Tomatillo and guacamole mojo with baked garlic shrimp

If you make this........he or she will succumb!!!

I made this dish with the intention of transporting the diner........right under my spell! It sure moved him and me as well ! The mojo was spot on!

The tomatillos were roasted with garlic, cooled and then mixed into the guac. The shrimp was tossed with spices, panko, lemon and chopped cilantro and baked to perfection!

Toss panko breadcrumbs with some olive oil, parmesan and toast in oven until golden about 8 mins. Raise oven to to 400 degrees and toss the shrimp with lemon j, garlic, cilantro . Add this to the breadcrumbs and spread out on the baking sheet and bake 10 mins!

Enjoy!
Nazarina A

Samoosas

Can one honestly resist this delectable bite?

"Whoop! there it is!




"Drie hoekie vleis koekie" ( Three sided meat tart)

This hors d' oeuvres is by no means a culinary mediocrity! There is no cultural correctness needed to eat a samoosa. The samoosa is definitely not an acquired taste, because that lethal first bite will hook and reel you in! The golden, brown, crispy exterior beckons you to take a bite and the robust, spicy beefy interior makes this hors d' oeuvres far from ho-hum!

Nazarina


Please use organic ingredients when possible!



The shell:( Samoosa pur)

• 2 c flour( all purpose)
• 2/3 c H20
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 1/4 c vegetable oil

Sift the flour and the salt, and pour into a food processor. Turn on the processor and add the h20 gradually to make a stiff dough. Remove the dough and divide into 12 smooth balls and place back in the processor with the top back on( keeps it moist). Working with the first six balls of dough: Roll out each on a floured surface to about 4 inches and brush with oil and sprinkle with flour all over the circle except for the last circle. LEAVE THIS ONE AS IS. Pile the six circles on top of each other with the ungreased disc on the very top and press along the edges lightly to match the sides. Roll out this pile to a big circle as far as the dough would allow you to go about 12 inches. Brush this big circle with oil and then bake in a preheated oven 400 degrees for about a minute and a half, turn the dough over and bake other side for another minute and a half just until the layers rise slightly. Remove and trim the edges, and try to formulate into a square and then cut this big square into four strips about 2 and a half inches wide. Finally pull all the layers apart and lay on a clean, damp towel and cover with the towel until you are ready to stuff it. Fill each strip of pastry with about 2 t ground beef filling and fold the strip into a triangle. Make a paste 6 t of flour and 6 t of h20 and then just "glue" the triangle close with the paste. Store the uncooked samoosas in a plastic bag in the freezer or if you cannot wait fry in deep oil until crispy and golden brown.

Filling:

• 2 onions chopped in small dice
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t ginger pounded
• 1t garam masala( I roast my own mixture)
  
• 1t turmeric
• 1t meat masala or you can use paprika
• 1 small finely diced jalapeno
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro

Saute' the onions in about 2T olive oil until translucent about 5 mins. Wash and drain all the water from the ground beef in a colander and then add to the onion mixture and break up the lumps with a spoon. Add 1 t kosher salt and cook for 25 mins. Add all the spices and the jalapeno and cook for another 5 mins. Add the cilantro. Check for seasoning again. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool before filling the pastry.

I make this during the Fast and on Eid day.

Enjoy

Nazarina.

Jamaican jerk sweet potatoes with a sweet potato bisque

Do you think that when you serve this Jamaican jerk sweet potato dish to a jerk, he or she would possibly stop acting like one?

Nazarina.

death by chocolate shortbread thumbprint with a cheesecake and strawberry filling

If you are "down in the doldrums" or just deliriously happy, then this dessert with a cup of steaming English tea would be celebratory. High tea always invokes a feeling of "boy have I arrived!

The recipe:

¾ c Mcarthurs all purpose flour

¼ c unsweetened Dutch cocoa

¼ t salt

2 oz dark chocolate chopped

1 stick unsalted European butter, soft

¼ c organic Florida crystals or any sugar you prefer. Separately in another small bowl 6 teaspoons sugar

1 large egg yolk

1T vanilla (The kind from Santo Domingo is soooooo good. It has a rich deep and dark onyx color and the whole house smells like a vanilla orchard!!!) I buy this from there! Or your own favorite!

Filling:

2 oz cream cheese room temp.

1 package instant pudding and pie filling (cheesecake}

Some dark chocolate and heavy cream

Method:

Preheat oven 350 . about 15 mins baking time.

Sift flour, cocoa, salt. Melt chocolate in a bowl over pan of simmering water, set aside to cool. Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in yolk, vanilla and chocolate; Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate covered for 1 hour. Make ¾ inch balls or whatever size you like, roll around in sugar that is in the small bowl. Space the thumbprints 1inch apart on parchment and make the print with the thumb. You are going to have to use the back of a wooden spoon to define the print again after 10 mins. of baking . Bake 5 mins. more It should be slightly cracked and set.

Filling: Make the instant pudding according to package directions but only use half of the milk that they suggest on the box and then mix in the cream cheese with electric beater. Also for that two tone effect melt some more dark chocolate let cool and then mix together with some heavy whipping cream and whip until stiff. Here is a tip that I learned lay the two mixtures side by side on a piece of plastic wrap and slide into the piping bag and pipe the desired two- tone effect. Also make some with macerated strawberries( cut some strawberries and mix with a tiny bit of organic sugar crystals) and then spoon on top of the cream cheese mousse mixture inside the cavity of the cookie.

Capetonian copenhagen

An eye opening Capetown danish coupled with a good cup a Joe would give rise to "ca hones" that you never knew you had! Go ahead and ask your employer for that long anticipated raise.

E-mail me for recipe

Nazarina.

Tasty crab cakes, basmati rice and dhal

If you have a picky eater, then this here twisted mind has a cornucopia of "foodie tricks" to make them eat their dinners. I guarantee if you shape these crab cakes into the form of a fish, hide the peas in the rice and just take a minute to fold the napkins into a fish and wallah! your little ones will be bowled over.It is time for us all to "take the time" and "make time" for better and healthier dinner get togethers

Nazarina.

A valentine delight: white and dark chocolate cupcakes with a creamy filling

Reinventing the wheel where the cupcake is concerned is definitely not on my menu! As long as the cupcakes are airy, creamy and not overly sweet and if you salivate by just looking at this picture, then I would have done my job. Even though the cupcake is steeped in history, mine is by no means stuck in the past. These are so comforting to the extent that moderation "flies out the window" when these babies come out of the oven. I think I could almost stop a war for a good many hours, heck maybe for good when these babies are served. All malice would simply dissolve and I do believe a truce would be in order ha! ha!.
Okay! so a little culinary exaggeration never really did hurt anyone!

Please e-mail me for the recipe.

Nazarina.

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