Ros bil Laban (Rice pudding) ارز باللبن

I hadn't made Ros bil Laban (Rice pudding)  ارز باللبن  for ages and one morning decided the boys might like it for breakfast so I set about making it and took a video of it in the process.  Here it is for your viewing pleasure, just click on the image below.  

My memories of Ros bil Laban (Rice pudding)  ارز باللبن  are vague but I do remember mum in the kitchen making it and every time there would be 6 bowls of it sitting on the bench.  I feel like there was always too much, probably because I was the one who ended up consuming 5 of the 6 bowls, and no, they were not consumed in the one sitting.  But still, over several days it does add up so I don’t think I requested rice pudding often but in winter I am sure it was featured once or twice.  The other thing about rice pudding is that since we didn't have dessert as such at home (mainly fresh fruit chopped up in summer and nuts or the like in winter) this was the closest thing to dessert for me.  A bowl of creamy rice pudding with my favourite flavour - vanilla!

Ros bil Laban (Rice pudding)  ارز باللبن

It does take time to make a creamy rice pudding from scratch, kind of like making a risotto where you stand at the stove and stir for 20 to 30 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.  A creamy rice pudding takes the same love and commitment.  Stir in a big dollop of butter, a generous amount of sugar and drizzle in vanilla essence.  You could of course use vanilla from a vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds and throw in the pod while it is cooking (heavenly) however it may prove to be too costly if you made rice pudding a regular winter dessert. 

                                                     Ros bil Laban (Rice pudding)  ارز باللبن ingredients 

Alternatively, for those so inclined you could omit the vanilla and add in a few drops of your favourite flavour such as cinnamon, coconut essence, almond essence or something like that.  Hmmm, I never really went for anything other than vanilla but coconut or almond sound appealing to me right now.

(mental note to self : try adding another flavour to rice pudding next time )

                                                                        Ros bil Laban (Rice pudding)  ارز باللبن

Rice pudding is of course nice just like that but for a bit of texture and colour add some chopped nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, or sultanas as a garnish.  Then curl up with your bowl of rice pudding in front of the television with a blanket over your knees and watch your favourite movie…for the ultimate in a relaxing night in.

Ros bil Laban (Rice pudding)  ارز باللبن

Recipe

This is the old fashioned type of rice pudding where you cook the rice with the milk, rather than add pre-cooked rice to milk.  The result is a hearty, creamy dish.  We used to eat it at home for breakfast, or as a snack.  Extra pudding can be place in bowls, covered and kept in the fridge, just warm in the microwave with a little extra milk before serving with chopped nuts, sultanas or cinnamon.

Serves: 4

4 cups / 1 L milk, plus 100ml extra, if required

175g / ¾ cup short grain white rice

65g / ¼ cup white sugar, or as desired

40 g butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon, sugar, sultanas or chopped almonds to garnish.

Bring milk just to the boil in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat.  Add rice and reduce heat so that it cooks uncovered at a simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until rice is tender.  Stir the rice occasionally as the rice and milk can burn. Stirring also stops a “skin” from forming on the surface. 

Add sugar and stir well.  Add extra milk or water if all liquid is absorbed and rice is still not cooked.  Once cooked and creamy, take it off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.  Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with cinnamon and extra sugar or top with sultanas and chopped almonds, if desired.

Delicious Baklava with vanilla syrup (Baklawa بقلاوة )

Considering that over the last few months I have lived a sheltered life and barely stopped to notice the weather let alone follow current affairs or even family affairs for that matter, it was quite an achievement to go out for a family barbecue yesterday.  But even more so because I made not just one sweet to take - but two!  On top of that I even managed to make a video of the them!!!

Baklava with vanilla syrup (Baklawa بقلاوة  )

Well, there are no more daily trips to the hospital and no more sick kids to nurture through the day and night so even though I am seriously sleep deprived (my gorgeous bundle wakes me every hour and a half all night, most nights) I feel excited to have made a video.  The first for a while and it was the video I had intended to make the day I went to hospital for some monitoring of the baby and ended up having an emergency caesarean and was out of action for over a month.  That video was for Baklava with vanilla syrup (Baklawa بقلاوة  )

 Check it out here: 

Baklava (Baklawa  بقلاوة  ) is quite a well known Mediterranean sweet and can be found in Turkish, Lebanese and Greek restaurants but it has also become more mainstream in the last few years and available in many places.  While there are many ways to flavour Baklava with the use of vanilla, rose water and orange blossom water, the syrup may also be made with honey which adds a very distinct flavour also.  At home my mum made Baklava with vanilla and I too use vanilla whenever I make this dish, but then I absolutely love the flavour and aroma of vanilla so I cannot go past it for a flavouring in deserts or sweets.  I personally find rose water too strong in many versions of Baklava so I stick with the vanilla.  If you were to use rose or orange blossom water be sure to add a little to the syrup at a time and taste it as you go because it is always easier to add more than it is to try and tone down an overpowering flavour.  Start with a teaspoon at a time would be my suggestion.

Baklava with vanilla syrup (Baklawa بقلاوة  )

Anyway, back to the barbecue, I took the Baklava to lunch and considering it was family (who I would have thought would be over traditional Mediterranean sweets by now) I didn't expect a big response to my dish but I was pleasantly surprised.  Not only was most of it gone by the time I bothered to look, my step mother (bless her heart) told me it was perfect!!  Yay :)

So here it is, my perfect Baklava

Syrup:

2 cups/ 500g sugar

2 cups / 500ml water

½ lemon juiced

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

One quantity of syrup 
2 cups / 225g pistachio, walnuts or almonds, coarsely chopped

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,

½ teaspoon ground cloves,

375g / 1 packet Filo pastry at room temperature

250g ghee, melted (or unsalted butter if you really cant get hold of ghee, better still, buy the butter and watch my video of how to make Ghee and make some yourself .  Check it out on YouTube here:

Make the syrup and leave to cool.  Preheat oven to moderate 180°C (350°F/Gas mark 4).  Brush the base and sides of a 30 x 25 cm cake tin with melted butter.  In a bowl combine the chopped nuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves powder.  Remove a single sheet of Filo pastry at a time, fold each sheet in half and place in tray. Brush the top with butter and fold in edges to fit.  Repeat using half the packet of filo pastry making sure to brush with butter on each sheet, overlap and fold the sides where necessary.  Sprinkle the nut mixture over pastry and then continue to layer the pastry with the remaining sheets.  Pour remaining butter over the top.  Cut into diamond or square shapes, making sure to cut right through to the base.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the Baklava is puffed and lightly golden on top.  Remove Baklava from oven and pour the cooled syrup over the hot Baklava    Leave to cool before cutting along the diagonals again to remove from the tray. 

Note : Cover remaining pastry with a damp tea towel to keep from drying out.  Baklava can be prepared days in advance, stored in the fridge and baked on the day they are to be served.  They will also keep for several days after baking in a cool oven or air tight container, but do not store in the fridge.

Baklava with vanilla syrup (Baklawa بقلاوة  )

Lentil soup عدس Aatz

Well, firstly apologies for the inconsistent blog posts, this year has been very busy to say the least.  As I am pregnant with baby number 3 it has been difficult to keep up with activities of daily life looking after 2 boys as well as maintain the blog, cooking videos and undertake the challenge of running cooking classes while being either vomiting from morning sickness or restricted due to illness etc.

While I have had to reduce the time spent on the various projects and neglected the blog while I was planning, preparing and running the cooking classes, with the remaining few weeks before this baby arrives I have put classes on hold and can devote more time to the videos and blog instead.

The cooking classes were very successful and I had wonderfully positive feedback from the participants so I do look forward to running some more in the future.  In the mean time I have begun working on a video course that will be structured the same as for the Egyptian Cooking banquet course that I ran as a class.  This will take me several weeks to complete with the aim of completing it and getting it uploaded to UDEMY before the baby arrives!! So keep an eye out for that.  I will of course let you know as soon as it goes up.

I know that I promised a blog and video on Koshery some time back before I got a cold I couldn’t shake.  It left me very fatigued and I just couldn’t manage it.  I have not forgotten about it and do hope to get around to that soon.

As it is winter now, down here in the Southern Hemisphere, I often look forward to soup to warm our bodies and one very classic and tasty soup that I grew up with at home is a red lentil soup called  عدس Aatz.  Its combination of cumin and lemon are wonderful with the lentils.  Lentils are not a particularly popular but I did make this during one of the cooking classes and found that while most people thought very little of this pulse before tasting the dish once it was served the oohs and aahs were flowing and there seemed to be almost a surprise to some that lentils could produce something that tasted nice.

My mums’ way of making this involved using a special strainer where you turn the handle and the soup gets pushed through tiny holes.  I don’t have one and I did try pushing the soup through a strainer using a spoon but soon realised that was a huge effort and messy too.  Instead my way was to blend the soup using a stick blender which I love since it produces a wonderfully smooth soup.  The same result with half the fuss.

Lentil soup  عدس Aatz

Serves 6

Lentil soup  عدس Aatz

1 ½ cups / 300g red lentils

1 - 1½ litres chicken stock (depending on the consistency desired)

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

1 medium onion, chopped

½ teaspoon salt (if using stock taste before adding salt)

2 teaspoons cumin powder, or to taste

2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste

To save on dishes I fry the onion in the same pot as I will cook the lentils in.  Melt the ghee or butter in the pot and add the chopped onion.  Fry on medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned. In the meantime wash the lentils and strain.  When the onion is cooked remove onto a plate and add the lentils and water to the pot. Bring it to the boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked.  My parents put the soup through a hand strainer at home but I think it is far easier to use a stick blender and wiz it up until smooth.  Add cumin powder and lemon juice. Check for seasoning before adding salt.  Mix well then serve with the fried onion on top.

This can be served in a bowl as a soup with fresh Lebanese bread on the side for dipping, or several loaves of Lebanese bread can be dried, broken into small pieces and mixed with the soup.  To do this split the bread into halves, place in preheated moderately hot oven 200°C (400°F/Gas mark 6) for 10 -15 minutes or until bread is dry and lightly browned.  Break into small pieces in a large bowl and add the lentil soup over the top. Mix and serve.

Lentil soup  عدس Aatz

Meatballs in tomato sauce كفتة بالدمعة Kofta bil dema-a

I was looking through the massive amount of cooking footage I still have on the computer and discovered a gem.  While our second child was still a baby and not a toddler I made Meatballs in tomato sauce   كفتة بالدمعة  Kofta bil dema-a.

I have always enjoyed eating good tasting meatballs and Kofta  كفتة   is basically an Egyptian meatball.  Kofta can be made so many different ways and it can be fried, or barbecued  or cooked in a tomato based sauce and left to simmer away absorbing flavours on the stove (or this can be done in a slow cooker).  

The key, as with any type of meatball, is to make sure they are browned first as this seals the meatballs and stops them from falling apart in the cooking process.

When I went back and watched the footage I got to reminisce and enjoy those memories from when the kids where so little.  I think this must be one of my favourites, if not my favourite video.  Take a look and let me know what you think...oh, and the food too!

We always had Meatballs in tomato sauce   كفتة بالدمعة  Kofta bil dema-a with rice but I know that many people eat meatballs with pasta.  These could easily be eaten served over pasta if you like.  But at home it was rice.  I love the rice soaking up the sauce and I often used to mush up the meatballs and stir it all together through the rice.  I do that for the kids and they love it.  

As with most things feta cheese, olive and a green salad at the table and it is a complete meal.

Love to have your feedback so let me know how you go making this.

Kofta Barbecued

Fried Kofta

Meatballs in tomato sauce   كفتة بالدمعة  Kofta bil dema-a

Hummus bi Tahina حمص بالطحينة Hommus dip

Book 2 in the Egyptian Cooking series is now available from Lulu.  Click the Book shop tab at the top to link straight through.  The book is only $1.95 and I would love your feedback as always.

Well, the series of cooking classes came to an end last night.  I had a great time cooking and getting to know the ladies of the class.  The classes were interactive and fun with the ladies getting involved which was great. I hope that future classes will run as well and I look forward to even more Egyptian dishes becoming widely known.  I think that dips are fairly well known with a large number of dips being available in supermarkets and delicatessens.  Most of them are very easy to prepare at home and can be adjusted to suit your own tastes.

The dip Hummus bi Tahina   حمص بالطحينة  (Hommus dip) is great because it uses chickpeas which are a great source of calcium and vitamins E and B.  Serve it with fresh bread or crackers, batons of fresh vegetables or even use it as a spread for sandwiches.  This is quick to make and healthy too, what's not to like about that!

I have updated the Egyptian cooking videos so now you can click through to more videos through the menu at the top of the page.  The Hummus bi Tahina   حمص بالطحينة  (Hommus dip) is there too.

Hummus bi Tahina   حمص بالطحينة  Hommus dip

150g / ¾ cup / 5 oz. dried chickpeas

juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, crushed

salt, to taste

½ teaspoon ground cumin

ground paprika, to garnish

30 ml / 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons/ 60 ml tahini paste (150 ml/ 2/3 cup/ ¼ pint tahini paste)

Put chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water and leave overnight.

Drain chickpeas, place in a saucepan and cover with fresh water.  Bring to the boil and cook on high heat for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours or until soft.  Drain.   Alternatively canned chickpeas can be used instead of dried.  Use 400 g and drain well.

Place chickpeas in a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency.  Add lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and tahini and blend until smooth. Taste and season as required.

Transfer to a bowl, garnish with paprika.

To watch the video click through below or jump onto Dyna's Egyptian cooking on YouTube.

ZUCCHINI OVENBAKE كوسة بالباشاميل KOUSA BIL BÉCHAMEL Part 2

ZUCCHINI OVENBAKE كوسة بالباشاميل KOUSA BIL BÉCHAMEL part 2


So here is the second part to the ZUCCHINI OVENBAKE كوسة بالباشاميل KOUSA BIL BÉCHAMEL video.   The beginning of these videos is new and hopefully makes a great (and stylish!) little introduction to the recipe.  Hope you like it.


You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to receive the updates as they happen as well as being able to subscribe on the Blog of course.

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I would love your feedback so feel free to comment, ask questions or add any variations you may have.  

ZUCCHINI OVENBAKE كوسة بالباشاميل KOUSA BIL BÉCHAMEL

Zucchini Ovenbake كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel

Zucchini Ovenbake كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel

I quite like Zucchini (Squash).  Its a great vegetable and easy to cook but can lack flavour if eaten on its own.  Thats where this recipe can come in handy.  It is similar to Mousaka which is made using eggplant that is layered with a Beshamel sauce and quite well known as a Greek dish.  But this Egyptian version known as كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel is tasty too.

Zucchini Ovenbake كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel

Serves 6

1 kg zucchini cut into 1cm thick slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1kg minced or ground beef

2 x 140g tub tomato paste

690ml tomato passata + 500ml water

Salt, pepper and   mixed spice to taste

¼ cup breadcrumbs

Béchamel (White sauce)

100g butter

100g/ ½ cup plain flour

2 ½ cups / 625ml full cream milk,

1 teaspoon mace or mixed spice

1 ½ teaspoon allspice

Salt/pepper to taste

½ cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

To make the meat sauce

Heat oil in a large pan then add onion and garlic and fry over medium heat until translucent.  Add mince and cook over high heat for 15 minutes breaking up any lumps until it is browned and almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Add tomato paste, mace (mixed spice or allspice is fine too) and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes before adding 2 cups or 500ml water.  Bring it to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until meat is cooked and the liquid has reduced and almost completely evaporated.

To make the béchamel sauce

In a heavy based saucepan melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour.  Cook for 2 minutes, add the spices and cook for a further minute, stirring continuously.  Add the milk a little at first and stir to a smooth paste before adding more. Continue to add milk and stir to remove any lumps.  Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook until the sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas mark 4).   

Grease a 20 x 15 cm tray with butter or oil and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over.   Tap the tray to spread the crumbs in a thin layer and remove any excess.  Layer half the zucchini over the base then cover with half the cooked mince.  Repeat with another layer of zucchini and the remainder of the meat.  Spread the béchamel sauce evenly over the top and bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top and zucchini is cooked.

Serve over rice and with a salad.

Zucchini Ovenbake كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel

Zucchini Ovenbake كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel

To view the video of how to make Zuccini Ovenbake كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel click on the link below.  This is part 1, stay tuned for part 2 to follow.

Zucchini Ovenbake كوسة بالباشاميل Kousa bil béchamel

Baked Globe Artichokes خرشوف فى الفرن Kharshouf fil forn

Baked Globe Artichokes خرشوف فى الفرن Kharshouf fil forn

Sometimes it can be incredibly hard to find certain ingredients when you need them.  In February this year I spent 4 hours over 2 days making calls trying to track down some globe artichokes.  What a drama.  Wednesday morning I started by ringing the local grocers, two of them.  One didn’t have them because they were out of season – end of story.  The other said try another local store.  That store said try the supermarkets (who did have tinned artichoke hearts but none frozen).  I don’t even know if you can get frozen ones since no one knew of any such thing.  Eventually I rang the Victorian Growers Association.  No replies to my calls for the rest of the day. 

Thursday morning. Try again.  Third call to a mobile and finally an answer.  No idea who would be able to supply artichokes when they are out of season.  He referred me to an agent of his who I decide to ring straight away. 

Then Samuel woke up.  No, better not risk a phone call when he is awake.  I get him up and give him his bottle of milk.  He is happy playing and Alexander was playing by himself too. Must make this other call.  Off the top of his head the agent knew of a grower in Geelong who could possibly have a few growing even though it is summer and the start of February.  He also gave me a second name, a grower in Werribee but far less likely.  I try the first option and call the grower in Geelong.  The call is funny when I think back.  It went something like this. 

“Hi Mike.  My name is Dyna Buntine, I got your number from Geoff who suggested you might have some globe artichokes.”

“No, I don’t”

“I only need them for some photos and then cook them and take some more photos.”

“Oh, yeah I do”

“Really” (I mean REALLY??)

“Yeah, they are about the size of a fist.  How many do you need?”

“Oh, maybe a half dozen or a dozen. This is Fantastic! I live in Melbourne. Do you come into Melbourne at all?

“I come in to the market Thursday and Friday mornings and leave by 7.30”

“That’s 7.30 AM? Right?”

“Yeah”

“Oh, alright, um… Iet me think, um… can I get back to you.  I will try and meet you Friday morning but will confirm.  Um…, what do, I mean, how much do you want for them?” 

“Two dollars each”

“Alright, I will let you know.  Thanks for the call…blah blah”

I did end up meeting him on Friday morning.  I arrived at the market at 7.33 and was standing at the boom gate at what I thought was the front.  Seriously, I have never seen so many fork lifts whizzing around.  Orange jackets on everyone.  This place is huge.  The Melbourne market on Footscray road supplies all the grocers, restaurants and supermarkets in Melbourne, so I am told. 

I don’t go any further just inside the boom gate and give Mike a call.  Just audible over all the noise I hear him ask what gate I am at.  It takes me a minute to find Gate 3 on a sign on the fence.  He starts to tell me where to go before he stops and says “I will come to you”. Within the next 2 minutes I have one forklift driver stop directly in front of me to ask if I am alright since I look lost.  And then 30 seconds later I get a security car pull up and wind the window down.  The driver asks what I’m doing, then who I work for, then with no satisfactory answer he tells me I am trespassing and shows me the security camera.  I say that is fine I’m not hiding anything.  He tells me he will have to fine me if he gets any more calls.  Not at all concerned I say that is fine, can I stand just behind the boom gate and he says that’s OK.  Before we get any further a car pulls up in front, a man gets out and puts a box of artichokes over his shoulder.  Saved.

Mike and I do introductions on the way to the car and he puts the box in the back on top of the baby pram.  He says $20 will do for the box and we organise change etc.  I was so excited.  The day was still young and I had achieved so much!

Meat stuffing

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

1 medium onion, chopped

500 g minced beef

140g tub salt reduced tomato paste

½ -1 teaspoon salt

1/8 – ¼  teaspoon pepper

½  -1teaspoon mixed spice

1 vine ripened tomato chopped

1 cup water

12 large artichokes

1 lemon juiced, in half pot of water (for soaking artichokes)

300ml  tomato puree or passatta

½ -1 teaspoon salt

1/8 – ¼  teaspoon pepper

½  -1teaspoon mixed spice

250ml / 1/4  L /1cup water  (or less, as required)
optional : your favourite cheese, grated, to serve.

For the stuffing:

Heat butter in a large pan, add onion and fry over medium heat until golden brown.  Add mince and cook over high heat for 15 minutes breaking up any lumps until it is browned and almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Add 1x 140g tub of tomato paste, chopped tomato, salt, pepper, spice frying for 1 minute then add the water and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for further 30 minutes or until meat is cooked and the liquid has reduced, but the meat is not completely dry.  Set aside.

Prepare artichokes, removing any old outer leaves from the heads and remove the stalks from the base of the heads (or leave a little attached, if desired).  Cut the top ¼ off and remove the inner choke of the artichoke with a spoon.  Cut the remaining leaves with scissors or a knife.  This leaves the artichoke centre or heart.  Brush the cut surface with lemon juice or soak in lemon water (I just half fill a large pot with tap water and add 1 lemon juiced) while preparing the rest as they will turn brown otherwise. 

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas mark 4).  When all the artichokes are prepared, drain the artichokes from the lemon water and fill the centre of each artichoke with the cooked mince and place into a roasting tray.  Add salt, pepper and mixed spice to the tomato puree (passatta sauce) and pour over the artichokes.  Cook for 45 – 60 minutes or until the artichokes are cooked through. The artichoke should be soft when tested with a fork or skewer.

Serves 4-6.

Artichokes خرشوف Kharshouf 

Artichokes خرشوف Kharshouf 

Baked Globe Artichokes خرشوف فى الفرن Kharshouf fil forn