Labneh

Labneh is a Middle Eastern style cheese made out of plain yogurt. The consistency of it is very much like cream cheese. It is healthy and delicious and a great snack or dip. It's the easiest thing to make, all you need to do is drain the whey out of the yogurt (over night) and that's it! 

Let's talk about the toppings for a minute. Good quality extra virgin olive oil is a must, the rest is up to you. Some people like to add cucumbers. Very refreshing specially in the summer. 

I like to add za'atar which is a blend of herbs and sesame seeds and Sumac which is a type of berry that has been dried and ground, very popular in Middle Eastern cooking. It has a beautiful tart flavor. Both ingredients have become more popular in the US and are easy to find. It's good to try new ingredients and experiment. Who knows, you might find an ingredient that will rock your kitchen. If you can't find these ingredients, chopped fresh herbs can do the trick as well as a drizzle of lemon juice and paprika. 

Ingredients: 

32oz container Greek yogurt 

sumac

za'atar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste 

Place 3 layers of cheesecloth in colander set over a bowl. Add the yogurt and bring the sides of the cheesecloth together and tie it with string. I usually hang it above the sink with the help of a wooden spoon for 4 hours and then right before I go to bed, I transfer it to the refrigerator to continue the draining process. Be sure to put a bowl underneath to catch the whey. Refrigerate for 24 hours. The consistency should be like a soft cream cheese. Transfer the cheese to a serving plate, spread it and sprinkle salt fist and then add toppings. It should stay good for up to a week, well covered. It may get a bit sour as time passes but it's ok. Enjoy it with warm flat bread.

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Beet Salad

I love a simple salad with fresh ingredients. I know, beets take forever to cook. A medium size beet can take 30 to 40 minutes to cook but it's worth the wait since I'll end up with a nice, healthy and delicious meal. I usually cook both yellow and purple beets but I couldn't find the yellow ones this time.

I love to combine both to make it colorful for Lucas. I am going through that face right now where I have to make everything fun and interesting for him to eat. I've never had that problem before but now I find myself more often playing and making all sorts of faces to get him to eat. I was reading that they go through this but I hope he goes back to normal soon. Sometimes I wish babies came with a manual but I am glad I live in a time where information is available to you with just a click.

Back to the recipe. Because beets take their time to cook, I usually make extra to keep in the fridge.

They make a great side dish when combined with herb couscous,  basically I do this same recipe but without the mixed greens and instead of slicing the beets I cube them. 

Ingredients:

3 medium beets

Mixed greens

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra virgin olive oil 

1/4 cup pistachios

Blue cheese (I used gorgonzola dolce)

1 Lemon

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Cook until they are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Let them cool a little bit and rub off the skins under running water with a soft cloth. The hotter they are, the easier it will be to peel them, but be careful not to burn yourself. Slice the beets into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lightly dress the mixed greens with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the salad by putting mixed greens in the center of a plate, place the sliced beets on top, add the blue cheese, pistachios and drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt. 

  

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Halloween Treats

Halloween is almost here. I never really liked Halloween, but with my son Lucas that has changed. Now I can't wait to dress him up and take him trick or treating. I am not sure how much he will understand it (he is 18 months) but for sure he will enjoy all the treats he can get. 

I have been thinking of a few treats for him and to give out to our neighbors. I will still have my pile of store-bought candies for the children I don't know, homemade staff would be weird right? 

I made chocolate cat cookies. All kids like anything chocolate. I also made little meringue ghosts for the older kids. Both things are really good and are fun activities to make with the kids, specially the cookies. 

This Saturday we are going apple picking and I am hoping to get a nice size pumpkin. It will be fun to hand carve it and see if we can come up with a nice Jack-o'-lantern. I am sure it will be ugly since carving is not my thing, but hey,  it's Halloween after all. 

Ingredients: 

For the chocolate cookies:

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart 

1 1/2 cup flour, plus more for 

rolling and cutting out dough

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the egg. On low speed, mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half and form into two disk, each about 3/4 inch thick. Wrap disk in plastic, chill until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days. On a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/2 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate for a few minutes.) Using 2 to 3-inch Halloween cookie cutters, cut out shapes, dipping cutters in flour as necessary to prevent sticking, place on a baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Bake until is dry to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet before transfer to a cool rack to cool completely .    

For the meringue ghosts:

3/4 cup sugar

2 egg whites, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

chocolate frosting fo decorate

Preheat the oven to 200 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed, beat the egg whites and salt until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and the vanilla. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe the ghost into the prepared baking sheets. I held the bag upright and squeeze the meringue, making a wide base then a smaller center and then a tip. Bake the meringues ghosts for one hour. Turn off the oven but let the meringues dry inside the oven with door closed for another hour. 

Let them cool completely before decorating it.

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Red Velvet Cake and an Invitation

Red velvet cake. I don't make this cake very often, you see, this is one of those things that are so
good, you only make them on special occasions. Last Friday was my birthday and even though
I didn't know what kind of cake I wanted, I was happy I went for red velvet cake. I don't want to sit down and tell you how good it was but I can tell you it's one of my treasure recipes. It's good and a
piece of cake to make it :) 

I had a nice birthday weekend, my mom made a lovely dinner for me and the next day my hubby and cousins treated me for brunch. We went to Salumeria Rosi. If you visit New York, this place is a must go. This is my favorite way to spend a birthday,  good food, good wine and surrounded by people I love.  

In other news,  I am working on a magazine style post just for the month of December. I am gathering some of my favorite recipes to share them with you. I am hoping to have it ready December 1st.

Here is were it gets interesting, I want to invite you to be a part of it. To participate,  you need to first, follow this blog, summit your recipe  via e-mail to najwakronfel@gmail.com with a photo of your dish (no bigger than 5 MB) by October 31st. It could be a dessert, main course, salad, cookies, anything Christmas related. 5 recipes will be chosen and featured on the magazine, of course, all your work will be credited to you and there will be a link to your blog as well if you have one. This should be a lot of fun! I am anxious and excited to see and test your recipes!
Please note that our decision to pick the winners is not only based on the quality of the dish but also on the photography. 

Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons coco powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vinegar 

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients, mix in low speed until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix well all the wet ingredients including the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add wet ingredients, mix the batter until all the ingredients are well combined, turn the speed up to medium and mix for 30 seconds more. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 25 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. 

The Frosting:

16oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 stick of butter, room temperature

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese together until creamed.

Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix until well combined.

Assemble:  

Carefully cut cake in three layers and spread some frosting on each layer. Spread the top and the sides with the remaining frosting, I used the back of a spoon to decorate. 

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