Pickled Gherkins for burgers and sandwiches

A burger is great but adding these pickles really takes it to new heights! Here in New Zealand we aren't huge consumers of pickles but maybe we should be because they are so good! These are sweet and tangy, and their crunch adds a delicious texture to your burger or sandwich which is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

 INGREDIENTS

• 1.2kg of gherkins (or mini cucumbers) 

• 3 Tblsp Kosher Salt

• 1 L White Vinegar

• 110g White Sugar

• 1 Tblsp Coriander Seeds

• 1 Tblsp Mustard Seeds

• 3 Tblsp Black Peppercorns
• 2 Bay Leaves

METHOD:

To start, wash and top and tail your gherkins. Then put them through the thinest slicer option on your food processor (you can slice them by hand but the processor is WAY faster!).

Next layer your sliced gherkins and salt into a non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic are safe) so the salt and gherkins are combined. Put this aside and allow it to stand for 60 minutes.

While the pickles stand place 110g sugar, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil, lower the heat to simmer and allow to continue for 30 minutes. After this time, strain the mixture through a sieve and put aside.

Back to the gherkins. Drain the water that has drwn from the gherkins and pour in a litre of fresh cold water. Mix the gherkins around in the water to rinse. 

You will need 4 500ml sized sterilised preserving jars, if they are not still hot from sterlising (I use mine straight from the dishwasher) then warm them so that the hot vinegar doesn't break them. Fill the four jars to just below the brim with the sliced gherkins. Pour in enough of the vinegar mix to cover the gherkins. Seal the jars and allow them to cool on a wire rack. 

Pickles are good for at least 12 months but do need to be refridgerated once opened.

Enjoy x

Fruit & Nut Oat Slice

This slice is quick to throw together and is a favourite in our house. You can slice into small bites for a great lunch box snack or into bigger slices for a shepherd that needs the energy for a long walk. Full of yummy bits that you can change depending on what you have on hand, this slice is like an ANZAC biscuit mixed with scroggin and is similar to a Cookie Time Bumper Bar. 

 INGREDIENTS

• 125g butter

• 2 Tblsp Golden Syrup
• 1/2c sugar
• 1/4c brown sugar
• 1 cup Rolled Oats
• 1 cup Dessicated Coconut
• 1 cup Flour
• 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup (with a splash out) Warm Water
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
• 1/2 cup Chopped Dried Apricots
• 1/2 cup Chopped Almonds (can use slivered)
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Drops or Chunks (can use milk, white or dark choc depending on preference)

METHOD:

Preheat the over to 180 degrees celcius. Grease a slice pan. 

 Place the butter and golden syrup into a saucepan and melt slowly. Mix all but water, baking soda, fruit, chocolate and nuts together. Mix water and baking soda together and then stir thorugh mixture. Add fruit, nuts and chocolate. Press into slice pan and bake for 25 minutes.

TIPS:

You can swap out the fruit and nuts for what you have in the cupboard, for example swap almomds for walnuts .

Yum yum xx

Chocolate Chip & Cranberry Biscuits

 

The tins are always in need of sweet treats to fill them and these crumbly delicious biscuits are a favourite from Gran's book. You can make them twice the size for soft and delicious big treats (careful you don't eat the whole batch when you do this mind-you) or make small ones for little people's lunch boxes. 

INGREDIENTS

• 250g butter

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups self raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 150g chocolate drops
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

METHOD:

Preheat the over to 190 degrees celcius. Grease a biscuit tray. 

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a food processor and mix together until creamy. Add eggs and beat in.

Add flour and cinnamon. Fold into the mixture with a spoon or spatula, then add the chocolate drops and cranberries and fold in. Place in spoonfuls on to the prepared trays, and bake for 12-15 minutes until golder brown.

TIPS:

Swap out the cranberries for walnuts, you can split the mixture in half and do two flavours in the same batch for some variety.

Enjoy xx

Homemade vegetable stock powder

Homemade stock powder is full of nutritous vegetables- and that's it. No added salt, MSG and goodness knows what else that comes in your store-bought stocks.  A great way to use up excess veges from the garden, you can change up the veges depending on the season and what you have on-hand but there are a few 'foundation' veges that need to be in there. Carrots add sweetness, celery adds savoury notes and the onions or leeks add the depth. Once you have those three in, then you can bulk it out with pretty much any other vege and herbs. In summer, zuchinni, tomatoes and capsicums all work well.
Thanks so much to my lovely friend Gemma for sharing this recipe (and a joy of dehydrating things) with me!

INGREDIENTS

• 400g carrots, unpeeled

• 400g leeks or onions
• 300g celery, use the leaves too
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups mixed fresh herbs (such as thyme, basil, corriander, sage, oregano or marjoram)
• 2 Tblsp nutritional yeast
• 3 Tblsp rock salt (vary this to your own taste)

METHOD:

Wash and finely shred or grate the vegetables. The smaller everything is, the faster it will dry. Place all the vegetables and herbs onto dehydrator or oven trays. Dry everything at 60-70degree celcius. If drying in the oven, open the oven door occasionally to let the steam out. 

Once everything has dried completely, place it in a blender along with the nutritional yeast and rock salt. Blitz until it is a fine powder.

Store the stock in an airtight jar. Dried thoroughly it lasts for more than a year, and 1 Tblsp of stock powder mixed with 1 cup of boiling water makes 1 cup of vege stock for using in your recipes.

Enjoy xx

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash