Meat in Pitta Bread and Mallow ( عرايس وخبيزه).

Hello everybody.

Must say that my birthday this year was extraordinary, filled with loving people around me,I got hundreds of wishes and texts, got beautiful gifts specially those super knives and ended with a wonderful dinner with my lovely family. Thank God for all his blessing,this year was really awesome hope the coming one will be as good or even more.Thank you everybody <3

Lunch today is minced meat with onions,tomatoes and chili in pitta bread (عرايس) and a small dish of freshly cut mallow (خبيزه) leaves with olive oil and onions, great with a sprinkle of lemon juice <3

Stuffed Spleen.(طحالات محشيه)

Hello everybody.

Sad day for me and my friends cause we lost this morning a very dear and loving uncle,unique character, generous,caring,knowledgeable and who always welcomed us all with a big smile,kind heart and open house anytime since we were in school till his last days on this earth. May your soul rest in peace 3mmo Abu Mustafa and may God give his dear family patience,you’ll always be in our hearts.

Lunch today was not my specialty as I mentioned once before,actually my husband’s kind of food,sheep pluck cooked in olive oil and stuffed spleen.

Sorry I couldn’t take lots of photos of cooking steps.Spleens are first washed well,boiled a bit to be tender and all blood goes out then stuffed with garlic,coriander,pine nuts,salt and pepper .

Bake spleens after brushing with olive oil in a medium heated oven for 40_50 minutes.

Cherry cookies and Eggplant Tajeen (منزلة باذنجان).

Hello everybody.

December is a festive month,many people celebrating Christmas like to try new recipes for dinner or lunch or as Christmas treats or cookies. I’ll try to make something new each day this month to give you some ideas, food websites have thousands of recipes but not all are feasible or easy to make so I’ll be picky and try them before publishing don’t worry.

Today I tried these cute cherry cookies since my husband bought a big jar of preserved cherries, very easy and quick to do,you can even use any kind of preserved fruit you like but cherries have this beautiful red happy color that’ll look great on your table .

Lunch today was eggplant tajeen or a more precise description Arabic style Moussaka, it’s very similar but without white sauce , it contains baked or fried eggplants with cooked minced meat with onions ,with layers of green peppers and potatoes ( optional ) some people make it with only eggplants and meat . After layering them you add a pack of tomato paste with 2 cups of water then leave to cook in the oven or on very low heat ( I added a cube of chicken stock to enhance the flavor)

Ingredients and method of cookies ( makes 2 dozens)

* 1 cup butter.

* 1 cup sugar.

* 2 1/2 cups flour.

* 2 tablespoons milk.

* 1/2 cup crushed walnuts.

* 1 cup cherries.

* Beat butter and sugar very well till creamy then add salt and flour.

* add milk till you get a firm dough.

* roll dough to a long rectangle on wax paper.

* arrange cherries in a line in the middle then close dough on them.

* roll the cylinder formed over crushed walnuts then wrap all in the wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour till firm.

* cut the log to 1 cm pieces and arrange in an oven pan and bake in a medium heated oven for 15-20 minutes.

* cool then store in a well closed jar.

* NOTE: these cookies can be done a week ahead and will stay fresh if stored well.

Rice in Dough and Marble Cake (اوزي صرر).

Hello everybody.

Nice weather this morning,best thing the sun is up at least for the next couple of days.

Lunch today was Ouzi in pastry or in other words cooked rice with meat,peas and carrots all wrapped in puff pastry. Some people use plain phyllo pastry or make a dough from scratch, simple one with no yeast. Personally I use puff pastry cause you don’t need any kind of butter or ghee and it puffs and becomes crunchy and tasty plus very easy to use.

I also baked a marble cake and took it to my cousin this morning to visit her in her new house, this time I poured a small amount of white batter then added a another of cocoa subsequently till both mixtures are done, it was really fluffy and great with minted tea <3

Cake in Paris tray as my cousin’s son says.

Almond Biscotti and Ginger Chocolate Cookies.

Hello everybody.

No cooking today cause we still have lots of leftovers,however we’re visiting my cousin this afternoon so I figured a box of cookies would be a nice gift.

First batch was ginger chocolate ones, remember the peanut butter ones with Quality Street chocolates in them? well did the same recipe but added fresh and ground ginger,cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves and a bit of molasses instead of the peanut butter. Tastes really good.

Second batch was almond walnut biscottis,these are traditional Italian biscuits usually done with different kinds of flavors and nuts.

Ingredients and method:

* 3/4 cup butter.

* 3/4 cup sugar.

* 4 eggs.

* 2 1/2 cups flour.

* 1 cup nuts,roasted then finely crushed.

* 1 tsp baking powder.

* I added a bit of cinnamon,cardamon and all spice.

* Mix all ingredients consequently till you get a sticky dough.

* Refrigerate for 1 hour.

* cut dough to two halves then form them into logs.

* bake for 45 minutes or till done in the middle.( I was in a hurry so took it out earlier, a small mistake I think)

* when cooled cut to thin slices and toast in the oven till crispy ( 20-30 minutes)

ingredients of ginger chocolate cookies.

ingredients of biscotti.

Crispy Tortilla Pizzas.

Hello everybody.

Bought these tortillas Saturday to do these pizzas and didn’t have time to do them till today, excellent when you don’t have time to make a dough. Even an extremely fast choice if you have ready pizza sauce and already grated cheese 🙂

You simply add pizza sauce on one tortilla,add any kind of topping you like, I made one salami,one roast beef,one only olives and one with only pesto and salami then add cheese. Top it with another tortilla on top and add some sauce and cheese on the surface. Bake them till crispy and golden on sides, really yummy yummy 🙂

One last tortilla left so made it as dessert, Nutella and crunch, FANTASTIC after lunch !

morning coffee with my best cousin <3

Nutella crime !

French Vanilla Coconut Cake.

Hello everybody and good morning.

Today we’re all invited to lunch at my husband’s dear aunt in Irbid so up North in an hour (شمات زي ما بنقول),I’m positive it’ll be a fancy meal and lovely enjoyable time as always, will post photos later for sure.

Usual me, I baked this delicious cake which I ate the other day at a gathering, easy and juicy, I wrote it down as Tara’s Cake,thank you lovely bride for the recipe.

Ingredients and method:

* 1 pack French Vanilla cake mix.

*1 can coconut milk.

* 1 can sweetened condensed milk.

* 1 pack whipping cream.

* roasted or regular coconuts.

* mix cake as instructed but bake in a deep rectangular or oblong Pyrex or serving pan ( cause cake will stay in it and served)

* with a knife make several cuts in the cake when cooled.

* mix coconut milk with sweetened one together and pour over cake and leave till all absorbed ( you can do it a day ahead and keep in fridge)

* decorate top with cream and coconuts.

Amazing recipe,guess it’ll be nice to do in Christmas Eve right?

Lovely Lunch at My Sis.

Hello everybody.

Busy Saturday morning as usual,grocery and many errands, good news is no cooking cause we’re invited at my sister’s house,very good feeling sometimes 🙂

Lunch was superb,well done and tasty as always, tomato soup, baked fish with saucy tomato garlic and herbs sauce,spiced rice with nuts and raisins and fatoush. Dessert was a new recipe,cream with Oreo yummy yummy.

I baked her favorite cake and took it with me Orange Poppy Seed Cake.

We really had great time,thank you my lovely sis.

tomato soup.

Oreo dessert.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Hello everybody.

Lovely sunny day,hope all weekend stays like this,started with a lovely breakfast outside in the sun, new olives are done they’re absolutely delicious.

I was invited to a gathering noon time and just before I left I decided to bake some cookies to take with me,after searching in my books for something quick I didn’t do before I found this super easy one, I used Quality Street chocolates, simply crushed a bunch in the food processor instead of normal chocolate chips,this box has been on the coffee table since Adha Eid so I’d better use it rather than eat it alone,don’t you all love these chocolates? never bored of them!

Ingredients and method:

* 1/2 cup butter ( reduce it a bit if using heavy chocolates)

* 1/2 cup peanut butter.

* 3/4 cup brown sugar.

* 1 egg.

* 2 tablespoons milk.

* 1 tsp vanilla.

* 1/2 small spoon baking soda.

* 1/2 tsp baking powder.

* 1 3/4 cups flour.

* 3/4 cup chocolate chips or crushed ones of any kind.

* Mix butters and sugar well till creamy then add egg,vanilla,milk.

* add flour,baking soda and powder then last thing add the chocolates.

*Shape into balls then flatten them a bit,usually I use a coffee cup bottom.

* bake in a medium heated oven for 10-13 minutes or till bottoms are golden.

* cool then keep in cookie jar or tightly closed tin.

These will sure put a big smile on a child’s face specially with a hot chocolate in a cold day 🙂

don’t you just love these?

morning breakfast,yummy!

Traditional Iraqi Maher Party.(عقد قران عراقي).

Hello everybody.

Last night I witnessed for the first time an Iraqi engagement or let’s say wedding vows commitment ceremony, though we’ve been to many Iraqi parties before but this one was for for a close member of my family,my sweet sister in -law’s daughter.

Ceremonies took place as soon as the Sheikh or Judge entered, first of all bride sat infront of a big table filled with silver and white ornaments and bowls,each one symbolizing something which includes:

* Silver mirror.

* 7 bowls filled with white sweets,sugar,candy,cookies…etc.( for good luck and white happy sweet life ahead)

* 7 bowls filled with certain spices ( so that couples life be filled with spiced moments).

* lock and key.

* bottle of mercury.

* big white candle.

* white boxes contains all brides dowry (new clothes,perfumes..etc that the groom’d family bought her)

* silver bowl with water and bay leaves in.

* cardamon and honey.

* 2 big sugar cones.

They started by bride placing her feet in the bay leaf water, placing cardamon between her fingers and reading a certain verse from the Holy Quran meanwhile four girls (whom must be in the age of marriage) holds a white sheet over her head,another girls stands to unlock the key,one to shake the mercury, and this one I loved most a happily married lady with children rubs sugar over the bride’s head,how’s that ??

Finally when Sheikh finishes writing the wedding contract he comes in and ask her if she agrees and they all sign and of course all family and friends come in to congratulate the couple and their family ,followed by Iraqi dancing and a delicious dinner .

Lovely bride made an amazing candy bar filled with yummy candy and cookies and each guest filled a small bag before she left, very nice give away thought !

Congratulations for the lovely couple may your life together be as sweet and spicy as possible,love you both <3