Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas) - Palestinian Recipe

This healthy soup is enjoyed throughout the Middle East, and it's a flavourful soup. Lentil soup is the most traditional and popular soup in the Levant. During winter time, many families in Palestine still start every dinner with a bowl of warm lentil soup. During Ramadan (regardless of the season it falls in) it is a favourite way to break the fast.


Serving 2 Persons
Ingredients
1 Liter Vegetable stock
1/3 Cup Red lentils
1 Onion - chopped
1 Carrot - cubed
1 Potato = cubed
2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
A sprig of Fresh thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin powder
2 Tablespoons Cooking cream
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Herbed Butterflaps / French Garlic bread for serving

Method

Wash the lentil and soak in water for 20 minutes.

Heat a pan with olive oil and butter, let  the butter melt, then add the chopped onion, garlic,  carrot, thyme and potato. Sauté until partially cooked.

Strain the lentils, then add to the sautéed vegetables, mix together. Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, and skim the foam that surfaces. Simmer for  30 minutes on low flame stirring in between  until lentils are tender. Add the cumin powder, salt and white pepper.

Pour the soup into a bowl, drizzle with cooking cream and serve with Herbed Butterflaps / French Garlic bread .  Enjoy this deliciously healthy and hearty soup for dinner.

Sending this to BM, theme Healthy Family Dinners.  

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 55

Labels : Soup, Palestine, Continental Cuisine, Healthy, Lentils, Blogging Marathon, Shorbat Adas, Lentil Soup

Brown Basmati Pulao

Another Feather in my Hat:

Received an award ( a recipe book) from Simply TADKA for the best recipe  ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKES - EGGLESS. The book titled ‘The Café Spice Cookbook”  which arrived a couple of days back and I am very excited to read the book and try some of the recipes. This is the third prize I’ve received so for since I started my blog last year . I feel deeply obliged to be recognized on a Global platform via my blogging and very blessed to know that my recipes reach thousands out there who share my passion for food and culinary. I wish to keep trying different recipes and share them with all of you through this blog and hope that it brings everyone as much joy as it does to me.

Here’s the first recipe from The Café Spice Book :

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups Brown Basmati Rice
1  Onion - sliced
1 inch   Cinnamon stick
2-3  Cloves 
4 Peppercorns
6 - 8 Mint leaves
1 Teaspoon  Cumin seeds 
2 Tablespoon Desi Ghee
Salt to taste
2.1/2 Cups Water
2 Carrots -cut into  thick strips
1/2 Cup Sweet Corn = boiled
1/2 Cup Green, Yellow and Red Capsium - Cut into strips
1 Teaspoon Butter

Method

Wash and soak for 1 hour and then drain all the water, keep aside.

Par boil the carrots and corn.  Keep aside to cool.  
Heat  the butter in  a frying pan and toss the capsicums, carrot and corn, saute for a minute.  Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pressure pan, add cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and cumin seeds, sauté for a minute. Add onions and sauté till light brown. Add the mint leaves and brown rice. Mix well and stir fry lightly for a 2 minutes  add  water and salt. Mix again, cover with the lid  and cook on full flame for 3 whistles.  Switch off the flame and  let the pressure cooker cool.   Open  the pressure pan when cooled, lightly stir the rice. Serve hot with sautéd vegggies.   Enjoy this healthy pulao. 


Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: August -- Week 4 and to Simply TADKA

Labels : Rice, Brown Rice, Carrots, Corn, Capsicum, Healthy, CCChallenge

STRAWBERRY BAVARIAN - EGGLESS - A FRENCH DESSERT

Bavarian cream also known as Bavarois is a dessert similar to pastry cream but thickened with gelatin instead of flour or cornflour which is a custard sauce thickened using eggs. This is delicious and easy to make french dessert and kids love it. A goodness of fruit and cream.   

Ingredients
1 Cup Strawberry puree
1 Teaspoon Lemon juice
1 - 2  Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Gelatin
1/4 Cup Water
1/2   Cup Whipped cream
1/2 Teaspoon Strawberry essence
Strawberry  for garnishing
Extra Whipped cream for garnishing

Method
Mix strawberry puree, lemon juice and sugar in a blender till the sugar dissolves. Keep aside.

Soak the gelatin in water till swells up. Then place the pan on medium flame, keep stirring till the gelatin dissolves, keep aside.

Add the gelatin to the strawberry mixture and pulse the blender 3 times till well combined.

Beat cream till stiff,  add essence and fold in the strawberry mixture.   Pour it in serving bowls and chill till firm. 

Garnish with whipped cream and strawberry  . Serve, dig into the  bowl ..... enjoy.  

Small bowl for the kids.

My Notes:

Adjust the sugar quantity according to the sweetness of the strawberry puree.

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Labels :  Sweets & Desserts, Kids delight, Blogging Marathon, France

Cheesy Herbed French toast with grilled tomatoes

This is delicious, simple, fast breakfast or brunch - a French toast with a twist and it's savory version. Slice of French bread are dipped into a fresh herb, and cheesy egg mixture, then fried until crisp and golden.

Ingredients
2  Eggs -  beaten
2  Tablespoons Milk
2 Cubes Gouda Cheese  -  grated
1 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs
Butter as required butter
1 French Loaf  -  thickly sliced
2 Tomatoes
Butter + olive oil, for frying


Method
I used rosemary, thyme and parsley in fresh herbs.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese and herbs. Melt the butter + oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Dip slices of bread into the egg mixture, then place them in the pan. Cook for 3-5 mins on each side, or until golden and crisp.

Place the  tomatoes on  the same and grill until they start to soften and blister. On a large platter, place the cheesy French bread, grilled tomatoes and let's just enjoy.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 55

Labels :  Breakfast, French Cuisine, Continental Cuisine, Egg, Fresh Herbs, Cheese, Blogging Marathon

French Onion Soup - Vegetarian

French onion soup is delicious made with sweet caramelized onions , it's usually made with beef stock and wine. Since this is a vegetarian version of the same, used vegetable stock. This soup has very few simple ingredients.

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 Large Onion
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 thyme sprigs 

1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon Plain flour 

2 Cups Vegetable stock

For  the topping
1 Clove Garlic - minced

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Oil

Bread  Slices

A spring to Fresh Thyme

Parmesan Cheese - grated
2  Cheese slices

Method

Slice the onions , heat a very large pan, add the oil and butter when hot, stir in the onions, 2 of the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf.  Cook over a high heat for 5 mins, stirring continuously till the onions are caramelized but not brown,  yet very  soft.
Then add the flour into the onions and stir it over a medium heat for a few mins, add the stock and keep stirring along the bottom of the pan occasionally to mix in the brown sticky bits of onion.

While the soup  is simmering.

Heat oven to 180 C .

Make the topping,   mix the garlic and the oil together. Brush all over the bread slices, then cut each one into cubes. Scatter over a baking sheet, then bake for 8-10 mins until golden. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment or a sheet of  silicone. Remove the leaves from the remaining thyme sprig, then mix with the grated Parmesan. Scatter and spread over the lined baking sheet. Bake for about 8 mins until melted and turning golden. 

To serve, remove and discard the herbs from the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls – scatter over a few croutons, the cheese slice and a pinch of freshly powder pepper, then  place in the oven till the cheese is melted and crisp on top. Serve any remaining croutons separately.  This really filling  and  yum.... I would say delicious.

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Labels : Soup, French Cuisine, Continental Cuisine, Onion, Vegetarian, Cheese, Blogging Marathon