I’m addicted to spicy food. In fact, when starting with a savory breakfast in the morning, some spicy chili peppers have to be on my plate already. The following recipe is my version of an Asian chili garlic paste that is free of refined sugar or artificial additives. I use this paste in my Asian-influenced dishes. Since I try to leave out sugar and artificial additives, I now work on preparing my own pastes and sauces. Because of the added coconut oil and vinegar, you can easily store the paste in your fridge for up to two weeks or freeze it in small ice cube portions.
The following recipe is a quick and easy way to prepare homemade broth without worrying about processed sugar or other potentially unhealthy additives. I cook vegetable broth about once a week, saving various cut-offs for a couple of days until I have enough to cook a delicious broth. The broth can be easily stored for about a week in the fridge, or you can also freeze it. I use homemade vegetable broth in many of my recipes and it’s unique every due to slightly different ingredients.
Ghee is traditional Indian clarified butter where the milk-solids have been removed through a boiling process. I like the slightly nutty flavor of ghee and I use it in many of my recipes. Making your own ghee is very easy and you will end up with a delicious fat that is very suitable for high-temperature cooking or frying. Give it a try! Ghee is also low in lactose and cassein-free, and many with lactose intolerance can enjoy it without problems.
This pesto is something very special for me because the wild garlic I used was hand picked by my grandfather. Seasonal wild garlic, also called bear’s garlic, can be harvested between April and June in woodlands. Compared to cultivated garlic, you eat the leaves instead of the bulb, and its taste is more delicate, like chives. My grandfather spends a lot of time in the woods to collect mushrooms and also wild garlic when it’s in season. When making pesto out of wild garlic, you can store it at least for two weeks in the fridge and you can use it to flavor many different foods, for example, stir fried vegetables, noodles, chicken, and soups.
Homemade Pesto is a very easy and quick flavor highlight for a delicious meal. For this pesto, I used arugula instead of basil because it creates a nice peppery and nutty flavor. You can serve it with any kind of pasta, meat, or vegetables. For example, recently I served it as a carb-free meal with zucchini noodles and lots of parmesan on top. It was so delicious and light. Grilled prawns or chicken would nicely accompany it as well.
