Saturday, August 13, 2011

I joined a Ramadan cooking contest and this recipe rocks!

Hi.  There is a lovely man in Kuwait or two men?  Anyway, they are hosting a Ramadan cooking competition over at eB6ainiya.  So far, my post was the 3rd day and I only got one comment.  So, with that information, I don't think that I will win but it was fun and you all SHOULD try my recipe!

There was one recipe for CHOCOLATE FONDANT that intrigued me and I tried it and OH MY GOD!!  It is sooooooo good!  I will be trying some of the other recipes too especially the Arab or more Arab ones that I know nothing of!

So, feast your eyes on these babies.  Oh, I have made this twice already this month and the second time I served it with Vanilla Ice Cream.  Oh my!

Ok.  When sorting out my pictures, I decided to post one evening last week when we had Charlie over for the last sleep over and Paulina stayed with us for two days.

First here is Uki taking over my space at my computer and demanding my attention.  Don't worry, she did not kiss me; she just smelled my breath!


I then went in the kitchen and started making chicken breasts that I grilled.  First I start off with pounding the breasts as they cook faster and more evenly.  The wooden aparatus I am using is a Colombian mallet for making our traditional 'Chocolate'.  Maybe I will post about that one day as I have brought over the chocolate, the special handle (below) and the pot.


I added fresh cracked pepper and rock salt from the mills my lovely daughter brought me back from Italy on a school trip two years ago.


I added some zaatar or oregano, rosemary, olive oil, garlic powder and I can't remember what else.


I found this really cool double sided contraption.  One side is a grill and the other side is a flat surface great for pancakes.


I started cooking the chicken breasts...


Flipped 'em...


And voila', they are done.  I stacked them on a plate and covered them with foil until I served.  This allowed the meat to rest, which retains the juices, and to stay warm.


I made a huge salad and you can see what I put in there.


For the dressing, I use white vinegar and oil.  Khalaas.


Here are the Chocolate Fondant babies I made.  I used a pop-over tin instead of the ramekins as I don't have those!


My sweet Ali set the table for me.  We got a bevy of Zanzibari Iftar foods.  


There are mutton samosas, potato balls from the left, sorry, mandazi (slightly sweet bread triangles, VERY popular) water, then tuna cutlets and chicken samosas.  You can also see in the middle left that there is a plate with dates and apricots to break the fast with.


The four white tins are filled with coconut chutney that the Zanzibari's like to eat their food with.


Isn't this to die for?  You MUST try the recipe.  It is well written except the poor anonymous soul forgot to put the temperature on the recipe.  I set mine for 180*C or 135*F.  A typical oven.


This is not so great but it is all part of the experience.  The kids were cleaning up their dishes and you can see my kitchen SUCKS.  It's not my house!  Anyway, there is Paulina and Amal squealing because we found .....  read on.....


A cockroach on my kitchen floor!!


Paaa-leeezzee!  Ali to the rescue.  Then, afterward, we settled down in the TV room to watch a new-to-us Omani cartoon.  Here is what I presume to be a Dad sitting with his little girl in her room...


Here are the two main characters talking.  I love the graphics in this show and the kids try to translate what is going on for me.


Here are the last photos of Charlie I will have.  She was cuddling on the Fat Boy (bean bag) with Peaches.


She is looking at the TV now.


Goodbye Charlie, we loved having you over, we will miss you and hope to see you soon either here or in Holland!

Thanks for stopping by and TRY my recipe!!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

It is so not fair that all I have to do is look at your yummy chocolate pots and bam they are already on my hips! Alis where did you buy your grill tray, I have been looking for that exact same thing.

Coffeebean's Dailies said...

Hi! I know right! I have been, all THREE of us (kids and I) have been REALLY good working out! Yay! It has been tough with Ramadan too.

When do the kids come back? I want to invite you and Eyad to Iftar and dinner. How about Thursday? Anything you would like from my repertoire? Let me know. I only thought of you this afternoon that you are alone, albeit with little Eyad, and it would be really nice of you to come over and hang with us!

Let me know, ok?

I got the really uber cool tray at Tavola. Hope you can find it.

Alia

Chick Flick Journal said...

Everything looks so good and yummy. I wish i had time to join this food competition its very interesting and creative.

I want that grilling bar!

Chick Flick Journal said...

Btw. You've been tagged by me:P

http://chickflickjournal.blogspot.com/2011/08/tagged.html

yvon from Holland said...

Oh wat ziet dat er heerlijk uit. Heb net hier op TV een programma gezien over de ramadan. Elke week wordt er een niet-moslim uitgenodigd om een dag mee te vasten en dan aan het eind van de dag mee te eten. Goede ramadan gewenst...

Anonymous said...

Love those chocolate things and you are getting great with your food pics or maybe I am just hungry at this moment :P

Coffeebean's Dailies said...

CFJ: Maybe next year! We only have one, or we did now we have two kitchen stores. I hope you find it as it is so much faster than anything smaller! Thanks for tagging me. I did it.

Yvon: Thank you for your comment. I am in the process of translating it!

Amu: Thank you! You are so funny! They are so easy so get your maid to make them or the cook in your home! You won't regret but you have to think of me when you have them! ;-)