Welcome to series 3 of the Culinary Alphabet A-Z…Where the middle letter is J…

Nothing is as it seems here…this new series is the brainchild of Chel Owens who writes at A wife, My Verse, and Every Little Thing…my followers are so good to me they think up all sorts of permutations of the Alphabet for me to blog about…not sure if they want me to call it quits or what they will come up with next…Chel like Pete was, however, will be called on to make her contribution every two weeks…they don’t get off scot-free…so I hope you have started brainstorming Chel…haha x

So what’s in store? In this series the A, B, C, etc will be the middle letter, for example, Aga, Cabbage, Fries and Yucca… how easy that will be who knows I am sure some of the letters of the alphabet could cause the grey matter to rebel or implode…haha…I also don’t want to use plurals to form a word as I may need that word for another letter and it’s sort of cheating I think…unless of course I really get stuck…which I am sure will happen…

Today it is words where the middle letter is J...fairly easy but not so many… it taxed my brain somewhat…Who doesn’t love  Onion Bhajees? variants: or less commonly bhajee or bhajji plural bhajis or bhajia also bhajias or bhajees or bhajjis…it gets complicated sometimes…sigh… but I had fun…Thanx Chel xx

Let’s go and see what I have found…

Onion Bhajees…

Originating from the South Indian state of Karnataka, a bhaji is a deep-fried snack similar to a fritter or tempura. … A popular street food, the onion bhaji consists of just two main ingredients: onions & chickpea flour.

Recipe Tomorrow fresh from my kitchen…

Cajun…

Exactly what is Cajun seasoning, you might ask? It’s a rustic seasoning blend that hails from Louisiana, the home of delicious Cajun cuisine. Everyone tends to have their own spin on it, but in general, it’s a spicy blend featuring lots of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, pepper and oregano…delicious and spicy 🙂

Demijohns…

A bulbous narrow-necked bottle holding from 3 to 10 gallons of liquid, typically enclosed in a wicker cover.

Dijon…

Dijon mustard is a style of prepared mustard that originated in the city of Dijon, France. You will often see it used in vinaigrettes and sauces as well as putting the finishing touch on a sandwich. It is a pale yellow rather than the typical bright yellow American-style mustard. French-inspired dishes that feature Dijon mustard as an ingredient are referred to as “à la dijonnaise.”

Flapjacks…

In the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, Ireland, and Newfoundland a flapjack refers to a baked bar, cooked in a flat oven tin and cut into squares or rectangles, made from rolled oats, fat (typically butter), brown sugar and usually golden syrup. In other English-speaking countries, the same item is called by different names, such as muesli bar, cereal bar, oat bar or (in Australia) a slice.

The snack is similar to the North American granola bar, and in the United States and most of Canada, the term flapjack is a widely-known but lesser-used term for pancake.

Goujons…

Are thin strips of chicken or fish coated in breadcrumbs and then fried or baked.

Our grandkids love what they call KFC chicken...As you know I cook from scratch, therefore, make my own …I either cut a chicken breast into slices or use chicken tenders, then dip in an egg wash and coat with homemade breadcrumbs…I then cook in batches in hot oil until cooked and golden brown then serve with sticky rice and freshly chopped vegetables normally cucumber and cabbage.

Jamjars…

Glass jars used not only for jam making but for pickles…I am not sure why they called jamjars as they have many uses for storage for pickled gherkin, other pickles, marmalade, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, jalapeño peppers, chutneys, pickled eggs, honey, and many others.. as well as jams, and have been around for centuries…jars can be used to hold solids too large to be removed from, or liquids too viscous to be poured through, a bottle’s neck;

My mother always would say get me some jamjars out of the cupboard she never referred to a jamjar as a  Mason Jar and neither have I…maybe mason jar is more of an American or European term…

Marijuana…or Cannabis as it is also known…

Did you know?

Chefs can now earn a Culinary Cannabis Certificate?…neither did I but they can…I have noticed baked goods for sale here which have the familiar leaf on them…I had to ask as I am not familiar with what it is…but I have noticed the leaf being very prominent on baked goods over the last few months…a sign of things to come…. where do I stand on this… medicinally if it helps I am ok with…as for the rest I am not…

Rujak Sauce…

This little dip is a recipe from Bali given to me by my grandson’s girlfriend, it is very easy to make but made more special by the addition of tamarind. 

Called Rujak sauce it is lovely with green mangoes.

• Take 200 gm of palm sugar shaved.
• 15 gm of tamarind flesh and 5 tbsp of water leave to infuse for 5 mins and then drain and keep the tamarind flavoured water.
• 6 or more Thai chillies.
• 1/4 tsp shrimp paste and 1/4tsp salt.

Blitz all these ingredients together and you have fiery little sauce.

Tajin Maharshi… is a flavourful Lybian dish…

Tajin Maharshi is usually the main meal, but for guests, stuffed vegetables are always just a side dish. It consists of a variety of stuffed vegetables such as bell peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, and courgettes. The filling is usually prepared with a combination of ground meat, onions, rice, and spices such as chiles, salt, pepper, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. Maharshi is a great make-ahead dish, as it tastes even better the next day, and warms up well.

Thank you so much for joining me today…J was quite hard and a bit of a struggle although I am sure there are some I have missed…next time it’s the letter K…a little easier…Baked, Baker and Cooking for example…

See you tomorrow where I will have some  Onion Bharjees fresh from the pan with the recipe see you tomoz xx