Food

Posted by Salma @ Chasing Rainbow - - 0 comments


Bismillah...
These are some of my family's favorite treats and meals...if you try a recipe, let me know how it turned out.

South African {Inspired} Sosatie
One of my all-time favorite recipes.

Ingredients

The recipe calls for 3 pounds lamb cut into 1″ pieces
(for this particular meal I used 3 medium chicken breasts cut into one inch cubes) 
4 tablespoons oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon tamarind paste
2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons apricot jam
½ pound dried apricots
1 medium sized red onion
Salt & pepper
Kabob Skewers



Directions
  1.  Wash hands & say Bismillah...
  2. Place the meat (I used chicken this time) pieces in a large bowl Season with salt and pepper, and garlic.
  3. In a saucepan, heat the oil.
  4. Cool, then add to the meat and toss well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
  5. One day before preparing the sosaties, combine the dried apricots in a small bowl, cover, and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
  6. Drain meat from sauce and reserve. Thread chicken and apricots (and onion) on Cast Iron Modern Grilling Kabob Skewers.
  7. Add the onions and sauté for 5-6 minutes, then add the curry powder.
  8. Sauté for another minute. Add the sugar, tamarind paste, vinegar, and jam and stir well.
  9. Brush sauce onto threaded meat/onions & apricots
  10. Grill in oven or bbq and serve with basmatti rice
By the way, this recipe is already pretty diet-friendly, but if you're really watching your weight, try sprinkling some Sensa onto your kabob!
ENJOY!


For Inspiration
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 Spicy Grilled Chicken with Creamy Pasta

Ingredients (for chicken)

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1tablespoon dried chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt, thyme, cayenne pepper, chili flakes, ground black pepper, and tomato paste. Marinade chicken overnight for a more tangy/rich flavour. 
  2. ARE YOU READY TO GRILL? OK, remove chicken breast from fridge. Set aside seasoning mixture after you remove the chicken (for later).
  3. Set oven setting on broil (grill)
  4. Place chicken in oven and cook for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear. 
  5. (With bbq brush) brush on reserved seasoning onto both sides of the chicken breasts, grill chicken on both sides again (1 minute each).

Ingredients (for Pasta sauce)

  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan combine whipping cream, butter, chopped onion, and grated Parmesan cheese. Cook over medium low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
  2. Add pasta and stir & top with chicken 
  3. ENJOY & SHARE!  



For Inspiration
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Ethiopian beef tibs
If you go to an Ethiopian restaurant you will be served your meal on top of a flat, spongy, grayish bread that accompanies every meal. This bread is called injera and is a staple in the Ethiopian diet. Injera is made with teff, a grain that grows in Ethiopia.You can buy it at some specialty stores, or depending on the area you live in...(ask around).

What you Need:

Beef (about 1 pound, free range/organic steak if you can get it, any cut will do)
1 large onion
2 large tomatoes
4/5 jalapeno peppers
Berbere spice blend. 

I am lucky to  live in a neighborhood where I can get the spice easily. However, you can buy online, at local international grocer). Want to make your own spice blend? A few years ago, I was given a huge jar of Berbere blend by a friend. 

This is how she made it:
1 teaspoon Ground ginger
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
1/2 teaspoon Ground coriander
1 teaspoon Ground fenugreek seeds
1 1/4 cups Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Grated nutmeg
1/2 cup Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves
1 teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

In a heavy saucepan, toast the following ground spices together over a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes: ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice. Shake or stir to prevent burning. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, paprika and fresh ground black pepper and continue toasting and stirring for 10 to 15 more minutes. Cool and store tightly covered glass jar. Makes 1 1/2 cups


PREPARATION 


  1. Cube beef into small cubes, about 1/2 inch square. Marinate meat for a few hours in awaze sauce 1 tablespoon berbere and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  2. Saute onion, sliced or diced, in enough vegetable oil to cover; tradition is to use 1/2 cup of water, adding more as needed until onion is soft. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
  3. Lower heat, add beef and thinly sliced or diced pepper, turning regularly, until cooked through, about another 10 minutes. 
  4. Add diced tomatoes to the mix.
  5. Spoon/ladle the beef tibs on to a large plate covered with injera.
 
Break off small pieces of the injera and pick up the meat with it.


For Inspiration
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Apple Crumble



 Ingredients

3-4 Royal gala apples peeled and sliced {you can use any type of apple...how about Granny Smith (my favorite)}
2 tbsp lemon juice, 
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup granulated Sugar 
1 tsp nutmeg 
a pinch of ground Cloves
1 tbsp Cornstarch 

Crumble topping
1/3 cup brown sugar 
1/8 cup All-purpose flour 
1/8 cup Butter
1/3 cup rolled Oats

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9 inch pie plate with butter and toss apple slices with all of the Apple Filling ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and flour and cut in the butter with a fork or two knives until it is coarse and crumbly.
  4. Stir in the oats.
  5. Pour the oats mixture over the top of the apple filling.
  6. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until top is well browned.
  7. Serve with ice-cream & ENJOY!


For Inspiration
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Spiced Coconut balls
This is a fun recipe for a Saturday afternoon with the kids. Try it.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup (200 ml) icing sugar, divided
1 tsp (5 ml) ea. ground ginger & cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2ml) salt
1 cup (250 ml) margarine or unsalted butter (at room temp)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) sweetened fancy flake coconut
2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour

Directions

1.
Sift icing sugar with ginger, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, beat margarine with sugar mixture until evenly combined. Stir in vanilla, then coconut and flour until mixture starts to come together. Pinch off a scant tablespoon of dough, then roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough, placing 11⁄2 in (4 cm) apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2.
Bake in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven until edges are set and bottoms are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
3.
Place 1 cup (250 ml) icing sugar in a bowl. Roll one cookie at a time in sugar to coat. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. To make ahead: Bake cookies but don’t roll in sugar. Freeze up to 1 month. Defrost as many as needed and roll in sugar before serving.
4.
*For an allergy-friendly version of this recipe substitute butter or margarine for dairy-free margarine. Be sure to check the ingredient list to ensure the margarine does not contain any dairy products.

For Inspiration
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Toasted Almond Truffles




Ingredients
* 1/2 pound good quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 1 cup of heavy cream
* Zest of 1 orange
* 1/2 teaspoon of good vanilla extract
* One handful of cocoa powder* One handful of ground almonds
Note: A great substitute for vanilla extract is Fiori di Sicilia, which translates to "essence of Sicilian flower." Fiori di Sicilia is neutral, and has no alcohol.


Directions
1 Place the chocolate in a heat-proof mixing bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble. Pour the cream onto the chocolate. With a wire whisk, stir the cream and chocolate together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the orange zest and vanilla. Refrigerate for an hour or until the chocolate mixture has hardened.
3. Take from fridge and add almonds to mixture
4. Using 2 small spoons, form round balls of the chocolate mixture. Then, using the palm of your hand, make the balls as round as possible and dip in the different toppings. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for another hour.
Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before serving.
5. Enjoy!

For Inspiration
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Whoopie Pies


Bismillah...We made whoopie pies, and I'm going to share the recipe here. I got the recipe from  The Epicurious which is one of my fave recipe sites. You'll find a range of recipes there.

Ingredients (For cakes)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg

For filling
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
  • 2 cups Ziyad Halal Marsrhmallows
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Make cakes:
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.
  • Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand held, then add egg, beating until combined well. 
  • Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
  • Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes. 
  • Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.
Make filling:
Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Assemble pies:
Spread a rounded tablespoon filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.
Cooks' notes: • Cakes can be made 3 days ahead and kept, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Filling can be made 4 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

Note: You can look online for halal marshmallows here or here.

For Inspiration
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Cinnamon Rolls (recipe without yeast)

Here is a great recipe that I found for cinnamon rolls without yeast. Alternatively, if you want to use yeast, you will find the recipe by clicking the link below.
Ingredients

Rolls:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cinnamon Filling:
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
**To make frosting, mix all ingredients until smooth.

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously coat a 9 inch round cake pan and a wire cooling rack with vegetable oil spray.
2. Make the filling: combine together the brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and the 1 Tablespoon melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour; 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 Tablespoons of the melted butter together.
5. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until absorbed, about 30 seconds. The dough will look shaggy.
6. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.
7. Press the dough out into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle using your hands.
8. Brush the dough with 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough.
9. Loosen the dough from the counter using a bench scraper or a metal spatula.
10. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log.
11. Pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 8 even pieces.
12. Place the slices in the greased pan.
13. Brush with the remaining 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
14. Use a knife to loosen the buns from the pan. Flip the buns out onto the prepared wire rack, then turn buns upright and let cool for 10 minutes before frosting with cream cheese icing. Prepare the icing while rolls are cooling.
Recipe found here.


Overnight Stuffed French Toast
An all time family favorite ~ makes 8 servings ~

What You Need

1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
3 Tbsp.  sugar
8 slices cinnamon-swirl bread
4   eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups  sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup blueberries

Make It

MIX reduced-fat cream cheese and sugar until well blended; spread onto bread. Place 4 bread slices, cream cheese-sides up, in 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with remaining bread slices, cream cheese-sides down.
WHISK eggs and milk until well blended; pour over bread. Cover; refrigerate overnight. HEAT oven to 350ºF. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 min. or until center is set and top is lightly browned. Serve topped with fruit.

Recipe found here.


Moist Chocolate cake {from a box}
A quick and yummy alternative when you're short on time

Recipe
1 box (500g) chocolate cake mix
1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Blend all ingredients.
Bake as directed on box. If desired, frost with chocolate icing


Toblerone Cake Recipe


1 box (500g) chocolate cake mix
1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Blend all ingredients.
Bake as directed on box.
Ice cake with chocolate icing (I mixed semi-sweet chocolate chips with whipped cream)
Place Toblerone on top


Mexican Chocolate Cake
I made this for the first time on New Year's day, and it was a hit.
Ingredients

For cake
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
For glaze
  • 2 cups chopped pecans (71/2 ounces)
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
*Special equipment: a 9-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan

Preparation
To Make cake
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Melt butter (2 sticks) in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl, then sift again into cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (don't worry if there are lumps).
Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 45 to 55 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
Cool cake in pan on a rack 20 minutes, then loosen edges with a thin knife and invert onto a plate.
To Make glaze:
Spread pecans in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool pecans slightly in pan on a rack, about 5 minutes.
Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in half-and-half and confectioners sugar. Add chocolate and cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and salt. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Spoon glaze over top and sides of cake (cake will still be warm) and spread with a small offset spatula or knife to cover completely.
Cooks' note: Cake (with glaze) can be made 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature in a cake keeper or covered with an inverted bowl.
Recipe  here

For Inspiration
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Fruit Kebabs
Ingredients

A variety of FRESH fruits
Kebab skewers

Dipping Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Make it
In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, the sugar, the vanilla, and the mint.
Tread the fruits, alternating them onto the skewers.
Serve the fruit kebabs with the sauce.




Yummy Scrambled Eggs


Ingredients

  1. 8 Eggs (depends on family size)
  2. ½ Onion, chopped
  3. 2-3 Tomatoes (like Roma Tomatoes), chopped
  4. 2 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro
  5. ½ Green Bell Pepper chopped into small pieces
  6. 1 inch ginger peeled and grated
  7. 1 Tablespoon of ghee (Butter can be used too)
  8. 2 Serrano Peppers chopped (optional)
  9. ½ Teaspoon turmeric
  10. Salt to taste
  11. ½ Teaspoon Garam masala
  12. 4 medium sized potatoes (chopped into tiny pieces and boiled )

Directions
  1. Beat the eggs in a bowl with an egg beater or fork till frothy.
  2. Heat Ghee and add the onions, grated ginger and the serrano peppers. Fry for sometime till the onions just start to brown.
  3. Add potato to mix and stir ensuring they are coated with the spices
  4. Add the tomatoes and the green peppers and salt and turmeric. Fry for a couple of minutes.
  5. Slowly pour the beaten eggs and break and mix it while doing it (Like you would do a scramble).
  6. Keep cooking and breaking up the eggs till the eggs are done.
  7. Finish it with chopped cilantro and the garam masala.