HOMEMADE GRANOLA

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Don’t make fun of me, Ok?

The first time I watched someone making granola on Food Network was many years back. I watched & thought what the hell is that? First, what’s oats (yes I didn’t know) & why is it mixed with all those things & baked? Then topped on yoghurt? And called granola?! God what on earth is that?

I decided to give it a try … Out of curiosity!

I searched & searched for this so called oats (as it wasn’t widely available by then like now) until I found it. I went home, followed the recipe instructions & BOOM I burnt it.

The whole house smelled smoke for about a day!

I decided … No more this granola thing & I don’t even want to know how it tastes like! The box of oats stayed in my pantry until it got expired & was thrown in the trash.

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ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH ORANGE INFUSED BALSAMIC REDUCTION

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Happy New Year Everyone!!

I personally have consumed HUGE HUGE amounts of cookies, desserts & of course 7alawet El Mouled in the past few weeks :( Because simply who on earth could resist all these food occasions attacking us all at once??

But my body & pants are suffering BIG TIME so I decided to slow down a bit & go back to basics:

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GREEK YOGHURT WITH DARK CHOCOLATE & STRAWBERRY

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You know this thick creamy tangy Greek yoghurt that we have been hearing about everywhere but is not yet available in Egypt’s supermarkets? Well, you can now prepare it at home with a very simple trick.

No cooking involved!

It is a “hands free” recipe with the fridge doing all the work.

Great News, ha?

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APPLE WALNUT ARUGULA SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

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I spent almost the first 25 years of my life hating salads! Ok don’t give me that look!! At my parents’ home, we only ate the regular Egyptian Baladi salad … ONLY … & when mum wanted to make things creative she added grated Rumi cheese to it; not even parmesan! So, I kinda got turned off by salads in general!

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LENTIL SOUP WITH FRIED CROUTONS

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A hot creamy bowl of lentil soup with crispy fried croutons is all what you need to keep you warm in this weather!

In the middle of all the Christmas posts that will be coming your way; I had to stop & share with you this recipe today!
I grew up in a house where soup was a staple on our lunch table whether it’s winter or summer! I can have soup on a crazy hot day or a cold freezing one; for us it’s just a dish served anytime of the year.

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PUMPKIN BISCOFF NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

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pumpkin biscoff cheesecake cups

A heavenly silky filling made of cream cheese, pumpkin puree & Biscoff spread … over a crunchy Lotus crust!

This is my No Bake Pumpkin Biscoff Cheesecake!

Happy Holidays :)

It’s now my ritual every year to gather both; my family & my husband’s family for a big Christmas lunch.

I prepare many new savory & dessert recipes for this day as I like to start every new year with new dishes (a stupid thing but I believe it brings good luck)!

This year one of the the desserts that made it straight to the top of the menu is this cheesecake!

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RASPBERRY MOZZARELLA SALAD WITH RASPBERRY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

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As weird as it may sound, I am not a big fan of raspberries, I am crazy, right? OK, to put it right, I am not a fan of raspberries in desserts as I find them way too sour. But the good news is I adore raspberries in salads & savory dishes!

This Raspberry Mozzarella Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (very long name, ha?)  has a very unique taste from a different combination of flavors!

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GREEN CHILI PEPPER CHEESE DIP

Spicy Dip with Ooey Gooey Melting Cheese!

This is one hell of an addictive crowd pleaser dish!

If you ever loved Jalapeno Poppers at TGI Fridays, you just secured yourself the homemade alternative!

The first time I made this dish was at the biggest family gathering I ever hosted. Believe it or not, I forgot to serve it at the beginning & it made its way to the table halfway through dinner yet it was the first plate to be finished to the last bit. Since then, I am asked to bring it to any family gathering (actually I am not really welcomed without it).

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WALNUT PECAN BUTTER

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Fresh walnuts & pecans roasted until their aroma fills your kitchen then blended to an out of this world creamy butter!

You know those recipes that just cross your mind out of the blue? This is one of them.

Believe it or not, I was never a fan of nut butters; never one of those kids who grew up eating peanut butter. I hated the idea of nut butters until I got pregnant & for 9 months I craved nothing but peanut peanut peanut …. Butter (probably that’s why I am still trying to lose the extra weight until now)!!

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ONE POT TOMATO CILANTRO PASTA

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Creamy … Delicious …Quick … Easy! This is the perfect dish for any busy or lazy day!

Today I will start to share one of many posts to come for PASTA; one of my favorite foods on earth. If I am to be stuck alone on an island, I would choose pasta with all its forms, shapes & tastes to be my companion.

The hype for “one pot” pasta has been going on for a while but I was never very interested to try it as all what came to my mind was “how will my pasta taste with all this starch in the sauce?”. Until one day about 8 months ago, I was too lazy to cook; actually lazy to even get out of bed so I thought to myself “it’s time to give this crazy idea a try”. To my surprise, the pasta came out delicious – very creamy as if it had cream but the only thing that went wrong that time was the cooking technique.

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