Challenge 8: Gordon Ramsay’s Butter Chicken

I would like to apologise to my Taste Buds for taking this long to submit my challenge. There were several reasons for this, but it finally made its way onto the blog! I recently received a recipe book as a gift from my best friend and her fiancé. I was conned, helping to choose the book not knowing that it was for me. I made the perfect choice, choosing my favourite chef, Gordon Ramsay. This challenge is therefore a tribute to my best friend, Eleftheria (Lefty).

This recipe does not appear in the book I chose, but it is one of my favourite dishes! I hope you like it. My Taste Buds should have these spices left over from our breyani escapade.

Enjoy! #Recipe link#

The Honest Award: 10 things to Hate about Us

The Taste-Buds (TB as referred down below) received their very first award: The Honest Award courtesy of the Caveman author of the Caution Caveman Cooking blog . The rules of the award state that we need to list ten honest things about ourselves and then pass the award on to ten other deserving bloggers. We ought to have published this earlier, way earlier, but we had technical problems.

So here are 10 honest things to hate love about us.

1. The three of us live in different continents, literally.
2. We use yahoo conference to talk about TB issues and we end up having a laughter orgy rather than a serious talk.
3. We adore the idea of TB because the challenge brings in a novelty and different outlook about the same dish. While Zee is just beginning  her culinary journey, Clint and Viviane have more experience, which gives a different approach to each dish.
4. We gained new experience and new tastes since we started TB, we had the opportunity to try new cuisines and new recipes.
5. Clint and Zee did not know each other till we put TB on track.
6. Zee and Viviane have a weird telepathy, they type the same thing at the same exact moment.
7. Two things Viviane hates in food prepping: peeling potatoes and squeezing lemons.  She and Zee absolutely HATE cleaning the kitchen after the mayhem they caused (does anyone like it?). Clint would dislike to have a malfunctioning oven more than anything or maybe just as much as missing a spice he needs in a dish.
8. Zee is still nervous about cooking, although she has done great so far, Viviane gets nervous when there is baking in the horizon while Clint masters both disciplines.
9. If you want Clint to not attempt to eat a dish, add zest to it, any zest: lemon, orange… Viviane will not eat eggplant, organ meat  or gizzard (Clint shares that too) even if at risk of starvation and Zee would rather lose weight than to eat tripe (Viviane and Clint share this aversion), those who know her know she is always trying to gain some. Another aversion Zee has: raisins. She will pick them out of any dish, so will Clint. Although he would eat them in oatmeal cookies and plain.
10. We gave those things a LOT of thought hence it took us ages to complete, plus add #2 to the equation this will be a recipe for delay anticipation.

The Ten Blogs we think deserve this award are (in no special order):

1. http://www.alessandroguerani.com/
2. http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/
3. http://www.cheesecakeforall.com/
4. http://thechickenlesskitchen.blogspot.com/
5. http://daydreamerdesserts.blogspot.com/
6. http://www.thefoodblog.com.au/
7. http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com/
8. http://bonniethebaker.blogspot.com/
9. http://www.tasteofbeirut.com/
10. http://www.yummysmells.blogspot.com/

Asian Sunday

I decided to go for an Asian meal on Sunday and my sister-in-law was invited to share the meal. My brother is in a business visit to China till the end of the month and it had nothing to do with it really. It was a more earthly reason: A soy sauce bottle that will soon expire.

I know I should have posted before, but we had a thunderstorm on Sunday evening and my internet suffered from damages. Long and uninteresting story.

I wanted to try a Chinese recipe published by Evil Shenanigans a few days ago and it was perfect as a main dish.

I also saw on TV a fish fillet dish covered with sesame, I chose to make it in a more Asianized way. As an entrée, I wanted to make a salad but nothing from what I looked up satisfied me. So I improvised and created my own from a couple of inspirations.

I was not able to take step-by-step pictures really, but the Orange Chicken with Fried Rice you can find in details here. I recommend you to try this recipe, it is simply excellent! I made some minor changes like using honey instead of brown sugar and omitting the hot peppers in case my nephew decided to eat. I also omitted the eggs from the rice because my sister-in-law does not eat eggs.

The sauce was amazing though, a perfect combination of tastes and the rice complemented and complimented the chicken. A must try!

I am posting my pictures and also the recipes for the salad and the fish.

The salad was surprisingly fresh and made great accompaniment for the fish fillets that came out crunchy outside because of the sesame and soft inside.

Sesame Asian Salad

Serves 4- 5 people

Ingredients:

• 2 medium carrots cut lengthwise
• 3 – 4 spring onions (white part) cut lengthwise
• 1 small green pepper
• 200g noodles
• A handful of:
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Bean sprouts
  • Mushrooms
• 10-15 roasted salted peanuts

• For the Sauce:
• 1 Tbsp sesame (not toasted)
• 1 Tbsp Canola oil
• ½ Tbsp grated dried ginger
• 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2-3 Tbsp rice vinegar

Preparation:

Cook the noodles as per package.

Combine the ingredients of the sauce.

Drain the noodles and toss them with half the amount of the sauce.

Add the cut vegetables and the rest of the sauce and toss.

Add the cracked peanuts.

Note: Any preferred vegetables can be used.

Asian Sesame Fish Fillets

Serves 4- 5 people

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg fish fillet (fresh or frozen)
• 1 Tbsp grated dried ginger
• Soy sauce
• Flour
• Sesame (not toasted)
• Pepper to taste
• Canola oil to fry

Preparation:

Thaw the fish if frozen and cut in 10 cm pieces.

Put the soy sauce and the sesame in 2 different shallow bowls.

Combine the flour, the ginger and the pepper and put in a shallow bowl.

Dip the fish in the flour, then the soy sauce then the sesame and put aside.

Add a little oil to a pan and when hot fry the fish till they are fully cooked.

Serve with a salad or a sweet sauce.

Crêpes with Asparagus and Mushrooms in Béchamel Sauce

Today, Mom made a local dish made of veal and rice. I am not a great fan of red meat and I did not feel like eating just the rice. So I decided to finally try a crêpes dish I wanted to make since ever… well since I tried it a few years ago at a family lunch where my great-aunt cooked it. My great-aunt worked as a cook and she always made the most amazing dishes. When I tasted this one, I asked what it is and she told me in her usual soft voice: it is crêpes.

Although then the filling was made with ground meat and the crêpes rolled like cannelloni. And we all already know I was not in the mood for meat…

I had to find a replacement. I have not long ago read on a Foodbuzz fellow’s blog (Frank Fariello), a crêpes recipe which was filled with Swiss chard and ricotta. Also the crêpes were folded in triangles.  I did not want chard either; neither did I want its cousin the spinach. Finally after a little concerting with Zahrah, my Taste-Bud, I finally decided on an Asparagus/Mushroom filling. Initially I wanted to add mozzarella to the filling and top with parmesan, then I went for cream cheese.

Ricotta was not in the picture since it is not very easily found in Lebanon and I had to go to a certain store to get it. I was not even in the mood to get out of my pj’s. Since all my friends moved out of Lebanon, Sunday became my lazing around day: late morning and coffee in bed.

I started cooking at around 10:30 am. Prepared the batter for the crêpes and set out to make the béchamel. While it was simmering on the stove, I cooked the crêpes and of course took pics.

I have had the brilliant idea to use the halogen light as a photography projector since the kitchen is a bit dark even with lights on. It has been a challenge to take pics really, especially that I am using a pocket digital camera and not an SLR. The halogen light gave an amazing result. (I am no pro but I think these are my best photos yet).

Back to our cooking business. I set the crêpes aside and prepared the filling.

Rest was pretty much obvious: Fill crêpes, fold them in triangles, align them and cover with sauce and cheese.

I had to make a little extra béchamel since I was taken aback by the number of the crêpes. I made half the recipe but still got 9 small ones.

I even had a little extra filling left, so they were recycled into a sauce for baked tagliatelle.

Crêpes with Asparagus and Mushrooms in Béchamel Sauce.

Ingredients:

• 10 Small Crêpes (see recipe I used here, I split in half and I got 9 small crêpes.)
• Béchamel Sauce – medium thickness (about 1 liter)
• 1 can mushroom or 200g fresh ones
• 1 can Asparagus or 200g fresh ones cut into 2cm pieces
• A 200g pack of Philadelphia cheese or any cream cheese
• 200g shredded Mozzarella
• 1 medium onion
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• Pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Prepare the crêpes and set them aside so they cool down.

In the mean time prepare the béchamel and set aside.

Prepare the filling: dice the onion and sauté in olive oil. When the onion becomes translucent, add the soy sauce and cook till the soy sauce is reduced. Add the mushrooms and asparagus if using fresh ones. If using canned wait till the mushrooms are integrated with the sauce. Then cook for a couple of minutes.

Empty the Philadelphia cheese in a bowl, add the filling mixture and fold till all the ingredients make a uniform mass.

Fill the crêpes, fold them in triangles and put them in a baking sheet on a small béchamel layer. Repeat till the baking sheet is full or till you are out of ingredient.

Cover with the rest of the béchamel sauce, top with the shredded mozzarella and bake till cheese is melted and the top is browned.

More Lebanese Please!

Today I made the Chickpeas Fatteh, which I had heard is one of Viviane’s favorite authentic Lebanese dishes.  In beginning this adventure, I must have checked 6 or 7 different stores for something close to Lebanese bread and to no avail. I found some “Middle Eastern Flat Bread” at Trader Joe’s, but this ended up not fitting the bill so after reaching my limit of frustration, I decided to go ahead with some pita bread. The rest of the ingredients were easy to come by in the average US supermarket.

I used the following ingredients to prepare my dish:

• 1 15oz can low sodium chickpeas
• 2 cups plain Greek style yogurt
• 2 split, toasted, and broken whole-grain pita breads
• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbsp butter (and no Viviane, I did not replace with oil)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (Unio’ Vinagre de Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 tbsp pine nuts

I began preparing by splitting the pitas and toasting them directly on a frying pan (without oil!).  I broke the crisped bread into small pieces and put half of them on a plate. Next, I strained the canned chickpeas and poured them over the top of the bread pieces.  I then cooked the crushed garlic and butter in a small frying pan until the garlic was tender, adding the red wine vinegar toward the end. At this point i added the yogurt to the top of the chickpeas and poured the sauce over the top of it. Greek style yogurt is kind of thick, so i had to mix the sauce with the yogurt and toss a bit. Last, I added the rest of the bread pieces, gave the mixture one last toss and topped it with the pine nuts.

I was really excited to make this dish as it is quite different from the usual things eaten by the masses in the states. It really did not disappoint either! I thought it might be a bit too apart from the norm for the kids, so I just made it for my mom and I. Mom said it was different, but delicious and preferred it with salt added to it. I really enjoyed the flavor and was surprised at how hearty this meal was. I mean, it had no meat, but it was truly filling! The Greek yogurt was a bit heavy though. I will probably use regular yogurt the next time I make this. I have no doubts that this will become one of the next on my list of usual meals. Thank you Viviane and Lebanon!

Discovering a Taste for Lebanese

I have to begin by saying WOW! What a recipe! I was excited to try a real Lebanese recipe and I was not disappointed!

There has been a heat wave in Cape Town this week and it’s been too hot to want to cook anything. So when Viviane posted this challenge, I thought it’s perfect for lunch, especially in the heat and doesn’t require too much work.

I went to the store to buy the ingredients needed, and to my disappointment could not find pine nuts. I suppose not a commonly found nut in stores here. Since I had read Viviane’s post before going to the store, I knew that almonds would work, so I bought a packet. I also did not manage to get fresh chickpeas, so I was forced to go with canned. For the bread, I bought pita.

I got home and set to preparing it immediately. I followed the recipe, only substituting red wine vinegar for brown spirit vinegar. I did not follow the amounts since after talking to Viviane, she said it would not be good as leftovers. I was alone at home so made enough for myself only. I toasted the pita in the toaster, roasted the nuts in the microwave and quickly sautéed the butter, garlic and vinegar mixture. I also used some salt in the yogurt since I was unable to find Greek yogurt in a small tub (which I love) and had to go with Bulgarian. I broke the bread up in bite sized bits and layered according to the recipe.

I sat myself down in front of the TV, watching test match cricket with my bowl of Fatteh. Every bite I took was followed by a mmmm and a yummy. I can see why this is a favourite for Viviane! Excellent, quick and easy recipe.

Chickpeas Fatteh for Lunch, Please!

I was not planning to prepare the challenge as soon as I posted but it was a spur of the moment when I decided to make it. My mom made wide kidney beans stew and kidney beans are not exactly on my list of edibles. Gladly, I happened to know the menu of the day in the morning, so I was able to ask my mom to soak the chickpeas and boil them for me. So by the time I got home chickpeas were ready. I know I categorized Chickpeas Fatteh under entrée but I almost always eat it as a main dish.

Since mom cannot eat kidney beans since ages ago, she was in on my Fatteh. I prepared all as per recipe (I mean what should I change, you don’t tamper with perfection!) and I layered all in a shallow bowl.

I had to combine the vinegar with some water, since it is homemade and extremely potent and would have turned the salad too sour. I toasted some pine nuts, after being disappointed for not finding the afore toasted ones with almonds in the fridge. Traditionally Fatteh is prepared with just pine nuts but I wanted to add almonds because they are favorites of mine.

Funny part is, I found the nuts after we finished lunch!

It is maybe my third or fourth time making Fatteh and I got to admit that this time it was my best. It had the right sourness to accommodate the chickpeas and the toasted bread. I was glad there was some left over toasted bread from the Mouloukhieh soup we had the day before.

One thing I particularly enjoyed, it might be a tad silly of me but it gave me a feeling of anticipation, was the little sizzling I heard when I put the freshly roasted pine nuts over the yogurt. It was slight and barely hearable, but somehow made the dish even more appealing.

I should add that it is a perfect after work dish, for if you have the chickpeas boiled or even out of a can (but I always prefer fresh) the assembly of the dish takes about 10 minutes. Chickpeas can be boiled a day ahead, they can be used cold or reheated. Bread can also be toasted ahead and it can last several days if kept in closed container. Pine nuts can be toasted in the microwave and depending on amount they can take 5 to 10 minutes. They also can be omitted if they are too much work.

I have had a lot of people asking me about Lebanese bread when I posted the challenge, so I am including a picture of what we call a “loaf”. We usually separate the layers before eating or toasting. Lebanese bread is tricky to make at home because it has special iron ovens in which it is made. All of our bread require special ovens actually. Most famous are: saaj bread or “markouk” and tannoor bread.

Challenge 7: Chickpeas Fatteh

Based on the fact that my Taste-Buds have been asking me to post a Lebanese recipe, here I am complying. I wanted to make this post a double recipe entry and include Tabbouleh, but I thought I will leave it to another time, that is due to the fact that I ate it twice this week already.  You can say I am all Tabbouleh-ed out.  So I set my mind on a simple but awesome recipe, a personal favorite and extremely easy to make. It is mostly a summer dish but I thought it would be great to have it after the holidays, since it is nourishing and not too heavy. The dish is called: Chickpeas Fatteh. Consider it a Lebanese crumble, since Fatteh derives form the Arabic counterpart that means crumbs.

Chickpeas Fatteh

For 1 person:

• 1 cup boiled or 1 can chickpeas
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup toasted and broken Lebanese bread
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 tbsp butter (and no Clint you cannot replace with oil)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or to taste)
• Roasted pine nuts for decorating

Preparation:

Layer the bread (you can leave the bread crumbs to put on top if you like them crunchy), the chickpeas and the yogurt in a plate. You can salt the yogurt if you like before layering.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the garlic and sauté till soft. Glaze with the vinegar and pour the mixture on top of the yogurt. Decorate with the roasted pine nuts. Enjoy!

A Challenge for a Birthday Treat

I meant to write this entry days ago, but had some trouble with my health. However, I am more or less back to normal and finally feel up to writing the entry.

I celebrated my birthday on the 6 January, and decided that instead of the usual family-over-for-cake-and-tea, I would throw a party for my 8 nephews and 2 nieces (actually cousin’s children, but they are like my own nephews and nieces). They are all under the age of 6 and most of them have not had their own big birthday parties. So, I set out to throw a party that they (and I secretly) would enjoy. I planned my guest list, my menu and hired a jumping castle and a water slide.

After discussing my arrangements with Viviane, she suggested that since I would be cooking, I could prepare the challenge as one of my dishes. This turned out to be an excellent idea. I had to prepare all the food the day before, since I had planned the party for on the day of my birthday and invited everyone for lunch.

I followed the basic recipe, except I did not add dried chili flakes and I used fresh tomatoes with some tomato purée instead of canned tomatoes. I also used chili pepper for a bit of heat. I added some mushrooms in the end. I made a bit more than the recipe called for since I would be catering for more than my usual four people. I also added about a level tablespoon of sugar into the sauce for some sweetness. The pasta sauce tasted amazing and I could not wait for everyone to try it. Before serving, I cooked the fettuccine and tossed it with the heated pasta sauce. I did not sprinkle Parmesan as it is not a family favourite.

I also cooked a beef mince lasagna and a simple macaroni and cheese which are the kids’ favourite.

My cousins thought I was crazy to host the party and then cater all the food myself. But I did it for the love of cooking for others and knowing that they enjoyed the meal. The pasta in particular was a hit! Thanks Clint! I found it quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious and all my guests, young and old(er) agreed!

For dessert, I made Viviane’s tiramisu which everyone said was amazing. I also made a few cupcakes for the kids. My wonderful close friend Rabia, baked me a chocolate birthday cake and I am sure everyone would agree, looks decadent and delicious.

This was the first time I had thrown such an elaborate birthday party, which I also catered myself and I was very happy that it went well. Everyone had lots of fun and more importantly, enjoyed my cooking! The jumping castle and water slide were so much fun, and I admit I joined the kids on them both. I think every adult should go back to being a kid once in a while.

A big thank you to all the wonderful kids, my friends and family for making this particular birthday very special and truly…..awesome!

Zaza’s Soup – 3rd Mediterranean Cooking Event, Lebanon

I don’t know where this soup originated from, but I know it was cooked at my aunt’s household. My uncle was Armenian and his sister cooked this soup, so we named it after her: Zaza’s Soup. Maybe the soup is a mix of Armenian and Lebanese, even though the event is for Lebanese cooking, I think this soup characterizes the spirit of Lebanon and its diversity. Not to mention it is a delicious soup that I hope those who will try will enjoy.

Zaza’s Soup

Serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients:

• 1 big onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 Lemon
• 1 l water
• 400 g meat cut in cubes
• 1 cup chickpeas half cooked
• 500 g Kibbeh
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Dried mint to taste

Ingredients for Kibbeh:

• 500 g  lean meat
• 1 medium onion
• 2 ½ Bulgur (washed and drained from water)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put the onion, salt and pepper in food processor and grind. When finely ground, add the meat and grind finely. Add washed bulgur and grind till you get a soft paste.

Make traditional Kibbeh shape or balls of 2cm. Keep in fridge, in a sealed container till ready to use.

Preparation:

1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil till golden brown.
2. Add the meat cubes, salt, pepper and pinch of cinnamon and cook till brown.
3. Add the chickpeas, the bay leaf, the cinnamon stick, the tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 min.
4. Add the Kibbeh balls and cook all for about 15 min.
5. Combine the lemon, the crushed garlic and the dried mint and add to pot. Boil for about 5 min.

Vote for this recipe: http://www.tobiascooks.com/blog-events/roundup-and-voting-3rd-mediterranean-cooking-event-lebanon.html