Tamarillo Chutney

Tamarillos are in season, and given how short the season is I always make some Tamarillo chutney. I use it in sandwiches, with cheese platters, on ploughman lunch plates and with scrambled eggs, (my favourite way of using any chutney or relish or sauce).

I added some chilli this year to the chutney just to change it up alittle. I made 4 jars of this, and probably will make some more with a different recipe. Small batches are good, that way you don't get sick of the same flavour all the time.

My Tamarillo Chutney.

1 Kg tamarillos (approx 12)
1 large apple chopped
2 onions chopped
1 1/2 C malt vinegar
1 C low GI sugar
1/4 t chilli
1 t dry mustard powder
1 glove garlic crushed
1 Ancho chilli
1 sm chiptole chilli
2 t allspice

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, stir over heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, simmer until it thickens, stirring occasionally. Pour into sterilised jars and seal. Date and store in a dark place.

Quesadillas

Quesadillas are an easy food for leftovers. Roast chicken as it was with these. For George I use Gluten Free tortillas, and wheat based ones for the rest of us. If I have time I make my own with Masa. Which is a roasted corn,  flour. That way you get corn tortillas for all, and no gluten.

I add anything that will fit in really. Chicken, chorizo, tomato, baby spinach, capsicum, red onion, chillis, refried beans,cheese. George has very little cheese in hers. Fry them in a pan and you have instant dinner, couldn't be easier or quicker, and you know what's in them. Healthy fast food with leftovers.These also make a good lunch for school too.

Ginger Crunch

Waiting for the snow to come, decided to do some baking.

For the base
2 cups nuts I used almonds and cashews
1 cup soft pitted dated
2 Tbsp water
2 tsp ginger

For the icing
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp agave nectar
2 tsp ginger

Process the nuts in a food processor until they are coarse but flour like. Add the dates, water and ginger and blend until it all comes together.
Press into a baking tin and bake at 160 deg C until golden. Let cool.

Gently melt all the icing ingredients together, take off heat and whisk until thick and caramel like.Spread topping over cooled base. Sprinkle with cut up crystalised ginger.

Set in fridge, cut up and eat. Keep in fridge.

Yum.

Rugby and Homemade Pizzas

The first All Black test of the season was a couple of weeks ago now, and last Saturday night after a very cold and wet afternoon standing on the sideline of my son's rugby. He plays for and captains the Christchurch Boys High School 3rd XV. They beat Christ College 2nd XV 22- 0. A great game.

We decided to have pizzas for dinner in front of the TV watching the 2nd All Black test Vs France. Which we won 32-0.

We bought the bases, I know cheating really, but it was easy. Gluten free for George, and normal for the rest of us, including extra boys that Harry always has here.

Toppings were

meat lovers, goes without saying in this house, made up of chorizo, ham, salami, precooked sausage on top of tomato sauce, capsicum, red onion. Sprinkled with alittle cheese and BBQ sauce. George can't even let up on the cheese with pizza, even though it plays merry hell with her skin.

The other pizzas all had tomato sauce, capsicum and red onion then cooked chicken, ham, and cheese. and one that I did for those who can eat cheese, cooked chicken, brie and cranberries and cheese.

Nothing quite like homemade pizzas on a cold night with the fire on and rugby to watch.

Fresh Juice

Fresh juice is an absolutely wonderful way to start a winters day. It is a great opportunity to boost the immune system without to much thought or effort. Tim doesn't have an immune system like the rest of us, so a daily dose of vitamins is very helpful for him, and it will help keep all the winter bugs at bay for the rest of us.

I use a mixture of carrot, apple, pineapple, pear, lemon and ginger. It changes everyday depending on what I have on hand each morning. My kids aren't that fond of lemon or ginger, but a little put in just gets lost in the rounding. I use whole lemon too.

My lemon tree produces these tiny hard dry lemons, so its a good use for them. Clearly the tree hasn't been fed or watered much in the past. I will change this, to start getting good fruit coming on.

This mornings juice was pineapple, carrot, pear and lemon. 4 large glasses for $3.50 and the wash up duties on the juicer. Not a bad return really, considering what the juice bars sell these for. An average of $7.50 each.

No added sugar, preservatives etc, etc.

Spicy Chickpeas.

Following yesterdays note an salads, I'm making a chilli chicken dish for dinner tonight and decided to have a warm chickpea salad and green beans with it.

I made a spice paste then added chickpeas, capsicum and baby spinach. Yum.

Here's the spice mix recipe I used,

6 cloves garlic, crushed
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 chillis, chopped finely
3 Tbsp finely grated ginger
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp gr cumin
2 tsp gr turmeric
2 tsp paprika
2 cinnamon quills broken
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix in a bowl the garlic, lemon zest and juice, chillies and ginger.

Heat oil in a frypan and fry the cumin, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon quills for about 30 secs to release the aromas, DO NOT burn.

Add the garlic and ginger mix and cook for a further 30 secs.
Remove from heat and add sugar, salt and pepper.
Allow to cool.

This is enough for several meals so put in an airtight jar and store in the fridge. It will keep for weeks.

This can be used as a rub on meat before cooking or in a vege salad dish as I did.

I used a large spoonful of this spice mix for my salad.
I also used Low GI sugar.

Winter Warming Dishes.

Well winter has hit  very suddenly, with sleet and hail last week, so it's time to break out all the winter warming dishes, beans are a must for this.

I recently made a chilli, chicken and bean casserole, which went down a treat with all,as I have had friends staying from Auckland, it was nice to have a big pot of warm food, when it was cold outside.

I also like to add hot lemon sauces to greens like broccoli or green beans, helps keep the winter bugs at bay.

Another very yummy dish is homemade baked beans. Mine always lots of chilli, a few different varieties to really get a good depth of flavour as well as spice.

I have been making the leftovers of pulled pork, or casseroles into little pies for the freezer, Harry can take these to school and heat them up for lunch. A nice warming treat for him in the middle of the day.

I'm going to try and make more salads to be served hot this winter, as I tend to only eat salads cold and in the warmer months. Watch this space, I will share as I make them.

Chilli Chicken and Bean casserole