The Spice Shop

Beetroot Powder, 25g Natural Food colouring. Unit price: £2.99 (approx. €3.35)

Spinach Powder (natural colouring), 25g Try using this to colour rice or vegetables, pasta dough or bread. Can also be used for icing etc. as there is no taste to the powder. Try green coloured rice next time you cook for guests. It is always a talking point. Unit price: £3.25 (approx. €3.64)

Mexican Quesadilla seasoning

Season your meat or re-fried beans with this spice mix. Pile on to tortilla breads, add grated cheese, top with a second bread and fry in oil. Delicious!!

Green Peppercorns

For a steak sauce: after frying your steak, add a good lump of butter to the pan. When melted, add a couple of teaspoons of green peppercorns and a chopped clove of garlic. Fry gently, then add 1 tbsp of good brandy, 2 tsp wholegrain mustard and 100 ml single cream. Let the sauce bubble up, then pour it over the steak.

Hungarian Goulasch mix

Brown onions and diced beef in lard, add water and spice (1 teaspoon per person) and cook until meat is done. I normally cook a pot to last me a week, and for each meal I transfer a bit to a smaller pot and add potatoes (which is good but not Hungarian-orthodox). Serve topped with sour cream. Gets better each day.

Aniseeds, green

Try making shortbread flavoured with aniseed: Mix 4 oz butter + 2 oz sugar. Add 6 oz plain flour and 2 tsp aniseeds. Roll the dough out to 1/2" thickness and stamp out biscuits. Chill for 20 mins then bake at 190°/gas 5 for 15-20 mins. Cool on the tray.