Chicken Tikka Masala.

Hello everybody.

No escape from cooking today I guess,though I was confused what to do after grocery shopping,I bought many vegetables and stuff so I have many options.

After family discussions I decided to do this recipe sent to me by my friend’s niece Hanin whom I saw the other day and everybody in her family recommended it, so chicken masala it is,since I have all ingredients which is the most important thing,sometimes I do cancel the whole dish cause one ingredient is missing,don’t you?

This is an Indian recipe of course,most Indian food is usually hot and spicy,well today I made it medium so that all can eat with comfort,it turned out very delicious and easy.

Ingredients and method:

* 2 large chicken breasts ( original recipe says thighs but nobody in my family loves them,but breasts were good also),cut to big chunks.

* marinate for chicken:

* 1 cup yogurt.

* ginger garlic paste ( 1 tablespoon fresh ginger with 3 cloves garlic pressed or finely chopped together)

* 1 tsp salt.

* 1/2 tsp pepper.

* marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes or overnight if you can.

*Sauce:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil.

* 2 tablespoons butter.

*1/3 cup ginger garlic paste.

* 2 hot peppers (didn’t have any so I used hot dried chili )

* 2 tablespoons tomato paste.

* 1 tablespoons gram masala spices ( Indian spices bought ready or homemade by mixing special spices including : 2 tablespoons cumin seeds,2 tablespoons coriander seeds,1 tsp pepper seeds,2 tsp cardamon seeds,1 tsp cloves,1 tsp fennel seeds,1 cinnamon stick,3 bay leaves,1/2 tsp fenugreek (حلبه) ,pinch of nutmeg. you roast all seeds except nutmeg very well then grind then to fine powder and add nutmeg)

* 2 tsp paprika.

* 8 small tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes.

* 1 1/2 tsp salt.

* 1-2 cups water.

* 1/2 cup heavy cream.

* minced fresh cilantro for garnish.

* cooked rice or naan bread for serving.

* making sauce and cooking:

* heat oil and butter then add ginger garlic paste and stir,then add hot peppers.

* add tomato paste and cook till brownish then add masala,paprika and saute for 3 minutes.

* add tomatoes,saltand water and simmer till sauce is thickened,you may need more water if it dries.

* meanwhile grill the chicken in some hot oil,try to shake excess marinate .

* cook till golden on all sides.

* now blend the sauce with hand mixer or blender.

* add chicken pieces to sauce and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

* add cream and stir then at the end add chopped coriander.

* serve with rice or bread.

Very tasty savory dish,not a piece left ,thank you dear Hanin,now it’s officially Hanin’s Chicken in my cook book 🙂

Stuffed Mushrooms.

Hello everybody.

Weekend is here again,final exams next week and then done with school,next year will be last one for my youngest,can’t believe how kids grow so fast 🙂

Today’s lunch is beans with garlic and tomatoes in olive oil (لوبيا بالزيت), similar to the string beans I did once ( فاصوليا بالزيت),but this kind of beans is thinner and has different taste. you simply saute crushed garlic then add cut cleaned beans then chopped tomatoes,season with salt and pepper then leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes or till done.

I also made my friend Rula’s recipe of stuffed mushrooms,wanted to make my cousin Sa’ed’s ones but those needed spinach and bigger mushrooms than the ones I have,next time maybe.

Ingredients and method;

* fresh white mushrooms.

*butter.

*bread crumbs.

* cheddar and Parmesan cheese.

* parsley.

* remove mushroom stems, chop them then add cheeses,crumbs,parsley and a bit of butter and mix all very well.

* grease oven pan with butter,line mushrooms in it then stuff them.

* cover with foil then bake for 20-30 minutes.

Delicious appetizers 🙂

Potato Cake.

Hello everybody.

Really cold and cloudy today,as if we’re in Autumn not beginning of Summer, I hate this weather,undecided !!!

I made Kofta with tomatoes and peppers on top, as a side dish I thought I’ll try doing this recipe I saw on Ro’ya Tv the other day,but I didn’t use the ready mix for seasoning,I made them myself . It’s very simple and I’m sure kids will love it, Looks like a cake at the end that’s why they called it potato cake.

Ingredients and method:

*4-5 boiled and sliced potatoes.

* 2 crushed garlic cloves.

* 1 tsp butter and 1 olive oil.

* salt,pepper,chili,paprika.

* different kinds of cheeses.

* oregano or basil or rosemary as preferred.

* mix butter,oil with crushed garlic then add spices.

* in a spring pan brush bottom with butter mixture then line potato slices in overlapping pattern ( keep ends and crumbled pieces to the inside).

* brush potatoes again then sprinkle with cheese and oregano.

* add another layer of potatoes and cheese then bake for 15-20 minutes.

* remove from pan and garnish, serve with any kind of meat or chicken.

Shrimps with Tomatoes and Lemon Risotto.

Hello everybody.

Went this morning to a short fruitful meeting at Foollve offices, always a pleasure to see them.

I parked opposite Ocean fish store so I passed by and got fresh medium sized shrimps, I made them with Italian tomatoes and thought to try to make a kind of risotto for a change, I also made mozzarella sticks dipped in eggs and Knorr coating mix, turned out a big success cause they usually melt when I fry them 🙁

Ingredients and method:

* Shrimps:

* 1 kg medium or jumbo shrimps.

* 2-3 garlic cloves.

* chopped sweet peppers.

* 1 can chopped Italian tomatoes or fresh ones.

* bunch of coriander.

* salt,pepper,and some chili powder.

* saute garlic and peppers in some olive oil.

* add shrimps and stir till color changes then add salt,pepper and chili.

* add tomato can and a bit of water then leave to simmer on low heat till sauce is thick.

* add chopped coriander and cook for another 5 minutes.

* Lemony Risotto:

* 2 cups Italian or any rice ( I used Sun white)

* 3 cups chicken broth.

* 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

* 2 tablespoons lemon zest.

* one small chopped onion.

* 1 tablespoon butter.

* some Parmesan cheese if desired.

* saute onion in butter then add washed rice.

* add lemon juice and zest to chicken broth and boil.

* start adding boiled broth to rice in small quantities,keep mixing on low heat then when water is dry add another amount, keep doing that till rice is done,but you have to be careful not to let it dry, this will take approximately 35 minutes.

* add zest or Parmesan on top of rice when served.

Absolutely delicious meal 🙂

Broad Green Beans Salad.

Hello everybody.

Grocery day again,ended up buying lots of fruits and vegetables,so fresh and tempting,couldn’t resist the red cherries and seedless grapes, don’t you just love Summer with all its colors and varieties?

I got some broad green beans and cherry tomatoes to make this salad that my cousin who lives in Rome posted in my Facebook group, turned out absolutely delicious,even kids loved it 🙂

As for lunch it was fresh mloukhieh with chicken,really good as always,dessert was a big bowl of fruits !!

Ingredients and method:

* broad green beans cut and boiled in salted water till a tender but not overcooked.

* cherry tomato.

* lemon zest.

* sauteed garlic cloves.

* salt,pepper,lemon juice,pomegranate sauce or balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

* just mix all ingredients and toss with dressing .

very easy healthy dish.

Enjoy <3

Fava Beans Fatteh ( فته فول).

Hello everybody.

Till late this morning I had absolutely no idea what to cook, I still have some pasta so I needed something with it.

Then,after lots of thinking, decided to do this light fatteh which I learned from my dear friend Reham, people usually make it when they have fava beans with rice leftovers,but you can do it from scratch,very delicious specially if you’re a fava bean fan as I’m.

All Fatteh recipes have basic ingredients,fried or toasted bread, tahini sauce,nuts and minced meat on top. Fillings in the middle are various like hummus,eggplants,fava beans…etc.

* Ingredients and method:

* fava beans boiled till tender then cooked with a little amount of rice ( 1/2 kg needs 1/2 cup of rice), I added maggi cube,pepper,all spice,cinnamon and a bit of cardamon when boiling the beans.

* fried or toasted pitta bread.

* cooked minced meat.

* crushed roasted garlic.

* roasted almonds or pine nuts.

* fresh coriander leaves.

* tahini sauce ( tahini with yogurt and lemon juice) .

* put pitta bread in a bowl or wide serving dish then add a layer of beans and rice.

Note: if you have some chicken stock you can a bit on the pittas to soften but it’s an option.

* add tahini sauce on top then garnish with meat,nuts,garlic and chopped coriander.

I usually make it in one big Pyrex or bowl but today we were only two at lunch time so I made 2 small bowls for each so as bread won’t become soggy for late comers.

Very healthy light option,will be good to do in Ramadan,right?

Cauliflower Stew .

Hello everybody.

Kids asked for cauliflower with rice ( مقلوبه زهره ), personally I don’t like cauliflower or let’s say it’s not a favorite of mine, I like it more as a stew. Though it’s a very healthy vegetable full of vitamins and minerals, I only eat it for this reason 🙂

This dish is very easy and can be served with rice or bread with tahini sauce on the side.

Ingredients and method:

* cooked minced meat or cubed veal or lamp as desired.

* boiled and fried cauliflower.

* 2-3 cloves garlic.

* one small onion finely chopped.

* lemon juice.

* salt,pepper,all spice, cumin and dry coriander.

* saute meat till dry then add garlic and onions.

* add cauliflower and seasoning,leave to simmer, you may add a bit of water if it’s too dry.

* serve with tahini sauce and summaq on top.

Enjoy 🙂

very tasty maqloobeh by the way 🙂

Okra (باميه بالفرن)

Hello again.

This recipe was the first on the blog,that was four months ago, can’t believe it’s been that long!!

The earlier post “ Okra in the oven ” has the ingredients and method but no photos so I’ll add them today.

Hope you’re all enjoying my blog so far 🙂

Chicken with Sesame and Oregano.

Happy Labor Day everybody. Though Moms deserve this holiday cause they’re on call 24/7 , but it does seem hard to take a day off doing absolutely nothing, don’t you agree?

I have a pack of Knorr ready chicken sesame and oregano seasoning, been in my pantry for a while,so I bought 2 packs of chicken thighs marinated them since morning.

Ingredients and method:

* chicken thighs or whole chicken.

* 1 pack knorr sesame oregano seasoning.

* extra sesame seeds,oregano and lemon juice.

* few cloves of garlic.

* olive oil.

* marinate chicken in all ingredients as long as you can.s

* roast them in a medium heated oven in a baking bag or wrap them in foil paper as you wish

. * I made plain basmati rice with peas and carrots and potato salad on the side. Really tasty,extra sesame and oregano added to the flavor, highly recommended 🙂 Wish you all a nice long weekend .

Green Beans and Avocado Dip.

Hello everybody.

This morning I gave another Date Rolls lesson to a dear friend who couldn’t make it last week, It was a big success, we finished quickly,chatted and had coffee 🙂

I prepared a quick lunch before, no time for a big meal, green beans with olive oil and garlic (فاصوليا بالزيت) and avocado dip, both easy and tasty.

Ingredients and method:

* 1 kilo cleaned cut green beans.

* 3-4 cloves garlic.

* one big ripe chopped tomato.

* olive oil,salt,pepper.

* heat oil then saute garlic.

* add beans,salt and pepper cook till tender.

* add tomatoes and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.

Avocado:

*2 ripe tender avocados.

* 2 big spoons tahini sauce ( tahini,lemon juice,salt and some yogurt)

* chopped tomatoes,mint leaves,paprika for garnish on top.

* peel and mash avocados then mix with tahini sauce.

* chop tomatoes on top,add mint,paprika and oil .

Light tasty colorful lunch,only sin is you eat too much bread without knowing it 🙂

What to cook today?

day by day cooking ideas

garlic

Chicken Tikka Masala.

Like this:

Stuffed Mushrooms.

Like this:

Potato Cake.

Like this:

Shrimps with Tomatoes and Lemon Risotto.

Like this:

Broad Green Beans Salad.

Like this:

Fava Beans Fatteh ( فته فول).

Like this:

Cauliflower Stew .

Like this:

Okra (باميه بالفرن)

Like this:

Chicken with Sesame and Oregano.

Like this:

Green Beans and Avocado Dip.

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: