Gourmet Pizzas Made From Scratch in your Very Own Kitchen. ILoveyoupizza.

What could be more better than the smell of freshly baked pizza in your home. Why so delicious? From the finest ingredients to your very own home made beautifully rich marinara sauce Mmmm hmmm. Who needs a man when you got pizza init!

Fig, Turkey Rashers & Basil With 3 Cheese Pizza

The Sweetness of the figs goes extremely well with the saltiness of the turkey rashers, highly recommend this. For those of you who are not subjected to only halal meats, you can use prosciutto, pancetta or bacon. 

Ingredients for the marinara 

3 garlic cloves crushed 

2 tbsp oil from sun dried tomatoes 

3 tbsp sun dried tomato (blitz them in a hand blender)

1 can chopped tomatoes 

Handful fresh basil leaves 

2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano  

1/2 cup Finley grated Parmesan cheese 

1 tbsp red chilly flakes
1 tbsp red chilly powder

1 small onions finely chopped  

Method for the marinara sauce
In a large saucepan, heat up 2 tbsp olive oil. Once heated add the chopped sundried tomatoes, crushed garlic, and 1 tbsp chilly powder. Braise the chopped onion with the garlic and other ingredients for about 5 minutes until translucent and softened. Add in the blitzed tomatoes and continue cooking on medium heat constantly stirring. Add in the salt, pepper, chopped fresh basil, oregano and chilly flakes and continue stirring. After another 5 minutes add in the Parmesan cheese and stir once more. Reduce the heat to the lowest and let the sauce simmer for up to 40 minutes stirring in between. The more you let the sauce cook down, the more flavor it will bring.
                                      

Ingredients for pizza dough
500g all purpose flour/ strong white bread flour
2 tbsp salt
7g fast action dried yeast (1 pack)
250ml luke warm water mixed with 4 tbsp olive oil

Method
In a large bowl combine the flour with salt and the yeast. If you're using an electric mixer, once the flour is combined, run the motor and gradually add the water mixed with oil, you may not need all of it. Change the attachment to the dough hook and kneed for about 6 minutes, the mixture should turn into a ball of dough and should be nice and soft, not sticky . Transfer dough to another large floured bowl and cover tightly with cling film, set aside in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Once the dough is ready, turn out onto a floured surface and knock all the air out the dough by punching into it, this is the time to take out all the anger you may have left in, I certainly beat it up nicely.
Cut the dough into two equal portions and roll out 1/2 cm thick, poke some holes using a fork and set aside.

Ingredients for fig & rasher pizza topping
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
3 figs cut into quarters
7 turkey rashers
Bunch of fresh basil

Now you get to the exciting part, putting those delicious ingredients together and making your very own gourmet pizza, Omy im getting hungry again, what can I say i like eating good food init.

Spread out equal parts of marinara onto both your pizza bases, on one your bases, add 1 cup cheddar cheese, 7 turkey rashers then 1/2 cup of the grated parmesen followed by the figs, mozzarella and the rest of the parmesan. Lastly top it of with fresh basil and black pepper which is optional. Set aside and lets create our next gourmet pizza.

This ones for those who love vegiterian pizzas and those who like it spicy. Veggie Volcano it is. Dare to try this One, my mouth was on fire, literally, I was Crying, but Omy can it get any tastier. 

Ingredients for veggie volcano

1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced 

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced 

1/2 cup sweetcorn 

1 small onion thinly sliced 

1 scotch bonnet pepper thinly diced 

1 tsp red chilly flakes

1 cup cheddar

1 cup mozzarella

1 cup parmesan 

On your second pizza, once you've topped it of with marinara, add the cheddar cheese followed by the onions, yellow and red bell peppers and sweetcorn. Sprinkle over the red chilly flakes followed by the parmesan and then the mozzarella. Lastly sprinkle over the scotch bonnet pepper, be careful when using these, ideally wear a glove or just wash your hands thoroughly straight after having contact with them. 

Finally there done, how excited are you? I know I am! Turn the oven on 200c, let it heat up for a few minutes and bang the pizzas in the oven, they should take around 15 - 20 mins until lightly golden around the edges, make sure to switch the pizzas half way so they cook evenly.

There you go, freshly baked gourmet pizzas, how good does your kitchen smell? Deeeeeelicious!

Many more combos to come.

Bon Appetit!  

Pesto Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes, Green Beans & Spinach!

Yes, its pasta again. I've got the hang of it now, becoming a pro init. This time I decided to add dried herbs to my pasta mixture to give it more colour and of course I made my very own pesto using goats cheese & pistachio nuts, so delicious. Everyone absolutely loved it, you have to give it a go so lets get cooking chefs!

Ingredients for the pasta

3 cups flour

4 eggs

1 tbsp salt

Splash of olive oil

2 tbsp dried parsley

2 tbsp dried basil

Method

In a food processor combine all the above ingredients adding one egg at a time, take the dough out & on a floured surface knead the dough for about 10 minutes & wrap in cling film & let it rest in the fridge for about half an hour. 

Once the pasta gas rested, roll out into lasagna sheets using your pasta machine, then cut into triangles, don't be precise,  they don't need to look equal, it'll look more rustic. Flour the pasta & set aside for later.

Ingredients for roasted tomatoes and green beans

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp dried rosemary

2 tsp dried chilly flakes

Zest of one lemon

Drizzle of olive oil

1 pack fresh green beans

Method

In a roasted dish lined with parchment paper, add all the above ingredients excluding the green beans, roast the tomatoes on high heat for about 30 minutes until tender and golden brown. 

In a pan add the green beans with boiling water & 1 tbsp salt, boil them until they're slightly soft but still crunchy. Drain and set aside.

Ingredients for the pesto & spinach mixture

For the pesto: 1/2 cup pistachio nuts

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 cup fresh spinach

Zest & juice of one lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

60g crumbled goats cheese

4 garlic cloves

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp pepper

For the Spinach mix: 1 bag fresh spinach

1 large onion diced

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp salt, pepper & red chilly flakes 

Zest of half a lemon

Method for pesto

In a hand blender combine all the above ingredients together in this order, garlic, spinach, basil, pistachio nuts, olive oil, goats cheese, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper to season. the consistency should be smooth and creamy, add more olive oil if necessary. 

Method for spinach

In a large wok, add the butter and once melted add in the diced onions, cook until they are translucent and soft, add in the garlic and continue cooking until golden brown. Next add the whole bag of spinach and let it wilt, once its wilted add in the salt, pepper & chilly flakes. put it on low heat and add all the pesto and mix together, leave the heat on low and start boiling your pasta in salted water.

once your pasta is cooked add it to your spinach mixture, add in a few splashes of the water you used to boil your pasta just to loosen the mixture. Add in your green beans and roasted tomatoes & toss everything so it's well coated, lastly add the zest of half a lemon and taste to check if you need anymore salt, serve immediately. Crumble over goats cheese, optional of course but for those cheese lovers it has to be done.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Tortellini With A lemon Butter Sauce Finished Of With Parsley, Cottage Cheese & Black Pepper!

Have I already mentioned that I'm like totally in love with my new pasta machine? I think in the last week ive made pasta 5 times? I have all the time in the world so Why not.

Ingredients for the pasta (serves 4)

3cups plain flour

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

Drizzle of olive oil

Method

In a food processor combine all the above ingredients,  the mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. Transfer onto a floured surface & combine the mixture until its formed a ball, kneed for about 10 minutes until the pasta dough is silky smooth,  it shouldn't be floury. Tightly wrap in cling film & leave it in the fridge for 30 mins.

The instructions for rolling out the pasta for tortellini should be given with your pasta machine so just follow it step by step or google it.

Ingredients for the filling

3 small chicken breasts steamed 

1 tub ricotta cheese

1/2 cup home made Sun dried tomato pesto (shop brought is fine too)

Juice & zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp chilly flakes

1/2 tbsp black pepper

4 garlic cloves minced

Salt to season

2 tbsp butter

handful fresh parsley

Method

In a food processor combine all the above ingredients excluding the butter, parsley & the juice of half a lemon. Don't over mix the mixture, you want it smooth but still have some texture to it. 

Start making your tortellini following the instructions in your pasta book or from the internet, once the pasta is done, whilst they are boiling in the water, in a separate pan heat the butter until its melted, add the pasta to the butter then add a Handful of fresh parsley, sprinkle some black pepper and a splash of double cream and toss the pasta so it's well coated. Lastly squeeze in the rest of the lemon juice & serve immediately with a dollop of cottage cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Fettucine Alfredo With Roasted Tomatoes & Chicken Finished of With Goats Cheese!

Its pasta again yay. This quick and easy Alfredo sauce is simple yet delicious, if you're in a hurry & need some food quick then this dish is perfect for you. Me & the sister in law managed to make fresh pasta and put this dish together in just over an hour, I know were geniuses!

Ingredients for the pasta (serves 4)

3cups plain flour

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

Drizzle of olive oil

Method

In a food processor combine all the above ingredients,  the mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. Transfer onto a floured surface & combine the mixture until its formed a ball, kneed for about 10 minutes until the pasta dough is silky smooth,  it shouldn't be floury. Tightly wrap in cling film & leave it in the fridge for 30 mins.

The instructions for rolling out the pasta for fettuccine should be given with your pasta machine so just follow it step by step or google it.

Yes I used my kitchen chairs to dry my pasta seeing as I had no drying rack, genius I know!

Ingredients for the Chicken & roasted tomatoes

For the chicken: 8 chicken strips cut into cubes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp mustard

4 garlic cloves minced

Zest & juice of one lemon

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

1tbsp chilly flakes

1 tbsp salt

1/2tbsp black pepper

For the tomatoes: 1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes

1 tsp salt & black pepper

1 tsp honey

Method

In a bowl combine all the chicken ingredients together & set aside to marinade for up to 3 hours. For the tomatoes, in a roasting dish add the cherry tomatoes,  drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper & honey & place in the oven until there golden brown & properly roasted. 

Ingredients for the sauce

1/2 cup butter

1 tub of onion & chive cream cheese (250g)

4 garlic cloves minced

2 cups full fat milk

1 onion diced

1 pack fresh spinach

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp black pepper & red chilly flakes

Juice and zest of half a lemon

Method

In a saucepan add the butter and let it melt on medium heat, add in the onions & sauté for a few minutes till they are translucent, add the garlic & once it's golden brown add the salt & the red chilly flakes & spinach, wilt the spinach then add the cream cheese, using a whisk stir it until its creamy & smooth. Add the milk a bit at a time & continue whisking to stop any lumps forming, once its creamy & your desired consistency,  add in the parmesan, lemon juice & zest. Leave it on extremely low heat.

Meanwhile boil your pasta. In a separate pan cook your chicken till its juicy and succulent, add your cooked pasta to the sauce & coat everything properly, toss in the chicken & roasted tomatoes, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with crumbled goats cheese then dig in!

Guess Who Finally Got A Pasta Machine? Yes I Did & its About time!

Every time I got paid, I kept saying im gonna invest in a pasta machine, what did I do instead? Spent every penny on shoes & clothes! BUT I FINALLY GOT ONE, my Aunt gave me one, mega excited.

First attempt ever at making home made pasta & it turned out bloody brilliant! It was perfect, silky smooth pasta sheets, fresh of course, what could possibly beat that? Nothing I tell you!

Ingredients for the pasta (serves 4)

3cups plain flour

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

Drizzle of olive oil

Method

In a food processor combine all the above ingredients,  the mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. Transfer onto a floured surface & combine the mixture until its formed a ball, kneed for about 10 minutes until the pasta dough is silky smooth,  it shouldn't be floury. Tightly wrap in cling film & leave it in the fridge for 30 mins.

The instructions for rolling out the pasta for ravioli should be given with your pasta machine so follow it as it says or just google it!

So what was the first dish I made using fresh pasta? Ravioli of course! My family said it tasted better than what is served up in restaurants, mega boosted! It was a great first attempt.

Ingredients for the filling

300g cottage cheese

1 cup spinach 

4 small garlic cloves minced

1/cup Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp tomato puree

Zest & juice of 1 

1 tsp chilly flakes

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp butter

Method

All you gotta do is, wilt the spinach in some butter & the garlic then combine all the ingredients together & let it cool down. Once cooled down, make your ravioli,  Easy right!
To serve your ravioli, whilst it's boiling in water, in a large pan, heat up 2 tbsp butter, once melted and starting to brown (the french call this burn noisette) add in the cooked ravioli, toss in the burn noisette and scatter over chopped fresh basil, serve with parmesan shavings on top. Deeeeeelicious! 

Bon Appetit!

Recipes Coming Soon!

Yes I finally got me a pasta machine *sigh of relief* & for the last week all I've been doing is making pasta pasta pasta, so much fun. Here are a few dishes I have made & the recipes will be with you soon, well as soon as I get a chance to write them all up so stay tuned chefs!

Ravioli With a spinach & cottage cheese Filling

Chicken mousse tortellini with Cottage cheese, parsley & lemon butter sauce

Fettuccine Alfredo With roasted tomatoes, chicken and spinach

Make sure you Keep a Look Out!

Chef Zainab xo

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Chef Zainab's Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream... With Meringue Pieces & Coulis Mmm Hmmm.

I have a really bad sweet tooth, when it comes to ice cream I just can't seem to get enough. I love making my very own ice cream, when I bought my churner it was love at first use, literally. So what's on the ice cream menu today? Well, its tart raspberry ripple ice cream with meringue pieces. Oh & extra coulis on top, so delicious and fruityyyy.

P.s I was being a little lazy and used store bought meringues, they work just as well, im not that great at making them anyways (looks away)

Ingredients for the ice cream base

185ml of full fat milk

125ml double cream

2 medium egg yolks

70g caster sugar

2 Vanilla pods (seeds scooped out)

6 Meringue nests crumbled into small pieces 

Ingredients for the raspberry coulis

200g raspberries 

100g caster sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Method for ice cream

In a saucepan add the milk, cream and vanilla pods and let it boil gently. Whilst your waiting for it to boil, put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk. Once the milk and cream has come to a boil, add half the mixture to the eggs and whisk it making sure you combine everything, once you have done that pour it all back into saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture.

On low heat, carry on cooking this making sure you stir it continuously, once the mixture starts coating the back of the spoon, take the saucepan of the heat straight away. You don's want to over or it may curdle.

Sieve the custard making sure you discard any lumps. Whilst the custard cools down make the raspberry coulis.

Method for raspberry coulis

In a saucepan add the raspberries and sugar and let it cook on low heat, once the raspberries have cooked down, if you don't like the pips then strain the mixture add in the lemon juice and place in the fridge to cool down.

Place the cooled custard in the ice cream churner and leave for about 30 minutes. Once it's churned put it in a container and freeze for 3 hours making sure you stir it every now & then. Once the ice cream starts setting, mix in the crushed meringue pieces and fold in 3/4 of the raspberry coulis. Don't mix it in fully otherwise it'll just look like raspberry ice cream, you want the marbled effect. Place back in the freezer & leave it to set. Take the ice cream out the freezer 10 minutes before serving just to soften a little and serve with the left over coulis.

Thai Green Chicken Curry With Garlic Infused Rice & Spring Onions.

I've eaten thai green curry a few times but this was the first time making it myself & yes it was delicious, well that's what the family said. I didn't realize how simple it was until I gave it a go. To get maximum flavor I thought I'd go the extra mile by making my own green curry paste & coriander pesto, I know I like being extra but Omy it certainly did make a difference, the flavors were so intense. If you haven't got the time then don't panic, shop brought is perfectly okay, I just seem to have so much time in my hands, so here it is.

Ingredients for the green curry (serves 6)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 small onions finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp salt 

4 small garlic cloves minced

1 1/2 pound chicken cut into cubes

2 1/2 tbsp thai green curry paste 

3 tbsp coriander pesto (instructions below)

350 ml chicken stock

400ml coconut milk with 200ml coconut cream

4 small potatoes chopped into cubes skin off

1 lime zest and juice

Handful of chopped spring onions and extra for garnish

Ingredients for coriander pesto

Handful of roasted unsalted peanuts

3/4 cup of chopped coriander

50g crumbled goats cheese

1 garlic clove

Splash of lemon juice 

Salt & pepper to season

Blitz all the pesto ingredients together & set aside.

Method for the Curry 

In a large saucepan heat up the olive oil and add the onions,  braise them for a few minutes until they are translucent and slightly browning, add in the garlic and continue cooking. Add in 2 1/2 tbsp of your home made/shop bought green curry paste and mix well,  add your chicken and coat well with the sauce. Add in 3 tbsp of your coriander pesto and stir again until all the chicken is coated. Add your stock and let it simmer. After a few minutes add in the coconut milk and cream, lime zest, juice, salt and stir once more. Lastly add in the chopped potatoes and leave it on low until the potatoes are cooked,  add in the spring onions and set aside whilst you make the rice.

Ingredients for the garlic infused rice

2 cups of rice

2 cups boiling water

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp butter

Method

Heat up the olive oil in a heavy based pan,  add in the garlic. Mix and once they are browned add in the rice, salt and boiling water & stir on high heat.  Let more than half the water cook down, stir the rice & leave it on very low heat and cover, keep stirring every few minutes so the rice don't stick to the bottom of the pan. It'll take about 15 minutes for the rice to cook, once its soft add the 2 tbsp of butter and fluff the rice up using a fork, serve immediately with the thai green curry & garnish with spring onions.

Gnocchi Al Pomodoro (Potato dumplings with a tomato & Basil sauce) Reinvention. Experimenting In My Kitchen.

Traditionally gnocchi al Pomodoro is potato dumplings with tomato basil sauce and mozzarella, I thought I'd give it my own twist. I made sweet potato gnocchi with garlic tomato sauce & cottage cheese also finished off with spring onions for a mild onion flavor. It was a delight. Its not my first time making gnocchi but the first time I've tried with sweet potatoes. They were soft & delicious with a slight caramelisation with the butter, melted in my mouth. These babies are a must try.

Ingredients for the sweet potato gnocchi (serves 3)

2 medium sweet potatoes (500g)

1 small egg

150g flour

Salt & pepper to season 

2 tbsp finely grated parmesan

Method

Steam the potatoes, don't boil them as this will allow excess water into the potatoes. Don't over cook the potatoes so it goes to mush, they should be slightly firm. Peel the skin off the potatoes & slightly mash them. Beat the egg & add to the potatoes. Season with salt & pepper & 2 tbsp parmesan cheese. Add in the flour & mix everything together, the mixture should form a soft dough, if it's still sticking add in more flour. Dust your working area with flour & roll out the dough, cut into 1.5cm pieces & place on some baking paper.

In a heavy based saucepan add some water and bring to a boil, add in the preapred gnocchi a few at a time and let them cook for about 3 minutes, once they start floating to the top take them out using a slotted spoon and side, do this until youve done all the gnocchi and set aside for later, meanwhile prepare your sauce as follows.

Ingredients for the tomato garlic sauce

1 can chopped tomatoes/passata

3 garlic cloves minced

1 shallot/small onion finely diced

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp chilly flakes

1 tsp paprika

3 tbsp parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Splash of olive oil

Method

In a saucepan add the olive oil, once heated add in the onions, let them cook for about 3 minutes till translucent, add in the minced garlic and paprika & continue cooking. Once it's cooked off add in the passata/chopped tomatoes & continue cooking. Lastly add in the chilly flakes, parmesan & fresh parsley, continue stirring, taste and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes until its thickened, set aside for later.

How to serve

In a large non stick pan, add 1 tbsp butter and let it heat up fully, add in the prepared gnocchi & pan fry them until they're caramelised and golden brown on the outside. Serve immediately with your prepared sauce, a dollop of cottage cheese & thinly sliced spring onions. 

Bon Appetit! 

Cilantro Lime Salsa Chicken With Goats Cheese Accompanied With Garlic infused Brown Rice. An Explosion of Flavours.

Everyone loves my cilantro and lime baked fish, this time I used Chicken and put a slight twist on it by Adding deliciously tangy goats cheese, my mouth is salivating at the thought. This is a easy simple dish & you'll never guess it, it's actually quite healthy, a bonus right? I served the chicken with garlic brown rice with spring onions but you can always dish it up with anything you like, fries, baked potatoes or even a salad, you're the cook, you decide!

Actual quote from the brother, "I'd pay good money if I was served this in a restaurant" kinda boosted, but then again he says that about pretty much all my dishes :)

Ingredients for the chicken (serves 6)

2 whole baby chickens & 1 chicken fillet

5 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

1 1/2 tbsp paprika

3/4 tbsp red chilly powder

1/2 tbsp cumin powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Zest & juice of 1 large lemon & lime

100g crumbled goats cheese

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

1 cup diced sweet peppers

1 cup thinly sliced spring onions

3/4 cup chopped coriander

Ingredients for the roux (sauce thickener)

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cup milk

Method

Prepare the chicken, put slits In each peice, this allows the marinades flavour to infuse throughout the whole chicken. Set aside for later. 

In a seperate bowl add all the marinade ingredients together and set aside. 

Get a small saucepan and make the roux. Heat the butter until it's melted then add in the flour, whisk vigorously untill all the flour is cooked out, add in the milk and continue whisking until it has thickened, leave it to cool for about 20 minutes.

Once the roux has cooled down, add it to the marinade, combine well then add in all the chicken & coat well. Let the chicken marinade for a few hours for maximum flavor.

Before baking the chicken, to get a more crisp skin, pan fry only the chicken pieces on both sides for about a minute (use tongs to place the chicken in the pan, this stops you from scooping up any of the sauces in the marinade bowl), transfer the chicken to a roasting dish, pour over the remaining marinade sauce on top of the chicken & bake for about 20 minutes on high, just before taking the chicken out put it under the grill for a further 10-15 minutes on high to brown and crisp up the chicken.

Serve immediately with whatever you prefer.

Bon Appetit!

Who doesn't love crispy prawns? Well I do fo sho! Lemon Garlic battered prawns With a beautifully indulgent Goats cheese Risotto. Mmm hmmm.

I think I'm in love with risotto,  no really I am. It's rich, creamy & full of flavor.  Making risotto is time consuming I know, but well worth the effort. Unfortunately my sister in law wasn't here to do all the stirring, I had to do it all by myself (cries) I'm lazy I know. This risotto is a combination of walnuts, garlic, caramelized onions, fresh parsley, greens & of course not to forget the goats cheese, mmm so delicious. Why go to some posh nosh Italian restaurant when you can make it in the comfort of your own home, so get up &  give it a go. Enjoy!

Ingredients for risotto

500g arborio risotto rice

1 1/2 liter stock

5 garlic cloves minced

Handful of fresh parsley

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

1 flat tbsp chilly flakes

1 tbsp black pepper 

60g chopped toasted walnuts 

100g crumbled goats cheese

3 small red onions

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

100ml double cream

Method

In a heavy based saucepan heat up the stock until its reached boiling point. In another pan add 2 tbsp butter, 3 red onions finely chopped, 2 tbsp sugar & 1 tbsp black pepper, caramelize the onions until they are golden brown and set aside.

In a large pan, add 1 tbsp of butter and the minced garlic, braise in the butter until golden brown. Add chilly flakes, black pepper & the risotto rice, coat well then start adding the stock 1 ladle at a time. Stir continuously until all the stock is cooked off & the rice is cooked. This may take up to 20 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked & slightly aldentay,  add in the caramelized onions, zest and juice of the lemon, handful of chopped parsley,  the crumbled goats cheese & Parmesan cheese. Stir & make sure you combine everything properly. Lastly add the toasted walnuts & double cream, stir once more & serve immediately.

Ingredients for the prawn batter

1 cup of corn flour

1 cup of plain flour

3 eggs beaten

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tbsp red chilly powder

1 tbsp salt 

400g peeled and deveined prawns

Method

In a bowl combine the cornflour,  plain flour,  paprika, chilly powder & salt together. In a separate bowl add the eggs & beat them. Dip the prawns into the flour mixture, coat them well then dip them into the beaten eggs then back in the flour,  this will give them an extra crunchy coating. Make sure you do the prawns a few at a time to ensure you coat them all properly. Heat up some oil to fry the prawns in.

Once the prawns have been deep fried, you'll need to coat them in my lemon and garlic aioli & serve immediately.  Click on the following link for my aioli recipe:

 http://chefzainab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/lemon-garlic-aioli-perfect-dipping-sauce.html

It's a Hearty Shepherds Pie With a Slight Twist. Perfect On a Cold Winter's Night.

My mother tends to make shepherds pie for the family, well this time I decided to give it a go. I totally ignored her recipe & made mines up as I went along. Surprisingly everyone loved it, so much so that my sister even took a portion for her work lunch. Lucky her I know (only joking) 

I scrapped the whole traditional way of making a shepherds pie & added all the things I love.

Imagine sitting round the dinner table on a cold night, digging into a warm shepherds pie, nothing could beat that right? Well how about giving it a go, I know I said I made it up but the end result was yummy. I think i'll go & have seconds now. 

So what's The twist? Well not only did I use parmesan & my home made jus in the mince mixture, I didn't just top it off with boring old plain mash, I added spring onions, lemon zest & yes you guessed it goats cheese to make a delicious creamy mash. How lush does that sound?

Ingredients for the Chicken mince mixture

1 1/2 pound chicken mince 

1 medium onion chopped finely

4 garlic cloves chopped finely

2 tbsp paprika

1tbsp red hot chilly powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Zest & juice of half a lemon

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 tbsp tomato puree 

1 cup of my home made jus (if you haven't Got home made then just use gravy granuels mixed with water or chicken stock but home made has 10 times the flavor)

1 tsp chilly flakesd

1/4 cup olive oil

Splash of worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup of sweetcorn
Link for my home made jus:  http://chefzainab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/i-like-peanuts-but-i-love-pistachios.html

Method

In a heavy based saucepan, add the 1/4cup olive oil, chopped onion & garlic, paprika & red hot chilly powder. Braise the onions & cook the spices (you don't want the taste of raw chilly powder, not good at all). Once the spices & onions are cooked down, add In the Chicken mince & cook for a further 8 minutes, Season with salt & pepper, keep tasting making sure you dont add too much salt. Once seasoned To youre liking Add the lemon zest & juice & chilly flakes and stir well. Add in the tomatoe puree & Worcestershire sauce & stir again. Once you have cooked the mixture add in the jus or stock & stir in the parmesan. Make sure you combine everything well & cook it down so its not too runny. Lastly add the sweetcorn, stir & transfer to a oven proof dish or Iindividual ramekins. Set aside to be topped of with mash.

Ingredients for the Mash

6 medium white potatoes cubed Skin peeled off

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup double cream

1 cup chopped spring onions

50g crumbled goats cheese

Salt to taste

Zest & juice of half a lemon

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 tsp english mustard

Method 

Add the cubed potatoes to a heavy sauce pan, boil some water and transfer to the potatoes with some salt & let them boil until fully cooked. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and transfer back in to the pan. Mash up the potatoes, add in the butter, double cream, goats cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, juice & English mustard. Mash up together making sure there are no lumps. Using a wooden spoon stir in the spring onions & add salt (Make sure you keep tasting making sure you dont over season it)

Once everything is well combined, transfer the mash ontop of the mince mixture & grate over a generous amount of parmesan cheese. Garnish with thinly sliced tomatoes & bake in the oven till its golden brown on the top. Serve with a fresh salad & dig in.

Bon Apetite!

Let's Stuff those peppers, Served with Roasted tomato bulgur Wheat!

I'm not to keen On bell peppers but these sweet peppers are delicious. My family love stuffed peppers, we tend to do a different stuffing every time,  this time I decided to stuff them with lemon, lime & spring onion chicken topped with my kick ass roasted garlic and onion cheese sauce finished off with breadcrumbs & Parmesan, absolutely delicious!  Served these babies up with some roasted tomato & garlic Bulgar wheat with the addition of Parmesan cheese, my mouth is salivating again.  

Let's get cooking!

Ingredients for the chicken marinade 

8 chunky chicken strips cut into small cubes

1/2 cup olive oil

2 heaped tbsp paprika

3/4 tbsp red chilly powder

1 1/4 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp pepper

Juice & zest of one lemon

Juice and zest of one lime

4 garlic cloves minced

1 cup chopped spring onions

Method for the chicken

Combine all the marinade ingredients together & let it sit for a few hours. Heat up a non stick pan & cook the chicken throughout. Set aside for later.

Kick ass cheese sauce recipe 

150g kick ass roasted garlic onion cheddar cheese 

25g plain flour 

25g butter 

500ml milk

A dash of freshly grated nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

(You don't have to use kick ass cheddar, any cheddar will work, whatever you prefer really)

Method for cheese sauce 

In a saucepan heat up butter, once melted stir in the flour & keep stirring until the flour is cooked off. Add in the milk & whisk it until they're no lumps, the mixture will start to thicken,  once it comes to boiling point, take off the heat and stir in the cheese, add a dash of nutmeg & season with salt and pepper and set aside for later.

To assemble the peppers,  slice them in half length ways, place them on a baking tray & add the chicken mixture on them,  top them off with the cheese sauce & lastly cover them with breadcrumbs,  drizzle over a little olive oil and finish off with a sprinkle of Parmesan, bake until golden brown on top. Meanwhile prepare the Bulgar wheat.

Ingredients for Bulgar wheat

2 cups of Bulgar wheat

4 cups of water mixed with a stock cube

Handful of chopped cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes

4 garlic cloves minced

Handful chopped fresh parsley

1 cup grated Parmesan

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp melted butter

Method for Bulgar wheat

In a heavy based pan add the 4 cups of water mixed with stock cube & bring to a boil. Once its boiled take off heat & add the 2 cups of Bulgar wheat, stir & cover it, let it stand for about half an hour.

Meanwhile heat up some olive oil in a pan, add 4 minced garlic cloves and the chopped sun dried tomatoes,  once the garlic is cooked, add in the chopped cherry tomatoes & tbsp of butter. Cook down the tomatoes for about 15 minutes until they are fully softened, using the spoon, slightly mush the tomatoes then add the lemon zest and the juice, lastly add in the fresh parsley. 

One the Bulgar wheat is ready, transfer it to the pan with the tomato mixture & stir well until everything is combined. Add in the Parmesan cheese, stir & season with salt and pepper,  serve immediately. 

Bon Appetit!

Moroccan Potato Sovory Crepes With Cottage Cheese. Experimenting in the Kitchen!

My mother made an Indian potato fry the other day & served it with savory pancakes & yogurt, I thought I'd experiment & try something different. What did I do? I used my Moroccan Chicken marinade & done it with potatoes this time, everyone Loved it. The marinade has quite a kick with chilly so what could be better than serving it with cottage cheese? So delicious. The cold creamy cheese balances the heat out perfectly.

Savory crepes may be knew to some of you, they work really well with pretty much any filling, it's a must try, so lets get cooking!

Click on the following link to get the Moroccan marinade, all you gotta do for the potatoes is boil them, add them to the marinade & cook them with some extra olive oil, pour over 100ml double cream & combine, lastly add spring onions & serve. (Make sure to proportion the marinade with the amount of potatoes you have, I went according the recipe but did half of everything) 

http://chefzainab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/its-moroccan-feast-moroccan-chicken.html

Ingredients for the crepes

2 eggs 

2 cups of milk

1 cup plain flour 

3 crushed garlic cloves

Salt to taste 

Handful chopped coriander

1 tsp red chilly flakes

Method

Beat the eggs & mix the rest of the batter ingredients together, the batter should be a smooth wet consistency,  not too runny or thick. Heat up a non stick pan with a touch of olive oil & make your crepes. They have to be nice & thin so it'll be easy to roll them with the filling.

To assemble, place some filling in the middle of the crepe top of with a bit of cottage cheese, roll up & top of with a bit more cottage cheese. Enjoy!

Momma Made Paneer. HELL YEAAAAH.

So I decided to let the mother do the cooking today, trust me she's an amazing cook, probably the best. What did she cook then? It's PANEEEER! One of my favourites. Shop bought is pretty tasteless & bland, I don't have to worry about that tho, you know why? Because my mother makes hers from scratch adding chilly flakes, garlic & black pepper to give it that extra kick, its absolutely deeeelicious. Yum.

Im pretty sure you can find paneer recipes anywhere just make sure to add some seasoning,  it makes a lot of difference! Here's the sweet & sour base we made to coat the paneer in. So easy I tell you.

Ingredients

700g paneer

2 small onions cut into chunks 

2 small red bell peppers cut into chunks 

5 garlic cloves crushed 

1 tbsp hot red chilly powder

1 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp salt 

1 tbsp pepper

1/4 tsp red food coloring

1/2 cup tomato ketchup

2 tbsp light soy sauce 

Juice from 1 small lemon 

2 tbsp honey 

1 cup of water mixed with 1 tbsp corn flour

Method

In a pan, add a splash of olive oil, cook the spices (red chilly powder & paprika) once cooked down add the garlic, cook for a few minutes then add in the onions & red pepper. Let that cook on medium heat for 2 minutes, dont over cook the veg you still want them to have a slight crunch. Add in the tomato ketchup, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, salt & pepper, give it a quick stir making sure to coat everything then lastly add the food colouring to the water corn flour mixture & add it to the pan, keep stirring & once its thickened, taste to check if seasoning needs adjusting then add the paneer coat in the sauce & you're done. Serve immediately. 

Bon Appetit!

Family bbq tomorrow, Mega Excited. This is a quick & Easy Marinade for Steak.

Tomorrow the whole family have decided to get together & have a Bbq & I can't wait. We've even got the sumo outfits ready, how much fun is that going to be? So much I know.

We've decided to use rump steak as its best for bbq-ing. I was requested to make my juicy lemon & Rosemary burgers & also my steak as everyone thoroughly enjoyed it the last time I made it. So here's the quick & easy marinade!

Ingredients

5 pieces of Rump steak

3 1/2  tbsp cracked black peppercorns 

2 1/2 tbsp Sea salt

5 Crushed garlic 

Zest from 1 lemon

2 tsp Lemom salt 

Lemon rind cut into chunks

2 tbsp Chilly flakes 

1/2 cup Groundnut oil

All you gotta do is mix all the marinade ingredients including the lemon rind as this will give lots of flavor, coat the steaks in the marinade & let it sit in the fridge over night & you're done, so easy innit.

Sometimes simple is better & let me tell you, these steaks are to die for, so juicy & succulent with the garlic & lemon running through, not to forget the black pepper. Simply delicious.

Risotto Vegetariana topped With Parmesan Chicken. Italian Food is My utmost Favourite. Delizioso!

On Monday we celebrated Eid with the family. We all decided to go La Favorita, an Italian restaurant based in Birmingham. Personally, I love there food, from there risotto to there pastas, not to forget there delicious freshly made pizzas. This dish is inspired by there vegetarian risotto without the mushrooms & peas. My dad's not keen on those so had to cook without them. This beautifully creamy risotto has fresh tomatoes, spinach, garlic & finished of with Parmesan cheese & Basil. I'm salivating at the thought. 

I need some sort of protein so I served up the dish with Parmesan, rosemary,  lemon & garlic chicken. To die for. You seriously need to give this dish a try, its full of flavor & deliciously creamy. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the risotto

300g arborio risotto rice

2 litres of chicken stock

2 small onions finely chopped

4 big garlic cloves chopped finely

2tbsp butter 

Splash of olive oil

Zest & juice of one lemon

Handfull of fresh spinach chopped

2 medium tomatoes cubed 

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes 

1 tbsp pepper

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp red chilly flakes 

Handfull chopped fresh basil leaves 

1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped 

150g parmesan cheese grated finely 

50g crumbled goats cheese 

150ml double cream

Method

In a heavy based saucepan add the chicken stock & let it boil, meanwhile in a separate heavy based pan, add 2 tbsp butter & a splash of olive oil. Let that heat up then add the chopped onion. Braise them until they are translucent then add in the chopped garlic. Once you have cooked the garlic add the risotto rice and coat well with the onions and garlic. 

Add the stock a ladle at a time, making sure you cook off the water before you add the next ladle. Let it simmer & keep adding water, this may take as long as 20 minutes, make sure you stir continuously. Once the rice is cooked & slightly al dente add the lemon juice, zest, pepper, chilly flakes, basil, rosemary, sun dried tomatoes & spinach. Cook until the tomatoes are softened & spinach is wilted. Add the Parmesan cheese & the goats cheese, combining everything together then lastly stir in the double cream. Taste to check seasoning, if you think you need more salt then feel free to add some. Serve immediately. 

Risotto is best at it's freshest so make sure to marinade the chicken in advance because all it needs is a quick fry on the pan.

Ingredients for the Chicken

1 pound of chicken strips

2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

4 garlic cloves chopped

Zest & juice of half a large lemon

2 tsp black pepper

3/4 tbsp salt 

1 tbsp red chilly flakes 

3 tbsp melted butter

50g Parmesan cheese 

Olive oil for pan frying the chicken

Method  

In a large bowl, place the chicken & add all the marinade ingredients excluding the Parmesan cheese & olive oil. Let it marinade for a few hours. 

Heat up a non stick pan, add a splash of olive oil. Once the oil is heated add the chicken, once browned on one side, before turning over grate over Parmesan cheese & turn the chicken over & cook till its nice & crisp on the other side. Slice up & serve with risotto, garnish with a bit more Parmesan cheese & enjoy!

How do you turn your bread into Restaurant Quality Garlic bread? I'll Tell you How With this Easy & Simple Concoction I Made up. Delicious!

My aunt owns her own bakery & cafe, every now & then she drops down & hands us freshly baked bread. How lucky am I? Well on this occasion she gave us two large bread sticks which contained all the goodness of omega 3, what could be better than that? 

Pizza night always needs some sort of garlic bread right? Instead of buying Dominos garlic bread I decided to turn these beautifully fresh bread sticks into my ultimate garlic bread with the addition of goats cheese & Spring onions, sounds lush I Know.

It's easy simple but absolutely delicious. What could possibly be better than home made garlic bread? Add a bit of this & bit of that & you're done!

Ingredients 

2 bread sticks

1 bunch of spring onions chopped finely

50g crumbled goats cheese

Salt & pepper

Chilly flakes

Rosemary

Lemon zest grated

3 tbsp melted butter

4 garlic cloves chopped extremely finely (or just grate them)

Method

Melt the butter & add the garlic, 1 tbsp pepper, 2 tsp salt & 1 tbsp chopped rosemary. Get the 2 bread sticks and slit them length ways as you would see on any shop bought garlic bread, in between the slits spread the melted seasoned butter, make sure you coat the bread inside properly. Stuff each section with goats cheese & spring onions. Lastly sprinkle over some red chilly flakes & lemon zest then place in the oven for about 15 minutes just till the bread is heated up through out. Serve immediately. 

Bon Apetit!

I Like Peanuts, But I Love Pistachios Even More. Pistachio Crusted Chicken Served With Baked Potatoes, Crispy Onion Rings & My Home Made Jus.

I don't even need to mention it, but yes you guessed it, I made it up as i went along, you probably knew that already. I love experimenting in the kitchen & trying out different things. My family love it, they're always like, "So Chef what's on the menu today" Just before going to bed I make sure I plan out in my head what im going to cook, I didn't do that this time round but luckily I remember what goes into this dish.

P.s my easy baked potato salad & onion rings have already been posted previously, make sure to check them out.

Ingredients for the herb pistachio crust

100g pistachio nuts 

50g melted butter 

60g fresh chives chopped 

30g chopped rosemary

Small bunch of fresh parsely 

100g breadcrumbs 

Zest & juice of 1 whole lemon

4 small garlic clovss chopped roughly 

Salt & pepper to taste 

Ingredients for the chicken 

1 chicken breast 

Olive oil Salt & pepper 

1 tsp rosemary

Chilly flakes

Lemon zest 

Garlic powder 

Ingredients for the roasted chicken jus

Chicken bones & left over bits (neck, carcass, wings, bones, fat etc)

2 onions roughly chopped

2 carrots roughly chopped

2 celery stalks roughly chopped 

5 sprigs of rosemary

1 head of garlic cut in half

Salt & pepper to taste

Olive oil

2 lemons roughly chopped

500ml chicken broth

3 tbsp butter cut into cubes

Method for herb pistachio crust

In a food processor add the pistachio nuts, butter & the herbs & blitz them until it forms a green colour. Add in the breadcrumbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic & seasoning to your preference. Blitz again for a few seconds & set aside.

Method for the chicken

Place the single chicken breast in between two sheets of climg film & slightly bash it Using a meat hammer. Put slitz in the chicken & Season the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, chilly flakes, lemon zest & garlic powder. Set aside & let Iit marinade upto 3 hours so all the flavors infuse in the chicken properly. When its time to place the herb crust on all you have to do is mould the crust over the chicken tightly & drizzle over some olive oil ready to be baked after the jus is made. Place the rest of the herb crust in the fridge to be used again throughout the week.

Method for the chicken jus

Switch the oven on to 350 degrees. Get a roasting dish & add all the chicken bones & fat & anything else you can get hold of. Add in all the vegetables, rosemary sprigs and the garlic. Add in the lemons & make sure to season well with salt & pepper, drizzle with olive oil & roast in the oven for around 40 minutes until everything including the bones are nicely browned.

Once the bones & vegetables are browned take out the oven & place the roasting dish on the stove top on medium heat. Add 1/3 cup of apple juice to deglaze. Scrape the bottom of the pan to scrape the brown bits, make sure to use a wooden spoon. Add in the chicken broth/stock & let it simmer for around 6 minutes, let the liquid reduce down. Take the roasting dish of the heat & strain everything make sure to press down using pressure on the vegetables, this will give the most flavor possible & also as you push the pulp out from the vegetables it will help thicken the jus slightly. 

Add in the cold butter cubes to the sauce & mix it in until it has melted, lastly season with salt & pepper & serve with the chicken alongside some vegetables or even a mash, whatever you prefer really.

Bon Apetite!

It's a Moroccan Feast. Moroccan Chicken With Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables. The Marinade Is By Far The Most Tastiest!

The flavors in this dish will absolutely blow your mind. No lie. The heat from the chilies to the tartness from the lemons, the flavors explode in your mouth. This is probably one of my favorite marinades so far. I came across the recipe whilst instgramming but adjusted it & added a few bits & bobs just to give it that extra quick. Hope you like it, & let me know how you get on.

Happy Cooking!

Ingredients for the chicken

1 1/2 chickens (legs, breasts, thighs and wings etc)

Marinade - 1/2 cup hot red pepper & garlic paste

1/2 cup olive oil

Zest & juice of 3 large lemons (keep the rind & add that in the marinade in chunks)

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp turmeric powder

3 tbsp paprika 

1 1/2 flat tbsp chilly powder

2 1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

6 garlic cloves peeled & crushed

1/2 cup fresh coriander chopped

Extras - Handful of cherry tomatoes

Handful of spring onions for garnish

Ingredients for the vegetables 

1 butternut squash, skin cut off and sliced evenly into medium chunks

2 large red onions sliced

1 courgette chopped into circles

2 red peppers chopped up

Handful of cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 1/2 tbsp salt & pepper

1 tbsp chilly powder

2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

2 tbsp lemon zest

1/2 cup olive oil 

1 tbsp honey

Method for the Moroccan chicken

To prepare your chicken, get the chicken breasts, put them in between two sheets of cling film and slightly bash them out, then put slits across the top to allow the chicken to fully marinade. Put slits in all your chicken pieces, this will give you the best results regarding flavor. Place your chicken in a large bowl & add all your marinade ingredients into the bowl & coat everything properly. Set aside & allow to marinade up to 4 hours.

Method for the Mediterranean vegetables

Place all your vegetables in a roasting dish & season with all the ingredients mentioned. Combine everything properly & place them in the oven for 40-50 minutes until softened. Just before serving place under the grill to slightly char them, this brings out so much more flavor.

Place the chicken in a roasting dish and add in the cherry tomatoes whole. Put the chicken in the oven until fully cooked through & browned on the top. Just before serving the chicken, garnish it with spring onions & enjoy.

  

Lemon Basil Salmon En Papillote With Garlic Buttered Vegetables. So Simple But Omy So Delicious.

Cooking salmon in foil or parchment paper is such a simple but effective way of cooking the fish. It ensures the salmon is perfectly marinated and stops it from drying out as it cooks.This recipe uses lemon slices & fresh basil to infuse the fish as it steams in its parcel. It's accompanied by potatoes, Onions & tomatoes which marry so well together but feel free to use any vegetables of your choice & marinade. Experiment with it, All it is, is putting everything in parcel & cooking. Simple init. This salmon is wrapped in foil and steamed in the oven, no fishy taste in your mouth and no fishy smell in your house, its basically just a delicious meal, what could possible go wrong? Nothing!

Ingredients

1 fresh salmon fillet 

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp chilly flakes 

Zest and juice half lemon (Slice the other half thinly to place on top of salmon)

2 tsp fresh basil

1/2 tsp mixed herbs

2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed

1 small onion 

1 small potato boiled and sliced

1 small tomato

2 tbsp butter 

1 tsp olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 170c

Marinate the salmon with 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, pepper and chilly flakes & set Aside. In a bowl add the boiled potatoes which you have sliced up and coat them with 2 tbsp butter melted, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 1 tsp salt, pepper & chilly flakes, 1/2 tsp mixed herbs, the zest and juice of half a lemon. Combine everything together. Chop up one tomato and one onion and set aside.

To bring this dish together, all you have to do is get some foil or parchment paper, Place the marinated potatoes at the bottom, top if off with the marinated salmon and top that off with thinly sliced lemons and fresh basil. Lastly around the fish & potatoes place the chopped tomatoes & Onions and close up the foil making sure there are no holes otherwise it won't steam once its in the oven. 

Place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. The salmon should be opaque and slightly flaky. So delicious.

Bon Appetit!