A Saudi meal - Matazeez(Pasta), Date Dessert and Arabic Coffee

February was Saudi Arabian Cuisine for the Walima Cooking club.The sumptuous Saudi recipes were introduced to us ,by host of the month,Noor of Middle Eastern Cook.

Snippet - Saudi Arabia History and Cuisine
The birthplace of Prophet Muhammad,Arabia had stability and unity after the advent of Islam.The boom in economy opened the trade routes ,the spices imported enriched the aroma of the traditional cuisine.The growth of immigrants in modern times mainly from Asia and Africa adapted many more exotic dishes from the foreign lands.


Matazeez,the Saudi style pasta is commonly cooked with lamb in the spiced pasta sauce ,although one can use any kind of meat.The following recipe with fish is much faster to cook,ideal for quick weekday meals and also picking a fish rich in omega 3s like wild salmon is great for a change.If you choose to use lamb or goat ,cook the meat in the tomato sauce and add all the vegetables when the meat is almost cooked.

Recipe : Matazeez(Pasta) with Vegetables and Wild Salmon
Serves 4
For Pasta Dough
2 cups fine ground wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water

For Vegetable sauce
1 medium or 3 baby Eggplant ,sliced lengthwise
1 small zucchinis,sliced lengthwise
1-1/2 cups pumpkin or squash, cubed
1 big carrot,julienne
1/2 cup green beans,cut in 2 inches pieces
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 hot peppers or green chillies,chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper,freshly ground
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
2 dried lemons, cracked
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil


For Fish on Side
4 Wild salmon fillets(about 3 inch long)
2 teaspoon spice rub(I used mixture of ground cumin,coriander,pepper,cinnamon,hot chili powder and cloves)
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Method
Prepare the pasta dough
In a large bowl add flour, salt and oil. Add water small amounts at time enough to make a workable dough.Cover and place in bowl and allow to sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Cook the sauce with vegetables
Heat a large pan,add oil and onions, cook until tender about 3-4 minutes.Add the Vegetables ,tomato sauce,chillies and other dry spices. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are almost tender.
Roll the pasta and cook with the sauce

Sprinkle some all purpose flour on the work surface.Roll the dough thin and cut into small circles using a cutter about 2 inches wide. Drop the pasta in the cooking vegetable tomato sauce when the vegetables are almost cook.Cover and cook another 10 minutes until pasta is cooked through.

Cook the fish
Rub the spices on the fish and marinate for few minutes.Heat oil in pan on medium and sear the fish ,3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.Serve on side with the prepared Matazeez(pasta) and vegetables mixture .

The Matazeez and Lamb Kabouli(posted last Walima Challenge) are my entries for Regional recipes : Middle East,hosted this month by Joanne of Eat well with others.

Saudi Date Dessert and Arabic Coffee
Saudis love to serve black Coffee at the end of the meal.Flavored with cardamoms or ginger ,the coffee is best served with the dessert,sweetened with the most abundant fruit of Arabia ,dates.

Recipe
Makes dozen date balls
For Date Dessert (Al-Harrisah or Al-haysah)
1 cups durum wheat flour
1 1/2 cups dates, finely chopped(I used soft dates)
2 tablespoon Puree Ghee(next best substitute is Virgin pressed coconut oil for coconut lovers)
1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom

Method
1.In a small heavy bottom pan or skillet ,melt the ghee on medium heat.Add flour, stirring until lightly brown and aromatic.Remove from heat, add dates and cardamom, blend together in a processor to prevent lumps.
Shape as desired,the round is traditional.Serve with Arabic coffee.


For Arabic Coffee(Qahwa Arabeya)
Makes 4 Arabic coffee cups or glass(2 ounces each)
3 tablespoon roasted ground coffee or Arabic Coffee
2 cups of water
3-4 cardamom pods

Method
Brew the coffee for 5 minutes along with the cardamoms.Strain and serve warm with the date dessert.

Dates Chocolate Rugelach , a Pastry for Peace

Too many tears have flowed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed (peace be upon them) joined in prayer. - President Obama

Can food bring people together?.Evidently it does ,irrespective of our faiths and beliefs who can resist these delectable pastries?.In short food brings joy ,mends relations and fosters love.

Pastries for peace is a food event organized by Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums to bring peace in Middle East through the most loved "Pastries".4 days past the deadline of the event,I'm late in making the post,but I'm hopeful dear Rosa would accept this late entry.

Coming to the pastry I fell in love with instantly,the Rugelach.These morsels of love are a traditional treat for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.Made with cream cheese , butter and fruity filling these are totally addictive.I use the naturally sweet dates combined with dark chocolate and cocoa,these are not overwhelmingly sweet,the crust is melt-in-the-mouth delicious despite cutting down on half the butter and using lower fat cream cheese.A perfect treat for any holiday.

Recipe adapted from CIA Culinary Intelligence

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour(or use fine ground wheat flour)
8 ounce low fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling
6-8 medium Soft Dates(or use a cup of any fruit preserve)
1 teaspoon unsweetened Cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate,chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method
Make the Dough
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a food processor, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed, about 2 minutes. On low speed, mix in the sifted dry ingredients(flour mixture) until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed to blend evenly. Wrap the dough tightly and chill until firm, 15–20 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to an even thickness of 1 inch and fold in thirds, like a letter. Wrap the dough and let it rest for at least 1 hour and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
To make the filling
Combine the toasted nuts,cinnamon and chocolate, if using, in a food processor and chop, pulsing the machine on and off, until an even, coarse paste forms.Add the dates and blend until well combined.
Shape and Bake
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a 10-inch round. Spread one-fourth of the filling over each round,then cut each into 16 or fewer wedges depending on the size of the pastry desired. Roll the wedges up starting with the wide end.
In batches, bake until the cookies are a light golden brown, rotating the pans as necessary to bake evenly, 25–30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely before serving.



Posted earlier Kunafa, the Sweet Arabic pastry ,is also an entry for Pastries for peace.

Mamoul cookies and Cinnamon Tea

The melt-in-the-mouth delicious mamoul cookies are one of the most popular middle eastern cookie.I used to buy a box every time I shopped at the middle store ,besides dates these are available in variety of fillings with fruits and nuts.But when yours truly turned a health nut and started scrutinizing the processed foods nutrition labels,the mamoul were sadly out listed from my choice of cookies.Until I found Kate's recipe, simple enough to bake some of my own with desired amount of fat and sugar.Amazingly the recipe worked quite well even after reducing sugar and fat quantities ,and the Orange blossom water used imparts the lovely fragrance and hint of refreshing flavor.Traditionally wooden molds are used to shape the cookies,in her recipe kate shows a very easy method to make mamoul without the molds.Thanks to Kate,I can enjoy these delectable cookies again without guilt.

Makes about 12 cookies (3-inch long-oval cookies)
Ingredients:
1 cup fine semolina(sooji rava)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon melted butter or ghee
2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon Orange blossom water or rose water
1/2 cup reduced fat Milk(a little more if needed)
1/4 teaspoon powdered anise or ground anise seed(optional)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

For filling
1 cup(4 ounce) about 6-8 dates,pitted and pressed to make a paste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For rolling
1/4 cup Walnuts or pistachios,chopped

Method
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients.Mix butter\ghee ,sugar,orange blossom water and milk in another bowl. Gradually add this in to the flour mixture,knead the dough until evenly mixed.The dough should be smooth and moist,add little more milk if needed.Cover and let rest for one hour.
Prepare the filling by combining the pressed dates and cinnamon .make 2 inch long rolls of the mixture and Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make walnut-sized balls of the dough. Press down each of the balls using a thumb to form a cup to place the filling.place the date roll.Close the open end and roll between the palms to form a cylindrical shape.Place on a baking sheet and finish making the rest.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until bottom is lightly brown. Completely cool on a rack.Store in an air tight container.Tastes best if consumed within 4-5 days since its low in fat and could dry out sooner.
These Mamoul cookies are off to Srivalli's Mithai Mela and Ria's Let's Celebrate.My Sweet Potato chocolate Bundt cake and Nutella cake are also joining in Ria's Celebration.

Nutrition and Calories
Nutrition is in the core with mineral rich dates,also a good source of fiber and vitamins.The crust is pretty much all carbs.The fat calories are reduced to about 2 grams per cookie ,compared to about 9 grams in the original recipe.

Cinnamon Tea

The flavor of light Cinnamon Tea complements really well with mamoul.
Ingredients
3 cups water
1 teaspoon herbal tea mix or tea powder
2 cinnamon sticks(use ceylon variety)
1 teaspoon sugar

Method
Brew all the ingredients for about 15 minutes ;strain and serve hot.

Click - Cookies

This cookie Cookie click is my entry for Click Photography event at Jugalbandi,Cookies are the theme of this month.

Almond Stuffed Dates

Dates
Abundant in the Middle East,sometimes referred as "Bread of the dessert" ,Dates are a bundle of nutrition.Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) recommended them as ideal food to break the fast ,for its has just the needed nutrition which our body needs after long hours of fasting in Ramadan.The Sweet dates were in fact the only fruit ,Maryam(May Allah be pleased with her),the mother of Prophet Jesus(peace be upon him) had taken to rejuvenate herself after the exhaustion of labor and delivery.The fruit also has stimulants that strengthen the muscles of the uterus, which helps with dilation at the time of delivery and reduces the bleeding after delivery.They are also beneficial for the new born babies,as it enriches the mother's milk.

Almond Stuffed Dates

On visit to Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah,the travelers never miss buying the the sweet dates of Madinah stuffed with whole almonds,a perfect gift for family back home.I was fortunate to get this delightful gift on many occasions.

The sweetness of dates pair perfectly with the bland nuts. Almonds are my most favored nuts,I've learned so much about its nutrition benefits ,that's it clearly one of the best nuts. For long I just knew of using them in gravy ,breads or tossed in to salads,then most recently the almond milk .Since I frequently make the almond milk,and always have to find ways to use its pulp leftover after straining out the milk.Stuffing the dates with this left over almond pulp turned out to a perfect dessert.Extra flavor from saffron and roasted pistachios enhances sumptuousness of the dessert,soon to become one my favorite simple sweet treats.

(Recipe adapted from myrecipes
Ingredients
12 Medjool dates ,lengthwise slit and pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup milk
pinch of saffron strands
1/4 cup roasted pistachios,coarsely ground.

Method
Soak the almonds over night in clean cold water.Next morning skin them and grind to a fine paste,add about 2 tablespoon of water to make the paste.
Warm the milk in a small saucepan,stir in the saffron and the almond paste,cook on low heat until mixture is dry.When all dry,mix in the pistachios,reserve a tablespoon to sprinkle later.When cool enough to handle,stuff about a teaspoon full of mixture in each of the dates.Sprinkle with reserved pistachios and serve.

The Almond stuffed dates are my entry for Weekend Wokking : Almonds,host of the month is Darlene of Blazing hot wok.

Crunchy Oats Dates Bars and Oats beauty Secret.

Did you know besides being a super healthy for heart,oatmeal is also a brilliant skin nourishing food?.During the frigid cold season,when the thermostats are running full time and air outside is dry,the skin suffers the most due to lack of moisture in the air.The best affordable remedy for dry skin is the oatmeal mask,it gently exfoliates ,nourishes and tones the skin for a smooth and supple skin.You gotta try it to believe it.Before the beauty treatment lemme share the crunchy oatmeal bar recipe with the sweet potassium rich dates,which nourishes from within the body.Its a perfect morning breakfast or snack on the go.




Ingredients
2 cups whole Oats
1/2 cup flax seed meal(its the binder ,or use 1 organic egg ,make sure the honey mixture is completely cooled if using egg)
1/4 cup Pure Honey
2/3 cup dates,chopped
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Orange zest
2 tablespoon Orange juice or apple juice or any fruit juice

Method
Spread the oats on a baking sheet and toasting a preheated oven at 300F,for about 10 minutes.Let cool.
Place butter,oil,honey,oil,orange juice and orange zest in a small saucepan.Heat gently ,stirring until butter has melted.Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped dates,flax seed meal and toasted oats.
Spoon the mixture in to the baking pan(8X8 inches).Sprinkle the sunflower seeds on top and press down so they are lightly embedded in the surface.
Bake for 20 minutes in a 350F heated oven , until deep golden around the edges.Remove from the oven;leave in the pan to cool slightly.Using a sharp knife score the top in to rectangular or square pieces. Leave to cool completely,then cut along the marked lines.Bar can be stored in an air tight container for up to a week.

Simple enough to bake these bars are my entry for Baking for Beginners
Also try Fruit Dark Chocolate and Almonds Granola Bar


For the Oatmeal Spa Treatment at Home.

Oatmeal Morning scrub

Take about 1 cup of whole oats or porridge oats,process in a grinder,only until coarse ,do not grind smooth to a flours consistency.Store in air tight container
Every morning,take about tablespoon of the coarse oatmeal,splash water on face ,neck and lightly scrub and massage in the circular motion for a minute or two,before rinsing it all clean.Feel the change in the skin instantly.Do this regularly everyday for smoother complexion.



Oatmeal beauty mask

1 heaping tablespoon of coarsely ground oats
1 tablespoon Olive oil or almond oil
1 teapoon honey
2 tablespoon or little more of luke warm water.

Nicely combine all of the ingredients and apply all over face and neck.Lay back and relax with some soothing music playing.After about 20 minutes wash clean with lukewarm water first then with cold water.Do this at least once a week for renewing a tired and winter damaged dry skin.You could even use this as a body scrub,leave it on for 10 minutes before washing.

All you beauties out there do you have any winter skin care tip to share?

6 beauties shared their Skin care secrets:
Varsha Vipins Says "Masks made with Banana+honey is also good for winter skin"

Aquadaze says "Ever heard of oatmeal bath..where you grind the oats into a powder and sprinkle it in the bathtub? thats great for dry skin too.."

Sharmila says "For me milk cream with a little maida(all-purpose flour) works very well."

Bharti Says "If you mix in a teaspoon of sugar with the oatmeal mask, it makes a great scrub for hands/body."

Navita Hakim says "applying 1 tbsp of honey with 1/2 tsp of lemon juice on the face and keeping for 10 mins.Wash face for a fairer, smoother and visibly supple
complexion... "

Rajani Says "I actually grind oats & almonds together - makes a superb scrub"
Thank you:)

Energy Bites

Nutty,crunchy cookies will cheer up a mid-morning coffee break or an after school snack.They are satisfying and packed full of healthy ingredients to restore flagging energy levels.I used loads of dried fruits without adding extra sugar ,seeds and nuts,eliminated the egg and replaced with flax seed meal which is rich in B vitamins,Omega 3s,anti oxidants and fiber.Flax seed meal can amazingly replace egg in any baking recipe.For more such recipes replaced with egg stay tuned with Madhuram's Egg replacement : Flax seed meal event.

(I used the store bought dried fruit and nuts blend\mix to add variety of flavors to the cookie)
Ingredients
1/2 cup nuts of your choice,finely chopped,I used Almonds,Hazelnuts and Walnuts
1/2 cup dried fruits of your choice,finely chopped,I used dried apricot ,cherries,blueberries and dates
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or shelled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of flax seed meal(replacement of 1 egg)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder(aluminum free)
2 tablespoon light Olive oil
1/3 cup of Apple juice or Orange Juice

Makes about 15 Bites.

Method
Preheat Oven to 375F.
Mix the chopped nuts,dried fruits and seeds together in a bowl.Add the flour,baking powder and flax seed meal; stir to thoroughly combine. Slowly add in the oil and juice and stir until mixture is moistened and holds together.
Grease a cookie sheet ,using dampened fingers,scoop up a large walnut-size piece of mixture and form in to a ball. Press to make a small,thick cookie about 5cm in diameter and place on baking tray.Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly risen and just browned.Transfer to a wire rack to cool,then store in air tight container for up to 4 days.

SheerKhorma, an Eid Delicacy.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated with the Eid-ul-Fitr,which means Feast of
the Fast-Breaking. Eid is a happy,relaxed time after a solemn month. But we don't forget all we thought and lessons we learned during Ramadan. We remember what is important to us : God,friends,family, and the needy. We say to all we meet,Eid Mubarak. Happy Eid! and blessing to all!
Sheerkhorma is a rich dessert prepared on Eid,made with roasted thin vermicelli in milk garnished with loads of dry fruits.I'm not worried about calories in this dessert, which I make just once a year.
See Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 a gallon of milk
1 1/2 cup Thin Vermicelli,broken to smaller pieces(Available in Asian and Middle Eastern Stores)
3/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk or 1 cup Sugar(Add more if needed)
2 whole cardamoms
1/4 cup each of Almonds,Cashews,dry dates,Pistachios and Raisins
1/3 cup Ghee(Clarified Butter)

Method
Blanch and fry the dry fruits
In pot of boiling water ,drop the dry fruits and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and peel the almonds and pistachios,remove the seeds from the dry dates. Slice the almonds,pistachios ,dry dates and halve the cashews.
Heat ghee in a kadai(deep pan) and fry all each of the dry fruits separately in batches until nice and brown. And set aside for garnish.
Roast the Vermicelli
In large pan add a tablespoon of ghee and roast vermicelli until nice and brown,set aside.
Boil Milk
Boil milk with cardamoms in a large pot on medium heat to prevent scalding. Mix in the condensed milk or sugar ,let simmer for few minutes while stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes stir in the roasted vermicelli and cook for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat. Garnish with dry fruits and serve warm.

Special thanks to Lubna from Kitchen Flavours for the idea of Global Online Celebration of Ramadan and all the lovely ladies from the following blogs ,who shared their Ramadan favorite recipes and thoughts about Ramadan.
Kitchen Flavours, Zaiqa , Cheers to Easy cooking! , Arabic Bites ,Mammu's Kitchen,Ya Salaam cooking,Indian Spices,Food is Love,KedaiHamburg,TriedAndTrueEats,AappleMint,Mama fami,Organica,Homemades,Baking Haven,NYDelights,Ummel Banat,Rumah Manis,Giddy Gastronome,Happy Muslim Mama,Smell and Taste are my Memory,Yummy!,Salt and Turmeric




And thanks to all the nice viewers who left appreciative comments.


Here is a big Eid Hug for all:)

Poached Pears With Ginger Dates Sauce

Ginger is one of the few spices which is used both in savory and sweets dishes.Poached pears are so simple to prepare ,along with the ginger dates sauce the flavor is intensely delicious .It can be served at any elegant dinner party.


Ingredients needed
1 cup water
1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoon Date syrup or Maple syrup or Honey
2 Green or Bosc pears, cut core away as you work
2 small scoop low sugar vanilla ice cream
Mint and Blueberries for garnish

Method
Poach the pears
Peel pears. Core pears from bottom, leaving stems attached. Slice the bottom so that pears can be placed upright.

In a saucepan, bring the water, ginger and sugar to a boil. Set the pears upright, and reduce the heat .Simmer the pears until very soft when pierced with a knife (but not falling apart), about 30 minutes.
Remove pears from saucepan place upright in serving dish or individual dessert dishes.
Prepare the Sauce
Remove the ginger piece from the juices in the saucepan.Mix date syrup or Honey or Maple Syrup stir into juices in the saucepan. Cover and cook on high heat setting about 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Spoon sauce over pears.Add scoops of ice cream to the pears and garnish with mint and some fresh blueberries over each serving.

Learn more about Fabulous Ginger Spice here in my post.
This is my entry for Sunita's Think Spice...Think Favorite