Spaghetti Bolognese

Good evening everybody,how are we all doing ? Hope we all had a wonderful weekend! Anyway,its another day to share another lovely recipe,its easy and super yummy! This dish originally belongs to the Italians but I can say other nationalities are in love with it too ;) So I present to you,spaghetti bolognese!!

Lets start with the ingredients needed:

• 400g of ground beef (enough for 3-4 servings)
• Three tablespoons of tomato paste
• Two chopped tomatoes
• Two cloves of garlic(finely chopped)
• One small onion (finely chopped)
• One carrot (grated)
• Two finely chopped chicken sausages(optional)
• Two-three tablespoons of worcestershire sauce (you can use red wine instead)
• Two-three tablespoons of milk (optional)
• One teaspoon of dry oregano
• One teaspoon of dry thyme
• One teaspoon of salt
• Half a teaspoon of sugar
• One knorr beef bouillon(if you are using water instead of beef/chicken stock)
• Two cups of water(you can use beef/chicken stock instead)

STEPS:

Heat up your sauce pan or regular pan with some oil,saute your onions and garlic till they turn translucent,then add in the ground beef,sausage and thyme and stir fry till its all brown.

Next up,add in the carrots,saute for a minute,then add in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes,mix and fry for a minute then add in the two cups of water,salt,sugar,oregano,bouillon and worcestershire sauce,let it simmer for about 30-45 minutes on low-medium heat,you can taste and adjust anything.

Then lastly before its done,add in the milk to give it that bit of creaminess and that's all! Yummy and ready to serve! Now you can serve it with any pasta of your choice but the classic one is usually spaghetti and don't forget to garnish with some parmesan cheese and parsley ;)

I really hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy!

Yoghurt and basil based chicken thigh kebabs with curry rice.

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog,hope we all had a wonderful weekend.Today's recipe has some Mediterranean and Jamaican roots,but of course I added my own flair to it! So I present to you,yoghurt and basil based chicken thigh kebabs with curry rice!

So lets start with the kebabs,you will need the following ingredients;

• Boneless chicken thighs(I used four,it will be enough for six sticks)
• Three scoops of plain white yoghurt(for those in ukraine you can use smetana instead)
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• One small onion
• One chilli pepper
• Three cloves of garlic
• Two tablespoons of rice wine vinegar 
• One teaspoon of salt
• One teaspoon of chilli powder
• One teaspoon of cumin
• Two chicken bouillon
• Half a teaspoon of sugar
• A dash of curry and thyme
• A dash of black pepper

STEPS:

Cut your chicken thighs into cubes and throw the remaining of the ingredients into a blender and blend away,add the resulting mixture to the chicken and let it marinate for preferably twenty four hours,but if that is too much,an hour will also do.like so,

Cover with cling film and let it marinate in the fridge.

When it's done marinating,you can now go ahead and stick the chicken into kebabs,if you like you can add in some vegetables in between the meat or you can just stack them like that straight up,for mine I added some onions and bell pepper,just cut them into cubes and arrange in between stacks,like so

Next up,brown the kebabs in a grill pan or normal pan and then put them in the oven to continue cooking for about ten to fifteen minutes at 180 degrees celsius,but if you own an outdoor or coal grill you can just do it at once there,or even in your grill pan,just make sure it is thoroughly cooked.

Now lets move to the curry rice,you will need the following ingredients;

• One cup of basmati rice 
• One teaspoon of curry (depending on how much color you want,you can use more)
• Half a small onion (finely chopped)
• Two cloves of garlic
• One teaspoon of thyme
• One teaspoon of black pepper
• Two chicken bouillons
• Two cups of chicken stock
• One teaspoon of chilli powder
• A dash of salt if needed

STEPS:

So this rice is pretty easy and simple,in hausa we will simply call it dafa duka(meaning cook all at once) :)

So just parboil your rice a bit,and add everything up to it and let it simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes,you can taste and adjust anything if you want before its done,plus you can also add in any other additional ingredientS and make it your own :)

 And there you have it,simply plate and enjoy everything,I really hope you give this recipe a try :)

Beef tortilla wraps

Hi everybody! Welcome back to my blog,hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Today's recipe is easy,simple and delicious! You can make this recipe for lunch time,snack time,hang out with the friends time or if you simply want to feel good! So i present to you,beef tortilla wraps!

Lets go ahead and start with ingredients needed:

• Tortilla wraps (depending on the amount you want,I made four)
• 200 g of beef(cut into strands)
• One medium size carrot
• One small cucumber
• One medium tomato
• Half of a medium size red onion
• Half of one avocado
• One egg
• Three full spoons of mayonnaise
• Quarter lemon
• Half a teaspoon of dry pepper
• Ketchup
• Half a teaspoon of sugar 
• Half a tablespoon of chopped dills

So lets start!

 First things first,get your veggies washed and in order!

So instead of grating my carrots,I prefer to use a potato peeler to shave thin slices of the carrots and then later use a knife and slice the carrots into thin strands,the texture is way better and crunchier than just grating it.I also did the same to the cucumber.Now before setting the carrots and cucumber aside,sprinkle some salt on them,mix and let them sit for some minutes,then squeeze out the excess water in them and set them aside.

Now slice up the remaining of your veggies and set them aside as well.To prevent your avocado from turning brown,sprinkle some salt or lemon juice on it and set aside.For the egg,add some salt and black pepper,beat it and make a quick omelette,roll up the omelette and cut it into strands and set aside.

Now for the beef! You can simply season it however you want but I added some salt,one beef bouillon,pepper,curry,thyme,seasoned meat tenderizer and garlic.Drizzle some oil in the pan and stir fry till the beef is cooked and set aside as well.

Next up,add your mayonnaise in a bowl,squeeze in the quarter lemon,add the dills,pepper,sugar and a little dash of ketchup and whisk!

Now bring everything together,but before placing your wrap on the board,heat it up in a pan for ten seconds on each side and then place it on the board to be filled and wrapped!like so

Put your mayonnaise mixture in the middle,swirl it round the wrap and then place every other thing on top step by step,drizzle some ketchup then roll the end of the wrap forward,then roll in the sides and use a tooth pick to hold everything together and thats it!

  

Remember you must not use exactly what I used,you can use whatever left over veggies or meat you have in your fridge,just wrap it up and voila! I do hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy!

Cous cous with vegetables and grilled boneless chicken thighs

Hi everyone! welcome back to my blog again and as usual,I am here to share another wonderful recipe! Hope we all had a swell weekend! So today's menu is cous cous with vegetables and grilled boneless chicken thighs.

 So lets start with the ingredients for the grilled boneless chicken thighs,you will need the following :

• Four pieces of chicken thighs (boneless)
• Two cloves of garlic
• Half a teaspoon of salt
• Half a teaspoon of dry thyme
• A dash of curry
• One chicken bouillon
• One tablespoon of suya spice
• One tablespoon of teriyaki sauce
• One tablespoon of dark soy sauce
• One tablespoon of oyster sauce

Now to debone your thighs,place a thigh on a flat board with the skin side being under and the rough side being up,locate the single bone on the thigh,now use your knife and score a line along the bone(like a vertical incision),exposing the bone,then put your index finger under the bone and run your finger along the bone seperating it from the meat,and finally just use your knife to cut out the edges of the bone still attached to the meat .

Now add everything up in a bowl and mix,make sure the spices get in there!cover the bowl with a cling film and set aside in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes or more.When its done marinating,bring the chicken out and let it get to room temperature before grilling it.

So before it hits the oven,lets brown it first in a grill pan or normal pan,and then put it in the oven to continue cooking,like so

Set your oven to about 180 degrees celsius and cook for about twenty minutes and its done! Take it out,let it cool before carving it and serving!

Next up is the cous cous! you will need the following ingredients:

• 200g of cous cous (for two to three servings)
• Two cloves of garlic
• Two chilli peppers
• 2/3 of a cup of chopped mushrooms
• One medium size carrot(chopped)
• Two small green onions (chopped)
• One small red onion
• One tablespoon of dark soy
• One tablespoon of oyster sauce
• Two chicken bouillons
• A dash of salt
• A cup of chicken stock (optional)

Heat your pot with a little drizzle of vegetable oil,add in the onions and garlic,sautee them for a bit before adding the rest of the veggies without the green onions,save it for last,add it in when the cous cous is almost done.Stir fry the veggies for a few minutes and then add in the chicken stock or normal water,add in about three to four cups of water,add in all your seasoning,taste and adjust anything,then let it simmer for a few minutes,then add in the cous cous.Cous cous doesn't take time to cook,it should be done in five minutes,check the texture of the cous cous if its soft enough or it needs more water,and thats all!

Serve your cous cous along side grilled chicken and enjoy!

Remember you can always switch things up to suit your taste,hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy!

Oven baked stuffed bell pepper with white rice

Hello everyone! Hope we all had a wonderful weekend,I am here to share another sumptuous recipe,oven baked stuffed bell pepper with some white rice.

This recipe is quite simple and easy to do,if you are looking for something different,this will definitely be ideal! Also remember you can use any stuffing of your choice,but today I will be sharing the stuffing I used for this post.

So first things first,the ingredients! you will need the following:

• 300g of ground beef (this will be enough for three bell peppers)
• Bell peppers (depending on the amount you want)
• One small onion (finely chopped)
• Two chilli peppers (finely chopped)
• Three cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• Two chicken sausages (finely chopped)
• One egg
• Two beef bouillon 
• One teaspoon of thyme
• One teaspoon of curry
• One tablespoon of oyster sauce
• Half a teaspoon of salt

Now add everything up in a bowl and mix! mix! mix!

Next up,wash your bell peppers and cut the bell peppers into two,with one part  being bigger,about 2/3 of the pepper and the smaller part being the top part with the stalk,like so

Now spoon your filling into the bell peppers,make sure everywhere is filled in nicely and then put the small parts of the bell peppers on top to serve as covers,put them on your baking tray/dish to be set for the oven,like so

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees celsius,cover the tray/dish with foil paper and cook the peppers for about 10-15 minutes and then take off the foil and cook them for another 30-40 minutes and voila! they are done! boil some white rice to serve with or some mashed potatoes or it can simply be a side dish.I do hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy!

Lebanese beef dolma in tomato sauce

Hello everyone!! Its been quite a while but I am back now,hope everyone had a wonderful summer! I am back again to share some amazing recipes.Today I will be sharing how I made this amazing Lebanese beef dolma in tomato sauce! I learnt this recipe while I was at home for the summer,thanks to my teacher Mr Ishaya and my amazing mum for taking out their time to help me learn this!

So lets start with all the ingredients needed for the dolma! 

• One whole medium size cabbage (depending on the amount you are making)
• 400g of ground beef
• One cup of parboiled rice
• Five chopped scotch bonnets (depending how much heat you want)
• Half a cup of finely chopped green onions
• One small finely chopped red onion
• One tablespoon of finely chopped garlic
• One teaspoon of black pepper
• One teaspoon of white pepper
•  A dash of curry and thyme
• One teaspoon of salt
• Three - four beef bouillon cubes
• Two eggs

So lets get down to the fun part!

Now take your cabbage and cut out the top stumpy part,do it in a circular motion and get the stump out,this is to make it easier to remove the cabbage leaves later.Next up,place your cabbage upside down in a pot with a cup or two of water and let it boil for about five minutes,like so 

 Now,while that is cooking,lets make our filling! Get a bowl,add in your parboiled rice,ground beef,all the chopped vegetables,seasoning,eggs and mix! like so

 For those that want to,you can taste a little bit to check if it needs more seasoning,if not,then its all done.Take the cabbage off the fire and let it cool a bit before removing the leaves one by one.After taking out the leaves,check for the ones that have thicker stalks running through them,use a knife and cut them out a bit,to flatten the leaf more and avoid it breaking while being folded.lay out your leaf,put a bit more than a spoon full of the filling in the centre,fold in the two edges of the leaf and then fold the whole thing in a spring roll-like shape,like so

You will have something like this at the end

 Make sure everything is sealed and a bit tight but not too tight,in order to avoid the contents from getting out while cooking.

 Since that is done,lets make our tomato sauce that the dolma will cook in.The following ingredients will be needed :

• Three cups of  fresh tomato puree
• A cup of red pepper(tatashe) puree
• One small finely chopped onion
• One teaspoon of salt
• Three bouillon cubes
• A cup or two of meat stock (optional)
• Three cubes of sugar (optional! just to balance out the acidity of the tomato if its too sour)

Now heat your pot with some oil,a drizzle will do,add in the onions,sautee for about a minute and then add in all your puree,fry for some minutes and then add in your stock or water,add in all the seasoning,let it simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes,taste and adjust anything.When that is done,pour the sauce over the dolma,close the lid of the pot and let it cook for about thirty minutes,occasionally checking to see if anything needs to be added.When the dolma is done,it will be  more expanded because the rice in it would have cooked by then,and thats it!! serve with some rice or as a side dish and enjoy!

Dont forget you can be versatile with this and make any filling of your choice,hope you enjoy this recipe and do give it a try!

Juicy beef arugula salad with a tangy creamy dressing.

Hello everybody!! Ramadan kareem to my Muslim sisters and brothers.I know it has been a while since I have been here,had to take a break to focus on my exams,but thank God I am done now.Hope we are all having a wonderful time! I am here again with another easy,simple and delicious recipe,juicy beef arugula salad!

So lets start with all the ingredients we will need:

• 100-200 g of beef
• Baby arugula leaves (i used a little more than a handful,but you can adjust to the amount you want,also you can substitute with lettuce)
• One medium size carrot
• One small red onions
• One small tomato
• One half of a cucumber
• One egg
• Some sunflower seeds

So first things first,I marinated my beef for an hour with some random seasoning,just anything that will make it taste good.While it was marinating,I grated my carrots,sliced my onions,tomato and cucumber into desired shapes and boiled my egg as well.I pan grilled my beef but you can also oven grill it if you want.Simply bring everything together on your plate or bowl and garnish with sunflower seeds.

I also decided to whip up a quick tangy creamy dressing to go with it but you can use any dressing of your choice.

So for the dressing,you will need the following:

• One tablespoon of mayonnaise (you can substitute with yoghurt) 
• Half a teaspoon of mustard
• A quarter of a lemon
• One teaspoon of vinegar
• One teaspoon of soy sauce
• One teaspoon of sugar (you can substitute with honey)
• A little dash of ketchup

Whisk everything together and taste to adjust anything.

So there it is,juicy beef arugula salad,if you don't like beef you can use chicken instead or if you are a vegetarian you can use mushrooms,it will still be amazing.Unfortunately i forgot to take enough pictures and videos,it was that good i couldn't wait to dig in! I do hope you give this recipe a try,enjoy!