Yam and Fish Pepper soup

 

RECIPE HERE

Cow Leg Nkwobi

Puff Puff - LaBelle's Special

All You Need!!

3 cups of self-raising flour

1/4 cup sugar (you can add more if you want but I like mine with less sugar) 

1 medium nutmeg (grated)

I sachet fast action dried yeast or I tablespoon dried yeast

Pinch of salt

450 ml  or 2 cups of warm water (measure out 3 tablespoons from the 2 cups. i.e. 2 cups minus 3 tablespoons to get the perfect water measurement)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)

Frying Oil for deep frying (its deep frying, so we need a lot)

Steps

• Add all dry ingredients into a bowl {flour, nutmeg, yeast, sugar and salt}, set aside.Pour the measured water into a jug, add the vanilla extract and stir together.

• Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with you hand until well combined (to ensure that your puff puff dough is perfect; write 8 on the dough using the dough; if it doesn't disappear immediately, then you are so on point but if it does, please add little flour}

• Cover the bowl with a foil/cling film and cover again with a tea towel. Put in a warm place, I usually put mine in the oven {please do not turn it on oo!!!!!}. Leave it in there for at least 30 - 40 minutes that is, if you are in a rush. You can leave it as long as you want.

dough after an hour

• In a wok/pot, add frying oil just a little above half of the wok/pot. Turn on the heat and allow to get hot (just like when you want to fry plantain/chin-chin/fish...) 

• While the oil is heating up, bring out all you would need to stir and bring out the puff puff. 

sieve lined with kitchen tissue

• Once the oil is heated, drop a sample in {I use my hand/fingers always}; just to see it the oil is hot enough. If the oil is not ready yet, please allow few more seconds but if it is, drop few more {don't drop too much in because it is going to suck oil}.

frying first batch

• Fry until brown {turn them time and again so they brown evenly}. Turn down the heat or turn it off and drop in another batch, once they are all risen, turn up the heat. Repeat for the remaining puff dough. 

Enjoy with a class of milk/wine/juice, anything really!!

**I will try and make a very short video on how you can use you hand/finger to drop in the puff puff dough and get that perfect shape...**

Lemon Pound cake

What You Would Need!!

• 160 g of butter at room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup of natural yogurt (fat free preferable and removed from fridge at least 30 minutes before using)

• 1 cup of granulated sugar (you can use half cup if you don't like much sugar)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon flavour

• 1/4 cup of milk

• 2 cups of plain flour

• 5 large eggs at room temperature

• 1 medium lemon (juiced and 1 tablespoon zest)

• 1 small nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon)

Procedures

Step 1: With the aid of a sifter, sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg) into a bowl and set aside.

Step 2: Grease the cake pan and dust with flour. Also pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Step 3: Put the butter, sugar, zest and yogurt into a mixer or bowl {if you are using hand mixer}, mix until fluffy; mix on a high speed.

Step 4: Crack in the eggs, one at a time...mix for about a minute before adding next. Then add the vanilla extract and mix.

Step 5: Add the lemon and flour in batches; reduce the speed to the lowest and mixed. Once the flour is combined (doesn't have to be perfect), then stop! **The reason we don't want to mix on a high speed is because we don't want to overwork the batter.**

Step 6: At this point, add the milk and mix with a spatula until combined.

Step 7: Pour batter into the greased cake pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until golden brown.

** To check that the cake is probably bakes; insert a wooden skewer into the cake, if it comes out clean without any crumbs, then its perfect; if otherwise, please put back into the oven.**

NB: Please do not open the oven while the cake is baking, if you do so it would affect the cake causing it not to rise properly or if its risen it would flat out (I hope this makes sense)...

Step 8: Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 20 minutes before transferring onto your serving tray.

In a small bowl, add 3 tablespoons icing sugar + 1 teaspoon milk, mix together and drizzle on the cake.

Chicken And Prawn Gravy Sauce

Ingredients Needed

I kg chicken (thighs and drumsticks)

For seasoning the chicken 

*1 tablespoon soy sauce

*1 tablespoon garlic powder/granules

*1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*1/2 tablespoon salt

*Fresh rosemary and thyme

*1/2 onion - cubed

*3 knorr chicken seasoning cubes

*1 and 1/2 tablespoon of fresh chopped ging

*1 cup of water

300mls double cream

750g potatoes (Irish) - cubed

Mushrooms - sliced (optional)

Carrots - sliced

Spring onion - cut

Bell pepper (red, yellow. green) - cubed

Green beans  - cut

1 large onion - diced

Prawns (optional)

1 cube of knorr chicken seasoning

1 cup of sunflower oil/vegetable oil

1/4 cup of sunflower oil

Methods

Step 1

In a medium pot, place the chicken thighs/drumsticks, add all the ingredients listed for seasoning the chicken. Turn, cover the pot and cook on a medium heat for 7 minutes

Step 2

Remove the chicken from the pot **keep the stock, will be used later** and place on a sieve. Add a cup sunflower oil in a frying pan, heat up and fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Step 3

Fry the prawns for about 1 minute with the same oil used for the chicken, this process automatically seasons the prawns. Set aside the fried prawns.

Step 4

In a large pot, pour quarter cup oil, heat up for few seconds. Add onion and spring onions, fry for about 45 - 50 seconds. Add the cubed potatoes, stir-fry for 1-2 minutes then add the green beans and carrots. At this point, add a cube of knorr chicken seasoning and then fry for another 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and prawns, stir-fry for about 3 minutes.

Step 5

With the aid of a sieve, strain in the chicken stock into the pot, stir and have a taste. Add little salt if need be. Then finally add the fried chicken,  double cream {this acts as our thickener} and the bell peppers. Stir, reduce the gas heat and allow to simmer. Stir every now and then, so as to avoid from burning. Allow simmering for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked and sauce thickens.

 

Note : If the sauce is not as thick as you want, you can add flour. Just mix little amount with water and stir in.

You can also try my coconut vegetable gravy recipe. 

Hope you try this recipe, feedbacks are highly appreciated!!!

Have a blessed day!

Labelle xx

Crunchy Pan-Grilled Sandwich

I love making weekend meals very exciting for my family. Weekends are the only days we as a family eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together, so we all look forward to what is going to be on the table. Now that my mom is around, I even make it more exciting especially for her. Last weekend, I made crunchy pan-grilled sandwiches, here is how I went about it...

Here's What You Need:

1. Wholemeal bread (any kind of bread would do really)
2. soft cheese (any cheese of your choice)
3. Tomatoes - sliced  (optional)
4. Salad leaves ( spinach, lettuce, mixed salad leaves...)
5. Roasted meat slices (chicken or beef or cod fish fillet)
6. 1 tablespoon Hot maggi liquid seasoning
7. 1 teaspoon garlic granules
8. Olive oil 

Procedures

Step 1 

Season the cod fish fillets with ingredients 6 and 7 *if you are using frozen fish, please thaw overnight*

Step 2

In a grill pan add a teaspoon of olive oil, allow to heat up and then place the fish on the heated pan. Grill each side for 2 minutes. Remove on to a plate, then set aside.

Step 3

If you are using roasted chicken breast slices or beef slices, use half teaspoon of olive oil but then you grill for one minute or couple of seconds on each side.

**use kitchen tissue to wipe through the pan so as the clean off any crumbs for the fish**

Step 4 - the fun part

Add a little drop of olive oil on the pan, place one slice of bread on the pan, then spread little cheese on it, followed by a slice of your meat or  fish fillet, tomatoes, little cheese, salad leaves, another slice of meat/fish, little cheese and the cover with another slice of bread. ***you can arrange your stuffings whichever way you want or like them***

Step 5

At this point, turn on the gas heat (high), then use a spatula to press down the bread. Grill for about 1-2 minutes , then use the spatula to hold the entire sandwich up from the pan, add little olive oil and then place the other side on the grill pan. Grill for about a minute, because at this point the pan is extremely hot, so it grills quicker.

Step 6

Repeat the process for the rest of the sandwiches but remember to always turn off or reduce the gas heat while placing the the sandwich on the grill pan.

Thank you and enjoy!!!

Labelle xxx

Peanut Butter Spicy Chicken

I am not a fan of peanut butter but after my little experiment of using it to spice my meats, I fell in love with it. I virtually use it to spice all my meats and the taste always comes out amazing. Here is my take on chicken legs...

Ingredients

2 kg chicken legs (we love meats)
196 g red bell pepper
128 g ginger
3 tbsp peanut butter (you can add more if you wish)
2 tbsp garlic granules
1 tsp. dry thyme (you can use fresh one as well)
1 lemon (juiced)
4 g cinnamon sticks
3 tbsps. dark soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. maggi hot liquid seasoning
2 tbsps. sticky barbecue marinade
2 tbsps. olive oil
2 knorr seasoning cubes

What is needed when about to grill

Any amount of spring onions, baby (Irish) potatoes and baby carrots (any type of carrot and potatoes would do really)

For Serving

Cherry tomatoes (roasted in the oven for 5 minutes) and tortilla

Procedures

• Make 3 large incisions on each leg, put in a large bowl, then sprinkle the garlic granules and salt all on the legs. Massage in and set aside. 

• In a food processor/blender, add the rest of the ingredients except for the cinnamon sticks. Process together until well blended.

• Pour the mixture on the chicken legs, put in the cinnamon sticks, and then turn to ensure the mixture gets to all the legs. Cover with cling film, put in the fridge and allow marinating overnight.

• Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. In a baking tray, put in the chicken legs, add potatoes, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and spring onions and carrots, then cover with foil.

• Pop into the oven; bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until cooked just like you love your chicken, I like mine a little burnt.

• Serve with the cherry tomatoes, tortilla and some salad leaves

Enjoy...

LaBelle xx