Watercress& Eggplant Frittata

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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.

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.

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 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.

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

Herbed Eggs and Turkey Patties Sandwiches

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My Mom’s Za’tar Spice Mix

Tags

breakfast recipes, caraway seeds, homemade, middle eastern, middle eastern pantry food, oregano, pita chips, sesame seeds, spice mix, Sumac, Za'tar, za'tar spice mix, شبس الخبز بالزعتر, طريقة عمل خلطة توابل الزعتر

A popular Middle Eastern spice that is actually a mix of herb and several spices, is easy to make at home, used on just about anything.

There is nothing resemble the smell of my country, Palestine. The green plain land wears its most beautiful dresses every season. The brave mountains and lofty hills all jeweled with olive and pomegranate trees, figs of all kinds. The smell of the wild, wafts through the sun warmed air with aroma of thyme and oregano that fills the villages with fragrances of wild flowers and herbs from sage to chamomile.

Za’tar is the arabic name for the crushed dried oregano and thyme leaves mixed with spices, also for the oregano plant as well. In Middle East, it is like a staple ingredient, a pantry essential, should be kept handy at all the time.

An oregano shrub in my backyard.

Oregano and thyme are wild plants, found mostly in mountinous hills all through the Middle East and Mediterranean region, suitable best in cold areas. You can also plant it in your house but it’s less fragrance than the wild.

Fresh or dried, oregano is dearly beloved plant in Middle East. It’s known for increasing mental acuity. The fresh leaves are washed first then stripped out of their woody stalks and used in fresh salads, and many sauces and soups, it also makes the most delicious bread.

Oregano dries very well, retaining much of it’s flavor for several months, after stipping the leaves, spread in a clean towel in a dry shadowy place until it’s completely dry.

To make the za’tar mix, the dried leaves crushed and ground in local herb shops, they have large mills that accommodate large quantities. At home, you can use a coffee grinder or food processor.

 Duqa is the other name of the spice seasoning blend that used with the oregano and thyme to make the za’tar mix. It’s blend of caraway, dill, coriander, cumin, anise, sumac, and sesame seeds. Basically there’s no fixed recipe for the za’tar mix, the combination and quantities of spices vary from one home to another, it depends on personal preference. Some use oregano and thyme, others use only oregano.

Sumac is an important ingredient in the za’tar mix, which is used to season other food too. As a flavorant ingredient, it gives bread, olives, and yogurt an exquisite tangy taste. It adds the lemony taste to the za’tar mix.

Another important ingredient in making the za’tar spice mix is the sesame seeds, which is first picked from stones and small sticks, then toasted in the oven until it pop, you can also use a griddle pan to toast the sesame at range top.

Za’tar is used in hot and cold dishes. As a simple middle eastern breakfast, usually eaten with some toasted fresh baked pita bread, which is dipped in olive oil first then in za’tar, and perfect with a hot tea, it’s my best favorite. Also, za’tar may used in many dishes from fried halloumi cheese, to za’tar bread manaqeesh, or za’tar coated yogurt balls or may be as a season for many chicken and meat dishes, and many other savory dishes. As a delicious healthy snack try to make these incredibly delicious and addictive pita chips.

Za’tar can be found mixed and ready to use in almost all middle eastern markets, but it’s so easy and most be-referable to make it at home.

Za’tar Spice Mix

1 pound (16 oz) oregano leaves, washed, dried, and ground (this will yield about 1 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon sumac seeds, ground
1 tablespoon caraway seed, ground
1/2 tablespoon dill seed, ground
1/2 tablespoon anise seed, ground
2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
1/3 cup sesame seeds, picked and toasted

In a large bowl, add the ground oregano. Working with your hands, add the olive oil slowly, and massage the oregano, this will moist the dried oregano and stops it from fluffing and skittering all around the place.

Set a fine mesh sieve over the bowl, and pass the ground sumac, in case there’s still some seed pits.

Add the rest of spices and salt.

Spread the sesame seed in an oven sheet, and place it in the oven at 400 f, toast, stirring constantly, until the seeds begin to pop and crackle like a popcorn. Watch carefully, remove from the oven, add it while it’s warm to the za’ar mix.

Remember, In za’tar blend, there’s no specific measurement for the ingredient, so feel free to adjust the quantities to accommodate your tasting preferances.
Mix all together, set a side to cool completely before you pack into storage jars. Store in air tight jars up to Year.

Pita Chips

Thin pita bread
Zatar spice mix
Olive oil

Split the pita bread into two round sheets, stack it over each other. Brush or spray with olive oil. Spread the zatar mix on each pita sheet. Cut into triangles. Spread in an oven sheet, be careful not to crowd, bake at 300 f for 10 min, watch carefully.
Set in large bowl, let cool.

خلطة الزعتر على طريقة والدتي

للعيار حاولت ان اضع عيار لكميات صغيره
ولكن على طريقة الوالده كل ١٠ كيلو زعتر ورق منشف تعطينا ١ كيلو مطحون

لعمل ١/٢ كيلو زعتر ورق منشف يعطينا حوالي ١ ١/٢ كوب مطحون يلزم الاتي
١ م ك زيت زيتون
٣ م ك سماق
١ م ك كراويه مطحون
١/٢ م ك عين جراده مطحون
١/٢ م ك يانسون مطحون
٢ م ك سمسم محمص مطحون
١ م ص ملح
١/٢ م ك كمون مطحون
١/٢ م ك كزبره مطحون
١/٣ كوب سمسم محمص ساخن

نخلط جميع المقادير مع بعض
نتركها تبرد تماما وتعبا بمرتبانات وتخزن

لعمل شبس الزعتر
نحتاج خبز رقيق جدا
نفتحه نصفين
يدهن او يرش بزيت الزيتون
يرش بالزعتر
يدخل فرن محمى مسبقا على ٣٠٠ ف لمدة ١٠ دقائق
يترك يبرد

Roasted Strawberry & Rhubarb Compote

Tags

easy recipes, Fruits, jam, quick breakfast ideas, Rhubarb, Rhubarb jam, Roasted rhubarb and strawberry, strawberry, sweets, topping ideas, مربى الراوند, نبات الراوند

Very easy to make tangy sweet compote that pairing two delicious fruits roasted to full flavor.

After making Rhubarb Berry Crumble, I wished I could bought some more rhubarb to make as many recipes as I can. It was my first use of rhubarb. Frankly, it’s not known in middle east and it’s new to me that I never taste it before.

Last week, I was lucky to come by some pretty bunch of rhubarb. This time I will not waste the opportunity, so I took the whole stack (honestly, I left 1 or 2 sticks in case somebody was craving it like me).

The rhubarb is well known in it’s low calorie content and high fiber, makes it perfect for weight loss diet. It can be used as a strong laxative, most often taken to treat constipation. Rich in several B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin. Red color stalks contain more vitamin A than in the green varieties, vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. rhubarb stalks also provide good amounts of vitamin-K, which has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. It also contain many other vitamins and minerals, calsium and potasium.

Rhubarb is not only a pie plant. Yes,it makes a devine pie filling, that is soft and delectable once baked. It’s tart taste makes it perfect also in many savory dishes too. Beside sweet tarts and juices, it also makes a delicious sweet and sour jam, top it on your choice of bread with some cream or butter and enjoy. Use it as a healthy natural sauce to top on ice cream and cakes, it makes a perfect breakfast mate though if you top it on pancakes and waffles.

This time I want to try roasting the rhubarb, preserving the intensity of it’s flavor. Paired it with strawberry to inhance more beautiful pink color. Adding rosewater to enhance more flavors in it, the result is the most adorable pleasant jam i have ever made.

Roasted rhubarb and strawberry compote

1 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1 inch slices
1/2 pound fresh strawberries, sliced or chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon rose water

Preheat the oven at 400 f. Toss the rhubarb with the sliced strawberries, rose water, and sugar in a baking dish and roast for half an hour.
Once the dish comes out of the oven, mash it all up with a potato masher and let it cool (it gets thicker as it cools).

وما هو معروف بالعربيه نبات الراوند Rhubarb
نبات صيفي يعتبر من فصيلة الفواكه لاستعماله كتيرا في اطباق الحلويات ومصاحبا لكثير من الفواكه في استعماله
يحتوي على نسبة حموضه عاليه لهذا يكثر استعماله في اطباق الحلويات والفطائر المحلاه والعصائر والمربيات
تعتبر الاوراق سامه وما ياخد منه للاستعمال فقط السيقان
من فوائده انه يحتوي على نسب من الفيتامينات والملينات القابضه يستعمل لعلاج حالات الامساك ومغلي الراوند يستعمل
كمنشط للمعده
كما انها تستعمل في الحميات الغذائيه حيث يقال انها تخفف من نسبة الجلوكوز بالدم

مربى الرواند والفراوله المشوي

حوالي ١/٢ كيلو من الراوند مقطع بطول ١ انش
٢٠٠ غرام من الفراوله الطازجه مقطعه ارباع
٣/٤ كوب من السكر
١ ملعقه صغيره ماء الورد

يحمى الفرن على ٤٠٠ ف
في صينية الفرن، تخلط جميع المقادير جيداً
توضع بالفرن لتخبز لمدة ١/٢ ساعه
باستعمال هراسة البطاطا يسحق المزيج لكي يصبح قوامه انعم
يعبأ بمرتبانات معقمه ويحفظ بالتلاجه للاستعمال

Spiced Rice Pudding “Moghli” and A Guest Post…

Tags

almond, anise, caraway seeds, Celebratory food, cinnamon, coconut, Give Recipe, giving birth food, Guest post, Healthy new mom recipes, middle eastern, moghli, Nuts, Pine nut, Pistachio, pudding, Raisin, rice pudding, spices, sweets

Traditional pudding is made with finely milled rice flour, seasoned with cinnamon and caraway and garnished with pistachios, pine nuts, raisins and almonds. Usually Served after women giving birth.

Today I am a guest posting over at Give Recipe, it’s my first guest post, though. Zerrin gave birth to her first child, so cute little and lovely boy, she asked me to be her guest. She prepared some posts to share on her blog while she is out, in order to give time for herself with the new baby and to enjoy being a mom.

Zerrin over her blog Give Recipe, likes to share her turkish heritage, food cuisine and culture, in a way to let us travel through her lovely recipes and charming food pictures with a variety of kebab dishes, fyllo pies, sweets and turkish delights, and nutty, syrupy pastries, to know more about this sophisticated and rich cuisine.

When Zerrin contacted me about the guest post, I gladly told her About some recipes that had been photographed lately and are in editing phase. The surprising, I couldn’t decide which one to post for her. Then I remembered a recipe that my aunt (also she’s my mother in law) used to make for me after giving birth, the spiced rice pudding will be perfect.

The secret to preparing this traditional celebratory pudding is in the stirring: ……

You know what, I think it’s better you go a head to Zerrin’s blog and you can continue reading the post and more of this recipe secrets here. I hope you take the time to check out the rest of Zerrin’s gorgeous blog, you’ll be glad you did.

Happy digging….:)

And many thanks to Zerrin for this opportunity, I was so happy writing to your’s.