Firstly, good luck trying eat this burger without breaking your jaw!

This meal is made up of an utter explosion of flavors that have the punch, the kick and the flare that are totally going to leave your taste buds wonder-struck! .

When i made this, i just needed a double beef burger to complete the number of blog posts i wanted to have before i launched the blog. However, as i was assembling the burgers, i found myself adding a restaurant feel to the meal, and then i decided that instead of using  ordinary plates to serve, i was going to use boards to achieve the ultimate New York fast food look i was aiming to execute.

This is one of my recipes that just needs a few chic touches like- having a small salsa and ketchup in tiny vessels, wrapping the potato wedges in baking paper and using boards instead of plates to elevate it from really good to truly exceptional.

Time: 2 hours

Yield : 5 board meals

Ingredients 

• 5 hamburger rolls 
• 10 lettuce leaves 
• 3  red onions (sliced)
• 3 firm tomatoes (sliced)
• 1 avocado(cut into strips)
• 25 Greek mozzarella cheese strips
• 1 ½ cups bbq sauce ( see my recipe for bbq ribs)

For the burger sauce:

• 9 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chilli sauce
• 2 tsp Worcester sauce

For the beef patties:

• 1 200g ground beef (beef mince)
• 4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1  1/2 tsp paprika
• 4 tsp black pepper
• 5 tsp salt
• 5 tsp Worcester sauce

For the grilled potato wedges:

• 5 medium-large potatoes
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 1 ½ tbsp black pepper
• Oil for the roasting pan
• 5 tbsp salted butter

For the salsa:

• 3 small tomatoes
• 1 small red onion
• ½ avocado
• ½ lemon
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp black pepper

For the salad on the side:

• 25 lettuce leaves
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 red onions
• 3 small lemons

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the potato wedges, wash the potatoes and cut each one of them in half lengthwise and then cut each half into half again along the length and finally cut each quarter along the length.
2. Repeat this for all the potatoes.
3. Boil them for 20-25 minutes.
4. Drain them and ensure there is no excess water.
5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
6. Line the potatoes on a baking tray lined with parchment (so they don’t stick to the baking tray) with some oil in a single layer.
7. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper over them and place them into the oven.
8. Roast them for 30 minutes untouched (so they don't break) and then flip them over after 30 minutes and roast them for another 30 minutes.
9. In the last 15 minutes, remove the baking tray from the oven and brush each potato wedge with the salted butter before placing the tray back into the oven for the few remaining minutes. ( This will  give them the golden color.)
10. When the 30 minutes are up remove them from the oven and cover them with aluminum foil till you need them.
11. To make the beef patties, combine the beef mince and all the spice listed under beef patties.
12. Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions.
13. Roll each portion into a ball and press it down in order to form a patty. 
14. Heat some oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
15. Place the 2 or 3 patties in at the same time and let them cook for 5 minutes on one side before turning them over and cooking them for another 5 minutes.
16. Do this for all the patties.
17. Melt butter in a separate skillet.
18. Slice the burger rolls in half and place them face down in the skillet for about 2 minutes till they are toasted .(I did two rolls at a time.) 
19. To make the salsa, cut the tomatoes, red onions and avocados into small cubes and place them in a bowl.
20.  Squeeze the lemon to extract the juice, ensuring that no seeds enter the bowl. 
21. Then, add the salt and black pepper and mix everything.
22. To make the sauce for the burgers, combine all the ingredients listed under ‘burger sauce’ and whisk until smooth.
23. To assemble the meal, first place a bun on each of the five boards in one corner.
24. Spread half of the burger sauce on the bottom half of each bun.
25. Place a lettuce leaf.
26. Place about 5 onion rings after the lettuce layer.
27. Then, add 4 tomato rings to each burger.
28. On top of that layer add the avocado strips.
29. After that, place one burger patty above that layer.
30. Spread some barbeque sauce on top.
31. Add 5 greek mozzarella cheese strips.
32. Place the second patty.
33. Add barbeque sauce to that layer, followed by a layer of 5 onion rings, 4 tomatoes rings, and 1 lettuce leaf.
34. Then spread some of the burger sauce on the top half of the bun before placing it on top of the lettuce leaf.
35. Do this with the remaining 4 burgers.
36. After that, cut 5 rectangles of parchment paper.
37. Lay each one horizontally on the board and fold the right side and left side.
38. Invert the rectangle so the flaps are on the bottom side.
39. Add some potato wedges in,  extending  away from the parchment paper.
40. Do this for all the boards.
41. Place the ketchup and salsa into small separate vessels and place one on either side of the burger.
42. Finally arrange the lettuce leaves, diced tomatoes, onion rings and lemon wedges at one side of the boards and you will be done!

Deciding to make steak is never a ‘mistake’! This is among my shortest  recipes that certainly epitomizes the creation of dynamite in just a few minutes.

It took less than ten minutes for me to assemble the board stylishly and this is one of my recipes that requires fresh vegetables to bring out its splendour! This steak recipe is an ideal centrepiece for your dinner table and it also integrates the protein with the salad so it is a handy 2 in 1.

Note: The time you are going to fry the steak depends on how you prefer to have it.  If you would like it:

i) Rare - fry it for about 2-3 minutes on each side

ii) Medium rare - 4-5 minutes on each side

iii) Well done - 6-7 minutes on each side

Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4-5 pieces of steak (i used sirloin)
• 7 tablespoons salted butter
•  salt
• Black pepper

For the board:

• 2  red bell peppers
• 1 lettuce head
• 1 small avocado
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• 90g greek mozzarella cheese
• A few spring onion leaves (optional)

          

     INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season the pieces of steak on both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. When it has completely melted, add 2 or 3 pieces of steak to the skillet (depending on how many your skillet can accommodate.)
4. Let the steak cook according to your preference (see the note at the top).
5. When you’ve cooked all the pieces of steak, let them rest while you assemble the board.
6. To assemble the board, slice 1 ½ red bell peppers vertically.
7. Cut the lemon and orange into quarters vertically as well.
8. Cube the avocado.
9. Slice the cheese into triangles or squares.
10. Then, arrange the washed lettuce leaves on the edges of the board.
11. Place the steak on the board.
12. Stack the peppers on the both sides of the meat.
13. Do the same with the orange and lemon wedges and cheese.
14. Place the avocado leaves on the lettuce.
15. Finally decorate a small cylindrical object in your kitchen with spring onion leaves and secure them with one spring onion leaf so they stand straight.
16. You have now finished assembling your board. Well done!

 

There are certain food pairings that shall forever reign supreme in the culinary kingdom. Steak and cheese is undeniably one of them!

These steak and cheese tarts are divine and the gorgeous salad with a blend of colours really gives the meal the flamboyance it needs. I must say, this was one of the quickest meals i’ve made and even the recipe itself is among the shortest ones i’ve written. 

Time : 35 minutes

Yield: 5 tarts

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• 1 cup grated cheddar
• 2 cups shredded beef
• 1 small chopped onion
•  1 tsp black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp garlic pepper
• 1 cup barbeque sauce (see my barbeque rib recipe for the recipe)

For the salad

• 1 lettuce head
• 1 large red onion
• 2 onions
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 carrots
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 sliced beetroots (cooked or raw)
• ½ cup mozzarella shavings

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius .
2.  Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan.
3. Add the onion, garlic pepper and black pepper to the pan and       sauté them for 2-3 minutes till they are slightly golden.
4. Add the shredded beef and barbeque sauce to the pan and make sure the beef is entirely coated in the sauce.
5. Reduce the heat and let the beef simmer while you prepare the puff pastry sheets.
6. Roll the puff pastry sheets and cut out 5 medium sized squares.
7. To get perfectly shaped shaped squares simply roll the edges of the puff pastry inwards.
8. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or just sprinkle some flour onto the baking tray.
9. Arrange the puff pastry sheets on the baking tray, leaving some space between them.
10. Equally distribute the beef among the puff pastry sheets and sprinkle the cheddar and mozzarella on top. 
11. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry and cheese are golden brown.
12. Let them cool after removing them from the oven and place them in the middle of the plates or serving platters.
13. To prepare the salad, start by layering the lettuce leaves around the baked tarts, then the :sliced peppers , white and red onion rings, the carrot shaving and cucumber shavings (use a potato peeler for this) and repeat the process. 
14. After that, place the beetroot slices and mozzarella shavings on top of the second layer of vegetables.
15. Drizzle the salad dressing of your choice over the salad.
16. Do this for all the tarts and they will be ready to serve!

Are you looking for an elegant and exquisite dessert? Then this dessert is undoubtedly the one to try out!

I made this dessert on a random Friday evening and it certainly set my weekend off to a dazzling start. It looks sophisticated but is ridiculously easy to make!It is one one of those really filling individual desserts by virtue of the size, so I do advise that you only have a light meal before the dessert.

Like all my recipes, you may half the quantities or double them depending on your desired yield, just bearing in mind to do so with all the ingredients.

Time: 1hour 45 minutes

Yield: 5 desserts

Ingredients

For the mini cakes:

• 6 cups cake flour
• 3 ¼  tablespoons baking powder
• 3 ½ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 3 ¼ cups milk
• 6 eggs 
• 2-3 drops purple food coloring (or any colour of your choice) For the caramel brittle
• ¾ cup sugar

For the frosting(icing)

• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 2 ¼  cups icing sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 5 tablespoons milk
• ⅝  cup softened butter/margarine
• 2 ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• Red food colouring
• Black food coloring

For the middle

• 3 cups fresh cream/heavy cream 
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

For the plate decoration

• 6 tablespoons chocolate sauce 
• 4 tablespoons milk
• ½ cup icing sugar
• A few drops of maroon food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. 
2. Line five  5x16 cm circular baking tins with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt).
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, crack all the eggs and beat them on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
5. Gradually add in the milk, oil and vanilla extract and increase the speed of the mixer slightly for the next 3 minutes.
6. Reduce the speed of the mixer and gradually add in the dry ingredients.
7. After that, add in a few drops of the purple food colouring and whisk the cake batter for 2 more minutes.
8. Equally distribute the cake batter among the 5 baking tins.(You may place ½ a cup of cake batter in each baking tin and repeat that till you no longer have any remaining).
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes or till a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted.
10. In the meantime, to make the frosting for the middle, place the heavy/fresh cream in a medium sized bowl and whip it on medium speed until stiff peaks form (when you lift the mixer nothing falls).
11. Fold the icing sugar and vanilla extract into the whipped cream and place the bowl in the fridge it is needed.
12. To make the buttercream frosting, place the softened butter in a bowl and beat it for 3 minutes with your mixer on medium speed.
13. Start adding the icing sugar ½ cup at a time.
14. Add in the milk and whisk for 2 more minutes and stop the mixer.
15. Fold the cocoa powder into the frosting.
16. Remove ⅜  of the frosting from the bowl and place it in a small bowl.
17. Also remove ¾ cup of the frosting and place it in another small bowl. Add a few drops of the red food colouring to the frosting.
18. With the icing remaining in the bowl, add one drop of red food coloring and one drop of black. Repeat this step. It should produce a dark violet color.
19. Put the icing bowls aside.
20. When the time for the cakes is up, remove them from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans.
21. To remove them from the tins, run a dinner knife around the sides of the baking tins and gently invert the tins.
22. Gently peel off the parchment paper at the bottom of each cake.
23. Place the cakes on a cutting board and let them cool for 25 minutes.
24. While they cool, to prepare the caramel brittle, first line a baking tray with parchment paper.
25.  Place the sugar in a saucepan.
26. Start stirring the sugar over medium-high heat.(It might take about 5 minutes for the sugar to eventually start melting.)
27. When it does start melting, continue stirring till it has completely melted.
28. Once it starts boiling, remove it from the stove and pour the sugar onto the baking tray you lined with parchment paper.
29. Let it set, but just before it has completely set, get a sharp knife and cut about 15 pieces(they don’t need to all be the same shape).
30. Leave the hot caramel to harden completely and after 5 minutes, the pieces should easily come off the baking tray because of the parchment paper beneath.
31. To frost the mini cakes, place them each on the serving plates.
32. If the cake tops are uneven (dome-shaped), simply use a serrated knife(bread knife) to thinly slice off the uneven tops.
33. Invert the cakes, so the bottom becomes the top.
34. Slice each of the cakes in half. For them to be evenly sliced, place each plate (with the cake) on a cake turntable and turn it whilst slicing the middle, working from the sides and gently into the middle.
35. When you have done that for all of them, place the top halves aside and place the whipped cream in a piping bag with a star nozzle.
36. Pipe the top of the bottom halves and leave some of the whipped cream for the outer middle layer.
37. Place the top halves on top of the frosted layer.
38. Pipe around the middle of the cakes( between the top and bottom layer).
39. Evenly distribute the remaining whipped cream and use a spatula to spread the frosting on the top layers.
40. Use a paper towel to remove any cake crumbs on the plate before icing.
41. Add the red icing to the piping bag and pipe around the bottom of each cake.
42. Add the violet icing and pipe a border of roses on the top of each layer.
43. Add about 3 pieces of the caramel brittle to the top of each cake, making sure they don’t fall.

44. Finally to decorate the plate, mix the icing sugar, milk, chocolate sauce and a few drops of maroon food coloring and pipe the decorations of your choice!

    
    

 

 Are you looking for a meal that is going to tick all the boxes? Something like a healthy meal that looks good and tastes phenomenal? Then this is totally the meal to try out! 

Tip:I would advise that you only flip the pork once while it’s frying if you want to attain maximum crunch and when you are piping the potatoes onto the baking tray, using a strong piping bag will be great idea if you do not want your piping bag to break right in the middle of a swirl.

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Main course

Ingredients

• 8 pork chops
• 4 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp pepper
• Oil for frying

• For the coating:
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp cornflour (optional but adds extra crunch)
• 1 ½  tsp paprika
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

For the potatoes:

• 5 medium potatoes
• 7 tablespoons melted butter
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons salt 
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons mixed herbs
• 1 ½  tsp black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (to lightly brush the the potatoes just before the bake)

For the vegetables

• 60 g green beans
• 2-3 avocados
• 2 mediums sized carrots

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.
2. Boil them for 25 minutes (till they are very soft).
3. In the meantime, heat the oil in a medium sized pan( enough for shallow frying).
4. Combine all the ingredients for the coating in a medium sized bowl.
5. Place the pork chops on a cutting board and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess juices.
6. Season each pork chop with salt and black pepper on both sides.
7. When the oil is  hot enough, coat each pork chop in the flour mixture, ensuring that it is entirely coated on both sides just before placing it into the pan. 
8. Fry the chops in batches (i did two at a time) for 6 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other side till they are golden and crispy.
9. Pat them dry (using a paper towel) to remove any remaining oil.
10. When they have all cooked, place them in an oven warmer till you need them.
11. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a large baking tray with baking paper for the potatoes.
12. Back to the potatoes, drain them after boiling and mash them using a potato masher, making sure that barely any lumps remain.
13. Gradually add the melted butter and milk to the potatoes as well as the spices and mix until everything is well combined.
14. Get a medium sized star tip nozzle and place it inside a piping bag.
15. Place ⅓ of the mashed potatoes in the bag at a time and pipe out fairly small swirls onto the baking tray, leaving a bit of space between them.
16. Repeat that with the remaining mashed potatoes.
17. Lightly brush melted butter on top of each of the potato swirls.
18. Bake them for 15-20 minutes ( till they are slightly golden).
19. While they’re baking, remove the tips of the baked beans and boil them for 5 minutes.
20. Place a medium-sized  saucepan on the stove and add butter and 2 cloves of garlic to the pan . 
21. When the butter has melted add in the green beans and toss them in the butter. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and fry them for about two minutes.
22. Cut the avocado in half(lengthwise) and then the halves into half again to make sliced quarters.
23. For the carrot ribbons, first remove the skin using a potato peeler. 
24.  Shave the carrots in the same manner you removed the skin to make the ribbons.
25. When the potatoes are ready, remove them from the tray and warm pork chops.
26. Your meal will now be ready to assemble and serve!

Who says we should stick to the monotonous

sweet crepes? Well I hope nobody did because savory crepes are here to claim

centre stage!

These chicken crepes don’t take long to make but certainly tick all the boxes of dynamite. It is crucial not to place the filling inside the crepes until you are about to serve them, 

because the crepes might get soggy. 

*Letting the crepe batter rest in the fridgefor about an hour will reduce the chances of

the crepes breaking when you flip them.

 Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield- 10 crepes

Ingredients

For the crepes

• .1 ½ cups plain flour
• 3 eggs 
• 1 ⅛ cups milk
• 4 ½ tablespoons butter (melted)
• ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp paprika 
• ½ tsp garlic powder

For the filling

• 1 ½ cups shredded chicken
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 ½ cups milk 
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 1 ½ tsp mixed herbs
• 2 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp ground coriander

For the roasted potatoes

• 4-5 medium sized potatoes
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons mixed herbs
• 5 tablespoons oil

For the ribbon salad

• 1 large carrot
• 1 cucumber
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all the ingredients for the crepes in a blender and pulse for

25 seconds.

2. Let the crepe batter rest in the fridge for 55 minutes.

3. To prepare the potatoes, wash them and cut them into cubes

that are not too small. 

4. Boil them for 20-25 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

6. Drain off the water and add them to a baking pan together with

the oil, paprika, salt, mixed herbs and black pepper. Ensure

that they are evenly coated with all the spices.

7. Bake them for 45 minutes- 1 hour until they are golden brown

and crispy.

(It is advisable to only toss them once or twice when they are in the oven so they do not break and become mushy.)

8. In the meantime, to prepare the filling, heat 1¼ tablespoons

of oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat.

9. Add the minced garlic, mixed herbs, black pepper, salt, ground

coriander, cayenne pepper and paprika to the saucepan and

cook for 1-2 minutes.

10. Gradually add in the milk and heavy cream and bring to a boil.

11. After about 3 minutes, add the cornstarch, whisking vigorously

to ensure that no lumps form.

12. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and make sure it is

completely in the sauce.

13. Let it cook for 4 minutes until the sauce has thickened and then

remove the pan from the stove and cover it till the filling is needed.

14. Remove the crepe batter from the fridge and grease a non-stick

pan with some butter, then heat it over medium heat for about

2 minutes.

15. Pour ¼ cup of the crepe batter in the center of the pan and

swirl the pan till the batter spreads and evenly coats the pan.

16. Let each crepe cook for 30 seconds ( till the top looks dry) and

then gently lift one edge of the crepe with a spatula and flip.

17. Cook the crepe for 12- 15 more seconds before removing it from

the pan.

18. Place the crepe on a cutting board and leave it to cool

completely.

19. Repeat the process with the remaining crepe batter and let all

the crepes cool first before stacking them.

20. Warm the chicken filling.

21. For each crepe, place about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken filling

on one end of the crepe and carefully roll. 

22. To make the ribbon salad, shave the carrot and cucumber to make

ribbons and drizzle some sweet chilli over them. 

23. Warm the potatoes and your meal will be ready to serve!