'Potato Cake'

Love love love this recipe, shared by my beautiful friend Momal [also the source of a number of other recipes on this blog!], which combines some of my favorite ingredients, simply and efficiently, to give a show-stopping dish which serves fantastically well as comfort food!

This is not an exact recipe, but it's easy to muddle through:

Ingredients:

2 Eggs
1/2 Cup milk [plus or minus some cream to make it richer]
1/2 Cup shredded cheese [ or more - cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, whatever!]
4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Sesonings:
Salt
Black pepper
Oregano seeds [Ajwain]
Oregano leaves
Thyme
Parsley
Crushed garlic/garlic powder [If you like garlic]

Additionally:
Sliced sausages
Shredded, cooked chicken
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced olives
Washed, whole spinach leaves

This is obviously a very vrestaile recipe, and you can dress it up which ever way ou want it!

First, crack those eggs in a bowl, throw in the seasonings, milk and cream, and beat together well.

Prepare all and any 'additionals' you like.

For the potatoes: I was in a hurry today [decided I wanted this two hours before iftari!] so I cut short on the baking time by boiling a large pot of water, and throwing in the sliced potatoes for about ten minutes [or less], until half cooked. If you have time, you dont need to do this.

So layer the katchay or adhay-pakkay potato slices in an olive-oiled baking dish [I like to sprinkle some ajwaein on the base, just for luck =D] along with your additionals and the egg mixture and your cheese. Until it's all in there.

Put in your oven to bake. I can't say at what temp or for how long, because I'm not any good with calculations like that. I put it in my electric oven for about one hour, at a medium setting [both top and bottom grills], and just kept checking. Don't dry it out too much. Check with a knife or a fork or something. In the end, if the top is too white, grill for a few minutes till golden.

Have fun!

Noodle Omelet

Things you need:
 1. Knorr noodles - Lemon Chili or Chicken Sizzler flavour
 2. Eggs
 3. Olives
 4. Chicken (can be boiled and shredded or fried)
 5. Cheddar cheese slices
 6. Green onions (optional)
7. Mushrooms (optional)

 Okay. For every one packet of Knorr noodles, I use three eggs. So, you boil your noodles until they are cooked. Then you drain the water. Take a bowl. Add the noodles, add eggs, add olives, add mushrooms and add the chicken. Now sprinkle the taste maker packet on top. Now mix the batter until everything is incorporated into the batter.

 Now, take a non-stick frying pan. Ad a generous amount of oil, not too much and not too little. Pour the mixture on VERY LOW FLAME. Spread the mixture and cook it from one side for at least 7 - 9 minutes. Cover it! Helps cook it evenly. After 7- 9 minutes...shake the pan and if you see that the mixture isn't moving and seems fairly solid, flip it!

 Now lay your cheese slices on the top! And cover again. Cook for 7 - 10 minutes or until the egg is completely cooked! Sprinkle oregano on top. And enjoy!

 Serve with chilli garlic sauce. It's breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. My family is NUTS about it!

 -Bree

This was for my sister Manal!

You can shape it what ever way you want! 

Best summer breakfast in the world!

We had this breakfast with fresh mangoes and cold macaroni and potato salad. EPIC!

For my brother Osama! 

Pancakes

I know, I know, been ages since I added any new recipes. I promise to do so more frequently from now, since that will save me having to inbox them individually on fb =p

I've been making pancakes since I was a kid.  I have always loved reading - the kids in my novels would always serve their mums breakfast in bed on Mum's Day, and it fascinated me no end. Back then I used to burn them EVERY time, so mum got burnt pancakes for Mother's Day breakfast. Of course, this hasn't happened in ages now, but this is what mum will always remember, no? She makes a crack about it every year: "What, no burnt pancakes? You obviously don't love me anymore" -.-

Anyway, they are super easy to whip up, and there are a large number of variations that may be tried (choc chips, berries, etc). I love mine with either Nutella, or margarine and marmalade!

Here they are:

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
oil

Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour" (if using cartonmilk, take 1/2 cup milk and add 2-3 tbsp yogurt to it, as boxed milk does not 'sour').

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

Heat a large pan over medium heat, and add a little oil, only enough to coat the base. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. Flip with a spatula, and cook until golden on the other side.

DO double the recipe as this usually makes just 4-5-6 Pancakes. 

Only the most awesome carrot cake ever.

So yesterday when I went to henna a friend for her wedding, her mom served an amazing, moist, melt-in-your-mouth carrot cake and I, of course, hounded her for the recipe. I couldn't help it! She was an absolute sweetheart and quickly made this note for me, and promised to share more recipes later - I'm absolutely in love! <3

CAN YOU TELL HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS?!!!

It turned out fantastic! What you do is you dump everything together in a large bowl and mix well with an electric beater (or a wooden spoon but that takes a lot more effort).

What I did:
1. Used 2 tsp Baking Powder instead of 1 tsp.
2. Used a spring form pan, and lined it with paper, greasing well. The pan has to be 2/3rd full. Or 3/4th. I forget which. =s
3. I mix the dry ingredients together first, with a whisk, so the Baking powder and Soda is well distributed. Alternately, you may sift the flour, bp and soda together before hand.
4. Did not add the salt. I don't like the idea of putting salt in cakes, idk why.
5. Dumped in the carrots last! OH and IMPORTANT: carrots need to be finely grated.

DONE!

The cake vanished over night and it wasn't just me.