1340. Caramel Apple Dip

I had every intention to make a caramel apple dip from scratch, yet alas convenience superseded and here comes a cheat's post that just might change your snack or dessert routine.

1339. Cheesy Baked Tomato Rice

I forget where I picked up the idea for this recipe but I do recall it was described as Indianish, which I though was intriguing. Besides the green chilli, there is not much Indian about this tomato rice, which is presented more as a gratin complete with broiled melty cheese on top.

1338. Raspberry Cheesecake Pie {No Bake}

What's not to love about that special combination of a biscuit crust, cream cheese filling, and tangy raspberry topping? This raspberry cheesecake pie is made all the more achievable by going down the no-bake route.

1337. Cajun Burger

Once you've mastered that the perfect burger is simply minimally-handled minced meat seasoned with salt thrown over a high flame, the customization options are endless. It all started with A Simple Burger. From there we went on to a Roquefort version, and another Chilli-Cheese one.

1336. Golden Milk

Golden milk is so 2018, but seriously, who invented fashionable foods in the first place? Golden milk takes its color from turmeric, the recently re-discovered superfood great for the heart and brain.

1335. Hot Sugar Crust Apple Bake

This apple bake needs to have the sugar crust highlighted as it gives it not only flavor, but a truly unique texture. The apples under the crust bake up to a candy, and are really irresistible with the lemon zest.

1334. Chicken Piccata Spaghetti

Weekday meal or meal prep weekend, the choice is all yours. Either way, you can't go wrong with this cozy, heart warming, and delicious chicken piccata over pasta.

1333. Berry Um Ali

Bread pudding is a classic favorite in many cultures, with minor flavoring differences to suit transcending tastes across borders. In fact, in this aspect it is much like rice pudding. Cardamon for a Middle Eastern flair, dulce de leche for Latino palates, berry for Europeans, and nutty for an African touch.

1332. Moussaka, Take 2.

I had posted a moussaka recipe way back in 2012 here, and decided it was time for a re-make. This version I dare say is simpler, but most notably it has the addition of potatoes. Two things worthy of noting: to us Arabs, moussaka is an Egyptian dish, not a Greek one.

1331. Rangina Bars

Rangina is quickly becoming prominent on MCW with all its variations. At the most basic level, rangina are fresh soft dates topped with fried flour. I see how it may sound strange, but you need to see how it can out-of-this-world.

1330. Mexican Macaroni

Taco-flavored minced meat and cooked pasta are folded in a cheesy beschamel sauce for the best Mexican-inspired pasta there is.

1329. Chocolate Truffle Cake

The number of chocolate cakes on MCW deserves a compilation post. Another chocolate cake recipe is probably not warranted, but can you even say that about chocolate cakes? This one just might be second to the most decadent of the lot.

1328. Puffed Meat Pastries

This is something to make when you don't know what to make. Got puffed pastry and minced meat in the freezer? You're set to go. The wonderful thing here is that you can use any minced meat recipe you may favor: kubba filling, taco-spiced, bolognese... whatever you may have on hand or have an affinity to will work.

1327. Iraqi Breakfast Dates and Tahini

I have posted three separate Iraqi variations of dates and sesame (Date Molasses and Tahini Spread, Iraqi Breakfast Sticky Dates, Iraqi Madgooga: Date Sesame Truffles) and ironically this latest one is the most basic by far.

1326. Simple Marble Cake

This is a nostalgic cake which most of our mothers made in our childhood. My mom would make marble cake in those big, rectangular, deep tefal baking pans that would be enough to feed an army, and indeed we ate it up like an army would, too.

1325. Green Bean Rice

Seasonal local produce at a reasonable price is something I cannot pass up in the grocery store. The other day I got I whole giant bunch of green beans I had to quickly make plans for, and this rice dish was one of the outcomes.

1324. Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Finding a recipe for buttercream frosting which you can depend on every time may be quite the challenge. This Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is versatile in terms that you can let it remain vanilla, or flavor with other essences (almond) or citrus zest (lemon, orange).

1323. Tashreeb-Flavored Roast Chicken

Anyone who has tried Iraqi chicken tashreeb has loved it. While I count myself as one of them, I do have a great dislike for the searing process... the odors from the combination of cooking onions and chicken grease make it a seldom affair reserved for special guests or intense cravings, unfortunately.

1322. Nutella Cookie Cups

Ten minutes plus cooling time is all that separates intention from realization in this case. A soft chocolate chunk cookie base encompasses a generous dollop of nutella in the form of a cookie-cupcake.

1321. Mongolian Beef

Just two posts ago we were talking about fried Asian food smothered in delectable sauces. Little did MCW readers expect another favorite Asian dish in so short a duration. This time, we're going darker with Mongolian beef.

1320. Banana Nutella Crepes

Not only does this classic banana nutella crepe combine unbeatable flavor combinations, but the entire crepe batter is made in a blender. Literally, put all ingredients in the machine and bliltz.

1319. Dynamite Shrimp

I don't know about you, but dynamite shrimp, california rolls, and mongolian beef are permanent orders whenever to eat Asian out. With all that stir-frying, we tend to prefer ordering to cooking. However, once you discover just how simple recreating some of this dishes at home, you just might change your mind.

1318. Mont Blanc Roulade

Mont Blanc is a dessert named after the famous summit on the alp mountains in the Swiss-French-Italian region of Europe. It is mainly three ingredients: meringue, chestnut paste, and whipped cream. Multiple interpretations of the dessert exist, in the forms of ice cream, trifles, etc. This version presents the Mont Blanc as a meringue swiss roll cake, while remaining true to the core ingredients.

1317. Cheese Fries

Admittedly not the healthiest thing out there, these home made cheese fries still beat any cinematic cheese nachos out there in terms of chemicals and preservatives. All you need are two clean ingredients: cheddar cheese and cream.

1316. Fries Spice

Not a conventional recipe, nor an expected one, this is a spice blend to sprinkle over just-fried potato fries. It might seem a bit strange at first bite, but will quickly develop into an addictive addition to your fries.

1315. Karak Cake (Express)

Karak is a popular tea in the Arabian Gulf. Basically, it is tea with milk, and hints of a few spices such as saffron, cardamom, and ginger. This is a cake based off that drink's flavor profile, but it is also an express karak cake.

1314. Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Warm sandwiches come in many shapes and forms, not to mention flavors. This is a grilled cheese sandwich, incorporating a very unconventional ingredient: kimchi. Kimchi is a fermented cabbage concoction known to be Korean, but has spread throughout Asia, and now to the western world.

1313. Kimchi

Gut health is very important and often taken for granted until a reason arises to start paying attention. Probiotic nutrition is the most natural way to reboot the system and restore equilibrium. This is where fermented foods come in.

1312. Chocolate Fondant Loaf Cake

This cake came together from scratch to consumption in just under an hour. Demolition lasted a polite 15 minutes. Essentially six pantry ingredients (not counting a pinch of salt), the batter was made and thrown in the oven in less than 10 minutes. Baking lasted 30 minutes, and a cheat quick freeze for 20 minutes cooled it to room temperature, ready to be eaten.

1311. Tarte de Rien

There must be a correlation with ugly desserts that are unbelievably scrumptious. If there is anyone whose character makes up for its appearance, it is the notorious tarte de rien. Tarte de rien literally translates into Tart of nothing, not only because of its looks, but because it takes almost nothing to make it.

1310. Palestinian Breakfast Tomatoes

This fried tomato for breakfast is a Palestinian on an Iraqi staple. I make my Iraqi version using only butter and salt with the tomato. This version is almost just as simple, but features gutsy and pungent Palestinian flavors: olive oil, garlic, and green chili.

1309. Rustic Mutabbal

One of the many reasons food of the Levant is my absolute favorite is their amazing use of fresh, vibrant vegetables. Mutabbal is not new to MCW, but this is a rustic twist on it, using unpeeled aubergines hacked up and roasted.

1308. Iraqi Orange Cake

I have literally been making this Iraqi orange cake for decades. It has such a distinctive flavor and texture, soft, yet almost like a pound cake. It is a very well know Iraqi contribution to any afternoon tea, or asrooniya (عصرونية), and despite its humble appearance, it proudly contributes to even the fanciest of food tables.

1307. Buffalo Chicken Warm Sandwiches

A well-made warm sandwich is one of life's comforts. This buffalo chicken version uses a few shortcuts, and is good to keep in mind before you go on a grocery run. The list might go something like this: rotisserie chicken, ranch dressing, cheddar, and bread rolls. All other items are fairly standard pantry inhabitors.

1306. Wholewheat Jam Pockets

Sometimes we seek the plain, simply because plain is timeless and comforting. These whole wheat jam pockets can be made using entirely one type of jam, or more than one, as I did. The crust is a healthy mix of whole wheat flour and oats.

1305. Green ChilIi Cheddar Artisan Bread

Emphasizing the customizability of the trusty crusty artisan bread comes this spicy cheesy hot green chilli version. Green chilli peppers come in a variety of shapes and spice levels. Here we are opting for the larger and milder ones, but go a bit smaller and spicier if you can handle it.

1304. {Air Fryer} Um Ali

It is no secret by now that stale croissants make for amazing Um Ali. Simplifying it further, I took out my handy clay pot and air fryer for the ultimate smaller-portion, quick-fix Um Ali. The architecture of the air fryer ensures an out-of-this-world crispy surface and a perfectly soft interior.

1303. Chicken Carrot Stew

To my delight, this stew turned out better than my initial aspirations for it. It had a depth and complexity I did not anticipate. The stew has a sourness that is mellowed out by the sweetness of the prunes and carrots. Add a dash of saffron, and you're golden.

1302. Rich Chocolate Pudding

The word "rich" just had to be included in the title, because with chocolate, egg yolks, and cream, this is indeed a rich chocolate pudding. So rich, in fact, that it absolutely must be served in espresso cups because that's all the amount you can have in a single seating.

1301. Chicken Crust Pizza

Naturally gluten free and completely unconventional, this pizza uses a spiced minced chicken mixture as a crust. It was not my favorite type of pizza (bread is an essential part of the pizza for me), but it delivers the pizza flavor for those particular about a bread crust.

1300. Blueberry Basque Cheesecake

An instant hit, this cheesecake is a fruity take on the Spanish San Sebastian of yester-fad. The base is actually thinly rolled puff pastry, and every imperfection is strived for here. The cake is supposed to be brown; it is supposed to be cracked, the ink from the berries is supposed to leak, the crust is supposed to be shaggy, the cake is supposed to taste great.

1299. Fresh Zaatar Haloomi Bread

Doubling as an afternoon bite or a hearty breakfast, this is a must-make recipe that freezes really well for when you are lucky to come across a batch of fresh zaatar. Another added bonus to this recipe is that you literally but all the ingredients together in a bowl and knead.

1298. Clay Pot Eggs

This is your weekend breakfast, sorted. The clay pot in this equation is actually optional, but it is an indicator as to the simple origins of this egg dish. A simple saute of tomato, green pepper, and onion is fried up. Eggs are cracked in and scrambled. The lot is then topped with glass jar spread cheese.

1297. Ferrero Rocher Trifle

The world can't seem to get enough of the hazelnut fix in all its forms. This is a trifle maximizing on all things hazelnut. There is a biscuit-roasted hazelnut crumb, a hazelnut paste mousse, followed by a chocolate hazelnut mousse, all dotted by crumbed ferrero rocher hazelnut chocolates.

1296. Tuna Baguette Sandwich

This is my favorite way to eat a tuna sandwich. It might not look like much, but some of the best things in life might not meet the artificial beauty scale of nowadays. It is quite simple, starting with a can of brined tuna, but the combination makes for a staple recipe.

1295. Marzipan Apple Pie

Adding marzipan to a classic apple pie is a nutty and floral twist not to be missed. The apple mixture is macerated in cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar, where upon its resulting juices are collected, cooked down, and re-immersed.

1294. Savoury Zaatar Cookie Rings

This is a traditional Palestinian savoury zaatar cookie, falling under the generic term "kaak". If you are lucky to have easy access to fresh zaatar, go ahead and use it here. Otherwise, the dried zaatar mix works just as well.

1293. White Chicken Lasagne

Everyone knows and loves the classic minced meat and tomato sauce lasagne. This while sauce chicken version incorporates mushroom for an equally delicious and loved take on the famous dish.

1292. Psyllium Seed Bread

I am usually adverse to recipes calling for unique or out-of-the-way ingredients that will likely be used once and then forgotten. An exception was made here, firstly because of the virtuousness and health benefits of psyllium husk, and secondly because this health bread is so good I plan to make it a staple made on repeat to always be available in the freezer, sliced and ready to go.

1291. Sugar Cream Pie

Another pie request from little humans, this time for a "milk pie". The fact that milk got swapped out from cream and sugar was close enough to the initial request, and generated no objections from young nor old.