Cardamom & Saffron Cupcake

It's a traditional cake made back home (Bahrain),usually baked in a tube pan but I like it in small cupcake bites :) my recipe works for both :)

Ingredients: (yeilds a dozen and half aprox)

1. 5 eggs
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 1/4 cup flour
4. 1/2 cup oil
5. 1/4 cup rose water with saffron strings soaked in it for 5-10 minutes
6. 2 tbl.s ground cardamom
7. 1 1/2 tea.s baking powder
8. 1/4 tea.s vanilla extract
 9. sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method:

1. whisk the eggs until fluffy then add the sugar , oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer
2. add the rest of the ingredients and mix
3. pour into a cake pan or cupcakes and sprinkle with sesame seeds
4. bake in a pre heated oven on 360 F for 30-35 minutes for pan or 20-25 minutes for cupcakes.Enjoy.

Indian Daal

If your fridge is almost empty! And your out of chicken or meat!
This recipe is for you, easy and will fill your stomach for sure :)

Ingredients: ( 2-4 servings)

1. 1 cup Daal ( orange lentils )
2. 3-4 garlic cloves minced
3. 1 small onion chopped
4. about 2 tbl.s chopped ginger
5. 1 hot chilli chopped ( optional)
6. 2 large tomatoes diced
7. 3 bay leaves
8. 2 tbl.s tomato sauce
9. 1 tbl.s cumin seeds
10. spices ( salt,cumin powder,curry powder,turmeric)
11. chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

Method:

1. Using a pot, drizzle some oil or clarified butter and brown the onions.
2. add the garlic and ginger and hot chilli and careful don't burn the garlic.
3. add the tomatoes and cover. let it cook for few minutes until the tomatoes melt
4. add the Daal and season to taste with the mentioned spices above.
5. cover and let it cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
6. when its done. remove the bay leaves and blend using immersion blender until smooth.
7. in a frying pan heat some oil then add the cumin seeds brown for few seconds then pour the whole thing into the Daal and mix.
8. garnish with chopped parsley and serve with rice or bread. Enjoy.

Spicy Fish In Tomato Sauce

I love this recipe,its so easy to make and yummy too.

Ingredients: ( you can double the quantities ) 

1. 2 Tilapia fish fillets,cut in half or squares

2. 1/2 tea.s tandoori spice , turmeric and salt

3. 1/4 tea.s curry powder and ginger powder

4. 2 large tomatoes

5. chopped onion about 1/2 cup or less

6. 2 garlic cloves minced

7. 1/2 lemon squeezed

8. 1/4 cup tomato sauce+ 1/2 cup water,salt and cumin to taste

9. a dash of black lemon powder ( optional)

Method:

1. In a blender add the tomatoes,onions and garlic and blend till smooth

2. pour into a bowel and add your fish fillets and spices and lemon. mix well and let it marinate in the fridge for an hour.

3. In a deep pan saute the fish fillets in little oil on both sides then add the rest of the marinade sauce to it and let it cook on medium heat.

4. add 1/4 tomato sauce and water. adjust the salt and cumin to your taste.

5. let it cook on medium low heat for 20-30 minutes..Serve with rice or bread,Enjoy.

Bokhari Chicken

This dish is a common dish in the Arabian Gulf countries.

Ingredients:

1. Half a chicken
2. Onion sliced thinly
3. 2-3 carrots shredded
4. 2 tomatoes diced
5. 2 cups rice ( soaked for 30 minutes at least)
6. 1/4 cup tomato sauce ( optional)
7. spices ( salt,black pepper,cumin powder,2-3bay leaf,6 cardamom seeds )

# Garnish : fried shredded carrots , sliced almonds (browned), raisins

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker or pot, saute the onions in oil until browned
2. add the chicken and season with the above spices. add more oil if needed.
3. add the tomatoes and tomato sauce and about a cup of water,stir and cover.
4. cook on medium - low heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
5. uncover and add the shredded carrots.cook for few more minutes then take out the chicken and broil until golden brown.
6. add more water to the pot if needed and bring to a boil then add the rice and salt ( remember 1 cup rice = 1 1/4 tea.s salt ). boil for 3 minutes then rinse and cover on low heat for 20 - 30 minutes or until the rice is done.
7. serve the rice and on top of it the chicken + garnish...Enjoooy

Coconut Milk Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Two chicken breasts or half a chicken
2. 1 tea.s salt
3. 1 tea.s cumin,curry powder,garlic powder,ginger powder.
4. 1\2 tea.s chilli powder(optional)
5. 1 table.s sugar and white vinegar
6. 1 cup coconut milk
#sauce: 1cup water (you can add more later depending how thick you want the sauce to be) + 1/2 cup coconut milk+ 2 table.s tomato sauce.

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate it with the mentioned ingredients. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour at least or over night.

2. Saute the chicken in little oil until it browens on both sides.

3. Add 1 cup of water+2 table.s Tomato sauce and cover.cook on high for few mints then lower the heat to medium low for 15-20 mints.

4. Uncover and add 1/2 cup coconut milk.stir and sprinkle some sugar and adjust the salt of needed.add more water if needed.Simmer on low heat for 10 mints.Serve with rice or bread..Enjoy..

Fall Colors Salad

Ingredients:

1. red,yellow,orange bell peppers
2. sweet yellow whole kernel corn
3. medium or sharp cheddar cheese block 
# marinade : milk(2-3 table.s),sugar,mayonnaise,salt,black pepper

Method:

1. chop the peppers into small bites
2. chop the cheddar cheese into small squares
3. mix the ingredients in a bowel and then add the marinade ingredients to taste.
4. chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or over night...Enjoy :-)

Guacamole fast & cheesey

Since I learned how to make my own Guacamole dipping I never went out to buy one.
Its easy tasty and healthier to make it at home without all the extra preservatives, colors and God knows what they put in it!!

Ingredients ( 2-3 servings) :

1. 1 ripe Avocado (Guacamole),mashed
2. 1/2 garlic clove minced
3. 1tea.s finely chopped onion
4. 2 table.s cream cheese softened
5. 1/4 cup or less of finely chopped tomatoes
6. some chopped jalapeno (optional)
7. salt, black pepper,chilli powder,lemon juice to taste

Method:

1. mix all the above ingredients in a bowel
2. cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour at least..Serve with nacho chips and Enjoy :-)

Yummy Banana Muffins

Hearty Muffins that are great anytime of the day.

Ingredients: ( yields 1 1/2 dozen approx)

1. 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2. 2 eggs
3. 3 bananas smashed
4. 3/4 cup sugar
5. 1/2 cup butter
6. 1 tea.s vanilla
7. 1 tea.s cinnamon powder
8. 1 table.s baking powder
9. 1/4 cup milk
10. some lemon zest ( optional)
11. about 1/2 cup or less walnuts (optional)

Method:

1. pre heat the oven on 350F
2. using an electric mixer,mix the eggs first with the vanilla extract and cinnamon powder
3. add sugar and butter and mix
4. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
5. using an ice cream scoop, fill the cupcake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes on 360F.Cool and Enjoy ;)