Eid Mubarak & Makrout

As-Salaamu Alaykum & Eid Mubarak to all my muslim readers

Eid al fitr is a day that comes directly after the month of Ramadan (the month of fasting) where Muslims all over the world celebrate, perform a special prayer, give gifts (especially to children) and....... EAT during the day alhamdulillah

It's traditional in most families to bake sweets in preparation for EID and i had planned on making several (not that they are needed) but i have several valid excuses but the main reasons are my children are recovering from a bout of summer cold and are extra needy also my husband request i make his good old favourite Makrout but after feedback earlier in the month from him and indirectly from his friends that Makrout need to be made with extra coarse semolina instead of coarse. I listened and complied to the requirements and i have to say it does make a difference to the texture you get a more granular hard exterior with a soft, sweet, succulent centre.
Also instead of making syrup to soak the makrout in i used honey which makes them, erm healthier! (well that's if you ignore the fact most honey bees are fed sugar these days)

I didn't make it to Maryam's virtual EID Party but you should hop along there now and check out what everyone brought along.

P.S. Please ignore the crack in the container i quickly took the photo before realising. Plus i can't bear to throw away things that are still usable but imperfect.

Rose Halwa With Macerated Strawberries

 As-Salaamu Alaykum,

I first saw this rose halwa which is a fragrant agar set milk jelly over on Faaiza's blog Modest Munchies.
Instantly drawn in by the pink hue I knew it was something I had to make!

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Lasagne But Not As You Know It

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

Unauthentic home comfort food. This 'lasagne' uses non traditional spices, lamb mince, NO wine, 1 layer of pasta which is good if your trying to reduce your intake of carbs and instead of the traditional parmesan / mozarella crust I topped mine with my favourite British cheese, cheddar!

2 out 3 of my children love it and so do I.

In my best Italian accent ''Ya cannat beata home-made''!

Lasagne

Makes 1 x 20 cm square lasagne about 2-3cm deep

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

250 grams mince lamb

1 average onion, finely chopped

salt, to taste (for me ¾ teaspoon )

black pepper, to taste (for me ¼ teaspoon)

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon garlic granules

1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes

sprinkling of sugar 

Béchamel Sauce

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoon plain flour

400 millilitres whole milk

salt & pepper, to taste

To Assemble

3 lasagne sheets (dry)

mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Make Meat Sauce: In large frying pan sauté onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add mince seasoning spices and cook until meat has browned. Add tin of tomatoes and sugar, crush the tomatoes using wooden spoon then let the sauce cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
2. Pre Heat Oven to 180 C. Make Béchamel Sauce: In a medium sized saucepan melt butter over medium heat then add flour and continuously stir for a minute or two using a wooden spoon. Slowly add milk, stirring always using a whisk until the sauce has thickened slightly about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper then switch off the heat. 
3. Assemble and Cook: In a 20x20 cm square baking tin place half of the meat sauce and spread to make an even layer then do the same with a third of the béchamel sauce, layer of lasagne sheets, then add the remaining half of meat sauce, the remaining two thirds béchamel sauce and top with a layer of cheese. Bake in oven on middle or top shelf (if you like a crust) for 20 minutes, check after half time to make sure the cheese isn't burning! Remove from oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Shorba Frik / Jari / Tomato And Green Wheat Soup

As-Salaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah,

I hope your all having a productive Ramadan. 

I was delighted when Lubna from yummy food invited me to take part in her Ramadan global event - joy from fasting to feasting.

Head on over to yummy food to get my shorba frik recipe.

MENA Cooking Club: Algerian Dolma

 As-Salaamu Alaykum,

As the host for this months MENA cooking club challenge I had to pick 1 savoury and 1 sweet dish for us all to try from my husband's beloved homeland Algeria.

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