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!

So the Meatballs Ate My Mozzarella. Not Happy. This Ones For you Cheese Lovers *takes a deep breath*

It's Italian American Ooey Gooey Cheese Meatballs Stuffed with mozzarella & a quick & easy marinara Sauce. I'm already salivating at the thought.
What makes your ultimate meatballs? I know cheese is what makes mines, it's cheese with more cheese. Maybe just a little more too. I thought, hey let's shove some mozzarella in the middle? Why not? Taking a bite & seeing the mozzarella oozing out. What a sight that was.
Let's not forget about the marinara. Guess what I did to that too? Yes you guessed it, I added more cheese. Odear me. Cheese overload. This ones not for the faint hearted. For those of you who are dieting, this would be the ultimate cheat meal. Beat that.
P.s I used shop bought spaghetti (Still need to invest in a pasta machine)

Ingredients for the meatballs

1 3/4 pound chicken mince 

2 1/4 tbsp salt 

2 tbsp pepper 

1 tbsp Dried oregano 

4 tbsp chopped fresh basil 

3 tbsp red chilly flakes 

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 

1 1/2tbsp lemon salt 

Juice & zest 1 lemon 

6 cloves garlic crushed 

2 slices stale bread 

1/3 cup of milk 

2 packs mozzarella chopped into small cubes

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)

3 cans chopped tomatoes 

Handful fresh basil leaves 

2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano  

1/3 cup Finley grated Parmesan cheese 

1 tbsp red chilly flakes
1 tbsp red chilly powder

2 small onions finely chopped 

Method for the meatballs 

In a food processor, add the stale bread & blitz it until it resembles bread crumbs. Transfer the breadcrumbs into a bowl & add the milk to rehydrate the bread. 

Meanwhile in another bowl, add the rest of the meatball ingredients & combine. Once the bread is soaked add that to the mince mixture & combine everything properly. Take a small amount of the mixture & pan fry it just to make sure the seasoning is spot on. It should be slightly tangy & have a kick because of the lemon & Parmesan. You should be able to define the different flavours. Once the mince mixture is perfected let it marinade for a few hours. 

Once it's marinated, roll into medium sized meatballs, not too big or too small. Chop up the mozzarella into small pieces. Once you've made all the meatballs, stuff some mozzarella in each one & roll out again making sure none of the mozzarella is visible. This part is important. If you can see the mozzarella, when you cook the meatballs it'll just slip out so be sure to roll them out perfectly.

Time to cook the cheesey meatballs. I bet you're well excited init. 

Add some Olive oil to a non stick pan && leave it on high heat. Once it's heated up add in the meatballs & sear them all arounf. Once this parts done, take all the meatballs out & wipe down the pan. Put the meatballs back in & cook them again on medium heat just to brown them on the outside. 

Lastly add in the marinara sauce & let it bubble to ensure the meatballs get cooked through. Serve immediately with spaghetti. So delicious I know. 

Method for the marinara sauce
In a large saucepan, heat up 2 tbsp olive oil. Once heated add the chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, 1 tbsp chilly powder and the chopped up sun dried tomatoes. 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. The more you let the sauce cook down, the more flavor it will bring.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Roulade Stuffed With Caramelized Onions, Cottage Cheese & Sweet Potato.

This is one of those dishes I made up as I went along. I decided to add coloring to my breadcrumbs & the result was pretty amazing, an orange crumbed chicken? Who would've thought of that? Not many people like cottage cheese, mixing it with sweet potato & some seasoning, it's actually a delicious match. I served this dish with my lemon butter cream & left Over baked potato Salad, I usually serve it alongside some crunchy green beans just to give the dish a bit more texture.

This is a must try, everyone loved it & i'm sure you will too!

Ingredients for the roulade

1 chicken breast

1 small sweet potato cut into cubes and boiled till softened

2 tbsp cottage cheese

Juice & zest half lemon 

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp salt

3 tsp pepper

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp chilly flakes

Breadcrumbs for coating

1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped

1 garlic clove 

1 small onion sliced thinly

1 egg beaten

Method

Mash up the sweet potato which you have already boiled, add 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp cottage cheese, juice and zest of half the lemon, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1 tsp chilly flakes. Combine everything together until its smooth but thick. Set aside for later.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, melt 1 tbsp butter and add the onions. Add 1 tsp pepper and 1 tbsp sugar & caramelize the onions, keep stirring continuously for about 15 minutes until there nice & golden brown, slightly sticky too. Once they have caramelized set aside for later.

Get the chicken breast and line it in between two sheets of cling film. Using a meat hammer, bash the chicken to flatten it just enough to be able to fill and roll. Season both sides of the chicken with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp chilly flakes, 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary and 1 garlic clove crushed.

To put the chicken together, In the middle of the chicken breast, add the caramelized onions & top off with the sweet potato mixture. Roll up the chicken and hold it together using tooth picks. Dip the chicken into the beaten egg and roll it in some breadcrumbs. Drizzle over some olive oil and Bake the chicken in the oven till its golden brown & crisp on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

PEA Ice Cream. Only Joking. It's Avocado Ice Cream With Chocolate Ganache Pots & Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. What An Incredible Combination.

I'm in love with my ice cream churner.

What can be more tastier than home-made ice cream. Nothing at all. Smooth creamy ice cream, that's the one. Lime green avocado colored ice cream with the addition of lemon & lime, Why so delicious? & not to forget the chocolate pots. A match made in heaven. I always have to be extra, chocolate dipped strawberries, Why not? At least i'm having One a day *laughs*

Ingredients for the Avocado ice cream

185ml of full fat milk

125ml double cream

2 medium egg yolks

70g caster sugar

3 Avocados (scoop out all the flesh)

Juice & zest of half a lime

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

Ingredients for chocolate ganache pots

200ml double cream

10g honey

250g milk chocolate chopped up
100g Pure dark chocolate chopped up

35g softened butter

Ingredients for the chocolate dipped strawberries

6 Large strawberries

50g dark choclate melted

Method for Avocado ice cream
In a saucepan add the milk and the cream 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.
Using a hand blender, blitz the avocado, lemon and lime juices until its nice and creamy. Add this to the custard and whisk it once more making sure the avocado has mixed in well with the custard. Add the lemon and lime zest & stir using a wooden spoon.
Sieve the custard making sure you discard any lumps. Once the mixture has cooled down churn it in the ice cream machine.
Once it's churned put it in a container and freeze for 3 hours making sure you stir it every now & then. Take the ice cream out the freezer 10 minutes before serving just to soften a little.

The color is just lush! Oh but the taste is even better.

Method for the chocolate ganache

In a pan add the cream and honey and let it boil, pour this over the chopped up chocolate bit by bit making sure to stir it in properly each time. Once you have combined the cream and the chocolate let it sit for about 5 minutes. Beat in the butter until well combined. Scoop the ganache into separate ramekins & place it in the fridge allowing it to set for 5 hours. Serve with the ice cream. What a combination *drools*

Method for the chocolate dipped strawberries

This is so simple, i'm sure you already knew that. Dip the strawberry into the melted dark chocolate & let it set in the fridge. That's about it really. Simple init.

Serve the ganache with the avocado ice cream & top it off with your chocolate dipped strawberries.

Bon Appetite!

Pesto Chicken Skewers With Sun dried Tomato, Goats Cheese & Pomegranate Cous Cous Served with a Lemon Butter Cream. A Fusion Of Flavors!

I had no Parmesan in the house & really didn't want to go take a walk to the shops, was having a lazy day. That's when it came to me, how about making pesto with Goats cheese? That's exactly what I did & my god was it delicious. A lot more creamier than a normal home-made pesto but so much more tastier.

I made this dish up as I went along, typical of me I know.

Don't panic, I remembered pretty much everything that went into it. *Sigh of relief*

Let's get cooking :)

Ingredients for the chicken pesto skewers

1 chicken breast cubed

1 red onion chopped in chunks

Half a red pepper cut into cubes

100g soft goats cheese

1 cup fresh spinach

1 cup basil

100g salted roasted peanuts 

1 cup oil from a sun dried tomato jar

5 garlic cloves peeled

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp black pepper

Salt to preference 

Ingredients for the Cous cous (1 serving)

1 cup cous cous

1 tsp red chilly flakes

1/2 tsp salt & pepper

3 tbsp crumbled goats cheese 

1 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbsp butter 

Pomegranate gems around a handful 

Boiling water

Ingredients for lemon butter cream

1 tbsp butter

50 ml double cream

Juice & zest of half a small lemon

1 garlic clove peeled & crushed

Salt & pepper to taste

Method for Pesto

Add all the pesto ingredients (excluding the chicken, Onion & Red pepper) in a food processor & blitz till everything is combined properly. It should have a thick but smooth consistency with a slight crunch to it. Taste & salt if necessary. 

In a bowl, add the chicken cubes, onion chunks & pepper cubes. Add to that 3 tbsp of the home-made pesto and combine together. Leave it to marinade for up to 3 hours. Set aside for later.

Method for Cous Cous

Combine all the cous cous ingredients (excluding the boiling water) & give it a quick stir. Boil some water & add just enough to the cous cous so its covered. Give it a quick stir & cover with a plate to keep all the steam in. Set Aside for 5-10 minutes.

Once the cous cous is nice and fluffy, using a fork stir everything together. The fork will help fluffing it up, taste & if you reckon you need more salt, pepper etc then go for it. Set aside for later.

Method for lemon butter cream

In a small pan, melt the butter. Once melted add the minced garlic clove & let it cook for about 1 minute in the butter stirring continuously so it don't burn. add the double cream and keep stirring. Once slightly thickened, add the lemon juice & zest, 1 tsp of pepper & 1/2 tsp salt. Taste & adjust seasoning if needed. Take of heat & drizzle this over your dish once served.

To prepare the skewers, get the marinated chicken, onion and pepper & pierce it through a skewer. Put it in the oven 160c and let the chicken cook, make sure to turn half way. Once the chicken is nearly cooked, turn the oven onto the grill setting & grill the chicken till its browned up nicely, turning half way. Serve with the cous cous & lemon butter cream & eat right away. Don't forget to scatter pomegranate gems over the cous cous.

Bon Apetit! 

It's That Time Again. Binging On Cheese. Let's Have Some Kick Ass!

Every time I go in to town I make sure I visit the cheese stall in the market. How a child reacts when there in a candy store is pretty much how I am in a cheese store. Mega excited. Today's purchase is 'Practors Kick Ass Cheddar Cheese', a block of deliciousness. So tasty.

If you're looking for something strong in flavor, then this is the one. A full flavored mature cheddar with an age profile of 18 months. The texture is to die for, literally. So soft and creamy, butter like & not to forget the delicious nutty flavor.

My mouth is watering. I'll be sitting here binging on this huge slice, whilst you drool reading this (that's if you're a lover of cheese)

Who needs a man when there's cheese. Not me!

Let's dig in.

Dynamite Prawns It Is. Nothing Will Ever Beat PF Changs Dynamite Shrimp Though. Perfection On A Plate.

If you've never been to PF Changs in Dubai, then you haven't lived. There food, Omg don't even get me started. From there Crab Wontons to there Dynamite Shrimp, my god it's beautiful. I found a few copy cat recipes online & decided to create my very own. I used prawns tho, I couldn't get my hands on any fresh shrimp. 
Can't actually believe how close I came to perfection first time round.
Actual quote from Nissi (Sister in Law) "I think I prefer your flavor to PF Changs" Mega Boosted right about now.
Let the cooking begin!

Ingredients for the prawns

Oil for frying

4 medium eggs

1 cup plain flour flour

1 cup cornstarch 
Juice & zest 1 lemon

Salt & black pepper

Garlic powder
Paprika

Turmeric powder 

Red chilly powder
Chilly flakes

750g medium prawns deveined and peeled

Baby gem lettuce leaves for serving 

Spring onions sliced thinly 

Lemon wedges for garnish

Ingredients for the Sauce

3 medium egg yolks

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp Asian chilly garlic sauce

1 1/4 tbsp Asian sweet chilly sauce

3 tbsp lemon juice & zest Of a whole lemon
2 garlic cloves minced

Olive oil 

Method for the prawns

First of all prepare the prawns, peel them and devein them. Heat a deep sauce pan with frying oil and set aside. You need to marinate the prawns, in a bowl add the prawns, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp red chilly powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chilly flakes, juice and zest of 1 medium lemon. Combine everything together and set aside.
In another shallow bowl whisk the 4 eggs. In another separate shallow bowl mix the flour, cornstarch, 1 tbsp salt, black pepper and garlic powder, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp chilly powder and mix using a fork making sure everything is combined.
Take a few prawns at a time and dip them in the flour making sure you coat them properly, shake of the excess flour then dip them into the egg making sure you soak them properly, again drop them into the flour mixture, this will help form a nice thick crust which will crunch up when deep frying.
Once you have coated all the prawns, deep fry them in batches until nice and golden brown, this should take about 2-3 minutes. Place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil then set aside to coat later with the chilly sauce.

Method for the sauce

In a bowl add the 3 egg yolks, lemon juice, zest and the 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced. Whisk it all up using an electric whisk as its easy and a lot faster than using a hand whisk.
Once combined, very slowly add the olive oil, you will need about one cup maybe more. Make sure to do this very slowly, you don't want it to split. Once it thickens, the base of your mayonnaise is ready. Add to that 2 tbsp Asian chilly garlic sauce, 1 1/4 tbsp Asian sweet chilly sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Your sauce is ready, it should be chilly with some sweetness but not too sweet. Make sure you can taste the garlic.    

Finally toss the prawns with the sauce you made. Transfer all the prawns to a large serving bowl, arrange baby gem lettuce leaves around the prawns and garnish with thinly sliced spring onions. Serve with lemon wedges for those who want an extra quick and devour straight away.

Bon Apetit!

A Delicious Mouthful Of Gold.

Who doesn't love corn on the cob? Well I know I do, but then again I love pretty much everything. Crispy corn with a dairyly, chili & lemon glaze, sounds so delicious I know. How about trying it yourself? You'll want more & more..... & more. Don't forget to use the freshest corn, it makes the difference from being tasty to absolutely delicious! Let's dig in. 

Ingredients

4 fresh corn on the cobs

4 tbsp dairyly cheese spread 

1/2 lemon juiced and zest 

2 tsp chilly flakes

2 tsp black pepper crushed 

Salt to taste
Crumbled goats cheese
3 tbsp melted butter

Method

Peel the corn & cut each cob in half & transfer to a deep pan. Once the water is boiled cover the sweet corn & let it boil until its nice & firm. Take the corn out the pan & let them drain for a few minutes. 

Meanwhile in a bowl melt the dairyly and butter In the microwave. Once melted, add the lemon juice, chili powder salt & pepper & stir till its combined.

Pour over the dairyly mixture coating the corn properly. Place in a high heated oven under the grill & let it roast till it starts browning.  

Take out the Oven, Top the corns with a generous amount of crumbled goats cheese (dont be light handed, the more cheese the better, well that's what a cheese lover like myself would say) Sprinkle over a bit more black pepper & eat away. 

Simple. I know. But it's lush. Bon Apetite!

This Is My Ultimate Favorite Desert, It's Lemon Meringue Pie.

I LOVE all things sour and tart. When I make this for myself alone, I tend to add a lot more lemon juice, it's just so good. The light, crispy, fluffy meringue & the creamy lemon curd, a mouthful of absolute Deliciousness!

 

P.s Don't be lazy & use shop bought pastry, make your own, trust me the difference is noticeable. Home made is always the best. That's with everything really.

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry

250g plain flour
150g butter cold cut into small cubes
80g sugar
1 large egg

Ingredients for the filling
3 tbsp corn flour
150g caster sugar
Zest of 3 large lemons
Juice from 4 lemons
130g butter cut into cubes
4egg yolks & 2 whole eggs

Ingredients for the meringue
5 egg whites
300g caster sugar
2 tsp corn flour

Method for the pastry
In a food processor add the flour and the butter. Switch the food processor on, once combined & resembles crumbs, add the sugar whilst still on the. Add in the eggs. Once it resembles a dough take out the food processor. Roll out & transfer to two pie dishes. Prick the case using a fork & place a baking sheet over the top & full it with dry beans. Switch the oven on 200c/ fan and blind bake the pastry for about 15 minutes. Remove the beads & continue baking for a further 9 minutes. (Make sure you keep swapping both pie dishes around so they cook evenly. Once the pastry is pale & golden take out the oven & set aside. Put the heat of the oven on low.

Method for the lemon curd
Get a large saucepan & add the cornflower, sugar & lemon zest. Put the pan on medium heat & strain the mixture. Add the lemon juice & continue cooking, it will start forming a liquid. Continue stirring. (make sure to add the lemon juice a bit at a time not all together) stir it constantly until the mixture thickens. Once it starts bubbling take off the heat & add the butter. Using an electric whisk beat the butter in until it's all melted. Whisk in the egg yolks & egg. Once combined mix using a spoon & put it back on heat. Keep stirring vigorously until the mixture thickens & goes nice & lumpy. Take off the heat & set aside.

Method for meringue
In an electric mixer add the egg whites & whisk until soft peaks are formed. Put the electric mixer on low & gradually add the sugar. Make sure you don't over mix the whites. Whisk in the cornflour & continue whisking until nice and thick. Then switch the mixer off. Quickly heat up the lemon curd ready to be filled in the pastry cases.
Once heated add the lemon curd equally to both pastry cases, dollop meringue on top of both pies straight away, & return to the oven for about 20 minutes until the meringue is colored slightly & crisp. Let the pie cool down for 1 hour. Remove from the cases & let it cool for another 3 hours then eat up. Enjoy!

Crusted Fish, Inspired By The One & Only 'Jamie Oliver' Don't You Just Love Him.

I'm a bit of a bore during the day, I like to sit & watch cooking programmes for hours. I'm not even lying. Well, I was watching Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals & that's where I seen this dish, Mouth watering I tell you. I couldn't remember the exact recipe, I'm kinda slow like that? So I made it up as I went along, Like I pretty much always do. So here we go...

P.s I make my own tartar sauce, without the capers. I'm not keen on them. There's plenty of different recipes on the internet so make sure to have a look!

Ingredients

1 tbsp fennel seeds

6 pieces of pangas fish

Seasoned bread crumbs

6 garlic cloves peeled

1 1/2 cups sun dried tomatoes 

1/2 cup oil from sun dried tomatoes

2 small gherkins 

handful basil leaves

2 tbsp chilly flakes

100g crumbled goats cheese

20g cheddar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp fresh rosemary

Salt & pepper 

Method

Switch the oven on to high heat. In a big roasting dish, drizzle some of the sun dried tomato oil, sprinkle on salt and pepper (around 1tbsp of each), scatter the fennel seeds and 1 tbsp chilly flakes. Put the fish in the roasting dish and coat with the olive oil & seasonings on both sides. Put the roasting dish in the oven for around 7 minutes and prepare the topping.

Using a hand blender, blitz the 6 garlic cloves, sun dried tomatoes, the remaining sun dried tomato oil, 2 small gherkins, basil leaves, 1 tbsp chilly flakes, 100g crumbled goats cheese, juice of 1 lemon and the zest of half the lemon, 1 tbsp honey, 2tbsp fresh rosemary and salt & pepper to taste. Whiz it all up & set aside.

Take the fish out the oven and spread the prepared paste on top of the fish evenly. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs, be generous with the amount you put on and sprinkle over the remaining lemon zest. Drizzle over olive oil to help the bread crumbs crisp up and top of with cheddar cheese & a few basil leaves. Bake until golden brown and crisp. 

You can serve this dish with my quick & easy warm baked potato salad I previously posted or any other condiment. What ever you prefer really. 
Link for the baked potato salad:  http://chefzainab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/goats-cheese-overload-just-how-i-like.html

Bon Appetit!

What's On The Desert Menu Today? It's Creme Brulee.

I have such a bad sweet tooth but I prefer cooking savory food. Now & again I decide to make a desert & today its Creme Brulee. The vanilla pods in this desert make all the difference. So delicious. Don't you get all excited as you whack your spoon across the top & hear the crack? That's when you know you've done a good job. Oyes.

Ingredients

430ml double cream
160ml full fat milk
2 vanilla pods
7 large egg yolks
80g caster sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 160c. Get 6 ramekins & place them in a deep roasting dish and set aside for later. Pour the cream and milk into a pan. Meanwhile lay the vanilla pods on a chopping board, slit them down the middle & using a bread knife scrape out the black seeds & add to the cream mixture, put the vanilla pods in also as this will enhance the flavour and set aside.
Put the egg yolks and caster sugar into a separate large bowl & whisk them with an electric whisk until lightly and fluffy. Put the pan with cream on medium heat and as soon as it starts to bubble slightly take off the heat straight away. 

Pour the cream into the egg mixture and continue mixing until everything is well combined. Strain the mixture to discard the vanilla pods & any of the black beads. Once you have done this, using a large spoon get rid of the foam on the top of the mixture. Make sure you get clear of all of it. 

Meanwhile boil the kettle, place the tray with the ramekins on the oven wire rack, once the kettle is boiled fill the baking tray with water covering the ramekins about 1/3 upwards. Transfer the cream mixture into the ramekins filling them up right till the top. Cover the baking tray with foil making sure not to touch the ramekins with the foil. Leave an area opened so that air can get in. Bake the creme brules for about 30 minutes. 

Once they have been baked, remove them from the baking tray, the creme brules should have a slight wobble on the top, let them cool on a wired rack for about 10 minutes then transfer them into the fridge overnight. 

Just before you serve the creme brules, Spread caster sugar over the top making sure to cover the top fully. Caramelize the top till it starts bubbling & browning. This is usually done using a blow torch but can be done under the grill for a few minutes. Place back in the fridge to cool down for about an hour or two. I know it's tempting to just dig your spoon in but you have to be patient for the best result. 2 hours is up! 

Bon Apetit! 

'Sung Choi Bao' Is What The Chinese Call It.' Ants On Trees' Is What My Mother & Most Malawians Call It. 'Lettuce Wraps', That's All It Is.

I had a whole bag left over of baby gem lettuce leaves & couldn't think of what to do with it. That's when I remembered 'ANTS ON TREES' what a name. My mothers a legend. Luckily this time I remembered pretty much everything I added to this dish, it's quite popular in our household. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound chicken mince

Black pepper crushed

Salt

Chili flakes

Paprika

Red chili powder

Sesame oil 

hoisin sauce 

Dark & light soy sauce

2 medium red chilies 

A piece of ginger 

5 garlic cloves

1 cup of chopped spring onions

2 eggs

Honey

Zest & juice of 3 limes

Juice of 2 small lemons 

Fish sauce

Almond flakes

Vermicelli 

2 Baby gem lettuce leaves

Method

Season the chicken mince with black pepper, salt, chili flakes, paprika and hot chili powder, I did this blindly & seasoned more later to my preference. Add 1/4 cup sesame in pan & heat up till its slightly smoking. Add the seasoned chicken mince to the pan & cook, add in 2tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce & 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce. Cook the mince till its brown & crispy (taste and adjust seasoning if needed). Once the mince is cooked place it in a sieve to drain out an excess fat and set aside for later.

Very finely chop up 2 medium red chilies, a piece of ginger, 5 garlic cloves and the spring onions. In the same pan you used to cook the mince, add a splash of sesame oil and cook the garlic, ginger and 1 2/3 of the red chilies. Cook for a few minutes until golden brown and add 1 tsp honey to caramelize. Add the mince back in the pan and mix everything till well combined.

Add 1 tbsp fish sauce, the zest and juice of 3 limes and the juice of 2 small lemons. Make sure to stir everything till its fully combined. Keep tasting to check if the seasoning needs any adjustments. Leave to stay heated on very low heat.

Meanwhile in a separate non stick pan heat up 1 tbsp sesame oil. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl and once the pan is heated add the eggs &  make a egg pancake. This is done by pouring the beaten eggs into the pan making sure the whole pan is covered. Once the bottom is cooked after 30 seconds flip over to cook the other side. Transfer the pancake & cut it up into small strips. Add the egg strips to the mince mixture along with the spring onions & 2 handfuls of toasted almond flakes. Combine everything and take of heat.

Deep fry some vermicelli noodles. Separate the leaves on the baby gem lettuce and top it off with some mince, sweet chili dipping sauce (I make mines from scratch, you can always resort to shop bought) & lastly the fried vermicelli & enjoy. 

Chia̍h Hok. Eat well.

Sun Dried Tomato Loaf Inspired By Tribes Freshly Baked Bread. What A Treat That Was.

I visited Dubai this year & let me tell you, there food is by far the most delicious I have ever tasted. We went to a restaurant called Tribes & there food showcases the flavors of Africa, it's Amazing.They provide you with complementary fresh baked bread, a sun dried tomato herb loaf & Date & walnut Loaf. To die for. Here's my take On the Sun dried tomato Loaf with the addition of Goats Cheese Of Course. So tasty. 

Ingredients

650g bread flour 

1 packet dry yeast (7g)

3 tbsp salt

1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp black pepper 

3 tbsp rosemary 

3 tbsp garlic powder 

Chopped sun dried tomatoes (use as many as you like)

3 tbsp tomato purée 

400ml water (combine 300ml boiling with 100ml tap)

100g crumbled goats cheese

1/2 cup Olive oil

Method
In a stand mixer add 650g bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, pepper, rosemary, garlic powder, chopped sun dried tomatoes, 70g crumbled goats cheese & 3 tbsp tomato purée. Combine everything together using the flat beater on the stand mixer. 
Once combined add the olive oil whilst the motor is still running. Add in the water a bit at a time, you may not need all of it, once the mixture turns into a ball & isn't sticky, then change the flat beater to the dough hook & let the machine do the kneading. Leave the machine running on high for about 5 minutes. 

Whilst the dough is kneading, take a large bowl & oil it all around just coating the bowl lightly. Transfer the kneaded dough to the bowl & cover tightly with cling film, rap a cloth around the bowl & leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours. 

Once the dough has risen, dust some flour on the work surface & take the dough out, using your fists, push the dough out quickly but gently then continue kneading two or three times, this helps release any additional air bubbles. 

Take 12 mini foil cases & oil them then set aside. Roll out the dough & section into 12 portions. Roll each portion out into a ball & place in the foil cases. 

Once you have completed all 12 cover again with some cling film & a cloth & let it rise for another hour. 

Pre-heat oven to 160•c. Take the mini loafs & put 3 slits at the top using scissors as I have done in the above picture. In between each slit stuff it with the left over goats cheese. Do this for all 12 loafs & there ready to bale. 

Bake till there golden brown. When you take them out the oven tap the bottom, if it has a hollow sound then you know there ready. 

Freshly baked bread straight out the Oven, what could possibly be better than that. Mouth watering I know. 

Great to eat on its own, I Personally prefer spreading on dollops of butter straight as it comes out the oven, Mmm so tasty. You should give it a try!