"The" Funky Mummy in our kitchen!

What a treat hanging out with Funky Mummy extraordinaire this evening! Way past our babies' bedtimes, but labors of love don't sleep! :) Not just yet anyway!
Here's what Ciiru Waweru-Waithaka of Funkidz Funky Mummy posted:

"Good evening super people!! Congratulations again to the 10 Lucky ladies who won the Free meals every day for 5 days courtesy of Chase Bank/ Chase Woman, Funkidz Funky Mummy, and Mama Z's. I am currently sat in Mama Z's kitchen and watching start her preperations for the different selected meals!! What a treat!!:-)..A whole week of Nyummy healthy food!!

Thank you Rehmat Roma Sumra for your donation of your winning to a needy cause!! We have decided to donate your food equivalent of Kshs. 3,250.00 to www.angelcentre.org, www.facebook.com/Angelcentre . It is a centre for abandoned children and Funkidz/Funky Mummy will match the amount too!!:-).. We will match the Kshs. 3,250.00 per day for the 5 days!!... Kindly join us in donation if you would like, any amount and we will put it all together and make the donation on Saturday. Kindly MPESA us on 0721240634. We shall make a donation of food stuffs, feel free to donate other items if you would like to these needy babies. Kindly let us know we can collect or you can drop items off at our offices located at museum hill centre."

Please log onto www.angelcentre.org to contribute, or send Mpesa to the above number for a group contribution.

Pssssst! Don't forget to place your orders for this week! :)

Mama Z's all week! :)

I hope all the lovely ladies had a wonderful Mother's Day! And if you're not a mummy, I hope you used this as an excuse to pamper yourself anyway! :) Guys... not forgetting about you; and hoping you paid special attention to your mum, sister, girlfriend, wife, best friend...!

Since Chase Bank and Funkidz have been extremely supportive to Mama Z's this week; we are open for lunch delivery from tomorrow (Tuesday May 15th to Friday May 18th, and Monday May 21st! (Normal lunch resumes Tuesday and Thursday schedule next week)

Check out our lunch specials, with a special "Every day is Mother's day" discount! The first two people to call/text/FB/email/Tweet their orders for lunch tomorrow get FREE DELIVERY! Yay! Talk about a "Tasty Tuesday!"

Tamu Tuesday!

Lamb biriyani (450.00)
Cajun style tilapia with rosemary pilaf or herb potatoes (600.00)
Vegetable biryani (450.00)
*Served with your choice of coleslaw or cucumber-tomato riata

Wicked Wednesday!

Oven baked meatballs with penne pasta (450.00)
Fish curry served with steamed long grain rice (600.00)
Vegetable curry with steamed long grain rice (450.00)
*Served with your choice of roasted Italian vegetables or sautéed cauliflower and broccoli

Tasty Thursday

Chicken Biriyani (450.00)
Chicken curry with Caribbean rice and peas (600.00)
Vegetable curry with Caribbean rice and peas (450.00)
*Served with your choice of red and white cabbage salad with spicy mayonnaise or Sautéed sukuma-wiki and spinach

Fab Foodie Friday

Slow cooked beef stew with “the” loaded mashed potatoes or steamed long grain rice (450.00)
Pan-seared tilapia with vegetable stir fried rice and Mama Z’s signature sauce (600.00)
Swahili coconut beans with steamed long grain rice (450.00)
*Served with your choice of sautéed sukuma wiki or salsa Verde


aMazing Monday!

Stir-fried ginger chicken with spaghetti (450.00)
Pan-seared red snapper with rosemary pilaf and Mama Z’s signature sauce (600.00)
Vegetable stir fry with spaghetti (450.00)
*Served with your choice of Sautéed sukuma-wiki and spinach or tomato-cucumber salad with sweet oranges

Check out our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/MamaZsfood
on Twitter @mamazawadis

"Seize the moment! Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart?" :)

Not just a Woman... a Funky Woman! May the Month of aMazing Women!

As a woman, we know you have many roles; daughter, friend, sister, aunt, grandmother, wife & friend. These roles call for sacrifice & time, which is why Chase Bank and Funkidz Funky Mummy want to spoil you!!!

Chase Bank will soon be launching Chase Woman, a banking product that offers holistic services for women by women. Chase Bank has partnered with Funkidz Funky Mummy, to bring 10 lucky women a healthy yummy lunch meal delivered to your home/ office every day for 5 days!!:-). Made by??..you guessed right, a woman, Mama Z's

Here's to banking for women but most of all here's to sharing a moment to tell you how special you are.. Happy Mothers day.. Happy women day.. Everyday!!!!:-)

If we googled you, what would we find out about you that makes you a funky woman? ( does not have to be true, can be as imaginative/ funny as you like :-)). The first 10 women with the most likes on their post on Funkidz page, are the lucky winners!! Voting closes in 24 hours starting now. Open to women in nairobi only, out of town coming soon:-). Deliveries start Monday. Winners will be given a menu with nyummy choices to make..

So-yum... ! Tasty soy based options

As a lover of all things red meat, it was a little shocking to find out that it takes anywhere from 24-72 hours to digest red meat; depending on a variety of factors including one's metabolism, health, current medications, food accompaniments, etc. No wonder athletes' eat carb-heavy meals prior to any major game. The sheer energy that goes into digesting that succulent T-Bone steak must be pretty significant!

Having read up on this while weaning my daughter, I decided to minimize the amount of red meat in her diet, and focused on finding tasty protein alternatives. That is how I stumbled on soy(a) mince. Perhaps the first question that comes to mind for most, is "what is soya?". Soya comes from the seed of the soya plant. Each pod of the soya plant can contain 1 to 4 circular soya beans similar to peas but generally larger in size. Soya beans are one of the best sources of protein in the whole plant-kingdom.

To the touch, soya mince feels and looks almost like a cereal of some sort. When cooked right, with enough seasoning, soy(a) offers all the nutrition that red meat does. It is important to note that the actual soy beans can be very tough on the digestive systems of our little ones, so soy(a) mince is a much gentler (and faster to cook) alternative.

Here's a soy(a) based recipe that is great for the whole family. (try keeping it a secret until AFTER diner and see if anyone, especially the guys in the household actually notice the difference! I assure you, there are some who haven't figured it out quite yet! :) )

Vegetarian Louisiana Dirty Rice
Ingredients

1/4kg of soy(a) mince
2 cups of rice
4 cups of water or vegetable broth
1 cup of shallots (spring onions) finely chopped
1 cup of parsley (you can substitute this with cilantro/dhania)
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of red onion
1/2 a cup of green/bell pepper
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. of sunflower/olive/canola oil (*heart healthy cooking oils)

Brown the soy(a) mince
Add the shallots, celery, red onion, and green/bell pepper
Add the seasoning and tomato paste, and cover to cook for for 5-7 minutes
Add the parsley/cilantro, water or vegetable broth, and the rice
Add the washed rice and cover
Simmer for about 25 minutes or until the water/broth has dried out
Lower the heat and uncover for about 5 minutes

Dirty rice can be served with "Kachumbari" or Salsa Verde, or your choice of leafy green veggies!


*To turn this into a meat-lover's special, simply substitute the soy(a) for regular ground beef and add 4 chicken livers for added taste! As a heart healthy option, use lean beef for your mince, such as top rump steak.

Tasty Thursday's Lunch Specials! Yum! Yum!

Starches
Vegetable fried rice or steamed rice
Homestyle pilau

Meat/Protein
Pan-seared tilapia (600.00)
Thai-coconut chicken (650.00)

Greens/Salad
Sautéed sukuma-wiki and spinach
Vegetable stir fry

Call +254722728882 or +254787847833 to order.

Inbox us on this FB page or on twiRRA @mamazawadi
Last order in; Thursday at 9.00 am :)


*KES 200.00 for delivery to most of the 'burbs (Ngong Road, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Upper Hill, Museum Hill, Kilimani, etc and the CBD) If you are outside these areas, feel free to call us and we can work something out for you!

Happy Tuesday Folks!

The Bases are LOADED! :)

Dear ZAWADI,

Oh my! It has been a long hiatus! But it was bound to happen, as you came along and took over my world, I met you, loved you even more, and you became my life. I live and breathe you 100% of the time; whether I am with you, or just loving you in spirit.
So now you’re finding your way in the world,crawling,walking, giggling, laughing and causing a merry racus wherever you go! I love every minute of it even more, and more! And guess what? This means I have more time to step back in the kitchen, and do what I love to do the most… COOK!

It’s been a year of working hard, and losing all the baby weight (you were worth it sweetie!), and finally mama has made lots of progress which means… IT IS TIME TO CELEBRATE! And how better to do this, than to cook some decadent, rich, and oh so tasty food!

You sat and watched me this weekend, as we cooked loaded mashed potatoes, soya mince, and a hot and cold salad, on TV. I will keep that dvd for you and show it to you as soon as you can actively figure that mommy was on TV!

So here’s what we cooked this past weekend. And after a long hiatus, I am so
overjoyed at the prospect of being back and hustling and bustling in my kitchen!

Love always,
Mama Zawadi.

***********************************************************

MINCE STEW

Ingredients

2 red onions
Bell peppers (green, red, or yellow)- combine all to your liking if possible
Cilantro (dhania)
½ kg soya mince (vegetarian option) OR regular ground beef/minced meat
3 tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Extra virgin olive oil (sunflower oil is an excellent substitute)
Salt
Black pepper
4 knorr beef cubes
Red chili pepper
Curry powder
Fresh ground ginger and/or garlic

Cook time: 30 minutes
Cooking Instructions

Heat up some extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan
Sautee onions and peppers
*If you desire the carrots to be thoroughly cooked, then sauté carrots with onions and peppers.
Add soya mince to the pan
Add spices indicated above, to your taste
*Add carrots after soya mince if you prefer firmer carrots
Let the mix simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste (with a little water)
Check spices and salt level, if not sufficient, add a little salt and spice, and water, and let the mix cook for 5 more minutes.
Reduce the heat and allow simmering.
Add cilantro to the stew and cover.
Uncover after 2-3 minutes and stir.


LOADED MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients

1 kg of potatoes (red, or white)
White wine- medium to dry
Heavy whipping cream
Butter
2 red onions
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
Salt
Pepper
Freshly ground garlic
Freshly ground ginger

Cook time: 30-45 minutes
Cooking instructions
Bring potatoes to boil in a separate saucepan.
Potatoes should be cooked, but firm
In another saucepan, heat butter until melted
It is important not to overheat the butter, as it develops a burnt flavor and can change the taste of the sauce.
Sauté the onions and peppers in the butter.
Add heavy whipping cream
Add salt, pepper, garlic and ginger
Add white wine and stir the sauce continuously
Reduce heat and simmer until it comes to a bubble
Mash the potatoes that were boiled separately
Mix in the sauce with the mashed potatoes until you develop a smooth creamy texture
It is also possible to mash the potatoes to a rough texture, depending on your preference.
Transfer the loaded mashed potatoes to a serving dish.

HOT AND COLD SALAD

Cold ingredients
Red cabbage
White cabbage
Mayonnaise
Vinegar
Lime juice/.fresh limes
Hot ingredients
1 red onion
1 pepper
Raisins
*if cranberries are readily available in your area, use cranberries instead of raisins.
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cooking instructions
Thoroughly shred/chop the red and white cabbage
Mix with mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice
Put the salad in the fridge to cool down
Sauté the onions and peppers in extra virgin olive oil
Add the raisins/cranberries to the mix and sauté for another minute
Add salt and pepper to your liking
Combine the hot ingredients with the cold ingredients and allow to cool.
Transfer to a serving dish

• To make the above recipes more child friendly, adjust ingredients such as chili powder, and wine. Good substitutes include white pepper which does not have the same heat effect as chili powder, and non alcoholic cider (or just eliminate the white wine from the loaded mashed potatoes recipe)


WINE PAIRING TIPS

• BALANCE: It is important to pick a wine that balances the natural flavors of the food. A rich, spicy meal should be paired with a spicy, flavorful wine to complement each other. A good example in this case would be a white zinfandel, or a cabarnet sauvignon (red).
• ACIDITY: Acidic dishes also pair well with wine that has a high acid content. For our spicy version of the soya mince stew, consider Chianti. (easily available at all leading supermarkets and wines & spirits)
• Should you chose to eliminate the chili from the above recipe, then consider pairing your meal with milder wines such as a Sauvignon Blanc (white) or a Chardonnay (white).
• Most of these wines will be medium to dry.
• PALATE CLEANSING: Dry wines also have high acidic content, which helps with “palate cleansing” when you have fatty, or rich foods such as our loaded mashed potatoes.

Burger "Soup" for the soul...

Dear Zawadi

We might not have officially met,
but I've shared my food, drink and oxygen with you, from the moment
you arrived.
My warm hands stroke my bulging stomach as i reach out to you
my baby. You cannot see me, but I know you can feel me and there
is an unbreakable bond that exists between us, even before you get here.
My minerals are your minerals, my Mac and Cheese is your Mac and Cheese,
My fillet Mignon is your protein :).

I am serving 2 guests at one table....
My cord carries life into you who is dependent on me for your every need,
your every requirement. Your fulfilment lies within my realm.
No man can create a machine as multifaceted as a mother. What else can
feed, clothe, touch, provide intimacy and affection and training?

God has seen to it that all your needs will be met, without you ever leaving the safety of my womb.... This is a place of provision, a place of excellence.
May you savor every taste, every sound, every smile and my every touch.

I love you always.


YUMMY MUMMY BURGERS

Ingredients

2-4 lbs of lean beef.
1 red onion
1 bell pepper (green, red or orange)
salt
pepper to taste
soy sauce
cilantro
Olive Oil
Meat thermometer
Wheat or white (flour) hamburger buns

* See meat temperature chart below for correct
cooking.

BURGER TOPPINGS

- French fries
- Cranberry rainbow salad (see recipe in prior blog post)
- fresh diced tomatoes- sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
- Fresh lettuce

CONDIMENTS

- Mayonnaise
- Miracle Whip
- Mustard
- Honey mustard
- Chilli sauce or hot sauce
- Ketchup




Preparation- 15 minutes
Use all purpose blade in food processor to grind beef
add onion, cilantro and pepper and grind slightly using pulse
to thorougly grind and blend the ingredients.

Empty the contents of the food processor into a clean bowl
sprinkle salt and pepper onto mixture and knead gently with
bare hands.
Add soy sauce to taste, keeping in mind that salt has already
been used (avoid over salting due to high sodium content of
soy sauce)

Make round patties about 1 inch thick, making sure the
center of the patties is thicker than the outer side.
(patties shrink during grilling/cooking and a thicker
center ensures the burgers do not dry out)

Cooking - 15 to 20 minutes
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Place on an outdoor grill for 2-10 minutes per
side depending on cooking preference.

For stove top burgers, sear the patties for 2 minutes each
on high heat with a little olive oil.

Place in pre heated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes
(may vary based on cooking preference.)

Place burger onto one half of the bun, and layer toppings
on as desired. Serve burger open faced with french fries
or other healthy options such as baked potato.




MEAT TEMPERATURE CHART
Cooking Preferences:
Rare
Medium-rare
Medium
Medium-well
Well done

Temperature:

Rare 120° - 125°
Medium- rare 130° - 135°
Medium 140° - 145°
Medium-well 150° - 155°
Well done 160° and above


* Ground beef or turkey from the grocery store can be used in place of home made
ground beef.
* Substitute soy sauce for teriyaki sauce or other marinade available in your
fridge or pantry.
* Remember not to over power the taste of the beef with your choice of marinade.