Lemon Iced Tea

March 10, 2015March 11, 2015 ~ Sophie ~ 9 Comments

I remember the first time I had iced tea, I was sold. I vowed to make it one day. That was way back in primary school. Somehow the taste of that lemon-mint flavored bottled iced tea stuck in my memory till this tea was made this last Sunday. Tasting it, I realized it was so close to that tea I had tasted over six years ago. Nothing can beat that feeling of recreating something. So I am here to share with you this relatively easy iced tea recipe.

What you’ll need:

3 Litres water

5 Teabags

2 ½ Lemons

Ice cubes/ crushed ice

Sugar

Method

In a large sauce pan, add the water and the teabags and bring to a boil. When the tea has boiled, remove from fire and let it cool completely. Squeeze the lemons and sieve the juice. Add the lemon juice and sugar in the cooled down tea and stir thoroughly till the sugar is fully dissolved. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Serve with lots of ice cubes and a lemon slice or wedge.

I know you are wondering why all that much tea but it goes in an instant, trust me. Especially now that the weather is scorching hot. The secret to making great iced tea is having a lot (A LOT) of ice cubes!I did not put any measurement for sugar since we all have different preferences when it comes to sweetness. For the record, almost a kilo went down while making this.

How did you celebrate the women in your life?

Have a great week

🙂

Sophie

Banana Pancakes

March 3, 2015March 2, 2015 ~ Sophie ~ 4 Comments

Who loves Pancakes? And by pancakes I mean Kabalagala? Better yet, have you ever tried making Kabalagala? I have many times all the way from my childhood… and I haven’t made the perfect Kabalagala. They are either hard, rubbery, floury or taste like baking powder. So naturally I would just buy from the experts who just have the magic touch. I have noticed that these perfect pancakes/Kabalagala are usually found on the streets. There is so much talent on the streets of this nation food-wise!

So due to my failure to make a perfect Kabalagala, I decided to do it the easier way. The western pancake, Ha! You know the one with milk and eggs. It was one random day where bananas were available and we just kept adding ingredient by ingredient. The ones that worked, we kept note and the ones that did not work, we still kept note. The first time it was a hit then the second time, it tasted even better. So are you ready to try this pancake with eggs?

What you will need

4 Medium bananas

2 eggs

½ Tsp. Ground ginger

6 Tbsp. Milk

2 Tbsp. Cassava flour

1 ½ Tbsp. Baking (wheat) flour

1 Tbsp. Sugar

Cooking oil

Method

In a bowl, mash the bananas with a glass. Crack the eggs in the bananas and using a fork, Whisk the eggs in the bananas. Next whisk in the ground ginger , sugar, cassava flour, and baking flour. Pour in the milk and whisk till evenly distributed. Set aside. On medium heat, add a tablespoon of cooking oil in a frying pan and let it cook for a few seconds. Depending on the size you want for the pancakes, Use a ladle to scoop the pancake mix and gently pour it in the frying pan and cook until some bubbles appear on the top and the underside is golden brown and crisp. Using a spatula, flip the pancake and let the other side cook for some minutes. Make sure it does not burn since it has milk. Remove from the frying pan and repeat the process till the pancake mixture is done. Garnish with sliced bananas or serve with Zesta red plum jam.

Women’s day is around the corner… and we are all geared up to celebrate in every possible way. By celebrate I mean making the women in our lives feel extra special (because they are special every day of every year!). While there are parties, concerts and banquets happening, you can make this banana pancake for the special woman/women in your life or you could choose to make any of these dishes for them.

What are you doing for women’s day?

🙂

Sophie

PS: . If you don’t have non stick pan, butter or margarine (blue band) will work best since it prevents the pancakes from sticking to the pan.

PPS: Also I’m still vigorously trying my hand at the Kabalagala. The day I make edible ones, you’ll know about it here!

Carrot Fried Eggs

February 24, 2015February 23, 2015 ~ Sophie ~ 8 Comments

I think eggs are the perfect breakfast food. Not everyday though. There is something so warming about waking up to the aroma of frying eggs. Somehow it makes the day look and feel promising. Don’t you feel the same way about breakfast eggs? Grated carrot and onion enhance the flavor, texture and character.

What you will need:

1 Large carrot

1 Medium sized purple onion

2 Eggs

2 Tbsp. Cooking oil

Salt

Method

Grate the carrot in a bowl and set aside. Thinly slice the onion and add in the bowl with carrot. Crack the eggs in the bowl. Add salt and then whisk till frothy. Heat oil in a frying pan and gently pour the egg in. Reduce heat and let the egg cook for five minutes. Flip it and let the other side cook for another five minutes on low heat. When the sides are crispy, remove from fire. Serve with a coleslaw salad or sliced avocado.