Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts

Cake: A Study


Again, I'm not going to say much, except to tell you that the cake in question (or in study) was this amazing one, which is a family favorite of ours. And the best part about it is, it has only five ingredients so you can whip it up in no time. (I usually overbake mine just a little bit, resulting in THE MOST RIDICULOUSLY EASY brownies EVER!!) (and you don't need cooking chocolate omg??!!!)




In other news, this winter business has gone on long enough, i want summer nowww. I really don't like these foggy, biting-cold-wind kind of days. Me and winter, we just don't get along :/ Sorry House Stark, but Winterfell just seems like a huge no :/ 





What I find somewhat funny (and irksome too) is that I took exactly zero pictures of the cake itself :))))) So I guess a more apropos title would have been 'Cake Batter: A Study'. But oh well, you win some you lose some. (?????) Although to be fair, by the time it finished baking, there was no decent lighting left (i love natural light), and also v v hungry :}






 I find this short sporadic rambling/posting really refreshing, to be honest. Also, I was about to write 'tbh', but then I thought of how my Communication Skills teacher would disapprove, and thought better of it. Do I get points/cookies/edible-rewards for being an awesome student? I really should.
xxx

Khadija The Model Student O:)

The Best Caramel Popcorn EVER.


Sighhh. Well, now I've dunnit :/ I suppose Cupcake Jemma deserves half the blame, but the rest belongs to me. I've made something so easy and so addictive and so dangerous. Why did I crave toffee popcorn at midnight? Why did I MAKE toffee popcorn at midnight? Why did draw a fake tattoo on my arm three weeks ago? These are all questions no can really answer :/
But there's stuff I can answer. For instance, was the popcorn bonkers awesome? Indeed, it was. Will I make it again? You bet I will. Is the tattoo still there? Ummmm...lets get to the popcorn shall we? O:)


I grew up devouring pack after pack of Korneez Toffee Popcorn...yup thats their name. I can't even. Anyway, I never really liked the caramel popcorn you get at movie theaters mostly cause there's just a very superficial caramel flavour, and that just doesn't do it for me. Imagine my delight when I tried this popcorn only to discover THAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE CARAMEL OH MY GOD. It was crunchy and sweet and salty and everything caramel corn should be :') I was in bliss. 
Just one problem tho: I couldn't stop eating it. 


Today I'm gonna be watching Divergent with a bunch of my friends, for the first time. It just didn't seem like my kinda thing, thats why I put it off for so long. I've heard it's good though. And I do love Shailene Woodley, she's so pretty! (Because popcorn talk leads to movie talk)


This popcorn takes hardly 20 minutes to whip up, and it would be great for birthdays, or movie nights or even as a gift if you put it in a clear bag and put a ribbon on it :') But just be warned, it is HIGHLY addictive :)


Caramel Popcorn Recipe
(From Cupcake Jemma//Jemma Wilson)

1 packet microwave popcorn, butter flavored
210 g sugar (1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of sugar)*
100 ml water (1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon of water)**
1 tablespoon of butter

*measure 1 cup and then remove 1 tablespoon
**measure 1/2 cup and then remove 1 tablespoon

Make the popcorn according to the instructions on the packet. Put in a bowl.
Meanwhile, measure out ALL the ingredients for the caramel before you start cooking it. Place them near you so you can reach them easily. In a pan, add the sugar, and then pour the water. DO NOT STIR. You must PROMISE not to stir it. Just swirl the pan around so that the sugar settles into place and then put it on medium-low heat. Patiently wait for it to bubble up. It will now start to color, and you have to keep a close eye on it at this point. You're looking for a uniform, even amber color. It's going to be a translucent sort of caramel color, and it's gonna take a little time to reach that color. Remember, it has to be even. That means you cant be okay with patches of amber, you need a pool of amber lusciousness. Just swirl the pan occasionally. Once you reach the uniform amber stage, add the tablespoon of butter. It is going to fizz and foam, but dont worry, its not dangerous. Start stirring and keep on doing so till ALL the bubbles go away and you get a smooth caramel liquid. (You might want to take it off the heat and stir it after 3-4 minutes of stirring on heat). 
Now you have to work quickly. Pour the caramel sauce all over the popcorn and STIR STIR STIR. Work quickly or else the caramel will set. Make sure everything is coated and then scoop out the popcorn and press it into a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Again, work fast.  Press the popcorn neatly, and then let it cool for 5 minutes. (I didn't wait initially, and I got slivers and threads of caramel in the first bunch I ate...not bad, but not what you want in your popcorn.)
After it has cooled, break the popcorn into smaller pieces and TREAT YO' SELF!!


I hope you guys try thissss, it is so simple and lovely and addictive. YOU NEED TO TRY THIS!! Stay safe, stay happy and be kind to everyone!
xxx
Khadija :)

Update: Divergent was awesome :) You should watch it!

Carrot & Walnut Cake


Usually, I don't eat carrot cake. When I do, I like it with cream cheese frosting. BUT. I had a major mind blown moment the other day when I learnt how to make this cake. To be fair tho, I feel like its more like banana bread, but with carrots, as opposed to actual cake. Prolly cause of the walnuts and brown sugar. But who cares as long as it tastes like heaven??

Sugar Cookies with Pink Royal Icing


You know how you see those big beautiful cookies with lovely designs on them? I was like 'Yeah, I wanna try my hand at those.' Turns out, its not easy. You need a steady hand and a better paper-cone making ability than I have. That being said, it isn't difficult either. No really. The cookies are your basic roll-out sugar cookies that you cut into shapes with a cutter. And the royal icing needs just two things. Making both these things isnt rocket science. What does require practice, however, is piping them so that they look pretty. You don't need to be goddamn Da Vinci, but you do need to be able to draw a circle or a square.

Honey Soy Chicken Wings


Hey there! How've you been? Do you have your CIEs? Poor you. I'll be praying for all you poor souls, especially those ones that don't try these wings right away. Seriously. The first time I made these was a couple of weeks ago when my father had a bunch of his work associates over for dinner. Both my parents were swamped that week, they were hardly ever home, poor things. As my mother rushed off to her 5797th Ladies Club meeting that week, she told me "You're in charge of the wings" anddd she was gone. I was like...yay?



I knew what I wanted though, something savory with a hint of sweetness. It's always that, really. Sweet'n'sour is my thangg. And so these babies were made. And once the work friends left the dining room, I attacked the wings. I didn't even wait for them to leave the house. Silly KD. I made these a few more times over the weeks because HELLO? These are really good. Like reallyyyy good. And they only take 20 minutes to go from box to belly, so thats always a plus. 


Ohhh and I tried using a black backdrop too :D Except for the part where I didn't know what to use, so I propped up a folding table on its side on the counter, and used a black oven tray as the base....
I don't know though, I'm going to have to figure this out, because my kitchen has meh-ish lighting and also I do most of my cooking at night...so no sun..so yeah..ok. 

Anyway, moving on to the recipe, which is totesss simple. (I'm harnessing my inner valley girl these days, like omg) Whatchu need is this:

Sauce (enough for around 30 wings):
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Honey
3 tablespoons Chili Sauce
3 tablespoons Chili Garlic Ketchup
3 tablespoons oil + enough to fry the wings
1 1/2 tablespoon White vinegar (the synthetic kind) (is there any other kind tho?)
A box of wings. Or a packet. Or just get wings, whatever, I'm not your mom. 

Fry your wings. I usually fry them for 5-6 minutes, and they finish cooking up in the glaze. Next, in another pan, add the two spoons of oil. Use the frying oil if you want. Add all the sauces, the honey and the vinegar. Stir well. TASTE. If it needs more of anything, add it. It should be a balance of sweet and salty, and have a hint of heat from the chili sauce and a little sting/zing from the vinegar. Adjust accordingly. Then add your wings, stir them to coat them evenly. Cover the lid and let it do its thang. Keep checking on it though, you dont want the sauce to dry up and your wings to burn, that would be tragic. In about 2-3 minutes, the sauce will have thickened and turned into a lovely red-brown sticky glaze. Thats when you take them out and eat every single one while watching The Mentalist on tv. You done good kid, you deserve it. 

Also my dear readers, I would urge you all to check out this lovely page! Craftoos is an arts and crafts store run by a very dear friend of mine! I think she's doing lovely work, and that too at such a young age. Craftoos provides you with illustrations, posters and soon enough, stickers!! All customisable too! So definitely check this out, its verryyy cool. 
Stay happy and stay safe!
xxx
Khadija.

Three Ingredient Pasta


Hey guys! Soooo as per request, I changed my font today. Big day T_T 
Anyway, summer is right around the corner and I AM SO FRICKIN' HAPPY :') I'm not a winter person, as you can probably tell, buttt i can handle heat pretty well. Apart from the change in weather, I'm looking forward to summer cause of summer food and summer drinks and summer fruit and strawberries and cherries and an angels kiss in spring. (PLS GET THAT REFERENCE) So, think lemonade and sangria and lazyyy daysss and teaching my dog how to swimmm.

Which is why today I'm writing about this pasta. I think this pasta should be the very symbol of summer on account of how light and refreshing it is. Oh and did I mention it has just three ingredients?? It just goes to show you how sometimes simple is all you need. And really, tomatoes themselves are so wonderfully fragrant and flavorsome that you dont really need anything else. In fact, this sauce can be used to top pita bread for impromptu pizzas, or grilled bread slices to make pizza toasties, or it can be used as dip or like a member of the salsa family. And it is really SO simple! You can get this baby done in fifteen minutes! Here's how its made!

You will need:
3 large tomatoes, cut in chunks
Ketchup
Herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)
Pasta of your choice

Get a large pot of water boiling. Once it starts to boil, add 4 teaspoons full of salt. This helps season the pasta and you dont get boring bland pasta. Also add a teaspoon of oil to prevent pasta clumping together. Add the uncooked pasta to the water and cook until soft (or if you like, al dente)
In a pan, add the 3 chopped tomatoes and add 1/4th to 1/2 a cup of water. Basically just enough to cover the base of the pan. Let the tomatoes soften up in that water. After a few minutes, you'll know they're soft because you'll be able to smush them with a spoon. And smush them you will. Press the chunks with the back of a spoon till it no longer holds a particular shape. Mash them basically, but no need to be toooo thorough. Once all the tomatoes are smushed up, add two tablespoons of ketchup for added sweetness. You can use the regular kind or chilli garlic, whichever you want, or you could do both. I usually like to add a cap-full of Apple Cider Vinegar too, but thats optional. Then add your herbs, just random pinches of it. Stir to combine, and cook until the water has been absorbed and there you go! 

Drain the pasta and place it in a bowl. Spoon the sauce over the pasta. Grate some cheese over it, if you wanna get fancy, although seriously, this pasta doesn't even need cheese. And there you have it! Beautiful light pasta. Minimum fuss, maximum flavour, as Nigella says.



Let me know what you think!
xxx
Khadija.

Feminism and A Cake.


Last week was a somewhat depressing week for me. I was cooped up studying bio, and had a severe (read: extremely massive) craving for something chocolate-y. So, we baked a cake. More like, mama baked it while I crammed the differences between DNA and mRNA.

Nonetheless, it was delish. It was SUPER MOIST. And when I say super, you should know that it was THE most moist cake I've ever made. (yes yes, I know, I didn't bake it, Mama did, tevz.)
Because this cake had a secret ingredient. Yogurt. Yep. Around half a cup of oil and one cup of Yogurt into your usual cake, and you will have the softest most delicious cake ever. 

Let's Thank Wapda For This Tomato, Cheese and Onion Tart.


Hey guyzzzezz. What is uppp? (Triple P, question mark.) It's the weekend again, meaning it's TIME TO BLOG!!!

So we shifted into this new house, that's really pretty. I'll show you my favorite features of the house some other time. But in the first few weeks, we had an extremely messed up routine. Not Miley Cyrus messed up, but you get the idea, right? Every plate packed, the fridge empty, you know the drill, right?

And I know the fix. 
Month old puff pastry, week old tomato sauce and an insane obsession with Caramelized Onions. It's cool.

Freedom Feast.



So this is it. Freedom at last. After nearly four months of heavy moderate, studying, we are free. Is this real? Cause it really doesn't feel that way. Even today, on Summer Day 4, I momentarily begin to panic because I'm not studying. And then I the glorious truth dawns on me...I don't need to study. I DON'T NEED TO STUDY!! (For the next two months only.) So, on my way back from my last exam (Bio; don't ask :P )the only thing I could think of, was what I was going to make. And my sister's constant whining about not being able to go to Fatburger that day, led us to making our own interpretation of Fatburger. And honestly. I don't think I'll ever need to go there again. Seriously.

Viva l'Italia

Italy :')

So a friend of mine is going to Italy for the Summers. How cool is that? Italy is so pretty. It's definitely in my list of places to visit. I'd specially love to visit those little road site cafe's, they look so adorable :') Come to think of it, I'd love to visit road side cafe's anywhere, especially Europe. I have this strange fascination with Europe. I want to visit Dijon so badlyyy. I want to try their mustard and ohh. It is sad :(
Also, I'm treating this five day break like the summer vacations. I need to remind myself that I have a Bio Practical on Tuesday. Yikes indeed. I like microscopy, it's just the stage micrometer/microscope scale thingy that confuses me. But I don't suppose you care. It's sad really, we spent so much time on microscopy, and all we learnt is that our teacher looks like the One Pound Fish Man. Haha. True story.

Anyway, in the spirit of Italy, I decided to spurge my feelings of wanderlust on pizza. And so I made pizza. A very beautiful un-Italian Pizza, which was no where near thin crust, but that's okay cause it was delicious. Looky.



Before =p


 Nonetheless, we had to stop and take pictures. I mean for us (my sister and I) not taking pictures is a crime. And I am very excited to announce that MY NEW CAMERA ARRIVES SOON!! Oh I can't wait to take loads of amazing pictures with that baby. Anyway. The picture above is how it looked right before going into the oven (obviously =p) The one below, is right after it came out. You have no idea how hard it was to get my sister to let me take a few pictures before we ate. She can be very stubborn when it comes to food.
Afterrr.

Ah well. Here it is. Not Italian in the least. But who cares. Food is food. And good food is all the more welcome. No need to say it was amazing. It really was. 
I've been browsing this really cool food blog called Joy The Baker. (I'm not providing links, because I want all the attention to myself, hahaha. Yes I'm being mean. Get over it.) So I realized how humble my photo's were in comparison to theirs. Although, in my defence, I do not have my aforementioned awesome camera yet. So yes. Mine are okay too, considering their humble origin. Origin is not the appropriate word, but whatever.
Also, humble origin reminds me. We gave away our former awesome camera (it was no DSLR but you would be surprised by it's resolution) and in exchange we got a not so awesome camera. That makes US insanely awesome. Hahaha. We were actually making way for our awesome new camera, but it got delayed for some reason.
But I was supposed to be talking about Italy. Not the tragic love story of my cameras and I.

So. Well. Italy is beautiful. There's this really amazing page on Facebook, Amazing Things In The World. It really is a page to like. AMAZING photo's. The world is so beautiful. And there are so many amazing creatures and places that we don't even know about.
Lifetime Goal: Travel the world.
This goal however, seems a little unrealistic, seeing as how I haven't even been able to fulfill my heart's desires and explore inner Lahore. Lahore is such a magical place. SO MUCH HISTORY. SO many shrines and mosques and time-old shops. One day, IA, I will explore Lahore. I hope I manage to do so before I move to Islamabad. I want to hear Pappu Sayeen and Goonga Sayeen play at the Tomb of Shah Jamal in Ichra. I wonder if anyone will take me. But most probably, my gender will get in the way because 'such places are not appropriate for young ladies'. Or a lady of anyage group for that matter. But I've been to everyyy shrine in Multan, The City Of Saints. I do believe I should be able to go see these two as well. They are sufi dholl players. Spiritual Drummers. Hahaha okay, maybe not drummers, but people who play the traditional Eastern Dholl. 

Seeing as how I've said so much about Italy (I haven't said anything about Italy at all), I shall ask YOU, non-existent readers. If you could be whisked away to one place, right now, where would you go?


Who wouldn't wanna visit this?!



Ahh so pretty I die :')
Enjoy xxx
K.
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