Thank you for once again joining me in my kitchen…I am still making pickles as now my son is back he loves some pickles with his sundowner…Those Jalapenos are very nice but do bring a tear to one’s eye and leave the tongue tingling they are hot, hot, hot…

Beetroot is my new favourite at the moment and it is plentiful here so I am looking at all things beetroot…I love my beetroot and orange but I also love this …

Raspberry Protein Drink…it just has that earthy background not too pronounced ..just there but if you love beets like me then you will love this…I use Greek Yoghurt as the protein instead of using protein powders…All natural which comes out of this kitchen…

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of coconut water
• 1/3 cup of greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
• 1/2 medium beetroot(raw) peeled and diced.
• 1 tbsp honey ( optional)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds ( optional)

Let’s, Blitz!

Measure all the ingredients into your blender and blitz away… The colour was amazing a beautiful colour and it tasted very nice not too sweet and I did add honey.

Those of you who follow me know that I make my own Tahini for hummus…add some beetroot and not only is it a glorious colour but it adds another dimension to the taste…It makes a change …especially if you have visitors…

How to make your very own Tahini paste/butter..it is so quick and easy and the cost of a packet of sesame seeds is virtually pennies against the cost of a store-bought jar of tahini paste and no nasties….Looking at the date on that jar that was my very first Tahini….4 years ago…The initial reason was that it was so very expensive here and contained preservatives so now if I need Tahini I just whip up as much as I need…so easy…

Let’s Cook!

Into the kitchen, a quick toasting of the Sesame Seeds, then into the mini blender, 3 tbsp Olive oil, and a quick whizz, scrape down the sides, another tbsp Olive oil and another scrape, a  bit more oil and a quick whizz and viola your  Tahini Paste is now made and ready to use. How easy is that?

Beetroot Hummus.

To the Hummus recipe add 250 gm cooked beetroot and reduce tahini paste to  2 tbsp. You may want to add more seasoning as beets have quite a strong flavour but it makes a lovely change from a traditional hummus and looks so pretty.

Beetroot soup…

• 250 g (1/2 lb) beetroot, grated coarsely
• 250 g (1/2 lb) tomatoes, halved (or tinned tomatoes)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped roughly
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250 ml (8 fl oz) stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Let’s Cook!

Place the halved tomatoes in an ovenproof dish. Throw over the garlic and drizzle over half the olive oil. Roast them for 25-30 minutes at 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5 until soft and pulpy. Rub through a sieve to remove the skin and pips.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan and sweat the onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the beetroot and the stock and bring to the boil. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer gently for 7-10 minutes until the beetroot is tender.

Stir in the tomato purée, transfer the soup to a blender and process until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Reheat the soup until thoroughly hot but not boiling.

Divide between warm bowls and crumble over a little feta into each bowl. Serve with crusty bread or swirl with some natural yoghurt.

Once your tomatoes are roasted and prepared it is a quick soup to make it went down a big here and I didn’t get chance to take a photo next methinks as it was such a lovely soup…

Just a little warning if you are eating more beets like me it does have an effect on your bodily functions in that it can turn your wee pink or number two’s red but don’t worry it is the beets…

My kombucha scoby is rehydrating nicely…I am looking forward to having a lovely drink of Kombucha in a few weeks time…

It is not the pleasantest looking thing it looks like a beige or white rubbery pancake…But it has definitely grown… got fatter so seems to be rehydrating nicely…

There are a few foods and beverages which require a similar mother culture i.e Ginger Beer, Jun…A drink similar to Kombucha, Keffir, Sourdough and Vinegar which to produce requires a mother of vinegar.

A symbolic culture of bacteria ( Scoby)

Is thought to have originated in the Far East probably China …The 1st recorded use was in China 221bc during the Tsin Dynasty it is known as the tea of immortality.

Scientists are also working on producing a workable bio-textile ( Vegan Leather) from Kombucha Scobies.

I am always experimenting on something in my kitchen which is a source of amusement to some in my family and their friends…However, they have been willing guinea pigs at times…Like these…

Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks…

Quick and easy just mix some soy sauce, honey and lots of garlic…Make cuts in the chicken drumsticks and brush with the sauce…sometimes I marinade in the fridge or I just keep brushing during cooking depends on the time …A quick easy and tasty drums which Aston and his friends demolished in a heartbeat…But with a jacket potato and some salad make a nice summers meal.

I hope you have enjoyed this week in my kitchen if you have any recipe requests please let me know and I will be happy to find them and try them…x

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have had a creative week and enjoy the weekend xx