Food For Thought - Chickpeas + 2 Recipes

I decided to bring back my Food For Thought series.

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Another Loubia B'lham - White Bean & Lamb Soup

Rainy days in England call for soup, Algerian soup.

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MENA Cooking Club: Egypt

This month MENA Cooking Club members were set the challenge to cook like an Egyptian!

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Batata Koucha - Algerian Oven Potatoes

                                                       
Lamb & chickpeas sauce covered with a layer of fried potatoes.

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Shorba 'M'katfa' - Vermicelli Soup

A vibrant red soup with vermicelli.

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North African Baked Chicken Kebabs / Kabobs

Tasty north african spiced, baked chicken kebabs also known as kabobs.

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Fried Dersa Stuffed Aubergine

Deep fried dersa (spicy sauce) stuffed aubergine i'm not sure if it's authentically Algerian but my husband taught me this recipe so it must be?! 

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Djaj Qdra Shorba - Chicken Pot Soup

 Djaj - Chicken, Qdra - Pot, Shorba - Soup

I always go to soup and stews recipes as a healthier comfort food option, this soup hit all the right spots in terms of ease and flavour.

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Harissa Buttermilk Brined Fried Chicken

Succulent and mildly spicy fried chicken.

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Beef Tagine

The Autumn doesn't officially begin here in the UK for another 21 days but already there is a chill in the air when I wake up on a morning so much that this morning i turned on the heating for the first time in months!

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Loubia B'lham - White Bean & Lamb Stew

It may still be summer but with the drop in temperature here in the UK our family have been enjoying autumn and winter dishes throughout the week.

Here is a warm and hearty white bean and lamb stew, It's popular all over north africa but i'm calling it Algerian because i'm deeply attached to the country through my husband.

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Harissa Hummus

 As-Salaamu Alaykum,

Hummus - A popular middle eastern and north african food dip or spread made from cooked, crushed chickpeas. It's commonly blended with tahini (toasted sesame seed paste), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic which turns it into a creamy, pungent and zingy delight!

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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.

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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Tcharek - Algerian Crescent Shaped Pastries Filled With Dates

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

I will keep this short and super sweet by going straight to the recipe.

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MENA Cooking Club - Join In!

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

Noor from Ya Salam Cooking has created a new and exciting cooking club Middle Eastern & North African cuisine.

You don't have to be a blogger, live in or originate from a middle eastern / north african country to participate you just have to love trying new things, spices and beautiful food. that's you, right?

Each month there is a new country and a new host. The host picks 1 savoury and 1 sweet recipe for us to try and we all reveal our results on the same day.

I'm happy to be hosting the first month. We are cooking dishes from Algeria.

Please head on over to Ya Salam Cooking for more details and fill out this form to join in!

Algerian Makrout with Dates (egg free)

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

Makrout with Dates - a north African cookie made from semolina, filled with dates, traditionally fried (you can bake them if you prefer) till golden then soaked in honey. This sweet is popular to serve on special occasions such as Ramadan and Eid but can be enjoyed all year round
Orange blossom water used throughout the making ensures a well balanced flavour between bitter and sweet.

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May Photos

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

Have any of you ever given a child a camera/smart phone? try it (at your own risk) set the settings to auto and tell him/her no pics of people, animals etc...you will be surprised what beauty they can capture in the most ordinary things.

Here are some foodie photos by me, as well as some random ones by my son.

Makouda - Algerian Fried Potato patties, i followed this recipe

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Algerian Mesfouf - Steamed Couscous with Peas and Broad Beans

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

A simple and easy Algerian dish today, steamed couscous with peas and broad beans.

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