Zucchini Gratin

Zucchini Gratin …

Ingredients: 

  6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 

  1 big onion, cut in sliced.

   2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick 5 medium zucchini. 

 2 teaspoons salt

 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

   1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 and half cup hot milk

  1 cup grated cheddar cheese

 

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and cook the onion over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg then cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.

 

Stir in the flour in some butter. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it make white sauce pour it on the zucchini mixture into backing dish.

 

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned. 

Oriental Rice with pomegranate

Oriental Rice with pomegranate..

Ingredients:

-       2 tablespoon butter / ghee 

-       1 (medium) chopped onion

-       2 cloves minced garlic

-       ½ tablespoon mixed spices

-       2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

-       ½ kilo minced meat

-       1 cup Basmati rice

-       1 cup chicken /or meat broth ( if not available you can add water )

-       Half cup roasted nuts (almond- walnut – pistachio)

-       2 tablespoon dried pomegranate. 

Method:

-       Heat the butter, add the onion + garlic and stir for 3 min. till they become tender.

-       Add the minced meat then the mixed spices and leave them to cook for 7 min.

-       Add the pomegranate molasses then add the rice to the mixture and stir slowly.

-        Add the broth and when it starts to boil, slow the heat and leave to cook.

-       Before last 5 min, add the dried pomegranate then turn off the fire and decorate it with the roasted nuts. 

Potato sausage stew (Alexandrian way)

Potato sausage stew (Alexandrian way)

Ingredients:

-       Kilo Arabic sausage.

-        5 or 6 Medium size potatoes cut them rings.

-       2 small onion, cut them rings

-       2 mediums Tomato – 2 medium green capsicum, cut them rings.

-       1 and half cup tomato sauce + 1 tablespoon tomato paste.

-       Salt- pepper – pinch of nutmeg.

Method:

-       Rub the potatoes rings with the onion spiced with salt and pepper. Then add the pinch of nutmeg.

-       Arrange them in the oven tray then add tomato +capsicum and finally add the sausage.

-       Pour the tomato sauce, turn on the fire when it starts to boil, slow down the heat and leave to cook.

-       Last 5 min. turn off the fire and transfer them to the preheated oven.

-       Serve it with plain rice. 

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani.

Ingredients:

-       1 chicken cut it into 8 pieces.

-       1 big onion slices.

-       5 crushed clove garlic.

-       1 table spoon minced ginger

-       Half bundle of minced fresh mint

-       1 bundle minced coriander

-       1 cup yogurt

-       2 cinnamon sticks 

-       2 clove

-       3 cardamom

-       Salt- pepper- cumin

-       1 tomato cubed

-       1 red chili pepper (optional)

-       2 teaspoon gramasala spices (available in supermarkets)

-       ½ teaspoon dried coriander

-       3 cups steamed cooked basmati rice

-       2 onion sliced (fried in oil)

-       Butter + oil

-       Saffron (in 2 tablespoons of warm water)

-       Roasted nuts  

                                                                           

Method:

-       Heat the oil + butter, then add the whole spices (cinnamon sticks – clove)

-       Add the onion slices and stir till it become tender, then add the garlic + ginger and stir well.

-       Add the chicken pieces and stir on all sides, add the spices + some of the minced mint + yogurt + some of the fresh minced coriander + fried onion)

-       Slow down the heat and leave them to cook.

-       In other pot add half of the cooked rice, then add the chicken with its sauce and some fried onion, some fresh mint and coriander, then add the other half of the rice;

-       Pour the saffron on one side of the rice, slow down the heat and cover it with Aluminum foil and leave it to cook (25 min) .

-       Stir it with the fork slowly (to get the white and the yellow colored rice) and decorate it with roasted nuts, the rest of fried onion, fresh mint , coriander and serve.