Roasted Vermicelli sweet balls

This simple treat will only take few minutes to prepare but with a lasting sweet taste to remember.

Ingredients:

1. 1 package roasted Vermicelli
2. About 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk(depends how sweet and sticky you like it)
3. Butter
4. Crushed pistachio (optional)

Method:

1. Crush the vermicelli in a bowel with your hands then Saute with some butter until its comes soft. It takes only few minutes.

2. Return it to the bowl and add sweetened condensed milk gradually while mixing until it sticks together and you can shape it with your hands or using a shot glass or something similar.add some crushed pistachio to the mix or just on top. Shape it into small balls or cones.

3. Cool in the refrigerator for 15 minutes at least before serving..Enjoy..

Tameece Bread

The most Delicious bread I have tasted yet!! You can eat it by itself :)
Its made inside the old clay or stone ovens but you can make it at you regular oven.
Its originated form the Arabian Gulf countries mostly in KSA(Saudi Arabia).Some stuff it with cheddar cheese , chocolate or even meat.

Ingredients:(6 medium disks approx)

1. 4 cups all purpose flour
2. 3 table.s milk powder ( I used Needo brand)
3. 1/2 cup melted butter or ghee ( you can mix them )
4. 1 table.s yeast
5. 1 table.s sugar
6. 1 tea.s salt
7. 1 tea.s baking powder
8. chredded cheddar cheese(optional )
9. sesame seeds and milk to brush the face
10. warm water

Method:

1. mix the dry ingredients first then add the melted butter.
2. add the water gradually while kneading until you got an elastic dough.
3. cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours
4. after it doubles in size cut the dough into how many balls you desire.
5. have a griddle or pan on the stove on medium-high heat ready to use and your oven on on the broiler.
6. roll the ball into medium thickness then sprinkle with cheddar cheese or brush with chocolate spread if desired.and flip it close and roll again.
7. brush  the top with milk and saseme seeds. and poke it with a fork or with your fingers.
8. cook it on the griddle until you see it rise a bit and check that its browned under then transfer it to the oven to brown the top.it takes few minutes the whole process.Enjoy :-)

A date with DATES!

DATE CAKE

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2. 5 eggs
3. 3/4 cups sugar
4. 1 cup oil
5. 1 cup crushed walnuts ( optional)
6. 30-40 dates + 1 table.s butter
7. 1 table.s baking powder
8. 1 tea.s ground cardamom,cinnamon and ground fennel seed
9.1/2 tea.s vanilla

Method:

1. in a small sauce pan heat up the dates (seeds removed ) with the butter until its all melted and set a side.
2. whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and cardamom,cinnamon powder and ground fennel seeds
3. add the sugar then the oil
4. add the flour and baking powder and then add the dates paste and walnuts.
5. pour into a greased cake pan or Pyrex and bake in a pre-heated oven on 360 F for 40-45 minutes..ENJOY..
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Date Rolls

Ingredients:

1. thawed spring rolls
2. around 15-20 dates
3. cinnamon powder and ground fennel seeds,ground cardamom ( optional) to taste
4. 1 table.s sweetened condensed milk
5. Tahini for garnish

Method:

1. in a small sauce pan heat the dates ( seeds removed) with some butter (optional) and add the condensed milk
2. melt the dates and add the flavorings and set a side to cool
3. cut the square spring roll sheets into four small squares 
4. fill each square with little of the dates paste and roll up, seal it with water if needed
5. fry until golden brown in medium heat ( it will take few seconds to cook)
6. drizzle with Tahini and serve..Enjoy..

Maglooba

Maglooba means upside down :)..
Its a rice dish made with meat or chicken or even shrimp and fried vegetables ( onions,carrots,potatoes,eggplant,tomatoes,squash) ( Middle Eastern ).

Ingredients: ( 2-3 servings )
1. I used lamb this time but you can exchange it.
2.  1 carrots cut into round or thin strips
3. sliced onion
4. sliced 2 potatoes
5. sliced almonds ( for garnish )
6. lamb spices used (a dash of black pepper,salt,cumin powder,turmeric,curry powder or any other mixed spice you got,3-4bay leaf,7-10cloves,7-10cardamom seeds,2-3 cinnamon sticks 2-3 inches long approx, ).
7. 1 1/2 cups of rice ( soaked in water for 15 minutes at least before cooking )

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker add your lamb shanks and add water until its covered or almost and the spices mentioned above. set it on high for 10 minutes then on medium heat for 1 hour.
2. meanwhile fry your veggies but not deep fry..add salt and pepper and cumin (optional ) to taste and set aside.
3. brown the sliced almonds and set a side
4. when the meat is done. take it out and broil for few minutes ( optional )
5. strain the water from the spices seeds and sticks and then bring to a boil and add the rice in it for 3 minutes plus 1 1/2 tea.s salt or you can add salt to your measurements. then drain it.
6. spread a little ghee butter or clarified butter in the bottom of the pot then place your potatoes and the vegetables then add the rice and top it with the meat and almonds and cover on low heat for 20-30 minutes or until its fully cooked..Enjoooooy :)

Breeka ( Tunisian )

A Tunisian Appetizer * I believe *, I have learned it from my lovely Tunisian friends..
The idea is simple : have a spring roll sheet ready and mainly stuff it with potatoes ( either boiled,fried,baked ) , eggs ( cooked or raw or both ) , cooked shrimp , tuna , parsley or cilantro and litlle spices to taste..plus cream cheese or shredded ( optional )
mostly when I have some leftover  cooked potatoes I make with it some BREEKA :)
The traditional shape is making a triangle, but you can do rolls too if you like , BREEK CIGARS ;)

Ingredients:

1. spring roll sheets ( thawed )
2. fried cubes of potato or boiled ( seasoned with little salt and pepper )
3. about 1/3 cup of chopped parsley or clinatro
4. half a can of tuna
5. few cooked shrimp ( optional )
6. eggs ( raw and boiled or just raw ) ( depending on your quantity , crack each egg at time and mix because you dont want the mixture to be too runny!! )
7. salt,black pepper,cumin,drops of lemon juice and hot chilli sauce to taste.

Method:

1. mix all the ingredients above in a bowel and as I mentioned above crack the eggs one at a time until the ingredients are well sticky together but yet not runny mixture!!
2. another way to do it is cracking only one egg on top of the mixture above in each triangle sheet of spring roll and seal the edges with water.
3. fry the triangles or rolls until golden brown..
4. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side..Enjoy...

Creamy Prawns

An Italian inspired dish..and as you may notice I like to serve almost everything with rice!! :p
But if you want to do it the Italian way mix this dish with penne pasta and cheese.

Ingredients: (2-3 servings )

1. 10-13 large or jumbo cooked shrimp
2. 1 small onion thinly sliced
3. 3 garlic cloves minced
4. 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced ( you can add red bell pepper too )
5. few Broccoli flowers ( optional )
6. 3-4 mushrooms sliced
7. 3/4 cup water
8. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
9. salt,black pepper and cumin to taste
10. 1/2 tea.s flour
11. pinch of sugar (optional)

Method:

1. saute the onions in a large skillet until browned
2. add the mushrroms and some butter and brown them too
3. add the garlic wait until its golden then add the prawns and let it cook for few minutes
4. add the remaining vegetables
5. season with salt,pepper and cumin powder and mix
6. deglaze the pan with 3/4 cup of water and stir then gradually add the cream and cover for 10 minutes on low-meduim heat.
7. uncover and simmer for extra 10 minutes and add 1/2 tea.s of flour for a thicker sauce.
8. Go Italian: have a boiled penne pasta ready in a pot and pour the mixture on it and let it cook for few minutes then stir in the cheese and serve hot..Enjoy..

Beef Kofta

Beef Kofta can be served with rice or pasta in a heavy tomato sauce or mushroom sauce or just place them in a Sandwich!!

Ingredients: ( yields 10-12 kofta )

1. 1 cup ground beef
2. 1 small potato shreded
3. 1 egg
4. 2 minced garlic cloves
5. 1/2 small onion finely chopped
6. about a 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro or parsley
7. salt,cumin powder,garam masala to taste.

Method:

1. mix the above ingredients and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
2. shape into small balls ( I used an ice cream scoop to help ) and fry until fully cooked..
3. here I topped each kofta with tomato sauce and cheese and heat it until the cheese melted and served it with saffron rice..

Sweet & Salty Scoops!

Hello my dear viewers. I introduce today a traditional dish from KSA!
They mostly make it in the winter time and its almost like pancakes but Arabian Style hahaha..
Its called Mosabeeb which is something you scoop it down so I named it Scoops :) and it can be eaten either sweet or salty and you can even keep it in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup whole wheat flour
2. 1 cup all purpose flour
3. 1 egg
4. 1 tea.s yeast
5. 1 tea.s sugar
6. 1 tea.s baking powder
7. 1/4 cup milk
8. 2 cups warm water
9. 1/2 tea.s ground cardamom seeds (optional )

Method:

1. whisk the egg with the ground cardamom until fluffy
2. add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until everything well blend in.
3. cover with a clean cloth and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
4. heat up an electric griddle or on your stove griddle and brush lightly with oil.
5. with an ice cream scoop, scoop down the mixture forming a round disk.
6. wait until the surface bubbles and almost dries up then flip it to cook on the other side.
7. Serve Hot with butter and Honey or you can roll it up or make sandwiches with any kind of filling you like..Enjoy..

Cheesy Puffs

Simple treat for the whole family :-)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups all purpose flour
2. 1/4 cup milk
3. 1/4 cup oil
4. 1//2 cup softened cream cheese
5. 1 1/2 tea.s yeast
6. 1 tea.s baking powder
7. warm water for kneading

8. sesame seeds,Nigella sativa seeds for flavoring (optional)

Method:

1. mix the dry ingredients first
2. add the oil and mix then add the milk + cream cheese and knead..add warm water gradually to get a smoother elastic dough.
3.cover and let it rise in a warm place not more than 30 minutes.
4. with a rolling pin spread the dough no too thin or thick and start making desired shapes with cookie cutters..
5. for extra puffiness let the shapes rest for 10 mints or so..then deep fry on both sides..keep an eye on them because they take seconds to cook.
6.drizzle on top with honey or  any sugary syrup..Enjoy..