easy recipes

Ghraybeh [Arabic Butter Cookies]

categories: Arabic Food Made Easy, Desserts, Posts, Recipes

 

Ghraybeh

One of my favorite Arabic sweets is Ghraybeh [غريبة], with all of its sugary, buttery goodness. Honestly, the best ones I’ve tasted are the ones in Amman that come in a little “s” shape. I can devour an entire box in one sitting — they’re that good. Shatila comes in at a close second with their ghraybeh, except for the fact that each piece is massive, and they (sadly) post the calorie content of each piece, making it impossible to eat more than one without feeling guilty. Oh, the struggles of not being skinny. (more…)

Party Loaf and a Taste of Switzerland

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Breads, Posts, Recipes

 

Party Loaf_3

 

Party Loaf

In December 2010, my mom and I took a mother-daughter vacation in Europe. We took advantage of Christmas break to tour four European countries in the span of two weeks.

We started our adventure in Italy, starting in historic Rome and made our way to Venice and Florence, where we splurged on Italian leather, gelato and espresso. Then we spent some time in Switzerland, mainly Lugano, and Lucerne where we spent Christmas Eve and reveled in Swiss breads, cheese and chocolates. We made our way through the snowy Swiss Alps to Paris, where we spent magical nights at the Eiffel Tower and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. From Paris, we took the Eurostar to London. We extended our stay to spend New Year’s Eve in Westminster to watch the fireworks on the Thames with the backdrop of the London Eye. It was one of the best vacations I’ve taken. Aside from the historic wonders of each location, we were given the opportunity to try specialty foods in each of the four countries. (more…)

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Peach Cobbler

categories: Desserts, Posts, Recipes

 

Peach Cobbler

 

There seems to be a recurring trend in my house, fruit on the verge of going bad. It’s awful, I know. See, it all starts when I go to the grocery store hungry (read as: when I go to Whole Foods starving). I see fruits and veggies that no one really eats, but for some reason in my state of starvation, I think that I’m going to make all these amazing foods. That’s never the case. Even when I make a list ahead of time, I end up picking up the most random items. And what do you know, I end up snacking on a bag of “low-calorie” chips and the food goes right into the fridge never to be seen — or eaten. (more…)

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Shakshouka [Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce]

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Breakfast, Posts, Recipes

ShakShouka

Shakshouka originated in North Africa. For those more geographically-impaired, that would mean the countries of Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco. It’s also become popular in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, with restaurants in those parts popping up solely to serving up the dish. Shakshouka means “a mixture.” And that’s exactly what this dish is, it’s a delicious mix of tomatoes, peppers, eggs and cheese. (more…)

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Apple Turnovers

categories: Desserts, Posts, Recipes

Apple-Turnovers

It all started with a random idea to go take advantage of September and go apple picking. It then turned into an adventure that ended up with me taking a back seat to learning how to make amazing apple turnovers.

We’re about mid way through September, with only a couple more weeks before we get into pumpkin season (not that you don’t see Halloween decorations and pumpkins practically everywhere you go already). That being said, apples are still in season and what better way to enjoy a gorgeous Sunday afternoon than to go apple picking in Maryland with a friend who completely understands the importance of taking at least 20 pictures of the same thing, and gets really excited about plucking apples off a tree. (more…)

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Grilled Garlic Hassleback Potatoes

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Vegetables & Sides

Grilled Garlic HassleBack Potatoes

There are a few times a year when it seems almost obligatory to BBQ – either BBQ yourself or attend one. And those times are Memorial Day weekend, July 4, and Labor Day weekend. That’s not to say you can’t BBQ all summer long, if you so desire. But it’s around those holidays that you see the grocery stores pull all their grilling items to the front of the store so you can’t miss the charcoal, the sodas and the chips and dip. (more…)

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