Spring is here, and boy does my Sodastream know it! This is the time of year when my reflex to pop the kettle on starts to dull, and instead I reach for something cold and refreshing. Naturally, this led to the inspiration for this week's recipe: flavoured syrups for cocktails, mocktails and desserts!
Over the next few weeks it's our mission at Village Wholefoods HQ to help you with some easy summer entertaining ideas, and sprinkle a little holiday season magic over simple family meals. The syrup recipes we're sharing here are a versatile bunch which can be used to make simple chilled drinks, cocktails or mocktails. They can be used as sauce for cakes, crepes and desserts. They are also a fantastic holiday season gift.
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Lebanese style rice and lentils is one of those unassuming, simple meals that delivers a lot of comfort, flavour and sustenance.
My recipe was inspired by the real deal - the much loved Lebanese dish, Mujadara. There are variations of it found throughout the Middle East, but the fundamental elements are always basmati rice and lentils, cooked together with aromatic spices, and served with a generous layer of caramelised onions on top. Sometimes other toppings are added. Creamy sauces like Hummus, or Tahini sauce, go wonderfully. Pomegranate molasses can be drizzled over it, or fresh Pomegranate seeds. My version calls for fried pine nuts, fresh herbs and currants, but it's more a suggestion than a rule. It's the perfect simple meal on its own, or as a side with other dishes like shawarma chicken, falafel, roasted eggplant, salads and pita bread. Leftovers make excellent patties which are perfect for a veggie burger! (See in Pimp My Recipe for instructions). We now stock teff flakes! I was really looking forward to diving into an experiment with our new gluten free teff flakes. I'd never eaten them, nor cooked with them before.
The obvious use for teff flakes is porridge, or adding them to a cake or muffin batter. But I was feeling daring and intrepid…I wanted to push the boat out a little. So, taking inspiration from their breadcrumb-like texture, I decided to use teff flakes as a substitute for breadcrumbs. Not satisfied with that alone, I thought I'd make them completely gluten-free. Go hard or go home, right? Luckily for us all, the experiment was a success. The combination of rice flour, cornstarch, carbonated water and teff flakes made for a delightfully light, deafeningly crunchy tempura batter. It's a winner! The last in our recent trio of dried bean recipes, this week is the classic and much loved Hummus.
Hummus is so easy to make, and tastes much better than store-bought. And it's yummier again when you use dried chickpeas rather than tinned. The critics all agree that starting with dried chickpeas gives Hummus better flavour and texture. And it's more economical to boot! This recipe gives you a good sized bowl of hummus for 6-8 people to enjoy with crackers or crudités, as well as some spicy roasted chickpeas to munch on. You can of course just do one or the other, but serving both together is a lovely combo. It's often hard to estimate quantities needed when using dried beans, especially when so many recipes refer to the weight or amount of the canned or cooked variety. Here's a good rule of thumb: 1 cup dried makes about 3 cups cooked, which weighs around 400g and there is 250g in a can of chickpeas when drained. Remember this and it will serve you well! Greater than the sum of its simple parts, this vegan-friendly, kid-friendly, quick as a flash to make soup may well become a staple for your midweek dinner or weekend lunch.
I use red lentils as they're quick to prepare for starters: no soaking, and they cook in just 10 minutes making them a favourite with many of our customers. Another factor in their popularity is flavour - they're milder and sweeter than other varieties of lentils, making them suitable to a broader palate. The addition of garlic, turmeric and ginger makes this a practically weaponised bowl of goodness as we head into the colder months, while the lemon and gremolata give it an unexpected twist and a fresh, light sparkle for your taste buds. |
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