DIY Friday Night 'Takeaways'

Flamed Grilled Peri-Peri Chicken 

We have seen tons of people on Twitter lamenting the days when they could quickly pop out to Nando's for their favourite flame-grilled chicken meal. If you are craving some spicy, sweet basted chicken, check out this copycat Nando's recipe.

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken
• Red chilli (1 should be enough, but you can add more if you like your chicken extra spicy)
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• A handful of fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon pepper corn
• 1 tablespoon salt

Method:

1. Add the chilli (chopped), the zest of one lemon and one lime, plus a 1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice to a food processor. Toss in the fresh thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, oil and red wine vinegar before blitzing.
2. Remove the backbone and rib bones from the chicken, laying it out flat in a large baking dish. Pour over the marinade and let it rest for up to 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Grill the chicken on the braai or in the oven for 45 minutes.
4. Enjoy with a hearty Greek salad and potato wedges sprinkled with spicy paprika, salt and thyme!

[embed]https://youtu.be/mmuD3Ywwuz4[/embed]

Juicy Beef & Bacon Burgers 

How about a nice, juicy burger to comfort your spirits? Whether you are an ardent Steers supporter, a frequenter at Roco Mamas or just any old burger will do kind of person, there is something special about making the perfect Friday night burger from scratch. Of course, there are a thousand different variations you could make, but we're sticking to the classic beef, bacon and cheese.

Ingredients:

• 4 hamburger buns
• 4 thick beef burger patties or 600g beef mince (you will also need 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ a tablespoon of dried oregano, 50 g of breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and 1 egg to make your own burger patties.)
• 1 packet of shoulder bacon
• 4 slices of soft melting cheese (mozzarella or cheddar will do, but we like the smokiness of smoked gouda. It pairs superbly with the bacon.)
• 2 brown onions peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. 
• 4 leaves of cos or butter lettuce
• Hot Dijon mustard
• Sweet and sour pickles (optional)

Method:

1. Burger Patties: Put the beef mince, garlic powder, a pinch of pepper, dried oregano, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce and the egg into a large bowl. Use cleans hands to mix all of the ingredients together evenly.
2. Next, divide the mixture into four separate, individual pieces, then roll those pieces into balls. Tap the meatballs down into patties and make them about 2 - 2.5cm thick.
3. Set the patties aside in the fridge and wipe down your area.
4. Bacon: Preheat your oven to 180° C. Line a large baking tray with wax paper and lay out the slices of bacon evenly. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Lay out a second sheet of wax paper over the bacon and squash down with another baking tray. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until crispy.
5. Caramelised onions: Preheat a pan large enough to fit the onions to medium-high heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, add the olive oil, then your onions and start frying them off.
6. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, then toss/stir the onions occasionally so that they don't burn. After about 15 minutes, the onions should be nicely browned, at that point you can turn the heat down and add your balsamic vinegar and stir through. Cook for another 30 seconds just to cook out the vinegar, turn the heat off and transfer the onions to a bowl or container. Set aside.
7. Cooking the patties: Set the pan on high heat. Add a pinch of salt on top of the patties, carefully add the patties to the pan seasoned side down, then season the other side of the patty with salt while they are frying. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side.
8. Once you flip the patty and start cooking the other side, turn the heat down to medium-high, then put your cheese on top of the patties while they are frying. At this point, cover the pan with a lid or any utensil that can fit over the pan so the cheese melts.
9. Transfer your patties onto a plate and let rest for 1-2 minutes. Use that time to re-heat your onions and bacon if need be.
10. Slice your burger buns in half and assemble using lettuce, mustard and pickles (if using).

Recipe adapted from: https://www.blogtasticfood.com/epic-beef-and-bacon-burger/

Cheesy Pizza

Pizza really is the ultimate comfort food, isn't it? Spend your Friday night in by making your very own pizza from scratch. You need not be an Italian cuisine master to get it right. All you need is a bit of courage, some upper arm strength and a lot of cheese!

Ingredients:

Pizza dough:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt

Tomato sauce:

• 180 ml tomato paste
• 450 ml tomato sauce
• 1-2 tbsp oregano to taste
• 2 tbsp mixed Italian herbs
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tbsp garlic salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Pizza dough: Preheat oven to 180°. Grease a pizza pan and set aside.
2. Put warm water into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and yeast and stir to combine.
3. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbles form.
4. Add olive oil and gently stir to combine.
5. Add 2 cups of flour and salt and mix with a spatula until a ball begins to form (dough will still be slightly sticky). Use more flour if needed to form a dough ball.
6. Transfer to a floured surface and knead into a smooth dough, adding up to ½ cup extra flour if needed.
7. Roll dough into your desired shape and gently transfer to your prepared pan.
8. To ensure the dough doesn't form air pockets, use a fork to prick the dough all around (gently so you do not poke holes all the way through the crust).
9. Bake on the lower rack of your preheated oven for five minutes and remove from your oven (this is just to very slightly pre-bake the dough). If you notice air bubbles forming, poke them with a fork to let the air out.
10. Tomato sauce: Mix tomato paste and sauce together in a medium size bowl until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients (oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and sugar) and mix well!
11. Finishing touches: Add pizza sauce and toppings of your choice to your pre-baked base.
12. Bake on the lower rack of your oven for around 15-20 minutes until the crust looks crispy and lightly browned.
13. Let cool, cut and serve.

Recipe sourced from: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/easy-homemade-pizza-dough/

Thai Cashew Chicken 

Thai cuisine is notoriously difficult to master, thanks to its perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy. However, if you have been missing your usual Friday night hit of Thai spice, this simple recipe is sure to delight your taste buds.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper 

Cashew chicken:

• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 3 stalks spring onions, chopped
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raw cashews (or use roasted and unsalted cashews)
• 1/4 cup cooking oil (like vegetable or peanut oil)
• Rice or noodles, for serving

Method:

1. Make sauce: Whisk together garlic, water, light soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce and oyster sauce. Whisk in cornstarch. Add red pepper flakes and white pepper (if using). Set aside.
2. Prep ingredients: Slice onion and bell pepper and combine. Chop spring onions. Dice chicken and toss with a pinch of salt and flour.
3. Heat cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add cashews and saute until golden brown and toasted, 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully to prevent them from burning). Set cashews on a paper-towel lined plate. Leave the oil in the wok.
4. Add the chicken to the wok. Let chicken cook for 2 minutes without stirring (this will help it to brown on the bottom). Continue cooking, turning occasionally, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes in total.
5. Transfer chicken to the plate with the cashews and return wok to heat.
6. To any remaining oil in the wok, add onions and bell peppers. Saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. (Add a splash of water if the pan starts to look dry.)
7. Pour sauce over onions and peppers. Simmer until sauce starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Add green onions, chicken and cashews to pan. Cook everything together for 1 minute to coat in sauce.
9. Serve over rice or noodles.

Recipe sourced from: https://inquiringchef.com/thai-cashew-chicken/

Butter Chicken 

With the chilly winter weather encroaching day by day, you may be craving something warming and golden. What better than a creamy butter chicken to ward the winter blues away? We sat down with Executive Chef at the Maslow Sandton, Hector Mnyayiza, to bring you the perfect wintery butter chicken recipe for those lonely Friday nights under lockdown:

Ingredients:

• 300g boneless chicken breasts
• 60g medium curry powder
• 10ml egg yellow food colouring
• 250ml fresh cream
• 150g fresh tomatoes (blanched and peeled)
• 1 whole onion
• 20g fresh dhana (coriander)
• 80g butter
• 10g breyani mix
• 250ml tomato sauce (optional)
• 5g crushed garlic
• 10ml fine salt

Method:

1. Cut chicken into cubes. Marinate with a teaspoon garlic, two teaspoons curry powder, one teaspoon egg yellow colouring and two teaspoons salt.
2. Score the bottom of the tomato in a cross shape. Drop the tomatoes in boiling water until the skins start to open. Remove and place them in cold water. Peel the skin off the tomatoes and chop roughly.
3. In a sauce pan, add butter and fry your chopped onions. Add the breyani mix, a teaspoon of garlic and two teaspoons of curry powder. Allow to cook for about one minute.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and chopped dhana. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves, and then blend until fine. Thereafter, strain the tomatoes and put them back into the saucepan.
5. Warm up the 250ml cream in another saucepan and then add to the mixture so that it does not split. Add 250ml tomato sauce (optional) with two teaspoons egg yellow colouring. Thereafter, add two spoons of butter and let it simmer.
6. Pan fry the chicken and set aside for the oil and juice to settle. Then, add the chicken into the sauce mixture. Make sure to keep out the chicken juices and oil from the bottom of the bowl.
7. Allow to simmer. You can add more chopped dhana and salt to taste.
8. Enjoy with basmati rice, roti or poppadoms.

Do you have any DIY takeaway recipes to share? Let us know about them in the comments section below!