Our secret recipe to bake a yummy Arabic bread

Arabic Bread
Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon milk powder
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons soft butter
1¾ cup water

Preparation

- Preheat the oven to 450 °C.
- Mix flour, sugar, salt, yeast and milk powder.
- Add butter and stir well and then knead with water.
- Cut the dough into rounded pieces and spread.
- Bake in the preheated oven on a hot stone for 8 minutes until it rises.

The dough can be filled in many ways:
1
- Spread the dough and shape like a circle.
- Garnish the dough with yellow cheese, tomato, olive oil and thyme on a shape of a rose.
- Place in a preheated oven to 450 °C until it is baked then serve hot.
2
- Cut the bread straight across into two pieces, top and bottom.
- Put Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, or layers of Mozzarella and chicken pieces and fold with the crust.
- Place on a hot greased pan and turn when browned.
- Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a medium oven until warm.
3
- Garnish the bread with tomato rings, cheese, thyme and olive oil.
- Bake in a medium oven until done.

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Semolina Cake in Chocolate Cups with whipped cream

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter, for greasing pan
¾ cup milk
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 ⅓ cups sugar
2 ½ cups semolina flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup melted, clarified butter
1 ½ cups candied fruits (optional)
⅓ cup shredded coconut
Hot Sugar Syrup
1¼ cup melted dark chocolate, for the cups
Whipped cream or golden Meringue for garnish

Method
● Preheat oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Grease a rectangular cake pan (20 x 30cm /
8x12in) with butter. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
● In a large bowl, combine milk, yogurt and sugar; stir to completely dissolve sugar. In another bowl, mix semolina flour, baking powder, and vanilla; add to the milk mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in clarified butter until smooth. Add candied fruits and coconut and mix well. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth surface.
● Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden.
● Remove cake pan from oven. Turn off oven, pour warm syrup over cake and return to oven. Close oven door halfway, and let cake and oven cool.
● Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate cups: Fill a cupcake liner with about 1 tablespoon melted chocolate. Use a small spoon to cover bottom and sides of liner with chocolate, pouring off any excess. Repeat with remaining liners, returning all to pans. Refrigerate pans and liners until firm.
● Gently peel off liners and arrange cups on a serving plate. Scoop basbousa into chocolate cups and garnish with whipped cream or golden meringue.

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Lokaymat (Saffron Bites)

Ingredients
1 teaspoon active yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ½ cups warm water
½ teaspoon saffron
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
3½ cups all-purpose flour
Oil for deep frying
Cane or date molasses, to serve
Sesame , to garnish

Method
● In a small bowl dissolve yeast and sugar in ½ cup water, and leave for 5 minutes until foamy.
● Infuse saffron in ½ cup water and put aside.
● Beat egg and oil with the remaining water, in an electric mixer, on medium speed.
● Add yeast mixture and saffron, continue beating until well combined.
● Add flour gradually, and knead after each addition, to have well combined batter.
● Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
● Heat oil over medium heat. Alongside the bowl of batter, have a small bowl of oil.
● Take some batter (the size of pistachio) with the tip of a small spoon. Using another oiled small spoon, carefully slip batter from spoon into hot oil. (It will puff into a larger ball).
● Deep fry until golden brown, turning to brown evenly.
● Drain on a paper towel, serve with cane or date molasses or sprinkle some sesame to garnish

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Malban (Turkish Delight )

Ingredients
2 cups water
½ cup cornstarch
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons rose water
Red food coloring
Large amount of powdered sugar and cornstarch

Method
● Bring ¾ cup of the water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and set aside.
● In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1¼ cups water. Place pan over medium heat and gradually add the boiled water, whisking constantly, until well combined. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar all at once, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved. Gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add rose water and few drops of red food coloring. Stir until combined.
● Mix powdered sugar and cornstarch and place half the mixture in a baking dish. Spread cooked sugar mixture in an even layer over the top. Let cool for a while, then cover with another large amount of sugar-cornstarch mixture. Let cool completely.
● Using an oiled knife, cut Malban into squares. Arrange on a plate, shaking off excess sugar and cornstarch.

Variations
● Substitute rose water with mint essence or orange blossom water, and red food coloring with green or orange
● Fold in ½ cup chopped, toasted nuts (hazelnuts or almonds) and substitute rose water with 2 teaspoons vanilla or ground mystique. Do not add food coloring.

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Pasta with Chermoula Sauce

Ingredients:
For Chermoula sauce
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
Oil for brushing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 tomatoes, diced
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder

For the pasta
2 cups pasta, cooked and drained
Chopped parsley leaves and roasted almond slices for garnish

Method:

- Brush colored bell peppers with oil and grill on direct flame or oven till skin color turns brown.
- Place pepper in plastic bag and seal for few minutes till soften, peel, remove seeds and chop.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, stir in onion and garlic till translucent.
- , Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper cumin & chili powder.
- Leave mixture for about 20 minutes or until sauce thickened.
- Add chopped grilled pepper and stir for about 5 minutes.
- Mix pasta with sauce and place in a serving plate.
- Garnish pasta with chopped parsley and almond slices.

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Sumac Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:
1 turkey (4 kilo)
½ cup rock salt
7 large onion, peeled
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup sumac
2 cups chicken stock or water
Lavash or saj bread
Parsley, chopped
Pine nuts, toasted
Method:
- Rinse turkey inside out with water, pat dry and trim excess fat.
- Dissolve salt in enough cold water to cover the turkey, keep aside for 2 hours.
- Rinse and pat dry.
- Slice 5 onions and quarter the other two.
- Mix quartered onion with cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity with the onion mixture.
- Heat half the oil in a sautéing pan, add sliced onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
- Stir in sumac, season with salt and pepper, set aside.
- Loosen the skin around the bird carefully with your fingers.
- Place sumac mixture under the skin, season.
- Rub the bird with remaining oil.
- Place over roasting pan rack, with water or chicken stock.
- Cover loosely with foil and place in the oven for about one and half hour.
- Remove the foil and baste the bird with the pan juice every 30 minutes for anther one and half hour.
- Arrange bread in a large serving plate, sprinkle with liquid from the pan.
- Place turkey over the bread, garnish with parsley and pine nuts.

 

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Roasted chicken with potato

Ingredients:
1 Whole chicken (1 ½ kg)
½ Cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ Cup green coriander, chopped
2 Tablespoon dill, chopped
Salt & white pepper
2 Tablespoon soft butter
For stuffing
1 Cup parsley & coriander sprigs
2 Small onion (quarters)
For Potato
1 Kg boiled potato (unpeeled)
1 Teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 Teaspoon nutmeg powder
Salt & pepper
2 Cups cooking cream
1 Cup milk

Method:
- Wash the chicken with water, drain and set aside.
- Mix the parsley with coriander and dill in a pot, then season with salt and pepper and add butter.
- Stuff the chicken with parsley, dill and onions.
- Season the chicken under skin with herbs and butter using your fingers carefully then fold the wings behind.
- Heat the oven to 180 °c.
- Mash the boiled potatoes in a deep pot with garlic, the season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Add the cream and milk and mix the ingredients until we have a thick liquid mixture.
- Pour the mixture over a rectangular oven tray then place the chicken in the middle and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Place the tray in the oven for one and a half hours or until the chicken is well cooked (the cooking duration depends on the chicken's weight).
- Serve it warm with the mashed potato.

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Upside-down grape leaves and lamb chops

Upside-down grape leaves and lamb chops 

Ingredients / for lamb chops

3 Tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 kilo lamb chops 

For grape leaves

1 jar grape leaves 

2 cup medium grain rice (Egyptian rice)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped dill, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon chili pepper(optional)

1 teaspoon ground spices (cumin,mint,nutmeg)

4 Tablespoons olive oil 

2 cups hot chicken stock 

1/4 cup lemon juice 

sliced tomato and lemon wedges for garnish 

Method

- Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, brown lamb chops for few minutes, season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

- Rinse grape leaves and drain. 

- Wash rice, rinse and drain, add onion, herbs, tomato, 2 spoon of tomato paste.

- Season mixture with salt, pepper and other spices, add 2 spoons of oil and mix.

- Lay grape leaf flat on a plate (shiny side down).

- Place about one to two teaspoon of the rice mixture near bottom of the leaf (stem end), the amount of stuffing will depend on the size of the leaves.

- Press stuffing into a small sausage-like shape.

- Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling toward the center, and then roll up firmly but not too tight into a cylinder shape. 

- Line bottom with lamb chops.

- Layer rolled leaves in the pot in circular way.

- Mix 2 cups of stock with lemon juice, oil and remaining tomato paste, season with salt and pepper.

- Add the liquid mixture to the pot; place a heatproof plate on top.

- Cook over medium high heat until boiling, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 35 to 45 minutes or until leaves are tender.

- Let cool before serving and garnish with sliced tomato and lemon wedges.

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Grilled fish with beetroot taboula

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons dry smoothly grounded coriander
4 tablespoons bruised cumin
4 tablespoons bruised caraway
4 tablespoons bruised cardamoms
2 fish slices ( 150 gm. For each slice) without bones and not skinned
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions:
• Mix all ingredients well except for the fish.
• In a cooking tray coated with some oil, add the mixture of ingredients on the fish and leave in the fridge for 2 hours until the ingredients flavor totally penetrates the fish tissues.
• Grill the fish slices for 15 min. Any kind of fish can be used as long as its tissues are healthy and is free of bones (fillet)
• The fish is presented on beetroot taboula salad.

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Meat loaf with cheese & herbs

Ingredients
2 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, grated
2 garlic gloves, chopped
½ kilo minced meat
2 eggs
1 cup tomato juice sieved
½ cup rice, powdered or crushed
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon oregano, or dill, or parsley chopped
salt and pepper

Method
- Preheat oven at 190° degree.
- Heat oil over medium flame in a pan; add onion, bell pepper, carrot, garlic. Stir for about 7-10 minutes until soft, put aside to cool.
- Add the rest of ingredients, season with salt and pepper, mix well.
- Put the mixture in rectangular mould, press to even the surface.
- Bake for an hour, or until fully cooked.
- Cut in slices, serve.
• Meat loaf can be served with rice noodles, cooked rice, pasta sauce, or mashed potato.

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Pear & apple cake

Ingredients:

For cake:
½ cup yogurt
¼ cup apple sauce
¼ cup milk
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup prepared coffee
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
½ tablespoon ginger, powder
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 ⅓ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar

For garnish:
Sliced pear into 8 pieces
¼ cup butter cubes, at room temperature
1 pear boiled in simple syrup
1 cinnamon stick

Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Beat yogurt with apple sauce, milk, coffee in a bowl using a hand whisk.
- Add ginger (fresh and powder) then vinegar, continue beating.
- Mix dry ingredients with half cup of brown sugar in a bowl.
- Add previous mixture gradually to yogurt mixture.
- Fold in using a spatula or a wooden spoon till well combined.
- Grease rounded cake pan with butter, dust with some flour, and shake off excess.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Arrange pear slices in a circular shape alternatively with butter cubes (as shown in the picture).
- Sprinkle remaining sugar over batter and pear slices.
- Bake for about 35 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake and comes out clean.
- Cool cake before serving, garnish with boiled pear (place cinnamon stick in the middle) and drizzle with syrup as desire

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