Spicy tomato, pepper and courgette chutney

Ingredients:

Makes a 1 litre jar

 

• 2 tins of good quality tomatoes
• 200 yellow or red peppers, chopped
• 1 courgette medium to small size, deseeded and diced
• 100 g raisins or sultanas
• 250 g apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
• 250g sugar
• 275ml vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 20g grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes

Method:

 

1. Place all the ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved completely.
2. Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer on a low heat, stirring regularly (to make sure the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the pan) for about 1 hour or until thick and pulpy.
3. Pour into hot sterilised jars and cover.

 

This will keep for months. It's perfect with cold meats , pâté, terrines and cheeses.
Best eaten 2 weeks after being made.
It's a lovely homemade christmas present to give.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade store cupboard

I love home made store ingredients that are cheap to make and can turn any boring dinner into something yummy
So here's one to get you started.

Chilli and garlic oil

Ingredients:
200 mls of oil. Preferably groundnut or sunflower
1 heaped tablespoon of hot chilli power
2-3 crushed cloves of garlic

Method:

Heat oil on a medium heat until hot
Turn off heat
Add chilli and garlic
Leave to cool
Strain through a fine sieve 3 times until the oil looks clear
Pour the oil into a clean glass bottle.
I use empty ketchup bottles that have been washed in the dish washer
Keep in a cool cupboard.

Uses:
Add to marinades for a spicy kick
Use in dipping sauces for spring rolls or prawns
Simply use as a condiment for Asian food if you like a hot kick like me.