Grow It, Catch It, Cook It

Tasty food, made simple, for everyone.

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  • Looking For Inspiration In The Kitchen?

    Looking For Inspiration In The Kitchen?

    Perhaps, like me, you are always looking for something new to make.

    When I start thinking about my next dish I might start with a main ingredient in mind and go from there.  It is just as likely though that I feel like a particular cuisine or I just discovered a new cooking technique……I tend to go through phases 🙂

    With the cards below I have tried to group the blog’s ‘cook it’ posts  in the hope it helps you try something new or remember an old favourite.

    Enjoy,

    PK

    View recipe: Looking For Inspiration In The Kitchen?
  • Pickled Gherkin Powder

    Pickled Gherkin Powder

    Gherkin powder is great for giving a tangy, vinegar flavour to meat, vegetables, drinks and sauces. 

    You can use it to transform egg mayonnaise into the perfect tartare sauce for example.

    Simply

    Drain a jar of sliced pickles and then dehydrate them until fully dry.

    Then you just need to give them a few pulses in your spice mill.

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts. 

    View recipe: Pickled Gherkin Powder
  • Spice Blend Shakers
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    Spice Blend Shakers

    If you make your own spice blends and dry rubs, you are going to need a spice shaker.

    Many of them allow you to adjust the holes being used to get that even application. Look for shakers that allow you to label the contents and/or have a viewing window. 

    Spice shakers are perfect for spicing biltong or applying your freshly made dry rubs to roasts:

    If you don’t need adjustable hole sizes and you have some empty spice containers, you can always refill them with your spice blends.

    Look for containers that have the hole sizes you need and a removeable lid:

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more posts about spices and must have kitchen kit: 

    View recipe: Spice Blend Shakers
  • Kitchen Equipment And Gadgets
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    Kitchen Equipment And Gadgets

    There are essential bits of kit that every kitchen should have.

    Then there are tons of gadgets that make cooking easier.  🙂

    If like me you love getting a new bit of kitchen kit, try a randomized selection of our posts for inspiration (or browse them all here) :

    View recipe: Kitchen Equipment And Gadgets
  • Preserving Food

    Preserving Food

    The best way to use our seasonal bounties is fresh but we are left with two challenges. If we are lucky we have more fresh food than we can use. We also want perishable seasonal food to be accessible year round.

    The solution is food preservation.

    Try a randomized selection of our posts for inspiration (or browse them all here) :

    View recipe: Preserving Food
  • Roasting

    Roasting

    The cuts of meat that do more work and are hence “tougher” benefit from this cooking technique. The intended result being evenly cooked with the surface being seared.

    Vegetables are also roasted for the same reason and both meat and vegetables are usually marinated in wet or dry herb and spice mixes first to enhance their flavours.

    Try a randomized selection of our posts for inspiration (or browse them all here) :

    View recipe: Roasting
  • Easy Lime And Potato Roast Chicken Thighs

    Easy Lime And Potato Roast Chicken Thighs

    You won’t believe how simple this tangy roast chicken dish is to make.

    All you need is lime juice, potatoes, chicken thighs and as much garlic as you can handle. Oh and a few readily available herbs and spices. 🙂

     

    Simply

    Put following ingredients into an oven dish:

    • ~4 large chicken thighs, skinless (works with bone in or out)
    • Peeled and chopped carrots and potatoes (see my ratio to chicken below)
    • ~4 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • The juice of 4 limes (or 2 lemons)
    • Parsley leaves, chopped, to taste
    • A good dash of a warm spice such as nutmeg or allspice
    • Several slugs of olive oil (to coat everything)

    Chuck the oven dish into a 180c preheated oven and cook for about an hour. Make sure the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are not underdone.

    Check out the bone in version:

    Serve

    I mainly serve it as is but it goes great with some steamed broccoli:

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are more chicken dishes and roasts:

    View recipe: Easy Lime And Potato Roast Chicken Thighs
  • Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken

    Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken

    I am happy to say that this dish lives up to the hype.

    The soft drink’s caramel and sugar provide a depth of flavour and also gives that sought after stickiness.

    Note:

    • I use bone in chicken legs as they don’t dry out and the bones give a density to the sauce
    • Prep is easy and then cooking time is 6 hours.

    Simply

    Put following ingredients into your slow cooker:

    • ~1 kg bone in chicken legs or wings
    • A handful of chopped spring onions
    • 1 tsp of ginger, finely diced
    • 3 Tbs soy sauce
    • 1 can of coca cola

    Cook on low for 6 hours, turning everything over gently, halfway through.

    Serve

    I like to serve the sticky chicken with lots of rice and some steamed veggies.

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are more chicken dishes and slow cooking posts:

    View recipe: Slow Cooker Coca Cola Chicken
  • Air Fryer Recipes

    Air Fryer Recipes

    An air fryer is great bit of kitchen kit. You will find them very versatile and the clean up is much easier than a deep fryer. I have found you can do almost anything in them that you would normally shallow or deep fry. Even when using a wet batter!

    Try a randomized selection of our posts for inspiration (or browse them all here) :

    View recipe: Air Fryer Recipes
  • Slow Cooker Recipes

    Slow Cooker Recipes

    Your slow cooker is an essential piece of you kitchen kit. It allows you to very slowly cook the tougher cuts of meat, turning the meat tender and breaking down the connective tissue. It is also a time saver, put it on in the morning, walk away and on return you’ll have dinner ready!

    Try a randomized selection of our posts for inspiration (or browse them all here) :

    View recipe: Slow Cooker Recipes
  • Garlic And Rosemary Confit

    Garlic And Rosemary Confit

    Making garlic confit is delightfully simple. It is garlic cloves slowly cooked in olive oil until they are soft and spreadable.

    Over the course of 2 hours on a low heat, the garlic looses its bight and takes on a mellow, nutty flavour.

    You can use it many novel ways, anything from spreads to garnishes to cheese platters. Oh and in all the ways you would normally use raw garlic.

    I generally use a whole head of garlic (two sometimes) at a time because the confit will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

    Simply

    Peel and clean the garlic cloves. Chuck them into a small pot or an oven proof ramekin, with some rosemary.

    Then cover everything with olive oil and pop the pot into a preheated 100c oven for about 2 hours.

    After about 1.5 hours, start using a spoon to gently squeeze a clove against the side of the pot. Repeat this process every half an hour or so. Everything is ready when the clove gives way easily and forms a paste.

    Once the oil has cooled, spoon the cloves into a jar and cover them with the oil. Store the jar in the fridge and never at room temperature. The olive oil will solidify in the fridge but that is not a problem. Simply spoon the cloves that you want to use out and the oil will run off them as it warms up.

    I love smearing it on crusty, buttered bread for instant garlic bread:

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are more cooking ingredients and sauces, marinades and seasoning posts:

    View recipe: Garlic And Rosemary Confit