Date Crunchy Balls Recipe

Dates are very popular across the Middle East. In addition to their very sweet taste, Dates are very healthy and a great source of energy. Arabs use Dates a lot for making different kinds of sweets. We use whole Dates as well as pitted, and ground Dates.

Being a person who hates waste, particularly food waste, I keep trying to come-up with different ways to use any leftover ingredients in my cupboards. 

A particularly challenging time is after Christmas when I find my cupboards overflowing with leftover nuts, chocolates, Dates, cereals, jams, marzipan … you name it and probably I will have it in my kitchen!

So each year, January is my exploratory month when I try to come-up with simple, tasty creations out of my leftovers. One of these creations was these delicious “Date Crunchy Balls” that have since become a staple cookie that I serve to my guests.

Garlic Sauce Recipe

Garlic sauce is very popular across the Middle East region! We eat Garlic sauce with grilled chicken, meat, chicken shawerma, and countless other things…

There are different popular versions for preparing Garlic Sauce. In the Levant region, namely Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, we prepare garlic sauce by adding boiled potatoes to the garlic. This version is widely known as “Lebanese Garlic Sauce” and it is the one I will post today. In Greece and Cyprus, they prepare garlic sauce using bread. Both versions of Garlic Sauce are tasty with grilled chicken and meat!  I also know of some who prepare it with cornstarch and water, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Personally, I am a BIG, BIG fan of garlic… if you have been following my blog you would have guessed that by now! I can probably eat garlic with anything. Other than the conventional ways of eating garlic sauce, I particularly enjoy mixing it with Labaneh, then drizzling it with olive oil and dipping it with hot pita or shrak bread… heavenly. For those outside the region, Labaneh is a very popular creamy yogurt-based dairy product, somewhat similar to sour cream, some people in the west refer to it as yogurt cheese. It is easily prepared at home and I’ll make sure to post that in the near future.

Cauliflower Mutabal Recipe

I learned how to cook Cauliflower Mutabal from my mother. The most popular mutabal is the eggplant (aubergin) one and it is the one that is usually served in Middle Eastern and Arabic restaurants.  Few people have ever tried the cauliflower mutabbal although, once you do, you will want to eat it regularly. 

The first time I prepared cauliflower mutabal for my husband he loved it so much that he started asking me to prepare it regularly. And I must admit, I enjoy preparing it a lot because it reminds me of my childhood and the times I used to spend with my mother in the kitchen.

The cauliflower mutabbal has a very distinct taste, which is very different from the cauliflower flavor we know. It is served as a mezza (appetizer) and can be eaten warm or cold. When I prepare this dish for guests, they have a hard time believing it is prepared with cauliflower.

I hope you try preparing cauliflower mutabal, and I promise you, you will not be disappointed!

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Preparing this chocolate frosting has been on my to-do list for a while! Ever since I posted my first recipe, chocolate cake, back in December, and I’ve been meaning to prepare and post one of my favorite chocolate frosting recipes.

At the time, I was still learning my way around blogging and completely forgot to take any photos of the chocolate frosting! With all the other food I have been cooking and baking, preparing and posting chocolate frosting just kept being postponed.

I have several delicious and easy recipes for chocolate frosting and chocolate cream that I prepare. I chose to post this one first because I find it to be the easiest chocolate icing ever, and all the ingredients are always handy.

I have found that when we pour the chocolate icing on the cake while the cake and icing are still a little warm, we get a better result as the outer layer of the cake absorbs some of the icing.

Strawberry Shortbread Trifle

Shortbread is the perfect little treat; it's light, flaky and buttery.  It tastes great by itself, but even better when you layer it with some sweetened cream cheese, frozen whipped topping, jello and fresh strawberries.  Repeat the layers and you have a dessert that's simple to prepare, tastes delicious and looks beautiful.  Perfect to take to all those summer picnics!