Knock knock, anybody home?
I know it’s been over 5 months since I last published a recipe (yesterday’s shawarma post doesn’t count! it was a draft that has been sitting in my draft folder since Feb!! ) To say that I have missed blogging and connecting with all of you my wonderful readers is an understatement! (I do hope that after 5 months away, you are still interested in this little corner of the web :))

So much has happened in these past few months, we packed a home and 4 years’ worth of adventures, memories, and experiences in the UAE and moved back to Jordan.
We searched all over Amman for a new place to call home and were blessed enough to be able to find a place that we all loved. Then came the long and hectic process of setting the house up. I am honestly glad I still have hair on my head after having to deal with so many contractors, handymen, delivery companies, shipments that got lost, misplaced or broken, appointments that were moved, delayed or simply canceled at the final minute,things that had to be reinstalled because of a missing piece or a wrong measurement and the list goes on and on and on….
Having to live in a house with no kitchen or sinks for a while made me realize that there is a looooong list of things in every home that we take for granted. I have never thought to add (having a functioning kitchen), (sink) or (warm water) to my list of ( things that I am grateful for) but after the first few weeks in this house, they have made the list for sure!

I p I still smile every time I walk into my kitchen or turn on the hot water and I do hope that my gratitude won’t wear off soon!

On that same note, I still run to the window with the joy of a child when it starts raining and my phone’s memory is already overloaded with pictures of clouds, autumn leaves and my mini herb garden that I started on the kitchen window (mint and sage tea has never tasted this good!)

One of my teachers once told me that they need to teach photography in schools for people to learn how to actually see instead of just look! and I want to add, I think that every person needs to leave his home country for a few years if possible to be able to actually see and appreciate all the beauty that is in it.

I have so many pictures to share and stories to tell but I thought that I would ease back into blogging by sharing one my all time favorite recipes: my mum’s white bean stew. 

When I was an expat and my longing for my mum’s smile and company got out of hand, I would make this stew. A spoonful of it was enough to transport me back to her kitchen on a cold winter afternoon with the sound of rain playing in the background, the soup (and her smile) warms me inside and out…

So before getting to the recipe, allow me to ask you, my dear readers, if you happen to be an expat..what is the meal that you make when you really miss home?

White bean stew

2.5 cups dried white beans
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 kg tomatoes chopped
2 cups water
350 g meat (beef or goat work well)
1 teaspoon salt

1.Soak the beans in water over night
2.If you are tight on time, add the beans to a pot and add enough water to completely submerge them then add more water till the level is at least 5-7 cm above the beans. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat, cover and set aside for 2 hours
3. Add the olive oil and onion to a pressure cooker (If you don’t have a pressure cooker check out the notes)
4. Saute the onions for 3-5 minutes
5. Add the meat and cook while occasionally stirring for 10 minutes
6. Add the soaked and drained beans
7. In a food processor or blender , blend the tomatoes and water till smooth
8. Add the blended tomatoes to the pressure cooker
9. Add the salt
10 close the cooker and cook over medium heat for 13 minutes
11. Take off the heat, allow the pot to cool before attempting to open it

Notes
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook this in a regular pot but you will have to increase the cooking time to about 45 minutes to an hour or until the beans are cooked through and soft

البشر مخلوقات مدهشه…تفاصيل حياتيه صغيره بتفتح جواتنا عوالم من الذكريات..اغنيه من مسلسل كرتونك المفضل بترجعك طفل صغير بعمر 8 سنين بتغني باعلى صوت و بتشجع الخير و البطل رغم كل الظروفصوره من اجازه السنه الماضيه بتخليك تغمض عيونك و تشم ريحه الياسمين و تحس نسمات الهواو لقمه من طبخة كانت الوالده تطبخها بتحسسك انك قاعد معها في مطبخها و حواليك غيمه من الدفا لما باشتاق لامي كتير باعمل هاي الوصفه..لانه
بحياتي ما بدوق فاصوليا بيضا اطيب من اللي بتطلع من تحت دياتها…يا ترى شو اكتر وصفه بتذكركم باهاليكم..؟

• ننقع الفاصوليا في الماء طوال الليل
• نيف زيت الزيتون والبصل إلى طنجرة ضغط (نقلي البصل لمدة 3-5 دقائق
• يضاف اللحم ويطهى أثناء التحريك لمدة 10 دقائق
• قوم بإضافة الفاصوليا المنقوعة والمصفاة
• في خلاط الطعام أو الخلاط ، نمزج الطماطم والماءو نخلط حتى يصبح الخليط أملسًا
• نضيف الطماطم الممزوجة إلى طنجرة الضغط
• نضيف الملح
• نغلق القدر ونطبخ على نار متوسطة لمدة 13 دقيقة
• نترك الطنجره تبرد تماما قبل فتحها