Thé Chez Moi

Little red gems

2012-06-15T12:53:00.000+02:00

This morning while slicing up some strawberries for a decadent little dish of strawberries and cream, I noticed that some of them were bruised and a bit mushy. In my humble opinion, it would be a sad state of affairs to waste strawberries. So what's a girl to do? You could eat them right away (problem solved), use them in a baked or cooked dish, or employ this method when they're too bruised or mushy to eat fresh.

Gently wash them or soak in a bowl of water with fruit and vegetable wash, then rinse.

Dry them on some paper towels.

Cut off the stems (you can also cut them into any size at this point based on what you envision using them for).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the strawberries cut side down on the parchment paper.

Freeze until solid, then transfer to a glass container and keep in the freezer until needed.

What do I use these frozen little gems for?

-smoothies
-frozen yogurt/ice cream in a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix)
-berry syrup for grain-free pancakes
-mixing into yogurt (when cut into smaller pieces)
-spritzers (sparkling water, liquid stevia, fresh-squeezed lemon/lime/grapefruit juice with frozen muddled strawberry pieces)
-baked berry crumble (use sliced frozen strawberries and mix with other frozen berries, xylitol, a squeeze of lemon juice, a bit of cornstarch/gelatin, topped with coconut flour or almond meal/coconut/butter crumbles)

Sometimes if you buy strawberries at the very beginning of the season (or out of season), they may be a bit sour or even tasteless. Rather than eating them fresh, I'll immediately freeze the whole container and use them to bulk up smoothies.

Want another reason not to waste those strawberries? They have high anti-angiogenic properties, which means that eating them can prevent the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors. Check out William Li who discusses this topic in his TED Talk here.

When one has tasted watermelon, she knows what the angels eat (or drink)

2012-06-09T20:33:00.000+02:00

Mark Twain said it best, but I wonder if he ever tasted the watermelons ripened under the Egyptian sun and fed from the waters of the Nile?

My two friend Chris and Elke were visiting me in Cairo last week. I was really pleased to have them here, and I joined them on a day of sightseeing during which we visited the Citadel, the Khan el Khalili (a huge marketplace in the city), as well as Ibn Touloun Mosque. As we were driving between sights, I kept seeing carts of large, ripe watermelons everywhere I looked. Many of them had one or two prominently on display, sliced in half lengthwise so we could take a voyeuristic peek at its ruby red center with rows of black flecks sprinkled throughout.

I thought back to the lonely watermelon sitting in my fridge, longing to be cut into large juicy slices for munching and slurping on a hot, dusty day here in the desert. Our brain waves must have been overlapping, as Elke then mentioned how she was just thinking we needed to crack open that watermelon when we got home.

And that's exactly what we did. But three people hardly made a dent in that globe of juicy delight, which lasted through a post-sightseeing snack and an evening rooftop barbecue. I still had a few slices languishing in the fridge when I spied a recipe for a Watermelon-Lavender Martini in Self Magazine's June issue and knew that it was a match made in heaven. I think the angels were singing...

Watermelon-Lavender Martini

Makes 4 martinis, or two large ones if you're a lush

Modified from a Self Magazine recipe

8 packets Truvia sweetener (approx. 30 grams or 1 oz. if using the spoonable kind)

1 tsp. culinary lavender buds

1/2 cup water

4 cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed

4 oz. vodka or gin (use a vodka distilled from potatoes if you're concerned about grain-distilled alcohols; substitute with soda water or citrus-flavored sparklingwater for a mocktail)

Ice cubes

4 sprigs lavender or 4 small pansies (optional)

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring the sweetener, lavender buds and water to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sweetener dissolves, about 1 minute.

Cool the infused syrup to room temperature, then strain it and discard the lavender buds.

In a blender, process the watermelon until smooth. Strain the juice into a large pitcher and then discard the pulp, or reserve it for popsicles or flavored ice cubes.

Add the infused lavender syrup and alcohol to the juice. Stir.

Put some ice cubes into a cocktail shaker, then pour 1/4 of the mixture in. Shake vigorously and then strain into a chilled martini glass. I chilled my glass by pouring some crushed ice into it and allowing it to sit for a few minutes. If you don't have a cocktail shaker, you can just add ice to the pitcher and stir. Serve within a few minutes though or you'll have a very watered-down cocktail.

Garnish with lavender sprigs or pansies if you got 'em. Savor the juicy watermelon goodness.

Repeat until the mixture's gone, or reserve the mixture in the fridge for a day or two until you're ready to drink it. Maybe your friends will be lucky and you'll share with them.

Note: I would consider this a rare splurge as watermelon contains a lot of sugar, about 10g per cup. Limit yourself to one martini if you're concerned about your sugar intake from fruit. You should also drink this with a protein-based meal to prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking.

What about the health benefits of watermelon? It contains large amounts of lycopene which is known for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties, as well as vitamins C & A.

Amazing almond cake...with a dash of rum if you desire

2012-06-08T11:17:00.001+02:00

A few weeks ago I was invited to dinner at a friend's house here in Cairo. He was making Indian and Pakistani style food, and I told him I would bring dessert. Having converted to a low impact, mostly grain-free, sugar-free way of eating after the New Year (with a few slip-ups here and there), I racked my brain and my cookbooks for inspiration. Suzanne Pirret, in her book "The Pleasure is All Mine" had a lovely recipe, called "Cake" which seduced me by its simplicity (and possibly also by her witty writing). Her recipe used grams which I converted into cups for the American kitchen, although I personally like using a small kitchen scale and measuring ingredients in grams.

This cake improves with age (as my friend N exclaimed the next day while toting a slice of it to the cafe to have with our morning coffee and gossip), and you can add all sorts of variations. Suzanne suggests orange zest, raisins or rosemary. I added a bit of lemon extract which was a lovely pairing with the almond.

Cake

Recipe courtesy of Suzanne Pirret, from her book "The Pleasure is All Mine," with my own modifications:

1/2 cup (4 oz. or 115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (150 g) Z Sweet* (or 2/3 cup erythritol + scant 1/2 tsp powdered stevia extract -or- 6 drops stevia liquid)
2 cups (230 g) almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill, but you could also try the Honeyville brand)
1 tsp lemon extract (or almond, orange, coconut, etc)
5 eggs, room temperature
A shotglass or two of aged rum if you're feeling daring (optional)

*Z Sweet is a brand name alternative sweetener which is a mix of erythritol and stevia.

Beat the softened butter in a bowl until it is "similar in creaminess to a ridiculously expensive face cream-- think Crème de la Mer."

Mix in the Z Sweet or erythritol/stevia combination, then the almond flour.

Add the extract and then the eggs, incorporating one at a time.

Turn into a buttered or greased pan (such a glass 8" x 8" pan) lined with a square of parchment paper as baked goods made with alternative sweeteners can stick like mad, "or whatever seems appropriate" and bake at 325 degrees "until the aromas of a decadent little Parisian bakery have drifted through your home--about 45 to 55 minutes."

And my favorite part of the recipe:

Now it really needs to cool before devouring, but before it does, pour a glass of an aged rum for yourself, such as a twenty-three-year-old Ron Zacapa Centenario, then pour half down that long crack in the middle of the cake. Just like your granny used to do.

I left the rum out of my cake, as some of the guests don't drink alcohol. The cake got rave reviews. Thanks Suzanne!

Hello, Pumpkin

2011-09-29T20:46:00.000+02:00

I must say there's nothing like the change of seasons from summer to fall. One morning you feel a slight chill in the air. Everything feels crisp and cool, but the afternoons are still warm and lingering. Like a sponge, you attempt to soak up the last real rays of sunshine before winter's cool breath chills you with its icy blast. At least, that's my feeling about a northeast winter in the States.

In Egypt, there are two seasons, summer and a so-called "winter." I use the term winter here very loosely as in reality the winters here don't become nearly as cold as the fall in the northeast. So I miss the drastic change in seasons, especially from summer to fall. I miss the leaves changing into brilliant reds, golds, browns and oranges. And I definitely miss the plump pumpkins you can buy at any market or grocery store, fresh from the farm.

I decided to share this smoothie recipe as it brings me the best of both worlds on a September morning in Cairo: a cold fix for the eighty-degree mornings with a blast of pumpkin-y goodness reminiscent of a northeast fall. Also, it will keep you full and happy all morning thanks to the high protein content.

This smoothie recipe also reminds me of when I had my wisdom teeth removed a couple of years ago. While recovering from anesthesia, I woozily begged my best friend M for a smoothie, which she quickly promised me, since it's difficult to argue with someone that has no clue what's going on around her. While I was recovering at home, she was tireless in bringing me lovely cold smoothies to ease the thumping pain in my mouth, one of which was a pumpkin smoothie. So, here's to you M!

Pumpkin Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup pumpkin (cooked from fresh or canned)
1 medium-sized banana, cut into chunks and frozen
1 scoop whey protein powder (vanilla flavored whey marries well with the pumpkin)
1 tsp. stevia extract (or 2 tsp. sugar)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp. raw wheat germ (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender. If you have a super-powerful blender, you can skip the upcoming step. If your blender isn't that powerful, allow the frozen bananas to sit in the milk with the other ingredients for about 10 minutes to soften slightly.

Blend on high for 30 seconds and medium-high for 1 minute, or until smooth. Pour into a glass or travel cup and enjoy. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.

Variations

-For a more pronounced pumpkin flavor, increase the pumpkin to 1/2 cup. Depending on how thick you like your smoothies, you may decide to stick with 1 1/4 cups milk and 1/2 cup pumpkin, or you may want to increase the milk little by little until you achieve the consistency you desire.
-For a lip-smacking strawberry banana protein smoothie, use 1 cup whole strawberries (frozen or fresh) in lieu of the pumpkin; decrease the milk to 1 cup and omit the cinnamon.

Substitutions

I like to keep my recipes flexible for everyday cooking and food prep, so feel free to substitute the following:

-Stevia with agave nectar, sugar or sugar substitute
-Cow's milk with soy, almond or rice milk
-Banana with 3/4 cup ice cubes (although ice cubes vary in size...I'm talking the ones from a tray in your freezer; you know, the one you have to fill with water manually)

Finally, what does pumpkin have to offer, nutritionally, you may ask? If this were speed-dating, pumpkin would say something in the ballpark of:

"I'm loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals like A, C, E, B6, potassium and iron. If you want glowing skin and a low-cal bang for your buck, choose me! You won't regret it."

Easy, Creamy Squash Soup for One (or two, or three...)

2011-09-24T17:26:00.001+02:00

I was feeling like a light lunch today and thankfully I had a small squash I was meaning to do something with for some time. Yesterday was the first day of fall and nothing screams fall like butternut squash. Anyway, this is a really easy recipe that will allow you to be enjoying fresh homemade soup in less than 30 minutes, with minimal ingredients.

Ingredients:
6 oz. squash, cooked until soft
3 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
3 TBSP milk (or cream); vegans could use additional stock in place of the milk or cream
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

If you're using a fresh squash, cut it in half lengthwise and steam it in the microwave. You can do this by placing it on a microwave-safe plate in a bit of water, covered with saran wrap. Or if it's a small enough squash you might be able to fit it into a microwave steamer like I did. Microwave on high for 7-8 minutes to start. Check for doneness, then continue microwaving in 5 minute increments until the squash flesh is fork tender. It took me 9 minutes to microwave a 10 oz. squash with a 1000 watt microwave. You could also use frozen squash. Follow the instructions for cooking the squash on the packaging and drain off any excess water at the end of cooking.

Alternatively, you can roast the squash in the oven. Follow the same steps as for the microwave steaming, but use a baking sheet with rimmed edges and do not cover the squash. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes (or longer if it's a really big squash). Again, check for fork tenderness and remove from the oven when you can easily insert a fork into the orange flesh of the squash.

Once you remove the squash from the microwave or the oven, allow a few minutes for it to cool to avoid burning yourself. Carefully remove the seeds and stringy bits, then scrape the flesh into a bowl (or directly into the food processor bowl as I did). Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth (other possible methods: hand blender, stand blender). Be careful of steam and make sure there is an air vent from which the steam can escape while blending the hot mixture. You can add more salt and pepper at this point if you like, or more liquid if you like your soup a bit thinner.

If the soup is still hot, enjoy immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some garlicky croutons. You could also embellish this soup with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, or fresh herbs (like I did with the basil). If the soup isn't hot, reheat in a saucepan over low heat on the stove or nuke in the microwave until hot.

I'm not going to sing the praises of squash in this post, but you can read more about the health benefits of squash here: http://www.wholeliving.com/article/power-foods-butternut-squash

This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled! Enjoy.

Onion Tart (not grain-free)

2011-08-26T18:58:00.004+02:00

Today was a leisurely Friday for me, the first one I've had in more than 2 months. I felt like spending a bit of time in the kitchen since it was too hot here in Cairo to pander around outside. I've been reading Alice Waters' "The Art of Simple Food" and her onion tart recipe inspired me.

These recipes are slightly modified from Alice's recipes published in "The Art of Simple Food" (copyright 2007).

Tart/Pie Dough

(can be used for savory and sweet tarts)

Makes two 5 ounce balls of dough, enough for two 6 inch tarts or one 12 inch tart

Have measured:

1/4 cup ice-cold water

Place together in a food processor (or a bowl):

3/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

Add:

6 tablespoons (3/4 of a stick) cold butter, cut into small 1/4 inch cubes

If using a food processor, pulse the mixture approximately 30 times until it resembles large crumbs with some larger pieces of butter interspersed. Cut or work the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips if not using a processor. This should take 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in three quarters of the water and pulse a few times until the water is incorporated. Add the remaining bit of water and continue to pulse until the mixture begins to clump together. If the mixture doesn't clump together, you may need to add another tablespoon or two of water. Use a fork to stir the mixture if you don't have a food processor.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces, roll each piece into a ball, and wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disk using the palm of your hand. Let rest, refrigerated, for 1 hour or longer.

Once the dough has rested, remove from the refrigerator and unwrap. If the dough has been refrigerated for a long period of time, it may need to warm up a bit before rolling it out so allow it to sit out for about 20 minutes.

On a flat, cool surface, sprinkle some all-purpose flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Dust your rolling pin with flour, too, if needed. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk of dough and flatten out the disk a bit with the palm of your hand. Roll the dough out imagining that each roll of the pin is the spoke of a bicycle wheel. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and continue rolling out until about 1/8" thick (for an open tart), or slightly thicker for a pie or double-crusted tart. You can add more flour if needed, just be sure to remove the excess when you've finished rolling out the dough. Before filling, allow the rolled-out dough to rest in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.

Onion Tart

Heat in a low-sided, heavy bottomed pan:

2 tablespoons light olive oil (or butter)
Add:

3 medium onions (about 1 pound), peeled and thinly sliced
3 thyme sprigs (or a light sprinkle of dried thyme)

Cook over medium/medium-low heat until soft, juicy and lightly browned. This will take from 20 to 30 minutes. Stir every few minutes to keep the onions at the bottom from darkening too much. Season with:

Salt

Cook for a few additional minutes. Place them in a dish to cool them before placing them on the tart crust (or they will melt the butter in the crust before you get it in the oven). I spread mine in a thin layer on a plate for a faster cooling time. If the onions are juicy, place them in a strainer to drain off the excess liquid.

Roll out into a 7-8 inch disk:

One 5 ounce disk of tart/pie dough (recipe above)

After rolling out the dough (see instructions above), gently brush off any excess flour with your hands or a clean kitchen towel and transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the pan with the dough circle in the refrigerator to allow the dough to firm up again for about 10 minutes. Spread the cooled onions over the dough (removing the thyme branches if you used fresh thyme sprigs), leaving a 1-1.5 inch border around the circumference of the dough. Fold the border up over the onions in any way you like. You can add some decorative fork tine marks if you like. For a shiny, more finished look, mix together and brush the folded dough rim with:

1 egg
1 tablespoon milk or water

Bake the tart on the bottom rack of a preheated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown on the bottom. Slide the tart off the pan onto a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, by itself or accompanied with a green salad for a light, tasty meal. If you're really hungry this would serve one. If you're not ravenous, this could serve two.

Green leaves

2011-01-01T21:16:00.002+02:00

It's German tradition to cook and eat pork and sauerkraut for New Year's Day. Pigs are considered symbols of good luck, and cabbage leaves symbolize money and thus, wealth. In German agrarian communities, families who owned a pig were considered fortunate in that they would be able to feed their families during the winter. I consider this a delicious tradition when paired with homemade applesauce and mashed cauliflower or sweet potatoes. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all of the leftover pork roast. Pulled pork sandwiches anyone?

Pork and Sauerkraut

Ingredients

1 2.5 lb. pork roast (I used a boneless pork loin top roast)

2 14.5 oz. cans sauerkraut (you can also used refrigerated sauerkraut, about 30 oz.)

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

2. Place the sauerkraut along with the accompanying liquid in the bottom of a small dutch oven or other oven-safe glass/metal pan

3. Season the pork tenderloin or roast with salt and pepper; place in the middle of the pot with the sauerkraut, making sure that the roast is snugly nestled in the kraut

4. Cover with aluminum foil or a lid, and place in the oven for 2.5 hours; remove from oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes for cutting. The roast will be fork tender. (If using a thermometer, allow the roast to reach a temperature of no less than 155 degrees F in the thickest part of the roast without touching any bone; tent with foil upon removal from the oven and allow to reach 160 degrees F before cutting)

Serves 6-8 people, or 4 with leftovers. Don't forget the mashed cauliflower or sweet potatoes!

New Year's Eve dinner at Sofitel's Le Sud Restaurant

2011-01-01T20:54:00.000+02:00

Some friends and I indulged in a luscious seafood buffet dinner on the banks of the Nile for New Year's Eve last night. The real star in my opinion were the delicate French desserts, ranging from flaky custard-covered lady fingers stuffed with fresh, juicy blackberries to mini creme brulées topped with a crackled sugar topping, a sweet, fleshy litchi and a tart gooseberry.

Here's a raspberry coulis, litchi and berry dessert, topped off with half of a fresh passion fruit, blueberries, blackberries and cassis berries. It tasted like the first days of summer eaten with a spoon...delightful.

A Taste of Upper Egypt

2010-10-01T10:43:00.000+02:00

This past week I spent a couple of days in Upper Egypt, namely Assiut and Minya. Assiut is known as the region's most important agricultural center, and Minya is known as the "Bride of Egypt" due to its strategic location in Middle Egypt. I was thrilled to escape from the hustle and bustle of Cairo for a few days.
We stayed at a pleasant resort in Minya called Horus where we ate the majority of our meals at the resort restaurant. Most of the meals consisted of various appetizer salads such as fattouch, baba ghanoug, tahini dip, and tomatoes in garlic sauce, all of which were served up in stoneware bowls with an enormous bowl of bread and rolls. After filling up on all of these tasty salads, we were hardly hungry for a main course.

I was particularly intrigued by my Egyptian coworker's breakfast choice before setting out for a full day of site visits in villages and towns between Minya and Assiut. If you're looking for a filling Egyptian breakfast dish that's simple to prepare, try fuul with tahini (fava beans with sesame seed paste). It will keep your hunger at bay all day.


Ful with tahini


"Baladi", or country, bread

Fuul with Tahini

Preparation Time

15 minutes (if using canned fava beans)
1 hour if using dried fava beans

Ingredients

4 cups fava beans (to save time, use canned fava beans)
1 tbsp. vegetable or corn oil
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tahini (can be found in many large grocery stores)
Chili pepper (to taste)
Lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. Cook the fava beans per the instructions on the bag (or, if using canned beans, omit this step)

2. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil

3. Add the previously prepared beans

3. Mix with tahini, garlic and chili pepper

4. Season beans with cumin, salt and pepper

5. Add lemon juice and taste to adjust seasoning

6. Serve in bowl alongside an accompanying plate of lemon slices, fresh chopped parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and white pepper that can be added to the dish as desired

This dish is great when scooped up with crudités. It can be stored in a container with a tightly-fitting lid in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheated.