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Tying Up Ideas
We are in the final 10 days of Ramadan and I’m actually a little amazed at how fast the month has gone by. I wanted more out of this months’ posts. I had a big plan and I was going to have all of these posts pre-written, posted ahead, sent to email subscribers ahead. Instead I have ended up writing in the spur of the moment. What do they say about the best laid plans?
I may not have mentioned this but MarocBaba and I are gearing up for a trip to Morocco in a little over a month. It will be less than three weeks however I have a special project planned for the trip. When I found out we were “really” going I hatched Mobiles for Morocco to bring baby mobiles and clothing to a home for abandoned babies in Marrakech. I have a long term dream of building a women and children’s shelter that I hope will someday be realized. For now this is the little bit that I can do. If you’re interested in getting involved (even by sharing or blogging about the project). Please check out my page about this project. I will be documenting this trip heavily, including all steps of the journey for the little ones.
Finally, I have two giveaways open right now. One is for an insulated thermal tote from Leslie, independent consultant for Thirty-One bags. Think work lunches, snacks on the go, sports games, all that goodness that comes with the kids going back to school. There’s lots of ways to enter and if you flip through the catalog and find something you really can’t wait to get – buy it! You’ll get FIVE (5) extra entries to win the tote! Follow this link to enter.
The other giveaway is a Dancing Flowers tea pot from Numi Tea. If you’ve never tried flowering tea make sure you enter this giveaway. I had always wanted to give it a try and was really very excited when we brewed our first pot. It’s tasty not to mention a great table centerpiece and conversation piece. You have 5 days left to get your name in. Follow this link to enter.
Starting tomorrow I will have three days of NEW giveaways. What a great way to wrap up this month right? I’m planning ahead as we get September under way for some posts about freezing and preserving food(s) and meals and I’m sure my Morocco trip is going to bring back a lot of inspiration and ideas for new foods and recipes.
Meal Ideas for Tomorrow:
Suhoor: I’ve been eating muffins every morning lately. Not sure what it is but they just taste good early in the morning.
Iftar: Give my recipe for Beef Briouats a try. You can even make them today and freeze for use in tomorrow.
- ½ lb ground beef mixed with ½ lb ground veal (can use 1 lb of either ground beef or ground veal as well)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika, cumin, white pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Large handful flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped as fine as possible
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 package filo or eggroll wrappers
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten (for sealing briouats)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Directions
Combine the ground meat, onion and spices. Place in a large frying pan and cook on medium heat, breaking up the meat as you go. Continue this until the meat is browned and cooked through. Mix in the flat-leaf parsley and the eggs, keeping the heat on low just until the liquid is absorbed. Set the filling aside and allow to cool.
Open the package of filo or wrappers and place with the points facing towards you. Place 1-2 tsp of filling in the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold upwards. Fold in the edges and continue wrapping to form a cylinder. Just as you would for an eggroll. Close the edges with egg wash.
Continue until all wrappers or filling has been used up. Briouats can be baked at 375F until crispy or fried. If not using all at one time, bake for 10-15 minutes; lay flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen they can be placed in a re-sealable container or freezer bag and kept in the freezer until needed. When ready to use, remove and allow to thaw. They can be baked or fried.
Dinner: Beef Brisket is a go to slow cooker meal for me. Monday’s I’m tired after heading back to work so I try to make things as easy as possible. My kids down this with plenty of mashed potatoes and fresh corn on the cob in summer.
Read MoreA Typical Ramadan Day
I got a message recently asking me if I could share what a day is typically like for us during Ramadan so this post is me making good on my promise to share! Overall the day is really not that much different from any other day. Though there are a few exceptions.
That’s 4am not pm. We wake up early to eat “breakfast”. This is really hard for me because I am not good at eating early. During a normal day I wouldn’t have breakfast until 10am at least. This year I have been very good at getting up, even if it means eating with my eyes closed.
This is our very basic table for the morning meal (suhoor) on one day. Apparently I had a headache already as there is a big bottle of Advil on the table too. I try to eat things that will keep me full but most of the time opt for some type of toast, fruit and a little something sweet. MarocBaba has some potatoes and eggs. No way I’m getting that down at 4am.
We usually pray the early morning prayer and go back to sleep. I get up again around 7am to get ready for work and start my day. Without a lunch break the day goes by a little faster. I take a break around 1pm to pray again and do a little reading. By 4pm I’m heading home. Often after work I try to take a short nap if the kids are cooperative. With long days of work and fasting I find that I am much more tired than normal.
Even though we’re fasting our kids are not. This year with Ramadan being during the summer we try to make sure that we are still doing things with the kids. This can get hard as most activities are outside in the heat. But it’s important to us that they still enjoy their summer.
Around 7pm I start to prepare our meal for iftar (fast breaking). I try to vary the menu but staples include chbakiya, dates, lots of water, and a few appetizers and maybe a main dish like a tajine. This meal happens after 8 but varies depending on the day. Every day the time moves a little earlier. When the time comes we dig in! The kids head to bed after eating and we pray again.
If MarocBaba doesn’t have to work he’ll go to our mosque at night to pray the final prayer of the night and the special Ramadan prayer of tahraweh. This special prayer incorporates reciting from the Qu’ran into the traditional prayer. This usually lasts at least an hour and sometimes more. He usually will come home after 11pm and we will sometimes eat again, usually it’s something small for me but I’ll make him something bigger. (That is if I’m still awake at this point).
All that’s left is all the dishes to do!! If I’m really lucky MarocBaba will take care of that after I go to sleep!
So that’s it a typical day. Not so much different right?
Menu plan for tomorrow:
Suhoor: One of my favorite Moroccan bread items is beghrir. This pancake is so tasty in many ways. My favorite is with nutella and raspberries. You can make these ahead and freeze. You can also dip them in honey butter for a tasty treat!
Iftar: I love to do a simple iftar sometimes that includes some great fresh bread and a variety of salads and dips. Make up several Moroccan salads like zaalook, taktouka and green pepper, add in some hummus and tahina dip with it. You can add in some fresh olives and fruit dish to the meal too. Healthy and tasty!
Dinner: Just like with the chicken kabobs you can also make grilled Tuna Kabobs. I like tuna steak because it’s a thick fish that will hold it’s shape. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand or are in season to alternate with the chunked tuna. Season with olive oil, paprika, cumin and some lemon juice. Grill.
Read MoreMoroccan Spiced Olives
One of my favorite snacks in Morocco are spiced olives with a fresh loaf of bread and some cheese. I’ve never really cared to figure out how to make said olives because I thought they might lose some of their appeal. Wrong. With a little direction from MarocBaba and my mother-in-law I figured out how to make them. I think that these will become a staple in my fridge and on most every party table. I think you’ll agree once you give them a try.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb green cracked olives with pits
- 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1/2 onion chopped finely
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp hot paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
Directions
In a saute pan add the olive oil, onions and garlic and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the olives, paprika, and cumin. Cook for 8 minutes longer. Finally add the cilantro and parsley, mix well and finish cooking for about 2 minutes longer. *Note: if your olives are very salty, boil in water for 10 minutes before making this dish. Drain the water before using – it will help remove some of the salt.
Menu Plan for tomorrow:
Suhoor: I love breads (if you haven’t been able to tell yet). When I saw this recipe for a peanut butter banana bread on Sweet Pea’s Kitchen I was hooked!
Iftar: I can’t believe that I haven’t posted this recipe yet but since tomorrow is Saturday and most likely we’ll all have a little more time, b’stilla is a must for me during Ramadan. I promise to take better pictures this time too!
Dinner: I love this recipe for Chicken Tikka that I adapted from Bobby Flay. My kids love it and I think you will too.
Read MoreNumi: Flowers in My Tea Giveaway
Have you ever heard of flowering tea? Several months ago I was at a new sandwich shop in the area and came across Numi tea. I’d never heard about it but whenever I see Moroccan Mint tea I get intrigued. I happened to look at the back of the box and saw a halal marker. Imagine my surprise! It’s not very often that companies bother to label things halal. I started looking into the company even more and really loved their commitment to fair trade, ethical labor and organic products. I should mention too that their tea is really very good. I knew that I wanted to share this company with you because of all of those reasons.
After talking with the company I really wanted to try out their flowering tea. I’ve always wanted to see if this tea really flowered or what it was all about and…well just take a look. The image above was me filling up the tea pot with the tea ball inside.
Beginning to steep
The ball beginning to open
Open!
Table piece
Isn’t it beautiful? Each of the tea balls is hand sewn making them incredibly unique. I surprised MarocBaba with a breakfast on our patio and made this pot of tea. He thought it was very cool! Imagine your next dinner party or tea with your girlfriends serving a pot of flowering tea! The good news is – one of you is going to win your own set! This is the Dancing Leaves Flowering Tea set and it comes with 6 balls of flowering tea and the clear glass tea pot. Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. You will have until August 25th at midnight to get your name in.
Meal Plan for tomorrow:
Suhoor: Chances are there are several odds and ends in your fridge. I like to use up fruit and grains in a Yogurt Parfait. It’s healthy and filling, fast and easy to put together in the early morning. In a tall glass or bowl add a layer of your favorite yogurt, a layer of fruit and a layer of grain or cereal. Repeat. That’s it!
Iftar: My freezer has been depleted and so this weekend I will be baking plenty of rghaif, msemmen and batbout to fill it up again. Since we’re pretty much out of appetizers these Mini Lasagna Cups from Kevin and Amanda look like a great iftar meal!
Dinner: I created a recipe for Lentil Burgers a few months ago. I literally pulled the recipe from nowhere and have been surprised at how many comments I’ve had about the recipe. I think they’re pretty good and our kids like them too. You probably have some lentils left over from a few nights ago – use them up!
Read MoreM & K Make Dinner
I have to say the pizza was very tasty – thin crust the way I like it. Also the salad dressing M picked is fantastic. I love Italian salad dressing and this one reminded me of the oil and vinegar dressing my grandma used to make. I am sure from now on this will be the only kind I will buy. I hope you like the video as much as I do!
Tomorrow’s Meal Ideas:
Suhoor: Tonight cut up and mix together a fruit salad to have with boiled eggs. I know I’ve said fruit a million times this month but really it’s summer and it’s so good for you – take advantage of the season!
Iftar: Grill out some chicken kababs and make these delicious Oven Fried Zucchini Chips from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice.
Dinner: The eggplants are hanging heavy in the garden – make use of them! Try this baked eggplant parmesan recipe from Whole Foods!
*All opinions are my own. I did receive a flip camera and food products from Food Buzz for doing this video
Read MoreFasting While Traveling…or not
What Summer is Almost Done?!
I’m just getting back from a weekend of traveling and am so tired! I feel like I’m really dragging my tail (as you can tell from this late posting!) I find that fasting while traveling is also difficult – especially driving several hours with little kids and trying to stay awake while not drinking anything. I failed…big time. Before taking this trip my plan was to fast, and keep track of different techniques and strategies for fasting while traveling. It didn’t work. Of course, Muslims are not required to fast while traveling but I thought I’d try. My takeaway from this experience was God knew what he was doing when he excluded those who are traveling from fasting. I’m going to go with that. Looking forward to a calm week!
Tomorrow’s meals;
Suhoor: Make your favorite omelet for suhoor. I like to add in different kinds of cheese and any chopped up leftover vegetables. Or add some feta and gyro meat for a Greek style omelet.
Iftar: Mix up the briouats with some dim sum potstickers from Flamingo Musings. I love these things! This is a vegetarian version but you could cook some ground chicken or even rotisserie chicken to add into the stuffing. Or you could really make it into a meal using this recipe from Joylicious for Wonton Soup.
Dinner: This is M’s (see child with head in bucket above) favorite meal. Quite unexpected for a 7 year old but the kid can’t get enough of Moroccan style lentils. I keep saying I’ll take a better picture for this post but the food is always gone before I get a chance. This is another vegetarian meal at it’s base but you can add in beef or lamb stew meat the lentils and add a little more protein.
Don’t forget there’s still a giveaway up for an Argyle tote from Thirty-One! Stop over and enter.
How are you doing so far? Favorite recipe this Ramadan? I’ll be posting some more with different questions I’ve been asked this month so if you’ve got some please leave a comment or send me an email.
Read MoreThe One That Got Away
Last week I shared a link to the Cool Noodle Bowl and then realized I left out the image! I really love this recipe and especially love tossing in Saffron Road chicken nuggets for protein and texture. I highly recommend you give this dish a shot this summer. There are so many great vegetables in season right now it’s a shame not to try this when they are at their peak.
I also commented about cooking for your freezer and boy was there a lot of response! It seems like many people are interested in learning how to do more freezer cooking. Great! A huge harvest season this year (at least where we are) means that there will be plenty of food to put up for the winter. I usually take excess produce from any farmer friends and watch our local farmers’ markets. For example when cucumbers are in season I can grab a gallon bucket for a steal (like $5). Tons of tomatoes make a puree and loads of ears of corn are processed down to a great winter treat. So watch next month as I start posting how-to’s on freezer cooking and preserving summer produce for the winter. Let me know if there are specific dishes or fruits/vegetables to preserve.
Menu plan for Tuesday:
Suhoor: One of the most versatile breakfast/lunch/dinner items you can make are muffins. The best thing is they don’t have to be only the sweet, fruity kind. They can be savory as well like my tomato parmesan cornbread muffins. They can be eaten fresh or frozen, and reheated later on. Make a big batch and keep them on hand for suhoor and iftars. Like always fruit is a great side dish for the morning!
Iftar: Check out this Mediterranean Platter from my friend Alicia at Weekly Greens. I love this idea when I’m short on time and feeling a little overwhelmed with too much heavy food. It’s up to you to decide what you want to include but plenty of vegetables, some type cracker or bread and some type of protein round it out. If this is feeling a little too light for you, add in your favorite soup or something like an Italian Wedding Soup or Minestrone fit nicely.
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers seem to be a staple dish around the world. In the Middle East vegetables are stuffed with rice and ground lamb. Other areas use ground beef or even chicken. This is my recipe. Come to think of it we haven’t made this in a long time!
Go Picnic Giveaway
Read MoreRemembering The Ones We Love
In May, I went to Washington DC for my first food blogging conference and had the opportunity to meet so many lovely people including one that’s been in my thoughts and prayers a lot lady. Jennifer Perillo blogs at In Jennie’s Kitchen and I so enjoyed her talk at the conference. I wish I could have gotten to know her more. Last week she lost her husband very suddenly. When I found out I was consumed with grief for her and her daughters, thinking what I would do if I were in the same situation. MarocBaba and I have always had a very deep and immediate bond. We had only been with each other (in person) for three days before we got engaged. He’s my soul mate. I found it so easy to place myself in Jennie’s shoes. When asked what people could do for her, Jennie asked everyone to bake Mikey’s favorite pie, a peanut butter pie yesterday. So I did.
Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey
Life is so precious and can slip away in a second so in the word’s of Jennie; “make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there’s no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on.” I have to add Mikey has great taste this pie is really good. For the rest of my prayers this Ramadan I’ll be remembering Jennie and her family (and probably for many days after that).
Menu Plan for tomorrow:
Suhoor: You can make this Cardamom Coffee Zucchini Bread from Steamy Kitchen and eat fresh or set part aside and freeze to eat later.
Iftar: Make a fresh batch of harira for next week and eat the traditional Moroccan way with boiled eggs and some appetizers like kefta briouats.
Suhoor: Pea and potato tajine is a summer favorite of mine. If peas are not in season where you are, frozen peas can be used just as easily. I like to cook this tajine very slow to get all the flavor into the potatoes.
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