Walnut Coconut cake Review/ Crunchy cake recipe

I promised last time that I would give reviews on the walnut coconut cake. It was very easy and more importantly very tasty. You can find it on the blog arabicbites.blogspot.com


I also made another cake and now I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of but if was very cute and not to mention yummy.

The recipe for this cake was givin to me by a very dear friend almost a sister. She is always the brave one who will try new cake recipes that I shy away from to avoid big disasters and panic attacks ( which I usually have making anything new).

Its a great cake even for baking rookies.

3 layer crunch cake

Cake part.
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour

Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins. In a well greased 10' round cake pan.

Middle crunch layer
5 egg whites
1 cup powdered sugar or regular sugar.

Blend very well until white and foamy. About 5-7 mins.

Bake at 220 for 2-3 hours until very crunchy. Bake in a 10' pan lined with parchment paper.

Cut the cake it half to have two layers.

Cream
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of heavy cream

blend well with a blender. I stuck the cream in the fridge for about 10-15 mins so it won't be so runny when you are frosting it.

On the bottom layer of the cake add cream be generous because the cream goes along way. Then add the crunch layer and cream. Finally add the top layer and frost the whole cake well leaving no bald spots. I made this cake for a baby shower recently and I found at Michaels very cute baby pink pearl sprinkles and edible glitter.
I packed the sprinkles on heavy around the outside and sprinkled them generously on the top with the edible sparkles in pearly white ( kinda resembled snow).

This cake it a crowd pleaser and is easy when you don't have many ingredients but it will definitely impress.

Arabic Bites

I found the most amazing site. Arabicbites.blogspot.com. I found some really amazing recipes and it would seem selfish of me to keep it to myself.

Check it out it's amazing.

http://arabicbites.blogspot.com/ just it case.... lol

I am making the Walnut coconut cake this weekend for a baby shower I will let you know how it goes.

Long Gone.......

So sorry to keep you waiting so long, but I it definitely took some adjusting to life back in the States. Tajikistan was very different for sure. For the record you don't know how blessed you are until you travel to a place that for most people they are just surviving. Like I said before I left for my journey, I am pregnant and that may hinder my taste buds from trying something new. I know my pregnancies all to well, I was sick like a dog and barely touch food there. I pretty much at something equivalent to top ramen the whole time. LOL what an adventure huh? I also got to see Istanbul Turkey, very up close and personal puking in alleys because of the fish smell from the sea. Traveling abroad in your first trimester is not recommended, take it from me.

One thing I got to appreciate there was the textiles omg if you love fabrics at amazing prices Tajikistan is your place. I was in heaven at the market. I had to buy a extra suitcase to fit all things I acquired over there home. If anyone love the Ikat pattern you have a million choices there for that pattern at fab prices.

For all you that are not familiar here is an example of Ikat pattern on a french sofa.

I am due November 24 to have this baby so forgive me if I disappear again for a while. Lots of new changes and challenges to face with a two year old and a new one.
I will be back though with great new recipes and culture talk.

The Countdown

It has begun, the countdown to our trip to Tajikistan. 5 DAYS until we are off. Since my last post I have found out I am pregnant again. I hope I can keep my promise and try all the food there, but cut me some slack if I don't, nothing smells edible right now. I will be gone for about 3 months so check out my blog around August 1st or so.  I am sure I will have some interesting tales to tell. Also so recipes and pictures.

Why?

Sometimes in life I find myself asking why? Why does this have to happen to me? I am very strong in my faith but I cannot escape this question. Even though I logically know the answers, I can't seem to except them. I am writing today because I am going through some rough times and keep slipping of the cliff of knowledge to find myself  broken and alone in the dark valley. Why? Why can't life get easier. Walking in faith is a challenge, it is some thing that almost feels unnatural at times. I know that God (Allah) is in charge and I know he has a plan a reason for what happens in my life. I must choose to become stronger and overcome. Today that feels like climbing the tallest mountain without the ability to walk, impossible. I am not a victim to my circumstances. Today I ask God ( Allah) to give me the strength to overcome, to be grateful. At least I know the answer to Who? Who can change my circumstances, Who can give me strength and comfort when life suffocates me.

Ya Allah, liberate me from fear. Give me the wisdom to think positively; give me the courage to stand by the truth; give me the openness to connect to those who avoid me; give me a smile, a clean heart and a winning attitude which conquers others; give me more of the world so I can spend in Your Path; give me the perspective that I need to remain satisfied with what You bless me with. Ameen.

French Salad

French Salad

2 large Potatoes
Cabbage
1 Beet
1 large Carrot
1/2 Cucumber
Deli meat any works.
1can of peas
Mayo
Salt to taste

First peel your beet and boil till soft. Peel and chop your your potato french fry style. Fry them till very crispy.
Chop cabbage, carrot, cucumber, beet and deli meat julienne style. Arrange the chopped veggies around your plate, in the center add a little mayo and put your peas on top. ( As shown in the pic.) Gives a great presentation and looks pretty on your dinner table. Before serving mix with salad forks add mayo and salt as needed.

Qurutob

Qurutob is a vegetarian dish that consist of layered crispy bread, yogurt, tomatoes and onion.

Dough for the bread
Flour as needed
tbsp salt
1 1/2 cups-2 cups water
2 sticks butter
First mix water and salt slowly add flour until you form dough. Let you dough sit for about 20 mins till soft, make sure you cover it. Separate them in to 2 balls and let sit again for 10 mins till soft. On a floured surface roll the first dough out very thin. Melt 1 stick of butter till soft and rub dough with butter. Next cut dough into about 5 strips. Take the first strip of dough and roll it very tight. Take that first strip of dough and place it at the end of the 2nd strip of dough. Roll that piece in the 2nd strip of dough and very gently keep stretching the dough to keep thin. Take the 2nd strip and roll into the 3rd strip and so on until you have them all rolled into each other. Now place the dough up right so the swirly end is facing up. With your hand smash the dough down. Let this dough soften for about 20 mins so you can flatten it. Do same process with 2nd ball of dough.
Next grease your pan and preheat oven to about 350. If your dough is soft you can flatten it into a round shaped bread. Not to flat. Take a fork and poke holes in to the bread so it cooks through out. When oven is ready bake bread till the outside and the bottom are crispy and flaky. The center is softer.


Qurutob filling
Plain Greek yogurt large container
water
salt
tomato
oil
2 yellow onion
2 green onion
cilantro

While bread is baking, in a saucepan take yogurt and cook it on med continuously stirring add about 1/4 cup water. Try not to make it to watery.  Salt to taste. Make sure you keep stirring well because it will get chunky.  Cook for about 30 mins.

When you bread is ready break it apart into smaller pieces on a large deep serving platter. When yogurt has thickened put it on warm. In a frying pan on med-high cook 3-4 tbsp oil and fry chopped yellow onion until soft. (salt onion a little)  Now the trick to very yummy Qurutob is to keep your oil hot and pour your yogurt mix all over your bread platter. The oil in your frying pan should be soo hot that when you pour it on your platter you should hear a sizzle. After that dice some tomatoes, green pepper and cilantro to garnish the top.
Traditionally people in tajikistan eat Qurutob with their hands.

Send me an email if you have any questions this can be a difficult dish to make. Bazaarhona@gmail.com

Musakhan chicken bread wraps

Traditionally Musakhan is made just with chicken sumac and onions but I spice it up with a few extras.

Murquq bread (can be found at your neighborhood international store, or you can make your own just google it)
Chicken with or without bone. I prefer with bone.
Onion
red sumac
salt
pepper
olive oil

• Cut the chicken into up into two breasts, two thighs, two legs, and two wings. Salt and pepper the chicken.
• In a large, deep casserole, heat 1/ 4 cup of the olive oil, then lightly brown the chicken on all sides over a medium heat, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining 1/ 4 cup olive oil to the casserole and cook the onions until translucent, about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sumac and cook for 2 minutes to mix.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Cover a 9 x 12-inch baking dish with two overlapping halves of the Arabic bread or 2 sheets of marquq bread. Spoon half the onions over each, then arrange the chicken on top of the onions and cover with the remaining onions and the juices from the casserole. Cover with the two remaining half leaves of bread or sheets of marquq bread, tucking in the sides crusty side up and spray with water. Bake until the chicken is very tender and almost falling off the bone, about 1 1/ 2 hours. Before the top cover of bread begins to burn, spray with water again or cover with aluminum foil.

I love to serve this with a nice soft spicy cheese and you can break the chicken apart and wrap it with the cheese and onions in you marquq bread. I also garnish it with cilantro and fresh garlic

Tajik Osh

Tajik Osh ( Pilaf)

2 cups of rice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 bags of carrots peeled and cut julienne

2 large onions chopped
2 bullion cubes
1 1/2 pound of meat. Steak meat or lamb is preffered
cumin powder and seed.
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 can of chick peas

Now we do not have the kinda of special pan here in the US but the closest thing that I have found is a wok
 make sure its a deep one and round with lid is ideal. This funnel shape is important, so don't use a stock pot.

In your pan heat oil on high to frying temp. Add your meat salt, pepper, garlic and cumin powder the meat. Let it fry till its not pink any more. Reduce heat to med-high add your chopped onions. Cook onions until very soft. Try not to burn onions or meat if med-high is to hot reduce to med. Add all your chopped carrots. fry them till soft. Add more cumin powder just a pinch. When everything is fried you will add your water. This is very important do not add to much. Add about enough to barely cover meat carrots and onion. Add boullion and salt to taste. Let this cook for at least on hour do not cover. About 20 mins before that is done cooking soak and wash your 2 cups of rice.  When meat carrots and onion are done add your can of chick peas. let that cook for about 15mins. Make sure you salt it well it should have a strong cumin flavor and be a little bit salty. You will not be able to salt it after you put in rice. Okay time to add your rice. Drain the water from your soaking rice and pour the rice on top of the meat onions and carrots. Flatten it so its even every where.
You should have enough water and oil to barely cover the rice, if not add a little more water. Let the rice cook for about 20 mins until the rice has absorbed most of the water. Form the rice into a pyramid shape and make holes for the water to steam the rice. Cover tightly on warm for about 20-30 mins. Making it tight is important because the steam cooks the rice. When its done mix rice with the carrots and meat. Cut the meat into small pieces and place them on top of your plate of rice and carrots.

Osh tips
1. Carrots are sweet so add enough cumin to balance it out.
2. Don't cut the meat to small before cooking
3. Layer you lids. When I steam I put as many lids on to keep the steam in.
4. Carrots give color, the more you add the colorful you osh will be
5. Oily osh is good osh

Here is a video that some guy put on youtube he does a few things different than I do but at least you have an idea.

Serve with tajik salad It is in my January archives.

Napoleon Cake

Okay first let me warn you this cake is not so hard but it is time consuming. It is preferred to make this cake the night before it should sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Napoleon Layer Cake

Dough
2 sticks of unsalted butter cold
2 cups flour
1/2 cold water

Cut the butter into small pieces. Add flour and keep cutting till they are mixed well. Add cold water and make dough. Separate them in to 8 balls. Roll and bake one by one. If you roll them all they will stick to the counter. So with alot of flour for rolling take one ball roll it flat till about a 8 inch pan will fit to measure in side the dough like a cookie cutter. Preheat oven to 350 and place dough carefully on baking sheet. Bake until golden. When dough is golden get your 8 inch round cake pan and place it upside down and cut around the edges to form a perfect circle.Save the scraps and put aside for later. Do this same technique on the 7 other balls but make sure you poke holes in the prebaked dough so the cream can soak through. The first one without holes is for the bottom of the cake.

Cream
5 eggs
4 cups milk
1/3 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix eggs sugar flour vanilla and 1 cup milk well till there are no more flour chunks. In a sauce pan. Cook the 3 more cups of milk until warm. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan once the milk is warm. Stir vigorously so it doesn't become lumpy. After the mixture boils it should start looking thick. Once the cream is thick put your cake layer with no holes down first cover it with cream. Be careful not to use to much you wanna make sure you have enough for the top of the cake. Keep doing this until you get to the top, add the rest of the cream make sure all the crispy layers are covered. Take the layers scraps that we put aside and crumble them around and on top of the cake. Remember let it cool in the fridge for a least 4 hours. Enjoy. Post a comment if you have any questions.

Peace and Quiet

Wow this is the first night in a long time where I have had some peace and quiet, no husband, no children and nothing special to do. Its just me, myself and I. I honestly feel a little tired, but all you mothers and wives out there no exactly what I am about to say. Sometime no matter how tired you feel this kinda of a night is totally worth it. You have time to do what you want to do. I am not trying to be a martyr but sometimes I feel so caught up in being a good wife and mother I completely forget myself. honestly I am lucky if I look in the mirror some days.

   You know life is ironic, I used to be so arrogant and say, "how do those women let themselves look like that"
"There is no way I will ever let myself go that much" Well God sure did have a little lesson to teach me. Lets just say everything is not where its supposed to be anymore. I know I should put forth more effort but some days I just feel like I can either slap some makeup on and put on a push up bra  and look nice for my husband or I can sit on the couch in my pajamas and watch desperate housewives. Ummm well lets see. After a day of chasing a toddler around and cooking 3 meals looking good is pretty low on the totem pole. Catch my drift?

Don't get me wrong, I totally love taking care of my family, but I struggle finding the line between love and stupidity. What I am saying is take some time to take care of you. In balance. I also have people in my life who have aired on the side of being to concerned for themselves and neglectful to their responsibilities. So I tend to over compensate by trying to be too selfless. Which is not benefiting my family either, because I have to be able to have something to give. My well is dry tonight.... hopefully God will restore it tomorrow

Have a Goodnight, God Bless You!.

More beautiful Pics

Play this video while you check out this posting

    Ballet house in dushanbe

This is the tajik white house.

Tajik mountains wow that is breath taking subhan'Allah

 

 

Somoni statue

Oopsies

I want to apologize to everyone who was hoping for a picture of my tres leches cake. It was to delicious, we ate it all in less than 24 hours. Its alot of work or I would totally whip one up again today and besides I am fresh out of evaporated milk. I know its not apart of any diet plan but its soooo good. The key to this cake its to fold your egg whites it to the batter so if we become spongy like to absorb the tres leches aka 3 milks!! I left out the rum but I am sure it will only add to the flavor, its tasty without it though.

Tres Leches Cake recipe | Free Cuban Receta de Cuba

Tres Leches Cake recipe | Free Cuban Receta de Cuba

Wow I never try very many latin food recipes but gotta love tres leches. It is not a low fat dessert that is for sure, but its totally tasty.

Okay I am editing my post because early I posted this recipe that I found but hadn't made my cake yet. I have to admit that it is one of the best tres leches cakes ever!!! If you don't make this cake your crazy!!!

My trip

I am getting so excited for my trip to Dushanbe, Tajikistan!! I keep hearing about how amazing the food is over there. There is some thing called a tandoor, its like a oven in the ground. Here a picture to give you an idea.

They just slap the bread or pastry on the side and it sticks. There is a fire below that cooking everything.

 

Yummy!!! I cook tajik food alot, but nothing is going to taste as good as fresh bread over an open flame!!! Wow I am making myself hungry. LOL. One of my other favorite dishes from Tajikistan which I will be featuring before I go, is called Osh

 This picture doesn't do it justice, really its yummy. Its a combination of rice onions carrots and spices. I will give a tutorial on how to make this wonderful tajik dish you will love.

Now some thing that I have come to find hilarious about Tajikistan.


 English words are often different tajik words. For example this bottle of detergent most americans would not find cleanly.