When chicken kitcheree meets swank!..... A dish inspired by Chicken Kitchen.

Read it on:
Chefs.com

Here now is my version of this absolutely stupendous dish!!
This is absolutely my favorite dish!!!

Chicken kitcheree with khuri( curry yogurt sauce)

click on pic.




I was going to post this menu two weeks ago but unfortunately my sweetie dropped my camera on the slopes. This "mogul maniac" was going at a crazy speed when the ski patrol chased him halfway down the mountain and finally caught up with him and cited his a.. He did however finally buy me another camera, hence the reason for me blogging again. So all is forgiven!





Khuri (curry yogurt sauce)
Drizzle over the spring salad/ or the bundt

click on pic




Language itself cannot explain how absolutely palate pleasing this menu is!!! I find myself saying ooooh! mmmmm! wowweeee and acting completely inappropriately when I prepare these dishes. I am overcome with a paroxysm of glee and I cannot suppress it! It is that good!
Even though, the spices and the way I prepare my rice and chicken are old family recipes, this dish was inspired by "Chicken Kitchen"( restaurants in Miami). Of course I love my flavors better and I took it a step further by encasing the chicken and rice in phyllo dough and now everybody says "Now you've gone and done it missy!"


Groete Suid Afrikaners!

Woorde alleen kan nie hierdie heerlike maal beskrywe nie. Die geur alleen sal jou voorsmaak heeltemal bedwelm! Die enigste motief agter hierdie spoggerige maal met al die ingewikkelde voorbereidings is pure plesier. Geniet asseblief!
Die uwe,
Duiselige gastronomer.



Chicken kitcheree encased in "Athens" phyllo pastry baked in a bundt pan. Adorned with toasted nigella seeds ( Kalonji) and a spring salad (lettuce, avos, cucumbers and grape tomatoes).

click on pic ( A crispiness that only "Athens" phyllo delivers!)



A little slice of Heaven! I prepare the basmati
rice with sauteed onions, roasted garlic, vegetables etc....

click on pic (This bundt slices perfectly)





This was my Mom's bundt pan which is giving
me the same amount of joy. Only she used to
make the real McCoy.
Lightly grease your pan and layer several
sheets of phyllo dough into the pan, brushing
only the 5th layer with melted butter.
Layer alternating rice and chicken layers
and then cover with several sheets of phyllo
brushing only the 5th layer. I only used about
2T butter in all.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 mins.




Ingredients:

• Please use organic ingredients when possible.
• 4 large chicken breasts with bone and skin( The skin and the bone in keeps the breasts juicy when baked. You will however discard these after baking.
• garam masala( I roast my own mixture)
• my home made blend of masala for chicken
  
• fresh oregano
• dry mustard powder( Coleman's )
  
• kosher salt
• lemon pepper( I make the lemon part from scratch)
• 1 ball of pounded garlic
• olive oil
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• my homemade prepared panko mix. See turkey roulade for this panko mix
  

Wash and dry the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with kosher salt and the spices on both sides of the chicken. Add the pounded garlic and the juice of the lemon to the olive oil and baste the chicken with this mixture. Bake for 20 mins, remove and sprinkle with the prepared panko mix and the herbs and bake for another 15-20 mins until golden. Shred the chicken into pieces and discard the skin and bones. Prepare your rice. Serve with rice on the bottom, a layer of shredded chicken, a layer of the spring salad and then drizzle with the khuri.

For the khuri:

• quarter cup organic Greek yogurt
• half cup Miracle whip plus 3 t
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 t Annie's organic yellow mustard
• 1 t dry Coleman's mustard powder
• half cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• half t red pepper flakes
• pinch organic sugar
• pinch kosher salt

Mix the turmeric and the orange juice together until incorporated. place the remainder of the ingredients in a blender and pulse. Add the turmeric and the orange juice mixture and blend until incorporated.




This is what my neck of the woods looked
like today. Blizzard conditions with zero
visibility. Last week we had springlike
weather but apparently Father winter
made a comeback!



click on pic to see accumulated snow in just a
short time




Thank you Selba for this really cute award.



Please everyone grab it and pay it forward.


This post is in memory of my Uncle Toyer. " Swank" was indeed his middle name!
"If I said to you and Mom, I want you back I would not be lying!"
"If only for a moment to abate this incessant crying!"

God knows best!!!!


Experiment globally!
Nazarina A

Drinks are on the house and definitely no designated drivers needed!!

Greetings everyone!

Happy birthday Galiema!!!!!
Happy birthday Takoa!!!!

Sorry for my absence! I hope I can make it up with this labor of "drinkin" love.

Virgin drinks are not exactly every one's idea of a good time but mine sure spells "Let's get this party started." I mixed several organic fresh fruity flavors to keep it 'serious' and for some silliness, I added a splash of fizz from my sexy red" carbonizer."
Intoxication over at my house only means that you will be high on life. Not only will these non- intoxicated beauties entice you but my "bar aesthetics" sure will thrill you. So come on over and join in on this "wet your whistle" nostalgia, boogie until dawn and still leave in the morning with your good name in tact! LOL!

Groete Suid Afrikaners!

Alhoewel, hierdie drankies nie vir n' skemer partytjie is nie, sal dit nogtans n' indruk maak op jou gaste . Met n' bietjie karbonering en vars organiese vrugte sal jy groot sukses behaal met hierdie drank resepte. Jy hoef ook nie jouself bekommer oor gaste wat sal besope raak nie en daarom is aangewyse persone ook nie verpligtend om gaste huis toe te ry nie.
Kom ons jolyt en geniet asseblief!


"Seedless raspberry and coconut cream dream"

This is listed first because it was my ultimate favorite!
What a drink!!!! This dreamy concoction will envelop
your taste buds and melt all your inhibitions!!!

Puree 6-8oz of fresh organic raspberries and then
strain to remove the seeds. Blend with quarter cup
of pineapple juice and some ice.

For the coconut part of the drink, blend 1 cup of coconut milk,
1 teaspoon coconut extract, 1 teaspoon of banana smoothie powder,
quarter cup of organic rice milk or you can use dairy and some ice. I
added a half of a cup of premium coconut ice cream as well( optional).








Banana and dark chocolate milkshake

Blend half cup of premium chocolate ice cream with
1 cup of organic milk, some ice and for the banana part of the
shake: blend 1 banana, 2 teaspoons of banana smoothie
powder, quarter cup of coconut milk and quarter cup
of organic rice milk( you can use dairy) and some ice.
Garnish with a Flake chocolate.

Click on this pic.





Lychee and Asian pear( or Bosc pear if you so please!)
Ostentatiously Oriental! Lychees have a subtle and fragrantly
sweet taste and also contains a significant amount of vitamin C.

Freeze some lychees for the garnish ( I used the canned variety).
You can of course use the fresh ones if you are lucky enough to have
them in season. Blend 1 cup of lychees and some of the juice,
1 small Asian pear(peeled and cored), quarter cup of coconut milk,
quarter cup of pineapple juice half cup of ice and top it off with a splash
of Australian ginger beer.

Place some of the frozen lychees in the bottom of your glass and enjoy!
I drank both of these all by myself. I dipped the fortune cookies in dark
chocolate and sprinkled them with white nonpareils as a garnish!




Virgin party drinks Click on title for all these recipes!

The orange drink is my " lilikoitizer" Hellooooo Hawaii,
the two tone drink is a strawberry and mango coconut concoction
and the red drink is a Pom( pomtizer)




These are premium virgin drink mixes( blueberry, mango,
lime, pomegranate and cranberry). Add the seltzer and
you are all set! They are a little tart and fizzy!! Just freeze
some ice cubes in a mold for some added whimsy.




No drink will be complete without some kind of a nut!!!

Mix together 1 cup each chopped chili mangoes, roasted
cashews ( and freeze dried cherries and blueberries.
My idea of a trail mix!!!




Cashews roasted in a 350 degree oven for 15 mins.
or until golden, with organic agave honey, a little organic olive oil,
a splash of fresh orange juice and a sprinkle of sweet pickle masala
( just like the sweet Hungarian paprika)




My sexy" carbonizer"





Participate in Yummy food! Click on logo!





I received this award from Yasmeen.
Thank you so much! I love your blog too!





I received this sweet award from MaryBeth.
Thank you! I feel the same way about you too!


I would love to pay these two awards forward to everyone that commented and also visited my blog!






Chefs.com

click here for more virgin drinks

and here for cool garnishes for fruity virgin iced tea!

4 thumbs up for this butterscotch almond crunch thumbprint!

The saying goes " Give only what you want to receive." Well, I have been working on this recipe to make the end result more than just "great and was inspired by my butterscotch cat here in "All my Giddy Kitties"!!! I have not made dessert since December and I figured now was as good a time as any especially when a good friend asked me to bake for the less fortunate! What I received in return were many" dirty chocolaty faces", all 40 of them and most importantly "smiles!"

This is also my entry for a garnishing event hosted by Food Fanatic also Chitra Ammas kitchen for her kitchen masterpiece event. See details below!!

I really have no rules where presentation and garnishing are concerned. I will use just about anything to complement the main dish. The edgier and the more unconventional, the better!

These are butterscotch almond crunch thumbprints with a stencil of a bear made from dark cocoa powder as a garnish. I used the tip of a skewer to "draw the strings that is tied to the balloons." These thumbprints have melted dark and butterscotch chocolate and this is my "kid" version of the presentation. The dough itself is made with very little sugar so it is not that sweet!





Please lick my tummy! I love you thissssss
much!



Visit Food Fanatic, click on her logo below for more on this beautiful event!




This is the more " grown up" presentation with the
butterscotch mousse and cream on the inside. The
taste.....naughty but oh! so nice! It is a close second
to S.. and being seduced!




This " buttery creamy mousse" reminds me of a South
African toffee ice pop I used to love!

Ryk en lekker!








Lightly brush the melted chocolate inside the cavities!
Use "Valrhona Gran Couva" for the dark chocolate. I
received a few bars from the manufacturer to try in my
desserts. Now I am hooked!!!




Praline: this is a half cup of organic sugar and three oz.
of almonds. Pour the organic sugar in a heavy bottom pan
and cook over medium heat until golden. Place
the almonds evenly on well sprayed parchment and
then pour the melted sugar evenly over the almonds.





When the Praline is cooled down, process in a food
processor to this consistency below. Or you can use a
mallet to crush the praline.




Brush the balls with beaten egg-
white and then roll into the praline.
Place these unbaked thumbprints
about two inches apart. They do spread!
Once baked and the aroma hits the "fan,"
you will have friends (..... and maybe admirers ) , ones you never
knew you had!!




These butterscotch chocolate morsels are the stars in my "Butterscotch
almond crunch thumbprints!




Food Fanatic is hosting a "garnishing and food presentation" event. Check out her site for details! Now this is an event that is just so much fun!!!Click on the logo below!




Recipe: Makes about 12 ( I bet you are going to triple this recipe!!!!!)

Please use organic ingredients when possible

• 3 T sugar
• 1 stick unsalted European Butter
• pinch of kosher salt
  
• 1 egg yolk( use the egg white as indicated below) Egg-lands best please!
  
• 1 t vanilla ( I use the one from Santo Domingo)
• 2 oz melted butterscotch morsels( use the rest for filling cavities}
• 3 t instant butterscotch pudding ( kosher kind)
  
• 1 cup Mc Arthur's ( I meant to say King Arthur ha! ha! ) all purpose flour( sifted) plus 3- 4 T extra if dough is too wet.
  
• some dark chocolate to fill cavities
• whipped heavy cream
  

Cream the sugar and the butter and the salt until creamy in your Kitchenaid ( I make times four the amount). Add the vanilla, the yolk and incorporate and then add the melted butterscotch morsels and mix again. Sift the flour and the butterscotch pudding together and incorporate this by hand , do not overmix, and then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make little balls and then brush with beaten egg white and roll into the praline. Make the indentations with your thumb and bake at 350 ( pre-heated) degrees for 15 mins until golden. Take the cookies out after 10 mins. of baking time and use the back of a wooden spoon to define the hole again and then place back in the oven for that last 5 mins. of baking time. Cool completely! I make mine the day before and then the next day I fill the cavities with chocolate so that cookies are completely dry on the inside.

For the mousse:
Make the rest of the butterscotch instant pudding according to package directions with very little milk and lighten this with some organic whipped cream. You can also pipe the two tone colors with the butterscotch mousse and the plain whipped cream like in my picture above.


This entry is also going to Chitra for a blog b/day masterpiece event! Visit and enter and have some fun!!! Click on her logo below!







Nazarina A

Falafel and tzatziki no longer in its comfort zone!!!

Earmarking anything in my house will be of no avail! I would never allow for anything to just have a single purpose. I could never be that rigid, never has been and never will be. So with that said, whether it be kitchen gadgets or specific types of groceries, my mind goes into overdrive just contemplating what I'm going to manipulate next!
" There is absolutely no need for this showmanship!" I am thinking. It is only a Saturday night and my family just wants a simple dinner on the table already, but no, this need to please has become a neurosis that I have adopted from my dear Mother. Preparing something simple just "aint going to happen."
I was eyeballing the falafel mix and decided to coat the chicken kebabs with it instead of breadcrumbs and hey, maybe when I am in the mood for falafel, will I then gladly oblige but for now it has another destiny! The tzatziki, too, is also presented just a little differently.

The result...... nothing less than spectacular! The falafel chicken kebabs were juicy and that alluring spicy aroma sent everyone into a ravenous "tizzy"( Is there such a word?) . Well, they refused to wait another minute for this much prolonged supper! The couscous was so flavorful with the addition of the green chili and the orange juice and the tzatziki, a refreshing finale to a memorable meal! Silence always follows when we sit down to eat and like a rich benefactor, I always come to the rescue of my family's dinner dilemmas. In the end the wait was definitely worth it and the clean plates alone were all the "thanks" I really wanted!

Couscous prepared with oven roasted garlic, bell peppers, green chili and citrus juice. I had to be very careful unmolding this delicate design !




Chicken kebabs dusted with falafel mix and spices
and then baked

Click on the picture!




Cucumber "spaghetti" tzatziki and baked zucchini
on the side





Groceries










Without further ado, here now is the recipe:

Please use organic ingredients when possible.

Do not forget to soak the skewers for an hour in water!

• 3 lbs organic boneless and skinless breast pieces ( cubed)
• falafel mix
• tahini
• roasted bell pepper seeds
• garam masala mix( I make my own mix, toasting all the spices and then grinding them)
• fresh lemon juice
• lots of pounded oven roasted garlic ( roast with the bell pepper)
  
• olive oil
• parsley
  
• pure pickle masala
• red bell pepper( roast in the oven)
• small can green chili
• Orange juice
• fresh lemon juice
• Greek yogurt
  
• couscous ( garlic and olive oil)
• cucumber
• a little miracle whip
  

Sprinkle the chicken kebabs with kosher salt, 2t bell pepper seeds, 2t garam masala and then squeeze with the lemon juice. Stir the pounded garlic( about 2 t) into olive oil( just a little more than quarter cup but not quite a half cup) and then pour over the chicken and let sit for an hour.
Meanwhile chop the bunch of parsley( no stems) and mix into the falafel mix and half teaspoon of pure pickle masala . Dredge the kebabs very heavily in this mix, thread onto the skewers and then bake ( convection bake ) on 375 degrees for 30 mins. Do not forget to pour all the remaining garlicky olive oil over the chicken kebabs prior to baking!

For the couscous:
Remove the skin from the red bell pepper and chop, drain the can of green chili and mix together. Prepare the couscous as per directions on the box but substitute a quarter cup of the water with the orange juice, also use a little less H20 than suggested on the box . Make sure that the liquid is a rolling boil!!!!! I used the little sachet in the box as well and when you add this add some roasted pounded garlic as well ( 1 t) . When the liquid has evaporated add the green chili and roasted pepper mixture, fluff the couscous and then close the lid and let the couscous steam.

For the zucchini;

Slice the zucchini into thin slices, sprinkle with some pure pickle masala( very little) and some bell pepper seeds, brush with olive oil and then bake for about 20 mins until crispy.

Tzatziki:

Cut the ends off the cucumber and rub these ends on the sides of the cucumber. Peel and slice into thin strands. Take some of these strands and chop into small dice and mix into half cup of yogurt , leave the rest for presentation , 2 T tahini , 1 T fresh lemon juice, 1 T orange juice, some bell pepper seeds and some kosher salt. I also added 2T of miracle whip to this mixture.

Nazarina A.


Probeer hierdie resep. Jou hele famielie sal jou liefhe en die wereld van jou dink ! Ek is verseker dat jy sal vriende he wat jy nie eens geken het nie!

Slippery when wet : zero calorie Valentine's Day gifts and more...

Greetings everyone! Thank you so very much for all those inspiring comments on my previous post! I am indeed touched and have that "warm" feeling inside me when I hear that you also miss me when I am gone ha! ha! I had no idea. Well the feeling is very mutual! You are my support system!

I have been busy with Valentine's Day soap baskets and also a few baby showers ( all these moms- to- be are going to have boys!!! I had to work really hard during these past two weeks so that I could go skiing on the weekends! Let me tell you, I have been making soap in my sleep! These soaps have Goats milk, olive oil, shea and cocoa butters and essential oils.

A Recollection

I still remember the day, I wanted to attempt the art of saponification( soap making). I had the audacity to think that it was not that hard to do. Boy! was I mistaken! It can in fact be very laborious and dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. I, for one, do not like to resort to an absurd hyperbole and discourage people from trying, by saying that it is so difficult, it will break your entrepreneurial spirit. All I am trying to convey here is that when you follow certain precautions, have a " mise en plus" work ethic and little bit of inspiration and patience, will your anticipated results turn out half way decent and not like crap! Hey, even if the result turns out to be a piece of crap, you will get over it and start afresh!

I would like to think that I am actually a soap diva ha! ha! especially since I spend so many hours making them. Let me tell you when I want "to turn down the volume and tune out annoyances," I turn to this satisfying hobby. It keeps me sane!

A message for my South African and Dutch friends:

Ek kan nog altyd onthou die dag toe ek wou leer hoe om seep te maak. Die vraag was hoe swaar was dit werklik? Wel, ek het my lekker misgis want verseping was nogal nie so maklik nie! Ek will ook nie oordryf en se dat dit te swaar is om te leer nie. Wees verseker my doel is nie om u te ontmoedig nie "Probeer is nogmals die beste geweer."
Voorsorg maatreels moet toegepas word en met geduld en n' bietjie inspirasie kan jy hierdie kuns vermeester en leer liefkry. Wees ook gereerd vir uitslagte wat sal misluk!
Verseping is n' stokperdjie wat ek terdee geniet en dit is ook n' wyse van inkomste vir my!





If you are looking for love, then two Cupids are
better than just one! Hope you have a swell
Valentine's day!

A Chanel#5 type of fragrance!




If Cupid can't do the job, then maybe these cupcakes will set that amorous tone!
Chocolate and mulberry fragrance ( cupcake swirl)
Click on this picture!





This "ball and claw tub" served the purpose of my
Valentine's gift baskets. A zero calorie cupcake while
soaking in the tub! What more does a girl want?
Seduction in the making!!! Work it girl! .........and boys?












Here I used a leather tool to "write" on the
soap. Click on the picture to see the words
more clearly.





One of my customers' wanted this pina colada fragrance
pineapple soap in the basket. Who am I to question?
Ask and you shall receive! I kinda dig this pina colada
fragrance!

]



"Its a boy" Yay!!!!!Soaps for the baby
showers!

Chocolate and vanilla fragrance ( cupcake swirl)






Banana and pineapple fragrance ( Finally a bug that I like!)





Platypus and duckies( baby powder fragrance)
Click on the picture !



Click here for older baby soaps

Please enjoy!
Nazarina A.