Blast from the past

I recently found loads of old school mates on Face Book (FB) and one my old primary school best friend. Feels strange and also nice in a way, reminiscing on old memories. As when i left school at 15 1/2 yrs old i never had any contact with anyone. Nice to See how people have changed and moved away. Gone in to causes and professions that fitted their personalities so long ago. The circle of life................along the way are happiness and pain but best of all experience alhamduilah(all praise is due to Allah).


My Primary School

Half Term, Schools out

so the kids managed to break the keyboard and this one i had in the cupboard has a sticky space bar but alhamduillah its better than nout hey? The weather is much more milder and spring is showing is first signs with its new life and colours subhan Allah.

We had a quiet week now when i think back i don't know where it went? I took the kids ice skating, no i never got on the ice (lost my nerve). I had a good laugh watching everyone, it was so funny seeing the fear some people have and the screaming not to mention embarrassment. My lot had a fab time mashaAllah.
We made a day of it and went for meal at a Lebanese restaurant a dear friend joined us so we have a good day mashaAllah.





We did a little crafts we made some finger pupets and then the kids put on a show in Arabic whic was good fun.

M'barja

I had ago at making M'barja a favorite of mine. I have atempted these before but never made it to the heat as they fell apart. I tried Stanger in the dunniyah's recipe and tequniqe masha Allah its the first time they made it to the heat and were consumed but they could have beeen better, more practice i think. They crumbled but not a bad try have a look:

Begir [Algerian Pancakes]

My mother in law often showed me how to make these and often hoped i would turn these out at coffee time. i did a few times but then i was using a recipe my friend who was the wife of a Moroccan used, different recipe same results. I tried these today using chef Zadi's recipe and pleased to say mashaAllah they worked out just fine. Have a look



I made up a syrup consisting of orange blossom water, water , buter and honey to drizzle over my begir yummy.


The kids photographed this post.

M'cherak Ariyan aka Gazzel Horns

I have to give all credit to a sister from another forum who posted this recipe in it's simplest form. As i already knew the technique from my years in Algeria as i had made them a few times before with sister in law . I noted when the Algerians cook , the task looks so long and drawn out, almost laborious and tiring but when the Europeans turn out the same recipes its so easy so it seems for me anyhow.

You will need
3 bowls of plain flour
1 bowl of ghee
3/4 of the bowl full of sugar
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup of mazar [orange blossom water] or as required
fillingground almonds
sugar
Cinnamon
Flaked almonds
Mazar to bind

Using a large bowl get measuring out the pastry ingredients first


mix together with your hands.........make sure the ghee is melted.
[IMG]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa190/rimaram/McheweakAriyan004.jpg[/IMG]
I put the dough into a plastic bag and left it to sit for about 3 hours.

I got the filling ready , i put the dry ingredients into a bowl and slowly added the mazar until it binded to a soft texture.

Now i didn't have the correct cutter, i used a bowl to cut the pastry with. I ideally the triangle is a better shape to be used here.

Place onto a greased tray. you place a little of the filling at the top of the circle and roll and curve it{no picuture sorry Ines] in slightly. Brush with egg and sprinkle flaked almonds on top.

Bake on a moderate heat until golden in colour
Allow to cool and remove carefully , i dusted them with some icing sugar.

Leek and Potato Pie [with some other veg]

What started out as a simple pie soon became filled with other veg delights, as i had so much veg in the fridge and could see some was old and risked spoiling soon . I must add this one tasted nicer than the chicken pie, maybe coz i am more a vegi at heart. Well it was one way to get broccoli down the kids.
so i started by steaming my veg

These next ones are carrots and parsnips, i had beetroot in the pot part of the steamer and while i was away it rose up and coloured and flavoured my white parsnips and carrots too. Nice colour.

I made a roux and added this to the veg

the rest is as with the previous pie

This pie was meant for my sister who was to come and visit me but canceled at the last moment. Well i am sorry sister once the kids got home they spotted the pie and only a little left now and DH is due home any moment now.

Dolma ma bisbass [stuffed fennel]

This is a dish i learnt to make during my hijrah years, it was my first time using Fresh fennel and this is one way i cooked it. You can also use corgettes or cabbage, it can be cooked in the oven instead of on the hob.

Blitz 2 medium sized onions and get them in a pan and add some oil, begin to sweat them.

In the meantime wash the veg i used some potatoes as well as the kids don't eat the fennel alone. I cut of the hard storks and carved out holes in the bottoms and carved holes in the potatoes too.

rub some lemon on to the cut areas of the fennel, this will prevent it going dark in colour.

Add some crushed garlic to taste to the pan, spices, salt , white pepper and cinnamon, about 1/2 a tea spoon.
cover with a little water and allow to simmer.

In the mean time mix some of the same spices into some ground beef or meat of your choice, add some rice, egg for binding and fresh parsley chopped and mix well. now use this to stuff the veg.

By now the water you added earlier should be boiling, reduce heat and lower the stuffed fennel in to the pan gently.

replace lid and allow to simmer until the veg is tender do not stir. Before you finish you can add some tinned chick peas.

serve with fresh lemon and bread to eat.

The Break of dawn

that leaves traces of the night behind. When i was up praying fajr salat this morning i spotted this out of the window while i was in conversation with my Lord. The night left behind a sign of its passing.

I adore this South Indian Dish
DokraI had a go at making it myself but all looked well but i ended up binning the lot as i didn't have the right pot to steam it in needed a pressure cooker really with a lid but it tasted great , will try again soon.

Jerusalem Artichokes

I was tidying up my bedroom, when i heard some noise coming from the allotments, it was L the old Philippine lady i knew. Who has an allotment over there, she called up 'hi, do you like artichokes?' Yes i told her, she told me to come to the gate and she would give me some.

As i was planning on making 'dolma' tomorrow i thought great. well when i got around to he allotment, i guessed i would grab the bag and go but i was taken to the patch and told to dig them up with the fork, she showed me how. As the folk went in it threw up a whole pile of fresh artichokes from the earth. I was like , subhanAllah, wow natural or what? I ended up with a bag full. they was not the artichokes i was expecting they were these

I have seen them in Algeria and really the first time i mistook them for Ginger and got very excited.
I gave them a wash

Jerusalem Artichokes they call them.

Something new to try, due to its mis shape i could not think what to cook and soup seemed to easy. I thought potato and made a dish with meat balls. They tasted very nice, waxy and sweet. they took a lot longer than a potato to cook more to do with being organic i guess.