Coconut Almond Bites

Hello! 

It's tea time and here is a quick recipe for coconut lovers. Coconut and almond bites! Here we go..

You will need,

Ingredients 

One cup of dessicated coconut flakes

8 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons of white sugar 

Almond Extract (or vanilla)

One egg

Chilled knob of unsalted butter

Half a teaspoon of baking powder

Some milk if needed

Baking sheet

Caster sugar for serving

Method

1. Preheat oven at 150 degrees C.

2. Combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, coconut flakes and baking powder)

 3. When well combined using a hand-held blender, add the butter, egg and almond extract. Mix until the mixture is like a pastry dough. It should be a little bit sticky.

 4. If there are dry pieces remaining in the bowl you can just add little amounts of milk at a time while mixing with a fork. In this way you are combining all ingredients well.

5. Using a ice-cream scoop or simply a spoon distribute the mixture into small balls onto the baking sheet making sure they don't touch. 

6. Bake at 150 degrees C for about 15 minutes or until a slightly golden crust is achieved. 
7. Let cool and dust with some caster sugar! 

Have a bite! 

Easy right? :)

Enjoy!

Ciklemfusa

xx 

How To Cook Better Steak

Hello!

Today, I will give you some tips which I learned, on how to cook a better steak. For this recipe I used sirloin steak, which comes from the rear back portion of the cow. (You can see from the diagram below).

If you want a medium steak this depends on the thickness of the meat and for how long you cook on each side. In this recipe I used about 2 to 3cm thick sirloin steak. The sirloin has very low muscle content, making it a tender cut. The more muscle is used by the cow, the stronger the steak would be and therefore, you get a tougher cut of the meat. This is why it all depends on which cut you're cooking.

Do not take the steak out of the fridge and cook it. Before starting to cook, the steak should be at room temperature. Take it out and let it reach room temperature. If the steak is cold in the middle and hot on the outside when you're cooking, you'll end up with a tough steak and it wouldn't be nice to eat. 

Seasoning and cooking the steak

1. On both sides drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt and black pepper and chopped fresh rosemary. (You can use any herb you like)

2. Push the seasoning into the meat and prepare the pan. I used a thick bottomed pan and drizzle of olive oil.

IMPORTANT: Before transferring the steak onto the pan, make sure the pan is on high heat. 

3. Cook the steak for about 3 minutes on each side. Do not cook for too long, or else you'll loose the juices and you will have to eat a tough steak. During the cooking, make sure that it is being cooked evenly on both sides. In this way, you're keeping the moisture on the inside.

4. After cooking, let it rest for about 10 minutes. When you 'rest' the meat for some minutes, you are letting the meat getting the moisture out and absorb it again so you can have a nice, juicy piece of steak.  

I hope you got these tips useful! 

Enjoy! 

Ciklemfusa

xx

Chicken Tikka and Garam Masala

Today's post is another chicken dish cooked for those who love indian cuisine! Using several spices such as Garam Masala and Turmeric, you can cook this dish simply by following these steps :)

This recipe can serve up to 4 people.

Ingredients 

One boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

Olive Oil

One medium sized onion chopped in chunks

400gr Tomato puree 

300gr Double cream

About 5 cubes of plain feta cheese

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 teaspoon Tikka Masala

1 teaspoon Turmeric

Half teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon Cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fresh ginger or powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Half cup cashew nuts

Method

1. In a pan put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and put in the onion with about half teaspoon turmeric and chicken pieces. Cook until soft. 

2. When the chicken is cooked, now is time to start cooking the sauce. 

3. In the pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the garam masala, tikka masala, chilli powder, cumin seeds, ginger, salt, sugar, tomato puree and pieces of feta cheese. 

4. Cook on medium heat and stir occasionally. Add the double cream and stir and you can see that the color gets lighter. Let simmer on medium heat until the sauce gets thicker.

5. Now, you can add the cashew nuts. In this way, you won't loose their crunchiness with the moisture of the sauce. 

6. Serve!

You can serve this with some basmati rice and naan bread; which I will be posting the recipe for naan bread soon.  

Enjoy!

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

5 Herbs To Grow This Spring!

Hello! 

It's Friday and the start of Spring! This season is perfect for a lot of herbs so it is important to know which herbs can survive temperature changes - cool morning and warmer afternoons. Here are five herbs you can grow which you can use in your cooking.

Cilantro has an unmistakable flavor and it is best in full sun and some afternoon shade.

Parsley has a high nutrients content and flavors too. And like Cilantro, it needs full sun and partial shade.

Very useful in the kitchen. In cold temperatures grows indoors and hot temperatures grows outdoors.

Has a fresh flavor. Plant in early spring which grows fast in cool soil. 

Chives have a soft onion flavor. It needs full sun and some shade. 

Happy Spring and enjoy the sun! 

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

Homemade Lemon Pepper Spice Blend

If you liked the previous post of the lemon pepper chicken recipe, here is the method I found which can be used to prepare your own lemon pepper seasoning! Simple procedure :)

Ingredients

Lemon zest from 4 lemons
1/3 cup of peppercorns (ground) - You can use any type of pepper corns, depending on you taste.
1 tablespoon of sea salt

Method

1. Spread the lemon zest onto a baking sheet and bake on the lowest setting of your oven. 

2. It will take about an hour for the zest to dry out so you need to keep checking and tossing the zest with a fork occasionally.

3. The zest will be ready when it is crumbly and dry. It will be shrunken a bit and you can remove it from the oven. 

4. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the peppercorns and add it to the lemon zest with some salt and pepper. 

5. Store the blend in an air-tight container and you can use later! 

Enjoy! 

Ciklemfusa

xx 

Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe

Hello! 

I love cooking with lemon juice and zest so here is a recipe which consists of a lemon pepper sauce for chicken breast. I also tried this recipe of the sauce for spaghetti and it was divine!

This is a recipe which is loaded with good zesty flavors for those who love their citrus like me. The sour taste of the zest combines with salt and pepper gives a fresh tangy taste.

You will need lemon pepper seasoning which is the main ingredient but you can also make the seasoning yourself; I will be posting a method for it later. So let's start with the ingredients!

Ingredients

Olive oil 

One chicken breast cut in strips

2 large tomatoes cut in chunks 

Handful of finely chopped coriander

Half cup of Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Boiled water 

Fresh chili (optional)

Lemon Pepper Seasoning 

Method

1. In a bowl put the chunks of tomatoes and a pinch of salt in order to release more juices from the tomatoes. 

2.  In a separate bowl, combine the coriander, lemon pepper seasoning, freshly ground pepper, some olive oil and mix together. You can also add some fresh chili or chili powder if you fancy. 

3. After mixing well, transfer the chicken strips into the seasoning bowl to combine the mixture with the meat. 

4. Prepare the frying pan with some olive oil and cook the tomatoes on medium heat by adding some boiled water (about 2 tablespoons).

5. When the tomatoes are starting to soften and releasing the juices, add the chicken mixed with the seasoning mixture and cook on medium heat. Add some boiled to get work in the sauce. 

6. Cover the pan and let cook on low heat with occasional stirring.

7. Uncover the pan stir a little more and you will have tender chicken breast in a nice lemony, peppery sauce. Turn off the heat and serve. 

And like Gennaro Contaldo says...''Why am I cooking SO GOOD?!!''  :)  

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Enjoy!

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

How To Cook Better Potatoes - Pan Fried!

Hola! 

Here is another way you can make your potato side more interesting. With this recipe you can get a crunchy exterior with a creamy interior combined with some rosemary, salt and pepper flavors. This has less fat than deep fried potatoes and is a more elegant way for the presentation of your dish. It is important to use a non-stick pan.

This amount serves 3 as a side. 

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes - unpeeled and cut in bite-size pieces (they will take less time to boil)

Boiling water

Olive Oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper corns 

Fresh rosemary leaves

Method

1. Boil the potatoes until you can easily stick a fork in them.

2. When they are done, get rid of the water.

3. Prepare about 4 table spoons of olive oil in the pan with the fresh rosemary leaves.

4. Transfer the boiled potatoes into the pan. 

5. Add salt and pepper and stir occasionally until golden brown.

Pan-fried potato

Try it out =)

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

Simple Avocado & Tomato Salad

Hello there! 

For today I am posting a delicious and simple salad for you to prepare for your no-meat day! You can prepare this as your side salad and also for a picnic. Oh the options.. =)

The main ingredient is avocado, which I love. It has loads of health benefits and can prevent you from getting various diseases. So, here are the ingredients and method.

The amounts of ingredients serve one as a main or two as a side.

Ingredients

Half chopped avocado 

6 Cherry tomatoes

1 large lettuce leaf 

Lemon juice

Pinch of Salt and pepper (and any herbs you want such as mint or basil)

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Some chopped Parmeggiano (optional)

1 teaspoon capers

Method

Just combine all ingredients together and top up with salt, pepper and other herbs! 

If you are using avocado the first time, below I posted a short video by Jamie Oliver, showing how you peel avocado properly and safely. Than you can chop it any way you like.

For a simpler way to eat avocado, sometimes I just sprinkle some salt, pepper and some lemon juice on it. Great mid-day snack. 

                                         

Avocado and tomato salad

I hope you try this! 

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

Thai Coconut Sticky Rice with Peach Recipe

Good Afternoon!

Lately I was trying out some Thai recipes and this is one of them. A light desert which again, I will be using juicy peaches along with coconut! This is another easy-to-prepare recipe to prepare when you are fed up with the fruit salad and want to have something different yet simple. So, here it is! 

Ingredients

One cup sticky rice (there is no other substitute to sticky rice)

One cup of coconut milk

3/4 of a cup sugar

Half cup coconut flakes

Fresh peaches cut into slices for serving

Method

1. Whenever you're using sticky rice in a recipe, you have to soak the rice in cold water for about and hour or two, drain it and rinse to get rid of excess starch from the rice. 

2. When you have soaked the rice, boil the rice for about 15-20 minutes and drain. Let the rice cool after draining. 

3. In a large bowl, mix the cooled sticky rice with the coconut milk, coconut flakes and sugar. 

4. Distribute the mixture into ramekins or glasses and top up with sliced peaches!

5. Serve cool and enjoy! =)

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

Reasons Why Organic Is The Way

Hello! 

As you might have guessed by the large picture here, today I am posting about the importance of organic food and their benefits both for our health and the environment. 

In order to be produced, a product  will effect the environment and our health in someway or another. This can be both in a good and bad way. This is a very complex subject to discuss but I will make sure to mention things for you to get an idea how important it is to think before we buy. 

Things we buy can also effect our health in many ways.

So we need food which is safe to consume, therefore, food which is prepared and grown in an organic way. This means that no artificial, Genetically Modified Organisms and fertilizers are used in the process.

A simple tinned product will have chemicals which serve as preservatives in the container and these chemicals can be the reason for so many diseases and allergies in our body.

For example, when you buy meat, there is a difference between how the animal was fed. For example, there are grass fed cows and grain fed cows.

Grain fed cows will have antibiotics injected to increase rate of growth and also as a prevention of disease in the cow. They tend to have a higher Omega 6 content which will lead to inflammation in our bodies. The grain fed cows will have more internal fat content when compared with that of a grass fed cow. This is due to the fact that pesticides are used on the grains that cows usually are fed.

On the other hand, grass fed cows, have more space to walk around, making the cow healthier with less fat content. Also, it has a higher content in Omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial for the human body.

  

This was a small example on how organic meat can differ from inorganic when it comes to effects on our health.

 The environment is the other factor which is effected in the process. There are endless reasons why organic food  is better for the environment.

The number one reason is that water and soil contamination will be avoided by growing organic fruit and vegetables. This is due to the fact that organic food does not need any synthetic chemicals therefore, there is no risk of the contamination of water and soil.

The production process of organic food, preserves the local wildlife by avoiding chemicals rather than taking away the animals’ natural habitat. This also means that it helps in the prevention of the decrease of a particular species.

 Global Warming! Organic farming help in decreasing the rate of global warming. This is due to fact that the product is distributed locally, therefore, avoiding use of energy for transportation which leads to increase in Carbon Dioxide emissions (one the main causes of global warming).

These were very few examples why organic is better. There are several ways to live organically, from buying direct from the farm, and growing your own vegetables and fruits to making your own cleaning, beauty and skin care products. Also, before purchasing a product, you should know your labels.

So below, I posted this diagram I found on Pinterest on what the language of labels means. 

In the future posts, I will post some ideas for you to make your own homemade products.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it would help you take care of the environment and your own health. 

=)

Ciklemfusa

xx

er.

Thai Peanut Butter and Coconut Milk Spicy Noodles Recipe.

Hello again!

Today's recipe is for those who love Thai food. I love to discover food from different cultures and here I made this noodle dish with a peanut butter and coconut milk sauce and spiced it up with some chili and ginger.

Here are the ingredients. 

Ingredients

Half cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

One cup coconut milk

 2 chopped garlic scapes (or garlic cloves)

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

One small chopped red onion 

Hazelnut oil for the pan

Half teaspoon fresh ginger (or how much desired)

Half teaspoon Fresh chili (or how much desired)

Pinch of fresh pepper

One small lime

Water (depending on how thick you like the sauce)

Sesame seeds

Rice noodles

Method

1. Boil some water for the noodles.

2. In a pan heat some hazelnut oil on medium heat and fry the onion and garlic and add the soy sauce.

 3. Add the peanut butter and stir and slowly add the coconut milk while stirring until the peanut butter is dissolved.

4. Add chili, ginger, fresh pepper and the juice of the lime. 

5. If you want to the sauce less thick, you can add water slowly while stirring until you get the desired consistency. 

6. Put the noodles in the boiling water for about 3 minutes and when ready, transfer them in the sauce. 

7. Serve with some sesame seeds. 

Serving Suggestion :) 

I hope you will try this!

Enjoy! 

Ciklemfusa

xx 

No Bake Cheesecake Recipe.

Good Morning! 

Today's recipe is for those who don't like to use the oven for making desert. This is an easy recipe in which you will need a fridge. Cheesecake! Who doesn't love cheesecake?! =) 
This recipe is divided into two parts. First we start with the crust and than the batter. Prepare the ingredients listed below.

Utensils

Measuring cups and spoons.

Springform pan.

Fridge.

2 large mixing bowls.

Hand held electric blender.

Spatula.

Ingredients

For the crust

One and a half cups of biscuit crumbs in a bowl.

70 grams of brown sugar.

Half a teaspoon of ground Cinnamon.

One cup of melted unsalted butter.

For the batter

2 teaspoons of lemon juice.

400 grams cream cheese.

1 pint of whipping cream.

1/3 cup of white sugar.

Your favorite fruit to top the cheese cake. I used strawberries and mixed forest fruit.

Method

For the crust

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the biscuit crumbs, cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter. Stir together.

2. Transfer the mixture into the springform pan and press the crust.

3. Put in the fridge until firm. 

Crust ready for refrigeration.

For the batter

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the lemon juice and cream cheese using the electric blender. Blend until soft.

2. Pour in the pint of whipping cream and continue to the beat the batter until thick. 

3. Add the 1/3 cup of white sugar and beat again.

4. Pour the batter onto the crust in the springform pan and top with your favorite fruit. 

5. Put again in the fridge and leave overnight.

Batter in mixing bowl ready!

Crust topped with batter in springform pan.

6. When it's done, gently remove the sides of the springform pan.

7. Serve cool.

Enjoy! 

Ciklemfusa

xx

Brigadeiro! - A Brazilian Sweet Treat Recipe.

Olá!  (the Brazilian way),

Today I will show you how to make Brigadeiros to add more culture in the kitchen! This is a soft, sweet traditional desert from Brazilian that you will love, which can be eaten in a single bite.

It is easy to prepare and does not involve any ovens. All you need is a hob, a saucepan and four ingredients. So, below are the ingredients! 

Ingredients

200 grams sweetened condensed milk

1/3 Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of your preference

Half tablespoon unsalted butter

Some pecans cut in half for decorations (or your favorite nuts)

Small cupcake papers

Method

1. In a saucepan on low heat put in the condensed milk and the chocolate chips and swirl constantly until all the chocolate melts and the mixture will be creamy, viscous and well incorporated. 

2. Add the butter and melt it and keep stirring.

3. When done, prepare a flat dinner plate and spread the mixture thinly on it. Cover with plastic and let cool. Do not put in the fridge, you don't want it to solidify too much. 

4. After several hours cooling, the texture of the mixture would be paste-like and does not stick to your fingers too much. 

5. Now, the best part! Prepare some small pretty cupcakes papers and start rolling you brigadeiros using clean hands. They should be approximately 1 inch in diameter.

6. If you want to cover them with crushed nuts and/or some hundreds and thousands, you can just roll them through the nuts and place them in a cupcake paper. This time I cut pecans in half and placed one on each. If you want some extra decoration, you can also find edible gold leaf too for the special occasion.

7. Put them in the fridge to solidify more and serve. 

Enjoy! 

ps. Do not eat them all.. they are addictive and you can also listen to this brazilian music playlist while making them!

 

Boa Noite ! 

=)

xx