Tacos with Chicken, Sour Cream and Salsa

I have a confession to make. I have never eaten a real Taco. I have had them from like boxes at the supermarket, but i have never eaten one made by a professional Taco-Maker (if such a person exists). Even though i would love to have one someday, meanwhile i satisfied my "having-food-from-all-around-the-world" urge by the following recipe. I read it somewhere online, made a few variations, taking inspiration from the filling used for fajita wraps(recipe coming soon) and i had a perfectly crunchy and cheesy mouthful of yummy tacos.

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken, cut to small chunks- I cup
Crushed Garlic-3 to 4 Cloves
Fennel Seeds- 1 Tsp
Red Pepper flakes- 1 Tsp
Salt- to taste
Tomatoes- 6, chopped
Oregano- a pinch
cream- half cup
Lemon juice- 1 Tbsp
Cheddar Cheese, grated- as required
Taco Shells- box of twelve shells

Steak or Mis-take?

                     

  

Someone once said that a steak in chicken is a mistake! Well i have had beef steaks in restaurants and they taste super amazing, still i just haven't tried one at home yet. The recipe i'm going to share today uses chicken but i tell you this that it is one of the yummiest recipes of grilled chicken steak that i have ever tried. Even i was pretty amazed on how it turned out. 

It's called Tarragon Chicken Steak and is courtesy of Chef Shireen Anwer from Masala tv. I ought to be trying a lot of local recipes and sharing them. 

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp mustard paste

1 tbsp wooster sauce

½ tsp garlic

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp rose merry

1 tbsp soya sauce

2 tbsp steak sauce

Ingredients for creamy tarragon sauce

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp cornflour

1 tbsp white vinegar

¼ cup water

4 tbsp cream

1 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp parsley

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp finely chopped spring onion

2 tbsp mushrooms sliced

Method

Marinate boneless chicken breast with Salt ½ tsp, Black pepper ½ tsp, Mustard paste ½ tsp, Wooster sauce 1 tbsp, Garlic ½ tsp, Rose merry leaves ½ tsp, Soya sauce 1 tbsp, Steak sauce 2 tbsp and leave it for some time. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and fry chicken steak on both the sides till done, add half tarragon sauce and serve.

Method for tarragon sauce

Heat butter add mushrooms and corn flour add White vinegar 1 tbsp, Water ¼ cup, Cream 4 tbsp, Dried tarragon 1 tsp, Parsley 1 tsp, Salt ½ tsp, Black pepper ½ tsp, Spring onion leaves finely chopped 1 tsp, cook stirring continuously until sauce boils and thickens, serve with steaks.

Desi Flavours: Afghani Eggplant

"You should always eat your vegetables, because it's the right thing to do." How frequently do we tell ourselves this? The recipe that i have chosen to share today consists of a very few ingredients and is delicious. It's not the most healthiest of choices, but we all over indulge sometimes don't we? It starts with deep frying round slices of eggplant and later they are soaked in yogurt, seasoned with turmeric cooked in oil. The yogurt balances the bitterness of the eggplant and a little seasoning gives a catchy aroma to the dish. You can eat it just as it is or you could have a freshly baked chapatti with it.

Here's the detailed recipe:

Ingredients:

Egg Plant- Medium sized- 4-5

Salt- to taste

Red Pepper- to taste

Oil- for frying

Yogurt- 2 cups 

Tomatoes-4 to 5, finely chopped

Coriander- half a bunch, finely chopped

Turmeric- 1 tsp

Red pepper flakes- to taste

Method:

Peel and slice the eggplant into round slices. Put them in a large bowl and add some salt and red pepper. Set aside for a while (approx half an hour). Then drain the water and fry then till they turn brown. Drain off the excess oil and set aside. 

Now whisk the yogurt until you get a smooth and creamy texture. Add some salt and pepper to it so its not totally bland. Pour the yogurt in a dish and dip the fried slices of eggplant into the yogurt. 

Now prepare the tomato sauce. Simply put the chopped tomatoes in a pan, add some water and red pepper flakes and cover it till the tomatoes are done. Uncover the tomatoes and heat till the water it drained and you get a chunky sort of paste. Season it with a pinch of salt and pour over the yogurt and eggplant. Finally top the dish with a bit of fresh coriander. 

Heat some oil or butter, add half a teaspoon of turmeric in it and cook it till it changes color. Make sure not to let it burn otherwise it will taste bitter. Pour a tiny bit of this on the eggplant before eating. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My Signature Lasagna

Hello there! I'm Garfield and i love lasagna!

Doesn't it make u feel like a lazy cat who would do nothing all day but eat lasagna and watch TV? For me, lasagna is one of the comfort foods. Even though after eating second helpings, it counts to extra time at the treadmill, every once in a while it just seems worth it.

I have known how to make lasagna ever since i have known how to cook. I don't know how or when i learnt it, it just seems like i have known that forever. I used to see my mom make it and then i started making it on my own, of coarse with a little variations to her recipe (she makes her white sauce a little too thin). Anyway, here i am sharing my own recipe. Nom Nom!

Winter Wonderland: Coconut Cupcakes a.k.a Snowball Cupcakes

           

Coconut is LOVE! Whether it is a raw yet juicy slice that makes a crunching sound while chewing, some sweetened flakes whipped in egg whites to form delicious macaroons or coconut milk added to chicken and pasta to make a dense wonderfully aromatic sauce(reminds me of more mouth watering recipes that i will share later), life is good when there's coconut in it. 

I really like the idea of coconut cupcakes. They are elegant and perfect for parties and well suited as a comfort food with a cup of hot coffee in winters. The recipe that i use to make these again comes from joyofbaking.com. Here i'd like to add something about joyofbaking; this is the website that taught me how to bake. I have been trying out recipes from here for years and they all turn out perfect. Here'e one for coconut cupcakes. Hats off to Stephanie Jaworski for sharing this recipe with us.

Coconut Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon or lime zest (outer skin) (optional)
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 largeneggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 1/2 cups (300 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk or cream, if needed

Garnish:
2 cups (480 ml) flaked or shredded coconut(can use sweetened or unsweetened)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest (if using).

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Beat in the vanilla extract. Then,with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions), beginning and ending with the flour. Beat just until combined.

Evenly fill the 12 muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18 -20 minutesor until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake just comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. With a knife or spatula, spread frosting on each cupcake. Garnish with coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, shredded or flaked). These cupcakes are best the day they are made but they can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and well blended. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar.Scrape downthe sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy and of spreading consistency (about 3 minutes). Add a little milk or cream if frosting is too thick.


Makes 12 cupcakes

Pilot Post: Something as sweet and simple as a Vanilla Cupcake

When in doubt, bake cupcakes! That's what i always do. Nothing can go wrong with plain vanilla cupcakes. And if it gets too boring-looking, you can always dress them up with some fancy icing, or simply color the batter for the rainbow effect. I have been making plain vanilla cupcakes for as long as i can remember. I usually like them plain or with a small amount of whipped cream (butter cream has never been my thing). Lately i tried these rainbow cupcakes with cream cheese frosting left overs from my red velvet cake and the outcome was delicious.

                                                                               

Vanilla Cupcakes with whipped cream frosting

For rainbow effect, simply divide the batter into four halves and add one color to each portion. Fill the cupcake liner using batter from every portion.

Here's an inside view of the cupcake. Don't you brighten up seeing all the colors?

Here's the recipe:

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsaltedbutter, room temperature

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated whitesugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 large lemon(outer yellow skin)

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon zest, flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 17 -20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Always check a few minutes before the stated baking time. Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. 

Welcome Foodies

Hello and welcome to my readers out there. I'm Zoya and simply put; i love to cook, hence the reason for starting this blog. I am an IT graduate by profession so a total tech savvy person. I have been blogging since 2005 so yes you can say i'm a writer by nature; the kind of person who spins up phrases in her mind about the tiniest bit of thoughts. Cooking hasn't been a recent hobby of mine. I have been baking since i was in school, even though i know that baking out of a cake mix box doesn't really count. But cooking is something i have always enjoyed. It's that perfect getaway they all talk about. The moment when all your endeavors turn into a perfectly moist sponge cake, a chewy cookie or a dense chocolate cupcake is simply worth explaining in hundreds of words.

About Zoya's Bakeshop:
Zoya's Bakeshop has been a recent endeavor of mine. Its a small scale home-run business which i hope to expand someday into a complete catering service. But there's a long way to get there.

A few years back i started a similar food blog, sharing a few recipes every now and then, but i didn't follow up and soon it was forgotten like many other things i do. Somehow i feel like i hardly finish things that i start. Lets hope its not the case with this blog of mine.

This blog is more than just a place to write about food and share recipes. I don't just want to share the things i create, but analyse and learn about my own self, allowing myself the room to grow and eventually accomplish my dream of being that famous cook who's the talk of the town. I have many inspirations this time, so i'm hoping i will continue working towards my goals (taking baby steps!). My biggest inspiration is Glory Albin! The woman from Glorious Treats. I have been a silent follower of her blog and i must say she is the reason i started my own. Her cake decorating, party planning and photography skills are just really admirable. Other than that there are some catering businesses in Pakistan that inspire me. Funky Bake Cupcake Cafe and Mint to be from Islamabad, Lal Majid of Lals Chocolate from Karachi and Muneeze Khalid from Lahore are a few good names.

So here i am at the starting line, looking far far ahead and hoping all of you will support me in getting there. Cheers!

That's all for now, cookies for the next post!