Anise Bars.

Hello everybody.

Though we’re Mansaf-ing today but it’s not me cooking so I baked these bars this morning,good choice with coffee as a quick breakfast for my son before leaving to college everyday.

Recipe is very easy almost a simple cake but you bake it in a big wide pan then slice it when done and ready bake or toast bars till crunchy.

Really yummy.

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs.
* 1 cup sugar.
* 1/2 cup olive oil.
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil.
* 2 big spoons anise powder.
* 2 big spoons anise seeds.
* sesame seeds
* 2 tsp baking powder.
* 1 tsp vanilla.
* 2 cups flour.

Method:
* mix eggs, vanilla, sugar with electric mixer till fluffy. Add rest of ingredients.
* sprinkle bottom of pan with sesame seeds, add the cake mixture and bake in medium oven for 30 minutes or dry in center.
* when cooled cut to slices and roast again till golden from both sides.( مثل شكل القرشله)
* leave to cool completely then keep in well closed jar or tin.

relaxing time with some mint tea.

today’s mansaf.

Teramisu.

Hello everybody.
Have a gathering this evening for my sister in-law’s family so I prepared several things one of them is teramisu since I have some mascarpon cheese fresh from Italy that I’d rather use before it’s spoiled.

Cause I don’t prefer using raw eggs though the original recipe requires it, I substituted it with a pack of cream caramel powder, gave it the same color and texture and result was super.

You can find many recipes for it,here’s one option that is very tasty

* 2 packs whipping cream.

*2 packs kiri or cream cheese.

* 1 can condensed milk (or cream and 1/4 cup sugar)

* lady fingers biscuits.

* Nescafe ( 1 big spoon dissolved in 3/4 cup warm water)

* mix cream,condensed milk and cheese together very well.

* arrange biscuits in a deep serving dish then soak them in coffee mixture. * add half of cream mixture then repeat process. * refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

* sprinkle cocoa powder on top.

Or the one I made today:

* 200 gm Mascarpon cheese.

* 6 pieces Kiri.

* 1 sachet whipping cream ( Dream Whip).

* 1 pack of cream caramel powder.

* 1 1/2 pack lady fingers biscuits.

* strong espresso or Nescafe.

* beat cheeses and cream very well till smooth then layer biscuits topped with coffee then cream in a pyrex or any mold you like.

* cool in fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight.

perfect this time.

cream,coffee and biscuits.

layering.

before cooling.

I also did Muhalabieh with caramel and sliced some fruits.

Appetizers will be spinach tabouleh, falafel rolls and Suborek ( turkish cheese pastries)

Welcome everybody.

Green Beans with Tomato Sauce.

Hello everybody.

Lunch today was an old fashion heart warming meal,green beans with meat and tomato sauce with rice on the side, good choice specially that it’s been a while since I cooked it.

You will need:
1/2 kg of lamb meat cut to cubes or big pieces with bones as you prefer.
1kg cut, washed green beans.
2 or 3 large ripe tomatoes.
2 cloves of garlic.
1 small onion.
2 big spoons tomato paste.
5 cups of water.
Salt.pepper. mixed spice.paprika.
1 big spoon olive oil.

In a pressure cooker or regular pan..heat the oil then add meat pieces, salt.pepper.spices. paprika, stirr well till meat is brownish and crispy.
Add the beans and keep stirring till it softens.
In a blender mix the onion, garlic, peeled tomatoes, tomato paste and water then pour it over the beans and meat..
You can add one more cup of water if the juice is too thick.then leave to boil for 30-40 minutes on low heat if in pressure cooker or for hour and half if in regular pan.. or till meat is well done.
Of course this dish is served with rice..today I made rice with small noodles (شعيريه ) I toasted it with vegetable oil and salt till golden.added the rice, mix them well together then added water till above rice by one inch.
When all water is absorbed lower the heat ,, I usually place a tin under the pan to keep heat very low and rice won’t burn, then leave till rice is done.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas.

Hello everybody.

Was going through recipes looking for something different to do with chicken breasts cause all ones I did are repeated when I saw this one, didn’t have tortilla bread through but I have some thin Arabic shrak,worked well enough cause result was delicious.

Guess the sour taste gave the sauce a sharp nice flavor. Believe me this is a good recommended one.

Ingredients and method :

# 1 shredded chicken breast.
# 1 small onion diced.
# 2 chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
# 3 tsp butter
# 3 tsp flour.
# 2 cups chicken broth.
# 1 cup sour cream (I mixed 1/2 labaneh and 1/2 yogurt)
# 1 chili green pepper crushed.
# grated cheese (used cheddar and mazorella or any kind you like)
# 10 soft tortilla bread or shrak.

# mix chicken, onions, sun-dried tomatoes and some of the cheese together.
# In a pan heat butter then add flour and mix well.
# slowly add chicken broth and mix well till it boils and thickens.
# leave to cool down then add sour cream and chili and mix well.
# stuff tortillas with chicken mix and roll.
# In a deep oven pan add a bit of the sauce then line up chicken rolls.
# add the rest of the sauce on top.
# sprinkle rest of cheese on top.
# bake in a medium heated oven for 20 minutes.
# roast top till golden.

Note: leave to cool a bit before serving to give it time to hold up.

sauce,chicken and bread.

highly recommended dish.

Mujadara (lentils with Rice)

Hello everybody.

Protein for today is lentils, cooked with rice pr mujaddara . A typical end of the week meal !

Have a nice weekend 😉

Recipe for Mujaddara:
1 cup brown lentil.
1 cup rice or coarse burghul.
1 cube chicken stock.

1 or 2 large onions

Boil the lentils in water with 1 small spoon cumin powder till tender.
Wash the rice or burghul add them to the lentils, with the maggi cube, 1tsp of each,, salt, black pepper, mixed spices…and 2 large spoons olive oil.
Add water to the mixture ( almost 2 and 1/4 cup)…let it boil then lower the heat till rice is cooked.
Chop the onions to thin slices and fry in olive oil till crispy…and serve them with the mujadara…
This is a very nutritious dish,, a good source of protein and iron.
Some people love to eat it with yogurt as well.

Lentils with Pasta (حراق اصبعه)

Hello everybody.

A last goodbye treat for my friend and her lovely kids before heading back home, cooked lentils with pasta,fried onions,garlic and coriander . A traditional Syrian dish حراق اصبعه meaning when translated literally ” burned fingers”

An easy nutritious appetizer that’s originally done with lentils and special dough or small pasta as a quicker substitute then all boiled together with pomegranate sauce,lemons,fried onions,garlic and coriander topped with fried bread pieces.

Ingredients and method:
* 1 cup brown lentils.
* 2-3 cloves garlic
* 3-4 onions.
* bunch of coriander.
* 1/2 cup lemon juice.
* 2 spoons pomegranate sauce ( دبس رمان ).
* 1 cup small size pasta.
* cubed fried pitta bread.
* salt, pepper, cumin powder.

* wash lentils then boil in 4 cups of water , add salt and 1 spoon cumin.
* add the pasta and leave to simmer till done.
* add lemon juice, pomegranate sauce.
* fry the onions in oil till golden.
* crush garlic and chop coriander then saute them in some oil.
* add half the amount of onions and garlic to lentil pasta mixture. Leave to simmer till it thickens and homogeneous. You might need to add some water.
* upon serving,, in a deep dish put some of the bread in the bottom.
*add the lentil mixture.
* decorate with the rest of garlic, onions and bread cubes.
* serve hot.

yummy!!

Spread Ma’roota( مقروطه مد)

Hello everybody.

Plan today was to make date rolls مقروطه to take them as presents and giveaways but I was caught up in time so a quicker solution was to spread it in the pan as sheets.

Three layers of dough and two of dates, result was very good maybe a bit thick but taste is great.

best wishes from banancooking.

lovely gifts.

Cheese and Capsicum Steak Stacks.

Hello everybody.

Today is meat day for protein source in the diet.

For a change I looked through my cookbooks for something new and came across this one, personally I loved it meaning not all family members found it unusual but it was worth trying.

It’s basically two thin slices of steaks stacked together with cheese, onions and blackened or roasted capsicum or sweet red peppers.

You then wrap them as a parcel then grill on both sides till golden. Leave in the oven covered for half an hour later on in very low heat.

I did some mushroom risotto and sauce on the side.

original photo in the cookbook.

No Bake Chocolate Slice.

Hello everybody.

Going to visit my friend this afternoon so I thought a nice desert would be nice.

I have this easy quick recipe that I have all its ingredients.

Ingredients and method :
# 1 pack marshmallows. (200 gm)
# 2 tablespoons butter.
# 2 tablespoons water.
# 1 bar or 1 cup cooking chocolate.
# 1 pack plain biscuits crushed.
# 1/2 cup cherries.
# 1/2 cup walnuts.

# In a nonstick pan heat melt marshmallows, water and butter.
# when all melted add the chocolate.
# crush the biscuits add cherries, walnuts and melted marshmallows chocolate mix.
# mix all together and pour all in a mold or loaf pan.
# leave to cool in the fridge for several hours.
# flip over and decorate with melted chocolate or crushed biscuits.

mixture in mold.

Healthy Lunch For Two.

Hello everybody.

Only me and youngest son are home for lunch and since he started going to the gym again a healthy high protein is needed.

Skinless chicken breasts with veggies sauteed in some olive oil, garlic and oregano.

Did a salad and corn on the side.

What to cook today?

day by day cooking ideas

amman

Anise Bars.

Like this:

Teramisu.

Like this:

Green Beans with Tomato Sauce.

Like this:

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas.

Like this:

Mujadara (lentils with Rice)

Like this:

Lentils with Pasta (حراق اصبعه)

Like this:

Spread Ma’roota( مقروطه مد)

Like this:

Cheese and Capsicum Steak Stacks.

Like this:

No Bake Chocolate Slice.

Like this:

Healthy Lunch For Two.

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