This is a cookbook. It has a lot of my family favorites, and it shows a lot about my culture and where Im originally from.

Table of Contents

Appetizers                      Page

Veggie Kebab………..

Khanfarush……….

Entrees

Harees………….

Madrooba………..

Eggs and beans……..

Chicken Threed……..

Balaleet………

Karak chai and cereal……..

Tuna spaghetti……..

Drinks

Karak chai………….

Saffron Drink……….

Deserts

Morning Coffee………..

Saffron Cake…………..

Date Cake………….

Chocolate Cake Balls………

Veggie Kebab

This is a must to have on the table during Ramadan, we actually call it the ¨Ramadan kebab¨ at home, but when presenting it to other people we call it veggie kebab.

Ingredients

– 1 onion

– 1 tomato

– 1 zucchini

– 1/3 cup chopped green onions

– 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

– 1/4 tsp baking powder

– Garbanzo flour

– 1 tsp salt

– 1/4 tsp black pepper

– 1 tsp turmeric

– Oil

Directions

1. Chop up the onions and tomatoes and process in food processor. Then put in a large bowl, add garbanzo flour and mix, keep adding and mixing until it forms a soft dough-like consistency.
2. Grade the zucchini and put it in the bowl. Then add the green onions, cilantro, turmeric, black pepper, salt, and baking powder.
3. Now, in a pan, pour some oil so in will coat the bottom of the pan, now put about 1 tbs dollops of the kebab mixture in the pan, fry on both sides and keep frying 1 tbs dollops until there is none of the mixture left

Khanfarush

I have only had this twice in my life and both of those times were at my aunts house. She is a cook so we would go over for dinner every now and then.

Ingredients

– 1 cup milk

– 1 tbs rose water

– 1 tsp saffron

– 4 eggs

– 1 tsp vanilla extract

– 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

– 1 cup rice flour

– 3/4 tsp baking powder

– 1/2 tsp sat

– 3/4 cup sugar

– 1/2 tbs ground cardamom

– oil

Directions

1. Pour the rose water, milk, and saffron in a cup and set aside.
2. In a bowl, put in both of the flours, baking powder, cardamom, and sugar. Mix.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract together. Then mix in the dry ingredients a third at a time until fully incorporated. The mixture should become a soft dough.
4. In a pan pour in some oil and fry 1 tbs of the dough at a time, on both sides, until you run out of dough.

Harees

This recipe is part of many middle eastern traditions. The most prominent to me is Ramadan. My family makes this recipe a lot during Ramadan.

Ingredients for 1 kg harees

-1/2 kg beef or lamb

-1/2 kg shelled wheat

-1/2 tbs salt

-1/4 cup ghee (a type of butter)

Directions

1. A day before the day you are going to cook, soak the shelled wheat in a bowl of water. And let sit overnight.
2. Put the shelled wheat and water (from yesterday) in a deep pot and add your meat. Then add water in the pot so the ingredients are fully submerged.
3. Put in your salt and put the pot on high heat until the water starts to boil. Once that happens put the pot of medium-low for 4-5 hours. and if you see that the water has evaporated to the point that the meat and wheat are out of the water add in a bit more so that they are submerged.
4. After 5 hours, put the harees on low heat and start beating it with a wooden spoon,you should be beating it for 30-40 minutes, you need a strong arm for this. (their are many people that use stand mixers with a certain attachment, but this is the way my parents were taught)
5. You know its ready when the harees is a gummy texture.                                                                                                                                    Optional: When plating you can melt the ghee and pour a bit over the harees, or if you want to bring the pot to the table and have everyone serve themselves, you can pour the melted ghee over the harees when its in the pot.

Madrooba

There is really not much to say, my parents make this when they are out of ideas. Its a classic and usually lasts a couple days.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

– 1 chopped onion

– 1 chopped bell peppers

– 3 minced garlic cloves

– 2 dried limes

– 2 Tomatoes

– 1/2 cup Tomato paste

– The juice of 1 Lemon

– 1 cup chopped cilantro

– 1 cup chopped dills

– 1 cup chopped parsley

– 1 tsp cumin

– 1 tsp mixed spices

– 1 tsp turmeric

– 1/2 tsp paprika

– 1/2 tsp pepper

– 2 tsp salt

– 1/2 cup rice

– 1 cup oats

– 4 chicken breasts

– 1 liter water

Directions

1. In a pot on medium-high heat add the onions, bell peppers. Then add the cumin, turmeric, paprika, mixed spices. Now put in the dried lime whole, no need to chop up or anything. Then mix.
2. Chop up the tomatoes into four, and process it in a food processor. Put the processes tomatoes and the tomato paste in the pot. Add the garlic, and let sit with pot lid on for 3-4 minutes. Now put in your chopped herbs, that include the parsley, dill, and cilantro, and let sit for another two minutes.
3. Now put in the chicken breasts and cover the chicken breasts in the mixture that is in the pot.
4. Boil 1 liter of water and pour it in the pot, ad the lemon juice, rice, oats, salt, and pepper. Put the lid of the pot on, put on medium-low, and let sit for 45 minutes.
5. After 45 minutes, use an immersion hand blender, or beat with a wooden spoon, for 10-15 minutes. You know when its don when the chicken breasts are fully shredded and you cant see the rice grains.

Eggs and beans

This is kind of a dinner that my parents make when they have no idea what to make or are tired and dont feel like spending much time in the kitchen.

Ingredients

– 8 eggs

– 2 tbs butter

– 1 15.5 oz can of pinto beans

– Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Make scrambled eggs as you would but add the pinto beans with the eggs while you are making it. This is a very simple recipe, great with some naan or as a side.

Chicken Threed

This meal is basically soggy naan, so if you dont like soggy cereal this is not for you.

Ingredients

– 1 big onion- chopped

– 2 tomatoes

– 1 6 oz can of tomato paste

– 3 chicken breasts each cut into 4 pieces

– 1 tsp minced garlic

– 1 tsp minced ginger

– 2 potatoes

– 1 zucchini

– 1 cup cauliflower

– 1 cup baby carrots

– Salt and pepper to taste

– 1 tbs mixed spices

– 1/2 tbs cumin

– 1/2 tbs turmeric

– 2 dried limes

– 1 liter boiled water

– Naan

Directions

1. On medium high heat, sate the onion, ginger and garlic. Add the chicken and tomato paste. In a food processor, process the tomatoes and add it to the pot. Now put in the salt, pepper, mixed spices, cumin, turmeric, and dried limes.mix until everything is combined.
2. Chop the potatoes, zuchini, and couliflour into bite sized peices, add to the pot. Now put in the carrots. Pour in rhe boiled water. Now put the lid on the pot and let sit for 45 minutes on medium low heat. During the 45 minutes, tear the naan into bite size peices and put in a bowl.
3. Just before serving, put all the naan in the pot and mix.

Balaleet

This is my favorite dinner ever, mainly because it is full of sugar so it is like you are eating some kind of desert.

Ingredients

– 1 pound fine vermicelli

– 2 cups sugar

– 1/4 cup rose water

– 1 pinch saffron

– 1 pinch ground cardamom

– 1 tbs oil

– 1 liter water

Directions

1. Put the Rose water, saffron, and ground cardamom in a cup and set aside.
2. In a pot, pour 1 liter of water and 1 tbs of oil and bring to a boil on high. Once the water is at a boil, pour in the vermicelli and boil for no more that 4 minutes. Strain, and in the same pot put in the rest of the oil, the strained vermecelli, and the sugar. Mix on medium high until the sugar is fully disolved. Then pour in the rose water mixture. Let sit on low for a couple minutes.

If you want a sweet-and-salty ind of thing you can eat it            with heavily salted eggs, which is what we usually do.

Tuna Spaghetti

This recipe is very quick and easy to make, and it tastes good, too.

Ingredients

– One box Spaghetti

– 3 cans tuna

– 2 cups mixed vegetables

– 1 can sliced black olives

– 1 can tomato paste

– 1 processed tomato

– 2 minced garlic cloves

– 1 chopped bell pepper

– 1 chopped onion

– Salt and pepper to taste

– 1 tsp mixed spices

– 1 tsp turmeric

– 1 tsp cumin

– 1 tsp dried parsley

– 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

– 1/8 tsp ground cardamom

Directions

1. In a pot, on medium high, sate the garlic, onion, black olives, tuna, vegetables, and bell pepper. Then add all the spices, parsley, tomato paste, and processed tomato. Mix well and put on medium low.
2. In another pot make your pasta according to the package, strain, and pour into the other pot. Mix until everything is full incorporated.

Karak Chai and Cereal

This is a last minute thing, I could not think of a final recipe, and I was talking to my parents to help me come up with ideas. They said when they were younger, their moms would make this for them for breakfast and last minute dinners. It was a spin on a classic so I will use it.

Ingredients

– 1 tea bag

– 4 tbs evaporated milk

– 1 cup boiled water

– Sugary cereal of your choice

Directions

1. In a small bowl, put in a tea bag and pour the boiled water over it, as you would do. Then let it sit for three minutes, then remove the tea bag and pour in the evaporated milk, mix. Then let sit for 10 minutes, just to cool off a bit, this part is optional. Finnally pour in your usaul serving of cereal in the bowl and you are done.

Karak Chai

This recipe is very important to me and I it drink it almost every day

Ingredients for 1 cup of karak

– 1 tea bag

– 1 cup water

– 1 tsp sugar

– 1 pinch ground cardamom

– 1 and 1/2 tbs evaporated milk

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil, after the water has been boiled immediately pour your water into a mug
2. Put in the tea bag, and let sit, just as you do for a normal cup of tea.Make sure you remove the tea bag so the karak wont get to dark in the end. Add the sugar, cardamom, and milk.

This is a fast, easy recipe that goes good with almost any        desert!

Saffron Drink

We make this drink mostly around Ramadan.

Ingredients

– 1 1/2 liters water

– 3 tbs sugar

– 30 ml palm water

– 1 pinch saffron

Directions

1. Put your sugar in the water, then mix. Add the palm water and saffron, again mix. Yeah it is not that hard.

Best served cold.

Morning Coffee

I love this recipe, I get really exited when my mom makes it, its one of my favorite deserts, and its not what it sounds like.

Ingredients

– 1 cup table cream

– 2 cups dream whip

– 2 tbs powdered milk

– 3/4 cup milk

– Tea biscuits

– 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Directions

1. In a large bowl, put in the table cream, dream whip, powdered milk, cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup of the milk. Then mix with a hand mixer until everything is well incorporated.
2. Then in a regular sized bowl, pour in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Then in a 8 x 11 glass pan, put a thin layer of the cocoa mixture that we made earlier at the bottom of the pan. Then take one of the tea biscuits and dip it into the bowl of milk and place in the pan, repeat until you have a layer of biscuits. Now add another layer of the cocoa mixture. Then repeat until you have ran out of the cocoa powder mixture. If you run out of milk for the biscuits go ahead and add more, also the very top layer should be the cocoa mixture. By the end you should have 4 layers of biscuits and 5 layers of the cocoa mixture.

(The picture I am showing has to much chocolate so dont think you did anything wrong if it looks light)

Saffron Cake

This is another one of my favorite desserts, fun fact my mom is making this recipe as I write this.

Ingredients

– 1 box vinnila cake mix

– 1/2 cup rose water

– 1 tsp crushed cardamom

– 1 pinch saffron

– 1 cup milk

– 1 cup evaporated milk

– 2 tbs sweetened milk

Directions

1. First, put the rose water, saffron, and cardamom ina cup and mix, set aside. Make the cake batter according to your box, then pour about half of the rose water mixture from earlier in the cake batter and mix. Then bake accorrding to your box.
2. Now, in a saucepan, put in the milk, evaporated milk, sweetend milk, and the rest of the rose water mixture. Put it on medium heat and mix until combined. Dont let the mixture boil.
3. When the cake is done, pour the mixture that you made over the cake, while the cake is still warm. Best served cold.

Date Cake

To be honest, this is not my favorite desert, mainly because I dont really like dates, but my family makes it very often so I had to include it in my cook book.

Ingredients

– 3 eggs

– 1 cup sugar

– 1 oil

– 2 cups flour

– 1/2 tbs baking powder

– 1 pinch baking soda

– 1/2 tbs ground cardamom

– 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon

– 2 cups dates

– 1 1/2 cup warm milk

– 2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, pour in the milk and the dates before you begin.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until you see the sugar is mostly dissolved. Now add the oil, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cardamom. Mix the dates and milk, pour in the batter, mix well.
3. Coat the walnuts in a layer of flour before you put them in the batter so they will not sink to the bottom and add the walnuts.
4. Put it in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Chocolate Cake Balls

Not much to say except for that they taste good.

Ingredients

– Chocolate cake mix

– 1 can table cream

– 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Bake the cake according the the box. let it cool and then crumble it up in a big bowl. Pour in 1/2 of the table cream and mix until combined. Roll the mixture into bite sized balls and place on a plate. Now in a small bowl, add the rest of the table cream and the sweetened condensed milk.