After the Easter Break

Easter has been and gone and it was a lovely time. We went to church on Easter Sunday and the service was very good. I have to admit I don't go to church as often as I should and it was just nice to be there for that special day. Justine is not a big fan of chocolate but she does eat some dark chocolate and anything Kinder so that that's the type of treats she got for Easter, together with a sweet homemade treat bag. I love crafting homemade cards, as you know by now, and other things too. Unfortunately, I am not partial to one type of chocolate, I am partial to chocolate, period! lol.

Justine with the Brownies flag for their mass at Saint Mary's church, Sunbury

Now school (and work, for me) has resumed and time is an important factor to consider when planning meals or outings. I still have my day off in the week, which makes a difference to what I can do. Without it, Justine would have much less homemade treats and elaborate meals. It doesn't mean that we don't eat out once in a while or have the occasional ready-meal. It has become a bit of a ritual that after Brownies, we have fish and chips (or nuggets and chips in Justine's case).
I made some delicious Mauritian Dhal Puris last time and I want to share the pictures with you. I made it twice and it came out a bit different every time...still delicious!

These dhal puris are soft flatbreads made with split peas (filling) that have been boiled in water to which turmeric and salt have been added. Once they are soft enough to squash between two fingers, they are drained and left to cool down but the cooking water must be reserved to make the dough. The dough is literally just flour, salt, oil and a little bicarbonate of soda. The split peas cooking water is used to bring these ingredients together into a soft dough. The dough is then left to rest for about half an hour, in a bowl, covered with a damp tea towel. Then little balls are made from the dough and stuffed with the split peas (that have been blended to a fine powder first). The balls are rolled out carefully on a well floured surface and cooked in a flat, non-stick frying pan or a tawa if you have one (it's an Indian Mauritian thing. lol). You can research how to make Dhal puris on YouTube or online. There are lots of resources about it. Along the way to perfecting my puris, I learnt that in Trinidad and Tobago, they also make them. There are subtle differences but essentially it's the same thing. 

Justine is very busy watching YouTube;) I better get busy with housework. lol.

Have a very good week and I see you here soon.

Bye for now:)) 

~Natascha~

Rainy days, sunny hearts!

Hi everyone, here in England it's been very grey outside (for a change! ha ha) but no matter, no matter, it's sunny in our hearts:)
So, with Easter fast approaching and Mother's day even closer, there's lots to get ready. I want to make a lovely card for my awesome mum who lives in Mauritius with the rest of my family. However, for some weird reason, often they do not receive my letters...they simply get "lost" in the post. Maybe they should try owls...but no, poor owls, that would be a long journey. Even by plane it is no less than 12 hours on a direct flight!! Speaking of owls, I want to show you a picture of Justine on world book day in her costume (which required some DIY;)) as Tiga Whiccabim of the Witchwars series of books.

Anyway, spring is coming and with it, Easter. I always have to be very creative about what to give my daughter as an Easter present since, unlike me, she is not exactly a chocolate person. If like my Justine your kids are not into chocolates, try these ideas: make a paper basket and fill it with fake straw and place their favourite candy in it. Then to embellish the whole thing, you could try making a crochet heart (if you are good with the crochet hook too;)) or a paper or fabric heart. To top it all off, make a sweet card and wish all matters of lovely things to your little sweethearts and there you have it, Easter presents for non-chocoholics.

These are only ideas and I have not even started anything yet. We have a couple of weeks off from work (because I work in a college) and school, starting on the weekend of the 6th of April. We can't wait! We will be visiting places, relaxing at home with little indoor activities and having walks in the park. It is so important to take the time to relax, with the busy lives we have. Even a five minute lie down on the sofa with your eyes closed and trying to empty your mind is useful to recharge your batteries. Another tip to start the day well and keep your energy levels high is to go to bed early and getting up early. You will see how the calm and quiet of early mornings is energising. You can seize the opportunity to have a bath once in a while (if like me, you are a shower-on-most-days person) and swirl a few drops of calming essential oils in it.

Playground days are already beginning:)

Justine has started to request visits to the playground and although it is still pretty chilly, it's not freezing cold and the fresh air can only be good for us.

What would be my blog if I didn't post a picture of my latest recipes or culinary creations! 😊😉 So, here are my lemony ricotta hotcakes with homemade blueberry syrup.

The recipe follows after the pictures.

For the hotcakes for two people, you will need a 250g tub of ricotta cheese, 90g of self-raising flour, 50g of caster sugar (so it dissolves easily), 3 large eggs (free-range or organic preferable), the zest of two lemons, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (softened).

For the homemade syrup, you will need: 150g blueberries, 3 Tbsp. maple syrup, 4 cardamom pods (slightly cracked open), 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Place all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan on the hob and bring to a boil. Then turn down to simmering point for about 3 minutes and take off the heat and set aside.

For the hotcakes, using a wooden spoon, beat together the ricotta, flour, sugar, yolks of the eggs, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest. Using electric beaters, beat the whites of the eggs until stiff and fold into the ricotta mixture.

On the hob, place a frying pan on a medium heat and put in it a Tbsp. of butter. Your batter should make 6 hotcakes in total. Put two dessert spoons of batter for one hotcake in the frying pan; make three at a time. Flip them after three minutes and cook for another couple of minutes one the other side. Repeat for the last batch of hotcakes. Serve warm with the syrup. Delicious! You've got to try that one! They are light and sweet and so pillowy. Each hotcake is about 250 kcal if you are interested in managing your calorie intake (I don't care about how many calories I eat, I will never weigh more than 7 stones 3 pounds...lol).

Enjoy the hotcakes and get making Easter crafts...please share any ideas with us;)

Mauritius, paradise island

I realise that I never made a post about where I come from, where I was born and became an integral part of my family, the society, the world and the universe!!
My home land is Mauritius, for those who do not know much about it, here is a map of the island. Mauritius is situated between the latitudes 19⁰58.8 and 20⁰31.7 south and longitudes 57⁰18.0 and 574⁰6.5 east. 

The island is quite small being only roughly 80 km long and 50 km wide, totalling a land area of some 1,800 km square. However, the beaches are so beautiful partly because of their sheltered lagoons which is protected by the third largest coral reef in the world! It's surprising but if you have been there and experienced the warm waters and pleasant bath in the clear sea water, you know there is no comparable feeling to this...simply divine.

In the twelfth century, the Arabs discovered the island but did not settle there (they named it Dina Arobi). It took about another 300 odd years for the Portuguese to come across Mauritius and they called it Cirne but still did not find it suitable for settlement. In 1598, the Dutch found the island and settled there. They cut down the ebony trees that covered most of the land to make furniture and repair their ships. At the time, the Dodo bird existed on the island and it is the only place in the world where it ever existed. Yet the Dutch killed the bird for its flesh and in the long run, the species became extinct. There are skeletons of the Dodo that can now be seen in the museum of natural history in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The island later on became French (1710-1810) before being taken over by the British (won from the French in 1810 in the battle of Grand-Port) and remained under British legislation until 1968 when it obtained its independence. Mauritius has been a Republic since 1992.

If you ask a Mauritian what is the typical food there, we are at a loss for choice because our food is as diverse as our people. A Mauritian person could be anything between white and black, as well as Indian, Chinese and Tamil. The main religions are Hinduism, Catholicism, Buddhism and Islam. In colonial times, there were white people (from France and Britain mostly) and African people mainly and the influence is clearly reflected in the dishes and everyday food. As time went by, Indian indentured labourers came to Mauritius to work in the sugarcane fields and most of them remained there. Nowadays Mauritian food includes curry, biryani, fried noodles or rice, rice noodle soup, "rougaille" (a tomato based sauce cooked with any meat or fish you want), gratins, pulses....the list is long. The only thing that is for sure is that the food is always tasty and full of flavour.

Creme caramel heaven and Dim Sum

Hello there! How are we all doing? Here in England it's quite a chill time, no honestly, it's pretty chilly, lol. With a big chill comes the need for warm and comforting dishes. I have two recipes for you that don't really go together but I happened to have made them on the same day and thought you might like to have a peek and try them too.
So first things first, the main dish is Chinese dim sum, buns to be precise. They are similar to bao buns but not sure if they are the real deal. Whatever they are, they are tasty and easy to make at home with a few ingredients.
Here is what you will need for the buns:

1 tin coconut milk
2 tins (empty coconut milk tin) self raising flour
Good pinch of salt
16 Muffin cases
Steamer basket or bamboo steamer

You will need the following for the filling:

Chicken or beef
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
A pinch of salt
1/2 Tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tsp cornflour, diluted in a little water
Oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 spring onion, chopped

Here's what you do:

Cut the beef or chicken quite thinly and fry in hot oil. Add crushed garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and mirin. Mix well and add a little water so it doesn't stick. Sauté until the meat is cooked then add the cornflour slurry to thicken things up. Cook for at least 2 minutes after adding the cornflour. Take off the heat. Mix in the chopped spring onion.

In a food processor, mix the tin of coconut milk with two tins of self raising flour and the salt.  Process until the ingredients come together, forming a loose ball of dough. At this point, switch off the processor and take out the dough and put it on a floured surface. Flour your hands as you knead as the dough is sticky. Knead to form a rough sausage and cut it in 8 equal parts.
Flatten each part with your fingers and place some of the chicken or beef mixture in the middle, pinching the dough upwards to close the bun. Reserve the juices from the chicken or beef for dipping the buns.
Put each bun in a double layer of muffin cases.
In a large pan or wok, boil a good amount of water and lay the steamer on top. Place the muffin cases filled with buns in the steamer and cover. Steam for about 12 to 15 minutes. Enjoy while warm with some chili sauce and the reserved sauce from the meat.

Now for the dessert bit, let's talk caramel creme. Everyone likes those...they are oozing caramel and they are sweet and velvety. However, most people who make caramel creme at home make it with milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. I have tried making it another way and it turned out lovely and just a tad tangy. Here's what I used:

One cup creme fraîche
Whole milk to top up to 300ml
3 large eggs
2 Tbsp caster sugar (you can use one Tbsp white caster and 1 Tbsp golden caster)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 Tbsp water

Proceed like so:

In a Pyrex small jug, or any other heat resistant jug, mix the granulated sugar with the water. Put in in the microwave on high for 2 minutes and then check that the caramel is coming on nicely every 10 seconds. Have a bowl of cold water ready to place the jug in to stop the caramel burning once it is done.  The caramel is done when it's an amber colour but not dark brown.
Pour the caramel into a heat proof dish to cover the bottom completely.
Using a hand whisk or electric whisk, beat the eggs, milk and caster sugar together. Add the vanilla essence and beat again. Make sure the sugar is nearly or completely dissolved into the liquid.
Pour the mixture over the caramel into the heat proof dish.
Boil the kettle and put some boiling hot water into a deep and bigger oven dish than the one containing the dessert mixture. Now place the dish containing the egg/milk into the bigger container with the hot water. This will help the custard cook gently using the technique known as bain marie.
Cook in a preheated oven at 170 degrees C for about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes. It's ok if the middle is still wobbly. Once it's cooled, put in the fridge to set fully. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy the recipes and ask if you want any clarification....see you all soon, time to do homework with my daughter:))

Curry Puffs: Weekend Treat

Start the weekend with these curry puffs and everything will seem better going forwards:)
They are easy to make and even easier to eat with a melt-in-the-mouth pastry. What's great is that they are mild enough to eat for breakfast so if you feel like an early start on the weekend, you could have them ready in an hour.
If you follow my recipe, you really can't fail these.

You will need for the filling:
a quarter of a small onion, chopped finely
a small bunch of coriander (cilantro for you my American friends)
a pinch of fenugreek seeds
a quarter teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
a quarter teaspoon turmeric powder
half a teaspoon of garam masala
2 curry leaves
Salt to taste
a handful of green beans cut in small chunks
one clove garlic and a small piece of ginger
a glug of oil

In a mortar and pestle, crush together the garlic, ginger, coriander leaves and stems. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan or sauté pan on medium high heat; put in the curry leaves then the onions. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic/ginger/coriander puree. Fry for just a minute then add a small amount of water to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the spices to the pan; fenugreek seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala and a pinch of salt. Finally add the green beans and fry until tender (should take 5 minutes). Add a little water if it gets too dry. Leave this aside for now. Let it cool down.

For the dough you will need:
100g plain flour
50g butter
1 small egg
Salt

In a mixing bowl, rub the butter in the flour until you get a coarse breadcrumbs consistency. Add a little sprinkling of salt and mix it in. Make a well in the centre of the flour/butter mixture. Then, add beaten egg, a little at a time, until you have added just over half of the egg. Mix with a fork until it all comes together then swap the fork for your fingers. Do not knead this dough; just bring it all together and shape it into a disc. Wrap this in cling film and put in the fridge for no less than 30 minutes. When 25 minutes have passed, preheat the oven to 190C. Roll out the dough on a floured surface, cut out discs of roughly 12cm diameter and fill with the curried beans then, fold in half and press with a knife on the edge to crimp and secure the filling inside the puffs. Prick the dough on the top to allow steam to escape while baking. Make an egg wash with the rest of the beaten egg by adding a small amount of water to it. Use this to brush the puffs; this will make them golden, crispier and tastier. Bake a baking sheet lined with foil for about 15 minutes.

 

Take out and let them cool down slightly before tucking it.

Enjoy and let me know how you got on.

Back to Work, Back to School!

School is back in full swing and so is work (I work in a school, lol). It's great to be back in the routine though. Too much of a good thing and it's not good anymore.
Being back to work means things get busier and there is less time to do chores and hobbies. Here are a few tips to clean easily and effortlessly (or with minimal effort;)).
For instance, the shower head...if you live in an area of hard water especially, the shower head soon looks horrible and most of the little holes become blocked. One way to clean the shower head is to pour some vinegar in a zip-lock bag and dilute it a little if you want but pure will do the job faster. Insert the shower head inside the bag and lock as much as possible and leave all day while you are at work. When you come back, take the shower head out of the bag and rinse. Job done!
The tiles in the bathroom also can be sprayed with diluted vinegar (you can add some lemon juice for the nice smell) before you leave the house and scrub a little and rinse when you get back. It will make future cleaning easier as long as you do this regularly, about once every two weeks.
At least once a week, put your pillows near an open window if you live in a flat (apartment) like me. This will aerate them and prevent them from smelling. If they can be put in the washing machine, do this once a year at least.
Keep outdoor shoes for outdoors and have slippers or flip-flops for inside the house. This will help keep the floors cleaner for longer.
Clean as you cook; let me explain. Don't leave all the mess to be cleaned or cleared after you finish cooking. While you are cooking, put things to soak, load the dishwasher or do the dishes by hand while the sauce is simmering or the roast is in the oven. This will leave you with very little mess after dinner.
I hope these tips are helpful and let me know if you want specific tips about particular subjects.
Until next time:)
Have a blast this weekend!!

It's finally the holidays!

Hey, how are you all doing? I am feeling light and happy because it's not until the 7th of January that I will have to think about work again!😊 Then ten days later it will be my birthday, when I will turn 41. Justine broke up on the same day as I and that was so helpful. Have you sorted all your cards and presents? I am slowly getting there...I know, I am late this year, especially with cards. I am known to have wrapped all my presents by November 1st, lol. You must be thinking "Get a life!" but I believe some level of organisation in some areas are quintessential while in some other areas, spontaneity is the key.
Anyway, I would not be true to myself if I didn't pen off after giving you a recipe or recipe idea;) so here goes: try crispy chicken with golden potato wedges and vegetables of your choice.

To be honest, I had planned on making crispy chicken using seasoned flour and breadcrumbs but I was low on all-purpose flour (aka. AP flour) so I decided to venture into new realms...I used fine polenta mixed with the little flour I had left and seasoned it with salt and pepper and a little bit of chicken seasoning mix. I never measure any of these ingredients when making the seasoned flour so just use logic and put in what looks reasonable. I cut my chicken breast quite thin so it would take a very short time to fry. I only shallow fried them after dipping (I think the correct term is dredging) each piece in the seasoned flour/polenta mix. They looked so lovely and golden due to the polenta, it was hard to wait to eat them!
For the wedges, cut each potato in half first (this makes it easier to cut wedges afterwards) then cut each half into wedges but not too thick. The trick to get them all crispy and golden is to use a mixture of coarse polenta, a pinch of garlic powder, salt, pepper and a pinch of onion powder on the wedges. First you need to coat the potato pieces with oil (I use rapeseed a lot for frying and general cooking because it is good for you and it has a high smoke point). After coating them in oil, dredge them into that polenta mixture and bake on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius (that's about 375 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 35 to 40 minutes (just keep an eye on them past the 30 minutes mark).
As for the vegetables, you can cook (boil, steam or roast) whatever you like to go with your dinner but I have an idea for divine green beans. Use fine green beans to be quick but any will work. Cut the beans into short chunks then fry them on a medium high heat into a skillet that has a small amount of hot oil in it. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Continue frying for 5 minutes and take off the heat; they are best served immediately.
Enjoy the ideas and good luck with all the festive preparations, decorations and visits! See you again soon...don't forget to eat mince pies and drink hot chocolate;)

Sorry I look like I just woke up (I had just woken up...lol)