Hogao/ Traditional columbian sauce

Ingredients:

(two portions)

§  6 tbsp vegetable oil

§  1 cup chopped spring onions

§  3 cups fresh chopped tomatoes

§  1 clove garlic, finely chopped

§  2 tsp ground cumin

§  1/2 teaspoon salt

§  2 teaspoon ground pepper

§  2 chicken breast

§  ½ cup pinto bean

§  1 cup of rice

Directions:

1.     Pinto beans need soaking for overnight before cooking. If you forget do that you can cook beans quicker method. Bring them to the boil in a pan then turn the heat off and soak them for about an hour covered. Always discard the soaking water, rinse and cook in fresh water.

2.     Cook rice.

3.     When beans and rice are cooking, heat the 3 tbsp oil in a saucepan, add the tomatoes, spring onion, garlic, ground cumin and cook on medium heat  for 25 minutes.

4.     Reduce the heat to low, add the salt and pepper, cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.

5.     In separate heat the 3 tbsp oil. When oil is hot add chopped chicken breast.

6.     When breast is done add that with pinto beans to tomato sauce and serve with rice and Arepa

Arepas. Traditional Colombian pancakes

 Arepa is a typical Colombian dish from the region Antioquia. Arepas should be served warm. That is Arepas  essential part of the Colombian daily diet. You can serve Arepas as a main course, appetizer or breakfast with any topping you like. 
For my recipe I have use gouts cheese but traditional should be served with white cheese from cow milk.  

Ingredients:

(4 AREPAS)

§  1 cup arepa flouer or  masa harina or cornmeal

§   1 cup warm water

§  1/3 cup gouts or mozzarella cheese, grated

§  4 tbsp butter

§  Pinch salt

Directions:

1.      Combine the flour, warm water, cheese, 1 tbsp butter and salt, mixing thoroughly. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes.

2.      Knead with your hands for about 3 minutes moistening your hands with water as you work.

3.      Form 4 small balls with the dough, flatten to ¼ inch.

4.      Add the 3tbsp butter to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place the arepas in the pan, and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until a crust forms or they are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Crab and prawns cocktail

Ingredients:

For the marie rose sauce

·         2 tbsp tomato ketchup

·         4 tbsp mayonnaise

·         1 lime, juiced

·         2  tbsp brandy

·         Salt and pepper

For the cocktail

·         200 g white crab meat

·         6 cook tiger prawns or king prawns

·         Fresh cucumber

·         Mix of leaves

Method

For the marie rose sauce

1. Mix ketchup, mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lime juice, brandy, salt, and pepper (that is your marie rose sauce)
2. Mix the white crab meat with half of your marie rose sauce. Leave on one side.

3. Put to  the bottom of 2 goblets or bowls  a layer of salad. Top with the white crab meat mixed with marie rose sauce. Top with ½ tsp maira rose sauce. Finish with decorating with prawns, cucumber and lime drizzle.

Served with toasted bread and maria rose on side

Enjoy!

Spicy pumpkin soup with mustard seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds

Ingredients:

1tbsp veg oil

2 tbsp brown mustard seeds

½ finely chopped onion

1 finely chopped red chilli

500g (2 cups) cubed pumpkin

2 big sweet potatoes

5 tbsp finely chopped parsley

100ml  whipping/double cream

Roasted pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp chilli powder

Salt and pepper

200ml (1 cup)  veg bullion

Method:

1.       Heat veg oil in a big pan.

2.       When oil is hot add the mustard seeds when they begin to pop then add onions, chilli and chilli powder. Cook for around 2 minutes and stir.

3.       Add pumpkin and keep stir for around 3 minutes

4.       Add cold water (around 500ml) with vegetable bullion

5.       Cook for around 1 hour (till pumpkin is very soft)

6.       Add salt and pepper.

7.       Blend soup very well

8.       Whipped your cream and decorate soup with parsley, whipped cream dots and roosted pumpkin seeds

Perfect roasted pumpkin seeds recipe for your soup or Halloween snack:

1.       Put pumpkin seeds to the pan with hot water (water should cover all pumpkin seeds)

2.       Cook till boil then cook for around 10 minutes

3.       Take pan from cooker and leave pumpkin seeds in that water for next 10 minutes

4.       Drain seeds well.

5.       Leave them on flat tray in warm dry peace to dry or use paper towels to dry them

6.       When seeds are dry add salt, chilli powder and put to hot oven (185C) for around 15 minutes. Stir them time to time.

7.       Your roasted spicy pumpkin seeds are ready! Enjoy!

Mango Lessi

Lassi  is a popular and traditional Punjabi yogurt-based drink of India and Pakistan. It is made by blending yogurt with water or milk and Indian spices. Traditional lassi is sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin. Sweet lassi, blended with sugar or fruits instead of spices, is also very popular.

Ingredients:

(2 portions)

- 1cup plain natural yogurt

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1 cup mango puree, fresh or canned

- 2 tsp sugar

- mint leafs (for garnishe)

Method:

1. Blend mango puree, yogurt, milk and sugar together for around 2 minutes, then pour into individual glasses. Decorate with mint leafs and served

Enjoy!

The lessi can be keep in fridge for up to 24 hours.

Home mead organic fresh pasta

It is nothing better then fresh home made pasta. It is very simple to make but also little bit messy too. You can make own pasta even without a pasta machine. My suggestion is if You dicide to do own pasta use only organic eggs and flour to make shore Your pasta is best quality ever. 

Ingredients:

500g organic wholegrain flour

3 organic eggs

150ml water

2tbs olive oil

Method:

1.       Combine 400g flour (around 2 cups) and 1/2 teaspoon salt on pastry board or big mixing bowl.

2.       At different bowl whisk  eggs and1 teaspoon olive oil until well blended.

3.       Gradually pour into well in flour mixture while mixing with hands form ball of dough.

4.       Add 150ml of water and mix well.

5.       Place dough on lightly floured surface; flatten slightly. To knead dough, fold dough in half toward you and press dough away from you with heels of hands. Give dough a quarter turn and continue folding, pushing, and turning. When dough is smooth, non sticki and elastic then is ready. If is not like that add flour to prevent sticking.

6.       Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough till is very thin. Lightly flour dough circle; roll loosely on rolling pin.

7.       Slide rolling pin out; press dough roll gently with hand and cut into strips of desired width with sharp knife. Carefully unfold strips.

8.       Pasta can be dried and keep in paper bag or cook immediately  in large pot of boiling salted water with 1tbs olive oil 5 to 8 minutes just until al dente. Drain well.

Enjoy!

Perfect deep fried onion rings

Onion rings...

Simple and easy snack to do but all secret is in perfect batter. After many tries I found perfect  recipe for fresh onion ring but also able to frozen. That recipe should give You around 25 onion rings (depended of size) 

Ingredients

• 400ml/½pint vegetable oil, for deep frying

For the batter

• 300g plain flour
• 200ml sparkling or soda water
• 3 tbsp mix dry herbs
• 1 big Spanish onion, peeled and sliced into rings
• Sea salt
• 1tsp baking powder

Method

1.       Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed saucepan, until very hot (over 170C)

2.       Place the 200g flour, baking powder and sparkling water into a bowl and whisk together to form a batter.

3.       Add herbs and 1 tsp salt

4.       Sprinkle  onion rings with rest of flour  and mix well

5.       Dip the onion rings in the batter and then carefully lower into the hot oil and deep-fry until crisp and golden (around 1-2minutes). Onion shouldn’t to touch each other   Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

6.       Serve immediately.  Sprinkle with sea salt.

Enjoy!

Banoffee pie

Ingredients:

For the Base
100g Butter, melted
250g Digestive Biscuits, crumbled

For the Caramel
100g Butter
100g Demerara sugar
One 400g of Condensed Milk

For the Topping
3 Bananas
200ml Whipping Cream
Grated Chocolate, one strowberry and mint for decorating

Method:

1.  Soften butter in microwave or in oven.

2.  Crushed biscuit very well (you can use food processor) and mix the butter and biscuit crumbs. I always make more of that base to keep for next time. If you put that mixture to the food bag you can keep that for around month.  

3.  Peace that mixture to the tin (I used small tins, so everyone of my guests get single portion of pie but you can use big tin if you prefer that way and then slice banoffee pie for your guest/costumers). Press mixture in the tin to make the pie base and put to the fridge for at more then 15minute to chill.

4.  When tin with mixture of butter and biscuit are chilling in your fridge start make toffee sauce. Melt the butter and sugar in a non-stick pan, over low heat and stir all the time. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the condensed milk and mix well. Bring to a rapid boil and still stirring for all the time, till you get a thick golden caramel(If you don’t have time you can bay toffee sauce already make).

5.  Next cool down toffee sauce for around 15minutes and spread it over the base and put back to fridge to cool.

6.  When toffee on base are cooling you can make whipped cream.

7.  If you using big tin now is time to remove the pie from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. When toffee on base are cool slice bananas and put on top of toffee then spoon over whipped cream to cover bananas. Put next layer of bananas slices and again spoon over whipped cream.

8.  decorate top of pie with grated chocolate, mint, few slice of banana and strawberry

9.  Serve immediately or keep in fridge till your gests are ready for sweets