
Kombucha – my way
I have been growing SCOBYs (symbiotic combination of bacteria and yeast) and making kombucha for quite a few years now and I now feel confident that I know enough to document what I do. I have a very healthy scoby hotel and provide scobies to anyone who wants one. After a brief demonstration, I have, […]
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JAMAICAN GOAT (or LAMB) CURRY
I recently made this for a street party and it was so good that I was asked for recipes. We easily fed 15 people but we did have some salad and rice and other hot dishes, so allowing for what leftovers we had there would be plenty for 10 people if this and sides were […]
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RATATOUILLE
I have been making Ratatouille forever but never thought to put the recipe down in print. I grow large numbers of beautiful banana egg plant and this year I remembered ratatouille as a good vegetable dish to have in the fridge for a quick, healthy side dish or heated up and with eggs cracked into […]
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YELLOW CAPSICUM SOUP and YELLOW PEPPER SALAD
YELLOW WAX PEPPER SOUP An awesome soup, and can be very hot if you don’t remove the seeds and pith from the Hungarian wax peppers. This is so much better if it is rested overnight. As it is not cooked together the flavours need time to get to know each other. Adjust the seasoning after […]
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CITRUS CHEESECAKEY PUDDINGS
This has to be the simplest, fastest dessert possible – make it out of what’s in the cupboard/fridge – and it takes less than 10 minutes, only needing to be taken out of the fridge and served. NOT QUITE CHEESECAKE – LEMONY PUDDINGS Ingredients 150 ml of juice from lemons, limes or other citrus Zest […]
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2 INGREDIENT PANCAKES + a few
These are surprisingly nice, being soft and squishy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Cook slowly and turn carefully. Makes about 8 small pancakes. Ingredients 2 eggs 2 ripe bananas 1/4 tsp baking powder Pinch cinnamon Tiny pinch of salt Method Whisk eggs and bananas together with a stick mixer till smooth. […]
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FAKE EGG HOPPERS – no yeast
My sister-in-law posted a picture of the Sri Lankan egg hoppers she was cooking for breakfast while on holidays. I was fascinated and went searching the internet for recipes. It is like cooking eggs on toast in one go. You end up with a crispy thin edged pancake with an egg in the middle. Hard […]
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INFUSED COCONUT WATER
This is so easy it’s hardly worth writing down but it is such a good drink to have at a party to help keep drinkers hydrated. PARTY HYDRATION Ingredients Into a large jar add the following and leave to infuse over night 4 litres coconut water A few sprigs of mint About 1 cm grated […]
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KIMCHI FLAVOURED SAUERKRAUT – KRAUT-CHI
This is my recipe for a combination of sauerkraut and kimchi. I thought I had invented it until I found variations all over the internet. My motivation was the complexity of making kimchi compared to my confidence with sauerkraut. Add to that a day spent on a Korean Food Safari eat and learning about authentic […]
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NUTTY GRANOLA BREAKFAST TOPPER
I make a breakfast mix using chia, coconut, hemp seeds, LSA, ground nigella, cinnamon, turmeric, and anything else that is in the pantry. It usually involves sultanas and chopped dates. A few scoops of this is soaked overnight in kefir. This is eaten at breakfast for a few days with additional kefir and some […]
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NUTS AND BOLTS – AKA BHUJA MIX
I came across this recipe in a blog where people were reminiscing about food that there mothers had made when they were kids. Thinking that I must have had a neglectful mother or that I was in the the wrong age group for this I decided that I would have to have a go. It […]
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VANILLA CUP CAKES
Made these for the baby shower held before my Grandson was born, and now 8 years later he is helping me make them for his parents for afternoon tea when they bring his new baby sister home. Ingredients Cake mixture 125g softened butter 2/3 cup caster sugar 3 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract Zest […]
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BOUEF (VENISON) BOURGUIGNON – CAMP OVEN OR SLOW COOKER
Essentially Boeuf Bourguignon is a stew and in our family stews are served from a camp oven and eaten from a bowl beside a camp fire. This recipe therefore has been adapted to be cooked in one pot, namely a camp oven. The main ingredients to worry about are the meat and the wine and […]
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IMPOSSIBLE CUSTARD CAKE – UPGRADE
I have been making impossible pies, both savoury and sweet since I first came across them in the 70s. They appear to have had a resurgence of interest recently. This method, however, takes them to a new level. The plain version reminds me of the custard tarts I adore at Yum Cha. The custard is […]
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KITKAT GINGERBREAD HOUSE
These look fantastic and are reasonably quick to make, they are small enough to be individual gifts and taste and look great. The roof can be made from salted caramel or mint swirl kitkats. Aero bars were used for the door end. The pieces are glued to the board […]
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FLAX SEED PORRIDGE
This is surprisingly quick to make, particularly in comparison to chia porridge, a minute to grind a d a minute to cook in the microwave. Only one bowl to wash up. Keeps ok so you can make enough for a fdw days . It is best to buy whole flax seeds and grind them as […]
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CHIA SEED PORRIDGE
For when you are over eating eggs for breakfast and know that there is minimal nutrition in commercial cereals yet still want a refreshing Summer breakfast then Chia seeds are perfect. Chia seeds are high in protein and calcium, have a good supply of antioxidants and loads of Omega-3. I find that 4 tbs lasts […]
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PICKLED BEETROOT SALAD
This is really nice. Much better than the tinned variety, slicing it very thinly is essential. This needs to be prepared at least a day before needing it. I served it with pulled pork and smoked brisket to complement the creaminess of the coleslaw. Because they were being served on bread rolls I felt that […]
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MOTHER’S BISCUITS
This recipe has been in my home since I was a child, and it was one of the first recipes that I wrote down in my first, handwritten, recipe book. My mother wasn’t much of a baker and neither am I so it meets all the necessary requirements – easy, quick, flexible and not a […]
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LENTIL SALAD
I needed a salad to serve with my first attempt at a smoked brisket so went looking for my bag of black beans so I could make black bean salsa but there were none there. There were French lentils which are pretty good for salads so I went with them and a nice dressing. This is […]
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WEETBIX CHOCOLATE SLICE
When I was a kid my mother made a slice that was based on crushed Weet-bix, probably because, like any good Australian family there was always a box of Weet-bix in the house – “weet-bix kids are Aussie kids”. I decided it was time to revisit the recipe to make it with my grandson and […]
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Smoking in the Gas Smoker
Quick reference Today I got a smoker – and now I have to work out what to make with it. I got it from Aldi and when researching whether to buy it I found that it was a rebadged Hark smoker and that there was a cook book available on line so I have down-loaded […]
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CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
Apparently this is a traditional Hungarian recipe – my version is only adjusted to use ingredients that I commonly have in the cupboards. I chose this recipe because I had chicken pieces in the fridge and needed to find a “casseroley” thing to do with them I am going off into the desert for a […]
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