SHEA BUTTER & RICE FACE SCRUB

 

Saturday mornings are my favourite time to relax, pamper myself, think of what crazy concoction I can create to eat and above all enjoy the silence.

When I tell friends, I'm awake at 6am every Saturday to go through my routine, they suggest otherwise 😜(they don't know what their missing). 

 

Personally, I find an early rise an essential tool  for a creative mind, as it offers a conducive atmosphere for escapism and new ideas. I love the quietness of the  environment, (as people are catching up on their sleep), less interruption, the ocassional sounds of the birds chirping and the grey Squirrel who seems to like our garden as I leave nuts around. 

Today is no different to any other Saturday, as I started my day with creating a simple facial scrub for an even complexion. 

In my research, I found out that Rice and Milk have been used for centuries by Asians as a facial scrub for an even skin tone, wrinkle busting remedy and to enhance the natural skin brightness. 

Benefits 

The rice helps absorb excess oil (great for an oily skin), evens your skin tone by getting rid of blemishes, has anti ageing properties and its a great soother for sunburn, to mention but a few.

Milk is used in this recipe to hydrate dry the skin, lightens dark spots and remove dead skin cells (due to its lactic acid).

My daily moisturiser is an equal amount mixture of both Shea butter and Coconut oil, whisked into a mousse like texture. 

 

For the list of ingredients, you'll need

1 Tbsp of Unrefined Shea butter & Coconut oil mousse. 

2 tablespoonfuls of whole milk

1 tablespoon of Rice flour.

Method

Add the Rice flour and Milk to a bowl.

 

Add the Unrefined Shea butter and Coconut mousse. 

 

 Mix till you form a thick paste.

 

Wash your face with warm water and then apply the mixture. 

 

Leave for about 5-10 minutes and wash it off with cold water. 

Make your own daily moisturiser 

Unrefined Shea butter & Coconut oil Mousse

I prefer to use unrefined Shea butter as it's in its pure form and you can cook with it. My philosophy is, if I can eat it I can use it for my skin. 

Ingredients 

250g of Coconut oil 

250g of Unrefined Shea butter

 

Method 

Melt the Coconut oil and Shea butter together.

 Using an electric whisk, mix everything together till you have a fluffy mousse like consistency. 

Preserve in a treated glass container with a sealed lid and use daily. 

This will last for a year, however I finish mine within 2 months. 

How to treat your Glass container 

(Treating your glass ensures you kill off any luring bacteria).

Boil water in a kettle. 

Place your container in a bowl and pour the hot water over it. 

Let it sit for a minute, remove the container (ensuring you don't burn yourself) and wipe with a clean Kitchen towel.

Moisturise your face

Clean your face with a clean face towel and apply a mixture of Coconut oil & Shea butter to your face. 

Enjoy your pampering session with a lovely cup of tea.

Try the Turmeric & Black peppercorn tea recipe.

Find the Shea butter body scrub recipe by clicking the link below,

http://ndudu-by-fafa.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/homemade-shea-body-butter-scrub.html?m=1

All photos and recipe are by the owner of this blog. 

BEETROOT LASSI

This is an energy boosting drink packed with anti oxidants and weight managing properties. Beetroot lowers blood pressure, boost your energy levels, its rich in Vitamin A, C, Iron and Folate. The best part of Beetroot is, it helps the liver through its process of detoxification and helps prevent constipation.

 

The benefits of Yoghurt includes, but to mention a few, aids a flatter tummy , weight management due to its high protein content, Calcium, Vitamin D , B-2, B-12, Potassium and the live cultures aids digestion, especially if you're an IBS sufferer like myself. Please avoid Yoghurt if you're lactose intolerant.

 

I remember serving the crew whilst we were filming 'Ndudu by Fafa' Season 2 , Beetroot juice (particularly when they were tired) and the unison gasp of feeling energetic almost instantly , was evident.

I think waking up very early on Saturdays to detoxify your body, cleanse your skin and replenish your body with nutritious dishes, makes a rather busy working week worthwhile. 

Try this recipe before heading to the gym (as I'll be doing this morning)and feel the difference in your energy levels.

 

Ingredients 

250 ml of Beetroot juice

200g of natural Yoghurt 

A pinch of Cardamom powder (optional)

You can use 1 teaspoon of grated Ginger instead.

Method 

Place the Beetroot juice, Yoghurt and your preferred spice into a blender. 

Blend everything into a smooth  consistency. Transfer into a glass and refrigerate for at least an hour for a cold drink.

 

Personally I love it served at room temperature, hence I drink it immediately.

 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

WARM TOMATO & MOZZARELLA SOUP

Tomato soup is my favourite Winter and Summer go to dish. It's frightfully easy to make and better than a shop bought one. I serve it warm in Winter and chilled in Summer. 

I'm big on enhancing the natural flavours of the ingredients I use and ultimately buying the best ingredient is a must for this dish.

I've used some specific Tomatoes in this recipe (San Marzano Plum Tomatoes) as in my opinion they're the best tasting ones. You can use any Tomatoes you prefer or have access to and the Tomberries can be omitted in this recipe. 

I prefer using Plum tomatoes as they have less water content and I find they're sweeter particularly when sun ripened. 

This also works as a perfect starter for your guest if you decide to throw a dinner party and it's fuss free. Most of the ingredients are available in most grocers or Supermarket.

 

Ingredients 

400g of San Marzano Plum tomatoes 

100g of Tomberries

200g of cubed Buffalo Mozzarella 

1 finely diced Banana shallots

1 litre vegetable stock or Chicken stock

1 clove of Garlic

10g of Greek Basil

1 tablespoonful of Olive oil

1 teaspoon of butter 

Method 

Add the Olive oil and butter to a saucepan and place on a low heat.

Add the diced Onions and fry gently for 5 minutes.

Add the Garlic and fry for a further minute on a low heat. (This will allow the flavours of the Garlic and Onions to infuse perfectly into the oil).

Add the chopped Tomatoes (on a medium heat) and fry for 30 seconds.

Add your preferred stock and cook for 10 minutes.

Using a frying pan, dry roast the Tomberries for a smoky taste and set aside. 

Transfer everything into a blender and blend into a silky smooth consistency. (All necessary precautions should be taken when dealing with hot food). 

Transfer the blended soup into the saucepan (on a low heat this time).

Add the Mozarella pieces which will begin to melt after a minute. 

Turn the heat off and serve immediately. Sprinkle with the roasted Tomberries and Greek basil. 

 

Serve with any crusty bread or preferably a slice of toasted Sour dough bread with a Garlic and coriander dressing. 

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube page, 'Ndudu by Fafa', like this Zaartar  flat bread recipe. 

Don't forget to subscribe and share. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

SUYA BEEF FRIED RICE

As I opened my fridge, I saw my leftover rice and Beef Suya and decided on making fried rice for my packed lunch. 

Realistically, I could've made a simple egg fried rice but I craved for the Beef Suya I had the night before. 

The Suya gives the dish a spicy and nutty flavour which is perfect to enjoy in this cold weather.

If you're lucky enough to have a charcoal grill use it to cook your meat for a smoky flavour. 

Enjoy this easy to follow recipe and share your pictures.

Ingredients 

300g of cooked Jasmine Rice 

40g of Suya spice mix

2 tablespoonfuls of Coconut oil / Olive oil

30g of Spring onions 

20g of chopped Coriander 

600g of Rump steak

10g of chopped Oregano (optional)

1 tablespoonful of Chipotle chillies 

2 sliced Green Peppers

2 large finely sliced Onions

Salt to taste

 Method 
Learn how to make your own Suya by watching the video below;

Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Mix the Suya spice with Chipotle chillies (readily available in most supermarkets) and warm it up in a frying pan, as shown below. 

Warming your Suya spice mix releases the oil and flavours. 

 

Using a meat tenderiser (available online) beat the meat to break down its fibres (this makes the meat tender when cooked).

 If you don't have a meat tenderiser use a rolling pin instead. Your meat should look flattened after been tenderised.

 If you're using a tough cut of meat, this process of tenderising ensures you have a soft and tender meat. 

 

Place your sliced Onions and Green Peppers in a baking tray.

Sprinkle your meat with Suya spice mix and rub it on both sides. 

Sit the meat on top of the Onion and Green Pepper slices (as shown above). 

Place your Suya spiced meat in the fridge to marinade for at least an hour. This allows the meat to absorb the flavours of the Suya spice. 

When you're ready to cook your meat, take the meat from the fridge and bring it to room temperature for about 15 minutes. 

Pre heat your grill to 200*c.

Drizzle the meat with 1 tablespoonful of Coconut oil or Olive oil and Oregano (optional).

Place your meat under the grill and cook for 6 minutes.

Take the meat out of the grill and leave it to rest. 

In a Wok or frying pan add the remaining Coconut oil and place on a medium heat.

Add the rice and fry for 4 minutes, ensuring you consistently stir it. 

Add the juices from the meat, mix and fry for another minute.

Slice the meat into sizeable chunks and add it to the rice. Fry the rice for a further 2 minutes and add the grilled Onions and Green peppers. 

Mix everything together, sprinkle the chopped Spring Onions and fresh Coriander over the rice. 

Serve immediately and enjoy with a Pineapple and Ginger smoothie. The perfect remedy for this cold weather. I managed to capture the Suya fried rice on my frozen glass table, as shown below. 

 

Try the recipe and l love to read your feedback, hence don't forget to leave a comment and also share the recipe. 

Find more inspiring recipes on my Youtube channel 'Ndudu by Fafa', like this Waakye recipes. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

SHEA BUTTER & RICE FACE SCRUB

 

Saturday mornings are my favourite time to relax, pamper myself, think of what crazy concoction I can create to eat and above all enjoy the silence.

When I tell friends, I'm awake at 6am every Saturday to go through my routine, they suggest otherwise 😜(they don't know what their missing). 

 

Personally, I find an early rise an essential tool  for a creative mind, as it offers a conducive atmosphere for escapism and new ideas. I love the quietness of the  environment, (as people are catching up on their sleep), less interruption, the ocassional sounds of the birds chirping and the grey Squirrel who seems to like our garden as I leave nuts around. 

Today is no different to any other Saturday, as I started my day with creating a simple facial scrub for an even complexion. 

In my research, I found out that Rice and Milk have been used for centuries by Asians as a facial scrub for an even skin tone, wrinkle busting remedy and to enhance the natural skin brightness. 

Benefits 

The rice helps absorb excess oil (great for an oily skin), evens your skin tone by getting rid of blemishes, has anti ageing properties and its a great soother for sunburn, to mention but a few.

Milk is used in this recipe to hydrate dry the skin, lightens dark spots and remove dead skin cells (due to its lactic acid).

My daily moisturiser is an equal amount mixture of both Shea butter and Coconut oil, whisked into a mousse like texture. 

 

For the list of ingredients, you'll need

1 Tbsp of Unrefined Shea butter & Coconut oil mousse. 

2 tablespoonfuls of whole milk

1 tablespoon of Rice flour.

Method

Add the Rice flour and Milk to a bowl.

 

Add the Unrefined Shea butter and Coconut mousse. 

 

 Mix till you form a thick paste.

 

Wash your face with warm water and then apply the mixture. 

 

Leave for about 5-10 minutes and wash it off with cold water. 

Make your own daily moisturiser 

Unrefined Shea butter & Coconut oil Mousse

I prefer to use unrefined Shea butter as it's in its pure form and you can cook with it. My philosophy is, if I can eat it I can use it for my skin. 

Ingredients 

250g of Coconut oil 

250g of Unrefined Shea butter

 

Method 

Melt the Coconut oil and Shea butter together.

 Using an electric whisk, mix everything together till you have a fluffy mousse like consistency. 

Preserve in a treated glass container with a sealed lid and use daily. 

This will last for a year, however I finish mine within 2 months. 

How to treat your Glass container 

(Treating your glass ensures you kill off any luring bacteria).

Boil water in a kettle. 

Place your container in a bowl and pour the hot water over it. 

Let it sit for a minute, remove the container (ensuring you don't burn yourself) and wipe with a clean Kitchen towel.

Moisturise your face

Clean your face with a clean face towel and apply a mixture of Coconut oil & Shea butter to your face. 

Enjoy your pampering session with a lovely cup of tea.

Try the Turmeric & Black peppercorn tea recipe.

Find the Shea butter body scrub recipe by clicking the link below,

http://ndudu-by-fafa.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/homemade-shea-body-butter-scrub.html?m=1

All photos and recipe are by the owner of this blog. 

THE PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Sunday roast is a popular ritual in most homes in the UK, which might include either a Roast Lamb, Beef, Chicken and Potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, steamed vegetables and gravy. This recipe is a fool proof way of achieving the perfectly moist Chicken each time. In my experience of cooking and my upbringing of enjoying organically reared Chicken, I recommend you buy either a Corn fed , free range Chicken or better still an Organic Chicken. It makes a big difference to the taste and texture of the dish. Enjoy the video on my YouTube channel, Ndudu by Fafa, and the transcript below. Don't forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave comments and share. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1.6kg of corn fed and free range Chicken or an Organic chicken. 

30g of finely chopped fresh Thyme

4 cloves of peeled and thinly sliced Garlic

1 tsp of Ancho Chillies. 

20 ml of Olive oil

500ml of Chicken stock

1 Jalapenos chilli

2 large Onions

20g of grated Ginger

10g of Greek basil or Basil (Optional)

Juice of 1 Lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Place the sliced onions  (huddled together as a base for the Chicken) in a roasting tray and place the Chicken on top of the Onions.

Marinade

Add 15g of grated Ginger , half the chopped Thyme, Lemon juice , Ancho chillies, Olive oil and salt to a bowl . Mix everything together and set aside. 

Stuffing the Chicken

Insert the Garlic slices, the remaining Thyme, Ginger, Basil and Jalapenos chilli

into the cavity of the Chicken. 

Pour the marinade over the Chicken and rub it all over the Chicken until its completely covered. 

Cover the Chicken with a cling film and refrigerate it for a minimum of an hour. 

To cook

Preheat your oven to 200*c

Remove the Chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature , which can take up to 20 minutes. 

Remove the cling film and discard. Add the Chicken stock and cover the Chicken with foil ensuring every opening is sealed. Place the Chicken in the middle of your oven and bake for an hour and 20 minutes. 

Tip 

Check the Chicken after 45 minutes and scoop some of the juices over the Chicken. 

Remove the Chicken from the oven after an hour and 20 minutes and leave it to rest for about 5-7 minutes. 

Carve your Chicken and enjoy with roast Potatoes, Salad, Vegetables, Jollof rice etc. 

Watch how to cook the perfect Jollof rice to accompany your Chicken. 

The perfect party Jollof Rice

All photos, Videos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.

SPINACH YAM POTTAGE

This recipe was inspired by a traditional Ghanaian dish called 'Importormportor', (spelt phonetically 😂) meaning 'mushy consistency ', which is also synonymous with  Nigerians as 'Yam Pottage'. 

The dish traditionally includes either Yam or Cocoyam cooked into a somewhat mushy consistency and flavoured with spiced Palm oil or Zomi. The dish can be made with either Fish, Meat or Seafood. Recipe coming soon with a Ndudu twist version. 

I made this dish by accident yesterday and it went down a treat. The amount of chilli can be reduced to your preference and you can use Potatoes instead of Yam. However the sweet moorish taste of Yam lends itself perfectly with this dish. Yam is readily available in most supermarkets and grocers. Read more ...

 

Ingredients 

250g of peeled and diced Yam

300g of Spinach

10g of peeled Ginger

Half a habanero chilli 

1 large diced onion

1 teaspoon of Coconut oil

200ml of Vegetable stock (for a Vegetarian version) , Chicken or Fish stock 

 

Method 

Wash your Spinach and place in a bowl.

Add the chilli to to the Spinach

Boil 1 litre of water in a kettle 

Pour the hot water over the Spinach and chilli and stir for 30 seconds 

Using a colander drain the hot water off the Spinach and run it under cold water for 1 minute. (This stops the Spinach from cooking further and allows it to retain its green colour)

Transfer the Spinach, chilli, Ginger , 200ml of your preferred stock and Onion into a blender. Blend into a silky smooth consistency and set aside. 

Place your diced Yam into a saucepan and cover with water (about 2cm above).

Boil the Yam for 10-12 minutes or until soft and drain the water using a colander. 

Melt the Coconut oil in the saucepan and the diced Yam. 

Add the blended Spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

 

 

Serve with your preferred protein as I did with minced Lamb burger. Recipe coming up next