This year I’ve decided to commit to this blog.
That means I’m gonna cook more.
It also means I’m gonna post more.
If I put it out there for all the world to see, that means I have to hold myself accountable for it right??
Fingers crossed.
This year I’ve decided to commit to this blog.
That means I’m gonna cook more.
It also means I’m gonna post more.
If I put it out there for all the world to see, that means I have to hold myself accountable for it right??
Fingers crossed.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but in case you don’t know, I am very Nigerian. I was born in Lagos and moved here to the U.K when I was eight years old.
Despite spending my adolescent years over here, I am still very much ruled by the Nigerian upbringing and culture imbibed in me during my formative years.
And that also translates into the types of food I like to eat.
I love different types of cuisines and flavours but honestly, none of it holds a candle to Nigerian food.
One common theme in any kind of cuisine is my love for finger-foods/starters/hors-d’oeuvres, whatever you want to call it- Nigerians call them “small chops”. Any kind of savoury meat snack; whew, sign me up!
Another great part of being Nigerian is that we use almost all the parts of the animals we eat so I am no stranger to eating offal. In fact, I find it very, very delicious. This recipe calls for chicken/turkey gizzard (which is a thick muscular part of a bird’s stomach). It can be purchased at most halal butchers and is quite cheap. The “dodo” part of the recipe is what we Nigerians affectionately call fried plantain. They can be purchased at most Afro-Caribbean grocery stores and are also relatively cheap.
An important point to make is that with most of my recipes that call for any type of meat to be boiled, it will always be done in a pressure cooker (because honestly who has 28,407 hours to sit there and watch meat boil amiright?)
Prep time – 15 mins
Cooking time – 20 mins
Cooking time – 15 mins
Extra tip: some people fry the cooked gizzard before adding it to the tomato mix but patience is not one of my strong points and I cannot come and die.
I’ve said this before on a previous post, but I feel led to reiterate it.
I really love meat.
I also really love fish.
Well, not really love, but I do adore a good salmon (see also Cod, Hake and Catfish).
To be honest, I’ve never really experimented with other types of fish, so I have no idea whether I like them or not. (basically I could never be vegetarian/vegan in this life or the next. Disclaimer: I have nothing against them- do what makes you happy innit)
Anyway, due to the vicissitudes of life it had been a while since inspiration hit me kitchen-wise but recently I found myself craving the soft, flaky texture of a good Salmon fillet and after looking at the ingredients I had in my fridge, I knew exactly what to pair it with to satisfy the craving within.
Also, for some very weird reason, I like eating most of my food out of a bowl. My father says it’s the village girl in me, but I think it’s because I am incredibly lazy and hate the formality of eating from a flat plate and using proper cutlery. Ugh.
But I digress. On with the show!
Prep time – 10 mins
The purpose of the parcels is to allow the salmon to cook in it’s own juices and to give you something to pour on the rice once ready.
Cooking time – 30 mins
Extra tip: don’t lick your fingers after throwing away the lime slices because baked lime tastes like sorrow.
Egg vs Eggs.
I don’t know whether it’s a Nigerian thing, or a Victoria thing (most likely the former), but there is a huge difference in making eggs (sunny side up, scrambled, poached, Benedict) and making egg.
Let me explain:
Eggs are a delightful dish that you can add to other breakfast items to make a hearty meal that will give you the energy needed to face the day ahead.
Egg can be an entire meal in and of itself- filled with mouthwatering tomatoes, onions and spices and is usually paired with yam or plantain.
Now before you tell me “it sounds like an omelette”, technically, yes it is one but it also isn’t….okay?
Plantain and Egg is honestly my favourite thing to eat mid-morning on a day where I don’t have any spectacular plans. Mostly because it sends me right back to bed for a cat nap.
A very important point to also note is that in this entire world, there is no one and I mean NO ONE- not my mother, any of my aunties, friends or foes- that can make plantain and egg better than I can. And that is an absolute fact.
Argue with your ancestors.
Prep time – 10 mins
Cooking time – 30 mins
Extra tip: there isn’t one. That’s how perfect this meal is.
It was a Wednesday, it was way past lunchtime and as I said to my sister on FaceTime, I needed some kind of Oriental flavour in my mouth.
I also didn’t want to take ten years to cook it so it had to be quick and delicious.
Enter…
Prep time – 10 mins
Cooking time – 10 mins
Extra tip: in any stir fry, I like my vegetables to be crunchy so I take extra care not to leave them soaking in hot water for too long (if this step is needed), or to leave the stir fry cooking for longer than necessary.
You ever get those days when the only thing you want to eat is creamy, cheesy and carb-loaded?
This was one such day.
This meal is so delightful, and each calorie-filled bite is as decadent as the next.
Truly a hearty meal to curb any carb craving.
Prep time – 5 mins
Cooking time – 25 mins
Extra tip: grate some Parmesan cheese over the pasta after serving and sprinkle some dried mixed herbs for aesthetics
Fun fact about me: I love meat. I really, really do.
I don’t think I’ve ever made a vegetarian meal in my life (at least willingly).
While I enjoy eating and cooking copious amounts of meat, I find that chicken is always at the bottom of the list of meats I make. It’s a little boring to me and prefer playing with red meats.
However, every once in a while a very silly craving for chicken will hit me and it won’t go away until I have done with it what my soul desires.
Thus we have this post.
I wanted chicken, I wanted Caribbean food and I wanted it immediately.
So I made it.
Prep time – 15 mins
Cooking time for rice – 20 minutes
Cooking time for the chicken – 30 minutes
(For every cup of rice, use 1.5 cups of water to cook)
Extra tip: use the stock from the chicken as a sauce for the rice.
So yesterday was pancake day!
I’m not an avid pancake eater. I do enjoy it every now and again but it’s not really my go-to breakfast option.
I also prefer simple pancakes. No muss, no fuss- just plain ol’ sugar, milk, eggs and flour.
The exciting part for me is what you put on the pancakes.
Like the Lemon and Raspberry pancakes I made below…
Basic pancakes with a drizzle of lemon juice, dusting of icing sugar and top it up with whipped cream and raspberries.
P.s. I should have made a raspberry compote to add to the pancakes, but I’m very lazy.
Pork is probably my favourite meat.
I find it so versatile and it easily and readily absorbs the flavours of your desired cuisine.
My go to with pork is usually some sort of Asian flavour but one day I had a hankering for pork belly that I knew wouldn’t be satisfied with the Asian flavour.
So I went into my kitchen and let the spirit lead me.
Prep time – 20 mins
Cooking time – 25 minutes plus 5 minutes
Extra tip: if you’re feeling super hungry, this meal can also be paired with steamed rice.
Nah.
This isn’t a food blog.
Not really.
It’s more of a place where I can write down the recipes that hit me in a moment of inspiration and cause me to create some of my most spectacular dishes (at least according to my taste buds).
Some are pretty basic recipes with my own twist, some are ones I have completely imagined out of thin air. All include intense flavour.
I’ve been meaning to write these recipes down for the longest time but I just haven’t (mostly due to laziness)…until now.
So here it is: Chef Vic’s recipe book.
Enjoy.