COOKING WITH JAZ: December 2013

Hey guys! Lets turn this up a notch!

I'm excited to start a new series on the blog [GUEST AND RECIPE OF THE WEEK] I'll be featuring different cooks from all over and their recipes!

Its such an honor to start by featuring a friend of mine who I honestly think is the Zimbabwean version of me! LOL *just kiddin....maybe not....ok a bit.....well you be the judge!*

Anyway shes a great cook and some of her dishes will make you want to lick the screen! *please don't*

Here is a simple one that I recommend you to try over this long weekend : Strawberry trifle!

Trifle is one of the easiest things to make. All you need is some cake, flavored jelly, cold vanilla custard, sliced fruit, whipped cream and of course a bowl.

Start by placing alternate layers of the above ingredients in a glass bowl beginning with cake{which you can either bake or buy without icing] , then custard [which is made with custard powder and hot milk then leave to cool & refrigerate for at least 30 min] , fruit *note: reserve some for garnish* and jelly. Top with fresh fruit.
Simple as that!

The last pic is of the a peach trifle, Same recipe different fruit!

Now cummon! rush to the supermarket and get those ingredients asap!!

Enjoy~

Hey guys!
So what do you when its chilly and when your loved one is under the weather or when you need a healthy meal for dinner? You make soup!

I got a whole lot of vegetables, put them together and made what you see below. The beauty of this recipe is that you can put whatever veggies you want-no limitations. I personally love the sweetness of the butternut squash/pumpkin and the thickness that potatoes bring to a soup.
This is a recipe that I adapted from my sisters who would make in their homes as the first course.
I also thought of making honey glazed wings as a biting and I must confess I had my fair share of wings last night! #guiltyascharged :-) :-b Must have been the monopoly game! It worked up my appetite!

Here it goes,
Ingredients:-
1 Butternut squash/ pumpkin

5 large potatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 red onion
1 tomato
1 green pepper/hoho-or a red one that is more sweeter
4 carrots
Peas
Parsley to garnish
6 slices bread
Olive oil
1 beef cube
Black pepper
Cream cheese-the kind that you spread on bread-I used the TEAMA cheese found in most supermarkets *affordable and good quality*

Chicken wings
Honey
Soy sauce
Spring onions

Process no.1:
Peel, wash, and chop all your vegetables. You don't have to cut them up in small pieces since we will blend them all afterwards. Put in a sufuria and fill with water as per vegetable quantity , a dash of olive oil, some black pepper, a beef cube and some salt and put to boil.

When everything is ready, *check by piercing potatoes with a knife, if they slide down, they are cooked!* put aside. Then take three packs cream cheese and place them in the blender to blend with cooked veggies. Make sure to add abit of the soup obtained from boiling to help in the blending process. *note: abit not ALOT* and voila!

Note: Cheese is salty so be careful when adding salt.

Process no.2:
Take loaf and cut in small squares. cut it up in small squares, put on an oven tray, dash of olive oil and salt and bake for 5 minutes till they are slightly brown and toasted!

Process no 3:
In a separate pan put spring onions/leeks and chopped up garlic to cook. Mix three spoons honey and a dash of soy sauce in a dish. Add chicken wings and allow to brown. Add some black pepper.When they are slightly cooked add honey-soy sauce mixture and half a cup of water and allow to cook with a cover. After about 8 minutes, remove cover and allow chicken to fry abit. The good thing about chicken and other white meats is that they cook very fast.
Serve in large plate for guests to eat as bitings.