Love,Cook and Eat

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and let rest for 3 minutes.

Melt butter, add salt and add to the yeast mixture.

Put yeast mixture in bowl of stand up mixer or food processor and start adding the yeast mixture slowly until a dough is developed. If you need more water add 1 tbsp at a time.

Kneed at least 10 minutes .

Cover and let it rest for at least one hour or until it doubles in size.

Prepare baking sheet , spray with oil and spinkle cornmeal.

Form dough into four logs and place them 2 inches apart  on the baking sheet.

Spray with logs with cooking spray.

Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

 
4th of July weekend is here and everybody thinking of making  desserts that have white,blue and red colors.
Cupcakes are great idea of desserts because kids and grown ups like it. You can make unlimited designs with it. You can change with the frosting coloring or with the sprinkles, I have made three designs  one posted above and two below. My favorite is the one above , I just love fresh fruit with frosting on my cupcake. If you are coloring the frosting you don't have to use clear vanilla  you can use the regular vanilla extract, but if you are making white frosting you have to use clear vanilla imitation.According to the recipe it claims it makes 12 cupcakes but I found it to makes 8-9 cupcakes.


Ingredients:


1/2 stick butter ( 65 gr) of butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4  cups + 2tbs  all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk

for vanilla frosting:

4 tbsp butter softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
2 tsp Clear vanilla
2 tbsp milk


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin pan with cupcake liners.
 Using electric mixer , beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until fluffy. Beat eggs one egg at a time.
Sift flour and baking powder together and add to the butter mixture,alternating with milk stirring to combine.
Spoon mixture in liners to three fourths full. Bake for 20-25 mins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cupcake cool before frosting.

To make frosting:

Whip all ingredients together in a bowl, then spread over cooled cupcakes and decorate with fruit and sprinkles.




Source:Cupcakes and muffins by Weldon Owen

With 4th of July coming , this recipe would be perfect for barbeque. This salad does not have any mayo in it so it would be a perfect option to take out for a picnic since you do not have to worry about the mayo in the hot weather. It would be a great side for any grilled chicken or meat.


Ingredients:
Serves 2-4

1 medium potato
2 mini cucumbers diced
4 small Capri tomatoes diced
1/3 cup sliced green onions ( only the white part)
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
2 1/2 tbsp.lemon juice
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.
water to cook the potato


Directions:

Peel potato and  cook in  boiling water for about 30-40 minutes  until a fork can go through the potato.
Put potato in fridge to cool for about 30 minutes, so it is easier to cut it without being mashed.
After potato cools completely, dice potato to small cubes.
Combine potatoes,tomatoes,cucumbers,mint and onions.
Mix olive oil and lemon juice and pour over salad.
salt and pepper to taste.
Toss all ingredients together.

This dish was very delicious, I liked the rub so much, the herbs with the citrus zests paired so well together as well as with the salmon. I liked it so much that next time that I'll be making this dish, I'll be doubling the rub mixture.I served this with oregano mashed potatoes and lemon wedges.



Ingredients:
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 tsp. grated lime rind
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
2 ¼ pound salmon fillets

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.
Place salmon on broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
Rub Parsley mixture over salmon.
Bake for 20 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Broil for couple more minutes.

Source: Best of Cooking Light

¼ cup diced onions
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
8 cups water
1 small potato diced
1 zucchini diced
¼ cup shredded carrots
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
¼ cup + 3tbs lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

After we enjoyed eating the Chicken Taquitos , I decided to make beef taquitos since I had some left over roast beef. The beef taquitos are a bit on the spicy side if you like it milder, just decrease the amount of chipotle salsa. Enjoy this taquitos with guacamole and sour cream. My 2 year old son loved it and it was easy for him to eat .( I skipped the chipotle salsa when making his taquito). These are also great as party food.I used white mild chedder cheese with my taquitos but you can use any kind of cheese you like.

Ingredients:
Makes 8 Taqitos

2 cups cooked roast beef sliced against grains
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup tomato salsa
¼ cup chipotle salsa
Juice of 1 lime
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. onion powder
½ cup shredded cheese (choose your favorite cheese)
8 medium tortillas


Directions:

Heat oven to 425°.
Mix beef, garlic, salsa, chipotle salsa, lime juice, salt, cumin and onion powder.
Cover tortillas with a wet paper towel and microwave for 30 secs. (So they are easier to roll)
Divide the beef mixture on the tortillas, top with shredded cheese. Roll tortillas.
Prepare a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprayed.
Put tortillas on sheet and spray with cooking oil.
Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

Falafel is a vegetarian patties or balls that are made from chickpeas and /or Fava beans. Its very popular in the Middle East. It is usually served in pita bread with tahini sauce( tarator), pickles, parsley and tomatoes.You can also eat it as an appetizer. Actually for me its its satisfying enough to eat for dinner.



Ingredients:

About 28 pieces



1 ½ cups dry chickpeas
½ cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves
¾ medium onion (cut to 3 pieces)
1 tsp. salt
1tsp ground cumin
1 tsp. Ground coriander
½ tsp. cayenne
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Vegetable oil to deep fry falafel



Directions:
Soak dry chickpeas in water overnight.

In food processor, add all ingredients except sesame seeds and process until all ingredients are fine and mixed.

With a spoon, mix sesame seeds in the chickpea mixture.



Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes.

Heat oil to 350°, make sure not to let it get too hot or else when you drop your falafel it will brown from the outside and be undercooked in the inside.

Scoop about a golf ball size, flatten it a little bit and drop it in the oil. It is usually easier if you have a falafel scooper, if you intend to make falafel more often, I suggest you buy a falafel scooper it’s cheap and much easier that dealing with forming the falafel balls.

Fry for about 10 mins, turning it half way so it can brown evenly on both sides. Check one ball it should be crispy and dark brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Serve Falafel with Tartor ( Tahini Sauce)with chopped parsley in the tarator or on the side, pickles ,tomatoes and pita bread.


Tarator Recipe:

In a food processor combine :

• 1/4 cup Tahini Paste
•1/4 cup plain Yogurt
•1/8 tsp salt
•1 tbs of lemon juice
•1/3 cup water

Mix until well combined

I could eat this dish almost everyday. Its creamy , flavorful and simply delicious. If you haven't tried this dish before you sure missed a lot. I like to use tender cuts of beef with this recipe like tenderloin.If you like to use maybe chuck roast, you have increase liquid and cooking time in the recipe for the beef to become tender.Since tenderloin is relatively an expensive cut compared to others, I usually buy a whole tenderloin which is usually cheaper and cut it in steaks and freeze it in batches.


Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 Lb. tenderloin strips
1 small onion sliced
8 oz. mushroom sliced
4 tbsp. butter divided
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup cream
1 ½ cup chicken broth (or beef broth)
3 tbsp. sherry cooking wine (or apple cider vinegar)
3 tbsp. sour cream (or yogurt)
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
In a pan, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Sauté onions for 2 mins , add mushroom and sauté with onions for another 3 mins or until onions are tender and translucent.

Take the onions and mushrooms out of the pan, Increase heat to medium high, add the beef and cook for 3- 5 min until beef is browned. Take beef out of the pan.

Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter, when butter melts add flour and stir together until well incorporated. Add broth slowly while stirring, and then add the onions, mushrooms and beef that were set aside.

Add all the remaining ingredients cream, salt, pepper, sour cream and sherry.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is thickened.

Serve with rice or egg noodles.

So as I said before my husband is working night shifts these days and I'm trying to be creative for breakfast. This is similar to an omelet but the vegetable are added to the eggs and it is cooked  slowly over low heat. You can change this recipe to suit your taste, change the vegetables or even add some kind of meat or herbs. This frittata is thin , if you like yours thicker cook it with a smaller skillet over low heat and increase cooking time.


Ingredients:
Serves 1-2

3 to 4 eggs
¾ cup diced seeded tomatoes
1 tbsp. minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp. Olive oil
¼ cup cheddar triple cheddar
Salt and Black pepper to taste


Directions:
Over medium low heat, heat olive oil and sauté jalapenos and garlic for about 1 minute. Keep stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add Tomatoes and cook over medium low heat for about 5 minutes until almost dry.

Meanwhile beat eggs with salt and pepper.

Pour eggs slowly over tomatoes, spreading it evenly in you skillet. Top with cheese. Cook over low heat until bottom is settled (top will be runny). Put skillet under broiler and finish cooking for 1-2 minutes.

1 Romaine Lettuce Heart chopped
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup of halfed then sliced cucumbers
3 Radishes halfed and sliced
¾ cup sliced green onions
2 large tomatoes cut in big cubes
1 small mint bunch (about 25 leaves). Remove leaves from stems and stack on top of each other. Hold stack flat with tips of fingers. Cut thin slices through the leaves.
¼ cup chopped Italian Parsley (optional)
2 Loafs of Pita bread

Dressing:
¼+ 1Tbsp. cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1/3 cup+ 2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Pomegranate Molasses
½ tbsp. white vinegar
½ tsp. Sumac
½ tsp. salt

Directions:
Blend all of the Ingredients for the dressing until well mixed. If you are not using a blender, Whisk all ingredients together except olive oil and while whisking, slowly add olive oil until well blended.

Pull Loaves apart and toast under broiler until golden brown. Break loafs into bite size pieces. Set aside.

(You can also fry the pita bread instead of toasting them)

Toss all vegetables together, pour dressing on top and combine. Top with Pita Bread just when you are ready to serve, if you do it ahead of time, your bread will get soggy.

I'm trying to make new things for breakfast since my husband is working night shift these days. One of his favorite kind of muffins is cream cheese muffins. These muffins has a surprise sweet creamy center when you bite into them and the sugary crumbles on top is perfect with this creamy center.

Ingredients:

Makes 12 muffins

3 C flour
1 C sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 large eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 C sugar


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Mix together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In another bowl stir together milk, oil, and eggs. Combine with the dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened.

Combine cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar. Gently mix half of this mixture into the muffin batter.

Fill muffin tins about 1/2 to 2/3 full with batter. Spoon the remaining cream cheese mixture onto the muffins, with the back of a spoon push the mixture into each muffin.

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 C butter, softened

Combine ingredients. Sprinkle generously over muffins. Bake 24 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

I've been craving  Mexican food lately, so What's better than some steak fajitas to satisfy this craving. This Fajitas are made with Flank steak  which is a relatively a cheap meat cut  and if  cooked right, is also very favorable and tender . You can also use sirloin for the fajitas, but why pay more if the results will be similar.



Ingredients:
Serves 4-5

1/4 cup chopped onions
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. ground cumin
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp. chipotle salsa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Lb. flank steak
2 green bell pepper sliced
1 large onion sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Directions:
In a food processor or with blender, Mix chopped onions, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt and chipotle salsa until well blended.

Put marinade in a large Ziploc and place steak in it. Let the marinade spread all over the steak close the Ziploc and refrigerate from 2 to 8 hours.

Drizzle olive oil over sliced onions and green pepper and salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

After the steak marinades, bring to room temperature before grilling. Heat grill and grill steak on high heat for 4 minutes on each side. Take the steak off the grill cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. After it rests, slice against the grain at a diagonal angle. This way you will get the most tender strips.

While the steak is resting, heat a cast iron skillet on the grill and grill onions and pepper about 6 minutes. Add steak strips and mix with onions and peppers.

Serves with guacamole, lime crema, warm tortillas. Any of your favorite Mexican sides.



Guacamole recipe:

2 ripe Avocados
Juice of 1 lime
2 gloves of Garlic minced
1/4 small onion or about 2 tbsp. chopped onions
Salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and mash until well mixed. If you like your Guacamole smooth, Blend you ingredients in Blender.


Lime Crema:
Mix an 8 oz. sour cream package with 3 tbsp. Lime juice and chill until ready to serve.



Adapted from BHG Ultimate Mexican

My husband loves these squares, he likes to have it with his coffee in the morning.When I make this recipe it is usually gone in 2 days. This recipe is very simple and quick to make.I don't add any sugar to the recipe because the sweetness in the dates is enough.

Ingredients:

25 tea biscuits broken into small bite size  pieces
1 stick melted butter (cooled)
10 oz pitted dates
1/2 cup coconut flakes divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In food processor, add dates and process until finely diced.
In a mixing bowl ,add the bite size biscuits, dates, butter and 1/4 cup coconut flakes. With your hands combine well, until well combined.
Grease an 8 inch square baking dish ( or a 9x5inch) and spread the mixture while pressing well.
Bake for 10 to 15 mins. ( just before it browns).
Top with the remaining 1/4 coconut flakes.
Let it cool and then place in fridge.
Let it chill before cutting in squares so it doesn't fall apart.
Store in fridge.

This is a mild dish if you want more spicy add red chili pepper.This classic Thai curry dish is so quick and easy to make on weeknight. You can prep the previous night and just put together for a quick dinner.
Serve this with white basmati or jasmine rice.

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts cut in strips
1 green or red pepper or combination cut in strips
½ cup sliced onions
2 garlic cloves minced
½ tbsp. minced ginger
6 tsp. red curry paste
1 can unsweetened coconut milk 14 oz.
1 tbsp. fish sauce
4 tbsp. vegetable oil divided


Directions:In small bowl, whisk coconut milk, red curry paste and fish sauce.

Heat a large skillet until very hot, add 2 tbsp. vegetable oil and heat until almost smoking. Salt and pepper you chicken and add it to the skillet and cook over high heat until browned. Do not over crowd your skillet, if you don’t have skillet big enough cook you chicken in batches.

Transfer chicken to a plate. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. oil over high heat and stir fry onions, peppers , then add garlic and ginger. Add Chicken and the add coconut curry mixture. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

Serves with hot white rice.

I inspired this dish from a traditional Lebanese dish called Samke Harra (spiced fish). Every household has their recipe and their way in doing the Samke Harra, but is usually made with whole fish and baked with salsa on top or stuffed in the fish. The most common ingredients used are cilantro,cumin,garlic and chili pepper. It is not always easy to find whole fish, so using Tilapia I made a dish inspired by the samke Harra.


Ingredients:
Serves 4

4 fish fillets (I used tilapia)
2 medium tomatoes diced
6 garlic cloves minced
1/3 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced onions
1/2 red chili pepper seeded and minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 ½ tbs + vegetable oil


Directions:
Heat 1 ½ tbs of vegetable oil over medium heat, Sauté onions for half a minute the add garlic and peppers sauté for another half a minute, then add tomatoes ,cilantro, cumin and salt to taste. Cover and let simmer for 2-3 minutes just until flavors are blended and ingredients are tender.

Keep salsa warm.

Salt fish filets and sprinkle Cajun seasonings o both sides of fish.

Heat ¼ cup oil in skillet over medium high heat for 2 mins until oil is hot and pan fry fish fillets about 4-5 mins on each side easily flakes.

Place fillets in a 200° heated over to keep warm until other fillets are cooked.

Spoon salsa over fish and serve with lemon wedges.

Macaroni and cheese one of the popular dishes in the states, labeled as comfort food. The sauce in this recipe is so creamy and velvety. Mac and cheese can be eaten for lunch , snack or a side at dinner. It is a favorite among kids. If your children eats it frequently and you are  a busy mom instead of buying those products in the market that has the powder cheese it it. Make a big batch and before baking it in the oven , divide it in small batches and freeze it in ziplocks.And just heat in the microwave when your child asks for mac and cheese. You can make variation for this recipe by using a flavored cream cheese like chive and onion cream cheese or any other flavor.


Ingredients:
Serves 8

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cups butter cubed
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese
4 oz Velveeta (pasteurized  prepared cheese product) cut in small cubes
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbs bread crumbs, panko crumbs ( mixed with 2 tbs melted butter)  or shredded cheese to top

Directions:

Cook Macaroni according to package directions.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Add milk gradually while stirring. Bring to boil , cook and stir for 1-2 mins or until thickened.

Stir in the cream cheese, Velveeta, and Cheddar cheese,salt and pepper.

Drain Macaroni and add to the cheese mixture after all the cheeses melted and well combined.

Transfer to a greased square 8 inch baking dish. Top with your preferred topping. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins or until bubbly.


source:SpreadPhilly

During my visit to Lebanon, my cousin took us to a restaurant that had a fabulous interior design as well as delicious food.  One of the appetizers we had was an arugula salad with yogurt dressing. That was the first time I even hear about, but since it was sooooo good I had to try and make it. Serves this with soft or toasted pita wedges.

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula leaves ( I used baby arugula)
1/2 cup yogurt ( try to find a middle eastern yogurt if you couldn't use Greek yogurt)
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove minced
3 tbs water
1/2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper


Directions:

Mix all ingredients except Arugula until well combined.
It  is better to chill the dressing for at least 15 mins so the garlic flavor comes through.
Drizzle dressing over arugula and sprinkle with sumac ( optional).

The chicken was so moist and tender and all the flavors was popping. The chicken is marinated soy sauce, peanut butter,garlic and lime. I used chicken breasts for this recipe but you can also use any other boneless cut you prefer. And if grilling is not your cooking method of choice you can broil it in the oven placed on a rack 4 inches away from heat source. You can serve with lime wedges or soy dipping sauce ( recipe below).

Ingredients:
serves 4

1 1/2 pound of boneless chicken cut in about 1 inch thickness
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbs peanut oil (vegetable or canola)
2 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ( you can add more if you like it more spicy)
2 tbs peanut butter
1 medium onion quartered

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except chicken and onions and mix well.
Add chicken and onions and massage the marinade on the chicken until all chicken is well coated.
Marinade for at least 4 hours.
Grill or broil on medium heat about 5 minutes on each side or until cooked.

Soy dipping sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce
 2 tbs rice vinegar or sake (or a fruit white wine or a tbs of cider or white vinegar mixed with 1 tbs water)
2 tbs dark sesame oil
1 tbs sugar
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 tbs minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup minced scallions

Mix all ingredients until well combined and sugar is dissolved. Use immediately or refrigerate for 2 days.


Source:How to cook everything

Ingredients:

Yields 2 boules

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3/4 tbs yeast (1 packet)
3/4 tbs kosher or coarse salt
3 1/4 cups unsifted all unbleached all-purpose flour( I used regular all purpose floour)

Directions:


Warm the water slightly about 100°F
Add salt and yeast to the water.
Scoop flour gently, do not press down while scooping flour, and then sweep the top level with a knife. Add flour to the water mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or in a stand up mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is un-uniform. This will result in dough wet and loose enough to form the shape of its container

Your dough will look like this

.
Cover and let it rise from 2 to 5 hours depending on your room temperature until it collapse or at least flattens on top. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with, so the first time you use this method, it is best to refrigerate the dough of at least 3 hours or overnight before shaping the dough.
(I didn't refrigerate the dough, and I didn't think it was very hard to form the dough)
Prepare a pizza peel or a wood cutting board by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal.

Sprinkle flour on your dough and cut 1/2 of the dough using a serrated knife. Hold the mass with your hands and add a little more flour as needed so the dough won't be sticking to your hands. Gently stretch the sides of the dough forming a ball. Most of the dusting flour will fall off as it is not intended to be incorporated in the dough. The bottom of the dough may look like a collection of bunched ends but eventually in baking it will smooth out.

Let the ball rest on the pizza peal for 40 mins.

This is one of my favorite lunch sandwiches. Tuna salad is usually made from canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise and other ingredients. In the States 52% of canned tuna is used for sandwiches. I prefer solid fillet in olive oil because I think it tastes better than the ones in water.I used ciabatta roll for this sandwich but you can use your favorite bread.

Ingredients:
makes 2 to 3 sandwiches

1 can Tuna ( 4.5 oz)
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbs of canned corn
2 tsp finely chopped fresh chives
1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 Jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
 ** if you used canned tuna in water add 1/2 tsp of olive oil

Topping for Sandwich: Dijon mustard, lettuce,tomatoes and red onions.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients until well combined and mash a little bit while mixing with a fork.

Assemble sandwish with your favorite toppings.

What's more refreshing than a a lemonade during the summer season. There is nothing I hate more than when I go to a restaurant and order a lemonade and they give me those fountain drinks labeled as lemonade but they are far from even called a lemonade.Making lemonades is easy so don't bother by buying those powdered drinks.In the Middle East hot lemonades made with  honey are used as sore throat and cold remedy.I made strawberry lemonade, because strawberries are in season now and I like any fruit flavored lemonade anyways.



Ingredients:
Serves 2

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 small/medium strawberries
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp orange blossom water (optional)

Directions:

Over high heat , add sugar,water and lemon zest in a saucepan and heat until it boils.
Turn heat off and let it cool.
Strain the sugar syrup and add it  with the strawberries in a blender, and blend until smooth.
Strain again ( you can skip this step if you like to have tiny strawberry bits in your lemonade). Add orange blossom water.
Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water depending on how much sweet you like.
Chill and serve.

Kafta or Kofta as pronounced in some Arabic countries , is ground meat ( beef or lamb) that is mixed with parsley, onion and spices. It is the base for many Middle eastern dishes. Well at least it is the most frequent dish  served at our house because simply my husband loves it. Sometimes he even asks for it at breakfast with eggs. Kafta is so easy to make as well as the different dishes it comes in. You can make it in batches and freeze it , but of course fresh tastes better. If you are lucky enough to  live near a  Middle Eastern butcher , you can buy it already made.Baked Kafta can be served with rice or with pita wedges or even just with a fork.


Ingredients:
serves 5-6

2 lbs of Kafta recipe posted before Kafta recipe
2 medium potatoes peeled and cut in 1/2 inch slices
3 large tomatoes sliced thick
1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 tsp Middle Eastern red hot pepper sauce ( made from crushed red hot peppers,water and salt it comes very thick in consistency) it can be substituted with regular hot sauce.
1/4 tsp salt less or more as desired

Directions:

Deep fry potato slices about 10 mins or about half way done.
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Spread Kafta in baking dish, follow with a layer of potatoes and then a layer of tomatoes.
Mix water, tomato paste, salt and hot sauce.
 Pour over the kafta until water covers the kafta and barely covering the potatoes.

Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 40 min covered ( make sure it is boiling before taking the foil away) then uncover and continue baking for 30 mins.

An eclair is a pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with icing.The dough  is piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside.It can be filled with pastrycream, custard,whipped cream and chiboust cream. Then it is dipped with chocolate ganache or chocolate fondant icing.The first memory that comes to my mind  when I think about eclairs is our school cafeteria, and of course it wasn't a great memory because they weren't good eclairs. I think the key to good eclair is in the pastry cream. This recipe has the best tasting pastry cream ever. This is recipe is from the the book  Baking by James Peterson, I like this book a lot and plan to make more recipes from it.


Ingredients:

 

Taquitos are rolled tortillas that are usually stuffed with some kind of filling made from beef or chicken. I"ve always seen these in the freezer section in the grocery store, but never really cared from them. I don't think food that have meat in it taste good when freezed. So when I read this recipe thought about giving it a try and they turned out to be really YUMMY, next time I will be trying these in beef. Traditionally Taquitos are fried but these ones are baked ,and believe me after you have these you won't even want to eat a fried Taquito. Although I never tasted one before but I can imagine it being so oily if fried. The baked version is really crisp without being oily and fattening what's better than that.


Ingredients:

Yields 8 Rolls

1/3 cups (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder ( more or less adjust to your taste)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp  garlic powder
3 tbs chopped cilantro
2 tbs sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken  ( I made spanish Style grilled chicken - see recipe below)
1 cups grated pepperjack cheese
8 large flour or corn tortillas ( I used flour)
cooking spray


Directions:

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
Place 2-3 tbs of chicken mixture on the tortillas and roll.
Place in Baking sheet seam side down.
Spary with cooking spray and bake  for 15- 20 mins.

Source: OurBestBites






Spanish Style Grilled Chicken:

2 small Chicken Breasts ( makes about 1 cup of shredded chicken)
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 minced garlic clove
pinch of cayene pepper
pinch of black pepper

Mix all ingredients except chicken combine well.  Place chicken in marinade and and marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours. Grill until well done.

I've been craving  Lebanese style hamburgers. They usually come in buns like these not sweet like the usual hamburger bun with a coleslaw, pickles, fries, ketchup all inside the bun. Since I usually buy Kaiser rolls when I want to make these burgers , I looked for a Kaiser roll recipe to use for the Bun. The recipe actually yields 16 rolls  but I divided mine to 8 Rolls because I wanted the buns to be huge. ) You can tell I was really craving these burgers :) The buns are soft and fluffy inside, if you eat them while fresh from the oven, it will have a crust or you can cover them and wait until they are all soft. I will also include the recipe Lebanese style patties.

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining warm water and sugar and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• whisk egg with milk to make egg wash.
• Brush the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds.
• Bake in a 400 degree oven, for 20 mins.

Source: Taste of Home

Lebanese Style Patties:
1 1/2 ground beef
1//4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Mix all ingredients together , form about 6 to 8 Patties depending on your preference of thickness and grill.

I usually empty the pockets of the buns, put coleslaw ( just shredded cabbage plus Mayo) pickles, Ketchup and fries.

*** You can use the bread you take of from the bun to make bread crumbs , by toasting it and put it in the food processor.