Mom’s Carrot Cake

This has become quite the hit wherever my mother takes it. It’s a no-fuss cake that you enjoy with your morning or afternoon tea.

Many people have asked for its recipe so here it is! Of course this will make my dear mother quite happy as she is already excited that her famous shakshouka is on my blog!

Mom’s Carrot cake

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 3 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C
  2. Beat eggs until frothy and then mix in the sugar until thick (ribbon-stage). Add oil and mix.
  3. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture gradually.
  4. Mix in the orange zest, cinnamon, walnuts, shredded carrots and orange juice.
  5. Butter and flour a 10 or 12-inch cake pan and then pour the batter.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden.

Enjoy!

Express: Shakshouka

Shakshouka: A North African dish that consists of vegetables sauteed in olive oil and a poached egg cracked on top.

My mother introduced this dish to me years ago! My parents lived in Libya in the 70s so my mother learned so many North African dishes from her friends and neighbors (lucky for me!). Continue reading

Al Rahaa bakery (الرحا)

Dinner from al Rahaa bakery in qadsiya*: sun-dried tomatoes with some kind of crumbled cheese pizza, accompanied with my friend’s Noaf yummy chilli pesto maabouch!

Perfect way to end my weekend…

P.S. experimenting with the wordpress application on my iPhone

*A bakery that specialize in organic and alternative ways of bread-making

Express: Spiced Fried Tomatoes

Another express post!

This time from my all time favorite cookbook ( I have many, I am sort of a cookbook-aholic), Savoring the Spice Coast of India: Fresh Flavors from Kerala by Maya Kaimal. If you are looking for a simple, introduction to Southern Indian cuisine then this is the right choice for you. I have tried many recipes, almost all actually, and each one is more delicious than the other but then again I love Southern Indian food!

Almost all of the wet and dry curries that are included in this book can be made in less than 30 minutes, and the ingredients are nothing fancy, they are most likely already in your fridge and/or pantry. All you need is bread or rice and you have a meal. For last night’s dinner, I felt like having some fried tomatoes.

fried tomatoes 1And now for the recipe… Continue reading

Experiment 3: Olive Oil Pistachio Muffins

For me to bake, I have to be in the right mood. Late yesterday night, almost nearing midnight, I was in the mood.

olive oil pistachio muffins

I had bookmarked this recipe from SmittenKitchen a few days ago. The ingredients were very basic so I didn’t have to run to the Co-Op for anything special. You can click on the link to view the post and recipe. Continue reading

Express: Rice noodles with vegetables

As many of you have requested, I will start posting dishes that can be made in 30 minutes or less, the express section.

Today’s post took less than 10 minutes from start to end: Rice noodles with vegetables.

IMG_1362

So let me tell you how this dish came about… Continue reading

burgers burgers burgers

flipping burgers 2

Everyone’s obsessed about burgers these days, including yours truly. The chalet’s weather last week was a perfect excuse to BBQ and burgers are the easiest to prepare for. We used to be quite content with Khazan or Americana frozen burgers but then once I discovered the flavor and juiciness of a good homemade burger, I never went back. Continue reading