RECIPES

Chicken with Thyme&Olive Oil

This is one my favorite chicken recipes which my mom used to make. I love eat it "taghmees", means with arabic bread using fingers to dip the bread in the sauce and pick the chichen bites, and enjoy it to the max... Summac is also used in this recipe, like in Musakhkhan. It's a spice made from the ground dried berries of a bush that grows wild throughout the Middle East and is sold in Middle Eastern markets. Sumac has a sour and vaguely lemony taste.

• 1 chicken, cut into 8pcs
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 6-8 cloves garlic, crushed or grated
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 3 tablespoons dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 2tablespoons summac
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• In a bowel, put chicken, olive oil, lemon, garlic, onion, spices& salt. Cover and marinate for 3-4hrs or overnight.
• Take out the chicken, add summac, transfer to a baking dish, and cover the dish with foil paper (or you can oven bag, but don’t cover the dish with foil then)
• Place dish in preheated oven, to cook over low heat, 325F (160C), for about 1 ½ hour.
• Remove the foil, and keep under the broiler for 5minute. If using the bag, no need to do this step, chicken will get golden while baking.
• Serve with mashed or grilled potatoes.

 

Fattoush Salad (best original recipe)
Fattoush is one of the known traditional salads in the Middle Eastern cuisine. The main ingredients of this salad are “Summa”, which gives Fattoush its sour taste, and the fried or toasted Arabic bread pieces. It’s a great salad at any time of the year, and it’s well known to be served in Ramadan, Muslims fasting month.

Ingredients:
4-5 cups Lettuce (1 medium size lettuce), shredded by hand
2 cups Rocket leaves (Jarjeer)
4 medium Cucumber (about 4 cups), sliced half circles
4 medium Tomatoes, diced 1 inch pieces
1 cup Portulaca (Purslane) leaves (in Arabic: Baqleh or Barbir) 
½ cup Red Radish (in Arabic: Fejel), sliced half circles.
3-4 Spring Onion (in Arabic: Basul Akhdur), chopped
2 tbsp Dried Mint
2 tbsp Summac
1 ½ cup flat Arabic bread, or Pita bread, cut into1 inch squares
***For Dressing: 
¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil+ 1/3 cup mixture of Lemon juice& White Vinegar+ 2 tsp Salt+ ½ tsp Black Pepper+ 4 cloves Garlic, whole

Method:
Prepare Dressing by mixing all dressing ingredients together in a jar. Shake well and keep in fridge while preparing the salad.
Place the bread pieces in an oven tray and drizzle thoroughly with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and place in preheated oven for about 5-10 minutes till golden and crunchy, OR you can deep fry the bread instead.
Mix all salad ingredients together. Add salt to season. 
Mix with half of the toasted bread pieces. Add dressing and mix well (don’t add all dressing, 1/2-3/4 the quantity). 
Top the salad with the rest of the bread and sprinkle some summac and serve.

 

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)

French fries (optional)

Shredded lettuce (optional) 

Method:

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.  

 

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

 

 

BANANA BREAD

Brown, squashy bananas in the fruit bowl? No problem - turn then into this very easy to make Banana Bread. The children will love it as will the adults, with the addition if you like of a few chopped walnuts or pecans for the grown ups. Leave out the nuts if serving to children.

Makes 1 loaf to serve 6 generous slices

75g soft butter plus extra for greasing
4 ripe bananas peeled and mashed up (nice brown ones!)
200g soft brown sugar
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 pinch salt
170g flour (plain with no raising agent)

Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/350F/gas 4

Use a little butter to grease a bread tin measuring about 23cm x 13cm x 6cm

Pour the mashed bananas into a big mixing bowl. Mix in the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Add the bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix in the flour last.

Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, remove from the oven and allow to cool, then serve in slices with a little butter if required.

That's it! You can vary it by adding a few sultanas or a pinch of cinnamon, whatever takes your fancy.

Keep it plain for the young ones and slice into fingers or small squares after buttering.

 

 

A little advice from Nana Judith

To all the Mums who go through agonies when their babies won't eat - PLEASE DON'T WORRY. Babies will not starve themselves and can go for days living on milk alone. I have two healthy young adults to prove it.

*Nana Judiths Yummy fish pie can be found below.

 

Mashed potatoes with minced meat, peas and carrots

Time of preparation: 30 Minutes

Time of Cooking: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

3 Potatoes - medium (about 400 gm)

3/4 cup Milk - hot

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Mustard

2 cubes of Carrots

1/2 cup Peas -boiled

1/4 kg Minced Meat - cooked

2 tsp Tomato Paste

1/2 cup Tomato Juice

 

Directions

 

1. In a deep pan, boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat, peal and mash while still hot.
2. Add milk and salt to potatoes and mix well until all ingredients are combined and fluffy. Add mustard and mix again.
3. In a pan, add ½ cup water and add tomato paste and put over heat until it reaches a boil. Add meat and tomato juice. Leave mixture over heat until well combined then add carrots and peas and mix well.
4. Leave mixture over heat for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed then remove from heat.
5. Put meat mixture in an oven pan. Cover meat mixture with mashed potatoes and put pan on the medium shelf in a medium heated oven for 15 minutes or until surface is golden.

 

 

Picnic Ideas For Summer Fun (also great for healthy packed lunches)

 

While we enjoy some perfect picnic weather here are a few suggestions. Nothing included requires much planning or culinary skills (as I am a rubbish cook) but it's a great and cheap way to entertain the kids, meet with friends or a relaxed birthday treat.

 

A few venues can be found on the free things to do page and if not why not have them in a back garden or at your compound play/pool area.

 

Themes can also be fun ie Teddy Bears picnic, Fairies, Beach fun, Pirates etc the list is endless

 

Picnic packing list

• Chairs / blanket / rugs / cushions
• Hamper / basket / cool box(es) / bottle bag
• Wet wipes
• Ice
• Sunshade / umbrella / sunscreen / hats
• Insect repellent / first-aid kit
• Bottle opener / can opener
• Bin (trash) bags / wipes / hand sanitizer
• Napkins / paper towels
• Paper plates and cups
• Cutlery / utensils
• A few toys ie ball, bubbles
• Change of clothes and shoes – especially for children
• Food and drink
• Aluminium foil / food storage bags
• Camera!

 

Healthy finger foods

• Chicken strips
• Cheese and Tomato slices
• Croissant with cheese and ham
• Hard boiled eggs
• Carrot, cucumber or pepper sticks
• Fruit
• Yogurt for dipping fruit in
• Cheese straws
• Slices of quiche
• Slices of cold pizza
• Cooked chicken drumsticks
• Rolled up pieces of ham
• Cheese and pineapple on sticks
• Mini tomatoes, chunks of cucumber, carrots and celery - dipped into little pots of sour cream and chive dip
• Pretzels

 

Sandwiches suggestions

• Cream cheese and cucumber.
• Marmite and cucumber.
• Marmite and shredded lettuce.
• Chopped hard-boiled egg with mayonnaise and chopped chives.
• Hummus with grated carrot and cucumber.
• Cheese and lettuce.
• Peanut butter and sliced banana.
• Cream cheese and smoked salmon.
• Tuna and sweetcorn.
• Tuna and cucumber.
• Cream cheese and thinly sliced apple.
• Chicken sweetcorn and mayonnaise.
• Ham and tomato.
• Bacon, lettuce and tomato.
• Ham with pineapple cottage cheese.
• Naughty but nice!
• Tortilla crisps.
• Chunks of fresh fruit, such as pineapple, apple, grapes, strawberries or banana.
• Fruit muffins.
• Chocolate chip cookies.
• Mini cupcakes.
• White chocolate cookies.
• Cereal bars.

 

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.

 

Toddler And Finger Food

 

• Nana Judith's Yummy Fish Pie

As promised my yummy fish pie recipe for tinies.  It can be made for weenie ones to big ones - just food process more or less.  I also like to get my fish from Lulu because if you think about it, they seem to have a quick turn over.  There are always people queuing up and I think that's a good sign.  Mia absolutely adores this and sits there making her mmmmmmmm sound!   
 
MIA'S FAVOURITE FISH PIE
2 oz button mushrooms
1/4 oz margarine
2 oz frozen peas
fresh salmon or any other white fish

Sauce:
Little water to mix
1/2 tablespoon cornflour
2.1/5 fl oz milk
1 oz cheddar cheese

Topping:
1 potato, peeled, boiled and mashed with
a little milk, margarine ( you can add pepper if you like)
1/2 oz cheddar cheese

Fry the mushrooms in a little margarine for a couple of minutes and cook the frozen peas until just tender.  Make the sauce by mixing the water with the cornflour so that there are no lumps, then add the milk stirring over a gentle heat until it thickens.  Stir in the grated cheese.  Add the fish ( I usually break it up with my fingers to check there are no nasty fish bones), peas, and mushrooms to the sauce.  Pour this into a greased ovenproof dish and cover with the mashed potato and top with grated cheese.  Cook for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 C.

 

• Lamb & Apricot casserole: Very popular and healthy recipe from Nanna Jan

 

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 

 

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.

 

For older toddlers, buttered noodles or creamed potato go nicely with the dish or try a little steamed rice or a veg of your choice.

 

This dish can be easily extended for the rest of the family.  Lean lamb shanks work really well for adults and if using these just pull the meat from the bone for the babies portion.

 

Buon appetito!

 

• Pasta mix (by Claire for my fussy son!)

 

Macaroni 1/2 cup per portion

peas, chopped carrot (and any other leftover veg chopped up)

teaspoon of butter

Ham or chicken or hot dogs (whatever you choose)

 

Cook pasta and heat veg (cook meat if needed) mix up and add butter. Serve warm or great for packed lunches cold. Found this a great one for my little man to learn how to feed himself.

 

One For The Mums! (sent in by Kate Stallwood)

 

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake - for one
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

 

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

 

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!