Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of salt
3/4 cup of water
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Food coloring
Any seasonings or scents you would like

Making the Play Dough:

Add the water, oil and lemon juice to a medium non-stick pot and heat on medium heat on the stove (maybe even slightly lower heat depending on your stove).

Add food coloring, liquid scents or Kool-Aid to the water mixture.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and any dry seasonings you are using.

After the water is hot, but not boiling, slowly add the dry ingredients to the pot and while mixing to combine. I use a wooden or plastic cooking spoon.

Continuously stir until the ingredients combine, dry out and begin to form a ball. If there are parts that seem a bit sticky still, just flatten the dough out and put the sticky side down on the bottom of the pot very briefly. Flip back and forth frequently until it doesn’t seem sticky anymore. However, don’t cook it too long. It is better to be a bit undercooked as it will firm up as it cools down.

Ingredients
600g Crab apples
35g Chillies
1l Water
1 Lemon, juiced
500g Caster sugar

Method
Put the chopped apples, chilies, lemon juice and water in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the apples become pulpy.

Strain through a jelly bag or muslin square overnight. Don’t be tempted to squeeze the pulp – this would make your jelly cloudy.

Measure the juice into a pan. For every 500ml of juice add 300g of caster sugar. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Keep a rolling boil going for 10-15 minutes until setting point has been reached.

Cool slightly, skim away any scum that forms on top of your jelly, pour into sterilised jars and seal tightly with screw-top lids.

An easy, delicious home-made digestif made with foraged hedgerow fruit. This traditional British treat brings warmth to a winter evening and makes a lovely gift. Recipe yields one 70 cl bottle, or just under 600ml of sloe gin once decanted.

Ingredients
225 g sloes
120 g sugar
410 ml gin – (or enough to fill the bottle)

Instructions
Pick over the sloes and put them in a clean 70 cl bottle.
Add the sugar.

Top up with the gin.

Screw the lid down tight and give it a good shake.

Keep the bottle in a cool, dark place that is easily accessible and shake every day for the first week or so, until all the sugar is dissolved.
Store in a cool dark place for at least 3 months (ideally at least months to a year) to infuse.

Strain into a jug through a sieve lined with a muslin cloth or jelly bag. Transfer the gin to a clean bottle. The gin may be enjoyed straight away but is best left for another 6 months.

To make 8.

For the dough:
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Tspn Salt
1/2 Tspn Chilli Flakes
1 Tbsp Coriander Leaves
1 Tbsp Oil (sunflower)
Mix well.
Add 1/3 cup of water
Make dough.

For the filling:
2 Boiled Potatoes, mashed. (25g per samosa = 200g)
1/2 Tspn Salt
1 Tbsp Onion
1 Clove Garlic
Grated Ginger, small piece
1/2 Tspn Chilli Flakes
1/2 Tspn Cumin powder
2 Green Chilli
Mix well.

To assemble:
Roll out half of the dough.
Cut into 4 squares.
Water the edges.
Place 25g potato filling at one end.
Roll and seal two ends.
Fry in medium-heated oil for 5 to 7 minutes.

Allow to cool.
Serve with chili oil and or sweet chili sauce.

2-4 persons

Ingredients
200g Boneless Chicken
1 Tsp sugar
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
4 Tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste
400 ml Coconut milk
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
100g Bamboo shoots or sliced eggplants

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or sauce pan. Add Thai green curry paste. Stir well for 2 minutes.

Add chicken and continue to stir well for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, add sugar and bamboo shoots or eggplant. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.

Serve hot with fragrant Jasmine rice.

INGREDIENTS
4 pieces firm white fish fillets (180gm each), such as mulloway or snapper
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp ghee
2 tsp each fenugreek seeds and white peppercorns, coarsely crushed
1 tsp each fennel seeds and brown mustard seeds, coarsely crushed
1 cinnamon quill
10 fresh curry leaves, plus extra sprigs, to serve
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 long green chillies, thinly sliced
2 tsp each ground chilli and ground coriander
2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1½ tbsp tamarind purée
200 ml coconut milk
To serve: steamed basmati rice and coriander sprigs

METHOD
1
Combine fish, half the turmeric and ½ tsp salt in a bowl, mix to coat well and set aside.

2
Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add whole spices and curry leaves and stir until spices pop (1 minute), then add onion, garlic and green chilli and stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes). Stir in ground spices, sauté until fragrant, then add tomato and cook until they begin to break down (2-3 minutes). Add tamarind and 700ml water, simmer until well flavoured (8-10 minutes), then add fish and coconut milk and simmer until just cooked through (4-5 minutes). Season to taste and serve hot with steamed rice, scattered with extra curry leaves and coriander.

Ingredients
½ tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
3 tbsp vegetable oil or groundnut oil
1 small cauliflower (400g-500g prepped weight), broken up into large florets and stalk cut into 2cm pieces.
1 tbsp cornflour
3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
thumb-sized piece ginger , finely chopped
1 tbsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
1 bunch spring onions , finely sliced on the the diagonal
2 tbsp maple syrup
5 tbsp light soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
400g can kidney beans , drained and rinsed
small bunch of coriander , roughly chopped (optional)
large handful of salted peanuts , roughly chopped

Method
STEP 1
Put the peppercorns in a dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat for 3 mins, stirring frequently. Tip onto a plate.

STEP 2
Put 2 tbsp oil in the frying pan, add the cauliflower and cook over a high heat for 5 mins to colour. Meanwhile, blitz the peppercorns in a small food processor or grind using a pestle and mortar and mix with the cornflour.

STEP 3
Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan and add a third of the cornflour mix to coat the cauliflower. Cook for 1 min, then add the garlic, ginger, chilli, three-quarters of the spring onions and 400ml water.

STEP 4
Cover with a lid or baking tray and boil for a couple of mins. As this cooks, add the maple syrup, soy sauce and vinegar, plus 6 tbsp water, to the remaining cornflour mix in a separate bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside.

STEP 5
Add the maple cornflour mix to the cauliflower, stirring. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, add the beans, cover and simmer until the sauce thickens and the cauliflower is tender.

STEP 6
Tip onto a plate, scatter over the coriander, if using, then top with the remaining spring onions and the peanuts.

250 g butter
450 g cake (plain) flour
450 g sugar
15 ml mixed spice*
20 ml ground ginger
5 ml ground cinnamon
2 eggs
15 ml milk
30 ml golden syrup
10 bicarbonate of soda

Prehaeat oven to 140 °C and lightly grease three baking sheets.  In a large bowl rub the butter into the flour, then add the sugar and spices.  In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk, golden syrup and bicarbonate of soda together.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead until well combined.  Roll the mixture into balls the size of walnuts and place on the prepared baking sheets.  Predd each ball down with your thumb and bake for 40 minutes until crisp and golden.  Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 50 – 60 biscuits.

* Add an extra 5 ml mixed spices and omit ginger to change the flavour of the biscuits.

Ingredients

All purpose cake flour 480 g
self-raising flour 2T
salt 1 t
vegetable oil ½ cup
lukewarm water 1½ cups
cornflour 2 T
salted butter 125 g at room temperature
chopped coriander
finely chopped garlic

Method

Sift the flour and the salt together into a large mixing bowl, preferably glass.

Add 1 T oil to the water, then mix into the dry ingredients.  Mix using a spoon first.  As soon at the mixture starts forming a ball, use your clean, floured hand to mix to a smooth, non-sticky consistency.  Rather start with a sticky dough and add small amounts of extra flour as needed.  It is difficult to alter the texture of a dry dense dough!  Keep a little water and extra flour nearby while making rotis.

Rest the dough for at least 20 minutes – smear the top with a tiny bit of oil, cover with a glass bowl and leave of the counter.

Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. If it is not elastic, leave for another 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 or 10 balls, depending on the size you want.  Smear with another drop of oil and rest again for 10 minutes, covered with cling wrap.

Roll each ball into a circle and smear with 1 T butter.  Sprinkle with a bit of oil and dust with cornflour.  Add chopped coriander and finely chopped garlic to taste.  (Also, more salt!)

Roll each ball into a Swiss roll or sausage shape and twist into a roundish coil.  Complete all the balls, then cover with cling wrap and chill for at least 15 minutes. (Or longer.)

Roll each ball into a thin, circular shape and pan fry in a non-stick pan over a medium to high heat until golden on both sides.  Brush a mixture of oil and melted butter onto both sides as you fry, but use sparingly.  Fluff up the rotis by clapping them between the palms of your hands to create flakiness.

Resting the dough is crucial.