Hi there everyone

So a burger sandwich for lunch? Well for some of us, the word “Burger” makes our mouth’s start to water. Since its the affordable & easiest option. Packing the leftovers from the previous nights takeouts in the kids lunch box, or at lunch break heading to your nearest Burger King/Mac Dees drive thru. Honestly if you ask me, its really not the best thing you could give to your body & your family! What is even worse, is adding the combo with fries & coke to go with it. How about we start having a cheat day on the unhealthy fats for a change. I mean eat something nutritious & super delicious.

This meat sandwich is perfect with a burst of flavors from that tzatziki dip, trust me at first bite you be will not only satisfy your hunger, but burger crave too. Not to forget, you will feel charged up & great on the inside, instead of bloated & sluggish after a full fat meal. Below is a lamb recipe you can for dinner & use the left overs the next day for lunch in a sandwich, just remember to double the recipe!

Lamb Sub Sandwich

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2x100gr middle cut lamb portion slices(the boneless leg part)

5ml Ginger finely chopped

1 fresh chilli

2 garlic cloves

5ml lemon juice

5ml brown vinegar

3ml bbq spice

5ml lemon pepper

salt

handful rosemary sprigs

1 french loaf

5 button mushrooms

olive oil

handful of mixed stir fry veggies

For the tzatziki dip:

1/2 red onion finely chopped

3-4 sweet & sour/dill pickles finely chopped/ 1/2 grated cucumber

2 garlic cloves

3ml cayenne pepper

3ml ground cumin

150gr plain yoghurt

dash of fresh lemon juice

Method:

1. Assemble add tzatziki to the sandwich, top with lamb, mushrooms & stir fry (optional).
2. Add little extra olive oil on medium heat add the lamb for about 15mins & turn over, because the meat is thick takes about half hour to cook add a little water so it doesn’t burn, you will see it will shrink abit, slit the center to see ifs cooked well done.
3. Add the mushroom & stir fry for about 5mins & season.
4. On a griddle pan heat oil & toast the french loaf sandwiches.
5. Make the tzatziki mixing all the ingredients together taste for salt.
6. Marinate the lamb pieces with ginger, chilli, garlic, lemon juice, brown vinegar, bbq spice, lemon pepper, fresh rosemary, salt & leave to marinate atleast 3hours.
7. Bon Appetit!
   

   Tzatziki Lamb Sub

    

   Chef Tasneem Saith

A Teriyaki Marinade has great tasting flavours, that compliments chicken.

I invented this recipe for wings.

Ingredients:

75ml worcestershire sauce (most teriyaki recipes use soy sauce but I prefer this instead)

5ml brown sugar

3ml ground cumin

3ml cayenne pepper

3ml portugese chicken spice

1 clove garlic

15ml brown vinegar

10ml tomato sauce

1/2kg chicken wings

15ml extra virgin olive oil

salt

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together, add salt to your preferred choice.
2. Marinate on chicken wings & refrigerate for at least 3hours.
3. In an AMC pot with a lid, add oil & fry each wing until cook on each side cover with the lid.
4. Allow to steam cook on medium to low heat, until done.

Chef Tasneem

Hey People

Is it just me or did the holidays just come & go? So like country wide, kids are back to school, every one is back to work, traffic is a buzzkill & its almost like the awesome holidays are just a thing of the past, or as if it never happened . However one thing can confirm it did happen, I look like a grapefruit! Sunburns are probably the only thing that last forever! Well I know its only day 2, but I do miss the beach. Anyways, can I tell you a secret? I can time travel! Yip I can, I can go back to the holidays…All you have to do, after you make this recipe is follow these steps:

Step 1 close your eyes,

Step 2 have a taste

Step 3 say is this magic word “Mojito”

& with out a blink of an eye we will be right there, in our mind!

HAHA

When I taste a Mojito…I think beach! Now you know my secret to time travelling, reminiscing by tasting a thing of the past 😉 An ultra simple recipe

Mojito Mocktail

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

2 limes(sliced)

1/2 cup mint leaves

2 slices finely chopped ginger

1/2 crushed ice

500ml chilled sprite

1litre chilled lemonade

icing sugar(optional)

Method:

1.  In tall glasses divide the mint,  sliced limes, ginger & crushed ice.
2. Pour in 3/4 lemonade
3. Lastly our in a 1/4 sprite
4. Add icing sugar if you like

Voila!

 

Chef Tasneem Saith

 

 

 

 

 

Hey all!

No matter who I talk to, Tasha’s is home to one of thee best milkshakes out there! So a friend of mines asked me,” Use your tasting skills & brains, to figure out the recipe for me!” , LOL & I did just that! We think its pretty close, you try it out & if you love it too, let me know  in the comments below!

Oreo Milkshake

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Super easy

Ingredients:

8 Oreo cookies, plus 2 to serve on top

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

50-100 ml milk (depending on your preferred thickness)

Method:

1.  Place the Oreo cookies and ice cream in a blender/hand blender with a splash of some of the milk and pulse until smooth.
2. Keeping adding milk until you satisfied with the thickness.
3. Serve in a tall glass with a straw or if its really thick, a spoon and place an Oreo biscuit to decorate.

Bon Appetit!

 

Chef Tasneem Saith

 

Hello people & to the little ones out there, this one’s for you!

BACK TO SCHOOL! Well not for me, my mini me (our personalities are identical, confirms her father). I cannot believe time has flown by so quickly, my 6 year old niece started grade 1 today!

At 6 am I was dead asleep, suddenly my phone starts buzzing (I still have no idea how I manage to answer the call), it was my little cutie Tahseen. She greeted me, asked me how I was doing & said, “Tasneem, I am all dressed in my school uniform, with my new stationary, books & lunch in my bag. I am ready to go to school now. My mum took lots of pictures, she will send them to you, I am super excited! Please pray for me! I love you lots! “. She spoke so well & mature over the phone, I swear if you heard her you’ll think she’s 10. An emotional & proud moment, so glad I did not miss that call…It made my year! Thank you my dolly for the call 🙂

Since I don’t have any little feet of my own, particularly running my mind up the walls. My sister Saadia’s kids are my everything. I totally adore all three of them! As my second mother & a health conscious cook, I asked her to share some of her healthy lunch tips for today’s post. Being the awesome sister that she is, she did it in no time! I found her weekly planner so incredibly informative, that I had to share it with you all!

Tip 1: Lunch boxes are a thankless job, but make sure each day your kid looks forward to opening the lunch box & feels proud of what mummy gave for lunch. Have a lunch box with separate compartments so food doesn’t shift & mix together.

Tip 2: Plan a weekly menu & abide by it.

Tip 3: Each day lunch should have all elements of nutritional food according to the food pyramid (protein, carbs, calcium, fruits & veg)

Tip 4: A water bottle is a must & pack 1 juice/low fat milkshake a day.

Tip 5: Stay away from fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolates as it makes the kids hyper active during the classroom time & unable to concentrate. Also keep away from the potato chips which contain 1 gram of salt in the 30gr packet & up to 3 grams in the salt & vinegar flavour.

Below is a link to my niece’s weekly school lunch planner. Feel free to check it out & use it as a guideline for your child’s healthy eating plan:

 

 Tahseens-lunch-planner 2017

Honestly I am still trying to figure out, how does she do motherhood & look like the most gorgeous woman I know? Juggling so much on her plate, not forgetting to mention those other 2 busy bodies: Mohammed who is 2 and a half, & her last born Zinneerah who just turned 1 in December.

Tahseen leaves home every morning at 6.30am & returns home at 3.30pm in the afternoon. It is a long day for a little person. Therefore 2 lunch boxes of balanced & nutritional food are of utmost importance. Predominantly to lead a healthy physical & mentally energized lifestyle. Here are some pictures of Tahseen’s school lunches:

 

 

 

 

A very special Thanks to my remarkable sister Saadia!

Love Tasneem Saith

Hello people

Firstly I love the the title of this post & since they Italian, I definitely do bruschetta’s! Only in the most delicious, inspiring way 😉 I think there is just something about a bruschetta, that I can never get enough of & always seems to be one more bruschetta’s out in the world I need to conquer.

So if you haven’t tried them, than now is the time! Thou its mostly a starter dish, I find its really a hearty & fulfilling snack on during brunch. Whether you in the office or having,a date with the ladies, its a super easy meal & just way simple too. All you’ll need is a french loaf bread/baguette, grilled, rubbed with olive oil, garlic & salt. For the toppings you can go crazy, literally! The sky’s the limit from tomatoes, vegetables, beans, fish, meat, eggs, cheese, herbs…You could even add spreads like cream cheese, pesto & sauces on the bread to add a burst of extra flavor.

NB: Use this recipe as a guide line but experiment, with your favorite ingredients & make it your own. I made 3 different just to give you an idea.

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 baguette cut in 1 cm slices

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

a handful fresh basil

1 chopped tomato

1/2 a huge red onion

5 button mushrooms sliced, sauté in olive oil & season.

1 avocado (squeeze a little lemon juice over 1/2 cubed & 1/2 mashed)

cut, devein prawns & shell prawns & sauté in butter, garlic & lemon

extra virgin olive oil

salt

black pepper

dried oregano

optional Basil pesto for spreading

Method:

1. Slice the baguette into thin slices using a sharp bread knife.
2. Brush (using a pastry brush) extra virgin olive oil on both sides.
3. If you prefer garlic, you can rub it over each slice.
4. Heat a heavy pan with no additional oil over medium high heat. Drop each slice in and allow to crisp for 2-3 minutes (or until golden), flip and repeat.
5. Mix the mash avocado, tomato & red onion in 1 bowl with seasoning.
6. To one slice add basil pesto as a spread, the mash avocado mix over, & a pickle.
7. To another slice add spread of cream cheese, the cubed avocados,basil & prawns.
8. To another slice add sauté mushrooms, which I later topped with melted cheese sauce.
9. Sprinkle dried oregano.

There it is even simpler than pie!

Bon Appetit!

Chef Tasneem Saith

Good blue Monday everyone

Indeed its cuddle weather, in the middle of summer!  A rather dark & rainy Monday morning outside. Makes me in no mood to go out, even to gym. Feeling sorry for the Hubster thou, who has to go to work, while everyone else is on holiday. All I plan to do today is chill at home in my chino shorts, with a hoodie & eat carbs all day. Weird combination I know. Talking about about weird combinations & carbs, I thought about a crazy idea, that will go down amazing in this type of weather. Especially for those at work right now, you need comfort food packed in your lunch box.  A hot cheesy pizza, only thing its not a pizza its a “Pizzaffle” (Pizza+waffle ) made on a waffle iron. These days it seems that waffles are bring sexy back, so I am basically trying to make anything on a waffle iron. And why not? What ever is easy to for him to heat up & eat at work.

Pizzaffle

Serves:1 (I doubled it for 2 full waffles)

Ingredients: 

300gr homemade yeast pizza dough(divided into 150gr balls & rolled out rectangular shaped)

120ml tomato sauce(I made with tomato puree,saute onions,cayenne pepper,oregano,basil leaves & salt)

1 cup mozzarella cheese

handful fresh basil leaves

oregano for sprinkling

Method:

1. Grease the waffle iron with non stick cooking spray.
2. Place 1st piece of 150gr rolled out pizza dough.
3. Smeer only half the tomato puree, add half the basil leaves & top with half the cheese.
4. Place the 2nd piece of dough ontop & close down the iron until cooked.
5. Take out of waffle iron & place on a baking tray.
6. Repeat step 3 & sprinkle dried oregano & grill in a hot oven for 5mins.

 

Bon Appetit!

 

Tip: Divine with a dash of Tabasco

Chef Tasneem Saith

Good Afternoon everyone

So hot dogs are not really my fancy, but are one of my hubby’s favourite! In spite if the fact that every time he says , “Make me a hot dog for lunch!” … I literally just want to play dead!

So after much time contemplating, I decided its time to pimp up the “Hot Dog” ! I for one am not really a fan of processed food, however I decided to make peace with it for the sake of love.

 

Gourmet Hot Dogs

Ingredients:

2 hot dog size rolls

2 spicy viennas from the local butcher

handful of ice burg lettuce leaves shredded

handful of rocket leaves

handful of coriander leaves finely chopped

handful of red cabbage shredded

red onion slices (caramelize)

handful of cubed tomatoes & green capsicum

200gr of my cheese sauce (recipe posted in sauce category)

3ml paprika

3ml dried oregano/mixed herbs

Feta cheese for garnishing

Method:

1. In a pot add water enough to cover the viennas, bring to the boil & add viennas.
2. Sliced the rolls half way through, spread butter & toast on a pan until crispy.
3. Once the viennas are cooked through, it will split forming a line on the outside skin.
4. Add the lettuce, rocket leaves,tomatoes, capsicums & cabbage to the toasted roll.
5. Place each vienna in the middle of the roll,sprinkle spices & coriander.
6. Add the caramelized onions on top the vienna.
7. Pour the cheese sauce over.
8. Garnish with feta cheese & dried herbs.

A super cool lunch easy to eat at work, on holiday or even picnics, they are delicious & so filling, something the whole family can enjoy.

Tip: Be sure not to fry the viennas in deep fat/oil, that is just a health hazard. Plus you want a soft juicy yet tasty vienna to bite into.

Bon Appetit!

Chef Tasneem Saith

Hi people

So at one of a close relatives event, was a casual function,a week before the grooms wedding. Generally these events lead to a series of even bigger events than the wedding itself. Almost every family member is present, from the kids, to neighbours, to the second, third cousins, distant aunties & uncles, you name it … basically, the whole family clan. Any hoo I was selected to make the desserts for about +50 something guest that night. With very little time to prepare in advance, I came up with a speedy & uncomplicated recipe. Served individually in flawlessly sized doses. Which was an absolute Hit!!!

Panna Cotta is another Italian classic dessert which in this case I added white couverture & buttermilk to give it a silky smooth & yet tangy taste due to the buttermilk. Indeed, its a panna cotta with a twist! What I loved about this recipe, is it doesn’t have to set for long hours, neither did I have to worry about unmoulding 50 desserts at the end (since I was pressed for time & could not take the risk of even 1 flopping ).I divided the mixture in plastic desserts cups & served it in those cups at the function. I also poured in the strawberry sauce at the bottom almost like a secret surprise.

Blancor Buttermilk Panna Cotta

Difficulty: *

Serves: 775gr

Preparation time: 10mins

Cooking time: 10-30mins

Ingredients:

250gr cream

125gr castor sugar

1/2 vanilla pod (cut & scraped)

lemon rind

4gr gelatine powder

20gr cold water to bloom the gelatine in

250gr cold buttermilk (you can also use fruit yoghurt/cream)

125gr blancor white couveture 36% cut into pieces (I used lindt)

For the sauce:

175g sugar

175ml water

350g fruit strawberries/raspberries/blueberries etc

Method:

1. Sponge the gelatine by adding the water & mix so no lumps until there is no water.
2. Heat the first amount of cream, vanilla, lemon rind & sugar.
3. Bring to the boil & add in the chocolate to melt.
4. Leave to cool down before adding the sponged gelatine.
5. Add in the buttermilk & mix until a custard like consistency.
6. Pour a strawberry sauce in first & than the mixture into glasses.
7. Garnish with fruit, mint leaves & chocolate or icing sugar to dust.
8. For the sauce, place the sugar, water and into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
9. Take the pan off the heat and add the fruit/strawberries. Using a hand blender, blend the sauce until smooth.
10. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a the dessert glasses or onto the dessert.(I poured it in the middle as a surprise)

Bon Appetit!

Chef Tasneem Saith

Hey everyone

So guess what? I had a crazy crave this past Friday, that really turned into an awesome idea! I could not stop myself, I just had to construct something & gave it a good FAT try. Fried foods & ice-cream are just double trouble my friends! Its okay  we can diet again on Monday;) I know I am weak when it comes to satisfying that crave, but trust me, once you try this out you will be totally hooked for life.

As a chef fried foods are not my thing, but this Berry Deluxe Surprise (I call it) won’t even give you the chance to “instagram” the moment, all you will be doing is “Digging in!” .

Three scoops of blueberry cheesecake ice-cream! It’s better to use the store bought ice-cream for this, as home made ice-creams melts away too fast. I used this flavor because frankly…its Yum! The combination of flavors work well as you have that chilled blueberry cheesecake filling coated in a warm crispy crust. Something the mind cannot fathom, a rather mind blowing experience in the mouth.

Berry Deluxe Surprise

Ingredients:

3 scoops blue berry cheesecake ice-cream

3 cups crushed corn flakes

cinnamon(to your liking)

sugar(to your liking to give a sweet crust taste)

3 eggs

Oil for frying (clean)

Method:

1. Scoop ice-cream in perfect balls & freeze again hard.
2. Mix the corn flakes, cinnamon & sugar together for the crust.
3. Coat the ice-cream balls in lightly whisked eggs & roll in the crust mixture well coated, place in the freezer to firm hard for about a hour.
4. Repeat step 3 for the second time.
5. Repeat step 3 again for the third time, after the hour in the freezer now it should be well coated & firm.
6. In a pot with oil enough to cover each ball on medium heat, dip each ball & fry for about 5-6 seconds until golden brown.(but make sure the ice-cream doesn’t ooze out be quick)
7. Serve wit a chocolate sauce, ganache, mousse or fruit.

Bon Appetit!

Chef Tasneem Saith