Jun 8, 2012

Potato Gratin And Chicken Escalope With Caramelized Onions

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It is not a secret if I say that many of our Lebanese dishes originated from France. After more then seventy years of French Occupation, it is very expected that we have learnt much of their cuisine. Personally, I love gratin dishes. I previously posted Nouilles and Moussaka, both of which are gratin dishes. Today I made potato gratin, the way I like it. Its inspired by Potato Dauphinois but instead of garlic, I used onion and grated cheese. I made it as a side dish with chicken escalope topped with caramelized onions, which adds a nice flavor to the chicken. I hope you like this recipe as much as I enjoyed preparing and eating it 🙂

Ingredients for potato gratin:

  • 1kilo potato
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 4 cups milk
  • salt, seven spices
  • dash of freshly ground nutmeg
  • about 1 cup and a half of grated cheese (I used gruyere and mozzarella)

Preparation of the potato gratin:

  • Wash the potatoes and place in a big pot with about tw0 liters of water and a teaspoon of salt to boil for 10 minutes after the water starts boiling (we want the potato to be half cooked only)
  • Remove the potatoes from the water, peel it, slice it and keep aside
  • In another pot prepare the white sauce: melt the butter then add the flour and mix it well; next add the milk gradually whisking constantly until the mixture starts boiling and thickening, then add the nutmeg and one teaspoon salt
  • Preheat the oven to 180 C
  • In a tray, place one layer of the potato and sprinkle with a dash of salt and spices. Top it off with some sliced onions and a third of the white sauce; repeat this procedure to make another layer
  • For the third layer, repeat the last step with the exception of the onion; top it off with the grated cheese
  • Bake in the oven about 25-30 minutes until the top turns nice golden color

Ingredients for the caramelized onions:

  • 2 medium sized onions, sliced
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon corn oil

Preparation of the onions:

  • In a saucepan, heat the oil and fry the onions until golden
  • Add the sugar and keep frying and stirring until all the onions are coated with sugar
  • Add the vinegar and keep the onions on fire until they turn brown (don’t let them burn!)
  • Put the onion over the fried escalope for flavor

ET VOILA..C’EST TOUT. BON APPETIT 🙂

Filed Under: Main dish, Side dish · Tagged: , , , , , , ,
Jun 1, 2012

Mdardra (Rice with Lentils)

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I like the sound of the word “Mdardra”, I think it is musical. I remember when I was a little girl, I made up a song for this dish. And every time my mother used to cook it I sang it for her, making up words to a known Lebanese tune. My mother thought it was cute at first and sang along with me, but after the millionth time, she threatened to never cook it again unless I stop! I think I was singing badly or something…

This is a very simple meal in that its made with two main ingredients: rice and lentils, the same ingredients used to make mjaddara. Like most old Lebanese dishes, it originated from the villages where food was scarce. Somehow it remained very popular and is now a common dish to be had in a Lebanese home.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of lentils
  • 1 cup of rice (long grain)
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt + a pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 onions sliced
  • 1 cup frying oil

Preparation:

  • Place the lentils in a pot, cover with about 5 cups of water and boil until it is half-cooked then discard the water
  • In another pot, heat the olive oil and fry the onion finely chopped until transparent
  • Add the half-cooked lentils to the onion with the rice, salt and cumin; cover with 2 cups of water and let it cook on a very low heat until the rice is cooked and the water absorbed
  • In a saucepan, heat the frying oil to fry the sliced onions until brown. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt for crispiness but be careful not to burn them
  • In a serving plate, place the rice with lentils and add the fried onions on top
  • Enjoy eating with plain yogurt or salad

ET VOILA..C’EST TOUT!

Filed Under: Lebanese food, Lent, Main dish · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Mar 16, 2012

Shrimp With Curry

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I lived in Abu Dhabi for twenty years. The United Arab Emirates is a very diverse country, with many peoples from all around the world living and working there. One of larger communities there was the Indian community. Having come from a strictly Lebanese upbringing, I wasn’t accustomed to the large variety of tastes and smells in their cuisine. When walking along by the markets and restaurants, the strong smell of curry was prevalent and a bit pungent to my young, inexperienced nose. I had thought then that I would never eat anything made with curry, let alone any Indian dishes.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago: my son invited me to a nice Indian restaurant here in Lebanon. My children had grown up in Abu Dhabi and were familiar with international cuisine at a much younger age than I had. My son, for instance, loves spicy foods and he made me taste a plate of shrimp cooked in curry for my very first time. I was afraid it would taste spicy for me, but they had mixed it with fresh cream to cool it. I was so impressed with the dish that I hurried home to try and recreate it. After a few experiments, I found the perfect recipe that suits my slightly more delicate palette. Those of you who aren’t a fan of foods made with curry will find this dish to be delightfully smooth and mild.

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams of precooked and peeled shrimp (you can use frozen ones)
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 1 red apple, peeled and grated
  • 250 ml of fresh cream, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon of curry
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Salt

Preparation:

  • Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onion and garlic until light golden color
  • Add the carrot to the onion and garlic, leave for 3 minutes
  • Add the grated apple to the mixture and leave it to cook for 2 minutes
  • Place the shrimps in the pot and add salt for flavor
  • Mix the curry with 1/2 cup of water and pour it over the shrimp
  • Cover and let it cook until the carrots are tender
  • Add the fresh cream cover, lower the heat and stir gently for 3 minutes

Serve it with cooked rice.

ET VOILA..C’EST TOUT 🙂

Filed Under: Main dish · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 31, 2012

Rice and Meat Balls

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Today I made rice and meat balls, and I would like to show you how it’s done! It’s very easy and everyone likes it 🙂

Rice and meatballs

Ingredients: 

  • 500g of lean minced beef
  • 2 big onions chopped in thin strips
  • Pine seed (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper (as desired)

Preparation: 

  • Mix the meat by hand with salt and pepper, and shape the meat in medium sized balls
  • Put a little bit of cooking oil in a pot and fry the meat balls until golden brown all around
  • Remove the meat and fry the pine seeds until golden pale, then add the onion and fry until it’s tender and transparent
  • Put the meat again with the onion and mix the ingredients well
  • Dissolve the flour in a cup of water and add salt and pepper. Pour it over the meat and let it boil on high heat until it starts boiling
  • Cover the pot and let it simmer on low fire until the sauce thickens
  • You can serve it with cooked rice, and a salad
  • Et voila!

JARRBOUHA RAH THEBBOUHA 🙂

Filed Under: Main dish · Tagged: , , , , , ,