Friday Cooking Extravaganza

Ok so when you have a full time job and a family to feed, you need to up your game re meal planning, shopping and preparation. This week I chose to cook on Friday, I usually cook when I have the strength, will power and groceries.


This week's menu:

• Pizza
• Pasta
• All Purpose Marinara Sauce (which I use for the above)
• Braised "Roast" Beef (veggies I will make later in the week)
• Chicken Curry (I used Jamie Oliver's recipe see below)
• Lemon Basmati Rice with Mustard seeds
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Roast Chicken Breasts for hubby's weekday salad

The coolest thing though was trying out a new all purpose dough recipe that I've seen a lot on other blogs: 

The 10 Minute Dough Recipe:

Adapted from Arabic Bites, who I looove!!! http://arabicbites.blogspot.com 

2 cups warm water.
2 Tablespoons yeast.
4 Tablespoons Sugar.
5 cups flour
1\2 cup oil.
2 teaspoons salt.


1)"for sponge" Mix the yeast, Sugar, and water, Mix in 2 cups flour. Cover the bowl and let rise for 10 minutes.

2) Place all ingredients +"sponge" in the bowl of mixer, beat 10 minutes to make soft dough.

the dough is now ready to be used for pizza,  fatayer, flat-breads etc...I even used it for cinnamon rolls. 

Feta Cheese Buns, great for lunch boxes and snacking

Better for you Cinnamon Rolls with Creame Cheese Icing

Jamie Oliver’s  Chicken Curry 

from Happy Days with the Naked Chef, 2002

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds 
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 
• 3 fresh green chillies, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 handful of curry leaves
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
• 3 onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 6 tomatoes, chopped (or one large can tomatoes)
• 1  14 oz can coconut milk
• salt
• 4 chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed

Heat the oil in a pan, and when hot add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to pop, then add the fenugreek seeds, fresh green chillies, curry leaves and ginger. Stir and fry for a few minutes. Using a food processor, chop the onions and add to the same pan. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the onion is light brown and soft, then add the chili powder and turmeric. Using the same food processor, pulse the tomatoes and add these to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add 1 or 2 wine glasses of water and the coconut milk. Simmer for about 5 minutes until it has the consistency of double cream, then season carefully with salt.

Stir-fry the chicken strips and coriander seeds until lightly colored, then add your sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with steamed basmati rice.