This post has been due since a long time and that's because I'm a shy person and don't usually tell people about everything I do. So naturally , blogging was a subject that I rarely talked about but it feels like its about time people know , So here it is.

Those who know me know that I'm an aspiring chef and plan to go to a culinary college next year to pursue further studies. but all that is a year away and I refuse to wait that long to start doing something that I love and this blog was a result of that impatience which  turned out to be something  that I love writing and that I look forward to every week now !

But just blogging  didn't seem like it was enough , so I started my own label just last December while I was completing 11th grade. It all started with an order for a family member and when I got a great response I decided to start my own label and it has been amazing! It's a unique experience and I've never felt so stressed and happy at the same time. Sure , I get nervous every once in a while but the satisfaction that you get when someone tells you that they love what you do makes you feel that all of it was worth it and then some more.

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The only hard part is balancing my studies and these hobbies that have given shape to my desire for getting my culinary degree, and that's the reason why these last 6 months have been super hectic. And since this year is the most important year for my studies, scoring well while blogging and completing orders will be a task that I surprisingly look forward to.

11:50:00

This Oreo Milkshake is the bomb! Its perfectly thick and not super sweet and that's because of a secret ingredient : SALT. Yes , Salt. As weird as it may sound , it elevates the chocolate flavour to another level and balances the sweetness. I usually use my Oreo Icecream for this so i skip the additional coffee but vanilla works great too ! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS 

SERVES 2

10-15 oreo biscuits

2 cups chilled milk 

4 scoops vanilla/oreo ice cream 

1/2 tsp instant coffee powder 

pinch of salt (optional)

METHOD

 Simply blend everything together and you're done!

03:45:00

I made these burgers the first time during my exams to satisfy my midnight hunger pangs and I absolutely fell in love with them ! They taste so light and fresh and are just spicy enough to get your taste buds tingling. 

INGREDIENTS 

500gms minced chicken breasts 

Salt to taste ( about 1/2 tsp )

2 tsp schezwan sauce 

2 tsp fresh lime juice 

1 cup fresh bread crumbs 

Some chopped coriander 

1/2 tsp chopped garlic 

METHOD 

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. 

Set aside for 15 minutes 

Make small patties and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side and you're done ! 

It pairs perfectly well with some chipotle and sweet chilli dressing. Enjoy ! 

09:45:00

Another Ice Cream recipe ! I thinks it's safe to say that I'm totally obsessed with them.  Making Ice Cream Is so easy and so fun that you won't be able to stop yourself from making batches frequently. 

This one came to my Mind while I was in school and yes, I usually daydream about what I want to make during most of my classes. Well I don't mind it cause some of my best ideas have come like that only. The combination of cheesecake and ice cream is absolutely phenomenal and why wouldn't it be ? You're combining two of the best desserts ever ! I hope you enjoy this one :) 

INGREDIENTS                        Makes 700ml

For the ice cream base 

300 ml cream 

100 ml condensed milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla essence 

For the ganache 

200 gms dark chocolate 

200 ml cream 

For the crumb 

10-12 digestive biscuits 

2 tbsp melted butter (salted)

For the cheesecake 

100 gms cream cheese ( at room temperature ) 

50 ml cream 

2-3 tbsp castor sugar 

Method 

First you need to make your chocolate ganache. Chop your chocolate into small pieces. And heat your cream till it simmers 

Pour your cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 mins. 

Then stir this mixture till you get a smooth ganache. Set aside to cool in the refrigerator. 

Next , whip all the ingredients for your cream cheese filling till combined and let it set in the refrigerator. 

For the base , 

Whip your cream till soft peaks form and then fold in the condensed milk and the vanilla essence. 

Take out your ganache and whip till soft peaks form. 

Now fold the base mixture in the ganache till combined. 

Crush your biscuits and mix them with the butter. Then fold this through your base. 

Put this mixture in your tin and then drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake filling over it and use a toothpick to swirl it around and freeze for 4-6 hours ! 

PS~ I would suggest that you double this recipe cause you'll run out of it very fast ! 

06:46:00

     

You know how when you visit a foreign country and you eat their local food and it stays with you ? Well Lebanese is a cuisine that I started to love even more after I visited Dubai a few years back. Eating falafel and shawarmas from a local shop near our hotel was amazing and even better than most of the stuff at the restaurants. Local food is the best to learn about any cuisine and I plan to eat it more often on my trips to understand the true flavours and you should too! So I made these falafels for dinner and they were very similar in taste ! It's gonna be a regular dinner for me for sure ! Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chickpeas  ( soaked overnight )

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp Baharat masala (lebanese masala)

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion ( finely chopped )

You can find the recipe for my Hummus here

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process till combined.

Roll the mixture and keep in a bowl in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Roll the mixture into balls and deep fry !

Serve with lemon and hummus and pita.

09:25:00

It's hard to come by amazing cake recipes and I've had my eye on this once since i first saw it on David Lebovitz's page. His recipes seem to be amazing and use the simplest ingredients which make them even better. So i decided to try this recipe out for a special  day ! and it was extremely moist and scrumptious and i think it's safe to say that I'm gonna be using this recipe a lot!

For the cake:

• 9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup strong coffee (or water)
• ½ cup whole or low-fat milk

For the ganache frosting:

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup water (or cream)

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter two 9″ x 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

3. To make the cake layers, sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

5. Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the frosting, melt the chopped chocolate with the water (or cream) in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

8. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk them into the chocolate until completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Cool until spreadable, which may take about 1 hour at room temperature.

To frost the cake:

Run a knife around the inside of each of the cakes which will help release them from the pans. Tilt one cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper from the bottom and invert it back onto a cake plate. Spread a good-sized layer of icing over the top. Top with the second cake layer and spread the top and sides with the remaining icing as decoratively as you want.

Storage: Cake is best the day it is made, although it’s fine the next day. Store at room temperature under a cake dome. Just be sure to keep cake out of the sun in the meantime.

21:19:00

People tend to make ice cream with double cream and I usually do too but this time I decided to make it with some fresh cream that I had lying around. It's from a local brand and I never thought I would be able to whip it to peaks as I've tried it before and it has never worked out. 

So this is the second time that I've made this ice cream , the first time I made it at my grandmothers place. It's eggless and that was important as she doesn't eat eggs which are usually used in ice creams that have a crème anglaise base. So I started whipping my cream and ten minutes just went by and my cream didn't have any visible change. My heart sank, Maybe i can't always do what I feel like doing. But then I decided to go at it again for another ten minutes before ditching it and it worked ! I was elated , the texture was gorgeous and it was the first time I'd made eggless ice cream. 

It's so easy and I'm going to use a lot of variations with this recipe for sure ! And the best part is that you don't need an ice cream maker for this.Enjoy!

Ingredients 

Makes about 1.5 quarts 

40-50 Oreo biscuits ( slightly crushed) 

5 tbsp granulated coffee

1 ltr cream ( fresh or double ) 

1 can of condensed milk ( 14 ounces ) 

2 tsp vanilla essence 

2 tsp coffee liqueur ( optional ) 

Method 

First place a large bowl and your whisk attachment in the freezer 15 minutes before you start making the ice cream ( I use a hand mixer but you can use a stand mixer too ) 

Then whip your cream to soft peaks. Once this is done , whip in your condensed milk ,  coffee and vanilla. 

Gently fold in the Oreos and pour the mixture in a tin pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and make sure that the wrap touched your mixture  Freeze this for about 6 hours. 

11:11:00