Meal for 3!

Jamie Oliver's 30-minute meals: Piri Piri chicken, rocket salad and dressed potatoes. 
Team effort by Madz, H and I :D

To Peri or Not to Peri?

Me and my two sisters were hungry and I just so happened to have a random photo copy of Jamie's recipe. I found his style of writing= jumping in and out of different dishes slightly perplexing at first, I didn't want to make the Portuguese tarts which he includes alongside the recipe for the chicken and so I found myself skim-reading a lot of it. 

When I think of peri peri chicken all I see is a huge nandos sign in my head, it's just become a common association to me. Well, Jamie's meal definitely got a thumbs up from us, although we didn't prep in advance so it didn't take us "30 minutes". 


It wasn't like the Nando's experience but it certainly had a kick to it and the salad and scrumptious sweet potatoes with feta was a perfect side to the chicken which had this juicy sauce/marinade. The chargrilled peppers and salad gave a fresh lemony taste and the rocket gave a certain crispness. Essentially, you cook the chicken twice but it really isn't as straining as it sounds. It's also an easy party dish, lot's of chicken and if you have a little extra time the prep doesn't need to be done in advance. 


Give it a go! It's worth it ;) I found it extremelllyyy satisfying. But of course, I did leave room for the cake I made! 







Recipe; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1312958/Jamie-Olivers-30-minute-meals-Piri-Piri-chicken-rocket-salad-dressed-potatoes-quick-Portuguese-tarts.html#ixzz1YZn7PI3c

The Most Simple Cake Award Goes to...

!The Lemon Drizzle Cake!

There are a few things about this cake that I love. 

First, it is gob-smackingly moist. 

Second, you can add/reduce the strength of the lemon by controlling the zest and syrup. 

Thirdly, it's SO easy, probably the easiest cake I have ever made and ever will make. 

The recipe is below, you definitely won't be disappointed. It's an easy crowd pleaser =)

This recipe is courtesy of good food bbc :o)

Lemon Cake

• 225g caster sugar
• 225g unsalted butter , softened 
• 4eggs
• finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 225g self-raising flour
• 
  
• juice 11⁄2 lemon
• 85g caster sugar
• 
  
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 
•  Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon
• Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
• <3 It comes out of the oven, risen beautifully and gleaming with softness. After that, just step back and admire how simply beautiful and yummy this is. Oh and of course...DEVOUR<3

Paris And The Return of the blog in Feb 2011!

How do you prefer to take things? 

Good news first and then bad news or good news after so it gives you a "oh no" ...."oh that's ok then feeling?". Well I like to do it bad first and then good and seeing as I'm the one typing, that's just the way it'll have to be :p 

The bad news is I won't be able to update the blog often, or even at all perhaps until late Jan/Feb 2011. I canny be certain!

The good news is however that I went to Paris a few weeks back and experienced the most beautiful fresh tantilising flavours! I thought as this may be my final post for 2010 I'd make it an international one ;)

"THE NUN!"

So...back to Paris. Whilst I was there, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the many cute, effortless and fresh bakeries.  I had my two lovely friends with me who treated me to a little selection of 7 or 8 (little meaning their size) delicacies. Saying that, they may have been little but they were so utterly packed with flavour. I could tell what each one was...strawberry and cheesecake, praline, coffee, chocolate- despite not knowing the french for it. These little beauties came in a tent shaped paper bag, served with a smile by the friendly french lady behind the counter. She advised me in french about bread that stays the most fresh as I looked on lost at my friends with an awkward smile like PLEASE TRANSLATE I swear I'll be fluent in french next time I come!

I also had the honour to eat a little fresh brownie style cake, a moulded mountain of rice and chicken...creamy and soft. This was all courtesy of my host, she'd gone to such effort to make a 3 course meal on the first night I got to France.  And what makes good food even better? Great company. Each portion plenty and not excessive. It was so enlightening to be in a country that cared about fresh baked food, to smell it down a street and know YES THAT'S FRESH BREAD. It's one thing I wish, well many things, that the UK had. I'd love a little patisserie shop on every couple of streets- to know that what has just entered your mouth isn't infested with E numbers and preservatives. I'd love to own one, one of those cute little shops.

Although I'd rather own a chocolate shop (like chocolate-the film) and be spinning a plate round telling people what chocolate was best suited to them. A kind of chocolate pharmacist. Someone would come in with a broken heart and I'd put them on a daily dosage of the most intense and unforgiving chocolate until I felt they had gained...not weight no! But a better outlook on life, a kind of distraction from the ups and downs in life.  Or someone would say, "excuse me...do you do milk chocolate or dark chocolate" and I'd say "Do you REALLY know what you want?" And so I'd educate people in the history of chocolate, where it originated from, the importance of the minimum cocoa solids...Oh I can dream!I'd analyse them with a pair of spectacles I didn't really need (I've always wanted to do that) and have a tilted head. A sort of pharmacy/counselling + chocolate service. And ofcourse on their way out I'd tell them to confide in God above everything  :o) And if they said they didn't believe in God, I'd hand them a piece of chocolate and say..."when you eat this, think about what you just said" and as if by a blessing, the skies would part and they'd be giving thanks <3

Childhood Memories

Strawberry Laces. <3

-I recall childhood memories- being allowed '1' lace before dinner at my friends house. This came as a shock to my system as there were no 'before or after dinner rules' existant to me. We had a magic cupboard which opened everytime I had my friends around, it was always full of crisps and chocolates. Mind you, this was before I attended weekly consultations with my dietician who told me to use ankle weights infront of the T.V. It was as simple as, if you're hungry-eat. But then again, when you're asian and you socialise you eat regardless of whether you are hungry or not. Otherwise you risk 20yrs of family relations. Although, I admit such sweets shouldn't be a way in which to get rid of hunger, they were one of the most exciting and simple sweets to eat. Not too sweet or sour, you could stretch them, knot them and wrap them around your fingers. A pack delivers atleast 20laces so there were so many to share amongst sisters, cousins and friends. Although, it is a tight competition between the sugary sour strawberry laces and these. Childhood memories were long green snakes, little buttons and boasters cookies my naano and mum would give me if I was ill.  Now,I look at the packet of boasters chocolate and nut cookies and smile, not at the thought of being sick but at the the simplicity of making a child happy. Perhaps it's not as simple to make an adult happy, but hand them something small- a memory from their childhood and there's a good chance that you may just see that child again...

Zouk-Manchester

Have a gander!

A little flower pot of hand-cut potato chips

The wooden chopping board with the little bunch of chips blossoming in the flower pot just infront of the carving knife. Accompanied with a baby saucepan of garlic and butter- a carnivore's dream.

Raspberry Mojito with mint and crushed ice- J'adore!

Having a cold and sore throat has it's benefits- you remember what it's like to have good health and are 10x's more appreciative for it when things normalise. Although, it does tend to make those who are slightly ill want more flavoured foods...

Speaking of flavours, I visited a restaraunt called 'zouk' the other day in Manchester and the food was of such good quality with beautiful presentation (but the waiters were a bit slow). I had to spend 20minutes trying to get them to 'surprise' my friend with a sparkler in a cute little chocolate cake slice. He had me winking, shaking my hands, tilting my head and widening my eyes...with the pathetic intention of being discreet. He was too busy running round to notice half of my epileptic motions but thank God he got there in the end.

Zouk has a mocktail bar in the entrance where those who don't drink could get the fruit/crushed ice equivalent. I got a raspberry mojito and it was so refreshing. The mint wasn't overwhelming but gave it enough 'pazzaz'-a real eye-opener. I also ordered steak with vegetables and hand-cut chips...I LOVED it! The steak was juicy and well-done, no raw/ blood for me thanks! I fail to understand why ANYONE who had a choice would order food in a restaraunt with red blood oozing out of it.  Why don't you slice your finger and suck the blood 'edward cullen' style if you fancy red juice? No thank you, not for me. Anyway, less of the rant, it had a a handful of vegetables that were just enough and I was stuffed for the whole night. I didn't have any regrets though. You know sometimes if you over-eat at someone's dinner or a restaraunt you feel like whyyyy? Well, I can proudly say I never get 'arghh im stuffed feeling' because I get it packed and then finish it off at home ;o) One step @ a time!

Birthday Cake

I needed to make a birthday cake, I decided it would look  more asthetically pleasing if it were 3layers and so I did this last minute. I used the strawberry cream cake recipe which is lower down in my blog but adapted it. I used two sponges from the recipe below and one sponge recipe in which I halved all the ingredients so it came out as enough mixture for one sponge and not two. 

In the 3rd sponge I threw in a handful of flaked almonds to give each layer a different taste and texture. On the top I scattered toasted almonds with shreds of white chocolate. The best thing is you can make it your own. Part of me was tempted to use 2 different types of nuts; maca and almonds (in the sponge) but I thought I could try that another time. Plus, would everyone at that party be obsessed with nuts the way I am? That was a question I couldn't answer.Also I added two layers of fresh cream with macarpone and strawberries instead of one, and on the third sponge put a hefty amount of juicy strawberry jam. The frosting is my favourite though, I was licking the bowl clean after the cake was finished and my sister dipped some strawberries in the frosting. I didn't know how easy it would be to cut it, but it would certainly provide a burst of fresh flavours on the tongue<3 x

Brownies

Brownies have been my obsession to give as a present, to eat on a "who gives a poop about kcal" kind of day or when guests are coming around. There are so many different types of brownies, you can have them gooey/firm, bake them or not bake them at all [refrigerated]. There are some tips I've learnt over the past 2 or 3 yrs, since they were one of the first things I started baking.

1. Do not put the heat on the highest setting when melting chocolate on a hob as it will burn and loose its shine. 

2. Do not keep opening the oven door- heat escapes and your baking will dip very quickly. Only open it rightttt at the end if it's totally necessary, otherwise wait until you know time's up. (This applies to cakes etc too)

3.After you have baked your brownies, leave them to cool in a larger dish filled with very cold water or ice (this cools them on the outside whilst maintaining a certain gooeyness inside).

4. Once you've whisked the eggs and chocolate together treat the mixture like a baby. Use a gentle 8 motion, folding it, taking it under and back up again. Be gentle or else you'll lose the air that you just incorporated into it.

5. If you want them to taste divine, then you HAVE TO BUY DECENT INGREDIENTS. When I say decent I mean 70% cocoa solids in your chocolate and best quality cocoa. Many brands like Dairy Milk have less cocoa solids than Tesco's own brand of chocolate. Shocking I know.

Here are a few pictures to urge you 

chocolate lovers to get onto baking brownies.