Hello Summer!!!

SUMMER LUNCH!

One of my favorite summer desserts also happens to be one of the easiest!  To me, there’s nothing simpler and more delicious- Mexican Pineapples

1 Pineapple Cubed 

Salt to taste 

Chillie powder 

1 cup Water 

2-4 tblspn Sugar

In a small pot, place the water and sugar to boil in medium heat- make a sugar syrup. Let cool. 

Meanwhile, spice the pineapples with the salt and chillie powder and leave aside. 

Once the syrup is cooled pour over the pineapples and serve.. 

Enjoy 

Summer Roast Chicken: MAKE IT AHEAD! 

This week's Lunch for The Family is Roast Chicken, I hope you'll love this twist on a classic! 

Roast Chicken

Chillie powder 

Salt

Pinch of Turmeric 

Lemon pepper 

Peri-Peri oil 

Garlic Crushed 

Green masala 

Thyme 

Lemon juice 

Marinate Chicken ahead- place in a roast tray and leave aside cut pieces of butter over and roast in a pre heated oven. 

Once chicken is done, add more butter and lemon over and serve with chips/wedges or Savory Rice. 

Birthday Cupcakes... 

This time of year always reminds me of the wonderful homemade  treats everyone would bring to school to share with the class on their birthdays. My favorite combo was (and still is!) Chocate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing – topped with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups.  You can tell yourself you’re making these for the kids, but we know the truth!!

Chocolate Cupcakes 

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
2/3 cup granulated sugar 
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature 
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature 
2 tablespoons brewed coffee 
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup good cocoa powder 
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 
½ teaspoon kosher salt 
Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, to decorate (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and two sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended. 

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (one rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting. 

Frost each cupcake with peanut butter icing and sprinkle with diced Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, if desired. 

Faai's Peanut Butter Icing 

1 cup confectioners’ sugar 
1 cup creamy peanut butter 
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
¼ teaspoon kosher salt 
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Sweet Sweet Potatoes

1 packet sweet potatoes

1/4 Cup Butter

2-3 Cups Sugar

3 cups Water

Cinnamon Sticks 

Elachi 

Saffron 

Slice sweet potatoes into rings (leave peel on). In non stick pot put sweet potatoes with cinnamon sticks, whole elachi, saffron or saffron essence. 

Add butter, 2 cups sugar and 3 cups of water. Let everything cook together on low until soft and water burns out. Don't turn the sweet potatoe it will break. Once done taste for sweetness if you want it more sweeter add more sugar.

Recipe Credit: Shameela 

Fish Curry

2 Packets Kingklip

Place fish in a dish with a little water, salt and Vinegar. Place fish into a siff 

To drain water. 

Marinate fish in the following a few hours before. 

5 tblspn Lasan Masala

2 tsp salt 

2 tsp chillie powder 

1 tsp crush jeera 

Lemon Juice 

Little oil 

Fry fish in a little oil and leave aside. 

Chutney

5-6 Tomatoes 

Lasan Masala 

Crush jeera

Curry leaves

Green Chillies ( slit in half )

Whole jeera

Methi seeds 

Mustard seeds

Heat a little oil with curry leaves, green chillies whole jeera, methi seeds and mustard seeds. 

Add 2 full tsp lasan masala, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chillie Powder, 1/2 tsp crush jeera. 

Braise them add 5-6 cutt tomatoes. 

Add fried fish to chutney with a little lemon juice and dhania. 

Portuguese Steak

1/2 kg Steak 

1 tsp Salt 

1/2 tsp Pepper 

1tsp Ginger Garlic 

1 tsp Ground green masala

1 tsp Crush Chillie 

1/4 tsp Mustard Powder 

Vinegar 

Worcester Sauce 

2 tblsp cream of mushroom soup

1 tin mushrooms ( Denny ) 

Green & Red Peppers 

Pickle Onions

Heat Some butter and Olive Oil in a pot. 

Add ginger garlic & ground green masala 

Let Braise. 

Add steaks, cook till almost done. 

Add mushrooms- and 2 tblspn cream of mushroom soup. 

When steaks start boiling add pickle onions, peppers. 

Cool till done. 

Lastly Add 1/2 cup fresh cream. 

* Cousins Recipe 

Something From the Middle East

Mediterranean Manchurian 

2 pieces chicken fillet, cut in strips 

2 tblspn a corn flour 

2 tblspn sugar 

1 tsp salt 

2 eggs 

1/4 cup water 

1 tblspns plain flour 

1/4 tsp yellow food color 

Marinate chicken with above ingredients and fry in shallow oil until golden brown, set aside 

Sauce 

1/3 cup oil 

1 tblspn fresh garlic ( sliced thinly ) 

2 tsp garlic ( semi ground ) 

1/2 tsp red chillie flakes 

2 cups chillie sauce ( I used 1 cup osmans chillie sauce and 1 cup sandwich man sauce ) 

1 tblspn tomato sauce 

2 vegetable stock cubed ( crush into sauce ) 

1 tsp soya sauce 

Cashews 

Heat oil in pan, add the ginger and garlic and let sizzle for a few minutes. 

Add the chillie flakes and cool for a few seconds. 

Switch off heat add sauces, soya and vegetable stock cubes. 

Add fried chicken and place back on stove - let summer for a bit. 

Add 1 cup water to the sauce and let cool for 10 mins on low heat 

Once chicken is completely cooked and sauce immersed, switch of stove - add a few green pepper slices and close pot. 

Fry some cashews in oil and sprinkle over chicken and serve. 

ButtetNut Avo Salad

1/2 butternut peeled and cubed

1/2 a red onion finely slices

1 avo cubed

feta cheese cubed

fresh dhania (coriander) chopped

Dressing :

1/4 cup steers sweet chiilie sauce

2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon fine red powder

1/2 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Topping :

1/2 cup chopped peacan

2 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoon almond flakes

olive oil to fry nuts

Salt and oil cubed butternut, bake in moderate oven until cooked. 

Pour the dressing over cooked butternut 

and red onion ,fry nuts in olive oil until golden. add remaining salad ingredients before salad is served,toss salad lightly .

top with nut mixture