Watercress& Eggplant Frittata

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.

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

Turnip Pickle

Tags

beets, homemade, How to, middle eastern style pickles, pickles, resering vegetables, salt brine cocentration, tips for pickling vegetables, turnip pickles, turnip recipes

A Middle Eastern style turnip pickles that is healthy, easy, delicious and fun to make at home.

I like pickles.
And who doesn’t?!?!

If you are a pickle lover, then you will like making it at home too. It’s easy and fun to try making your own favorite pickles.

Pickling is one way to preserve the seasonal vegetables and enjoy them all seasons, usually brine is used to marinate and store the vegetables with added salt to produce acidic solution.
In middle east there is a wide variety of pickles, all made from many vegetables. Some of the vegetables that used to pickle is olives, cucumber, turnip, beets, cauliflower, pepper, lemon, cabbage, eggplant….

Middle eastern style pickles is commonly used as a side dish accompanied by many different food and main dishes, it’s an essential part of the Mezze table, and highly liked specially during Ramadan. The preparation of pickles starts a week before Ramadan starts, so it will be ready on time.

Is pickles healthy? Pickles are also a healthy snack. They are low in fat, calories and sugar. They are a good source of fiber that aid in digestion. Pickles also contain valued nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, iron and antioxidants.

Pickling Methods and ingredients: Many get creative with the methods and ingredients in making pickles. Brine may be simple that only contain water and salt with the addition of sugar to enhance the fermentation process like when pickling cucumber, carrots, and turnip. For any recipe using water and salt brine, I usually use 1 tablespoon salt for every one cup of water. Acidic solution, usually vinegar, are also used to marinate and store the vegetables like pickled cabbage (the recipe coming soon). Another middle eastern well known brine is using olive oil like Makdoos pickles (the recipe coming next).

Spices, salt, herbs and many other ingredients are used in making pickles and it gives a special taste to the vegetables.

Here are some tips when making pickles

• Always choose fresh vegetables, it makes a big difference.
• Use canning or pickling salt (not iodized table salt!). Pickling salt has no additives. Iodized salt have anticaking agent that makes the brine cloudy also the iodine contents may change the color and texture of the vegetables as well as possibly leave sediment at the bottom of the jars.
• Use commercial white vinegar with at least 5% acidity. While cider and malt vinegar can add flavor subtleties, they also darken light-colored vegetables.
• Use only soft water (water with low levels of minerals and chlorine). Hard water (water with high mineral levels) can lower brine acidity, possibly affecting food safety.
  To soften hard water, boil for 15 minutes, then allow it to stand covered for 24 hours. Remove any surface scum that forms. Carefully ladle the water from the pot without agitating the bottom sediment.
• Use stainless-steel, glass, or ceramic bowls. Avoid containers and utensils made of copper, iron, zinc, or brass (these materials may react with acid and salt).
• Make sure all jars are sterilized before you pickle in them. Bacteria can ruin a whole batch and even make you sick.
• To allow pickles to mellow, wait at least 1-2 weeks before using.

Turnip Pickles

Turnip pickles is one of my most liked pickles. It has a distinctive flavor, with it’s pretty pink color that comes from using beets with turnip. It’s usually liked with Falafel and Shawarma sandwiches which adds a nice tangy flavor to the sandwich, also it may be decorated on top of Humus and Labni (yogurt cheese) dishes.

•    3 medium-sized turnip
•    1 medium size beetroot
•    1 tablespoons sugar
•    3 tablespoon course pickling salt
•    2 tablespoon white vinegar
•    3 cups water

1- Bring the water to a boil, cool, then add vinegar,  sugar and salt. Stir till they dissolve.
2- Wash turnips well, peel, slice off top and base. Cut turnips and beetroot into slices.
3- Place turnip and beets between them as layers in sterilized jars. Add water with the vinegar over till it covers them. Seal with some olive oil on the top.
4- Close jars well, leave for 20 days before use.

Seafood Rice Pilaf Phyllo Pies

Tags

carrots, crab legs, dill leaves, How to, light lunch, main dish, middle eastern, middle eastern recipes, Oozi, ouzi, peas, Phyllo pastry, phyllo pies, pilaf, puff pastry rice pies, rice dish, rice filled phyllo, seafood, shrimp, vegetarian, اوزي, اوزي بالربيان

How to make individual rice pilaf pies that are tasty, elegant, and very easy to prepare. These also make a perfect light meal, accompanied by a salad or yogurt.

Did you hear about Ouzi?
No!
Not a problem then, I will help you.
It is a term you’ll never hear it except in middle eastern cuisine. This might be called for the mixer of rice, vegetable, and ground meat pilaf, or sometimes for the phyllo pocket or pies that filled with rice pilaf. The traditional recipe using the ground lamb or beef. In this recipe, I tried to go over and change a little by substituting the shrimp and crab instead, you can also prepare it with chicken or turkey too.

Usually rice dishes considered as a side dish, but this one is a whole main dish. My family enjoy it with some chopped fresh salad or yogurt on the side.

I love the ease on this dish, either when preparing or serving, never the less to say about the healthy side. You can make the rice a head of time, you just need to assemble the phyllo pies and bake them a little before serving to better enjoy the crunchy fresh phyllo. Some said it’s ok to put it in the fridge after baking then bake it again before serving but I never tried that.
For extra flavor, I added some chopped fresh dill with the rice pilaf, it goes well with the seafood dishes.

Variations:

– Traditionally, using short grain rice to make the pies, but works good too with long rice grain like basmatti rice.

– You can use vegetables any of your choice or favorite. Usually with this pies, carrots and peas with pine nuts or almond are widely preferred, I added also some chopped bill pepper to add value and color too.

– Use any kind of meat you like, I used fresh large shrimp and king crab legs. The traditional Ouzi pies prepared with ground meat, beef or lamp. Chicken also makes a good choice.

– The pies can be prepared using puff pastry too.

– If you want the pilaf alone but not to bother with the pastry crust, press the pilaf in a ring or dome-shaped mold and heat it through in the oven, turn it out and surround it with the meat and vegetables.

To make Seafood Rice Pilaf:

2 cups white basmatti rice, washed
1 cube chicken bouillon broth
1 lb fresh shrimp, any size available
1/2 lb chopped fresh crab legs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup peas
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
Salt and pepper
Olive oil & sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon ground of each: all spice, cardamom, coriander
1 cube frozen chopped dill greens

In a large pot, add 2 tablespoon sunflower oil, add the washed rice, season with salt and cardamom, toast a little on medium heat for 1-2 min, stir occasionally. Add water (for every cup of rice you need 1 1/4 cup water or stock, notice that this will vary from brand to brand so read the directions). Let the water boil, cover and simmer on low heat until all the water absorbed and the rice cooked evenly, about 10-15 min, fluff the rice with fork and put a side covered.

Meanwhile, in saute pan, add some olive oil, cleaned and chopped shrimp (you have the choice to use any size, if it large chop into smaller pieces). Clean the crab legs, take out the meat, chop into smaller pieces, add it with minced garlic to the pan, season with salt and pepper, add the other spices, stir and cook all together on medium heat for 5-10 min. Leave it a side.

In a pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, sauté the carrots and peas then add chopped red pepper and cook for 5-10 min on medium heat, you may add a couple of tablespoon of water to help the veggies cook without burning.

Add together, the rice, the shrimp and crab, the peas and carrots. for extra flavor add some frozen dill leaves. Stir gently all together and be careful not to break the rice grains.

To make the individual pies:

1 package frozen phyllo pastry
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Assemble the pies not too long before the serving. Roll out the phyllo pastry, follow the directions on how to thaw and handle. Cut into squares about 6-7 inches, it depends on how big or small you prefers the pies. Take two sheets, brush with a mixer of butter and oil, take another two and brush with butter and oil too, overlap each ones’ angle, use a small bowl dish as a mold to assemble your pies, fill with the rice pilaf mixer. Fold the edges of phyllo over the rice to close the pies. Arrange the pies into oven baking sheet, brush the top with oil butter mixer, bake 5-10 min on 400 degree.

Shrimp Avocado and Pasta Salad

Tags

avocado, healthy food, kids friendly, lemon olive oil dressing, Lunchbox ideas, Pasta salad, quick lunch, rotini pasta, salads, shrimp

My family’s favorite pasta salad that makes perfect picnic’s main dish and great lunchbox idea.

With weather changing to warmer temperatures, announcing beginning of spring, although the weather outside is still too cold, but we are getting ready to welcome the summer. Yesterday was the official day of spring, my favorite season.
Spring to me is not only a season, but it also means a lot;

The beginning of life…
Simplicity…
Warmth…
The beauty…
The bright flowers popping through…
Leaves starting to stretch out…
Songs of the new hatch sings…
Buzz of the bees…
Rat a tat tat of the rain…
Picnics and more family fun…

Every time I make this salad it remind me of spring. Cool, easy to prepare, with all beautiful colors; greens, yellow, red, purple, and white. Sure will feast your eyes, and sing a happy symphony in your mouth.

One of my family’s favorite salad, it makes a great lunchbox meal, plus it’s easy to make that the kids would love to share the work preparing it for the next day school lunch. It is also a savory side dish to bring for family gathering and potlucks, a satisfying one dish meal for busy weeknight or weekends, and wonderful main dish salad to prepare for picnics.

All ingredients complement each other. The juicy sweet and slightly tart tomato, the crunchy cool cucumber, the purple cabbage pop in, all combine to meet with the protein portion shrimp that sucks in all the tangy,lemony juices, while the onion gives a little push, and the cheese lends this very fresh dish the gravity of age, and the olive oil emulsified in for rich, slippery body. The flavors swirl as you slurp it up, bouncing from bright and clean to deep and savory, and once all the pasta gone, you’ll have the nice fresh vegetable salad.

Also, because I make it so often, I also make a lot of variations on it. Sometimes I use different vegetables, or substitute the chicken of shrimp or make it veggies only dish. But it will always be our favorite pasta salad.

Shrimp Avocado and Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked Garden Rotini
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 cup high-quality olive oil
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese (sometimes I use Mexican 4 cheese)
about 10 large shrimp (I prefer raw wild caught, but the frozen and cooked will work too)
2-3 Bay leaves
1 large avocado cut in cubes
1/2 cup diced green or orange bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh italian leave parsley, chopped
1 cup grab or cherry tomato, cut in halves
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup purple cabbage, chopped

In a pot, bring 3 quart of water to rabid boil. Add salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil (this helps the pasta not to stick together). Cook the pasta uncovered on medium heat until tender, about 10-12 min. Rinse the pasta in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and put into a large bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil, dried basil leaves, oregano, and parmesan cheese, mix well, let the pasta soak all the juices.

Meanwhile in another pot bring water to boil, you may add some bay leaves, add the raw shrimp boil for 5 min, the color will change to pink. Rinse with water to stop cooking then take off the shells and clean. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic powder, mix together.

In the pasta bowl, add the shrimp and the remaining ingredients and gently mix until well combined. Test for seasoning.

Serve chilled.