The best desert to eat in this cold weather is this delicious, tasty, hot and flavorful pudding!
Category Archives: main dish
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!
Thanksgiving lunch at the office
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!
Sugar free cranberry sauce
Kofta – – Middle Eastern Meatloaf
Kofta-Middle Eastern Meatloaf
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
Fava Beans and Lupini Beans
Fava Beans and Lupini Beans
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.
My husband misses eating this delectable treat and i been promising him to make some for him for a while, so today I made some and it was amazing.
Last week I made him the Lupini Beans and it was delicious as well.
It’s easy to make and delicious to eat.
1 bag of large dry fava beans or Lupini beans about 1 LB and 8 Oz
6-8 cups of cold water
1/2 tbsp. of cumin
1/2 tbsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. of chopped fresh flat leaves parsley.
2 tsps. baking powder
Place the beans in to a large pot rinse well and discard of the water.
Add 6-8 cups of cold water and let stand on the counter covered over night!
Do not mix the beans if you are making both kinds, use two different pots for each beans and follow the rest of the recipe!
Next day, place the pot covered on high heat and bring to boil, lower the heat to simmer, stir in the baking powder, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until fork tinder.
Drain the beans and wash with cold water for two minutes to stop the cooking process, drain completely.
Add Salt and Cumin and mix well, do not add Cumin to the Lupini beans as it wont work with it, sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Pack the left over in airtight container and save in the refrigerator for about a week if they last that long!
Enjoy!!
Fava Beans and Lupini Beans
Fava Beans and Lupini Beans
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
Chicken Mushroom Ragu
Chicken Mushroom Ragu
I been eating healthy for the past few months, and I been testing recipes as I go along on this journey. Continue reading
Flounder fish and Spinach soup
Flounder fish and Spinach soup
I been watching what i eat for the past month and i been creating healthy fat free recipes!
Happy Mother’s Day
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 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
My dinner and his dinner
I been eating healthy for a while now and so far I have lost about 40 lb yaaaay me!!
Chicken Pasta Helper
Chicken Pasta Helper
Normally hamburger helper made with ground beef, but tonight I made it with ground Chicken since my husband cannot eat red meat. Continue reading
Salad
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
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!
Served with plain yogurt or middle eastern salad
Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving
I hope everyone having a delicious, scrumptious and happy thanksgiving!!
My special herbs and spiced rubbed turkey looks amazing and tastes delicious!!
Moving
Our house is almost done and we will be moving soon! Can’t wait so I could go back to my cooking and baking in my brand new kitchen 😁😁
Who knew building your own house is stressful and would drive you crazyyyy 😱
See you soon 😁
Homemade Teriyaki Chicken
Some steamed rice and slow cooker Teriyaki chicken! Yummmmm
Fish Taco Sauce
Fish Taco Sauce
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.
Serve with your favorite fish taco recipe. Enjoy!
Lemon Lime Chicken
Lemon Lime Chicken
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.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Serve with Spanish green rice or mashed potato or simple salad. Enjoy!
Beef Stir Fry Noodles
Beef Stir Fry Noodles
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!
Corn Dog Muffins
Corn Dog Muffins
The combination of corn bread and hot dogs is behind delicious, kids and adults enjoys eating them at any given time!
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.
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!
Corn-Bell Pepper Relish
Corn-Bell Pepper Relish
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!
Vegetable Relish
Vegetable Relish
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.
Serve with baked chicken or baked fish, Enjoy!
Molokhia
Molokhia
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!
Alfredo Sauce
Alfredo Sauce
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!
Home-Style Meatballs
Home-Style Meatballs
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 Barley Stew
Lamb Barley Stew
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
Baba Ghanoush
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!