The first time I heard of chai tea, I was a bit confused: as far as I knew the word chai meant tea. So what could this tea-tea stuff possibly be?
And why were people putting it in absolutely everything?
Small kitchen, Great cooking
The first time I heard of chai tea, I was a bit confused: as far as I knew the word chai meant tea. So what could this tea-tea stuff possibly be?
And why were people putting it in absolutely everything?
There’s nothing like going on an autumn stroll. Wading through the fallen leaves and collecting chestnuts. Though our daughter simply collects them as decoration (or to put then on the nearest available surface and forget about them), they are actually very tasty. Of course you can buy them boiled and peeled in a can or vacuum pack. But if you’re brave enough to give preparing them yourself a try, you can buy them fresh at the greengrocer’s.
For those brave souls, we present this how-to.
When it comes to cooking, hummus is one of the simplest things to make. It doesn’t even require cooking. All you need are ingredients and a food processor. Hummus is also pretty healthy. With chickpeas being the main ingredient, it contains loads of minerals, vitamins, fibres and protein.
It’s even rumoured to be an aphrodisiac…
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a legume traditionally used in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. But these days they’re popular in many more places around the globe and for good reason. Chickpeas contain loads of minerals, vitamins and fibres. They’re also a good source of protein, which is why they’re very popular with vegetarians and vegans. Personally, I’m not a fan of having a purely vegetable diet. However that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate chickpeas as a tasty and versatile addition to my culinary repertoire.
Also, they’re very affordable. An important thing for a Dutchie like me.
The end of the year is rapidly approaching. The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder and Easter decorations are appearing in the shops. (I’m just kidding, that won’t happen until next week.)
In this part of the world, you just have to look outside to know that the growing season has come to an end. Plants that had managed to hold on until now, are finally forced to give up. Which forces the gardener to pick the last of the harvest, even if that harvest is nowhere near ripe.
Luckily this unripe produce is still usable. You just need the right recipe.
I’ll admit it: I am a chilli head. I’m totally addicted to them! They are a staple ingredient in most of our daily meals.
When you go to the shops here in the Netherlands, you will only find one or two varieties of chillies. I think that’s a shame. If you get used to the initial heat of the chillies, you’ll find that there are many different flavours amongst them. Different chillies go with different kinds of food and cuisines. So the only things I could do was to buy them in specialist online shops or to grow them myself. It goes without saying that I choose to grow them myself. [Read more…]