Jan 30, 2013

Spaghetti With Spicy Shrimp

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Spaghetti with spicy shrimp

In my pantry there is always spaghetti because it is  appreciated on our table. Yesterday my son had three of his friends at home and after studying all day, they felt hungry. Having not prepared enough food for everyone and with very short notice, I automatically  decided to prepare spaghetti. Me being who I am, I wasn’t satisfied with making just plain old pasta; luckily I had frozen shrimps in the freezer and I came up this dish with a very large bowl of salad and some appetizers.  There were no leftovers, so I think it turned out alright. Try it yourself 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet spaghetti 500 grams, the thicker the better
  • 1 bag frozen shrimps, peeled and deveined
  • 1 can of peeled and crushed tomatoes
  • 3 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste, if you like it more spicy you can always add more
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bunch chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup white wine

Preparation:

  • Boil the spaghetti as per instructed on the box then drain
  • In a saucepan heat the oil and fry the garlic until transluscent
  • Add the shrimp and fry the for few minutes until they change color
  • Put in the tomatoes, salt and chili paste and mix in with the wine; let it boil for about 25 minutes until thick
  • Add the spaghetti to the sauce and mix well while cooking
  • When well cooked, mix in the chopped parsley and serve

ET VOILA… C’EST TOUT! BON APPETIT 🙂

Filed Under: Main dish · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 29, 2013

First Anniversary With Angel Food Cake

By · 20 Comments

angel food cake

I cannot believe it! A whole year has passed since I started blogging. Time flies by so quickly when you’re having fun. When I first started writing, I wanted to share my recipes with my daughters in a convenient way since they would always ask me for help. Then, my eldest son came up with the idea of blogging so that I could post my recipes online one at a time, and eventually write enough to reach my goal of writing my own cook book 🙂

I wouldn’t have thought that blogging would introduce me to such a nice community of fine people as all of you are. You encouraged me a lot with your comments, awards and even the simple Likes. Thank you all for the kind words and positive attitude 🙂

To celebrate the occasion, I decided to bake this angel food cake and to decorate it with pistachios, fruits and chocolate sticks. I share this dedicate this recipe to all of you. Bake it yourself and have a slice on me 😉

Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs separated
  • 50 grams flour
  • 50 grams corn flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 3 tablespoons baking powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 125 grams sugar
  • about one tablespoon butter

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 180’C and butter a round cake tin and line it with wax paper
  • Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and half the sugar until they form a peak
  • In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the vanilla and the remaining sugar until yellow pale
  • Add the flour and the baking powder to the egg yolk mix, then fold in the egg whites; do not whisk
  • Place the batter in the cake tin and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer come out clean

Cream for the icing:

  • Mix 200 grams of butter softened with about 2 cups of icing sugar, add a teaspoon of vanilla and mix well

For the decoration:

  • When the cake is done, allow to cool on a wire rack then cut horizontally through the middle
  • Cover the top of the bottom half with cream the cut some strawberries in half and place them over the cream
  • Place the other half on the top then cream the sides and the top of the cake
  • Decorate with strawberries and slices of kiwi, sprinkle on the top some ground pistachios
  • I also placed some chocolate biscuit sticks along the edge to look like candles 🙂

angel food cake 1

ET VOILA.. C’EST TOUT! BON ANNIVERSAIRE 🙂

Filed Under: Dessert · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
Jan 27, 2013

Fish Cake

By · 6 Comments

fish cake

My mother insisted on feeding us fish once a week when I was little, but my brother didn’t eat fish in any form. Frustrated after trying so many recipes and failing to get him to eat fish, my mother asked our neighbor, one of her best friends, who gave her this recipe to try. My little brother looked at them and decided they looked yummy, and had a few not knowing  that he was eating fish!

My daughter had the same problem with her baby boy, so I followed mother’s trick and made this fish cake and guess what? It worked like a charm; there’s nothing like your parents wisdom sometimes. If you have the same problem, try out this recipe and let me know if it worked out for you too.

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams fillet fish ( I used hammour/grouper; use what you prefer)
  • 2 medium size, boiled potatoes
  • 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red capsicum, finely diced
  • 2 leaves fennel, chopped
  • zest of one lemon
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • one cup canola oil for frying

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C
  • Place the fish in a tray with a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper until cooked
  • In the meantime heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until slightly colored
  • Mash the potatoes, mix with fennel, capsicum, onion
  • When the fish is grilled, chop it in small pieces and add it to the potato mixture, season with salt and pepper and add the lemon zest
  • Place the beaten eggs in a plate, and the breadcrumbs in another one
  • Make small balls from the fish mixture and flatten it with your hand, dip it in the eggs and then roll it in the breadcrumbs, until all the quantities are finished
  • Heat the canola oil and fry the fish caked until golden for few minutes, then turn them on the other side too

ET VOILA… C’EST TOUT! BON APPETIT 🙂

Filed Under: Lebanese food, Main dish · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 22, 2013

Cracked Chocolate Cookies

By · 14 Comments

chocoate cracked biscuit 1

Making cookies is something I enjoy a lot because watching my children’s happy faces while eating them is priceless. This recipe especially is something else. During the Christmas vacation, they requested of me to make these cookies, as it had been years since I had made them last… and believe me, as soon as the cookies came out of the oven, half of them were already gone! I also made new fans with my grandkids.

What else can I say? You’re going to love them too.

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup soft butter+1 tablespoon
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1  2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • dash of salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 cup icing sugar

Preparation:

  • Melt the better and stir in the cocoa, allow it to cool before adding the sugar, eggs, the vanilla; beat well
  • In another bowl, sift the flour with salt and baking powder then add it to the cocoa mixture and add the walnuts if you’d like.
  • Place in the fridge for 1/2 hour then preheat the oven to 180 C
  • Take a small piece of dough, shape it into a ball, roll it in icing sugar
  • Place on an ungreased tray, bake for about 9 minutes, The center should remain moist
  • Allow to cool and enjoy (or eat them warm)

chocolate cracked biscuit

ET VOILA… C’EST TOUT!  BON APPETIT 🙂

Filed Under: Dessert · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 19, 2013

Omelette With Zucchini

By · 6 Comments

omelette with zucchini

Whenever I make stuffed zucchini, I keep the cored insides to cook them as I did in this post, or to prepare an omelette like were going to do today. The zucchini gives the omelette a very nice flavor that my family just loves.

Ingredients:

  • about 2 cups of zucchini insides
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tablespoon flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • a dash of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • frying oil

Preparation:

  • Mix the eggs with all the ingredients
  • Place the batter in the fridge for about one hour to settle
  • Now to cook them you have two choices:
    • Either you fry them in small batches
    • Or you place the batter in an oiled tray and bake in the preheated oven for about thirty minutes until the top becomes golden
  • Enjoy eating with a mixed vegetables salad

omelette with zucchini 1

ET VOILA.. C’EST TOUT! 🙂

Filed Under: Lebanese food, Side dish, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , ,
Jan 18, 2013

Ablama (Stuffed Zucchini)

By · 11 Comments

ablama 2

I’m back home in Lebanon and I plan to post more regularly! After a long vacation in Abu Dhabi with the family, I feel relaxed and ready to cook again 🙂 Today I made zucchini stuffed with meat; this dish is called Ablama, which means “ahead of time” though I don’t know why. Previously, I’ve made Ablama served with yogurt, you can find the recipe here, however this time I’ve cooked it in tomato sauce. Every time I make it, I’m reminded of my best friend M. About twenty years ago when M was newly wed, she invited me and my husband for lunch and prepared Ablama. She  is french educated and followed the instructions in a french cookbook. While we were eating, we noticed something different in the taste and when we asked her, she replied with her adorable french accent ” Oh! J’ai oublié  le 3ement”. Translated, it means “I forgot to do the third instruction” which consists of frying the zucchini. Now, every time I cook this meal, I remember M and the look on her face when she forgot to fry zucchini. Don’t forget to fry it when you try it yourself 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1 kilo of baby zucchini
  • 200 grams minced meat
  • 1 medium onion, finely shopped
  • 1 handful pine seeds
  • 1 tablespoon tomato pureé
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon 7 spices
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • frying oil

Preparation:

  • Wash the zucchini, cut the head and remove the inside with a corer; don’t throw them, you’ll use them to make omelette with them (stay tuned, it will be in the next post)

ablama

  • Heat the frying oil in a saucepan and fry the zucchini until slightly colored, then place them on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess of oil and allow them to cool

ablama 1

  • In another saucepan, heat the canola oil, fry the pine seeds until golden color then put the onion and cook until the onion is colored, add the minced meat and let it cook. Season with one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon seven spices
  • Fill the zucchini with the meat, place in a pot, cover with about 3 cups of water and tomato paste; season with the remaining teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of spices
  • Let it boil, then reduce the fire and let it simmer for about 25 minutes
  • Serve it with cooked rice, and enjoy

ET VOILA..C’EST TOUT 🙂 BON APPETIT!

Filed Under: Main dish · Tagged: , , , , , ,
Jan 9, 2013

Rocca Salad with Cheese

By · 10 Comments

DSC01125

This salad is the kind you can have it as a side dish, as a starter, even as a breakfast, which is how we enjoyed this time. A very simple dish and so versatile, you can use your favorite kind of cheese, and even the bread.

Ingredients:

  • one bunch of rocca
  • one red tomato
  • a few slices of baguette bread
  • about 150 grams of sliced cheese (I used the goat kashkaval kind)
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C
  • Put few drops of olive oil over the bread slices, place one slice of cheese on the top, sprinkle with thyme and put in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts
  • In a plate place the leaves of rocca
  • Slice the tomatoes and place them around the rocca
  • Place the slices of bread on the top
  • Prepare the dressing by mixing the salt with the balsamic vinegar and the remaining olive oil, pour the mixture over the salad.

ET VOILA… C’EST TOUT. BON APPETIT,

Filed Under: Salad, Side dish · Tagged: , , , , ,
Jan 8, 2013

Buche de Noel (Christmas Yule Log)

By · 10 Comments

buche de noel

I’ve been making this wonderful dessert for my family for at least the last 25 years. I have tried to find replacement recipes, but for my family nothing but this time- honored traditional cake will satisfy them. It’s a delicious dessert and you’re going to keep wanting more.

To start off, I would recommend making first one of each vanilla and chocolate sponge cakes. If you’re going to be feeding a larger crowd you can add as many logs as you like and just build it up.

I can’t tell you how many I make each year because each of my two married daughters ask for one for their homes for Christmas, in addition to the one I usually prepare for our Christmas eve dinner.

For a special treat get the kids involved in the decorating process and they probably won’t be able to resist having some of that delicious butter cream all on its own.

Merry Christmas!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup flour (for the chocolate  sponge cake substitute 1/4 cup flour for cocoa powder)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
  • Whisk eggs until pale yellow in colour, add sugar then water and vanilla
  • Add flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder if used, whisking slowly
  • Line the tray (18 by 12 inch) with aluminum foil, pour the batter into the tray
  • Bake in the oven for approximately 12 minutes or until springy to the touch
  • Prepare a tea towel sprinkling it lightly with icing sugar through a sifter
  • Turn the cake onto the tea towel then slowly peel off the aluminum foil
  • Roll the cake with the tea towel from the larger side and leave it to cool

buche de noel 1

buche de noel 2

buche de noel 3

In the meantime prepare the buttercream:

  • Mix 3/4 cups butter with 1 cup icing sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. For chocolate buttercream add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • When the cake is cooled, unroll it and spread the cream inside it, roll it again and cream the top as desired

Because we are a large family and most people will have several pieces of the Buche, I usually make about 5 yule logs and build them up as shown in the pics. Some of the logs will be chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream filling, and others will be vanilla sponge with chocolate buttercream filling. Slice smaller pieces at a diagonal and add them to the sides of the larger logs to look like smaller branches. Drag the back of fork over the cream topping to create a rough surface. Decorate as you wish.

ET VOILA… C’EST TOUT… BON APPETIT 🙂

Filed Under: Dessert · Tagged: , , ,