March Top Tips
Something from Nothing..... With spring just around the corner but not quite here yet, there’s little to eat in the way of seasonal vegetables so it’s time to turn to your store cupboard staples to make a meal. When faced with a cupboard full of dry ingredients (pasta, lentils, rice, tinned tomatoes etc) plus a few of the humble vegetables that are around at this time of the year (onions, carrots and garlic) it’s not easy make anything particularly special.... but, with the help of your friends in the spice rack, these things can be turned into something really interesting and full of flavour! This months free sample of ALEPPO PEPPER FLAKES is afantastic example of how, with a little imagination your spices can transform basic ingredients into something really delicious. Aleppo pepper flakes, named after the town in Syria where they were originally grown are a fairly mild chilli pepper with a rich, sweet and fruity flavour. They can be used simply as a table seasoning to replace black pepper, sprinkle them on top of soups or roasts, add them to stews or try one of these ideas using just a few extra cupboard ingredients: Koshari (a hearty Egyptian rice and lentil dish for 4) - fry a diced onion and 2 tsp garlic in 2 tbsp of oil until soft and beginning to brown. Add the ALEPPO PEPPER FLAKE S, a big pinch of salt and ½ a tin of chopped tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes until there are spots of red oil on the surface. Cook 200g of puy (or green) lentils in 1 litre of water for 20 minutes. Add 150g rice and 1 tsp salt then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the rice and lentils to carry on steaming for 10 minutes. Serve the rice and lentil mix with the tomato sauce and a dollop of natural yogurt on the side Aleppo Pepper Pasta (a simple supper dish for 2 people) - Cook 200g of your favourite dried pasta in salted water. A couple of minutes before it’s cooked fry 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic in 3 tbsp of olive oil until just beginning to turn golden. Add the free sample of ALEPPO PEPPER FLAKE S, cook for a few seconds then add a squeeze of lemon. Strain the pasta and stir into the chilli and garlic olive oil until fully coated. Serve with a green salad on the side. Happy Spicing!
Recent Posts
2023/24 Annual Report by James on 20th February 2024
Read all about what's been happening at Spicery HQ!
Read Full PostThe Great Legend Bake Off!by Georgia on 24th August 2023
The Spicery team delve into their Legend books at home to bring you the best baking recipes!
Read Full Post