Chicken Wrap

Birdspeed’s Touch

Turn a plain chicken wrap into a wicked main meal with loads of flavour.  Who says that great food was only for rich folks?  My chicken wraps used fresh chicken breasts with a spicy tomato sauce and lightly cooked red onion.  Red onion can be eaten raw and tastes great with salads.  Not softening the red onion completely means that you get that crunch but still get the juices from the garlic and onion to season the chicken.  I’m not the baddest in the game at cooking chicken but I’m a decent player.  Keep bwallin’ with my recipe!

This recipe was adapted from Laura Washburn’s Tacos Quesadillas & Burritos (Ryland Peters & Small, 2012).

Ingredients:

2 Pre cooked chicken breasts, 1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 red onion (peeled and chopped), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped), 1/4 cup chopped mixed peppers, 1 cup tomato sauce, 2 tbsps barbeque sauce, 2 tsps hot pepper sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp mixed herbs, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tsps paprika, salt and pepper, 4 – 6 flour tortillas, mixed cheddar and mozzarella grated cheese, guacamole, sour cream and tomato relish.

Method:

1. In a wok or large pan heat the oil over a medium heat.
2. Slice up the chicken breasts.
3. Fry the chicken breasts red onion and garlic cloves.
4. After a minute add the mix peppers.
5. After 2 minutes add the barbeque sauce, hot pepper sauce and sugar.
6. When heated through add the herbs, paprika and season to taste with the salt and pepper.
7. When satisfied with the taste remove from the heat.  Place tin foil over the top to seal in the heat while making the wraps.
8. Create your wraps by placing the chicken and sauce in the centre of the wraps, then add your extras to your requirements.

Saffy’s Top Wrap Tip:

If you are not making your own tortilla wraps heat your wraps in the microwave for about 12- 15 seconds so they are softened and warm.

Breakfast Wrap

Rockin’ Robin

Through the last week of April I was working non – stop on my uni work.  It is a feeling I will unfortunately have to get used to for the next month as it is essay season and no matter how much work I get done more work seems to keep piling up.  Even as I am writing I am fatigued and in shaking with nerves.  I have been finding it a little difficult to cope with all the pressure I put on myself, hence why I need to make sure I eat things which are nutritious.  During exam season I tend to loose a considerable amount of weight because I forget to eat…literally.  But, due to anemia this has become well and truly unacceptable. Not to mention I am a woman and there is no excuse for missing out meals.  It is irresponsible and actually demonstrates that maybe I am not ready to live the life I want if I can’t look after myself.  So to stop these bad habits I have made a real effort to eat regularly even if it is something small.  A breakfast wrap is easy to eat and adaptable so you can switch up the ingredients to your needs.  There if no excuse for not eating healthy and regularly.  Students are notorious for putting on weight or losing weight dramatically during exam season.  It is time to put a stop to this and time to nourish the brain.  I aim to practice what I preach!

This recipe was adapted from Laura Washburn’s Tacos, Quesadillas & Burritos (Ryland Peters & Small, 2012).

Ingredients:

2 eggs, a handful of button mushrooms (washed and chopped), a handful of grated cheddar cheese, tortilla wrap, sour cream, guacamole, tomato relish.

Method:

1. Scramble the eggs with the mushrooms.
2. Place into the centre of a tortilla with the cheese.
3. Season to taste and add your sauces.
4. Make another until satisfied to go back to work full of energy.

Saffy’s Extras Suggestions:

1. Fresh avocado and mayonnaise.
2. Chargrilled peppers and hot pepper sauce.
3. Sweetcorn and tofu fried with soy sauce.
4. Prawn mayonnaise with a mango salsa.

Soda Bread

Irish Food

Despite living in England I have never actually eaten that much Irish food.  I would like to go to Ireland someday and put the hilarious stereotypes from American television shows to rest.  I think it is rather strange that despite living in the UK I have not given myself the chance to appreciate the Kingdom’s most valued cuisines, (not including curry).  Scottish salmon is incredible, Welsh baking is lovely but Irish traditional foods….Let’s just say I tend to dismiss it on the menu a lot.  My mother loves soda bread,  but I can’t stand it in all honesty.  I prefer bread that is buttery, soft inside and out and sometimes full of seeds.  Basically hard dough bread, or seeded batch.  However,  the salt in the soda bread is much easier to take in when soaked up with a really good soup,  so if you are not a fan of soda bread but are serving it for a dinner party I suggest you use a really good soup.  Despite tasting none it was a pretty good success.  The bread did not last 2 days and was declared a triumph by those who appreciated it.  So here is the soda bread recipe that was welcomed by everyone who tried it.

This recipe was taken from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

370g plain flour, 130g wholemeal flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp salt, 40g butter (melted), 1 tbsp treacle, 300ml warm milk, 1 tbsp lemon juice.

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Mix the flours, soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3. Make a well in the centre and add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Mix together and knead into a soft dough.
5.  Knead into a ball and using a large wooden (or metal) spoon create the classic cross shape in the middle starting from the centre and working your way out.
6. Place the bread onto an oven proof tray and bake for 30 minutes.
7.  When risen and browned leave to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Coli with Fennel Seeds & Basil

Fish Friday

Friday is the day for fish.  It was Friday! I hadn’t had fish in 2 weeks.  I needed fish! I  So here is a beautiful easy fish recipe that any idiot can do.  Now you can have your fish on a Friday! Coli does not have a great deal of meat on the fillet so it bakes quickly.  Always keep your eye on the grill.  The original recipe used trout but this will also taste wicked with salmon fillets.

This recipe was adapted from Lorraine Pascale’s Home Cooking Made Easy (HarperCollins Publishers, 2012).

Ingredients:

oil, 1 large red onion (peeled and chopped), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped), 300g chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp caster sugar, salt and pepper, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp tumeric,  1 tsp mixed herbs, 1 fillet of coli, fresh basil leaves.

Method:

1. In a large pan heat the oil over a medium heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic.
3. After a few minutes add the caster sugar, salt and pepper, fennel seeds and mixed herbs.
4. When cooked through place the tomato sauce into an oven proof dish.
5. Wash and prepare the fish.
6. Place the fillet on the top of the bed of tomatoes.  Season the fish with tumeric and a little more herbs.
7. Grill for about 20 minutes.
8. Shred the basil leaves and place on top.

Petite Pea Soup

Green Eyes

This soup was inspired by one of my favourite songs which is about a woman who is denying her jealous and resentful feelings towards her crush’s new partner.  Badu sings, “My Eyes are Green/ ‘Cause I eat lots of vegetables…” I mean wow, simple lyrics incredible song.  She really got me! I had to make something which represented that song.  This pea  soup is a perfect food symbol for how I was feeling.  Eating lots of vegetables to justify my envious green eyes.  Perfect pea soup for poor and pitiful emotions.  The herby fragrance and sweetness of the peas cheered up my mood and warmed my throat thus allowing me to sing on.

This recipe was adapted from The Soup Book (Dorling Kindersley, 2009).

Ingredients:

40g butter, 1 onion (peeled and sliced), 1 large potato (peeled and diced), 300ml veg stock, 500g frozen peas, 2 handfuls basil, salt and pepper.

Method:

1.  Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over a medium heat.
2. Gently fry the onions until softened.
3. Add the potato and gently stir.
4. After 10 minutes add the stock.
5. Bring to the boil.
6. Add the peas and let simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the basil, season to taste.
8. Blend the soup.

Easter Simnel Cake

Happy Birthday Birdspeed

Birdspeed was created at Easter when I was 14 years old.  Another reason why Easter is such an important time for me.  My grandfather loved kites and he used to fly them.  It is tradition in Barbados to fly kites around Easter.  My gran gran made the most glorious food.  Through the years after my grandparents’ passing Easter has been harder to enjoy, but celebrating the moments that made me who I am and doing something really lovely for my mum, like buy her a mother’s day gift and baking some of her favourite ingredients just makes me feel a whole lot better.  This is the best simnel cake I have ever made.  The crisp and earthy marzipan was unusual but heavenly.  Mary Berry slightly bakes her marzipan so it gives a beautiful decoration and brings out the extra spices in the batter.  I didn’t even want to make a simnel cake this year but I am so glad I did.

This recipe was taken from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

100g glace cherries, 225g softened butter, 225g light muscavado sugar, 4 large eggs, 225g self – raising flour, 225g sultanans, 100g currants, 50g candied peel, grated rind 2 lemons, 2 tsps mixed spice, 450g marzipan, 1 beaten egg (to glaze).

Method:

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
2. Beat in the eggs.
3. Sift in the flour.
4. Fold in the rest of the ingredients except for the marzipan and extra egg.
5. Prepare a cake tin.
6. Bake in a pre heated oven at 150 degrees C.
7. After an hour cover the cake with foil.
8. Bake for another and a half.
9. Roll out the marzipan and 11 small balls.
10. When the cake has cooled more add the marzipan on the top and create a crown like shape before adding the balls on top.
11. Brush the top with egg and grill for 15 minutes.

Orange Lemon Fork Biscuits

Taking my sweet time

Today I just feel like taking my sweet time to do everything.  The plus side of this means that I will be taking extra care of everything that i do which is a good thing because these biscuits certainly do need a good amount of care.  I wanted to make brighter versions of these cuties because it is Good Friday, a day that symbolises hope and the sunshine season.  Not to mention it is Birdspeed’s birthday and I have not got much time to make an eclectic variety of foods.  I used lemon juice as a flavour and orange food colouring to get the colour nice and bright.

This recipe was adapted from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

100g softened butter, 50g caster sugar, 150g self-raising flour, 1/2 tsp orange food colouring, 2 tsps lemon juice.

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Place a piece of baking paper on top of a baking tray.
3. Measure the ingredients into a bowl and mix into a dough.
4. Form into small balls (walnut size) place the balls well apart on the baking tray.
5. Dip the fork slightly into cool water and flatter the balls with it.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
7. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Vanilla & Chocolate Fork Biscuits

Light to the touch

For my Easter menu I planned a very lovely meal specially for mother but I still had to cook for the week.  I did not want to make anything time consuming and due to falling sick I had to make treats quick, easy and light to the touch.  I hate it when things get in the way of my cooking time,  lately I have been so down because of my work load I have had to compromise on doing the things  I love.  The cookies are great to bake if you have an hour for a break of power.  Yeah I haven’t had much time to rap either.

These recipes were taken from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

Vanilla: 100g softened butter, 50g caster sugar, 150g self-raising flour, 1/2 inch vanilla seeds.

Chocolate: 100g softened butter, 50g caster sugar, 120g self- raising flour, 50g cocoa.

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Beat the softened butter in a bowl.
3. Bring the chosen mixture together and form into a dough.
4. Form each dough into 16 balls before flattening them slightly with a fork dipped in cool water.
5. Flatten the balls after they have been placed on a baking sheet on a baking tray.
6. Make sure the balls are placed well apart.
7. Bake in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes.
8. When they are pale golden leave them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Cheese & Onion Cornbread

Gluten- Free Baking

One of my biggest fears about gluten free baking is the lack of moisture that can sometimes occur.  The texture of flour and cornmeal is very different from the flour and polenta I am used to cooking with.  In the Caribbean dryness in food is as terrible of never eating fish on a Friday unless you are allergic to it.  The cheese and onion helps to add moisture and low fat margarine or butter could always be added as well when served warm which is delight.  As with every activity gluten – free baking is better with practice and cornbreads  are one of the best foods to practice with because you can eat it with a variety of foods, alongside main meals or as a snack.

This recipe was adapted from gluten free cooking for health (Anness Publishing Ltd, 2010).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 onion (peeled and thinly sliced), 100g corse polenta, 75g fine polenta, 100g brown rice flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp caster sugar, 1 tsp salt, 115g cheddar cheese (grated), 200ml milk (tepid), 2 eggs, 40g butter (melted).

Method:

1. Lightly grease a loaf tin.
2. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until softened.
3. Pre heat the oven to 190 degrees C.
4. When the onions have been set aside to cool put the polenta, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cheese into a bowl.
5. Mix the ingredients in the bowl well and combine with the onions.
6. Beat the milk, eggs and butter together.
7. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
8. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin.
9. After 30 minutes check the bread and remove from the oven if it is well risen, brown and springy to the touch.
10.  Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Vegetarian Chilli

Cupboard Wonders

It really frustrates me when people have no food in their house.  Whether a person is a cook or not, there is never an excuse for someone to not have food.  Stews, casseroles are so easy to cook and last a long time.  I did not have to go to the supermarket as the ingredients I used are usually stocked in my cupboard anyway.  People! Preparation is key!  This chilli is gorgeous and tastes great with my cornbread.

This recipe was seriously adapted from The Complete Low – Fat Cookbooks (Bay Books, 2003).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion (peeled and chopped), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped), 1 1/2 tsps dried chilli flakes, 2 tsps ground cumin, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp coriander, 400g chopped tomatoes, 500ml vegetable stock, 400g tinned red kidney beans (drained), 300g potatoes (peeled, boiled and chopped), 1/2 orange pepper (sliced and de seeded), 1/4 red pepper (sliced and de seeded), 2 tbsps ketchup, 1 tsp hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and cook the onion for 10 minutes stirring often.
2. Add the garlic, chilli, cumin, cayenne powder and coriander. Stir for a for a few minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and stock.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the beans, potatoes, peppers, ketchup, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring often.
7. Season to taste and serve.

Saffy’s Serving Ideas: 

1. Nachos and sour cream
2. Cornbread
3. Hot dogs (Gourmet Style)
4. Wild rice and peas