Tag Archives: recipe

Meghleh (floured rice pudding)

Posted on August 7, 2015 | 4 comments

Meghleh, is a traditional Lebanese sweet, served on a special occasion such as the celebration of a child birth or christmas. It’s a floured rice pudding spiced with caraway and cinnamon, and garnished with shredded coconut, assortment of nuts (almonds, pine seeds, walnut, pistachio) and dried raisins.

The word meghleh in arabic means boiled, knowing that this dessert is served cold, after being boiled for almost 45 mns.

If you are expecting a baby or simply you want to enjoy a quick, easy and flavorful dessert, don’t hesitate to give it a try.

You will need:

1/2 cup floured rice
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp ground caraway
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
5 cups water

To garnish you will need shredded coconut, almond, pine seeds, pistachio, walnut and dried raisin. All the garnish is optional and depending on your taste. Personally i like them all, and i soak the nuts in the water before serving to become softer.

In a deep pot add the water, floured rice, sugar, caraway and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Stir over medium heat until the mix comes to a boil (20-30 minutes) Continue to cook the pudding while stirring over medium low heat for 5-7 more minutes, or until the pudding is thick. You know it’s done when it drips from the spoon as a sharp line.

The secret of success of meghleh is in the continuous stirring over medium low heat. Make sure to stir continuously and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent the pudding from sticking.

Remove the pudding from the heat and pour it into ramekins and set aside to cool completely before garnish.

This pudding should stay put, try not to shake the ramekins so the surface doesn’t get cracks.

It is said that this brown pudding is symbolic of the fertile rich soil, and the nuts on top are like seeds that will sprout and grow on this soil – a perfect symbol for birth. Welcome my baby boy Joud!

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.

4 Comments

Posted in dessert, special occasions

Tagged blog, dessert, food blogger, jaymmy, lebanese traditions, marmite et ponpon, meghleh, newborn, qatar, recipe, rice pudding

A recipe to elevate your date cake to the next level

Posted on June 29, 2015 | 41 comments

Living in the gulf, offers abundance in dates. You find it everywhere, specially now it’s ramadan. I’ve been looking for the perfect recipe for a cake, which meets my expectations, not being too sweet.

I’ve been told eating dates leads to a shorter labor. There is no study that proves or negates, but what’s the harm?! I was thinking why i don’t incorporate dates in my daily regime. I would do anything if it leads to easier labor.

This perfect recipe of date walnut cake, enliven your classic recipe and takes it to the next level. It will be your favorite breakfast with a hot cup of coffee or juice, or at anytime of the day, you will love it.

250g dates, pitted and chopped
4 tbs softened butter (almost 60g)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup hot coffee
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 200°C. Combine dates, butter, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot coffee into the bowl and combine. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes before adding the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and flour, mixing gently until smooth. Stir in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 35-45mns or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The reason we put hot coffee is that its acidity reacts with the baking soda to produce rise. Plus it gives a subtle dimension to the flavors without being identified in the final outcome. You can substitute with just water but it won’t be that moist and a bit more dense.

After it is completely cool, you can slice it and serve it with coffee, juice or topped with cream cheese. Wrap it airtight to store at room temperature for several days or in the fridge for longer storage.

It’s a really wholesome cake i recommend, i am sure if you are dates lover you will be making it more often. You will be addicted to it!

This might be my last post now from qatar, as i am traveling to Beirut to deliver my precious “Joud”. I’ll try my best to post at least once a week. I will miss you 🙂

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.

41 Comments

Posted in dessert

Tagged blog, cake, coffee, dates, food blogger, hot coffee, how to do, jaymmy, lebanon, marmite et ponpon, qatar, recipe, walnut, walnut cake

Perfect pot roast beef with vegetables and gravy

Posted on June 16, 2015 | Leave a comment

My favorite dish; roast beef with vegetables and gravy. It makes the ultimate Sunday lunch, but since we live in Doha, Friday is the new Sunday.

It’s not as difficult as you think, but it requires time to get everything ready plus the meat has to be rested after cooking for at least half an hour and sliced really thinly for you to enjoy the tenderness. I am not doing it in the oven, as i adapt my mom’s recipe, for a perfect pot roast beef that makes its own succulent gravy.

I chose a topside beef (1.2kg), this cut comes from the inner muscle of the thigh, it’s reasonably tender and very lean so it makes a good roasting joint. Check the meat cuts guide for useful info about the meat to choose.

You will need: (serving 4-6 persons)

1.2kg topside beef
5 garlic cloves roughly crushed
salt and pepper for seasoning
100g butter
1 1/2 cup red wine good quality
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp flour

Take your beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Make 6-7 small cuts in the meat and stuff them with the crushed garlic. Season all sides with salt and pepper.

In a large pot heat the butter and sear the meat, turning as needed, for about 4-5 minutes on each side (the top and bottom as well), or until the beef is brown. Add the water then wine and bring to boil. When bubbles start to form, cover the pot and lower the heat. Now cook for 75-90 minutes or so depending how well done you want it.

Remove the beef from the pot and let it rest at least half an hour. I recommend 3 hours for better slicing.

Meantime prepare the vegetables you like to serve with the meat, i did carrots and broccoli (steamed then sautéed with butter, salt and pepper), mushroom and corn (out of tins) and sautéed with butter, salt and pepper. and finally potato cubes (fried then sautéed with butter, salt and pepper) you can replace with mashed potato if you like. Some people like to serve it also with peas, green beans and shallots. Choose your veggies to your liking.

To prepare the gravy, take the juices from the pot and add 1 1/2 tbsp of flour to thicken it a bit. (roux style)

Transfer your meat to a cutting board and try to slice it as thin as possible. Serve it with the veggies, potatoes and gravy. I love to have it also with a side salade (green salad with vinaigrette).

I can never get enough of it, i like to have leftovers in a baguette sandwich with dijon mustard, or if i have a remaining gravy i serve it the next day with pasta.

This recipe should go on your cooking list, trust me you will receive lots of compliments and applause for each flavorful bite .

Enjoy xx

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La salade niçoise

Posted on June 9, 2015 | 1 comment

After two long hektic weeks, moving to a new house, i am back if you are wondering where i’ve been!

My first post from my new kitchen, eagerly presenting the french “salade Niçoise”, in the style of Nice, France.

Traditionally made with hard boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, olives, green beans, tuna, anchovies, tomato and onion presented on a bed of lettuce. Some sources exclude anchovies, add artichoke hearts or even presented without lettuce.

To serve 4 people you will need:

3 canned tuna drained and flaked
4 hard boiled eggs quartered
8 small potato boiled and quartered
12 cherry tomato halved
150 g green beans steamed
around 24 black olives pitted
1 big onion cut rondelles
1 head romaine lettuce chopped into bite size pieces

Mix all together drizzle with vinaigrette or lemon olive oil dressing and serve!

Usually this salad is served as an entree, but with some french baguette or croutons it can be a wholesome and sustaining dinner.

Happy to be back, miss you 🙂

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1 Comment

Posted in appetizers & salads

Tagged appetizer, black olive, black olives, blog, cherry tomato, food blogger, green beans, hard boiled eggs, jaymmy, lebanon, lemon dressing, marmite et ponpon, olive oil, onion, potato, qatar, recipe, salade nicoise, tuna, vinaigrette

Strawberry jam crumble tart

Posted on May 20, 2015 | Leave a comment

Are you craving a sweet treat that is unfussy? Try this delicious crumble tart with any jam flavor you fancy and reap a bounty of flavors in no time!

It’s been a hektic week, juggling hundred tasks, between work and home, especially we are moving to a new flat. I wanted to prepare something sweet but very easy and effortless. Right now, i am savoring one piece of this strawberry crumble tart while writing this post.

Share with me this pleasure, head to your kitchen right away to prepare this delectable tart, I am sure you have all the ingredients:

2 1/2 cup flour sifted
200g butter cold and cubed
1/2 cup confectioner sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
300g jam (flavor of your choice)

Mix all together until it just starts to come together. You need a crumble like dough not a solid ball of dough.

Preheat you oven 200°C. Take 3/4 of the dough and roll it in your pan (10 inches) with a half cm thickness. Bake for 10 minutes before taking out to spread the jam on top of it. Use any jam you favor, i chose strawberry for this time.

Crumble the rest of the dough over the jam and bake again for another 10 minutes.

Let it cool before serving. Personally i like it at room temperature and also cold from the fridge. It’s one of the treats light in efforts but rich in flavors just bake and slice!

Satisfy your sweet tooth and Sahtein!

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