Friday Family Feast

What a fabulous time!!

A sit down lunch with grandma, feasting on Egyptian and middle eastern favourites like "fattah" (casserole of toasted bread moistened with chicken broth and layered with yogurt and white rice, then the meaty parts of the chicken get layered all over the top and finally a "sauce" of butter and sauteed garlic with a drop of vinegar is sprinkled evenly all over the top)

We also had a casserole of layered potatoes and chicken drum sticks, mmmmm and for dessert the most beautiful sprinkle party cake.

My sisters did an amazing job of baking the white cakes, and we made the swiss buttercream together then one of my sisters (who is such a perfectionist) iced it all to -PERFECTION- and finally it got a sprinkling of little colourful dots.

The cake was gone very fast, that's for sure!!

For the recipe please refer to Honey and Jam


We used her lovely white cake recipe and layered it white swiss meringue buttercream and then frosted the entire cake.

I'm pretty sure my sister omitted the raspberry and lemon juice from the frosting and we went with her recipe too. It was smooth, fluffy and lovely!




It was a gorgeous day, the view was AMAZING from the balcony and our little pet pigeon was really interested in what was happening at the table, he had his own treats of course :)

Simple and delicious

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.

Here is a healthy but satisfying dessert of fruit and whipped cream to enjoy on a lovely summer afternoon or as a light dessert at your next get together.

1. Add your favourite berries (or any fruit) into pretty bowls.

2. Pour some chilled heavy cream into a bowl, a few tbsp of powder sugar and a splash of vanilla.

I highly recommend doing it by hand, it's fun and a little work out. I also take a step outside to do this in case it splashes a bit.

Whisk it up until it comes together into a nice soft cream, should not curdle or be too "heavy"

3. Now spoon it onto your fruits and maybe garnish with some mint if you like.

If you want to mix some yogurt into the cream that's fine too or do it with yogurt alone (some honey to sweeten?) for a super healthy version.

Enjoy! :)

Quite a treat

Link

Pink Turnip Pickles (Arabic & English)

مخلل اللفت و الشمندر
المقادير:


5 ملعقة كبيرة ملح خشن ( ملح ذو الحبوب الكبيره )
من ملعقة طعام الى اثنان خل
ملعقة صغيره سكر
لتر ماء
حبة شمندر ( بنجر ) لكل لتر من ماء التخليل
لفت


الطريقة:

- قطعي اللفت حسب الرغبة , قطعي الشمندر أيضاً حسب الذوق .
- تحضير ماء التخليل :
- امزجي السكر و الخل و الماء .
- اضيفي الملح بالتدريج . ضعي ملعقة من الملح و قلبي ليذوب الملح , و لمعرفة المقدار المناسب من الملح احضري بيضه نظيفة و ضعيها في الماء المملح ستلاحظين أنها ستكون في اسفل المرطبان الزجاجى و سترتفع كلما اضفت ملعقة جديدة من الملح , اضيفي ملعقة أخرى من الملح و حركي و هكذا حتى تصل البيضة إلى منتصف المرطبان الزجاجي وليس اكثر والا اصبح المخلل مالحا جداً .
- اضيفي اللفت و حبة الشمندر و اغلقي المرطبان باحكام لمدة اسبوعان .

Pickled Turnip and beet

5 tbsp coarse pickling salt

between 1 - 2 big eating tbsp of vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 beet (per each litre of water) I used 2, that's 1 per jar

Turnips ** I used 4

Directions:

Cut the Turnips and beets in whichever way you desire.

Prepare the brine for pickling:

- Mix sugar and vinegar and water

- Add salt little by little, so 1 tbsp at a time (mixing to dissolve)

To know the proper amount of salt in the water bring a raw clean egg (in it's shell) and gently lower it into the water.

The egg will start off at the bottom, making it's way up in the water with the more salt you add into the brine.

It should neither float nor silk, so it should be suspended in the middle of the jar, any higher and it would be too salty.

- Add your root vegetables (Turnip and Beet) into the jar and seal the jar (close) and let sit on the counter for 2 weeks (then transfer into the fridge) and enjoy!!

** For a twist, add garlic cloves, or even hot chili peppers in the jar.

Translated recipe by me, originally posted here

Update: I opened one of the jars to check on it because the water level was a bit high and it was like opening a bottle of pop that has been shaken, so beware, let the gasses slowly be released before opening (remember turnips are like cabbage, gassy vegetables)
The salt level was perfect but they weren't crispy yet, they did get limper and lose water so there was more room in the jar due to the shrinking of the veg.

These are not your regular pickled beets in a can or jar, they are not previously boiled so they are crisp and delicious. You may recognize the pink turnips from the last shawarma sandwich you picked up from a Middle eastern place.

Easy to make and so good, a condiment staple in every Arabic house.