Author: Banan Gharaibeh

Detox Water and Couscous Salad.

Hello everybody.

Very busy Saturday as usual,too much was done today.

In an attempt to cut down food or at least try to start a diet  I made a big jug of detox water,recipe was shown on Roya TV you simply add two slices of lemons,oranges, one strawberry and a bunch of fresh mint leaves, I also added some ginger slices and rose water. Leave to diffuse for two hours then start drinking from it all day. It’s excellent for cleansing your body from all toxins.

Lunch was pizza and a bowl of couscous salad, this one is simply done by adding hot water to 1/2 cup of Italian couscous till it’s light,tender and fluffy then add it to your regular salad, really yummy.

wpid-wp-1425152354056.jpeg so refreshing.

wpid-wp-1425152308632.jpeg couscous salad.

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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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Niçoise Salad and German Chocolate Cake.

Hello everybody.

Needed a light healthy lunch bit have no mood to cook so I decided to do this lovely colored salad, It’s a French dish made of veggies,tuna and boiled eggs.

Ingredients and method:

Salad :

* Lettuce,tomatoes,cucumber.

* 2 large boiled and sliced tomatoes.

* some boiled string beans ( didn’t have ones today)

* boiled eggs.

*tuna.

* black olives.

* you can add parsley or fresh basil all optional.

* Dressing:

* 1 clove garlic shopped.

* 1 small chopped onion.

*lemon juice.

*dijon mustard.

* salt,pepper.

* olive oil.

* Arrange all ingredients either mixed or next to each other.

* mix all dressing ingredients then add over salad before serving.

20150226_153626  healthy fulfilling salad.

20150226_133208 ingredients.

 

First thing in the morning I did 2 portions of my favorite chocolate cake recipe, half covered with ganache done from Milka Hazelnut chocolate and another with German Chocolate Cake frosting to my sister in-law cause I think chocolate is a big cheering and mood enhancing kind of food ,new moms really need that kind of thing for sure.

Ingredients of frosting:

* 1 1/2 cups of coconut.

* 2 big spoons butter.

* 2/3 cup Carnation condensed milk ( I used !/2 cup milk and 2 big spoons cream ,good enough also).

* 1/2 cup sugar.

* 1 egg.

* 1 tsp Vanilla.

* 1/2 cup crushed walnuts.

 

* Mix all ingredients except walnuts very well .

* boil over medium heat till mixture is thick .

* add walnuts and fold in.

* Use as filling and cover over chocolate cake.

* German chocolate cake contains 1 big spoon instant coffee with the basic cake ingredients.

 

Well,hope you like it dear sis and enjoy the almost warm sunny weekend everybody.

 

20150226_131125 German Chocolate Cake with baby icon.

20150226_125832 filling in the middle.

20150226_131501  hazelnut ganache.

20150226_131615  20150226_131323 two lovely ones .

 

 

Pizza Bites.

Hello everybody.

Sometimes when you do something in hurry it turns out really good but that’s not the case today.

Since I do have some okra from yesterday I needed to do something to go with it,so I decided to make carrot soup and another batch of separable garlic bread cause they were gone in minutes the other time and tried to do the rest of dough as pizza bites, same idea as garlic ones but instead you add pizza sauce ( tomato, pesto,oregano,garlic powder)  in between balls and cover with cheese but cause it was a last minute decision and I didn’t have much time in baked them while still not risen well and results weren’t as good as the first time.
That’s a lesson well learned 🙂

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wpid-wp-1424879433218.jpeg dough formed to balls then covered with pizza sauce and cheese.

wpid-wp-1424879391923.jpeg carrot soup.

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New Baby and Birthday <3

Hello everybody.

Sorry for delays these days but I had two big events these two days, yesterday was the birth of new nephew,a lovely healthy boy whom we’ve been all excited to see, a really joyful eventful day God bless baby and mom and congratulations my beloved brother I still can’t believe my baby bro is a dad now 🙂

 

Today was Mom’s birthday,we all went as surprise and it was such a cheerful sudden gathering. Love you mommy may God give you health and happiness always.

 

I made another Coconut Jam Cake and took with me some rice pudding and a sweet my cousin brought me from Qatar called rangina,it consists of layers of cooked flour and butter with dates in between,really tasty. My sis brought meat in a loaf ( 3arayes).

 

Ah and lunch was okra in the oven ,my first post remember?

 

DSC_0892  Welcome to the world baby Yaseen ,love you <3

DSC_0914  birthday celebration.

DSC_0913 okra in the oven .

20150224_162305  rengina .

20150224_170129 Coconut jam cake with baby symbol to match the events.

Seperable Garlic Bread and Steak Sandwiches.

Hello everybody.

Recycling yesterday’s steaks today, I shredded the leftovers and sauteed them with onions and green peppers  added some spices and a bit of water.

I baked the sandwiches bread at home, bakery style braided with sesame seeds on top.

kept some of the dough and formed them to balls then coated each one with a mixture of butter, oil,parmesan, oregano then put them all in a loaf pan and left them to rise well before baking, they’ll be like a salty monkey bread, really yummy.

Ingredients and method for bread ( as seen on Roya TV done by Domain Hijjawi for burgers)

* 3 cups flour.
* 50 gr butter or two big spoons.
* 1 tsp salt.
* 1 egg

* Mix all these well then add :
* 1 cup warm milk.
* 1 big spoon instant yeast.
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* all mixed till frothy then added to flour.

* knead all together very well then leave in a warm place till it rises.
* form to any shape you like, buns,braids or big loaf.

wpid-wp-1424624970996.jpeg  steak sandwiches with fries.

wpid-wp-1424625000039.jpeg wpid-wp-1424624992064.jpeg

wpid-wp-1424625018857.jpeg  wpid-wp-1424625028148.jpeg breads before baking.

wpid-wp-1424625046361.jpeg wpid-wp-1424625060785.jpeg

wpid-wp-1424625073480.jpeg shredded steaks.

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Black Angus Beef with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Hello everybody.

Been waiting for a day when everyone is home for lunch to do these steaks that our dear cousin brought us cause they must be grilled and eaten right away,so this snowy day is perfect.

The steaks are” black angus beef bone in striploin bone calvetti ” was afreaid they won’t be done cause they’re very thick and I can’t do them outside on the grill but they turned out alright, well done from inside.

I used some BBQ seasoning and salt only and pinched them all over then grilled then on top of a very hot grilling pan, kept turning them with a lid on till done. Side dishes were roasted potatoes and sauteed veggies and sauces were gravy mushroom ( ready mix ) and blue cheese sauce ( only for me cause nobody else like it)

wpid-wp-1424540838700.jpeg Restaurant style dish.

wpid-wp-1424540854105.jpeg roasted potatoes and veggies.

20150221_130926 wpid-wp-1424540880434.jpeg

wpid-wp-1424540892664.jpeg wpid-wp-1424540901785.jpeg

wpid-wp-1424540868150.jpeg wpid-wp-1424540908644.jpeg blue cheese and gravy sauces.

This morning I recycled some old goodies, processed some old rock cookies, all bran and mashed dates all together and made them balls, great as breakfast right? and I have two old oranges used them for a fresh orange cake and used the remaining of the Nutella cinnamon icing on top of it after adding some lemon juice to give it a tangy flavor.

wpid-wp-1424540925275.jpeg  date cookies balls.

wpid-wp-1424540934614.jpeg basic cake with lemony creamy icing.

Well it was a long day full of work but better than sitting doing nothing cause apparently we can’t go out 🙁

 

 

 

English Breakfast and Almond Hariseh.

Hello everybody.

What did you cook in this weather? all my group members started posting dishes since morning,all locked up in snow and cooking !!

My kitchen was busy doing lots of stuff,a brunch rather than a breakfast cause we ate late, I made a typical English breakfast sunny side ups,scrambled eggs,hot dogs and beans ,a favorite dish for my husband and boys but not me so I baked some ka3ek like last time but today’s batch was much better and more fluffy , ate them with cheese my kind of meal !

DSC_0868 hotel style breakfast.

DSC_0857 20150220_151209

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DSC_0864 20150220_150041  my ka3ek 🙂

20150220_145950 yum yum.

Last night I made this new recipe I found,wanted a change from usual hariseh or semolina cake so after searching decided to do this ,turned out nice but as my hubby said it’s not hariseh something totally different guess because it has almonds in it and eggs are separated so it’s a more a cake.

 

Ingredients and method:

* 4 eggs separated.

*1 cup sugar ( i think 1/2 or 3/4 are enough)

* 3/4 cup melted butter.

* 1 tsp vanilla.

* 2 tsp baking powder.

* 1 tsp lemon zest.

*1 1/2 cups semolina.

* 1 cup ground almonds.

*pinch of salt.

* sugar syrup ( 3 cups sugar,1 1/2 water and 1 tsp lemon juice)

 

* Separate egg yolks from whites.

* beat butter,sugar,lemon zest and vanilla till creamy.

* add eggs and beat well then add baking powder, semolina and almonds.

* beat egg whites till frothy and stiff.

* fold in whites into mixture slowly with a wooden spoon.

* grease a medium sized pan and pour mixture in.

* bake in a medium heated oven for 30-40 minutes toll golden.

*Note: you can decorate it with almonds or coconut on top as you wish.

* when done add the cold syrup on top.

20150220_133026  almond harisseh or semolina cake.

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Stuffed Vine Leaves and Nutella Cinnamon Rolls.

Hello everybody.

Well all locked up waiting foe the storm, though it was sunny this morning but as expected snow started this afternoon, I’m sure many will turn to the kitchen to make sweets and hot drinks to warm up.

Lunch today was stuffed vine leaves and courgettes,a favorite to most people here in Jordan specially when leaves are fresh green, though not the season but I did find some really good silky ones that’s why I was encouraged.Thank you dear cousin for coming by to help me,this dish needs a helping hand cause it’s a bit tiring and boring to make it on your own.

20150219_162402 a royal dish don’t you think?

Dessert was Nutella cinnamon rolls,recipe from www.littlesunnykitchen.com. the blogger posted this recipe on my page last week, they’re really soft and taste is divine. I made half with Nutella and the other with pecan cinnamon mixture, all yummy. Thank you dear Diana for the awesome recipe.

 

 

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20150219_153831  all done and glazed.

20150219_160627 20150219_160655

pecan cinnamon filling.

20150219_153953  DSC_0849

 

 

 

 

Swedish Meatballs.

Hello everybody.

After searching many food apps and sites for a dish containing mined meat, something new and easy,

I decided to do this recipe at the end Swedish meatballs or as many say IKEA dish, actually it is very tasty, heart warming and satisfying , sorry IKEA but homemade ones are much tastier than yours.

Ingredients and method:

For meat balls:

* 1/2 kg minced beef.

* 1 egg.

* 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

* salt,pepper,nutmeg,all spice.

* grated small onion.

* 1 big tablespoon butter.

For the sauce:

* 1/3 cup flour.

* 4 cups chicken broth or 1 cube Maggi cubes dissolved in 4 cups water.

* 1/2 cup heavy cream.

* salt,pepper,all spice to taste.

* some chopped parsley for garnish.

* Mix beef with all ingredients and form it into balls.

* heat butter and saute balls till done and golden.

* remove balls and add flour to remaining butter and mix well.

* gradually add broth and whisk quickly to get a smooth silky sauce.

* leave to simmer and thicken for 10 minutes.

* add the cream and seasoning then return balls in sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes, a special kind of jam is usually served with it but I didn’t have time to look for it,guess it’s available in IKEA called lingonberry jam.

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final outcome .

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