I need to try making these baked fries!!

http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2012/06/perfectly-crispy-rosemary-baked-fries/?fb_action_ids=10101357130706117&fb_action_types=instapp%3Atake&fb_ref=ogexp&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={%2210101357130706117%22%3A215879795239298}&action_type_map={%2210101357130706117%22%3A%22instapp%3Atake%22}&action_ref_map={%2210101357130706117%22%3A%22ogexp%22}

Ingredients

• 3 small russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into “fry-like” slices
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oi, divided
• salt & pepper
• ½ tablespoon rosemary + more for garnish, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cumin

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and adjust a rack to the second slot from the bottom.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt & pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, cover potato slices with hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.
4. Drain potatoes and pat dry.
5. Toss potatoes with remaining tablespoon of olive oil, cayenne, smoked paprika, cumin and additional salt & pepper.
6. Spread out into an even single layer on the baking sheet and cover with foil.
7. Bake for 5 minutes and then remove foil.
8. Bake for another 10 minutes then rotate the pan.
9. Bake for another 5 minutes then remove pan from oven, flip each fry individually and bake for 5 more minutes.
10. Remove from oven, sprinkle with more salt & pepper to taste and garnish with additional rosemary.
11. Enjoy immediately.

Z's Pumpkin Pie!

Z made this amazing pumpkin pie (which I'm still dying to eat!) and below is the recipe (courtesy of z)

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pumpkin-1-36857

Pretzels!!

I've always loved pretzels and although they were the cause of some serious weight gain, they are still my #1 choice when it comes to bread. I found this recipe which I tried out today and it turned out delicious! Almost as good as store bought. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buttery-soft-pretzels/

A minor note: I used instant yeast instead of active yeast (same quantity as in recipe below) and the warm water wasn't enough to make the dough soft and homogenous, so I kept adding water until it felt right. Not sure exactly how much though..

Also, I made a few with sesame seeds, one with olives, and another with olives and oregano.

Ingredients:

• tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cupkosher salt, for topping

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Brazilian Chicken with Coconut Milk

I made this with 4 chicken thighs yesterday and replaced the jalepeno peppers with red chilli peppers and it was really good. I also used canned chopped tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Next time, I'll use less coconut milk (half a can) because there was too much sauce. I also put the chicken back in the sauce at the end and let it simmer for a while and garnished with both parsley and fresh coriander. Next time, I would leave the chicken to marinate overnight because although the sauce was really tasty, the chicken was a little flavourless. Otherwise, delicious!

http://www.food.com/recipe/brazilian-chicken-with-coconut-milk-sauce-307015
Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 bunch chopped fresh parsley

Method.

1 In a medium bowl, mix the cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and coriander.
2 Place the chicken in the bowl, season with salt and pepper, and rub on all sides with the spice mixture.
3 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
4 Place the chicken in the skillet.
5 Cook 10 to 15 minutes on each side, until no longer pink and juices run clear.
6 Remove from heat and set aside.
7 Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet.
8 Cook and stir the onion, ginger, jalapeno peppers, and garlic 5 minutes, or until tender.
9 Mix in the tomatoes and continue cooking 5 to 8 minutes.
10 Stir in the coconut milk.
11 You may add additional salt and/or pepper to the sauce, if desired.
12 Serve over the chicken.
13 Garnish with the parsley.

Moroccan Kofta

This is a variation of a recipe I found online (but can't seem to find it now)

1. Caramelize an onion and add a few cloves of garlic
2. To make the Kofta mix, mix together the following ingredients: the caramelized onion/garlic, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, some cinnamon, a bit of chili pepper, some nutmeg, chopped fresh mint, ground dried coriander.
3. Shape the kofta and grill on medium heat.

To make the tomato sauce:
1. Add a bit of garlic to a pan with hot oil. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and some sugar, and let it heat up.
2. Add a thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
3. Add some chopped up fresh coriander or parsley.
4. Let simmer until it thickens

To arrange:
In a baking dish, pour the tomato sauce and place the grilled koftas on top. Sprinkle with some toasted pine nuts.

Hamburger

I tried this recipe a couple days ago (it's based on a mix of ingredients from several recipes I came across online) and I thought it was pretty good :)

1. Caramelize an onion and mix in a few cloves of garlic
2. Add half the quantity of onion/garlic to the minced meat (the rest will be added on top of the cooked burger in the bun.
3. Mix in the following with the minced meat: salt, pepper, dijon mustard, cayenne, soy sauce
4. Shape the burgers and grill on medium heat
5. Devour :)

Simple Garlic Shrimp Recipe

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-garlic-shrimp/

Thai Chicken and Rice Recipe Courtesy of Z

YUM!

Coconut Chicken:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/thai-style-coconut-chicken/1273016a-f6f7-42f7-acf5-70e80584324e
"I added a tablespoon of peanut butter, and only half the amount of coconut milk, and it made the sauce thicker and more flavorful." -Chef Z

Thai Rice:
http://www.cbc.ca/bestrecipes/2011/10/coconut-thai-rice.html

Veggie Lasagne

A great recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10603/roasted-vegetable-lasagne

Ingredients:

• 3 red peppers
• 2 aubergines
• 8 tbsp olive oil, plus a little for greasing
• ½ quantity tomato sauce (see below)
• 300g fresh pack lasagne sheets
• ½ quantity white sauce (see below)
• 125g ball mozzarella
• handful cherry tomatoes, halved

 

 Method:

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Deseed the peppers, halve, then cut into large chunks. Trim ends off aubergines, then cut into slices about ½cm thick. Lightly grease 2 large baking trays, then place peppers and aubergines on top. Toss with the olive oil, season well, then roast for 25 mins until lightly browned.
2. Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly oil an ovenproof serving dish (30 x 20cm). Arrange a layer of the vegetables on the bottom, then pour over a third of the tomato sauce. Top with a layer of lasagne, then drizzle over a quarter of the white sauce. Repeat until you have 3 layers of pasta.
3. To finish, spoon remaining white sauce over the pasta, making sure the whole surface is covered. Scatter mozzarella over the top with the tomatoes. Bake for 45 mins until bubbling and golden.

Tomato Sauce:

 

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan. Add 2 onions, finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, sliced and 1 carrot, roughly chopped. Cook for 5-7 mins over a medium heat until softened. Turn up the heat a little and stir in 2 tbsp tomato purée. Cook for 1 min, pour in 200ml white wine, then cook for 5 mins until this has reduced by two-thirds. Pour over 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes and add 1 handful basil leaves. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool, whizz in a food processor.

Some desserts I would like to try

Chocolate Fondant: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8168/chocolate-fondant

Caramelized Apple Cake with Streusel Topping: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12842/caramelised-apple-cake-with-streusel-topping

Chocolate Brownie Cake: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3431/chocolate-brownie-cake

Better than Sex Cake: http://baking.food.com/recipe/better-than-sex-cake-278873?ic1=obnetwork

Snickerdoodles (I loooove snickerdoodles): http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-snickerdoodle-cookies-97496 or http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/snickerdoodles/7ffc92a9-d847-4869-9ecb-99de3b751b14

Pan con Bistec

A really simple and delicious Cuban steak recipe: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Pan-con-Bistec-Sabrina-Soto

ingredients

• 6 1/2-pound Top Round Steaks
• 2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• juice of 2 Limes
• 1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
• 3 tablespoons Parsley (finely chopped)
• Salt and Pepper
• 6 small Cuban Loafs (sliced in half)

 Would also be great with swiss cheese and sliced tomatoes in the sandwich!

1. Pound steaks on both sides until super thin.  Place steaks in a shallow dish. Season with the salt, pepper, garlic, lime and marinate for about an hour. 

2. Remove steaks from marinade, reserving the marinade. In a skillet over high heat, add the oil and once hot, brown the steaks, about 2 minutes per side. Remove steaks and set aside. In the same pan, add the marinade, onion and pat of butter, and cook until the onions soften.

3. Trim the steak to the bread, if necessary. Place the steaks, marinade and parsley on a loaf of cuban bread

Tante Soheir's Baklava Recipe

Tante Soheir's Baklava Recipe

 

Sorry for the inexact measurements-I'm writing this from memory :s

 

First, make the syrup:

Heat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice until it's boiling and thick. Set aside to cool. You will not use all this syrup-you can store the extra and use it when you make katayef or kunafa, etc. Or just scale down the ingredients as needed.

 

Ingredients:

1 pack filo dough

3/4 lb walnuts-crushed in food processor

2 teaspoons vanilla

half a small stick of butter

A couple tablespoons oil

 

Method:

1. Cut the filo dough in half so it can fit the dish you're making it in. Set half of the dough aside

2. Melt the butter and the oil together in a sauce pan.

3. Grease the bottom of the dish with the oil/butter. Place the first sheet on the bottom of the dish and brush on some butter/oil. Place another sheet on top. Repeat until you're done with half of the sheets.

4. Mix the vanilla (I used powder) with the crushed walnuts and scatter it on the filo sheet (marking the mid-point of the baklava)

5. place a sheet on top of the walnuts and spread with butter. Repeat until all the sheets are finished.

6. Cut into squares or diamonds and place in a preheated oven (350 degrees) until it's brownish on top.

7. When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour some syrup on top (make sure the syrup is cool before pouring it on top).

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Note: They're best eaten fresh. Otherwise the texture isn't the same.

Cheese bread/rolls (Pao de Queijo)

500gr of *Sour* Tapioca *starch* (in portuguese we call it "polvilho azedo")

1 1/2 cups of milk

1/2 cup of oil (sunflower)

150 to 200gr of cheese (cheddar - mature is better)

1 (coffee size) spoon of salt (if the cheese is salty, use just a pinch)

2 eggs


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees(Celsius).


In a little saucepan, combine the oil and milk to boil and bring to boil.

In a bowl, put the flour, greated cheese on top and the salt. Add the
"boiled" milk and oil. Mix with a spoon and when the mixture has cooled a
bit, add the eggs. Mix all together (spoon or you can use your hands if is
not too hot) until you have homogeneous dough.

Leave to rest a little bit (2-5 minutes). Is mix is still too sticky, add a
bit more flour.

Grease your hands with butter, then form the dough into balls. (use a spoon
to get dough from bowl). (or you can also use two spoons instead of making
ball with hands)

Arrange then on a baking tray. Put into the oven and immediately reduce the
temperature to 160 degrees (Celsius).

Leave for 30 minutes and then turn up to 180 degrees for 5 to minutes to
get brownish.

Bom apetite! (Buon appetitte!)


ps.:
1) you can also freeze the bread, make the dough into balls and put in a
plastic container until frozen than can keep in plastic bags to free some
freezer space.

2) 500 grams of flours makes around 25 to 30 little rolls.

Moussaka

A really good moussaka recipe. I use this recipe http://greek.food.com/recipe/kittencals-greek-moussaka-88804 to make the eggplants and this one: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/moussaka_01004  for the rest of the dish.

The ultimate chocolate cake

Soo chocolatey and pretty easy to make (except the ganache)
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3092/ultimate-chocolate-cake

Ultimate chocolate cake

Ingredients

• 200g good quality dark chocolate, about 60% cocoa solids
• 200g butter
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml buttermilk (5 tbsp)
• grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

For the ganache

• 200g good quality dark chocolate, as above
• 284ml carton double cream (pouring type)
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Method

1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break 200g good quality dark chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Cut 200g butter into pieces and tip in with the chocolate, then mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted – don’t overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. While the chocolate is melting, mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powderin a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat 3 medium eggs in a bowl and stir in 75ml (5 tbsp) buttermilk.
3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes – if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don’t worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don’t worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop 200g good quality dark chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour a 284ml carton of double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

Zucchini Bread

A delicious and moist zucchini bread recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Ingredients 

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cuminiyya

A recipe I got from my mother-in-law and that I absolutely loved. I will post pics when I make it again and remember to take pics.

Recipe:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat.
2) Add cubed beef (I used low fat beef and was still delicious and very tender) and mix around until it's dark gold.
3) Add 5 chopped garlics
4) Add enough water to cover the beef, salt and pepper to taste, and two teaspoons of cumin
5) Reduce heat to low until beef is tender.

Serve with rice and fattoush salad.

Vegetarian Dishes

Some vegetarian dishes I made recently:

1) Hummus Fatteh

Pros: Super easy, delicious, and all ingredients were things I usually have lying around
Recipe here

2) Stuffed Zucchini

I had some zucchinis lying around, so tried out THIS RECIPE. Husband loved it. (I used Halloumi cheese instead of Parmesan).

3) Turkish Eggplant Mezze

Here's an Eggpland Recipe I'll definitely make again!! Very easy and was great as a side with fish and rice. Some changes I made to make it a little healthier: (1) roasted the eggplants instead of frying them; (2) Used only fresh tomatoes (4 of them) chopped up; and (3) added some chopped parsley at the end.

Whole Fish Again (Tilapia this time) with Psycho Freak

I bought a couple whole Tilapia's (I'm a little obssessed with whole fish recently, I think it's because I feel like fillets are always so bland) and to cook them just stuffed them with rings of onions, tomatoes, lemons, some garlic, olive oil and salt, then put some lemon rings around them, wrapped them in foil and popped them in the oven. I enjoyed them :). (They kind of reminded me of "Samak Sengary" I like to have in Egypt.

Raw, upside down, stuffed Fish

 

Fish wrapped in foil before going in the oven 

 

 Cooke Fish

 

And this time I remembered to take pictures of the Freekeh <3 I love it's smoky taste. A much tastier and healthier alternative to boring rice.

 

The uncooked grains

 

Cooked Freekeh



low fat desserts...boooo

I tried this low fat cheesecake recipe, but to be honest, (1)
I'm not really a fan of cheesecake and (2) I was not too impressed. I should have gone with the low fat chocolate mousse instead! Also, the cups are so big and awkward looking (that's right, I blame it on the cups, not my abilities).

Bubble Tea

One of my favorite drinks in the world! We tried some at Wok of Fame, Villagio, Doha this past weekend and although it was not the best bubble tea I've ever had, it had the best tapioca pearls I've ever had. Perfect texture and bounce (sounds like a hair commercial) and so nice and fresh (this is the watermelon bubble tea).

The best bubble tea I've had is at the "Sweet Dreams TeaShop" in Waterloo and I always make sure to get a cup or ten when I visit my little Zibra. They also have a ton of boardgames and cards that are always fun. Unfortunately last time I was there in Feb I discovered they renovated and redesigned the place and although the bubble tea was as good as ever, it just wasn't the same grungy ambiance :(

The second best was from this cool mobile shop/van called "Cupp Tea Bar" that goes around the UK (I had it in Bristol). They make amazing hot Taro Bubble Tea. My favorite cold one is by far Lychee.

Lamby Lamb

I've been accused by sister zibra that I haven't cooked anything at all since Lemony Chicken but the truth is that I HAVE cooked but just haven't updated my blog. So to prove her wrong, I will put up some of the dishes I have cooked in the past few days.

First off: Lamb! I decided to try to get creative and take it to the next level and invent my own dishes (which probably isn't a good idea) but anyway, the results: (I will only share recipes if they are worth sharing)

 

Lemony Chicken

I've been really enjoying cooking with lemon zest recently and found THIS RECIPE which looked perfect, so I tried it out and it turned out fantabulous :) Will definitely do it again isA! Also, because I didn't have any oregano or thyme, I used fresh dill instead and used the juice of a whole lemon.

Oh and I almost forgot to take a picture but thankfully had a chicken breast leftover so took a photo of that last minute :)

 

Made some mint couscous to go with it (I told you I'm obsessed!).

 

Cooking a whole fish

I decided to give cooking a whole fish a shot and bought a couple Red Snappers. Found THIS RECIPE online and I love that there's the option to flavour it in different ways. I chose the Mediterranean ingredients (because I love Mediterranean food, but mostly because I had the ingredients). The only change I made was added some lemon zest, lemon juice and 4 cloves of garlic instead of the suggested 1. Et voila!

                                                                         Raw

                                                                       Cooked

 

I paired it with couscous flavored with mint leaves and lemon zest. I love couscous, it takes about 5 minutes to make and tastes delicious.

The best cuppajoe!

I'm elated to find a Nespresso machine at our new temporary home :) I've always wanted one, but they're pretty pricey. As far as I'm concerned, they make the best homemade coffee!
 

Bird Tongue Soup

Another traditional Egyptian soup, Bird Tongue Soup (aka lesaan asfour shourba) is definitely a comfort food for me. The "Chicken Soup" of Egyptians, it's a perfect pick-me-up when feeling ill or down. I made some yesterday, and as you can see in the pictures (sorry you'll ahve to tilt your head, can't figure out how to rotate the darn thing), I added too much bird tongue. Regardless, I enjoyed it and can't wait to have the leftovers today!

It's made in basically the same way as Mouloukhiyya but you just add bird tongue (aka Orzo), after lightly frying it to a golden color, to the soup. Easy and Delicious!

Also bought some roughly shredded roumy cheese (haven't had it in 7 months) to my rocket/dill/parsley salad.

When in the middle east, eat Shawerma!

So I made the BEST shawerma sandwich yesterday...perfect with french fries, pickles and garlic sauce <3...YUMMY!! Just look at the picture and admire it!



Just kidding! I wish I could make a delicious shawerma but I don't want to even attempt it because I might ruin its image in my head. I was craving shawerma a couple days ago (this post is a little outdated) so husband went to the nearest shawerma stand..our local Ikea...to get us some!! Yes, Ikeas sell shawermas, and yes they are delicious!! But I do have to admit, the one I had at "Lebanese Flower" was much better. But I couldn't wait the 40 min drive to pick it up and so the Ikea (2 min drive) one did it for me :)

 

Egyptian Classics for Future Use

Just came across this site today while looking up how to make Lesaan Asfour Soup. I can't wait to make some of these classics!!

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/7/49/48987/Life--Style/Food/Classic-Ramadan-recipes-from-Ahram-Online-II.aspx

Amateur Tip #5

Olive oil is delicious. Not to be used sparingly.

Amateur Tip #4

Herbes de provence is a heavenly mix of herbes. I use it on everything: chicken, seafood, meat, salad...EVVVERYTHING!

Calamariiiiii

After a couple mishaps, finally perfected fried Calamari :). The trick is to heat the oil to max (I put it on 6 on electric stovetop) and leave them in for a very short time (~1 min, until just golden). I also marinated the calamari with garlic, herbes de provence, salt and pepper a couple hours before frying them. I've read that they're also delicious when marinated with buttermilk. Will try that later.

Baked Hammour Fillets

I tried out this Baked Hammour Fillet Recipe, but instead of using chopped onions, I used chopped garlic because I <3 garlic!!

 Rawwwww                                                              Cooked (with amateur garnish :))

Made it with Freekeh (sorry no pics). I seriously love that stuff, but I followed a recipe online that called for 2.5 cups of water for every cup of freekeh and it was too mushy :( so next time, will decrease amount of water.

Also made a rocket salad to go with it (sprinkled sunflower seed and all bran buds on top)

 

Trip to the Grocery Store

Curious looking tomatoes from Tunisia. Didn't buy though...

Bought some mangosteen. Apparently very nutritious and quite tasty. Too bad we had an ant situation...tons of them hidden in the leaves and had to drown them to death.

Salad Dressing and Chicken Tagine

 
I finally made my salad dressing, but because we have nothing to make it in, I made it in a cup..

Regardless, Yum!!

Also made some Moroccan chicken to go along with it. A mix between Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas and Raisins and Moroccan Tagine of Chicken with Chickpeas and Raisins. Didn't have any raisins so put prunes instead and it wasn't so bad :-)
 

Seashells!!

Found a seashell in the shrimp today!

Made shrimp scampi for dinner but was so hungry, forgot to take a picture :-(

Recipe here

Amateur Tip #3

BBC Good Food is your go-to website for the most delicious recipes!! I only attempt ones that have been reviewed with 5 stars and have a binder to save all my favorites!

Go to BBC Good Food for a happier tummy!!

Today's Menu: Lamb Tagine Avec Couscous

Although I'm not really a fan of lamb, I decided to be experimental and bought some cubed lamb over the weekend.

Looked up some recipes and made a melange of the Easy Lamb Tagine and the Lamb with Lemon and Dill. Plus added some mushrooms. Turned out pretty deliciouso! Would have been better if I had something sweet to add to it...dried apricots or sweet potatoes...

Amateur Tip #2

Beware of worms in your lettuce! I butchered this bugger while chopping some up for today's salad

Hehehe

Hungry?

Amateur Tip #1:

Garlic is your new BFF. The more the merrier.

No household can call itself Egyptian without some Molokhia. Mine is no exception!

My first time making Molokhia!

Although being a nomad means I'm stuck using a tiny pot that the chicken barely fits into

and despite forgetting a key ingredient (dried coriander to go with the garlic), it turned out edible :)

Some tips to share: Molokhia is one of the easiest and most nutritious Egyptian dishes. The trick of the trade is to boil the Molokhia for as short as possible (3 min) in order for it to remain suspended in the soup. Otherwise it'll sink to the bottom and be a gloppy mess...yuck.

RECIPE HERE