#easymake

Everyone has warm fuzzy and indulgent memories associated with cookies. The classic chocolate chip and the more exotic almond pie are just two of the many baked cookies available. When fragrant spices like green cardamom, nutmeg spice and Saffron are added to traditional recipes these delicacies reach new levels of taste. Come on a culinary adventure with me as I demonstrate how to use these wonderful ingredients in some of my favorite hmade recipes.

1. Choco Chips Cookie

About Choco Chips Cookie

Choco Chip Cookies are a beloved classic that will always be in vogue thanks to its ideal sweetness level and decadent chocolate taste. Still a dash of green cardamom adds a unique scent and flavor that begs to be sampled.

Ingredients

Three cups of all purpose flour

One teaspoon of baking soda

Two tablespoons of ground green cardamom

One cup of chocolate chips

Two eggs

One cup each of white and brown sugar

Two teaspoons of vanilla extract

One cup of softened unsalted butter.

Recipes

Using parchment paper to line a baking sheet preheat the oven to 350°F, which is 175°C. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing basin until combined. Add the vanilla extract after beating in the eggs one at a time. As you add the flour baking soda and ground green cardamom to the creamed mixture stir gently. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. Using rounded tablespoons drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Ten to twelve minutes in the oven will give the edges a golden brown hue. Take the cookedies out of the oven and set them on a wire rack to cool completely once the timer goes off.

2. Basic Cookies

About Basic Cookies

When it comes to cooking simple cooks provide a clean canvas for culinary flair. They may be seasoned with a wide variety of spices and seasonings to taste. Adding a little of nutmeg to the dough gives it a warm earthy aroma that complements the sweet filling.

Ingredients

Mix together the all purpose flour (2 1/4 cups) and baking soda (1/2 teaspoon).

Two eggs half a teaspoon of powdered nutmeg spice

One teaspoon of vanilla extract

Three quarters of a cup each of white sugar and packed brown sugar

One cup of softened unsalted butter and one teaspoon of butter

Recipes

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and bring the oven up to 375°F, or 190°C. Combine the flour baking soda, ground nutmeg spice in a small basin, and whisk to combine. Lightly whip the brown sugar and softened butter in a large mixing bowl until the sugar is frothy. Add the vanilla extract after beating in the eggs one at a time. 

Hangover halloumi and pineapple beef with cranberry couscous.

After a heavy night on Saturday, I awoke with a craving for halloumi, pineapple and beef and I wouldn’t have been true to myself if I hadn’t gone to the supermarket and shopped for a classic three item food date.

Ingredients (for the beef): Pineapple chunks, as many as you can handle, plus keep 2 tbsp of the juice 150g halloumi, cut into cm squares 200g beef (I used cheap diced beef, but this would be MUCH nicer with rump or fillet steak) 3 tsp honey 1 tsp ras el hanout spice mix A clove of garlic, crushed

Recipe: Put everything into a bowl and stir it all up. Let it sit and marinate in the fridge for anything from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Pop the oven on low to 60 degrees (fan). Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and empty the beef mixture into it on a medium heat. Once you’ve browned the beef on all sides, transfer just that the beef to an ovenproof dish and let it sit in the warm oven.

Continue to cook the halloumi, pineapple in the wet mixture, turning the heat up so that it begins to caramelise. The halloumi should start to blacken, but will keep a somewhat gooey outer. Once it has caramelised, put the beef back in and give it a good stir. You’re good to go!

This is one of my spicier recipes, but I really enjoyed it and I’m glad I stuck to my guns with the combination. The ras el hanout has an earthy taste, with the rose petals in the mix keeping it nice, light and floral. Serving it with couscous (with dried cranberries added in) really kept the taste all on the beef mixture and has definitely made me want more! Next time, I’ll be sure to keep some plain yoghurt to hand as it was a little more spicy than I had bargained.

Lively lime and coriander lunch box!

Recently I’ve overhauled my diet and given it a breath of planned fresh air! Planning my meals on a Saturday for the following week and shopping only for the necessary ingredients on a Sunday has made a huge improvement in my general health and well-being, albeit a few minor tweaks needed. (Guys, don’t overdo it on the fruit and veg. if you’re not used to it in large quantities!) I’m lucky in that I’m naturally slim, but boy have I noticed those few extra pounds over the last couple of months. So far, I’ve been eating this way for two and a half weeks and I have lost a total of 6lbs. Don’t worry though, I still give myself a treat most days and I haven’t cut anything (especially not brownie) out of my diet.

Ingredients (makes two lunch boxes): 100g basmati rice 300ml water Sugar Snap peas, or fine green beans roughly chopped (I used around half a pack of sugar snaps, but the quantity is really a personal preference) Two chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized slices (they cook better when sliced) Coriander Lime juice (I have a bottle in the fridge at all times) Oil

Recipe: Put the 300ml water on the heat and, when boiling, turn down low, add the rice and cover with a lid. Set a timer for ten minutes and do not take that lid off!

Put a second pan of water on and throw in the greens. Let them cook for as long as you like. I like mine a little al dente.

Heat a little oil in a medium frying pain and start to cook the chicken. The aim is to have it turn white all over; do not let it brown!

The timer for the rice has probably gone off by now, or is about to. Take it off the heat and set to one side, with the lid still on. Do not take the lid off! Set the timer for another ten minutes.

Put your desired amount of coriander in with the chicken. As useless as I am, I generally mean to put a dash in and forget that my pot only has one of the wide mouths and not the little holes, so I end up with something in between a teaspoon and a tablespoon each time. Add in enough of the lime to cover the bottom of the frying pan and cook it on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. The chicken should soak up the lime whilst cooking, making it have a nice tangy flavour paired with that lovely coriander.

Mine worked out so that the second rice timer went off about the same time as the chicken had finished cooking. When it does go off, take the lid off the rice and fluff it up. After that, all that was left to do was drain the greens, stir them through the rice and portion the rice mix and the chicken into my tupperware. Job done!

This is a really simple, but delicious (obviously: I made it) lunch and takes no time at all. Why not try the healthy option yourself? Rude not to when it’s just so tasty!