Hello everybody.
Busy day, no time to cook at all so the easiest thing that keeps everybody happy is a rich nicoise salad.
I cut the potatoes before boiling to save time and heated some pasta from yesterday, fair enough.
olives
Niçoise Salad and German Chocolate Cake.
Hello everybody.
Needed a light healthy lunch bit have no mood to cook so I decided to do this lovely colored salad, It’s a French dish made of veggies,tuna and boiled eggs.
Ingredients and method:
Salad :
* Lettuce,tomatoes,cucumber.
* 2 large boiled and sliced tomatoes.
* some boiled string beans ( didn’t have ones today)
* boiled eggs.
*tuna.
* black olives.
* you can add parsley or fresh basil all optional.
* Dressing:
* 1 clove garlic shopped.
* 1 small chopped onion.
*lemon juice.
*dijon mustard.
* salt,pepper.
* olive oil.
* Arrange all ingredients either mixed or next to each other.
* mix all dressing ingredients then add over salad before serving.
healthy fulfilling salad.
ingredients.
First thing in the morning I did 2 portions of my favorite chocolate cake recipe, half covered with ganache done from Milka Hazelnut chocolate and another with German Chocolate Cake frosting to my sister in-law cause I think chocolate is a big cheering and mood enhancing kind of food ,new moms really need that kind of thing for sure.
Ingredients of frosting:
* 1 1/2 cups of coconut.
* 2 big spoons butter.
* 2/3 cup Carnation condensed milk ( I used !/2 cup milk and 2 big spoons cream ,good enough also).
* 1/2 cup sugar.
* 1 egg.
* 1 tsp Vanilla.
* 1/2 cup crushed walnuts.
* Mix all ingredients except walnuts very well .
* boil over medium heat till mixture is thick .
* add walnuts and fold in.
* Use as filling and cover over chocolate cake.
* German chocolate cake contains 1 big spoon instant coffee with the basic cake ingredients.
Well,hope you like it dear sis and enjoy the almost warm sunny weekend everybody.
German Chocolate Cake with baby icon.
filling in the middle.
hazelnut ganache.
two lovely ones .
Dry White Beans.
Hello everybody.
Guess many people cooked beans in this storm, actually it’s heart warming in this cold weather,specially with some pickles,peppers and olives.
Had a small chance to go grocery shopping today,first time out since last week,roads still slippery and full of snow, hope tomorrow will be better !
pickles,olives and beets.
beans and rice.
Cold Days= Dry Beans.
Hello everybody.
Definitely cold these days,crisp wind specially when the sun goes down,best place to be these days is in the car !
Dry white beans are a good option in this case,though I’m not a big fan of it, so I did some avocado dip or kind of guacamole and remember the olives I pickled the other day with veggies and walnuts? well they’re perfectly done now,really yummy with hot bread !
pickled olives.
avocado dip.
What to do with Last Year’s Olives?
Hello everybody.
Pouring rain today,hope nobody got stuck in traffic or got soaked wet like me,it was sunny when I left home I swear ! anyway thank God for car’s heater , but roads were really awful and I just heard many people were hurt or stuck in floods ,wish you all be safe and warm .
A dear friend told me last week she do this appetizer with olives,since new ones are about to be ready I pitted all last year’s green olives mixed them with grated carrots,crushed walnuts,hot and sweet peppers,lemon slices and some chili then put all in glass jars and added olive oil to the rim. Great appetizer in cold wintry days like today.
Lunch today was chicken curry also a good choice in cold weather and my son insisted to do some Tacos for himself cause he doesn’t like curry a lot .
I also made Anise Cake to have with mint tea now .
Tacos before it’s done .
chicken curry.
Moroccan Dish: Chicken with lemon and green olives.(دجاج بالزيتون)
Hello everybody.
As I said yesterday today’s lunch will be special to compensate for the lousy one, have this recipe ripped off from some magazine long time ago, really rich and juicy and of course it’ll be much tastier if you cook it in the tajin dish or pot Moroccans usually use.
Ingredients and method:
* chicken pieces with bones.
* 1 big chopped onion.
* 4-5 cloves garlic.
* 1 lemon peeled and slices.
* 1 tsp fresh ginger.
* pinch of saffron (زعفران)
* 1 cup green olives pitted.
* 1 tsp dried thyme.
* salt pepper and olive oil.
* Marinate chicken in salt,pepper,onions,garlic,thyme,saffron and ginger for 1 hour.
* heat the pan then add some olive oil, then add chicken pieces without marinate and saute till golden on all sides.
* add all marinade and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
* add lemon slices and olives,some more slat and pepper if you like.
* add 1 cup water and leave on very low heat till done or you can put it in the oven if you wish.
* serve with rice or pitta bread .
Really yummy try it!
photo in magazine,they used preserved lemons but you can use ordinary ones no problem.
How to Pickle Olives (كبيس الزيتون)
Hello everybody.
Headed North to hometown Irbid yesterday for two reasons, buying olives ,since it’s the season to pickle them,from the same guy we buy each year on the road before reaching Jerash and then to go visit my lovely cousin and have lunch with our dear family members.
To tell you the truth I’ve been making olives only recently , used to be my mother in-law’s annual ritual specialty but since two years ago ,as she says, retired from the mission so I’ve been doing it her way and send her share.
Pickling olives is a very easy process but needs a day work and messes your kitchen a bit specially if you’re making large amounts. First you must pick the kind of olives you like,some people prefer big ones some son’t,I usually buy local kind (نبالي بلدي),then you must press it either manually or in a special machine usually found at the shop or seller.
You can find many ways and methods to pickle olives in books or by experience or in factories, personally I found this method the easiest and always works with me.
Wash olives well,try to remove leaves and stems as much as you can, then soak them in water overnight or two , the next day wash again then mix them with a good amount of sliced lemons,hot peppers and lemon juice. Make the pickling brine which is exactly one big spoon of coarse local salt to each cup of water ( each liter of water needs 4 big spoons of salt), put olives in big glass or plastic jars then fill with salted water to the rim,close tightly and leave till done.
*Note: olives might take a longer period of time to be ready this way (a month maybe) if you want to be ready earlier you must soak it in water and replace it each day for a week then pickle it.
*Note: a tip to make sure your brine is perfect,place a raw egg in it,if it floats to the top then it’s good if it sinks then you need to add more salt.
* Note: usually I remove some of the olives when done, make a new salt solution and add new lemon and peppers, that way it’ll always be fresh and green.
Well now back to yesterday’s lunch, it was AMAZING ,elegant table,delicious food,various dishes and most important of all good loving caring company, I’m so lucky to have such kind generous loving cousins in my family.
Dishes were: Mansaf,lasagna,rolled steaks,sauteed veggies,chicken pie and a salad, dessert was chocolate cake,yummy coconut balls (took the recipe and will make it soon) and I made my Almond Orange cake, even coffee and tea tasted great believe me.
Thank you a lot my dear Um Tareq,hope all your days be filled with joy and good health.
locally made pressing machine.
floating egg!
stored olives jars.
chicken pie,steak rolls,mansaf.
lasagna.
yummy pickles.
dessert.
don’t they look good?
lovely local olives.
Pizza Loaf.
Hello everybody.
Full of activities this Friday,usual coffee at my sister in-law then lunch with my family at Zuwar Restaurant, beautiful place and scenery, then my dear auntie and cousin came for tea. feeling blessed as they say in Facebook statuses , love you all <3
I made this loaf for afternoon tea and a bowl of fresh fruit salad, this loaf recipe is easy and quick,tastes a lot like pizza but all mixed together, or can slice it and spread cheese or labaneh on top.
Ingredients and method:
* 2 eggs.
* 1 tsp salt.
* 3/4 cup vegetable oil.
* 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms.
* 1 cup chopped peppers.
* 1/2 cup pitted olives.
* finely chopped green thyme leaves.
* 2 tsp baking powder.
* 2 cups flour.
* white cheese and sesame seeds for decoration.
* beat eggs,salt and oil till creamy.
* add all other ingredient and mix with a wooden spoon (it’ll be like a thick cake but not a dough)
* decorate with cheese pieces and sesame seeds.
* bake in a well heated oven for 30-40 minutes or till done.
Great day full of delicious food and loving people.
best dessert ever !
Rosa Pasta Salad.
Hello everybody.
Definitely a hot Summer day,hot dishes or stews are a big no no,so I made this cold pasta salad that my dear cousin Rita posted in my group a while ago,but I used chicken instead of tuna and added few more ingredients. Really good,thank you dear 🙂
Ingredients and method:
* cooked shredded chicken or tuna.
* cooked pasta (any shape you like).
* fresh or dried basil.
* pitted black olives.
* some chopped pickles and capers ( optional)
* ketchup and mayonnaise ( approximately 3 tablespoons of each).
* salt and pepper.
* Mix olives,pickles,capers and chicken ,season with salt and pepper.
* Add ketchup and mayonnaise and mix well.
* Before serving add the pasta and mix all together.
I also made a simple plain cake for my new orange cake plate I got as a gift from my dear aunt <3
*
Eggplant Lasagna.
Hello everybody.
As I mentioned yesterday I did grocery shopping for many dishes this Saturday, one of the things I got stuff for is this recipe that I read in Al-Rai newspaper Friday morning,by the way they do publish very nice and applicable recipes each Friday,try to look through them they’re very useful.
Recipe is lasagna with eggplants,all veggies no meat or chicken.I made regular traditional one and a small one in my pottery pan with eggplants as trial,turned out very good and rich in taste,a success I might say,will be great in Ramadan or lunch parties.
Ingredients and method:
* 1 large eggplant cubed and fried.
* 1 small onion.
* 2 cloves garlic.
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste.
* 2 large tomatoes peeled and chopped.
* 1 small red sweet pepper chopped.
* 1 cube chicken stock (optional).
* 2 cups water.
* 1 pack feta cheese.
* 200 g, ricotta cheese ( I used some brie cheese and kiri instead)
* 2 tablespoons pitted black olives.
* bunch of parsley.
* 1 pack spinach lasagna.
* Parmesan or kashcaval cheese for topping.
* some olive oil and butter.
* salt and pepper.
* heat oil and butter then add onions,garlic and saute till golden.
* add peppers,tomato paste stir well.
* add tomatoes,maggi cube and water then leave to simmer till sauce is thick.
* mix feta cheese with olives and parsley.
* in a deep oven pan,add some of tomato sauce in the bottom then add layered lasagna sheets.
* add some sauce,then half eggplants.
* add cheese mixture then continue with another layer of lasagna,eggplants then sauce on top.
* bake on low heat for 45 minutes then add cheese on top and roast.
* wait for it to cool a bit and settle before serving, I also made some spinach labaneh salad on the side,yummy yummy 🙂
love my new IKEA suff <3
