Category Archives: appetizers & salads

Pomegranate and mandarin feta salad

Posted on May 26, 2016 | 1 comment

Summer is here, but having fun in the sun is a faraway dream when it hits the 50°C in Doha. Getting laid in the shade is a smarter idea where you can beat the heat with refreshing food and especially with a fruity salad.

Pomegranate and mandarin feta salad is a delicious and refreshing combination, and more than that it’s a wholesome option.

All you need is:(serves 2-4 people depending if served as main or side dish)

one medium lettuce (frisé type)
150g feta cheese cubed
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 big mandarin (slices)
handful walnut

You will be surprised to tell you it’s a type of salad that you can have for breakfast, without dressing as the pomegranate and mandarin are juicy enough.

If you are having it for lunch, a vinaigrette or lemon mayo sauce goes well with it.

As you know pomegranate are low in calories and high in nutrition. It’s a cancer fighter fruit and improves the heart health.

The mandarin are a good source of Vitamin C, antioxidant and cancer fighter.

As for the walnut, this powerful antioxidant, promotes a healthy brain, fights cancer and improves the heart health.

Have you had your salad today? Don’t hesitate to try this colorful delicious and nutritious fun food. Eat healthy, stay healthy and the most important enjoy your food.

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Posted in appetizers & salads

Tagged colorful, feta, healthy, mandarin, marmite et ponpon, nutritious, pomegranate, recipe, salad, walnut, wholesome

Shrimp orzo salad with tropical fruits

Posted on April 27, 2016 | 1 comment

As the weather is getting hot and hotter, all you need is a refreshing meal; I can say salads and summer goes really well.

Salad is a versatile option served as appetizer, side dish or even main dish. In the last case, the salad should be filling, featuring carbs or meat.

Usually salads are no fail recipes, they leave you the room to be as much creative you want to be in the choice of ingredients and mixing them together. Beside of having a quick meal, ready on your table within 20 mns, you will be enjoying a sustaining dish full of nutrients.

For the salad you need

1 kg shrimps cooked
1 cup orzo pasta cooked
1 medium mango cut lengthwise
1 small golden apple cut in medium cubes
2 cups pineapple cut in medium cubes
a handful coriander leaves

For the dressing you need

3tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp lemon juice

You can serve it cold from the fridge or at room temperature, but in both cases you are going to indulge in a symphony of flavors.

If you like this post give it many likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.

1 Comment

Posted in appetizers & salads, main dish

Tagged apple, coriander, food, how to do, jaymmy, mango, marmite et ponpon, orzo, pineapple, recipe, salad, shrimp, tropical fruits

Supreme brie and turkey cranwich

Posted on April 11, 2016 | Leave a comment

Brie and turkey in ciabatta sandwich, is kicked up a notch by adding cranberry and caramelized onion. I heart sandwiches, it’s my favorite type of any meal of the day, especially when served with a green salad.

I love trying new and delicious combinations and jazzing it up by incorporating spreads, veggies and fruits. This brie and turkey cranwich is so easy to make and the result is spectacular.

The cranberry sauce (i used the jellied one but you can use the whole cranberry too) was definitely one of the wow factors in this sandwich but personally i confirm that the caramelized onion and rucola leaves were the best addition that enlivened the whole thing.

ciabatta bread (two pieces)
8- 10 slices honey roasted turkey breast
6 slices (1cm thick) brie
3 tbsp cranberry sauce
1/2 cup caramelized onion (1 big onion)
handful rucola

You don’t have to follow the quantity 100%, plus or minus as per your taste won’t harm the recipe. This is the amazing thing about sandwiches; follow your taste!

If you like brie and turkey you have to give this sandwich a try! A meal that takes a little effort and deserves kudos. It was really supreme.

If you like this post give it many likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.

Fasoulia mtabbalé secret seasoning – vegan Lebanese butter beans

Posted on March 8, 2016 | 3 comments

Lebanese mezze are so versatile. You can serve them as appetizers, side dish or even main dish. All depending on how and with what. During lent, this vegan butter beans mezze (fasoulia mtabbalé) is served with bread or potato to be a main dish.

For 1kg butter beans, boiled until tender (yields 4 servings) you need for seasoning:

2 lemon juice
1 garlic clove minced
3/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Apparently it’s a very easy and quick dish to serve. You boil the beans until tender and you mix with the seasoning ingredients. BUT! there is an astuce to tell you about, that gives the deep flavor and richness. It’s not a secret ingredient but the way you prepare the seasoning!

When you mix lemon, garlic, oil and salt, take from the beans (half cup almost) and mash it to become like a puree and add it to the seasoning. It gives it a thick texture and coat the beans perfectly when mixed. This way you will taste the deep flavor of seasoning in each bite.

One more thing to mention, prepare the fasoulia mtabbalé at least two hours before serving to absorb the seasoning. Serve it at room temperature or cold. Enjoy!

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Posted in appetizers & salads, main dish

Tagged appetizer, easy recipe, fasoulia mtabbale, how to do, jaymmy, lebanese dish, marmite et ponpon, mezze, recipe, traditional food, vegan, vegan butter beans

kibbet batata (lebanese vegan potato kibbe)

Posted on February 23, 2016 | 3 comments

It’s one of the most popular Lebanese vegetarian dishes during lent. A versatile dish, with open ended versions, associated to each village customs.

Basically it’s mashed potato with bulgur (cracked wheat) and the additions or the presentation are various. My version calls for:

500g potato boiled and mashed
2 tbsp bulgur (cracked wheat)
1 tbsp dried mint
a handful chopped walnut plus 4-5 whole walnuts for garnish
2 big onion cut a la julienne
5 tbsp olive oil divided
salt to taste

Fry the onion in 2 tbsp olive oil until golden brown and set aside.

Boil the potato in salty water, drain and mash. While still hot add the bulgur and mix well. Then add the dried mint and salt and combine. Fold in 3 tbsp olive oil and finally add the chopped walnut.

Spread the potato dough in a plate or shape it as balls or cylinder. Sprinkle the fried onions on top and garnish with whole walnut.

Most of vegetarian dishes (side dish or mezza) are eaten with lebanese bread. You can serve it with vegetables (tomato, cucumber, radish, mint…) and olives. But if you want to have a complete filling meal, present this kibbet potato with the famous adas bhamoud soup, they really pair well.

It’s a delicious and wholesome dish, we also make it at home at least twice a month even when it’s not lent, and none of us is vegetarian 🙂 I pair it also with hard boiled eggs.

If you like this post give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.