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And here is part 2 of the interview as we continue to chat with June, … If you are looking for something that will wow your guests, this is definitely it! June shows us how to get it done with such ease so you can look like you know how to throw down! It’s guest post day! Yaaaaay! Have you ever met someone that just has you beaming in joy from the moment you meet them to the moment you part? Well, June is exactly that sort of person. Get to know her a little in this post, part 1 of the interview… How does it look? Would you say delicious? It is — and awesomely creamy! It took me several attempts to get it just right so I hope you enjoy it. fruits & nuts, we all like them in chocolate, but have you tried them in rice? It may just be better… There is absolutely nothing wrong with adding a little veggie to your eggs! If you are looking for something colourful to add to the table other than a big vase of flowers (which just gets in the way of good meal time conversation) — this is the perfect side, it’s easy and versatile! Hello! I hope you enjoyed getting to know Ina yesterday. Today you get a recipe. Meet the writer of all things maridadi! + I tried out one of her recipes. The combination of butter and garlic — lethal! Makes almost anything good, to me. Try it out on mushrooms and add a little heat… Asparagus has been a challenging one for me to figure out. I don’t even think I’ve cooked it more than 5 times. It’s nice when I eat it at restaurants but at home I just couldn’t get it to taste right. I think I’m getting close though, this is the best I’ve made at home so far… Also known as the african doughnut, this delightful little pastry is always a hit at tea time! If you’re looking for quick and easy to do this is it! I remember as a kid my mother would give us tasks in the kitchen to help with preparation, most a specially when we were hosting. I can just imagine her instructing to prepare these — that’s how simple they are. But don’t let the simplicity fool you, they are very tasty. This is an easy one to make. Like many rice mix dishes, it’s a great way to refresh leftover plain rice. So you can plan ahead and make lots of rice today, and do fried rice the next day, cutting prep time for a meal. A big part of making quick meals can be planning ahead with the meal you’re making today. Just make a little extra to use a different way tomorrow. This is one of my favourite ways to cook beans. Though I usually see it in other places with the kidney beans, I have used coconut in pretty much every type of bean that’s been though my kitchen, even butter beans, and they were all delicious. Isn’t that a beautiful specimen of a pumpkin? My mother sent it to me, it is from her garden. One day when I own my own home I’d love to keep a garden like my parents do. It’s not just pretty with flowers, there’s plenty to eat. I remember when we were growing up there was always something you could snack from while in the garden, or pick to cook with. Mango, avocado and guava trees; rosemary and gooseberry bushes between the flowers; a few edible greens; passion fruit vine intertwined in the live fence,… Not all at the same time but there was always 3 or 4 things. Doesn’t it sound awesome though? So earlier this year hubby treated us to some take out for dinner. One of the sides he brought was coconut rice. I have never tasted coconut rice that good before. It was sweet, packed with a burst of savoury flavour and creamy all at the same time. It was so good I’ve actually thought about it regularly since I had it, specifically how to recreate it in my own kitchen. So here it is, have a look… I wanted to call this post “tender deliciousness” because that is how I would describe this dish. It takes a while to cook but it is more than worth the wait. The up side is you can do something else while you’re waiting. I truly enjoy how simple additions and small changes can make a big difference. Adding a sprinkle of dania over a finished dish before serving it, or folding it in, in a stew just before you take it off the fire. One of my favourites is bay leaves in chicken stew (I add them at the beginning though, not the end). Nuts are also awesome to add to food. Grounded, flaked or whole they’ll will definitely refresh your dish. Like these stir fry veggies for example… Just look at those colours! Have you ever had purple cabbage? I had it for the first time two years ago. It was a catered lunch at the office. One of the dishes was a simple coleslaw made with purple cabbage and a sprinkle of pine nuts. It was delish. I can’t say the purple cabbage tastes any different from the regular green one but it makes such a huge difference when food just looks good and appetising. Sometimes the best way to make a meal is to keep thing simple. I always say the easy simple things we make at home are usually the tastiest ones. And I don’t mean the pretentious stuff. I mean the stuff that comes easily to us, the stuff we don’t need to reference a book to make, that’s my favourite stuff. No, don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with referencing books. Even I need a break from my regular cooking sometimes, or just to get inspired. I use the books, the internet, whatever I can get my hands on, I even call people (mostly my little brother) to pic their brains for ideas. But in the end, I think the best comfort food is what flows easily out of us when we’re in the kitchen. That said,… have a look at how easy these lamb chops are (^_^) There are times when a combination of flavours just come to you. You have no idea what you’ll do with them, they just sound good in your head, so good you can taste them. Most of the time I just dwell on them for a couple of days then they get lost, they disappear, they become like a childhood memory, lingering in the background attached to a good feeling but everything is hazy, no details. Well, this time when the flavours hit me, I went with it. Everyone that has cooked with butter knows exactly what butter can do the taste. If you eat out a lot you have definitely tasted something that was smothered with butter. Once you try it in your kitchen though it becomes something you have to resist, or at least I have to. If I didn’t have to control my butter intake I’d probably put it in everything!! So when I use it, it’s a treat… I like rice. It has a nice flavour of it’s own — mild and delicate. The sticky kind is my favourite. I’ve been asked how to make rice “perfectly” in the past, and when they say perfectly they mean the way it’s made in hotels and restaurants so that it comes out “one-one” they always say. In other words, so that the grains are still separate but perfectly cooked. And the answer is, I have no clue. I’ve never bothered to know. I like mine sticky! But maybe I’ll make that an upcoming adventure. In the mean time, try this recipe, it will work just as well with “non-sticky” rice! Here’s something to start your new year, tasty, savoury home fries. Janice made something like this for me when I visited her a couple of months ago. It was delicious. Tried to replicate it, I think I got pretty close, check it out… Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV) This is not your average chicken recipe. This is an awesomely delicious juicy recipe. You know those times when everyone is silent at the dinner table cause they’re too busy eating and eyeing the last piece of chicken? Or those times at family meetings when you’re cousin gets up to get more chicken while taking a bite of his drumstick with one hand and the other has a plate is full of food? — It’s this Chicken! But your cousin is probably just greedy (^_^) Ice cream and icy treats are such a wonderful invention! Especially for a hot summer day, better than sliced bread in my book, and they keep getting better and better. There are so many inventive ways to make and have them. As the hot season is kicking in, here’s an awesome idea for you to surprise your family with. If you are tired of having chips and ketchup as the accompaniment to your fish, try this lovely sauce over a pan fried piece of fish fillet, with some rice and a side of fresh salad. The story is now cooking… Real, home made, mouthwatering goodness! It doesn’t get better than this. The best meals are the ones we make up on our own, following our instincts for flavour. You know why? Because nobody likes bad food. This is a must try recipe, check it out… It’s guest post day! My neighbour Anne is an awesome cook. I discovered that on a random day. I dropped by and she was just about to eat, and she shared her lunch with me — don’t you just love it when that happens?! The spontaneous sharing of food I mean. It just warms the heart doesn’t it? Here is a little bit about her… Sometimes making a meal is a bit like painting… or at least I think about it like I’m painting. When I think a recipe I imagine the colours served on a plate and are they working? Making this potato salad was very much like that. If you haven’t fired up your oven for a while, here are two very good reasons to! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! \(^_^)/ This was very delicious. In fact, so delicious that I completely forgot to take the final shot! It’s very simple and quick to make, good for a weekday meal. Enjoy! Crustless quiche! There’s a lot of chopping in the prep work but it is so worth it! If you have kids that are old enough I suggest getting them involved. Make it a nice saturday brunch in the garden… Ever heard of Leo Tunapika? Well, now you have, click to learn some more, you will not regret it! You don’t always have to come up with a whole new dish. If you’re bored with what you’re cooking, switching out a few ingredients and adding an extra one can really refresh a dish, sometimes make it brand new. Check out how I refreshed this simple pasta dish… You can never go wrong with these time saving one pot dinners! Even better is experimenting with your kids ideas, especially when they turn out so great!
