Kefta Z's Way

Kefta is one of my fav middle eastern dishes, and so much simpler than you think! It is actually the arabic version of the traditional "meatball" and actually easier to make! I have fond memories of this dish, which my ta ta has passed down to my family for years.

 

 1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground lamb

1 cup chopped parsley

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon salt and pepper

4 tomatoes sliced

3 potatoes sliced

1 small can of tomato sauce

Mix the meat with spices. Line of on 9x13 greased tray of olive oil. top the tomatoes and onion sliced. Bake at 450 for 45 minutes-1 hour. Sahtein!

Pumpkin Lasagna

This lasagna is inspired from my recent trip to Rome, Italy. I had the best pumpkin lasagna the first night there, and had to re-create this somehow. It's not gonna be as good as in Italy, but pretty darn close and DELISH!

Ingredients
    * 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
    * 1 onion, chopped
    * 1 teaspoon salt, divided
    * 2 teaspoons olive oil
    * 2 cans (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
    * 1 cup half-and-half cream
    * 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves
    * 1 teaspoon black pepper
    * 9 no-cook lasagna noodles
    * 1.5 cup ricotta cheese
    * 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
    * 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
    * In a small skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and 1/2 teaspoon
salt in oil until tender; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the
pumpkin, cream, sage, pepper and remaining salt.
    * Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish
coated with cooking spray. Top with three noodles. Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of mushroom mixture, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella
and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles
and sauce.
    * Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with
remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly!

Z is back!!!

So...It's been a year? 2 years? I know I've been slacking. I have been working hard in the kitchen, and soon launching Zaynabakes.com! I will be better at posting recipes and excited to share some new ones:)

Spicy Feta Dip

If you love feta, then this is the dip for you. I discovered this at one of my favorite greek restaurants in Chicago, and had to replicate it somehow! The best part about this is you can control the spice to your taste. I LOVE spicy, so this is my kind of appetizer. You can serve this with pita chips, sliced french bread, chicken or even steak.

Ingredients:

2- 4 ounce containers of crumbled feta

1 cup of marina sauce

1 teaspoon pepper

1 jalepeno pepper, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

1/4 cup of  kalamata pitted olives

optional if you like HOT-pinch of cayenne ground pepper

Combine all the indredients in a large bowl, taste and add more cayenne if needed. Refridgerate for an hour. EAT!

Also, If you want to see my cooking demo for this, here it is! I had so much fun with this and it was for the Sears Chef Challenge, I thought why not right???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX65wW9rfR0

Blueberry Bomb Cobbler

CAN YOU SAY LEMON+BLUEBERRY=EXPLOSION...simply amazing! I made this for a huge family gathering for the first time, and it was a hit! I really love an equal combination of crumble to berry, so I made sure to make plenty of the crunchy crust. I can't tell you how exciting it is to see blueberry oozing out of the side when you plate this, it is just magical. The zest really takes this to the next level if you are a lemon freak like me:) It is such an easy crumble/cobbler to make, and the best part is you can even make it the night before and just pop it in the oven the next day!

Ingredients:

6-8 cups blueberries (I buy 2 containers from Costco)

4 lemons, juiced

2-4 of those lemons above, depending on how much you LOVE lemon, zested

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon salt

Crumble:

2 sticks unsalted cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 cups oatmeal

Optional: Vanilla or Pecan Ice Cream just takes it to double BOMB in 60 seconds.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients besides crust into a large bowl. Pour into a large casserole dish, 9x13 or larger.

In a food processor, pulse the crumble ingredients until they are well incorporated. Pour on top of blueberries, and with your hands, pat down until well covered. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, and then broil on high for about 5 minutes. MAKE SURE TO WATCH WHILE ON BROIL. I stand right next to the stove and make sure it does not burn to get the golden brown crust that we all love!

ENJOY!

Carrot Cupcakes

Let's just say that carrot cupcakes are not my favorite, but after perfecting this recipe, I am officially a carrot cake lover. These are so moist, and packed with fresh carrots which make them so amazing. These did not last too long in my household or office which is always a great sign right?

Ingredients:

4 cups grated carrots, grated

 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped toasted pecans

1 cup of pecans not toasted (for topping)

1 cup toasted coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2-8 ounce packages of cream cheese (not fat free, never will taste the same trust me)

6-8 cups of powdered sugar(stop at 6 if you don't like it too sweet)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Get the cupcake liners ready to go.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, soda, powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside

In a large bowl with mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add in the eggs one at a time. Incorporate the dry ingredients in the small bowl, a little at time on a low speed. Finally, mix in the carrots. Fold in the pecans and coconut last.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, and make sure the tootpick comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes completely until you add the frosting. For the frosting, with a mixer, blend the cream cheese alone until soft. Then add the butter and vanilla. One cup at a time, add in the powdered sugar. Taste, you can add more powdered sugar if you want it sweeter. Frost and enjoy!

Chickpea Salad

This has got to be one of the most refreshing salads you will have, and jam packed with protein! It makes the perfect side salad with anything and another great option for you vegetarians out there. The best part about this salad is you can make it the night before, because the longer you refridgerate, the more the juices will soak into the beans. It is a must have for summer!

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and washed

1 can fava beans, drained and washed

1 cucumber, chopped

1 tomato, chopped fine

1 bunch chives, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped fine

Bunch of parsley, chopped

3 lemon, squeezed

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper to taste

Combine everything in a large bowl. Mix well. Easy eh? SAHTEIN:)