Sweet Potato Ratatouille

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A variety of veggies are a bit hard to find here.  It's one of those things where you just have to wait and see what arrives each week.  (making my usual weekly planning much harder to do)  It's been really hard adjusting to not being able to just go to the store knowing they will have what I need.
That being said, I was really happy when sweet potatoes popped up.  I'd been wanting to try this dish and with my zucchini plants going bonkers this was just another fun way to cook them.
I was really pleased with how nice this turned out.  Very flavorful...a hint of sweetness and just tasty all the way around.
Served it over a bed of couscous and some Simple Roast Chicken.  Both kids enjoyed it too...another great veggie side.  :)

Mexican Rice

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The other night we had another fabulous group dinner.  The theme was Mexican based (main dish was chicken tacos)  Matt and I were given the task to make a rice...either Spanish or Mexican.  I've never given much thought to Mexican rice, so I googled some recipes for Spanish.  I wasn't really blown away by anything I found...so, just for the heck of it...I googled Mexican rice.  Stumbled on this fantastic recipe.  This rice is simple, easy and super flavorful.  I loved it and so did the hubby (who's not a big fan of either type of rice)
At the dinner, I didn't give my kids any because I thought it might be too spicy...I gave them some the next day to see if maybe they would like it...and, ya, they did.  :)  Instead of adding the whole chopped jalapeno at the end, I put it on the side for people to spice it up as they wanted.  This way, my rice had just a kiss of heat.  
I couldn't get enough of it and had a good helping the second day.  This is going on my must make monthly list.  
Happy cooking!


*note...make sure to follow the directions precisely...it'll make the perfect rice.

Turkey Veggie Tray

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Need a last minute idea for your veggie platter?  Give this adorable tray a try!  :)  Super cute and easy!  
Happy Thanksgiving!  

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

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Ya Salam Cooking is my new go to blog for Middle Eastern cooking.  I've made three dishes of hers already and we've loved everyone.  Tonight's was flat out fantastic.  Beyond simple and incredibly flavorful!  

I've only cooked with lentils once before and the dish then didn't make much of an impression.  This one I can't wait to make again.

The recipe only makes enough for four.  Barely.  If you have four hungry adults, you'll be wishing you'd made more.  We had enough for the hubby, me and the girls, and we scrapped the pot clean.  Keep in mind, this will fill you up...be mindful as you eat and take your time.  It sneaks up on you!  I'm totally full and very content.  :) 

Can't recommend this enough.

Happy cooking!  !سعيد الطب

absolutely fantastic!

Thanksgiving...

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So, I'm all the way over here in Saudi and Thanksgiving seems...well, not the same.  We are having "Thanksgiving" here.  But it's a multi-cultural event and although I know it will be a lot of fun, it still won't be the traditions I'm used to.
First off, no pumpkin pie.  :'(  Very sad about that.  No pumpkins here.  BUT, we are going to have some fantastic turkey!  I'm in charge of making a killer side.  
What I want to know is....what are you making this year?  
Share your Thanksgiving meal with me...it'll make me feel part of the good ol' U S of A.  :)

Stuffed Cabbage...Arabian Style

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Going to attempt another Arabic dish tonight.  This is from the same website Ya Salam Cooking.  The Arabic name for this dish is Malfouf.  I grew up eating stuffed cabbage and though my grandmother's recipe (Grandma's Pigs in the Blanket) is different, there are still some similarities.  
The seasoning in this was amazing.  Loved the taste.  The original recipe called for less tomato sauce, but I like it a bit more saucy.  If you prefer less, just cut it back a bit.  :)
Great dish. 

Happy cooking!  !سعيد الطبخ

Roasted Chicken with Orange/Cardamom Butter

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Hanging out in my new Saudi house and watching a little Food Network.  SO happy we get this channel!  It's not the same as in the States...as far as actual shows and times go, but we get a few of the faves.
That night, Arti was on.  She was cooking up some chicken that just looked fabulous.  Best part was that I knew I could find all those ingredients here!!  (and you have no idea how hard that can be!)
Quick and easy dish for dinner.  She paired it with some red potatoes, but, they don't have those here.  Seriously.  I just used some frozen veggies we had and sauteed some spinach.  I know, not fancy, but whatever...I've only been here a few days!  LOL
The chicken was really tasty and juicy.  My kids loved it.  I read over the reviews and I adjusted my cooking temps and times.  Turned out great...simple weeknight meal.  :)

Happy cooking!  !سعيد الطبخ

Lamb Kabsa

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I have arrived in Saudi!  And it's time to get cookin'!  But, there's bad news and good news.  Bad news: my choices for cooking have become extremely limited...I no longer have the variety I was used to in the States.  Good news:  I get to try cooking a whole new cuisine using ingredients I may have never seen in the States!

So, this dish is my first attempt at Saudi cooking.  I found this great blog...Ya Salam Cooking.  She's a local Saudi woman and she has some fantastic recipes.  This recipe got rave reviews, so let's get cooking!

This recipe calls for Black Limes.  Okay, I admit...I had NO idea what a black lime was.  I thought I'd find it in the produce section!  Some kind of lime variation right?  Wrong.  It's actually found in the spice isle.  It can also be called a dried lemon.  Here in Saudi, they smoke them (which turns them black in the process) and it gives your food that great smokey flavor.  You may have to look in a specialty store in the States in order to find these.  If you can't find them, sub a bit of Liquid Smoke.  (found in all supermarkets)  


*Okay so this didn't turn out exactly as planned...the rice didn't cook properly and there was too much broth..BUT, the flavors were amazing.  Both of my girls loved it...and of course, so did the hubby!  :)  I'll be making this again soon!

Happy cooking!  !سعيد الطبخ

Mom's Sweet Chili Recipe

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I grew up loving chili.  But not all chili, just my mom's sweet chili.  As far as I'm concerned there is nothing better.  My husband is known for his spicy chili's, but for me, I love the sweet taste with the vinegar bite that reminds me of mom.  This is the kind of chili you can serve anyone.  Kids love it because of the lack of heat and grownups love the distinct taste.  Mom's chili gets its vinegar bite from the chili sauce, if you're not a big fan of that taste, scale back the chili sauce and add some ketchup.  (I, however, love that bite!)  :)

We also have another tradition that goes along with this chili....we serve it over white rice.  Yep, rice.  It wasn't until I met my husband that I found out most people don't eat their chili that way!  For me, it's the ONLY way to eat chili!  :)  Topped with some shredded cheddar cheese and I'm a very happy girl.

Thanks mom!  

What's your favorite chili recipe??  
Share and Add it to the comments box!!
(links welcome!)

Super Quick Pasta with Green Veggies

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Yesterday I was getting a rare treat...a sushi dinner with friends.  NO kids!  I have only been out without my girls twice in the last 5 months.  Not for a lack of trying, it's just been beyond busy.  So, last night I was heading out for dinner and enjoy the company of grownups.  Of course, what did we end up talking about most of the night?  That's right, our kids.  Ah well, it was still a great time.
Before I left, I wanted to make sure my girls had something yummy for dinner.  I raided my mom's pantry and freezer for ideas.  (we're camping out at grandma's until we ship out to Saudi next week)
I spied a bag of pasta and some frozen veggies.  Perfect.  If it has noodles, my kids will eat it.  Period. 
This is such a simple dish with light flavors and a nice punch of veggie goodness.  Spike it with some red pepper flakes for a more grown up taste.  :)

Kale and Beef Stir-Fry

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Okay, so if you're paying any attention to the latest food trends you'd know that kale is one of the new "it" foods.  What is kale?
Kale is a leafy green.  There are three different kinds.  Russian Red, Dinosaur Kale (aka tuscan kale), and the most popular Curly Green Kale (this is the easiest to find).  
Kale is a great brain booster and is rich in B6 vitamins and alpha-linolenic acids (building blocks for creating new brain cells).  It is also a great fatigue fighter because it can absorb iron from chicken, fish or beef and help supply more oxygen to your muscles.
When preparing kale, make sure to cut out the inner membrane (the stiff piece that goes up the middle of the leaf) and discard the stems.  
There are tons of recipes out know for kale.  In my Smokey Minestrone Tortellini Soup I add it at the end for some extra veggie punch.  This stir-fry recipe turned out great.  It's super easy to make and you can tweak the recipe to what you have on hand.  Through it over some steamed white rice and you're good to go!  

Mexican Beer Battered Fish Tacos

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I don't think I ever ate a fish taco until I moved to Cali.  Now, I can honestly say, I love them.  But, I'm in love with the nice, fried kind...not the healthy grilled kind.  Go figure.  But, that's okay, if you can't have a few sinful dishes every now and then...well, that's just not livin'!  

I found this recipe on Food Network.  It got rave reviews so I just had to give it a try.  I've never made the fish using a batter before...and, wow, these just turned out great!  Nice and crispy with wonderful flavor.  I really liked the white sauce with it, but the tomatillo sauce I bought was very mild, wish it would have had a bit more kick.  All in all, I would totally make these again...though, in Saudi, I may have to get more creative...no beer and all.  :(

Texas Sheet Cake

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Yesterday my mother-in-law was just craving something chocolate.  We brainstormed some ideas and I stumbled on a recipe online about a chocolate sheet cake.  Now, if you've kept up with my blog, you know I don't bake much...at all.  I had never heard of a sheet cake, but of course, my mother in law had.  Then she says, "I think I have a recipe for sheet cake" and she pulls out her big ol' Texas box of recipes.  And sure enough, she had one.  What was really funny was that it was almost identical to the one that I found online.
She told me that she's had this recipe for over 20 years and she just went to work.  They cake is super easy to make and is done in 20 minutes!  And, oh my, the taste...it's enough to make anyone addicted to chocolate.  It was moist and that little hint of cinnamon really did the trick.  You take this to a get together and I can promise you'll be bringing home an empty baking sheet.  Maybe I'll go sneak another piece....

are you wishing you could eat a picture??

Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs with Smokey Marinara

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I recently signed up for Pillsbury's daily newsletter.  I'm not a huge fan of their recipes mostly because they are not very healthy and they constantly use name brand items.  But, I did see this reicpe and thought it was a fun easy dish to make for me and my girls.
I wanted to add a bit more pizzazz, so I made my own smokey marinara (you can find the recipe here:  Smokey Marinara)  I really wanted to use bucatini noodles, but I couldn't find any at the store.  So, I settled for good ol' spaghetti.  I think next time I'll try a different cheese...the string cheese didn't melt very well.  But, all in all, it was a great dish.  :)

Sausage, White Bean and Kale Stew

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I am in full blown soup mode.  All the wonderful stews and soups to cook over the fall season has me so excited.  Of course, it's still 90 plus degrees here in Texas, but that's never stopped me.  :)  
I had to buy kale to make my Smokey Minestrone Tortellini Soup and I knew I would have extra.  Months ago I made a great soup with kale and sausage, so I googled that one again.  
As I was making this soup I kept thinking...I should add something.  But, then I stopped myself.  Sometimes, simple is just perfect.  So, with the few ingredients, I threw this meal together in under 30 minutes.  Served with some toasted bread. 
There is a ton of room to play with different types of sausage.  Since my father-in-law doesn't care for pork, I used smoked turkey sausage.  But, any sausage will work and add new flavors to the dish.  If I could find the duck sausage mentioned in the recipe, I would love to try that!  Oh and, don't skip the lemon juice...really makes the dish light and bright.  Happy cooking!

Marsala-Glazed Winter Veggies

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I decided to cook up my Simple Roast Chicken for dinner and I wanted a nice side to go along with it.  I haven't gotten over how yummy the rutabaga's were in my Bloody Mary Pot Roast and I started surfing for a recipe.  I found this nice mix of lovely winter veggies with a light Marsala sauce.  
The grocery store didn't have any parsnips in stock so I used turnips instead.  Turned out great.  Also, to save time, I just purchased a bag of frozen pearl onions and added them at the same time as the Brussels sprouts in the pot.  All the veggies were tender and full of flavor.  I think next time I would add more rutabaga, and perhaps both turnips and parsnips.  Great fall side that I can't wait to make again.

Bloody Mary Pot Roast with Fall Veggies

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I came upon this dish from an email.  I'd never heard of anything like it and I was intrigued.  Knowing I wouldn't be able to make this with the vodka while in Saudi, I wanted to make it before I left. 
Now, I have never cooked with a rutabaga before.  I had no idea what they even looked like.  I had to ask the grocer to show me where they were.  They are sphere shaped with a waxy film on the outside.  They felt slimy to me.  But, I was willing to give it a go.  When I got back to my grandma's I realized I had no idea what to do with it.  I had to google rutabaga and watch a video on prepping it!  LOL  
What you do is peel the thick skin from the outside.  Then you just cut it up into cubes.  I was curious as to how they would taste and let me tell you, I loved them!!  They absorbed all the delicious juices from the sauce and they were tender and so flavorful!  I can't wait to cook with them again.  I may end up using them often in place of potatoes, since the hubby isn't such a fan.
Great, fun fall dish that just slow cooks all day and makes your house smell heavenly!

slow-cooked and scrumptious!

Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Bucatini

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I had such a great time cooking dinners for my family in Ohio.  I cooked up a few of my all time faves...Smokey Minestrone Tortellini Soup and Smokey Chicken Tortilla Soup, but I also wanted to try out a few new ones.
Since I am currently obsessed with cooking, I brought some of my fave cooking magazines with me.  Looking through Cuisine at Home, I found a really yummy sounding pasta dish.  (ok, so for me almost all pasta dishes are yummy, but anyway...)  It's light, easy and full of flavor.  Great for a weeknight meal.  And if you're really short on time, just use some canned tomatoes (though the flavor won't be as pronounced.)  Many stores are starting to carry bucatini now...it's a fat spaghetti noodle that is hollow on the inside.  Sort of like a really long macaroni.  If you can't find them, sub out regular spaghetti noodles.

I'm going to post the original recipe which states it serves 2 people.  I just doubled everything and had plenty for grandma, me and the girls.  Happy cooking!  :)

Poppy Seed Rolls

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Christmas is a huge holiday for my family.  It's always been, well, just extra special.  Since we lived in Vegas and my mom's family was in Ohio, trips there for Christmas were something we cherished.  All the family, the fun, and the FOOD!  My grandmother would bake up more cookies and treats than her house had room for!  She used to store them in tins in the coat closet!  :) 

And these weren't just your run of the mill treats, oh no, these were only at Christmas goodies!  She would make apricot horns, snowflakes, nut horns, poppy seed rolls, nut rolls, the peanut butter ones with the Hershey kiss in the middle, and half a dozen more.  How we didn't gain 50lbs over the holiday is beyond me.

So, while I was staying with my grandma I asked her if she'd make one of my all time faves.  Poppy seed rolls.  (I saw the cans of poppy seed in her fridge...why there?  No idea, I don't question.)  She looked at me like I was crazy, but then I insisted that I just HAD to learn to make them, especially since I was in charge this Christmas (it's all up to me this year in Saudi!)  So, she caved. :)  Lucky me. 

These are actually very easy to make, you may just have trouble finding the cans of poppy seed.  Our rolls turned out huge...much bigger than she usually makes them, but oh, they tasted divine.  In our personal opinion, the best way to eat these is warmed just a bit in the microwave and have a nice cold glass of milk.  (it was my breakfast for 5 days straight)  :)  Happy Cooking!

Smokey Minestrone Tortellini Soup

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Getting together with friends tonight and I wanted to make something special.  Well, for one, it's my baby's birthday.  She's officially 3 today.  We did celebrate in Vegas a few weeks back, but I couldn't let her actual birthday go by without a little flare.  And of course, when asked what she wanted for dinner....Noodles.  
I didn't just want to make a pot of spaghetti (well, I just didn't have the time to do it the way I wanted)  So, I fished around my bookmarked recipes and found one for a smokey minestrone that included tortellini's.  I've already made a killer tortellini soup, so I decided to merge the two recipes together to create this one.  
I absolutely love a soup that is full of veggies, mainly because my girls will eat just about anything in a bowl with broth.  It's a fairly simple dish to make and you can save time by buying pre-chopped veggies.  I like to use my mandolin to slice...makes it go quickly! 
Looking forward to a night with my friends, my mom, and my girls.  The only major thing missing is my hubby.  (who, at this moment, is tucked away in bed...in Saudi)  :(