Tag Archives: food art

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

Mini sausage Christmas wreath

Posted on December 23, 2018 | Leave a comment

Christmas food challenge is elevating a simple hors d’oeuvres to a next level. Food just tastes better when it looks festive. Mini hotdogs wrapped in dough, baked and arranged in a festive wreath. This easy appetizer comes together in minutes and get devoured just as quickly!

shortcrust dough
mini sausage
egg wash
ketchup
rosemary sprigs (for decoration)

Cut the dough lengthwise into triangles to roll in the mini sausages, starting from the thick end of it. Brush with egg wash before baking for 20-30 minutes on 180ºC. Lay them in circle to form the wreath. Put the ketchup bowl in the center and lay around the rosemary sprigs.

This eye pleasing starter is really simple and so addictive that you keep coming for more. Dijon, bbq or any other favorite sauce could be another option than ketchup.

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!

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Posted in appetizers & salads, special occasions

Tagged appetizer, christmas food, doha, easy quick, entree, food art, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food porn, hors d'oeuvres, jaymmy, lebanon, marmite et ponpon, mini sausage, qatar, recipe, side dish, wreath

Spaghetti marinara

Posted on March 31, 2016 | 1 comment

Sometimes it is hard to find the right words to describe how tasty was a dish. In this case and particularly when talking about spaghetti marinara, one of my favorite dishes, all i can say it’s a kind of food where you like to close your eyes and create a mental image while you relish the deep flavors. It’s the dish that shouts “eat me”!

I am a pasta girl, i love all types of pastas and encourage the creativity for the sauces. A classic recipe is never enough for me, i always add my personal input and it comes most of the times bulls eye! This spaghetti marinara is not a conventional one, it has marmite et ponpon touch.

400g ground beef
1 big onion finely diced
6-8 garlic cloves sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chili oil
500 ml tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
a handful celery coarsely chopped
a handful leek coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot shaved
1/2 cup white wine
salt to taste
parmesan or emmental cheese grated for garnish

Cook onion and garlic with olive oil and chili oil until fragrant. Add the beef and cook until it is browned. Pour the tomato puree, wine and sugar and cook for 10 minutes. Add celery, leek and carrots and simmer on a very low heat for an hour, until 3/4 of the liquid has evaporated.

It’s a nice technique to do the ragout, it enhances the flavors and gives it a deep and sharp taste. Anyways “ragout” means reviving the taste, can’t be better explained!

Meantime cook pasta as per pack instructions, ladle with the sauce and sprinkle with parmesan/emmental cheese and savor this must do version of marinara.

It’s not just a pleasure to the palate but to the eyes too. The colors were inviting me to practice my photography skills and the smell was telling me to hurry up and dig in!

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.

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Posted in main dish

Tagged cooking, food art, food blogger, food porn, how to do, italian food, jaymmy, lebanon, marinara, marinara with a twist, marmite et ponpon, qatar, recipe, spaghetti, spaghetti with beef, white wine

Superhero cake tutorial – Happy birthday Nady!

Posted on December 20, 2015 | Leave a comment

My little hero, a huge fan of superheroes (i guess like all boys of his age) turned three couple of days ago. He definitely fancy a superhero cake, but since he was hesitant which character to choose, i decided to surprise him and merge 4 in 1 cake; spiderman, captain america, batman, and hulk.

I am an amateur baker and self tutor, learning how to work with fondant and dress up a cake like professionals. I put all my heart to decorate this cake to be up to my son’s expectations. I would love one day when he looks back at his old pictures to be proud of this mom. So far i succeeded to do it over three years for his 3 consecutive birthdays. I wish him million cakes of happiness and good health!

This superhero cake looks complicated to do but if you follow me step by step you will find it’s not that hard.

First you need to cover the cake with 4 colors of fondant in equal parts; green for hulk, yellow for batman, white for captain america and red for spiderman.
To start with spiderman, you need to draw the web with chocolate or icing. Start by vertical lines then do the horizontal ones, each one like a semi circle.
For the eyes all you need to do is trace them on the fondant and cut out. Click here for a high resolution file for the eyes. It’s a vector one you can adjust the size according to your cake.
Captain america is super easy, to do his shield, start with a red circle, than a smaller one white, then a smaller one red and a final smaller one blue. Put on top a white star and decorate around the shield with blue small stars.
Batman is the easiest i guess. All you need is tracing the logo on black fondant and cut it out. Click here to download a high resolution file to use it as a stencil. It’s a vector file to be able to adjust to the convenient size of your cake.
Finally hulk, the part that needs the most work. First cut small irregular shapes to look like a wall when put together.
To do the hand, you need to make 4 green cylinders (fingers) and put them on a rectangular shape. Here you need to look at your real fist to try modeling the fondant the nearest possible to real one.
try when bending the cylinder shapes to do fingers, create the knots, nails and do small lines to look like flesh, these details will make it look real. If you don’t have the real tools for modeling you can use a knife.

Et voila the homemade superhero cake! Always add your personal touch, it adds more love and gives the occasion the warmth needed. happy birthday super Nady!

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 design, dessert, DIY, special occasions

Tagged batman, captain america, craft, design, fondant, food art, food blogger, homemade, hulk, jaymmy, marmite et ponpon, spiderman, superhero cake

Snowman breakfast

Posted on December 18, 2014 | Leave a comment

Christmas fever is spreading throughout our house all times! No doubt, we wake up so excited thinking of Christmas; Nady starts by a “bonjour sapin”(good morning to the Christmas tree), he checks all the decorations especially the ones he participated in doing, then he goes to the advent calendar to check his daily treat. Today i wanted to surprise him with a christmassy breakfast: Snowman on a plate!

It’s so exciting to start the day with this beautiful breakfast, it takes 10 minutes to do this snowman, and it grants a whole day of joy and excitement on your kid’s face. Just priceless!

So easy to do, follow the step by step scheme.

You will need: 2 slices of bread, spreading cheese, carrots for the buttons and nose, cucumber for the hat and mouth, olive for the eyes, and lettuce for the scarf.

And to make it more realistic, i added it dots of labneh to create the snow!

If you get the chance to prepare this breakfast with your kids, trust me it will be as fun for you as for them. Enjoy!

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!