For me, the best lemon puree starts with the best lemons – and I defer to organic, unwaxed lemons. I’ll share some steps to take if you have lemons that are waxed, not organic – don’t worry. One of my biggest approaches to food is exploring how much of the whole ingredient I can use in my home or cooking, especially if they have life in them. This zero-waste approach helps me get the most and the best out of each ingredient which is not only a great guiding philosophy but in these times of COVID can help us immensely....
Rhubarb & Strawberry Jam Galette de Pérouges
‘Tis the season for rhubarb. And bread dough still, right? And you know that strawberry and rhubarb are a thing, no? It’s also the season of galettes and tarts, pies and cobblers. Crisps, pandowdies, crumbles and every combination of fruit and crust – top, bottom, crumbled, cut, laid down in rounds. I remember a friend of mine, W exasperated with his wife and I going on and on about baking one thing or the other. He asked ‘What’s the difference between all these things, sef?’ They all taste the same. And as we waxed lyrical about texture and crust to...
Roasted Rhubarb & Ginger Jam
A simple recipe using roasted rhubarb which intensifies the flavour and keeps the colour – everyone’s happy! Get the roasted rhubarb recipe here For the jam: Put the roasted rhubarb and 3 tablespoons of juice into a small pan with the rest of the sugar and the grated ginger. Let cook for about 10 minutes on low heat, stirring. It will jam and jelly and take on a shine. You can add some ginger wine, ginger beer or any liqueur you like. You can thin the mixture to your tastes. Refrigerate till ready to use
Roasted Rhubarb Limeade
An update to a 10-year old post – still valid, I hope you enjoy it too:) The prospect of S’mores fired her up intensely. From deep in her belly, she longed to stoke a fire, so its rising flames and crackling sounds could warm her and melt her ‘mallows till they softened and oozed their sugary goodness onto some good grahams. And the chocolate would quickly follow, it too melting in a marble sea of toasted flavours, perfect for a midsummer’s night on the range. Any range. With the stars ‘bove n up and the silver crescent of the moon...
Roasted Rhubarb
Or how to keep rhubarb in the pink of health 🙂 To roast the rhubarb, wash each piece then top and tail. Cut into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces. Toss chunks with sugar, some freshly grated ginger and place on an oven tray. Roast at 200 deg C for 12 – 15 minutes till your rhubarb is soft. Let cool down and place in a bowl, with its juices. Refrigerate till ready to use.
How to make any jam glaze
Glazes bring amazing shine to bakes, from breads to fruit and bakes. While apricot jam glaze is very popular other jams and jellies work. I like to use ginger when I want a hint of spice. For berries, I use redcurrant jelly but there is a world of options. A ginger jam glaze is one of my favourite ones – it does the work of the shine and adds a touch of sweet, warming heat to the mix. Like in my rhubarb strawberry galette de Perouges Ingredients Jam Liquid – liqueur or water. I used ginger wine Directions In a...
Akara, with Bean Flour
And also with gram/ besan/ lentil flours or powders. Think of it this time as using flours of convenience, whatever they bean :). I first used these flours when I lived abroad, several moons ago and found it tricky sometimes to get black-eyed beans or didn’t want to expend the energy required to peel them. The flours work well, they approximate the deliciousness I’m familiar with from bean puree akara. Necessity, ehn? Prep time: 1 hrCook time: 30 min Ingredients 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped Fresh chili pepper (optional) 150g bean, gram, lentil flour 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves 1 teaspoon dry roasted...
Bacon-Wrapped Plantains
I grew up eating plantains as an essential part of my Nigerian diet and I find it fascinating to experiment with them. I’ve tried chocolate-filled gnocchi and Plantano Frito tortillas for nouveau cuisine, and traditional Nigerian steamed pudding. And so when I read about bacon-wrapped plantains at Cynthia’s of Taste of Home, its fate was sealed. A Yoruba Proverb says, ‘The man that eats no pepper is weak, pepper is the staff of life.’ To bring some heat into the dish and to balance the sweet of the ripe plantains, I made a batch of yellow pepper sauce. And I...
Yellow Pepper Sauce
I know, I’m here telling you about this sauce that rocks my world, and at the same time I’m asking, telling ‘Don’t judge me’. Don’t judge me by the chilies I eat, or the spices I like, don’t judge me. Don’t judge me, don’t judge my food, don’t judge my heritage. We like what we like, we’re who we are for the simple reason that we. Are. Who. We. Are. Fin For too long, spices levels have been causalities of cancel culture by an ‘elite’ – elites who rather than understand a cuisine, malign its character. I’m an equal opportunity...