Tag Archives: Experiments

Grilled Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf

Posted on by
6

Hello! I apologize for not posting anything in the past week. Got a bit busy with work, but I cooked several dished that I’m going to post this week, so stay tuned :)

secured payday loans

Today’s dish was the MOST DELICOUS fish I’ve ever tasted. Pretty easy to make and it cooks very fast.

I’ll walk you through the pictures now.

You need the following:

  1. Red onion
  2. Red chili flakes
  3. Lemon zest
  4. Galangal roots or Ginger
  5. Lemon Juice
  6. Lemon Grass – chop the dry white tip and throw it. then cut about 10 cm.. this is the edible part.
  7. lemon leaves
  8. Salt and Pepper

Clean the fish properly (scales, gut and gills removed)

stuff the fish’s tummy with the mixture and place some on top with slices of onion and lemon. make sure you stuff the gills as well. I added lemon grass in the tummy for extra flavor Continue reading →

Did you like this? Share it:

Kefir Bread

Posted on by
11

 

 

 

In the picture above: My first Long rise – no yeast bread :)

I’m cooking again. The flu is almost gone.

Here’s what I did:

After the first milk fermentation, I removed the kefir grains from the milk and left the milk on the counter for a whole day. I mixed 2 cups of kefir with 2 cups of flour and covered it with a damp towel for 2 days, mixing it once a day. On day 2, I took it out, mixed it with 1.5 cups of flour, 1 tsp of salt, 2/3 tbs of chili oil, 3 tbs olives, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tbs sugar.

Once it’s fully incorporated and no longer liquidy (but not too dry either), I covered it again with a damp towel and left it to rest and rise for about an hour.

One hour later, cut the dough in half (mine was 2/3 and 1/3) and shape the dough to make a bread loaf. Put them on a well oiled tray or loaf tin and leave the dough to rest for 4-5 hours in a warm place. It will double in size.

Once its doubled in size, bake them for 30 minutes (175 C or 350 F).

The result was a hard crust loaf with soft fluffy insides.. DELICIOUS!

 

Original Source

 

Bon Appetit!

Basma.

Did you like this? Share it:

Kefir Grains – خلايا كيفر

Posted on by
16

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.

Did you like this? Share it:

Chili Oil

Posted on by
3

.

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

Did you like this? Share it:

Roasted Red Bell Peppers.

Posted on by
8

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 Continue reading →

Did you like this? Share it:

Coffee Infused Crepe with Nutella Filling

Posted on by
2

 

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* :)
Did you like this? Share it:

Don’t judge me, judge my imaginative brain.

Posted on by
13

 

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.

Did you like this? Share it:

experimenting with bread.

Posted on by
Reply

 

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.

Did you like this? Share it: