STICKY CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

Think 'Asian' Sweet Chilli sauce - then imagine it amped with real ginger, real chilli and a flash of real lemon juice - deeeliciously more-ish! 

Indulgently sweet and gingery-soy sticky chicken drumsticks.

Assess the number of drumsticks to be enchanted. A rough guide is to prepare about 25ml glaze per drumstick.

Mix 60ml Hot Drops Sweet Ginger 60ml lime juice + 120ml Soy (use a mix of light and full strength) + 60ml Wok Oil (blend of neutral and sesame oil). This makes 300ml (enough for 12 drumsticks) .

Food safety checkpoint: pour half the glaze into a different container. Use only this sauce to brush a generous coating all over the drumsticks. Let marinade for at least half an hour.

Cook in a pan, an air fryer, under a grill or over a bbq, basting the wings every couple of minutes with the reserved glaze. Turn frequently – the chicken burns easily.

Arrange on a warmed serving plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with torn fresh coriander leaves.

Sticky chicken drumsticks are equally delicious served hot or at room temperature. An exclllent party food - it does not have to be served immediately.

Mini Bacon and Cheese muffins (some people insist they are mini-quiches) are most excellent served fresh and warm from the oven, with Sweet Ginger Hot Drops on the side.

That is the wonderful thing about Sweet Ginger - it harmonises the flavours of cheese, bacon, and herbs perfectly.

STUFFED TOMATOES
A fabulously 70's classic.

Find 4 large, ripe, but firm tomatoes. It is really worth buying them vine-ripened from a farm-stall (they're just that much tastier!).

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp

Preheat oven to 180⁰C.

Finely dice ½ red onion, 120g chorizo and 6 button mushrooms. Lightly fry in a little olive oil, add 5ml crushed garlic. Combine the onion mix with 250ml cooked rice, 15ml Sweet Hot Drops, 6 torn basil leaves and 30ml grated parmesan. Season the mix with salt and pepper. Hollow out 4 large tomatoes. Place the filling in the middle, sprinkle 60ml seasoned fresh breadcrumbs over the top (optional).

Arrange the tomatoes on a baking tray and bake at 180° C for 10-15 minutes. However keep an eye on them, they may need more or less time - once the skin on the outside cracks a little, they're ready to come out.

A surefire throwback dish! Makes an excellent light lunch with super-fresh Ciabatta rolls or, as a side at a BBQ cookout with ABBA songs.

CORN MUFFINS

1½c maize meal or polenta • 1½c cake flour • 4tsp baking powder • 2tsp fine sea salt • 2c fresh sweet corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first) • ½c white onion (finely chopped) • 2 spring onions, sliced • 4tsp coriander leaves • 4 XL-eggs • 1½c Buttermilk (or ½ plain yoghurt + ½ milk) • 4 Tbs olive oil + butter for greasing the muffin pan.
Makes 6 big muffins.

Preheat oven to 180⁰C.

Butter the muffin pan well - do not be shy, there has to be a properly visible layer of butter on the inside of the muffin cup - it makes the most delicious buttery, crispy crust!

Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Put all the wet stuff (corn, onions, herbs, eggs included) in a food processor and process until mix is still course, but well blended.

Pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff and mix quickly (dont overmix or be tempted to use a mixer - it needs to be a little lumpy).

Divide evenly between the muffin cups.

Bake for 25-35 min.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then serve with butter, grated cheese and a bottle of Sweet Ginger Hot Drops on the side.

PICKLED BEETROOT & HALLOUMI

Peel 1 large beetroot and cut on spiraliser. Mix together 30ml white wine vinegar, 60ml sunflower oil and 45ml Hot Drops Sweet Ginger.

Leave the beetroot to marinade in the dressing for 1 hour. Cut the Haloumi into triangles, press into semolina flour to form a crust and fry until crispy in a little oil and butter.

Drain the fried Haloumi on kitchen towel and place on the serving platter. Spoon on a few dollops of Sweet Ginger Hot Drops. Top with the drained beetroot. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and snipped spring onion tops.

A lovely light luch starter!

Something magical happens when you bake a sweet potato at a very high heat.

Some people bake them in an open fire, others in pizza ovens - the aim is around 400°C.

The outer skin may singe a bit, but it gets paper dry and super crispy. I cannot bear to discard it - it is just too, too delicious to nibble at! At the same time the flesh inside is creamy-smooth and cooed to perfection.

Simply serve whole, cracked sweet potatoes with salt & butter on the side and of course, a whole bottle of Sweet Ginger Hot Drops!

Late Summer we often get a glut of not quite perfect red peppers - just right to make braised red pepper and garlic sauce. When the peppers and garlic are cooked to just about disintegration, add a healthy slug of sweet fruit vinegar (we like pomegranate) and cook a bit more to reduce the vinegar by half.

Process briefly, adding some Sweet Ginger Hot Drops and a pinch or two of salt.

Serve with grilled Rib-Eye steak and a baked sweet potato.

Some days are just baby marrow (zucchini) & leek quiche days... But just in case the mood doesn't hold past making and baking, keep an emergency bottle of Sweet Ginger Hot Drops on hand. That will liven up the party!