 2-4oz of a mix of white, milk and or dark chocolate chips.
Place 1 t of mixture onto baking sheet lined with paper.
Cook on 180degrees C for 10 minutes.
Cool and enjoy!

These cookies can be made by omitting the Baileys for teetotalers.

Raita : yogurt and cucumber dip

Raita

Raita is a healthy spiced yogurt and cucumber companion to cool hot curries but works equally well as a dip. My secret ingredient is dry roasted sesame and cumin seeds-now you all know it;).

Ingredients:

• 1 pot of organic yogurt
• 5-6 inches or half of an organic cucumber grated coarsely (non organic may have a waxy coating on the nutritious skin)
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 t sea salt to your taste
• 1/2 to 3/4 t freshly ground black pepper to your taste
• 1/2 to 3/4 garam masala
• 1/4 to 1/2 t smoked paprika
  
• 1/2 to 3/4 t each sesame and cumin seeds
• 1 T chopped green herb of your choice: for authentic raita add coriander, for a Greek edge add mint, chives or just add parsley( a clove of crushed garlic and 2 T parsley turn it into a good sauce to go with fritters)
• for decoration a sprinkle of red chili powder or smoked paprika or cayenne, garam masala, black pepper, sesame and cumin seeds and 2-3 coriander leaves.

Method:

1. Place a dry frying pan on gas and let it get hot.
2. Add the cumin seeds and sesame seeds into the hot pan and toss the pan around to brown the seeds without burning. They will start to pop.
3. Empty the seeds into a clean dry plate and allow to cool, while you prepare the yogurt.
4. Grate the cumber
   
5. Empty yogurt into a bowl and whisk
   
6. Add the cumber and mix
7. Add the salt, pepper, garam masala, paprika, cumin and sesame seeds(reserve a few for decorating the top).
   
8. Add the chopped coriander
9. Transfer to your serving dish and decorate the top with a sprinkling of

• garam masala
• black pepper
• paprika
• sesame seeds
• cumin seeds
• a sprig of coriander

Serve with roti, pitta, tortillas, poppadoms, carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli trees .............

Further variations:
The cucumber can be diced instead of grated. Also you can try adding cubed avocado, cubed tomatoes and spring onions. This trio is a great combination when served with curries!

Can I have a pink chocolate dolly cake?

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Fruit n nut cookies - with or without egg

Ingredients:

150g soft butter
1/2 cup soft dark brown sugar
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar
1 T dessicated coconut
2 T flaked almonds
2 T dried cherries
2 T chopped dried apricots
1 T pumpkin seeds
1 cup plain flour
1 t baking powder
2.5 cups oats
1 egg or 1/2 cup whipped double cream

Method:

• cream butter and sugars
• add egg or lightly whipped cream
• add flour
• add fruit n nuts n oats
• roll into balls and flatten
• cook at 160 deg C for 20 minutes
  

Simple Soya Pasta:

Just add tamari to taste!

Ayurvedic Sweets

Dry tickly cough-try this:

• Soak almonds in water overnight.
• Remove there skins
• Make a paste of the peeled almonds with a little butter and sugar

This is good for a dry cough. My daughter is very suspicious of any paste like food items, so I turned the paste into balls and coated them in sprinkles and chocolate flakes.
Now show me a child who can resist medicine which looks like sweets!

My best ever Spaghetti Bolognese

Quick, nutritious and very, very, very tasty!

The secret ingredient!

It was so good that I did not even need to add the can of kidney beans I had waiting in the aisles, but that's an option.

In hot oil add:

• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 small cinnamon stick(the rough barked  Indian type)
• 2 crushed black cardamons
• 1 t freshly ground(in PnM) coriander seeds
• 1t cumin seeds

Soon after add:

• 1 diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 T grated ginger
• 2 sticks diced celery
• 3/4 diced red pepper 
• 1 T frozen sweetcorn
• 4-5 chopped mushrooms
• 1 t salt
• 0.5 t garam masala
• 0.25 t turmeric
•  1 T chopped mild red jalapenos (see pic of jar above)
• 1 pk organic minced lamb (~400-500g)
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 1 T tomato ketchup

Cook covered for ~30mins in total, but stir at 8-10 min intervals.  Must be served with organic spelt spaghetti for maximum taste and nutrition.