Homemade Taco Seasoning Crackers

I love this spicy crackers.You have it as it is or eat it with Salsa,ice cream,anything refreshing.

1 Cup All-purpose Flour

1 Cup Graham flour

1 teaspoon Sugar

2 teaspoons Salt

1 or 1 1/2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (you can reduce it if you don’t want it very spicy,I used 1 1/2 tablespoon of my homemade taco seasoning and it was hot!)

1 egg room temperature

1/3 cup Olive oil

2 tablespoons water (if needed).

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Mix all the wet ingredients together.

Combine the wet and dry mixtures and mix to form a really firm dough.

Divide the dough into 2.

Preheat your oven to 190°C

Roll one half of your dough on a baking sheet/parchment paper,roll from the center → out and make sure it is very thin. Prick the rolled out dough with a fork,close together. Make score lines with a pizza wheel or a knife.

Lift the parchment paper and the dough and place on your baking tray.Bake for about 10-20 mins.

Brush melted butter as soon as you remove it from the oven (optional).

Enjoy!

                                                                                                Taco seasoning Crackers with homemade tomato salsa

Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen Book Review

I gotta say,I love love love this book.I am hardly ever pleased with a cookbook but this one stole my heart and I am so so glad I bought it.This book contains mouth-watering recipes that was written in a friendly and easy to follow pattern. Making them takes time but it is worth it. Sometimes,I make them and just freeze them in single serving portions and cook them when I get back from school each day,I can always have something good to eat when I am just too tired to cook.

I tried the fried wontons but without the shrimps in it and it was divine,paired it with the sweet and sour sauce in the Sauces section of the book.

                                                                                               Fried Wontons with Sweet and Sour Sauce

I also made the Shanghai Rolls Skins.To be honest,it was a pain in the neck but i got my reward when I used it to make the fried banana Spring rolls. The banana melted with the brown sugar and it was wonderful! Sometimes,I add bits of dark chocolates or nuts to the banana inside.Words can’t really explain how I feel when I bite into this deliciousness.

                                                                                             Fried banana Spring rolls with ice cream

I also tried another recipe,can’t remember which it was but I made it Pan-fried and steamed and I think I am going to start steaming everything in my wonderful bamboo steamer straight from Japan because for some reason,I prefered it steamed.

It’s been months since I bought this book and I am still loving it. Would I recommend it? Oh yes,big yes!

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to do a review on this book,everything I used,I bought myself,including the book.Everything I have written here represents my honest opinion.

Tomato Salsa

 

The first time I made this,I fell in love. I love love love the refreshing taste of this salsa,I kept going back for more. I eat this with anything.As you can see in the picture,I had it with some homemade taco seasoning crackers,was delicious! I also had it with steak,yum!

In preparing this,I just made use of what was available to me.Most recipes call for lime,since I could not get limes,i used lemon instead.

 

2 large tomatoes,diced

1/2 medium onion or 1 small onion,chopped

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of powdered garlic

Pinch of dried parsley

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Dash of sugar

Sprinkle of freshly milled Black pepper

 

Mix all together in a bowl,cove and refrigerate for about 4 hours to allow the flavours blend well together.

You can double,triple,anything-ple this recipe.

Enjoy

Homemade Taco seasoning

I like to double this recipe so that I can have more than enough in my spice cabinet. This recipe is not originally mine,I found it somewhere on the web and modified it to suit my needs

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 tsp Onion powder or 1/2 -1 cube onion powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tsp Hungarian style Paprika

3 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

2 tsp freshly milled black pepper

Mix all together and store in a labeled jar.

Pancake rolls–Savoury

I made this on a day that I was hungry and wanted to use up my left overs.I just kinda made it as I went along

You will need:

Abt 1-2 Bacon strips cut into bits

1 Sausage cubed

1 green onion,chopped

1 teaspoon baking powder

Abt 8 tablespoons flour

Abt 6 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon bouillon seasoning or 1/2 a small cube

1 egg

 

Mix the dry ingredients together,then mix in the water.

Add the remaining ingredients ans stir well.

Heat a frying pan and add abt 1 tablespoon oil.

Pour the half the mixture in and spread well,make it as thin as possible.

When the side looks done and bubbles start to form on top,flip the pancake.

When it is cooked through,roll it up with your spatula and remove.

Repeat with the remaining batter.

Cut up the rolls into about 1 1/2 inches and enjoy.

You can sprinkle some cheese on it,eat it with some ketchup or just have it plain,it’s all up to you.

 

You can use anything you want in the pancake,use what ever is in your fridge,grilled chicken,spinach,shrimps,fish,anything.

Enjoy!

Okonomiyaki

This a a Japanese “as you like it” pancake. I tried it for the first time at a Japanese friend’s house and I gotta tell you,I was hooked.It has become my favorite way to make pancakes.It is really filling and on those days when I have a long day in school,this is what I like to eat cos it keeps me full for a longer period.

Now I am in love with Japanese food and I keep looking interesting and delicious recipes to try.

This recipe was given to me by my friend. Thanks Minako!

You will need:

This makes 1 pancake

2-3 strips Cooked bacon  cut into small pieces

3/4 cups or abt a hand full  Cabbage

1 teaspoon Baking powder

4 tablespoons Flour

1/6 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup chopped green onion

3 tablespoons Water

1 egg

For the Sauce

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon Soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

Mix them all together

Toppings

Mayonnaise

Dried Bonito Shavings (to taste)  If you don’t have this,don’t let it stop you from trying this awesome meal

How to

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Mix the water in and add the remaining ingredients(cabbage,bacon,green onions),and mix well.

Heat the frying pan and lightly oil (a little less than 1 tablespoon oil should do)

Spoon the mixture into the hot pan and spread around to form a round shape(spread it as much as possible without breaking the pancake)

When air bubbles start to rise to the middle of the pancake

like this,turn it over with a spatula.Alternatively,since the okonomiyaki can break if not handled well,you can use a flat plate to turn it over.Slide the pancake onto a flat plate,the turn the frying pan over to cover the “wet side” of the pancake,and flip back into(turn it into) the frying pan.

Press down with your spatula ans keep cooking until it is done.

Transfer to your plate and spread the sauce over the okonomiyaki,top with mayonnaise and sprinkle the dried bonito flakes.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

You will need:

1 ‘/2 cups (172g) Flour

1 cup (201g) Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1/3 cup Cocoa powder

1/2 cup Oil

1 cup Water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

For the Ganache

100g Dark Chocolate

abt 2 tablespoons oil

Mix all ingredients together until moist and well blended.

Line cupcake tins with cupcake liner and fill 2/3rds full

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F /190°C or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Set aside to cool

For the ganache

Break the chocolate into small pieces,put in a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave at 10 secs interval(after every 10 secs,bring it out to stir and return to the microwave,keep doing this until the chocolate melts)

Mix in the 2 tablespoons of oil and coat each cooled cupcake with the Ganache.

You can crumble one of the cupcakes and sprinkle it over the rest and you can also garnish with any fruit of your choice.

Enjoy