With a touch of Valantine?

Today's lunch had a special valantinish touch with these lovely heart-shaped croutons topping a delicious Fattoush salad next to a grilled chicken breast.

Grilled chicken breast recipe: http://lailaskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-ultimate-grilled-chicken-breasts.html

Fattoush salad recipe: http://lailaskitchen.blogspot.com/2014/10/fattoush-salad.html 

Croutons recipe:

Ingredients:

3 slices white bread toast

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic gloves

½ tsp salt

Steps:

1. Cut the croutons into the desired shape (here I’ve cut them into small hearts!)

2. Crush the garlic cloves and mix them with the extra virgin olive oil and salt in a small bowl

3. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celcius on top heat.

4. Brush each bread cube with the dressing on both sides

5. Line a baking tray with a baking sheet and put the bread cubes on it

6. Bake the croutons for 5 minutes or until golden and crispy (keep an eye on the oven because croutons may get burnt if left for a longer time)

7. Let them cool down then top your favorite salad with these delicious croutons. 

Roasted lamb leg

This recipe is great when you have guests coming over your place. You can also make it as a lunch or a dinner. It is also served during Eid Al Adha.

Ingredients:

1.5 kg lamb leg

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp black pepper powder

½ cinnamon powder

1 tsp salt

4 garlic cloves (sliced)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

5 cup hot water

3 cinnamon stick

3 cardamom cloves

3 bay leaves

3 zucchini (sliced)

3 carrot (peeled and sliced)

3 potato (peeled and sliced) 

Steps: 

watch the steps demonstrated in the video above

Stuffed grape leaves

Stuffed grape leaves are common in the middle east. They can be served as a cold appetizer or as a main dish if it contains meat. This version is meatless and is usually served cold. You can serve it along with tomatoes, slices of lemon or garlic cloves. 

Ingredients:

0.5kg grape leaves (washed and drained)

1 cup short grain rice

1 cup chopped parsley

½ cup chopped mint leaves

½ cup chopped scallions

2 medium tomatoes (cut into cubes)

1 medium tomato (sliced)

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper powder

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

1 tbs pomegranate molasses

4 cups water (or more, depends on the size of the pot)

Steps: 

watch the steps demonstrated in the video above

Chicken kabsa (rice and chicken)

makes: 4 servings

preparation time: 20 minutes

cooking time: 30-40 minutes

total time: 50-60 minutes 

Ingredients: 

1 kg chicken

2 cups rice (soaked in 4 cups of water for 20 minutes and drained)

2 medium onions (chopped)

3 medium tomatoes (chopped)

1 medium carrots (shredded) 

1 garlic clove (crushed)

1 tbs tomato paste

2 bay leaves

3 cinnamon sticks

10 small whole cardamom 

2 dried lemon 

1 tbs kabsa spices *see below

1 tsp salt

6 cups hot water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 tbs half almonds (peeled)

3 tbs raisins 

* if the kabsa spices are not available in the supermarkets around you, make your own kabsa spices by mixing: cardamom powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder, white pepper powder, coriander powder and cinnamon powder.

Steps: 

watch the steps demonstrated in the video above

Beans and lamb stew

Serves: 4-6 dishes
Preparation and cooking time: Preparation: 10 minutes

                                                          Cooking: 1hour 40 minutes

                                                          Total: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients:
500g lamb meat

4L water
250g dried white beans

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

2 cardamom cloves

1 small onion

1 cup freshly squeezed tomato juice (cut 4 large tomatoes and squeeze them)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

6 garlic cloves (crushed)

1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon coriander leaves

Steps:

Soak the dried beans in 1L room temperature water for 4-6 hours (overnight)

Cut the lamb meat into pieces

Heat 1L water over high temperature and put the lamb for 10 minutes

Drain the water and wash the lamb pieces under running room temperature water for a minute (to get rid of the lamb’s fat and grease)

Heat 1L water over high temperature, put the lamb, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom cloves and full onion. Cover the pot for 1 hour or more until the lamb is ready.

Meanwhile drain the soaked beans and wash them gently under running room temperature water for a minute or less.

Heat 1L water over high temperature and cook the beans for 7-10 minutes (half cooked)

Drain the beans and leave them aside until the lamb is ready

Once the lamb is ready, remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, onion and cardamom cloves. Add the tomato juice, tomato paste and stir a little

Crush the garlic cloves, add salt, coriander powder and mix well

In a small pan, put 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and fry the garlic mixture, add the coriander leaves just before the garlic becomes golden. Set aside until beans and lamb are ready

Add the beans to the cooked lamb and cook them together for 10 minutes

Add the fried garlic/coriander mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes

Serve it hot and ENJOY!

Lemon Pepper Hammour

makes: 15-20 small pieces
              or  6 medium pieces
Preparation and cooking time: preparation: 10 minutes

                                                     Marinade : 25 minutes

                                                     Baking: 30 minutes

                                                     Total: 65 minutes

This goes to all the seafood lovers out there. You’ve got to love seafood!

Ingredients:
250 g hammour fillet

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch of sugar

½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly grounded)

½ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 garlic clove (chopped and crushed)

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 large lemon (fresh)

Steps:

Mix the salt, sugar, turmeric powder, cumin powder, black and white pepper all together

Mix the lemon juice, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil together

Add the mixed spices to the lemon juice mixture

Cut the fillet into cubes

In a bowl, soak the fillet cubes in the marinade

Put the bowl in a refrigerator for 25 minutes

Preheat the oven to 200 C

Transfer the fillet cubes to a heat proof baking skillet

Bake them for 30 minutes or until ready (test if fish is ready by running a small knife on top, if ready it flakes easily)

Serve them hot

Spicy Hammour Fillet

makes: 12 medium pieces
Preparation and cooking time: preparation: 10 minutes

                                                          Baking: 55 minutes

                                                          Total: 65 minutes

Ingredients:
500g hammour fillet

7 garlic cloves (crushed)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon hot chili powder

½ teaspoon hot chili crushed

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon cumin powder

100g coriander

Juice of 2 large lemons (fresh)

3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 200 C

With a small knife, make longitudinal shallow cuts on the fillet surface.

In a heat-proof skillet, Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil on one side of the fillet, flip it and brush the other side with another 1 tablespoon of oil. (1 tablespoon for each side)

Bake it for 10 minutes, then flip it to the other side and bake for another 10 minutes. (Each side should be baked for 10 minutes).

While the fillet is in the oven, crush the garlic cloves with coriander powder and salt.

Add the chili powder, chili crushed, paprika, cumin powder and mix

Cut the coriander finely

Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the lemon juice and mix well

Add the garlic paste to the lemon mixture and mix them well

Add the coriander and mix

Spread the coriander mixture on top of the fillet and push inside the surface cuts.

Bake it for 25-30 minutes or until ready (test if fish is ready by running a small knife on top, if ready it flakes easily)

Serve it hot