Cumin and Cheese Bites

As always I’m posting a new fast and easy snack recipe. It doesn’t cost much and it doesn’t take a long time.

5-10 pieces

Ingredients
1- One cup of high quality flour.
2- Two eggs.
3- 30g of butter. I used one tablespoon of butter.
4- One tablespoon of instant dry yeast.
5- Half a teaspoon of sugar.
6- Half a teaspoon of salt.
7- Three tablespoon of cumin powder.
8- One tablespoon of cumin seed.
9- Some mozzarella cheese.
10- A cup of warm water.
11- A few spoons of milk.

Preparations
1- Bring a deep bowl and mix the flour, one egg, butter, yeast, sugar and cumin.
2- After mixing the ingredients well add some water to make the dough. You can use your hand or a mixer. I use my hands.
3- Keep mixing the dough with your hand and you can add more water if needed.
4- Add the salt to the dough and mix again.
5- After a few minutes you’ll notice that the dough feels smooth and doesn’t stick to your hand.
6- Bring the board and put some flour on the surface and put the dough on it and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
7- Let it sit for 20 minutes.
8- You may use a rolling pin to roll the dough thin.
9- Use a knife and cut to into small pieces.
10- Put some cheese inside the piece and fold it.
11- Beat an egg in a different bowl and mix it with milk.
12- Use a kitchen brush and grease the top of the bites.
13- Add mozzarella cheese or cumin seed on the top of them.
14- Leave it for ten minutes.
15- Put it in a preheated oven 220c .
16- The cooking time 10-12 minutes.

I’m using an electric oven.

Baked Mashed Potatoes With Beef

Another delicious Egyptian dish, and it’s one of the many different ways to cook beef and potatoes.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1- 4-6 medium sized potatoes.
2- 300g of ground beef.
3- One onion.
4- One teaspoon of salt.
5- Two teaspoon of black pepper.
6- One egg.
7- One tablespoon of butter.
8- Few spoons of oil.

Preparations:
1- Boil the potatoes in a deep pot.
2- Use a different deep pot to cook the beef.
3- Cut the onion to small pieces.
4- Grease the pot and add the onion.
5- Fry and stir the onion for a few minutes until it gets golden.
6- Add the ground beef and stir well.
7- When all of the beef is brown add a small cup of water.
8- Add salt and black pepper to the beef. And leave 20-30 minutes to be done. Don’t forget to check on it.
9- After the potatoes are done, peel them and mash them.
10- Bring an oven tray and melt the butter in it to grease the bottom.
11- Put half of the potatoes on the bottom, then the beef in the middle and put the other half on the top.
12- beat an egg and add a teaspoon of black pepper.
13- put the egg on the top of the potatoes to give it golden color.
14- put the potatoes in a preheated oven 250 C.
The cooking time is from 20 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. I’m using an electric oven.

Snowman

It snowed a lot today, my husband and I made this cute snowman. Eyes and nose made from cookies and hair from pine needles. It was a lot of fun.

The Best Christmas Gift - Gir From Zim

I'm married to one of the most talented men. Last Christmas my husband made a model of Gir from Invader Zim and gave it to me.

Gir is my favorite character in the show so my husband made it of paper mache, wires, tin foil and spray paint. Isn’t it great?

Pumpkin Custard Pie- Aar Asaely

This pumpkin pie is perfect for parties, family dinners and winter nights. It's one of my favorite Egyptian desserts. Serve it warm.

Serves 2-4 people.
Ingredients:
1- One pumpkin.
2- Three tablespoons of custard.
3- Two cups of milk.
4- Sugar.

Preparations:
1- Cut the pumpkin to small pieces.
2- Put it in a pot and cover it with sugar.
3- Turn the burner on low heat.
4- Leave it until the pumpkin loses some water.
5- After the pumpkin is soft, turn the burner off.
6- Keep the pumpkin’s water in a bowl and the pumpkin’s pieces in another bowl.
7- Pour the milk in a deep pot and add the custard. Low heat.
8- Use a whisk to stir the custard.
9- Add the pumpkin’s water to the custard.
10- Keep stirring until the custard is thick enough.
11- Bring an oven tray.
12- Add half of the custard in the bottom of the tray.
13- Add the pumpkin.
14- Pour the other half of the custard on the top of the pumpkin.
15- Place the tray in a preheated oven, 240 C.
16- After 30-40 minutes it will be brown and done.

If you want to make a homemade custard. Use 2 tablespoons of butter, melt the butter, add 5 tablespoons of flour and use a whisk to mix them well for 3 minutes. Then add the milk and keep stirring until it get thick.

Konglish?

Found in a supermarket.

Photo: Ian Porell

Chicken and Mushrooms Lasagna With Bashamel Sauce

Just made it for last night dinner and it was so delicious, it took about an hour and a half to be done.

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:
1- A half a pack of lasagna pasta
2- Two chicken breasts. Sliced
3- One onion. Sliced
4- Some mushroom. As desired.
5- Mozzarella
6- Oil

Bashamel:
1- Five tablespoons of flour
2- Two tablespoons of butter
3- A bottle of milk
4- tablespoon of butter

Preparations:
1- Boil the lasagna. Don’t make it too soft.
2- Use a frying pan and fry the chicken, onion and mushrooms.

For the bashamel:
1- Use a deep pot and melt the butter. Medium heat.
2- Add the flour. Use a whisk and stir for 3 minutes, until the flour mixed well with the butter.
3- Add milk and keep string until it’s thick enough, It shouldn’t be so thick.
If there are some lumps you can use a screen and use the liquid only.

The Lasagna:
1- Use an oven tray.
2- Add some of the bashamel in the bottom.
3- Put down a layer of lasagna.
4- A layer of the mix, chicken, mushrooms and onion.
5-Then some mozzarella.
6- Do this twice.
7- On the top a layer of lasagna, bashamel and mozzarella.
8- Preheat the oven 250 degree. I’m using an electric oven.
9- And cook it until it’s all golden. It took about 25 minutes.

Be Al-hana We Al-shafa

From inside