The Queen Chef

INGREDIENTS Olive oil 1 cup of roughly chopped zucchini or summer squash (1-2 zucchini or squash, depending on the size) 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 large fresh mild green chile (Anaheim or Hatch), seeds and stem discarded, chopped 1/2 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeds and stem discarded, minced (or more, if you desire more heat) Salt Pinch of ground cumin Pinch of ground oregano 1 small to medium tomato, chopped 4 corn tortillas 4 slices cheddar cheese 1/4 cup crumbled Mexican cotija cheese (a salty, crumbly cheese, you can substitute feta) A few sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped (okay to include the stems, if small) METHOD 1  Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the zucchini, onions, garlic, green chiles, and jalapeño to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir to coat the vegetables with the oil in the pan. Spread the veggies out in the pan and then sti...

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CUPCAKES 1 box vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box Juice and zest of 1 lime FOR THE FROSTING 1 c. butter, softened 5 c. powdered sugar 1/4 c. lime juice 1/4 c. tequila Coarse salt, for garnish Lime zest, for garnish Lime wedges, for garnish DIRECTIONS 1 Preheat oven to 350° and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. 2 Prepare cake batter according to package instructions. Stir in lime zest and juice, then pour batter into prepared cupcake pan. Bake according to package instructions. Let cool completely before frosting. 3 Make tequila frosting: In a large bowl, combine butter, half of the powdered sugar, lime juice and tequila. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. 4 Pipe cooled cupcakes with tequila frosting. Garnish with salt, lime zest, lime wedges and a decorative straw. JONATHAN BOULTON ...

Ingredients 4 tomatoes 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 lb. ground beef (You may skip this Non-vegetarian ingredient) 1 packet taco seasoning kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2/3 c. shredded Mexican cheese 1/2 c. shredded iceberg lettuce 1/2 c. sour cream How to make the recipe 1 In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and taco seasoning, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat and set aside. 2 Flip tomatoes so they are stem-side down. Cut the tomatoes into six wedges, being careful to not cut completely through the tomato. Carefully spread open the wedges. 3 Divide taco meat evenly among the tomatoes, then top each with cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Serve. Recipe by Lena Abraham...

Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 250g bag spinach  5 slices white bread, blitzed into breadcrumbs (or 150g dried breadcrumbs) good grating of fresh nutmeg 100g mature cheddar, grated 40g Parmesan, finely grated 1-2 large eggs, beaten 3 tbsp plain flour To serve 6 crusty bread rolls 4 ripe, juicy tomatoes, thickly sliced good-quality ketchup or other relish sweet potato fries (optional) Directions  Heat half the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onions for about 10 mins until pale and soft, then leave to cool a little. Finely chop the spinach in a food processor and tip into a bowl. Add the cooled onion, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, cheddar and Parmesan, and mash together. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time (you may not need all of it), until the mixture holds together. Divide into eight (see tip below) and shape into fat burgers. Put the flour in a shallow bowl, season well and dip the burgers into the flour to coat. Store in a plastic con...

Ingredients 12 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled 3/4 cup white sugar 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tiny pinch salt 2 drops red food coloring (optional) Add all ingredients to list Directions Place strawberries and sugar in a blender and pulse until pureed; steep for 10 minutes. Pour cream, milk, vanilla extract, and salt into strawberry mixture; blend until smooth and slightly thickened, 10 to 15 seconds. Whisk red food color into cream mixture. Pour strawberry mixture into the container of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a sealable container, cover the ice cream with plastic wrap, seal the container, and freeze, 2 hours to overnight. Process in an ice cream maker until thick. Immediately transfer to a sealable container, cover with plastic wrap, cover the bowl with a lid and freeze for 2 hours to overnight. DO FOLLOW #THEQUEENCHE...

Ingredients 2 small onions 2 small leeks 2 sticks of celery 2 carrots 2 courgettes 2 red peppers ½ a butternut squash , (600g) 2 cloves of garlic olive oil 2 teaspoons dried oregano 4 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes Method Start with your veg prep – you can either do this by hand (which is a great way to practise your knife skills) or, in batches, rattle it all through a food processor. Peel the onions, wash and trim the leeks, celery, carrots and courgettes, deseed the peppers and squash (there’s no need to peel it), then finely chop it all. Peel the garlic and finely chop by hand. Put a super-large pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and oregano, fry for 1 minute, then add all the prepped veg. Cook with the lid on for 25 minutes, or until the veg are soft but not coloured, stirring regularly. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then just under half-fill each tin with w...

Ingredients 1 x 350 g bunch of asparagus 2 small courgettes 2 large free-range eggs 60 g crème fraîche 1 handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese , plus extra to serve ½ a lemon 400 g tagliatelle olive oil 100 g pancetta ½ a bunch of fresh mint Method Pasta’s a popular choice for children as it’s a fun food: it comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and is easy to eat. It’s a good staple for older kids to learn how to cook, as they can pair it with any flavours they like, or vegetables that are in season. We think kids will like the way the asparagus and courgettes are peeled to resemble the pasta ribbons (we do too). Peeling is a useful skill that even little children can learn, while older children can master cooking and assembling. You could make your own pasta if you have a machine – it’s a fun activity for everyone to get involved in. Fill a large saucepan with water, add a big pinch of sea salt and bring it to the boil. Peel t...

Ingredients and equipment: 2 cups espresso shots Crushed ice 4 Tbsp condensed milk 1 cup milk Recipe: Take some espresso, crushed ice, condensed milk and 1 cup of regular milk. Throw them all in a blender. Blend it for a few minutes and served chilled.   Recipe by Aditya Bal 

Ingredients and equipment: •    Instant Coffee •    Milk to taste •    Sealed container •    Kettle or pot •    Sugar to taste •    1 cup of water Instructions: 1. Boil a cup of water in a kettle or pot. Mix the boiled water in a mug with 1 to 2 teaspoons of  coffee granules . Add desired  amount of sugar . 2. Pour desired amount of milk (whether you like it dark or light) into a small pot. Heat it until it reaches a boil. Remove from heat once so that it begins to bubble and rise. 3. Transfer the boiled milk into a sealable jar or container. Use one large enough container so that the milk fills it halfway at most. Seal the container tightly then shake it hard for twenty seconds, or until a froth forms. 4. Pour the liquid milk into your mug. Use a spoon to stir it into coffee. Then scoop the foamed milk out of the container and top your drink with it. Sprinkle  cinnamon...

Ingredients 🥚  Contains Eggs 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees) 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk 1/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs  1/3 cup shortening 5 cups all-purpose flour 1 quart vegetable oil for frying 1/3 cup butter 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 4 tablespoons hot water or as needed Add all ingredients to list Directions Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it,...

Ingredients 2 pineapples, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and core removed 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella) 6 tablespoons whipping cream Olive oil 3 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts Directions Prepare the outdoor barbecue to medium-high heat. If you do not have a barbecue, you can use an indoor grill pan set to medium high heat. Lightly oil the grill. Grill the pineapple slices until heated through and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes per side. It's important to leave the pineapples on the grill, untouched so that you can create the grill marks. While the pineapples are cooking, whisk the mascarpone and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Set aside. Combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place in a microwave on high for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds to blend well. Alternativ...