Carrot Cake

Asalam Alaykum Muslimat and Hello to all readers :)
I love baking, but only when I know someone would eat what I am baking. My hubby and kids are not big fan of cakes,unless it is the simple plain one.
So as my parents were visiting me. I thought I would attempt baking a carrot cake, which I got the recipe from my cousin, who got it from her friend LOL..I did some modifications to it but it came out really delicious.

Ingredients:
2 cups self raising flour
1 1/4 cups oil
4 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
3 carrots grated
Juice of one orange
1 cup of chopped walnuts

Icing ingredients:
200 gram cream cheese (e.g. Philadelphia)
1/2 cup icing sugar
70 gram butter

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
whisk the self raising flour, salt and cinnamon powder together
Now beat oil and sugar together till combined well,add eggs one at a time, add vanilla
Add the orange juice, than the carrot while still beating the mixture, then add the walnuts
Add the flour and mix slowly for a short time.
Add your mixture in the baking pan, into the oven
bake for around 40-45 minutes.

make your icing by mixing the ingredients with the mixer.
when your cake is ready let it cool for a while then pour the icing over it.
Preferably eaten when chilled.

A Gift / cookies

Add your touch to your gifts...:)..simple but cute!...


Delicious cookies..kids love them..




wish you all a lovely week which is full of achievements inshallah:)...

Kunafa, dessert from the Middle East

I made Kunafa, or as it is called in some region Osmalia (derived from Othman or Ottoman, as I would guess it might have started at the time of Ottoman Empire, correct me if am wrong)

You need:

A packet of Kunafa+ melted butter (about a cup I guess): break the kunafa in smaller pieces and mix it with the melted butter, some use ghee but I like the smell of butter.

For your middle sauce (cream) you need:

One and a half cup milk

Half cup of cream

About 4-6 tsp of cornflour

Sugar, rose water (optional)

You mix the ingredients and then cook them in low heat till the sauce thickens, keep staring it with a spoon so it doesn’t form lumps.

And of course you should have made your syrup earlier (sheera), I don’t use a specific amount to make it, use water and sugar and balance it depending on how much you want it to be- either very sweet or not.

Now, put half of the kunafa on a baking tray, squeeze it. Then add the sauce in the middle, then the other half of the kunafa. Bake it in your oven for less than 15 minutes or till it is golden.

When you take it out of the oven, add the cold syrup, otherwise if you like it dry, let it cool first then add the syrup. Add pistachio on top or as you like…now I leave you with the photos..:)

This is before baking it..

then after taking it out of the oven

Call it easy!

Today I woke up feeling really tired, as I slept today before dawn (al Fajr) after praying. I promised myself to finish off my assignment and thank to Allah I did.

So as I was feeling tired I thought of making a simple easy lunch. Now am stressing again that I am not good in cooking but I would like to help busy people like me with some simple ideas…

I first marinated the chicken (with mashed garlic, salt, pepper, mashed ginger (as you like), add chilly if you want, I don’t use it a lot because of my little kids)

Then I fried the chicken.

And I made a really easy potato dish which I found receipe in my favourite cook book, published by my favourite channel fatafeat (http://www.fatafeat.com/). I love it and I love my book.

I changed the potato dish a bit to match the family's taste! So;

You cut the potatoes into squares, marinate them with garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Then bake it in your oven.

And I prepared white rice, and within our family, white rice comes always with yoghurt.

That’s it. Simple, easy and kids love it! Enjoy.

Kabsa,food from the Gulf

Here I start..An English blog this time..Don’t know exactly what triggered it..But it seemed a right thing to do…

I will start with a dish..Well cuisine is an international language..We can all agree on this delicious topic, can’t we?

I am not a good cook, I have never been..I just like sharing!..

I made machboos/makboos yesterday (kabsa in other dialects), it is a popular rice dish made in the Gulf region..Everyone will add some of their own flavour to it..but this is the way I make it..oh but excuse my bad photos..I made this dish while my brother was visiting, and was too shy to get a proper camera to the kitchen, so just used my mobile phone. I couldn’t take a picture after serving because he, along, with my hubby, were there with me..

Anyway…

Ingredients (I rarely use specific amounts for anything, but hope this will be clear):

A packet of frozen chicken thighs, or drumsticks, or a whole chicken as you like :D

Garlic, mashed (5-8 cloves)

Pinch of salt

Pepper

And these ingredients will be used to marinate the chicken, and then fry it!

Next will be peeling your potatoes and cutting them into circles and deep fry them..Keep them aside

Now :

Get two medium-sized onions, cut them into small pieces, fry them in little oil (about 2-3 tbs) till golden, add fresh mashed ginger, can use the powder if u want .add about 2 tbs tomato puree and then 2-3 medium peeled and cubed tomatoes to the onion and ginger..Fry for few minutes..

Then add cinnamon powder (about 1 tsp), or sticks or both, with a tiny bit of turmeric powder, then add parsley leaves, salt and lemon for your preferred flavour

Cover it in low heat.

And boil your rice water, add pinch of salt to it…when it boils add your (basmati ) rice and leave it till it cooks, then drain it..

Now, add your fried chicken and potatoes to the sauce you have made, let it cook for two minutes.

Now add the rice on top of the sauce, cover it the way it is for about 10 min in a very low heat…

Then when serving it, mix it carefully. Serve with salad…

Bon appetite