Hehehehe...so people like my food posts eh? Awesome ! I shall now post a kunafeh recipe; be aware though, it is an Arab recipe, meaning no exact amounts (like no "1/2 a tablespoon, 4 cups, etc ). Just use as much as you think you can eat .

 

 Bismillah:

 

 

Ingredients needed:

- a package of raw kunafeh (the string-like dough ..it's white and can be found at any supermarket; should be located in the freezer dessert aisle)

- butter

- sugar, water, half a lemon (for the sugar syrup)

- one package of Kunafeh cheese (also called Jibnah Nabilsiyyah, can ask for sweet dessert cheese at any cheese counter in any supermarket..)

- optional: red Kunafeh dye (found  in the spice aisle- its called sabghat al kunafah in Arabic, and Kunafa dye in English, its a red-orange powder)

 

- Thaw the frozen Kunafeh dough, and then separate the little strands by pulling them apart gently (because it comes all matted together like a thick rope, so loosen the strands up with your hands).

-Heat a large tablespoon and a half of butter in a pot on the stove, and when the butter gets hot, put the kunafeh dough in and brown it and coat it in the butter.

- Add some of the kunafeh dye if you want the kunfeh to be reddish-orange in color. Don't use too much, you don't want to scare the people you are planning to feed.

- Take this off the stove. Next, get out your cheese and lay it down in slices a buttered baking dish (cut it into slices or pieces or whatever, just make a layer of cheese, like lasagne).

-Then, sprinkle the cooked and dyed Kunafa dough on top of this.

- Heat your oven to 400 F or setting 4 ; put your baking dish full of the kunafeh in. You want the cheese to get hot and the dough to brown a little and get crispy. It shouldn't take more than half an hour at most..don't let it burn and dry out though.

- Meanwhile, get a small pot, put in two cups of water, and put it on the stove. Add three cups of sugar. Let the water and sugar start to boil; you are making the sugar syrup (atir). As the mixture boils, stir it constantly so that the sugar doesn't burn.

- Squirt some lemon juice in it (juuust a little bit) and add rose water if you like (the bakeries usually add just a teeny weeny bit).

- Take the mixture off the stove as soon as the syrup coats the back of a metal spoon. When the mixture is taken off the stove and allowed to cool for a bit, you can test for how thick it is..if it is the right thickness, great, if it is too thick, put the pot back on stove and add water. If it is too thin, put it back on stove and add sugar.

-  Finally, take the Kunafeh out of the oven, and pour the cooled sugar syrup all over it and GoBbLe GoObLe!!!!!! YUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMM 

 

If anyone actually uses this recipe and tries making the kunafeh, lemme know how it goes. Sorry I can't be more precise than that; I cook Arabi-housewife style usually so that explains it all methinks.

P.S This is NOT Egyptian kunafeh. Egyptian kunafeh is quite different. This is Palestinian Nablsi kunafeh, like what is shown in the pictures below; the one in the frst picture is "na3meh" or smooth kunafeh, while the second picture is "khishneh" or rough kunafeh (you can see the difference in appearance of the kunafeh strands). The above kunafeh recipe uses khishneh dough, but you can use na3meh too which is more traditional in Nablus.

 

My faaaave kunafeh picture ever:

 

 

And other yummy pix of kunafeh:

 

 

Half-eaten, but still lookin' faaaaabulous:

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Chocolate May Sweeten the Way to Health

 

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More on this in Health & Fitness Today's Health News

MONDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- If it tastes good it must be bad, so the saying goes, but delicious dark chocolate may be the exception to the rule.

In addition to all the pleasurable sensations associated with the sweet, it may also help lower blood pressure by an average of 10 percent while improving the body's sensitivity to insulin, researchers report.

However, this benefit applies only to dark chocolate, which is rich in flavonoids -- the same antioxidant compounds found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are known to help lower blood pressure, according to the report in the July 18 online edition of Hypertension.

"It turns out that chocolate is not only a pleasurable food, but it fits in quite nicely with the other healthy recommendations," said coauthor Jeffrey B. Blumberg, a professor of nutrition and a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. "We found that three ounces of dark chocolate per day over several weeks reduced blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension and also seemed to provide a benefit on their insulin sensitivity," he added.

In their study, Blumberg's team had 10 men and 10 women eat 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate every day for 15 days. All of these people had high blood pressure and none were taking blood pressure medications.

First, the researchers had five of the men and five of the women eat dark chocolate while the others ate white chocolate, which contains no flavonoids. Then after another week of no chocolate, the groups "crossed over" and ate the other chocolate.

In the 15 days they were eating dark chocolate, individuals displayed an average 11.9 mm Hg drop in their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) and a 8.5 mm Hg drop in diastolic blood pressure (the lower number). However, there was no drop in blood pressure when they ate flavonoid-free white chocolate, the researchers found.

Given these results, Blumberg believes that dark chocolate can be good for you. "Dark chocolate can be included as part of a healthful diet in patients who have hypertension," he said.

However, he cautioned that you can't just add it on top of your diet. "It's still a high-calorie food. You don't want to have excess calories or put on weight if you have hypertension," Blumberg said. "But as part of a healthful diet, it is something that you can enjoy and not feel you are violating the principles of a healthful diet."

Blumberg thinks that being able to enjoy some chocolate can also make it easier to stay on a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

One expert sees this study as part of a body of evidence that shows that chocolate is good for us. "Dark chocolate may be health-promoting," said Dr. David L. Katz, an associate clinical professor of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine.

Katz, who is doing his own research into the benefits of chocolate, noted that chocolate is rich in not only antioxidants, but also magnesium and fiber. "The predominant saturated fat in dark chocolate, stearic acid, does not raise cholesterol or harm blood vessels," he added.

"Milk chocolate and white chocolate do not offer any known health benefits, and provide more calories, sugar, and potentially harmful oils than dark chocolate," Katz said, but "dark chocolate may well prove to be health food."

According to Katz, there are many unanswered questions about chocolate: What is the optimal dose of dark chocolate? How high does the cocoa content need to be to offer health benefits? Who in the population stands to benefit from eating dark chocolate? Are the benefits of liquid cocoa and solid chocolate the same? Can people eat chocolate without gaining weight?

"These answers, and others, will come in time," Katz said. "For now, it's clear that not all chocolate is created equal. But it's delicious to think that indulgence and health may both reside beneath the same wrapper."

Another expert is more cautious. Without more definitive data on whether chocolate promotes weight gain that might outweigh its benefits, Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick, the director of the Metabolic Support Service at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, is hesitant to recommend it as a health food. "I would never tell a heart patient or a diabetic to eat more dark chocolate," he said.

For patients who do not have these health problems, Mechanick is more lenient. "Having a treat every once in a while is fine," he said. "My preference is that you have dark chocolate, because it's looking like maybe dark chocolate may have some benefit. But there are no data to support that it's truly beneficial. It's still unproven that it's beneficial and there could be risks involved."

Mechanick also warned that the data about the benefits of dark chocolate should not mean replacing other high blood pressure therapy with chocolate. "Chocolate is not an alternative to traditional lifestyle changes or to taking medications to reduce risk of heart disease or to treat diabetes," he said.

-----------------------------

 

Well there ya have it folks : eat more chocolate, and stay healthy. A chocolate a day keeps the doctor away! P.S note my usage of a rich, chocolatey colored text !!! lolz

 

Hi *name censored*,
Here is your another bonus recipe (OS' note: BAD GRAMMR ! "your another"? tsk tsk) edition to LowCarbDietRecipe
& LowCarbTools monthly newsletter. These come several
times a month, and include mostly great tasting low carb
recipes.

Now, let's start you off with your next batch of great
tasting Low Carb Recipes (ROFL this sounds hilarious):

Breakfast

Quiche ala Mode
Ingredients:

1/2 lb chopped ham (could you make that beef please? I don't eat ham- I'm Muslim..LOL)
1 c shredded cheddar
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c water
5 eggs
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
salt, pepper, dill, dry mustard to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Spray pie tin lightly with Pam and sprinkle in cheeses. Drain the
spinach well and along with the ham, place over the top of the
cheeses. Beat remaining ingredients and pour over the top.
Bake for 30 min.

Serves 4 @ 3 carbs



Lunch

Deep Dish Quiche Pizza
Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3c heavy cream
1/2 t oregano
2 cups shredded Italian cheese (mozzarella, romano, parm mix -
or your choice)
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
20 slices pepperoni
Pre-heat oven to 375
Beat softened cream cheese & eggs until smooth. Add cream,
Parmesan and spice. Spray 13 x 9" baking pan with PAM. Put
2 cups pizza cheese in dish and pour egg mixture over. Mix
together well. Bake for 30-40 min until well browned. Remove
from oven and cool. When you're ready to eat, spread on pizza
sauce, sprinkle on mozzarella, and layer with pepperoni (or any
toppings you choose). Bake about 10 min in 375 oven until
toppings bubbly and brown.

W/O Topping: 4 servings @ 4 carb each
With toppings: 4 servings @ 6 carb each



Dinner


Hot or Cold Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

8 oz chicken
3-4 T mayonnaise
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T ea chopped: onion, red pepper, parsley
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
Mix all ingredients together. Place in refrigerator to cool or
bake at 350 for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
2 Servings@ 3 carbs each



I hope you enjoy these recipes, and you can look forward to
more in the next few days. We normally send out our
newsletter on the 1st of each month, and our recipes,
sparadically throughout the month.

Until next time,

Scot Standke
830 Greenfield Trail
Oshkosh, WI 54904

I was searching for recipes on how to make Arabic ice cream and thought I'd share my findings with ya'll...I've got two recipes here, the second one can be used if you do not have an ice cream making machine.

 

 

Arabic ice cream (bouzat haleeb) is a totally different experience from the rich American ice creams. It's quite light and gummy in texture. It actually stretches a bit as you spoon it. Mistika (Arabic gum) and sahlab (an extract from the tubers of orchids) can be found in most Mid-Eastern markets.

 

Recipe 1:

 

4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch or sahlab
1/8 teaspoon ground mistika
1 teaspoon rose water

 

In a medium saucepan, scald milk. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch (or sahlab, if using) with a small amount of cold water. Add to milk. Return milk mixture to heat, stirring constantly until it boils. Mix in sugar; keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Add ground mistika and rose water, stirring continuously. Let the mixture cool. Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions.

 

Source: http://www.cafecreosote.com/Recipes/recipe.php3?rid=20

 

 

 

 

Recipe 2: 

 

1 qt. milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. sahlab (cornflower)

1/4 tsp. mustikah (gum arabic)

1 tsp. ma'es zahr (orange blossom essence)

 

. Dissolve sahlab in one cup of milk. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil with the sugar. Add the cold milk and starch mixture slowly to the hot milk, stirring constantly. Pulverize the mustikah and mix with several teaspoons of sugar. Add to the cooking milk mixture. Boil gently over low fire for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from fire. Stir occasionally while cooking. Flavor with ma'ez zahr. Freeze either in crank type freezer or in refrigerator trays. When mixture is frozen in refrigerator trays it should be removed and beaten three times during freezing to break up ice crystals. Just before serving, take the trays of ice cream from the freezer unit and allow to rest several minutes in the chilling part of the refrigerator