Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough:

White flour, 1/2 cup

Whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups

Instant yeast, 3 tsp

Salt, 1/2 tsp

Sugar, 1 tsp

Oil, 2 tbsp

Milk, warmed 1/2 cup

Toppings:

Pizza Sauce, 1/2 cup

Onion, 1 small, chopped

Green, Red and/or Yellow bell peppers, 1/2 cup (all together) chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded

White cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup shredded

Dried oregano leaves, dash

Method:

1. Mix the ingredients for the dough together. Knead it to a medium soft consistency using water as required. Set it in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour.  ( I usually just pop it in the oven, turned off of course.)

2. Roll out the dough to a desired thickness and in accordance to your pizza pan. With a fork, pierce some holes to allow the heat to escape.

3. Spread the sauce, the vegetables, salt and pepper and cheese (in that order). Sprinkle with oregano leaves and bake at 400 F until cheese melts and slightly browns. Enjoy!

You can add whatever toppings you like, the possibilities are endless. For a cheesy-end dough, roll it out an inch bigger than your pizza pan. Insert cheese strings and fold over the dough into the pan with cheese well covered inside. Try different sauces, meats(cooked) and veggie combinations. Be experimental!

Love,

Umm Ibraheem

BBQ Sesame Chicken

This recipe is inspired by Giada de Laurentis of Everyday Italian.
Ingredients:
Chicken, 1 whole, skinless and cut into pieces
Salt and Pepper, to taste
BBQ Sauce, 1/4
Lemon, 1 medium
Ginger paste, 1 tbsp
Garlic paste, 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds, 1/4 tsp
Method:
1. Salt and pepper the chicken and set aside.
2. Mix the BBQ sauce, lemon juice, ginger and garlic. Reserve about 2 tbsp.
3. Marinate the chicken with the sauce and allow to sit for about an hour or so.
4. Bake the chicken  at 400F for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is done. Bake on one side, turn onto the other side after 10 mintues or so. A little bit of charring is good.
5. Remove the chicken and brush with the reserved sauce and cover for about 5 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve. Enjoy!

Love,
Umm Ibraheem

Kashmiri Roghan Josh- Meat Curry

Recipe from Saira Riaz, Cooking Expert on "Daily Cooking" aired on Ary Digital
Ingredients:
Lamb meat, 500 grams
Plain yogurt, 1/2 cup
Salt, 1 tsp
Cumin powder, 1 tsp
Corriander powder, 1 tsp
Red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp
Poppyseed powder (kash-kaash), 1 tsp
Fennel powder (saunf), 1 tsp
Onion, 1 medium ground to a fine paste
Garlic paste, 1 tbsp
Ginger paste, 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder, 1/4 tsp
Bay leaf, 2-3
Cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp
Oil, 1/4 cup
Method:
1. Mix the yogurt with salt, cumin powder, corriander powder, chilli powder, poppyseed and fennel seed powder. Marinate the meat and let it sit overnight in the fridge.
2. Heat the oil and add the bay leaves and cumin seeds, until you can smell their aroma. Add the onion, garlic and ginger pastes. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the marinated meat and cook on low heat until the meat is tender.  The gravy would have thickened so you can add boiled water if you want a more ‘soupy’ gravy.
4. Before dishing out, mix in the cardamom powder and stir well. Enjoy with rice or piping hot naan bread!
Love, Umm Ibraheem

Vegetable Rice

 

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups of Basmati Rice, rinse and soak for 30 minutes

1 tsp salt, adjust according to taste

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp corriander powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp of cumin seeds

4 cups of water

1 medium onion

Method:

1. Fry the onion in a little bit of oil until golden brown. Add the frozen veggies, salt, cumin and corriander powder. Cook until the veggies are cooked thoroughly.

2. Add the water and bring to a boil. Drain the rice and pour into the pan. Let cook until most of the water has been soaked by the rice.

3. Sprinkle the cumin seeds and garam masala on top. Turn the heat on low and cover the pan. Allow to set for about 20 minutes.

4. Remove cover and fluff the rice. Serve and enjoy!

Love,

Umm Ibraheem

Coriander Chicken

Ingredients:

16 drumsticks

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp corriander powder

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp Shan’s Chicken Tikka Masala

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup finely sliced onions

1/4 cup of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Whisk together yogurts, lemon, ginger, garlic and spices.

2. Cover the drumsticks with the mixture and marinate for 1-2 hours.

3. Pour the marinated chicken in a pot and cover. Cook on medium-low heat until chicken is tender.

4. Remove the cover and allow the juices to dissolve. The amount of gravy really depends on what you are going to eat this chicken with. If you’re going to be eating it with bread, it’s nice to have a some soup.

5. In a separate pan, sauté the onions until golden brown.

6. When the chicken is tender and the gravy is dried to your desire. Turn off the stove and add the onions and fresh coriander. Mix and cover the pan. Let it sit for covered for five minutes or so.

7. Dish out and serve warm with rice or bread. Enjoy!

Love, Umm Ibraheem

Grilled Cheese with Tomatoes and Olives

Ingredients:
2 slices of brown bread
1 tsp butter
1 tsp cream cheese
1 tsp mayonnaise
sliced tomato
slices olives
sliced cheese
freshly cracked black pepper
Method:
1. Butter the bread and lightly toast on one side. Remove from the pan.
2. Spread cream cheese on one slice (on the toasted side) and mayonnaise on the other. Layer the tomatoes, olives and top with black pepper. Put the cheese slice on top and put the two slices together.
3. Toast and cut diagonally. Enjoy!
4. You can use a variety of ingredients with this versatile sandwich. I've used egg, shredded chicken with cucumbers and tomatoes. The possibilities are endless!

Love, Umm Ibraheem

A Cook's Block...??

Assalaam-u-Alaikum,

Yes, yes..it's been a while..again. But if there can be a 'writer's block' then why not a 'cook's block'. At least I think that's what I'm experiencing. I just don't feel the passion when I'm cooking anymore. I don't know what happened. Every time I look at some totally cool and amazingly scrumptious recipe...I just can't muster the desire or drive to actually prepare it. And I just don't know why?

Perhaps I've finally figured out that my hubby is different..and I've already reached destination 'heart' and don't have to inch my way through his stomach. He's not a foodie. I was fooling myself and thinking that perhaps he is. I would try a new dish, in the hopes that this would be the one that will get a standing ovation...or atleast a "wow, this is really good!"...perhaps even a little nod of appreciation...but nothing. And so..I cook because I have to...not because I'm going to wow my beloved. And when cooking is just a chore, then you perform in a routinely manner...no thought, no creativity necessary. I'm in a cook's slump!

Oh! Also, my camera is broken..so anything I do make, even if it's plain on ol' mixed veg, can't be photographed.  I don't like to post without a picture. So I'm going to be in this state of block for a while yet. At least until I get a new camera. And then dear reader, I will cook and post! Because, so what if he's not a foodie, he still has to eat! And if I'm gonna make it...I'm gonna blog it (eventually), Insha'Allah!

Umm I.