Meatloaf With A Twist. 

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Hello everybody.

Didn’t realize that it’s been this long since my last post!!!

Busy Banan Cooking kitchen for sure, no time for new recipes at all but today I tried this old new one for a change.

I’ve been watching this new TV show accidentally, well it’s on the hunting channel my husband watch everyday that’s why 🙂

This chef is really amazing, cooks in the wilderness many easy delicious dishes,salads and appetizers.

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Last night he made this meatloaf, same as the one I usually make with one additional ingredient which is mushroom.You simply sauté onions, garlic and mushroom then add them to meat, egg, breadcrumbs mixture.

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Ingredients and method:
* 1 kg minced veal.
* 1 egg.
* 1 spoon ketchup.
* 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.
* 1 spring onion.
* 1 bunch parsley or spinach.
* 1 tsp soy sauce.
* salt, pepper, oregano, all spice.
* 3-4 slices cheddar cheese.
* extra ketchup for surface.

* chop onion and parsley saute in a bit of oil.
* add to meat with rest of ingredients and knead well till mixed.
* spread on wax paper into a rectangle.
* add cheese slices and fold.
* spread olive oil and ketchup on surface.
* bake in medium heated oven for 30-40 minutes.
* serve with fries or wedges.

Made some roasted potatoes with rosemary and oregano on the side plus marinated roasted red peppers.

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Old New Lunch!

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Hello everybody.
Well lunch today was two opposite dishes, first very old and traditional the other kind of new and modern. Had to do this to please everyone and hopefully to have enough leftovers for tomorrow.

Okra with olive oil, a simple dish with few ingredients, you simply fry okra with some olive oil till crispy, add chopped garlic and tomatoes. Add salt, pepper and chili and leave on very low heat till all done.

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Other dish was chicken cubes cooked till done with some chopped onion and garlic, then I added fresh mushrooms, broccoli and fresh cream and cooked till cream is thick and veggies tender,all served on a bed of fresh yummy pasta from Maysas.Pasta.

wp-1464450381908.jpg  yummy ingredients leads to a delicious meal.

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Wild Pigeon With Mushrooms and Tomatoes.

Hello everybody.

While I was packing cleaned pigeon breasts that my husband did after his last hunting trip I thought why not surprise him with something,cause usually I don’t deal with hunting stuff neither cleaning nor cooking.

After a thorough search I found this one in The Field hunting magazine,simple and easy.

wpid-wp-1440512457897.png this is the original recipe, but I omitted the wine:)

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Homemade Qatayef.

Hello everybody.

Today I decided to try my cousin’s recipe of Qatayef ,a homemade one cause she lives abroad and this typical Ramadan dessert is not available, but my version was to make a big one filled half with cheese and half with walnuts.

ingredients and method:

* 1 cup flour.

*1 cup semolina.

* 1 tablespoon corn flour.

* 1 tsp vanilla.

* 2 tsps baking powder.

* pinch of salt.

* 1 tablespoon sugar.

* 2 1/4 cups warm water.

* syrup

* Mix all ingredients well in a blender then leave to rise or bubbly.

*heat a nonstick pan till very hot then reduce heat and pour a bit of dough the size you like.

* leave till all dry then remove to cool on a clean cloth.

* stuff and close with sweet cheese or walnuts.

* fry or bake as you wish then dip in syrup.

 

Dinner tonight was a bit of leftovers a plus a steak sandwich loaf ,which is usual steak sandwich filling ( shredded beef,onions,peppers,mushrooms) spread over a rectangular pizza dough , I added mustard and cheese also. Fold the dough and bake all in a medium heated oven till golden and crispy.

 

Usual appetizers were mashed fava beans and fatoush.

 

 

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wpid-wp-1434739305573.jpeg steak sandwich loaf.

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wpid-wp-1434739388417.jpeg fatoush and fava beans.

wpid-wp-1434739305573.jpeg wpid-wp-1434739312481.jpeg today’s work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple One-Pot Pasta.

Hello again.

Lunch was a first trial, just saw this recipe on Pinterest last night and couldn’t wait till morning comes out to make it, looked so interesting and exactly that’s what it turned out.

You can find lots of versions of this dish but all have the same principle, you simply add whatever you want of veggies,meat,chicken or sausages to raw pasta ,add herbs,salt pepper,oil and water then leave to cook till done !! that’s it.

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Ingredients and method:

* chopped courgettes,mushrooms,onions,garlic, cherry tomatoes,chives,basil and black olives.

* 1 pack pasta.

* salt, pepper, oregano and some olive oil.

* 4 1/2 cups water.

* Note: I added a cube of chicken stock also.

* some cream or milk if you like added when pasta is done.

* Parmesan cheese upon serving.

* Put all ingredients together in one pan then add water.

* boil then leave to simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes or till all done.

* add cream and cheese then serve.

20150411_153614 all ingredients.

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Absolutely amazing,everyone should try it.

20150411_175703 yummy result.

Fried Chicken Again.

  1. Hello everybody.

Nice sunny day,but still with a crisp breeze in the air seems Spring is shy to arrive :mrgreen:

Was planning to get a big fish and stuff it but kids objected so alternative was homemade fried chicken,mashed potatoes and a big salad with mushrooms and freshly picked asparagus from our friends farm,I sauted them with some garlic and olive oil then added the oil to the dressing ,it was really refreshing .

Just came back from Mom’s where we all gathered with my lovely uncles for Knafeh celebrating the new baby ,such a lovely cheerful event.

 

wpid-wp-1425057152255.jpeg  Delicious Knafeh.

wpid-wp-1425057173493.jpeg fried chicken.

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wpid-wp-1425057219852.jpeg  mashed potatoes and salad

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Homemade Pasta !

Hello everybody.

After a chit chat with my cousin living in Rome last night discussing how fresh homemade pasta is much more tastier than commercial ones and since I do have a pasta making instrument stashed away in my kitchen cabinet,I decided to start rolling it while we’re already stuck indoors in the cold weather.

Basic egg pasta recipes are all similar ,only 2 ingredients but secret to a successful dough is to let it rest and flour surfaces and roller so as pasta won’t stick to each other.

 

Ingredients and method:

* 2 cups flour.

* 1/2 tsp salt.

* 3 eggs.

 

* on a clean surface or in a bowl mix flour and salt then make a well in the middle and crack eggs in it.

* start whisking eggs into flour with a fork gradually.

* continue working with your hands or in a food processor till you get a firm dough.

* cover with cling film and leave to rest for 30-50 minutes.

* divide to 4 pieces then roll in the thickest number in roller.

* keep dusting with flour so as layers won’t stick.

* roll again to a thinner layer and so on till you have very thin ones.

* last thing roll in pasta shape and dust them with flour when done ( an extra helping hand during this process is not a bad idea:) )

* cook in salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes only.

* remove and cook the way you want,today I made it with mined meat,mushrooms,onions with herbs and tomato paste .

* sprinkle with cheese when served.

 

Hope you try it if you have this magical machine ,really worth it, totally different taste !

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20150106_133937  flour eggs mix.

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DSC_0234  final result.

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20150106_171147  Voila !!

 

 

Palmetto Artichoke Corn Salad.

Hello everybody.

Very busy Saturday,didn’t have time to write my daily post till now.

Lunch today was Pizza,homemade in two big trays,boys are now eating it for dinner also. We are definitely a pizza lovers family !

I also made this rich salad,we usually eat it in restaurants specially in Fakhr El-Deen , it’s a mix of coarsely chopped  palmetto,artichoke, baby corns,avocados and mushrooms over a bed of lettuce and I made a honey mustard dressing which contains a bit of mustard,honey,lemon juice,bit of pomegranate sauce and of course olive oil,salt and oregano . Yummy rich salad for sure.

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Small Lunch Gathering :)

Hello everybody.

My dear cousins coming from Irbid today , though they insisted that they’ll only pass by for coffee but I ignored the thought and promised to make a small easy lunch, we really had a great time specially with the company of the sweetest baby ever Mira,such an angel <3

I made steak with mushrooms peppers and gravy sauce with mashed potatoes on the side,some eggplant dip and green salad.

Dessert was simple cake with swirled blueberries on top,really good with coffee after lunch.

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20140909_141512 matabbal.

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20140909_141940-1   isn’t she adorable?

 

Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun-dried Tomatoes.

Hello everybody.

Had to cook something in a hurry this morning, something that can be heated quickly when we arrive home from school ,so fettuccine with cream was a great choice.

I did this dish before,a small addition to chicken,mushrooms,pesto,cheese and cream was sun dried tomatoes,really gave a twist to it , good news many left for tomorrow 🙂

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