Mint and Lime Iced Tea February 16, 2010

It’s been a very hot summer so far, and when it’s hot, drinking icy cold iced tea is a great way to cool down. Having experimented with variations over the theme of green iced tea, I decided to pick up a few things from my green-grocer’s to see if there wasn’t a better, simpler way of making iced tea. Here’s what I came up with:
 
You’ll need the following:

• A bunch of fresh mint
• Lime
• Sugar
• Water

 
That’s it. No, really, that’s it. Here’s how you make the iced tea: Chop the mint leaves coarsely. Slice half a lime, and quarter the slices. Toss the lime and mint into a pitcher. Boil some water, and dissolve the sugar in it. Pour the sugar water into the pitcher, and swirl it all around. Fill the pitcher with cold water, and put the pitcher in the fridge. Wait a few hours. Serve.
 
This recipe is quick to make, and simple. It tastes great and is a great thirst-quencher.
 
Enjoy!

Fusion sauce February 16, 2010

This was my first attempt at any sort of asian cooking. It’s really quick, really simple, and tastes great.
 
This sauce is very quick to make, and it works very well with dishes such as chicken and rice or fish fingers. You’ll need:

• Coconut milk
• A lime

 
Pour the coconut milk in a shaker. Squeeze the lime over it. Shake well.

Chicken fusion February 16, 2010

I’m a big fan of fusion cooking, and happen to like the basic train of thought of most things that are good are good together. This was my thinking when I made this dish the other day. I knew that coconut milk and chicken gets along a treat, as do coconut and lemon and/or lime. As for spice, I wanted a smoky, asian vibe. Anyway, without further ado, here’s the recipe:
 

• Chicken breast
• Coconut milk
• Lemon and/or lime
• Ginger
• Onion
• Garlic
• Garam masala
• Paprika powder
• Peanuts and/or cashews

 
Dice the chicken, and toss in a preheated pan along with the onion (roughly chopped) and garlic (finely chopped). Add the fatty “lid” from the coconut milk. Grate the ginger, and add that to the pan along with the rest of the coconut milk (the “lid” should now have melted). Grate the skin of the lemon and/or lime, and add to the mix.
 
Add some paprika powder and garam masala. Bash up some peanuts and/or cashews in a pestle and mortar and add to the mix. Skin the lemon/lime, chop it roughly, and add to the mix. Add a little more liquid (vegetable stock, chicken stock or beer) and leave to simmer.
 
Serve with rice or cous-cous and a generous helping of chopped flat-leaf parsley.