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food
journal
When I was younger, I burned water, blew up an egg, barely ate, and practically lived on biscuits (by choice). So, the idea of writing a food blog sounds strange - especially to those who know me. My teenage years I chose to be the family baker and leave the culinary skills to my older sister.
In recent years, I've discovered food and all its mouthwatering glory. I'm no professional but coming from where I've been to be able to make something ACTUALLY edible - and good - I'm pretty proud of the progress. So, I've decided to keep a journal of the recipes I create, and perhaps you may enjoy them too.
Breakfast at Home
I love breakfast. It's my favorite meal of the day - and to be honest I can eat it at any hour. Breakfast food is an all-day affair in my opinion. With this meal, I wanted to enjoy a brunch with my husband on the back porch, so we pulled out a heater to help with the wintery weather. There are two versions of eggs here, as he loves omelets, whereas I love a runny egg. But you can do whatever you prefer.
Ingredients:
Mushrooms
2 small tomatoes or 1 large
1/2 a small onion
3 cloves of garlic
ground pepper
1/3 chili powder
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
salt
Cilantro
or/and other greens
Instructions:
To save time, I separately cook my mushrooms and tomatoes in the same pan - if I was doing two omelets it'd be all mixed.
In a hot pan, drizzle some virgin olive oil then add in your chopped garlic and finely chopped onions. Wash and dry your mushrooms, give them a light chopping. You will only need about a cup and half of them. Add them to the pan and give a quick mix. Move your mushrooms to one side of the pan to cook.
Cube chop your tomatoes and then add to the other side of the pan. I use a high-medium heat, continuously stirring the veggies. Sprinkle the chili powder on your tomatoes to give it extra flavor.
Once cooked (mushrooms will be smaller and darker - not burned! And tomatoes will be completely soft) remove from pan onto a plate and keep warm.
The egg part, if you have more than one frying pan you could already start your eggs while the veggies cooked through.
I used the heated and already flavored pan from the veggies to quick fry my sunny side up eggs.
For the omelet, crack two eggs in a bowl, add your drops of milk, and baking powder (this makes it fluffy). Whisk and pour into an oiled pan on a low heat. It will take some time to cook through. If you are able, flip the omelet to cook on the other side, take half your mushrooms and tomatoes and place on one half of the omelet. Top with Cilantro and fresh spinach. Fold the egg with the empty half and allow to fry. You can flip the egg slowly to allow both sides to crisp evenly.
Plate up the rest of your meal and serve with raisin cinnamon toast, strawberry jam, and a hot cup of tea.
*Note I didn't add the salt in as my husband and I prefer little to no salt in our own meals, but you can salt as much as you want (a healthy amount of course.)
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Mushrooms
2 small tomatoes or 1 large
1/2 a small onion
3 cloves of garlic
ground pepper
1/3 chili powder
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
salt
Cilantro
or/and other greens
Instructions:
To save time, I separately cook my mushrooms and tomatoes in the same pan - if I was doing two omelets it'd be all mixed.
In a hot pan, drizzle some virgin olive oil then add in your chopped garlic and finely chopped onions. Wash and dry your mushrooms, give them a light chopping. You will only need about a cup and half of them. Add them to the pan and give a quick mix. Move your mushrooms to one side of the pan to cook.
Cube chop your tomatoes and then add to the other side of the pan. I use a high-medium heat, continuously stirring the veggies. Sprinkle the chili powder on your tomatoes to give it extra flavor.
Once cooked (mushrooms will be smaller and darker - not burned! And tomatoes will be completely soft) remove from pan onto a plate and keep warm.
The egg part, if you have more than one frying pan you could already start your eggs while the veggies cooked through.
I used the heated and already flavored pan from the veggies to quick fry my sunny side up eggs.
For the omelet, crack two eggs in a bowl, add your drops of milk, and baking powder (this makes it fluffy). Whisk and pour into an oiled pan on a low heat. It will take some time to cook through. If you are able, flip the omelet to cook on the other side, take half your mushrooms and tomatoes and place on one half of the omelet. Top with Cilantro and fresh spinach. Fold the egg with the empty half and allow to fry. You can flip the egg slowly to allow both sides to crisp evenly.
Plate up the rest of your meal and serve with raisin cinnamon toast, strawberry jam, and a hot cup of tea.
*Note I didn't add the salt in as my husband and I prefer little to no salt in our own meals, but you can salt as much as you want (a healthy amount of course.)
Enjoy!
Madras Fish Curry
This delicious dish has become a regular in our home. It's also one of the quickest meals to make and with little to do. If you didn't already know; fish is good for you. I grew up in South Africa and fried fish and chips was a popular takeout meal, but so was a homemade Indian fish curry. I created this easy take on Madras fish curry, and it has become one of my favorite fish meals as it's so healthy and easy to prepare.
Cooking equipment:
A food processor or blender and a frying pan.
Ingredients:
4 cod fish fillets
Snap peas
Broccoli
1 can of tomatoes (or 2 whole tomatoes)
1 medium-small onion
1 thumb size peeled Ginger
1/2 tsp ground Black pepper
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
Blend your tomatoes, onions, spices together until smooth, pour the liquid in a medium-hot pan for 15 mins.
Add 1/3 cup water halfway and stir. Allow the sauce to simmer under a lid keeping the heat at medium temperature.
Optional but definitely suggested: stir in 1/3 cup almond milk or 2 tbsp plain yogurt for a creamy sauce. simmer for 3 mins.
Next add in 4 cod fish fillets, use a spoon to carefully cover the fish with the sauce and cover the dish with a lid and cook for 12 mins. Halfway through uncover and add in snap peas and/or broccoli. Recover for the remaining time.
Can be served on its own or with a salad/rice/flatbread
Enjoy!
Cooking equipment:
A food processor or blender and a frying pan.
Ingredients:
4 cod fish fillets
Snap peas
Broccoli
1 can of tomatoes (or 2 whole tomatoes)
1 medium-small onion
1 thumb size peeled Ginger
1/2 tsp ground Black pepper
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
Blend your tomatoes, onions, spices together until smooth, pour the liquid in a medium-hot pan for 15 mins.
Add 1/3 cup water halfway and stir. Allow the sauce to simmer under a lid keeping the heat at medium temperature.
Optional but definitely suggested: stir in 1/3 cup almond milk or 2 tbsp plain yogurt for a creamy sauce. simmer for 3 mins.
Next add in 4 cod fish fillets, use a spoon to carefully cover the fish with the sauce and cover the dish with a lid and cook for 12 mins. Halfway through uncover and add in snap peas and/or broccoli. Recover for the remaining time.
Can be served on its own or with a salad/rice/flatbread
Enjoy!
Bacon wrapped Shrimp on a charcoal grill
Thanksgiving, a new holiday celebration added to my life since living in America.
This year was my favorite, probably had soemthing ot do with being newly married
This year was my favorite, probably had soemthing ot do with being newly married
Green Lentil Soup
Coconut Semolina Cake
Let me start by saying how wonderfully addicting this cake is! It was so much better than I expected. I’ve made this cake a couple times whilst trying to perfect this recipe, and it was a struggle. One of the important factors to this cake is the syrup – a sugary consistency. My husband and I are not big fans of super sweet stuff, so I kept messing up on the amount, but thankfully this time round I’ve figured it out.
Back in South Africa, there was a restaurant that made a semolina cake and my mother, and I would always grab a slice, it truly was a treat and I had missed the taste which is what made me want to recreate it.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp baking powder
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
For the syrup:
2 ½ cups of water
1 1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Coconut flakes for the topping.
Preheat your oven at 375˚
There’s a lot of mixing involved so preferably use a mixer, otherwise you can use a bowl and whisk*
First combine your eggs and sugar and mix well for a few minutes. Next add your wet ingredients, olive oil, vanilla essence, Greek yogurt, lemon juice. You want to mix this until it’s a creamy smooth texture (5 – 8 minutes). Next add your dry ingredients; baking powder, semolina flour, all purpose flour and whisk until fully combined. The batter is a thin texture and if you feel it between your fingers, you will still find the semolina grains.
Pour your batter in a buttered 9-inch circle pan (you can use a square too) and bake for 30 mins until golden. While this bakes you can make your syrup.
In a small saucepan on high heat, combine your water and sugar. Continuously stirring. Bring it to a boil before reducing the heat to low. Let it simmer-boil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your lemon juice at the end and remove from the heat to cool.
Once your cake is baked through, allow it to cool for a couple minutes. Leave the cake in its tin. (The cake does not look like it has risen much and is a dry texture on the inside – do not worry it’s going to change.) First using a toothpick, pierce many holes into your cake, as many as you can without damaging the cake. Next pour your syrup all over the cake, do this step slowly to allow the cake to fully absorb the liquid. Use up all the syrup to avoid a dry cake. Now you can add the coconut flakes to the top of the cake.
Cover the cake with foil to allow it to soak and cool.
Personally, I’ve had a slice whilst it’s still warm and it was great, but it’s even better when it’s been in the fridge and completely cooled down.
Make sure to store your cake in a sealed container and keep refrigerated.
Enjoy!
Back in South Africa, there was a restaurant that made a semolina cake and my mother, and I would always grab a slice, it truly was a treat and I had missed the taste which is what made me want to recreate it.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp baking powder
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
For the syrup:
2 ½ cups of water
1 1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Coconut flakes for the topping.
Preheat your oven at 375˚
There’s a lot of mixing involved so preferably use a mixer, otherwise you can use a bowl and whisk*
First combine your eggs and sugar and mix well for a few minutes. Next add your wet ingredients, olive oil, vanilla essence, Greek yogurt, lemon juice. You want to mix this until it’s a creamy smooth texture (5 – 8 minutes). Next add your dry ingredients; baking powder, semolina flour, all purpose flour and whisk until fully combined. The batter is a thin texture and if you feel it between your fingers, you will still find the semolina grains.
Pour your batter in a buttered 9-inch circle pan (you can use a square too) and bake for 30 mins until golden. While this bakes you can make your syrup.
In a small saucepan on high heat, combine your water and sugar. Continuously stirring. Bring it to a boil before reducing the heat to low. Let it simmer-boil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your lemon juice at the end and remove from the heat to cool.
Once your cake is baked through, allow it to cool for a couple minutes. Leave the cake in its tin. (The cake does not look like it has risen much and is a dry texture on the inside – do not worry it’s going to change.) First using a toothpick, pierce many holes into your cake, as many as you can without damaging the cake. Next pour your syrup all over the cake, do this step slowly to allow the cake to fully absorb the liquid. Use up all the syrup to avoid a dry cake. Now you can add the coconut flakes to the top of the cake.
Cover the cake with foil to allow it to soak and cool.
Personally, I’ve had a slice whilst it’s still warm and it was great, but it’s even better when it’s been in the fridge and completely cooled down.
Make sure to store your cake in a sealed container and keep refrigerated.
Enjoy!
Oat Pancakes
Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
Tandoori Grilled Chicken
Apple Trifle Dessert
I love dessert and most days hubby and I crave sweets in the evenings, some days we drive to a bakery, or I have a cake made, and other days we make do with what’s there so here we have a quick made apple trifle.
There are two versions one with Greek yogurt and the other with vanilla ice cream
Ingredients:
2 apples
Cinnamon
Salt
Granola or graham crackers
Greek yogurt OR Vanilla ice cream
Instructions:
Slice and cube your apples, you can keep the skin on or remove it. In a pan add a tablespoon of water and on medium-high heat cook your apples with a tablespoon of cinnamon for 15 minutes or until soft.
Option 1: crush graham crackers and add a layer in your cup, layer with ice cream, then apples, more crushed crackers, apples and ice cream.
Option 2: granola, apples, yogurt, granola, apples, yogurt.
There are two versions one with Greek yogurt and the other with vanilla ice cream
Ingredients:
2 apples
Cinnamon
Salt
Granola or graham crackers
Greek yogurt OR Vanilla ice cream
Instructions:
Slice and cube your apples, you can keep the skin on or remove it. In a pan add a tablespoon of water and on medium-high heat cook your apples with a tablespoon of cinnamon for 15 minutes or until soft.
Option 1: crush graham crackers and add a layer in your cup, layer with ice cream, then apples, more crushed crackers, apples and ice cream.
Option 2: granola, apples, yogurt, granola, apples, yogurt.
Roasted Eggplant
This is a great side dish or snack. It’s super easy and simple.
Ingredients:
2 Chinese Eggplants
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Powder
Italian Herbs
Instructions:
Preheat your oven at 400˚F
Wash and dry your eggplant. Cut off the ends and thinly slice your eggplant. In a bowl, drizzle plenty of olive oil over the veggies, sprinkle salt and pepper. Next add the garlic powder and Italian herbs. Toss until it’s all coated.
Evenly lay the eggplant on a tray (with foil or use a nonstick)
Roast for 35 – 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Chinese Eggplants
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Powder
Italian Herbs
Instructions:
Preheat your oven at 400˚F
Wash and dry your eggplant. Cut off the ends and thinly slice your eggplant. In a bowl, drizzle plenty of olive oil over the veggies, sprinkle salt and pepper. Next add the garlic powder and Italian herbs. Toss until it’s all coated.
Evenly lay the eggplant on a tray (with foil or use a nonstick)
Roast for 35 – 40 minutes
Korean Fried Chicken
Let me just say this honestly was one of my top favorites. These wings are mouthwatering. And most importantly, everyone else loved it too. My husband chose this for our contribution to a large Christmas Eve family dinner, and so please note this recipe is for a good amount of people. We love Korean food and wings, so this was a win-win.
Now, my awesome MIL has an air fryer and so we decided to test it out, as I have never used one before, but even my sister swears by it. You can deep fry these instead, but I’m going to explain the air fryer method.
Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken wings
12 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp oil
salt & pepper
For the Sauce:
8 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp grated ginger (or more)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp ketchup
4 tbsp gochujang
Instructions:
Wash and clean your chicken, use a paper towel to pat dry. Then in a large bowl, spray/ drizzle oil on your chicken, add salt and pepper. Add cornstarch and toss till chicken is completely coated.
Evenly spread a single layer of wings in you air fryer (this is a lot of chicken so it’s going to take you a few batches to get through it all) Fry the chicken at 400˚F for 15 minutes.
While your chicken is cooking, you can combine the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan over a medium heat. Allow to come to boil before setting it aside.
When the chicken is done, flip it over and cook for another 5 minutes. Once done, place chicken on a tray to cool.
*Now because I had a large portion of chicken, I completed the 15 and 5 minute fry first and then proceeded to put the chicken back in the air fryer for another 5 minutes at 400˚F
Add your chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce over it. Mix it to coat all and the entire chicken.
Optional: garnish with sesame seeds and thinly slice green onion.
Enjoy!
Now, my awesome MIL has an air fryer and so we decided to test it out, as I have never used one before, but even my sister swears by it. You can deep fry these instead, but I’m going to explain the air fryer method.
Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken wings
12 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp oil
salt & pepper
For the Sauce:
8 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp grated ginger (or more)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp ketchup
4 tbsp gochujang
Instructions:
Wash and clean your chicken, use a paper towel to pat dry. Then in a large bowl, spray/ drizzle oil on your chicken, add salt and pepper. Add cornstarch and toss till chicken is completely coated.
Evenly spread a single layer of wings in you air fryer (this is a lot of chicken so it’s going to take you a few batches to get through it all) Fry the chicken at 400˚F for 15 minutes.
While your chicken is cooking, you can combine the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan over a medium heat. Allow to come to boil before setting it aside.
When the chicken is done, flip it over and cook for another 5 minutes. Once done, place chicken on a tray to cool.
*Now because I had a large portion of chicken, I completed the 15 and 5 minute fry first and then proceeded to put the chicken back in the air fryer for another 5 minutes at 400˚F
Add your chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce over it. Mix it to coat all and the entire chicken.
Optional: garnish with sesame seeds and thinly slice green onion.
Enjoy!
Turkey Lettuce Wrap Asian Style
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