Sunday, March 26, 2017

Time and Again, Part 3


This is the third compilation of the popular Time and Again series on MCW where some favorite golden nuggets are re-exposed as they may have gotten a bit lost in the 1000+ recipe archive.
Aubergine Spaghetti. Manal Al Alem is one of my favorite people whom I love without ever having met. She is a day-time TV cook and has had a profound impact on my initiation in cooking. This easy, fast, and healthy pasta was a quick dish presented in last year's Ramadan show, and is a great dish all year round.

Chicken Liver Mousse. I loved foie gras, until I swore them off when I came across a video exposing the immoral, abusive, and disgusting way they force feed the geese until literally their stomach explodes while still alive to get the necessary fatty liver for a good foie gras. No thanks. This chicken liver mousse is much friendlier to the conscience and the wallet, and comes right from your own kitchen.

Elegant Beetroot Carrot Salad. I can't let a compilation post go by without a recipe from my mother. This is a lettuce-free, tomato-free, and yes, even cucumber-free salad that is right at home on a weekday lunch table to the grandest dinner table.

My Mother's Steak with Magic Sauce. The second (of five) contributions to this post stemming from my mother. Steak is seared in a pan, set aside, while magic is made using the steak drippings to form the amazing sauce. Mashed potato or french fresh snuggle to the steak like they were simply meant to be.

Spinach Quiche. Now this is a quiche I make and enjoy almost on a monthly basis. Good for a savory breakfast, a simple lunch or dinner with a salad, or even for afternoon tea. Tastes great warm or cold too.

Tray-Baked Salmon with Green Beans. One of my family's favorite fast foods. The fish is baked in the same tray as the beans, for a grand total of 15 minutes. Meanwhile, you can slice potato into half centimeter medallions and fry them up into crispy golden coins with a fluffy interior.

Rice Noodle Red Capsicum Stir-Fry. The salmon fillet on top is a serving suggestion of a well-rounded meal. Other than that, this is a very nostalgic dish I learned form my mother one summer long, long ago.

Iraqi Thareed Bagilla. One of the best weekend Iraqi breakfasts you could have. Rich in protein and good calories, you will be fueled to carry cows to the roof by the time you're done. Just be sure to finish it off with an istikan of sweet steaming tea.

Hot Sauce Firecracker Chicken. This is a relatively new addition to the routinely made and well loved archives. While the procedure is somewhat multi-step, the result is sure to become a favorite to all.

Iraqi Carrot Rice. A very popular Iraqi classic dish, this is the perfect combinations of meaty and spicy rice in a single pot. Eat it in a bowl snuggled up to a farmer's salad (tomato, onion, cucumber) and thank me later.

Iraqi Meatball Pea Stew. Quite possibly the stew most favored by children, I find that most adults come back for second helpings too.

Iraqi Spinach Stew. Iraqi Yellow Spinach Stew, I might add, as there is a red one too. One of my personal favorites which I can never say no to. A medley of spice, citrus, earth tones, and fall-off-the-bone lamb shanks.

Kiri Croissants. Gone in two bites. One recipe makes a generous batch of 48 mini croissants, and I suggest you take my word to not halve the recipe. If anything, you will  be doubling it. Just be careful to not add too much flour as the sticky dough is the secret to a fluffy and tender result.

Baguette Pizza. This is the penultimate mother recipe for this compilation. I remember being a kid and my mom bless her soul would make this for us as a quick weekday dinner. I would burn the roof of my mouth every time from lack of patience to let it cool some.

Peanut Butter and Banana Snack. Add the words Bread and Honey to the title and you've got the recipe in the title itself. This is a much better alternative to scooping the peanut butter straight out of the jar, so what are you waiting for?

Blueberry-Lemon Overnight Oats. There are five varieties of overnight oats in the recipe index, and while each is a star, this is my favorite. For those new to the overnight oats concept, it take 4 minutes of prep before you sleep, and the next morning all you need to do is take it out of the refrigerator to have your breakfast.

Lebanese Fruit Cocktail. Too much work goes into preparing for this, so I recommend making it in large batches for when you have a crowd to feed. The avocado ice cream and ashta are made in advance, they layered between fresh mango and strawberry purees. The pre-soaked nuts are the crowning jewel.

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake. I can't count the number of times I have made this cheesecake. Very easy to transport, it is great for any potluck or hostess gift as it is inside the home for a occasion or without.

Lemon Poppy Bars. Admittedly this is not for every palate, but this lip-puckeringly sour sweet dessert is asked for time and again form lemon affectionados.

Raspberry Rice Pudding. Rice pudding is in the top five comforting desserts. I love this one in particular because it includes the twist of fresh mashed raspberries, thereby lending a more sophisticated taste and visual appeal to this multi-cultural dessert.

Prune Earl Grey Yogurt Parfait. I think my father bless his soul would have enjoyed this classy dessert. It's so non-processed, no added sweeteners, and healthy, it can be consumes as part of breakfast, as a snack, or indeed as a light dessert.

M&M Cookies. There were my dear brother in law's favorite cookies. I would make a batch and he would store them in a tupperware to preserve them from going stale, although more often than not they would be polished off by the second day.

Pistachio Biscotti. Now this one I see as being a favorite of both my parents. Light, sophisticated, refined, and elegant.

Salted Chocolate Truffles. I was delighted beyond compare at how much my bother in law enjoyed these salty-sweet bites. They consist of a creamy melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate ganache interior, coated in a slightly brittle milk chocolate casing, sprinkled with a touch of rock salt... delicious.

Iraqi Date Molasses. I remember watching my mom make this when I was a tween. It is mostly hands-off as it requires hours and hours of simmering to reduce the date water down to s syrupy molasses. Ingredients are quite simply; fresh dates and water.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Assalama Alaikum Chef Maryam,

God bless you on all your hard work and your wonderful blog. Some of your recipes have become regulars at our table and I can tell you, your Iraqi Carrot rice was eaten all this weekend at our home. Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge but especially the Arabic recipes, would really love more from Iraq :)

Wishing you the best success

Khadija, Dubai

Maryam said...

Wa alaikum al Salam my sister, jazaki Allah khair for your comment. It pleases me that there are people besides myself who read my blog and make recipes from it. I find I have a big love for Arabic recipes too, and am constantly on the lookout for a new recipe opportunity, especially ancient and modern Iraqi recipes. May Allah bless you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Maryam, I wanted to send you an e-mail.

How can I contact you?

Kind regards

Khadija, Dubai

Maryam said...

maryamcw (at) yahoo (dot) com