Poached Pears with Baklava Stuffing & honey mascapone...

Baklava is a perennial favorite, a classic Middle Eastern dessert made with flaky phyllo dough that is layered with a cinnamon-spiced nut filling, and bathed in sweet syrup. It's crunchy and sweet and very decadent. Must say no one knows where this recipe originated from, therefore every country in Middle East make it a bit different from the others just to put their stamp on it and prevent from starting a war!

Now....I made this version not to start a war but to start some thing different from an ordinary type of baklava with the same pleasure . What do they call it these days.... oh yes, "FUZION" 

I don't know about you but I found it very interesting the idea of combining this flavourful filling with a juicy fruit and creamy mascarpone. Different eh? 

Just think about it....The crunch from the nuts with the smooth juicy pear and silky, creamy, sweet cheese..... Enough said? 

Ingredients:                                  

4 Large Bosc Pears

1 cup ground almonds

1 tbsp cardamom

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pistachio for garnish

1 cup mascarpone cheese mixed with 2 tbsp of honey

For the Syrup:

2 cups water

1/2 sugar

1/2 honey

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp Rose water

Direction:

Peel the pears then core from the bottom without going all the way through leaving the stem side intact. Then slice just less than ¼ inch from the bottom of pear to form a flat base for the pear to rest on when serving. Set the pears aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the syrup except rose water in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil. Add the pears, cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until pears are tender.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears and transfer them to plate then allow them to chill for at least 2 hours.

In the meantime, continue to simmer the poaching liquid until reduced to 1/2 cup liquid. Turn off the heat. Add the rose water and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the stuffing. Add 2 tbsp of the syrup to make it wet. At this point it will be easier if you use pipping bag to stuff the pears.

Fill the cored out cavity of each pear with almond mixture and pack well.

To Serve:

Place one pear on plate then ladle ¼ of the sauce over the pear, sprinkle to garnish with coarse chopped pistachios and honey mascarpone on the side.

Bon Appetit

Cherry-Almond Clafoutis

I love CHERRIES....It is one my most favourite fruits in the wolrd. I am constantly trying to create recipes that involves cherries. Hmmm I don't know.... there is some thing about this fruit...it has it's look, smoothness, gentelness, meatyness, juice,, flavor, color, OK, I think I'm going to stop and let you experience it yourself. 
 This rustic French dessert is easy to make: Just mix up the batter, pour it over the cherries, and bake until golden-brown. The good thing about this recipe is you play around with not the cherries but the flavor. Use different nut or liquored or even the fruit. Isn't it amazing?
This recipe, serves six.

3 cups small fresh sweet or sour cherries (about 1 lb.), pitted
1-1/2 Tbs. kirsch (cherry brandy)
1/3 cup sliced alomonds
1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter (1/2 Tbs. softened, 1 Tbs. cut into small pieces)
1 cup whole milk
3 oz. (2/3 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup plus 1 to 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1/8 tsp. pure almond extract
1/8 tsp. table salt

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, toss the cherries and kirsch. Set aside, tossing periodically, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, scatter the almonds on a baking sheet and toast, turning occasionally, until light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

Grease a shallow round 11-inch quiche or gratin dish with 1/2 Tbs. of the butter.

Combine the milk, flour, sugar (1/4 cup for sweet cherries; 5 Tbs. for sour), cream, eggs, almond extract, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl, if using a hand mixer). Mix on medium speed, to aerate, for 5 minutes. Drain the cherries and stir the liquid into the batter.

Arrange the cherries in the dish and pour the batter over the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the toasted almonds and remaining 1 Tbs. sugar on top and dot the surface with pieces of the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. Bake the clafoutis until puffed and golden-brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Transfer to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, spooned onto individual serving plates.

Bon Appetite

Ginger Pecan Cookies

I make these cookies every year,either to take to work or just as a treat for who ever.... and I'm telling you.... they are a BIG HIt...

A good, gingery ginger cookie is irresistible. These are a bit chewy and full of flavor. They keep well in a covered tin for about 1 week.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups pecans or macadamia nuts

14 Tbs. (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 extra-large egg

1/2 cup dark molasses

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 Tbs. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper

1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and chop coarsely; set aside.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and the 1 1/4 cups sugar until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Then add the molasses and beat to combine.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt and white pepper. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the crystallized ginger and nuts until evenly distributed.

Lightly flour a work surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Form each portion into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days.

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut each log into slices 1/8 inch thick. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a rack and sprinkle with sugar. Let cool.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

One of my good friends recently broke her foot.  We had dinner plans to go out but once she broke it, I thought it might be most comforting to pamper her with a homemade Beef & Vegetable soup.  The nice thing about homemade stock either beef or chicken is that it's extremely nourishing.  Since the stock begins with bones that are then cooked for hours, the nutrients from both the bone and the marrow fill the wonderful broth.  Once the stock was made, I packed the soup with lots of veggies.

You will notice I cooked the meat separate from the stock.  I like to make a stock and strain out any solids so the broth is beautiful and smooth.  Of course you don't have to do this, it is an extra step but I think it's worth it!

Beef Stock:

4 Beef Marrow bones (mine were split)

1/2 onion roughly chopped

5-10 cloves of garlic

1 carrot roughly chopped

3 stalks of celery roughly chopped

salt & pepper to taste

lots of fresh herbs, these can be left whole (I used rosemary, thyme, parsley & sage)

olive oil 

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat - Add a tablespoon of olive oil to coat bottom.

Add bones and brown all sides

Add veggies, herbs, salt and pepper

Cook for 10 minutes allowing some color on the veggies

Fill pot with 6 cups of water - this should be enough water to cover bones & veggies

Bring to a boil

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover, the longer the better.  I left mine one for 6 hours

Refrigerate

Once fat has solidified, skim the fat and strain. Discard the solids

Stock is now ready for soup!

Soup

1 pound top round - trimmed and cut into bite size pieces

2 carrots - cut into bite size pieces

2 stalks of celery - cut into bite size pieces

1 can peeled chopped tomatoes

1 onion finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic sliced

3 - 4 white potatoes cut into bite size pieces

1 can string beans

1 zucchini cut into bite size pieces

1 small package of sliced white mushrooms

salt and pepper

3/4 cup pearl barley

2 small sprigs of fresh rosemary (stemmed & finely minced)

4 sprigs of fresh thyme (stemmed & finely minced)

Meat:

Heat a small pot over medium heat, add olive oil & meat

Continue to brown meat for 5 minutes

Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  

This can cook along side the stock 4 - 6 hours

Soup:

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions turn translucent.

Add garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper, and barley along with the stock and chopped meat and cooking juices.

Cook soup for an hour or until barley is tender

Serve with a great bread & butter.

This will taste better the next day - like most soups.  I can also be topped with a great Parmesan, the salt in the cheese helps to bring out the flavors!  I found a loaf of locally made hearty white bread from Whole Foods, this was wonderful for sopping up the broth.

Persian Herb Frittata (Kookoo Sabzi)

Continuing with the theme of Persian cooking, I bring you the second of my three traditional Persian recipes, in the hope that I can introduce you to the wonderfully diverse and authentic cuisine of my home land.
Kookoo Sabzi (Sabzi just meaning ‘herbs’) is a great favourite of Iranian people.  It has so many different versions but the classic is with eggs and herbs and the optional addition of walnuts and barberries, which are a very tart berry which is popular in Persian cookery.  Perfect for vegetarians, this dish is mostly served as part of a big meal and rarely eaten on alone.  This may just be because we Iranians like to eat (a lot) and are never happy with just one dish.  But let me tell you, it is a perfect meal and I would happily chomp away on it by itself and perhaps a little soft ‘naan lavash’ (a thin clay oven baked bread) or flour tortilla if you prefer.  It is commonly served in little squares as a pre-dinner Canapé, but I have always preferred a big thick, generous slice… and usually all to myself, as I am rarely willing to share it. 

(Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as a starter)

Ingredients:

6 medium free range eggs

1 bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced

1 packets of fresh flat leaf parsley (standard supermarket size)
2 packets of fresh chives           
1 packets of fresh coriander          
1 packet of fresh dill                     
2 tablespoons of thick yoghurt
1 tablespoon of plain flour
90g of whole walnuts (optional)
3 heaped tablespoon of dried barberries (optional, available from middle eastern shops)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Maldon sea salt flakes

Black pepper to taste

Method:

Roughly chop all your herbs and place in a large mixing bowl, adding your spring onions, seasonings and turmeric.  Crack all 6 eggs into the mixing bowl and give the mixture a stir.  Add your yoghurt and flour and incorporate well into the mixture.  Once mixed, stir in your dried barberries and gently fold in your walnuts.

Using a large preheated frying pan on a high heat, add your oil and pour in your mixture and then reduce to a low temperature. This is not your typical frittata.  It is meant to be around 3-4cm thick and cooked all the way through, but on a more gentle heat, so the eggs don’t burn.  The mixture should pretty much fill the pan almost to the brim.

After 20-22 minutes of cooking you will need to flip the omelet over.  Don’t panic, you will not have to toss it and try to catch it.  Start by running a spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the frittata.  Then cover your pan with a large plate which should cover the edge of the pan and flip the omelet (carefully) on to the plate and slide the uncooked side face down into the pan.  This does need to be done gently (and confidently) but there really is no ‘skill’ needed here, just a little careful handling. 

Cook for a further 8-10 minutes and turn the omelet onto a plate and slice in a big generous wedge and devour while hot.  It keeps really well in the fridge and can also be eaten cold, so don’t be afraid to make a big batch and eat it for a few days to come. 

Bon Appétit! :-)

Orange Rolls

I was looking through my old recipes that I was given by people.  This one sounded great, and It was sitting on my counter staring at me for a week before I tried it. I'm telling you, they are delicious.

Dough:
3 pk. yeast dissolved in 1/2 c warm water
1 can evaporated milk plus enough water to make 2 cups
1/2 c sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
6 cups flour

Filling:
1/2 c softened butter or margarine
1/2 c sugar
grated orange zest
1 t OJ concentrate

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
about 2 T OJ concentrate (enough to make it pourable)

Mix in order-cover, let rise about 2 hours. Dough should be sticky. Roll 1/2 of the dough in a WELL floured surface into a rectangle. Spread half the filling on the dough. Fold into thirds, like a letter, cut into strips with a pizza cutter, and twist each strip a couple times. Place on a foil lined, greased baking sheet a couple inches apart. Let rise about 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge. I did that with the other half since I didn't need them that night), and bake for about 20-25 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Glaze immediately.

Persian Date Cake (Ranginak)

This recipe inspired me so much this past week. I find the cake visually stunning, chewy dates stuffed with toasted walnuts then bathed in a burnt butter/flour mixture before topping with cinnamon, cardamom, and pistachios. And, if the visual appeal isn’t enough — the taste and texture are out of this world. I can't stop eating this.

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 cups pitted dates
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ground unsalted pistachios

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast walnuts for 3-5 minutes. Allow to cool. Place a few pieces of walnut in each date. This is the most time consuming step of the entire cake. Trust me, it pays off in the end so take time doing it. Here is my pile of stuffed dates:

In a deep pan, add butter and flour, bring to medium heat and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes, until golden caramel color. The mixture will be a thick paste at first and as you get closer to 15 minutes, it transforms into a thin caramel. Note: it only appears to look like caramel … I eagerly licked the spoon only to discover it tastes nothing like caramel (yuck). That one taste led me to worry that this whole thing was going to taste like rubbish. But it turns out amazing — so carry on, no spoon licking!

I spread about 1/3 of the flour mixture in a 9″ round ceramic tart pan. Next, I placed the dates in a single layer on the hot flour mixture (be careful not to burn yourself). Arrange the dates in rows and packed tightly together. Then, pour the remaining flour mixture over the top and smooth out with the back of a spoon. It should look something like this:

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, cardamom, and powdered sugar. Use a spoon to sprinkle this mix in a single layer  

the date cake. Press the back of your spoon down on the mix — it will begin to soak into the flour and will no longer be powdery.

For the final step, sprinkle the whole thing with a layer of chopped pistachios. Use your hands to press the nuts down so they adhere. Allow to cool before cutting into small squares (use a sharp knife).

The squares will be crumbly – do not pick up a piece and try to eat it like a cookie … it will be a disaster. The squares can be stacked in a container for storage — either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

The dates are chewy and sweet, with the added texture of a crunchy toasted nut hiding in each one. They are enrobed in what is essentially a toasted shortbread cookie then topped with a sweet blend of cinnamon and cardamom — these two spices tie everything together. The pistachios add a bit of texture, color, and light flavor as well. When it all comes together, it is a visual and flavorful work of art:

LEMON....what can I say? some thing so tiny yet full of freshness and power, it can make an explosion.....

Have you ever tasted any food that could take you to your dream places you want it to be? Some where like Tuscany, provence, Greece or some where in Mediterranean sea? It could happen with the food you love with the first chew, fist swirl, the first swallow...Hmmmm

 Last night out of desperation, I created this recipe with what ever I could find in my fridge that could go together. That's the secret, finding ingredients that could marry in your dish and in your mouth.
It took me only 1/2 an hour form start to finish. Seriously... isn't it amazing that some times you can create some thing out of simple ingredients? That's another secret " Simplicity" with no planning ahead, some thing exotic, some thing that can celebrate with your taste buds once it touches your tongue....Just think about it.....and go for it.
Enjoy

Vermicelli with Shrimps and Roasted red pepper in garlic butter wine sauce

Ingredients:

500 g of vermicelli or spaghetti
3-4 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
7-8 cloves of garlic thinly sliced ( I love garlic) you can reduce it if you want
900 g Shrimps peeled and divined
1 cup of white wine
3-4 Stuffed red jalapeno peppers with feta cheese thinly sliced (you can substitute with regular jalapeno and feta cheese separately)
3 tbsp Renne's feta dressing or plain cream cheese
2 tbsp butter
1 cup roasted red pepper in jar, thinly sliced
3/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add garlic, saute quickly for few seconds.
Add shrimps, and saute until the color changes to pink
Deglaze pan with wine, season with salt and pepper.
Let it cook for about 10 minutes. Add salad dressing,
stuffed jalapeno and roasted red pepper.
Cook until the sauce reduce to almost half.
Remove pan from the heat add butter and let it melt
In a mean time, cook your pasta according to the package.
Once the sauce is reduced to the right consistency, add parsley and the man power ingredient....lemon zest! Stir and Smell. hmmm
Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately, eat slowly. Take your first bite, close your eyes and imagine where you want to be.....

Bon Appétit