Recipes are submitted by Mums in Bahrain members. Look forward to reading 10 new recipes every week! If you would like your recipe to be featured, please email us at mib@mumsinbahrain.net

Lamb & Apricot casserole

Ingerdients
Approx.350g diced lean lamb, e.g. boned leg or similar.

Half a medium onion diced (approx.100g)

2 medium carrots (approx. 200g) peeled and cut into chunks.

Approx. 200g. Soft dried apricots snipped into pieces with scissors!

200g. chopped tin tomatoes (or fresh, skinned and chopped)

1 – 2 medium cups of water.

2 teaspoons Tomato puree

1 tablespoon olive oil

A sprig of rosemary & Thyme (optional)

A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 small stick of cinnamon

Directions

Heat the oil gently and add the onions, garlic, lamb and carrots. Stir to combine until the lamb turns colour. Add apricots, tomato puree, cinnamon stick and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper and herbs if using. Stir together and cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Bring to a gentle boil then simmer till the lamb is tender, approx. 1.5 hours or cook in a casserole in a moderate oven.

Near the end of cooking time add more water if necessary and stir. When the lamb is tender, cool the dish then blend accordingly.

Makes approx. 5 – 6 generous portions depending on age of baby or toddler. Fill small freezer / microwave proof containers and pop in the freezer. To serve: Reheat as necessary, normally around 3 – 4 minutes in an average microwave. Keep pinging until you are satisfied the portion is thoroughly defrosted and piping hot then allow to cool to desired temperature before serving.

Grilled halloum salad with mint and orange

Ingredients

250 gram halloum cheese cut into 10 slices

2 tbsp Mint fresh and chopped

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Honey

1/2 bunch rocket leaves chopped

salt and paper

Directions

1- Peel orange and cut into rings then cut each ring into half. Cut orange in a bowl just to reserve the juice coming out of orange during cutting.

2- In same bowl, add mint, olive oil and honey to orange juice and season with salt and pepper.

3- Heat skillet, add halloum and grill on both sides for 1-2 minutes and cheese starts to melts.

4- In serving plate, put orange slices and rocket leaves then add cheese on top and sprinkle orange juice mix on top. Serve immediately.

Chicken Shawerma sandwiches

Shawerma is popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean and is sometimes called the Middle Eastern taco. It originated in northwestern Turkey as döner kebab. But it reached its current form and popularity in all Middle East, especially in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The sandwich is now found in a variety of forms around the world.

Ingredients:

1 kg boneless chicken, cut into strips

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 white vinegar

1 teaspoon white pepper powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons crushed garlic

1 teaspoon chicken spices

1 tablespoon chicken shawerma spices (mix of powder spices, include: allspice, black pepper, cardamom, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, dried lime, dash of nutmeg, dash of clove)

4 tablespoons butter

Small Arabic bread or pita bread

Garlic paste sauce (recipe follows), or garlic flavoured mayonnaise

Strip sliced pickles (optional)

Shredded lettuce (optional)

Directions

Mix the chicken with oil, lemon juice, vinegar, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, chicken spices and shawerma spices and leave to marinate in fridge for minimum 6hrs and maximum for 60hrs.

In a casserole, melt butter; add chicken and its marinade. Stir and fry till little liquids are almost gone.

Transfer chicken to baking tray and complete cooking in the oven under the grill. Stir when golden and keep back again for about 5 minutes more or till golden.

For assembly: Open bread, spread thin layer of garlic paste or mayonnaise, add 2-3 tablespoon cooked chicken, some pickles and French fries, roll the bread, and the sandwich is ready to eat.

To prepare Garlic sauce: put few garlic cloves (4-5) with ½ teaspoon salt in food processor; add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and ¼ cup lemon juice and pulse for a minute. Transfer to deep plate, add ¾ cup mayonnaise and stir well. Keep in the fridge covered till you want to use.

Banana Cake

(Recipe fills a 27 x 37cm pyrex roasting dish or half quantity fills a loaf tin)

Ingredients

3 cups self raising flour (I cup is the equivalent of 250 ml measuring jug filled to the 250ml line!)

2 cups demerara sugar

6 eggs

3 teaspoons of cinnamon

3 level teaspoons of baking powder (Yes! In addition to self-raising flour - double boost)

6 overripe bananas (leopard spot style)

100 ml of oil

Directions

1) Grease the pyrex dish with butter.

2) Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

3) Put all ingredients in one mixing bowl at the same time, roughly chopping the bananas.

4) Using an electric mixer beat until bananas disappear

5) Pour in dish.

6) Bake for 45 minutes in centre of the oven. (Do not be tempted to peek before then or it will sag in the middle!!)

7) Check with a toothpick- should be perfectly done, if not leave 5 minutes longer.

Cut when cooled. Should be perfect for a pack up or for breakfast. Alternatively butter icing would make a wonderful MIB mother's tea party cake :))

Note: If making the half quantity it will probably need 25 minutes to half an hour.

Apple Avocado Salad

Ingredients -

1 (10 ounces) package Baby Greens

1/4 cup chopped Red Onion

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

1/3 cup crumbled Blue Cheese

2 teaspoons Lemon Zest

1 Apple, peeled, cored and sliced

1 Avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Dressing:

4 Mandarin Oranges, juiced

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest

1 Garlic Clove, minced

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, to taste

Directions

Salad:

In a large bowl, toss together the baby greens, red onion, walnuts, blue cheese, and lemon zest.

Mix in the apple and avocado just before serving.

Dressing:

In a container with a lid, mix the mandarin orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, and salt.

Drizzle over the salad as desired.

Spinach pastries

Time of preparation: 40 Minutes

Time of cooking: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

3 cups Flour

pinch Salt

1/4 cup Olive oil

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup Water- warm

2 1/2 tsp Dry Yeast

400 g Spinach- sliced

1 onion- finaly chopped

2 lemons

Directions

Dough :

1. In a deep bowl, mix flour, salt, olive oil, milk and yeast with a wooden spoon. Add water and mix until dough becomes soft.

2. Cover dough and put in a warm place until it doubles in size.

3. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Brush baking pans with oil.

4. Spread dough on a clean and floured surface. Cut dough into small circles using a cup or small plate. Put filling in the centre of each circle and close dough to form a half circle shape. Press the edges well together using a fork.

5. Put the half circles in baking pan and cook in over for 15 minutes or until it dough become golden.

Filling:

1. Put spinach in a pan over heat and cook till all liquids evaporate. Add onion, salt and lemon and mix well. Cook over heat until all liquids evapora

Milkshake cake! Great for a birthday cake too!

Without turning the kitchen into a playroom, you can involve children in cooking with dishes that have a bit of magic to them. In this, a rich raspberry milkshake is beaten through the other ingredients, producing a soft, spongy cake that can be layered with fruit for dessert or iced as a tray-bake for lunchboxes.

Ingredients

225g plain flour

25g cornflour

3 level tsp baking powder

75g unsalted butter, melted

3 egg yolks

200g caster sugar

2 scoops (125g) vanilla ice-cream

300g fresh raspberries

75ml cold milk

Sweetened whipped cream

Pink-coloured water icing

Directions

Line the base of a Swiss roll tin with nonstick baking paper, and preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan-assisted)/ 350F/gas mark 4. Have the flour, cornflour and baking powder measured and waiting with a sieve, and the melted butter ready in a pan. Whisk the yolks with half the sugar in a bowl until pale, then beat in the remaining sugar until thick and evenly mixed.

Put the ice-cream, half the raspberries and milk in a blender, and whizz to a thick milkshake, then pour this and the butter into the egg mix and beat together. Sift in the flour, cornflour and baking powder, and beat evenly through.

Pour the batter into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin, cut into three, trim the edges, and layer with cream and the remaining fruit. Drizzle the icing over the top and serve in slices.

Spinach Pecan Salad

Ingredients

1 can pecans toasted

1 large white onion

2 bunch fresh spinach

3 oz goat's cheese

4 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and black paper

Directions

- Toast pecans until golden brown, crumble to smaller pieces

- Cut onion into thin rings

- wash, dry and cut spinach

- Cut cheese into big squares, add balsamic vinegar and put it into microwave until cheese melts

- take it out and add olive oil and mix it well

Purees For Weaning (Approx 6m +)

Banana purée
1 small ripe banana
1-2 tsps of baby rice
2 tbsps of breast milk or formula
Mash the banana well until smooth. Mix the rice and milk, and stir into the banana. Adjust the texture with milk or rice to make a runnier or firmer purée.

Broccoli and cauliflower purée
1 large floret broccoli
1 large floret cauliflower
Steam the vegetables until they are tender. Purée in a blender or mouli and adjust the texture with boiled cooled water or baby's usual milk.

Papaya purée
1 ripe papaya
Peel and seed the papaya, and mash to a purée with a fork. To vary add baby rice or mix with mashed banana.

Sweet potato mash
1 sweet potato
Steam or boil the sweet potato until it is tender. Drain and mash well, adding baby's usual milk to make a suitable consistency.

Pear and apple purée
1 ripe pear, peeled and sliced
1 apple, peeled and sliced
Place the pear and apple in a small saucepan with one tablespoon of water and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is tender. Purée in a blender or mouli.

Lentils with butternut squash
50g split red lentils
120g butternut squash, peeled and diced
Boil the lentils in water until soft. Steam or microwave the squash until tender. Drain the lentils in a sieve. Add the squash to the sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. Using a wooden spoon press through the mixture, stir and serve.

Avocado and kiwi purée
Half a ripe avocado
1 ripe kiwi fruit
Mash the avocado well. Peel and mash the kiwi. Push the kiwi through a sieve to remove the pips, then mix with the avocado.