Spicy Chicken protein wraps

These wraps are a delicious low carb HIGH protein combo that work perfectly with almost any filling!

They are light,  fluffy and very versatile - I added dried basil to mine but you could even add grated courgette, psyllium husks, grated mozarella cheese or rye flour.

Here are the macros ;  

• 270 cals
•  8 grams of carbs
• 40 grams of protein
• 7 grams of fat. 

These definitely pack a punch of protein power (: 

You need

2 scoops of pea protein powder

1 whole egg

half a cup of plain Greek yoghurt

A dash of salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon Baking powder 

1 teaspoon of dried basil of oregano

How?

Blend it all together, with a whisk and add more liquid if necessary. The batter should be runny 'ish'.  Heat a large pan, and off you go! Cook until the sides start to curl up a bit, flip it over and your almost done. 

Now it's time for the fun part -!! I started off with some fresh sesame leaves. 

and then topped it off with a delectable mix of spicy chicken stir fry.. 

Orea chocolate cupackes.. with a little surprise!

OOh yum! These cupcakes are Moist, chocolatey, with the best little surprise inside! 'lip lek lekker'..  Afrikaans says it best (: This recipe makes about 20 orea cupcakes.

I made them for a fellow teacher at school, and loved them!

You need

20 Oreos

6 blocks of chocolate

1/4 cup cocoa

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup white sifted flour

1/2  teaspoon of salt

4 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon baking powder

Here is how:

1. Set the oven at 180'.
2. In a bowl mix the dry ingredients together. 
3. In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients. 
4. Melt the dark chocolate .( NOT IN THE MICROWAVE ..Here's how )
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together, stirring in the melted chocolate. 
6. Line muffin tins with cupcake molds, and pour in half the chocolate batter. 

1. Place an orea in each one, and then pour in the rest of the batter to hide the oreo. 
2. Bake at 180' for about 15 minutes. 
3. Set aside to cool and ice with a yummy coffee cream icing. Here is the EASIEST butter cream frosting. 

I made a coffee butter cream, but you can be creative and make any flavor! If you don't have a piping bag at home, just use a strong plastic bag. 

"Lady Marmalade"

  

I named my little pots of delicious marmalade after this iconic timeless song by Labelle. Have a listen to it here - Labelle Lady Marmalade

This song conjures up so many great memories of our University Ser    ( serenade) group, where we placed 2nd in the Nationals. It was included into our medley (:

Now, as a child I used to cringe at the very sound of marmalade! But as my taste buds 'matured' ... or whatever,  I grew to love the slight bitterness and citrusy tang of marmalade on a crispy slice of toast.. with tea of course. (: This recipe uses naartjies/mandarins instead of oranges. It's delicious and not over bitter, even my friend Marike loved it .. ( and she doesn't like marmalade)

Again, I used my rice cooker. Alternatively, you could use a pressure cooker or a pot on the stove.

This recipe makes about 8 little ( 200 ml ) post of jam
As there is no pectin in this recipe, store in the fridge and use up in about 2 - 3 weeks.

All the loveliness inside :

8 naartjies / mandarins
1 kg white sugar
1 Liter water

THAT'S IT! REALLY (: You will be surprised how little it takes to make something so GOOOOD!

Method to the madness 

1. Wash naartjies / mandarins
2. DO NOT PEEL!! 
3. Cut the whole naartjie into thin strips, YES the pulp and rind and ALL!
4. Add to a rice cooker / pot.
5. Add the sugar and water. 
6. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour 30 min. Stir now and then

7. Boil for 10-13 minutes.
8. Do the plate test to check if your jam will set. ( Have a look at my previous post for this)

Bottle whilst still warm in sterilized bottles. Check out how here.

Spicy Fruit jam

I made these little pots of gold for Christmas gifts. Needless to say, the teachers at school thoroughly enjoyed them. This recipe is easy, fun and the added spices gives it a lovely festive feel (:

You need 

900 grams of fruit (mix chopped apples, pears, oranges and mandarins)
(I did not peel any of the fruit, but you can if you want to)

4 cloves

2 star anise seed pods

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

The rind and juice of 1 lemon

2 cups of white sugar
1/4 cup of honey

1 large pot / a rice cooker. 

How now?

Add it all to a rice cooker, and allow it to heat up for a few minutes. 

Once it has switched over to warming mode, let it warm for 1 hour, 30 minutes ( It should simmer for that time,,) Then, allow it to boil for 10 minutes without the lid on. 

Once the water has all evaporated away and the sugar has dissolved into a lovely sugary syrup, your jam is ready!! 

Alternatively, use a pot and and do the same..(: Simmer for about 1 hour with the lid half on, and then boil for 10 minutes. Stirring every now and then. )

A good test to see if your jam is set is - place a plate in the fridge for a few minutes. When it is cold, drop a spoon of your jam ( that you suspect is ready) onto it. Give it a few minutes- it should be jelly like.. if not. boil a LITTLE longer!! NOT TOO long or you will caramelize the sugar. 

Bottle whilst still warm and VOILA!! yum!!

I will post Marmelade jam next (:

Good old fashioned vetkoek

On a  recent road-trip to the West Coast, I  decided to treat my Korean friends to some hearty South African cooking!  After a good old Korean BBQ 'party' it was time for a TRUE taste of home away from home.

I cooked up a selection of our good old never fail treats ; vetkoek  with kerrie mince and cheese, Pampoen poffers and the oh so faithful melktert!

Needless to say they LOVED every morsel of it! ( as did I, in a moment of reminiscent wonder I was taken back to the good old days of N.G. Kerk Bazaars and my Oumas plaas cooking. hmmmmm)

     

I made the vetkoek the good old fashioned way = with yeast. It's definitely more time consuming, but when you bite into that chewy fluffy goodness, it's worth the time and effort! 

You need

4 cups of white flour

10ml salt

10grams of instant yeast

15ml sugar

250 ml warm water

600ml oil

Mix the flour, salt and yeast together. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and add it to the flour. 

Mix well, and place the dough on a floured surface. Knead for 10-12 minutes until it is doughy and elasticy (:

Place the dough in a bowl and cover with cling-wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place or in the sun.  Allow to rise for about 2 hours, or until it has risen double the size. 

THEN, I know this seems unnecessary BUT believe me its necessary! KNEAD the dough down AGAIN!

Yes, you have to use those fists to knead out all that light puffiness...Make 8 even sized dough balls and place these on an oiled surface. Allow them to rise for 30 minutes.

Whilst the dough is rising again, heat the oil in a pot. When the 30 minutes is past place the dough in the heated oil and allow the 'vetkoek' to 'koek' (:  for about 10 minutes. 

You'll know its done, when the vetkoek is slightly golden brown and crispy on the inside! Allow to cool and enjoy it with some kerrie mince, and cheese!!

                                                 

Seriously delicious homemade muesli

This muesli is perfect for breakfast, a light snack or even in rusks! I recently came up with this recipe when a group of us SAFFAS ( South Africans in Korea) came together to bake our hearty home style rusks! Of course necessity is master of invention and when I discovered how expensive muesli was in Korea, I decided to make my own!

 
           

You need

3 cups of oats
1 1/2 cups of mixed nuts and seeds of your choice
1/2 a cup of desiccated coconut
1/2 a cup of honey
2 HEAPED tablespoons of peanut butter
1/2 a cup of butter
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of dried cranberries or raisins

Method to the muesli madness

Set your oven temperature to 180'c

In a pot / pan on the stove mix the honey, peanut butter, butter and water together. Stir for about 5 minutes or until the mixture looks all syrupy and gooey. Set it aside to cool a little. 

In a separate bowl, mix the oats, coconut and seeds together. Add the warm syrup and ensure all the oats is coated in lovely sweet goodness! The whole mixture must be slightly moistened.

Pour the oat mixture into a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-14 minutes. At the halfway mark use a wooden spoon to mix the oats around. When the muesli is done, it should be golden brown and crispy. 

Add the cranberries or raisins and allow to cool. If you add the raisins before, they tend to puff up and burn in the oven. Allow to cool and store in a sealed container. 

Enjoy with some yogurt and fresh fruit!

abideəˈbʌɪd

accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation)

1. synonyms:

   comply with, obey, observe, follow, keep to, hold to, conform to,adhere to, stick to, stand by, act in accordance with, uphold, heed,pay attention to, agree to/with, consent to, accede to, accept,acquiesce in, go along with, acknowledge, respect, defer to

John 15 v 5 - 8 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

WHAT does it really mean to abide? To remain in Christ? In a recent Bible Study group we discussed this in depth and it was so refreshing and encouraging to truly delve into the depths of this word. 

  A B I D E ......

I came to the realization that the very act of abiding in Christ is captured so poignantly in Psalm 91 v 1

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”

It is a secure, steadfast, safe space where we allow God to work in us.. It is not a place of self effort and doing ; but a place of being and allowing..

As we immerse ourselves in His presence we are brought to a beautiful place of understanding, of Christlike obedience and hearts transformation .  In a fast paced world of fleeting comfort and transitory relief, this passage serves as a daily reminder to remain in Him.. because only God and His love will always remain.

Lord, may we revel in YOU. Soak in the captivating beauty of your love, immerse ourselves wholly and find our delight in you. To live daily entranced and enchanted..mesmerized! 

Thank you for  peace, hope and an undeterred knowing that we may remain in you. It is an unshakable, unmovable trust not misplaced upon worldly traditions or empty philosophies but based upon the truth of your word. 

 May you live today - may you remain today - may you abide today in the love and freedom already purchased on your behalf..

 Galatians 5 v 1 " For it is for freedom you have set me free."