by Amber Rose
A large handful of curly kale, thick stems removed
100g pistachios
35g coriander seeds
6 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons dried mint leaves
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4.
Put the kale leaves onto a baking tray big enough to hold them in a single layer and pop them into the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 110°C/fan 90°C/gas mark ¼ and dry it out for a further 5 minutes, or until the kale crumbles easily but retains its bright green colour. Remove from the oven and let the kale cool completely before scrunching it up in your hands to create a fine powder. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. You won’t need all of it.
Heat a heavy-based pan over a high heat, add the pistachios and dry-fry until slightly browned and fragrant. Watch them carefully, as they can burn easily. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Repeat the procedure with each of the seeds and peppercorns. If you want to speed things up, you can do all the seeds together, but do the sesame seeds separately as they take much less time. Allow them to cool completely.
Grind or blitz the nuts, seeds, mint and salt in a mortar or mini blender until the mix is of a coarse consistency. DO NOT allow it to become a paste. You want a lovely crumbly spice mix. Transfer to a jar, add 1–2 tablespoons of the kale ash and give everything a good mix. Stored in an airtight jar it will keep for up to one month.
For a more traditional dukkah, omit the pistachios and kale ash and replace with hazelnuts.
Moroccan spice mix.
MAKES 1 JAR
This blend of warm spices is amazing tossed through warm cauliflower couscous, salad, or sprinkled over baby carrots before roasting.
4 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried red chilli flakes
1 teaspoon dried garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground black peppercorns
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, then transfer to an airtight jar. It will keep for up to three months.
Jerk seasoning.
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 CHICKEN
This delicious, zesty, spicy marinade is fantastic for roasted or barbecued chicken, pork and fish. It’s also great on hearty chunks of slow-roasted winter veg.
2 teaspoons fresh or dried chopped parsley
A handful of fresh thyme leaves
2 cinnamon sticks, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 teaspoons crushed allspice
7 garlic cloves
3 scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded
3 teaspoons chopped ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
Zest of 1 lime and juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons coconut or palm sugar
1 teaspoon salt
150ml fruity olive oil
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed. It will keep, chilled, for up to two weeks.
Piri-piri spice mix.
MAKES 1 JAR
Add some fire to a paneer steak, a spatchcock chicken or roast vegetables with this spicy blend.
4 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 teaspoons red chilli flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients in small bowl, then transfer to an airtight jar. It will keep for up to three months.
Ras el-hanout.
MAKES 1 JAR
North African in origin, this spice blend has a deep, warm flavour with a kick of chilli, rounded off with floral notes from the rose petals. Sprinkle it over fish, chicken or roasted veg.
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into several pieces
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1½ tablespoons fenugreek
1½ tablespoons mustard seeds
1½ tablespoons cloves
1½ tablespoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
60g dried Damascan rose petals (from Middle-Eastern food stores, or you can find them online)
Put all the ingredients, except the petals, in a dry heavy-based frying pan and place over a low–medium heat. Heat until the seeds begin to pop and release their amazing aromas. Toss and cook for 2 more minutes – don’t let them burn, but some gentle colour is good. Tip into a coffee grinder, spice grinder, mini food processor or pestle and mortar, and grind while still warm but not hot. Add the dried rose petals and crush lightly so that you still have some texture to the petals. It will keep in an airtight container for one to two weeks.
Mediterranean dried herb mix.
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
Sprinkle over chicken, lamb, goat or rabbit before roasting or grilling, or try it with halloumi or paneer.
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons fennel leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or pink himalayan salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Combine the parsley, basil, oregano, fennel and garlic powder in a small bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine. Just before serving, stir in the lemon zest.
Indian spice mix.
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
A couple of tablespoons of this handy spice mix makes a base for curries, dahl, warm chickpea salads, roast cauliflower pieces or roast sweet potato wedges with a bit of ghee. You won’t use the entire mix in one go, but make a batch and keep the rest for the next time you want to spice things up.
4 tablespoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
2½ tablespoons coriander seeds
4 teaspoons cardamom pods
2 teaspoons whole cloves
4 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 dried bay leaf
2 ½ teaspoons ground chilli
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat a dry frying pan and tip in the cumin, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Toast for 1–2 minutes, or until their fragrance is released and they are just turning a little golden and toasty. Quickly remove from the pan and put into a mortar.
Now toast the cardamom pods for 1–2 minutes until they are just starting to colour, then add them to the mortar along with the cloves and the bay leaf. Use the pestle to grind the seeds and pods into a fine powder. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and then transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Za’atar.
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
This super-easy Middle-Eastern spice blend is beyond versatile. You can sprinkle it over chicken legs or veg before roasting – try it on sweet potato wedges, carrots, butternut squash or aubergine. Use it on roasting chickpeas and cauliflower florets to create a satisfying and beautiful warm salad. You can even add it to a jar of vegetables that are being traditionally fermented the wild way. The beauty of this blend is its simplicity. It’s so easy to make and gives everything a wonderful flavour.
6 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
3 teaspoons ground sumac
¾ teaspoon sea salt,
1½ tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas mark 3.
Spread out the thyme leaves on a
baking tray and pop them in the oven to dry for about 10 minutes. When they are done they should crumble between pinched fingers. Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool.
Grind the thyme leaves finely using a pestle and mortar. Transfer to small bowl.
Add the sumac to the mortar and crush it as finely as you can – you may need to do this in batches. Add the thyme to the sumac and crush them together. Add the salt and crush again.
Stir in the sesame seeds, taste and adjust the seasoning if desired.
Transfer the spice mix to an airtight jar and keep in the fridge ready for use. It will last for a couple of weeks.
Rose harissa.
MAKES 2 450G JARS
This is magic in a jar. The delicate roses balance out the heat of the chillies, and together the ingredients make a warm, fragrant spice paste that is great with oily fish or roasted chicken. It’s also delicious mixed with my homemade mayo (see here) and served up with my homemade chips, or even spread over a shoulder of lamb with plenty of fresh fennel.
EQUIPMENT
sterilised jars
350g ripe tomatoes, halved, cores removed
2 red peppers, halved and deseeded
220g fresh red chillies
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
A handful of unsprayed, fragrant rose petals, washed
8 teaspoons rosewater
2½ tablespoons coconut sugar or rapadura or 3 dried medjool dates
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Traditionally, this spice paste would have been ground and chopped by hand, but here I use a food processor or blender.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas mark 3. Spread the tomatoes, cut-side up, red peppers, cut-side down, chillies and garlic on a large roasting tray, drizzle with the olive oil and season well. Ensure everything is in a single layer. Place the tray in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
When the chillies are cool enough to handle, pull off their stalks and deseed them. Peel the garlic cloves and place in the food processor with the chillies. Peel the roasted peppers and pop those in the food processor too. Pulse until roughly chopped, then add the cumin and coriander seeds and paprika, and pulse again.
Next, add the tomatoes, rose petals, rosewater and sugar or dates and pulse to create a beautiful, deep-reddish paste. Taste and add more salt and black pepper as needed.
Scrape the paste to a bowl and squeeze in the juice from half the lemon, add the olive oil and mix thoroughly. Have a taste – you want a good balance between the heat of the chillies, the smoky paprika, the sharpness of the lemon and the beautifully fragrant rose petals. Season again if necessary and add another squeeze of lemon, if needed. Once you’re happy with the taste, transfer the mixture into the jars and refrigerate. This paste should keep for at least 3–4 weeks.
My favourite Thai green curry paste.
SERVES 6–8
This is a fresh, delicious curry paste packed full of flavour. You can add different veg or meat to turn it into a filling meal. It’s super-good for you, as the coconut milk is filling and full of healthy fats. Coconut milk helps to balance hormones, aids weight loss, feeds the brain and helps with feelings of satiety. The veg are full of fibre and micronutrients, the ginger in the paste reduces inflammation in the body and altogether this humble little dish tastes amazing. I love serving it over cauliflower rice.
FOR THE PASTE
5 fat garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 shallots, roughly chopped
Generous thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, finely chopped
2cm piece of galangal (if available), peeled and roughly chopped
5–6 green bird’s eye chillies, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
2 tablespoons good-quality fish sauce
FOR THE CURRY
800g butternut squash cut into chunks, or boneless chicken breasts/thighs
Ghee
400g mixed oriental mushrooms, cleaned and torn into even pieces
4 mini aubergines, topped and halved, or 1 large, cut into chunks
400ml can full-fat coconut milk (or see here for coconut milk recipe)
500ml chicken stock/bone broth or veg stock (see here)
6 kaffir lime leaves
200g fine green beans, topped and halved
½ bunch of fresh thai basil
2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the paste, put the garlic, shallots, ginger, lemongrass, galangal and chillies into a food processor, along with the cumin, ground coriander, black pepper and half the fresh coriander. Blitz until finely chopped, add the fish sauce and blitz again until you have a rough paste.
To make the curry using butternut squash, steam the chunks until just tender, then quickly pan-fry in ghee for 1–2 minutes, or until the outer edges take on a little golden colour. Remove from the pan to a plate. If using chicken, slice the meat into 2.5cm strips and put into a large pan over a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of ghee. Fry for 5–7 minutes, turning the strips, until just turning golden, then transfer to a plate.
Return the pan to a medium heat, add the mushrooms and aubergines and fry for 4–5 minutes, or until golden. Try not to stir them too much and cook in a single layer. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium–low and add the paste for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the coconut milk and the broth or stock and add the lime leaves. Increase the heat and bring gently to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, or until reduced slightly.
Stir in the butternut squash or chicken and mushrooms, reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, adding the beans for the final 3 minutes.
Season carefully to taste. Pick, roughly chop and stir through the basil leaves and remaining coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges and steamed rice or cauliflower rice.
Salts.
A few crazy good finishing salts.
Not only is salt is essential to the body, but when paired with other bits and bobs, dried herbs and ends of things that usually go in the scrap bin, it can be a crazy good seasoning. Iodised table salt is no good, though – you must use good-quality salt, so be prepared to pay more. Not only is iodised table salt bad for your health, it’s just too salty and has a horrid aftertaste. Flaky sea salt, rock salt, pink Himalayan salt and the lovely, moist grey-ish toned French salts are all good for you and have slightly different mineral and flavour compositions. Quality salt is also known to help preserve two feel-good hormones in the body – serotonin and melatonin – which help us to sleep, relax and feel good. What more do I need to say? Except: Pass the salt!
FOR THE BASE
50g flaky sea salt – rock salt (ground) or pink himalayan salt
Sumac and sesame salt: Great with pumpkin soup, avocado on toast, roast veg and chicken.
Add 2 teaspoons of sumac and 3 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds to the salt and grind to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar.
Celery salt: Perfect with soft-boiled eggs, quails’ eggs, avocado, soup and roast veg.
Toast the leaves from the head of 1 bunch of celery (no stalks) in a dry frying pan until crisp with no moisture left. Add to the sea salt and grind to an emerald green powder using a pestle and mortar.
Kale ash salt: Amazing on almost anything – pasta, salads, avocado, roast squash, beets and eggs.
Add 2 tablespoons of kale ash to the sea salt and grind to a fine powder
using a pestle and mortar.
Cumin salt: Delicious sprinkled over roast beets, avocado, roast squash, lamb, chicken, scrambled eggs and omelettes.
Toast 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant and slightly darker in colour. Add to the salt and grind to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar.
Hibiscus salt: Try with lamb, avocado, stews and casseroles.
Add 3 teaspoons of dried hibiscus flowers to the sea salt and grind to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar.
Flower salt: Stunning over roast chicken, fresh mozzarella and salads.
Grind the salt to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar, then add 1 teaspoon of dried Damascan rose petals, 1 teaspoon of dried cornflowers and 1 teaspoon of dried calendula petals. Grind again, just enough to break up the petals but not too much.
Butters and Oils.
Homemade butter: the original superfood.
MAKES JUST UNDER 1KG BUTTER AND JUST UNDER 1L BUTTERMILK
Butter is one of my favourite things in the world! Eating it spread thickly on homemade sourdough straight out of the oven makes me as happy as can be.
Butter used to be considered unhealthy because it contains saturated fat. That, however, is not a valid argument against eating butter, because the saturated fat myth has been thoroughly debunked in recent years. When butter comes from lovely healthy grass-fed cows, it is one of nature’s most precious foods. It is packed full of heart-healthy fats, which nourish the brain and give instant energy to the body. Putting a knob of butter on your cooked veg allows you to absorb all the fat-soluble vitamins that are present in the vegetables, whereas if you eat vegetables without healthy fats you only get benefit from some of the nutrients.
Butter is also jam-packed with heart-healthy fats such as vitamin K2 to support bone density; Vitamin A which helps to maintain thyroid, adrenal and cardiovascular health and, along with vitamins D and E, is a key antioxidant; omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which helps reduce belly fat, protects against cancer and encourages muscle growth.
