All posts for the month June, 2011

Olive oil rosemary wheat thins (crackers)

Lately I have been feeling a bit like superman, and no, I don’t mean that in the sense of being a multitasking working mom (which does require being a super hero on some days) . I mean it in the sense that it feels like I have two identities, Sawsan in the real world: the mother, the wife, the doctor and the food doctor or the chef in disguise a food blogger and amateur photographer in the cyber world.

At first it was weird when I read people’s comments or replies referring to me as the food doctor , I can’t remember how many times I wrote my name and personal email when writing comments only to delete them or how at first I had to copy mu URL for fear of mistyping it lol (hopeless I know).

Now,I can type chef in disguise and the URL to my blog faster than I can say them lol. But seriously..this is a question to all my fellow bloggers out there, don’t you feel like there are two of you..the mild mannered Clark Kent in real life and the super hero in cyber world ..

Before you read any further I have to warn you, these little guys are absolutely addictive and they are prone to disappear shortly after they come out of the oven.

If you have never made your own crackers you really MUST. It is super easy and super quick, faster even than going to get them from the store. On the plus side you can make them any flavor you like, oregano, garlic, rosemary..let your imagination run wild.They are free of preservative and ready in under 30 minutes.

Olive oil rosemary wheat thins (recipe from choosy beggers)

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 and 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup warm water (The amount you use may vary with the type of flour so add the water slowly)

Place the oven rack in the center of your oven and heat it to 200

In a bowl mix flour, salt, rosemary

Make a well in the center and add the oil

Rub the oil into the flour with your finger tips until absorbed

Add the water and knead until you get a ball of dough (you may not need to use all the water )

Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes

Divide the dough in half

Take one half and roll it on some parchment paper (it may help to roll it between two sheets of parchment)

You want the dough to be real thin because it will puff up slightly when it is baked, so you need it to be thin for the end result to be crispy

I sprinkled one half with parmesan cheese and paprika and left the other plain

Bake untill golden brown

Serve them with Olive tapenade or My Signature Dip or your favorite dip

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67 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 22, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Bread and pastry

Tagged cracker recipe, crackers, olive oil, postaweek2011, rosemary, superman, wheat thins

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 22, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/06/22/olive-oil-rosemary-wheat-thins-crackers/

Brick chicken minus the brick

I fell in love with this recipe the minute I saw it on Tyler’s ultimate. The combination of spices and the look of the finished dish were too good to miss. But what was really interesting was the way he cooked the chicken.

The chicken was split down the back and then fried in a pan with a brick on top (hence the name brick chicken) untill the skin is golden brown and crisp and then it is finished in the oven to cook it through.

I looked for the “brick” part of the recipe for a few weeks and couldn’t find it so I finally decided to give it a go without it.

The part I loved the most was preparing the marinade, it should truly be listed as a form of aromatherapy. When you toast your own spices then grind them your kitchen will be filled with a cloud of spices, it is intoxicating.

This recipe is really simple to make and the result is impressive to say the least. Instead of serving this with Apricot couscous and flat bread, I served it with olive oil rosemary wheat thins (recipe coming your way tomorrow) and mint yogurt.

In one word it was a meal to remember (ok more than one word lol)

Brick chicken (recipe adapted from Tyler ultimate)

2 tablespoons cumin seed

2 tablespoons whole coriander

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of one lemon

1 whole chicken (3 pounds), split

olive oil

Directions

Toast cumin, coriander and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over low heat until you can smell their beautiful scent.

In a clean spice grinder or coffee grinder, blend spices.

Add the spices to a bowl then add paprika, salt and cayenne.

Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice.

Prepare chicken by splitting it down the back and removing the backbone, breast bone and rib cage. Lay the chicken out flat and rub the blended spices all over. Marinate for up to 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large cast iron skillet (or other heavy oven-proof pan) over medium-high heat.

When hot, add a 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place the chicken skin side down in the pan.

Cover it with a second cast iron pan (you could also use a more traditional foil-wrapped brick) immediately so the skin doesn’t have time to contract.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken is golden brown and has a nice crust.

Finish cooking in the oven for a further 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with minty yogurt and rosemary olive oil wheat thins

Before I let you go ..here are a few pictures of our new pets who are still nameless!..

For the moment the are he (the wall climbing greenish yellow one) and she (AKA the wild one seen here in blue)

45 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 22, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Chicken

Tagged brick chicken recipe, chicken, love birds, morrocan recipe, pets, postaweek2011, tyler florance

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 22, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/06/22/brick-chicken-minus-the-brick/

Eggplant humus sandwich

We have a new addition to the family. In fact two additions and no I was not pregnant with twins and keeping it from you.

We got the kids their first pets..a pair of love birds.

The kids are glued next to the cage monitoring the birds every move.

Muuuuuuuuum they ate

Muuuuuuuuum they are drinking water

Muuuuuuuuum they are playing on the swing

Muuuuuuuuuum I think they are good friends

Muuuuuuuuum I think the girl hates the boy

Muuuuuuuuuum can I teach them how to fly

Muuuuuuuuuum can I give them more food

Muuuuuuuuum is really hoping the enthusiasm will fade out in the next few days!

Today’s recipe might sound strange but trust me it is a pleasant surprise for the taste buds. I was sceptical about the combination at first but after the first bite all the scepticism evaporated.

The humus provided a background for the other flavors. It paired beautifully with the eggplant. The feta add saltness that was balanced by the juicy tomatoes. The lettuce adds the crunch and the mint is a blast of freshness…all my requirements for a yummy sandwich checked

I have had this recipe for a long time, I sadly can’t remember where I got it from.

2 slices of toast

2 slices fried or grilled eggplant

Some crumbled feta cheese

a few springs of fresh mint

a lettuce leaf

a couple of slices of tomato

humus

Toast your bread slices

Spread some humus on the toast

Layer the eggplant slices followed by the crumbled feta and then the mint, tomatoes and lettuce

Dive in and enjoy

46 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 20, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Sandwiches

Tagged Eggplant, hummus, pets, postaweek2011, Sansdwiches, tomatoes

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 20, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/06/20/eggplant-humus-sandwich/

Steak with zucchini wraps

This is my 100th post!

It is really hard to put into words what this whole journey has been like or what it all means to me.

I started this blog because I really enjoy cooking and baking..exploring new recipes or making old favorites. Cooking for company or a cosy dinner for my little family..and though there is a joy in making or creating..I wanted more than that.. I wanted to share that joy with people who have the same passion as I do..

I also wanted to work on my photography, I was always into photography..food photography in particular has always fascinated me and I really wanted to explore that more ..

As a result of pursuing those two passions this blog was born but I never thought that this will be the wonderful joy and journey it has turned out to be..

A little over 4 months ago I wrote my first post and I still remember checking the blog everyday to see if anyone has replied to it..I still remember my excitement at receiving my first comment and jumping with joy with the first subscription..

I definitely remember the butterflies in my stomach the first time I shared the fact that I had a blog with my friends on my Facebook account..what if they think I’m silly or what if they think it is not good enough..

It was one of the times I was truly happy to be proven wrong..you guys were amazing..with all the encouragement and support you provided me with..

It has all been one amazing rollercoaster ride and what made this so special is all of you..the wonderful people who stop by everyday to read my posts and are kind enough to leave a comment or “like” my little space. I can’t tell you how much each and every comment means to me, nor can I express how much joy I get of watching the number of people who visit my humble blog grow..

I just want to say

THANK YOU

from the bottom of my heart

and I hope you will stay tuned to this little blog of mine and share this journey with me..

and one last thing…a very special thank you goes out to my best friend Rasha..she has been there with me every step of the way and God knows how many times I gave her a headache ranting about my blog ..I just want you to know..I appreciate it all more than I can ever put into words

Today’s recipe uses my main marinade for steak. I love the combination of flavors that it infuses the meat with. You can pair this with mashed potatoes, mushrooms or a simple green salad or maybe some fries if you like..

The zucchini wraps are a wonderful way to add more nutrients and color to the dish. They carry some of the same flavors in the meat and the grilling adds a smoky depth to the mild zucchini.

You can serve them on their own as an appetizer or a side dish and you can certainly vary the flavors in the cheese to your taste

4 pieces of steak

To marinate the meat

3 tablespoons yogurt

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup oil

salt

pepper

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Grilled Zucchini wraps

3 zucchini cut into strips

3 tablespoons cottage cheese

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon paprika

dash of salt

dash of pepper

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl or a ziplock bag, add the meat and massage the marinade into the meat for a few minutes.

Allow the meat to marinate in the fridge ( I usually marinate it for 30 minutes but if you can give it more time that would be great)

You can grill the steak but I usually make it in a pan on the stove top

Heat some oil in a pan and when the pan is really hot, drain the meat from the marinade and put it in the hot pan..

leave it for 2-3 minutes on the first side then you can check if it is golden brown , if so flip it to the other side.

You can finish cooking the meat in the oven for 15-20 minutes but I use thin cuts of meat so they cook through easily.

To make the zucchini wraps

Cut the zucchini into thin strips and then place them in a hot pan or on the grill (You want to cook them until they are golden brown on both sides)

When you take the zucchini off the grill or pan sprinkle it with some salt and pepper while it is still hot (this will allow it to absorb the flavors)

In a bowl mix the cheese with the oregano, pepper, paprika and salt.

Put a teaspoon of the cheese mix on one edge of the zucchini and roll the zucchini to enclose the cheese

28 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 18, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Meat

Tagged 100th post, blogging, postaweek2011, recipe, steak, steak marinade, zucchini wraps

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on June 18, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/06/18/steak-with-zucchini-wraps/

Creme caramel cake..messing with perfection

With summer in full blast, cold dishes take center stage on the menu. One of my favorite cold desserts is creme caramel..silky smooth custard topped with deep flavored golden brown heavenly caramel,in one word..perfection

I know most people would say..if it is not broken don’t fix it. Creme caramel is by no means broken and I don’t mean to mess with perfection but what if you could take this wonderful dessert to the next level? what if you could pair it with cake in one delicious cold dessert?

This is exactly what today’s recipe is. Taking a wonderful dessert to the next level.

I was first introduced many years ago to this work of yummy art by my mum’s friend who is a talented baker, I asked her for the recipe and she was kind enough to share it with me. I have made it many many times since then but last year I lost the recipe, I got a new recipe book and was copying my old recipes and could not find this particular recipe any where.

I tried about half a dozen other recipes recommended by friends or googled ones and none came even close. So I couldn’t wait for her to come for their yearly vacation this year to ask her to give it to me again, and she kindly obliged.

You can make the cake into a chocolate one by reducing the flour amount by 2 tablespoons and adding 2 tablespoons coco powder.

You can also make the cake layer into a separate cake, I do often and it is a wonderful moist cake.

Cake ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

1 and 1/4 cups flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cups milk

3/4 cups oil

2 teaspoons baking powder

Creme caramel ingredients

2 cups powdered milk

2 cups water

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon vinegar

3/4 cups sugar

Caramel layer

10 tablespoons sugar

Directions

In a pan, measure 10 tablespoons sugar and on medium heat allow them to turn into caramel (you need to keep an eye on the sugar because if it burns or it gets too dark the caramel will be bitter)

Pour the caramel into your cake pan.

Oil the cake pan above the level of the caramel

To make the custard part of the creme caramel

In the food processor mix all the ingredients for the creme caramel untill combined

Pour over the caramel layer.

To make the cake

Beat the eggs with the vanilla, add the oil and sugar.Beat until pale

Add the milk and mix untill combined.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix untill combined.

Pour over the custard layer

At this stage you will be terrified because the layers will get mixed up but have faith they will separate while baking

As you notice I filled the cake pan almost to the top, don’t worry about it over flowing, this dessert doesn’t rise much in the oven.

Place the cake pan in a larger pan filled half way with hot water and place on the middle rack of a preheated 180 C oven.

After the first half an hour open the oven and insert a fork or knife in multiple places in the cake, then close the oven again and continue baking for another 30 minutes.

You will know the cake is done when you insert a knife or cake tester and it comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature then place it in the fridge for at least half an hour.(I usually leave it in the fridge over night)

Turn the pan upside down on a serving plate, tap it on the top gently and the cake should come out easily (if you are worried you can place the pan in hot water for 2 minutes before turning it out)

ENJOY!