Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach & Pine Nuts

New Ventures

Over the past few days I have really been focusing on my business and what I want to give back to the world.  I no longer wish for my kitchen to be solely based on myself or those closest to me.  I want to reach out further,  I want to reach out to the community and provide a sincere network dedicated to helping those in need of a support group.  We all have a relationship with food whether good or bad, each dish tells a story and artificial or natural all food is nourishment.  Through my food journey I have realised that food is love and I have realised that Kamaria’s Kitchen can potentially bring hope into other people’s lives.  This meal that I cooked for myself on a solo night of thinking is not just a dinner, it’s a dinner where I decided to develop my already great ambitions and turn my passions into another super power.  Also, pine nuts does wonders to the texture of soft pasta dishes.  This meal also tastes great as a salad with the addition of mayonnaise and salmon.

This recipe was taken from Nigella Lawson’s Nigella Kitchen ( Chatto & Windus, 2014).

Ingredients:

500g fusilli, 50g pine nuts, 1 onion (peeled and sliced), 500g frozen leaf spinach, 200g feta cheese, salt & pepper (to taste).

Method:

1. Boil water for the pasta.
2. Toast the pine nuts by tossing them about in a hot, dry heavy based pan.  When golden place on a cold plate.
3. Heat a little oil in the pan and add the onion and garlic.
4. Stir for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the frozen spinach.
6. Drain the pasta and mix in the onion, spinach, pine nuts and feta cheese in a large mixing bowl.

Plantain and Sweet Potato Chips

Fried Food

Sweet and salty fried foods are not the healthiest things you could eat when you are trying to ensure that your face stays spot free, but they are good for when you have company.  In Barbados while I had meetings or hosting friends I made these quick chips.  I didn’t need to spend the earth and fried foods are always a hit with people.

This was taken from The Caribbean Central & South American Cookbook (Anness Publishing Limited, 2010).

Ingredients:

2 green plantains, 1 small sweet potato, oil for deep – frying.

Method:

1. Peel the plantains and sweet potato then slice into fine slices and place into a cold bowl of salted water.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan.
3. Remove the vegetables from the salted water, pat dry on the kitchen paper.
4. Fry the plantain and sweet potato in batches until crisp.
5. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen paper.
6. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve when cold.

Coffee & Chocolate Loaf

Dark & Lovely

This was a lovely tea time treat and although it looks simple there is a delicious depth to it that will keep your guests very happy.

This recipe was taken from Cake Days: The Hummingbird Bakery (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

190g unsalted butter, 130g plain flour, 190g soft light brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 60g cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 20ml whole milk, 1 tbsp strong coffee (brewed and cooled).

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
4. Pour the milk into a jug the mix with the coffee mixture.
5. Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix well.
6. Pre heat the oven to 170 degrees C.
7. Grease a loaf tin and dust with flour.
8. Pour the batter into the loaf tin.
9. Bake for an hour until the sponge is firm and a skewer in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in a loaf tin before turning onto a rack.

Macaroons

Happy Birthday Mummy

I finally got to make mummy something she has been asking for the longest time.  Macaroons.  These are not the dainty ones in french patisserie, but like the chunky ones you can buy at ‘Holland & Barratts’.   They are still just as delicious and mummy was satisfied so I was happy.  I will have to do more practice but I am glad I was able to make mummy one of her favourite snacks.  I personally think these macaroons would taste better with coconut but regardless Mary Berry still provided a nice recipe.  These are very delicate to make so be patient and calm when whisking.

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

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites, almond flakes 100g ground almonds, 175g caster sugar, 25g semolina, a few drops of almond extract.

Method:

1. Line baking trays with baking parchment.
2. Put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks.
3. Gently fold in the ground almonds, sugar, semolina and almond extract.
4. Spoon the mixture in tsps on prepared baking trays.
5. Smooth out with the back of a spoon.
6. Put almond flakes 1 -2 in the centre of each.
7. Bake in a pre heated oven at 130 degrees C for 20 – 25 minutes, or until they are a pale golden brown.
8. Leave to cool on the trays for a few minutes then lift off and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Berry Infectious

Nasty Beetroot

I hate beetroot.  I love the colour it makes your lips, and when it bleeds out on your hands the colour looks eve more beautiful.  But the taste is repulsive.  If I can taste the beetroot it makes me gag, it’s just wrong I don’t care how good for you it is.  Anyway it was mummy’s birthday so I had to put all of my dislikes aside and give make her a lovely breakfast fit for a super woman.

This recipe was taken from Fern Green’s Green Juices & Smoothies (Octopus Pubishing Group Ltd, 2015).

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of blueberries, 2 handfuls of blackcurrants, 2 sprigs of basil, 2 beetroots.

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together and serve in a lovely way with flowers.