MY CAKE DECORATING FORAY

Howdy folks!It sure has been quite a loooong while here. The hiatus I got into was necessary because of my foray into cake decorating.You see, I’d been baking since I was a teenager and was so ok with trying out recipes and looking for that one which could give my tastebuds that memorable experience that I did not realize I had an “A” game going on cake baking but my decorating was on a sub zero rating🙆‍♂️at least not till 2015 when I baked and decorate a cake for my last son’s 5th birthday.Jeez! pics don’t lie they say right?Ok don’t take my word for it take a peek at the picture.

Now you get the picture right?(😁pun very much intended).I had to hide this picture these 5 years until I could look back and say “wow, I have grown from the ugly duckling to a beautiful swan!”

Well some 3 odd months later I made a virtual acquaintance via Instagram which was a new Android application I was trying to understand and use to promote my business then.And by some strange coincidence which I put down to God’s Miraculous Intervention (or providence some would say)I happened upon a give away by a Canada based Nigerian cake artist by name Ronnie Ebuka of Ronnie’s Treat who wanted to gift a training session on cake decorating with the awesome Funmi of Anna’s Sweet Treats as a way of empowering her fellow Nigerian bakers to up their cake decorating game.I entered for the give away and was chosen to get the training in May 2016. Boy was I thrilled!!At last I got through with the class in July 2016 and this cake in the picture is my testimonial and a whirlwind was unleashed 😁.

I got into a cake baking and decorating frenzy that has gratefully blossomed into another stream of income for the Umami Flavors brand.

I made a post to celebrate the international women’s day yesterday on my Instagram account @umami_flavors celebrating some amazing women who had been instrumental in my business growth and it just occurred to me that I had to come write about this right here.So seeing that my cake decorating game is shifting gear from sub zero to 40ish now (meanwhile my aim is 1💪)I’m gonna be dropping some tips here and there for readers who might want to learn a thing or two for FREE!Yeah that would be my way of paying it forward like Ronnie asked me to in 2016.

For more pictures chronicling my journey pls

Follow me on Instagram! Username: umami_flavors https://www.instagram.com/umami_flavors?r=nametag

MY MEAT MARINADE CRAZE

How long have I been away? So just like that we have come to April 2017?Ok now…..anyway I have been veeeerrry busy and my schedule had me thinking I might just as well delete my WordPress account but my encounter with a new friend(I’ll call her “L”) had me doing a reboot and I must say I am sure of what direction I wanna go with this now.

Now to what I’ve been up to in the kitchen? A whole lot! I’m going to share one of such kitchen adventures here. It’s now a given that Shoprite has spread it’s tentacles to my neck of the woods in Asaba Delta State and being the meat lover that I am I gave their meat shop a trial.

One thing I came away with was the need to improve on my meat cooking repertoire and my first step was to look at my marinading method and recipes, so I decided to give grilling a try and put our own Nigerian traditional yaji spice to the test, the result? Not bad taste-wise but considering that the meat I used was not the traditional “ogbologbo”(old chicken) that we traditionally get in the open market; I found the grilled chicken a bit too dry and tough.

Finally my searchlight fell on the Argentine chimmichuri which is a green sauce for grills in that part of the world and thought why not bring the two together ?Yeah yaji and Chimmichuri ….are you thinking “no way”? Well “yes way”! I did it ; and the result was so delicious and juicy>I believe I  must have screamed Eureka! about then😁<So there you have it: my kitchen adventures. The pictures below attest to the fact that the Umami Eureka Marinade is something you must try for your Easter cooking. Recipe will be shared in the next post. For now guys ogle on the pics ok? See you in a bit!!

 

CATERPILLAR BUNS

Me and bread ehn?

Something about baking bread always gets me in my core.From mixing and kneading the dough to the wiff of the yeast as it starts to act ,to the heady aroma of homemade bread from the oven(which I find very comforting in an odd way).The result of this ever growing baking bias has seen me amass quite a repertoire of bread recipes.I must say that having a family that consumes a lot of bread is a good incentive too;)

So don’t be surprised if my interest goes from the regular to the unusual specialty kind of loaf,as long as it’s bread, I’m all for it.One thing bread has going for it, in my humble opinion is the many varieties of recipes you could try your hands on as an armature bread baker,but I guarantee you that it does take some work.However the results far outweigh the effort.

Now my sources for inspiration for baking bread come from seeing pictures and I go “wooow isn’t that worth trying out?”Luckily my pantry is always stocked with flour and baking stuff so who am I not to try really?

So away with the recipe!!!

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp yeast

Pinch of baking powder

1 tbs

Tbsp sugar 

1 tsp salt

1 egg( lightly beaten )

1 tbsp melted butter/margarine

2 tbsp oil

1tbsp milk powder.

METHOD

1. Sieve flour into a mixing bowl.

2. Add the milk powder,baking powder,sugar,yeast and salt and mix well.

3.Gradually add the milk in a slow stream and begin to knead (if you are using a mixer attach the dough hook to do this)

4. Turn out dough into a kneading table and Knead for 8 to 10 minutes.(the longer you knead, the softer/more pliable the dough will be so take time to get this step right).

5.Drizzle some vegetable oil in to the bottom of the mixing bowl,put the ball of dough into the bowl and roll it over the oil.This prevents the dough from drying out while resting.

6.Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set in a draught free area to rise for about 40 to 60 minutes or till it doubles in size.

7. Punch down the  dough and divide it into 5 sections.Roll each section into an oval or rectangular shape of about 1/4 inch thickness.Brush with butter or margarine,then cut strips about 1/3 of the way into the rolled dough.

8.Add your desired filling() on the opposite side of where the strips have been cut ,fold dough over the filling to enclose it then gently roll all the way to the end.The strips will cover the top of the bun giving it it’s caterpillar like finish.(do pinch the ends of the strips under the dough so it does not uncurl or open up during baking.

9.Repeat with the rest dough and place all on a well greased tray.Cover with kitchen towel and allow buns rest for 20  to 30 mins to allow them rise slightly.

10. Brush with egg wash,garnish with sesame seeds (if you have some)and bake in a pre-heated oven  for 25 minutes.

*I normally repeat brushing with egg wash 5 minutes before baking time is up for that glossy look*

11. Remove buns from oven and brush with the melted butter.Keep covered with kitchen towel to help retain its softness till serving time.

Enjoy…

COCONUT BEEF SAUCE.

The weekends are so short for me these days; anyone else feel the same?I wake up on Saturdays and choose to lie in,oh yes !it is my Sabbath day rest.I so love that slow pace of things on Saturdays.So, fast forward to lunch time and I have to be in and out of the kitchen in no time so my slow ticking Saturday continues uninterrupted,my choice of a sauce to go with rice on such days is the coconut beef sauce.

It’s simple and quick to make and does taste good too.Luckily I shop on Fridays and keep some boiled beef handy in the freezer;) so things will be on top speed.Thats not to say you can’t use raw beef (or any other meat for that matter!).The good thing about this recipe is that it works well with any meat or fish you throw at it;yeah :it’s that versatile.Ok let’s do this!

INGREDIENTS

6 medium sized cut beef(already seasoned and boiled)

1 cup meat stock

5 medium sized carrots. 

1 large green pepper.

100 gr runner beans.

1 cup sweet corn.

3 spring onions.

1 clove of garlic.

1 small ginger root.

2 Knorr Seasoning cubes.

2 tsp white pepper.

1 cooking spoonful vegetable oil.

3 tablespoonfuls cornflour

Salt to taste.

1 cup coconut milk.

METHOD

Cut meat into smaller bits.(this will allow it cook faster)

Slice the carrots,spring onions,green pepper and runner beans.

Grate/crush garlic and ginger.

Pour oil in a saucepan and heat for a few minutes.

Add crushed garlic and ginger with some spring onions to the oil and stir.

Add the meat and sear till crisp on the outside.

Pour in the meat stock and coconut milk in saucepan and bring to a boil on low heat.

(The above step is for when using boiled beef,with raw beef just sear the beef cuts in hot oil till all sides are crisp, add the coconut milk and bring to a boil to allow beef cook till tender)

Add seasoning cube and white pepper.

Add the sliced veggies starting with the runner beans then the carrots, turn heat low to a simmer.

Make a paste with the cornflour (ratio of water to corn flour shoul be 4:3)and add it to the simmering liquid in the saucepan.(this should thicken the sauce).

Add the green pepper  and sweet corn,salt to taste and turn of heat to allow pepper steam.

Enjoy with your white rice!

APPLE PIE

Well the kids came back from holidaying at their grandma’s and as usual have had me on a new treat challenge. They happen to be very much responsible for my foray into uncharted cooking territories all the time. So from my first attempt at making pizza to this :making Apple pie I have the fantastic four to thank for continously bringing me out of my comfort zone. 

Apple pies though not popular with a lot of Africans can and should be tried out. I do love the sweet and tangy taste of the filling as well as the aroma of the spices used, plus the added bonus of it being vegan, I mean pies don’t have to be filled with meat alone to be tasty or  be appreciated. Do try it out this weekend. 

APPLE PIE RECIPE :

1/2 kg double crust pastry. 

3   large apples.

1/2tsp cinnamon.

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder.

4tbsp cornflour .

1tbsp lime/lemon juice.

2 tbsp sugar. 

EGG wash 

METHOD :

Wash and peel apples, decore  and deseed them. 

Cut peeled apples into thin slices and toss in the lime/lemon  juice. 

Line the inside of the pie dish with a rolled out sheet of double crust pastry. 

Mix cornflour, nutmeg and cinnamon together. 

Toss the apple slices in the dry mix. 

Fill the pastry  lined pie dish with the apple fillings.

Cover the top of the pie dish with the  remaining pastry and trim off the excess from the edges. 

Primp the edges with a fork and poke a hole on top to allow steam escape while the filling cooks. 

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes . 

Brush the top with the egg wash and bake for another couple of minutes. 

Slice up and Enjoy. 

EGG PLANT(GARDEN EGG) SAUCE

 

When a public holiday makes the weekend long, you wake up with the thought of what to cook for breakfast that will keep the energy level of the kids up for a long time.Being kids and having some free time means lots of playtime for them so I  had to fall back on this meal that was a staple in our home while growing up. 

My parents  had green fingers and grew most of the food we ate, one plant in our garden that found regular use was the egg plant(popularly called garden eggs)the flat tasting  foreign variety we grew in the garden then are however no match for the local green bitter tasting variety [most likely why I did not enjoy them back then:?]. There is something about that bitter taste when it mixes with the flavours of the other condiments  that leaves your mouth watering.I will give the recipe here so you can go check it out for yourself, like they say experience is the best teacher and when you do try it out let me hear from you; tag me on instagram @jules_of_umami,twitter@julifekem or share it on the umami flavors Facebook page. 

EGGPLANT SAUCE RECIPE :

Eggplants 6(the green variety preferably) 

Scotch bonnet pepper  3

Plum tomatoes 2

Onions 1 medium sized bulb

Vegetable oil 2 cooking spoons 

Ground Crayfish 3 tbsp

Knorr seasoning cube 1

Salt to taste
METHOD :

Wash egg plants and cut into quarters. 

Steam egg plants till soft and squishy . 

Slice tomatoes, peppers and onion. 

Using a mortar and pestle mash the egg plant to a thick paste. 

Pour vegetable oil in sauce pan. 

Sauté  sliced onion till translucent. 

Add the sliced tomatoes and pepper, cook on low heat for 5 minutes. 

Add the mashed egg plant. 

Season with knorr cubes and a pinch of salt.

The sauce is ready, serve with boiled yam /plantain /potatoes  or a combination of yam and plantain. ENJOY

NIGERIAN MEAT PIE

The pocket pastry called meat pie in Nigeria is an all round winner anytime with both adults and kids, the idea that it not just fills the stomach but is also nutritious makes it my all time favourite snack.The 2 keys to making scrumptious meat pie are the filling and the short crust pastry recipe used.I have had little success making meat pies before now following the recipes and methods I used to have till I was given some insight by a friend recently. So here is the recipe for Nigerian meat pie :

RECIPE 

{FILLING} 

1kg minced meat 

2-3medium sized carrots

3 irish potatoes 

1medium sized bulb of red onoin

2 knorr seasoning cubes

1 medium sized green Bell pepper 

1tsp curry powder 

1 cooking spoon full vegetable oil. 

1 tsp dry thyme 

A pinch of salt. 

SHORT CRUST PASTRY 

1kg flour

500gr margarine 

1level tbsp baking powder 

2 eggs

A pinch of salt

3/4 cup water. 

METHOD 

{Making the filling} 

Season minced meat with knorr cubes and thyme. 

Dice carrot and potatoes. 

Slice onion and green pepper. 

Parboil  diced carrots and potatoes. 

Drain and run cold water over carrots and potatoes and set aside(this prevents the veggies cooking further and turning mushy)

Heat up the vegetable oil in a saucepan and add the sliced onions.Sautee onions till they are translucent. 

Add the minced meat and continue stir frying till meat is cooked

Season with curry powder and add the parboiled vegetables, stir and turn off the heat. 

Dish filling in a shallow bowl to cool down. 

{Making the Pastry.} 

Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) in mixing  bowl. 

Cut in the margarine using a table knife or fork and rub into flour mixture till it resembles fine bread crumbs. 

Make a well in the middle of the mixture, beat the 2eggs  add 3/4 of it with some water and mix till smooth uniform texture is achieved. 

Knead for 3 minutes  and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Cut pastry into little handfuls

Preheat your oven. Grease your baking tray with margarine. 

 Roll out the balls of pastry on a floured surface  into a 2inch thick flat discs.  

Place rolled pastry on pie cutter, add a measure of the filling. (you have to take care not to overfill so the pastry pocket don’t pop open in the oven) about a tbsp or so should do. 

Seal with the cutter and place on baking tray. 

Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, apply egg wash to the pies using a pastry brush. 

Return the tray into the oven and allow bake for 5-7minutes.

Voila! Your meat pie is ready serve with a cool glass of  any drink of choice. Bon apetit!! 

Exquisite Oha Soup.

Oha soup julumami.wordpress.com

Hello there beautiful….. My sentiments when I sight a bowl of this wonderful soup. It invokes nostalgic memories of my university days in the Eastern heartland of Nigeria. Being from the Niger Delta State where Banga and Owho soup has been wedded to starch by the “gods of food” since “before, before ” like we used to pique as kids, Oha soup became the closest thing to Banga for me those days.
However years passed and I left the Eastern heartland but not without the recipe for the soup which my friend’s landlady was gracious enough to give me. So today I share same with you .
The flavours of the soup are an intertwining of the  Oha leaves and palmnut juice that nothing else compares to and when combined with any swallow of choice it is a Nigerian meal  of choice I tell you.

OHA SOUP RECIPE 

500ml of palmfruit juice
2 medium sized bunches of Oha leaves.
1/2kg beef.
2 whole dried catfish /any good dried fish.
3slices of dried stock fish(panla)
4cubes of knorr seasoning cubes.
1cooking spoonful Grounded dried crayfish .
1 small lump of locust bean seasoning
Salt and pepper (to taste).
1 medium sized bulb of onion.
5_6 bulbs of boiled cocoyams
DIRECTIONS
Season beef with 2 knorr cubes and the sliced bulb of onion.
Boil beef till tender then add washed dried cat and stock fish and simmer further till softened.
Add palmfruit juice to pot and continue simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add crayfish, dried pepper and remaining stock cube and bring contents of the pot to a boil.
While soup boils prepare the thickener by pounding the boiled cocoyams into paste.
Shred the Oha leaves with hands (a note of caution here Never ever use knives on the leaves!)
Add the cocoyam paste to the pot and simmer for a few minutes then add the shredded Oha leaves and turn off heat cover the pot and allow the steam cook the veggies. This gives the leaves a crunchy taste.

Voila! soup is ready ;serve with Semo, Eba or any other swallow of choice. Enjoy!  👍

SEAFOOD OKRA SOUP

My Love for seafood was rekindled last week Wednesday when my kid sister rushed in from the local market to excitedly tell me about a seafood monger she met. You see having grown up in Lagos in the early 80s my mum had inadvertently planted a love for seafood like crabs, prawns and shrimps in my young taste buds that finally developed into a crazy craving for them by the time the family moved to Asaba the Delta State capital in the early 2000s.
So there was I wishing I could eat em crabs and shrimps to my fill especially when I realized that the good ol River Niger was devoid of such. So for all my years of living here I’ve had to make do with the frozen prawns and shrimps available at the supermarkets but sadly:( no crabs.
So, yay! was my gesture when I got to meet the seafood seller and you can bet I doled out the cash and bought the thing like “kilode ”
Best part was we got her number to know when next she’d be in town and right now I am nursing the idea of being a dealer so I can help some other seafood craving resident like me. Shey they say” your frustration is your area of ministry “:) yels ke!
So today I offer you my recipe for seafood okra soup,and with all it’s Umami you are sure going to say hmm mm… I want more!

SEAFOOD OKRA SOUP

Ingredients :
4 medium sized crabs.
1/2cup prawns/shrimps.
1 cup grated okra/ladyfingers.
1/4cup thinly sliced uziza leaves.
1teaspoon ground dried Cameron pepper.
11/2 tablespoons ground cray fish.
1/2 cup palm oil.
1 1/2 cup water.
1 bulb medium sized onion(sliced).
1 cube of Maggi or knorr seasoning
A dash of ogili okpei or dawadawa(locust bean seasoning).
Salt to taste.

DIRECTIONS
Wash and clean crabs and shrimps /prawns taking care to remove all unsavory parts.
Season with seasoning cubes and some of the sliced onions.
Add the 1 1/2 cup of water and bring to the boil.
Boil for 2 minutes then turn heat down to simmer.
Add crayfish powder, dried Cameroon pepper, ogili and oil and allow simmer for 5 more minutes.
Add grated okra and sliced uziza leaves.
Stir and add salt to taste.
Allow simmer for a minute or two then turn off the heat.
Serve with any swallow of choice.

ENJOY!