Spicy Roasted Broccoli with Almonds

This is loosely based on something from Ottolenghi's in London-unfortunately it is not in his cookbooks.  
All my favourite ingredients-veg, nuts,  chili, ginger, tamari...all I need in there is some avocado and I'd be set! It reminds me of a marinated broccoli and carrot salad that I used to love.  

serves 2
Ingredients:
1 large head broccoli (organic if you can get it)
¼ cup whole almonds

Dressing:
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. fresh, hot chili, sliced (more or less, to suit your taste)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. tamari 
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 180-200°C. Wash broccoli well, then remove the very end of the stem. Slice the entire head of broccoli and remaining stem in half down the center lengthwise, then cut each half in half again. Repeat until you have relatively small slices of broccoli tops with long stems. Place in a large bowl.
2. Prepare dressing and pour over broccoli. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the broccoli making sure it is well coated. Place broccoli on a baking sheet and set in the oven.
3. On a separate baking sheet, place almonds and set in the oven below the broccoli. 
4. Roast broccoli and almonds for 15-20 minutes (the almonds will need less time), until the broccoli is just turning golden brown on the edges. 
5. Remove everything from oven. Roughly chop almonds on a cutting board. Plate broccoli, season to taste. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Serve. 

Spinach and Coconut soup

This is heavenly, simple, nutritous and filling.  I have a glut of spinach and chard at the moment and so this was the perfect soup for a cold and misty kifufu lunch!

2 onions-finely chopped
olive oil/or coconut oil
2 garlic cloves-crushed
1 dried chilli-seeds removed if prefered-chopped
pinch of ground cummin
roughlt 400 gms spinach, washed and roughly chopped
1 ltr veg stock-hot
75 grms creamed coconut-grated
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the onions in the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft but not browned.  Add the garlic, chilli, and cummin and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the spinach, stock and coconut, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Blend and check the seasoning.  Simple! 

techni-colour quinoa salad

I made this for lunch and it was heavenly.

1 cup quinoa-boil until soft and fluffy
thinly sliced firm tofu-marinated in soy sauce, thai chili sauce and a dash of Bragg liquid amino's-fry until dark.

Vegetables-any others can be substituted in:
Avocado-diced
Baby sweet corn-sliced, raw
Sugar snaps-raw
Baby broad beans-steamed
French beans-sliced and steamed
broccoli florets-steamed

Herbs: (you could use whatever you have available)
Basil
Spearmint
Oregano
Lemon Thyme

Mix in all the vegetables and herbs with the cooked quinoa and lightly dress with the below dressing.
Dressing:
olive oil, lemon juice, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbs soy sauce.  Put in a screw top jar an shake-adjust according to taste.  Serve with the tofu, and a simple raw spinach and pecan nut salad.

Composting

I have to admit when I first started composting I would give up easily, it was a bit of a grubby past time!  I had to get my great friend, Annie in to help me.  Compost is the best all round treatment you can give your soil-it boosts nutrient status, improves soil structure and helps maintain moisture. 

The amazing thing is that most of what your household throws out can go into the compost.

I have to admit I don’t use a compost bin, however they are easily constructable-a simple design is a square enclosure with a front that can be opened to easily add new material.  The cheapest way to construct one is with wooden pallets or mabati (corrugated iron) securely fixed in place to form three of the sides-in the front another pallet, tied loosely for access.

In an ideal world one has three compost bins next to each other-mine are three heaps! 

With three bins or heaps-use the first one to add to, when it is full put it into the second bin, and begin filling the first with new material.  Keep turning the compost in bin two from time to time, watering as you do so to aid decomposition.  When bin one is full, turn bin two into bin three etc, and use when bin three is ready.

The bins should be on a level well drained sunny spot on top of soil-allowing excess water to get out and worms to get in!

Suitable material for your compost bin/heap-greens and browns:

Greens:

These are rich in nitrogen and help the slower rotting browns break down.

-Diluted urine-a great compost activator

-Grass cuttings

-Nettles

-Raw veggie peelings

-Tea bags and coffee grinds

-unwoody pruning’s

-Animal manure-from herbivors-such as horses and cows

Browns:

These are carbon rich and slower to rot than the greens

-Waste paper-torn up or shredded

-Cardboard

-Bedding from vegetarian pets-eg rabbits

-Tough hedge clippings and woody pruning’s-chopped is best

-used tissue paper and cotton wool

-Sawdust and wood shavings

-Fallen leaves

No-go’s:

Meat, fish, dairy and cooked food-including bread, cat litter and dog poop-bring parasites.  Diseased plants should be burnt rather than added to the compost.

Just remember AIR and WATER-keep turning and watering your compost until it is sweet and earthy smelling.