Spicy Peppered Cassava

Last week my parents popped round to my home. With lots of food as always but my Dad had an ominous looking small stainless steel container which was warm to the touch.

I took it over to my kitchen, took a spoon, opened the lid and delved in…
Ummm spicy cassava and now I’m sharing this wonderful recipe with you!

Dad, you never cease to amaze me!

Thank you, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 frozen packet cassava steamed until tender. (Slice into small chunks)
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 tsp ginger puree
1/2 tsp minced fresh green chilli
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Black pepper and salt to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Freshly chopped coriander to garnish

METHOD

In a large shallow saucepan, heat up the oil on low. 

After a couple of minutes, gently add the steamed cassava along with the garlic, ginger and chilli

Stir fry for a few minutes making sure the cassava is coated in the oil and ingredients

Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Combine well

Eat straight away as a starter or a side. Enjoy!

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Shallow Fried Padron Chilli Peppers

As you all know friends, my husband enjoys his food and this totally inspires me to create, bake and make more new dishes.  I was really excited when he came home and was talking about his colleague & friend Nathan making tapas yesterday evening.  They both share a love of food and it’s wonderful as always, to share ideas and experience different cuisines.

The one tapas dish that stood out to me was the “Padron Chillies sprinkled in sea salt”.  Now being of Indian heritage, I adore chilli.  This fascination developed after getting married where all of a sudden I was able to eat as much sweet stuff and chilli, spicy stuff as possible.  Really tastebuds do change when you’re paired in a relationship!  You adopt each others tastes and are more open to trying new foods.

I am yet to make these tasty tapas chillies but Nathan was extremely kind to share his spread and most importantly his recipe.  The padron chilli is known as the Tapas Chilli Pepper ~ used commonly in Spanish cooking, these Padron peppers literally melt in your mouth, with a small amount saltiness and heat making them so very moreish!  They are used whilst green & immature and are very mild.  You really get to enjoy the flavour sensation without burning your palette.

These had to be shared immediately and thank you very much Nathan for introducing us to them and for the mouth watering pictures!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of Padron peppers
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt for sprinkling

METHOD

Add olive oil to a very hot frying pan, when oil is hot and sizzling gently place the peppers into the oil

Cook and stir the peppers until the skin is blistered and the pepper soft

Remove the peppers from the pan, place on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt to taste

Peppered Cassava

My Dad adores cassava and they both go back a long way. He grew up on this nutritious food in Africa and also prepared it for us here. My brothers and I fell in love with it too. Such a versatile vegetable that has a distinctive flavour and texture yet takes on spices and other accompanying ingredients so well.

So here you have one of my Dad’s amazing cassava recipes…I thoroughly hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Thanks for sharing Dad…Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 packet frozen cassava, steamed until tender (pieces)
1 level tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Boiling water
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander to garnish

METHOD

Heat the oil and cumin seeds in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Once the seeds start to sizzle, carefully add the cassava into the saucepan

Mix well so that all the cassava is covered in the oil and seeds

Pour over boiling water, ensuring that the cassava is just about covered with water

Sprinkle in the pepper and salt. Reduce to a low heat and cover. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes until the cassava has become even softer and the whole dish looks creamy

Garnish with fresh coriander and get your serving bowls ready. Tastes superb with some natural yoghurt

Chutney On The Cob

Do you fancy a taste of a barbecue Summer with a funky take on Indian cuisine, well then! This recipe is for you! I have just literally finished taking my last bite of corn with my spicy coriander and lemon chutney I just made. I couldn’t wait at all, to share this with you. If you have these ingredients…you must try this NOW!

It’s so healthy, filling and above all super tasty. Especially as an addition to a meal or in its own. Next time I want to team it up with some baked sweet potato wedges. My creative juices are flowing…I have many more recipes to write up! Better get down to it!

Until then, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch fresh coriander
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic peeled
1 green chilli
1 tbsp Sunflower oil
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste

Sweetcorn on the cob pre grilled

METHOD

This is the easy bit!  Just place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz for a couple of minutes until you get a grainy paste.

Don’t worry about stalks of coriander not being crushed, this way there is more flavour

Smother the chutney onto the corn, making sure all is covered.  Now ready to sink your teeth in?  ENJOY!

Stunning Spice Blends @ Home

I found this chart on Pinterest and I have truly fallen in love with it.  So concise, simple and such flavoursome combinations, I just had to share.  Let me know how you like it friends!

Have a spicy day…Much love, D x

Peppered Paneer With Peas

My husband keeps buying paneer! Maybe it’s a big hint for me to make him some. So on Saturday, I decided to make a paneer curry! This time I made the pepper the star of the show and it really adds a gentle warmth to the curry. There are still two blocks of paneer, so I’m sure you all will be seeing another paneer incorporated recipe here this week

I hope you enjoy this version…Take care and have a lovely day friends! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

1 red bell pepper chopped
250g panner cubed
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 green chilli finely chopped
½ tsp ginger paste
1 onion sliced crescents
1 small green bell pepper sliced strips
1 cup frozen peas
200g tomato passata
1 tbsp sunflower oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander and cumin powder
1 tsp shahi paneer masala

METHOD

Heat up the oil in a medium non stick saucepan along with the mustard and cumin seeds. Once they start to pop throw in the the red bell pepper with the garlic and ginger paste. Stir fry on a medium for a couple of minutes

Gently pour in the tomato passata with all the spices and seasoning. Stir, cover and cook through on a slow heat for 5 minutes

Place in the cubed paneer and mix well, ensuring all the tomato masala is coating the paneer. Mix in the onion and green pepper with the chilli. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the peas and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve with some naan bread

Red Pepper & Lime Risotto With Feta

I can do risotto anytime of the year but this one especially as it’s extremely summery in taste. Tangy from the pepper, hot from the chilli and salty from the feta! Not forgetting the lift from the lime…Enjoy friends!

Much love, D x

Shivaay Delights

I have had this fusion risotto running through my mind for quite a while now. Yesterday I had all the ingredients I needed, so “hey presto!” it was created, made and devoured very fast.
A Mexican base with sweet, earthy notes of red pepper and a sour lift from the lime. Only then to top it off with some Feta cheese, for that Greek influence.

Oh my friends…you have to try this and tell me how it goes..Have a wonderful Wednesday and enjoy. Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

1 red bell pepper diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1½ cup arborio rice
1 litre vegetable stock
Salt to taste
Juice of half a lime
Feta cheese crumbled

METHOD

● Heat the oil in a large non stick saucepan on a medium heat. Sauté the pepper for a couple of minutes and throw in the rice. Mix and…

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Paneer Shashlik Masala

My husband absolutely adores paneer! He loves to eat it, prepare it and to cook it. So what better than to have a guest post recipe from him. He made this awesome masala yesterday for his birthday. I feel if you like something so much, automatically you’re able to make it soo well. This is extremely true for my husband!

He didn’t make it too spicy! knowing that our 3 year may want some, because he loves it too! and he was right… He nearly gobbled up EVERYTHING and we hardly got any! Lol 😉

So please be sure, if you have children, MAKE MORE!!! We’ve learn that for next time!!

Happy Birthday Honey! Your birthday cake is about to me made! Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 green bell pepper diced
1 onion diced
250g paneer cubed
Handful of chopped coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried coriander
Pinch of toasted cumin seeds
5 tbsp natural yoghurt
3 tsp tikka masala paste

METHOD

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl

Mix the tikka masala and yoghurt together

Pour over the ingredients and combine so that all the paneer, onion and pepper is covered

Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinade

In a large deep frying pan, warm up 1 tsp sunflower oil on a medium to slow heat. Cook the paneer through. This may take up to 10 minutes or more. Stirring occasionally

Once the paneer is soft and hot all the way through you are ready to devour

Serve up on a flatbread bread of your choice. We had a kidney bean curried flatbread I had made during the day

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chapatis

Peppers give immense flavour in cooking especially when it’s roasted! Packed with vitamin C, it’s great for when you have a cold. With both my little ones sniffling away and always comforted with a rolled up chapati in their hands when playing. I thought why not introduce the pepper to the chapati?

I was sooo happy with the result and so were they. A soft orange chapati with strong notes of pepper and coriander. I sent a couple for my Mum to try and she loved them. She wants the recipe! So this one is for you my dearest!

INGREDIENTS

1 red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
Handful fresh coriander
¾ tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp coriander & cumin powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala
250g chapati flour
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Boiling water to bind
Extra flour for rolling
Butter

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180°c, pierce the pepper and place on a baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes or until the skin is shrivelled and the pepper soft. Set aside to cool down

• Remove the stalk and seeds, place roasted pepper in the food processor with the garlic, coriander and all the spices and seasoning. Blend to a paste

• Change the blade tool to a dough hook or plastic bread blade, add the flour and oil. Whizz to combine the flour with the pepper paste, once mixed add a little boiling water to bind the flour into a ball of dough

• Meanwhile heat a non stick frying pan on a slow to medium heat. Take a tablespoon amount of dough and form into a ball, flatten and on a clean floured surface roll into a round of approximately 10cm

You will have to flour the chapati as you roll to avoid sticking

• To cook, place the chapati into the heated frying pan, once it shows up a few bubbles turn around carefully with a spatula

Wait again for a minute or so and turn over again. When both sides of the chapati is cooked brown spots will appear

Take out of the pan and set aside on a plate. Spread a little butter onto the chapati

Repeat for the rest of the dough

Either to be eaten alone or with a curry of your choice

Roasted pepper, caramelised onion & feta bread

An all in one Mediterranean bread with exciting ingredients that blend so well together. The charred juicy pepper, the sweet and sour caramelised onion along with a hint of saltiness from the feta cheese makes this bread something very special, even though I do say so myself! Lovely with a light soup or just with a little butter on its own. I will definitely be experimenting more with these flavours and more breads are still to come!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium white onion sliced crescents
1/2 tbsp olive oil for onion
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 red bell pepper
1 clove garlic crushed
30-40g feta cheese diced or crumbled
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
100ml milk
100ml olive oil
Oil and flour for pan

METHOD

1. To roast the red bell pepper, preheat oven to 200c/400f/gas mark 6 and cook directly on the top shelf for 15-20 minutes until the skin starts to peel and a little charred. Deseed the pepper and take off skin, slice into thin strips and then halve the strips. Set aside

2. To caramelise onion, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, add the onions, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Mix well and reduce to a low to medium flame and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Stirring occasionally, The onion will have taken on a lovely brown colour and a sweet aroma. Set aside to cool.

3. Turn the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Mix the eggs, milk and olive oil together. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the egg mixture and stir. Do not over work just make sure the mixture is combined

4. Throw in the roasted pepper slices, caramelised onion and garlic and gently bring together

5. Grease a bread loaf pan with a little oil and flour it to avoid sticking. Place in the oven for 35-45 minutes making sure it is cooked on the inside by sticking a skewer into the middle of the loaf. Once it comes out clean it’s ready and will have taken on a golden colour. Leave in the pan for 20 minutes to cool and then ease out, slice and serve with some butter