Kibbeh

Today Brian suggested that I try making kibbeh. He's very helpful! It was so easy and so delicious. I put 2/3 of a cup of bulgur wheat (covered with water) into the microwave for two minutes.

I blended a cup of mint leaves and an onion into a paste.

I mixed this into the bulgur wheat. I added a teaspoon of cumin, a teaspoon of allspice, a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

I added this to minced lamb.

I shaped the mixture into croquette shapes.

I fried them at a high heat.

I served them with pitta bread, Greek yogurt and a tomato and preserved lemon salad.

Brian said that they tasted just like the kibbeh he has had in the Middle East so I am thrilled!

Easy, no knead sourdough

This requires a bit of timetabling but it is super easy. At approximately 4pm I take my sourdough starter out of the fridge, feed it and place it in a warm spot to bubble up. At 10pm I make my bread dough and leave it in the warm spot overnight. I then bake it first thing the next morning. These are the ingredients needed

I mix them together in a large bowl. I usually add a small bit more of the starter than what is stated in the recipe. It is really important to use strong bread flour. It really helps the bread to rise. I use this one

I cover the dough with cling film and leave it in a warm place overnight. In the morning it looks like this.

Line a cast iron pot with a lid with greaseproof paper.

Preheat your oven and cast iron pot to the hottest heat your oven will go to. PS. My pot isn't dirty. It got discoloured in the oven.Let it preheat for twenty minutes to half an hour. Take it out and put a little flour in the bottom of the pot. Pour the dough into the pot. It is a very wet dough. I usually use a spatula to get it all in.

Dust the top with flour. Put the lid on and bake at the highest heat for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and drop the temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Take it out and cool it on a wire rack.

How to make a sourdough starter

This takes five days. It requires patience but it is definitely worth it. There are two ingredients: flour and water. I always use rye flour as it has more naturally occurring bacteria which aids the fermentation process.

I mix half a cup of water with half a cup plus a tablespoon of rye flour.

I mix them well with a spatula and cover with cling film.

I leave it in a warm spot overnight (I leave it in front of the stove). That's it until tomorrow! DAY TWO. This is what it should look like.

Add the same quantities of rye flour and water as yesterday. Stir vigorously. You want to get oxegen in. Small bubbles may start to appear at this stage. If they don't there is no cause for alarm as if yet.

. DAY THREE. Your starter should look a bit like this:

There should be some bubbles. Stir in the same amount of flour and water vigorously. You should see some more bubbles appear. I could feel a change in the consistency of my starter today. DAY FOUR. Today I got a distinctly sour smell when I took off the cling film. There were also more bubbles.

Stir in the same quantities of flour and water, cover and put in a warm place overnight. Your starter is probably getting quite big now so feel free to throw away some of it before feeding it. I am making a big starter as I intend to make a TON of bread next week. DAY FIVE. Today is the last day of preparing your starter! This is what mine looked like today.

Feed the starter with the same quantities of flour and water. Mine bubbled eagerly when I fed it today. Today my starter is not as frothy as a riper starter would be. However, you are ready to make bread tonight! Whoop whoop! After you make your bread store your starter in the fridge. Take it out once a week and feed it. Leave it at room temperature for a few hours and then return it to the fridge. It is dormant in the fridge. It is a very good idea to freeze some of your starter so you can restart it if anything happens to your original starter. I will definitely be doing that this time.

Sourdough coming soon

I am in the process of making a new sourdough starter as disaster befell my previous one. It takes five days to make it so bear with me. I am doing a step by step guide to making a sourdough starter and will then post about making bread and a timeline for it. My life without sourdough is not the same.

Beef and Guiness pie

This is so tasty. I don't even use salt so that the baby can eat it. Ingredients: stewing beef, black pepper, a can of Guiness, an onion, one clove of garlic, two bay leaves, two carrots, three mushrooms, one stick of celery and some ready made puff pastry.

I brown the meat in a cast iron pot and then add the Guiness. I let that cook on a medium high heat for half an hour. I then add everything else and cook on a medium low heat for an hour or two (depending on how much time you have). Then I roll out the pastry and place it on top. Make sure to pierce it with a knife to allow steam to escape. I put it in a heated oven at 220 degrees for half an hour. It tastes rich and beautiful. My dad explained it to me and I couldn't believe how easy it was!

Lemon and ginger tea

When I feel under the weather lemon and ginger tea really helps. It's great for headcolds and nausea. It's great as a pick-me-up at anytime. The lemon invigorates and the ginger helps to clear sinuses and settle your stomach. I chop up fresh ginger and a few slices of lemon and put them in a favourite mug with boiling water. I let it sit until it has cooled enough to drink. At this point it had infused. You can keep refreshing your cup all day by simply pouring more boiling water on top.

When I'm working and I feel sick I pack a freezer bag with slices of lemon and ginger into my handbag. It has kept me going during many a tough, groggy day.