Chocolate Chip Cookies.... Mood = Childhood memories

When i was a kid, i used to remember these delicious cookies we used to buy from the high street, and leicester square in london and thought they were the most delicious things ever. I have made so many cookie recipes and to be honest with you they are all pretty terrible. Honest to God they taste of eggs and never ever hold their shape. So i was scouring the net for a fool proof recipe and came across one from Martha Stewarts site.  This is a recipe by a well known chef called Jaques Torres.

I have to say that i was a bit dubious about the recipe as it was alot, but the end result was just what i was hoping for. Soft crunch on the outside, chewy gooey in the middle and a lovely taste of chocolate all around. The memories of walking down the high street when i was younger came flooding back and i can't express to you the feeling i got of nostalgia. One of my favourite feelings and words.....

This recipe that i am going to post can go a long way, as you can make enormous cookies or little ones and still have lots left over. You can freeze the dough if you don't want to use it up all in one go.

So enough of the waiting and here is the recipe. You can also watch it on Martha Stewart's website where she makes the cookies live with a guest.

Ps. I spent ages trying to figure out cups to grams as everything has a different weight in cups. So please take joy in my effort to convert to grams....

Recipe:

500g butter

350g granulated sugar ( i used caster)

382g light soft brown sugar

4 large eggs

360g plain flour

285g bread flour

1 Tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

500g grams milk chocolate broken into pieces

Method:

• Cream the butter, then add the sugar and mix again.

• Add the eggs one at a time.

• Add flour, Baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, salt and mix until well combined.

• Add the chocolate peices and mix with a spoon or by hand.

• Refrigerate for up to one hour.

• Use a spoon and place the cookie dough at least 2 inches apart. They are going to spread.

• Cook for 18 minutes for large cookies, and 15 minutes for smaller ones at 180 degrees.

• Let them cool for a few minutes before placing them on a wire rack.

• Let them cool once again before eating.

I have to say, the piggy in me didn't wait till the cookies were cooled and i burnt my mouth and also the taste is just not the same. They seemed a little oily while still fresh out of the oven, but as they hardened slightly their taste evolved. They were simply ridiculous. Delicious and oh how i want to eat 10 more....

All that will be left is cookie crumbs!!!!

Kufta with Tahini sauce.... Mood = Velvet dreams

The other day when my mother was still in town i went over to her house with my husband Pavlos and yet again she had made a delicous dinner. I had already eaten (what a disaster) and couldnt possibly have another bite, but Pavlos just couldn't say no. So on the table was Kufta bil Thineh. It was delicious and he had never eaten it before. His face just lit up. I knew this was to be repeated again for him.

I love this dish. It is so low maintenance and so tasty and quick. The flavour of the sharp tahini sauce with the beautiful spiced lamb mince is just such a wonderful contrast in your mouth. Its like a ivory velvet snow covering rough mountains of goodness. I love tahini. It is such a wonderful ingrediant with meat and fish and also for salad dressings. It just adds another dimension and adding a sharpness to it with lemon juice makes it divine.

This recipe is so simple i couldnt think that anyone would make a mistake, and the end result looks like you have put a lot of effort into making something that tastes so great. Thats the wonder with cooking, there are so many ingrediants you can use and they marry so well with things, that you can just keep making new things all the time with similar ingrediants. Experimenting is a wonderful thing.

Recipe:

900g lamb mince
1 onion diced
1 bunch of parsley chopped
Salt
Pepper
4 Tablespoons tahini
6 Tablespoons yoghurt
4 lemons
1/2 cup of water

Method:

• Mix the mince with diced onion and parsley, and add salt and pepper.

• Place into an oven proof tray and gently pat down, making indentations every 2 cm to create little dips.

• Do not compress the meat to tight, you dont want to have a dense texture.

• Mix the tahini and yoghurt together and add the lemon juice. It will begin to seize but dont worry it will loosen up.

• Add the water and check for taste.

• You want it to be zingy and a little runny.

• Set aside.

• Place the meat into an oven at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes and then take out of the oven. When it has browned, add the tahini mix and pour it all over the top.

• Place in the oven again for another 10-25 minutes.

• Remove and serve with green bell peppers, and chilli and arabic flat bread.

This dish will have you dreaming of the next time you will make it.Or that no one will have the last slice....

Trust me!!!!

Donuts, or Doughnuts.... Mood = Doughmania

I think there isn't anyone on earth who doesnt like Doughnuts. Sometimes they can be sickly but if you stick to the simple ones, you can keep going. I adore anything with dough. Anything. So i have been wanting to make these for ages and ages and the thought of how long it was going to take, really put me off, until i found some recipes that called for fast raising doughnuts. Bingo!

My problem had been solved.

I tried a recipe earlier but it didnt work. It turned out like a pancake batter so i had to change it up a lot and hey presto look what happened. I feel like i have accomplished something truely amazing. When i saw how they were rising and cooking and when i took my first bite, i nearly passed out. Buying store doughnuts just isnt the same. It just isnt. They have so many additives and God knows what, but with these delicious treats, you know whats in them. And i have to be honest, not too much fat. Apart from the frying bit....

You have to be patient and watch them as they cook, otherwise you will have burnt doughnuts that will literally make you cry. The anticipation of watching these bouys floating, waiting to be devoured is just something i cant explain. You will have to try this out for yourself.

The recipe is very easy to follow and the rest is just ......greed

Recipe:

75g melted butter
7 g fast acting yeast
400g flour
230ml warm water
3Tablespoons sugar
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
Oil for frying

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan and set aside

Place flour, salt, cinnamon, egg, vanilla in a bowl or kitchenaid 

Mix in the butter

Add the yeast to the warm water and sugar

Mix into the flour mix Mix with dough hook for a few minutes until it is well combined. If it is too sticky add a little more flour, but i think it should be fine.

Remove from the bowl and place on a well floured surface and roll.

Cut out rings using a cutter or if you dont have one, use a teacup. 

Then get a smaller cutter and cut little circles out.

Place them on a baking tray as i have shown you and let them rise somewhere warm.

They will puff up while cooking.

Bring your oil to 180 degrees and begin frying one at a time.

Have a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and when you have darined them on kitchen paper, drop them in sugar and roll around.

Serve warm and eat quickly.... Before someone else gets to them first...

Crab cakes..... Mood = Crustacean Craze

Do you remember when you were younger and went to a vietnamese restaurant and all you ate was the crab cakes? I was walking past a restaurant that we used to go to years and years ago, and the memory that came back to me was this. Crab cakes. I remember only eating this and nothing else when we used to go there and it really frustrated my parents as they wanted us to try everything.

The smell as i walked past took me back 20 years, and i knew what i had to do. So as i walked home with a seriously fast pace, i was thinking of what i needed to try andre create the memory of those days. Smell is a wonderful thing, and its always amazing to me how it can evoke such strong and vivid feelings. This is how i work most of the time. From smells and thoughts of the past. My sister always laughs at me and tells me to get over it, move on and just forget the past, but so many of my feelings and food come from there that it has made me the person that i am today.



So back to the crab cakes.... Delicious is all i can say and can be made and ready to eat in under 10 minutes.

Recipe:

300g fresh white crab meat
small bunch of mint
small bunch of coriander
half a red chilli deseeded
sesame oil
red chilli jam
soy sauce
flour
1/2 egg, whisked
1/2 lime

Method:

• Flake the crab meat, add the herbs, sliced chilli, dash of sesame oil, and 2 teaspoons of jam and 2 teaspoons of soya sauce.

• Add a squeeze of lime

• Add the egg and mix.

• Mix everythign together and shape into patties.

• This gets a bit tricky as this crab is very flaky but do not worry. It will come together.

• Once you have made some patties, get some plain flour and flour each side and the place in a hot pan to sear it together.

• They should take minimal time to sear. All you are doing is trying to get a golden colour as the crab is already cooked.

• When ready, place on top of a salad of choice, i just used bean sprouts, with some corinader and mint and replicated the sauce of the crab.

• Sesame, chillijam, coriander, mint, soya sauce and lime juice.

From the 300g of crab i made 6 Crab cakes, but very nice sized and filling enough as a starter.

Im hoping to start a Crustacean craze with these delicious, crunchy, yet tender mouthfuls of coral flecked meat.

Strawberries ..... Mood = Three ways

As you may have noticed, i am on a little bit of a small trend by doing things three ways these days. It just makes things a little more exciting for me and also gives me a chance to experiment and show you what you can do with everyday foods. Today is Strawberries. I went a little crazy buying fruit and vegetables the other day (i bought a juicer and am a little excited) and now i have so much hanging around that i am just making dishes all the time.

I had just made an enormous red velvet cake for a friend and had some left over so i used some of that as the base for one of them. You can really rummage through your cupboards and fridge and you will always find some thing. ALWAYS!


I remember once at work, we had a random group of people arrive and they wanted to spend alot of money and wanted things off the menu and whatever we had in mind. It was quite strange as this does not usually occur so we had to literally take everything out of the firdge and create around 15 different canapes just off the top of our heads and serve them to the 10 diners downstairs. It was fun and exciting to see what everyone could come up with. So my point here is you can always find something to make or add to your dish to make it a little but different.

So my 3 strawberry dishes were.....

Stawberry shortcake with red velvet crumbs and vanilla yoghurt

Strawberry and mixed fruit smoothie with a zing of ginger

Strawberry with vanilla ice cream

You may think that some may sound simple, but that is what creating is about sometimes. When they are all presented together they look simply perfect.

You have a look and tell me what you think. And if you have any other ideas let me know.

Ps. for the vanilla ice cream shot glasses, if you do make them for a party or something like that get them ready and keep them in the freezer till ready to serve.

Although it is not exactly the season for strawberries in this country, we are lucky enough to find them, but at a premium, from other countries, like Egypt, and Spain at this time. The best time is to buy strawberries from the UK is during the end of April to July. But the ones from abroad are perfectly good for now....

I hope you enjoy the the strawberry Hat-Trick !!!

NB: Hat-Trick means when things come in 3.... You learn something new everyday. Well i did !!!! Thanks Pavlos....

Chilli chicken ramen ..... Mood = Bowl food

I am sure most of you have been to Wagamama, and for sure you have tried the chilli chicken ramen. Well for me when i am trying to detox or just feel like i am eating healthy, this is where i used to go. Until i figured how to make it better than the original.

I was at home a couple of years ago and my fridge was filled with lots of goodness and i was craving this soup. And i had all the ingrediants which helped. This soup is fresh, hearty, filling, has many raw vegetables and tastes absolutely great and best of all it only takes about 10-15 minutes to make from start to finish.

My friend nour came over for a day of cooking and food and we were starving talking about food and looking at pictures of food, that our stomachs started rumbling. So i check in the firdge and decided this was going to be the dish for lunch.

Chicken soup is good for your soul, good for your mood, and good for you. So a different twist is always good.

Recipe:

2x Chicken breasts
1 bag of bean sprouts
1 bunch or fresh coriander
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 red onion
Chicken stock
1 packet of glass noodles
soya sauce
Red chilli jam
1 red chilli
1 Lime

Method:

• Marinate the chicken breasts with some soya sauce, red chilli jam and lime juice

• Heat your chicken stock and pour over the glass noodles. They only need to be heated with hot water. Not boiled.

• Slice the red onions into rings

• Cut your herbs and set aside

• Cut and deseed your red chilli.

• Place the chicken in a medium to hot pan and let it cook for about 10 minutes. I usually slice cuts into the chicken to help the cooking process and it also looks nice.

• Turn the chicken over and pour the remaining marinade over the cooking chicken and let it coat all over. Add some water to pan to make sure it doesnt burn as the chilli jam has sugar in it. Also while you are doing this it will halep create a nice sauce to pour on top.

• Put all the vegetables, mint, coriander, and noodles in a bowl, adding the chicken stock, slice the chicken breast at an angle and place on top and drizzle some left over sauce from the pan and serve.

This dish was literally eaten by us in about 5 minutes flat. The ooohhs and the ahhhhs were constant and it was such a nice feeling when it was done, even though we both said the same thing while eating .... "I dont want this to end..."

You will be licking your bowl clean and so will your guests!!!!

Peking Duck.... Mood = Crackling

Chinese food is something that is quite tricky to make and if you get it wrong, it goes very very wrong. I have cooked duck before but not a whole duck this way. It was a challenge, but not the duck part, the actual pancakes.... Im very good at pastry but this just was a little tricky as the recipe i followed i am sure was wrong so i had to improvise and change it up a little.

So duck, as we found out last night does not have that much meat on it, so be prepared for making something to go along with it as i did, and made some egg fried rice. I was very impressed with the end result, as it tasted FANTASTIC. I loved it and i would make this again. It is always so worth it when you spend time doing something and it turns out beautifully.

I looked at many recipes before making this and realised tehre was much more to do than i thought. For instance you have to boil the duck and the dry it out for 24hours before you cook it. Its not hard to do its just the WAITING and WAITING. This is a very important thing to do as it will help crisp the skin while cooking.






Recipe:

1 whole duck
Salt
Sugar
Golden syrup
Chinese five spice
1 cucumber
Spring onion

Pancake recipe:
250g flour
150 ml boiling water
sesame oil

Method:

• For the duck, boil for 5 minutes and let it rest.

• Cover with seasoning, salt, golden syurp, sugar and let it dry out over night.

• When the time has come to cook your duck, turn the heat up to 180 degrees, and prick the duck all over with a fork. Maybe about 10 pricks in total.

• You have to keep turning it over to crip each side, so keep turning it over every 20 minutes for the next 1 hr 45 minutes.

• To make the pancakes, put the flour in a bowl or kitchenaid and add the boiling water and mix. If you feel the it is too dry add a table spoon of water at a time. Knead the dough till it has become smooth. Maybe knead it for about 5 minutes.

• The let it rest for about half an hour.

•  After it has rested, roll it out into a sausage and cut up into equal peices.

• Flour well and begin rolling the pancakes.

• place 2 pancakes on top of each other and roll. They should not stick if they have been floured properly.

• Heat a pan on medium heat and using a pastry brush cover each side of the double pancakes with sesame oil and begin to cook them.

• It should take a couple of minutes on each side.

• Shred the duck, cut some spring onions and cucmber and serve with chilli jam, plum sauce, and soya sauce and serve.

Something you will be crackling about for a while!!!!

Octopussy..... Mood = Tentalicious

I went to a lovely restaurant the other night with some friends and they had so many things on the menu that i wanted to have. So i did. We shared plenty of starters and had a lovely pizza to finish off. The main thing that go my attention was the octopus salad. It was so easy, so simply, so delicious that i had to make it myslef. So the next day i went to their deli, and ordered an octopus, and lo and behold i got one. Nearly 3 kg.

So i took it home and after reading about how to cook it, i found myself creating something wonderful. I cooked it 3 different ways. This is my new thing. 3 ways of doing things just to have variety.

I made a fresh octopus salad, octopus sashimi, and barbequed octopus. I cant tell you which was the best as i thought they were all worth making again and again.


Method:

• Rinse the octopus

• Remove the ink if it is still in there.

• Bring water up to a boil and add salt.

• Add the octopus and as soon as the water starts boiling again, cook for 30 minutes.

• After it has cooked, remove from the water and let it sit.

For the salad:
Mix 1 table spoon of chopped parsley, 2tablespoons of sherry vinegar, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and cut up some tentacles and mix well and serve

For sashimi style:
Mix soya sauce with some wasabi and lime juice and slice the octopus as thin as you can and drizzle with the sauce. Add a drop of sesame oil on top and garnish with a drop of wasabi mayonaise and serve.



For barbeque Octopus:
Add some cajun spice all over tentacles, and add a little oil. Heat a pan high and add the already cooked octopus till it just sears a little. Serve


Very easy, very peasy, very octopussy!!!!

Betinjan Meh-shi..... Mood= Stuffed

I think i should be doing a month of aubergene, as here is yet another dish that makes the aubergene the star of the show. This dish is called Betinjan Meh-shi, which literally means "stuffed aubergene". This dish can be made with either lebanese courgettes, or auberegenes, or both if you fancy it. But i am not a big fan of courgettes, as i find them quite tasteless and watery. Aubergenes have this smokey flavour and deepeness to it that turns any dish into something more.....

So this is another recipe from my mother, who is away and like i mentioned before i always cook foods that she makes when she is not here. It makes me feel a little closer to her and also the countless phonecalls i have to make to make sure i do this right.... And she loves it. She gets so passionate about telling me the recipe and gets her sisters involved,so when i ask her about measurments for salt or a spice, it turns into a huge discussion with her sisters about who puts more of this and that and in the end it all boils down to what she says.... well for me anyway.

So i came home the other day and decided that this was for dinner and i prepared it in advance and left it till it was ready to eat. Something you can do to save time for later if you are feeling busy or tired.

I usually make 2 aubergenes per person, but the aubergenes are quite big here in the uk, so you make the decision...

Recipe:

4 Aubergenes
300g lamb/beef mince
1 cup of basmati rice
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
10 tomatoes
3 Tablespoons of tomato puree
Water to cover

Method:

• Cut the top off the aubergenes

• Remove the insides of the aubergene, but make sure not to puncture the outside.

• Mix the meat with the rice and season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Do not hesitate with seasoning as you will need it to flavour well, otherwise you will end up with a very bland dish.

• Fill the aubergenes up but do not force the rice/meat mixture in. Tap it gently on the base to let it settle, and do not fill all the way to the top. Remember the rice has to grow inside.

• Chop and whiz your tomatoes in a blender and then put in a deep pan and let simmer. Add the tomato paste, and then add the aubergenes.

• Make sure they are at least 3/4 coated with the tomato sauce and if not, add water . 
• I love the way they resemble whales swimming in a lava coloured ocean bubbling inderneath them.....

• Bring to the boil and keep it on high for about 15 minutes, then bring the temperature down.

• After about an hour in total, remove the aubergenes from the pan and serve, drizzling the tomato sauce all over and serve with green bell peppers and chilli.

Information about cinnamon -

• It had a reputation for curing the common cold

• It is used to treat diarrhea and stomach pains

• High in antioxident activity

• Has a great pharmacological effect on type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance

• It is also used as an aphrodesiac

• Last but not least, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon has the same amount of antixoidant as a cup of pommegranate juice and half a cup of blueberry juice. Pretty impressive.

You will defintiely feel stuffed after this!!!! But in a good way....