Coffee Nuts Cake

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Is there anything more refreshing than a perfectly brewed cup of coffee in the morning? With all the busy days ahead, I wake up lately craving something sweet to start my day with, yet this feeling doesn’t diminish in the afternoon either. I searched for the perfect companion for my coffee and what would be better than a sweet, nutty and rich walnut coffee cake to enjoy. To whip up this lovely cake you need:

- 175g Unsalted Butter (Softened) (Keep Some To Grease Your Pans)

- 175g Sugar

- 75g Walnuts (Grab A Few Extra To Garnish)

- 3 Eggs (Beaten)

- 150g Self-Raising Flour (If not available add 1/2 of baking soda to the plain flour)

- 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

- 1 Tbsp Instant Coffee Stirred In 50 ml Cold Water (You Can Use Espresso If Available)

- Pinch Of Salt

For the Filling (Optional)

- 1 Cup Cream

- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

- 1 Tsp Coffee

Top (Caramelized Walnuts):

- 1/4 Cup Walnut

- 1/2 Cup Sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C. Then grease and line the bases of 2 round 20cm cake pans.

Take two thirds of the walnut and blitz them into powder on your processor. Beat your butter in a bowl with the sugar till it goes light and fluffy,then add the eggs to the mixture along with the powdered walnuts stirring it gently. You fold the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt through with a large spoon until it’s just incorporated.

Roughly chop the rest of the walnuts and stir through the cake mixture along with your coffee. Evenly divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cool the cakes in their pans for 5 min before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place one of the cakes on a plate or board and spread with the coffee filling, then top with the second cake (you can certainly serve it as a plain cake) then cover with what remains of the filling.  To caramelize your walnuts, melt sugar over a medium heat, without stirring, then carefully toss the nuts in briefly to coat. Let them cool on some aluminium foil before you toss them on top of the cake either as a whole or crushed.

This would be a wonderful addition to your guests coming for coffee serving table. The light coffee taste and lovely nutty texture would please everyone alike. If you do get worried about serving caffeine to kids or people who avoid it you can simply use Decaf and it should still give you the same rich taste.

 

Loving Wishes To All

Lama

 

Canapé And Buffet Disasters

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Have you ever been to cocktail reception, served with these tiny bites of mystery food that you wonder what they were and whether it was really something you wanted to eat? Well it happens to me a lot, you get offered something the waiter him/herself do not really know what it is (mind you, you could be consuming something you are allergic to even if they assured you it does not contain it). On the other hand, buffet dinners display most dishes that you are familiar with except with a taste less than average (which means you have to settle for variation and not quality!). 

With a few exceptions to the rule (like my favorite place with great quality Sheraton Amman Spice Garden) I hardly find any buffet worth going to. The steamed vegetables are usually oiled up (which defies the whole point of healthy steamed food), the chicken either over cooked and rubbery or just plain tasteless, meat is usually dry and the list goes on. I have no idea where do these things go wrong, but sincerely there must be a way to keep the quality of food at a decent level, even when you are serving different types of people.

As for the canapé, I find it very strange when they hand you out “elephant bites” and expect you to start chewing with a massive ball in your mouth standing in front of a most likely business connection. I do believe they should keep the size reasonable in order for the person to enjoy the bite without squirting the juice in someone’s eyes or maybe even just spill the rest all over the floor. 

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From my point of view I have to say, canapé should be small bites of absolute culinary perfection that reflects the essence of any event it is being made for. On the other hand, buffet dinners should probably taken more care of towards the quality served and not quantities piled up (I would prefer a steak station rather than a cold overcooked one in a ready serving dish). 

Is it just me? Or does anyone else find these things very common all over the world?

 

Loving Wishes To All 

Lama 

Strawberry Season With Love

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What a beautiful day with such sunny weather, all I can think of is now is fresh fruits, vegetables and light fresh treats to savor. One of my favorite fruits ever are Strawberries! I cannot help but devour ridiculous amounts if I was left unattended (yes I turn into a child when it comes to that). Strawberries are currently in their high season in Jordan, they are big juicy dark red and sweet, just absolutely gorgeous to snack on, add to that it has a great nutritional value when it comes to vitamins and calcium.

I have always had a soft spot for dairy and yogurt is a major part of everyday life here in Jordan. Sometimes I would be sitting at my office, day dreaming of certain flavor combinations to satisfy my cravings and rejuvenate my “running on low battery” brain cells. Meddling in the kitchen one time I tried to put together a healthy guilt free snack and here is what I came up with:

You can serve it to guests in glasses and would look certainly professional

- Strawberries (As many as you like and plate fits)

- Plain Yogurt (I use activia here in Jordan since it is less sour more creamy)

- Crushed Almonds (Or whole if you like them that way)

- Sprinkle Of Oats

- A Dollop Of Honey

This will satisfy your taste buds for creaminess, fruity, sweet and crunchy all together without making you feel guilty at all. It is true some will be surprised that this recipe is totally (ordinary and too easy) but sometimes that is all you need to complete your day. The fresh taste of the season, the amazing taste of Spring.

Loving Spring Wishes To All.

Lama

Hot Chicken Rolls “Musakhan”

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Like many of us Jordanians I come from a mixed root, my mother’s family comes from Palestine, the two sides of the river have many dishes in common. At such a brilliant time of the year I have that craving for a specialty dish of my mother and it’s called “Musakhan”, such and easy dish and an absolute delight but to be fair the original dish is in need of a certain setting and is quite messy. Today I will share my alternative twist to it that can make it even possible to take to work for lunch (and be haunted for by others).

To create this masterpiece:

- 1 Whole Chicken (Or Chicken breast whichever makes you happy)

- 4 Large Onions

- 1 Cup Of Olive Oil

- 5 Tbsp Of Sumac (Sumac is a tangy, lemony spice often used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking.)

- Pine Nuts (Roasted)

- Thin Arabic Bread (You can use tortilla bread instead)

-  Salt & Pepper To Season

Cut your chicken in half and boil till done, debone it and leave aside. Peel your onions, cut in half and chop into crescents. Get a big pan and add a generous splash of olive oil and saute your onions till they start changing colour, lower the heat and leave them to cook. When you see the onions have just gotten juicy add your salt and pepper to your liking.

Drain your onions, add in a bowl along with the chicken, pine nuts, couple of spoons of olive oil and sumac (the oil and sumac depend on personal taste). Mix them well and leave them aside for a bit while you cut the large bread into 4 for better sized rolls (if you are using small tortilla it is just the right size).

This is how they make this really thin arabic bread

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You grab a few spoons of the mix and roll the bread making sure your tuck the sides in so it gets completely sealed. Line them up in a roasting pan, brush with olive oil and grill for a couple of minutes. Remove and enjoy hot with a side of plain yogurt dip (or for a twist if you are not going out later you can add some garlic to it).

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Loving Spring Wishes To All

Lama

Creamy Mustard Chicken/Beef

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Sincerely this April is turning out to be totally indecisive month. One hour the sun is out and warm then few second later it is rainy and windy, last time I checked I do not live in London! I shall fight this weather and I believe it is best to do so by indulging in a healthy meal with a fantastic taste to change my mood.

- 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (You can use beef fillet)

- 3 tbsps olive oil

- 3 whole garlic cloves (Chopped Fine)

- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (Heaped)

- 1 Tbsp Grainy Mustard (Heaped)

- 1/4 Cup Light Cream

- 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

- 1 Cup Of White Wine (Optional) 

- Salt & Pepper To Season

Slice your Chicken breast in half to get thinner cutlets to handle on the grill (for quicker cooking). Salt and pepper the slices on both sides, heat some olive oil in a skillet, then cook the chicken until it was golden brown on both sides and done in the middle. 

Reduce the heat in the skillet a bit, then throw in a bunch of chopped garlic, stir it around and let it cook briefly (do not burn it, just light gold). If you fancy, you can use dry white wine   pour it in and let it bubble and reduce to half (If not then use a little of the chicken broth). Throw in the mustards, the two different tastes will strike a balance between the tangy and the grainy in your sauce. Whisk it a little till it heats up then add your cream slowly as you whisk it through. 

When it is all smooth add in some chicken broth, half a cup or so is good, but you can add more if it seems too thick stir them together and let this bubble up a bit and start to thicken. Now simmer the chicken in the sauce so the chicken becomes fully cooked and the sauce finishes thickening. Shake the skillet around a bit if you need to move things around a bit. Just keep going until the sauce is nice and thick. 

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Serve one or two pieces of chicken per person, depending on their size, and spoon the creamy, tangy light sauce over the top. I would serve these with a size of roasted garlic mash and some fresh green beans salad tossed in lemon and olive oil. 

Loving Wishes To All 

Lama 

 

PS: The photos are not mine, I shall replace them with mine soon as they are ready.