There isn’t much of a story behind this post. It’s simple: My daughter likes noodles and I was trying to come up with something different on the fly. Sometimes that works for me, sometimes it doesn’t. Luckily this time it did! These noodles are like the greasy, take-out noodles that you eat straight out of the carton with chop sticks. But the best part: the noodles aren’t covered in oil! You can mix and match the veggies based on what you have and even throw in a protein (my daughter loved it with shrimp). They even work the next day as a cold pasta salad. Really, with this recipe base the possibilities are endless!
| Quick Sesame Soy Noodles |
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Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole grain spaghetti (I’ve also used regular, but why not make it a bit healthier?)
- Store bought, chopped mixed vegetables (I used a broccoli, cabbage, and carrot mix)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon chili oil
- For garnish:
- Fresh Cilantro
- Toasted Sesame seeds
Preparation
- Bring water to a boil in a wide pot or wok. LIGHTLY salt the water. Add the noodles and cook until almost al dente.
- Toss in the vegetables and cook one minute more.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pasta water and drain the pasta (do not rinse).
- Return pasta and vegetables to the pot. Add the Thai chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil and one tablespoon of the cooking liquid.
- Turn heat to medium high and stir constantly until most of the liquid is absorbed (add a bit more water if the noodles start to burn).
- You want the noodles to be slightly wet, but not watery.
- Garnish with the cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve!
Notes
The left overs can be served cold the following day.
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Pork and booze. Those are the biggest differences between living in the Middle East and living in Spain. It’s not the absence of women and men clad in Abayas or Thobes or the absence of the Call to Prayer echoing though out the country. It’s the abundance of pork products and alcohol. And when I say abundant, I mean abundant. One can find jamón flavored potato chips and cured pig legs hanging in the windows of bars and restaurants. You can order a beer at McDonalds, but not a milkshake. Fancy a glass of wine while you walk around Ikea? The only thing one needs to wonder is blanco or tinto?
This past weekend we spent a Saturday exploring Los Arcos de la Frontera-a small pueblo blanco (white town) carved into a hillside. And when we stopped for lunch, I enjoyed a glass of this sangria. It was simple, slightly sweet and perfectly refreshing after walking up the steep hill into town. Because my husband was stuck drinking agua con gas (sparkling water) for lunch-he was the designated driver- I decided to recreate the sangria when we got home. After his first sips he was not a fan, but we let it sit in the ‘fridge overnight and the next day he did enjoy it-with a plate of jamón, of course!
| Simple Spanish Sangria |
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Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry Spanish red wine
- 2 oranges, one juiced, one sliced
- 1 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Preparation
- Combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher, stir. Refrigerate for at least three hours, but preferably overnight. Serve over ice. Enjoy!
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I’ve been away from my blog for a while-t’s been a busy couple of months. We packed up and left Bahrain and moved to Spain (hence my first recipe in a while!) There is a lot that goes on in a transnational move: the boxes, the paperwork, the bureaucracy, oh my! And just as soon as we finished all of that, settled into our new home, we got an unexpected phone call. My mom had suddenly passed away. Somehow, the simple Spanish life we had just settled into got complicated again. We took a whirlwind trip back to the U.S. (our first since we moved overseas) to take care of the arrangements and be with family.
When we returned to Spain, my husband went back to work, the kids started Spanish Immersion preschool, and I tried to find normalcy in our new location. And while we’ve been settled into a routine for several weeks now, life still didn’t feel normal until this weekend.
My husband had a long weekend, so we decided to take our first real European road trip to Granada. I found a cute B&B for us to stay in on an old cobblestone Spanish Street. We thought we’d spend the weekend exploring the Alhambra, enjoying views of the Sierra Nevada, and eating all the tapas we could stand. But unfortunately, my daughter woke up with a stomach bug, so we cut our trip short.
It wasn’t until we returned home that I really felt like we were home. Life had finally found its way back to normal and we were all content. Trying to salvage what was left of the weekend, we went out to lunch on a sunny Sunday. A small restaurant with no menu, just a waiter to recite (in very fast Spanish) what they were serving for the day left us guessing about what we had actually ordered. A nice plate of jamón (dried, cured ham) a basket of pan (fresh bread), a VERY large serving of fried fish nuggets, and this potato salad.
We’ve actually had this tapa a few times. Like most Spanish food, it’s simple, but fresh. So after a complicated couple of months, I thought my first post back should reflect the life we’ve settled into in Spain: simple and fresh!
| Ensalada de Patatas {Spanish Potato Salad} |
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Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch disks
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste (optional because most Spanish food contains little to no spice)
Preparation
- Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Salt the water liberally and bring to a boil.
- Cook until the potatoes are tender and drain.
- While the potato cooks, put the onion slices in a bowl of cold water (this makes the onion more mild)
- When the potatoes are done, drain the onions as well. Combine the onion, potato, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper (if using) in a bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Gently fold in the parsley and serve.
Notes
This is tapa sized, but increasing the ingredients would make this a great summer side dish. It’s also great with a cold beer!
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p.s. You might notice a different watermark on my photos. Somewhere in the chaos of moving, I decided to start a photography business-because we didn’t already have enough going on in our lives! If you’d like to take a look at my site, it’s www.alyssagphotography.com
My husband and I have been married just over five years and we are now approaching our fourth move together. Whether it’s to another state or another country, as soon as we have a date scheduled for the movers to come pack up our stuff, my husband becomes fanatical about cleaning out the pantry and the refrigerator. Every grocery trip, he reminds me a few thousand times, “We are only buying the necessities, Alyssa. We only have _____ days left.” (Last I checked milk was a necessity, honey.)
Curries and masalas are very common here and this fish masala is one of my favorite dishes at a near by restaurant. And wouldn’t you know, when I started doing a little research into what goes into this dish, I had all of the ingredients on hand. I thought making this was a bit like Nelu’s Biryiani, in that it seemed like a complicated recipe, but once I got going, building the layers of flavor was relatively easy. I would, however, suggest having all of the ingredients prepped before starting as making the sauce goes by quickly.
This masala was definitely a winner in our house. And it actually came together quick and easy enough that it made for a great weeknight dinner!
| Fish Masala |
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Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup-1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 4 large garlic cloves diced
- 1 to 4 (2-inch) fresh hot green chiles such as Thai or serrano, finely diced
- 1 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon mildly hot red Indian chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- /2 teaspoon curry powder
- About 2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 4 medium ones),
- 1-1.5 lbs firm white fish such as hammour or talapia
- Salt and pepper
- fresh dill for garnishing the fish
- Cooked white rice to serve
- Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fish-Masala-232610#ixzz2BKiQa7N3
Preparation
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in a wok. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish and sear in the wok. Remove the fish once browned on both sides and set aside.
- Add the mustard and coriander seeds to the oil and sauté until they pop, about 20 seconds. Add the onion and green chilies and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add the Chile powder, ground ginger, curry powder and turmeric. Cook 1 minute and then add in the tomatoes and cook 2-3 minutes longer, or until the tomatoes start to break down. Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Puree the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the desired amount of coconut milk (the more you add, the less spicy the sauce will be).
- Cut the seared fish into 1 inch pieces and return to the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer until the fish cooks through and the sauce reduces by 1/3, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve hot with white rice and garnish with fresh dill.
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Recipe adapted from Fish Masala at Epicurious
Eid Mubarak! Or, Welcome Eid, if you don’t know any Arabic (that’s one of the few phrases I know). Eid is one of Islam’s major holidays and last night the multiday festivities began in Bahrain. Dates are often included in celebrations here as gifts, to break the daily fast of Ramadan, or used in special dishes. While my son loves Medjool dates by themselves (he thinks they are jumbo raisins) my favorite way to enjoy this popular fruit is in a cake. This recipe is by no means Middle Eastern, but on of my favorite American restaurants here has a date cake that is ah-mazing!
This cake is dense, slightly chewy and would be nice with coffee in the morning, or perfect to fix a late night craving for something sweet. As the holidays approach, I think this cake would also make an awesome hostess gift if wrapped in some pretty packaging.
| Spiced Date Cake |
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Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups wheat cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon all spice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9X12 pan.
- Combine the dates, boiling water and baking powder in a dish and soak for 15 minutes, or until the dates soften.
- While the dates soften, combine the sugar, flours, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and all spice. Add in the egg, vanilla, and laban.
- Puree date mixture and fold it into the flour mixture.
- Pour in the pan and smooth the mixture.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted into the cake and comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before cutting.
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Recipe adapted from the Date Cake at All Recipe.
Last weekend my husband and I made a last minute decision to attend an annual Ball to commemorate the 237th birthday of the United States Navy. Even though we bought tickets just days before, we decided to go all out and get a room in the hotel the ball was being thrown in. Because the program can be long and dinner isn’t served until after the ceremony is over, we hosted a little wine and cheese get together for some of my husband’s co-workers before hand.
Although I was dressed and ready when our guests arrived, my husband decided that he was going to wait until the last minute to put on his uniform. As he pulls the garment bag out of the closet, he realizes that I forgot to put his pants in the bag. (Him: my fault because I said I would take care of getting all of our clothes together; me: his fault because he took his pants OUT of the drycleaner’s bag and put them aside, so I missed them when I put everything together in one garment bag.)
But we made the most of our evening anyway. We finished the rest of the wine and cheese after our guests left, went up to the business lounge for more drinks and appetizers, and then finished the night with a little room service.
So what does all of this have to do with Fattoush? Well, after such an indulgent weekend, I needed a lighter meal to even things out a bit (and fit into my jeans!)
Fattoush is a salad commonly found inBahrain. I usually order it when we go out to lunch if I’m looking for something that’s not too heavy, but still satisfying. I adapted this recipe from the lovely, Holly Warah of Arabic Zeal who I had the pleasure of meeting and working with while I was in Dubai. My version isn’t exactly authentic, but adapted to what I usually keep in my pantry/refrigerator and my personal taste. Check out Holly’s blog for an authentic recipe (actually, just check it out anyway, because it’s fabulous and filled with lots of Arabic recipes and information!)
| Fattoush: Lebanese Bread Salad |
|
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing on the bread
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac powder, plus more for serving (optional)
- 1 Head Romaine Lettuce
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 cucumbers
- 2 red onions
- 4 radishes
- 1 pomegranate
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
- Arabic flat bread
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- To make the dressing: Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, diced garlic, sumac and salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the salad: Brush both sides of the bread lightly with olive oil and cut into bite sized pieces. Spread on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake 10 minutes, or until brown and crispy, turning half way through.
- While the bread toasts, cut the vegetables into bite sized pieces and seed the pomegranate.
- To assemble the salad: toss the vegetables, pomegranate seeds, and bread pieces with the dressing. Serve with additional sumac if desired.
Notes
The bread I used was Kubus, but pitas bread can be used as well.
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One of the ways my family has loved trying new local dishes is by visiting our favorite grocery stores’ prepared food sections. It’s a great visual way to discover new foods. It’s been especially fun for the kids to try new things based off of what they see. While just like back in the States, the grocery store doesn’t always have the best version of a particular dish, but it gives you the idea of what said dish is. However, the exception is the Za’atar Spiced bread.
Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice mix (hence the title of this post) that uses a mix of dried herbs and crushed sesame seeds. While you can easily find the blend in stores, I think it may not be the case when we move-plus I enjoy making my own blends, so I can customize to suit our tastes.
Za’atar is also great sprinkled on fish, chicken or roasted vegetables. I even know someone who likes it on their popcorn! However, my favorite way to enjoy it is baked on Lebanese flat bread, drizzled with a little good quality olive oil.
| Za’taar Spice |
|
Ingredients
- 2-4 tablespoons sumac powder*
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano*
- 2 tablespoons dried marjoram (optional)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Combine sesame seeds and salt in a food processor until course to fine, depending on your preference. Mix in the rest of the spices.
- Store in an air tight container for up to 3 months.
Notes
Sumac is a dried, ground red berry that has a lemony taste and can be found in Middle Eastern markets.
If you don’t have marjoram, you can omit, just adding extra oregano
If you are making this for meat, I suggest adding more Sumac, if you are making this for vegetables or as a topping on bread, I suggest less.
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p.s. Thank you for the inquires, comments and emails about where we are headed next. Because things aren’t final yet (uggg… bureaucracy!) I’m not going to say. Yes, I’m superstitious (overly so, according to my husband.) But, we are excited none the less and I’m already feeling anxious about decluttering and going through everything before the movers come.
It seems that our time living here inBahrainmay be coming to a close sooner than we expected. My husband got word of a job opportunity that was just too good to pass up with the understanding that we would be moving sooner than originally planned. It feels bittersweet-we are so excited for our next adventure, but now I feel more pressure to take time to take advantage of all that our host nation has to offer. What that really translates to is a lot of last shopping for regional treasures and mastering the dishes we have discovered and come to love here. Sure, I’ve got a few recipes; but I’ve taken advantage of how easy it is to have our favorite regional dishes delivered to our door or available ready made when we go grocery shopping.
Biryani is a rice dish that is very common inBahrainand has been on my list of dishes that I would have to learn to make before we left for a long time-but not because it’s a family favorite. Rather, it’s my daughter’s favorite. No one else really cared for this meal-until our (wonderful, amazing, sweet, awesome, caring) nanny/maid graciously agreed to not only give me her recipe, but to teach me to make it. Everywhere we go, the biryani varies. The level of heat, the combination of spices, the type of meat used; but no one’s version even came close to Nelu’s recipe. As we danced around each other in my tiny kitchen, frying onions, smashing garlic, seasoning chicken, I watched her build layers of flavor that I had never experienced before in a biryani. While at first glance, this recipe seems involved, I think after making it a few times this one-pot meal would come together easily. Now my family will be able to enjoy Madison’s favorite “spicy rice” long after we have moved away.
| Chicken Biryani |
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Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked Basmati Rice
- 3 red onions
- 2 potatoes
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 chicken, cut into pieces (i.e. breast, wings, thighs) bone-in, skin off
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 6 whole cardamom pods
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or less depending on your spice preference.)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- Fresh cilantro to garnish
Preparation
- Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and turmeric on the chicken pieces and rub it in to coat. Set to the side.
- Slice one onion into thin slivers. Heat oil over medium high heat and fry the onions until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.
- While the onions fry, chop the potato into cubes. Remove onions from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Place potatoes in the oil and fry until golden brown on each side, about 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put garlic and ginger in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin (alternatively, this can be done with a mortar and pestle.)
- Remove potatoes from the oil when browned with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the chicken to the oil and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes (the chicken does not need to cook through at this point.)
- While chicken browns, add tomatoes and coriander to a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Once chicken is evenly browned, remove with a slotted spoon. Chop the remaining onions and add them along with the cardamom and cinnamon to the oil and fry. After one minute, add the ginger/garlic mixture to the oil and fry one minute longer.
- Add the chicken back to the oil along with the ground red pepper (if using), black pepper, cumin, remaining salt, and pureed tomato mixture. Stir and reduce heat to medium low and cover.
- Add the potatoes to the chicken mixture after 5 minutes. Cook 5 minutes more and add the bouillon cube (no need to add water.) Cook until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Mix in the cooked basmati rice and top with the fried onions. Return the lid to the pot and cook 5-6 minutes more to allow the rice to absorb the flavor. Serve with fresh cilantro garnished on top.
Notes
This dish is even better served the next day!
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P.S. If you haven’t visited my blog before, welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by and hope you visit again! If you have, you may notice it looks a little different around here. Well, I had some behind-the-scenes, technical issues to work out, so I thought I’d make a few cosmetic changes as well. Well, being the stubborn, hard headed person that I am, I decided to do it all myself, so I’ve spent the last few weeks pulling out my hair trying to figure things out (css is a bitch.) There are still a few more kinks to work out, but so far I’m pretty happy with it (for now.)
I have to say, I was a bit conflicted on what to title this post (and recipe.) I mean, yes, it’s mac and cheese. However, queso is Spanish for cheese, right? Maybe the name is a bit redundant, even if by queso I’m referring to the cheesy dip stuff. And then I didn’t use macaroni noodles, I used these cute ruffles. So is it really queso mac and cheese? I don’t know, I’ve spent the last few days debating this point in my head only to come up with this as the best name (I swear, I’m not a total nut job! Ok, maybe I am.)
But one thing my husband weren’t confused about this holiday weekend was that we were craving some serious comfort food. We couldn’t agree who would be doing the cooking, so the Mac and Cheese Cook-Off gauntlet was thrown! I have to admit, he took the first round with his “six-cheese, full-fat, slightly-spicy” version. But I don’t give up easily. I remade the recipe with a few tweaks and mine kicked his “high-cholesterol, belt-widening, slightly-salty” noodles. Sorry, Honey, still love you!
| Queso Mac and Cheese |
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Prep time: 2 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 22 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 2 cups ruffled pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat pepper jack cheese
- 1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, depending on desired sauce consistency
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh cilantro anto garnish
Preparation
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook until al-dente and drain.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy-bottom sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the vegetable stock, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking in between each addition.
- Add the cumin and ancho chili powder and cook 2-3 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.
- Add the cheeses and whisk again until smooth. Add the desired amount of milk (more for a thinner sauce.) Pour cheese sauce over the pasta. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
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I know peaches must be in season because I’ve been finding them lately reasonably priced both in my local grocery store as well as my favorite fruit stand. I first made this dressing weeks ago before we left for vacation and it turned out so tasty that I knew I wanted to blog about it. But, I ate it all first. Opps!
However, I was delighted now that we’ve returned from vacation and peaches still seem to be aplenty. We’ve loved this so much that I’ve used it as a marinade for shrimp, as a simple salad dressing, as a sandwich spread, and as a replacement for salsa with nachos.
The vinaigrette was so simple and comes together in minutes, although I think the flavor is best when it’s sat overnight in the refrigerator. And if cilantro isn’t your thing, I think fresh mint, dill or thyme would work just as well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there is some peach-cilantro vinaigrette in the ‘fridge that’s calling my name!
| Peach-Cilantro Vinaigrette |
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs of fresh, ripe peaches, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
- 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, or for best flavor, let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Notes
The amount of vinegar you use will depend on how tart your peaches are.
Use more olive oil for a smoother, thinner dressing. I like a little texture, so I only used about 1 tablespoon.
This keeps for about 4-5 days in a refrigerator in an air tight container.
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