RECIPES

You can find all my favourite recipes on my Pinterest.

TOMATO RELISH

With 'damaged' tomatoes costing only 25pesos a kilo at the local Sunday feira (on corner of Jamaica and Alberdi) I was inspired to make some tomato relish! It is super easy, cheap, tastes great and seeing as you can't really buy truly homemade relish in Uruguay it is an awesome treat. My favourite recipe is from my trusty Edmonds Cookery Book (part of New Zealand Heritage since 1879!):

1.5kg tomatoes, blanched, skinned and quartered 

4 onions, quartered 

2 tablespoons salt 

2 cups brown sugar 

2 1/4 cups malt vinegar (or apple vinegar, which is what I use)

3 chillies 1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon curry powder 

2 tablespoons plain flour 

1/4 cup malt vinegar (or apple vinegar, which is what I use) 

Put tomatoes and onions into a non-metallic bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and leave for 12 hours.  Drain off liquid formed.  Put vegetables, sugar, first measure o vinegar and chillies into a pan. Boil gently for 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently.  Mix mustard, curry, flour and second measure of vinegar to a smooth paste.  Stir into relish.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Pack into sterilised jars.  Makes about 4 x 350ml jars.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SWEET THAI CHILLI SAUCE

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 hot red peppers (jalapeno, serrano, thai, cayenne, etc.)

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

³⁄₄ cup water

¹⁄₄ cup vinegar

¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1.      Keeping the seeds makes for a hotter end product, removing less so. Keep in mind it will be hotter the first day and dissipates over time. Resist the urge to taste and redip your spoon. Enzymes in saliva breaks down starches and will eventually make it watery.

2.      In a food processor blend together the garlic, red peppers, sugar, water, vinegar and salt into a puree; transfer to a sauce pan.

3.      Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken and garlic and peppers bits slightly soften, about 3 minutes.

4.      Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk into the sugar/pepper mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Cool completely before storing in refrigerator.

You can double the recipe if you want to make more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES 

(Recipe may be halved or quartered because it makes 112 cookies!)

2 cups (500 ml) butter
680g chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
500g grated chocolate
5 cups blended oatmeal (I used rolled oats instead)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (optional, I prefer to leave them out)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add chocolate chips, grated Chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 F (180 C).  Enjoy!