Homemade BBQ Sauce

Homemade BBQ Sauce.

Ingredients:

5 cups ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 and 1/2 tsp garlic pwd

2 tbsp honey mustard

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp molasses

1/2 tsp pepper

Method:

Add all ingredients to a large sauce pan over medium heat, Stir everything together and bring to a boil. Turn down to a low simmer and allow to cook for 30 mins, up to 3 hours. Remove from pan and allow to cool, then store in a jar or a sealed container.

Roasted Garlic Breadsticks.

Roasted Garlic Breadsticks.

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (recipe in previous post)

1 head of garlic

3 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano - Reggiano

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Cut the top of the garlic head, exposing the garlic cloves, and place it in the middle of aluminium foil cut side up. Drizzle a tbsp of olive oil and wrap the garlic. Roast it for 45 - 75 mins, or until the garlic is golden and mushy. Start checking it after 45 mins, at this point it should be ready, but for more color and flavour, continue to roast for another half hour.

Once the garlic is roasted, cool it slightly and squeeze garlic cloves out. Press through the garlic press into a small bowl and mix with remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.

On a floured surface, roll the pizza dough into 10x12 inch rectangle. Spread half of the garlic olive oil all over the dough. Sprinkle half of mozzarella and parmigiano cheese on one half of the dough. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Fold dough in half so that cheeses are covered. Sprinkle a little bit more mozzarella cheese on top and cut the dough into strips. Twist each strip and arrange on baking sheet lined with silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 18 mins on 220 C preheated oven, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough and cheese. 

Enjoy!!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup.

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh tomatoes, (a mixture of your favourite variety cherry, plum etc)

4 shallots, peeled and quartered 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

extra virgin olive oil

herbs like thyme, oregano, basil.

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 f. Cut tomatoes into quarters (if using cherry tomatoes leave them whole). Spread the tomatoes and shallots and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper and herbs. Gently toss. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tomatoes, shallots and garlic are brown and caramelised.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Pour all the roasted tomatoes n all in the food processor and blend all while adding stock little at a time, until smooth. If the soup is too chunky for your  liking , pour through a mesh sieve.

Pour contents into a large pot and add heavy cream and simmer for 15 to 20 mins.

Garnish with pepper, herbs, and enjoy with some crusty bread!!

(For a twist in flavour i sometimes add red peppers and carrots along with tomatoes while roasting)

One Pot Fajita Pasta

One Pot Fajita Pasta.

Ingredients:

16 ounces pasta (I used Linguine)

One 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

8 oz vegetable stock

2 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (plus more for serving)

1 large red onion thinly sliced

8 cloves garlic thinly sliced

1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 green pepper thinly sliced

1 packet Taco Seasoning

2 sprigs cilantro, plus extra for garnish

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 and 1/2 cups water

1/3 cup full fat greek yogurt (optional, makes it creamy)

Limes for serving

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

In a very large pot (preferably heavy bottomed) combine linguine, tomatoes, stock, hot sauce, onion, garlic, green and red peppers, Taco Seasoning, cilantro, oil, salt, black pepper, and water. Bring to boil over high heat.

Boil mixture turning pasta frequently, until pasta has cooked and the sauce is nearly evapourated, about 11 minutes. It may look like a lot of sauce when you remove the pan from heat, but trust me, it will soak into the pasta!! Remove cilantro sprigs in visible. Stir in the greek yogurt. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and lime for squeezing. Serve at once!! 

Enjoy!!

Perfect Pizza Dough

Perfect Pizza Dough.

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

1 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp salt

5 cups flour, divided

Method:

Mix warm water and yeast and let it sit for 5 mins until it proofs. 

Add 2 and 1/2 cups flour to the proofed yeast and mix well in Kitchen Aid or with dough hook.

Add the additional 2 and 1/2 cups flour and salt. Knead until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a ball for 30 to 40 mins.

Remove dough from bowl and add more flour as needed (a little at a time) to alleviate the stickiness of the dough if needed. I add a few tbsps usually. Roll out and top with our favourite toppings. Enjoy!

Homemade Baked Potato Chips

Homemade Baked Potato Chips

Ingredients:

2 pounds large baking potatoes, scrubbed and washed

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large garlic clove, peeled

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice potatoes lengthwise very thin (about 1/16 inch). Brush baking sheets with 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Rub garlic over the surface, pressing hard to extract as much garlic juice as possible. Place baking sheet in the oven to warm for 5 mins. Place potato slices side by side on the hot baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 mins until they start browning. Flip potatoes and bake 5 mins longer or until golden. Remove and cool or paper towels. Eat warm or store in airtight container. Goes well with herb and cheese dip. Crunch and Enjoy!!

Creamy Creme Caramel

Creme Caramel

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

500 ml full fat milk

300 grms of condensed milk. (i use 3/4 tin of 395 grms tin) You can taste and adjust the sweetness

1/2 vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

Method:

Blend together eggs, milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. In a small sauce pan on low heat melt sugar till its golden in color. Immediately pour into the baking molds. Pour over the prepared egg and milk mixture into the moulds. Bake covered in a water bath for 50 mins and last 10 min uncovered on 180 degrees Celsius. (N.B) baking time may differ according to the size of the mould.

Once done, cool for 30 mins and the de-mould your creme caramel n cool for 3 to 4 hours. Enjoy!!

Sweet Potato Rosti

 Sweet Potato Rosti.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled, run through a zoodle slicer (to form noodles) or grate it

1 medium egg, beaten

1 tsp pumpkin spice (i used a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon)

cooking spray

1 tbsp of maple syrup or more, to preference

Method:

Heat up the waffle iron. Heat a large pan on medium heat. Coat it with cooking spray. Add sweet potato noodles to the pan and cook for 10 minutes turning frequently until completely softened. Remove noodles in a bowl n add pumpkin spice. Mix well. Add egg n mix to combine well. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and pack in the noodles. You may need to play around with it to get it to fit it in well. Cook the rosti accordingly. Keep checking as it can burn easily. Once the crispiness is done to your liking remove from the waffle iron. Drizzle with ample syrup and Enjoy!!

Cake Batter Milkshake.

Cake Batter Milkshake

Ingridients:

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla dry cake mix (i used betty crocker boxed cake mix)

Sprinkles

Light corn syrup

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender except sprinkles. Blend until smooth. Fold in sprinkles if desired. Use light corn syrup to stick sprinkles to the rim of the cup, just a thin layer. Pour milkshake into prepared cups and serve immediately. Enjoy!!

Dynamite Shrimps - Recipe

Hey Guys,

Heres the dynamite shrimp recipe.

Dynamite Recipe:

Ingredients:

15 to 20 larg shrimps, peeled and deveined
veg.oil for fry

For batter:
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg
4 tbsp corn flour

For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
5 tbsp hot sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/4 tsp paprika/chilli powder
1 tsp light honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar

Spring onion, sliced (for garnish) (optional)

Method:

1)  Drain the shrimps and mix it well with the batter ingredients. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the shrimps on medium heat for 30 seconds (shrimps must be completely immersed in the oil). Remove from oil immediately and drain on the kitchen tissue.
     
2) Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together until well blended. transfer it into a pudding bowl or cocktail glass. Toss the fried shrimps into it and mix with a spoon. Serve garnished with spring onions.

Enjoy!

Chocoholics Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

For all chocoholics....

Ingredients:

125 ml double cream

125 grms dark chocolate finely chopped

2 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp vanilla or coffee powder (depends on your taste)

Raspberries for garnish

Sweetened whipped cream for garnish

Method:

Pour cream into a saucepan and bring to boil, then remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir till it melts. Add vanilla or coffee and whisk in the yolks.

In a spotless clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until just forming stiff peaks. Spoon a small amount of whisked egg whites into the chocolate and cream mixture, then carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites, just until combined.

Spoon in glasses, bowls, or cups and chill in fridge for 1- 2 hours or until set.

Decorate with whipped cream and raspberries.

Enjoy!!!

Restaurant creates plates designed to look good on Instagram

Hi Guys,

Check this out. I hope all restaurants in the world start doing this.

Restaurant creates plates designed to look good on Instagram

Sure, it tastes delicious, but how will it look on Instagram?

Israel's Carmel Winery teamed up with Tel Aviv restaurant Catit to offer the customers the most Instagram-able food possible.

The restaurant says that it's looking "to reconnect with a new generation of consumers –- youngsters who connect with food through the lens of a smartphone."

Customers eat on custom-designed plates with built-in phone stands while listening to Dan Perez, one of the the top food photographers in the world, teach them about food photography. They even have rotating plates and filtered lights to create the ideal Instagram shot.

Instead of actually consuming their food (crazy, right?), customers are encouraged to share their photo masterpieces on Instagram with hashtag #fdgr

Article Source: http://mashable.com/2015/05/06/instagram-plates/

OMG! WE ALL NEED THIS IN OUR LIVES!

Super Moist Banana Bread

Hi my loves,

If you have over ripped bananas lying on your counter, then definitely check this recipe of banana bread. You won't regret it.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 and 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup buttermilk

handful of chopped nuts of your choice like pecans or walnuts (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and oil until well beaten together.

Add in mashed bananas, both sugars and vanilla and mix well.

Sift in flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined. Add nuts. Do not over mix.

Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for an hour at 325 degrees F. Check at an hour by doing the toothpick test. Bake longer if needed to cook through.

Enjoy!! 

Tea time : Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti

Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

2/3 cup dried cranberries

Method:

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a long wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices. Arrange the bicotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!!