Homemade Sweet Ricotta Cheese

Tags

easy recipes, homemade, making cheese at home, ricotta cheese, sweet recipes

Making Ricotta at home is very easy,  does not require a lot of techniques, and take no time at all.

As it’s known that ricotta made from the whey of other cheeses, but here I used whole milk and some buttermilk to make it.
However this sweet version contain no salt and does not use any acidic liquids or lemon juice to form it. So the shelf life for this cheese is very short 1-2 days only. Usually, I make this cheese once I want to make sweets that require cheese in it, especially the Middle Eastern sweets like Qatayef, Konafa, Pudding. It’s great also to serve this cheese with fresh fruits or preserves.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups whole milk
• 2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Combine milks in a large pot and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. After 10 – 15 minutes the milk will begin to curdle. Stop stirring, but occasionally, scrap the bottom of to release curds. When you starts to see curds separate from the whey, remove from the heat.
2. Line streamer with the cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Carefully pour or spoon the contents from the pot into cheesecloth allowing the liquid to drain into the bowl. Save the forming liquids.
3. Gather the cheesecloth around the curds and gently squeeze to extract any remaining liquid. Allow to set in strainer for 2 hours to drain.

هذا النوع من الجبنه رائعه جدا لحشو القطايف والكنافه والكتير من الحلويات العربيه والوصفاتةالتي تتطلب اضافة الجبنه لها

جبنة الريكوتا الحلوه

٨ كوب حليب كامل الدسم
٢ كوب بتر ملك

نخلط الحليب مع البترملك ونضعه على النار لحتى يغلي نحرك بين الحين والاخر حتى لا يلصق ويحترق
عندما ينفصل البروتين عن الماء نرفعه عن النار ونصعه بمصفاة مغلفه بقماش الجبنه وموضوعه في طبق عميق . نصب الخليط و نصفيه من الماء او عرق الحليب المتكون
ونحتفظ بماء الجبنه
نغلق قطعة القماش بالجبنه جيدا ونضغطها ونتركها لتزل باقي مائها

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Turnip Pickle

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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.

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