I have a middle eastern cook book and I've been eyeing this one dessert dish for some time. It looks so yummy. But I'm going to put my own spin on it. This is a very mild dessert.
However I will provide the original recipe, because I'm going to be really altering it and you might not what to.
If you have extra Orange Ricotta cheese filling please don't get rid of it. I will be blogging about a simple breakfast idea. ;)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup of Couscous.
2 1/4 cups boiling water.
1 cup butter ---------------------leave butter out
1 egg------------------------------leave out egg.
1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese-------only add 1/2 cup.
7 oz mozzarella cheese-------- Leave out.
1 1/2 clear honey--------------------- 1/2 cup
2-3 pinches of saffron----------- Add 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 cups water-----------------leave out.
1 tsp orange flower water-----------optional.
6 tablespoons chopped Pistachios.
Additional ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Avocado. Use a 1 large avocado.
1 cup shredded coconut
Recipe for Orange gravy is provided below.
You will nee a pie dish of any kind, round is good.
FIRST:
Put 1 1/2 cup couscous in a bowl, add 2 1/4 cups boiling water to it and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile cut the avocado in half and smash add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and turmeric. When the 30 minutes is up use a spoon to loosen up the couscous and add the avocado mixture to it. Keep on mixing it in until it has a nice even light green color.
Now divide the couscous in half and put 1/2 of it in the glass dish. I used a glass apple pie dish and it work just fine. Press the couscous down firmly into the pie dish and set a side.
SECOND: Recipe for Orange gravy filling.
INGREDIENTS
DO NOT HEAT UP THE FRUIT JUICE.
Attention do not add the sugar until the gravy is done.
2 Tablespoons of butter.
3 to 4 table spoons of flour
1 cup of fresh squeezed fruit juice.
Tablespoons of water (as needed)
1/2 cup sugar
Melt the butter in a pan on low. Watch it so it does not
burn. Towards the end I turn off the burner, lift the pan off the
burner and swish it around. Now add a tablespoon of flour at a time to the melted butter and mix it in with a whisk until it forms little balls of dough. Don't worry if they don't look perfect.
Turn the pan with the butter dough to med high, and pour in a little bit of the juice. Whisk away. Now it's going to look like it's not mixing together, but keep whisking until the mixture has the consistency of mash potatoes. Yeah I know it sounds weird. But as soon as it looks like mash potatoes add your next pour of liquid. Watch out it may spit and spatter.
Whisk again and keep whisking until it look smooth and mash potato like.
The consistency should be thick creamy and a little gel like. When you have the right consistency mix in the sugar.
Now in a separate bowl add 1 cup of Orange gravy, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup honey mix together. Now add a generous layer of ricotta orange filling to the compressed couscous in the glass dish.
Next add the shredded coconut by sprinkling it over the top of the filling, until their is a nice layer.
Now very carefully add the remaining couscous, using your finger to gently spread it out and make a layer over the coconut. Do not press too hard, but press lightly.
Chop the Pistachios with a large knife and sprinkle over the top of the Kadaif.
Now in the main recipe is ask you to put this under the broiler at 200 degrees for 10 to 15 to create a crust. My stove broiler is located at the bottom in a slot enough to fit a slice of toast. uhg.... so not broiling the top of mine. So if you have a broiler, broil away.
Have fun with this one. ;) I sure did. yummmy. This goes really well with coffee and tea.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Thursday, February 16, 2017
COLD SPAGHETTI SQUASH SALAD WITH DRAGON FRUIT, MALLOW & SHRIMP with Fruit Gravy
Ok what can I say I'm on a shrimp kick.
ATTENTION: Sense I lost my camera cord, I'm going to insert some older pictures. Some of these pictures ARE NOT going to match the wording. But I'm adding to try to aid in what going on.
Now you can eat this warm or cold it's up to you.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 of a Medium side Spaghetti squash
To check out how to prepare a squash. BASIC: HOW TO STEAM SPAGHETTI SQUASH copy & past this or type it into the search bar above.
1 Cucumber
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 of a bunch of asparagus. Look for steams that are not thick, about pencil size.
1 lb medium or large raw shrimp
Handfull of cilantro
4 garlic cloves.
1/2 cup of broth any kind of water, but broth is better.
A good handful of Mallow or spinach
1 Dragon fruit in all it's Dragoness. If you can't find dragon fruit try, Mango or Lychee's, or consider fresh strawberries.
1/2 of a white onion
Recipe for: FRUIT GRAVY FOR VEGGIES copy and paste or type into search bar above.
I USED ORANGE JUICE.
Note: For this gravy recipe were going to want to make a thinner gravy that isn't so thick. And the point is not to overwhelm the dish. Think light.
FIRST:
Prepare Squash by going to BASIC: HOW TO STEAM SPAGHETTI SQUASH.
Additional notes: When the squash is done use a fork and pull a part and cool down as much as possible, when their is no more steam, put in a bowl, cover and set in the fridge.
SECOND:
Thaw out the shimp if it is frozen, but putting it in a bowl and filling the bowl up with warm water. Mean while take a handful of cilantro and the peeled garlic and mince, mince and mince. Add the olive oil to the pan and turn the burner to medium high. Saute the galic and cilantro until you can smell the garlic, do not brown. Turn burner off and take off burner.
Next take 1/2 of the asparagus bunch and cut off about 1/2 of the bottom stem. Cut all the asparagus about 1/2 to a 1inch all the way until it's all chopped. Add to sauteed garlic and cilantro and turn the burner to medium high and add 1/2 cup of broth to keep everything from burning. Cook until the asparagus look bright, bright green, then turn to low.
Next dice the 1/2 of white onion up and set aside.
Mean while take ice off shrimp and change water one more time, after all the ice is gone. Pat shrimp dry as good as you can, then add it to the pan that has the sauteed garlic and cilantro in it. Turn the burner to low. Shrimp should always be cooked on the lowest setting.
I know the pictures are out of order, and I spend a some time fighting them, they won. So Look be low to see about shrimp.
And here we have Mallow. Yummy. Now you can do two things, you can add it fresh or you can cook it like spinach. I'm going to cut it up and add it fresh.
Dragon Fruit. All you have to do is cut it in half and cut the flesh in chunks. Just like you would a potato. ;)
this item is not cooked. You can set this aside.
For the cucumber peel with a veggie peeler and cut in half. This time were going to scoop out the seeds with a melon scoop or use a spoon. Until the cucumber looks like a boat. Then your going to cut in into small U shapes. Like you would celery.
Raw shrimp. If your shimp still has this in it, take a knife split the back open like below and pull as much of it as you can out. If their is a little bit stuck in it, don't panic it's just sea weed.
It comes out really easy.
Shrimp with shell's on.
Yeah this is a completely different recipe but shrimp is shrimp and it cooks the same way.
Raw shrimp in the pan on low. OMG were the aspargus!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah. LOL
Now as the shrimp cooks on low it's going to start to turn pink and it's going to start to curl up. When most of the grey flesh start to disappear and it looks more pink than grey, turn the burner off and over with a lid, it will steam finished. However if you take the lid off and you still see grey areas, turn the burner back on low and repeat. When the Shrimp are fully cooked let it rest and cool off a bit then also put in the fridge to let cool down.
Now we mix. Take the Cold Shrimp and spaghetti squash out of the fridge mix both together. Add the dragon fruit, cucumber, onion and fresh mallow or spinach and mix in.
Now this is what I did with my gravy, instead of adding it all at once to the dish and mixing it in. I added only two table spoons to each bowl.
Have fun with this one. And maybe you'll create a completely new dish all of your own. ;)
ATTENTION: Sense I lost my camera cord, I'm going to insert some older pictures. Some of these pictures ARE NOT going to match the wording. But I'm adding to try to aid in what going on.
Now you can eat this warm or cold it's up to you.
1/2 of a Medium side Spaghetti squash
To check out how to prepare a squash. BASIC: HOW TO STEAM SPAGHETTI SQUASH copy & past this or type it into the search bar above.
1 Cucumber
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 of a bunch of asparagus. Look for steams that are not thick, about pencil size.
1 lb medium or large raw shrimp
Handfull of cilantro
4 garlic cloves.
1/2 cup of broth any kind of water, but broth is better.
A good handful of Mallow or spinach
1 Dragon fruit in all it's Dragoness. If you can't find dragon fruit try, Mango or Lychee's, or consider fresh strawberries.
1/2 of a white onion
Recipe for: FRUIT GRAVY FOR VEGGIES copy and paste or type into search bar above. I USED ORANGE JUICE.
Note: For this gravy recipe were going to want to make a thinner gravy that isn't so thick. And the point is not to overwhelm the dish. Think light.
FIRST:
Prepare Squash by going to BASIC: HOW TO STEAM SPAGHETTI SQUASH.
Additional notes: When the squash is done use a fork and pull a part and cool down as much as possible, when their is no more steam, put in a bowl, cover and set in the fridge.
SECOND:
Thaw out the shimp if it is frozen, but putting it in a bowl and filling the bowl up with warm water. Mean while take a handful of cilantro and the peeled garlic and mince, mince and mince. Add the olive oil to the pan and turn the burner to medium high. Saute the galic and cilantro until you can smell the garlic, do not brown. Turn burner off and take off burner. Next take 1/2 of the asparagus bunch and cut off about 1/2 of the bottom stem. Cut all the asparagus about 1/2 to a 1inch all the way until it's all chopped. Add to sauteed garlic and cilantro and turn the burner to medium high and add 1/2 cup of broth to keep everything from burning. Cook until the asparagus look bright, bright green, then turn to low.
Next dice the 1/2 of white onion up and set aside.
Mean while take ice off shrimp and change water one more time, after all the ice is gone. Pat shrimp dry as good as you can, then add it to the pan that has the sauteed garlic and cilantro in it. Turn the burner to low. Shrimp should always be cooked on the lowest setting.
I know the pictures are out of order, and I spend a some time fighting them, they won. So Look be low to see about shrimp.
And here we have Mallow. Yummy. Now you can do two things, you can add it fresh or you can cook it like spinach. I'm going to cut it up and add it fresh. Dragon Fruit. All you have to do is cut it in half and cut the flesh in chunks. Just like you would a potato. ;)
this item is not cooked. You can set this aside.
For the cucumber peel with a veggie peeler and cut in half. This time were going to scoop out the seeds with a melon scoop or use a spoon. Until the cucumber looks like a boat. Then your going to cut in into small U shapes. Like you would celery. 
Raw shrimp. If your shimp still has this in it, take a knife split the back open like below and pull as much of it as you can out. If their is a little bit stuck in it, don't panic it's just sea weed.
It comes out really easy.
Shrimp with shell's on.
Yeah this is a completely different recipe but shrimp is shrimp and it cooks the same way.Raw shrimp in the pan on low. OMG were the aspargus!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah. LOL
Now as the shrimp cooks on low it's going to start to turn pink and it's going to start to curl up. When most of the grey flesh start to disappear and it looks more pink than grey, turn the burner off and over with a lid, it will steam finished. However if you take the lid off and you still see grey areas, turn the burner back on low and repeat. When the Shrimp are fully cooked let it rest and cool off a bit then also put in the fridge to let cool down.
Now we mix. Take the Cold Shrimp and spaghetti squash out of the fridge mix both together. Add the dragon fruit, cucumber, onion and fresh mallow or spinach and mix in.Now this is what I did with my gravy, instead of adding it all at once to the dish and mixing it in. I added only two table spoons to each bowl.
Have fun with this one. And maybe you'll create a completely new dish all of your own. ;)
Monday, February 13, 2017
EASY FAST FOOD 2 : TURKEY SAUSAGE BOK CHOY & SPINACH STIR FRY
Sorry no pictures to provide. :( Lost my cord to my camera.
Fast food are meal that I make when I really don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen and I just want to sit down and eat.
This is what I had on hand at them moment, you might have different ingredients to pick from and if you do create your own culinary experience. ;)
Ingredients.
1/2 can of Garbanzo beans drained.
1/2 of a frozen turkey sausage stashed in the freezer. You can also use shredded chicken or any other type or meat or your favorite tofu.
About 3 huge hand fulls of spinach and even more. This will all cook down. Had half of container left.
1 medium Bok Choy. Had one left in the crisper.
Two table spoons olive oil
Two table spoons honey. What was left of the honey I had.
2 cloves of garlic peeled.
2 medium potatoes. Two left might as well use them. You can use yam and sweet potatoes too.
A large pan enough to fit all the spinach.
FIRST:
Take your two potatoes and dice them, add them to a small pot filled with water and turn on high. When you are able to take a cooled piece out and bite into to it and it's soft, not mushy it's done. Another trick is in the water poke it with a knife, if it slides off the knife it is done.
SECOND:
Pile the spinach into the pan. Add the olive oil and honey. Next peel and use a nutmeg grater to grate the garlic over the spinach. Turn the burner to medium high and stir and mix in the oil and honey with the garlic. Stay with this until it is done cooking. The spinach will start to wilt and turn dark green and it will start to lose it shape, this is ok. When it is all cooked down and not puffing up of looking bright green, but rather dark green, turn off the burner and set aside.
Add the garbanzo beans, then cut up the frozen sausage into very small pieces. Cut them into disk, then cut the disk into fourths. Add to the pan with the spinach.
Now wash the sand from the Bok Choy and break off the leaves as you clean it. Cut this as you would cut celery. Add to pan. Turn the ban back to Medium high and cook until the Bok Choy leaves are also wilted, when the leaves are wilted the dish is done and by this time the potatoes should be done. Strain the potatoes and add to the meal. Mix in.
EASY QUICK & FAST And very good. Have fun creating your own version. ;)
Fast food are meal that I make when I really don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen and I just want to sit down and eat.
This is what I had on hand at them moment, you might have different ingredients to pick from and if you do create your own culinary experience. ;)
Ingredients.
1/2 can of Garbanzo beans drained.
1/2 of a frozen turkey sausage stashed in the freezer. You can also use shredded chicken or any other type or meat or your favorite tofu.
About 3 huge hand fulls of spinach and even more. This will all cook down. Had half of container left.
1 medium Bok Choy. Had one left in the crisper.
Two table spoons olive oil
Two table spoons honey. What was left of the honey I had.
2 cloves of garlic peeled.
2 medium potatoes. Two left might as well use them. You can use yam and sweet potatoes too.
A large pan enough to fit all the spinach.
FIRST:
Take your two potatoes and dice them, add them to a small pot filled with water and turn on high. When you are able to take a cooled piece out and bite into to it and it's soft, not mushy it's done. Another trick is in the water poke it with a knife, if it slides off the knife it is done.
SECOND:
Pile the spinach into the pan. Add the olive oil and honey. Next peel and use a nutmeg grater to grate the garlic over the spinach. Turn the burner to medium high and stir and mix in the oil and honey with the garlic. Stay with this until it is done cooking. The spinach will start to wilt and turn dark green and it will start to lose it shape, this is ok. When it is all cooked down and not puffing up of looking bright green, but rather dark green, turn off the burner and set aside.
Add the garbanzo beans, then cut up the frozen sausage into very small pieces. Cut them into disk, then cut the disk into fourths. Add to the pan with the spinach.
Now wash the sand from the Bok Choy and break off the leaves as you clean it. Cut this as you would cut celery. Add to pan. Turn the ban back to Medium high and cook until the Bok Choy leaves are also wilted, when the leaves are wilted the dish is done and by this time the potatoes should be done. Strain the potatoes and add to the meal. Mix in.
EASY QUICK & FAST And very good. Have fun creating your own version. ;)
Thursday, February 9, 2017
FRUIT GRAVY FOR VEGGIES.
I don't do this all the time, but every once and a while it's just so yummy and easy. You can be your own mad scientist and try out anything and every thing. ;)
But here is what I suggest. Orange, Lime, Tangerine, Lemon. You could do purred berries too.
I like to use this when I make broccoli, potatoes and sausage for a quick meal, but don't want dry veggies.
Note: This gravy should turn out very thick, if you want a bit more runny add three table spoons of water at a time to adjust your consistency.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons of butter. Yes butter!!!!
3 to 4 table spoons of flour
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed fruit juice.
Table spoons of water as needed.
Add sugar using your own judgement if the fresh squeeze juice is tart.
The tangerines I use were so sweet that I did not need to add sugar.
Melt the butter in a pan on low. Watch it so it does not burn. Towards the end I turn off the burner, lift the pan off the burner and swish it around. Now add a tablespoon of flour at a time to the melted butter and mix in until it looks like little balls of dough.
Do not heat up the fruit juice. The pan will be hot enough to heat it up.
Turn the pan with the butter dough to med high, and pour in a little bit of the juice. Whisk away. Now it's going to look like it's not mixing together, but keep whisking until the mixture has the consistency of mash potatoes. Yeah I know it sound weird. But is soon as it looks like mash potatoes add your next pour of liquid. Watch out it may spit and spatter.
Whisk again and keep whisking until it look smooth and mash potato like.
Now like I said above you are in control of the thickness of the gravy. If you like super thick gravy stop. If you like your gravy a little bit runnier add the water.
And if you think you made too much, freeze them in a ice cube tray and store for later use.
It's really easy to thaw them out.
Add cubes to pan, with 1/2 cup of water. The water will not hurt the flavor of the gravy. And presto their ready to use with your next culinary adventure.
But here is what I suggest. Orange, Lime, Tangerine, Lemon. You could do purred berries too.
I like to use this when I make broccoli, potatoes and sausage for a quick meal, but don't want dry veggies.
Note: This gravy should turn out very thick, if you want a bit more runny add three table spoons of water at a time to adjust your consistency.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons of butter. Yes butter!!!!
3 to 4 table spoons of flour
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed fruit juice.
Table spoons of water as needed.
Add sugar using your own judgement if the fresh squeeze juice is tart.
The tangerines I use were so sweet that I did not need to add sugar.
Melt the butter in a pan on low. Watch it so it does not burn. Towards the end I turn off the burner, lift the pan off the burner and swish it around. Now add a tablespoon of flour at a time to the melted butter and mix in until it looks like little balls of dough.
Do not heat up the fruit juice. The pan will be hot enough to heat it up.
Turn the pan with the butter dough to med high, and pour in a little bit of the juice. Whisk away. Now it's going to look like it's not mixing together, but keep whisking until the mixture has the consistency of mash potatoes. Yeah I know it sound weird. But is soon as it looks like mash potatoes add your next pour of liquid. Watch out it may spit and spatter.
Whisk again and keep whisking until it look smooth and mash potato like.
Now like I said above you are in control of the thickness of the gravy. If you like super thick gravy stop. If you like your gravy a little bit runnier add the water.
And if you think you made too much, freeze them in a ice cube tray and store for later use.
It's really easy to thaw them out.
Add cubes to pan, with 1/2 cup of water. The water will not hurt the flavor of the gravy. And presto their ready to use with your next culinary adventure.
Friday, January 20, 2017
VEGGIE SHRIMP STIR FRY
Wow this post has really been a real pill. I reloaded this several time and it still won't behave, so if it looks askew sorry.
NOTE: If you feel you want to cook the shrimp ahead of time and not in the meal it self please do.
A big pan or dutch over is needed for this recipe.
1 cup of brown rice to 2 1/2 cups of water. Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil, when the water is boiling really good and you the steam is coming out from under the lid, leave lid on and turn down to low. If you are using a clear lid it's easier to check to see what stage the rice is, if not carefully check, but opening the lid away from you to let the steam out first. When all the bubbles are gone, turn off the burner and let rest until the meal is done.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of Shimp any size shells on.
1 cup of brown rice.
1 can of baby corn 8oz
1 can of sliced bambo shoots strips. 8oz
1 Carrot.
A handful of cherry tomatoes.
5 garlic cloves peeled
1 Small yellow squash
1 small mexican zucchini
1 medium orange bell pepper.
2 Table spoons of olive oil
3 Table spoons of rice vinegar.
6 Cremini Mushrooms any mushroom with do.
A bunch of sage.
1/2 of a white onion.
1/2 teaspoon of each spice.
Cumin, Cinnamon, Chipotle, Turmeric, Oregano, Thyme, Paprika.
Next use the veggie peeler to shred the zucchini and squash. 
Cut up the Bell pepper and slice the mushrooms.
Chop up the sage and add to the pan with all the spices.
Stir frequently until all the veggies look shinny and coated, and the onion start to look a bit translucent, but not wilted.
Next add canned bambo strips and baby corn mix in and turn burner down to medium high.
Serve over brown rice. mmmmmm
This also make a very yummy cold dish as well and my hubby got creative for lunch the next day. He made up a salad bowl and top it off with cold shrimp stir fry. Very yummy and healthy.
Enjoy creating your own version. ;)
Thursday, January 12, 2017
SHRIMP & OKRA SOUP In TURKEY BROTH
INGREDIENTS:
20 Raw Shrimp shells on or off. Big, medium or little)
6 cups of Turkey broth.
2 cups of Okra. This time I used frozen.
1 cup of frozen green beans.
3 very small Mexican squash.
A pinch of sage & marjoram chopped.
1/2 teaspoon of each.
Cinnamon
Paprika
Chipotle
Turmeric
1 small Broccoli floret.
A random assortment of left over frozen filled pasta. Optional.
Turn the burner to low and start heating the broth.
Add Okra and green beans.
As herbs
Chop up broccoli floret and add to soup. Do not add the Squash just yet.
After all the ingredients are mix in, turn burner to high and bring all to a boil. As soon as it boil, turn it back down to low.
The pasta. This is not a staple, my mom love this type of pasta and bought us quite a collection of pasta, so we've been eating it very (very) slowly.
Add pasta.
Mmmmmmm Enjoy.
Note: If you wondering about the Turkey Broth. I cut a whole turkey in half. Froze one part and make soup with the other. Yummy.
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