As we march from Spring through early Summer to now the “dog days” of Summer, we move more towards stone fruits — apricots, peaches, plums and the like — which make great jam which is also the important part of my super easy to make crumble bars. There must be about 5 different versions here on the site. They are great to add to lunches or to pack into picnics!
Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies … I’ve made similar cookies before, but tried something new this time, instead of using butter, I made them with coconut oil with the thought that they would stay a little more chewy than crunchy. The trick though is that you absolutely have to let them chill completely after forming and before making, otherwise you will have a complete mess on your hands. Turned out pretty yummy, if I do say so myself!
In the last week or so, the topic of Peri Peri Sauce, or even more specifically “Nando’s Chicken” has come up at least 5 times … twice with acquaintances from South Africa and the remaining time with UK friends. That signaled to me that I should make my own. And then fate decided to tell me that I should really use the peppers from my own garden … which are mostly joloquia (ghost peppers) and habaneros, because actual peri peri chilis are near on impossible to find here. Anyway, voila … homemade Peri Peri Sauce. Spicy as all get out. Can be used on chicken (obviously), but also with veggies, fish or smear it on toast… 🙂 Be forewarned: recipe as written is crazy hot. If you want less spicy peri peri sauce, use less chilis or pick a variety that won’t kill you.
And now for something that isn’t baking — cooking for once, instead. I love this recipe — the flavors of the briny olives, the freshness of the lemons, the perfect texture of the fish. All very delicious. Because halibut can be a bit of a splurge with the cost, this can also be made with cod or any thicker cut white fish. Definitely give it a go.
A couple of weekends ago, I went berry picking again and got a slew of red currants. Some were made into jam, so I thought I would use some of that jam to make these thumpprint cookies. You could also use raspberry jam or tart cherry jam, which also go quite nicely with the chocolate combination — the whole tart + chocolate is really nice.