DIY Chili flakes

This is a fun little project to do when you have a little bit of spare time. The results should last you for a good long while! I did it because my chili plant produces way to much to use and this is a great way of storing this spice. But of course you can also use your favorite store bought chilies.

The wonderful thing about making your own flakes is that you can make them as spicy or mild as you please....

There are two possible routes to choose from.
First option:
You dry the chilies whole first.

I cut off the tops and stem and tried to remove most of the seeds by rolling the chilies between my hands. If you decided to go for milder varieties, this step may not be necessary.

Then you just chop them to your desired consistency in a blender.

Alternatively you could start with fresh chilies. De-seed them if necessary and chop them finely then spreed out on to a baking sheet and dry them in a low oven for a couple of hours. Move them around a couple of times and make sure it is really dried out before you store them. Otherwise they could get mold and all your effort would have been for nothing.

I have already used my chili flakes in this meatball recipe.

They were quietly slipped into my freezer waiting for unannounced guests or an evening when I don't feel like preparing something from scratch...

Post edit: I actually took out some earlier this week and  combined them with a simple tomato sauce and spaghetti. I'm sorry not to add pictures at the moment. Blogger isn't allowing me to upload any.... 

Preserved lemons

This is a really fun project that doesn't take a lot of time to do but will give you a fantastic ingredient to cook with... You just need the patience to wait for four weeks.


You don't need a lot of ingredients. The two basic ones are just lemon and salt. But these two simple and everyday components will give you something extraordinary in four weeks time. The result is rinsed, de-pulped and sliced or diced (i.e. you just need the lemon rind) and will give any dish you add it to a flavor intensity that the two raw products on their own could not have achieved.

You can add further flavorings by adding spices. The possibilities are endless; fennel, cumin, coriander, different peppers, cinnamon, star anise, dried woody herbs, etc, etc.

The basic ratio to keep in mind is that you need one to two tablespoons of normal salt to every lemon you want to preserve. The lemons should be organic and ideally unwaxed. If you aren't sure about the wax, wash them thoroughly.

This gives you the option of making a smaller batch to try this out, if I haven't convinced you yet.
I made a portion if one and a half lemon with a bay leaf, coriander seeds and Szechuan pepper this time. I also added a bit of pink salt, so the coloring is slightly off.

So this is the basic "recipe":

Lemons (you may need one or two extra for the juice)
1-2 tablespoons salt per lemon to be preserved
Aromatics to taste
Jam jar or other preserving receptacle

Wash your jar(s) in hot water to sterilize. Quarter your lemons lengthwise.* Start by putting a layer of salt into your jar. Take your lemon quarters, squeeze their juice into the jar and start layering them. Add salt when each layer is finished.
When all your lemons and salt are in the jar, add your aromatics and top up with extra juice if needed. The lemons should be well covered.
Put them somewhere out of the way and give them a shake from time to time.

*The other technique is to quarter them but not cut through completely and them fill the salt into the cavity. I prefer the quarters because you need less space and extra juice and I find that you only need the preserved lemons in doses of one quarter most of the time anyway.

Lamb cutlets

Yesterday was spent recuperating from a great night out two days ago (! that's how good it was) and cooking for various sick family members in the house. This produced a couple of soups and a lot of grated apple. The Orange and White Asparagus Soup will definitely be made again.

But not having foreseen the blight of sickness, I had already done the shopping in anticipation of being able to cook something a little different. I went ahead with this plan for dinner and was not disappointed. The results of this recipe will have me raving like a lunatic for some time yet.

It is, to me, the perfect finger food. The cutlets can be enjoyed without cutlery and I will definitely make this for the next party, that deserves a bit of effort.
These crunchy, juicy morsels of meat had the perfect texture for the creamy yogurt sauce. The cumin and the fresh coriander gave it the perfect hint of Asia.
Can you sense that I LOVED this? And I was not alone.

Please excuse the lack of appropriate photo-documentation. This is one instance in which a thousand raving words will have to do instead of the perfect picture. (Hope to change that soon.)

This recipe is adapted from Bill Grangers Everyday book.

12 french trimmed lamb cutlets
1 egg
1,5 tablespoons milk
flour
80 grams of fresh bread crumbs
one small handful of finely chopped flat leaved parsley
1 generous tablespoon of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
half a teaspoon of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying

Fill your flour into a flat, deep plate or bowl. In a second dish beat together the egg and milk. In the third mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs, zest and cumin. Then season to taste.
Take your lamb cutlets and beat them gently with the broad side of a chopping knife or a rolling pin. A classic meat hammer would probably tear them to shreds in seconds...
Dip the pieces of meat first in the flour (shake off excess), then in the egg and lastly into the crumb mixture. The general goal is to get as much breadcrumbs to stick and turn these beauties into crunchy delicacies when fried up.

Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat, add olive oil and fry the cutlets in batches for about two minutes per side. Keep them warm in the oven until you want to serve them.

Herb Yogurt Sauce
125 ml greek yogurt
2 tablespoons flat leaved parsley chopped
2 tablespoons coriander chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
a pinch of crumbled dry or finely chopped fresh chili, if desired

Very simply mix all of the above together and serve with your warm lamb cutlets.

*Advice on buying the meat in Switzerland: I found the cutlets sold at the local Coop to be slightly on the thick side. I chose to buy lamb racks instead and cut them up at home.

Hot chocolate my/your/any style

We had a thawing period the last couple of days. The snow was melting away rapidly and you had the feeling that spring was just around the corner. As if.
This came to a screeching halt yesterday evening when it cooled down and this morning there was thick frost on the ground. For cold days like this there is one consolation; a mug of delicious hot chocolate!


I am no longer a big fan of the powder version either. I like to make it just to my taste.
Start with a measuring of milk (make sure you leave enough space in your cup of choice) and a generous piece of dark chocolate* (the more the better).

These are the basics. I like adding different spices to deepen the flavors and add different twists. Here I went for a pinch of cinnamon and two cloves.

But the options are endless; a little bit of star anise (not much, it's a very pervasive aroma), a little nutmeg, honey, vanilla extract, a pinch of chili powder, etc., etc. Basically anything you'd like to try.

Instructions;
Heat the milk with the spices until almost boiling. This way you will get more of the flavors to infuse into the milk. When hot take off the heat and drop in the pieces of chocolate. Leave for a minute or so and then stir the melted chocolate solids well with a whisk to combine.
You can carefully heat the chocolate later. Don't bring it to a boil.
Pour it back into your mug or cup and enjoy.



*Even if you don't like dark chocolate otherwise give it a try here. This will give you more flavor and less sugar.