Archive for April, 2008

Dark Chocolate Chips Mango Sorbet without ice-cream maker

 

Summer is coming. We, here start to get this nice mangoes supplies from Palestine. Mango is one of my favorite fruits and ice cream is one of my favorite food (is it food or drink? or duo drink and food? anyway just a thought, genius who “invented” ice cream 🙂 ) so what could be better than having both of my favorites.

 

This recipe is adapted from here for this food blog event, with a little adjusment to my appetite 😉 and to me not having an “ice maker” .

Update:

      

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and cubed 
  • 1cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from 1 medium lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons thick yoghurt  (lebaneh)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips

Instructions

 Boil sugar and water until it becomes syrup (thick liquid).
Puree mangoes, syrup, lemon juice and yoghurt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to freezing container and  freeze  for 2-3 hours. Replace the mix into the blender, and crush, repeat this action one more time after another 2-3 hours and then mix in the dark chocolate chips. Cover and place in the freezer for at least 2 hour, or up to 1 week. Garnish with twists of lime peel or small lime wedges.

Easy Tuna pie


I was invited for a potluck brunch today, but I just decided to go on last minute last night, so I had this idea of recipe in my half sleeping mind.  What I know is that I needed something quick/easy (as always) and not sweet, because I wouldn’t have much time for preparation (my friend was gonna pick me up at 09.30 am) and people usually bring their best baking sweets for potluck brunch, (you’ll end up with “millions” of sweets and 1or 2 savories) I wanted to bring something different.

I made this pie recipe that actually you can use it for Quiche too, if you make half of the recipe.

Ingredients

Base dough

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 (1stick) butter
  • 2 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt

 mix all the ingredients, let it rest in the fridge, while preparing the toppings.

 

 Toppings

  • 1 onion (sliced)
  • 3 tbs crème fraîche
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 big tomato (diced)
  • salt and black pepper
  • 195 gr tuna

Directions

Saute for 1-2 mins the onion, tuna and tomato with butter in a pan, season with salt and pepper.

Let cool down a little then add the “crème fraîche” , mix and set aside.

Take the base dough out of the fridge and spread out with a roller. Put it in the mold and prick it with a fork (to avoid inflation). Pour in the toppings and bake for 25 mins at 220°C.

Something chocolate and something cheesy

Just like the title, craving  for something chocolate and something easy cheesy 🙂

Found this brownies recipe on DELISH, completly “mouthwater”ed so then to the kitchen I went 🙂

Cream Cheese Layered Brownies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Cream Cheese Swirl
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

Make Swirl: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 1 Tbsp butter in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in egg, 1 Tbsp flour and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Set mixture aside.

Make Brownies: In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder.

Spread 2/3 of chocolate batter in prepared pan. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over chocolate batter. Spoon remaining chocolate batter over top of cream cheese mixture. Using tip of knife, gently swirl through batter, forming marble design. Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Cool brownies in pan on rack. Cut into squares.

Quick Paella

I don’t know why (maybe because summer season is coming) yesterday I got this spanish blues … missing living in Spain, missing eating “tapas”, missing walking around the “La rambla”, Anyhow as now is also the “shrimps” season in middle east, so last night I bought some nice fresh tiger shimps and today I made  “Paella” to heal my spanish blues just a little. 😉

My paella is an easy-quick recipe, I don’t many kinds of sea food (they used to throw all kinds of “frutas del mar” into paella) just wanted to make it simple by only using shrimps, and I dont have this special paella pan either,so I used a normal saute pan with lid 🙂

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 250 gr shrimps 
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 big tomato (diced) 
  • 1 pack of chicken stock (maggie)
  •  salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup frozen mix carrot and peas, thawed
  • lemon juice (optional)
  • Directions

    1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until just pink on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes (do not overcook). Transfer to a plate.
    2. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan; then add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rice; cook, stirring to coat, until rice is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
    3. Stir in chicken stock, turmeric, tomatoes, and water, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in peas and carrots; season with salt and pepper.
    4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add in shrimps, cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed almost all liquid, 20 to 25 minutes, serve immediately. Springkle some lemon juice over the top before eating (optional)

    Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar

     

    Everytime I bought new kitchen “things” I just want to try it right away, today I bought a silicone baking mat and a silicone spatula from lekue, so in my head there is only one thought ” baking cookies!”. As I checked my kitchen drawers, I realized that i don’t have brown sugar, so I “google”, and I found this Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Chocolate Chips recipe…  what??? Chocolate Chip Without Chocolate Chip how come?… then it was not that special but at least I found out that u can use honey instead of brown sugar and it will even smells sweeter 😉

    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
    • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1 1/4 cups butter

    DIRECTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
    2. Cream the butter with the sugar and the honey. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and baking soda. Stir in the chopped candy bars and chopped walnuts.
    3. Place teaspoon sized cookies about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

    recipe taken from : http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-Without-Chocolate-Chips/Detail.aspx