MAKE ME: roasted tomato basil soup

one of the things i love about being around my sister-in-law's family is the many benefits i get from both her parents. when it comes to her father joaquin (keenies) i enjoy taking advantage of his culinary expertise. does being colombian make you a good cook? well, he's both, and i have to say my family have happily reaped the benefits of the arab/colombian union. anyway, keenies and i decided to go for a roasted tomato basil soup and the chosen recipe was by barefoot contessa. we followed it to a t minus the thyme and butter. i know, that would be breaching all cooking rules according to ina garten; but i prefer my savory dishes sans butter. she'd probably throw an extra stick in there for good luck. as expected, the recipe turned into a huge success! it's not creamy and heavy (i hate creamy soups) and with san francisco's evening chill, it hit the spot.

xx penguina

homemade granola -> de-lish!

there are so many reasons why breakfast should be your favorite meal of the day: eating a regular breakfast helps kick-off your metabolism for the day, you go through the day with much more energy and it’s the best time to eat what you want because you’re probably going to work it off.

one of my favorite breakfast recipes is a homemade granola recipe I came across, which of course I found ways to make more healthy and delicious.

ingredients:

music: ce matin-la - air
mood: free to hang around the oven for a while until granola is made

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup shaved almonds
1/4 cup raw hulled green pumpkin seeds
2 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. fennel seeds
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup dried currents
1 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbs. canola oil
3 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

in a large bowl combine the rolled oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, fennel seeds and coconut.

meanwhile in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the applesauce, honey and cinnamon until warm, around 2 minutes. combine the wet and dry ingredients.

spread the mixture in an even layer on a large baking sheet. put the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake for 5 minutes. shake the mixture so that it bakes evenly and bake for another 3 - 5 minutes or until mixture becomes golden brown. watch the mixture carefully so it doesn’t burn. seriously, if you walk away for a minute you could end up with a burnt mess. transfer back to the large bowl. let the granola cool down and then break it up or keep it as chunky as you like and add the currents. (feel free to broil the mixture till you reach your desired crunch).

enjoy with milk or yoghurt and fresh fruit. keep the granola in a sealed container, stays fresh for about a week.

bon appétit!

xx penguina

♥ my applesauce

i've been having all sorts of problems with my digestion lately, and for someone who eats very well 98% of the time, that's a tad bit weird. i finally decided to get a check up after feeling the equivalent of being food poisoned on friday and spending the entirety of what should have been a fun saturday, in bed. i was so weak i could have slept until sunday if i let myself. the prognosis: some kind of gastric intestinal infection, great! i've started my antibiotics which i really hope solve all my problems, including my fear of heights.

i can only eat easily digestible foods such as boiled chicken, rice and broth. i know, you're all very jealous of my palatable menu. as unfortunate as this situation may be for me, there's always a bright side - i get to eat as much applesauce as i want!! very cheap thrills. anyway, it's a pretty standard recipe, i've just manipulated a couple ingredients:

penguina's applesauce

4 granny smith apples

2 red honeycrisp (preferable) apples

1 1/4 cup water

2 cinnamon sticks

1 lemon freshly squeezed

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

honey is optional; however, i'd try it first after it cools before adding any additional sweeteners

directions:

peel, core and chop apples then put in a saucepan with the water, cinnamon sticks and lemon. bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 

at this point the apples should have softened to a point easy to mash. just remember to remove the cinnamon sticks before you mash the mixture otherwise you won't enjoy it at all. add the ground cinnamon and find out if your taste buds want you to sweeten it up a bit more. 

it should yield around 4 - 6 servings.
store in the fridge, or the freezer if you'd like to save it for longer than a week. 

honestly, you don't need to make this JUST to spice up a bland diet; i like to use applesauce as a butter substitute in baking as well. i hope it comes in handy for you :)

xx penguina

warm apple crisp mmm.

i’m a real pie lover but have always found most pies too heavy. that's why this crisp i adapted off the William Sonoma site is the perfect alternative. it can be manipulated to any kind of fruit pie but apple is my pick. this easy and relatively quick treat is great alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream melting all over it! not to mention it fills the house with a warm cinnamon goodness that seduces any nose!

ingredients:

music: fly me to the moon - frank sinatra
mood: don't mind peeling, chopping, and getting your hands dirty

for the crisp topping:

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

8 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

for the apple filling:

1/2 cup maple syrup or honey (your choice)

Pinch of salt

1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 tart apples such as pippin and granny smith, peeled, halved,

cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 6 cups)

directions:

position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. lightly grease a 12-inch oval or 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking dish with a 2-quart capacity.

to make the topping, in a bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, applesauce and cinnamon. add the pecans and toss to mix. cover and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

to make the filling, in a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. place the apple slices in a large bowl, sprinkle with the maple mixture and toss to distribute evenly. spread the apple mixture in the prepared baking dish. sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.

bake until the topping is crisp and golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 50 minutes. serve warm. serves 8.

xx penguina

summer drinks

fancy a skinny bitch?

a friend of mine recently introduced me to this fresh, simple mix that'll definitely add some zest to your day as the summer heat gradually takes over. as much as most people love the summer sun, when you live in the UAE you really miss the absence of it. a skinny bitch will definitely cool you down without affecting your energy levels, considering there isn't any sugar in it.

ingredients:

1 glass
ice to fill glass
half a handful of fresh mint leaves
1 freshly squeezed lemon
enough s pellegrino

xx

Christmas Recipe: Sweet Potato & Marshmallow Casserole

One of my favorite dishes that I usually only ever eat during Thanksgiving or Christmas, is a Sweet Potato & Marshmallow Casserole. It's the savory dish that thinks it's a dessert. When it's around, I don't really see anything else on the table... that's right, it's love. If  it's made to perfection, you won't be able to stop eating.

Once you delve in with your spoon, you move deeper through the layers of goodness; first the slightly burnt and crispy marshmallows that are melted in the middle, into the smooth sweet potato mash and if you're lucky you'll get the crunch of the toasted pecans with that bite. If you make this at home the aroma of the burnt sugar from the marshmallows, and the mix of cinnamon and orange will make you oh so happy, it's a seduction you won't be able to fight. Best thing about it, it's simple and easy to make; so unless your taste buds aren't alive, you won't be able to mess this one up.

Ingredients:

5 sweet potatoes, sliced
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup Acacia honey or brown sugar, up to your taste buds
3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/3 cup of chopped toasted pecans
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (10.5 oz) pack of miniature marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain.
3. Place mashed sweet potatoes in large bowl, and use an electric mixer to blend with the applesauce, honey, orange juice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Spread evenly into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Scatter  
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through, and marshmallows are puffed and golden brown.
5. Savor every bite. 

If you haven't tried this already, you'll be thanking me when you do :) 

Bon appetit! xx

Crunchy Cinnamon-Orange Biscotti

Since I was under 10 years old I remember those special days when the house would smell like heaven. The almost enchanting aroma of the mixture of warm orange and cinnamon making its way through every room. It was when I knew I'd be welcomed with a fresh plate of my favorite orange biscotti. The taste is addictive and the bite is so crunchy!! Baked by Purita, practically the caretaker of our house who has been part of our family since I can remember. Purita learned a lot of her recipes from my mom, but was also working at a bakery before living with us, so naturally she had a couple tricks up her sleeve! 

I finally asked Purita to share the biscotti recipe with me and had the guts to try it. I should add that the first time I made it in my apartment, it was a complete flop, and I made what appeared to be bread. Of course I was experimenting and changed the ingredients list entirely. It took my friend Lamya around 3 minutes to swallow 1 bite before she could give me her opinion. By a minute 30 seconds of her chewing I already knew what I needed to know. I realized there's something different about the way Purita makes it: rather than mixing the ingredients to form a dough log which would be placed in the oven, her mixture comes out more like a batter which she bakes in a baking pan. 

So taking advantage of the fact that I'm in Abu Dhabi at my parents house with a kitchen complete with everything I'd need (including Purita), I decided to give the biscotti another go. My best friend also came over for lunch so we decided it would be fun. There aren't many ingredients and the main substitution was using honey instead of sugar. Why do I constantly need to come up with different recipes for foods we love? Because there are hundreds of websites that know how to cook up a storm using butter, sugar and other ingredients that I would prefer to do without. For that reason, I come up with recipes that either use very little or none of those. My desserts or meals have nothing to do with being lower in calories unless I state it, they're merely made with "better quality" ingredients as I like to put it. This view is definitely not understood by my father who dreams of butter; but when even he agrees something tastes good without it, I believe anyone can as well.

Note that I used a baking pan larger than I should have for the quantity I made so the end result came out quite thin (which is actually how I enjoy them). However, for the thicker genuine biscotti, I would use a loaf pan.

Below is the story of my favorite biscotti:

Buy it

mix it

pour it

bake it

flip it

cut it

bake it

eat it.

 For the exact recipe and directions, click below.

To the Cooks out there: Punchfork

Check out Punchfork where you'll find the top rated recipes from sites like the Food Network, Epicurious, Serious Eats and more.

They use data from social networks to measure which recipes are most popular. Also, the search results are much more organized in terms of the ratings, and the site is updated regularly, so you can see new recipes almost instantly. 

Happy eats!

Creamy Rice Pudding

I posted this recipe about two years ago but am reviving it because it's one of my favorite desserts to have during Ramadan. This one is especially light, but tastes just as good. The garnishes are optional. Without them it's more of a generic rice pudding while adding them gives that Middle Eastern kick. 

Now you have a decision to make because there are a couple ways of eating this. Once you've reached a creamy consistency, you can bake the pudding and broil it so that its got a tougher consistency with a slightly burn layer on top. Or you can just broil the top layer. Or you can eat it nice and creamy right off the stove. Store it in the refrigerator and heat it up if you want it warm with a more liquid consistency. It's so yummy and oh so comforting :)

Music: Just Like Heaven - Katie Melua

Mood: you've got the time and are ready for non-stop stirring action

Ingredients:

¾ cup Egyptian rice (any short grain rice, Egyptian is just very starchy so it absorbs well)

2 cups water

5 cups low fat milk (works well with soy milk as well)

¼ cup Acacia Honey

¼  tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 Tbs Orange Blossom Water

Optional garnishes:

crushed pistachios

extra sweet drizzle
ground cinnamon
ground cardamom

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F or 205°C if you intend to bake. Bring the rice and water to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. You want the rice al dente so that it absorbs the milk as well. Add the milk, honey, cinnamon stick and salt, then raise the heat to medium high. Stir constantly so that the milk does not burn. Bring the heat to medium low after around 40 minutes. Keep stirring until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. I usually stop at around 40 minutes if I plan on putting it in the oven or 1 hour if I'm eating it directly from the stove. Take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla and orange blossom water. Pour the pudding directly into ramekins and bake/broil until the top becomes golden brown, around 10 minutes. Or just enjoy it au naturale. If you care for a sweeter taste, add the extra sweet drizzle (recipe below). Servings: 4 - 6. 

Extra Sweet Drizzle:

1 Tbs light condensed milk

¼ cup water

In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine the condensed milk and water for around 3 minutes.

This is after I broiled it for 15 minutes.

The inside is still creamy. If you like it creamier, just stir for less time. Baking it of course will cook it even more so a lot of the creamy moisture isn't there especially when it cools down. 

Ramadan News & Recipe Guides

The thought of Ramadan brings me back to so many great childhood memories especially of my favorite dessert Umm Ali :) Ramadan to me is a month when my family and family friends would join nearly every day for Iftar and continue the night with loads of sweet mint tea onto suhoor in tents and fun gatherings. There's nothing I enjoy more with food than to share it with others, especially during Ramadan when you learn not to take food for granted. 

It was such a peaceful yet fun month; despite the painful stomaches during the day, we had such a wonderful time at night, with delicious food and great company. Always breaking our fast with a couple juicy dates and a small glass of qamardeen (dried apricot juice). The fattoush was always so fresh and my favorite soup to follow would be lentil. The meals always differed but were relatively similar and absolutely delicious. Then again, not much would taste bad after a days of fast so all of these offerings did spoil us! 

I have always loved to cook, mainly when I'm surrounded by people who eat a lot and who enjoy cooking as well. The one recipe book I would not be able to live without for the Middle Eastern dishes I love is The Arab Table by My Bsisu. You will find ALL the treasured recipes for foods, savory and sweet, you love and will not be able to put it down this month. There are 3 copies in my immediate family and we all refer to it religiously. If you don't have time to order the book but want any specific recipes just let me know and I'll forward them to you!

This year I found out that my favorite, Wholefoods Market, is going to be preparing Iftar this month, offering all the traditional types of food that are found during Ramadan. It will be the first chain in the USA to celebrate Ramadan. Check out the article "Wholefoods Celebrates, Monetizes Ramadan." Not only will they make a lot of people happy, but they'll be gaining big bucks. The most important point to note is all of their food will be halal. This just makes me love WFs even more as they are really making a difference. Eating there makes me extremely happy generally, and to be able to eat the meals I love during Ramadan there would make me feel like I'm home away from home. 

This article by Yvonne Maffei is a great way for anyone who is preparing Ramadan and getting ready to cook for their family and friends. I enjoyed looking at her blog, my halal kitchen, especially sinc she is collaborating with WholeFoods during this month. It's quite impressive for a Sicilian/Puerto Rican to be so knowledgable and able to cook all these meals I'm used to here in the Middle East. Check out my halal kitchen and her 5 simple steps for preparing Ramadan Meals. 

********

Dear All, I hope that this time not only purifies you on all levels, but gives you perspective. I hope you enjoy and appreciate every single meal you eat and that you find the time to share your favorite dishes with the less fortunate. 

********

A Kind Brûlée

I recently found out my father had a torch in his workshop (don’t ask me why, I have yet to find out) which really resembles that of a crème brûlée torch… how could I not grasp the opportunity? I adapted a recipe I to make a delicious custard without using the typical heavy cream etc. I was so tempted to eat it warm but behaved myself, which I’m glad I did because the chilled version turned out superb. There’s just something about breaking into the thin delicate crisp of the caramelized sugar into the smooth custard and getting that crunchy-creamy combo with one sweet bite. This recipe will definitely hit the spot without being too heavy. 

Ingredients:

Music: Caramel - Suzanne Vega

Mood: looking for an easy recipe to prepare a day ahead of the time it’s to be served.

3 cups low fat milk

¼ cup honey

6 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup plus 1 Tbs granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Warm the milk in a saucepan on medium heat and add the honey for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the milk doesn't burn. Remove from the heat and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites, vanilla and salt in a bowl then slowly add in the milk, a little at a time while whisking so that the eggs don’t curdle. Strain the mixture into another bowl to get out the clumps, I poured it into a large measuring cup I had to easily pour it into the ramekins. Next, lightly grease 8 ramekins and pour the mixture into each ramekin. Place the ramekins in a deep pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan until the water reaches to the level of the custard. This hot water bath baking method makes sure that the custard is cooked gently and evenly. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until a knife comes out clean if poked in the center of the custard. Remove from the oven and allow the custard to chill then cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Servings: 8 small ramekins.

Caramelizing the Top:

Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of sugar on top of the custard and spread it evenly so it covers the whole surface. Using a crème brulee torch, move the flame around slowly so that the sugar is melted evenly. This part takes patience and please don’t go too crazy with the torch. Enjoy xx

Raw Chocolate Pudding

I must say I impressed myself after cooking a simple but delicious Christmas feast. The menu (I know, I'm just assuming you care): baby spinach salad with an orange-cinnamon vinaigrette, an applesauce-rubbed turkey, sweet potato & marshmallow casserole, and dried fruit and quinoa stuffing with fresh cranberry sauce and gravy on the side. Wanting something different for dessert, I made a recipe I was recently introduced to - chocolate pudding that doesn't require any cooking! Let me just state that if you don't care for cooking, this post will not excite you. The secret ingredient that gives it the great consistency is none other than the perfect avocado! I can't stress enough how important it is for the avocados to be fresh, otherwise you'll have a foul aftertaste. I adapted the recipe slightly by adding flavored maple syrup extract, if you can find it I highly recommend it. 

Ingredients:

Music: anything Glee

Mood: looking for a quick and satisfying dessert

¼ cup pitted medjool dates, soaked

¼ cup agave nectar or honey

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp maple syrup natural flavored extract (optional)

¾ cup mashed avocados (1 ½ avocados)

¼ cup & 2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa or carob powder

½ cup water

¼ cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted with skin removed (for those who can handle the nuts)

In a food processor, process dates and agave nectar until smooth. Add the avocado and cocoa powder, mix until creamy. Add water while mixing slowly until you reach your preferred consistency, you might have to add more than ½ a cup. Add the vanilla and maple syrup extracts. Pour mixture into serving cups and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts for an extra crunch. Store in the refrigerator. Servings: 6

Flourless Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies

There's nothing that makes me want peanut butter more than watching Brad Pitt savor a spoon of it in Meet Joe Black. I'm assuming I speak for myself there... or maybe not. I've had a pretty ongoing obsession with peanut butter for more than a year now. First it was creamy peanut butter, then it was Wholefoods' honey roasted peanut butter that's freshly ground and worth gold to me, and now it's just any organic crunchy peanut butter with honey drizzled on top (because Wholefoods doesn't deliver to the Middle East).

If you like peanuts, there's so much goodness that comes with them. While peanut butter doesn't beat chocolate for me, it still melts in your mouth and is a great snack to get your energy back up. A great source of protein and delicious with apples. What I suggest doing is getting a tablespoon of it out and sealing the lid.... with superglue, then putting it back in the fridge because while it's filled with great nutrients, it's also full of fat and you don't want an overdose, even if it's the good kind of fat.

I decided to try out a few recipes using peanut butter and came up with this yummy one:

Ingredients:


Music: The Seed 2.0 - The Roots
Mood: energetic


¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup agave nectar or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup organic unsalted peanut butter

¼ cup flaxseed meal 

½ tsp baking soda
pinch of kosher salt

¼ cup unsalted peanuts chopped

¼ cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Warm the applesauce and in a bowl dissolve the sugar in it then add the vanilla extract and peanut butter.  In another bowl combine the flaxseed meal, salt and baking soda then mix them into the wet ingredients. Add in the chocolate chips and chopped peanuts. I used a spatula to make sure it was combined well, it wasn't that fun and I might have gained a couple arm muscles. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Since no flour is used, the mixture can be quite sticky so I use two teaspoons to scoop out the batter and place on a greased pan. Bake on the middle shelf until lightly golden and slightly puffy around 12 – 14 minutes. Servings: 12 cookies.

I hope you enjoy them!

Introducing my Gluten-Free Banana Nut & Date Muffins

So I've been experimenting with different ingredients to make muffins. I was so excited to make them without butter and have them just as moist. These ones specifically are gluten-free and egg free, which I made specially for a friend with allergies.

You're probably thinking wth is Quinoa Flour, it's basically flour from the Quinoa grain, I was only able to find it in an Organic store. I hope you can find it! There's something about it that's magic, I took these muffins out of the oven so many times and they did not deflate at all. Since I use a lot of liquid ingredients, I bake it at a lower temperature for a longer time, you want to make sure they are the right moistness but not doughy.

Make them for such a scrumptious tea time treat or great for breakfast as they are high in fiber and filled with nutritious ingredients. Note: be prepared for feelings of greed and possession. 

Ingredients:


Music: I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
Mood: you've got the time to bake

Dry:
2 Cups Quinoa Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 Tbs Ground Flaxseed
2 tsp Cinnamon
½ cup chopped Walnuts
2 chopped Dates


Wet:
3 mashed Bananas
¼ cup Yogurt
½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
¼ cup Honey or ¼ cup Agave
2 tsp Vanilla


For Crumb Topping (optional):
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Rolled Oats
2 tsp Canola Oil

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Using your own muscles to mix, fold the dry mixture in batches into the wet ingredients. I’ve been told avoiding an electrical mixer for muffins is a better choice because they come out fluffier… you can be the judge of that. I just think it’s one less thing to clean up really. Cover and put aside to make the crumb topping which really gives it that extra umff but it’s just as delish without. Oil your tray (I use a cupcake tray because I prefer the smaller size). I use a spray Pam, but you can oil it by using Canola Oil and wiping the tray with a paper towel. Sprinkle some flour evenly in the cups so that the muffins don’t stick. Pour the mixture into the cups, around halfway full and sprinkle the crumb topping on top. Bake for around 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center. Servings: 16 

Chai Haleeb

(Dedicated to Lulu)

Let me describe the most delicious, soothing tea.

Originating in India and being adapted by the Ayrabs, Chai Haleeb (which literally translates to "milk tea") is a warm treat at any time. Not only does it have a cozy smell of rich spice, but when you sip it you're met with the taste of milky sweetness and spice that always brings back good memories, given you drink it when you're happy :) Make it a rule...

Chai Haleeb was such an integral part of my college years, I remember having it every single day at one point; after dinner, at 5 am, for breakfast. It just didn't get old.. until it did.. but I still love it!

Ingredients for the potion:

Music: In the Waiting Line - Zero 7
Mood: lounging.
- 2 - 4 black tea bags

- 2 cups water

- 2 cups milk (or more depending on how you like it)

- 3 - 4 cardamom pods

- pinch of cinnamon

- pinch of ground fennel seeds

- one of those little bags you can put spices in because chewing the spices isn't fun

Heat the hot water on a saucepan with the tea bags, lower the heat and add the milk and spices, make sure the milk doesn't overheat because then it sticks to the pan and gets a bad taste. Keep stirring it, keeping an eye on it until it gets a brownish color from the tea and milk, and taste it to make sure the spices are to your liking. Add as much sugar as you like, the sweeter the better!

Not to be compared to the chai latte at Starbucks thank you.