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Monthly Archives: July 2013

Watercress& Eggplant Frittata

30 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by Good Cooks in Appetizer & Sides, Breakfast & Brunch, Eggplant, Recipes, Vegetable

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

breakfast recipes, brunch, eggplant, eggs recipes, frittata, grilled eggplant, suhur recipes, فطور صباحي, watercress, اطباق البيض, اطباق السحور, بقله, باذنجان مشوي, عجه, عجه بالباذنجان والبقله

Frittata with buttery sweet eggplant, the watercress is the right herb to complement the eggplant.
watercress eggplant fritatta

A frittata is a flexible dish that appears in many cuisines. In Spain it is known as a tortilla, Eggah in the Middle East. The common ingredient is eggs. From there, you are limited only by what is available or the imagination. In this recipe, the oven roasted eggplant have a nice buttery sweet flavors to add to the Eggah. To add more vitamins and minerals, I sautéed some fresh chopped watercress with the onion. Served with chopped fresh tomato and watercress salad.

A dish to enjoy anytime, breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a nice fresh tomato salad.
Also a perfect dish at the Suhur meal, a meal that resemble a breakfast eaten right before Fasting begin or a couple of hours before the sunrise. Proteinous meals is perfect to be eaten at Suhur meal, eggs recipes, beans, and vegetables are the most. While the protein keeps us full for a long time, the vegetables provide the body with hydration while they break down.

image
At Suhur Time. Al-Mesaharati wandering in the alleys of the old town of Jerusalem.

Another memories from Ramadan in my country: AL-Mesaharati المسحراتي.
An old traditional habit in the holy month of Ramadan, a dedicated people take care of waking up neighbors and other Peoples a couple of hours before sunrise to eat their Suhur meal, punctuated by religious songs and praises while they roaming in the streets of the town.
Not like any fancy alarmed clock, or any of the most modern communication tools. It’s the tradition that will not fade not even in our today’s modern civilization.

watercress eggplant fritatta

Watercress & Eggplant Frittata

Ingredients:

  • 1 eggplant
  • olive oil
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup watercresses, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • salt and pepper

Direction:
1. Peel and slice the eggplant into about 3/4 inch rounds. Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the hot oven until golden. Turn halfway through roasting. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. In a large frying pan sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
3. Add the chopped watercresses, sauté for 1-2 min.
4. Cut the eggplant into cubes and add to the pan, stirring gently.
5. Beat the eggs, milk, and seasoning. Pour over the eggplant mixture. Cook on medium heat until eggs just begin to set.
6. Using flat spatula, flip the frittata to the other side, and continue cooking. The frittata will become fluffy. Cook for no longer than 1-2 minutes on low heat.
7. Serve with a fresh tomato and mint salad.

watercress eggplant fritatta

watercress eggplant fritatta

عجة الباذنجان والبقله

١ حبة باذنجان
زيت زيتون
١/٤ ك بصل مفروم ناعم
١ ك بقله مفرومه
١ م ك توم مهروس
١ م ك زيت زيتون
٤ بيض
٢ م ك حليب سائل
ملح وفلفل

نقطع الباذنجان لشرائح رفيعه بسمك ٣/٤ انش، نمسح كل قطعه بالزيت على الوجهين ونصفها بصينية الفرن لتتحمر ، نقلبها على الوحه الاخر لتكمل التحمير.
نضيف ملعقة الزيت للمقلاه وندبل البصل والتوم، نضيف البقله ونقلب لدقيقه. نضيف قطع الباتنجان المشويه بعد تقطيعها لقطع صغيره.
في طاسه، نخفق البيض والحليب والملح والفلفل ونضيفه فوق البقله والباذنجان بالمقلاة، نغطيه لحتى ينضج البيض، نقلبه على الوجه الاخر ليكمل الاستواء

Another Egg recipes:
Eggs On Hash

image

Herbed Eggs and Turkey Patties Sandwiches
image

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Mushroom Oat Soup

27 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by Good Cooks in Appetizer & Sides, Recipes, Soup

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Chicken, Chicken soup, mushroom, mushroom oat chicken soup, mushroom soup, oat soup, oatmeal, Ramadan soups, side dish, Soup recipes, شوربات رمضانيه, شوربة المشروم بالشوفان, شوربة الدجاج بالمشروم والشوفان

My family favorites soup, the oatmeal with the mushroom have their secrets to this delicious creamy soup.

mushroom-oat-soup

As it looks, this is the first soup recipe I share with you this Ramadan. Although, soup is at our Iftar menu at daily basis during Ramadan. After a long day fasting, our body is in need for a lot of liquids, to compensate the water lose. I tried to make different kinds every time. So, for now I have some pretty good soup recipes. Unfortunately, I really have shortage in time, that I barely have time to spend at internet and blogging. Ramadan times is very difficult and most of the time go mostly toward spiritual work during fasting day or praying at night, may Allah bless us all and accept our deeds.

Ramadan is a special month to me: It’s the month of worship and forgiveness. In this month, all the doors of heaven are opened, Allah calls his worshipers: Anyone in need? Anyone asking me? So Allah will respond and answer his requests. That’s why good muslims racing to make more good deeds during this month, so they can win Allah’s charity and love. They set their goals in remembering Allah, praying — including the late night and early morning prayers — reciting the Quran, seeking knowledge, the obligation to help people, honouring one’s parents and maintaining good family relations and other acts of worship, it’s the spirit of Ramadan.

In this soup recipe, I didn’t use any thickening agent, no cream nor flour. The cooked oatmeal was enough to add the creaminess and a moderate thickness to the soup, the way my family prefers it the most.
I used a pre-cooked chicken. It’s a good way to use up your leftover roasted chicken. But you can add non cooked chicken in the first step with the onion. Cook it half way then add the mushroom. Continue with the recipe as I will describe it below.

Mushroom Oat Soup.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chopped finely onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups finely chopped fresh mushroom
  • 3/4 cup oat old fashioned
  • 6-7 cups chicken stock, or water
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper

Direction:
1. Saute the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the garlic, mix and sauté for 1 min.
2. Add the butter then mushroom, sauté for 5 min on medium heat, stir to not let it burned.
3. Add the oat mix well, then add the stock or water. Lower the temperature to medium low and let boil, simmer at low heat for 1/2 hour.
4. add the cooked shredded chicken pieces and parsley, mix let boil together for a couple of mins.
5. Serve with a lot of parsley on top.

mushroom oat soup

mushroom-oat-soup

 

شوربة الشوفان والمشروم
١/٢ ك بصله مفرومه ناعم
١ م ك زيت زيتون
١ م ص توم مدقوق
١ م ك زبده
٢ ك مشروم طازج مفروم ناعم
٣/٤ ك شوفان الحبوب المامله
٦-٧ ك مرقة دجاج او ماء
١ ك دجاج مطبوخ جاهز مقطع قطع صغيره
٢ م ك بقدونس مفروم طازج

نقلب البصله بالزيت على النار نضيف التوم لحتى يتدبل
نضيف الزبده والمشروم ونقلبع حتى يتدبل المشروم لمدة ٥ د على نار هاديه
نضيف الشوفان ونخفف الحراره ونقلبه بتلزيت مع المشروم لمدة ١ دقيقه
نضيف الماء ونتركه لحتى يغلي نوطئ الحراره ونتركه يطهو لمدة ١/٢ س على نار هادئه جدا
نضيف الدجاج المطهو والبقدونس ونحركه نعدل الملح والفلفل

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Beat the Heat with Two Refreshing Drinks

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Good Cooks in Drinks, Middle Eastern, Recipes

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

cold drinks, frozen berry, healthy drinks, hibiscus drink, Infused lemonade, lemonade, middle eastern, Ramadan drinks, traditional drinks, كركديه, ليموناده, مشروبات رمضانيه, عصائر

Beat the heat with these two refreshing drinks, Berry Lemonade and Hibiscus Drink.

berry lemonade

As heat begins to rise up in summer, the best way to cool off is with refreshing cold drink. Two delicious homemade drinks that I often makes and my family love it.

While Ramadan this year falls in the summer season, drinks takes a much concern of the Iftar table to refresh after fasting and to quench our thirst.
image
Why Ramadan is so special to me?
There are many drinks that makes Ramadan so special since certain foods remind us of old traditions that we pass onto our children in order to keep our heritage alive. When we used to buy traditional Ramadan ready-made drinks from street peddlers and local markets. Among some of the traditional widely served drinks during Ramadan there is the Qamardean juice, Licorice juice, Tamarinds, and Karkade drink.

hibiscus drink

Hibiscus Drink (Karkade)

It’s known as a herbal tea, consumed cold or hot. Usually made from steeping hibiscus flowers (Roselle) In boiling water. The strained steeped juice known as karkadé in Levant, and flor de Jamaica in Latin America and US. Dried hibiscus flowers often labeled Flor de Jamaica, have long been available in health food stores in the United States for making this tea, especially in California and other areas influenced by Mexican customs.

Why drink it?
Hibiscus helps lower body temperature, as well as blood pressure. As it contain vitamin C, it’s also known to strengthen your immune system.

hibiscus drink

Ingredient:

  • 1/2 cup hibiscus dried flowers
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1\2 teaspoon orange blossom water

1. Rinse dried flowers in cold water.
2. Heat the water in a saucepan. Once it begins to boil, add the dried hibiscus flowers and the orange blossom water (or any flavouring you prefer).
3. Immediately remove from heat, once boiled, and let the flowers simmer for 10 mins. Pour the water from the pot into a pitcher using a strainer (lined with cheese cloth) to separate the flowers from the water. (Be sure not to pour any of the flower sediment into the pitcher).
4. Refrigerate until chilled

hibiscus drink

Berry Infused Lemonade

Simple and classy way to introduce the freshly homemade lemonade. The berry adds a lot of flavors to the drink, you can add your favorites. Here I used the frozen triple berry, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry. It also adds a nice red color that you’ll like, the density of the color depends on the amount of frozen berries you add. You don’t have to crush the berries to release the color or flavour, you just let it steep while chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of frozen berries
1. Combine the sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature then refrigerate until chilled.
2. In a pitcher, combine the chilled syrup, the lemon juice and remaining 7 cups of water.
3. Add the berries, combine well with the juice, chill until served.

berry lemonade

berry lemonade

شراب الكركديه

١/٢ ك زهور الكركديه الناشفه
٣ ١/٢ ك ماء
٣/٤ ك سكر
١/٢ م ص ماء الزهر

نغسل الكركديه بماء بارد. نغلي الماء ونضيف الكركديه نتركه بالماء الساخن ينتقع لمدة ١٠ د نصفيه بقطعة قماش ونضيف السكر وندوبه نضعه بالبراد لحين التقديم مع كمية من التلج

الليموناضه المطعمه بالتوت المشكل

١ ١/٢ ك سكر
٨ ك ماء
١/٢ ك عصير ليمون فرش
١ ك فراوله و توت مشكله
نعمل قطر بكوب ماء وكمية السكر ونحركه حتى يذوب السكر نتركه يبرد. نضيف باقي كمية الماء والليمون ونحركه. نضيف قطع التلج والتوت المشكل من دون هرسه . نحفظه بالبرد لعدة ساعات قبل التقديم نحركه ونضيف المزيد من التلج

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Bulgur Pilaf with Ground Beef

19 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by Good Cooks in Beans & Legumes, Main dish, Meat dishes, Middle Eastern, Recipes, Rice dishes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

burgol, cracked wheat, ground beef, middle eastern, pilaf, برغل مفلفل

For a hearty main meal, accompany your meat or chicken dish, with a side of bulgur pilaf.

bulgur-pilaf

Ramadan is here. For me, it’s the most beloved month of the year, a very special month. We as Muslims, celebrate it in every way possible. Thus, there is a lot of things that makes it special. Ramadan is great because you will experience the hospitable and spiritual acts of our culture, a blissful month, the family gathering. A lot of memories about Ramadan are engraved in our hearts, and will be from year to year. I would like to share with you why is it special for me, one for every post through the end of the month, beginning with childhood memories.
image
I now believe that the more technological the world becomes, the greater the nostalgia for the days when life was simple. When those past never return days became the sweetest things in your life, where I have fond memories for charming Ramadan nights. Every night we agreed to meet after Iftar (the meal eaten by muslims after sunset), me and my best girlfriends. Celebrating Ramadan nights on our way, making fireworks from some kind of kitchen scrupping sponge and Not like todays fireworks.
How many times we burned our hair, our clothes…
Yes, but it has special kind of happiness, not even my kids nowadays will feel it, may be because it related with the past simple life we had.
image

If you’re looking for something lighter, healthier than rice, this will be perfect. This pilaf makes a delightfully different accompaniment to my roasted chicken. Nutty and little spicy but not hot. The ground meat adds more value to the pilaf, make it perfect for family gatherings, but you can make it with the meat too. I used the extra coarse grains, first pick it from any possible stones or dirts, then wash and soak for about 5-10 minutes. Sauté the grains first in olive oil for couple of minutes to add a toasty nutty flavors, then add the water. Continue with cooking like you cook rice.

What is Bulgur?
Bulgur is a kind of cracked wheat that is first boiled and then dried and roughly ground to produce the semi processed wheat known as bulgur.
It comes in different colors and grades. Fine, medium, course, and extra coarse. It can be bleached or unbleached.
Bulgur can be steamed or boiled, moistened with butter or oil. It’s texture is a little like brown rice, and it has a nutty, earthy favor.

How to use Bulgur?
The bulgur carries a lot of traditional Arabic flavors and makes an exciting change from your average rice dish. It can be almost as versatile as rice. Its high nutritional value makes it a good substitute for rice or couscous, too. It features in everything from pilafs to stuffings. The coarsest grade is usually cooked like rice and used to make pilafs and stuffings. The finest grade is used in salads such as Tabbouleh, as well as being a key ingredient in the Lebanese national dish, Kibbeh.

Where to find bulgur in U.S.?
It can be found in natural food stores, Middle Eastern specialty grocers, and some traditional grocery stores. In large stores, like Wal-Mart, it can be found in specialty grain sections.

cracked-wheat-pilaf

Bulgur Pilaf

Ingredients

  •  1 cup course bulgur soaked in water for 5 minutes
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup ground be
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/3 cup pine nut, toasted
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon sumac
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Rinse the Bulgur well in cold water and then put it in a heavy pot with 1 1/2 times it’s volume of fresh water and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and then simmer, covered, on low heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, add 2 tablespoon oil then the ground meat and onion, sauté on medium heat, cook for 10 minutes, add salt and pepper and the rest of spices, toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Add the meat mixer to the cooked wheat pilaf, stir gently to mix together, serve warm.
Serve with cardamom and oregano roasted chicken

cracked-wheat-pilaf

cracked-wheat-pilaf

cracked-wheat-pilaf

bulgur-pilaf

البرغل المفلفل بخلطة اللحمه المفرومه
١ كوب من البرغل الخشن منقوع بالماء لمدة ٥ دقائق
٣ ملاعق كبيره زيت زيتون
١ كوب لحمه مفرومه
١/٢ كوب بصل مفروم
ملح وفلفل
١/٢ ملعقه صغيره بهار حلو
١/٤ ملعقه صغيره هيل مطحون
١/٤ ملعقه صغيره سماق
١/٣ كوب صنوبر محمص
٢ ملعقه كبيره بقدونس مفروم ناعم

نغسل البرغل جيدا وننقيه من الحصى والاتربه. في طنجره نضيف البرغل و مقدار مره ونص من الماء ونتركه يغلي، اي الكوب يحتاج ١ ١/٢ كوب ماء، نضيف ملعقه من الزيت والملح والفلفل . على نار هادئه ، نغطي الطنجره ونتركه ينضج، يحتاج ١٠ دقائق تقريبا
في مقلاه نضيف باقي الزيت واللحمه والبصل ونقلب ونتركه ينضج على نار متوسطه مع التقليب بين الحين والاخر، تحتاج لعشر دقائق لتنضج تماما، نضيف البهارات الباقيه
نضيف على خليط اللحمه الصنوبر والبقدونس المفروم، نخلط المقادير مع بعضها
ونضيفها الى البرغل المفلفل ونخلطها
تقدم وهي ساخنه

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