Mujaddara

People in our region tend to include meat and poultry in their everyday diet. Moreover, meat and poultry tend to be the main ingredient of almost every meal. This healthy delicious meal substitutes animal protein with plant protein coming from brown lentils. This is one of my favourite dishes. It is filling and delicious. It is suitable for summer days as well as those cold winter days. It goes really well with natural yogurt, a salad and some pickles. Try it and enjoy the wonderful taste!

Mujaddara Recipe

(Serves: 3-4 people )

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 medium sized chopped onions
• 3 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 cups water
• 1 tsp cumin

Instructions

1. Rinse lentils with cold water.
2. In a medium sized pot add the lentils and the water and bring to boil.
3. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to simmer until lentils are tender but not mushy. (stir occasionally) add salt and cumin. 
4. Wash rice and add it to lentils. Add water to cover the rice and cook on low heat until the water is gone.
5. In a saucepan saute onions in olive oil until completely softened and caramelised.
6. Add half of the caramelised onions into cooked lentils and rice. Use the other half to top your dish before serving.
7. Serve with natural yoghurt and salad.

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Sahlab (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding)

In these cold snowy days, we would resort to having hot drinks to keep us warm. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate are traditional options. But have you tried home-made "Sahlab"? This winter-hot-foamy-drink is an easy option that is loved by kids and adults alike! It is very common to find "Sahlab" available in the coffee shops in the Middle East. It takes only 10 minutes to prepare, and the kids always ask for a refill right away after finishing the first cup! this is what happened this afternoon, I served "Sahlab" with Shortbread homemade cookies (for recipe please click here) All "Sahlab" was gone and all cookies as well!

This is such a comforting drink that works well for a winter dessert or an afternoon drink. It is healthy and not too sweet. Preparing this drink from scratch tastes much better than the powdered mixture that you can purchase from the supermarket. Follow the recipe and you will love it!

Sahlab (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding) Recipe

(Serves: 4 persons)

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 6 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp shredded coconuts
• Chopped walnuts or pistachios
• 1 tsp Almond extract (optional)
• Raisins (optional)
• 
  

Instructions

1. Combine milk, cornstarch, and vanilla extract and beat with a whisk over medium heat, bring to boil and let the mixture boil for 2 minutes while stirring. (Or until thick and creamy)
2. Serve hot in mugs and top with a pinch of cinnamon, shredded coconuts, and pistachios or walnuts on each serving.

Adding some chopped dried apricots to topping is also a great idea!

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Fava Beans with Rice

Have you got bored cooking same food for dinner? Do you feel like trying something new but not sure what? This is an easy, healthy and filling recipe. It consists of only few ingredients but is rich with nutrients. If your kids are picky eaters when it comes to eating green stuff, this is a great recipe that they will happily eat, and maybe even help cutting the Fava beans to smaller pieces.

And the best part is that Fava beans are now in season! - but can purchased canned or dried throughout the year!

Green beans with meat (Fava beans) Recipe

(Serves: 3-4 people)

Ingredients

• 1 kg fresh green beans (Fava beans)
• 300 gr lean meat (beef or lamb)
• 10-15 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp old spices
• 4-5 tbsp vegetable oil
• water

Instructions

1. In a medium sized pot heat the oil, add small cube pieces of meat until brown.
2. Add Fava beans and garlic, stir fry until beans become brighter in colour.
3. Add salt, pepper, tomato paste, old spice and enough water to cover meat and fava beans.
4. Cover the pot and bring to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked and sauce is thickened.
5. Serve with white or brown rice.

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