3 easy fusion recipes from social media cooking star Remi Idowu

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

There are so many foodie content creators these days, we're always on the look out for those who are doing something a bit different. So when we saw Remi Idowu, who has almost 800k followers on Instagram and 412k followers on TikTok, was releasing a cookbook full of her fusion recipes, we asked to have a sneak peak.
Remi draws on her Ghanaian and Nigerian heritage to create recipes full of rich flavours, but her travels around the world have also influenced her cooking style. At 19, Remi launched a baking business selling treats to the public. Now, after successfully building an online community, she's released her debut cookbook Sugar & Spice.
Expect comfort food with a twist, but recipes that are also easy to follow. Check out three of them below...
Chipotle Cream Enchiladas
I tried these enchiladas on a solo trip to Barcelona after a groggy night flight and they blew my mind – a completely new flavour palette I wasn't used to. Since then, I have searched the internet to learn how to make traditional enchiladas and have been shocked by how different they are from your typical British ones. This is my favourite way of making them now, and I'm sure these will be your new favourite, too. If you can, splurge on a good chipotle paste; all the flavours come from it.
Makes 12 enchiladas
Ingredients
600g skinless, boneless
chicken breasts
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
200ml vegetable oil
12 mini white tortillas
200g ball of mozzarella, shredded
For the chipotle cream sauce
2 beef tomatoes, halved
1⁄2 onion
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
3 garlic cloves
100ml double cream
50g cream cheese
100g chipotle paste (I use Gran Luchito Chipotle Chilli Paste)
Salt, to taste
To serve (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley
Sliced onions
Method
1) Start with the sauce. Put the tomatoes, onion and bouillon powder into a saucepan and add enough water to cover, then cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes and onion are soft. Reserving the stock, transfer the tomatoes and onion to a blender, along with the garlic, cream, cream cheese and chipotle paste and blend until smooth and creamy. If the sauce feels too thick, loosen it with some of the reserved stock. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little salt if needed, then set aside.
2) Put the chicken breasts into a saucepan and cover with the remaining reserved stock (top up with more water if it isn't covered). Bring to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through and tender, then remove from the stock. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle over the paprika, salt and pepper, then toss together, making sure the chicken is well coated. Set aside.
3) Preheat your oven to 180°C fan.
4) Heat some of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add a tortilla and fry for about 30 seconds on each side until golden and flexible (this prevents them from becoming soggy later). Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels to remove the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining oil and tortillas.
Tip: Make sure not to fry the tortillas for too long as they will be hard to wrap later on.
5) Now, take each fried tortilla and spoon some of the seasoned chicken into the centre. Roll up each one tightly and set aside while you make the next. Pour about a third of the chipotle cream sauce into the bottom of an ovenproof dish and spread out into an even layer. Place the rolled tortillas seam-side down in the dish so they fit snugly, then pour over the remaining sauce, ensuring every tortilla is covered.
6) Sprinkle the mozzarella over the enchiladas and bake for 10–15 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and deliciously bubbly. Feel free to serve garnished with parsley and onions for a touch of freshness.
West African Fried Rice
I have a confession – I believe fried rice deserves just as much love as jollof rice, if not more. It's quicker, arguably tastier and definitely gets a boost in the 'healthy' department (thanks to all those veggies, right?). Cooking the rice in chicken stock adds an extra depth of flavour that takes it up a notch. The sausage and prawns?Totally optional, but that's how my mum always made it for us, and it's a tradition worth keeping.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
250g easy-cook long-grain rice
1 tsp garlic granules
350ml chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
200g raw king prawns, peeled
3 hot dog sausages
250g frozen vegetables (a mix of peas, sweetcorn and carrots)
1 chicken stock cube
2 tsp dried thyme
3 tsp hot curry powder
Salt
Method
1) Heat 11⁄2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot. Check if it's hot enough by tossing in a few grains of rice – if they sizzle, you're good to go. Add all the rice and the garlic granules and toast, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until the rice starts to smell nutty. Pour in the stock, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook gently for about 20–25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
2) Meanwhile, heat a little more of the oil in a separate pot, add the onion and cook until softened. Add the hot dog sausages and the king prawns. Cook until the prawns just turn pink, then quickly remove the prawns with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3) Add the frozen vegetables to the onion in the pan and cook for 3–5 minutes until any water has evaporated. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and add the thyme and curry powder, stirring well.
4) Return the cooked rice to the pot, mixing it thoroughly with the seasoned vegetables. Season with salt to taste, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 20–25 minutes to allow all the flavours to meld.
5) Fold the prawns into the rice just before serving, for that final touch.
Earl Grey Tres Leches Cake
The ultimate cup of tea, in my opinion, is Earl Grey. When I lived up in Leeds, I wouldn't go a day without having at least three cups – nothing else would do. Now that I'm back in the Midlands, I've scaled down to two, but I'm loyal to Earl Grey, no exceptions. During a trip to New York, I stumbled across tres leches cake, and it's been love ever since. There's something magical about the way these two pair together – the fragrant, slightly citrusy notes of the Earl Grey cut through the richness of the tres leches (three types of milk). It's not overly sweet and the double cream on top gives it just the right balance. Absolute perfection.
Makes 12 slices
Ingredients
240ml milk
4 Earl Grey tea bags
100g unsalted butter, melted
100ml vegetable oil
300g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
360g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp salt
For the Earl Grey leche
150ml canned evaporated milk
150ml sweetened condensed milk
2 Earl Grey teabags
For the cream topping
600ml double cream
1 tbsp vanilla paste
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Method
1) Start with the sponge. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until warm, then remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Let them steep for 10–15 minutes, then discard the tea bags and allow the milk to cool slightly.
2) Preheat your oven to 180°C fan. Grease a 20 × 30cm baking tin and line with baking paper.
3) In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, infused milk, oil and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one by one, followed by the vanilla paste. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then gradually fold in to the wet mixture.
4) Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the top and slightly bang the tray to ensure all the air bubbles are removed. Bake for 20–25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5) Remove from the oven and let the cake cool slightly, then poke small holes with a fork across the surface to allow the milk mixture to soak in later.
6) To make the Earl Grey leche, heat the evaporated milk and condensed milk in a small saucepan until warm – you should be able to dip your finger in and it is not hot. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and let them steep for 10 minutes, then discard the tea bags and allow the leche to cool. Pour the mixture over the cake, making sure it seeps into the holes, then refrigerate the cake for at least a couple of hours, or preferably overnight.
7) When ready to serve, make the cream topping. Whip together the cream and vanilla paste in a bowl, then spread or pipe evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, if desired, and enjoy!