If you have not seen her on Standard Digital‘s cooking show, Sizzle, you have interacted with one of her three award-winning cookbooks. Jasmine Macharia is an author, food blogger, chef and entrepreneur. She studied culinary arts and restaurant management in Cambrils, Spain.
Through her blog, cookingwithjaz.com, she aims to teach others how to make restaurant meals in the comfort of their kitchens.
HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN AND APPLE SALAD
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless chicken breasts
4 tbspn honey
5 tbspn soy sauce
1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 mixed pack of lettuce
2 pink lady apples
Garlic bread croutons
2 grated cloves of garlic
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Olive oil (optional)
Sweet corn (optional)
FOR THE SALAD DRESSING
3 tbspn mayonnaise
1 tbspn honey
1 tspn yellow mustard
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C for 10 minutes.
2. Cut up a few slices of bread, mix with the grated garlic and a drizzle of olive oil and put in the oven to bake/toast for two minutes. Once crunchy and brown, remove and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix honey, soy and whole grain mustard with a bit of vegetable oil and stir well.
4. Wash the chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper and add to the marinade. Follow by placing chicken pieces on a greased baking tray to cook for 25 minutes or until tender or you can cook them on a pan.
5. Once done, remove and set aside to cool then slice.
6. Make the salad dressing by mixing mayo, honey and mustard.
7. Boil sweet corn for 10 minutes and then use a knife to remove the corn from the cob.
8. Slice up the apples and squeeze juice from the lemon on them to keep them from browning.
9. In a separate bowl, wash the mixed pack of lettuce. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
10. Plate the salad, followed by the garlic bread croutons, apples and sweet corn; then add the chicken chunks followed by the salad dressing.
MONGOLIAN BEEF
INGREDIENTS
500 grammes rump steak/fillet cut in cubes
1⁄4 cup water
3 tbspn brown sugar
4 tbspn soy sauce
1 onion, chopped
Ginger, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 courgette, chopped
1 green pepper
Corn/self raising/all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
Olive/ vegetable oil
Sesame seeds (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat some oil in a pan.
2. Wash your meat and pat dry, then cover with flour and remove the excess flour before placing it on the hot pan.
3. After the meat has browned on all sides (yet has not cooked through) remove from heat and set aside.
4. In another pan, (preferably non-stick) put onion to cook with ginger for two minutes.
5. Add brown sugar, soy sauce and water and leave to cook for three minutes. Then add courgette and pepper, followed by the meat, garlic and add some more water. Leave to cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until meat is completely cooked through.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve the stew on top of rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
What has been your experience writing cookbooks?
Writing cookbooks takes so much time and dedication. Luckily, I have worked with some great photographers and stylists so I know exactly what I want to accomplish when I am starting a new book. The first cookbook was the hardest because I did not know anything. Having self-published three books now, I am very familiar with what I need to finish a book and specifically what works for me.
As a three-time Gourmand Award winner, what does this mean for your brand?
Seeing my books sharing categories with books from all over the world was such an honour. I remember seeing an image of the awards in China in 2018 and one of my books on the big screen. That is when I realised, anything is possible if you give it your all and work with excellence. The awards set my books apart, seeing how many people refer to my cookbooks when they are setting out to do their own.
What would you tell your younger self about starting a business as a food influencer?
Just do it. I spent too much time treating my cooking as a hobby when I should have been pursuing it as a career.
What cookbooks do you keep coming back to?
Jamie Cooks Italy by Jamie Oliver and The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten.
What has been the biggest challenge running your business?
A lack of policies in our industry. Any influencer can tell you that getting paid after a campaign can be quite a headache depending on the brand/agency that you are working with.