Chicken
Shawarma
Serves 4
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Slice the chicken.. Marinate using all the above
ingredients for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Put the chicken
with the marinade in an oven tray and bake covered in a hot oven
for 30 mins, turning once. Uncover and put back in the oven for
5 more minutes, or till the chicken is well cooked. If desired,
pour out the fat for a healtier option. Serve with sliced tomatoes,
onions, and chopped parsley, rolled in a pitta bread topped with
Tarator, hummus
and Toum.
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Thursday, 17 May 2012
Chicken Shawarma
Falafel
Falafel is very popular in the Middle
East as a fast food. Vendors sell it on the street corners in Cairo. As a
main dish, it is served as a sandwich, stuffed in pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini. As an appetizer, it is served on a salad, or with hummus and tahini. Falafel is a favorite among vegetarians.
In Egypt, McDonald's has their version of a falafel sandwich. Can you guess the name? McFalafel, of course.
No time to make your own falafel? Check out our favorite falafel mixes.
In Egypt, McDonald's has their version of a falafel sandwich. Can you guess the name? McFalafel, of course.
No time to make your own falafel? Check out our favorite falafel mixes.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dried chickpeas or 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil for frying
Preparation:
Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. Omit this step if using canned beans.Drain chickpeas, and place in pan with fresh water, and bring to a boil.
Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then let simmer on low for about an hour.
Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour.
Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.
Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.
Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (5-7 minutes).
Serve hot.
Umm ali
Umm ali
Ingredients
250g baked and crushed puff pastry
50g sliced almonds, plus some extra for sprinkling on top
30g chopped pistachios
30g chopped pine nuts
30g chopped sultanas
30g chopped apricots
Zest from one orange
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cardamom pods
400ml whipping cream
200ml milk
50g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
Method
• Bake the puff pastry according to the instructions on the packet (15-20 minutes at 220 degrees C/428 degrees F)
• Cut the puff pastry into small squares and place in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle in the nuts and dried fruit.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C/482 degrees F.
• Put 200ml of the cream, plus the milk, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla pod (cut and scrape the seeds out)into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour through a sieve over the pastry in the bowl. Tidy up the pastry so that it is all covered by teh cream.
• Leave to soak for five minutes.
• Whip the remaining 200 ml of cream and spoon onto the creamy pastry mix.
• Bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.
• Scatter some nuts over the top.
• Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Fattoush
Fattoush
Serves 4Ingredients
2 Arabic flatbreads, toasted and cut into bite-sized pieces
8 leaves of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 scallions, sliced, white parts only
1 cucumber, diced
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
¼ cup fresh parsley, diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tbsp ground sumac
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
• Preaheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C
• Toast Arabic bread for five to 10 minutes or until crisp, then break into bite-sized pieces.
• In a large bowl, toss together pita, romaine lettuce, scallion, cucumber and tomatoes.
• In a separate bowl, mix the parsley, garlic, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and mint. Pour over the pita mixture and toss just before serving.
Smoothie Health Tips
Smoothie Health Tips
Green smoothies are an
ideal fat burning food as they are nutrient-rich, loaded with fiber and
low in fat. However, there is an art to making a weight loss smoothie.
These seven tips will help you create the perfect weight loss shake.
Tip #1: Avoid using dairy products in your smoothies. This includes otherwise “healthy foods” like yogurt and milk. You can get enough calcium from other fruit and vegetables that you don’t need to add milk or yogurt. These foods contain excess fat, hormones and other additives that may sabotage our efforts to lose weight. Use 2-3 cups of dandelion greens or kale along with oranges, kiwi, figs and a tablespoon of chia seeds to make a smoothie that has more calcium than a glass of milk.
Tip #2: Limit the amount of fat you add to your smoothie. This includes healthy fats like coconuts and avocados. Too much fat and fruit in the same smoothie might cause gas and bloating. It may also interfere with your body’s ability to utilize the carbohydrates in the fruit and could cause weight gain. I always recommend limiting the fat in your smoothie to no more than a tablespoon of chia or flax seeds, or at most 1/8 avocado. When it comes to green smoothies, low fat (and high carbohydrates) is key for weight loss.
Tip #3: Try to use very little to no sweeteners. Refined and concentrated, processed sugar will hinder your ability to lose weight. Ripe bananas or other sweet, ripe fruit will sweeten your smoothies without presenting a problem for weight loss. Agave syrup, table sugar, honey and other concentrated sugars will turn a healthy, weight loss smoothie into a sugar bomb. If you absolutely must add a sweetener to your smoothie, try dates. However, wean yourself off of them as soon as you can since dates are a dried food with concentrated sugars.
Tip #4: Avoid using store-bought fruit juices or plant milks. These processed drinks are full of added sugars and preservatives. If you want fruit juice in your smoothie, squeeze your own juice from fresh citrus or make your own almond milk. It’s very easy to make rice, almond, hemp or even coconut milk with your blender and a strainer or nut milk bag.
Tip #5: Avoid canned or packaged foods. Fresh fruits, vegetables and dark leafy greens are packed full of fiber, naturally water rich, and full of micronutrients that boost your metabolism. If you are looking to save money, buy frozen fruits or buy fresh in bulk and freeze them yourself. Avoid canned fruit as it is often soaked in syrup and nutritionally inferior to fresh fruit.
Tip #6: Minimize the amount of powders in your smoothies. It’s okay to add a quality hemp or rice protein powder which can help you lose weight, but you do not need to add lots of powered greens and superfoods. The problem with all those powders is that the water has been removed from them and they are no longer a whole food. Focus on using whole foods for weight loss and avoid gimmicky supplements and expensive pharmaceutical-grade superfood supplements.
Tip #7: Don’t rely only on green smoothies for weight loss. Green smoothies can certainly help you lose eight, but an long-term change in diet and lifestyle will give you the health results you are after for life. Instead of thinking of a “green smoothie diet“, consider green smoothies as a part of a healthy, plant-based diet that helps you lose weight and maintain your ideal size and shape. Weight Loss Smoothie Foods All fruits and vegetables are going to be great for weight loss, but there are a few that stand out in the crowd. Foods that are low in calories and high in fiber are going to kickstart weight loss.
Some of the best ingredients to add to your weight loss smoothies are grapefruit, pumpkin (pumpkin that is cooked and cooled will have more pumpkin flavor than raw pumpkin), kale, apples (with skin), blueberries, pomegranates, chia seeds, raspberries, pears (with skin), strawberries, bananas, oranges, broccoli, celery, cucumber, carrots and all leafy greens. Weight Loss Smoothie Ratio A good ratio of fruits to greens that I recommend for weight loss is this: 2 cups of fruit to 3 to 4 cups of greens and 1 cup of water. Add additional veggies if desired. The following low-calorie, fiber-rich smoothie recipes use this ratio.
Tip #1: Avoid using dairy products in your smoothies. This includes otherwise “healthy foods” like yogurt and milk. You can get enough calcium from other fruit and vegetables that you don’t need to add milk or yogurt. These foods contain excess fat, hormones and other additives that may sabotage our efforts to lose weight. Use 2-3 cups of dandelion greens or kale along with oranges, kiwi, figs and a tablespoon of chia seeds to make a smoothie that has more calcium than a glass of milk.
Tip #2: Limit the amount of fat you add to your smoothie. This includes healthy fats like coconuts and avocados. Too much fat and fruit in the same smoothie might cause gas and bloating. It may also interfere with your body’s ability to utilize the carbohydrates in the fruit and could cause weight gain. I always recommend limiting the fat in your smoothie to no more than a tablespoon of chia or flax seeds, or at most 1/8 avocado. When it comes to green smoothies, low fat (and high carbohydrates) is key for weight loss.
Tip #3: Try to use very little to no sweeteners. Refined and concentrated, processed sugar will hinder your ability to lose weight. Ripe bananas or other sweet, ripe fruit will sweeten your smoothies without presenting a problem for weight loss. Agave syrup, table sugar, honey and other concentrated sugars will turn a healthy, weight loss smoothie into a sugar bomb. If you absolutely must add a sweetener to your smoothie, try dates. However, wean yourself off of them as soon as you can since dates are a dried food with concentrated sugars.
Tip #4: Avoid using store-bought fruit juices or plant milks. These processed drinks are full of added sugars and preservatives. If you want fruit juice in your smoothie, squeeze your own juice from fresh citrus or make your own almond milk. It’s very easy to make rice, almond, hemp or even coconut milk with your blender and a strainer or nut milk bag.
Tip #5: Avoid canned or packaged foods. Fresh fruits, vegetables and dark leafy greens are packed full of fiber, naturally water rich, and full of micronutrients that boost your metabolism. If you are looking to save money, buy frozen fruits or buy fresh in bulk and freeze them yourself. Avoid canned fruit as it is often soaked in syrup and nutritionally inferior to fresh fruit.
Tip #6: Minimize the amount of powders in your smoothies. It’s okay to add a quality hemp or rice protein powder which can help you lose weight, but you do not need to add lots of powered greens and superfoods. The problem with all those powders is that the water has been removed from them and they are no longer a whole food. Focus on using whole foods for weight loss and avoid gimmicky supplements and expensive pharmaceutical-grade superfood supplements.
Tip #7: Don’t rely only on green smoothies for weight loss. Green smoothies can certainly help you lose eight, but an long-term change in diet and lifestyle will give you the health results you are after for life. Instead of thinking of a “green smoothie diet“, consider green smoothies as a part of a healthy, plant-based diet that helps you lose weight and maintain your ideal size and shape. Weight Loss Smoothie Foods All fruits and vegetables are going to be great for weight loss, but there are a few that stand out in the crowd. Foods that are low in calories and high in fiber are going to kickstart weight loss.
Some of the best ingredients to add to your weight loss smoothies are grapefruit, pumpkin (pumpkin that is cooked and cooled will have more pumpkin flavor than raw pumpkin), kale, apples (with skin), blueberries, pomegranates, chia seeds, raspberries, pears (with skin), strawberries, bananas, oranges, broccoli, celery, cucumber, carrots and all leafy greens. Weight Loss Smoothie Ratio A good ratio of fruits to greens that I recommend for weight loss is this: 2 cups of fruit to 3 to 4 cups of greens and 1 cup of water. Add additional veggies if desired. The following low-calorie, fiber-rich smoothie recipes use this ratio.
Tabouli Salad
Tabouli Salad
The
Arabic Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Arabic Recipes and Middle
Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Tabouli Salad Recipe. Enjoy
Arabic Food and learn how to make an easy dish of traditional tabouli
salad.
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup burghul (cracked wheat)
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (see note)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (see note)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
DIRECTION:
1. Place burghul, tomato and lemon juice in a bowl. Stand, covered, for 30 minutes or until burghul has softened.
2. Add parsley, mint, onion and oil to burghul mixture. Stir to combine. Serve.
Tip: Tabouli is best made as close to serving time as possible. You will need 2 large bunches parsley and 1 bunch mint. You can find burghul in the health food section of the supermarket.
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (see note)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (see note)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
DIRECTION:
1. Place burghul, tomato and lemon juice in a bowl. Stand, covered, for 30 minutes or until burghul has softened.
2. Add parsley, mint, onion and oil to burghul mixture. Stir to combine. Serve.
Tip: Tabouli is best made as close to serving time as possible. You will need 2 large bunches parsley and 1 bunch mint. You can find burghul in the health food section of the supermarket.
Fried Tomatoes with Garlic
Palestine and Jordan
Note: Do not try to cook more than two servings at a time or the tomatoes will end up overcooked. This type of tomato appetizer is great scooped up onto Arabic bread.
Serves 4.
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 small hot pepper, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 large, firm tomatoes, thickly sliced
Note: Do not try to cook more than two servings at a time or the tomatoes will end up overcooked. This type of tomato appetizer is great scooped up onto Arabic bread.
Serves 4.
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