World kitchen

Baklava

2014-05-29T13:27:00.002-04:00

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

1 pound chopped nuts

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.

Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Grilled Moroccan Flank Steak

2014-04-28T01:02:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

4 pounds flank steak

1 medium onion
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons sherry
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation:

Mix ingredients together and marinade steaks in a shallow baking dish for 4 hours in the refrigerator. Remove steaks from marinade and reserve. Grill steaks to desired doneness (about 5 minutes on each side). Heat marinade in saucepan for 10 minutes. Cut steaks diagonally into thin slices. Pour marinade over steaks and serve.

easy meatloaf

2013-09-08T23:09:00.002-04:00

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup dried bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

2013-04-24T02:10:00.002-04:00

1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
2 cups pitted sour cherries
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and place in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating. Remove as soon as butter has melted, about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the milk until well blended, then pour the batter into the pan over the butter. Do not stir.
Rinse out the bowl from the batter, and dry. Place cherries into the bowl, and toss with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Distribute the cherry mixture evenly over the batter. Do not stir.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the cobber should come out clean.
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The Best Place to go Halal Restaurant Hunting

2013-04-17T19:16:00.001-04:00

The Best Place to go Halal Restaurant Hunting

One of the biggest problems for Muslims who just moved into a new city is finding a restaurant that serves genuine Halal food. This is especially true for Muslims who follow the strict “zabihah” meat preparation– because the food will come to them cooked and ready to eat and it will be impossible to tell for sure how that dish was prepared or did it violate any laws of preparing Halal food. So if you are one of these people and need help in finding the right Halal restaurant in your area, then this is the perfect read for you! This article will introduce to you one of the best ways to find the right Halal restaurant in your new area.
The best thing that you can do is to turn to Halal restaurants section from OpenRice Singapore. This website provides a comprehensive list of certified Halal foods all over the country. The website owners have gone out of their way to find out if restaurants who claim to serve Halal food do indeed follow the right cooking procedures; and if they do, they post the names of these restaurants online to get this message across to people who need it.
So do not let this opportunity pass you by. This is indeed a great place to go to for Muslims who want to strictly follow their special tradition on Halal food and preparation. Since you really cannot tell how the food was prepared, the reviews that you get online from fellow Muslims, who like you, are also looking for genuine Halal restaurants can be of huge help. Aside form that, they also offer discount coupons on selected Halal restaurant all over the country and even restaurant reviews on how the food tastes and the ambience the featured restaurant online – the perfect place to go restaurant hunting indeed!

Halal Food and Kosher Food: How Are They Different?

Halal food is defined as a kind of food that is considered to be clean by Muslim laws and beliefs. Muslim religion generally prohibits the consumption of pork meat and other pork-associated food. Aside from that, they also follow a certain method in slaughtering their meat, called “zabihah” – where animals are killed by single cut to the jugular vein and positioned in such a way that all of the blood is drained out without touching the meat used for cooking. Although this may sound very strange for people outside the religion, this kind of belief is actually very much similar to Jewish beliefs.
In Jewish beliefs, the food that they prepare is termed as “kosher”. Jewish law also prohibits the eating of pork, just as the Muslims do because as it is stated in their Bible. A certain verse in Qur’an even mentions that it is permissible to eat the same food that Jews put on their table. Because of this, some Muslims in the East, particularly in the States are starting to buy their meat right form the supermarket – although not all Muslims follow this practice.
For processed and supermarket foods, Muslims however are considered to be more careful. The Muslim community has created a Halal certification which is a seal that their authorities give out to food manufacturers and restaurants to certify if they do make Halal food and follow the right standards of food preparation or not. Today, there are quite a number of products that possess this seal in grocery shelves, used by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. People who practice Halal also do not consume gelatin or any kind of food that contain emulsifiers. Why? This is because they are not certain if these ingredients came it contact with pork products or not. Jews on the other hand are not really that strict and consider these kinds of products as kosher food.
For many Muslims, they usually seek out Halal grocery stores to get their items from. With this, they can be one hundred percent sure that the ingredients that they are using are all “pure” and accepted for eating.

A Scientific Look at Halal Food Beliefs

Pork and pork related products are one of the main prohibitions in Muslim beliefs. For those of you who are not practicing the religion, you might be wondering why so? This is because this law was stated directly on their holy book, the Qur’an. But did you know that this prohibition to eat pork is not just practiced by Islam. There are also other religions that ban the consumption of pork such as the Jews. And like the Muslims, this law is also stated in their holy book, the Bible. Although this rule is not anymore found in the New Testament, there are still some Christians that follow this similar belief.
But if you come to think of it, there are actually some scientific evidences that show advantages of a no pork diet. Scientific studies have clearly shown that of all the meat products that humans consume, it is swine meat that is least clean and healthy.
Pork meat has one of the highest amounts of cholesterol, something that everyone would not want to have. This is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure and other heart related diseases. But aside from that, pork meat is also known to be more resistant and absorbent to toxins than any other kind of meat. And because pork can be easily digested by the human body, the transfer of toxins from the meat to our system is also very efficient. Some studies have even shown that pork meat with a certain strain of bacteria can potentially lead to death.
And lastly, pig meat is most prone to a wide number of parasites – all of which can easily be transferred from the meat to the human body upon ingestion of the contaminated food. Although some can be killed during the cooking process, the danger of improperly prepared food makes pork eaters vulnerable to such infections.
So you see there are more advantages than one that Muslims can get out of eating Halal food. Not only does it keep them spiritually pure – under their beliefs, but it also keeps them safely away from swine-associated health problems that pork eaters are encountered with today.

The Origin of Halal

Halal is a Muslim belief that focuses of certain ways of cooking and food preparation. Literally, the word means something that is lawful or permitted; and the opposite of which is called “haram” which in turn, means prohibited and not allowed. Although this term can be applied to practically all areas in Muslim life, this word is most well associated with food and cooking.
In Muslim beliefs, there are some clear lists on what products are considered Halal. But with the number of products that are available in the market today, not all of the things are completely under this list and covered under the don’ts and do’s of Muslim law. Although you can clearly tell if a fresh ingredient (such as meat and fresh produce) is Halal or not, one cannot really be certain in the case of pre-processed foods such as canned goods and the likes.
But generally, all foods are considered Halal aside from these exemptions: pork and all its related products; food that has been in contact with pork or its by-products, animals that were slaughtered improperly, meat or any kind of food that has or has been in contact with blood, animals that feed on other animals (carnivorous), alcoholic drinks or food that has alcoholic ingredients.
For the processed foods, the best thing that people who practice Halal can do is to buy them from certified Halal distributors. These distributors have been certified by designated authorities from the Muslim community. Distributors who are certified are given the Halal seal of certification which they can print on to their product packages, this way, customers will have an idea whether the food is safe for consumption or not.
But for those who do not know of certified Halal distributors around their area, there are still some Halal certified products that are also sold in regular grocery stores. All you need to do is to find that Halal certification on their product covers for assurance. But if not, then the next best thing that you can do is to stay away from prohibited or questionable ingredients such as gelatin and some emulsifiers.

Halal Food and the Beauty of Muslim Traditions

People who belong to non-Muslim religions may think of Halal as a different kind of food, but in reality – it really is not different from the rest of the food that people belonging to other beliefs have. The word “Halal” actually literally means “acceptable” to Muslim language. These are the kind of foods that are acceptable for eating in the Muslim religion. But the only thing that really makes it very different is the way the food is cooked and prepared,singapore restaurants reviews get the latest restaurant reviews in singapore.

One of the most important laws in Halal food is the preparation and use of meat. Muslims do not eat swine or any other food that come in contact with this kind of meat. Aside from that, Halal food preparation follows a special slaughtering method where animals are killed in the most painless way possible. Muslims believe that all animals have the right to live and when they are slaughtered for food, they should be done so with utmost respect for its life. During the slaughter, the animal is killed with a deep incision cutting off its jugular vein, killing it in the first slay of the knife. After that, the blood is totally drained and blood contact with the meat is avoided at all cost.
This Muslim tradition is really no different from the other beliefs practiced by other religions such as the Jews – where their specially prepared food is termed”Kosher”. Muslims treat their bodies as a temple for Allah and hence, will fill only their stomach and nourish their bodies with the purest kind of food that they can find. This explains why Muslims go through all these steps just to prepare their everyday dishes.
So the next time you hear about Halal food and Muslim traditions, we hope that you have a change of perspective – and a change that is for the better. This tradition has been carried over from generation to generation and is one of the most beautiful parts of human culture. So do not treat this practice any differently – now that you have a deeper understanding of why they do such practices.

Halal Certifications: What You Need to Know

In following the Muslim tradition of the “zabihah” way of cooking and Halal food, it is next to impossible to know if the dishes prepared in restaurants that claims to serve Halal food or in products that see in grocery shelves, really do follow these standards to the letter. This is the very reason why the Muslim community has come up what we know now as the Halal certifications. A Halal certification is an approval given by an accredited Muslim organization to a company who produces Halal food products. This certification will serve to prove that the ingredients and the processes that the company is using really do meet the standards of Muslim food preparation.

So how does the certification work? It is usually the food company itself that submits the application for the Halal certification. After submission, their plant will be subjected to inspection and checking by the proper Muslim authority – on what exact products were used for the product and how it was processed from the butchering to the food preparation. Certification will depend on whether their processes adhere to the Muslim law on Halal food. Although this group is in no way associated with the government, many of these organizations are credible and are run by fellow Muslims themselves.
Today, there are now hundred of Muslim organizations that offer to give Halal certifications in different parts of the world. Although this may be a good thing for food companies, there is still the issue of organizations and their credibility to issue such certifications. Since there really is no single body to monitor their activities, there are some organizations that may not be as strict as they need to be.
So for all you who really desire to follow this religious law, then take it upon yourself to research on the different products available in your area and try as best as you can to find out if the certification is indeed valid or not. This may be a little sacrifice on your part but will all be worth it knowing that the food that you eat will not violate any of your traditions and laws.

Great Tips in Shopping for Halal Ingredients

The trouble with processes food nowadays is that most of the time, we will never know how the processed food was prepared or what the exact ingredients are used for that particular food. This is especially difficult for Muslims who follow the “zabuhah” way of cooking food – which is a tradition that Muslims follow in killing and cooking meat. This “law” prohibits them from eating pork or any other pork derivative and meat that had contact with blood during the slaughter. If this is so, then it is really impossible to know if processed food can be considered Halal or not.

So how do Muslims go about with shopping? There are some published books that contain a list of products that are accepted for consumption in line with their laws and standards – which products are permitted and which are not. Although this list will not really cover everything that you see in your grocery shelves, the book can give you a handful of important and common products that you can easily find in stores – which are permitted for eating.
Aside from that, there are some countries that have national organizations that have also come up with their own list of products which pass the Halal standards today. In America, there is the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America that have compiled a list of common ingredients that their fellow Muslims can use in their day to day dishes. This information is usually available online in their official website.
So there you have it: simple but effective and easy ways to get genuine Halal food from your regular supermarket. So do not feel limited just because of your religious tradition. Get a hold of this list and get better assurance in shopping for ingredients for your Halal dishes!

Homemade Marshmallows without gelatin

2013-03-12T23:09:00.001-04:00

INGREDIENTS
3 cups white sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS
Generously coat a 9x13 dish with cooking spray.
In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and water. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.
Chill in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. To cut, loosen edges with a knife. Dust surface with confectioners' sugar, and turn out onto a waxed paper lined surface. Dust with confectioners' sugar again and cut with a knife.Canon EOS 7D 18.0MP Digital SLR Camera - Body Only (Google Affiliate Ad)

Taktouka

2013-02-24T08:38:00.004-05:00

Ingredients

5 medium-sized tomatoes (grated).

2 large – green peppers

1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

3 garlic cloves (crushed)

Directions

Step 1 – Roasting the Green Peppers

1. Grill green peppers (insert wood sticks in peppers and place directly on burner). Goal is to grill peppers on high heat until skin turns black. Cracking noise is a good sign; it means skin is cracking and pepper is roasting

2. Keep monitoring pepper and turn around until all sides become black. If you find it difficult to use wooden sticks, use tongs to turn pepper

3. Once peppers are roasted, place in a bowl with a plastic wrap for 15-20 minutes. This will steam the peppers and aide in removing the skin

Step 2 – Cooking the Tomatoes

1. While peppers are steaming, gently cook tomatoes with spices, olive oil, tomato paste and garlic in a sauce pan on medium heat

2. Cook tomato mixture for 15 minutes on medium heat

3. Stir from time-to-time

4. Once cooked on medium heat for 15 minutes, reduce heat to low and then start to get peppers ready

Step 3 – Combining the Tomatoes and the Peppers

1. Clean Peppers by removing burnt skin, cutting top of pepper and removing seeds

2. After cleaning peppers, slice and dice into small cubes

3. Add pepper cubes and chopped parsley and cilantro to tomato mixture

4. Cook tomatoes and peppers on medium heat for another 15-20 minutes

Step 4 – Serving this delicious Cooked Salad

1. Salad is ready when it becomes dry and thick.

2. If you have preserved lemons, you can use them for decoration. First wash preserved lemon in water to remove some of the salt, then cut lemon and remove pulp so you can use the skin for decoration

3. Serve salad with Moroccan bread or French baguette as an appetizer

4. Eat warm or cold

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Pita Bread

2013-02-03T16:24:00.002-05:00

Makes 8 pitas

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon sugar or honey

1 packet yeast

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or shortening

Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water [I had to add a bit more water].

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces. [I used a kitchen scale to ensure they were all about the same size.] Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it’ll be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick – 6 inches in diameter. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.

Place discs on a lightly greased baking sheet and let rise, uncovered, until barely doubled in thickness, about 30-45 minutes.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface [I made 2 at a time on my baking stone]. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn’t necessary

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Traditional Guacamole

2013-02-03T16:07:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
6 Hass avocadoes

3 ozs. ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 ozs. white onion, chopped
2 ozs. fresh cilantro, chopped
Lime juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Remove the flesh of the avocados and place in a bowl. Mash well.
Add tomato, onion, cilantro and mix.
Add salt and pepper to taste and lime juice to taste.

Kielbasa Split Pea Soup Recipe

2012-09-19T16:35:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package (16 ounces) dried green split peas

9 cups water, divided

1 package (14 ounces) smoked turkey kielbasa, halved and sliced

4 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, cook celery and onion until tender. Stir in split peas and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in the kielbasa, carrots, potatoes, parsley, basil, salt, pepper and remaining water. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until peas and vegetables are tender. Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts).

Swordfish with Alioli (Alicante Style)

2012-07-16T14:09:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:

2 cups of alioli
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
4 (6-oz.) swordfish steaks, ½-inch thick
1 lemon, sliced
1 large green pepper chopped finely
1 large onion chopped finely
6 to 7 cherry tomatoes
5 peppercorns
1 cup fresh parsley leaves

Other thick fish steaks, such as halibut, salmon or tuna can be substituted for swordfish. Other garnishes can be used, such as olives, asparagus or spinach.

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, heat up the oil and sauté the chopped onions, cherry tomatoes and green pepper until soften. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place swordfish steaks in well-oiled baking dish filled with peppercorns.

3. Spread the alioli mixture over the top of each steak and cover the dish with glass top or foil. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

4. Baste each steak with more alioli and bake for an additional 5 minutes uncovered to form a brown crust.

5. Sprinkle with parsley.

6. Garnish with sauté green peppers, tomatoes and onions serve.

7. Add the balance of alioli as a side dipping sauce.
Ingredients:

alioli dipping sauce
6 cloves garlic
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of vinegar
7 to 10 drops of extra virgin olive oil (the lighter the better)
a pinch of salt
½ fresh lemon

Preparation:

1. Crush the garlic in a mortar
2. Add the yolks and salt to the garlic paste and mix until frothy
3. Pour the oil in drop by drop while still mixing
4. Add a few drops of liquid from the lemon and add the vinegar

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Meskouta - Moroccan Yogurt Cake

2012-07-15T15:09:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

3 eggs (separated into egg yolks and egg whites)
1 cup (4 oz / 114 grams) of yogurt strawberry flavor (or any flavor of your choice)
Use the yogurt cake to measure the following
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
A pinch of salt
Directions

First, pour 1 ½ cups of sugar over 3 egg yolks. Remember to use the yogurt cup for all the measurements in this recipe. Using an egg beater, beat the egg yolks and sugar until you get a creamy whitish mixture.

Add ½ cup of vegetable oil and mix in using a spatula.

Once the oil is completely incorporated, add the yogurt and continue mixing gently using a rotational movement , moving the spatula from bottom to up.

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, you can also use almond extract or another flavor of your choice.

Add 1 teaspoon of baking powder and continue mixing.

To spice things up a bit, I am adding 1 teaspoon of ground ginger to the batter. You can either omit it, or replace it with another spice like ground cinnamon or cardamom.

Now we are going to add the flour. We will need 2 ½ cups of flour, sift the flour and add to the batter little by little. Mix in some of the flour and when it’s completely incorporated, add a little more until done.
In a separate bowl, beat 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt using an egg beater. Make sure that the egg whites have no traces of egg yolks when you separate the eggs, and that the egg beater heads are clean and dry – otherwise, the egg whites wont fluff. Beat the egg whites for about 5 minutes until they get firm with white peaks.

The last step is to incorporate the egg whites to the batter. Add the egg whites little by little to the batter, mix gently in a rotational movement with a spatula, and when that portion of the egg white is completely incorporated then add a little more until done. The final batter should be creamy and smooth!
Here, I am using an 8” baking pan. First butter the pan, then cover it with parchment paper. The reason I butter the pan is for the parchment paper to stick. Add the batter to the pan, and shake the pan to even out the batter. You can cut excess parchment paper on the edges with scissors.

Preheat your oven to 360 F degrees which is 180 C degrees.

Bake the cake for around 50 minutes. You know that your cake is ready by pressing gently on the surface, it should feel firm.
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Chocolate Coconut Macaroons:

2012-06-28T16:05:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

4 ounces (120 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 large (90 grams) egg whites

1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (regular or Dutch-processed)

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups (600 ml) (220 grams) sweetened dried coconut (shredded or flaked)

In a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Then, in a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Stir in the coconut and melted chocolate, making sure the coconut is completely coated with the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place small mounds (a heaping tablespoons) of the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about two inches (5 cm) apart. Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until the macaroons are shiny and just set. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 24 Macaroons.

Moroccan Cookies - Ghriba

2012-06-23T01:12:00.001-04:00

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 stick of butter (8 Tbsp)
1/4 cup of oil
2 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt

preparation

Steps:
1- Roast the sesame seeds on low heat for 2-3 minutes stirring consistently until they become golden brown.
2- Melt the butter.
3- Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and sesame seeds.
4- Add the butter and the oil. Work the dough for 10-15 minutes until you get a grainy texture.

Rest:
5- Cover the dough and let it rest for 2-3 hours.

Final steps:
6- re-work the dough for couple of minutes.
7- Make small balls with the dough (if you find it difficult add some oil) and put them on your pan covered with a parchment paper.
8- Preheat your oven at 375 degrees. Bake the Ghriba for 15 minutes or until it takes a light golden color.
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Moroccan Gazelle Horns Kab El Ghzal) Cornes De Gazelle)

2012-06-23T01:09:00.003-04:00

pastry
14 ounces unsalted butter, chilled & cut into 1/4-inch bits (3 1/2 sticks)
1/4 cup sunflower oil
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 -8 tablespoons ice water
almond paste filling
1/2 cup blanched slivered almond
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons orange blossom water, divided (orange blossom extract)
1 (8 ounce) can prepared almond paste, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Directions:

1
In a large chilled bowl, combine the butter, sunflower oil, flour, and salt.
2
Using your fingertips, rub the flour and butter together until they look like flakes of coarse meal (Do NOT over mix).
3
Pour 6 tablespoons ice water all at once into the mixture; toss together lightly.
4
Gather the dough into a ball.
5
If the dough crumbles, add ice water a few drops at a time until everything sticks together and forms a soft dough (up to 2 tablespoons).
6
Divide the dough in half, dust each half with a little flour, and wrap in waxed paper.
7
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
8
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4).
9
Spread the almonds out in a shallow baking pan and toast them in the middle of the oven until they are lightly browned, turning them occasionally (8-10 minutes).
10
Pulverize the almonds in a blender, nut grinder, or using a mortar and pestle.
11
Then, using the back of a spoon, rub ground almonds through a fine sieve into a deep bowl.
12
Add the sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon orange blossom water and knead with your hands into a stiff paste.
13
Add the almond paste, butter, and egg, and beat vigorously with a spoon until mixture is smooth.
14
Raise the oven temp to 400°F.
15
On a lightly floured surface, pat half of the dough into a rough rectangle about 1-inch thick.
16
Dust a little flour over and under the rectangle, and roll it out from the center to within an inch or so of the far edge of the pastry.
17
Lift the dough and rotate it 90°; roll again from the center to within an inch or so of the far edge.
18
Repeat - lifting, turning, rolling - until the rectangle is a little less than 1/8-inch thick (If the dough sticks at any point during the rolling, lift it gently with a metal spatula and sprinkle a little flour under it).
19
Using a ruler and a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3-inch squares.
20
For each cookie, roll 1 teaspoon almond filling between your palms to form a cylinder about 2-inches long and 1/2-inch in diameter.
21
Place a square of dough so that it's oriented as a diamond, and place the cylinder horizontally across it 1/2-inch down from the top point.
22
Lift the top point up and fold it over so that it covers the filling.
23
Then, starting with the folded edge, roll the dough up tightly jelly-roll fashion.
24
Pinch the ends firmly closed, and gently shape the roll into a crescent.
25
Arrange the crescents about 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown (20 minutes).
26
Transfer to wire racks and sprinkle them evenly with 1 tablespoon orange blossom water.
27
One at a time, dip the pastries in the powdered sugar to coat them lightly, and return them to the racks to cool.
28
While the first batch is baking, roll out and cut the remaining half of the dough, and repeat the process for filling and shaping.
29
While the first batch is cooling, bake the second batch until golden brown (20 minutes).
30
Transfer to wire racks and sprinkle them evenly with the remaining tablespoon orange blossom water.
31
Roll in powdered sugar, and let cool to room temperature before serving.
Canon T3i 18.0MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS Lens - Digital

Italian Calzones

2012-06-22T21:01:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup diced pepperoni
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons dried basil leaves
2 egg, beaten
Directions
1. To Make Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour, until dough is smooth and workable. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until it is elastic. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 teaspoon olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise for 40 minutes, or until almost doubled.
2. To Make Filling: While dough is rising, combine the ricotta cheese, Cheddar cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and basil leaves in a large bowl. Mix well, cover bowl and refrigerate to chill.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 2 equal parts. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with 1/2 of the cheese/meat filling and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve hot.Brother HL-2270DW Laser Printer

Cannelloni Recipe

2012-06-20T04:12:00.003-04:00

For sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 oz finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1/3 cup)

For cannelloni

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 oz baby spinach
1 3/4 cups ricotta (12 oz fresh or 15 oz supermarket-style)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto (optional), chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 oz finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano ( 1/2 cup)
8 (6- by 4-inch) fresh pasta rectangles or 8 oven-ready (sometimes labeled "no-boil") lasagne noodles

Make sauce:
Melt butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 2 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly (sauce will thicken). Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 2 minutes, then whisk in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, then cover pan.

Make cannelloni:
Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and sauté, stirring, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Stir together ricotta, egg, parsley, prosciutto (if using), salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup cheese in a bowl, then stir in spinach mixture.

Boil pasta 2 pieces at a time in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , stirring to separate, until just tender, about2 minutes for fresh pasta or about 6 minutes for oven-ready noodles. Gently transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of cold water to stop cooking, then remove from bowl, shaking off water, and lay flat on kitchen towels (not terry cloth). Pat dry with paper towels. Trim oven-ready noodles (if using) as closely as possible to 6 1/4- by 5 1/2-inch rectangles.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Spread 2/3 cup sauce in buttered baking dish. Spread about 1/3 cup ricotta filling in a line along 1 short side of 1 pasta rectangle, then roll up to enclose filling. Transfer, seam side down, to baking dish. Make 7 more cannelloni in same manner, arranging snugly in 1 layer. Spread 1/2 cup more sauce over cannelloni and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Turn on broiler.

Remove foil and broil cannelloni about 5 inches from heat until lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Reheat remaining sauce and serve on the side.
Cuisinart Cordless Immersion Blender

Pavlova

2012-06-10T01:19:00.001-04:00

4 large (120 grams) egg whites

1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor) Sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping Cream

1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white Sugar (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract

Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruit of your choice

Pavlova: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper. Turn the parchment paper over so the circle is on the reverse side.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat, on high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff and shiny peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Beat in the vanilla extract. Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, gently fold in. Spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the outside is dry and is a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)

The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days.

Cuisinart Cordless Immersion Blender

Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.

Cherry Turnovers

2012-06-07T01:16:00.001-04:00

Ingredients
Standard Pie Pastry
2 cups all purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup chilled Shortening
Very Cold Water 6 tablespoons
Filling
- 3/4 cup home cooked or canned Sour cherries , with Juices drained and reserved.
- 1/2 cup white Sugar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1/2 cup Cherry juice
Directions
- - With pastry blender, break and cut half of the shortening into flour and added salt until mixture resembles corn meal, then add remaining shortening and continue blending until mixture resembles the size of small peas.
  - This creates a tender yet flaky crust - a big secret here folks....
  - Most recipes have you add the shortening all at once....
  - Sprinkle tablespoons at a time of the chilled water into the pastry dough, using the pastry blender until mixture is combined.
  - Wrap up pastry dough into wax paper and place into fridge to chill for at least one (1) hour.
  - While the pastry is chilling, prepare your homemade filling so that it is also ready.
  - Once pastry dough is thoroughly chilled, roll out onto lightly floured surface, and roll till 1/8 thick.
  - Cut out squares or circles to create your turnovers.
  - Place on cookie sheets, add 1/4-1/3 cup of filling to each turnover.
  - Before folding over turn over to close over filling, add a little of water to fingers and wipe edges to help seal turnovers. Then fold over pastry.
  - Using fork, press edges closed.
  - Do an egg wash over turnovers for a shiny look - beat one egg yolk and add 1 tablespoon water, then brush egg yolk over raw pastry turnovers.
  - Create several slits with a knife into the tops of the turnovers to allow the steam to be released during the baking stage.
  - Sprinkle with coarse sugar and place into freezer to chill until ready to bake.
  - Use a preheated oven at 425 degrees and allow turnovers to bake on the middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes.
  - - Directions for Homemade Cherry Filling for Turnovers:
    - Filling can be used over cheese cakes and as cake fillings for two layered cakes
    - Add sugar and cornstarch to 2 quart pot.
    - Add cherry juice drained from cherries, cook over medium heat until clear and thickened stirring constantly.
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Briwat with Walnut Filling

2012-06-07T00:49:00.000-04:00

The dough:
1 roll of Fillo dough (or pastilla dough if you can find it)

Ingredients for the filling:
2 cups of walnuts
2 Tbsp of sugar
1 Tbsp of cinnamon
2 1/2 Tbsp of butter
1 Tbsp of orange blossom

Ingredients to roll the Briwat:
Melted buttter
Egg yolk

Ingredients to decorate the Briwat:
Honey
Sesame seeds

Steps to make the walnut filling:
1- Drizzle oil on a cooking pan and roast the walnuts for 2 minutes to enhance their flavor.
2- Grind very finely the walnuts. You might have to do this process 2-3 times until you get a very smooth consistency.
3- Continue grinding the walnut with the sugar and cinnamon.
4- Add the melted butter and blossom water to the walnuts paste.

Steps to roll the Briwat:
1- Because Fillo dough is a very delicate dough, take 2 leafs of Fillo dough (one on top of the other).
2- Generously brush the top Fillo leaf with melted butter.
3- Cut the Fillo in 4 long strips.
4- Put the filling in the left tip of the stip then cover the filling with the right tip to make a triangle. (see Briwat video)
5- Keep moving the Fillo dough strip left and right to make a triangle.
6- Brush the last tip of the Fillo with egg yolk and close the Briwat.
Note: Don't worry if the Briwat are not perfect, once they are fried, all the imperfections will disappear :-)

Steps to cook the Briwat:
1- In hot oil, fry the Briwat for few minutes until golden brown.
2- Drain the Briwat from the oil, and dip them in warm honey.
3- Drain the Briwat from the honey and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.
4- Serve cold
Breville Variable-Speed Immersion Blender

Budin de Pasas

2012-06-01T13:48:00.004-04:00

ingredients
1½ pounds of french bread (fresh)
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 ¾ cups of milk
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of Cointreau or Don Q Coconut or warm water
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (I prefer white vanilla but you can use black)
¾ cup of mixed raisins (I recommend the ones from California)
A pinch of salt (like ½ teaspoon)
3 whole eggs
directions
1. Take off all the bread crust, cut the bread in small pieces and put it in a deep bowl along with the milk ... using a fork or a spatula, break off all the bread until it dissolves in the milk.
2. Then add the butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and raisins and stir to get the sugar disolved.
3. Add the eggs one at a time in order to have them well mixed.
4. When everything is well mixed … let’s get the pudding drunk with the orange liqueur (Cointreau), stir all together and pour the mixture into the baking dish.
5. Bake at 375⁰F for 75 minutes or until there are no moist areas on the pudding surface.
Oster Ice Shaving Blender 

Cheese ball

2012-05-31T13:16:00.003-04:00

This is a basic Cheese ball but you can add anything you like spice,meat if you like Sky is the limit.

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans(optional)

Directions

In a medium size bowl, mash cream cheese.Mix Cheddar cheese into the cream cheese. Shape the mixture into a ball. Roll the ball in the chopped nuts or spices .Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

Ninja Master Prep Professional Blender And Food Processor

Dill Dip

2012-05-31T12:36:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups sour Cream
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons dried dill weed
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoning Salt

Directions

In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, onion, dill weed, and salt. Mix all together, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Oxo V-Blade Mandoline Food Slicer Nesco Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator

Cherry Clafoutis

2012-05-27T21:07:00.005-04:00

Ingredients

1 pound of red cherries (or apricots, peaches, etc.)

4 large eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

Directions

Preparation:

* Butter a clafoutis pan (I am using a 9" clay pan).

* Preheat your oven to 360 F degrees.

* Using a pairing knife, slice the cherries in the middle and remove their pits. Try to keep the cherries whole. Some recipes call for using cherries with pits - if you do so, please let your family and guests know before they eat the clafoutis so they do not choke.

*Place the cherries in the clafoutis pan.

In a bowl, mix the eggs with sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.

Add the melted butter to the egg mixture and mix well.

Sift the flour and add it to the egg mixture. Mix well until you get a very smooth dough with no flour clumps.

Add the 1 cup of milk to the flour and egg mixture, and continue mixing.

Using a ladle, carefully add the dough to the cherries in the clafoutis pan. Do it gently to not distrub the cherries so they do not move to the top.

Bake the clafoutis for 40 minutes or until done, when the center is set and the clafoutis gets a golden color.

As soon as you remove the clafoutis from the oven, sprinkle it with sugar. Let it cool down. Serve the clafoutis warm or cold.

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Laasida - Moroccan Eid Breakfast

2012-05-22T17:41:00.004-04:00

Ingredients

1 box (10 oz) of plain couscous
6 cups of water
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of butter
Directions

Add the water and couscous in a cooking pan and bring to boil on medium heat.
When the water starts boiling, add the salt and butter.
Keep cooking Laasida for 30-40 minutes on low heat while stirring from time to time. Laasida will have a consistency a little less thick than mashed potato.
Serve Laasida immediately with butter and honey to taste.
Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor -
Chrome Oxo V-Blade Mandoline Food Slicer

World kitchen

Baklava

Grilled Moroccan Flank Steak

Ingredients:

4 pounds flank steak

Preparation:

easy meatloaf

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

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Homemade Marshmallows without gelatin

Taktouka

Pita Bread

Traditional Guacamole

Kielbasa Split Pea Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Swordfish with Alioli (Alicante Style)

Meskouta - Moroccan Yogurt Cake

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons:

Moroccan Cookies - Ghriba

Moroccan Gazelle Horns Kab El Ghzal) Cornes De Gazelle)

Italian Calzones

Ingredients

Directions

Cannelloni Recipe

Pavlova

Cherry Turnovers

Directions

Briwat with Walnut Filling

Budin de Pasas

Cheese ball

This is a basic Cheese ball but you can add anything you like spice,meat if you like Sky is the limit.

Ingredients

Directions

Dill Dip

Ingredients

Directions

In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, onion, dill weed, and salt. Mix all together, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Oxo V-Blade Mandoline Food SlicerNesco Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator

Cherry Clafoutis

Laasida - Moroccan Eid Breakfast

In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, onion, dill weed, and salt. Mix all together, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Oxo V-Blade Mandoline Food Slicer Nesco Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator