About FeastforFamine

Food, Recipes

Hi there and welcome to FeastforFamine!

cropped-img_20181009_082554_230.jpgAre you bored with going home to another bowl of pasta, sandwich or reheated lasagna? Going out for a pizza, burger or a steak? If you fancy trying some of the other wonderful stuff going on out there in the world, welcome to my blog, FeastforFamine.

Come on in and join me on my journey around the world, creating food inspired by countries from  Zimbabwe to Peru!

 

FeastForFamine has four main goals, specifically to…

  • Promote flavours and ideas from corners of the world less well-travelled or promoted.
  • Put my own interpretation on some of those and share my ideas with you.
  • Draw attention to some of the issues currently going on in those countries, many of which are suffering greatly from war and/or famine.
  • Through my links with Save the Children, to raise some funds to support children suffering throughout those countries and the wider world.

The emphasis is on inexpensive, wholesome, widely available ingredients which we don’t always think of pairing. Exotic cooking need not cost the earth, but sometimes takes only a slightly more adventurous approach to give our taste buds something new to look forward to.

Sadly, closer to home, several hundred thousand people in the UK now regularly rely on foodbanks. So, I have deliberately chosen a charity whose scope includes the UK, and hope that the ethos behind my ideas and recipes will make most of them accessible to as many people as possible.

Every Monday throughout 2019 I will be posting a new recipe. if you try, and enjoy any of my recipes and you feel inspired to make a donation (of any amount) please feel free to click the link to the donations page. And if not, that’s fine too – I only hope that you enjoy the recipe! Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback, or suggestions for enhancing any of the recipes. The whole idea of this blog is promote experimentation, exchange of ideas and learning from experience!

Scroll down and be inspired x

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Inspired by Yemen – Scrambled Eggs with Green Beans and Hot Spiced Yogurt, Served with Clove and Cardamon Black Tea

Breakfast, Brunch, Cheap, Comforting, Easy, Food, Lunch, Quick, Recipes, Spicy

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Serves two for brunch or lunch, for more servings just adjust ingredients accordingly.

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins

Ingredients for the Eggs: 4 eggs, 4 tbsps. of natural or Greek yogurt, handful of cooked green beans, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 2 tsp. of olive oil, 1/2 tsp. dried chilli, 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds, your choice of bread for toasting.

Ingredients for the Tea: 1 black tea bag, any you like, English Breakfast, Assam or even good old PG tips will do! 4 cloves and 2 cardamon pods.

Method

  1. First make your tea, make your tea as you normally would in a teapot, add to this the cloves and cardamon pods, leave to brew while you make the egg recipe
  2. Make your yogurt, start off with 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan, in a pestle and mortar combine your dried spices and then add to the oil, when you hear this starting to sizzle add your yogurt and lemon juice, season well, warm through then turn the heat off
  3. Toast your bread!
  4. Scrambled your eggs anyway you like but I like mine simply done, heating 1 tsp of olive oil, whisking your eggs with a fork then adding to the pan to cook through, stirring until your eggs are the desired consistency
  5. Add in your cooked green beans
  6. Transfer to plates, pour your yogurt sauce over and serve with or without your toasted bread and tea, enjoy.

Yemen is currently facing one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time. Continued conflict since 2015 has been devastating to the people of Yemen, families face everyday without food, water and fuel and it is estimate that 20 million people are at risk from the worst famine in over 100 years. Save The Children are working urgently to help those children still caught in this devastating war.

Here’s how you can help, support Save The Childrens’ campaign Pens for Peace in Yemen, which is asking the UK Government to bring peace to Yemen’s children. For more details please visit the link: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/middle-east/yemen

If you would like to make a monetary donation please visit the link: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/feastforfamine

Thanks x

Happy Valentines…

Baking, chocolate, Dessert, Easy, Gluten Free, Recipes, Sweets, Valentines, Vegan

Valentines is all about love right? Wrong it’s all about chocolate! So why not try one of my chocolate recipes tonight? You can choose from my Super Easy Gluten Free Nutella Cookies or the Inspired by Mozambique, Sweet Potato, Cashew, Chocolate Mousse, which ever you choose have a great chocolate filled day!

And have a heart and donate  to Save The Children via my just giving page at the same time!

Just Giving

Big Love

x

Inspired by Mozambique

chocolate, Dessert, Easy, Food, Gluten Free, Recipes, Sweets, Valentines, Vegan

This is a heavenly, chocolaty, gluten free vegan dessert – perfect for Valentines!

You will have to trust your taste buds with how sweet to make it though, as I love the bitterness and richness of chocolate, so if you feel like adding more syrup…go for it!

I know that cacao powder and agave syrup can seem a bit expensive, but it is sooooo versatile and lasts for ages, but you can substitute for honey and dark chocolate powder.

Serves 2- 4 depending on how much chocolate you can handle!

Ingredients: 300g sweet potato, 50g of unsalted cashew nuts, 50g cacao powder or dark chocolate powder, at least 4 tbsp. of agave syrup, (can use honey) depending on how sweet your tooth is! 6 tbsp. cold water, 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract

Method

  1. Peel and chop your sweet potato and place in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 10 – 15mins until soft, allow to cool
  2. In a food processor, blend your cashew nuts, holding back two for decoration
  3. Now add the rest of your ingredients including the cooled sweet potato and blend to a mousse like consistency, taste and add more syrup/honey to suit your taste buds, you can also add a pinch of salt
  4. Once at the desired sweetness and texture transfer to a dish or individual containers and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving
  5. Crush the remaining cashews and sprinkle on top
  6. Now grab yourself a spoon and dig in!

In Mozambique children are living in poverty, have poor cognitive and emotional development and of those already lucky enough to attend first grade, fewer than 50% of children will make it to fifth grade. The fight against HIV and helping those who are HIV positive continues and Save The Children are working with communities across Mozambique to help those in need to access drugs, food and care. Save The Children have also developed a model of care for newborns that has played a big part in the Ministry of Healths strategy for newborns in Mozambique.

To find out more about what Save The Children are doing to help, please visit the link: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/africa/Nigeria

If you would like to make a donation please visit the link: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/feastforfamine

Thanks x

Inspired by Zimbabwe: Tomato Chicken Stew with Peanut Butter Rice

Cheap Meat Cuts, Comforting, Easy, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Soups/Stews

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This is a really comforting dish!

Serves 4

Prep: 20mins

Cook: 1 hour 10mins

Ingredients: For the Tomato Chicken Stew; 8 chicken thighs, 3 large tomatoes, 1 large onion, handful of fresh or frozen green beans, handful of parsley, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp tomato puree

For the Peanut Butter Rice; 2 cups of cooked rice (basmati or long grain is good), 1 tbsp of crushed salted peanuts, 1 tsp of butter, 1 tsp dried chives

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200(fan), brown the chicken thighs in a pan on both sides, cut the tomato and onion into chunks, cut the garlic and add to an oven proof pan,
  2. Add 1 tsp of olive oil and start cooking the mixture on the hob for 5-10mins until it starts to break down, add the tomato puree stir and place the chicken thighs on top
  3. Place in the oven with a lid and cook in the oven for 40mins
  4. After 40 mins add the green beans and cook with the lid off for a further 10 – 15 mins
  5. While this is cooking start on the rice, heat 1 tsp of butter in a pan until it melts
  6. Add the crushed peanuts and let it start to sizzle a little before adding the cooked rice
  7. Stir over a medium heat until all combined and warmed through, add the chopped chives and you’re done! Serve all together with fresh parsley scattered over the chicken.
The prevalance of HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe, means that many children are left oprhaned, many are not able to go to school and those that are, are often unable to participate once there falling asleep due to malnutrition, to find out how Save the Children are working in Zimbabwe please click on the link:
https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/africa/Zimbabwe

And if you would like to make a donation to help, please visit:

https://justgiving.com/fundraising/feastforfamine

Thanks x

January Recipes Review: From the Ukraine to Indonesia…

Asian Flavours, Baking, Cheap Meat Cuts, Comforting, Food, Gluten Free, Main Course, Noodles, Pickles, Recipes, Snacks, Soups/Stews, Spicy, Starters, Sweets

Hi All!

So how am I doing with my Food from the World for the World?

In January, I took you too…the Ukraine with my Beetroot Soup with Shredded Chicken, Garlic Breadcrumbs and Dill infused Yogurt, https://wp.me/pahvtD-1S hoping to start the year off with something healthy and comforting.

Next stop…Bangladesh for my Carrot Bhajis with Raita, https://wp.me/pahvtD-1n (also included extra recipes for homemade Lime Pickle and Spicy Tomato Chutney), and even showed you another recipe to use up the chutney, the Spicy Oven Cooked Aubergines https://wp.me/pahvtD-3Q with my Bangladeshi Inspired Spicy Tomato Chutney!

From Bangladesh we made a visit to Nigeria for my Peanut Butter, Coconut and Banana Chip Crumbly Cookies, https://wp.me/pahvtD-21 which got me to thinking about other store cupboard favourites, and decided to experiment… the results of which were the Super Easy Gluten Free Nutella cookies https://wp.me/pahvtD-3Y which went down a treat in my household…

Last stop in January was my favourite, Inspired by Indonesia – Slow Cooked Beef Noodles, with Spinach, Fried Egg and Peanut Sambal, https://wp.me/pahvtD-3Z using cheap cuts of meat to create something that really wakes up your taste buds as well as providing a bit of heat on a cold January day.

So where will February take us? Come back on Monday to find out…and in the meantime I would love to have your feedback on the recipes created by Feastforfamine so far!

Thanks

Rosalyn x

Inspired by Indonesia: Slow Cooked Beef Noodles, with Spinach, Fried Egg and Peanut Sambal

Asian Flavours, Cheap Meat Cuts, Comforting, Food, Main Course, Noodles, Recipes, Spicy

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The flavours really wake up your taste buds and the combination of the slow cooked beef with the noodles is really comforting…try it!

Serves: 4

Prep: 20mins
Cook: 2h 10mins

Ingredients: 600g chuck steak, dried egg noodles (4 person portion), 400ml of coconut milk (I used low fat as it’s January, but full fat is fine!), 400ml of chicken stock, 2 large handfuls of spinach, 4 eggs, 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced, 2 small sliced red chillies, thumb sized piece of ginger peeled and finely sliced, juice of one lime, 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp of turmeric, oil for frying the eggs.

For the Peanut Sambal: 1 tbsp of natural or salted peanuts, 1 small red chilli with seeds, 1/2 thumb sized piece of ginger, 1 garlic clove, 3 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of olive oil, juice of 1/2 a lime, 1 tsp of brown sugar, small bunch of coriander.

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 150(fan)
  2. Cut your beef into chunks and add to an oven proof lidded dish
  3. Add to this 400ml of coconut milk, 400ml of chicken stock, garlic, chillies, ginger, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and turmeric
  4. Place into oven and cook for one hour
  5. In the meantime make your Peanut Sambal…
  6. In a pestle and mortar place all your dry ingredients and bring to almost a paste like consistency
  7. Now add the rice wine vinegar, olive oil and lime juice and leave to one side
  8. After the beef has been cooking for one hour, remove from the oven and using a wooden spoon press down on the beef to help break it down, give it all a stir and place back into the over for the last hour
  9. When the last hour is up, turn the oven off and cook your noodles using packet instructions, drain the noodles and add to your beef, giving them all a good stir, put the lid back on and leave in the oven while you fry your eggs
  10. Heat a little oil in a pan and cook your eggs to your liking
  11. Tear up your spinach add to your beef noodles and start to plate up
  12. Place your eggs on top of the noodles, drizzle over the peanut sambal and dig in!

Those living in Indonesia are in real danger from natural disasters, with around 40% of Indonesia being prone to earthquakes or tsunamis. As well as suffering the consequences of these events, sadly children living in Indonesia are also subject to malnutrition, exploitation including sex work and child labour. To find out what Save The Children are doing to try and make their lives better please visit:

https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/asia/indonesia

And if you would like to make a donation to help, please visit:

link:https://justgiving.com/fundraising/feastforfamine

Thanks x

Super Easy Gluten Free Nutella Cookies

Baking, Food, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets

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These are soooooo easy and delicious to boot! Lovely, lazy recipes to make with yourself or with children.

Recipe created after a friend ask if I could make my recent Peanut Butter Cookies using Nutella, what a good idea! https://feastforfamine.blog/2019/01/21/inspired-by-nigeria-peanut-butter-coconut-and-banana-chip-crumbly-cookies/

I have added some extra ingredients but you can add in what you like, raisins, different types of nuts and dried fruit, or just stick with the desiccated coconut to add texture… enjoy!

Makes 12

Prep: 5mins
Cook: 10mins

 Ingredients: 200g Nutella, 1 large egg, 20g of chopped hazelnuts, 30g dried banana chips, 40g desiccated coconut (unsweetened)

 Method:

  1. Preheat the oven 160 (fan), line a baking tray with parchment paper
  2. Mix all your dry ingredients into the Nutella
  3. Add your egg and mix really well
  4. Now using a teaspoon make 12 rounded shapes on your parchment paper, leaving some space in between each one as the mixture will spread
  5. Now bake for 10mins, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before transferring onto a plate to eat straight away or an airtight container…yum!

One of the main problems facing children in Nigeria is the availability of nutritious food in order to help them grow and develop. There is also a lack of immunisation, and general health care needed to support mothers, their new born babies and young children, to find out what Save The Children are doing to help, please visit the link:

https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/africa/Nigeria

If you would like to make a donation please visit the

link:https://justgiving.com/fundraising/feastforfamine

Thanks x