tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5429671628597837572024-03-14T01:13:36.248-05:00Adventuress Taking you along the adventure known as my lifeAmatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-34005234403474254052019-07-16T16:10:00.003-05:002019-07-16T16:10:56.731-05:00Freezer Prep: Meats <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-85432786761987261712019-07-16T16:10:00.002-05:002019-07-16T16:10:43.126-05:00Easy Dinners!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-52322454969578280682019-07-16T16:10:00.001-05:002019-07-16T16:10:31.476-05:00Steel Cut Oatmeal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-413425508155441172019-07-16T16:10:00.000-05:002019-07-16T16:10:21.270-05:00Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-56278498074789303872017-09-05T11:48:00.001-05:002017-09-05T11:48:04.541-05:00Cottage Cooking: Lunch Recipes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Two super easy cottage lunch or snack recipes<br /><br /><b>2 bags of raw shrimp</b> (peeled or unpeeled)<br /><br />- <b>Garlic butter - Lemon and Zest</b> <a href="http://www.adventuressheart.com/2017/09/cottage-cooking-arabic-breakfast.html">(see other recipe for details) </a><br /><br /><b>Ketchup<br />Avocado<br />Cilantro </b><br /><b>Jalapeno pepper </b><br /><br />2 bags of shrimp, I use raw peeled and simply peel them but unpeeled and already cooked works too.<br />Marina Del Rey is my favourite brand of Argentinian sustainable seafood, it's about ten dollars a bag but worth it.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXgTlKyWlyg/Wa7Uo8KzVBI/AAAAAAAACys/VI26dDC1-Fk1zHBF89tksJIDUxKDHqe9QCEwYBhgL/s1600/easy-peel-26-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXgTlKyWlyg/Wa7Uo8KzVBI/AAAAAAAACys/VI26dDC1-Fk1zHBF89tksJIDUxKDHqe9QCEwYBhgL/s200/easy-peel-26-30.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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<br /><br />You can transport your shrimp frozen and thaw over night in your fridge at the cottage.<br />When ready to use I removed the shells and dried the shrimp well with a paper towel.<br /><br />Heat a small bit of oil in a big flat bottom pot. Add the shrimp and let them cook and turn pink, flip to the other size. This takes a couple of minutes and during which throw in a lump of garlic butter. Swirl to coat the shrimp.. then add your lemon juice and swirl, it'll create kind of a nice saucey coating. Season with salt (The butter in my garlic butter was salted so I omitted this step)<br /><br /> Remove from pan and plate. Drizzle with some ketchup (for a more gourmet version mix ketchup with horseradish and worstershire sauce)<br /><br />Garnish with cilantro, avocado slices and jalapeno pepper slices.<br /><br />Serve!<br /><br /></div>
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<br /><br />For yummy cottage pizza simply take the following ingredients along<br /><br />- <b>Homemade or storebought pizza dough</b> - for my homemade dough refer to <a href="http://www.adventuressheart.com/2011/08/pizza-buns.html">Recipe </a><br />Simply knead the dough and instead of going into a rise stage throw it into a zip lock and take it with you. I did it the morning or but you can do it the night before too. Transport and place in fridge at cottage, when ready to use just remove from fridge a couple of hours earlier to let it rise. Bring some flour along to shape.<br /><br />- <b>Pizza sauce </b>(a gourmet jarred pasta sauce works great for this) or simply a jar of <b>pasata</b> (strained tomato)<br />-<b> Fresh mozarella de buffala<br />Fresh basil</b><br /><br />Shape your dough onto parchment lining a foil tray, I picked up a tray from the dollar store in town after checking out the size of the oven at the cottage we stayed at.<br /><br />Spread the sauce and add the pieces of fresh mozarella and basil leaves. Bake until bubbly and dough is done.<br /><br />Drizzle with olive oil and serve.<br /><br />Delicious! </div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-53175089492147960282017-09-05T11:07:00.002-05:002017-09-05T11:07:36.448-05:00Cottage Cooking: Arabic Breakfast <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />For a complete Arabic breakfast:<br /></div>
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- 1 can <b>foul mdamas</b> (can be found in the middle eastern section of grocer or arabic store, it's basically small fava beans in a can) </div>
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-<b> Eggs </b>(for boiling or frying, can be fried in with the foul or made separately) </div>
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- 1 or 2 <b>Sujouk sausages </b>(a spicy beef sausage, you can get it fresh from the supermarket ahead of time or buy it and freeze it so you have it around, it transports well in the cooler frozen and thaws the next day when you throw it into the fridge at the cottage) When ready to serve simply remove the casing and slice up into rounds or dice, fry in some oil in a non stick skillet, use very little oil as it has some fat in it that is rendered once heated. </div>
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- <b>Labneh </b>(store bought or homemade, for homemade use 1 container of bulkan yogurt, add about 1/2 to 1 tbsp salt in container and whisk it all up very well until creamy. Line a strainer with cheesecloth (or 2 pieces of square paper towel) and place over a bowl that will collect the liquid. Add the yogurt into the cheesecloth and set in fridge overnight or up to 2 days. Remove the thick lebneh yogurt mixture and place in a ziplock container. Simply drizzle olive oil over and serve with bread as part of your breakfast or mezze (tapas) spread. </div>
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- <b>Olive oil</b></div>
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- <b>Garlic butter</b> (easily made ahead of time and stored in the freezer, can be used in many recipes from seafood to pasta.. it's worth it. Sautee 5 big cloves of garlic in 1/4-1/2 lb butter and set aside. Freeze and transport. </div>
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- <b>Lemon juice</b> (Also another cottage necessity, zest and then squeeze a bunch of lemons and place in a plastic container, freeze and transport) </div>
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- <b>Fresh produce</b> (Tomato, cucumber, radishes, green onion, mint, cilantro) </div>
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- <b>Olives </b></div>
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- <b>Pita bread</b> (not shown here but we had white pita and Egyptian bran bread) </div>
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- <b>Watermelon </b></div>
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<b>- Black tea with mint and sugar<br /><br />Cook the beans by adding the contents of can to a large pot with a piece of garlic butter, add cumin spice if available. Cook and mash the beans with a fork partially for texture. Some people like to add tomato paste or simply add chopped tomatoes to the final dish.<br />Cook until fragrant and soft. Plate and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Serve with bread and fresh chopped tomato, radishes, green onion and herbs like mint and cilantro.<br /></b></div>
<br />-----------------------</b><br /><b>Pancakes </b>are always a hit, prep a homemade mix by adding 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour, 3 tbsp sugar, a dash of salt and 2 tbsp baking powder into a big ziplock bag. <br /><br />At the cottage whisk 2 eggs in a big bowl, add 1 1/2 cups milk and 3 tbsp melted butter or oil. Add the dry mix and blend together without over mixing. Let sit for about 10 minutes and then fry up in a non stick pan (add a small drizzle of oil if needed) <br /><br />Serve with high quality maple syrup and fresh fruit, we opted for wild blueberries! <br /><br /><br />
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-56622055497831231922017-09-01T08:36:00.003-05:002017-09-01T08:36:43.349-05:00Happy Eid-ul Adha! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4360/36787672632_3b73270e31_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4360/36787672632_3b73270e31_c.jpg" /></a><br />Happy Eid!<br /><br />These stunning cookies were done by a super talented friend of mine, did I mention she has a heart of gold? She was so sweet to include a beautiful tea set for my birthday since this year Eid fell on my birthday, double the fun!<br /><br />Lots of love, blessings and good wishes for all!<br /></div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-84731564323914410812017-08-24T13:25:00.001-05:002017-08-24T13:27:49.873-05:00Egyptian Ka'k Shortbread Cookie <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The perfect Eid cookie! A melt in your mouth buttery shortbread cookie that is PERFECT with turkish coffee or espresso. They look fancy but are super easy to throw together and you can have them ready in a tin for when your guests pop in.<br />
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<b>Basic Egyptian Ka'k (shortbread)</b><br />
Approx. 60 cookies<br />
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4 cups flour<br />
50 g powdered sugar + extra for dusting<br />
3/4 tsp baking powder<br /><br />sprinkle of salt (1/16 tsp)<br />1/4 tsp vanilla extract<br /><br />1/2 tbsp Ka'k essence (or ground mahlab, which comes from the pit of a cherry giving it that almost almond like essence)<br /><br /><br />
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Whisk all of the above.<br />
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Add until absorbed:<br />
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300 g ghee or clarified butter at room temperature, it's creamy textured (or 1 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp)<br />
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Splash of orange blossom water<br />
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Incorporate the milk until dough forms:<br />
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40 g milk at room temperature, or add up to 80 g if needed<br />
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Mix all together and roll into balls. Use a tbsp sized scoop if you have one and put evenly sized balls of dough onto your baking sheet.<br />
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F for 22-25 minutes until firm to touch and golden all over. Remove from oven and cool<br />
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Lay on a tray or flat surface and dust with powdered sugar using a fine sieve and tapping the edge from a height over the cookies.<br />
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Store in a container, these will keep for a very long time.<br />
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Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-25257615052430544132017-08-18T22:31:00.001-05:002017-08-18T22:31:16.317-05:00Quick Brunch - Sujouk and Eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4358/36264682690_8dcd16aa8b_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4358/36264682690_8dcd16aa8b_c.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Nothing beats Arabic style eggs... It's amazing how few ingredients can come together and make such an amazing dish. I had forgotten that there was a piece of sujouk in my freezer and of course eggs in the fridge, radishes in the crisper and wild arugula in my garden (It sprouted in my front garden and I transplanted it to the back herb container and now it's completely taken over!) Chives too from out back. <br /><br />It's as easy as 1 2 3 and makes for a perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner. I had a couple of toasted pine nuts in my fridge from garnished a recipe I made over a week ago of Lebanese stuffed zucchini so I sprinkled them over top and voila! <br /><br />Egyptian bread is always found in my freezer, that's the best place for it, goes straight into the freezer once it arrives from the store and stays perfectly fresh and all it needs is a quick warm up in the microwave of my new favourite way is to cut it in half and pop it into the toaster! <br /><br />Yumyum! </div>
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<b>Sujouk with Eggs </b></div>
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- Chopped sujouk (Arabic spiced sausage) </div>
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- Eggs</div>
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- Olive oil</div>
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In a small non stick pan sautee your sausage in the oil until the edges are crispy and it's browned nicely. Crack the eggs into the pan and let cook to desired doneness. Add a sprinkling of salt and black pepper and serve with sweet black tea and a plate of fresh herbs, olives and crusty fresh bread. </div>
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4388/36614546806_d80d78dab9_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="579" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4388/36614546806_d80d78dab9_c.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Delicious treats we had earlier this week and mulberries from my backyard! <br /></div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-36529932485054758072017-05-11T18:21:00.001-05:002017-05-11T18:21:32.714-05:00Plantain "potato" fries <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Plantain "potato" Fries</b></div>
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- 1 plantain per person, they are filling</div>
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- Drizzle of olive oil or any oil of your choice</div>
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- Salt</div>
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Directions: </div>
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In a non stick pan drizzled with evoo arrange the slices of plantain (peel and slice like a banana) </div>
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Let roast on medium heat until crispy and brown on one side then flip for the other side to brown. Sprinkle with salt</div>
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Serve warm with ketchup on the side. </div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-5355570876755529552017-04-23T21:16:00.000-05:002017-04-23T21:16:22.901-05:00Coming soon .. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-36971370342643460772016-12-25T23:30:00.000-05:002019-07-16T16:13:32.443-05:00Holidays <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-34594504849817427492016-12-25T23:29:00.004-05:002016-12-25T23:29:59.973-05:00The Holiday Classic Cookie Collection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><br /><br />Checkerboard Cookies:</b><br />
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Cut each 1/4 inch. bake 350/ 10-12 mins<br />
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Start with white dough in mixer bowl:<br />
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Cream<br />
1 lb butter (room temp)<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
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Add: <br />
2 eggs, one at a time<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp orange zest<br />
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Add:<br />
5 cups flour<br />
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Put the dough in a big zip lock bag and flatten into a big square.<br />
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Now make chocolate dough using same bowl/beater:<br />
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Cream:<br />
<br />
1 lb butter (room temp)<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
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Add:<br />
2 eggs, one at a time<br />
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Add:<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp orange zest<br />
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Blend and add:<br />
5 cups flour - minus 12 tbsp (almost a cup)<br />
12 tbsp cocoa<br />
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Put the dough in a big zip lock bag and flatten into a big square.<br />
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Chill dough. Once chilled slice into long pieces (square) and use chocolate and white dough to alternate to create a checkerboard affect.<br />
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Slice 1/4 inch thick and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes</div>
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<b>Crackle Cookie</b> (x4 original recipe)<br />
Makes 144 cookies<br />
Bake 350 /12-14 mins<br />
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Melt:<br />
26 oz melted dark chocolate<br />
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Mix Dry:<br />
<br />
5 cups flour<br />
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2 cups cocoa powder<br />
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8 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
4 tsp vanilla<br />
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Cream:<br />
<br />
1 lb butter<br />
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5 1/3 cup brown sugar<br />
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Add:<br />
8 eggs<br />
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Final wet ingredient for alternating with dry ingredient:<br />
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1 1/3 cup milk<br />
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Confectioners sugar, for later<br />
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Don’t preheat the oven yet, this dough will need to chill for 2 hours or so.<br />
Melt dark chocolate gently.<br />
Mix dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt).<br />
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Cream sugar and butter together, then beat in eggs and vanilla.<br />
Pour melted dark chocolate over the creamed butter and sugar, blend, then add dry ingredients & milk (alternating between the two to prevent puffs of flour getting all over the place).<br />
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The dough will be very sticky. Cover the bowl loosely in plastic wrap and chill for approx 2 hours, or until dough is hardened and can be handled.<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Scoop out spoonfuls of hardened dough, roll between your palms to form a ball, then toss the ball into a bowl of powdered sugar to coat it. If the dough gets too sticky to handle, pop it back in the fridge or freezer to cool it back down. Line cookie up on the sheet (not too closely – they spread) and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.<br />
Use a spatula to handle them after baking to avoid fingerprints on the powder sugar.<br />
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<b>Elfin Shortbread Bites</b><br />
Double recipe if desired, meaning repeat the recipe once again after<br />
Bake 325/ 12-14 minutes<br />
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1 lbs butter, chilled cut into small cubes.<br />
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Cut in:<br />
5 cups flour<br />
12 tbsp sugar<br />
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Once it starts to come together like dry crumbs add:<br />
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8 tbsp red and green sprinkles or 4 of each<br />
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Add all into a big ziplock bag and flatten with a rolling pin.<br />
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Chill and cut open the bag, slice shortbread sheet into 1 inch squares and bake<br />
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<b>Perfect Gingerbread</b>Makes 18 medium/large gingerbread men<br />
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350/8 for medium cookies and 10 for larger gingerbread men<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<br />
Cream:<br />
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1 1/4 cups (283 g) unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar<br />
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Add:<br />
2 eggs<br />
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Add:<br />
2/3 cup (220 g) cooking molasses OR (1/3 fancy molasses and 1/3 black strap molasses)<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />
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Blend:<br />
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6 1/2 cups (815 g) all-purpose flour<br />
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1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon<br />
3/4 teaspoon allspice<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
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Incorporate dry ingredients little by little without mixing too much.<br />
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Chill dough in zip lock bags and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut in desired shapes and bake</div>
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<b><br />Basic vanilla dough</b> (thumb print cookies)<br />
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Bake 350/12 minutes<br />
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Cream:<br />
<br />
2 sticks unsalted butter<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
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Add:<br />
1 large egg<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />
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Add:<br />
<br />
3 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
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Chill dough in zip lock bag or in bowl covered with plastic.<br />
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Assembly:<br />
1 egg white<br />
Chopped pistachio<br />
Apricot Jam<br />
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Directions:<br />
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Whisk together flour, and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.<br />
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Follow the instructions below for the basic dough, once it's made and chilled a bit roll them into small balls (bite size)<br />
Next you poke a small hole in the centre with the back of a wooden spoon.<br />
Beat a little egg white until frothy and set aside, then dip the tops of the cookies in the egg white and into the chopped nuts or coconut, it will stick to the top nicely.<br />
Next use a small spoon or tiny piping bag to drop a tiny bit of jam into the centre (the thumb print/hole you made with the wooden spoon) not too much jam or it will over flow.<br />
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Bake on 350 for 12 mins or so.<br />
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<b>Linzer Cookie</b><br />
Roll and cut each 1/4 inch thick/330 for 12-15 minutes<br />
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Ingredients<br />
<br />
Cream:<br />
1 lb butter softened<br />
2 cup powdered sugar, sifted<br />
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Add:<br />
4 egg yolks<br />
<br />
vanilla<br />
2 teaspoon lemon zest<br />
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Blend and add gradually:<br />
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5 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 cup almond meal<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
<br />
1 cup seedless strawberry jam<br />
Powdered sugar<br />
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Preparation:<br />
Preheat oven to 330F. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper.<br />
In the work bowl of your stand mixer, cream together butter and powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add in egg yolks one at a time, then lemon zest. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, almond meal and salt, then gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating just until blended. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Cover and chill 1 hour.<br />
Roll each portion to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 3-inch heart-shaped cutter. Cut centers out of half of cookies with a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Make sure that you have an even number of solid and cut out cookies. Bake for 15 minutes; cool on wire racks.<br /><br />Spread solid cookies with jam. Lay all the cutout tops on a parchment lined tray and sprinkle the powdered sugar over them all and then pick them up gently and sandwich onto the jam bottom layer. Place individual cookies onto a paper cupcake liner or onto a serving plate. Try to save the cookies in a container and prepare them with jam/sugar before serving or placing in a tin to give away.<br /><br /><br /><b><br /><br />Meringue</b><br /><br />
Bake 200 for 1:15 minutes and turn over off and allow to sit for 3 more hours or overnight without disturbance.<br />
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Heat over double boiler until sugar is no longer crystal and dissolves, feel with fingers.<br />
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3 large egg whites, room temperature<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
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Add:<br />
Large pinch of salt<br />
Large pinch of cream of tartar<br />
<br />
Add flavour:<br />
Vanilla<br />
Flavouring drops (peppermint - cinnamon - whatever you like)<br />
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Whisk on high speed until glossy and stiff.<br />
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Red Gel-paste food coloring<br />
1 kebob skewer<br />
1 zip lock bag or piping bag with piping tip (depends on the look you would like to achieve) <br />
<br />
Or alternately add green food colouring and make trees<br />
<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Combine egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water, and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, about 3 minutes. Add salt and cream of tartar.<br />
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Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue is mostly cooled, about 7 minutes. Add desired flavourings or vanilla extract.<br />
<br />
Using a small paintbrush, paint 2 vertical stripes of food coloring inside a pastry bag on opposite sides - remember to fit the piping tip first and prep the bag by placing in a cup for easy handling.<br />
<br />
Fill bag with meringue, and pipe 1 3/4-inch circular shapes (they don't need to be perfect rounds) 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. As you finish piping each shape, apply less pressure to pastry bag, and swirl the tip off in a circular motion.<br />
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Bake meringues until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Do not remove from the oven and let them sit overnight with the oven off.<br />
<br />
Store in a metal canister or tin away from heat or moisture.<br />
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<br /><b>(Double recipe for amount I made) </b><br /><br />
<b>Sable Cookies</b><br /><br />
These delicate, crumbly cookies hail from France's Normandy region and are delicious plain, dipped in dark chocolate, or sandwiched with jam. Once you have a handle on the basic recipe, try adding almonds, orange zest, or other flavorings. Adapted from "Entertaining."<br />
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INGREDIENTS<br />
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3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheets<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
2 large egg yolks<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface<br />
1 large egg yolk, for brushing as needed<br />
Sanding sugar, if desired<br />
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Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.<br />
Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor; process until creamy. Add egg yolks, salt, and vanilla; process for 30 seconds until combined. Add 1 cup flour and process until smooth. Add remaining cup of flour to processor; process to combine. Turn dough out onto work surface and form into flat square; wrap with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator until chilled.<br />
Place a nonstick baking mat on work surface. Place half of the chilled dough on baking mat; top with a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll out dough between baking mat and plastic wrap until it is 1/8-inch-thick. Transfer to fridge to chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough.<br />
Using a 2-inch round fluted cookie cutter, cut out dough and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Transfer baking sheets to refrigerator until dough is chilled, about 20 minutes. Roll out scraps, and repeat. Repeat process with remaining dough. Transfer to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.<br />
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.<br />
Mix together remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water; brush tops of cookies with egg white mixture. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Transfer to oven. Bake until cookies are pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.<br />
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-27817364951784300202016-12-02T12:40:00.000-05:002016-12-02T12:40:00.497-05:00Baby Apple Sauce <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Baby apple sauce with my secret ingredient..... dates! Not just any dates, these are called "Sukkari" which literally mean sugar dates, and they in fact taste exactly like sugar! I had a bunch leftover from Ramadan and usually take one with my cup of black tea to avoid having to sweeten it with sugar. </div>
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When making a healthy apple sauce for baby you want to also avoid the white refined (and even brown) sugars, in fact it's better to avoid most sweet all together I think to not get them hooked on it. Sugar is just as addictive as drugs. </div>
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After giving birth I became quite addicted to it, now that I'm almost a year past I'm getting back to my normal self but because I never had much of a sweet tooth to begin with, even as a child I felt very strange all of a sudden craving all these sweets, in such an uncontrollable way, I would eat anything in my way, donuts, ice cream, chocolate on a daily basis, it was the only thing that really got me through my day and I looked forward to it. Whether I was addicted from starting a habit or it was hormonal due to post partum hormones or breastfeeding I'll never know but I'm glad I'm now away from it and it helps that I'm just not craving it any more and going back to my old self otherwise I would have had to put myself on some kind of diet to slowly stop. </div>
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So back to the apple sauce, a super healthy treat for your baby and all home made. The easier thing to make as long as you don't burn it, like me. I'm always walking away from fruit on the stove and burning it so learn from my mistakes and stay close by. Its better to add more water than less because the sugars in the fruit tend to caramelize quickly once the water evaporates. </div>
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I'm using ginger golds, home grown in Ontario here, they are slightly tart which is what I want. My secret ingredient, dates add just enough sweetness and I only throw in one or two upon removing the seed. </div>
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<b>Baby Apple Sauce </b><br /></div>
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Ingredients: <br /><br />2 apples, peeled and cored, chopped into bite size pieces of slices for easy stewing</div>
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1-2 sukkari dates (of if you can't find 'em use Medjool) pits removed.</div>
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water, enough to cover. </div>
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<b><br />Directions: </b><br />Add all to the sauce pan and bring to a boil then simmer on low until fruit is soft. If there is too much water leftover allow the liquid to evaporate by removing the lid and staying close by to keep an eye on it and avoid burning the fruit. </div>
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Once removed from heat and cooled add to blender and blend smooth. If you need to run it through a sieve to remove any date skins you can. </div>
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Double the batch and freeze any extras for later if desired. </div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-72048627667371005512016-11-25T18:26:00.002-05:002021-02-24T20:11:59.807-05:00Baby Mujaddara and snacks <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5448/31126028831_541d2eee7c_c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5448/31126028831_541d2eee7c_c.jpg" /></a><br />Here's a fun and healthy recipe I came up with after picking up these sprouted lentils from the health food store. I call the recipe baby Mujaddara!<br /><br />Mujaddara is a popular middle eastern rice and lentil dish but I swapped out the rice for super fine brown bulgur, the type you would use for tabouleh.<br /><br />Start by browning finely diced onion in a bit of olive oil then add lentils and bulgur wheat sauteeing to coat with oil. Finally add stock or water to simmer until tender.<br /><br />These sprouted lentils say they need to cook in 5X the amount of water but they do tenderize quickly as it only takes 5 minutes to cook them. And the bulgur is a quick cooking variety too so the dish comes together very quickly. Add water/stock as you would with rice, 2 cups liquid per 1 cup of grain. Cover and simmer. The browned onion gives a nice taste to the dish and you completely omit salt or lightly season (or as I do, use herbamare)<br /><br />2 tbsp onion, finely chopped<br />2 tsp olive oil </div>
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1 cup fine bulgur</div>
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1/2 cup sprouted lentils</div>
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2 cups water or broth<br />Sprinkling of salt or Herbamare<br /><br />Add oil to pot, heat and add onions browning them on medium to medium low. Add bulgur and lentils stiring to coat. Add liquid and seasoning. Cover and simmer until tender.<br /><br />Enjoy with a side of veggies and greens. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br />A couple of interesting products at the health food store that I discovered along the way. Baby ancient grain blend instead of the typical rice or oatmeal cereals. Barley is super delicious too and usually I mix them all together for a hearty breakfast cereal.<br /></div>
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<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5490/30432483963_051b7bbd48_c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5490/30432483963_051b7bbd48_c.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Yoso is a cultured coconut dairy free "Yogurt" it's unsweetened if you buy the one without fruit and it's super delicious! Good for babes with eczema who are on a dairy free diet.<br /></div>
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<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5741/31126018211_c6e742009f_c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5741/31126018211_c6e742009f_c.jpg" /></a><br />I was told by a health guru that the most important thing in a babies' diet is to build up a strong gut, and that's by using a probiotic as well as good cultured foods like the coconut kefir yogurt, lots of avocados too and stay away from toxins (meats) as well as contaminated fish (which is pretty much most of them)<br /><br />DHA supplement or oil is a must and we like this one by Nordic.<br /></div>
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<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5765/30419076854_513314d622_c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5765/30419076854_513314d622_c.jpg" /></a><br /><br />And last but not least a couple of healthy treats for every now and then. We are not too big on rice products, and definitely no sugar so these fruit bars as well as some freeze dried fruit are perfect treats for when we're on the go.<br /><br />Do feel free to share your favourite baby menu recipes with me as well as snacks and supplements, I'm all ears :)<br /></div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-61087128973735467622016-10-26T07:34:00.001-05:002016-10-26T07:34:15.210-05:00Willowtree Farm Full Share CSA + Eggs 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yummy Kale and Feta burek, recipe <a href="http://www.adventuressheart.com/2012/12/turkish-borek-appetizer-using-cookin.html">here! </a><br />
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A delicious pie using the ginger gold apples! Recipe for pastry <a href="http://www.adventuressheart.com/2015/07/summer-fruit-pies.html">here</a></div>
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The thanksgiving share, the brussel sprouts and yellow beans came in handy. I was going to include sweet potato but kept my menu simple instead. We ate the cauliflower leading up to thanksgiving. Keeping the brussel sprouts on the stalks kept them fresh and tender right up to the day, just a little something I noticed!<br />
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On tuesday right after thanksgiving we got this! A little sparse but it's post harvest so I'm guessing things are slowing down. I would have liked to see a delicata squash but I guess I can go get one myself from a local farm!<br />
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-11321439812972228922016-10-10T21:30:00.002-05:002016-10-10T21:30:58.258-05:00Paleo Split Pea Soup (Squash)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8573/30108846562_e02c982213_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8573/30108846562_e02c982213_c.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Here's an interesting recipe! Very minimal ingredients and get this.. it's a split pea soup without the split peas, so what does that make it? I'm calling it a Paleo split pea soup because I hear Paleos don't eat beans and this squash tastes like a bean!<br /><br />Gotta admit when I saw this strange looking dark green wort covered squash in my pre-thanksgiving CSA basket I wasn't too enthusiastic. Still baby's gotta eat and a squash is a squash so I set out to roast that thing. First of all it's very hard to cut so be careful! Even just peeling it was a challenge and I had to cut small pieces and then remove the skin with a sharp paring knife.<br /><br />I boiled some for baby in a small pot and the rest I roasted in the oven to see how it would turn out. The results were very interesting! It's a dry squash either way, but even more dry and "Flaky" ? I don't know how to describe it's texture... for the boiled one on the stove I needed to mash and add in a lot of the boiling stock back into it to create a smooth consistency. </div>
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The baked one was rather odd, it had been tossed with a bit of oil and it just stuck to the pan and so no real roasting achieved. I tossed it into a pot and added water and cooked it further then mashed it up... the result was a soup! A one ingredient soup! </div>
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I tasted and it was similar to a lentil or split pea soup, really similar. I set out to flavour it and opted for a curry.<br /><br />In a bit of oil I browned some onions until almost crispy and set aside. With the remaining oil I added a sprinkling of curry powder and then added the squash and blended, seasoning lightly with salt. A dash of chicken stock is nice too and voila! It's absolutely delicious, I tell you!<br /><br />Who knew? These buttercup squashes are amazing! I can imagine it would make a fantastic "pumpkin" pie with it's dry texture, no extra sogginess. I had to contact the farm to ask what the name was as I had no idea and they told me it's a buttercup variety called "Sweet Mama" so next time you see it do give it a try and let me know what you come up with!<br /></div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-79977567941153886092016-10-10T20:20:00.000-05:002016-10-10T20:32:14.626-05:00Thanksgiving 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Happy Canadian Thanksgiving all!<br />
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This year I went super simple (I know I said that<a href="http://www.adventuressheart.com/2015/10/thanksgiving-2015.html"> last year </a>but really this time I mean it!) We picked up our turkey from the farm (Clement's Poultry in Courtice) as per our annual thanksgiving family tradition and with the addition of our little boy this year! Hooray! <br /><br /> We ditched the stuffing and salad and went buffet style with the good old brined and roasted turkey with a couple of veg on the side (heirloom carrot and Brussels) mashed potato and gravy made from the turkey pan drippings. It all comes together really quickly because the veg is cooked stove top while the turkey is going in the oven, you can work on the veg as soon as the turkey comes out and is tented and resting. All the veg got a quick steam - I shocked the carrots with cold water to keep their colour - and then a toss in some butter with a drizzle of maple syrup, keepin' it healthy for the baby!<br />
Potatoes were boiling too in salted water and got a quick mash with a splash of warm milk and a glob of yummy butter!<br />
We had a small cheese platter and a couple of slices of country bread. This year the cranberry sauce had a spicy aromatic twist of fresh ginger and a dash of cinnamon! <br />
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Dessert was made ahead of time, super simple and using a recipe that doesn't include any corn syrup! The yummy cream cheese pastry crust complimented the sweet filling. The addition of unsweetened hand whipped cream was a nice touch (I usually step out into the garden for a brisk whisking session, and what a gorgeous cool day it was this thanksgiving monday!)<br />
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Hope you had a good one :)<br /><br />
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<b>Maple Pecan Tart</b><br />
<a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/maple-pecan-tarts">Recipe adapted from Taste of Home </a><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 cup butter, softened<br />
6 ounces cream cheese, softened (3/4 cup)<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
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FILLING:<br />
4 large eggs<br />
1 cup packed brown sugar<br />
3/4 cup maple syrup<br />
2/3 cup butter, melted<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
Dash salt<br />
2-3 cups pecan halves<br />
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Whipped cream (unsweetened) optional<br />
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Directions:<br />
In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.<br />
Roll pastry into a circle; transfer to fluted tart pans with removable bottom. Trim pastry even with edges (leftovers enough to make one poptart!). Refrigerate 20 minutes or overnight.<br />
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When ready to bake Preheat oven to 375°.<br />
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Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the first six filling ingredients. Pour into tart shell; arrange pecans over tops. Bake 25-30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Cool on wire racks. If desired, serve with unsweetened whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers. Serves 8.<br />
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.Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-49924181545983057412016-10-01T09:57:00.000-05:002019-06-18T15:02:40.252-05:00Pistachio & Walnut (Gluten and dairy free Cookie)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I'm sharing a Gluten and dairy free cookie Recipe! These were covered in the <a href="http://www.adventuressheart.com/2012/12/nuts-for-nuts.html">Christmas baking back in 2012</a> but I'm doing a bit of a switch up. These are almost like the filling inside baklava but without the dough! Super yummy and a nice healthy treat!<br />
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I can imagine you could make endless variations using other nuts like hazelnuts or pecans, think about the nut you're using and choose the right sweetener for the job that complements it. My recipe says honey for the pistachio but I wanted to do a walnut too so even though honey goes with walnut I switched it up using pure maple syrup. Adding a dash of fleur de sel to the batter of each brings out the sweetness and flavour so I highly recommend that!<br />
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Add a splash of rose water or orange blossom water if you wish. Or almond extract to bring out the flavour of the almond and give more of a marzipan flavour.<br />
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These taste better and better as they sit so this makes for an easy and quick make ahead recipe for your guests!<br />
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PISTACHIO COOKIE (GLUTEN FREE) </div>
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INGREDIENTS:</div>
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1 CUP ALMOND MEAL</div>
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1½ CUPS FRESHLY GROUND PISTACHIO FLOUR</div>
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¼ CUP UNPASTEURIZED HONEY</div>
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2 EGG WHITES</div>
Pinch of fleur de sel of Sea Salt<br />
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1/2 tsp of orange blossom water (optional)</div>
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1-2 CUPS CHOPPED & HULLED PISTACHIOS (for texture)<br />
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DIRECTIONS:</div>
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine almond and pistachio flours with the egg whites and mix well.</div>
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Gently warm honey and stir into the almond pistachio mixture. If the mixture is too wet, add more pistachio or almond flour, 1/4 cup or less at a time. It should remain fairly moist. Balance it out with more flour and another egg white, if needed. On parchment paper, spread out 1-2 cups of chopped pistachios or another nut preference. Using a spoon, scoop out 1-2 inch balls and dip the tops into the chopped pistachio. Flatten the balls slightly with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow the cookies to bake longer they are soft to the touch.</div>
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Note: Watch the bottoms, mine almost browned a little too much. Always stay close to the stove when baking.</div>
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Add a splash of rose water or orange blossom water if you wish. Or almond extract to bring out the flavour of the almond and give more of a marzipan flavour.</div>
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Walnut cookie (GLUTEN FREE) </div>
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INGREDIENTS:</div>
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1 CUP ALMOND MEAL</div>
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1½ CUPS FRESHLY GROUND walnuts </div>
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¼ CUP UNPASTEURIZED HONEY (or maple syrup) (add more to taste as walnuts can be bitter)</div>
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1-2 cups chopped walnuts or whole walnut halves for decor </div>
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2 EGG WHITES</div>
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A pinch of fleur de sel or Sea salt</div>
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DIRECTIONS:</div>
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine almond and walnut flours with the egg whites and mix well.</div>
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Gently warm honey (or maple syrup) and stir into the almond walnut mixture. If the mixture is too wet, add more walnut or almond flour, 1/4 cup or less at a time. It should remain fairly moist. Balance it out with more flour and another egg white, if needed. In a plate spread out 1-2 cups of chopped walnuts or another nut preference. Using a spoon, scoop out 1-2 inch balls and dip the top part of the ball into the walnut pieces then place on tray (it's better to avoid having the chopped nuts underneath or they burn)</div>
Alternately roll balls and simple place on tray then add a half walnut to the top of each pressing in gently. I sprinkled a little sugar on top too. Flatten the balls slightly with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow the cookies to bake longer if they are soft to the touch.<br />
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Note: Watch the bottoms, mine almost browned a little too much. Always stay close to the stove when baking.</div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-48661712047958090722016-08-08T10:05:00.001-05:002019-06-18T14:54:03.617-05:00Pickering Food Truck Festival <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My first real food truck experience and it did not disappoint! I was expecting maybe 5 trucks maximum but boy was I in for a surprise when I saw lineup after lineup of trucks as well as names I recognized either from food network, Instagram or even individuals I've followed since the beginning of their journey, like MENU truck! Yay!<br />
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Hoping to be able to try their fried rice balls next time. Everyone seems to have a set menu that changes depending on the day. There was a lot of Pokemon so I went with their Pokeballs and they did not disappoint! We got their pulled duck Poutine too, with crackle, can't go wrong with that!<br />
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The chimneys were probably our favourite, and a bit hit among everyone there. We went early so no lines but I kept hearing about the long lineups later in the day.<br />
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A yummy combo we created on our own was Wickedly Sinful's #SmokeyMapleButterFries then grabbing a berry Chimney and just dipping the buttery, smokey, salty fries in ice cream and going back and forth between the two. Yep, we're a little kookie that way :D It was my husband's idea to try the fries, I don't know if I would have been drawn to them otherwise. Good call, Ben!</div>
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Food wise we got Untamed Chef's <span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">#thefreshprincecheesesteak a</span>nd Koi Gourmet Inc - Fried chicken on a sort of Paratha or green onion Pancake! Delicious!<br />
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Speaking of Paratha, is it the new food trend or something? I saw it almost all throughout, being served up by many trucks in different ways. How cool is that?!<br />
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So all in all there was lots of Mexican/Latin/Tacos... your "trendy trucks", many of them serving up stuff with an asian/Korean flare and then gourmet trucks, poutine, lots and lots of Poutine to choose from, PORK... everywhere and we stayed clear of it, a couple of vegetarian options and halal (need more halal!) and your standard fair/carnival treats.<br />
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We can't wait for next year! </div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-78492938367307770422016-08-05T16:47:00.001-05:002016-08-05T16:54:35.697-05:00Brunch Tomatoes <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So happy to be able to share this post! It's been pending as a draft since last summer and I was finally able to share.<br />
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This recipe is super fantastic! Easy, filling, yummy and you can do a lot of it ahead of time and cook all at once, it serves a bunch of people too and looks beautiful on your brunch table. The best part is that it's kind of a little meal and you can eat it all up, you got the egg, bread and tomato, flavour bomb!<br />
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<b>Brunch Tomatoes</b></div>
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- Large firm vine ripened or hot house <b>tomatoes</b>, hollow out and set in your baking dish</div>
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- <b>Bread croutons</b>, it's easy to make from scratch. You need about half a slice for one tomato so it's pretty simple, slice in squares and toss with a bit of olive oil and salt + pepper. Bake on 350 until lightly golden and crisped. </div>
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- Fave <b>herb</b>, I like using chives, or you can use parsley</div>
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-<b>Olive oil</b></div>
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-<b>Salt & Pepper</b></div>
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-Garlic, optional, try brushing the croutons with some fresh garlic or garlic butter.<br />
-Grated <b>cheese</b>, optional, Parmesan Reggiano or Peccorino Romano work nicely </div>
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-Fresh <b>Eggs</b>, one per each tomato</div>
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After hollowing out the tomatoes, place the insides in a sieve and squeeze the flesh to allow the juice to come out. You want a couple of tbsp of the juice to moisten the crisped bread croutons. </div>
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Mix the herb and cheese with the bread and fill the tomatoes. Drizzle a little extra EVOO</div>
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Bake in a glass dish on 450 for 15-20 minutes. Now remove out of your oven and break an egg in each one, if you need to remove some bread or create a little nest feel free to do so.<br /></div>
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Bake until egg is to your likeness. Garnish with more fresh herb. </div>
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Serve and enjoy! </div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-11971503232816908572016-07-16T23:31:00.001-05:002019-06-18T15:03:16.335-05:00Eid!!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="enog6-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="enog6-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="enog6-0-0"><br />Mum's Basbousa (Egyptian Syrup Semolina Cake) </span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1lgbe-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="1lgbe-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="8r11b-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8r11b-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8r11b-0-0">2/3 cup ghee (not melted)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="6fts5-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6fts5-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6fts5-0-0">1 cup sugar</span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="6t2li-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6t2li-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6t2li-0-0">1 cup yogurt</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="7h9h7-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7h9h7-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="7h9h7-0-0">1/3 cup milk</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6mr87-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6mr87-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="a8ac5-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="a8ac5-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="a8ac5-0-0">2 cups semolina (fine or coarse)</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="dhl3f-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="dhl3f-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="dhl3f-0-0">1 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="8bum0-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8bum0-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8bum0-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="5hu5v-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5hu5v-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="5hu5v-0-0"> Almonds for decor</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8ne3q-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8ne3q-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="7n6pq-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7n6pq-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="7n6pq-0-0">Syrup:</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="f2af0-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="f2af0-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="f2af0-0-0">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="cb35o-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cb35o-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="cb35o-0-0">1 3/4 cup water</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="1p6hh-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1p6hh-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="1p6hh-0-0">1 tbsp lemon juice</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="d8i3b-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d8i3b-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="d8i3b-0-0">(orange blossom water if desired - 1 tsp)</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9nhh-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="9nhh-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8iu1u-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8iu1u-0-0">Prep syrup by adding the water to a pot then the sugar into the middle of the water in the pot, DO NOT MIX. Bring it to a boil and it will bubble and sugar will dissolve ...continue cooking on medium high then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from burner and set aside.</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d5ani-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="d5ani-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3b0sf-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="3b0sf-0-0">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="6dv4f-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6dv4f-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6dv4f-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="cjlak-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cjlak-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="cjlak-0-0">BATTER: Mix sugar, yogurt and milk, and ghee in one bowl. Mix semolina, baking powder in another bowl. Cream all together </span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="3vheh-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3vheh-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="3vheh-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="13bbo-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="13bbo-0-0">Grease a pan 7x13 with ghee or butter. Pour batter mixture into pan..garnish with almonds and bake 40 to 45 minutes on highest rack.</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1bnts-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="1bnts-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cfbfi-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="cfbfi-0-0">After the 40-45 minutes set oven to Broil (2 minutes on low broiler) STAY IN THE KITCHEN AND KEEP CHECKING THAT IT DOESN'T BURN. ALMONDS CAN BURN EASILY.</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3vmde-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="3vmde-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5qtd-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="5qtd-0-0">Remove from oven and turn oven/broiler off.</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6c8c0-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6c8c0-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="f0spk-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="f0spk-0-0">Pour syrup over the basbousa cake using a spoon or ladel to evenly distribute. Place basbousa back into the warm oven (turned off!!) for 10 mins. This will help the syrup absorb. </span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="6cp3o-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6cp3o-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6cp3o-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="9qtij-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9qtij-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="9qtij-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="vqal-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="vqal-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="vqal-0-0">Let cool then serve, perfect to make the day ahead. Cover and seal cooled basbousa using foil until the next day, plastic wrap unfortunately clings to the top and may remove a layer or some of the almonds. </span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="t2ig-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="t2ig-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="t2ig-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7dg7i" data-offset-key="8so4o-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8so4o-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8so4o-0-0">Double the recipe for large pan</span></div>
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For baklava recipe refer to previous post <a href="http://www.adventuressheart.com/2014/07/baklawa-or-baklava-whichever-way-you.html">here </a><br />
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-15251051655497681532016-07-10T22:01:00.003-05:002019-06-18T14:56:58.705-05:00Anatolia Fest 2016 Toronto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-49792739185673082422016-06-29T12:34:00.000-05:002016-06-29T12:34:52.503-05:00Ma'moul for Eid <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ma'moul by Najat (From her Youtube video, typed out by me)<br />
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3 cup fine samolina (farina or cream of wheat)<br />
1/2 cup all purpose flour<br />
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1/8 tbsp salt<br />
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2 Sticks of butter, 1/2 pound of butter at room temp. (leave out 4 hours)<br />
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Mix soft butter with those ingredients until it's mealy and absorbed between your palms for 5 mins<br />
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cover and wrap for 6 hours on the counter, or in the fridge if you're in a hot country, take out an hour before use to become room tempt.<br />
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Date filling:<br />
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1/4 kilo date paste (1 packaged block)<br />
2 tbsp softened butter<br />
1 tbsp ground fennel<br />
1 tbsp groudn anise<br />
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1/2 tsp ground mahlab (toasted and ground)<br />
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some oil for oiling hands while rolling.<br />
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Toast all seeds, cool and grind before use.<br />
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Mix all together with hands until it's a dough like consistancy, roll into small balls.<br />
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*Optional flavourings to use are cinnamon, cloves, cardimon, or nutmeg.<br />
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Pistachio filling:<br />
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1 1/2 cup finely ground pistachio<br />
3/4 cup powdered sugar<br />
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1-1 1/2-2 cups orange blossom or rose water.. start with 1 tbsp and see how much is needed for it to come together as a dough.<br />
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Make little balls like with date paste.<br />
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Back to the dough:<br />
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After 6 hours leaving the samolina mixture,<br />
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Mix 1/2 tsp instant yeast over 3/4 cup warm water and 1/2 tsp sugar and let it sit until it proofs.<br />
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Add to samolina mixture:<br />
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2 tbsp powdered milk<br />
2 tsp ground mahleb<br />
1/2 tsp ground mystic (mestika)<br />
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Blend together well into mixture, slowly pour the yeast mixture into the grainy mixture until it comes together, never over knead the dough. Once it comes together and you can make a little patty then cover and let it rest for 15 minutes covered with plastic wrap.<br />
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Divide the dough into small balls (as many as the fillings you have)<br />
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Heat oven to 400 F <br />
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Keep everything covered with cling wrap while working.<br />
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Fill the dough balls with the filling and shape into desired shapes.<br />
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Seperate date and pistachio on seperate trays as pistachio cooks longer.<br />
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Bake as soon as they're ready, divide oven in 3rds using oven trays and put the first tray on the bottom rack for 7-8 mins.<br />
Once it takes a golden color remove and put on top rack another 5 mins to finish while adding new tray to bottom.<br />
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Remove and cool tray, as soon as cookies are able to be moved move them to cooling rack and once they're cold store away in a tupperware.<br />
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Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542967162859783757.post-57023740173013481262016-06-29T11:10:00.004-05:002017-03-15T22:28:22.742-05:00Gulab Jamun & Father's Day <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today we've got a special recipe for you because it's one that I vowed I'd never make...<br />
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My introduction to the Gulab Jamun goes way back to my days in kindergarten when I witnessed a classmate of mine pull this little golden brown morsel out of her backback and devour it at the lunch table. This must have intrigued me because - as kids do - I went home that day to tell my mother all about it. After that we set out to find out what it was and I think from what I recall I managed to point it out among the hundreds of variations of from the other sweets at a place called Shirin Mahal back in Peshawar. I was never much of a sweet person, things that were overly sweet or drenched in syrup made my tummy hurt but my mother became obsessed with them, to the point that I remember my father bringing home boxes of them because they were all she craved while she was pregnant with my younger sister. The gulab jamun was a big hit and later on from time to time my mother tells the story of how she tried to make them at home, and unfortuntely it resulted in utter failure so we came to the conclusion that it's "much better to just buy them anyway".</div>
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Years later I introduced them to my husband, ironically at a place called Shirin Mahal, which seems to be a chain throughout the general Toronto Area and with him having a sweet tooth it's no surprise that he instantly fell in love with them too.<br />
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As you all know I enjoy cooking and baking so the joke around here is whenever I ask my husband if he has any requests he says "Make me some Gulab Jamun" knowing that it's the one thing that I refuse to attempt after my mother's tale on how complicated they are to perfect.<br />
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I guess the moral of the story is "never say never" because this Ramadan I had a pot of oil sitting on the stove from frying some Luqumat which is a very special treat since I hardly ever deep fry and so I figured why not look up a recipe and surprise my husband for his very first father's day!<br />
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I picked up a bag of milk powder from the supermarket and when my husband noticed it in the kitchen he wondered what it was for because it's not something we ever buy. I jokingly told him it was for the baby to which he was more puzzled why we'd be feeding him powdered cow's milk when he's perfectly happy nursing... then I caved and told him I wanted to attempt to whip up a batch of Gulab Jamun. You can imagine how happy he was but if only it was as simple as it sounded.<br />
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I started making my first batch friday evening and couldn't believe how easy it was to whip up the dough because it's only 2 or so major ingredients! By time we started frying them we realized our mistake but proceeded to see how it would go ... then we realized our mistake, while they looked beautifully dark brown on the outside they were no where near cooked inside but we still continued to put them in the sugar syrup... and ... they were not absorbing anything. The next batch failed too ... and then another...<br />
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Three days later and 5 attempts and we finally had a result that was actually absorbing. Some mistakes I made was browning them too fast in hot oil, and also kneading the ingredients too much, or not adding enough moisture so it was a dry dough with cracks. We tried saving a few batches too by boiling them in syrup with extra water added and while they looked like they were puffing up eventually they would shrivel back to these tough gummy little nuggets. </div>
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I'd say the final batch was a success because we worked together and did a lot of research beforehand. Some of the things we learned was to make a light dough and my husband rolled the balls gently between greased palms while I fried them on a lower oil temperature (160ish, hard ball on the candy thermometer) very slowly until puffy and golden all around.</div>
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We put them in warm syrup and this time they absorbed all the way through and that's how we stored them as well, submerged. </div>
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I think once taken out of the syrup they can dry out a little bit to the desired texture but overall I'm very happy with how they turned out and we have one sitting out to check it's texture this evening. It was a very interesting learning experience. It's amazing how the simplest recipes are the hardest to perfect. </div>
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I can't wait to make an authentic - from scratch - version someday, that requires using whole milk and heating the milk down to a curd which is used instead of the more modern substitution of milk powder.<br />
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Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)</div>
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Recipe Source <a href="http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/gulab-jamun-easy-gulab-jamun-recipe/">VegRecipesofIndia </a></div>
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Sugar syrup:</div>
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2 cups water</div>
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1.5 cups sugar</div>
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3-4 green cardamoms, husked & crushed or powdered </div>
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Saffron or Rose water optional. </div>
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Mix the syrup ingredients and bring to a boil, cook for about 5-10 minutes on medium high until it's syrupy, but still light. Not thick like maple syrup or honey. If using rose water stir in at the end. Set aside, it's better if you have it warm or on a low flame and ready for the gulab jamun's which you would make immediately after.</div>
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Gulab Jamun:</div>
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1 cup milk powder</div>
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¼ cup all purpose flour</div>
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1 tsp oil or ½ tsp ghee</div>
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a pinch of salt </div>
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a pinch of baking soda</div>
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2 tbsp yogurt</div>
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Mix the dry ingredients and add the yogurt at the end, 1 tbsp at a time and see if it needs the full two tablespoons. It should not be a cracking dry dough, but moist enough and not sticking to your hands, mine was a little on the sticky side and we used oils palms to gently (VERY GENTLY) roll balls and set aside. All our other attempts yielded very dry balls. </div>
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Fry on low as mentioned above and keep tossing and turning them in the oil so they cook inside and outside. They will almost be fluffy like a cake donut tim bit (donut hole) and you can cut one open to test it if you need to. </div>
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Upon removing from the oil after they've browned put them into the syrup. We let them sit 2 hours and then transfered to a jar in the fridge, submerged in syrup. We allowed them to dry up a bit from the syrup by removing them and placing on a plate to drain before eating, even if the top is dry of syrup it is good as the syrup should absorb all throughout. </div>
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<br />Amatullah http://www.blogger.com/profile/15944700699681688759noreply@blogger.com0