Sister’s Secrets to Irresistible Recipes: From Cheesy Garlic Bread to Ultimate Chicken Shawarma

Introduction: A Special Treat from My Sister's Kitchen

Hello, everyone! Welcome back to my channel. Today, I’m beyond excited to share some of my sister’s incredible recipes that have been getting so much love from you all. After receiving numerous requests from my previous posts and stories, I figured it was finally time to showcase her amazing cooking skills. I’ve recorded three of her best-loved recipes in today’s video, and I can't wait for you to try them too!

We’ve got everything from cheesy, mouthwatering garlic bread to a flavorful chicken cha pasta, and of course, her ever-popular chicken shawarma that has people coming back for more. Stick around until the end to catch all the details and tips that make each dish extra special. Let’s dive right into the first recipe!

Recipe 1: Cheesy Garlic Bread

The first dish I’m sharing is my sister’s cheesy garlic bread. This is something she spontaneously whipped up for us when I went over to film her chicken cha pasta recipe. It was too good not to share with you, so I decided to record the whole process.

Ingredients:

A loaf of BOS bread (or any bread of your choice)

Sliced cheese (a mix of Gouda and Emmental, but regular sliced cheese works fine too)

Garlic butter (you can spread or slice it, depending on your preference)

Mozzarella cheese

Paprika (for seasoning)

Optional: Melted butter for extra softness after baking

Instructions:

Preparing the Bread:

Start by cutting your loaf of bread into squares and arranging them on a baking tray. The more evenly spaced the pieces, the better they bake.

Cheese Layering:

Take your sliced cheese (Gouda and Emmental) and place two slices between each piece of bread. If you’re not a huge cheese fan, you can stick to just one slice per piece.

Adding the Garlic Butter:

You can spread the garlic butter on top of the bread slices before arranging them on the tray, but in this video, my sister forgot to do that, so she added the garlic butter between the bread slices afterward. Both methods work perfectly fine!

Mozzarella and Baking:

Top the bread with mozzarella cheese and then pour melted garlic butter generously over the bread. Finally, sprinkle paprika over the mozzarella to give it a little kick and color.

Baking Time:

Pop the tray into the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, with a nice golden color. This usually takes around 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven’s heat.

Finishing Touch:

Once the garlic bread is done, my sister likes to drizzle a little more melted butter over it while it’s still warm to give the bread an extra soft, buttery finish. The result is a cheesy, crispy, and incredibly aromatic garlic bread that everyone will love!

While the garlic bread was baked, my sister surprised us with another treat—Nama chocolate. This Japanese chocolate has the smoothest, ganache-like texture that melts in your mouth. It was the perfect little snack while we waited for the bread to bake!

Recipe 2: Chicken Cha Pasta

Next up, we have my sister’s chicken cha pasta, which was the main dish for this video. It’s a flavorful pasta dish that’s easy to make, and it's always a hit with everyone who tries it.

Ingredients:

Macaroni or pasta of your choice

Store-bought chicken cha (or chicken shuka)

Olive oil

Chopped onions

Chopped mushrooms

Garlic powder

Garam masala

Oregano

Smoked paprika

Cooking cream

Processed cheese (the kind that comes in a jar)

Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Cooking the Pasta:

Start by boiling some salted water with a dash of olive oil and then adding your macaroni. Cook until al dente, which usually takes about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, drain the pasta but save a little bit of the pasta water for later use in your sauce.

Preparing the Chicken:

For the chicken, my sister bought ready-made chicken cha from Lulu Hypermarket, but you can use any store-bought or leftover chicken shuka, or even make your own from scratch. She deboned the chicken and made sure to include the flavorful masalas that came with it.

Sautéing the Veggies:

In a pan, heat some oil and sauté the chopped onions until they’re soft and translucent. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook them until they’re tender and reduced in size.

Seasoning and Mixing:

Add the deboned chicken and all the seasoning: garlic powder, garam masala, oregano, and smoked paprika. Stir everything together and let it cook for a minute or two to combine the flavors.

Making the Sauce:

Next, pour in some cooking cream and allow it to gently simmer. Add the processed cheese to help loosen up the sauce and then pour in a little of the reserved pasta water to get the right sauce consistency.

Combining Pasta and Sauce:

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well. Finally, sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese and give it a good stir to combine everything.

The chicken cha pasta is now ready to be served! We were lucky enough to have leftovers the next day, and I have to say, it was even more flavorful. The pasta had absorbed all the rich, creamy sauce, and each bite was a flavor explosion!

Recipe 3: Ultimate Chicken Shawarma

Now, for the star of the show: my sister’s ultimate chicken shawarma. It’s incredibly simple to make and doesn’t require multiple sauces or complicated steps. This version is quick and easy, and results in tender, juicy chicken every time.

Ingredients:

Chicken breast or thigh (boneless)

Shawarma marinade (spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, and others)

Olive oil

Garlic sauce or tahini sauce (store-bought)

Fresh veggies for the filling (pickled cucumbers, radishes, carrots, lettuce)

French fries

Sriachi mayo (for an extra kick)

Instructions:

Marinating the Chicken:

For the marinade, my sister uses a mix of spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, and more. After marinating the chicken for a few hours, it’s ready to be grilled.

Grilling the Chicken:

My sister swears by grilling the chicken on a hot pan instead of baking it. She says grilling ensures the chicken stays juicy and flavorful. To do this, add the marinated chicken to a very hot pan, and once a slight coating forms on the chicken, reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes, being careful not to overcook it, or the chicken will lose its juiciness.

Preparing the Shawarma Fillings:

While the chicken is cooking, my sister prepares some pickled cucumbers, radishes, and carrots. She also slices up some fresh lettuce to add crunch and freshness to the wrap.

Assembling the Shawarma:

After the chicken is cooked, slice it into thin pieces. The key to great shawarma is cutting the chicken along the grain for the best texture. Then, spread garlic sauce or tahini sauce on shami bread (a type of thin, flatbread you can find at most supermarkets), and layer the sliced chicken, French fries, pickled veggies, and a generous drizzle of sriracha mayo on top.

Final Touch:

Fold the sides of the bread, roll it up, and grill the shawarma on both sides until it’s crispy and golden brown. My sister presses it down with a sandwich weight press to get that perfect crisp.