Love & other Spices

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Sweet Chili Pepper Jelly

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Sweet Chili Pepper Jelly is great on crackers or bite-sized toasts with cheese . It adds a crunch and mild heat and makes a great appetizer. This is an easy and a foolproof recipe for a home cook.

Sweet Chili Pepper Jelly with cream cheese on baguette

Making jelly at home

I never thought I’ll make jelly at home after a failed attempt at making jelly back in Middle school. I was making tomato jelly. I never used anything to set the jelly. There was way too much sugar. It crystallized. I don’t know why, but somehow everybody in my family found a reason to laught about the jelly. Even after many years, my tomato jelly would bring some smiles if it was mentioned.  I never bothered to make any jelly and preferred the store bought ones. But I was concerned about the high sugar content. So I hardly bought any.

Red bell peppers and sweet chili peppers

Sweet chili peppers and red bell peppers(capsicum)

These two varieties of peppers are abundant in summer here in Ontario. It’s fall here and I still see them around in the market. I bought plenty and my husband suggested I make jelly with them. The red bell pepper is fleshy and has no heat. The long peppers you see in the photo are what called as “sweet chili peppers”. They might look like red bell peppers but they have a mild heat. There are plenty of recipes out there for hot pepper jelly. Not everyone can handle the heat and I really tone way down the heat for me and my family.

I used a mix of both peppers for balancing out flavours and for the mild heat. If you want to use only the chili peppers you can do so. It will take the heat up a notch or two.

If you want to keep this mix of peppers and increase the heat, you can add a teaspoon of chili flakes.

sweet chili pepper jelly on cream cheese and baguette

Setting the jelly using Pectin

To set the jelly I used Pectin. There are two varieties of pectin. Regular and no-cook. The regular variety is added to the pan with other ingredients and boiled. The no-cook variety is used after the jelly is made and set in the refrigerator. What I bought was the no-cook variety “Freezer Jam Pectin”. Read the instructions in the package to see how you can use yours.

Let’s talk about sugar, shall we? Typically, you have to use a lot of sugar to make jelly. That’s also the reason I don’t buy jelly from the store. This recipe uses only 3/4th cup of raw cane sugar. I think it gives the right amount of sweetness. White granulated sugar can be used if that’s what you have. Remeber, you don’t eat all this jelly in one go. And share some with friends and family. This jelly makes a great gift.

There are so many ways to use this lovely jelly

  • spread it on toasts with cream cheese or cottage cheese
  • spread it on crackers with cream cheese for a great appetizer
  • Use it as condiment for biryani ,pilau or rice based dishes
  • serve it with your warm oatmeal for breakfast

Which ever way you choose to eat it, it’s delicious, it’s easy to make and tastes great on anything.

sweet chili pepper jelly in the bottle

Print
Sweet Chili Pepper Jelly
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

This sweet chili pepper jelly is nice and mild in heat. Great as an appetizer on crackers or toasts with cheese. Less sugar and easy to make.

Servings: 3 cups
Author: Farwin
Ingredients
  • 3 sweet chili peppers cored and seeded
  • 3 red bell peppers cored and seeded
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tbsp Pectin
Instructions

  1. Place the peppers in a food processor and pulse it until chopped finely.

  2. Heat the pan on medium high and add the chopped peppers, sugar, vinegar, salt and water. Heat until the sugar melts and the mixture starts to boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

  3. Take off from the heat and let it cool.

  4. Add in the Pectin and stir until well mixed.

  5. Ladle into clean jars leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) headspace; put the lids on. Let stand until thickened.


Recipe Notes
  1. Store in the refrigerator upto 3 weeks or freeze for longer
  2. Thaw in the refrigerator from frozen.
  3. Add 1 tsp red chili flakes to increase heat.
  4. Add more salt depending on your taste.

Lentil and Vegetable Soup with Parsley

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We were thrilled when the sun started shining and the temperatures peaked to 25 degree Celsius. Oh! What glorious days they were. I even lamented to my husband that it’s too hot in the house and we should get a fan and wondered out loud about the benefits of an air conditioner like we had back in Dubai (gasp). As you imagined, the good weather didn’t last long and it’s back to the unpredictable weather. The other day we were walking to the town and then the library where we got soaked about 4 times. Bit of rain, then the sun, they played hide and seek and Ammar was sure the rain was targeting us. LOL! Every time we stepped out of a shop to the street, it would start pouring.

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Quinoa, Butternut Squash, Pomegranate Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

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I’m not much into salads. There I said it. The salad played a essential but minor role in meals growing up. It was never, ever considered a main meal. It’s because the type of salads we had nicely complemented the Rice & Curry and gave that extra tang or crunch.
There was the cucumber salad which I love. Sliced cucumbers mixed with chopped onions and green chillies with a bit of fresh coconut milk and lime juice. I would sprinkle the liquid to my rice and the dish is elevated to the next level where I’d easily finsh off two portions.
And the raw grated carrot salad. Same method as the cucumber salad without the coconut milk. Then there’s the Gotukola salad. These are the salad we had mostly on rotation and was never eaten on it’s own. So I could never bring myself to have a salad as a main meal.

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Cinnamon Hazelnut Bread – Gluten, Dairy and Sugar Free

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Breakfast is an important part of my day. I can never skip it. But I can’t sit down to a hearty breakfast still groggy-eyed and in my pj’s either. I start the day with a cup of tea and a digestive. Yes,that’s fuel for the heavy work to follow.
A half hour to one hour studies later, I’m off to make breakfast and lunch for boys and hubby. Waking them up, getting them fed and ready for school and work with packed meals in their bags requires copius amounts of energy. That’s where my tea and biscuit comes in handy. Ha.
Before I set to tackle the house which by this time looks like a whirlwind has passed through, I sit down for my proper breakfast. That is, I start cooking my morning meal. When you’re on a Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free diet that’s the most sensible thing to do.

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Mildly Spiced Chicken Biryani

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I love biryani. They aren’t confined to special occasions or days, they’re a comfort food. It warms my soul and nourishes my body. It saves me from those days where I stare at an open refrigerator wondering what vegetables to pair and what to cook. No,I’m not good at meal planning. So, having an easy recipe with ingredients I mostly have in my pantry is a relief.

The only two ingredients I didn’t have until now are the white poppy seeds and dried plums. But ever since I started making biryani this way they’ve become part of my pantry. For my Irish readers, poppy seed is available in most Asian stores. They come in a 200g pack and will last for a long time, I mean a very long time. Unless you use it to make lemon poppy seed muffins all the time. A favorite of mine which I should blog about. And the dried plums. They are different from prunes and comes with the seed. It has a sweet and mild sour taste and that too can be found in Asian stores. It will be great addition to any curry. The hulled white poppyseeds and dried plums can be seen in the picture below.

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Cinnamon Coconut Granola

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baked cinnamon coconut granola

It feels good to be back in this space after a long hiatus.  I was away from the blog and social media enjoying a much needed break.  I had taken a break from my studies too. ”What did she do? ” you may wonder. I read. Yes, a lot. I would go to my local library and bring as many books as I can carry. Fiction, Non- Fiction, Cookbooks. I read from morning to night. We each have different ways of relaxing,recouping. For me, it’s reading that does it. It’s theurapetic. I may not remember most of what I read now, nor I had the slightest idea to record the books I read. It’s the moments that mattered to me. The feeling that you get when you do what you enjoy, a time well spent.

I didn’t experiment much in the food front. I stuck to my comfy foods, foods that I know won’t cause me any insensitivies. But for some time now, I’ve been coming out of my comfort zone and trying different foods. Like the Hazelnut Bread recipe from ”The Ketogenic Kitchen” by Domini Kemp and Patricia Daly. The recipe for that will be coming soon. And this Granola. I should say that I’ve never been a ganola fan. Even when my husband was gorging on store-bought chocolate granola I stayed away. One reason was I couldn’t stomach the oats in it. And granola with milk didn’t appeal to me.

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Turmeric Milk

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 The things I do to keep myself  warm. It wasn’t snowing this time here yet. But it’s unbelievably cold. I think I haven’t still got used to the cold. I don about 3 to 4 layers of cloth,the last being a soft and cozy robe. Last winter,I didn’t know a fleece robe is a quintessential winter clothing to be worn inside the house. Man,I suffered. A dear friend pulled me out of that misery. We talked about robes while she cooked me lunch wearing a soft blue one. This time around I never made that mistake. I bought not one but two robes. And bought them for hubby and kids too. I’m glad I converted my husband  and he can never be seen around the house without his dark blue manly robe.
And then comes warm liquids. I haven’t craved for warm teas since my vacation days in Nuwara Eliya. Hill Country. The coldest part in Sri Lanka. We were once staying at Ambewela,near the famous milk factory. Every morning fresh milk was brought to the cottage,heated until steam comes forth,Mom would generously add heaps of tea leaves and sugar ,stirring until the color is just right.a sort of beige,and pour the steaming milk tea into our mugs. I would hold the mug as a precious jewel as dropping even a drop of that liquid gold was unthinkable. An utter waste. I would savor each gulp and never wanted that stream of hot tea down my throat to end.

Dairy Free Broccoli Soup

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This is my first Autumn here in Ireland. I am in love with the scenery around me. The shades of trees from,green to the different hues of orange adorning the streets are a thing of beauty. And the falling leaves scattered around made me want to bring some home and photograph it. Which I did.The photo is in my Instagram feed.

The days are short and weather is getting colder. And I crave more warmth and often find myself in front of the heater or making something hot to drink or eat.

Growing up we had bone broth with lots of vegetables every week and that was called soup. A big bowl of rice with copious amounts of bone broth and spicy condiments was the norm for a Sunday lunch. Beads of perspiration would appear on my nose while I scrape down the last bit of the meal with the spicy sambal. That’s how it was supposed to be in the humid climate in Sri Lanka. It’s not that you crave soup in that weather rather it’s a norm, probably passed down from the Colonialists.

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Fish Curry Recipe

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Looking at this fish curry,evokes the memories back in the day . Specially tuna, it had to be my favorite fish. Because it resembled meat,sturdy and held it’s shape. I despised fish of all sorts except this. I hated the tiny long bones fearing that it would get stuck in my throat and the fish smell . I’ve always been a meat girl. Chicken was very rare those days, you get to eat it only on special occasions. It was always beef and fish on rotation.
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Homemade Rice Crispy Bars

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Kids,they always seem to be hungry.”Mama,can I have something to eat?” or “Mama,can I have a snack?” are often repeated words in our house. I’ve tried all sorts of things to keep their hunger at bay till the next meal time. Some stick.Some don’t.

I give them cucumber with hummus. Because it’s something I like to eat. Hummus remains untouched sometimes. But a bag of corn tortilla chips would vanish within seconds with hummus.I’ve forced them traditional stuff. Like a sweet semolina conjee that I used to enjoy. It doesn’t get past a few teaspoons. But a vanilla cake or a plain muffin gets chomped quickly leaving no leftovers.

A cupcake with fruits or veggies in it,only a few bites here and there like the rats nibble. Perhaps, an oats bar with nuts and seeds in it.No way.
I accept defeat.

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Sesame Seed Snack Balls

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It’s been a long time since I visited this virtual space of mine. A lot happened in our lives since I last posted here. We had a major move spanning three countries. We said our good byes to Dubai happily and lugged ourselves back to Sri Lanka. We settled ourselves briefly there. Before long,the kids and me got on a plane again to our home now,Ireland. Home for the foreseeable future,in sha Allah !

Beef & Rice Conjee/Porridge

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After a long silence in my blog,here I am reviving it again. Come what may,I realized I couldn’t abandon my blog. I sincerely thank all my readers who messaged me,inspiring me to keep the blog alive. Also a shout out to my husband who designed this lovely header. Felt like coming back to a newly decorated, good old home filled with memories. A lot happened during the past year,and I thank the Almighty for giving me courage and keeping me going.

It’s the blessed month of Ramadan. A month of fasting,not feasting. This year,Alhamdulillah,I made a resolution to keep our meals to a bare minimum. Not that we had extravagant meals all these years,but the focus was always been on food rather than more on worship. It’s always been what to cook for Iftar(Breaking fast),what to make for Suhoor(Early Morning meal),how many iftars do I have to organize and so on and so forth. But starting my higher studies on Islam, getting myself bombarded(in a good way) with all the updates about the true essence of Ramadan by the social media and various groups that I’m part of, helped me realize the true spirit of this blessed month.

Now in Srilanka, the staple Iftar meal is the Conjee or the rice porridge.

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Kiwi Mint Lemonade

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Zespri Arabia did it again, that is to send me another box of kiwis. This time it was a pleasant surprise, in the form golden kiwis. I have never tasted golden kiwis before. Eagerly, I cut open a kiwi,scooped out the golden flesh and started devouring. The note of lemonade hit me sharply as I was warned. It was still not fully ripe. I gave it a few days and since the Ramadan started the box of kiwis was not disturbed very much.

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Kiwi and Sago Pudding

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The temperature is rising sharply here in Dubai. It’s hot and humid even in the evenings. The park outings with the kids have almost come to a standstill. We crave for juicy fruits,cooling liquids and food all the time. My granny used to make sago pudding or kanjee during very hot days in Sri Lanka. She used to say it’s very cooling to the body. It’s easy to make and delicious. We have it as dessert.

Oats & Wholewheat Pancakes

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I felt odd clicking the publish button. As my last post was way too back in time. A big no in the blogging arena. The guilt that I had abandoned my blog was way too much than I could take. Life moves on bringing with it new challenges and changes. You have to make way for those and that means pushing certain things aside for some time. I have started working from home. Between raising the kids, doing household chores and working, I found some time to post a recipe, requested by my friends when I posted a photo of it, on Facebook.

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Oat Bran with Nuts and Fruits

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Let me tell you something about my new found addiction. If you can call 6 months new,that is. Oat bran .
I have it everyday. Almost. Around 5 to 6 times a week for breakfast. It has become my go-to-done-in-5 minute breakfast. I have never got bored of it so far. And I hope I never will.
I detest regular wholewheat rolled oats now,it tastes bland ,very gooey and I thank God I didn’t have to stomach it out longer. I discovered oat bran quite accidently while going through a meal plan to lose some of the stubborn-never-seem-to-shift weight. It said to cook the oat bran with just plain water and no sugar. Now that’s way too plain for me. Of course,I omitted the sugar and added my own twist to it.
Cinnamon for flavor,nuts for the crunch and dried fruits for sweetness. And for chocolaty goodness,the chocolate chips. A teaspoon or two doesn’t hurt right. Well,my whole idea was to have breakfast and dessert together in one meal.

And here is the good part. According to numerous reports, oar bran has more fiber content, less calories ,more antioxidants,vitamins & minerals than regular oatmeal. It helps you feel full fast, keeping you satiated so you eat less between meals. It helps me get through the hectic mornings well until lunchtime. And in another study I read,those who eat dessert with their breakfast tend to get less cravings throughout the day,specially the dreaded 4 pm cravings. So I was killing two birds with one stone.

Here you see the texture of the oat bran. It has a nice chewy bite to it even after you cook. It doesn’t get completely gooey as the regular oatmeal. It should be great in soups and stews, I never tried it yet and will one of these days. If you prefer it with a bit of extra sweetness,you can add a dash of honey,maple syrup or date syrup, take your pick. The recipe is meant to be as a guideline only, tweaking it according your taste buds is entirely up-to you.  You can even try a savory version. In that case, make sure to let me know how it turns out.

Cinnamon Oat Bran with Fruits,Nuts and Chocolate Chips

1 cup soya milk (any dairy or nut milk will work too)
1/4 cup oat bran
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 to 2 tsp of chocolate chips
raisins,dried cranberries
sliced almonds,pistachios to garnish
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Place milk, oat bran, salt, cinnamon powder in a small sauce pan over medium heat and let it come to a slow boil,stirring in between.
Once the cereal comes to a boil,reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add raisins and let it simmer for 1 more minute.
Take off from fire, add the chocolate chips,about 2 tsp of chopped or sliced nuts and stir.
Serve warm garnished with dried cranberries and rest of the nuts.

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

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What you see above is a totally unplanned shot of our lunch last week.
I wasn’t planning to shoot anything that day but when I plated the meal it looked photogenic and I had beautiful early afternoon light streaming through my kitchen windows that was just perfect.I had to click.

It all happened too fast,with this dish. I had almost half an hour to cook lunch before I dash out the door to pick my hungry kids. A quick search online brought me this recipe which I was satisfied with as I had just the right ingredients,beef and broccoli..tada..

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Sri Lankan Love Cake

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It’s not that time of the year to post about love cakes. Not that I celebrate Valentines Day,anyways. But it was my birthday last month.I stepped into my thirties leaving my twenties behind. A decade filled with life changing experiences and so many lessons. Though,there was the slightest twinge of sadness,I was prepared to embrace this new chapter in life,with a piece of cake. Not just any cake,but the Love Cake.

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Sweet Potato Nests

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I get hit by serious sugar cravings in the evenings sometimes. Those are the days when I take an average breakfast as opposed to my tummy-loading ones. And when I wake up after dozing off trying to get my kids to nap. According to healthy mantras,I don’t stock anything for myself except some nuts and bran crackers. But I keep some chocolates and cookies around for kids.
So,when one of those cravings hit me,quite often recently,I frantically search for treasures tucked in corners of the cupboards.I won’t even spare a sideways glance at the fruits on the table,let alone the veggies and yogurt in the refrigerator.Please God,let their be a  piece of forgotten chocolate or some cookies around.What about that jar of Nutella tucked away in the farthest end of the cupboard? Finally,I’ve found treasure. I slather a spoonful of nutella on my bran cracker and munch. spread,munch.spread,munch. It continues till I get sick of the whole thing.

Ground Rice Balls “Aggala”

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It’s no myth that blogosphere has so many wonderful things to offer.Recipes that has amazing and an uncommon list of ingredients to the mouthwatering and saliva drooping food photos,you name it,you got it all. The most wonderful thing that offers, according to me is the hand of friendship.
Isn’t it amazing to find a friend who has the same tastes,similar opinions towards life and above all, blogs to discuss about ? We could go on for hours chatting.
I met Raji online through the Fooderati Arabia and met in person at one of the foodie tours around Dubai. We clicked off immediately. She is this warm,friendly,down to earth person. And we have some meet ups planned and I’m sure we’re going to enjoy it.
You can meet Raji on her delightful vegetarian blog, Vegetarian Tastebuds. Make sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter too.

Coconut Jaggery Crepes with Treacle

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When Tika asked me to do a guest post on her site Cemplang Cemplung about a traditional Sri Lankan dish,I was thrilled.
I met the talented Tika in Facebook and instantly drawn to her site.Her food photography is amazing and her passion for it shines through each and every one of her photographs.She has won several DMBLGiT awards,a monthly food photography contest recognizing the best of food photography.
And this warm and generous lady has another blog dedicated to food photography tips for aspiring newbies like us.
 
Though I had several traditional recipes in mind,I wanted to feature this sweet dish I absolutely loved growing up.
 
A thin crepe roll filled with coconut,jaggery and nut filling and served with treacle on the side.

Prawns in Mild Coconut Curry

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This month has been hectic so far. My elder son Ammar,one of the twins,came down with the fever. I should have expected this,with the weather change. We were sand blasted for a couple of days. The winds scattered copious amount of sand in to the roads and to our balcony too. A sign that chilly mornings and nights will be changing into warm ones. When that and it’s opposite happens-that is,warm days turn in to chilly ones-kids fall sick. It always catches me off guard.

Spiced Red Carrot Muffins

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I first set eyes on Paulo when I was at a surprise birthday party thrown by my one of my husband’s friends wife. A couple of families including us unlocked ourselves into the house with the key she gave us and began making the arrangements to surprise her husband while the couple was away. The place was new to me and I couldn’t help glancing around and immediately drawn towards the bookshelf. There was when I saw him.  Paulo Coelho.

Eggplants in Tomato Sauce

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They say that when you don’t have anything to start a conversation with,talk about the weather.The weather is playing havoc these days. Just yesterday our car read the temperature as 24 degree Celsius outside. It wasn’t much cold in Dubai this time. Kids weren’t wearing any extra clothing other than their usual summertime shorts and pants. Even the AC was running throughout the night for a few days unlike last year where it remained forgotten for a good few months. But I remember back in Qatar,I had to buy heaters to keep us warm. I was feeling a bit sad,that the winter is coming to an end so soon,even before it started.And that soon,the harsh summer will be upon us.
But it had read 15 degree Celsius in the morning today and S wanted me to bring the kid’s jackets to the car to take them to school. Sure enough,it was chilly and windy. I loved it. I hope the winter will last long. And the summer will be far and short.