Urban Gourmet Burgers

I haven’t been to Westgate since it was rebuilt.
But after looking for a new place to try out in Westlands with a couple of friends urban gourmet burgers came up! It’s a great place to watch sports, or to hang out with family and friends.
Urban Gourmet offers many burgers including offerings with a Caribbean and Asian influence. I was really excited to find a place that offers veggie patties in their burgers!
The desserts are delicious with baked pies, fudge and soft serve ice cream, all of which were delicious.   

            

Super Moist Dark Chocolate Cake

Cake, cake, cake! Music to my ears! I tried a great recipe from AllRecipes for a super moist dark chocolate cake. The crumbs left after less than 3 hours by my family are evidence of how delish this was!
To make this I used:

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 175˚c. Grease and flour the baking pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.

Urban Eatery

Now that I’ve completely cut meat out of my diet I can really appreciate places that have proper vegetarian options and one of them is urban eatery! They have creative dishes like stuffed avocado shells, for avocado lovers like myself that sounds like a dream!
I wrote a blog post about the place in September when I went there for my birthday but after trying out their Enchiladas I had to post about them again.
Decor is brilliant, service is excellent and the food… Oh, the food is delicious! Take a look at some of my favourite pictures from there!

Vegetable Hot Pot

Happy New Year! I’m a little late on wishing you one but 5 days into the month isn’t too late right? I’ve been enjoying an amazing vegetable hot pot using a recipe I got from BBC. It’s easy, delicious, and who doesn’t like anything that goes in the oven?
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, finely chopped
4 carrots chopped
50g plain flour
750ml vegetable stock
3 sprigs thyme
900g potatoes cut into quarters
Salt and Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and, and once hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook the onions for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the carrots, plus another pinch of salt. Place a lid on and gently fry for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, sprinkle in the flour and stir around to coat the vegetables and soak up any cooking juices. Add the stock and thyme and stir to mix well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan of water and cook the sliced potato in boiling water for 1-2 minutes to soften slightly. Drain and then put them into cold water to cool them and make them easier to handle.

Grease the baking tin and pour the vegetable mix into a baking tin. Arrange the potato slices over the top of the vegetables, seasoning between layers with salt and pepper to taste and finishing with a neat layer of slices. Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place into the preheated oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the potatoes are golden-brown on top.

Heap that Salad and Sprinkle that Blackcurrant

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately so lots of fruits and vegetables have become my ultimate best friend! I posted a picture of this papaya and mango salad on social media and alot of people asked for the recipè. To make it I used:

1 cup papaya
1 cup mango
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup dried blackcurrant

Directions

To rehydrate the dried blackcurrant, place it in a pot and cover with water completely. Bring to a simmer under medium heat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the papaya and mango into small cubes or short thick strips and place in a bowl, add the lemon juice and mix.
After 5 minutes drain the water from the dried blackcurrant, allow them to cool for 10 minutes so they can plump up.

That’s it! You’re done! Enjoy!

The Arbor Place

I’m not sure just how many apologies I should start this post with. I’m incredibly sorry for not posting for this long, I started working and it’s essentially been long nights and early mornings (not that that’s an excuse).
I’m super excited to tell you about this beautiful Malaysian restaurant I discovered… The Arbor Place! Malaysia is such a big part of my life, any opportunity to reconnect with it is one I can never pass on. I went to The Arbor place with my best friend Monica. I had the Nasi Pattaya, fried rice in an egg pocket and Monica had the Chicken Curry with Rice . We loved both dishes.

Check out some of my favourite pictures!

White Chocolate Mousse

My addiction to chocolate is well documented here on the blog and on social media. In between snacking on some white chocolate I thought of making a mousse out of it. I found this recipé on the food network and it turned out great!
To make this I used:
7 ounces white chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
150g digestive biscuits, crushed
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
In a large glass bowl, place the chopped white chocolate and set aside.
Add the egg yolks and sugar to a small bowl and whisk until pale in color.
In a saucepan, over low heat, bring 1/4 cup of the cream to a simmer, and slowly add the cream into the yolk and sugar mixture to temper. Pour the creamy mixture back into pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of it.

Pour hot mix into a fine mesh sieve placed directly over bowl with the chopped chocolate. Stir until completely smooth.

In another bowl, whip remaining 1 cup of the cream to almost stiff peaks. Fold half the whipped cream into the white chocolate mix to lighten and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Spoon the white chocolate mousse into 4 serving cups, add the digestives’ and garnish with white chocolate blocks. and refrigerate until set,approximately 1 hour.

Birthday Dinner at Urban Eatery

What’s better than good food and good company? Nothing!
It was my birthday last Thursday, I usually don’t do much but when my younger sister (Stacy) mentioned dinner I bolted out the door😂! We went to urban eatery, a place I’ve been meaning to try for a while.
The food was glorious. I had the beef stroganoff with steamed rice which was simple, creamy and delicious! Stacy had the grilled chicken with mashed potatoes which she described as tasting homemade, uncomplicated and delightful.
Here are some of my favourite pictures.

2 minute mug cake

I admit it. I’ve succumbed to mug cakes ever since I discovered them. The ease of making them and just how delicious they are makes them wonderful!
To make this I used:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, milk, egg and vanilla.
Add the flour, sugar, and cocoa and whisk to combine. Pour batter into the mugs over the chocolate chips. Microwave for 2 minutes. Check to see if the cakes are well cooked inside using a toothpick (if it comes out clean it’s ready). If not, microwave for an additional 30 seconds.