Category: Food

Busy Mama (or Baba) Slow Cooker Chicken
Stylemesisteradmin
December 21, 2018

Busy Mama (or Baba) Slow Cooker Chicken

I admit that this is more of an instructional tutorial than recipe however if I’m completely honest with you on nights where you are more likely to reach for a fattening takeout or ready meal cheats like this are awesome.

By no means am I saying feed your family this every night however let’s be honest here. Sometimes we need a meal we can prepare whilst juggling a clingy baby, a toddler crying over toys that have somehow ended up down the toilet and a boss that wants to know when you think you’ll be returning to work FULL time.

My children love this recipe (as do I). The only effort in this recipe is the actual browning of the chicken.

Once I’ve browned the chicken it’s pretty much throw stuff into the slow cooker and forget about it until you need to prepare the rice to serve with it (I served the chicken with basmati rice).

Did I mention this meal works out at less than £0.75 per head?

So to put together this super easy meal (that serves 4/6) you will need:

6 pieces of chicken (I purchased three legs, skin on cut in half)
1 tablespoon oil

For the sauce:
60 ml dark soya sauce
3 tablespoons honey
80 ml tomato ketchup (for an extra kick you can use flavoured ketchups)
8 cloves of garlic-crushed
Juice of 2 limes
Optional: salt to your taste (remember that soya sauce is very very salty!)
Optional: 1 teaspoon chili flakes (for some heat!) OR 1 tablespoon chili sauce

To serve:
I served mine with rice. If you are on a low carb diet replace with cauliflower rice.

1) Heat the oil on a medium heat in a large pan. I use a non stick large frying pan.
2) Add the chicken pieces and fry for 5 minutes per side (I find this browns and crisps the chicken nicely. Always check your chicken whilst cooking it to avoid burning it).
3) Once the chicken is browned drain on some kitchen paper and set aside.
4) Now make the sauce. Pour the dark soya sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, lime juice and optional ingredients (if using) into your slow cooker and stir to mix. You could use a whisk if that’s more convienent.
5) Add the chicken to the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken. Cook on slow for 5 hours. If you are cooking on the high setting check your chicken after 2.5 hours. Remember that chicken on the bone cooks slower than boneless.
6) Check your chicken at half way and baste it with the sauce (your chicken is highly unlikely to dry out but we want maximum flavour).
7) Your chicken is ready to serve.

Notes: if you do wish to add salt please do so towards the end of the cooking process after tasting salt content. I find it easier to add salt that take it out if you over salt a dish.
Leftovers make great lunches the next day.
Or you can shred the chicken and make sliders (sandwiches).

Salted Caramel Popcorn
Stylemesisteradmin
December 14, 2018

 

 

Salted Caramel Popcorn

I cannot be the only one that looks for ways to add the magic of Ramadan and Eid to the lives of those around us. I also cannot be the only Mama who looks for ways for her children to share this blessed and magical time with their friends and Teachers either.

As my girls get older they are noticing more and more that a lot of attention is given on a global scale to Christmas. They also notice that gift giving/baked goods and other little items are distributed a lot during the festive period.

So this year I put a bit of effort into my children’s light Dawah on the playground. That’s right; I classed this project as Dawah. Because even though there isn’t any spoken words to this we are paving the way for conversation. And we are also spreading kindness. Dawah in my book doesn’t have to be about preaching. It’s also about creating opportunities to discuss things.

So why am I posting this recipe so close to Christmas? Well I don’t see any reason why you cannot distribute these cones for Christmas too.

So to make 12 cones of pure yumminess (that took me about an hour and a half to actually do) you will need:

Ingredients:

500 grams popping corn (plan stuff available in most supermarkets and is actually quite cheap)
4 TBSP oil (sunflower works-no need to go fancy)

For the caramel:

600 grams sugar (I used a mixture of what I had in the house-which was soft light and dark brown sugars)
550 grams of butter (feel free to use salted)
Sea salt (crushed) to taste.
4 TBSP honey
4 TBSP double cream

To wrap up:
12 x cellophane cone bags (I purchased these in a set of 50 as I have other projects coming up)
12 x wire twists to fasten the cones
Stickers (optional-we bought Eid Mubarak stickers off eBay. I’ll be using personalised ones for the Christmas cones we are distributing too).

Equipment:
2 large baking sheets (or 3 smaller ones). Line with greaseproof paper. I prefer to use the sheets that are used to make tray bakes etc as they have high sides which prevents popcorn falling off.

1) You need to start by popping the corn. I popped the corn in batches. I placed 2 TBSP of oil in a large pan and heated in a large pan and add 150 grams of corn. Give it a quick shake and place the lid on. Now is the fun part. You need to listen to the corn pop. This takes around 5/6 minutes. Give the pan a shake (carefully as it will be hot!) during the 5/6 minutes to stop the popcorn burning. Once the speed of the corn literally dies down (again around 5/6 minutes in). Turn the heat off. Give the pan a shake. Do not remove the lid just yet in case you get hit by a stray popped corn.

2) Repeat step 1 until all the popcorn is popped. Remove any cernals that haven’t popped (chipped teeth are not in vogue). Place the popcorn to one side. Now make the caramel.

3) As there’s a lot of popcorn I make the caramel in TWO batches. I find this the best way to control the situation.

Heat half the butter and half the sugar in a medium pan. Stir the mixture to prevent it burning.

Cook over a medium heat until the caramel is formed. Now by this I mean you’ll literally see a sticky, brown liquid lava in the pan. Now add 2 TBSP of honey and stir in. Reduce the heat to prevent burning. Now add the double cream and stir until combined. Allow to bubble for a minute. Turn the heat off. Allow to cool for a few minutes. It will still be hot and you need to be careful not to scald yourself as hot sugar is dangerous.

4) Now comes the messy yet slightly dangerous part. You need to add half the popcorn to the caramel. Stir well to cover as much of the popcorn as possible. Now divide up the mixture onto the trays and spread evenly. Sprinkle on salt to your taste.

5) Bake in an oven at 170 for 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow to cool completely. Don’t worry if you peak at the popcorn whilst it’s warm and the mixture looks like it’s melted. Once its stone cold it’s set and will be yum. Hold the vision; trust the process. Always.

Now repeat the above steps to make another batch of caramel/caramel popcorn.

Once the popcorn is cold you may wish to break up the clusters to bag them up. That’s fine. Place in the bags and fasten. Add labels/stickers as you wish.

Any leftover popcorn will keep well for up to 4 days in a ziplock bag/airtight container.

Distribute with pride.

Enjoy.

Note: this popcorn is high in calories and sugar. In case you were wondering.

Quick & Easy Chicken Con Carne
Stylemesisteradmin
December 7, 2018

 

Speedy Chicken Mince Con Carne.

Sometimes we need to get dinner on the table asap and I’m no exception to that. My girls love meat. As much as I would love them to eat more lentils, pulses and vegetables red meat always wins.

I serve this awesome family favourite with basmati rice, minty yogurt and a few other trimmings.

The key to the speed of this meal is the fact the protein I am using is chicken mince. It’s healthy, quick to cook and also cheap.

To make a speedy Chicken Mince Con Carne for 4-6 you will need the following ingredients:

500 grams chicken mince
2 small onions sliced
5 cloves of garlic-crushed or 1 tsp garlic granules
2 TBSP rapeseed oil
1 400 grams tin of chopped tomatoes
1 400 grams red kidney beans rinsed and drained

Herbs & Spices:
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP cumin powder
1 TBSP coriander seed powder
1 heaped tsp of dried coriander leaves (feel free to use fresh if you have them as I keep dried herbs as they are easier to keep on hand).
1 TBSP salt
1/2 TSP red chili powder
1 TSP paprika
NOTE: for those looking for a real fast meal replace all the herbs and spices for half a sachet (check how much protein the recipe calls for on the packet. If it says 1 kg use half the pack. If it says 500 grams just use the whole pack) of any of the following spice mixes: Fajita/Taco/Chili Con Carne.

To serve (use what you have available this list is just a suggestion):

Cooked rice (boil the rice alongside the Chili cooking to save yourself time)
Tortilla chips
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced tomatoes
Jalepenos
Sour cream
Grated cheese
Sliced radishes
Shredded lettuce
Wedges of lime

Minty yogurt:
To make minty yogurt place 250 ml of low fat yogurt, a pinch of salt (or more if that’s what you use) juice of 1 lime and 8-10 mint leaves in a processor with a jug attachment (I use my smoothie maker as I often use it to make myself lassi-it’s about making equipment work hard not making you work harder). Whiz the ingredients and voila! Minty yogurt.

1) Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and fry for two minutes. Now add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic.

2) Whilst the chicken is frying place the kidney beans on a chopping board and chop them up.

3) Add the chopped up kidney beans to the mince mixture. Fry for a minute. Add the herb and spice mix. Fry for a further one minute. If the mixture starts sticking to the pan and if that happens add 3 tablespoons of water.

4) Now add the chopped tomatoes. Stir well. Bring it to the boil and then turn the heat down.

5) After 20 minutes cooking time your chili con carne is ready.

6) Serve!

Additional notes:
Leftover mince can be served with Tacos or as filling for enchiladas.
If you like extra heat add another 1/2 spoon of red chili powder
Like a smoky flavour? Add liquid smoke to the chili
Fresh herbs can be used instead of dried. Fresh herbs are less intense in flavour so you’ll need double the amount of fresh ingredients compared to dried.
As long as you use fresh mince (and not pre-frozen) this recipe freezes well for up to 3 months.
For fussy eaters BLITZ the red kidney beans to a pulp and add them to the mince. This is a great way to get fussy eaters to eat more beans (it works on my 5 year old and if you end up reading this; Mama loves you Boo).

My take on Chicken Daube
Stylemesisteradmin
November 30, 2018

Mauritian inspired Chicken and Potato stew
(inspired by Daube de Poulet/Chicken Daube).

The humble chicken. For me personally it doesn’t get enough credit. Literally. In my opinion it’s one of the most versatile proteins (and healthier than red meat too). However I don’t think it gets enough credit for what it is.

We bung it in the oven and tell it to come out as a perfect roasted chicken for the family to enjoy at the weekend. But give it a bit of love and the plain old chicken can be transformed into a pot of warm, comforting fair suitable for the colder months ahead.

I personally would prefer for my family to eat more chicken over red meat….but alas we haven’t got to that stage quite yet.

So here is my take on a Mauritian classic Daube de Poulet/Chicken Daube. I’ve adapted this classic to make it suitable for the slow cooker however you can easily cook it on the stove top.

I have a system where I try to prepare a weeks worth of meals in a couple of hours. In this session I will also brown off any meats I will using during the week and I will either store them in the fridge or freezer depending on when I will be needing the product.

Now for some people this will seem insane; for me it opens up many opportunities of using the slow cooker even on a really busy morning as there’s no need to ‘brown off’ meat on the stove before putting it into the slow cooker. But this is something I do and it works for me.

You can of course skip the browning step if you wish to. The flavour in my opinion isn’t as strong (rather mellow).

So to make a classically inspired dish that easily serves 6 (I get 8 portions out of this recipe) you will need:

1 kilogram of chicken drumsticks (skin off)
1 tablespoon oil (I used rapeseed oil)
3 medium potatoes cut into medium pieces (smaller pieces will cook faster and essentially turn into mush)
1 large onion chopped or 4 TSBP of pre-fried onions (available in most Asian supermarkets-they’ll be cheaper in bulk too!)
1 can (approx 410 grams in weight-check the tin) tomatoes-chopped.
200 ml water or chicken stock
1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika (or plain paprika if that’s all you have).
1 heaped teaspoon garlic or garlic paste
1 small piece of ginger (around an inch)-whole
1 cinnamon stick
Salt-amount will depend on your own preference.
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh (dry herbs are more concentrated in flavour).
Variation (remember this recipe is inspired by NOT an authentic copy of the original) you can use other herbs. For a French twist try Herb de Provence. Again use 1 teaspoon.

OPTIONAL: 1 dried chili (for a bit of a chili flavour)

Note: the French variation can contain wine however a lot of Mauritian folk follow an alcohol free diet.

1) Heat the oil in a pan over a medium flame. Add the chicken, cinnamon stick and ginger and fry until opaque and a bit brown (bits will be brown but not the full chicken). Take off the heat.

2) Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and stir to mix well. You’ll note that there doesn’t seem to be lots of liquid. That’s fine as cooking in a slow cooker uses less liquid (evaporates less).

3) Now you have two options.
Cook on high for 3 hours
Cook on low for 5.5 hours

4) Once cooked serve! The flavours literally develop more overnight. As you have the potatoes in the dish I haven’t suggested serving with potatoes or rice. Why add to the carbs?!

Enjoy.

Winter Fruit Sponge
Stylemesisteradmin
November 23, 2018

Winter fruity Sponge Bake

Crisp colourful leaves on the ground. Bit knitted tops. Bowls of tomato soup and darker evenings watching box sets. Yes that pretty much sounds like Autumn. I love every season going and when the seasons change I often dream about what will happen in this season. Autumn to me is about comfort, appreciation and preparing for ‘come what may’. The colourful leaves followed by the crazy colourful fireworks have me lusting for this season a lot.

And as a baker with children with a sweet tooth I love experimenting with flavours and in Autumn I love gently spicing food with cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. The warm aroma makes me feel safe and snug.

What says ‘hey it’s Autumn’ to me is the combination of apples and blackberries. So here I have an awesome recipe for winter fruit sponge. It’s not too sweet, not too tart and has a spongy warm layer that says Autumn has arrived.
Serve this beauty with lashings of custard….or if you are still pining for Summer a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!

Ingredients:

For the fruity layer
500 grams Apples, Blackberries & plums
175 ml water
60 grams sugar
1 small cinnamon stick

For the spongy top:

125 grams butter at room temperature
125 grams castor sugar
125 grams self raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg whisked
50 ml milk

1) Place the apples, cinnamon and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
2) Add the blackberries and cook for a further 2/3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
3) In a large bowl beat together the sugar and butter until creamed together. Add the egg and beat further.
4) Add the flour baking powder and ground ginger and beat. Don’t worry if it looks a bit lumpy that will be fixed later.
5) Now add the milk and stir in.
6) Take the baking tin and place the apple and blackberry in it. Spread evenly. Remove the cinnamon stick.
7) Pour over the sponge mix and spread evenly with a spatula.
8) Bake at 170 for 25 minutes (or until golden brown).
9) Take out of the oven and serve warm with custard.
10) Enjoy!