Another sweet thing! “Katayef”

Katayef

Katayef are traditional sweets in the Arab world. They are very delicious yet not a very good support for dieting. Well, diet can wait a bit longer!! Enjoy the delicious recipe.

Calories: 10407 calories

Quantity: 24 piece

Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 6 cups of milk
• 3 cups fresh cream
• 3 cups cooked cream
• 3 cups of crushed walnut
• 1 cup of caster sugar
• 1 table spoon of rose water
• 2 table spoon of blossom water
• ½ cup of rose jam
• ½ cup of crushed peanuts
• 6 cups of cooking oil
• 3 cups of syrup

Ingredients of syrup

• 1 cup of sugar
• ½ teaspoon cup lemon juice
• 1 cup of water

Directions for syrup

Put the ingredients saucepan and mix together than leave it to boil on low heat. Then leave it to cool down and serve with sweets.

Directions for “Katayef”

1. Mix the flour and the yeast with the milk until we get a solid and soft dough. Than leave it until it doubles it size.
2. Fill a pastry bag with the dough and start pour small rings on a metal tray which is put on low heat.
3. The sizes of the rings are as liking.
4. After a minute, flip the rings with a spatula on the other side and leave them for few seconds than turn the heat off.
5. Mix the crushed walnut, caster sugar, rose water, and blossom water and spread them (teaspoon measure) in the middle of the dough.
6. Do the same with the cooked cream than fold the dough with the mix in it and close the joints. When done put the pieces in the hot oil until brown.
7. Spread the fresh cream on what is left of the dough and fold it from one part for the fresh cream to stay showing.
8. Spread the rose jam and the crushed peanut on the cream and the syrup is served aside.

Bon Appetit!

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Lebanese Dessert Time!

“Maamoul” are small shortbread pastries filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts. They are used on religious festivals in Lebanon, Christians eat them during Easter, and Muslims eat them during Ramadan. In Lebanon during religious festivals you find almost every family celebrating the joy of the feast preparing for the “maamoul”. It is a very common tradition particularly in Easter. Therefore, Easter in Lebanon will make you gain weight!

In this post, you will learn how to make “maamoul” with dates, pisctachios and walnuts.

Ingredients (3 ½ kg)

1- The dough

• 6 cups of semolina
• 1 cup of fine semolina
• 3 cups of butter
• 1 cup (or as liking) blossom water

2- The stuffing

• 2 cups of crushed walnut
• 2 cups of crushed pistachio
• 2 cups of date palm
• 3 cups of fine sugar
• 3 tablespoon blossom water
• ½ tablespoon rose water
• 3 cups of powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the semolina with the fine semolina and put the mix in a deep bowl.
2. Add liquid butter and mix them very well until we get a coherent mix.
3. Add blossom water and rose water and mix together until we get a soft coherent dough.

   

   step 1 -3

4. Put the dough aside and leave it for an hour.
5. We prepare the stuffing by putting a cup of fine sugar on each of the walnut, pistachio and date palm. Then distribute the blossom water and rose water on the walnut, pistachio and date palm.
6. We use different wooden molds to make “maamoul” to each of the three stuffing so can differentiate them later on.
7. Usually the wooden molds for the date palm is roundish, the walnut is in a pyramidal shape with round sides. The pistachio is an oval shape.
8. We put teaspoon balls of the dough in our hand and press on it a little, than put stuffing in it and form a shape of a ball again.
9. We spray fine semolina before starting in the mold. We put each ball in the relative wooden molds, and press a little. The ball should fill the mold.

   

   step 8-9

10. We put the “maamoul” pieces on a tray and put it in the oven: 200 degrees for the small pieces- 210 degrees for the big pieces- until they are coloured and the dough is ripen.
11. When done, we put the pieces until they freshen. Than spray the “maamoul” pieces with the powdered sugar except for the date palm.

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Grape Leaves.

Stuffed grape leaves is a basic meal in the Lebanese cuisine. It is very common in the Middle East, and it consists of Grape Leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables. In every occasion, this delicious meal is a must; whether on a wedding, lunch gathering or dinner you can find stuffed grape leaves as an essential plate on the table.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ kg grape leaves
• 1 ½ rice
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups of tomatoes chopped very fine
• 1 cup of parsley chopped very fine
• Salt and pepper to your liking

Instructions (60 minutes)

1. Wash the grape leaves, than boil them until the grape leaves are ripen.
2. Wash the rice, than soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain the rice afterwards, than mix with the parsley, tomatoes, olive oil and half cup of the lemon juice.
3. Fill every grape leave with a little of the mix and roll them in the shape of a finger.
4. Put potato slices in the bottom of the cooker to serve as a protector from the heat. Then put the grape leaves in the cooker.
5. Soak the grape leaves in boiling water and add the second half of the lemon juice to it. Put a plate on the grape leaves while in the cooker to maintain the shape of the grape leaves.
6. Boil the grape leaves on medium temperature for half an hour.
7. Arrange Leaves on a platter and serve with lemon slices.

Bon Appetit!

Goodbye Iron deficiency!!

Today’s recipe is for “Mejadara”. It is a traditional Lebanese dish and it is known for the healthy benefits of it. We all suffer from the iron deficiency in our body, and tablets are supposed to be the solution for the problem. However, in my country we try to enhance vitamins and iron levels by eating healthy food such as “Mejadara”. Doctors recommend it along with other dishes to the people suffering from iron deficiency. It is a delicious dish and easy to make!

Below is the recipe, with each step there is a photo attached.

Ingredients (6 persons)

• 2 cups of lentil
• 1 cup rice
• 2 onions
• 2 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup olive oil

Instructions (60 minutes)

1- Boil the lentils almost 45 minutes or more until they are ripen

Step 1

2-  10 minutes before the lentils are ripen, chop the onions very fine or put them in the processor

Step 2

3- Put the olive oil in the frying pan, with the onions, fry them until the onions become red

Step 3

4- Put the rice in the frying pan with the onions for a minute and mix

Step 4

5- Put the rice and the onions mixed with the lentils for 10 minutes

Results

You can have salad on the side with this dish or yogurt. Lebanese usually don’t have the “Mejadara” alone. Some have olives in the dish as well.

Bon Appetit!

First step into lebanese cuisine: Tabbouli, Baba Ghanouj and Kebbe.

Instead of using different kind of sauces, we concentrate on herbs and spices to enhance fresh ingredients. Mint, parsley, oregano, garlic, nutmeg and cinnamon are used as traditional seasonings in the Lebanese cuisine. The Lebanese diet consists of fresh fruits rather than meats, and flat bread at nearly every meal. The Lebanese includes ingredients that are fresh, natural, organic and low in fat. In addition, olive oil is used instead of butter or cream. Lebanese cuisine can help you maintain a better and healthy lifestyle. When there is a gathering, the Lebanese people concentrate on the quality and the quantity of food to demonstrate their generosity.

Lebanese are not satisfied with one main dish, they always present a variety of food whether while having lunch or dinner. The traditional salad “Tabbouli”, together with “Baba Ghannouj” and “Kebbe” are considered part of the Lebanese culture.

Tabbouli contains lots of Vitamin K, and iron.

1- Tabbouli

Ingredients of Tabbouli (4 persons)

• 3 Bunches of Parsley
• 3 medium sized Tomatoes
• 2 medium sized Onions
• ¾ Cup fine wheat crush
• ¼ cup Lemon Juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ or 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions (15 minutes)

• Chop the parsley very fine and make sure there’s no strings attached or yellow leaves.
• Cut the tomatoes into very small cubes.
• Chop the onions into very small cubes.
• Wash the wheat crush twice, and drain it, than combine all ingredients and mix well.

2- Baba Ghanouj

Ingredients of Baba Ghannouj (4 persons)

• 2 Whole Egg Plants
• ½ Cup Tahini / ½ cup Lemon Juice
• Salt to your liking
• 2 Tea spoons crushed garlic

Instructions (25 minutes)

• Wash the egg plants, than with the head of the knife poke the egg plants in few places.
• Put the egg plants in the oven until the egg plants ripen, or grill them.
• Peel the egg plants under cold water, after peeling put in the drainer for 15 minutes.
• Put the egg plants in the processor with Tahini, Lemon Juice, crushed garlic and salt.
• When done, serve on a plate with a touch of olive oil to garnish.

3- Kebbe

Ingredients of Kebbe (8 persons)

• 1 kg of raw minced beef
• 2 cups of fine wheat crush
• 3 table spoons of brushed Onions
• Salt and pepper as liking

Instructions (30 minutes)

• To start with, have a bowl with cold water to put your hands in because when preparing meat the temperature changes.
• Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together.
• When done, serve with olive oil as liking.

Bon Appetit !