Chicho's Kitchen

Garlic Cilantro Shrimp Pasta

2013-04-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Light and refreshing... this is how I describe this pasta dish. So what could be better than an easy tasty meal to prepare on a day off... I whipped this pasta dish in like half an hour, and we devoured it in less than 20 mn :) I guess we were a bit too hungry!

We were off Friday and Monday, a long weekend i was longing for a long time ago. Sometimes you just need this break from work and routine just to recharge your batteries and go back with full energy. It was a perfect timing as the weather was so beautiful and the sun was always there to cheer us up.

Well, enough dreaming... tomorrow back to work... :( snif snif

Ingredients:
500 g (1 lb) pasta linguine
1 1/2 kg medium shrimps, peeled & deveined
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of lemon juice
a big handful of chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the chopped cilantro and cook. Add the shrimps and cook almost until pink. Add the lemon juice.

In a large pot cook the pasta in a boiling salted water. Drain.

Add the shrimps to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Toss and serve.

Pâtes aux crevettes à l'ail et à la coriandre

Ingrédients:

500 g de pâte (type linguine)

1 1/2 kg de crevettes moyennes pelées

6 gousses d'ail émincées

2 cas d'huile d'olive

1 cas de jus de citron of lemon juice

une grande poignée de coriandre ciselée

Sel et poivre

Dans une grande poêle, versez l'huile d'olive, ajoutez l'ail et laissez cuire jusqu'a légère coloration. Ajoutez le coriandre et laissez cuire. Ajoutez les crevettes et puis le jus de citron.

Faites cuire les pates dans de l'eau bouillante salée. Egouttez.

Versez les crevettes sur les pates. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre. Mélangez. Servez.

Quinoa Salad

2013-03-25T09:35:00.001-07:00

This is a very healthy and delicious salad. Today, people appreciate quinoa for its nutritional value. Quinoa is considered a superfood. Protein content is very high, yet not as high as most beans and legumes. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest.

This quinoa salad is a toss together of cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, avocado, red bell pepper... Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, well rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1/3 cup sliced red/white onion
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
3 medium cucumbers, cut into chunks
2 avocados cubed
2 red bell peppers cut into chunks
1 beetroot cooked and cut into cubes
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Put the rinsed quinoa, salt and water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer gently until the quinoa absorbs all the water, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Place into a large bowl and fluff up with a fork to help it cool more quickly.

When the quinoa has cooled, transfer it into a large bowl. Add the vegetables. Add the toasted sesame seeds and pine nuts. Season with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Serve at room temperature.

Salade de Quinoa

Ingrédients:

1 tasse de quinoa

1/2 cac sel

2 tasses d'eau

1/3 tasse d'oignon rouge ou blanc

2 cas de jus de citron

2 tomates, coupés en dés

3 concombres, coupés en dés

2 avocats, coupés en dés

2 poivrons rouges, coupés en dés
1 betterave coupée en dés

1 cac de sesame grillés toasted sesame seeds

1 cas de pignons de pin grillés

Faites bouillir de l'eau salée et déposez le quinoa.Couvrez et laissez cuire à feu doux jusqu'a absorption complète de l'eau, 10 a 15 mn. Placez le quinoa dans un saladier, et laissez refroidir.

Lorsque le quinoa refroidit, ajoutez les légumes coupés. Ajoutez les graines de sésame et les pignons de pin. Assaisonnez d'huile d'olive, de sel, et de jus de citron. Servez.

Chocolate chip brownies

2012-10-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to be enjoying a cool front this week. The weather is now wonderful! The temperature has slowly dropped especially at night, and I am so loving it. Fall is right around the corner. I cannot wait till it’s cool enough to wear leggings, sweaters, & boots. I know we all like to bake when the weather starts cooling down too, when you want to warm up your kitchen with scrumptious desserts and cakes. Lebanon's climate is characterized by a hot and virtually rain-free summer, reaching a high temperature of 35°C in August.

This Saturday I woke up around 9 o'clock. I was dreaming about baking something. I wanted something quick so that I can enjoy my morning coffee on the balcony. I didn't want to spend long hours in the kitchen whipping up a cake that will be devoured in 3 hours... :)

So I thought about brownies... but not any brownie... a double chocolate brownie with chocolate chips... Brownies are among my favorite treats, they're dense and fudgy.
These brownies have chocolate chips and melted chocolate in the batter which makes them doubly delicious.

Ingredients:
8 oz (225 g) semi sweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup (200 g) sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
Approximately 1/2 cup chocolate chip

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heat proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring often. When chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and combine with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the salt and flour and stir until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Sprinkle the chocolate chip onto the brownie batter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges appear crispy but a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Let the brownies cool to room temperature.

Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature 3 to 4 days, or in the fridge for 1 week.

Brownies aux pépites de chocolat

Ingrédients:
225 g de chocolat 60% cacao, coupé en dés
170 g de beurre, coupé en dés
200 g de sucre
2 cac d'extrait de vanille
4 oeufs
une pincée de sel
125 g de farine
1/2 tasse de pépites de chocolat

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Chemisez un moule carré.

Faites fondre le chocolat et le beurre au bain marie. Lorsque le chocolat et le beurre ont fondu, retirez du feu et laissez refroidir quelques minutes. Ajoutez le sucre et l'extrait de vanille. Mélangez avec une cuillère en bois. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un, tout en mélangeant bien après chaque ajout. Ajoutez le sel et la farine et mélangez.

Versez la préparation dans le moule en lissant la surface avec une spatule. Saupoudrez les pépites de chocolat dessus.

Enfournez 25 à 30 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré au centre du brownie en ressorte avec des grumeaux et non pas complètement propre. Laissez refroidir complètement.

Vous pourrez conserver ces brownies 3 à 4 jours dans une boîte hermétique ou au frigo pour une semaine.

Sunset in Chnaniir, Lebanon

Stir-fried chicken & noodles

2012-09-26T01:33:00.000-07:00

The term lo mein means “stirred noodles”. Lo mein noodles are usually stirred with a sauce made from soy sauce and other seasonings. Many vegetables can be mixed in and roast pork, beef, chicken and even shrimp are often added.

This dish is ideal for a weeknight dinner, or when you feel like a simple meal. A melange of colorful and crispy vegetables make this dish wholesome and very tasty!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
4 packs instant wheat noodles (100 g each)
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 big onion, sliced
2 carrot, julienned
2 cups cabbage, shredded
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp of soy sauce
salt to taste
sesame oil

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil, toss the chicken and the ginger and stir-fry for 5 minutes or unitl browned. Remove and keep warm. Stir-fry peppers and carrots in remaining oil for another 5 minutes. Add cabbage, onions and garlic; stir-fry 3 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, bring salted water to boil in a pot. Add the noodles and cook for 2 mn only. Place them in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain.

Stir the noodles into vegetable mixture. Return chicken to the pan; cook and stir until heated through.
Add the soy sauce, season with salt and mix.

Nouilles sautées au poulet et aux légumes

Ingrédients: (4 personnes)
400 g de noodles (nouilles asiatiques)
1 poivron vert, coupé en lamelles
1 poivron rouge, coupé en lamelles
1 poivron jaune, coupé en lamelles
1 oignon, coupé en lamelles
2 carottes, coupé en julienne
2 tasses de chou, coupé en lamelles
3 filets de poulet, coupé en lamelles
3 gousses d'ail, émincées
2 cac de gingembre frais, émincés
1-2 cas de sauce soja
sel, selon goût
Huile de sésame

Dans une grande poêle anti-adhésive ou dans un wok, faites chauffer 2 cas d'huile de sésame et faites sauter le poulet avec le gingembre pour 5 mn ou jusqu'a ce que le poulet soit cuit. Réservez. Dans la même poêle, faites revenir les poivrons et les carottes environ 5 mn. Ajoutez le chou, l'oignon et l'ail. Faites revenir le tout environ 3 mn jusqu'a ce que les légumes soient cuits.

Pendant ce temps, faites bouiller de l'eau salée et faites cuire les noodles environ 2 mn. Placez les ensuite dans de l'eau froide pour stopper la cuisson et égouttez.

Ajoutez les noodles aux légumes. Ajoutez le poulet, laissez cuire qlq minutes.
Ajoutez la sauce soja et assaisonnez de sel. Mélangez.

Cajun shrimps & rice

2012-09-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

Cajun seasoning is a very versatile spice that is both smoky and spicy. It blends well with a variety of different foods and brings out the natural flavor of meat and poultry. Cajun seasoning is a blend of spices such as paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried oregano and dried thyme.

This recipe is very simple, fast and can be whipped together in no time. You only have to chop some vegetables, cook the rice and throw in the prawns. I got some cajun spices from Paris, cause I was afraid I won't find it in Lebanon. I haven't checked if it's available here. I know I should!

This dish has become one of my favorite, and I try to include it on our menu as often as I could. If you like cajun seasoning, then you have to try it out.

In case you don't find cajun spices, you can make your own: Here is the recipe: 3 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons ground red pepper, 2 tablespoons dried thyme, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon sugar. Store this Cajun spice mix in a sealed jar for up to three months.

Ingredients
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsbp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 kilo large shrimps, peeled and deveined, tails intact
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 big onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Start by cooking the rice. Keep aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat some olive oil and sautee the onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent.

Add the cajun seasoning and the shrimps and cook stirring until the shrimp begin to curl. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Now add the cooked rice and mix until all combined. (You may need to add some water but I didn't as the tomatoes were juicy.)

Stir in the parsley and serve with lemon wedges if desired.

Riz aux crevettes aux épices Cajun

Ingrédients
1 càs de beurre
2 càs d'huile d'olive
3 gousses d'ail, émincées
2 càc d'épices Cajun
1 kg de crevettes
Sel et poivre
3 tomates, coupées en dés
1 oignon, haché
1 1/2 tasse de riz basmati
3 càs de persil haché
Tranches de citron, pour servir (optionnel)

Faites cuire le riz. Réservez.

Faites chauffer le beurre et l'huile d'olive dans une grande poêle, environ 1 mn. Ajoutez les épices Cajun et les crevettes. Laissez cuire. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre.

Ajoutez les tomates et l'oignon. Laissez cuire tout en mélangeant jusqu'à ce que la sauce s'épaississe. Ajoutez le riz cuit. Laissez cuire à feu doux environ 3 mn. (Ajoutez de l'eau si vous trouvez nécessaire).

Ajoutez le persil et servez avec des tranches de citron.

Pour realiser le melange cajun. Vous melangez 2 cuillères à soupe de paprika, 2 cuillères à soupe de piment rouge moulu, 2 cuillères à soupe de thym séché, 2 cuillères à soupe d'origan séché, 2 cuillères à soupe de poudre d'oignon, 2 cuillères à soupe de poudre d'ail, 1 cuillère à soupe de gros sel, 1 cuillère à soupe de poivre noir, 1 cuillère à soupe de sucre. Conservez ce mélange d'épices Cajun dans un bocal fermé pendant trois mois

Inspired from Food Network Magazine

Apricot crumb bars

2012-09-05T04:33:00.001-07:00

This was a good year for apricots and a colleague has a tree that¹s packed. So a month ago, she picked a few, just enough for us to eat at lunch breaks and for her to offer me a jar. I took the jar home and promised my colleagues that I'll make crumb bars with apricot jam filling. But as you know, summer time is always full of activities, family and friends come from abroad and unfortunately I find little time to spend in the kitchen. I had hundreds of messages requesting the crumb bars and I was always making excuses and nagging about the fact that there's no time to bake, I'm such a bad liar :).
Yesterday, I finished work and headed home directly. I confess I was tired and all I wanted was a good cup of coffee on the balcony as the sun goes down, but I said I'd probably have to make those crumb bars and surprise the girls. The results were excellent, they loved them and requested for more!! Oops!!!

Ingredients: Makes 16 squares

2 sticks (225 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup apricot jam or preserves

Heat oven to 350°F (180ºC). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

Combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix with your fingers until crumbly. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until the dough comes together but is still crumbly.

Use your fingertips to press half of the dough evenly into the baking dish, pushing the dough up about 1/4 inch around the edge.

Spread the apricot jam evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the top. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting.

Ingrédients: 16 carrés
225 g de beurre froid coupé en dés
250 g farine
65 g sucre
55 g sucre roux
1 cac de levure chimique
1/4 cac de sel
1 jaune d'œuf
1 cac d'extrait de vanille
1 tasse de confiture d'abricot

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule carré.

Mélangez la farine, les 2 sucres, la levure et le sel dans un saladier. Ajoutez le beurre et avec vos doigts mélangez jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit granuleux. Ajoutez le jaune d'œuf et l'extrait de vanille et mélangez jusqu'à obtenir la consistance d'une sorte de «crumble».

Étalez la moitié de la pâte dans le moule.

Répartissez la confiture d'abricot sur toute la surface de la tarte et saupoudrez le dessus des «miettes» de crumble (l'autre moitié de la pâte). Enfournez pour 35 minutes. Laissez refroidir 10 mn avant de couper en carrés.

Sfouf with molasses (Sfouf bi debes)

2012-08-22T05:50:00.004-07:00

Carob pods are mainly found in Mediterranean countries. Evergreen carob trees can generally grow wherever citrus or olive trees are grown, meaning a warm, dry climate. The pod's fruit is technically a legume and commonly used as a chocolate alternative, but it has many applications in the food industry.

Carob was first used thousands of years ago. Even the Bible has references to carob. It was once believed that John the Baptist sustained himself using the carob bean, so carob is also referred to as St. John's bread.

In the cuisines of the Middle East molasses is produced from several kinds of foods such as carob, grapes, dates, pomegranates, and mulberries. Carob molasses is a thick syrup made by soaking milled carob pods in water which is then boiled down into a very rich and delicious natural sweetener. In Lebanon, carob molasses was traditionally used as an alternative to sugar. We mix it with with tahini (sesame paste) and eat it as a dessert.

I have already posted a recipe about Sfouf, the yellow semolina cake, but today it's sfouf with molasses, a very healthy cake that accompanies tea or coffee.

Ingredients:
2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp anis powder
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup carob molasses
1 cup water (or milk)
1 tbsp tahini
a handful of raw sesame seeds

Mix the semolina, flour, baking powder and anis in a bowl.

Add the oil, molasses and water to the flour mixture and mix until well combined.

Grease a pan with tahini. Pour the sfouf batter and spread it evenly.

Preheat the oven at 350ºF (180ºC). Bake the sfouf 30 to 35 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool around 10 min before you cut it in squares.

Sfouf au mélasse

Ingrédients:
2 tasses de semoule fine
1 1/2 tasses de farine
2 càc de levure chimique
1 càc d'anis en poudre
1 tasse d'huile
1 tasse de mélasse de caroube
1 tasse d'eau (ou lait)
1 cas de tahini
une poignee de sésame

Mélangez la semoule, la farine, la levure et l'anis dans un saladier.

Ajoutez l'huile, la mélasse et l'eau graduellement et mélangez avec un batteur.

Graissez un moule avec le tahini. Versez la préparation. Enfournez 30 mn à 180ºC.

Laissez refroidir 10 mn. Coupez en carrés.

Monk's Salad (Salatet el Raheb)

2012-08-03T08:28:00.002-07:00

This Lebanese mezze is called Batenjan El Raheb which translates into English as the monk’s salad, a dish obviously popular with and derived from the Christian community. It's a very simple and light salad consisting of eggplants, peppers, onion and tomatoes. It can be thought as a tahini-less baba ghannouj and as a result is even lighter in taste.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 eggplants
1 medium-size tomato - finely diced
1 medium onion-finely diced (or spring onions)
1 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, mashed
3 to 4 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
a handful of parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp sumac

Preheat the oven to 425ºF (210ºC). Prick the eggplant skin all over with a fork. Place them on a baking dish and bake them until the skin blisters black, about 45 mn. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, peel the skin and place the flesh in a sieve over a bowl for about 10 mn to drain excess moisture.

In a mortar, mash the garlic with the salt until mushy.

In a bowl, mix the eggplant with the garlic using a fork. Add the lemon juice and mix.

Spread the eggplant in a salad bowl, top them with the onions, green peppers, tomatoes and parsley. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sumac.d pour over the salad.
Serve with pita bread.

Chocolate cake for Father's Day

2012-06-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

In Lebanon, we celebrate Father's day on the 21st of June, and not like the majority of countries on the third Sunday of June. It is said that Lebanon and the whole area used to celebrate mother's day on the third Sunday of May, and consequently father’s day on the third Sunday of June (I guess daddys got jealous) just like the rest of the world still does today… but anyway, since Jammal Abed El Nasser came to Power in Egypt, he or his Party chose to alter that so we stand out of the pack and not follow the west and chose the first day of Spring and Summer to be Mother’s and Father’s day respectively…

So last week we made a dinner for my father, we were gathered all in my parents house for this special occasion. My dad has turned 70 years old last May... I can't believe how time is flying and I can't stand watching my parents getting older day after day. It's weird how we used to think when we were teenagers; we always wanted to grow up sooner and now all that we want is to stay young wishing that we can turn off the time and freeze the moment we live in.

While I was living in Paris, all I was afraid of is losing my parents. I wanted to see them and enjoy their company but I couldn't... miles and miles were separating us... but now I'm here and I want to cherish every moment with them...

Sadly time really changes everything, but I can only hope it's not their love for me that's changing!

So, for Father's Day I made this cake because my dad is chocoholic, he has a particular weakness for chocolate. I used to buy him chocolate from Paris and he used to eat them before anyone else could even taste one!! And despite the wide range of sugary treats available here, he tends to favor chocolate above all other confections. So, what could be better than a chocolate goodness to cut on Father's Day?

For the cake:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
a pinch of salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot water

For the frosting:
100 g of milk chocolate
1/4 cup of butter
Some chopped hazelnuts

In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the hot water. Mix.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Grease and flour your baking pan. Pour in the prepared batter and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes then frost the cake.

For the frosting: Double boil 100 g of milk chocolate with 1/4 cup of butter. Add the chopped hazelnut and mix.

Gâteau au chocolat

Pour le gâteau:

225 g de farine

300 g de sucre glace
60 g cacao
1 1/2 càc de levure chimique

1 1/2 càc de bicarbonate de soude
une pincée de sel

23 cl de lait entier

12 cl d'huile vegetale
1 càc d'extrait de vanille
23 cl d'eau chaude

Pour le glaçage:
100 g de chocolat au lait

50 g de beurre

une poignée de noisettes hachées

Dans un grand saladier, tamisez la farine, sucre, cacao, levure, sel et bicarbonate. Ajoutez les œufs, le lait, l'huile et l'extrait de vanille. Battez environ 3 mn. Ajoutez l'eau chaude et mélangez.

Préchauffez le four à 180°C.

Huilez et farinez un moule a gâteau. Versez la préparation et enfournez 30 à 35 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré dans le gâteau ressorte propore.

Laissez refroidir sur une grille environ 10 mn. Puis ajoutez le glaçage.

Pour le glaçage: Faites fondre au bain marie le chocolat et le beurre. Ajoutez les noisettes hachées et mélangez.

Baked Fish & Potatoes

2012-06-11T09:39:00.001-07:00

Summer has officially started here in Lebanon, temperatures have been slowly rising. It's time for getting together with friends, enjoying outdoor activities, concerts, and welcoming the smells of barbecues that start drifting through the neighborhoods.

This baked fish and potatoes dish is perfect for those summer nights, when you don't want to spend hours in the kitchen, and all you want to do is just sit and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 fish fillets
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried coriander
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cardamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
5 medium potatoes, cubed
a handful of chopped parsley
a handful of chopped coriander
2 green onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 cups of lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil

In a bowl, mix all the spices together, the cumin, salt, dried coriander, tumeric, oregano, ginger, black pepper, and paprika. Distribute the mixed spices on the fish fillets. Rub them well with the seasoning.

Season the chopped potatoes with salt. Place them in a baking dish greased with some oil. Then sprinkle the potatoes with the chopped parsley, coriander, green onions, and garlic. Pour the lemon juice on top. Mix the potatoes a bit. Place the fish fillets on top. Sprinkle the olive oil evenly.

Cover the dish with aluminum and bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 45 mn. Remove the aluminum and continue baking another 10 to 15 mn or until the potatoes and fish are golden.

Poisson avec pommes de terre

Ingrédients (4 personnes):

4 filets de poisson

1 càc de sel

1 càs de cumin

1 càs de coriandre séchée

1/4 càc de curcuma

1 càs d'oregano

1/2 càc de gingembre moulu

1 càc de cardamonne

1/4 càc de poivre noir

1 càc de paprika

5 pommes de terre de taille moyenne, coupées en cubes

une poignée de persil haché

une poignée de coriandre hachée

2 oignons verts, émincés

1 gousse d'ail, écrasée

3 tasses de jus de citron

4 càs d'huile d'olive

Dans un saladier, mélangez toutes les épices; cumin, sel, coriandre, curcuma, oregano, gingembre, poivre noir et paprika. Enrobez les filets du mélange d'épices.

Assaisonnez les pommes de terre de sel. Huilez un plat allant au four, déposez les pommes de terre et saupoudrez de persil et de coriandre hachées. Ajoutez les oignons verts et l'ail. Versez le jus de citron et mélangez. Déposez les filets de poisson au dessus puis versez l'huile d'olive.

Couvrez le plat avec une feuille d'aluminium et enfournez à 180ºC pour 45 mn. Enlevez l'aluminium et continuez de cuire 10 à 15 mn ou jusqu'à ce que les pommes de terre et les filets sont dorés.

Banana Molasses Cake

2012-05-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

I am one of those people who loves molasses even more than chocolate, it's healthy, rich with that little edge of bitterness. In Lebanon, we grew up eating molasses mixed with tahini. We used to wait for that moment when my grandmother used to get a small bowl, pour the molasses then add some tablespoons of tahini. We used to love swirling the tahini paste with the molasses using a small piece of lebanese bread, dipping it into the yummy mixture and savoring each bite of it.

So today, I will share with you this healthy banana molasses that literally takes few minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup (200 g) all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup oil
5 small bananas (4 mashed, one sliced)
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

Grease a loaf pan. Preheat the oven at 350ºF (180ºC).
Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Make a well in the center, add the mashed bananas, the eggs, the molasses and the oil.
Stir until mixture is smooth. Add the sliced banana. Mix.

Pour into the pan and bake for about 40 to 45 mn.

Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes clean, that means the cake is ready.
Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 mn.

Cake Bananes et mélasse

Ingrédients:

200 g de farine

2 oeufs

1 tasse de mélasse

1/2 tasse d'huile

5 bananes de petite taille (4 écrasées, une coupé en rondelles)

1 càc de levure chimique

une pincée de sel

Beurrez un moule à cake. Préchaffez le four à 180ºC.

Tamisez la farine, la levure et le sel dans un grand saladier.

Faites un trou au centre, ajoutez les bananes écrasées, les oeufs, la mélasse et l'huile.

Mélangez jusqu'à ce que le mélange devienne homogène. Ajoutez la banane coupée en rondelles. Mélangez.

Versez la préparation dans le moule et enfournez 40 à 45 mn. Pour into the pan and bake for about 40 to 45 mn. Un cure-dent inséré dans le cake doit ressortir propre.

Laissez refroidir sur une grille.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake topped with nuts

2012-05-08T11:13:00.001-07:00

This chocolate recipe is dedicated to all of you out there looking for a last minute desert.This is a chocolate no-bake cake with broken up tea biscuits mixed in with the bittersweet chocolate, then topped with nuts... divine, don't you think?

Those who love the rich, no-bake chocolate cake, who love chocolate cakes made entirely out of ganache, will definitely love this cake.

Ingredients:
200 g (7 oz) tea biscuits (I used McVitie's brand)
85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
400 g (14 oz) bittersweet chocolate
23 cl (1 cup) heavy cream
1/2 cup hazelnuts and almonds, chopped

Grease 8-inch round springform pan with melted butter then line it with parchment paper.

Break the biscuits so they become crumbs but not powder.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and the cream on low heat. When the butter is melted, add the chocolate pieces and let it melt on low heat.

Add the crumbled biscuits and stir until coated then pour the preparation into the prepared pan.

Top with the chopped nuts and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Cut into slices and serve.

Biscuits au chocolat

Ingrédients:
250 g de biscuits (Type McVitie's)
85 g de beurre
400 g de chocolat noir à dessert
20 cl de crème fraîche

1/2 tasse d'amandes et de noix

Chemisez un moule à charnière de papier sulfurisé. Réduisez les biscuits en morceaux mais pas en poudre.

Versez le beurre et la crème dans une petite casserole. Faites-les doucement chauffer. Quand le beurre est fondu, ajoutez le chocolat coupé en carrés et laissez fondre tout en remuant, sur feu très doux.

Ajoutez les biscuits au mélange, mélangez et versez dans le moule.

Décorez d'amandes et de noix puis placez au froid au moins 3 heures avant de servir en tranches.

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake

2012-04-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

When you have a full time job, you're always in panic of what to cook for dinner. But sometimes it doesn't have to be that way, because there are a lot of easy delicious recipes out there!
Well, here's a tasty pasta dish; shredded chicken breasts and broccoli florets cooked with pasta in a wonderful creamy sauce topped with breadcrumbs and parmesan.

Ingredients: (serves 6)
1 lb (500 g) penne
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
12 oz (350 g) broccoli florets
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
12 oz (350 g) shredded chicken breasts
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
4 oz cheese (gruyere or cheddar)
2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Cook penne in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the chicken. Set aside.
In the same skillet, add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the broccoli florets and a little salt and sauté around 3 mn until they begin to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven at 375ºF (190ºC). Lightly oil a baking dish.

In a pot, heat the butter over medium-low heat, when melted, add the flour and stir well. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined on medium heat. Then add the milk, and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, whisking until it thickens, around 5 mn. Season with salt and pepper. (Do not add a lot of salt as the broth is already salted).

Remove from heat and add the cheese. Mix well until the cheese melts.

Add the shredded chicken, broccoli and pasta to the sauce. Mix until evenly coated.

Pour in the baking dish and top with parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake around 25 mn. Place under the broiler a few mn until lightly golden and crisp.

Penne au poulet et au broccoli

Ingrédients: (6 personnes)
500 g penne
4 gousses d'ail, écrasées

1 càs d'huile d'olive
350 g de broccoli
3 càs de farine
2 càs de beurre

235 ml de bouillon de poule
235 ml de lait
350 g de poulet coupé en lamelles
3 càs de parmesan
100 g de gruyere ou de cheddar
2 càs de chapelure

Faire cuire les penne dans de l'eau bouillante salée jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient al dente. Égoutter et réserver.

Chauffer l'huile dans une poêle et faites dorer le poulet. Réservez.

Dans la même poêle, ajouter l'ail et faire cuire jusqu'à coloration. Ajouter les bouquets de brocoli et un peu de sel et faire revenir environ 3 mn jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient tendres. Réservez.

Préchauffer le four à 190ºC. Huiler légèrement un plat allant au four.

Dans une casserole, chauffer le beurre à feu moyen, lorsqu'il est fondu, ajouter la farine et bien mélanger. Verser lentement le bouillon de poule et mélanger à feu moyen. Puis ajouter le lait, laissez bouillir. Laisser mijoter à feu moyen, en remuant jusqu'à ce que la sauce épaississe, environ 5 mn.
Salez, poivrez. (Ne pas trop saler puisque le bouillon l'est déjà).

Retirer du feu et ajouter le fromage. Mélangez bien jusqu'à ce que le fromage soit fondu.

Ajouter le poulet, le brocoli et les pâtes à la sauce. Mélanger pour bien enrober.

Verser dans le plat allant au four et garnir de parmesan et la chapelure. Cuire au four environ 25 mn. Placer sous le gril du four quelques mn jusqu'à ce qu'il soit légèrement doré et croustillant.

Sfouf - the Lebanese yellow cake

2012-04-06T01:35:00.003-07:00

I am deeply sorry about my absence, I know I have disappeared on you. Everything is hectic now! The full time job is keeping me away from my blog, and this is bothering me. It's true I am still cooking and making great recipes, but the sun and the light are not there for photography I barely have the weekends to cook, shoot and write. And sometimes my weekends fly by and I don't even have the time to fry an egg. My life has completely changed since we moved back to Lebanon, and I cannot complain! Now, it is good to be back on track, and for this occasion I baked one of the most famous Lebanese cakes: Sfouf.
Sfouf, is a semolina cake flavored with aniseed and turmeric spices. The word "sfouf" means "rows" and it is called thus because it is traditionally cut into rows before serving. The yellow color of the cake comes from the addition of tumeric. It has no eggs, very healthy and perfect with coffee or tea.

Ingredients:
2 cups semolina flour (ferkha in lebanese)
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 tsp Turmeric (Curcuma)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp aniseed (ground)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups milk (or water) - I used milk
2 tbsp Tahini (sesame paste)
Sesame seeds, Slivered almonds or Pine nuts, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC)

In a bowl, mix semolina, flour, turmeric, baking powder, and aniseed. Add oil and stir to make a paste.

In a separate bowl, melt sugar in cold milk. Add gradually to the flour and spices paste and mix using an electric cake mixer.

Grease the baking dish with Tahini and pour batter. Make sure it’s flat. Sprinkle with sesame, pine nuts or decorate with almonds.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden-brown. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Cut in pieces. Serve with tea or coffee.

Sfouf

Ingrédients:

2 tasse de semoule (ferkha)
1 ½ tasse de farine

1 tasse d'huile végétale ou d'huile d'olive

1 càc de Curcuma

1 càc de levure chimique

1 càc d'anis (moulu)
1 ½ tasses de sucre

1 ½ tasses de lait (ou d'eau)

2 càs de Tahini (crème de sesame)
graines de sesame, amandes émondées ou pignons de pin, pour la décoration

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC.

Dans un saladier, mélangez la semoule, la farine, le curcuma, la levure chimique et l'anis. Ajoutez l'huile pour obtenir une pâte.

Dans un autre saladier, faites dissoudre le sucre dans le lait froid. Ajoutez graduellement au mélange farine-épices et battez à l'aide d'un batteur éléctrique.

Graissez le moule avec du tahini et versez la pate à sfouf. Parsemez de graines de sesame, de pignons de pin ou décorer avec des amandes émondées.

Enfournez environ 30 mn ou jusqu'a ce que le gateau soit doré. Sortez-le du four, laissez le reposer 15 mn puis coupez en carrés. Servez avec du café ou du thé.

Cocoa Brownies

2012-02-24T08:49:00.002-08:00

I finally had a day for ME, a day when the time to bake aligns with the desire to bake and not the need to bake. Last week, I had a day off. I woke up late, had my coffee in the sun, watching the blue bright sky and contemplating the sea.

I haven't told you yet, but we moved back to Lebanon a couple of months ago. I didn't have the time nor the chance to tell you about this change in my life, and every time I wanted to write a post about our move, words wont come out easily and I just shut down the computer.

It was a hard decision to take, I know, I have lived in France for the last 5 years, and I was discovering the city with all its beauty... but when my husband came home that night telling me that we're moving back to our homeland, Lebanon, I was overwhelmed. You know, the idea of returning back home was tatooed in my brain... His announcement brought tears to my eyes, I hugged him and thanked him.... as if i was waiting for this years ago.

And here we are, back in our lovely country, sharing our happiness with the people we love. I can't tell you how it feels to be back home, how secure you are when you're surrounded by your family and friends.

I used to be a beautiful city… Some people say I’m still as beautiful as I was before...

Every day I stand there, waving to all these people, mostly young, leaving on these big things so called airplanes… Jealousy kills me, knowing that they will go and enjoy grocery shopping in a street I’ve never heard of, smiling to a stranger who doesn’t even know where their country is… Working hard and becoming successful… I wish they could be here with me, becoming successful with me… I feel helpless without them, thousands and thousands leave, few come back while I sit waiting and waiting and waiting…

“I miss you Beirut
I miss your weather
Miss your sea breeze
Miss staring at you at night from my bedroom balcony… when the world is sleeping and there is only you and I
Miss feeling loved
Miss belonging to you
Miss feeling the security…

I order you to come back… Yes I can’t promise you security but I promise you that you and me can make it together, come back and bring all those people who once left… because I miss them, miss their faces and their laughs… Come back and fight for me, clean my body from rotten creatures, change the world for me, help me stand… I can’t do it alone.

I’m your city
I’m your mother
I’m your child
I’m Beirut

This is what brought me home, because I love my country and I am proud to be Lebanese.
I know I was away from my blog for a while, it was not easy settling down, and having a full time job again... that was pretty hard for me; but I'm happy...

Ingredients: Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies

10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (280 grams) sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (160ºC). Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. (Deb suggests putting the cooled pan in the fridge or freezer for a while, which helps if you want clean lines when cutting the brownies.)

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Brownies au cacao

80 g de cacao en poudre non sucré type Van Houten
140 g de beurre mou
2 gros oeufs
280 g de sucre
1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille liquide
70 g de farine

Préchauffez votre four à 160°C.

Dans un bol supportant la chaleur, versez votre beurre, sucre et cacao. Mettez ce bol au dessus d'une casserole d'eau bouillante sans que le bol ne touche l'eau!

Bien mélanger le tout jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit assez chaud pour que dès que vous plongez votre doigt, vous ayez envie de le retirer immédiatement...

Retirer le bol de la casserole et laissez ce mélange tiédir. Une fois tiède ajoutez un oeuf, bien mélanger. Quand la pâte est lisse, ajoutez le deuxième. Bien mélanger à nouveau. Puis ajoutez l'extrait de vanille. Enfin ajoutez la farine. Mélanger vigoureusement.

Versez votre préparation dans un plat carré de 21 cm sur 21 cm. Enfournez environ 20 minutes. Surveillez la cuisson (et ce surtout si vous utilisez un moule plus grand). Plantez un couteau, il doit ressortir légèrement humide.

Une fois le plat sorti du four, attendre 10 minutes et découpez en carrés!

Adapted from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet

Novica Review

2012-02-12T04:34:00.000-08:00

We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow.

At the deepest essence of our philosophy, we want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe.

We want you to know about who you’re buying from. We want you to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it.

In the spirit of the Internet, let us bring you together.

NOVICA. The World is Your Market.

Novica gave me the greatest opportunity to discover the quality of their products. Not only was my order packaged beautifully, it came with an artisan story card so that I could truly understand who made my item and where it came from. You should visit their website and check their beautiful collection.

Novica sells wonderful items that would make great gifts. They have great fair trade Unique Corporate Gifts. The stationary and jewelry would make great gifts too for family and co-workers.

Novica has introduced a new idea for selling their worldwide artistic products. They have created Novica Live.

Novica Live is an at home party program that can help individuals be able to make some good money and support artisans worldwide. Like many at home party programs you purchase a starter kit to have products and business materials to host a party in your home.

I invite you to check the website.

Spaghetti with kafta meatballs

2012-01-28T00:19:00.000-08:00

Kafta meatballs are one of my favorite meatballs, I love the addition of parsley and onions, and I love to grill then and serve them plain with hummus, labneh, or eggplant dips. They're light, juicy and full of flavors. Last week, I wanted to cook something and I realized that I hadn’t posted a spaghetti and meatballs recipe.
Browning the meatballs in the pan, then adding them to the sauce incorporates the flavorful brown juices that develop in the pan. Simmering them with ripened tomatoes and onions adds a juicy tender flavor too.

for meatballs
1 medium onion, grated
2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lb (500 g) ground beef
1 egg
3 tbsps chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

for sauce
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 large onion minced
4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (about 6 large tomatoes)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
parsley, minced for garnish

In a large bowl, add the beef, egg, parsley, onion, salt and pepper. Put some gloves on and use your hands to knead the mixture together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Use your hands to roll the meat into 1 1/2″ balls. Put in the fridge for about half an hour.

Heat a frying pan up over medium high heat, then add 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the meatballs in batches, gently rolling them around to maintain their shape until browned on all sides.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil then sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and salt then bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the meatballs into the tomato sauce along with any collected juices. Turn the heat down to low and gently simmer for about half an hour.

Boil some spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, then toss the pasta together with the sauce. Plate the spaghetti, then top each serving with meatballs and minced parsley.

Spaghetti avec des boulettes de kafta

pour les boulettes
1 oignon, graté

2 gousses d'ail, écrasées

500 g de viande hachée
1 œuf
3 càs de persil haché

1/2 càc de sel
1/4 càc de poivre

pour la sauce
3 gousses d'ail émincées

1 oignon émincé
4 tasses de tomates pelées, épépinées et concassées

1 feuille de laurier
1 càc de sel

persil, pour la garniture

Dans un grand saladier, mélangez le bœuf, l'œuf, le pesil, le sel et le poivre. Mixez avec vos mains et former des boulettes. Placez-les dans le frigo environ une demie heure maximum.

Faites chauffer 2 càs d'huile dans une grande poêle puis faites revenir les boulettes de tous les côtés jusqu'à complète cuisson. Réservez les boulettes de côté.

Dans la même poête, faites revenir l'ail et l'oignon. Ajoutez les tomates, la feuille de laurier, le sel et laissez bouillir. Baissez le feu et laissez mijoter environ 10 mn.

Ajoutez les boulettes avec leur sauce dans la poêle. Baissez le feu et laissez mijoter une demie heure.

Faites cuire des spaghetti. Égouttez-les et ajoutez les a la sauce. Servez les spaghettis avec les boulettes et parsemez de persil haché.

Labneh balls

2011-12-20T09:34:00.002-08:00

Labneh is simply a yogurt that has been strained in a cloth. It's popular in the Levant and the arabian peninsula and its very common for breakfast, dinner and sandwiches. Labneh is used as a spread on pita bread. Olive oil, vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber mint and olives are usually added to the sandwich.

Besides being used fresh, labneh is also dried then formed into balls, sometimes covered with herbs or spices and stored in olive oil glass jars. The cheese can then be kept for over a year.

We simply roll the dried labneh into balls then place them in a jar and fill the jar with enough olive oil to cover. We can find ready made labneh balls, sold in supermarket in big glass jars, but it's always better to go homemade. You can choose to make them plain, this time, i wanted to roll my labneh balls with crushed dried mint, (you can roll them in oregano, thyme or zaatar). I placed them on a bed of chopped tomatoes and served them with arabic bread.

Ingredients:
500 g labneh
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
2 tbsp crushed dried mint or oregano, thyme or zaatar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
crushed walnuts

In a medium bowl combine yogurt and salt. (The salt helps draw out the whey).

Line a colander with a double layer of cheese cloth. Place colander inside a large bowl to collect whey. (or you can also line a sieve with coffee filters). Tip the yogurt and salt mixture into the lined colander. Tie the corners to make a pouch. Cover colander/bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Allow yogurt to drain in the refrigerator 24 hours. They are ready when the cloth is no longer wet. Change the cloth and use another one then refrigerate another 8 hours, until the humidity is gone.

Combine the tomatoes, onions and olive oil. Then place in a dish.

Form labneh balls, then roll them in some olive oil, then in dried mint (or oregano, thyme or zaatar...) and place them on top of the tomatoes. Serve with pita bread, baguette or crackers.

You can place the labneh balls in a jar filled with olive oil. It can be kept over a year.

Boules de labneh

Ingrédients:
500 g de yaourt nature
1 càc de sel

1 oignon, finement émincé

1 tomate finement émincée

2 càs de menthe séchée, d'origan, de thym ou de zaatar

une poignée de noix écrasées

Dans un bol moyen, mélanger le yaourt et le sel.

Tapisser une passoire avec un torchon propre. Verser le yaourt dans le torchon. Refermer les bords du torchon pour former un pochon, nouer et placer la passoire dans un grand saladier.

Laisser égoutter dans le frigo 24 heures. Changer le torchon et réfrigérer 8 h ou jusqu'à ce que le torchon ait absorbé l'humidité du fromage. Le labneh ne doit pas être humide pour former des boules.

Former des boules, et les faire tremper avec un peu d'huile d'olive, puis les enrouler de menthe séchée. d'origan ou de zaatar.

Déposer les boules sur les tomates, et servir avec du pain libanais, de la baguette, ou de crackers.

On peut conserver les boules de labneh dans un bocal rempli d'huile d'olive, à température ambiante, pendant plus qu'un an.

Salmon burger with dill yogurt sauce

2011-12-06T03:28:00.001-08:00

I have a thing for burgers. My choice usually goes for a ground beef patty, grilled to medium, and topped with an array of garnishes that can sometimes defy explanation. Sometimes, I feel like going in another direction and make my burger with seafood or just veggies.

One of my favorite burgers is the salmon burger. Often made from off cuts of fresh salmon fillets and mixed with a little lemon and fresh herbs, then served simply with a green leaf salad and a simple yogurt dressing.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 buns split and toasted
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, finely diced (use a sharp knife so you don’t crush the pieces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
4 buns, split and toasted
Lettuce

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a medium bowl, combine salmon, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix gently.

Form salmon mixture into 4, 3 1/2-by-1 inch patties; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, without turning, until browned on top and opaque throughout, 6-7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine yogurt and dill in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers on buns with yogurt-dill sauce and lettuce.

Hamburger au saumon

4 pains à hamburger
500 g de filet de saumon frais (sans la peau)

1 càs de jus de citron

sel et poivre
200 g de fromage blanc

1 càs d'aneth frais ciselé
quelques feuilles de salade mélangée: frisée, roquette...

Couper en tartare très fine la chair de saumon. Assaisonner avec du sel, du poivre et de jus de ci. Diviser par 4 et former des burgers. Chauffer une poêle anti-adhérente ou en inox en huilant légèrement et faire cuire les burgers.

Pendant ce temps préparer la sauce. Mélanger le fromage blanc avec l'aneth. Saler, poivrer.

Composer le sandwich avec: la moitié du pain, un peu de salade, l'hamburger 3 cs de sauce au fromage blanc et salade. Refermer avec l'autre moitié du pain et servir de suite, encore chaud.

Banana cake with peanut butter chips

2011-11-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Combining bananas and peanut butter chips in a cake is a bit gluttonous.

I did it anyway! I love banana cakes, and peanut butter too! There's no reason why I should suffer by leaving any of them out.

The cake is tender, moist, and full of flavor. Each bite is bursting with peanut butter banana goodness.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup (190 g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (135 g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 small/medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter chips, as well as more for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cake pan.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, mix the mashed bananas, egg, butter, vanilla extract and milk. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined (do not overmix). Stir in peanut butter chips.

Pour the mixture in the pan. Sprinkle extra peanut butter chips on top, if desired.
Bake for about 32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center is free of crumbs. Cool on a wire rack.

Cake aux bananes et aux pépites de beurre de cacahuètes

Ingrédients

190 g de farine

135 g de sucre

1 1/2 càc de levure chimique

1/4 càc de sel

3 bananes, écrasées

1 œuf

110 g de beurre, fondu

1 càc d'extrait de vanille

1/4 verre de lait

1 verre de pépites de beurre de cacahuètes + une poignée pour la décoration

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez votre moule.

Mélangez la farine, le sucre, la levure et le sel dans un grand bol. Dans un autre bol, mélangez les bananes écrasées, l'œuf, le beurre fondu, l'extrait de vanille et le lait. Ajoutez cette préparation à celle de la farine. Ajoutez les pépites.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Saupoudrez de pépites. Enfournez 32 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré en ressorte propre. Laissez refroidir.

Apple flognarde

2011-11-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

Apple flognarde is nothing more than a clafoutis. In some regions in France, the traditional french dessert – clafoutis is referred to as flognarde. The flognarde is usually made with apples or pears.

This dessert is so simple - just a sweet batter poured over a layer of apple chunks and baked in the oven. You can eat this dish as a hot pudding, or a cold dessert.

Ingredients (serves 6):
3 apples (Reine de Reinette)
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups (350 ml) milk
½ cup (90 g) sugar
½ cup + 1 tbsp (70 g) flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)

Preheat the oven at 400ºF (200ºC).

Peel and core the apples then cut into chunks.

Grease the tart tins with butter and sprinkle some flour. Place them on a baking sheet. Divide the apple chunks evenly between the tartlet tins.

Gently heat the milk until warm. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until blended and foamy. Add the sugar, flour, oil and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.

Using a ladle, carefully pour the liquid batter over the apple chunks in the tins, filling up to the rim.

Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until the flognarde is puffed and golden.

Flognarde aux pommes

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

3 pommes (Reine de Reinette)

3 œufs

350 ml de lait

90 g de sucre

70 g de farine

2 càs d'huile neutre

Faites préchauffer le four à 200ºC.

Pelez et coupez les pommes en morceaux. Beurrez et farinez les moules et déposez les pommes.

Faites chauffer le lait. Dans un saladier, cassez les oeufs. Battez-les au fouet. Ajoutez le sucre, la farine, l’huile, puis le lait qu’on a légèrement tiédi.

À l'aide d'une louche, versez la préparation dans les tartelettes à hauteur.

Faites cuire de 30 à 45 min, afin que la flognarde gonfle et dore.

Chocolate chip cake

2011-10-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

It’s fall now. I wait for this season the whole year long, wait for the air that smells crisp and the leaves that turn vibrant pinks. I also wait for that season to start baking! I love to bake. Luckily, I woke up early on Sunday morning to bake a Chocolate Chip Cake. We were so busy the whole day we forgot to take a break to have a slice. When we came in for the night, we were thrilled to see the cake sitting on our kitchen table.
This cake is light, fluffy, and has a tunnel of chocolate chips inside. The sprinkle of some chocolate chips makes the cake sparkle and gives it a nice crunchy top.

Ingredients:

225 g (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
200 g (1 cup) sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
240 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

200 g (7 0z) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) spring pan.

Beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy and white, about 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla extract.

In another bowl sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Leave a handful for decoration.

Pour batter in the pan and level the top. Sprinkle the handful of the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for about 35 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Gâteau aux pépites de chocolat

Ingrédients:

225 g de beurre à température ambiante
200g de sucre

1 càc d'extrait de vanille
4 œufs, à température ambiante
240g de farine
1 càc de levure chimique
une pincée de sel

200 g de pépites de chocolat

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule de 24 cm.

Battez le beurre avec le sucre environ 4 mn. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un en battant après chaque ajoût. Ajoutez l'extrait de vanille.

Dans un saladier, tamisez la farine, le sel et la levure chimique. Ajoutez le mélange aux œufs et mélangez délicatement. Ajoutez les pépites de chocolat. Réservez une poignée pour la déco.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Décorez des pépites restantes. Enfournez 35 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré ressorte propre.

Servez avec une boule de glace à la vanille.

Dawood Basha - Lebanese meatballs in tomato sauce

2011-10-09T00:23:00.000-07:00

A small slice of land wedged on the edge of Asia, Lebanon sits on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It's a really tiny country, roughly the size of "Ile de France". Lebanon had once been called (the self-proclaimed) Switzerland and Paris of the East.

It is said that the one thing that unites all Lebanese is the love of eating. Lebanese cuisine is abundant and generous, stemming from the tradition of preparing food with love and providing family and friends with much more than could possibly be consumed. A traditional Lebanese meal has many small courses, starting with a mezze (the Lebanese version of antipasti), a selection of small portions of dips, pickles, salads and khibbitz (Arabic bread). The main course is usually grilled meats, accompanied by bread, spiced rice and any remaining mezze. Dessert may entail a selection of sweets including baklava, and other variations of filo pastry combined with nuts and sweet honey-style syrup. To complete a meal, Turkish style black coffee is served.

This dish gets its name from the Ottoman pasha Dawood who governed Lebanon in the 18th century.

The dish is easy to make, tender, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs with a simple tomato sauce over rice, is irresistibly good.

Ingredients (serves 6):

For the sauce:
3 medium onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 can (400g - 15oz) of crushed tomato
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 cup water

For the meatballs:
2 lbs (1kg) finely minced lean meat
1 medium onion, peeled and grated
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground allspice
1 dash ground cinnamon
a handful of toasted pine nuts

Mix meat well with grated onion, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Divide meat into 1 inch diameter balls.

Heat some oil in a skillet and saute the onions and a dash of salt on moderate heat until soft and brown. Set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the meatballs on both sides until browned and cooked. Add the sliced onions, the crushed tomato, the pomegranate molasses and the water. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced.

Serve on a bed of rice and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Daoud Bacha - Boulettes de viande libanaises à la sauce tomate

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

Pour la sauce:

3 oignons, émincés

2 gousses d'ail

3 càs d'huile d'olive

1 boîte (400g) de tomate pelée

1 càc de mélasse de grenade

235 ml (1 tasse) d'eau

Pour les boulettes:

1kg de viande finement hachée

1 oignon, pelé et râpé

1 càs de sel

1 càc de mélange 4 épices

1 pincée de cannelle

une poignée de pignons de pin toastés

Mélangez la viande avec l'oignon râpé, le sel, le mélange 4 épices et la cannelle. Formez des boulettes.

Faites chauffer un peu d'huile dans une sauteuse et faites revenir les oignons émincés avec une pincée de sel à feu moyen jusqu'à coloration. Réservez.

Dans la même sauteuse, faites revenir les boulettes sur les deux côtés jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient bien colorées. Ajoutez les oignons émincés, la boîte de tomate, la mélasse de grenade, et l'eau. Laissez mijoter à feu doux environ 20 minutes jusqu'à rédcution de l'eau.

Servez avec du riz et parsemez de pignons de pin toastés.

Nectarine Cake

2011-09-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

It was definitely a busy summer for me with a flurry of activities. Although I enjoy fall, I am a bit sad that summer days are over. Once again, it is time to bid farewell to hot summer days, lemonade stands, and beach parties. The past few days have been gloomy, chilly, and dark, marking the beginning of fall. Sweat pants and sweaters days are here to stay. Hopefully we will get some Indian summers before we dive into deep freeze.

As we transition into fall, I find myself craving for summer cake. A simple nectarine cake fits the bill as it is quick and easy to prepare. This cake is commonly made with apples but it’s also made with stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and plums. And as nectarines ripen towards the end of summer, this is one last cake to say goodbye to summer days!

My mother makes the best nectarine cake. Big chunks of nectarine nestle into a moist light cake. The cake gets better the second day, when the nectarines juices seep further into the cake. I love the last taste of summer with these juicy fragrant nectarines, and now that summer has ended, I wanted to use those ripen summer fruits in a cake and savor it with a cup of coffee on those chilly morning days. So here’s one last summer cake… enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 medium ripe nectarines, cut into cubes
1 cup 1 1/2 Tbsp (250 g) butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (200g) sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (250 g) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) spring pan.

Beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy and white, about 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon zest.

In another bowl sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix. Fold in nectarines with a spatula.

Pour batter in the pan and level the top. Bake for about 50-60 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Gâteau aux nectarines

Ingrédients:

3 nectarines mûres de taille moyenne, coupées en cubes
250 g de beurre à température ambiante
zeste d'un citron
200g de sucre

1/4 càc d'extrait de vanille
4 œufs, à température ambiante
250g de farine
1/2 càc de levure chimique
une pincée de sel

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule de 24 cm.

Battez le beurre avec le sucre environ 4 mn. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un en battant après chaque ajoût. Ajoutez l'extrait de vanille et le zeste de citron.

Dans un saladier, tamisez la farine, le sel et la levure chimique. Ajoutez le mélange aux œufs et mélangez délicatement. Ajoutez les nectarines.

Versez la préparation dans le moule. Enfournez 50 à 60 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent inséré ressorte propre.

Saupoudrez de sucre glace avant de servir.

Potato & eggplant salad

2011-09-18T01:04:00.000-07:00

Eggplants are such a staple in the Mediterranean diet, and even though they're available all year round, I love to eat them in summer. And now, with the summer coming to an end, this is a great recipe if you still have all these garden vegetables on hand. The addition of garlic, coriander and lemon juice brings a bright, warm, citrus flavor to the salad. It's perfect accompanied with meat, fish or chicken... and it can be a light night meal.

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium eggplants, cubed
1 cup of frozen or fresh green beans
a handful of corandier, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
a pinch of paprika
salt, to taste

In a large skillet, heat some oil and fry the potato cubes. Once browned, set aside.
In the same skillet, fry the eggplant cubes. Set aside.
Finally, fry the green beans and set aside.
Put the fried vegetables in a salad bowl.
In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, salt, garlic and coriander. Add this mixture to the vegetables and mix slowly. Sprinkle some paprika and serve.

Salade d'aubergines et de pommes de terre

Ingrédients:

2 pommes de terre moyennes, coupées en cubes

2 aubergines moyennes, coupées en cubes

1 tasse d'haricots verts, frais ou surgelés

une poignée coriandre, haché

3 gousses d'ail, écrasées

75 ml de jus de citron

60 ml d'huile d'olive

une pincée de paprika

sel, selon goût

Dans une grande poêle, faites chauffer de l'huile et faites frire les cubes de pommes de terre. Réserver.

Dans la même poêle, faites revenir les cubes d'aubergines. Réservez.

Enfin, faites y revenir les haricots verts.

Dans un bol, mélangez le jus de citron avec l'ail écrasé et la coriandre. Salez. Versez sur les légumes frits, et mélangez délicatement. Saupoudrez de paprika et servez.