Posts Tagged ‘Experiments’

Kefir Grains – خلايا كيفر

I got kefir grains. It’s a type of live organism that ferments milk and transforms it into a laban or thin yogurt consistency. Been using it for 3 days now.. it’s actually pretty easy to make and has lots of health benefits like lowering cholesterol, fixing digestive system, fixing damaged tissues and many other benefits that I do not recall at the moment.

I don’t know if it’s sold in Kuwait, all I know is that it multiplies really fast if taken care of properly, and it feeds on milk. sounds gross doesn’t it ;) .. but it’s pretty cool! if you’re a yogurt lover, you’d definitely LOVE these.

That’s how the grains look like.. Took this picture when I strained my second kefir batch. when rinsed, they look like cauliflower…

Let’s just hope I don’t mess up :) I’m following all the instructions I got from the person who gave it to me and from online kefir communities. wish me luck!

will post another update in 2 weeks.

Chili Oil

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Having a decent chili oil in the kitchen comes very handy sometimes. It revives most meals.. just imagine adding this oil to a plain pasta with Garlic and basil, or sauteing veggies with it or even drizzling it over labnah. yumm! excellent with meals and as dipping oil as well.

Ingredients:

  1. Olive oil
  2. Fresh red chili peppers
  3. Garlic
  4. A pinch of Parsley
  5. A pinch of Coarse salt
  6. A pinch of Black Pepper
  7. A pinch of Paprika

Directions:

There are two ways to make this oil. You can either heat the oil and add crushed chili peppers along with everything else I mentioned then pour it in the bottle, or soak chili and spices with olive oil for 2 weeks without any type of heat.

This time, I used fresh chili, whole garlic and chopped garlic, sea salt, dried parsley, and paprika. it smells great! it’s the first time I ever use fresh chili peppers, so I don’t really know the shelf life of it. but I’ll let you know if it gets spoiled or not.

Can’t wait to use it :)

One very important tip: when dealing with fresh chili, USE GLOVES. The oil and juice gets stuck in your hands and burn them.

Bon Appetit!

Basma

Roasted Red Bell Peppers.

If you haven’t tried it before, then you’re missing a whole bunch of new flavors.

If you have, then you’ll understand why is it special to me.

I do not like eating bell peppers in any dish, unless they’re roasted.. they become all soft, glossy and sugary. Just amazing!

It can be eaten alone with a light tangy sauce, wrapped around feta cheese and herbs, puréed and added to tomato sauces, in salads or pastas. Very versatile. Mix it with any dish and it will give it  an extra oomph.

Here’s how you start,

Place the bell peppers on open fire. Keep turning it until it turns black.

Place it in a small bag or a plate covered with plastic wrap. Let it cool Read the rest of this entry »

Coffee Infused Crepe with Nutella Filling

 

I never really liked crepe, up until I went to an amazing crepe house in my trip to UK. there was something about the banana and nutella mix that made me feel home. Turned out that it was my favorite dish when I was 3 years old. my dad used to stay in a really long line in Germany just to get me this delicious chocolate treat :)

here’s my way of saying I miss home:

 

Ingredients:

  1. 2 shots of espresso, or half a cup of instant coffee. I <3 nespresso *hugs* :)

Don’t judge me, judge my imaginative brain.

 

first of all I’m back from my trip :), it was a great trip filled with shopping. came back with 2 lomography camera’s that I literally can’t wait to try (1 fisheye and 1 mini Diana) and some cook books. one of the highlights of my trip was slipping and doing a back flip with high heels. morale of the story: never wear high heels anywhere other than your home :)

OK, let’s get down to business!

I have a confession to make. I’ve seen an image last year that’s haunting me till this day. I can’t stop thinking about how it would taste like but I’m afraid to try it. we’ve all eaten, at least once in our lives a sweet and sour Chinese dish, or pineapple glazed steak or apricot glazed chicken or whatever. all I know is, MEAT TASTES GREAT WITH A SUGARY GLAZE. something very subtle, nothing over the top.. but the hint of sugar makes everything great.. example: Ketchup, BBQ sauces and balsamic vinegar glaze.

back to the picture :)

here it is: (hiding behind the screen, eyes all shut)

 

look at all the grease. I’d try it with a lean burger, matured cheddar cheese, lettuce, mustard, my burger sauce and a donut, cut in half and crisped. (hides behind screen again).

Won’t even think about counting calories.. am I the only one who finds it interesting to experiment?

Unless you’re looking for clogged arteries by the age of 30, don’t humor me and try it. ;)

Basma.

experimenting with bread.

 

so I wanted to make a loaf of sweet white bread today.

screwed up with the ingredients. instead of using 1.5 “TBS” I used 1.5 “teaspoon” of yeast. the amount wasn’t sufficient for the dough to rise. so I made some changes :), lets just hope it would be a success. I want to post the recipe tomorrow. if it doesn’t work, i’ll have another trial at 5 am.