Homemade Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel sauce is the basic white sauce used in as a topping for casseroles in which eggs can be added to the basic recipe. Cheese can be added for a cheese sauce, along with herbs, spices etc., for added flavors. Once you mastered this sauce you no longer need to purchase any ready to make soups again.

Bechamel Sauce can be used in the following dishes:
Moussaka and casseroles such lasagnas, creamed spinach, baked cauliflower, au gratin, crepe filling, cream soups, creamy pastas and warm dressings.

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Butter 
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour 
1 Cup Milk 
Salt & Black pepper powder to taste 

Method
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, whisk until smooth, continue cooking until light golden. 

Slowly, add the milk and continue whisking until thick and creamy.   

After 10-12 minutes it should look like this. Thick and smooth. Add a pinch of salt and pepper powder to taste, whisk again.  

If adding eggs, cheese and other spices,  add when the sauce is slightly cooled.   

My Notes :
For a healthier version of this sauce , use cornflour or  whole wheat flour.

Thinner Sauce: For mousakka, casseroles, baked dishes. Reduce the butter and flour to 1 tablespoon per cup of milk

Thicker Sauce: for stuffing vegetables , meat stuffed.  Use 3 tablespoons of butter and flour per cup of milk
This sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container and in the freezer for a month. 

To reheat, place sauce in a double boiler, stirring constantly by adding a little milk if needed.  

Labels: Jams & Sauces, Soup, Healthy, Homemade, International Cuisine   

How To Make Croutons for Soups & Salads

Croutons are pieces of bread that have been toasted, either in a frying pan or the oven, until they are crisp and golden brown. They can be tossed into green salads, sprinkled on top of soups and casseroles, crushed over cooked vegetables such as asparagus or broccoli, and used as the base for stuffings or savory bread puddling.

It's best, but not 100% necessary, to use slightly stale bread for your croutons. In fact, croutons are an excellent way to use up any leftover bread. But if you have only fresh bread, that's ok, too. You can use white, whole wheat bread.

Croutons can be made in all shapes and sizes.

Ingredients
A few slices of slightly stale or fresh bread
A Tablespoon of olive oil or melted butter or a combination of the both
1/8 Teaspoon Salt 

Optional flavorings 
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon dried herbs such as oregano, basil OR
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, finely minced
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Cut the bread into cubes according to the size that you wish. Try to make uniform bread cubes.

 On a baking tray, add the bread, bunching it close together in a single layer. Drizzle oil/buter on the top, add a pinch of salt, and toss lightly to coat.

Spread the croutons out so that they are no longer touching.

Place the baking tray in the oven and grill for about 5 minutes. Remove the tray, carefully toss and stir croutons (or turn over the croutons). Bake another 5 minutes and check for doneness. Depending on the size of the bread and how browned you want them, they may need another 5 minutes or so.

When the croutons are done to your liking, remove them from the oven and cool on the pan. If not using right away, store croutons for a few days in an airtight container.

Notes :
For garlic croutons, finely grate a clove of garlic using a fine grater straight into the olive oil or melted butter a few minutes before using. If you can do this an hour in advance so that the garlic really infuses the oil/butter, even better.

For herbed croutons, sprinkle on your dried herb of choice when adding the salt. For fresh herbs, add them when tossing after the first 5 minutes of baking.

For parmesan croutons, add the parmesan when tossing after and nearly at the end of baking.

If you want to use a frying pan on the stove top, be sure to stir and toss the bread frequently so all sides become crisp and golden. You may need a little extra oil as well.  

Labels: Breads, Soup,Salads, Lentils, Healthy, Vegan 

Omm Ali - An Egyptian Dessert

This month's in Mena Cooking Club, we are making Egyptian food. Our host Amira chose three different recipes a savory, a soup and a sweet: Omm Ali.

Omm Ali is a delicious traditional Egyptian dessert equivalent to North America's bread pudding. Legend has it that Om Ali was the first wife of the sultan Ezz El Din Aybek. When the sultan died, his second wife had a dispute with Om Ali, resulting in the second wife's death. To celebrate, Om Ali made this dessert and distributed it among the people of the land.

The differences between this and bread pudding is that there is no use of eggs in this recipe. Also, puff-pastry or croissants are the bread base of choice in this dessert. This dessert is not as heavy as bread pudding owing to the flaky, airy texture of the puff pastry or croissants used. A variation of nuts, fruits (dates or raisins) and cream adorn this dessert. It's as beautiful and exotic as it's country of origin, and delicious enough to please the most discerning palette.

Ingredients
4 puff-pastry sheets
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pistachios- chopped
1/4 cup walnuts - choppeed
1/4 cup almond - chopped
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Cup whole milk 

1 Cup Heavy cream

2 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

Thaw the puff-pastry room temperature. Don't let it sit out long or the puff pastry will become too pliable and hard to work with. If this happens, place the puff-pastry back in the refrigerator for about 10 mins, remove, then start working with it.

Brush the baking pan with butter well.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Mix all the nuts and dessicated coconut, keep aside.

Then add the cinnamon powder mix well.

Cut the puff-pastry into squares. 

Set aside 1/4 cup of the toasted mixed nuts (for garnishing).

In each square of puff pastry  place a teaspoon of the mixed nuts and bring the  corners of two opposite side together and then the other two corner together and pinch the side to close like a packet.  Place it on the baking pan and like wise prepare the other squares. 

Keep this pan to  bake for 20 - 25 minutes till golden brown on top.

As the puff pastry parcels are being baked and reached the end of baking time keep the milk to heat add the sugar and let it boil and the sugar melts. Switch off the flame and  add the cream, mix well. 

When the puff pastry parcels are baked pour the hot milk mixture on the them and garnish with nuts .  Keep it back in the oven to bake .

Bake until the top of the Omm Ali is a light golden-brown and the milk in the Omm Ali begins to bubble starts leaving the sides. Turn your oven to "broil". Let the Omm Ali broil for 2 minutes until the top is nice and caramelized. Please keep an eagle eye on the  Omm Ali at this time or it will burn.

Remove your dessert from the oven, let it cool for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with some more of the reserved nuts (optional). This dessert is best served warm. Now how delicious is that?!?   We enjoyed this.  You too try it out and Enjoy!!

Check Out Other Members Recipes Here.

Labels: Sweets & Desserts, Healthy, Continental Cuisine, Mena Cooking Club

Egyptian Vegetable Musaqaa - Meatless - Vegetarian

This month in Mena's Cooking Club our host Amira  choose three  dishes an Egyptian Musaqaa and Egyptian Lentil Soup.  For the sweet Omm Ali. I was so excited to read the dishes chosen by Amira, it was at that moment that I decided that must prepare both a non - vegetarian and vegetarian musaqqa version .  This vegetarian dish I, prepared on the weekend since its hubby dear day of rest.  So here is a vegetarian version for my hubby as he must taste this awesome dish. 

Moussaka is an eggplant or potato-based dish in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, with many local and regional variations. The English name for moussaka comes from modern Greek mousakás (μουσακάς), which entered Greek from the Turkish musakka,which itself came from Arabic musaqqa‘ah (مسقعة), meaning "chilled". Most versions are based primarily on sautéed eggplant and tomato, usually with minced meat.

Moussaka is a casserole made by layering eggplant and potaotes with a spiced meat filling then topping it off with a creamy bechamel sauce that is baked to golden perfection.It's rich and filling so you won't need many side dishes.  I prepared two musaqaa's , one with chicken and this a meatless musaqaa for hubby dear a vegetarian.

It can be time consuming to prepare, I think you will find that once complete it is a very worthwhile effort.

Ingredients
2 Eggplants (Brinjals)
1 Cup Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) - boiled
2 Large Potatoes
2 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Onion -  diced
2 Flakes Garlic  -  minced
3 Large Tomatoes - peeled and pureed
1 Tomato -skinned & chopped finely
1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin

1 Teaspoon Parsely - I used dried.
Salt and pepper to taste
100 Grams Feta Cheese - crumbled
3/4 Cup grated Parmesan/ Cheezaa cheese  

1 Cup Breadcrumbs - seasoned

2 Cups Bechamel Sauce

3 Eggs -  separated (reserve yolks for Bechamel)

For the Seasoned breadcrumbs

Remove the sides of the bread with a kitchen scissor, cut into small pieces and powder them in a mixer.  To this add a teaspoon pepper powder and a pinch of salt. Mix well 

To prepare Bechamel Egg Sauce

In the bechamel sauce add a pinch of ground nutmeg and the 3 egg yolks and beat well.  Keep aside. 

Prepare the vegetables

Soak the chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) overnight and then boil.  Then drain and rinse them, keep aside. 

Slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch round slices and place them in a colander and salt them liberally. Place the colander in the sink so that excess moisture can be drawn out for at least 10 minutes.

Peel the potatoes, slice them in 1/4 inch round slices and immerse them in salt water for about 10 minutes.

In a non-stick griddle heat a little olive oil and place eggplants and fry them on both sides on high heat till brown spots appear. Remove and keep aside in a plate. Like-wise fry the potatoes in same way till brown on both sides. Remove and keep aside in a plate. 

Make the Chickpea layer
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add chickpeas with chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, cinnamon, oregano, parsely, cumin, salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered so that there is no liquid. When completely dry switch off the flame and add the crumbled feta cheese.  Keep this aside 

Assemble the Moussaka
Lightly grease a baking pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with seasoned breadcrumbs.

Place the bottom of the pan with a layer of potatoes. Top with a layer of eggplant slices.Add garbanzo beans layer on top then the bechamel egg sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese.

Sprinkle a little oregano, parsley and cinnamon powder on top. Add seasoned bread crumbs on top. Then with another layer of potato and eggplant slices and garbanzo beans sprinkle once again bechamel egg sauce with bread crumbs, grated cheese. Sprinkle a little oregano, parsley and cinnamon powder on top. 

Cover with aluminium foil and bake in a preheated at 180 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. After its baked remove the foil and keep it on broil for 2 minutes for even browning. 

Serve it warm or chilled. We had this for your lunch and enjoyed it. 

My daughter's enjoyed both this and non veg. Hubby dear simply loved this. Yes this is really an awesome dish. 

Check to see what the other members are doing here.

My Notes: 
Use this as a base and experiment with your own flavor/spice combinations.   

  
For the non - vegetarian version see here
Labels: Continental Cuisine, Vegetable, Healthy, Mena Cooking Club

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup (Shurbet el-Ads)

This month in Mena's Cooking Club our host Amira  choose two savory dishes an Egyptian Musaqaa and Egyptian Lentil Soup. We could choose any one but I decided to make both.

The key to making an authentic Egyptian lentil soup is in the spices – the cumin is a staple in most Middle Eastern soups.

Ingredients
½  Cup Red lentils
1 Onion - diced
1 Potato - peeled and diced
1 Carrot - diced
1 Celery Stock - chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic - minced
1 Teaspoon Olive oil
1 Bay leaf
½ Teaspoon Cumin  powder or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne pepper (optional)
A teaspoon of freshly squeezed lime
A small Vegetable Stock Cube 
3 Cups of Water
Bread croutons

Method
Wash and soak lentils for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan, sauté onion and garlic. Then add lentils, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf and chopped celery. Add the water, vegetable soup and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook till done. Then add the cumin, pepper and salt to taste. Stir well and taste to see if the spices need to be adjusted.  

Remove whole bay leaves and discard. Blend the soup to a smooth paste. Add water to adjust the consistency of the soup and transfer it back into the pan. Bring it to a boil.
Serve soup warm. Add freshly squeezed lime juice and Bread croutons.  

This soup is so comforting, smooth and creamy, with just a hint of heat.  

Labels: Soup, Healthy, Vegan, International Cuisine,  Shurbet el-Ads, Egypt, Red Lentils, Masoor Dal, Middle Eastern