Apple Chili Sauce

Autumn has to be my favourite season. One of the reasons being it's apple picking season and lots of vegetables are in abundance and are cheap. Having a farmer's market close by is very useful too.
When my girls were younger, apple picking, in Rougemont, was one of our favourite activities.The farmer used to transport us from the car park to the orchard in a wagon, which was a lot of fun. And then, of course, we got carried away and picked quite a few bags of apples. Once at home, I had to look for recipes to use up the apples before they became rotten. I came across one that I now have used for years, the Apple Chile Sauce. It's an excellent condiment for pâté Chinois. It also has all the ingredients that are in abundance in autumn. 

My husband, who is French Canadian, loves his pâté Chinois. In fact that was one of the first meals he made for me when we first met 36 years ago. I think that was the only meal he knew how to cook at the time!   
The meal reminds him of a period, after the death of his father, when his mom, (36 years old) had to care for her7 children. It was one of the meals she made very often since it was cheap and easy to make.
Now my husband  appreciates it even more with the homemade Apple Chili Sauce.


Ingredients:
12 medium-sized tart apples (I usually use Macintosh)
6 medium tomatoes
6 medium onions, peeled
3 green peppers, stems and seeds removed
3 red peppers, stems and seeds removed
1 stick cinnamon 
1/4 cup pickling spices
5 cups sugar
4 cups cider vinegar
2 Tbsp salt

Method:
Chop apples and vegetables finely ( use food processor if you have one) and put in a large pot
Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag and add with sugar, vinegar and salt.
Bring to boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 45 minutes.
Discard spice bag and

ladle chili sauce into hot sterilized pint or half pint jars and seal immediately*.
Makes 7 to 8 pints.

Tip
I cover the lid with a red and white cloth and tie it with a red cord. It makes a lovely Christmas gift.

* Canning Safety

Kuku Paka

The  youngest of my 3 daughters (4 years old in the picture) is now a grown young adult.How time flies!
She is the only one who lives in Montreal and is closer to me, both physically and emotionally.

This is what she texted me recently: " I love you and papa so much... and our family."
My response: "Ahhhhhhh! That is the nicest thing I have heard all my life. We love you all a lot too."

That is my daughter: sensitive, kind and loving. How lucky we are to have you, Ingrid.

When I now look at her, she has grown into a beautiful young adult, soon to be a mom herself. How proud I am of her.

Often when she comes home for dinner, Kuku paka is what I make since it's one of her favourite meals.

Kuku paka is a rich chicken curry with coconut milk.It is an East African dish. Kuku in swahili means chicken; paka is coconut.

 Ingredients: 

(serves: 4)

2 Tbsp Oil
 1 small Onion
1 medium Tomato
1 tsp Garlic
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Dhana jiru
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Chili powder or flakes
1 pkt Meatless chicken strips
2 Tbsp water
3 Potatoes (boiled, quartered)
3 Hard
boiled eggs
1 tin Coconut milk
Fresh Coriander leaves

 Method: 

 Saute onion in oil until soft
Add the next 7 ingredients and cook for 1 minute
Add chicken strips and 2 Tbsp water and mix well
Add coconut milk
Add potatoes and eggs (cut in half) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes
Sprinkle with fresh coriander
 Serve hot with rice or crusty bread

The Basic: Dhana Jiru

Dhana jiru is the basic ingredient of most of the curries.

Dhana =  corriander

Jiru = cumin

When I left home at a very early age to go to England for further studies, I had no cooking skills. One would say that we were spoiled because we had a cook at home who prepared most of our meals. My mother was an excellent cook but by owning her own business had very little time to cook.

It was only when I moved to Canada and got married and had children, I developed an interest in Indian cooking. I received my first Indian cooking book called the Taste of our Cooking put out by the Ismailia Women’s Organization.

One thing I learned over a period of time was that homemade fresh spices made a big difference in the taste of my food. So I learned to make my own Dhana jiru.And now you can too!

Ingredients:

 
3 ½ cups Coriander seeds

¾ cup Cumin seeds

2 Tbsp Ginger powder

1 tsp Cloves

1tsp Pepper

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1tsp Fenugreek

2 sticks Cinnamon

5 to 6 pieces Cardamom

Method:

Grind all the ingredients.

Tips: 

• I use a separate grinder for the spices
• Store in an airtight jar
• Make small quantity if not using often