My inspiration for cooking

'Hmm! Antoinette your mum is an amazing cook', said a family friend with a smile.  Everyone at dinner in unison agreed with a nod or muffled noise of hmm..

Having to wake up early on Saturdays to get fresh ingredients from the market, I watched with intrigue, my mum interacting with stall holders, negotiating deals, touching and smelling each ingredient. Sometimes a visit to the market could take almost 6 hrs, due to mums negotiations and also wanting the very best of ingredients.

I watched mum handpick quality ingredients, mix spices to create amazing seasoning and marinating with mixed herbs to create amazing flavours.
My passion for cooking was heightened and I began creating flavours. Before long I was cooking for a minimum of  8 people each night for dinner. I enjoy watching people love what I have created. My favourite Uncle will visit everyday for his share of dinner. I always made sure I had some reserved for him. Good food does bring people together and it does ignite all their senses.

I love sourcing good quality ingredients, exploring new ingredients, creating flavours, infusions and sharing my passion, thanks to my mum, my inspiration.

Learn to cook with passion, create flavours by mixing spices or herbs, turn everyday ingredients into show stopping meals with lip-smacking flavours. For all enquiries please  email contactus@ndudu.co.uk

Caramel Cashew Nuts

"KUBEY CAKE".. Handmade caramel Coconut and Ginger bites.
Paying homage to a Ghanaian sweet

Spicy black eyed beans and avocado salad.

Yam with spinach, mackerel and melon seed sauce

Pan fried cod  in thyme served with Jasmine rice, ginger and chilli hoisin sauce

My beautiful mum Paula and I.

Healthy Meals

I am enjoying loosing weight by changing my eating habits completely, combined with exercises. I am learning and researching about the nutrients in food I eat. My research allows me to make informed choices in creating healthy recipes.

 I have 2 stones to loose to hit my target weight.

I will update my blog with what i eat and my exercise regime. 

Recipes will be updated on a weekly basis.

Butter bean and chickpea stew with baked chicken

Beans are rich in vitamin B6, folate, fiber, protein, thiamine, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and pottasium. They are also a good source for Vitamin K, pathogenic acid, calcium, selenium and antioxidants). 

There are different varieties of beans and many contain toxic compounds such as phytohemagglutinins, with kidney beans having the highest.

To destroy the toxins soak beans for five hours and always bring to the boil of 100*c exceeding the boiling point for at least 10 minutes.

Tuna, red onion and yoghurt mix with baked sweet potato

Sweet Potato is rich in beta-carotene, vitamins A, B6 & C, fiber, niacin,riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, magnesium, potassium, copper, protein, calcium and iron.

Tuna is high in protein,vitamins, minerals and omega 3 fatty acid,low in fat

Onions are high in antioxidant flavonoids and phenols, good source of vitamin B6 &C, potassium and manganese

Pan fried chicken breast on a bed of spiced okra (ladies fingers)

~~Okra is high in Vitamins C, K, A and B6, folate, fiber, niacin, riboflavin, manganese, calcium, copper, potassium and anti oxidants.

Pan fried crispy skin red snapper with brown crab sauce and parsley and chilli pesto

Sesame encrusted tuna with cucumber and spring onion salad

Tuna mixed with red onions on a bed of green salad and plum tomatoes

A perfect meal for brunch, lunch and dinner

Mango and Raspberry Sorbet

Mango Sorbet

3 very ripened mangoes
1 small lemon juice

Optional 
1 tea-spoonfull of honey

Please note:

Sourcing good quality mangoes will mean you do not need to add sugar and honey. Just Mangoes and lime juice.

Method

Roughly chop the mango flesh and place into a food processor with the icing sugar and lemon juice. Blend to a purée.

Transfer the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn to freeze, according to manufacturer's
instruction

Once frozen, remove and place into a container. Cover and store in the freezer until ready to serve. It will keep for a couple of months.






Raspberry Sorbet

Ingredients

250g raspberries
100g icing sugar

Method
Blend the raspberries until smooth
Sieve the fruit
Stir in the icing sugar
Pour into an ice cream maker or make granita instead

Okra ( Ladies fingers) cooked the African way

Saute onions and chilli for 2 min on a medium heat

Add the chopped Okra , a tbsp of freshly ground ginger, garlic and star anise and
half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Add half a pint of water and cook for a further 5 minutes

In a separate pan fry onions and 4 tablespoon full of blended
tomato and a teaspoon full of the ginger mix. Reduce to a double cream consistency
At this stage add your smoked mackerel and stir for a further 2 minutes.
 Coating the mackerel in the sauce.
Then pour the okra mix into the sauce
Add the prawns

Rinse the spinach and add to the soup. At this stage take the soup off the
fire and leave to cool for 3 minutes covered before you serve.

Enjoy!!!!!

Pan fried fillet of steak with grilled asparagus

Ingredients

Fillet of beef 400g each

A bunch of asparagus

1mixed bag of salad (watercress, spinach and rocket)

1 chopped red onion

2 tablespoon full of olive oil

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

Salt

Black pepper

Method

Remove your steak from the fridge and allow to rest to room temperature for about an hour. 

Pour 1 teaspoonful of sunflower oil in a non stick frying pan

In the very hot frying pan, fry the steak turning every 10 seconds to create a sealed crust, continue this process for 2 -3 min. Leave the meat to rest for about 5 minute. 

Discard the fat from the frying pan but do not clean the pan, lower the heat then add the asparagus and red onions. Cook for about 4 minutes

For the dressing mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper together. 

Enjoy!!