Falafel

Falafel is a vegetrian middlee astern fritter which can be eaten as a snack or served as a part of a mezze. Falafel is enjoyed by many people world wide and is a very popular street food, it is served in Khobiz drizzled with tahini sauce. Falafel can be made at home using a grinder or food processer.

Here are some pictures to illustrate the falafel making process:

Put all of your ingredients except the oil and baking powder and soda in the food processor bowl or in the feeding tray of the grinder.

Grinding the ingredients...

The falafel mixture...

Source: adapted from Anahids gourmet cook book

Ingredients:

1/2         kg           chickpeas, soaked in water overnight

1/2         bunch   parsley

1/4         bunch   mint

1/4         bunch   cilantro

1              med       onion, chopped

1/2         tsp          dry coriander

1/2         tsp          falafel spices

½-1         tbsp       salt

Oil to fry the falafel

1/4         tsp          baking soda

1/2         tsp          baking powder

Directions:

1.       Wash and drain the chickpeas after they have been soaked overnight for at least 12 hrs and set aside.

2.       Chop the parsley, mint and cilantro and add to the chick peas.

3.       Add the garlic, onions, salt, cumin, dry coriander, and falafel spices.

4.       Process this mixture or grind in a grinder, to obtain a sticky and soft batter. Let the mixture rest for an hour.

5.       Stir the batter again and just before frying, add the baking soda and baking powder.

6.       Dip a falafel scoop in water and plunge scoop inside batter. If using hands, wet hands with water, take some batter and form semi-flat balls, bigger than walnuts.

7.       Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan and fry the falafel until crisp and golden.

Taratour(Tahini Sauce):

1/2-2/3 cup         tahini

1              cup         water

Juice of 1 lemon

½             tsp          salt

To make the taratour:

Dilute the tahini with water and lemon juice, add the salt and blend to get a smooth sauce.

 

Grapefruit Yoghurt Cake

This is a recipe that you will come across on many blogs on the net and that's because it is a wonderful and very simple recipe that yields a very light cake. This recipe is  by Ina Garten a.k.a 'The Barefoot Contessa'. This is the first recipe i've tried of Inas' and it is absolutely great, very simple and yields amazing results. If you love grapefruit like i do, give this recipe a whirl and you will not be disappointed.


Recipe: Grapefruit Yoghurt Cake
Source: Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt ( i used low fat)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest (approximately one large grapefruit)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan. (i used PAM)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and grapefruit juice and pour over the cake.

Lemon Currant Drops

 

 

Sweet lemony treats with dried currants. These cookies tasted good and lemony but i would like to reduce the amount of sugar next time around as i thought they were a bit too sweet for me. The original cookie recipes calls for orange and dried cranberries but i decided to change to lemon as i prefer it over orange and i didn't have enough cranberries so i went with currants and i liked how that combination turned out.

Lemon Currant Drops

Source: All recipes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dried currants

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F(190 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Stir in the egg, lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix into the lemon mixture. Stir in the dried currants. Drop cookie dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are starting to brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pear-Filled Bundt Cake

Last weekend i felt like baking a cake with pears in it... why pears? u ask , well.... because i bought a can of pears and decided to use it somehow so, i decided on a cake. I got this recipe from Taste Of Home and i really like the way it turned out. I enjoyed eating this cake along side my afternoon tea.

Recipe: Pear Filled Bundt Cake
Source: Taste Of Home
Serves: 16-20 ( i would say 12-16 since i prefer bigger slices)
Ingredients:

         Cake:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup orange juice ( i didn't have any so, i used milk)
• 
  Filling:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup diced peeled ripe pear
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4-1/2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

       Glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2-1/4 teaspoons orange juice ( i didn't have any so, i used milk)
• sliced almonds, for decorating

Directions:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with orange juice.
• Pour half of the batter into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Combine the filling ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Top with remaining batter. Smooth top with a spatula.
• Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
• Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cake and decorate with sliced almonds. 

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Mmmmmmm.... chocolate mint brownies what a wonderful combinations, i love mint, seriously!!! Mint tea, After eigh mints, york peppermint patties, Andes mints, mint lemonade.... get the drift, i love mint. This is a great recipe and definitely one i will be making again and again and again... if you love mint, just give this recipe a whirl. I actually found this recipe on a blog and printed it out so i could try and guess what when i got all the ingredients ready , i was reading the recipes on the hershey's chocolate chips bag and found it there too!!!


Chocolate Mint Brownies
Source: The Kitchenarian
Ingredients:

Brownie Layer:1   cup   sugar
½  cup   butter, softened
4           eggs
1   cup   all-purpose flour
½  tsp   salt
2  cups  Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1 tsp      vanilla extract

Mint Layer:2 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ cup butter, softened
4 tablespoons Crème de Menthe

Chocolate Layer:6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
6 tablespoons butter


Directions:

Brownie layer: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, flour, salt, chocolate syrup and vanilla. Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Mint layer: Combine confectioner’s sugar, butter and Crème de Menthe. Stir until smooth. Spread on cooled cake. Refrigerate until this layer is set.

Chocolate layer: Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Let cool slightly and spread on cake. Refrigerate until this top layer is set. Cut into small squares and serve.