Just a quick one as the recipe isn't mine! Mostly a note to myself to do this again (if I find somewhere nearby that sells vine leaves)
This week's lunchbox filler has been dolmades - vine leaves stuffed with lightly spiced rice. They took a little while to make on Sunday but have lasted out the week well, are really delicious and are another easy one to grab from the fridge each morning for lunch that day.
Full recipe credit to MediterrAsian (and their photos are much better too...) although I altered the rice a little, to include allspice as well as cinnamon. Not sure how authentic this is, but they taste good!
Did my friend move house and leave me to inherit some delicious baking supplies? Maybe.
Has this re-awakened my insatiable sweet tooth? Perhaps.
Did I still have some apricots left over even after flapjacks? Well...
The important thing is, everyone gets cookies.
Cooking has been neglected for a little bit while sorting out car things, so I'm happy to be back at it with an impromptu batch of flapjacks for lunch with friends.
I'm not usually a fan of flapjacks as they're so plain but these have enough flavour added that they're far more rich and interesting, plus banana chips for crunch and dried apricot for chewiness. Delicious.
Quick, easy, delicious, and another excuse to eat the amazing garlic dressing (the recipe for which was stolen from a friend of a friend years ago... thanks!)
Another addition to the creative lunch boxes repertoire - and another good one to make in bulk and grab over the week.
It's movie night, but felt like something a little different... enter spiced popcorn, one sweet and one savoury.
Savoury Spice Mix
1 tsp powdered curry leaves
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Add all to pestle and mortar and grind together until thoroughly mixed. Taste and adjust as preferred.
Sweet Spice Mix
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Split open the cardamom pods and put the seeds into the pestle and mortar. Grind to coarse powder.
Add all other spices and grind until mixed and sugar is visibly finer.
Taste and adjust as preferred.
Popcorn
Pour in enough oil to cover the base of a saucepan with lid, add 2-3 kernels of corn and set on a high heat, shaking occasionally.
When those have popped, the oil is hot enough - add the rest of the kernels (enough to just cover the base roughly) and put the lid back on quickly to keep the heat in.
Hold the lid and shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil.
Return to the heat and shake occasionally as they pop.
When popping has stopped take off the heat and leave to cool a little.
Split your popcorn into two bowls, and gradually sprinkle your chosen spice mix over, mixing with one hand to evenly coat the batch.
