Tag Archives: easy recipe

Veggie spaghetti with shrimps in olives and tomato sauce

Posted on September 9, 2019 | Leave a comment

Oh to those Back to school mixed feelings! Speaking my mind, i don’t know who is being more anxious; me or my kids! I guess i am more nervous. Thinking of them how they will face school related issues (as new teachers, meeting new friends or missing old ones, fitting in, being away from me…..) sparks a upswing in inquietude for me. But thank God seeing them coping easily every year and being happy kids vanish all these exaggerated (only in my head) feelings of unease! Welcome to moms world!

Today after dropping off my 4 year old boy, i head directly to my kitchen to do what i mostly like to do. I wanted to keep my mind busy and stop it from creating scenarios until i pick him up. (Please read the message at the end of the post)

Joud loves spaghetti, shrimps and prefers red sauce than white. So let’s go for this veggie spaghetti with shrimps in red sauce!

When i saw this type of wholesome spaghetti, felt like i found a hidden gem. Made of 25% puree from real zucchini and spinach!

Cook as per pack instructions, drain and leave aside.

Cook 500g of shrimps, peel, devein and keep aside to prepare this easy and delicious sauce:

1 medium onion finely diced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbs celery chopped
2 cups of tomato puree
2 tbsp olive oil
a handful black or green olive pitted
salt to taste

Cook onion, garlic and celery in the olive oil until fragrant and translucent

Add tomato puree and cook all together until it starts boiling then add the olive and shrimps to cook all together for 5 minutes.

Can’t wait to have my happy soul back to see if he will like this dish!

There was a message circulating that says:

Special request to all you kids returning to school; if you see someone who is struggling to make friends or being bullied because he/she doesn’t have many friends or because they are shy or not as pretty or not dressed in the most “in” cloths, PLEASE step up, say hi or at least smile at them in the hallway. You never know what that person might be facing outside school. Your kindness might just make a big difference in someone’s life!

PLEASE do ❤

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 posts yet to come, stay tuned. Happy cooking!

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Posted in j delights

Tagged blog, cooking healthy, easy recipe, food art, food blogger, food photography, food porn, foolproof recipe, italian, italian food, jaymmy, lebanon, marmite et ponpon, photography, qatar, recipe, red sauce, shrimps, spaghetti, tomatoes, veggie spaghetti

Creamy spinach gnocchi

Posted on March 14, 2019 | Leave a comment

The word gnocchi is derived from the Italian word nocchio, meaning knots (gnocco is the singular form). In italian cooking gnocchi are small thick dumplings usually made with potato, semolina or wheat flour, egg and cheese. Can be served with a sauce or in soup.

Creamy spinach gnocchi, this velvety deliciousness, is a very easy and quick recipe, served on your table in less than 30 minutes. For a quick lunch or dinner after a long day all you need is this foolproof recipe. It calls for: (serving two people)

500g fresh gnocchi cooked as per package directions
500ml milk or 2 cups (you can use skimmed milk)
200 ml cream, or one cup
2-3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup fresh spinach (or thawed)
1 tbsp garlic salt
salt to taste

Cook the gnocchi according to package instructions and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat then add the flour and cook it to make the roux. Slowly add the milk and cream to the roux and whisk constantly to avoid any lump.

Before the sauce starts to thicken add the garlic salt, salt and spinach and cook for 3-5 minutes until the spinach has wilted and sauce thickened.

Return the gnocchi to the sauce and fold to combine. You can add parmesan cheese to the sauce or simply sprinkle on top. Serve immediately and enjoy heaven in you mouth.

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 posts yet to come, stay tuned. Happy cooking!

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Posted in appetizers & salads, main dish

Tagged comfort food, cream, easy recipe, food blog, food blogger, food photography, foolproof recipe, garlic, gnocchi, italian cuisine, italian dish, lebanon, marmite et ponpon, qatar, quick recipe, recipe, roux, spinach

Brie, pear and honey crostini

Posted on December 30, 2018 | Leave a comment

A tiny bouchée to hold so many deep flavors! i would rather call it the brie symphony!

Though these are not the main hero on your menu, but a holiday table can’t be set up without these festive hors d’oeuvres.

Get your party started with these irresistible and elegant brie crostini. You will need: (you decide on the quantity)

baguette (toasted) sliced
brie cheese slices
pear slices
walnut chopped
cranberry
honey
arugula (or rocket leaves) for decoration

Layer the crostini with a slice of brie topped with a slice of pear. Drizzle with honey then add few chopped walnut and cranberry. The arugula comes at the end to shout out the spectacular look!

With this season full of special occasion, i am sure you will add this easy yet delicious appetizer to your repertoire.

This impressive combination of cheese, fruit and nut is a little bite of heaven. the smoothness of cheese with the crunchiness of walnut, the sweetness of honey and pear along with the sour taste in the cranberry create the symphony i told you about in the beginning!

This is my last post in the 2018. I wish you all a happy end of this year and a great 2019 ahead full of happiness and endless beautiful moments and blessings your heart can hold! Love always xoxo

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 posts yet to come, stay tuned and see you in 2019! Happy new year 🙂

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Posted in appetizers & salads

Tagged appetizer, beirut, bouchee, brie, cheese, cranberry, crostini, doha, easy recipe, festive food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food porn, fruit, honey, hors d'oeuvres, jaymmy, marmite et ponpon, nut, pear, quick recipe, starter, walnut

Beetroot and feta tart

Posted on October 4, 2017 | Leave a comment

The best recipes are the ones calling for few ingredients, done in no time and effortless! Served at anytime of the day is a bonus! I am describing my recipe of today; beetroot and feta cheese tart.

Beetroot, better called “superbeet”, is a round dark red vegetable, sweet, earthy and tender. Whilst beetroot has a sweet taste, its leaves, which also are edible, taste bitter. This vegetable is linked with better stamina, improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure. It was popular in Roman times to treat fever, wounds, skin problems and was used as an aphrodisiac.

If you don’t want fuschia hands, better wear gloves while working with it. No wonder why its color can be extracted and used as a natural food coloring. Try it with eggs at Easter time for a nice vibrant color!

For this recipe there is no exact measurements. You will need to roll out a sheet of puff pastry and cut it in medium squares (around 10x10cm), so it’s depending on how many squares you will make. I made 6 puffs, so i used a sheet of 300g. For that you need:

one medium beetroot boiled, and coarsely shopped into small pieces
180g feta cheese crumbled
2 tbsp thyme
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
egg wash

Heat the oven to 180ºC. Roll the pastry out into six squares as i already mentioned and score a 1cm border around the edge and brush it with egg wash.

Place them on the baking tray, scatter evenly the feta cheese, then the chopped beetroot. Sprinkle on top the thyme and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is well puffed and golden.

Leave it for 5 minutes to cool down then drizzle the olive oil and two drops (or three maximum) of balsamic vinegar and it’s ready to serve! Alone or with a salad it tastes just delish! If you are not fan of balsamic vinegar you can skip and it will still taste amazing.

I used rocket leaves for garnish, you can also use thyme or any other green leaves you fancy and it’s at hand. Bon appetit!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog please let me know the result, I love hearing from you!

And 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.

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Posted in appetizers & salads, main dish

Tagged appetizer, balsamic vinegar, beetroot, easy recipe, feta cheese, few ingredients, food blog, food blogger, lebanon, main dish, marmite et ponpon, olive oil, puff pastry, qatar, quick, recipe, tart, vegetarian

Parmigiana di melanzane (aubergines parmesan)

Posted on September 28, 2017 | 3 comments

Hello friends, how i miss sharing with you what i love doing the most! I know It’s been more than three months since the last time i posted, all i can say that i had too much on my plate and i was juggling between all my duties…. Bref! I am back 🙂

I am the biggest fan of aubergines, i find it strange how some people, (referring to my husband) don’t fancy and even find it bland. I can even eat the simplest way done, fried or grilled with just a pinch of salt or a drizzle of olive oil!

Parmigiana di melanzane, or aubergines parmesan, is an italian traditional dish far to be boring or dull! it consists of aubergines and cheese layered in a tomato sauce! Try it and if you were not fan of aubergines, trust me you will change your mind.

500g aubergines about 2 medium aubergines
1 cup mozzarela cut in cubes
1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
3 cups tomato puree
2 tbsp dry basil or a fresh bunch chopped coarsely
1 medium onion finely diced
3 tbsp olive oil divided
salt to taste

Slice the aubergines (medium thickness) removing the top and bottoms. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and set them aside for 1 hour. This drains out any excess water and helps with frying/oven grilling. Rinse the aubergines under cold water to remove the salt and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. I will not fry the aubergines, instead i will grill in the oven after drizzling on top 2 tbsp of olive oil. The taste won’t change, it is just a healthier recipe!

Meantime to prepare the tomato sauce, sauté the onion in a pan with one tbsp of olive oil until translucent and soft but not browned. Add the tomato puree and basil. Add a pinch of salt, stir then let it simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and spread it around, this will prevent the aubergines from sticking. Next, add one layer of aubergines to the dish followed by a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, cubes of mozzarella, and little tomato sauce (make sure to save 1/3 of the sauce for the final layer). Continue with the next layer until you have the last top layer to spoon over the remaining tomato sauce, grated parmesan and mozzarella cubes. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

You can serve it with toasted bread or a green salad, and why not both 🙂

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog please let me know the result, I love hearing from you!

And 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.