Chicken and Rice Soup

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

Chicken and Rice soup is a perfect winter soup. My mom used to make it when it was rainy and cold out so when we got back from school soaked, it was so good it warmed us up. I also make it for my son when his tummy is a little upset for a fast recovery.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast

One Cup of Rice

Saffron

Salt

6 Cups of Water

How to Prepare:

Cut the chicken breast into cubes and boil to cook.

Skim the froth as it appears.

When the chicken is done, take it out and shred it (p.s. save the water)

Put the shredded chicken back in the water and add the rice to it.

Add salt to taste and 1/4 teaspoon of saffron.

Once it starts to boil, lower the flame and cook until the rice is ready (about 15 minutes).

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Tuna Salad My Way

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

I was looking to make a quick and fresh lunch, filled with protein and low-carbs. I used what I had in my fridge (very simple ingredients) and came up with this delicious salad. It takes 10-minutes to prepare at most.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Tuna (I used albacore in water).

1 Medium Tomato, cut in half-inch cubes.

2 Stalks of Green Onion, chopped into small pieces.

Half Bulb of Fennel, thinly sliced.

Handful of Roquette or Arugula.

Lettuce (Romaine is best).

4 teaspoons of Olive Oil.

1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice.

Pinch of Sea Salt.

How to Prepare:

Prepare the tuna by draining the water out of the can, and place the tuna in a bowl.

Add the tomato, green onion, fennel, and the roquette over the tuna and mix.

In a separate bowl whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and salt together, then add the mixture to the tuna.

Serve the salad with the lettuce leaves on the side. You can fill the lettuce leaves with the salad, making small “boats”.

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Pasta Salad

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

One of my friends asked me to make Pasta Salad for a gathering we were having. I never made one before but I remembered that one of my friends gave me an American cook book as a gift and told me that in his opinion it is the best cook book for American food and it should be in every home.

I followed the recipe in this book and it came out real good. Let me share it with you.

Ingredients:

3 Cups of dried pasta (Your choice)

2 tbsp of Olive Oil

1 tbsp of Lemon Juice

2 tsp of seasoning Salt

One Cup of Sliced Tomato

One Cup of Sliced onion (red or green)

One and a half Cup of Cheese (I used shredded Monterrey Jack)

2 tbsp of Herbs (I used Oregano)

Meat (I used Sausages)

One Cup of Olives (Optional)

One and a half Cup of Salad Dressing (I used Vinaigrette)

How to Prepare:

Cook the pasta as directed on the box (I usually pour some water in a large bowl, sprinkle some salt and olive oil to prevent sticking then add the pasta once the water boils for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then).

Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and stir until all the pasta is coated.

Chill overnight.

In the morning, cook the sausages by placing 3/4 cup of water in a skillet, then on a medium heat place the sausages and once it starts to boil lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the sausages and add to the pasta bowl with onion, tomato, olive, cheese, herbs and the dressing and toss.

Chill for 4 hours before serving.

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Happy 4th!

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

Being overseas away from our friends and family, our small community here in Qatar decided to celebrate the 236th Independence day the traditional American way.

It was a BBQ and bake off pool party. The organizer totally did a great job decorating the place with red, white and blue, setting up the food and drink stations so that once you enter that room you feel like being back in the US.

We also had the chance to participate in the Pie Bake Off. We had 10 contestants with different types of pies. I participated with Apple Pie and won the most favorite pie between all the others. I was shocked since so many pies tasted good.

Winning the bake off made me so happy and on top of the world because it was about something I love to do and I spend most of my day being in the kitchen trying new recipes.

Here is the link to the Apple Pie recipe.

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My 15 Minutes

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

This is my 15 minutes of relaxation when I have my Turkish coffee.  15 minutes is all I have because every day is crazy.  Whether it is taking care of my 11 month old baby, doing the house chores, cooking or preparing for our next move, each day is busy and this is my only time to relax.

It is usually in the afternoon when Aiden is taking his afternoon nap.  I make my coffee, sit at the kitchen table and just enjoy it.

It reminds me of my mother so much. My mom usually has her coffee in the morning after making sure that everyone is up and on their way to work or school. She makes her big pot of Turkish coffee and lights her cigarette, enjoying her favorite music and the coffee.

Now I understand why she never wanted anything or anybody to interrupt her during that time.  It didn’t always happen since she had five kids but she made the most of it.

I think of these 15 minutes as my time to relax and at the same time getting energized to continue the day energized and awake :).

Hope you have a great day and I am off to cook again!

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Beef Stew with Peas, Carrots and Potatoes

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

Another Arabic recipe to introduce. Probably most of my recipes will be Arabic since that is what I had to eat growing up and learned how to cook from my mother. That is good though because now you can make your own at home without paying a fortune at the restaurant and I promise it will taste ten times better.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of Ground Beef

One small Diced Onion

2 Carrots

One Cup of Green Peas

2 Small Potatoes

One tbsp of All Purpose Flour

2 tbsp of Tomato Paste

Salt and Pepper

Butter

How to Prepare:

Dice the Onion, Carrots and Potatoes.

Melt one tbsp of butter.

On medium heat, Fry the onion until soft.

Add the beef until all brown then add salt and pepper.

Add the peas, carrots and potatoes and stir for a few seconds.

Add the flour and mix.

Add water to cover and then add 2 inches more.

Cook on medium/low heat for about 15 minutes (until the vegetables are well cooked).

Add the tomato paste and let cook until it gets thick.

You can serve with <a href="Arabic Rice“>Rice.

Posted in Meat, Stew, Vegetables | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Egg and Potato Baked Frittata

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

Egg and Potato Frittata is a nice dish to eat on a Sunday morning for breakfast or brunch. It is very easy to make and tastes very good.

Ingredients:

2 Potatoes

5 Eggs

Frying Oil

Salt and Pepper

How to Prepare:

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.

Deep fry until soft

Grease an oven sheet

Beat the eggs, add salt and pepper then mix with the fried potatoes.

Bake for 20 minutes.

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French Onion Soup

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

I love french onion soup. Sometimes I go to certain restaurants just because they serve french onion soup.

Ingredients:

– 1.5 lbs of sliced Onion
– 1.5 Tbs of Butter
– 1 Tbs of Olive Oil
– 2 Tbs of Flour.
– Glass of Wine.
– Salt and Pepper
– Beef Broth
– French Baguette
– Graded Cheese

How to Prepare:

– Melt the butter with the olive oil.
– Caramelize the onion and stir around to get them all coated in the butter and olive oil.
– Add a little Salt and Pepper and some herb leaves (I used a bay leave and thyme).
– Cover the pot and let the onion caramelize for about 20 minutes then remove the bay leave.
– Add the flour and stir for about 2 to 3 minutes until the flour is mixed well.
– Add the beef Broth and Wine (I used white wine).
– Simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 hours.


– Taste every once in a while and add more beef Broth and wine as needed.
– Broil some slices of French baguette on both sides.


– Grade some cheese (your choice) – You can mix cheeses as well.
– Using a coffee mug or any ceramic pot, put a slice of bread in the bottom then add the soup and top it with another slice of toast then cover with the cheese and broil them until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Posted in Soup | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Banana Bread

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

I haven’t baked in while and for some reason that doesn’t make me feel good :). So today, I decided to bake something new. Banana bread is a good thing to have in the morning with my coffee on the weekend.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup of all Purpose Flour

1 tsp of Baking Soda

1 tsp of Baking Powder

¼ tsp of Salt

2 Large Eggs

1 Cup of Sugar

One Stick of Butter (4oz)

4 Ripe Bananas

1 tsp of Vanilla

½ tsp of Cinnamon

How to Prepare:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Using a mixer, beat on medium the butter with sugar (butter should be at a room temperature).

Add the eggs one at a time to the mixer while it is running.

Cut the bananas and mush them, adding them to the mixer and let it run for a minute or so until they are well mixed.

Add the vanilla and mix for a few seconds then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix well until it looks like a thick cream.

In a bread baking foil, pan – whatever you prefer- Place a wax paper on the bottom and grease the sides.

Pour the mixture into the baking sheet and spread evenly.

Bake for about an hour. After 50 minutes of baking, stick a tooth pick in the middle and if it comes out clean it means that it is ready.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before cutting.

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Chicken and Rice Yogurt Casserole

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Eat-O-Live

A very unique dish that is outrageously good. C’est tout.

Ingredients:

Two Chicken Breasts
One cup of Rice
Three cups of Plain Yogurt
Salt & Pepper
One large piece of Arabic Pita Bread (or Tortilla)
One tablespoon of Cut Noodles
Butter
Two crushed Cloves of Garlic
Pine Nuts

How to Prepare:

Boil the chicken breasts for 45 minutes skimming the froth as it appears.

When the chicken is cooked, remove it (p.s. save the water) and shred it into small pieces.

Using a medium pot, melt one tablespoon of butter.

Add the cut noodles to the pot and stir until light brown.

Add the rice and the chicken pieces to the pot and mix all together.

Add two cups of the chicken water (you saved from boiling the chicken) to the rice.

Add a dash of salt and pepper to the water.

When the water starts to boil, lower the flame and cover the pot and let it cook for about 20 minutes until the water disappears.

Slice the pita bread into small squared pieces and deep fry them until light brown.

Place the fried pita bread in a Pyrex sheet to cover the bottom of it.

Now Place the chicken and rice on top of the pita bread.

Dilute the yogurt and mix with the crushed garlic and some salt.  then pouring it over the rice in the Pyrex.

If desired, you can fry some pine nuts with some butter and pour over the yogurt and serve.

Enjoy!

Posted in Casserole, Chicken | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment