I’ve been a very lazy blogger those past weeks. Maybe I got a little discouraged …anyway here I am back again, and in the spirit of Christmas I’m going to share some yummy easy recipes that I’ve tried last week…

It is a very calm Christmas for me this year, no bells no kids no loud family member, just a very silent Christmas tree and a half funny looking bottle of red wine with a deer cork staring at me.

One good thing about the first year of marriage is that it turns everything into a special memorable occasion “our first Christmas, our first turkey, our first set of wine glasses our first ….” Well I hope we’ll never run out of fresh new experiences to share. The thing I’m looking forward tonight is those freshly home made ravioli that my friend prepared fro us… and of course my Christmas gift.

Now back to the promised recipes,

I got this lovely Gordon Ramsay book as a gift from my friend Marianna from which I’m sharing the “Prawns with orange and tequila” and “Salmon Ceviche” recipes with you.

Salmon ceviche

300g very fresh salmon fillet, skinned

1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

1 spring onion, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 fat garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

small handful of coriander leaves, shredded

Dressing

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

drizzle of olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

pinck of caster sugar

for the dressing, whisk the lemon juice, soy, sesame and olive oils together in a bowl. Season with salt and paper, and add a little sugar

slice the salmon and arrange on serving plates, overlapping the slices very slightly. Scatter over the red chilli, spring onion and garlic. Spoon over the dressing and leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes

Scatter coriander over the ceviche when you are ready to serve and garnish with mix cress, if you like.

Prawns with orange and tequila

3 tbsp olive oil

400g fresh tiger prawns

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

sea salt and black pepper

generous splash of tequila

juice of 1 orange, or 2 clementines

Heat a large frying pan, then add the olive oil, when hot, add the prawns with the garlic and some seasoning. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until the prawns turn bright red and opaque.

Add a splash of tequila, carefully and standing well back as it may flambé. Pour in the orange juice and let bubble for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced. Transfer to a warm plate and serve immediately.

A good morning cup!

I’m crazy about coffee. My morning cup can make or break my day. A velvety texture on the surface to smoothly wake me, a strong taste within to shake those dreamy thoughts away. One of my best buys ever was my espresso coffee machine. Being able to prepare my own cappuccino makes life seems very generous … and my days brighter.

It is Sunday, and for once in the UAE it is a lazy one thanks to national day. Since I moved to the UAE the thing I miss most is that long lazy coffee morning gathering, we call “soubhiye” in Lebanon. With my mother, sister and friends from the neighborhood. We sit and talk about everything. Fashion, food, politics, the other neighbors… over a pot of Turkish coffee. In Abu Dhabi I hardly ever get visitors everyone is busy making it or living it … morning coffee gatherings are a luxury some can’t afford but occasionally.

I still enjoy those “soubhiye” when I visit Beirut. Meanwhile in Abu Dhabi I’m making my cappuccino and enjoying a selfish morning moment…

Here’s some tips I nicked on how to make a satisfying cappuccino …

Start by Making your espresso,

for it to be good it should be pulled in 17-23 seconds.

How to froth the milk?

a good cup of cappuccino The bubbles will be so small that you can barely see them! This is the way it's supposed to be, because this way, it will blend with the espresso, creating a harmony of the flavors instead of a dry, tasteless cap floating on top.

you'll need is a steam wand. Pour chilled milk into your steamer pitcher preferably a stainless steel one, a good idea would be to chill the pitcher before. Make sure to keep enough room for the milk to expand 2-3 times in volume Place the thermometer inside the pitcher making sure it is not touching the bottom. The milk temperature should reach 145 degrees.

Before you insert your wand directly into the milk get all of the water out not to get it in your milk.

Insert the wand into the milk and turn the steam on full power, position the wand slightly off centre to provoke a circular motion. Slowly move the pitcher to position the want slightly below the surface of the milk, (while keeping the circular movement going), until u hear a hissing noise. This is the perfect way to get the air into the milk. As the milk gain volume keep moving the pitcher to keep the wand tip just under the surface. Stop when the milk reaches 145 degree, over heating will ruin the milk taste.

Serve over your espresso immediately and enjoy

Something Like 30

Finally the day has come. The long awaited thirties. it's old, it's great, it's lovely and guess what it's just like my twenties full of dreams, aspiration and expectation…. of plans, of husband, of jobs and job search…yeah life is here and it continues.

As a teenager I had this Idea about my thirties being the best years or the realization of my character, I thought by than it’ll be all done, I’ll be wiser maybe perfect… but nahhhhhh it's same old sally who knows now that a tear can be controlled and a smile can’t fix everything .

Guilt Free Chicken Wings

Well it seems that we shouldn’t postpone posting a post.

Keep it fresh and honest like your food and you’ll have a perfect meal…or post.

I’m very happy I’m active again and with the great weather now in Abu Dhabi it is a pleasure to ditch the treadmill and go outside enjoy some fresh air. I’ve been going to a boot camp for the past 3 weeks to get back in shape or to be absolutely honest to enjoy a guilt free meal. You’d expect the exercises to get easier with time since you’re getting stronger, but no it gets even harder and longer. The best way to get results out of your training is a trainer … leave it up to him to decide if you can make these extra 100 abs.

But nothing beats a good meal after a long exercise … and what’s better than some sweet baked chicken wings.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 packages of fresh chicken wings (about 12 to 14)

2 Crushed garlic cloves

3 tablespoons steak sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1-teaspoon fish sauce

1-tablespoon honey

1-tablespoon tomato sauce

1-teaspoon brown sugar

Juice of one lemon

Chopped fresh chives

Chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Pickled jalapeños

Position your oven rack making sure your cookie sheet is in the middle of the oven.

To ensure an even flow of heat around the wings while you bake them.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while you are preparing the chicken to bake.

Wash the wings with water and vinegar. Make sure to get all of the feathers left behind from the processing plant because there is something that is quit unappetizing about feathers sticking out from the bird you are about to take a bite of.

Rub the wings with the garlic. Poor all the ingredients over the wings, make sure to cover all the chicken wings real good. Leave to marinade for an hour in the fridge.

For baking spread the wings on your cookie sheet leaving enough space between each wing for it to cook properly it is ok if they are touching but don’t pile them. Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until brown and crispy. The key to great chicken wings is a crispy skin but you don’t want to overcook them because the wings will dry out. Make sure to flip them half way through the cooking to get and even color.

To serve garnish with freshly chopped coriander and some green onions

Mmmmm Enjoy

Carrot Cake and Rain

I’m married, it’s been 2 months now. a friend asked a woman how it feels and she said it feels like baked potatoes…well I guess it is kind of true, warm, comforting and satisfying.

Since I got married I wake up everyday feeling that I have all the time of the world to do whatever I want … to be happy to enjoy my life and to love my husband …ain’t that a nice feeling J

It is raining in Abu Dhabi tonight … and I baked a carrot cake ….

2 rare incidents for the uae, and very much appreciated. I just finished decorating my cake, took some pics and put it in the fridge. Can’t wait to try it tomorrow with a cup of cappuccino.

Making it was a bit of a drama since I still need lots of tools in my kitchen.

Between grating the carrots and the tips of my fingers it went well at the end …

Can’t wait to go to bed and listen to the rain …. Have a good night

Carrot Cake

For the sponge:

225g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground mixed spice

½ teaspoon ground ginger

225g soft light brown muscovado sugar

Grated zest of ½ an unwaxed orange

100g walnut pieces

3 medium free-range eggs, beaten

150ml sunflower oil

250g grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

For the filling and topping:

200g full-fat cream cheese

50g unsalted butter, softened

150g icing sugar, sifted

Grated zest of ½ an unwaxed orange

2 teaspoons orange juice

To decorate:

Grated orange zest and walnut pieces (optional)

2x20.5cm round tins, greased with butter and the bases lined with greaseproof paper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.

Sift the flour, baking powder and all the spices into a large mixing bowl.

Using a wooden spoon, mix in the sugar, orange zest and nuts followed by the beaten eggs, sunflower oil and grated carrots. When thoroughly combined, divide the mixture between the prepared tins and spread it out evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Turn the cakes out on to a write rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the filling and topping, beat together all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until very smooth and creamy. In warm weather you may need to chill the icing until firm enough to spread.

Spread almost half of the mixture on to one of the cakes. Top with the second cakes and spread the remaining mixture over the top. The cake can be decorated with extra orange zest and walnut pieces or left plain. Store in an airtight container in a cool spot.