CHICKEN SHAMI KEBABS

This is just such an easy and quick recipe and it's great for kid's lunch boxes, try for yourself!!

1 lb lamb mince but you can use chicken if you wish

1 chopped onion

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 tsp dhanya powder

a hand full of chopped coriander leaves

a few chopped green chilli's depending on how hot you like it

2 tbsp yogurt

salt/pepper to taste

Now this is the easy part combine all the above and leave in the fridge to marinate for a few hours or even over night is fine. Then shape then into balls and slightly flatten them and fry using 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan so you are shallow frying instead of deep frying. serve with naan and mint sauce.

For kid's make them into sandwiches or put them in pocket naan's with some mayonnaise.

  

OKRA WITH POTATO

1 pack frozen okra (bhindi)

2 med potato's peeled and cut into small cubes

1/4 cup oil

salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp dhanya powder or curry powder

3 green chilli's whole

1 tbsp whole cumin

Heat oil and add the cumin seeds, when you see them surface to the top add all of the above except for the potato's. toss and cook the okra until you see the stickiness from the okra disappear, add potato's and cover with a lid until potato's are cooked, then leave the lid off and let the okra and potato's become crispy tossing occasionally. garnish with coriander leaves and eat with naan.

COCONUT CHICKEN

I Whole chicken cut into 8 pieces or use boneless 

2 tbsp butter

2 med onion's

4 cloves of garlic (keep whole)

2 green chilli's cut into chunks

1 cardamom

2 cloves

a few black peppercorns

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 large fresh tomato chopped

1 tin coconut milk

This is so easy, ready? all you have to do is put everything into a pot except for the coconut milk and cook, once chicken is tender add milt and simmer for 5 min then serve with rice.

CHICKEN VINDALOO

1 lb chicken or lamb (boneless cut into cubes)

3 tbsp vinegar

1 chopped onion

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp crushed garlic

2 tsp crushed ginger

1 tsp hot chilli powder (can used very hot if you like)

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp sugar

salt and black pepper to taste

1 tin crushed tomato's

3 tbsp oil

marinate the chicken in the above ingredients except for the tomato's, onion and oil for about an hour.

in a pan hear oil and add onions when slightly brown add the chicken and cook for a few min then add the tomato's and cook until chicken is well cooked. garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

My Decorating Club

During the holiday's I held two cupcake decorating classes and alhamdulillah they went really well, here are some pictures of what my students made, they were aged between 6-10 years.

Why not join us next time!!!

BENEFITS OF DATES

VERSE FROM THE QURAN ON FOOD

And it is He Who produces gardens trellised and untrellised,

And date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in taste).

Eat of their fruits when they ripen, but pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest,

And waste not by extravagance.

Verily, He likes not those who waste by extravagance.

(6:141)

Health benefits of dates

• Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.
• Fresh dates compose of soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. When eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being used to break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times.
• The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.
• They contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to possess anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties.
• They are moderate sources of vitamin-A (contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant properties and essential for vision. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These antioxidants found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Thus, eating dates found to offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. 
• Zea-xanthin is an important dietary carotenoid that selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea.
• Dates are an excellent source of iron,  being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
• Further, they are very good in potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help controlling heart rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.
• They are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.
• Further, the fruit has adequate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin.
  
  
  SO WHY TAKE VITAMINS WHEN ALLAH HAS PROVIDED US WITH BEAUTIFUL DATES. ALLHAMDULILLAH.
  
  
  DO YOUR CHILDREN EAT DATES OR CAN THIS BE A STRUGGLE SOMETIMES?
  WELL HERE'S A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO MAKE DATES MORE INTERESTING FOR KID'S TO EAT.
  
  
  YOU NEED I PACK OF STONED DATES, CUT INTO HALF AND PLACE IN A PAN WITH A KNOB OF BUTTER (UNSALTED) USING THE BACK OF A SPOON MASH THE DATES IN THE BUTTER THEN ADD A HAND FULL OF CRUSH DIGESTIVE BISCUIT'S  AND COMBINE TOGETHER, IF U LIKE TO ADD MORE BISCUIT'S THEN YOU CAN. IF YOU SEE THAT IT'S NOT COMBINING THEN ADD A LITTLE MOE BUTTER. ONCE MIXED TAKE A SMALL AMOUNT INTO YOUR HANDS AND ROLL INTO A BALL SIZE AND DIP INTO SOME MORE CRUSHED DIGESTIVES OR YOU CAN USE ANY OTHER COATING SUCH AS COCONUT OR SWEETS, IT'S UP TO YOU. 
  
  
  THE KID'S WILL LOVE IT. GO ON TRY THEM.

ALOO (POTATO) PARATHA

BOIL POTATO'S AND MASH ONCE OVER COOKED. ADD SALT, CHOPPED ONIONS, CORIANDER CHOPPED AND GREEN CHILLI'S CHOPPED. MIX TOGETHER AND MAKE BALLS THE SIZE BIGGER THEN A TENNIS BALL.

MAKE ROTI DOUGH AS NORMAL. TAKE DOUBLE THE SIZE OF YOUR NORMAL ROTI AND ROLL OUT TO THE SIZE OF A SAUCER, PLACE THE POTATO BALL IN THE MIDDLE AND COVER THE  WHOLE BALL WITH THE ROTI DOUGH AND CLOSE IT UP. NOW COAT IN FLOUR AND ROLL OUT AGAIN BUT VERY CAREFULLY AND GENTLY TO THE SIZE OF YOUR NORMAL PARATHA BUT REMEMBER THE IT SHOULD BE THICK. COOK IN A NON-STICK FRYING PAN WITHOUT ANY OIL. YOU CAN DO THEM ALL LIKE THIS AND THEN WHEN YOU WANT TO EAT ADD GHEE TO THE FRYING AND COOK LIKE NORMAL PARATHA.  MAKE LOADS ADN FREEZE THEM BEFORE YOU FRY.

ALTERNATIVELY ADD GREEN AND RED PEPPERS, SWEETCORN AND CHEESE TO THE POTATO MIXTURE. LIKE THE PICTURE BELOW.

MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

FRESH PASTA FILLED RAVIOLI (I USED MUSHROOM FILLED BUT U CAN USE ANY ONE YOU LIKE) 

DRIZZLE OF OIL

1 SMALL CHOPPED ONION

FRESH CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES

PARSLEY

SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

FRESH SINGLE CREAM

HEAT OIL IN A PAN AND COOK THE ONIONS SLIGHTLY THEN ADD THE CORIANDER, PARSLEY, SALT, PEPPER THEN ADD THE FRESH CREAM.

IN BOILING WATER PLACE THE RAVIOLI IN AND SIMMER FOR A FEW MIN.

PLACE YOUR RAVIOLI IN A SERVING DISH AND POUR THE SAUCE OVER AND EAT.

THE PERFECT ROAST LAMB

2 KG ROLLED ROAST LAMB 

FRESH ROSEMARY (SMALL PACK)

FRESH THYME (SMALL PACK)

SALT AND PEPPER FOR SEASONING

OIL

MARINATE THE WASHED LAMB IN SALT AND PEPPER, MAKE SLITS INTO THE LAMB AND PUSH THE STEAMS OF THE ROSEMARY AND THYME  INTO THE LAMB AND DRIZZLE WITH OIL. COOK IN THE OVEN FOR ABOUT 3 TO 4 HOURS ON GAS MARK 4.

SERVE WITH ROAST POTATO'S AND VEGGIES AND POUR ON GRAVY.

THIS IS WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE BEFORE COOKING

Check out my pinterest page

http://pinterest.com/ccupcakeuk/

the cakes with creative cupcake at the bottom are my ones, others are from other pinterest users.

JZK

AYSHA DAUD