Pomegranate Festival In Irbid.

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Hello everybody.

Headed up North to my hometown Irbid yesterday with some friends to visit the annual pomegranate festival   usually held this time of the year.

Of course a stop at one of my cousin’s for coffee is a must, which means lots of yummies with it !

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Festival was very nice full of various kinds of pomegranates ,sweet and sour . We also bought molasses and vinegar .

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On our way back, another ritual again, we stopped for some fresh ewe yogurt, labaneh and bread.

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A beautiful day out for sure.

Delicious Spring Dairies .

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Hello everybody.

Nice quick trip up North to Irbid, beautiful green hills and scenery.

As always we stopped by dairy products store on our way back, a speciality of the city,Irbid is known of its best yogurt ever specially these days.

Lunch was what we got, fresh ewe yogurt, labaneh and hot bread. Personally I consider this the best meal ever.

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Pickled Stuffed Peppers.

Hello everybody.

Though I felt like I’m an old lady doing these cause they’re related to my late grandmas in some kind of way, these pickles were a must in every household long time ago, done usually this time of year when tomatoes and peppers are abundant to be preserved for winter time.

It’s a very easy procedure specially if you’re not making massive amounts like old times, I clearly remember large glass preserving pots all set up to be kept inside cupboards along with makdous and olives.

You simply cut pepper stems and remove seeds as much as you can then stuff them with hard chopped tomatoes, minced garlic and dry mint. Close and arrange in a pot then add brine which is a big tablespoon of salt to each cup of water. Then add one tablespoon of vinegar and one chili pepper if you like.

I added some olive oil on top to prevent fermentation .

Close and leave for 3-4  weeks till it’s done,you can serve it with labaneh or cheese as you wish.

 

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Preserved Grape Dessert (خبيصه عنب)

Hello everybody.

Did you ever thought of what to do with all the grapes that ripene all at once on your vine tree?  Well of course you can make juice, raisins, vinegar or simply give aways to family and friends.

A very very old way that our late grandmas used to preserve excessive amounts of grapes is making this kind of dessert that can be kept without any damage throughout Winter season, nice energetic dessert.

In Arabic it’s called “Khabissa “خبيصه. It’s done a lot till now in Jordan specially in Northern Villages were they grow very good grapes all over.

In Greece and Cyprus they do something similar called Soujouka, usually done with nuts wrapped in grape juice or pomegranate or kharoub.Thought to try doing some today but found it a bit difficult so I’ll stick to old Jordanian way this time.

Ingredients and method :
# 10 cups of sieved fresh grape juice.
# 1 cup fine semolina.
# 1 cup sugar.
# 2 1/2 tablespoons anise powder.
# 2 tablespoons Areesh seeds ( don’t know what’s the English name for it, it’s a kind of seed)
# 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.
# 1 tablespoon black seeds.
# 2 tablespoons crushed almonds.

# mix all ingredients well together and bring to a boil till it thickens.
# pour and spread mixture in a wide pan over a clean thin cloth.
# leave in the sun for 3-5 days till it’s really dry.
# cover with any kind of cloth or tool to keep away bugs and dust.
# cut to squares and keep in a well closed jar.

Note: you can make this like very thin sheets and roll them when dried or as cubes depending on your liking.

Will post photos of end up results later on.

 

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wpid-wp-1440681006578.jpg  boiled mixture.

wpid-wp-1440680999569.jpg covered and set in the sun.

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Chocolate Crinkles

hello everybody.

Heading North to Irbid today to visit my sister in law’s and go to a big girl’s only gathering,so excited.

 

A small loving homemade gift would be nice to take with me ,so I made some rock cookies and crinkles,first time to do them and luckily they turned out just perfect or frankly ( and I’m not bragging) they’re beyond amazing.

 

Recipe is easy and light,no butter at all.

 

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil.

* 3/4 cup cocoa

* 1 cup sugar.

* 4 eggs.

* 2 tsp baking powder.

* 1 tsp vanilla.

* 2 cups flour.

* 1 cup confectionery sugar.

* Beat oil,cocoa and sugar well then add eggs one at a time.

* add vanilla ,baking powder and flour and mix well till you get a stiff dough.

* refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

* form into balls then roll each in the fine sugar .

* line in a greased pan or use wax paper or silicon sheets.

* flatten a bit with a fork then bake for 8-10 minutes in a medium heated oven.

* cool down then store in a cookie jar or closed tin so as not to harden.

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Ablama and Radish Salad.

Hello everybody.

At last weather is warm again,dinner is outdoors.

Made some courgettes in cooked yogurt today and a pizza pan cause my son doesn’t eat courgettes.

Salads were green salad and Radish Salad which is a famous northern dish done with grated radishes, parsley, lemon, salt and olive oil.

wpid-wp-1435427732677.jpeg radish salad.

 

wpid-wp-1435427750946.jpeg ablama or courgettes in yogurt.

wpid-wp-1435427759775.jpeg pizza.

wpid-wp-1435427765733.jpeg today’s dinner.

 

 

 

 

Freezing Vegetables.

Hello everybody.
No cooking today, each one has plans either for lunch or dinner so no cooking is necessary, did a bowl of Russian Salad it will do just fine in guess.

Spent this morning cleaning and preparing some fresh peas and fava beans for freezing, my husband bought some from side road sellers on his way back from Irbid yesterday, very fresh and green, I usually only cut wash and freeze directly.

Peas were really sweet and tender, boiled some and added them with carrots, corn and potatoes to the salad.
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wpid-wp-1426764993873.jpeg  ready for storage.

wpid-wp-1426765010427.jpeg Russian Salad.
Another Irbid product is garden cress(  رشاد)  sent to me from my cousin, very tasty with labaneh and green olives or onions, all yummy.

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Kebab with Tomatoes ( كباب هندي)

Hello everybody.

Had to go  to Irbid this morning so I needed to cook something quick, after giving the boys two options kofta or spinach they agreed on the first, I even cooked the onions and tomatoes last night to save time.

Early this morning I added ketchup, mustard and  to kofta, made them finger shaped,sautéed them in some oil then added them the the sauce, I even cooked the rice in case I was caught up in time which is exactly what happened.

Ingredients and method:

Ingredients and method:
* kofta meat ( ready from butcher)
* onions.
* garlic.
* tomatoes.
* green peppers.
* 1 can chopped tomatoes
* 1 spoon ketchup and mustard.

* mix kofta with ketchup and mustard.
* form it to small kebabs finger shaped.
* coat them with flour then keep in fridge for a while.
* heat some olive add the kebabs till brownish from all sides.
* add chopped onions, garlic, peppers sautee with meat till tender.
* add 2 peeled chopped  tomatoes and the can.
* leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes. Or you can put it the oven if you like.
* serve with rice.

 

wpid-wp-1424015764832.jpeg  I added some potato slices today as a change.

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wpid-wp-1424015783402.jpeg a real comfort food in this weather.

Mud Pie ( Lunch and Birthday ).

Hello everybody.

Big day!  lunch in the honor of my cousin and birthday of my big bro, all people around the table today are precious to me that’s why we had great time and enjoyed every minute . WELCOME my dear family,love you <3.

Lunch was many dishes, main was Rice with veggies and chicken (رز بنان) ,steaks with mushroom,hot spicy potatoes,mloukhieh,kibbeh,cheese rolls, marinated salmon,green salad and rocca pomegranate salad.

20141227_145806 main dish.

20141227_145747  20141227_145822  steak and potatoes.

20141227_145923  20141227_145942 mloukhieh,kibbeh and cheese rolls.

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20141227_124916  marinated salmon.

 

Dessert was knafeh,strawberries with dips and this new awesome recipe I got from my sis, Mud Pie, it really looks like a plant you can’t tell it’s something edible specially that I inserted a real flower in it 🙂

Oh most important thing I got some beautiful presents ,one of them is a bunch of lovely stuff from my dear cousin living in Rome ,thank you lovely Rita.

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Ingredients and method:

* 75 Oreo biscuits.

Mix 1 :

* 1 pack vanilla pudding.

* 2 cups milk.

 

Mix 2:

* 2 packs cream.

* 3/4 cups milk.

 

Mix 3 :

* 2 packets cream cheese.

* 1 tablespoon butter.

* 1/2 cup sugar.

 

*Mix  each one alone then add mix 1 and 2 to 3.

* Mash Oreos in food processor.

 

* In a deep transparent bowl make layers of Oreo then cream but take care not let cream appear on the side so that overall look be all brownish.

* leave in fridge to settle ( I made it yesterday) and decorate with real or artificial plant or flower.

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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?

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