Meatball Subs

Are you looking for an easy fifteen minutes dinner for a busy weeknight? Then this one is for you!

Frozen bag of fully cooked Italian style Turkey meatballs, a jar of tomato pasta sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and sub rolls.

Preheat the oven on the grill option.

Sauté the meatballs with a little of olive oil to get them warm, add tomatoes sauce and simmer covered for five minutes.

Cut the sub rolls, I like to make the slit on the top that way the sauce stays in.

Add a little or a lot of mozzarella cheese to the bottom of the roll, add as much as you like of the meatballs and sauce and cover with more cheese! I added six meatballs for each and it was plenty.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the subs on it and grill for one to two minutes depending on how hot is your oven!

Enjoy!

Serves six to eight.

Chocolate cake

Chocolate fudge cake with vanilla bean whipping cream with cream cheese chocolate frosting for my son work Christmas potluck lunch party…

I hope they enjoy it…

Thanksgiving day

Happy thanksgiving to you and your family everyone, we are thankful for all we have! Our health and family…

Let the festivities begin with delicious homemade vegetable and salami plater…. homemade bbq beef sausages…. And delicious assortment of crackers. Homemade onion and ranch dips…

Be safe everyone…

Grilled Chicken and BBQ Cabbage salad

Grilled Chicken

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Chicken is one of the easiest, fastest and healthiest protein to cook for weeknight dinners and this recipe is no exception.

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Shrimp And Scallop Scampi

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Coming from a small fisherman town in Israel my family and I share the love of seafood, fresh seafood that is caught from the near ocean and sold at the open market every single day…And In particular we adore shrimps and scallops and I always make sure to have them on hand in my freezer…

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Chocolate Cake S’mores

Chocolate Cake S'mores

  • Servings: 8-12
  • Difficulty: easy
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We all love s’mores but can you imagine it spread all over a sheet of a chocolate cake?
I could and I did…. I made up this delicious mash and ended up being this oeey gooey chocolaty goodness and it was to die for; and we could not get enough of it!!

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Braised Lamb

Braised Lamb

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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When it comes to Lamb there are lovers and there are haters!

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I am one of the lovers, I love lamb in every way it’s prepared… Barbecued, fried, grilled or braised and that’s how I prepared it for dinner tonight…

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Chocolate Fruit Tart

Chocolate Fruit Tart

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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This delicious tart was inspired by the mini fruit tart I received from my son and his wife when they came over few days before mother’s day to visit and celebrate it early, they both had to work on mother’s day and they were not going to be able to join the rest of the family on that day…

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I loved the tart they brought me… so light، yummy and full of fresh fruit….There was a surprise inside of the tart when I took a bite of it, it had a thick layer of chocolate melted on top of the crust and a thick layer of fresh whip cream…It was amazingly delicious. Continue reading

Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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I love this yummy dish!! It is full of flavors…

The garlic, the wine and the simple mix of spices all amazingly works together in this dish…

Chicken and garlic in one meal! Yes, it does not get any better than this delicious one pot wonder….And it does not require any hard work, much preparations, special ingredients or equipment’s to cook this amazing and full of flavors kind of meal… Continue reading

Pinto Beans Stew

Pinto Beans Stew

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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 You’re meatless Monday just got extra delicious with this amazing pinto beans stew.

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Third Birthday Cake

Birthday Cake

  • Servings: 15-20
  • Difficulty: easy
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 This birthday cake is one of my favorite cakes that I have ever baked, I know every cake I make is my favorite but this one is so special to me!

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Chickpea Double Chocolate Cookies

Chickpea Double Chocolate Cookies

  • Servings: 29
  • Difficulty: easy
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 Who does not li Who ke Chocolate chip cookies? Everyone loves them, kids and kids at heart love and adore them!!

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No one would turn down a good chocolate chip cookie let along these double chocolate cookies that made with few healthy ingredients…. Continue reading

Sugar Cookies-Sugar Free

Sugar Cookies

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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 Sugar cookie dough is so versatile that it could be used in most recipes that calls for cookie crusts or as a crumbled topping for any custard or ice cream dessert or just as a dunking cookie in the morning cup of coffee, afternoon tea or evening milk…

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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 I have been on a healthy lifestyle for a year now and one of the vegetables that I could have on this diet is broccoli, it does not matter if its fresh or frozen as long as I have it with any of my meals..So I have a lot of bags of broccoli in my freezer..

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Basbousa– Harisi

Basbousa-Harisi

  • Servings: 8-12
  • Difficulty: easy
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There is so many names for this delicious, sugary sweet and yummy dessert. Either Basbousa, Namora or Harisi as we call it in my house.

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Butternut Squash soup

Butternut Squash Soup

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite soups, flavorful, healthy and delicious… I love to serve this soup as a healthy meal for a light lunch or dinner when it’s cold outside.

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Basketball Game

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Saturday March 31st my granddaughter had a basketball game at USC basketball training center… USC is her dream college…

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One day she will with gods willing attend USC because dreams due come true and when you believe in your self there is nothing impossible or could stop you in life.. Continue reading

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

  • Servings: 27
  • Difficulty: easy
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In two weeks it will be two years since I posted my carrot cake recipe! Time flies so fast when you’re having fun baking…

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Berries Pie

Berries Pie

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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I always stock up on everything and berries are no exception, when I see berries on sale at the store I buy them, fresh or frozen it won’t matter to me… I fill my freezer drawer and forget about them until I envision a recipe to use them!

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Lemon Lime Cupcakes

Lemon Lime Cupcakes

  • Servings: 28
  • Difficulty: easy
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I have these cute cupcakes liners that I have so much of in my pantry that I bought few years ago…

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I used them when I baked so many muffins and cupcakes for the office for St. Patrice’s day and Last Sunday was the perfect day to put them to use… I am not sure why I bought so many of them! Even after using them with this recipe I have a lot leftover, I guess I was feeling lucky with the clover leaf… What can I say I love them! Continue reading

Spinach Pasta

Spinach Pasta

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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When I made my Chicken with Pesto dish I had to make some kind of pasta dish to complement it.

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I wanted a light sauce but full of amazing flavors and easy to eat….Pasta is such a perfect partner to a chicken dish no matter how its cooked… Continue reading

Chicken with Pesto

Chicken With Pesto

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Few days ago I made a batch of my  Pesto sauce and I had about a cup of leftover that I needed to use…

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Basil is one of the herbs that has a short life and it does not last that long in the fridge, but for sure it will last for a long time in freezer when its made in to pesto… Continue reading

Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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Every time my daughter and I say the word bundt we laugh so hard because we remember the movie “My Big Fat Greek wedding” its a bundt!!! Anyone remember that scene? it was pretty hilarious…We love that movie!!

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Coleslaw

Coleslaw

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Few days ago I made my Pulled Beef and Barbeque beans  and of course I had to make coleslaw to serve with both dishes for dinner, what better dish to serve with these two delicious hearty dishes than a cool, crunchy and creamy coleslaw!!

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Green fava beans

Green Fava Beans

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Green fava beans also known as Broad beans, or bell beans or whatever they are called I call them delicious and healthy food..

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Barbeque beans

Barbeque Beans

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Few days ago I made my Pulled Beef , a dish that I had cooking in my slow cooker doing the day while I was working… And I had too for sure to pair it with BBQ beans,  because what else goes with this amazing dish beside BBQ beans and creamy coleslaw!

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Basketball

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Today we woke up realy early to attend our granddaughter Nashwa’s basketball tournament… it was 5:00 am and we had to be there at 7:00 for a game that starts at 8:00… It was raining and it was a long drive from the house to the tournament… yes its been a long day!! Continue reading

Pulled Beef

Pulled Beef

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Most people love pulled pork but we do not eat pork so I made up this delicious barbeque pulled beef… DO YOU SMELL IT!!!


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Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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I had three poblano peppers and two orange bell peppers left in my produce drawer after I made my Eggplant and Bell pepper dip the other day…

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Apple Pie

Apple Pie

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Yesterday was National pie day, according to Google it was the 30th anniversary….So I made two apple pies to take with me to the office today…

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Jasmine Cupcakes

Jasmine Cupcakes

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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I love the smell and the flavor of jasmine in anything..so few months ago when I was in LA at the Asian market I bought a bottle of Jasmine essence, I did not know how or with what I was going to use it but I had to buy it, I could not help it the fragrance is deliciously intoxicating… Continue reading

Eggplant and Bell pepper dip

Eggplant and Bell pepper dip

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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I had to clean up my produce drawer and use up some of the vegetable that were in there…I had two eggplants and colorful bell peppers. I also had poblano and anaheim pepper that I had to use before they expire…

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Turkey Breast

Turkey Breast

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Few days ago I was in the thanksgiving mood so I cooked this delicious thanksgiving meal, well not quite the entire bird or the cranberry sauce or pies, well you get the picture…

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Sunday drives

My husband and I been going on Sunday drives since we got married and we still love to do that after 35 years together!

We took our grandkids home today after spending fun time together and on the way back I snapped few pictures with my phone! Continue reading

Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake

Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Today we had a small birthday party for our little guy Isaiah, he is turning one on Monday but since everyone works and have school, well you know about Monday blues…. Continue reading

Grilled Steak

Grilled Steak

  • Servings: 3
  • Difficulty: easy
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When its cold and 20 miles an hour winds outside and you cannot use your grill but you want to have a juicy steak for dinner, what to do? I found the simple way to achieve that  prefect, Smokey, delicious, juicy and flavorful steak is to have it prepare in sauté pan on the stovetop…Just a little butter or olive oil, room temperature meat and any of your favorite combination of spices and you have an easy meal on your hands in no time.

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Rice treats

Rice Treats

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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My granddaughter texted me few days ago and asked me if I could make her some Rice treats and of course I had to deliver….I am madly in love with her, very smart, intelligent and beautiful inside out…And I do love making treats for my kids and grandkids…

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Banana pound cake muffins

Banana pound cake muffins

  • Servings: 20
  • Difficulty: easy
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Sugar free dessert became the only way for me to bake for my husband, what to do for a man that loves sweet? It was easy for me, I started re-creating all of my baking recipes for him as sugar free dessert since we found out he is diabetic and that was many, many years ago…

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Sirloin steak stew

Sirloin Steak stew

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
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Stew is one of the easiest dishes to prepare when using the slow cooker, any dish is easy to prepare and cook in it for that matter!

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Baking cookies

After All the Banana chips cookies Banana chips cookies I made the other day were gone; (thats how delicious they were) I had to bake another batch, but this time I doubled the recipe to accommodate the demands for these delicious cookies… Continue reading

Banana chips cookies

Banana chips cookies

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Today I realized that I have saved a lot of banana chips from the so called tropical mix nuts and tropical fruit bags that we buy from the health store, every time I buy a bag I realize more and more that they are just full of banana chips and hardly any mixed nuts or any tropical fruits…

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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There is no doubt that Indian cuisine is one of the flavorful and aromatic food out there, I love Indian food as much as I love middle eastern food…I enjoy cooking Indian food and I really love it when the delicious aroma fills up my kitchen, the spices, the texture and the flavor are amazing.

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Birthday and Valentine celebration

Today was a special day for all of us, its my daughter and granddaughter birthday…. it was such a surprise that day for all of us, when our granddaughter decided to be born  few weeks early and on her mother birthday, this kid is always in a hurry……. I just love her…….It is so special to celebrate your birthday with your own kid, at least I think so!

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Chicken Quiche

Chicken Quiche

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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It was cold and crazy windy outside today and this is the best kind of days for me to bake and tests recipes, oven on for a long time and that’s for sure will keep the house warm. Also it was clean the fridge from leftovers kind of day…

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Chocolate cake

Chocolate Cake

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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I think Chocolate is one of the most loved sweets on earth, I am not that big of a fan…(I know everyone thinks I am crazy) but let me tell you I surprised myself after I tasted my own creations…this chocolatey cake is one of the best cakes I came up with and everyone agrees with me…

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Cheese cake

Cheese Cake

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Tomorrow we are having another birthday celebration at the office so I decided to change the cake for this birthday.

I try to get everyone at the office to tell me what are their favorite cakes and I choose one of them to make as a surprise for their birthdays. Continue reading

Grilled Vegetables

Grilled Vegetables

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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These panini press you have hiding in your kitchen cabinets are not just for making a panini sandwiches, they are an amazing tool to use as a grill, last night I used it to grill vegetables and I often use it to grill steaks or chicken.

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How to cook Spaghetti Squash

How to cook Spaghetti Squash

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Recently I became a big fan of Spaghetti squash, its a healthy alternative to regular pasta.

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Fiesta chicken

Fiesta Chicken

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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We are the kind of people that could eat chicken every night and tonight was a no exception it was a slow cooker fiesta chicken night!

I called it fiesta chicken because of the the mix of the spices i used, this mix of spices added the most delicious mild spiced flavor!

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Happy New Year 2018

Today is the last day of 2017 and at midnight we all start a new year, I hope the new year brings love, happiness, prosperity and peace upon all of us!

2017 brought on the unkindly actions towards so many peoples so I hope we will be kinder to each others in the new year, regardless of our background, religion, authenticity or color!

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Kofta – – Middle Eastern Meatloaf

Kofta-Middle Eastern Meatloaf

  • Servings: 5
  • Difficulty: easy
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Kota is the most beloved and most famous dish in the middle east, its delicious and ohh its so easy to make.

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Every home has its own recipe to prepare this dish, its widely made in a pan like my mom’s recipe below, or as a Kabob on skewers, or long shaped meatballs. Continue reading

Apple cinnamon delight  

Apple Cinnamon Dessert

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: easy
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simple dessert not just healthy but it is sugar free and delicious, it takes few minutes to prepare and I love it.

Perfect dessert when you are on a diet or a healthy alternative when wanting something sweet, but if you are feeling more than just apples, this would be a delicious treat with vanilla ice cream.

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Chicken Pasta Helper

Chicken Pasta Helper

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Normally hamburger helper made with ground beef, but tonight I made it with ground Chicken since my husband cannot eat red meat. Continue reading

Sugar free Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chips Cookies

Sugar free Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chips Cookies

  • Servings: 24
  • Difficulty: easy
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These Oatmeal cookies are filled with delicious Raisin and Chocolate Chips, I love making them and my granddaughter loves to eat them.

preheat oven to 350

1 Cup Splenda brown sugar

2 Cups all purpose flour

2 Tsp. baking soda

1/2 Tsp. fine salt

1 1/2 Cups old fashion oats

1/2 Tsp. cinnamon

1/2 Tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 Cup of raisins

1 Cup mini chocolate chip

2 sticks of unsalted butter soften

2 eggs at room temperature

1/2 Tsp. ground vanilla or extract

line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set a side.

Add butter and brown sugar in to a stand mixer bowl with the flat beater attached, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed until it has smooth consistency.

Add eggs one at a time making sure its fully incorporated.

Add Vanilla and mix well for a 1 minute.

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon, add to the sugar and butter mixture in third, mix well for 1-2 minute.

With a medium size ice cream scope, scope the cookie dough on to the prepared cookie sheets making sure to leave 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

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Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, remove to cooling racks and let them cool completely, store in airtight container for up to two weeks, if they last that long 🙂

Enjoy!

Salad

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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The best side dish to serve next rice, kebabs, grilled chicken, Hummus, Maqluba or just as a meal by itself. This middle eastern salad is full of flavor and it is so easy to make its hardly a recipe.

5 large roma tomatoes

2 medium romaine lettuce

3 medium Persian cucumber

2 stocks of celery

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 tablespoon salt or to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 medium green onions

3 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

5 medium size radishes

Rinse all the vegetable and set a side to dry or use the salad spinner to remove the water.

Dice all the vegetables in to small size, add all in a large bowl.

Add lemon juice, salt and cumin, mix well and serve.

Maqluba

Maqluba

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Maqluba is the national dish in the middle east..Each recipe has its own variety of vegetables, such as tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and eggplant!

my favorite way to make it  with eggplant and cauliflower, chicken or lamb are the meats of choice to be used in Maqluba.

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Maqluba latterly translates to “upside down” in Arabic, when the casserole is inverted, the top has the crusty layer of the rice, some chose to have the vegetable on the bottom instead of the rice, but my mom always made it with the rice on the bottom, I love it and so does my family.

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4 LB boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs.

8 cups cold water

1 stick of cinnamon

2 bay leaf

1 large onion thinly sliced

1 med cauliflower cut up to floweret OR

1 large eggplant cut up in to 3 inches circles

3 cloves of garlic minced

3 cups of Jasmin rice or long grain rice

1/2 tablespoon of black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoon of salt divided

1 1/4 tablespoon of cinnamon powder

1 tablespoon of curry powder

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon ground cardamom

6 cups reserved chicken broth

6 tablespoon olive oil divided

3 tablespoon butter

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Preheat oven to 425

In a large stockpot add water, chicken, cinnamon stick and bay leaf, bring to boil, lower the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered to avoid spells for about 25 minutes, making sure to skim off the foam every few minutes until the broth is clear.

In the main time, spread the eggplant on to nonstick or lined baking sheet in single layer, drizzle 3 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle 1/4 of tablespoon of salt, rub the oil and the salt into the eggplant, bake for 30 minutes.

Rinse the rice with cold water drain, set a side.

In a medium size nonstick pot add the remaining olive oil, butter and Sauté the sliced onions until golden, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, make sure the pot is large enough in order to cook the entire meal in.

Add the sautéed onion and garlic to the rinsed rice, add all the spices and the remaining salt and pepper. mix well.

Remove the chicken from the broth onto a plate and let it cool for a minute, discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, reserve the broth.

Shred the chicken into large bite size.

Line the bottom of the pot with a layer of the rice and onion mixture, add a layer of eggplant or the vegetable you chose to use, repeat until all of the eggplant used and end up with a top layer of the rice.

Add chicken broth, cover and bring to boil, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Let the rice stand in the pot covered for about 10 minutes.

Hold a large serving platter over the pot and invert the rice carefully and serve.

Some recipes have toasted nuts on top but I love this simple one! 

Served with plain yogurt or middle eastern salad 

Enjoy!

Fish Taco Sauce

Fish Taco Sauce

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Did you ever wonder how they make that delicious taco sauce at the restaurants! I did…

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I always wanted to make it at home, and I think I finally got it down to the last flavor…

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I made fish tacos for dinner tonight, normally I use fresh fish and bake it in the oven, but this time I used good quality frozen readymade fish I had in my freezer to pair it with this delicious, amazing sauce…

Also, I paired the sauce with thinly sliced cabbage, some cilantro and I was ready to serve a delicious, light dinner…

I have used this sauce in my coleslaw salad, by mixing, shredded carrots, shredded white cabbage, and shredded red cabbage, mixing some of the sauce with a little of buttermilk to thin it out, toss and let it stand for few hours.

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serve this delicious salad with barbeque or fried chicken, or barbeque ribs.

In addition, this delicious sauce could be used as a salad dressing, make your favorite salad mix, and top it with this amazing sauce, and you have a healthy lunch or dinner to serve to your family.

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This recipe makes a lot; and it keeps very well in an airtight mason jars or containers in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

.1 medium white cabbage thinly sliced
.2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
.1 cup of mayonnaise
.1/2 cup sour cream
.1 1/2 tbsp. readymade cream horseradish
.2 tbsp. Worcestershire
.1 cup buttermilk
.Juice one lemon
.1 tbsp. salt
.1/2 tbsp. black pepper
.2 tbsp. hot sauce (your favorite one)
.1/2 chopped fresh rosemary
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
.1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram
.2 cloves minced garlic

In a large bowl, combine, mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, Worcestershire, buttermilk, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, hot sauce, and all the chopped herbs, whisk well until all combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for few hours.

In another bowl, add the sliced cabbage and 3-5 tablespoons of the sauce, depends on how big is the cabbage you are using,mix well, cover with plastic wrap, and let it stand in the refrigerated for half hour for the flavors to marry.

Serve with your favorite fish taco recipe. Enjoy!

Orange Juice Cupcakes

Orange Juice Cupcakes

  • Servings: 12-23
  • Difficulty: easy
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The smell of baked goods is one of the best aromas to have in the kitchen!

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I love using fresh or bottled juices in my baking, and i always try different flavors.

Today i made up a recipe of orange juice cupcakes, they turned out delicious, added extra vanilla, and the combination was amazing!

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This is the only recipe you will need for quick cake or cupcakes; it does not take more than 23 minutes to bake and not more than eight ingredients to prepare it.

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.1 cup coconut oil melted and measured in liquid measuring cup

.2 cups sugar

.2 tbsp vanilla

.3 large eggs

.3 1/2 cups cake flour

.1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder

.1/2 tsp salt

.1 1/2 cups orange juice with pulp

Preheat oven 375

Line cupcake pans with liners and set aside.

In a bowl of stand mixer with the flat beater attachment, add coconut oil and sugar, mix well until combined.

Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition.

Add vanilla and mix for 2 minutes until the mixture is somewhat thick and all the sugar dissolved.

In other bowl, sift cake flour with baking powder and salt.

On low speed add the flour mixture in third alternating with the orange juice, start, and finish with the flour.

Mix well for 1 minute, remove the bowl, and with rubber spatchela scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir, making sure all combined.

With 1/2 measuring cup fill each of the lined cupcakes pan all the way up.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, making sure to rotate the pans to ensure even baking.

Remove pans and cool on cooling racks for 5 minutes, remove cupcakes and cool completely before serving.

You could top the cupcake with homemade whip cream or cream cheese frosting, but there is no need for it, since they are delicious on their own, Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Focaccia Bread

Slow Cooker Focaccia Bread

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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I love baking bread, but sometimes it is too hot to turn the oven on, or I have to go out shopping.

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For the past few months, I been trying to utilize the use of my slow cooker more in my cooking and baking.

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I wanted to bake bread yesterday but I had to go out shopping so I used my slow cooker, and it worked, bread was delicious and full of flavor.

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I added fresh herbs and olive oil, it is the easiest bread I ever made!

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Make the dough and let it rise for 40 minutes turn on the slow cooker and off you go.

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Walking in to the house the smell was intoxicating, smell of fresh baked bread, herbs and olive oil filled up the house.

.2 cups hot milk

.4 cups bread flour

.2 tbsp. yeast

.1/2 tbsp. salt

.2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

.2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

.2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

.2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

.4 tbsp. olive oil divided

.1 tbsp. honey

Line the insert of the slow cooker with parchment paper, making sure the side are covered, spray with vegetable spray and set aside.

In to a stand mixer bowl with the flat beater attachment add hot milk, honey, and yeast, mix until its combined, let it stand for 5 minutes.

Turn the mixer on slow; add the flour little at a time, add salt and the mixture of herbs, let it mix for 3 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil and mix for another 3 minutes.

The dough will be sticky.

With a bench scraper, scope the dough directly in to the slow cooker insert, speared with clean hands.

Cover with the slow cooker lid, and let it rise without turning the cooker on for 45 minutes.

After the dough is rising, brush the top with the remaining olive oil, cover it with clean kitchen towel, cover with the slow cooker lid, folding the side of the towel up on to the lid.

Turn on the slow cooker to the low setting, and bake for 3 hours.

Do not lift the lid or remove the towel until the 3 hours are up so the steam won’t escape.

Remove the bread by holding the parchment paper from both sides, let it cool on cooling rack for 5 minutes, slide the parchment paper from under the bread, and let it cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours. Enjoy!

Lemon Lime Chicken

Lemon Lime Chicken

  • Servings: 8-12
  • Difficulty: easy
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Tomorrow is our co-worker Joanne’s last day with the company, she is moving out of state and we will miss her dearly!

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We had a potluck today and everyone brought their own special dish, and they all complemented the dish i made.

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I made my lemon lime baked chicken and it was amazingly delicious, the flavor of the lemon lime mixture complemented the chicken really well.

I added cilantro, garlic, and mix of delicious spices.

Overall, the potluck was a success!

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.9 Lb. chicken thighs

.Juice of 4 lemons

.Juice of 4 limes

.Zest of 4 lemons

.Zest of 4 limes

.3 cups minced cilantro – 3 large bundles

.2 cups minced parsley – 2 large bundles

.7 cloves of garlic

.1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

.2 tbsp. salt

.1 tbsp. hot red chili powder

.1 1/2 tbsp. black pepper

.1 hot green chili pepper

.1 tbsp. paprika

.1/2 tbsp. cinnamon

.1/2 tbsp. cumin

Preheat oven 425

Wash chicken and dry with paper towel, place in large bowl, set aside.

Wash cilantro and parsley and set aside on clean kitchen towel to drain and dry.

In a small bowl combine salt, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, hot chili powder and cumin, mix well and set aside.

Zest all the limes and lemons, and add it all to the spice mixture.

Juice lemons, limes, and add to the spice mixture, add olive oil, mix well again.

Cut the hard ends of the cilantro and parsley, cut each bundle in half, and in a food processer fitted with the sharp blade, mince parsley, and cilantro little at a time, add to the chicken, continue until all the herbs minced.

Chop the hot green pepper, garlic, and add to the bowl of the processer, mince well, add to the chicken mixture.

Add the spice and juice mixture to the chicken and herbs mixture.

With clean hands, massage the marinade mixture in to each piece of chicken making sure it is completely coated.

Divide the chicken in two disposable baking pans (easy cleanup).

Line up the chicken in one single layer in each pan.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with Spanish green rice or mashed potato or simple salad. Enjoy!

Beef Stir Fry Noodles

Beef Stir Fry Noodles

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Yesterday we went to the Asian market on the way home after work, I bought few items to use in a new recipes I wanted to try.

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So tonight was a Chinese food night, but we did not order take out because I wanted to use some of the sauces I bought in my own homemade recipes!

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The beef stir-fry turned out delicious, the flavor of the sauce mixed with the vegetable and the meat was amazing.

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I paired it with delicious Chinese barbecue chicken, it was easy to make and it only took 40-45 minutes to get both dishes on the table, the same amount of time to get in the car and drive to pickup take out!

The stir fry dish could be made in to an absolutely delicious vegan dish by following the recipe,and substituting the beef with firm tofu.

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Stir-fry

.1 Lb. thin sirloin strips

.1 bag stir fry vegetable mix 9 oz.

.1 bag of frozen stir fry mixed bell pepper and onion 16 oz.

.3 cups button mushrooms

.1 jar stir fry sauce 11.4 oz.

.1 tbsp. cornstarch

.3 tbsp. vegetable oil

.1/2 can water chestnuts (freeze the other half-in zip top bag)

.1 bag fresh Chinese noodles 9.87 oz.

.1/2 cup water

.2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

.2 tbsp. dry slivered garlic

.1 tsp. sesame oil

.1 tbsp. soy sauce

.2 tbsp. toasted sesame (optional)

Chinese barbecue chicken

.4 large chicken thighs bone in

.4-5 tbsp. Chinese barbecue sauce

.1/2 cup of water

Preheat oven 420

Add chicken to baking sheet and brush on the barbecue sauce; add the water to the bottom of the baking pan around the chicken, bake for 45 minutes with continues brushing by dipping the brush in the sauce, in the baking pan, about 4 times.

In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch and 3 tbsp. of the stir-fry sauce, add the beef and with clean hands mix until the beef well covered.

In a large sauté pan or wok on high heat, add vegetable oil and sauté the beef in single layer, 1 minute on each side, remove, and set aside.

To the same pan / wok, add the bell pepper and onion mix, sauté until all the water evaporated.

Add the stir-fry mixed vegetable, whole button mushrooms and sauté for few minutes until all fork tender.

Add water chestnuts, cooked beef, and stir until all combined.

Add sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, dry slivered garlic, soy sauce, and the remaining stir-fry sauce, mix well.

Add fresh noodles, with a tong stir the noodles in to the vegetable and the sauce mixture, add water, and cook until noodles heated through.

Add toasted sesame if you like, and serve family style. Enjoy!

Corn Dog Muffins

Corn Dog Muffins

  • Servings: 12-24
  • Difficulty: easy
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The combination of corn bread and hot dogs is behind delicious, kids and adults enjoys eating them at any given time!

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We all enjoyed them when shopping at the mall, corn dogs and lemonade was one of the snaks my kids asked for all the time.

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I combined the two in muffin version and the results were amazing!

Just a hint of sweetness meets savory.

They are on the healthy side also, coconut oil replaced the butter and sugar substitutes replacing the granulated sugar.

It was the perfect combination with BBQ, yes, we started our long weekend BBQ from today, and it will continue until Monday!

Preheat oven 375

Spray two muffin pans with vegetables oil spray and set aside.

.1/2 cup all purpose flour

.2 1/2 cup buttermilk

.1/4 tsp salt

.2 tsp baking powder

.1/2 cup melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter

.2 1/2 cups corn meal

.2 large eggs

.6 beef hot dogs cut in to 5 pieces each

.1/3 cup sugar substitutes or granulated sugar

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar set aside.

In measuring cup, stir in buttermilk and eggs, whisk until completely combined.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry and stir.

Add the melted coconut oil or butter and stir until the mixture comes together.

With ice cream scoop fill the muffin pan halfway, insert the cut up hotdogs, one in each muffin.

Bake for 25-30 minutes making sure to turn the pans halfway.

Cool on wire rack for five minutes, remove, and cool completely.

Drizzle with honey on top before serving.

The muffins could be served warm or at room temperature.

This recipe makes about 22-24 muffins, Enjoy!

Cabbage Salad

Cabbage Salad

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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I am on the roll these days with delicious side dishes, this one my mom made all the time growing up and I love it now as much as I loved it back then.

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It is easy, simple, and healthy, that is all I could say about it.

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This salad is perfect prepared a day before; the raw cabbage needs to marinade in the lemon juice and olive oil overnight or few hours before serving.

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.1 medium size green or red cabbage

.3 minced garlic cloves

.1/4 cup lemon juice

.1/4 cup olive oil

.1/2 tbsp. salt

.1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

Remove the first 2 layers of the leaves, I find the first layers are not clean to use from being handled and touched by people at the store.

With a sharp knife, shred the cabbage in to thin slices making sure to remove the core and any hard rips, you could use a food processer and chop it but that’s another equipment to wash!!!

Add the shredded cabbage in to a large bowl, add lemon juice, salt, red crushed pepper, olive oil and minced garlic, with clean hands mix well until all combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for few hours or overnight.

Served with Beef Shawarma, chicken kebabs or any other meat dishes, or just by itself as a healthy lunch or dinner.

Tonight I paired it with grilled lemon chicken. Enjoy!

Corn-Bell Pepper Relish

Corn-Bell Pepper Relish

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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I had a leftover assorted bell pepper from the other day when I made a vegetable pizza and I wanted to use them before they expire, and I had a big bag of frozen corn, I normally buy big bags of frozen vegetables, it is cheaper that way!
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I had to come up with a quick side dish that will not take a long time to prepare, and a healthy one at the same time.IMG_5201

This dish turned out awesome, it was delicious and healthy as a side dish to any meal, and tonight I paired it with frozen readymade chicken patties, from the freezer to the oven, cannot get simpler than that…Just keeping it real here!

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Tonight I did not feel like cooking an entire meal, because I wanted to test a chocolate cake recipe I wrote the other day, and I did not want to be in the kitchen all night long after a busy day at the office…

I promise to post the cake recipe if it comes out the way I invasion it. 

.3 cups frozen corn

.1 cup chopped green bell pepper

.1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

.1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

.1 tbsp butter

.3 tbsp olive oil

.1/2 tbsp salt

.1/4 tbsp black pepper

.1/4 cup whipping cream

.2 medium shallots chopped

.1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

.1 tsp grated fresh ginger

.1 tsp lemon zest

In a large skillet over high heat, add olive oil and butter, add chopped shallots and the mixture of bell pepper, sauté for 2-3 minutes or until slightly brown.

Add salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, grated ginger, lemon zest and mix well.

Add corn and cook for 2 -3 minutes just to heat it through, add the whipping cream and cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

This recipe could be completely transformed in to vegan dish, by replacing the butter with coconut oil and the whipping cream with coconut milk, its equally delicious. Enjoy!

Vegetable Relish

Vegetable Relish

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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We have our favorite Mexican restaurant that we go to for our date nights dinner, hubby and I sometimes order fish tacos, and with it comes a delicious mix of sautéed vegetable.

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I created my own spin on the dish, and guess what he said my dish tasted better, I was very happy to hear that.

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I added garlic and lemon juice, it gave it a slight of freshness, and it did taste better than the restaurant version.

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I also added white wine; and once it was reduced, the flavor was amazing.

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It is such an easy and healthy dish to make at home, and it took no time at all to prepare it, it is truly an easy side dish to make for dinner on a busy weeknights.

.2 medium size Italian zucchini

.2 large zucchini

.3 large carrots peeled

.1 cup of fresh cut green beans

.1/2 tbsp. dry basil

.1/2 tbsp. salt

.1/4 tbsp. black pepper

.3 tbsp. olive oil

.2 cloves of minced garlic

.1/2 cup alcohol free white wine

.Juice of half a lemon

Wash and dry all the vegetable.

Cut both type of zucchinis and carrots lengthwise, turn, and cut to thin sticks.

Try to cut the vegetable in to the same size, in order for it to cook at the same time, but do not fuss over it.

On high heat, heat olive oil in large sauté pan, add carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Stir occasionally, add zucchini, cut green beans, salt, and cook until soft about 2-3 minutes.

Add garlic, dry basil, black pepper and cook for few seconds, add white wine, lemon juice and stir well, let it reduce uncovered for few minutes.

Serve with baked chicken or baked fish, Enjoy!

Molokhia

Molokhia

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Molokhia is the leave of jute plant, the leaves are minced and cooked with chicken or beef; it is very popular in the Middle East and North African kitchens, it is one of the most famous dishes in Egypt, its cooked with rabbit meat.

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The consistency of this dish is not appealing to some people, they call it slimy, but I guarantee you once you taste this delicious dish you will not call it that.

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The sautéed-minced garlic in brown butter, adds scrumptious flavor, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and you are on your way to taste the best dish on earth as my hubby calls it.

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I remember my mom used to buy the fresh molokhia in huge bundles to feed our large family, we kids used to help her by plucking the leaves off the stems, she used to use the mezzaluna knife to mince it.

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It is very hard to find fresh Molokhia leaves in the states, but it is widely sold frozen in individual bags or in dry form at any Middle Eastern markets.

I also found the dry version on line.

Molokhia is one of the easiest dishes to make, let me show you how.

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.1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast

.2 bags of frozen mince molikhia 14 oz. each or 6 cups of dry molikhia

.6 cups of water

.1/2 tbsp. salt

.5 cloves mince garlic

.4 tbsp. butter

In a medium size pot, combine chicken breast with water, cover and bring to boil.

Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the chicken on to a plate and set aside to cool.

Carefully reserve a 1 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid and set aside, cool the rest of the liquid in a container for an hour, pour in to Masson jar with tight fitted lid and store in the refrigerator to use in soups.

For the dry molokhia reserve 2 cups of the poaching liquid.

With paper towel, carefully clean the same pot; on low heat add butter and garlic, sauté the garlic until light golden and making sure not burn it.

With kitchen scissors snip along side of the bag, squeeze the molokhia out and add to the pot, repeat with the second bag.

if you are using the dry molokhia, add all 6 cups at once.

Add the reserved poaching liquid, salt, and stir well, simmer covered for five minutes.

With two forks shred the chicken in to bite size pieces, add to the molokhia and simmer for another five minutes, or ten minutes for the dry version.

For vegetarian version opt the chicken and the poaching liquid , and use vegetable stock instead.

Serve with day old pita bread or rice pilaf, fresh lemon wedges, green bell pepper and jalapeño pepper. Enjoy!