pizzas and wings

What goes hand in hand with Pizza is ofcourse Pasta. Now the thing is eventually one always gets tired of meat filled pizza and meat filled pasta. We are Indians afterall. So over the weekend, my husband decides Saturday afternoon he wants to play golf, clearly Saturdays aren't days for slogging in the kitchen neither do eat a whole hearty meal. But I got tired of the whole weeks meat-steak-chicken-fish-prawns menus. A hajj friend of mine bought a wood fire pizza oven for her patio (jealous much, yes even me), ofcourse it makes the most delish pizzas, but her ideas are endless with any gadget. Thanks for the inspiration!
Instead of Pasta I went Debonairs route and made wings from all my collected cut up chicken. Sometimes I find the wings of chicken is such a waste when making curries or kalyo as no one eats them. So nowadays I collect the wings and use it a one go for Spicy Sticky Wings

Carmelised Onion Sundried Tomato Pizza
1 pizza base (readymade or make your own - I bought mine)
1 red onion sliced finely lengthwise
few sundried tomoates chopped
few button mushrooms, sliced
green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp sweetcorn kernel
fresh basil leaves
fresh mozzarella cheese
pinch of salt
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
pinch of sugar
olive oil and butter

saute onions in olive oil and butter combo, add the salt, sugar and vinegar, on LOW heat.
once done, it will nice and soft, spread out on the pizza base (I used a little tomato sauce first, baked a little and then topped with onions).
in the same pan, saute mushrooms and corn, cook water out till dry add the green pepper.
top the mushroom pepper and corn over the onions, and then evenly place over chopped sundried tomato.
finish off with fresh basil leaves and fresh mozzarella cheese, the ones that comes in the tub of water and you pull off pieces. if you cant find that, grated mozzarella is also fine. bake in oven of 180 degrees till cheese is melted and heated through.

Spicy Sticky Wings

about 6 chicken wings
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Portuguese Peri Peri sauce
Garlic
Crushed Pepper
Robertson's Spicy Portuguese Seasoning
Chicken Spice
Paprika
Salt to taste
Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp Mustard Sauce

Marinate chicken wings in the above for a few hours. Melt butter, cook the wings only, in some water. Then once water is dry out, place in a sheet pan and pour over the left over sauce and finish cooking in the oven of 180 degrees for about 20 mins.

TGIF's

Durban staple on a Friday is Dhaar and Rice, papad and Kachumbar... Variety is the spice of life.

Dhaar
3/4 cup gram dhall
1/2 polished moong dhall
1/4 masoor dhall,
wash and soak overnight

The next morning boil together the above with 1 cup oil dhall.
Once its tender, liquidize.

Mutton Curry

1 tsp jeero
1 cinnamon
few elaichi
few cloves
few peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Sautee in ghee with chopped 1 onion.

Add ginger garlic and 2 tsp dhana jeero powder, 1-2 tsp chilli powdee, 1/4 tsp haldi powder, 1 tsp Suhanas meat masala, salt to taste. Roast for a few mins.. Then add washed and drained 1 kilo mutton. Add 3 liquidized tomatos and add a cup of hot water. Cook till mutton is done and soft- adding water when necessary.
Once mutton is done add the dhaar, add cook together. Adding water to the consistency you want. Finish off with vagaar, fresh dhania and spring onion. Serve with vagaar rice papade and Kachumbar

Vagaar
1 tsp jeero
2 slit green chillies
curry leaves
chopped onions
saute together with ghee and throw over dhaar before serving.

For vagaar rice omit the curry leaves.

simple flavors seafood pasta

Yesterday was a little crazy last min supper, I thought I would be able to get away from cooking since I was looking forward to Machachos. Unfortunately my family left late from Witbank and wouldnt make it on time. Nelspruit does not have a variety of halaal fast food places. I asked my husband what he would like to eat and got a very very frustrating 'I dont know,  surprise me, be creative etc etc' response. While driving home I went passed the fishmonger and stopped to see what they have. And then it hit me, I had the most delicious seafood pasta in Plettenberg Bay at a place called Cornuti, even in Knysna overlooking the Heads. 4 years ago and still nothing beats that flavor. I thought let me recreate it. Pasta being my favorite, fresh seafood lets keep it simple and let the seafood shine.

Seafood Pasta for 2
100g fresh mussels
100g calamari rings
150g fresh deveined and deshelled prawns
100g fish (monk's/hake) - optional
100g squid heads - optional
Leave to drain as much water as possible

3/4 tin italian tomatoes, liquidized
2 clove garlic grounded
1 deseeded green chilli - optional
few tbsps of coconut milk
peri peri oil
1/2 onion chopped finely
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Robertsons Portuguese Spice
fresh chopped italian parsely and spring onion

Sauté onion in peri peri/olive oil till translucent
add garlic , chilli, spices and spices and roast a few mins
add lemon juice and tomatoes and cook till dry
add seafood and cook out the water.

Boil the spaghetti as per se, and throw the sauce over with italian parsely and spring onions and serve hot. Grate parmesan cheese as a finishing touch.

Enchiladas

Enchiladas

1 onion sliced thinly
Tri color peppers julienned
Mushrooms , sliced
Chicken fillet, sliced thinly
Portuguese Seasoning
Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chicken Spice
Paprika/Chilli Powder
Lemon Juice

Cook all the above in some olive oil/ghee

Sauces:
Mustard Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Portuguese Peri Peri Sauce
Tomato paste
Mayonnaise
Paprika
Fresh Cream
Blob of butter
Tablespoon of Sour Cream

Bring to heat in a saucepan till it confirms a thick  sauce.

Bottle of Salsa, and Tortillas

In a casserole dish - pour some sauce on the bottom of this dish.
Spread salsa on tortilla, and then chicken stirfry in the centre of the tortilla and roll.
Place on top of the sauce, seam side down.
Fill the dish and pour the rest of the sauce over the tortilla. Grate cheese over each tortilla and garnish with parsely.
Bake in oven till heated through, and cheese melted.

Chicken Tacos

There's these Taco and Fajita packs that I always see in the supermaket aisle.. this weekend I tried them out. Ofcourse, me being me, won't follow the recipe on the box .I just bought the taco pack Eldo something, they do stock the Tacos and Fajitas separate.

Tacos filling
2 chicken fillets finely chopped
1 tsp garlic
Few dashes of Robertsons Portuguese Spice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sliced mushrooms
Lemon Juice
Chilli Powder or Green Masala

Cook the above in a non stick pan with some ghee and finish off with dhania, and some Steers Peri Pero sauce to make it saucy.

Salsa
1 tomato chopped, seeds removed
1 onion chopped
1/4 cucumber chopped
1/4 yellow pepper chopped
Lettuce finely julienned

Warm Tacos in the oven for a few mins, spoon chicken, the grated cheese and finish with the salsa and serve. 

Rolly Polly Chicken

Pepperdew and Feta rolled Chicken Fillet
Chicken Fillet, tenderised (mallet it thin)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pepperdew per fillet sliced finely (mild)
Crumbed feta
Little olive oil to drizzle

Once the fillet is mallet thinly, season with salt and pepper, then evenly spread a sliced pepperdew, layer crumbed feta and roll from one end, so the end is down. Pepper the top, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh chopped parsely. Bake in oven of 180 degreea for 15-20mins, place over creme fariche mushroom sauce.

Mushroom Creme Fraiche Sauce
Thick slice mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook over stove.
Add 1-2 spoons of lemon and herb marinade,  pepper sauce and few heaped spoons of creme fraiche. Turn off heat and melt creme fraiche.

Blogspot isn't allowing me to upload a pictyre. But it will be available on Instagram and Facebook Page @the_contemporary_kitchen

The Rolls Royce of Beef

I's a red meat lover, would prefer meat anyday over fish and chicken. I think my husband too and with Ramadan everything is either meat or chicken and rarely seafood. Sundays I generally like to cook 'akhalwaya' style but Saturday I was invited for iftar at a friends. She specifically told me not to bring anything and its my day off, but I can't sit idle and neither could the fillet in my freezer. So I took that out to defrost thinking of what I can make for Sunday so I'm prepared in advance. The thing about Ramadan is you think you can eat alot when you break fast, but at iftar you can't even half of what you have prepared. Since its only hubby and I, I sliced the fillet where it makes 'V' just enough for us. Baby potatoes and mushroom are perfect with it. I did not use exact measurements because my fillet was small, the bigger the fillet the more spices you need to add.

Pepper Fillet topped with Masala Mushroom served with Roasted Baby Potatoes and Garlic Bread

Beef fillet, trimmed off fat and threads, washed and drained
Fresh ground pepper
Lemon Pepper
Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
Green chilli paste
1/2 tsp barbeque spice
1/2 tsp steaks and chops spice

Marinate the fillet overnight.
Sear the steak on a hot nonstick frying pan with some oil on all sides, thereafter toss in oven of 180 degrees till done. About 10-15 mins depending on the size of your steak.
Once done, slice steak - I don't like a pink steak- and top with masala mushroom sauce

Masala Mushroom Sauce

Mushrooms that you prefer, I used portobello, sliced length wise
Onion slices length wise
Tomato Paste
Portuguese Sauce - the hot one, not alot of it.
Dhana Jeero Powder
Chilli Powder
Salt to taste.

In a saucepan add a stick of butter and sautee onions till pink, add mushrooms and cook till soft.
Add some tomato paste, till it melts and add spices. Top with fresh chopped coriander.

Baby Potatoes
Olive oil
Lemon Pepper
Salt
Parsely
Rosemary
Thyme

Toss together and bake in preheated oven of 180deg till done.

Garlic Bread - just buy from the store 😂

crustless quiche

A very good friend of mine invited me over for a khatam they held for their ailing grandmother.  Unfortunately she has since passed on, but I couldn't pitch up empty handed and since they were serving savories and tea for after I had to just come up with something to make with whatever I had in my fridge. Quiche seemed a good way to go, and I omitted the crust because I was lazy to wait for it to cool down and bake and bake again...

Spinach and Feta with Chicken and Pepperdew Crustless Quiche

2 chicken fillet chopped finely
1 small onion chopped finely
Garlic Paste
Robertsons Portuguese Seasoning
Green Chilli Paste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Lemon Pepper a dash
Lemon Juice
4 leaves of spinach, chopped thinly
Crumbled Feta
4-5 whole pepperdew, finely julienned
Fresh chopped dhania
Ghee/Oil
1 cup grated cheese
1 egg
Few tbsps of fresh cream or milk
+- 4 heaped tbsp of flour

Sauté onions in a non stick pan with some ghee/oil
Sweat it with (very) little salt and garlic
Once pink add chicken, add green chilli paste and spices
Add the spinach and cook till done and water has evaporated
Add the pepperdew and feta once cooled, add the dhania
Make a binding with egg flour and fresh - please use your own measurements as I don’t know exact and just go according to instinct.
Mix the flour mixture to the chicken, and pour the chicken into spray n cooked cupcake tin, top with grated cheese
Bake in a preheated oven of 180 degrees till done, should be firm.

For a crust quiche I use a sour cream dough:
In a food processor mix 1 cup flour with some salt and add tbsps of sour cream till it all comes together.  Rest im fridge for 30 mins, then roll out and cut into size for muffin tins or one size baking tray. Fork the dough and bake in oven of 180 degrees till golden. If you want to blind bake that should be fine too. But do remember to bake the dough when its chilled so it doesn't lose shape.

I will try to upload a picture soon, blogspot isn't allowing me to at the moment. The picture is uploaded on the instagram account @the_contemporary_kitchen and the facebook page The Contemporary Kitchen. Apologies!

Fish and Chips

This recipe is a special request from the beautiful Yasmin from Shades of Mink. Check out her blog here and her instagram ShadesofMink.

Pan Fried Soles with Lemon and Herb Dressing
2 pieces of dressed soles
Ina Paarmans Fish Spice - few dashes
Ina Paarmans lemon pepper spice- few dashes
Freshly ground black pepper
Chilli Flakes
Salt to taste
Fresh Garlic Paste

Marinate the soles in the above spices.
Pan Fry on both sides on a non stick pan, with a mixture of olive oil and buttee.
Serve with chips and Lemon and Herb Sauce

Lemon and Herb Sauce
Melt a tablespoon of butter. Add to the butter the following
• freshly chopped parsely
• ina paarmans lemon and herb season
• squeeze of half a lemon
• aromat
• white pepper powder

Once it sizzles, care not to burn the butter, add few tablespoons of Orleys Imitation Cream.

Olive and Rosemary Mini Burgers

I spotted mini burgers buns in woolworths and had to try them. I personally prefer a normal size burger but since I was expecting visitors, I tried the mini version for a lighter weekend meal. Enjoy!

Olive and Rosemary Chicken Burgers
500g chicken mince
2 slices white bread soaked in fresh cream/milk, remove crusts
1 tsp garlic paste
Green Chilli paste, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of half a lemon
Ina Paarmans Olive and Rosemary herb, few dashes
4 black olives, pitted and chopped finely
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped finely

Mix all the ingredients together, and form into burger patties.
Fry in a non stick pan with some olive oil, and cover with a lid.
do NOT press the patties with a spatula.

For the Buegr Buns:
Slice buns and buttere the open sides, toast on a tawa
Place any type of lettuce on the flat end of the bun, sliced onion, slice of tomato and squeeze of Perinaise or Burger Mayonaise. Top with a slice of cheese.
Once patti is ready place on top of the cheese and finish off with chilli sauce.

Serve with potato chips or wedges. Your Choice. 

Kashmiri Korma

In Kashmiri its called Kashmiri Dhaniwal or Korma as outsiders know it. I had this on my visit last year to Srinagar. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Srinagar, don't let it go. Amazing, Serene, Stunning these words don't even live up to Kashmir's beauty. I wish I had visited Srinagar earlier, with the unfortunate war and curfews I could only spend 4 days, but it will still be on my list of places to visit when I'm in India again.
This dish is made with yogurt and saffron. A rich dish which I suggest you to serve for guests or special occasions. I served it with naan bread and mint-chilli pan fried potatoes to keep it simple, however in Kashmiri Wazwan (cuisine) they serve it with Kashmiri Pulao.

1 cup milk
A good pinch of saffron
1kg mutton cut washed and drained
1-2 tbsp ghee
5 whole elaichi
6 cloves
2 tsp coriander-cumin powder
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 large onion
1 1/2 cup yogurt
Freshly chopped coriander
1 julienned onion, sauté in ghee and cumin seeds for garnish.

1. Soak a good pinch of saffron in 1 cup of milk, simmering on low heat. Keep aside.

2. In a pressure cooker, cook the meat for 2-3 whistles, with the salt and ginger garlic. Keep aside.

3. In a nonstick pot, melt the ghee and fry the elaichi, cloves, cinnamon stick, once brown add the finely chopped the onions then add crush the garlic.

4. Once brown, add coriander and cumin powder, tumeric powder, pepper and salt. Roast for a minute or two.

5. Add the yogurt and milk. Cook for 2 mins. Then add the meat, without the water. Cook for 10mins till meat is soft. Add reserved water from pressure cooker if the yogurt dries out. Finish off with freshly chopped coriander lwaves and julienned onions sautee with cumin seeds.

This dish isn't a spicy one, so if you want an added kick add some green chili masala whilw adding the spices.

I apologise for my absence,  with Ramadan around the corner and savoury making, I just did mot get the time to post.

Chops Casserole

Chops is probably my most favorite piece of meat. The terrible part is that its mostly made up of fat. My morher used to make this make this and serve it with roti. Its something that can be put together and left unattended for a while and Its a meal on its own. Recently a friend contacted me for a quick and easy recipe for her husband's birthday. Read up her post on nabz14.wordpress.con

Chops Casserole for 2

1 sprig of curry leaves
1 green chilli slit
1/4 tsp pepper corns
A blob of ghee
1 sprig of thyme/rosemary optional, if you dont have it dont worry about it.

Braise the whole spices in a wide flat skillet with a lid, meanwhile prepare the chops in the following spices

1/2 tsp dhana jeero powder
Kashmiri Chilli powder to taste
White pepper powder to taste
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of haldi powder
1/2 tsp suhanas meat masala
1/4 tsp of garam masala

Mix the spices in about 2 cups of water and place chops in. Once the whole spices are sautéed layer the chops around the pan. And pour the masala water, cover and There after cook on medium heat, checking now and again. Cook till soft but not too tender, adding more water if necessary. Once soft layer the following

1 tomato, slice in rings
1 onion, slice in rings
1 green pepper, slice in rings
Finish off with dhania
Cover and cook till almost dry and the veg is cooked through. Serve with roti.

Optional: if you want to add potatoes I suggest using baby potatoes or potato wedges, place them inbetween the chops with the water and then cook.

Weekend Wonders

So comes Friday after Jumuah who wants to eat boring everyday food? ofcourse not me nor my husband. I try to keep my suppers clean and healthy during the week days, but come weekends, its 'akhalwaya' style. Since Nelspruit lacks a proper butchery and well Desai's Meats can only last so many days. After watching endless episodes of Diners DriveIns and Dives, beef burgers are by far best homemade. We're Indians, and ofcourse you cannot have a burger without masala. There are much more spices than just salt and pepper.

Ultimate Beef Burgers
350g topside mince
150g fatty mince (cheap mince)
1 tsp ginger/garlic paste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Smoked Paprika, few dashes
Peri-Peri, few dashes
1 tsp heaped garam masala
1 small onion finely chopped
1 egg beaten
1-2 tbsp breadcrumbs
3 tbsp ice cold water
1 tsp lemom juice
Fresh chopped coriander leaves

Mix all the above, and form 4 patties (125g each) slightly bigger than the burger buns. Fry on high, in a non stick pan, DO NOT press the patties with a spatula, otherwise all the juices will flow out and it will be dry. Turn over, squeeze a lemon over the patties, place a slice of cheese and cover.

4 burger buns cut and buttered, grill on a grill pan or non stick frying pan.
On the bottom half of the bun, layer with lettuce of your choice - I personally like Rocket/Arugula- and quarters of cherry tomatoes, layer burger mayonaise and place another slice of cheese (optional). Once the patty is done, place over cheese, and 2 crispy onion rings. I use the Woolworths Battered Onion Rings, cooked in the oven. Chilli/Peri Peri sauce on the top bun and thats it!

Serve with potato chips.

Chilli Garlic and Coriander Fettucini

Something quick and easy
Boil fettuccini as per we and keep aside.

500g peeled deveined large pink prawns
2-3 dried red chillies, finely sliced
1 tsp crushed garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lemon Juice to taste
Fresh Chopped Coriander
1 tbsp Olive Oil
A blob of butter
1/2 tin Nestle Ideal Cooking Milk coriander & chilli flavor
Dash of cream
Extra coriander for garnish

In a nonstick saucepan, melt butter and olive oil together.
Braise garlic and sliced chilli, then add prawns and seasoning.
Cook till all water evaporates. Lower heat once very liquid is left then pour the sauce, fettucini and coriander. Serve hot


If you feel the pasta is dry or you cooked it early and the sauce is all absorbed, add a dash of cream to loosen it, garnish with fresh coriander.

Enjoy, if you try it - would love to hear ypur feed back. 

First Post

Welcome to my blog "the contemporary kitchen". After much motivation, encouragement and demand from friends and family I have finally decided to get this up and running. The reason I chose this name "the contemporary kitchen" is because my cooking style isn't traditional. So rarely you will find me cooking up a traditional meal, and if I am, I definitely twist the recipe the recipe.

A little about myself, I am a 20 something married girl living in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. So here's another reason for my "contemporary kitchen" there is no Halaal food outlets. I am originally from Durban and a 2nd generation Indian. Having spent my earlier years in India and traveling the east. By profession I am an Embryologist, well more in theory now than in practice. So I have a lot of time on my hands as such. I watch a lot of food network, specifically Diners DriveIns and Dives, which is where my weekend meals are inspired from. I don't follow exact measurements, I go according to my taste, and I love spicy food. I also like quick and easy meals, so I don't have to spend long hours in the kitchen. Cooking for two is relatively easy though, so most of my recipes will be for two servings,  so lucky those who are newly weds living on their own. Remember presentation is everything, you eat with eyes first, so dress to impress.

Please follow my Instagram account the_contemporary_kitchen and my Facebook page The Contemporary Kitchen. For any questions, leave a comment or email me thecontemporarykitchen@gmail.com

And lastly... My name is Safiyya

Get cooking...