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!
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…
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…
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 →
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..
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.
When I made my Chicken with Pesto dish I had to make some kind of pasta dish to complement it.
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 →
Few days ago I made a batch of my Pesto sauce and I had about a cup of leftover that I needed to use…
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 →
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!!
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!
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…
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…
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.
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.
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…
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.
Tonight I made a delicious, flavorful and healthy chicken soup for dinner, this recipe is perfect for everyone especially if you are on a healthy lifestyle journey!
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!
Thursday we had a Thanksgiving lunch at the office, each person made a dish or brought something to share, and as I do every year, I prepared my delicious juicey Turkey!
Kota is the most beloved and most famous dish in the middle east, its delicious and ohh its so easy to make.
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 →
This dish bring so many childhood memories, it was sold by street vendors back home! We used to buy it and munch on it on the way home from school. Continue reading →
Happy Mother’s Day to my daughter Mona Ray and my daughter in law Brittany and to meeeeee 🙏🏻🙏🏻 and to all mother figures out there we rock ladies ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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 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.
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.
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
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!
Did you ever wonder how they make that delicious taco sauce at the restaurants! I did…
I always wanted to make it at home, and I think I finally got it down to the last flavor…
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.
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.
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.
Tomorrow is our co-worker Joanne’s last day with the company, she is moving out of state and we will miss her dearly!
We had a potluck today and everyone brought their own special dish, and they all complemented the dish i made.
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!
.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.
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.
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!
The beef stir-fry turned out delicious, the flavor of the sauce mixed with the vegetable and the meat was amazing.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
I created my own spin on the dish, and guess what he said my dish tasted better, I was very happy to hear that.
I added garlic and lemon juice, it gave it a slight of freshness, and it did taste better than the restaurant version.
I also added white wine; and once it was reduced, the flavor was amazing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
.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!
It is easy to open a jar of any kind of store bought sauces, but this easy recipe of alfredo sauce will change your mind.
The delicious white sauce filled with cheese and scrumptious flavor, and trusts me on this one; it will beat any readymade sauce.
It is a make ahead sauce, freezes well for a month in zip top bags or for a week in the refrigerator in airtight container.
I always use this delicious, scrumptious sauce as a base for my white pizza, but this time I paired it with my home style meatballs and made baked penne for dinner.
Preheat oven to 375
.2 cups whipping cream
.4 cups hot milk (non-fat)
.3 tbsp. olive oil
.3 tbsp. coconut oil
.1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. flour
.1/2 tbsp. salt
.1/2 tbsp. black pepper
.1/2 tsp. nutmeg
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
.1 cup + 3 tbsp. gradated parmesan cheese divided
.1 cup mozzarella cheese
.1 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
.1 bag whole wheat Penne pasta
.2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
In a heavy bottom pot, on medium heat, add the olive oil and coconut oil, add flour.
Cook the flour for 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in milk and whipping cream, continue to whisk to avoid any lumps.
Switch to wooden spoon, add salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and thyme, cook until the sauce is thick, and coat the back of the spoon.
Off the heat add 1 cup of parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese; stir until the cheese melted.
Cook the penne according to the package instructions, before darning the pasta, make sure to reserve 1 1/2 cup of water.
In 9 x 13 baking pan sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray, add pasta.
Reserve 2 cups of the sauce and set aside in airtight container for later use.
Add home-style meatballs to the remaining sauce, mix well.
Add sauce and meatballs to the pasta, add the reserved pasta water, mix well making sure all the pasta covered with the sauce.
Top it with the remaining parmesan cheese and bake for 10-15 minute.
Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve with French baguette.
Save the reserved sauce in the refrigerator to use with pizza. Enjoy!
Making your own meatballs at home is as easy as opening a frozen bag of meatballs from the store, it takes no time to get it done, it is healthier, and you know what kind of meat you are serving to your family.
The other day all I had in the freezer ground beef and ground chicken, each of the meat was not enough to make dinner for everyone, and I did not feel like getting dressed and drive to the store just to get another lb. of beef to make meatballs.
I have few delicious recipes of meatballs, but I never made this one, by combining the ground beef and the ground chicken, these meatballs were born!
Combining both meats made the meatballs juicy and delicious and it was enough to feed the entire family.
This recipe is a total make ahead meal, let the meatballs cool completely, add to zip top bags and freeze.
But that day I added the meatballs to my delicious Alfredo sauce and made baked penne.
.1 lb. ground beef
.1 lb. ground chicken
.1/2 tbsp. salt
.1 tsp. black pepper
.1 tbsp. minced garlic about 3
.1 medium minced shallots
.1 egg
.1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
.1/4 cup parmesan cheese
.1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
.6 tbsp. olive oil divided
.6 tbsp. coconut oil divided
In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except the olive oil and the coconut oil.
With clean hands, mix well until the meats completely combined.
With a small ice cream scope form little meatballs, roll in the palm of your hand, continue until all the meat is used, the mix should make about 66 mini meatballs.
In a large heavy bottom pot on high heat, combine 3 tbsp. olive oil and 3 tbsp. coconut oil.
Add some of the meatballs to the pot making sure to line up in single layer, brown for 1-2 minutes on each side, remove, and set aside, continue by adding the rest of the olive oil, coconut oil and brown the rest of the meatballs. Enjoy!
Lamb is one of my favorite meat to cook with; I love the aroma and the delicious flavor the lambs adds to each dish!
I was surprised my hubby ate this dish; he is not a big fan of lamb but he loved it and loved the flavor.
The long slow cooking made the lamb tender and falls off the bones, it had a delicious melt in your mouth scrumptious flavor.
Barley was a surprise addition for my hubby, he never ate it before, and honestly, I never cooked it before!
I bought the bag of barley I think three months ago when I was checking out the grains at the store and it caught my eye and I thought why not, so I bought it and I have been wanting to use it in one of my recipes for a while.
It added a delicious healthy texture to the stew , I also added large carrots and I was surprised they held their shape even with the long cooking time!
Oh yes I forgot to mention, this dish is cooked in the slow cooker, yes over night or all day… you either wake up to the delicious aroma filling your home or having the delicious aroma when you walk in after work.
The dish was so hearty that I did not serve any side dish with it.
.3-4 lb. lamb shanks
.2 cups barley rinsed
.1 large onion chopped
.1 medium serrano pepper chopped
.2 tbsp. fresh rosemary chopped
.2 tbsp. fresh marjoram chopped
.1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
.1 cup celery with leaves chopped
.3 large carrots washed, unpeeled and cut to large pieces
.1 1/4 alcohol free white wine
.6 cups water or vegetable stock
.1 1/2 tbsp. salt
.1 tbsp. black pepper
.1 tsp coriander powder
.1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
.4 tbsp. olive oil divided
.4 cloves garlic smashed
In a small bowl mix salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon and coriander and set aside.
In a heavy bottom pot on high heat, add 2 tbsp. olive oil to heat, sprinkle some of the spice mixer on half of the lamb shank and line in single layer in the hot oil.
Brown the lamb on each side; the lamb will not be fully cooked remove to the insert of the slow cooker.
Continue with the rest of the lamb making sure to sprinkle some of the spices on each addition.
Add the remaining olive oil; add onion, carrots, serrano pepper, garlic, and celery, brown for few minutes making sure to add the rest of the spice mixture, stir for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the white wine to deglaze the pan, add the herb mixture, and stir for 1 minute making sure to left all the delicious flavor from the bottom of the pan.
Add the mixture to the lamb, add barely, water, and mix well until the entire ingredients incorporated.
Turn on the slow cooker on low heat for 8 hours. Enjoy!
Baba Ghanoush is one of the most famous dishes throughout the Middle East, in fact the entire world.
It is healthy and delicious to serve as a side dish with kebabs or by itself as a main dish with crusty bread or warm pita bread.
Baba Ghanoush and I been having a love affair since I could ever remember, I love making it, eating it at any time of the day; it was a happy day when my mom used to make it growing up!
This recipe is easy, delicious and full of flavor, I love adding roasted bell pepper to my mom original recipe for added flavor.
.2 large eggplant
.2 garlic cloves minced
.1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
.1/2 cup warm water
.1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
.1/2 tsp. cumin
.1 1/4 tsp. salt
.1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley divided
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. olive oil
Preheat oven broil on high.
Place the oven rack in the middle section of the oven.
Line up two small baking sheets with aluminum foil (very easy clean up later), spray with non-stick vegetable spray, and set aside.
Wash and dry the eggplants and bell pepper, cut the ends off the eggplants and make a deep slit in the middle of each eggplant for the steam to escape so it will not explode in the oven.
Place the bell pepper on one of the prepared baking sheets and the eggplants on the other one, broil side by side for 45 minutes making sure turning them every few minutes.
Remove baking sheet and set aside for the vegetable to cool enough to handle.
With clean hands, gently remove the skin off the eggplant.
Remove the skin off the bell pepper, some will not come off, but that’s added flavor to the dish.
Do not wash the vegetable…
Chop the bell pepper to medium size pieces and set aside in a medium size bowl.
Place the eggplants on wooden chopping block and with a sharp knife finely chop it until you have smooth consistency.
Add to the bell pepper.
In a separate bowl combine tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, half the chopped parsley and whisk well.
Add the dressing to the eggplants and pepper mixture, stir until completely incorporated.
sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and top with paprika, and olive oil.
Serve as side dish next to chicken kebab, or just a main course with a warm pita bread and simple tomato salad. Enjoy!
Who does not love Kebab!! We all do, in our house everyone ask for it again and again…
Kebab is any skewered meat or vegetables that grilled in the oven or on an outdoor grill.
I made mine without the hassle of using the skewers, It is easier after a long day at work, it has the spices and the flavor but without spending extra time on skewering the meat.
The chicken was moist and full of flavor, the mixed simple spices were packed with flavor.
.3 lb. cut mixed chicken white and dark meat
.1 tbsp. curry powder
.1 tsp salt
.1/2 tsp black pepper
.1/2 tsp cumin
.1/4 tsp cinnamon
.3 tbsp. olive oil
.3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
.3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Line up two baking sheets with aluminum foil, spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray, and set aside.
Wash and dry the chicken with paper towel and place in a large bowl.
In a small bowl mix, curry powder, salt, black pepper, cumin and cinnamon, add to the chicken and mix well with clean hands.
Add olive oil and lemon and lime juice, and mix again until the chicken completely coated with the spice mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap and let the chicken set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 435
Line up the chicken on the prepared baking sheets in single layers, bake for 10-15 minutes.
Serve the chicken with corn-asparagus hot salad and baba ghanoush,
You could say this recipe is everything but the kitchen sink, I had few freezer items that I needed to use.
I never thought to use fish in a quiche until tonight, I had tilapia filet in the freezer and wanted to make something special with it, did not want to just make another baked fish in the oven…
I started looking in the freezer and I found half a bag of mixed sliced bell peppers, half a bag of mixed frozen vegetables.
In the refrigerator found a bag of baby spinach and a large zucchini that both would have been tossed in the trash by next week, also had some leftover chopped cilantro, half of an onion, and chopped green onion from the other night when I made chicken fajita…
Also I had few cups of baking mix that I had to get out of my pantry, I got all the ingredient on my kitchen counter and started writing the recipe….. So the tilapia quiche was born…
So the king of the house said he don’t think this is going to taste good, he never heard of Tilapia Quiche!!! Well neither than I but hey why not, developing a recipe is my game and trying different things is the way to go in my kitchen…
You could use a ready-made pie crust but I loved the crust I made with the ready baking mix, light, crumbly, and airy.
The egg will set but it will have a little juice from the vegetable and I think that is what made it delicious.
My son would never eat vegetables to save his life, he said and I quote” as you know mom normally I don’t eat vegetables, but this is really good” and he asked for second, I thought to myself high five mom for hiding the vegetables…
Filling
.2 lbs. tilapia filet
.6 extra large eggs
.1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
.2 tbsp. butter
.3 tbsp. olive oil
.1 1/2 cup mixed frozen vegetables
.2 cups chopped zucchini
.1/2 medium chopped onion
.3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
.1/2 tbsp. hot curry powder
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh flat leaves parsley
.1 bag baby spinach 5 oz.
.3 garlic cloves chopped
.1 tbsp. salt
.1 tbsp. black pepper
.1/2 tbsp. paprika
.1/4 cup buttermilk
Crust
.2 1/4 cup ready baking mix
.3-4 tbsp. vegetable shortening
.2-3 tbsp. buttermilk
.2 tbsp. fresh thyme
.1/4 tsp. black pepper
Spray a quiche pan with none sticks vegetable spray and set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and top it with parchment papers.(you will thank me later)
In a food processor, add baking mix, shortening, thyme, black pepper and pulse until it is a coarse mixture, while the processor on add the buttermilk one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
Add the dough to the quiche pan and spread with clean hands making sure to spread it up the sides too.
Freeze for 25 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix spices and salt, and set aside.
Preheat oven 375 (conventional)
To make the filling, cut the tilapia to bite size chunks… on medium low heat, in a large sauté pan heat the oil and butter, add the fish, sprinkle some of the spices and brown for 2- 3 minutes, remove on to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add chopped onion and zucchini sprinkle with some of the spices and cook until golden about 3 minutes.
Add the frozen mixed bell pepper, frozen vegetables, and cook for few minutes, sprinkle with some of the spice mixture and mix well…The liquid from the frozen vegetable will deglaze the pan and create delicious flavor.
Add garlic and cook for few seconds, add spinach and sauté until welted remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, cilantro, green onions, parsley and Parmesan cheese, add the rest of the spice mixture.
Take the crust out of the freezer, place on the prepared cookie sheet, add a little of the egg mixture to the crust, add the cooked fish and spread with spoon making sure its a single layer, top with the cooked vegetables, add the rest of the egg mixture. Some of the mixture will spell but that is why the cookie sheet is covered no worries.
Bake the quiche for 50-55 minutes or until the middle is set, covering it with foil mid way to keep the top from burning.
My husband loves chicken, and this time he requested a creamy sauce with it, his take on beef stroganoff… Which it is a very delicious dish I might add, but that’s another recipe for another time… So I said why not let’s try it!
The chicken was really moist and delicious, the creamy sauce was full of flavor, I added a good amount of curry powder and a little nutmeg…
Also added a low fat sour cream and fresh baby spinach to make it semi healthy since the half and half is rich and full of delicious flavors on its own!
This dish could be served with either couscous, mixed vegetables, a salad, brown rice pilaf or whole wheat pasta!
lets just say it was a hit and approved by my picky eaters…
.6 lbs. chicken breast, boneless, skinless
.1 large onion sliced
.5 cloves chopped garlic
.1/2 tbsp. black pepper
.1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
.1 tbsp. and 1/2 tsp. salt divided
.3 cups half and half room temperature
.1 cup low fat sour cream room temperature
.4 tbsp. olive oil divided
.2 tbsp. unsalted butter divided
.1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram
.1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
.1 tbsp. hot curry powder
.1 bag 5 oz. fresh baby spinach
.1 package of whole-wheat spaghetti
.2 tbsp. chopped green onions for garnish
Cut the chicken in to small bite size, heat half the olive oil and half of the butter in a large skillet on high heat, add part of the chicken in one single layer and brown, add some of the salt and pepper while the chicken is browning.
Remove on to a clean bowl and continue browning the rest with continuing adding some of the salt and pepper, you have to season each layer as you go on.
Add the rest of the olive oil and butter; add the onion and sauté until golden.
Add the rest of the salt and black pepper, add nutmeg, curry powder, and cook for few seconds.
Add the garlic, and cook for few seconds making sure not burn it.
Return all of the chicken back to the skillet and add chopped marjoram, chopped oregano, fresh spinach and cook for few minute until all the chicken is coated with the onion and spices and the spinach is welted.
Add half-and-half and bring to boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the sauce is thick and reduced by half, about 5-8 minutes.
Mix in the low-fat sour cream and cook for a minute just to heat it through.
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions, drain and add to the chicken mixture, mix well, garnish with green onions and serve. Enjoy!
This dish is one of the most famous dishes in the Middle East; it is on every table at every home at any given time!
In Arabic, This dish called K-o-s-a M-a-h-s-h-I, and in Hebrew, K-e-sh-oo-ee-m.
Mahshi means stuffed, Kosa and Keshooeem means zucchini!
I love making this dish and my family loves to eat it…
It is one of the easiest dishes to make and for sure, one of the most delicious meals served at any dinner table!
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To serve this dish for weeknight’s dinner, I would recommend cleaning and storing the zucchini in a colander in the refrigerator overnight; making sure it is completely dry…
For vegetarian version of this dish, substitute the meat with chopped fresh flat leaves parsley and chopped tomatoes, and for the butter substitute it with extra virgin olive oil and continue with the rest of the instructions…
In addition, I have made this dish with small cut bite size turkey for the none red meat eaters, and it is equally delicious!
I do not recommend ground beef or ground turkey, as it will disappear and become mush during cooking for some reason, for added flavor I would recommend using the chili cut size method for the beef or turkey.
I also highly recommend using short-medium grain rice for any stuffed vegetable dishes, as I tried the long grain rice, i did not find it as flavorful as the short-medium grain, and long grain rice takes a lot longer to cook than any vegetable, so the vegetables will be overly cooked by the time the rice is done.
.7.25 Lbs. white zucchini about 26 pieces
.2 lb. small cut stew / chili size beef
.1/2 sticks unsalted butter melted
.1 tbsp salt divided
.1/4 tbsp black pepper
.2 cans tomato sauce 12 oz each
.2.5 cups short / medium grain rice
In a large bowl, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, add water to cover the rice and soak for 20 minutes.
Wash the zucchini and dry with clean tea towel.
With paring knife, remove the top of the zucchini and remove only the small white part on the bottom, do that for all of them.
Gently, with zucchini corer removes the inside of each zucchini, finish all, and do not worry about breaking one or two of them it will happen, do not stress about it, they are useable.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
Wash the zucchini with cold water, set in a colander to drain.
Drain the rice, making sure all the water drained, and the rice is somewhat dry.
To the rice, add meat, black pepper, melted butter, and 1/2 tbsp. salt.
With clean hands, combine the mixture making sure the meat and the rice completely mixed so each zucchini would have enough meat in it.
Stuff each zucchini with the rice and meat mixture half way, making sure to leave about two inches space from the top for the rice to expand.
Arrange in a large pot and complete the rest.
In a large bowl combine the tomato paste and water, add two cans of tomato sauce mix well to dissolve the tomato paste, add the reminder of the salt, add the mix to the zucchini.
On high heat, cover and bring to boil, it will take about 5-10 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked…With a fork, break one of the zucchini to test the rice making sure its fully cooked, if not cover and simmer on low heat for additional 5 minutes.
Uncover and let the sauce reduce a little, about 5 minutes.
Everyone knows how delicious Mexican food is, and I love cooking it every now and then. I love the delicious spicy aroma that fills the kitchen at dinner time, there is nothing smells better than onions and garlic cooking together.
Years ago, when I started experimenting with Mexican food, I bought a burrito-taco spice mix package from the store, I have to tell you the taste was awful, nothing but salt, and if you are an ingredients reader like me you won’t like what you see.
It is so easy to make your own spice mixture for burrito or fajita at home, making sure your family having a meal that it is clean from all the preservative in a store bought mixed spices.
.1/2 large onion or 1 medium thinly sliced
.1/2 tbsp. garlic granulate
.1 cup mixed frozen bell sliced pepper, thawed and drained
.4 tbsp. vegetable oil
.1 tsp. salt
.1 tsp. ground Achiote spice
.1 tsp. black pepper
.1 tsp paprika
.1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
.1 tsp. cumin
.1 tsp. paprika
.6 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
.2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
.2 tbsp. chopped green onions
In a large sauté pan on medium heat, add vegetable oil and onion, add salt and sauté for few minutes until its soft and golden.
Add mixed bell pepper and cook until the liquid is evaporated, add all the spices, garlic granulate and cook for a minute.
Add cooked shredded chicken and cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
Turn off the heat and serve family style with warm corn or flour tortilla, green rice, jalapeño salsa and vegetarian refried beans. Enjoy!
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern meat dish that marinated in a blend of delicious spices for a long period!
Shawarma meat is stacked in layers on a long pit skewer and grilled for a long time, sometimes all day long. The meat topped with a whole onion for added flavor when its juices drips on to the meat.
The special mix of spices gives the meat its distinct flavor.
Shawarma made with any type of meat like chicken, lamb, or beef; tonight I made two type of meats, boiled shredded chicken and beef, served it with warm pita bread, my homemade hummus and Middle Eastern salad.
This Shawarma recipe is easy to make at home and easy ingredient to find at any store.
I created a blend of spices that I love to cook this dish with.
The entire spice mixture in this recipe to be used for one dish, chicken or beef.
.3 Lbs. beef chili cut or thin strips OR boiled shredded chicken
.1 large onion thinly sliced
.1 tbsp. salt
.1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
.1/2 tbsp. cumin
.1/2 tbsp. sumac
.1/2 tbsp. cloves
.1/4 tbsp. cardamoms
.1/2 tbsp. coriander
.1/2 tbsp. black pepper
.2 tbsp. olive oil
.1 tbsp. butter
.1 tbsp. garlic granulates
.1/2 tbsp. curry powder
.1/2 tsp. nutmeg
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
In a small bowl mix all the spices and set aside.
If your making both type of meat mix exactly the same amount for the other type of meat in a separate bowl.
In a large sauté pan on medium high heat, heat olive oil and butter, add sliced onion and sauté until soft and lightly golden.
Add beef OR chicken and cook for few minutes add all the spices and mix well, making sure the meat covered with the onion and spices, sauté until the meat fully cooked and brown.
Achiote or as known Annatto,is a red food coloring that is used in a lot of Mexican food, I buy mine as seeds and ground them at home, and make my own rub.
Annatto paste sold at the grocery stores ready to use, they have it at the international sections.
I used it last night to prepare this dish and the flavors were amazing, everyone loved it.
.3 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
.4 tbsp. olive oil
.1 tbsp. salt
.1/2 tbsp. Black pepper
.1 tbsp. Achiote (Annatto) paste
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with parchment paper (easy cleanup).
Wash chicken, dry with paper towel, and place in single layer on the baking sheet.
Add olive oil, salt, black pepper to the Achiote paste mix well to make a rub.
Rub the chicken with the rub, making sure each piece completely covered with the mixture.
Refrigerate for 2 hours for the chicken to absorbs the flavor.
Before cooking, bring the chicken to room temperature.
Mango is delicious on its own but in a salsa it is a completely different taste and texture I just love it.
The sweet and sour taste is a good combination to serve with spicy Mexican food.
Last night was a Mexican food night, I made green spanish rice, and homemade beans topped with melted cheese and roasted chicken achiote.
I made my own version of this delicious salsa, I would have made it spicier, but the family cannot handle a lot of spicy food at the same time.
.2 cups fresh chopped mango
.1/2 chopped Anaheim chili pepper
.4 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
.1 medium chopped shallot
.3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
..1 tbsp. chopped green onion
.1/2 tbsp. salt
.1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
.1 tbsp. lime zest
.1/2 tbsp. olive oil
.1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
In a large bowl, add chopped mango, Anaheim chili, shallot, green onion, salt, cayenne pepper, lime zest, lime juice, and olive oil, mix well and set aside to marinades.
Before serving, mix in the chopped fresh parsley and chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
I have been craving pizza for the past few days and today, I decided to make some. I made my homemade whole-wheat dough; I love the nutty taste that whole wheat gives the pizza.
I also had some help from the store; rotisserie chicken was an easy ingredient to add to the pizza without any hassle or wasting time roasting the chicken.
I made three versions, one as a calzone stuffed with strip of chickens, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese for the gamers in my family “it’s easy to eat”!
Other ones had the same filling but it was open face pizza, and the last one had pesto as the base and a mix of ricotta cheese and mozzarella, black pepper and they all were delicious!!
Cut the dough in to 4 pieces; roll out the dough for each pizza about 2 inches thick.
Mix ricotta cheese with the mozzarella and add black pepper.
For the calzone, spoon some of the ricotta and mozzarella mixture on to one side of the rolled out dough and spread with a spoon, add a little of the shredded chicken, fold the dough over the mixture and seal with a fork.
Brush the eggs wash over the dough and bake for 20 minutes or until its golden brown.
for white pizza spread some of the cheese mixture on to the rolled out dough and spread with a spoon.
Add the rest of the shredded chicken and bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.
For the pesto pizza, spoon the pesto on to the rolled out dough and spread with a spoon, add the rest of the cheese mixture and bake for 20 minutes.
Wrap the fourth piece of dough in zip top bag and freeze for later use if you prefer. Enjoy!
