I’m back in London and on fire to honor another gorgeous gourmet gal for Woman Crush Wednesday. After a break last week (though I did a comprehensive round up of the amazing chefs honored so far, which you can read here) I am ready to bust out some bad singing and dancing.  Of course only to compliment the awesome recipe on the docket. Today’s honoree is the talented chef, blogger and now a first time published cookery book writer Ayesha Curry.

Ayesha is a dual citizen like myself, though she is an American/Canadian citizen. She lives in San Francisco with her husband (basketball player Stephen Curry) and their two beautiful little girls Riley and Ryan.  She grew up with a mom who loved to cook and those culinary skills obviously rubbed off. Especially this recipe for Roasted Brown Sugar Chicken which I will re-create live on Snapchat . As usual, this is a recipe I have never made before. So you will see every step if you watch (my username is blissbakery) and I’ll post the photos below. So let’s get cooking!

Ingredients
4 Chicken Quarters
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped shallots
3 cloves chopped garlic
3/4 cup (177 ml) chicken stock/broth
1 cup (236 ml) low sodium soy sauce
2 cups (372 g) brown sugar
1 heaping tbsp freshly chopped ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F/180c degrees. Heat a dutch pot on med high to high heat with your butter and olive oil. Generously salt and pepper your chicken quarters. Brown the skin of your chicken in the pot for about 2 mins on each side until it’s crisp and golden brown. Remove the chicken quarters and reduce the heat to medium. Add in the shallots and garlic. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock. Scrape down all of the sides to make sure you get all of the delicious seasonings and flavors into the broth (I’m hungry already!). Add in the soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger. Simmer the sauce for about 5-10 mins. Add the chicken quarters back into the pot, place the lid on and bake for 45min to an hour. The chicken will be flavorful and falling off the bone. Mmm mmm mmmm!

Okay, for real, you have to make this recipe. It was so delicious and mouth watering. Literally the chicken fell off the bone it was so tender and  just melts in your mouth!  Hubby ate his and started in on mine too when I left the table for a moment. And the rice cooked in coconut milk was the perfect side dish. Even the broccolini was nice and sharp, crisp and a healthy green side. I’d make this whole dinner again in a heart beat!  LOVE!

Speaking of hearts, Ayesha is such a giving and kind hearted person. Even though busy with her cooking career and family (she was an actress and model before she had children) she makes time for philanthropic endeavors. Such as her wonderful  Little Lights of Mine in which she donates to the to No Kid Hungry campaign to feed hungry children for every bottle of her olive oil that is sold. It is refreshing that she is open about her Christian faith. So many celebrities feel the need to hide their religious beliefs for fear of alienating any of their followers. But Ayesha and her husband actually met as teenagers at their church. This foundation has kept their relationship rooted and grounded and they are delighted to share that with the world.

I so loved doing a #WCW for Ayesha. I hope she enjoys it as much as Hubby and I enjoyed her delish chicken.  And with two girls of her own ( I have one daughter and two granddaughters) having some #girlpower is a good thing!

Yummy LOVE!

YDP

It’s Wednesday, my fav day of the week, yippee!  It is also the last day before I say goodbye to America and my daughter and family. My least fav day of my life! Whenever I have been unable to do a Woman Crush Wednesday due to travel and not having a kitchen I post a recap of several of the most recent recipients. And though tomorrow I will have a kitchen, my daughter’s which she’s kindly let me use these past two weeks, I decided to post a recap. Yep, I am gonna take the day to enjoy their company, pack my things and wipe some tears. However, I’m going to post a roundup of the last nine fabulous foodie females that have received the love from me on my weekly episodes. And they have provided fantastic recipes that we have all enjoyed!  I’ll be back next week with another installment of this awesome celebration of gorgeous gourmet gals out there setting the culinary world on fire!

Madeleine Shaw is a not only a chef but also a breath of fresh air. She glows for a reason as she cooks delicious food that is also good for your insides. It isn’t a surprise that this Londoner (who made the conversion to a healthier lifestyle while living abroad in Australia) has a successful blog and other popular social media. But her best selling cookbooks speak for themselves. And they say, “go ahead and lick my pages” because each recipe is that good! I made two of her recipes, her “Life Changing” Spicy Tomato Soup and her Spinach Bread, for my Snapchat cooking tutorial on the day (my username is blissbakery).  You can make them yourself if you click here for the recipe and story about her.

I had the absolute best time recreating Irish chef Sharon Hearne Smith’s totally mouth watering no bake Chocolate Date and Peanut Butter Bars. In fact if you click here for the story and recipe and choose not to make them, I think I might have to make them for you, but will probably eat the whole batch myself!  They are very simple and yet impressive at the same time.  And Sharon herself is actually beyond impressive. She is so genuine, sweet and quite humble about her culinary prowess. I love her whole retro vibe and even tried the look out when I recreated her recipe live for the Snapchat tutorial. It made me appreciate her even more! I’m used to my comfy chefs clothes yet her effortless style just makes me love her even more.

Ching He Huang is one of the most knowledgable chefs on Asian cuisine. Born in Taiwan but now makes London her home, this powerhouse has written numerous successful cookery books and is a household name in the U.K. due to her television appearances. She a wonderful person and involved in so many charitable causes. I recreated her Shredded Duck Lettuce Wraps which my hubby devoured in no time. I must make them again soon, just thinking about them makes me hungry. If you too want to be transported to Asia through your palate, click here for the recipe and the story about this amazing chef!

Sarit Packer is one half of the founding team of the London restaurant Honey and Co. But since my series is about crushing on the women, her lovely husband Itamar will have to bask in the glow of his gorgeous wife and fantastic chef. I visited their restaurant twice now and can hardly wait to go again. They are expanding and the cookbooks keep rolling in too. The success is so well deserved and I’m delighted that Middle Eastern cuisine is gaining mainstream popularity due in part to Sarit’s fabulous recipes. And one of my all time favs is her Pomegranate Molasses Chicken. Click here to check out the deliciousness and learn more about this inspirational woman!

I just love Paula Deen. A true Southern Belle who is shares her family and her recipes generously. I baked her scrumptious Hummingbird Cake recipe, which you can click here if you’d like to give it a go yourself. It really is a showstopper dessert that is a proud centerpiece at any event. I had the pleasure of visiting Paula’s restaurant in Savannah, Georgia and with a line around the block, along with her best selling books and television shows, this woman is a real role model for women achieving their dreams. Especially since she hasn’t had the easiest time of things in life. But that’s why I love her as she tries her best to carry on and certainly cooking is one way (of which I can relate) that healing can be attained.

New York born chef Ruth Rodgers has lived in the U.K. for many years and is one of the founders of the Michelin Star restaurant River Cafe. Hubby and I enjoyed a fabulous meal there a few years ago and I can agree this place deserves all the accolades. And the number of chefs that have worked there and gone on to their own success is astounding. In large part due to Ruth’s skills in the kitchen and management. It’s no wonder she was awarded the MBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 2010. For my Snapchat cooking tutorial I made Ruth’s outstanding Pasta with Asparagus and Herbs. Click here if you’d like to recreate this dish or just read about the amazing achievements of this most worthy WCW honoree.

Mary Berry is a British national treasure. She has done more for home cooking than most anyone else. Her recipes are easy to recreate yet are still very impressive. In her 81 years old she has written over 70 cook books besides numerous television shows. Of course the most popular of late is the Great British Bake Off. So with that show in full swing on television this season I decided to make one of her desserts. Though funny enough when I saw her at the BBC Good Food Show she actually demonstrated a savory dish. But since I love Banoffi Pie, I recreated her recipe and was so glad I did. It is so delicious! Please click here and give it a go yourself. You’ll be happy you did! We owe Mary Berry a debt of gratitude for her contribution to the culinary world.

Marina Delio is the author of the popular blog The Yummy Mummy Kitchen and recipe book of the same name. Her food is as beautiful as she is. And it is delicious too. I recreated her Protein Nice Cream Pies which are dairy, gluten and sugar free and they were a big hit here at my daughter’s house with my granddaughter. Harper is dairy free so finding treats for her can be a challenge. In fact it was my daughter who told me about Marina as she knew  of her from when she and my son in law lived in Santa Barbara where Marina lives. If you’d like to try some healthy recipes yet still want to feel like you’re splurging, then click here!

Cliodhna Prednergast was my most recent Woman Crush Wednesday. If you missed my Snapchat cooking tutorial last week then you missed a fabulous recipe for Orange Cranberry Cookies. You also missed the usual bad singing and dancing I do when I am doing my love fest for the chefs. But I am sure you aren’t sorry about skipping that. But you can still click here to read my love story to Cliodhna, get the recipe and also learn more about this inspirational woman. She is not only a chef, but also the creator of the Lens and Larder workshops (along with another WCW recipient Imen McDonnell). Cliodhna is also the founder of Breaking Eggs a blog and video series to help teach children to cook.

So there you have it, a full recap of the last nine Woman Crush Wednesday chefs! If you’d like a recap of the previous ones you can click here, here, here, here,  and here.  Forty four amazing human beings who just so happen to be women working in the world of food. But I am sure even if they were in another industry, they’d be shining lights. They are all creative, hard working and inspiring. And thanks for all your support of this fun and educational weekly segment. Hope to see you back next week. I’ve already got the honoree, recipe and of course the infamous songs all lined up for the Snapchat tutorial and also a post for this blog.

Girl Power and Love,

YDP

As we near the end of September and autumn is indeed here, it’s another weekly opportunity to shower a female chef with some foodie love. I look forward to Woman Crush Wednesday as it’s such a joy for me to honor these inspirational ladies making a difference in a male dominated profession. Today I am delighted to share with you a most wonderful Irish woman and mommy of three.  The fact that she is an amazing talent in the kitchen is just part of the story. She has combined her culinary wizardry with her passion for teaching children to cook into a website and video series called Breaking Eggs. Even if you don’t have children, it is a must watch. The stunning footage of the best Ireland has to offer, along with wonderful recipes, make Cliondhna Prendergast a goddess of the gourmet world!

I had the wonderful fortune of meeting beautiful and friendly Cliondhna on two occasions. Once at the London book signing for Imen McDonnell (another of my Woman Crush Wednesday honorees) and a second time at the Ballymaloe Lit Fest at a presentation the two were giving. They are the creators of the popular Lens and Larder workshops. It is my dream to attend one day, but until then I will continue to drool over their otherworldly photos of foodie scenes. I suppose it is all about telling a story. And I could stay mesmerized for days with their stories!  But as I do each week, I recreate a recipe from the WCW recipient’s arsenal. So I’d better get to it! I am going to be baking Cliodhna’s Christmas Cranberry and Orange Stars. Because let’s get real, Christmas is only 87 days away! These look simple but delightfully unique with the orange zest and cranberry combo. I’ll be doing the demo live on Snapchat (username blissbakery) so try to come see it if you can as it will only be available to view for 24 hours.

Ingredients:
8oz (1 and 3/4 cups or 210 g)  Self -raising Flour
5oz (141 g) butter
4oz (1/2 cup or 100 g) caster sugar
1 egg
4oz (112 g)  Dried Cranberries ( chopped a little for easy cookie cutting)
Finely grated zest of 1 ½ oranges
Method
Rub the Flour and butter together to a rough breadcrumb texture.
Add the sugar and mix in.
Add the grated orange zest and the dried cranberries and mix in.
Beat the egg and add to the dry ingredients and mix together.
Wash your hands and turn the dough onto a floured surface and flatten a little.
If you have time rest it in the fridge for 30 min, it makes it easier to deal with when its not so soft.
Roll out to about ¼ “ thick and with a star cookie cutter, cut and place on a lined oven tray ½ “ apart.
Bake at 350f/180c/gas mark 4 for approx. 7 minutes.
All ovens are different, these do not need to brown very much, there should just be a slight color at the edges.

Myself a mommy of two (and granny of two as well) I admire Cliodhna’s ethos on feeding her family, by not only nourishing their bodies but also their souls. Her children are blessed to be reared by someone so in touch with food from its very essence. Her experience chefing at numerous popular restaurants along with her experience at Ballymaloe (my alma mater) has certainly given her credibility. But she has earned the respect from so many in the field beyond the kitchen. Her campaign to help fight childhood obesity and her emphasis on highlighting artisan food producers and eating locally sourced food has helped Ireland see these issues from a different vantage point. With her new writing assignment with the Sunday Times even more folks will glean wisdom from this amazing chef!

Cookie LOVE,

YDP

A while back I shared a delicious recipe and story called “Hand Me Ups” which refers to things I get passed up to me from my daughter. Well for this week’s edition of Woman Crush Wednesday I am in the U.S.A. with my daughter and family. And she kindly pointed me in the direction for this week’s honoree.

The lovely Marina Delio of the Yummy Mummy Kitchen is a wife and mommy, famous foodie blogger, self taught chef and cookery book writer. I remembered seeing the cookbook at my daughter’s house when they used to live in Santa Barbara.  She even has mutual friends with Marina though they never met while my daughter lived there. But the fabulous  Marina’s sumptuous and healthy recipes are perfect for this wonderful day. It is a chance to celebrate what some gorgeous gourmet gals are cooking up in the kitchen. Marina is the queen of beautiful everything and her food is only one of the fantastic inspirations you’ll find on her social media platforms.

Today I am going to recreate one of her recent delights, Protein Nice Cream Pies.  Since my granddaughter is dairy intolerant, this is a treat she can enjoy too.  Marina is the mummy of two little girls, like my daughter. And they love to help in the kitchen. Which is a great way to teach kids about food from its source. Though my granddaughter isn’t here while I make these for my live cooking tutorial on Snapchat (username blissbakery) I am sure she will help me devour these when she gets home from school. And they will keep in the freezer for days (if they last that long).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (143 g)  almonds
• 1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup (226 g) pitted medjool dates
• pinch of Himalayan or sea salt
• 6 cups frozen banana slices, thawed for about 5 minutes (about 6 bananas)
• 6 scoops chocolate protein powder, OLLY recommended
• 1/4 cup (60 ml)  almond milk
• 1/3 cup (85 g) smooth peanut butter, plus more for garnish
• 1/3 cup (40 g) raspberries, halved
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs (optional)

• To make the crusts, place almonds, coconut, and dates into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until nuts are coarsely ground and mixture just holds together. Not too long, or it will turn into nut butter! Taste and add a pinch of salt if desired. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. Scoop tablespoons of crust into each muffin tin well and press firmly into the bottom. Place in the freezer and rinse the food processor.
• To make the nice cream, you want frozen but not rock hard bananas. I let mine sit on the counter while I make the crust. Place the bananas and protein powder into food processor. Blend until smooth. This takes a few minutes. Add milk if needed (NOTE: I didn’t need to use any almond milk when I made it) to turn the food processor or wait a few minutes while the bananas thaw a bit more. Taste and add more protein powder if desired. Add the peanut butter and blend or swirl in.
• Smooth the banana mixture into the muffin tin over the crusts. To make peanut butter swirls, place small drops of peanut butter over the nice cream mixture and swirl with a toothpick. Garnish with raspberries and/or cacao nibs if desired. Freeze until firm, at least an hour. Store in the freezer.

Wow these were super easy to make and are absolutely delicious. I know I am a self professed peanut butter addict, but even if you weren’t I think these would win you over. They are light and refreshing for a warm day and filling enough so you don’t miss all the “baddies”. No dairy, no wheat, no refined sugar and totally vegan, but filled with so much flavor and texture, this is a winning recipe for sure!  I made six with the raspberries and cacao nibs on top as Marina suggested. But I also made six without either and just a little drizzle of dark chocolate on top. Both looked great and tasted amazing, even my granddaughter was impressed!

With one successful cookbook under her belt I get the feeling another is on the way. She makes her food simple so that the precious ingredients do the talking.  Her photos seem effortless yet her amazing eye and skill as a photographer serve her in good stead.  And Marina’s Instagram is so stunning you’ll have to refrain yourself from licking the screen on your mobile device when you see her daily posts. But what impresses me most about the Yummy Mummy is her devotion to her family.  She is a wonderful role model about healthy living and life style balance.

Thanks Marina for your fantastic contribution to the ever evolving culinary conversation. Not only for other chefs like myself, but for budding kitchen queens like your daughters and my granddaughters. For children to grow up knowing they can create food that is not only good, but good for you, is a wonderful philosophy. You’re a yummy mummy and a wonder woman in the foodie world!

With love and admiration,

YDP