Hello everybody.
Happy Birthday to me today, I usually bake my own cake in case anybody pops up and since this December I’m posting Christmas recipes I decided to do this one to match the occasion.
Christmas
Arabic Fried Crepe (زلابيه) and Chicken in a bag :)
Hello everybody.
As I said today is a compensation to last week’s lousy food ! since I’m free this morning plus no car available, which is a blessing sometimes, I made stuffed chicken with veggies,freekeh soup, beetroot salad and this traditional kind of sweet called Zalabia which is as described best fried Crepe.
Intercontinental Christmas Bazaar.
Hello everybody.
Today I was privileged to be a guest in the annual Intercontinental Christmas bazaar held each year at the shopping arcade. Continue reading →
Christmas Fruit Cake.
Hello everybody.
Though I’m much better today but couldn’t cook plus nobody coming to lunch,we actually just ate cheese , labaneh and delicious makdous, my kind of food I really consider this the best meal ever.
Nevertheless I did a beautiful Christmas fruit cake cause I already prepared all ingredients yesterday and couldn’t do it.
Of course the traditional cake contains alcohol in it, usually Rum or Brandy, done a month before the holidays and kept in a closed tin so that all flavors and liqueurs are well absorbed, but this alcohol free one is really good and suitable for children.
Ingredients and method:
* 2 eggs.
* 2/4 cup brown sugar.
* zest and juice of one orange.
* 1/2 cup butter.
* 1/2 tsp of cinnamon,1/4 clove,1/4 nutmeg.
* 1/2 cup raisins.
* 1/2 cup walnuts.
* 1/2 candied dry fruits.
* 2 tsp baking powder.
* 1/4 tsp sodium bicarbonate.
* 2 cups flour.
* Beat eggs,sugar, butter,orange zest and juice well till creamy.
* Mix fry ingredients with flour well then fold in creamy batter.(mix is a bit thick )
* bake in a medium heated oven for 1 hour or till done.
* decorate with icing sugar.
Really yummy juicy and well flavored cake,do try it you’ll love it !
Minestrone Soup.(شوربه ايطاليه)
Hello everybody.
Rainy day and I have a bad flu, a rich hot soup is a blessing in this case.I did this soup once in Ramadan but didn’t post the recipe so it’s a chance to do it again, definitely a rich aromatic tasty one.
Ingredients varied when I searched for the recipe so I consulted my dear cousin living in Rome for the original one that Italians usually do and she gave me the secret ingredient that you won’t find in any recipe but I added it after taking the photo.
Ingredients and method:
* 1 small finely chopped onion.
* 1 clove garlic.
* bunch of chopped basil.
* 1/2 cup chopped celery.
* 1 small chopped zucchini.
* 2 small chopped carrots.
* some sun dried tomatoes.
* 1/2 cup black beans.
* 1/2 cup green beans (optional )
* 2 leaves finely chopped lettuce. (secret ingredient)
* 1 can chopped tomatoes.
* 1 tsp tomato paste.
* 4 cups broth or water and cube of broth.
* 2 bay leaves.
* salt,pepper and oregano.
* 3/4 cup small shaped pasta.
* Parmesan cheese.
* saute onions,garlic,carrots,celery till tender.
* add rest of ingredients then broth and pasta and 1 tablespoon of cheese, boil then leave to simmer till done and all ingredients are tender.
* sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when served.
Strawberry Trees and Hearts.
Hello everybody.
As promised I’m trying to select recipes for Christmas time,you can imagine how much websites and blogs are loaded with thousands of recipes. Well I’ll do my best to find easy quick ones cause I’m sure holiday season is full of events and invitations and little time to do sophisticated dishes.
Today I made these small and big hearts and trees , original recipe was for small hearts thought to try Christmas trees turned out fine, but all small shapes are a bit hard to handle so I made two big ones also.
Ingredients and method:
Shortcrust pastry:
* 1 egg.
* 1 tsp vanilla.
* 1/2 cup icing sugar.
* 3/4 cup butter.
* 2 cups flour.
* pinch of salt.
* 2 tablespoons cold water.
* Filling:
* 1 pack cream cheese or 6 pieces Kiri.
* 2 spoons cream.
* 2 spoons icing sugar.
* finely chopped strawberries.
* Mix all dough ingredients and knead well to a ball then leave to rest for 30 minutes.
* mix cream cheese, cream and sugar well.
* form dough to any shape you like or size, fill with cream then strawberries then add some strawberries and cover with another piece of dough.
* bake in a medium heated oven for 30-40 minutes till golden.
* decorate with icing sugar or red sprinkles.
Tastes really good,a bit like pop tarts so I’m sure kids will love them.
Lunch today was fava beans with rice,yummy yummy.
fava beans with rice رز بالفول
Nutella Christmas Tree.
Hello everybody.
As promised I’m trying to make a Christmas related recipe each day to give you new ideas of main dishes and sweets to add up to your lunches or dinners.
Today I made this beautiful Nutella Christmas Tree, my son send me the photo the other night and I searched for the easiest recipe, really yummy and not complicated as it looks.
Ingredients and method:
* 3 cups flour.
* 1/3 cup sugar.
* 1 cup warm milk.
* 2 teaspoons instant yeast.
* 1 tablespoon butter.
* 2 eggs.
* 1 cup Nutella.
* some crunch or sesame seeds for decoration.
* Mix dry ingredients well then add egg yolks,milk and butter and knead well for 10 minutes.
* leave covered for one hour in a warm place to rise.
* cut dough to 4 pieces.
* roll each piece into a thin triangle .
* top first layer with a very thin layer of warmed Nutella in a tree shape.
* add second layer on top of it and repeat process.
* add fourth layer on top but without Nutella then cut dough to a tree shape as shown in photos.
* make linear cuts to make branches then twist each one .
* add some milk to egg whites and whisk well together then brush on top of tree.
* bake in a medium heated oven for 30-40 minutes till all golden.
* mix a bit of icing sugar with milk and brush sides so as decorations stick well.
* decorate sides with anything you like, sesame,coconut,almonds, crunch …etc.
Oh forgot to mention that lunch is light today, chicken breasts with soy sauce,garlic,coriander and onions with any vegetable you like, I added broccoli today.
Tree looks and tastes AWESOME, a must try this season !
healthy light lunch.
