Chicken Noodle Soup - again

I made my favourite Chicken Noodle Soup again yesterday.

I followed the same receipe as last time but used different vegetables:



Ingredients:
- 6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 onion
- 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 Leek, sliced
- half a white cabbage
- 100g thin rice noodles (or egg noodles)
- mixed herbs of your choice
- salt and pepper
- half teaspoon chilli powder

Cooking Method:
1- In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a simmer.
2- Add the chicken breasts and simmer until tender and no trace of pink remains (about 15 minutes).
3- Remove the chicken and let it cool down a bit, then cut into cubes. Set aside.
4- Return the chicken stock to simmer and add the onion, Leek, carrots & cabbage.
5- Simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
6- Add the cubed chicken, noodles, herbs and salt and pepper. Simmer until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.
7- Serve the soup with bread and salad.

Lamb Rogan Josh

Lamb Rogan Josh



Ingredients:
- 500g lamb steak (cut into cubes)
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 large onion (cut into slices)
- 50g full fat plain yoghurt
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- oilve oil
- vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
- salt
- ground cumin
- ground coriander
- red chilli powder
- turmeric
- garam masala
- cinnamon
- paprika
- Your favourite vegetables (I chose peas and carrots)

Cooking Instructions
1- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, fry the meat over a medium heat until it is brown. Set aside.
2- In the same pan, fry the onions until golden brown.
3- Lower the heat and add the garlic, fry for a minute stirring quickly.
4- Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric and fry for 30 seconds
5- Add the meat with juices, ground coriander and ground cumin, mix and stir occasionally for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
6- Stir in the cinnamon, paprika, tomato puree and salt, cook for 5 minutes and add 125ml water. Bring to the boil.
7- Add your favourite vegetables (I added some peas and carrots)
8- Cover and simmer on medium heat for 40 minutes or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
9- Stir in the yoghurt and mix well.
10- Garnish before serving. Sprinkle with garam masala, finely chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon and serve with rice and salad.

Sophie's Birthday Cake

I made Sophie a birthday cake with princess sugar decoration :o)



Recipe:
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Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup veg oil
- 2 tsps vanilla

Method:
1- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
2- Add water, oil and vanilla.
3- Beat with electric mixer until blended.
4- Pour into a greased baking tin (any shape).
5- Bake at 180C (350F) for 15 to 18 minutes.
6- Remove from pan and cool on wire.
7- Frost and decorate as desired.

Homemade Lamb & Onion Burgers

Rob and I made Lamb and Onion Burgers for Sophie & Lee. Homemade Burgers are the best... so fresh, healthy and tasty :o)

Cooking Method:
- Chop onions into small cubes.
- Mix the lamb mince with the onions and some salt, pepper and mixed herbs.
- Add a little olive oil.
- Shape the burgers with your hands and make them nice and flat
- Fry in sunflower oil or olive oil on a low heat, turining a few times, until cooked



Cripsy chips ... cripsy fries.... potato chips ... frensh fries .... whatever you would like to call them ... they are very yummy :o)

These chips went very well with the Lamb Burgers!

'Children In Need' Bake Sale

'Children In Need' Bake Sale.

Today is 'Children In Need' day. It's a charity event raising money for needy children.
For this event we are trying to raise as much money at work as possible. One of the things we are doing is a 'bake sale'.
So I baked some chocolate cupcakes last night and took them into work today.

Here is what we did for 'Children In Need' last year



Recipe:
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Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup veg oil
- 2 tsps vanilla

Method:
1- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
2- Add water, oil and vanilla.
3- Beat with electric mixer until blended.
4- Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 3/4 full (I did both).
5- Bake at 180C (350F) for 15 to 18 minutes.
6- Remove from pan and cool on wire.
7- Frost and decorate as desired.

Pouring Yumminess:


Which one would you choose?


Nicely Decorated:

George Foreman's lean mean grilling machine

Rob bought me a "George Foreman's lean mean grilling machine" a while ago.
But it got tidied into a cupboard a few months ago. Yesterday I fancied some grilled vegetables, so got the machine out and grilled some courgettes.
I also made a grilled cheese sandwich (mixture of feta cheese and cheddar cheese - no photo I'm afraid).
All served with salad ... yummy :o)

Baked White Haddock with Herbs, Lemon & Olive Oil

Baked White Haddock with Herbs, Lemon & Olive Oil

I'm not usually a big fan of fish, but trust me .. this meal is soo good.



Use fresh fish (Haddock or Cod), place on an over tray and add your choice of herbs, salt and pepper (I added some ground cumin too).
Squeeze a fresh lemon over the fish, and some olive oil.
Bake uncovered in the oven at 180 C for 25 minutes.

I served it with oraganic couscous and salad.

Samrties Chocolate Cupcakes

To celebrate the Feast (Eid-ul-Fitr), which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, I baked these chocolate cupcakes & a lemon cake (covered with Raspberries & Blueberries) and took them into work on Monday morning.
I took in some bought goodies as well.

Eid Mubarak (Happy Eid) Everyone!

I used the same recipe as my Halloween Cupcakes which I used last year :o)

Recipe:
-----------

Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup veg oil
- 2 tsps vanilla

Method:
1- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
2- Add water, oil and vanilla.
3- Beat with electric mixer until blended.
4- Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 3/4 full (I did both).
5- Bake at 180C (350F) for 15 to 18 minutes.
6- Remove from pan and cool on wire.
7- Frost and decorate as desired.

Roast Pesto Chicken and Vegetables

Chicken covered with pesto, roasted in the oven with sliced courgettes and carrots.



Cooking Method:
Season chicken legs with salt, pepper, and your favourite mixed herbs. Add pesto (you can choose between red or green pesto) and olive oil. Roast in the oven covered for 40 minutes.
Uncover and add the courgettes and carrots and continue roasting in the oven for a further 15 minutes. Add a little more olive oil if you like.
Serve with pasta or potatoes or rice .... and enjoy :o)

Home-made Chicken Noodle Soup

Home-made Chicken Noodle Soup:



When we were in China, we ate LOADS of noodles, and lots of noodle soup.

So now back in the UK, after a 3 week break from Chinese food (we love Chinese food but overloaded on it in China, so needed a break), I made chicken noodle soup. Check out the steam in this photo :o)

Ingredients:
- 6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 5 sping onions
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 courgette, cubed
- mushrooms
- 100g thin rice noodles (or egg noodles)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- salt and pepper

Cooking Method:
1- In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a simmer.
2- Add the chicken breasts and simmer until tender and no trace of pink remains (about 15 minutes).
3- Remove the chicken and let it cool down a bit, then cut into cubes. Set aside.
4- Return the chicken stock to simmer and add the sping onions, carrots & courgettes.
5- Simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
6- Add the cubed chicken, noodles, mushrooms, parsely and salt and pepper. Simmer until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes.
7- Serve the soup with bread and salad.

Roast Chicken Breast Meal

Roast Chicken Breast Meal:



I cooked roast chicken breast covered with herbs in the oevn for 50 minutes. I also made some roast potatoes, carrots, sprouts and white cabbage. I did make some gravy as well but it's not in this photo ... yummy English Roast :o)

Wholemeal Arabic Sfeha

I fancied having another go at making Arabic Sfeha (meat pastries), I made some with white flour, and made these with wholemeal flour as an experiment. They came out really well :o)

The open pies are beef mince pies. Some of the closed triangle ones are stuffed with feta cheese, and the others are stuffed with spinach.
I made a few mini pizzas as well.



Here is a mixture:



Here's the recipe from last time:
Homemade Sfeha (mini lamb pies).

Preperation Time 30 mins (plus standing time)
Cooking Time 10 mins

Dough Ingredients:
- 150g plain flour
- 7g dry yeast
- half teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 125ml warm water
- olive-oil spray.

Lamb topping Ingredients:
- 100g lamb mince
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- half teaspoon pepper
- quarter teaspoon chilli powder
- half an onion cut finely
- pine nuts
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses

Cooking Method:
1- Make dough by mixing flour, yeast, salt, oil and enough warm water until mixture forms a ball. Place ball of dough in oiled medium bowl, spray with oil. Cover and stand in warm place about 1 hour until dough doubles in size.
2- Meanwhile, make lamb topping by combining the ingredients in a small bowl.
3- Pr-heat oven to moderately hot. 200C (400F) Gas Mark 6
4-Knead dough on lightly floured surface 5 minutes, roll dough to 2cm thickness. Using 7cm cutter, cut 20 rounds from dough, place rounds on oiled tray.
5- Divide topping among rounds, press a little to ensure it sticks.
6- Bake uncovered in oven about 10 to 12 minutes.
7- You could also make other shapes such as boat shaped with the edges up etc.
8- Enjoy with yoghurt, salad and Syrian dips such as hummos and aubergine dips.

Here are some of the lunches I make for Rob to take to work:

1- BBQ Chicken & Salad Bagel



close up:



Mango Chicken Baggette:



Mango chicken, cheddar cheese and cucumber in a white baggette. The mango chicken was interesting, I'm not sure the combination of mango and chicken is my favourite ... might go back to the BBQ chicken next time :o)



Chicken Tikka Bagel:
Another day ... another lunch for Rob to take to work.
Today we have chicken tikka with cheddar cheese and cucumber, on a white bagel.


Turkey, Cheese and Lettuce Wrap:
Today we have a turkey, cheese and lettuce wrap with mayonnaise.
Simple, easy, tasty and healthy :o)

Lamb Mint Burgers

I'm afraid these burgers are not home-made by me.... but freshly bought from Waitrose supermarket's meat counter (not frozen).

They tasted soooo good. I cooked them in a griddle pan with green peppers and courgettes. Yum!

Green Beans Bolognese

Our friends Mira, Paul, Bash & Anisha came round for a meal last weekend. I made a few Arabic meals and mezze. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the whole meal together as we were all too hungry :o)



As there were a few vegetarians among us, I cooked vegetarian bolognese.... well it's the arabic version of bolognese but not really called that.
I usually cook this meal with mince beef or lamb. This time I replaced the meat with chopped carrots, onions and red pepper.... cook, then add the green beans, and bring to the boil... then add tomato paste and a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes and lots of herbs (for example basil, parsley, thyme etc)... cook for 20 minutes and serve with rice and salad.

In Arabic, this meal is called fasolia.

Pasta Salad Snack

Pasta Salad Snack:



I had some leftover pasta cooked in red pepper pesto and sweetcorn in my fridge, so as a snack, I used the pasta to make a pasta salad and served it with some wholemeal bread ... yummy and healthy :o)