Baked chicken pieces

Marinade: 1 peeled tomato 1 onion 4 cloves Garlic 2 Tbsp Yogurt 1 Lemon (juiced) 1/2 cup Olive oil 3 Tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp Harissa sauce 1 tsp Paprika 1 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Black pepper 1 Tbsp Salt Salad: 1 large Onion (thinly sliced) 1/2 cup parsley 1-2 Tbsp Summac Olive oil Bread Blend all. Set aside a bit for the bread; marinate chicken in the mixture (3 hr). Thinly slice large onion, add summac & fresh parsley. Heat oven at 200C, middle rack. Cover chicken with wet baking paper, them seal on top w foil; let cook for 1 hour. After, open tray & let crisp until chicken becomes red. Paint bread, and oven bake until slight crispy.

Baked sushi

Rice: 2 cups sushis rice 2 Tbsp sushi vinegar 1 Tbsp Sesame oil Filling: 500gr Ceabsticks shredded/chopped 1 cup Kewpie mayonaise 3-4 Tbsp Cream cheese 1-2 Tbsp Soy sauce 1 Tbsp Furikake 1 Tbsp Sesame oil (optional) Green onions (optional) Fish roe (optional) Assembly: Even later of rice, add Furikake, add Crabstick mix. Broil in iven until desired color Toppings: Fish roe Siracha mayonaise Sliced mangoes Green onions

Banana chocolate chip cupcake

3 large bananas 2/3 cup granulated sugar 150gr 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1/3 cup vegetable oil 50gr 1 cup flour 145gr 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional) 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (optional)

Scones JO

 

450gr Flour

40gr baking powder

150gr Butter (cold)

2 tsp Sugar (mountain)

2 Eggs

4Tbsp Milk

150gr Nuts & Apricot (previous soaked 30min in Orange juice)

Preheat oven at 180C.

Mix all ingredients together (except eggs). Incorporate eggs (without much folding). 

Refridgerate 30min.

Roll out to 2-3cm thickness & cut in shapes.

Bake for 12-15 min

Fasolia red beans

Red beans
1 onion (large)
8-10 Garlic cloves
1 small Tomato paste
2 lemons juice

Soak beans overnight. Precook in pressur exooker 20 min.

Sweat onion n garlic. Add tomato paste & water.
Mix w beans & pressure cook until done. Add lemon juice in the end.

Natillas (Spanish egg custard)

Natillas - Spanish egg custard

Ingredients:
- 50 ml Milk
- 2 Tbsp White sugar
- 6 Egg yolks
- 2 Tsp Vanilla extract

- 1 glass Milk (warm)
- 6-8 Maria/Butter cookies
- 1 splash Porto wine (or any other sweet fortified red wine)

- Cinnamon powder (about 1 Tbsp)

Instructions:
First, let us prepare the serving cups (about 6-8 depending on their size). I use glass yogurt/creme brulee cups.

Warm the milk on a deep plate, in the microwave, for about 30 seconds. You just need it to be warm (not boiling.. you're going to put your fingers in this).

Quickly soak the plain butter cookies into the milk (before they are too soft) and place the soaked cookies into the cups (1 cookie in each).

Natillas

Then (in true Spanish fashion), take your bottle of Porto wine, and splash a little onto the cookie that you now have inside the glass cups. (You just for it to soak up a little taste, not to let it swim in a pool of Port! ;) )

Now that we have that ready..

In a small pot, over medium heat (4/6), place the milk & sugar, whisk in well (, and bring to a boil.

Remove the pan from the heat, and lower the heat to medium-low (2/6).

On the pan, add eggs & vanilla and whisk in. Place back over the medium-low heat, and keep stirring while it cooks (otherwise it will burn).

When it all moves uniformly & foam has disappeared from the edges, it is done.

Pour into individual molds

Meghli (Lebanese dessert)



Meghli (cinnamon caraway rice pudding)

Well.. the now infamous recipe! I started writting this post in preparation for my 1st Lebanon trip :) over Xmass,, but when I actually got to make it, I poured the whole boiling thing over my thumb, and got a "fun" burn (be wiser than I was when holding the glasses to fill xD). The recipe is from my future aunt-in-law :)

So, Meghli is a traditional Lebanese dessert that is prepared to celebrate when a baby is born (including baby Jesus) and so typical of Christmas!

It is basicaly a sort of cinnamon-caraway spiced rice powder pudding, topped with nuts & coconut shavings.
When you first try it, it is a bit confusing flavorwise (at least for a European), as per its spices' flavour.

This is not an overwhelmingly sweet dessert (so no sugar syrup or butter oozing out!) that is fairly easy to prepare, and always gets thumbs up from d man of the house :) (as you know my toughest critic)

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Rice powder

- 1 1/2 cup Sugar (white; caster)

- 1 Tbsp Caraway powder

- 1 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon powder

- 7 cup Water (6 in mix + 1 at boiling)

Additional, toppings: Coconut shavings (small), Almonds (non-salted), Walnuts, Pistachio

Please note that you will need a large pot for this one (and it will yield about 12 glasses/servings of dessert). You can half the recipe for about 6 servings :)

Firstly combine all dry ingredients with 6 cups of water in a large pot. (Keep the remaining 1 cup on the side).

Place the pot over medium-high heat, and keep stirring with a whisk* until the mix starts boiling. At this point you should be seeing that it is thickening-up.

Once it comes to a boil, add the 1 cup of water left to the mix and combine well. Keep on the fire, stirring constantly for about 20-30 min (until the mixture thickens enough, that it dollops (not pours) off a spoon).

Take off the fire, and set on the side to allow to cool for a couple of minutes only. Then pour into your glass (or heatproof) tins/glasses to individual serving portions.

Let cool down for a good 20 min.

Then cover with cling-wrap & refridgerate for at least 2 hours. It serves cold.

When you want to serve this, sprinkle with coconut shavings, and roasted non-salted nuts: walnuts, slivered almonds/pistachios, (and yellow dried raisins if you like.. we are not fans of these..).

Place the toppings decoratively and you will have a Lebanese style dessert! Bon apetit :)

*Regarding the whisk, I use a rubber-coated whisk, so as not to scratch my pan.


Mental note: Do not hold the glasses while you pour.. you might burn yourself



Thai Red chicken curry



Thai red chicken curry

I've honestly rarely ventured down d Asian food road.. just seeing all d specialty ingredients that I need to have gives me anxiety.. And my poor kitchen is already overwhelmed w Spanish & Arabic stuff!.. so when d man of d house mentioned an orange/red chicken curry I was hoping for something simple & accessible in d supermarket (as well as in d kitchen).

To my surprise Thai Red chicken curry was very easy! and full of taste (and not spicy! which was a relief).



3 specialty ingredients (should be coconout milk!)



You only need 3 specialty ingredients: thai red curry paste, fish sauce and a can of coconut milk. (Thank you food gods!) :D

Here is d wonderful, fast & easy recipe.

Ingredients:

- 1 Onion medium (halved & finely sliced)

- 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

- 6 tsp Red Curry paste

- 500 gr Chicken breast (chopped in squares)

- 1 Tbsp Fish sauce

- 1 tsp Brown sugar

- 1 can Coconut milk (400mL)

- 20 gr Coriander

Sweat onions, add paste, lightly fry chicken
add coconut milk, let simmer 10-15 min

**Better eaten on top of plain white rice**

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sweat for 1-2 minutes (until translucent and soft).

Add d Curry paste and mix well for 1 minute (stirring constantly). Add the diced chicken and do the same (mix to coat everything, stirring for a minute).

Then add in d fish sauce, sugar, coconut milk and coriander. Combine together and let reach boiling point.

Simmering in low heat - Thai red curry

Once it bubbles, turn down the heat to medium-low (3/6) so it simmers for 10-15 minutes (do not cover the pan); stirring a bit every 5 min (so it doesn't stick).

Check that the chicken is cooked (it took me about 12 min because my chicken pieces were cut small).

To serve, plate hot over a bed of white rice!

Very easy, few ingredients, and tasty :)

* For the plain white rice (for 2 light eaters): place 1 cup of white rice + 2.5 cup water + 2 pinch salt in a medium pot. Cover with a lid, and place over medium heat (3 or 4/6) until rice is fully cooked (about 10-15 min).

Layali Lebnan (Nights of Lebanon)



Layali Lebnan (Nights of Lebanon)

This is provably the second Arabic/Lebanese dessert that I ever tried to make :) (Being d custard lover that I am) I fell in love with this rose/orange blossom scented semolina (eggless) custard!

Ah d joys of living in d Middle East! :)

My aunt-in-law (d in-law part eventually one day..) gave me d recipe, both including eggs, and d eggless version. (I personally like this eggless so nothing takes away from d Arabic scents :) ).

As with any Arabic dessert, this is not for d faint-hearted (will likely put you on sugar-coma)! but is it Oh so delicious! and custardy-like :)

Ingredients for d custard:

- 7 glass Milk

- 5 Tbsp Sugar

- 8 Tbsp Semolina

- 1.5 Tbsp Vanilla extract

- 3 Tbsp Rose water

- 3 Tbsp Orange blossom water

Additional ingredients/toppings:

- Bananas (ripe; sliced)

- Almonds (slivered)

- Pistachio (slivered)

- Walnuts (whole halves)

- Aatar (Arabic sugar syrup) **recipe below**

Place all custard ingredients over medium heat (4/6) and stirr constantly (I use a coated whisk) until it starts boiling (bubbling). Then lower the heat (3/6) and keep stirring for 4 minutes until the consistency is more thick/firm.

Remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl/tefal/containers. Let cool down.

(If you cooked it long enough the surface should not crack when cold).

In the meantime, you can prepare some Aatar (sugar syrup). Note that Aatar keeps for weeks up to a month in the fridge easily :)

Aatar:
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 1/4 cups Water
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Rose water
- 1 Tbsp Orange blossom water

Place sugar & water on a pan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar disolves, then let come to a boil.

Once boiling do not stirr!!, add the lemon juice, and lower the heat to let it simmer for 12 minutes.
Then add the rose & orange blossom water and let boil for additional 30 seconds.

Remove from the heat, and let cool down completly. Then place into a container, and keep in the fridge until use.

So, you have your custard, you have your sugar syrup; now let's put it together.

Serve your custard on the individual plates, and then you can place some whipped cream (if you want) and then sliced bananas, slivered pistachios, almonds, and walnuts... aaand drizle some Aatar syrup on top :) (I told you, this is not for the faint hearted!!)

Voila! a beautifuly scented, custard-like dessert with Arabic touch :) Enjoy!

PS: if you are keeping the custard in the fridge, make sure you cover the top with transparent film, or place a hermetic lid if you have over it, so it wont crack & dry out on the top.

Strawberry condensed milk mousse




Strawberry condensed milk mousse

Ah d joys of homesickness! :)

I actually almost forgot that my mum does this delicious, fresh mousse so well (if you have been on this blog before, you are provably aware that she's a pretty terrible cook.. except for crepes & flans.. and this mousse Lol).

She actually got the recipe off a Nestle condensed milk wrapping some years ago, and does it her way (without gelatin) slightly changing the proportions. I am not a fan of gelatin (or cuajada) textures, so I prefer the mousse this way, even if its a little runny.

*If you actually want something more 'composed' I would suggest you soak-up 2 gelatin sheets in cold water, drain them, and add them to the mix (prior to blending d whole thing).



This mousse is very light/flowy & kind of feels like a digestive dessert :) It is ridiculously easy to make with only 4 ingredients! (you can see the minimal-cooking family gene here..! Lol)

  


Ingredient steps - then blend

Ingredients:

- 500 gr Strawberries (fresh; chopped)

- 125 gr Yogurt (natural)

- 1 can Condensed milk (396 gr)

- 200 mL Whipping cream (cold)



Wash & dice the strawberries, and place in a large bowl.



Add the yogurt, condensed milk & whipping cream. With a blender wand blend everything together (you should let bubbles/air come into the mix to help it 'mousse-up' a bit).

Pour into little yogurt glasses & refridgerate at least 2-3 hours. Serve cold!

I actually like to top it with a little crunch from a Lotus/Speculoos cookie :)