Chicken & Vegetable Pizza

Chicken & Vegetable Pizza (on Garlic Herb Crust)

Preheat oven at 425'F (220'C) 

If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise

for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.

Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Toppings

(you can the vegetable medley of your choice)

1 plantain chopped into small pieces, pre-cook plantain (boil or fry)

Chopped spinach (or kale)

Chopped red pepper

Chopped onion

Optional: mushroom, sweet corn, olives, and broccoli

1.5 cups mozzarella or cheddar (or medley) grated

2 tablespoons olive oil (to drizzle on top of pizza before placing it in the oven.

1 cup marinated chicken cups (I marinated mine in herbs and chili)

Optional: sprinkle red pepper flakes, garlic powder, basil on top of pizza before you place it in the oven.

Dough

Total time: 90mins

Prep: 20mins

Inactive: 1hr 10mins

Ingredients

·       3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour (for crispy crust) plus more for rolling

·       1 teaspoon sugar

·       1 envelope instant dry yeast

·       2 teaspoons kosher salt

·       2 teaspoons garlic powder

·       1 teaspoon thyme, parsley, oregano, basil

·       1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F

·       2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

Directions

Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.

Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Spuds Be Gone Shepherds Pie

I guess I was feeling a tinge of patriotism for my sometimes 'mother'land. The babes & I were entertaining and had a hankering for 'tatoes the only problem is I can't stand Irish 'tatoes or rather South American 'tatoes because that's where the crop came from. Long and short of it is that I love sweet 'tatoes best because they are healthier and well my love for plantains is one in Tokyo. Resolution a marriage of the two. so anyway this is the resulting deliciousness that ensued.

 You will notice that I took some artistic license and added some extra aromatics and flavourants, because let's face it, as it stands the Brits (the non-african and asian ones) simply wouldn't know flavour if it hit them in the shins. well the addition os kale...i'm sure even you've noticed that kale is the 'IT super food at the moment, so hey why not.


 A Colonised Shepherds Pie

 Ingredients:

 The Filling:

• Olive Oil (2 Tbsp)
• Ground Lamb or turkey (about 1.5 lbs)
• 1 Large Carrot (grated/chopped finely)
• 1 Large Onion (grated/chopped finely)
• Red bell pepper
• Kale
• Sweet corn
• Fresh basil
• Fresh Rosemary
• Fresh Thyme
• Minced Garlic (6 cloves)
• Curry
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Red pepper
• Worcestershire Sauce (several splashes)
• Tomato Puree or Paste (no more than a small can)
• Red Wine (several glugs)
• Cream of chicken soup (1 can)


 The Mash:

• Sweet Potatoes; almost ripe Plantain (about 1.5 lbs)
• TIP: If you’re feeling feisty you can add some Yuca to the mix, just make sure you remove the long hairs
• Heavy Cream (1/4 cup)
• Butter (3 1/2 Tbsp)
• Sour cream (1 dollop)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Italian herbs
• Egg Yolks (2)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/4 cup, minimum)

 Prep Work:
• Dice the garlic
• Separate your herbs from the stems
• Chop/grate your vegetables
• Separate your Egg Yolks
• Peel and Slice your potatoes plantains into even pieces
• Open your wine if it’s not already
• Open your can of Tomato Paste


Cooking the Potatoes:

This part is elementary, just boil some water, throw some salt and your potatoes plantains in, and set a timer for 15 minutes – start on your filling. Once your 15 mins are up, take your potatoes out and strain the water off. Put potatoes back into the pot. Mash the potatoes with their ingredients from above and keep warm (your filling should be about done by this point)

Cooking the Filling:

Pour Olive Oil into a hot, rather large pan, add meat. Stir meat as if your life depends on it for a few minutes so it’s nice and brown, and broken into very small pieces. Add your Rosemary, Thyme, Onion and Garlic, stir some more. Quickly add your Carrot, Corn, Kale, and Peppers stir a little longer. The idea at this point is to get everything to a minced consistency. Add chicken soup, stir, add Worcestershire Sauce, stir, add Tomato Puree, stir, add Red Wine and sweat down for a minute or two. Cook for 3 more minutes.


Final Instructions:

Scoop your meat mixture into a deep casserole or other oven safe dish and then spoon the mash over the top. Spread the mash over the top of the mix with the bottom of the spoon and then sprinkle a generous portion of Breadcrumbs & Parmesan cheese (or cheese of choice, smoked gouda, goat cheese or swiss) over the top. Poke the top with a fork several times to give it a peaked look and stick it in the oven at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes to brown the potatoes and set the pie. Serve it up and watch people melt! This is a Shepherds Pie that even brown people will get jiggy with.

Fish CocoMan Curry

Coconut Mango Curry w/ Fish

2 cans of coconut milk
1 large mango chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 large onion
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon jamaican curry
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ata rodo (aka scotch bonnet)
1 table spoon tomato paste
1 cup white wine
salt to taste
2 tablespoons of bitter leaf (optional. traditional nigerian spice, can be purchased at your local african food grocer)
1 tablespoon honey
olive oil to saute your onions and mango
okra (optional)
tatase (sliced whole red peppers, also optional)

4 whole fish (perch was my choice)
1lb medium shrimp (cleaned & unshelled)

[cooking note: while you're chopping your ingredients soak your bitter leaf, to wash away some of the bitterness. rinse bitter leaf three times before adding it]

chop your mango, onion and garlic
saute your M. O. G. and ata rodo
add your all spices to the sauteed M. O. G. except for paprika
[cooking note: make sure to mix well at this point because once you add your fish you will only be able to agitate the pot so the fish don't break apart]
add your fish, let saute for about 3-5 mins, then add your white wine.
after about 5 mins pour your coconut milk into the pot.
agitate so the milk mixes through
steam for about 10mins then add your bitter leaf
sprinkle the paprika and honey on shrimp then add to curry
steam for another 10mins
serve with salad and Rice, plantain, attieke, couscous or your starch of choice


picture to follow

Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice inspired by the Nigerian method of preparation

In some ways this dish resembles paella with the multiple layers of the flavour and the rich seafood used in it preparation. One could also make this dish vegetarian or even vegan by substituting vegetable stock for bouillon cube and using hearty veggies instead of seafood.

4 cups jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
1.5 cups white wine
1/4 cup of onion tomato puree/sauce
1 ata rodo (aka scotch bonnet)
1 small onion
4 cloves of garlic
4 scallion
1 teaspoon sage
2 teaspoon fish powder
1 maggi (bouillon) cube
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon cilantro
pinch of jamaican curry

(broken whole fish optional)
(shrimp/prawns optional)


in a food processor or blender, blend all ingredients together (except fish powder & rice)

heat olive oil in pot with garlic flakes/powder
fry/sauté rice in olive oil for about 5 mins
then add the blended (liquid) ingredients
decrease heat and let the rice steam for about 15-20mins (if you like for rice softer, add a bit more water and increase cook time by 7min increments)
when your rice has about 5-10mins left to cook, sprinkle the fish powder on top
if you are using fresh seafood, you want to add it when your rice is half done so it doesn't over cook
if you want more of the coconut flavour use a 1/2 can more coconut milk
try not to stir your rice once you are along in the process

House of Ewu (goat)

This weekend I had the opportunity to partake in two very different activities (rituals if you like) that have acquired a new form of importance to me as an Afropolitan in the African diaspora.
Growing up in South Africa house music/ deep house (and kwaito) were a composite part of the musical horizon. My first real foray with house music was in secondary school on a secluded yet prominent school on the hilltop. As a youngster of 14, my friends and I would away from the confines of campus life to dance under the moonlight to the deep cooing rhythms of Dj Cleo, Dj Fresh or any combination of locals who graced the decks. It was during these nights of dancing till dawn that many of us were able to dance away the angst of adolescence.
Even earlier in my childhood, I remember hearing fables of Isi Ewu (otherwise known as spiced goat head) a delicacy so strange that it's reserved for bars and pool halls were the faint and pious dared not tread. These stories were never from my uncles, well not my biological uncles at least. These fables came from people like Uncle Leo the family driver or from the washer man. One thing that always remained, where there was talk of Isi Ewu, there was talk of Guinness and probably ladies of the night, except by this point in the conversation I was no longer within ear shot!
So much like this infectious genre of music, Isi Ewu and stories of seedy bars & palm wined men with potbellies and foul language chequered the airwaves of my childhood. These stories lingered like a famed show on the am frequency that barely made it through the wire hanger antenna range.

As I danced and then imbibed this weekend, there was a moment while one of the archangels of South African house graced the decks that I quite literally felt the gates of heaven open to me. I feel it appropriate to state at the juncture that I was not in fact intoxicated. I felt a strong sense of levity above, around; below me unparalleled by no other experience I've had, (well not quite!) And in that moment the only other thing I could think of that has very nearly induced a similar feeling was when I ate Isi Ewu for the first time. In that moment I came alive, I felt in communion with my maker. I joke around with my chef partner that when he conjures the Isi Ewu there must be some spiritual interaction that takes place that is then translated to the consumer upon consumption. Each time I say it he laughs, but I think we’re both beginning to accept that there is in fact truth to this statement, as many a person have almost been persuaded to forsake their partners for want of the soup dibia’s goat head.
Now, please forgive me if the point of intersection isn’t immediately apparent to you; however I believe there is a strong relationship between food and music. And no, I’m not reaching; there is indeed a correlation. The most essential connection is that they are both universal languages of LOVE! To partake in them one requires not interlocutor.
Everyone needs food for life & everyone’s quality of life and capacity to love (life) is summarily enhanced after exposure to music, be it from the womb or later on in life. In fact, one could argue that the very act of creating life does in its own way create a form of music in its very basic rhythmic form.
So for me my weekend’s experiences were the perfect union of two parts of myself. My newfound appreciation for a genre of music I considered too commonplace to explore, to a culinary delicacy too shrouded in mystique for the young and demure feminine form to partake in at home. The gist of it all is this weekend I knew LOVE in a very real way.

A Very Berry Affair!

Very berry pie

(recipe makes 2 standard 9 inchers)

1 cup rum
1 cup sugar (brown & white mixed)
6 cups of strawberry
2 cups blueberries
sprinkle of ginger
sprinkle of paprika
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch
confectioners sugar for dusting

if you are not lazy and want to make your own pie crust here’s a common crust recipe:

Pastry
1up all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water


• In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• 2Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• 3Heat oven to 475°F. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on cooling rack.


But seriously save yourself the pastry rolling/bicep inducing agony and cop those Pillsbury dough boy joints from your local grocer.

Filling:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix
You might want to let the fruit steep in the rum and spices for a few mins before you add the other ingredients (that’s only if you a lush much, lol)
Once you place the filling in the bottom crust, cover with a top crust, brush with melted butter and bake until golden delicious.
When you bring your pie out of the oven dust with confectioners sugar and then let cool slightly.
If you are using ice cream as a side you want your pie warm otherwise its up to you ☺


Preheat your oven at 350’ f and bake the pie for about 20-25mins.



You could serve with ice cream or whipped cream with strawberry sauce drizzled on top.