Thoughts are turning towards Christmas. When I was a teenager we started making our Christmas pickles and chutneys in October to give them time to mature. Of course, back then, we ate them with turkey sandwiches or slabs of cheese. Pickles and chutneys go just as well with a cold nut roast. You can make…
Category: Spicy Food
Eggplant, Chickpea and Mushroom Pilaf with Toasted Almond Flakes
I keep complaining how hard it is to get really good Indian food in Berlin. Sometimes I need to eat a plate of Indian food that is vibrant with the complex flavours of fresh, whole spices. That is hard to find here so I have to cook it myself. I like this dish because, although…
Sweet Potato Enchiladas and Baked Corn Salsa
The fresh corn is coming to an end now in Europe but it has been an amazing season. As a more warming dish for the slightly cooler weather, I baked this dish to create Enchiladas and also baked the salsa on top. The enchiladas are filled with a combination of sweet potatoes and red, kidney beans….
Brussels Sprouts with Mustard,Cumin and Fennel Seeds
Brussels sprouts are just coming into season in Europe. I hated these as a child and now cannot get enough of them. We eat huge piles of them in our house all through the season. They are best after the frost has been in them so taste much better in the winter. I could eat…
Thick Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Massaman
Massaman is my favourite South East Asian curry. It should be thick and rich with a slight peanutty flavour. You can get Massaman curry paste in Asian supermarkets. If you cannot get any the use a red or yellow Thai paste and add half a teaspoon of ground cumin and ground coriander. Cauliflowers are really…
Home Grown Mung Bean Sprouts with Stir Fried Noodles and Cashew Nuts
Sprouting your own beansprouts is really easy. See my post about this. They are so delicious in a stir fry and a great source of protein. As always with nuts, the cashews taste much better if they are toasted first. Broccoli is great for boosting the immune system. Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes Serves…
Black Bean and Red Pepper Chilli
I love black beans. They have a soft, silky texture that you don’t get with other beans. I made my first chilli as a student back in the early 80s. Although I have moved away from con carne to sin carne, I still use the same recipe which uses blended tomatoes, oregano, cumin, coriander,sugar and…
White Bean and Vegetable Tagine
I have a beautiful black tagine that I love using. I cook lots of things in it, not just Moroccan food. It makes everything cooked in it taste special. In Morocco, veggie tagines vary so much. They can be rich and oily or watery and tasteless. Generally, they are made only of veg though and…
Spicy Carrot and Peanut Soup with Coconut Milk
It started to feel a little autumnal this morning and it was slightly chilly indoors, making me want to eat something warming. This soup has Asian influences but also reminds me of Africa where lots of peanuts are grown. This could be made with pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potato, all of which would be…
Tofu, Mushroom and Spinach Burritos with Raw Corn Salsa
Burritos are a really quick midweek meal. I fry the filling in a cast iron pan which retains the heat evenly so you can cook your veg quickly without burning and while retaining their juiciness. You can use peppers, tempeh, other green veg like Pak Choy…just about anything will work. I used oyster mushrooms but…
