Vegetarian Pomelo Salad.

Hello everybody.

Christmas Eve tonight,wish all people celebrating a joyful holiday and great food, I know many will be having a feast dinner full of delicious savory dishes . Well try to enjoy and eat from everything diet can start tomorrow or even month who cares 🙂

This morning I went with my friends to new place called “Ahwanji اهونجي ” though too much shisha smoke ( we were on the terrace mind you with open windows) but food was tasty , nice well decorated place !

Cooked for lunch before I left, traditional Kofta with tomatoes and potatoes on top with a nice yummy salad we usually order at Levant Restaurant which contains lettuce,corn,green pepper and some peeled pomelo fruits topped with a simple mayonnaise vinegar lemon and oil dressing,really good and fresh though I know some people don’t like fruits in salad but this one is yummy, tangy and sour and the same time.

Note: you can find many pomelo containing salads usually with shrimps or sea food ( Thai Food) that’s why it’s specifically vegetarian.

Again enjoy your night dear friends celebrating Merry Christmas <3

kofta with veggies.

Italian Style Courgettes and Meatballs.

Hello everybody.

Today’s lunch idea is from my dear cousin living in Rome,she’s a great source of many dishes I did, love her recipes because I feel they’re original or taken from Italian housewives not books and restaurants. Thank you dear you always give me new ideas which are always yummy.

Though courgettes in Rome look different than ours but guess taste is similar, I even did some pumpkins with them. Idea is to stuff them with meat only and I made rice on the side.Taste is really yummy and everybody loved it.

I also made a small side dish from the remaining meat,stuffed them with mozzarella cheese and made them balls,coated with bread crumbs then sauteed them in some oil.Amazing with some thick tomato sauce as dip on the side.

Ingredients and method:

* hollowed courgettes ( cut them from both sides)

* mined meat mixed with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs( or 1 egg and little breadcrumbs as you prefer),salt,pepper,some chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.

* For the sauce:

* finely chopped tomatoes ( 4-5) or a can.

* 1 stick celery.

* 1 small onion.

* 1 small carrot.

* basil leaves,salt and pepper.

* mix meat well and stuff courgettes then line them in a Pyrex or oven pan.

* chop onion,celery very fine and saute in olive oil.

* add grated carrot and tomatoes.

* add a bit of water and leave to simmer till thick.

* pour over courgettes,cover and leave in the oven for one hour till done.

Note : I used remaining meat mix to make mozzarella stuffed balls.

mozzarella stuffed meat balls

Roasted Leg of Lamb.

Hello everybody.

Took out this leg of lamb I had in the freezer for a while so it’s time to cook it, I don’t like keeping food frozen for so long.

I mixed all spices,pepper,cinnamon and salt all oven the meat,sealed it in hot oil from all sides then added some onions,carrots,garlic,bay leaves,cardamon and cinnamon stick to meat with boiled water and cooked it in the pressure cooker cause I was in a hurry.

When done I removed it,added it with some potatoes,carrots and onions in a big pan and added some flour to the meat stock and sieved it over the meat.

Cooked it in the oven till meat and veggies are well done, nice meal in a cold day.

Cauliflower with Rice (مقلوبة زهره)

Hello everybody.

Usually when I cook meat either cubes or minced I keep some of it in the freezer so that when a day like today where you leave the house early to do some errands and go later coffee-ing somewhere you come home to cook lunch, half of cooking steps will be done.

Last night boys said they wanted cauliflower for lunch,so I took out the cooked meat before I went out,bought some fresh cauliflower on my way back and lunch was ready just on time.:)

Stuffed Cabbage and New Ma3moul Recipe.

Hello everybody.

Kids cheered when they knew I’m making cabbage today,favorite dish for all in my house,though making it is a long process sometimes specially if all done the same day like this morning, I usually boil and cut them a day ahead and stuff the next day,but yesterday was a full day already,had no strength to do them in the afternoon.

First time trial this time I put one of the cabbages in the freezer last night,upon an advice from my cousin living in Rome,took it out today and it’s true leaves peeled so easily and were ready to stuff no need to boil, but nevertheless I put them for seconds in the hot water to kill any germs ( Rome cabbages are clean and round like a ball not like ours!) ,thank you dear for the tip really helpful.

Since I’m home not going anywhere I did this new ma3moul recipe my aunt posted before Eid,been intending to try it for a while, though I was afraid dough will be too sweet cause one basic ingredient in it is sweetened condensed milk,but result was AWESOME, really easy to handle and very tasty, highly recommended.

Ingredients and method:

* 5 cups flour.

* 400 gm butter.

* 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

* 3/4 can sweetened condensed milk.

* 1/4 cup water.

* dates,walnuts or pistachios for filling .( added cinnamon,icing sugar and rose water to walnuts and cinnamon,anise and cardamon for dates)

* mix all ingredients well till you form a dough.

* start working directly by making small balls and stuffing them, use a mold or decorate them as you wish.

* bake in well heated oven at first then lower the heat when you start till golden.

I added anise seeds to the extra dough and sliced it as Biscotti really yummy also, thanks 3amto for the recipe,love you <3

By the way stuffed cabbage is the most seen post from all my 300 till now !!!!!!!

frozen cabbage.

Anise seeds biscuits.

Pasta in White Sauce (معكرونه بالبشاميل).

Hello everybody.

Bright clear sunny morning after heavy thunder and rain all night,really refreshing though dusty day all over again 🙁

Went shopping as usual , very crowded streets and shops!!! came back to make quick lunch as I have cooked minced meat in freezer so pasta with white sauce was the option, did fresh roca pomegranate salad with walnuts and grated cheese on top and fresh fruit salad for dessert,all extremely fresh and nutritious.

Ingredients and method for pasta:

* cooked tube shape pasta.

* white sauce (bechamel) ,try to make it not too thick so as it can fill pasta easily.

ingredients and method of white sauce:

4 tablespoons butter.
4 tablespoons flour.
4-5 cups milk.
salt,pepper .
heat pan then add butter and flour, stir well till flour is golden.
add milk gradually and whisk well while doing that till all quantity is well incorporated.
add salt and pepper.
keep whisking till it boils and becomes thick.
add cheese now or later on between pasta layers as you wish.
Note: if clots appears you can simply use hand mixer a bit or blender.

* cooked minced meat with tomato sauce ( I added small chopped onion,garlic,basil,oregano and tomato paste.)

* some butter for greasing the pan.

* mozzarella cheese for the top.

* grease oven pan with butter then add half of the pasta.

* add half the amount of white sauce then add tomato meat sauce over it.

* add other half of pasta and white sauce,sprinkle with dry oregano and cover.

* bake in a medium heated oven for 30-40 minutes then add cheese on top and roast till golden.

* let it stand to cool a bit for easier serving.

beautiful fresh morning 🙂

roca pomegranate salad.

fresh fruit salad.

Roast Beef.

Hello everybody.

Bought this extremely tender roast beef last week and hadn’t got the chance to do it till today,you can cook it in many ways either baked or boiled with vegetables.

This time kids wanted it roasted and crispy,they didn’t even wait to make a gravy or any sauce, just sliced as a cold cut and they made different sandwiches, it was really good and well done.

Ingredients and method:

* piece of tender lean beef.

* some garlic cloves.

* salt and various mixed spices ( pepper ,mixed spices,roast spices,chili…etc)

* olive oil.

* cut garlic to slices and then made a deep cut into meat and insert it all over the piece.

* rub salt and spices all over the roast and leave for some time to be well absorbed.

* heat oil very well then place meat to be browned from all sides very well.

* put the meat on a rack and in the oven for 30-40 minutes till done,you can tell when no juices are out when you pinch it with a sharp knife.

* leave to stand and cool before cutting to slices or pieces according to how you want it.

* serve with sauteed potatoes or vegetables or salad.

White Beans.

Hello everybody.

Though it’s supposed to be still Summer you can feel a cold crisp wind specially at night so a wintry meal won’t be too hot to eat today.

I posted this dish earlier in February,as I said then didn’t think I’ll do it till next year,but seems Winter is coming very early , plus it’s a favorite of my husband and youngest son. It’s really good with green peppers and onions.

As for the diet I’m on, I ate a small cup of rice with some beans and one piece of meat,fair enough I guess !!

Eggplants with Kibbeh (Iraqi dish)

Hello everybody.

Since I have a loads of eggplants,tomatoes and peppers my husband got from the farm,had to make something with them right?

I learned this dish from my sister in-law,it’s an Iraqi recipe resembles a lot moussaka but using special kind of flat kibbeh with eggplants and tomatoes instead of usual minced meat,really good and tasty.(كبه تبسي ) the name of the dish is تبسي باذنجان.

Ingredients and method:

* flat meat stuffed kibbeh ( the ones I found today were small usually they use bigger wider ones) you can find it in most store called ( كبه تبسي)

* fried or roasted eggplant slices.

* peeled sliced tomatoes.

* sliced sweet peppers.

* sliced onions.

* chopped parsley for decoration.

* tomato and pomegranate sauce (دبس رمان)

* salt,pepper and all spices.

* boil kibbeh if not cooked before freezing in a some water till it softens a bit.

* add eggplants on top .

* add tomatoes,peppers and onions.

* dissolve 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce and a tsp of pomegranate sauce in 2 cups water then pour them over layers.

* season with salt and pepper.

* leave to simmer or in the oven till all done ( approximately 1 hour).

* serve alone

with rice or pitta bread.

Kabseh :)

Hello everybody.

Wanted to cook kabseh from last week,but always got objection from my youngest cause he doesn’t like it,so since I have a hamburger left from yesterday Kabseh it is then.

I also made aubergine dip ( matabal) and a salad plus the hot tomato coriander sauce that I usually make alongside the rice.

No dessert today,a piece of chocolate did the job 🙂

What to cook today?

day by day cooking ideas

meat

Vegetarian Pomelo Salad.

Like this:

Italian Style Courgettes and Meatballs.

Like this:

Roasted Leg of Lamb.

Like this:

Cauliflower with Rice (مقلوبة زهره)

Like this:

Stuffed Cabbage and New Ma3moul Recipe.

Like this:

Pasta in White Sauce (معكرونه بالبشاميل).

Like this:

Roast Beef.

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White Beans.

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Eggplants with Kibbeh (Iraqi dish)

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Kabseh :)

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