Best of MCW 1401-1500

Welcome to the 15th Best Of MCW installment where we have a veritable mish-mash of cuisines, foods, and styles. We travel all over the world form the Levant with those special dressed zaatar maneeshes, to Europe with Italian inspired salads, to Mexico with some tacos and churros. 

1700. Iraqi Indian Pani Puri

I have been passing by the aisle of pani puris my entire life without a second look, until someone recently introduced me to proper pani puris, and I almost immediately invented this Iraqi-Indian fusion. 

1699. Pasta Pizza Skewers

A quick and cute idea merging pasta and pizza, all on a stick. 

1698. Kale Chips

Since I always have a tupperware box full of kale for my daily salad, it is invitable that sometimes I'll have a surplus that requires using up asap. This is the perfect recipe us use up lingering kale, and amuse your bouche while at it. 

1697. Egg Salad Sandwiches

This is one of those recipes that we've been making forever but never thought of sharing/writing because it was deemed too simple. This egg sandwich is a firm favorite that is a go-to in so many situations: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, snack... you name it. 

1696. Baked Blueberry Oats {Airfryer}

This is breakfast meal prep at its finest. One recipe with barely 5 minutes of preparation and 20-25 minutes of baking time suffices for four days of a healthy, nutritious, filling breakfast whether at home or on the go. 

1695. Arabic Salad and Meat Rice Bowl

I can hold an entire conversation on how ancient Arab and European peasant food has now made a comeback as the food of the elite. In the olden days, peasants and farmers would eat the most rustic, local, seasonal, and unprocessed food there was. Refined, processed, and bleached was reserved for the aristocrats and royalty. 

1694. Fried Liver

Liver used to be something I strictly avoided. Of late, it has become a delicacy I enjoy, provided I don't think too hard on what it is. This liver recipe is as simple as it gets: coated in flour and fried. 

1693. Chive Open Faced Sandwiches

Apparently in Germany, Chive Open Faced Sanwiches exist, and they're called Schnittlauchbrot. All you need is fresh bread, soft butter, and chopped chives. Since I had all three, I gave it a go, and it was delicious. 

1692. Raspberry Coulis Mini Pavlova

Pavlova is a firm favorite at MCW. We have rolls and tropical flavors, but nothing comes close to our favorite classic berry pavlova. This version uses the same base recipe, but transforming it to mini portions. Frozen raspberry is transformed to a coulis, cooled and assembled upon serving.

1691. Extraordinary Haloumi Sandwich

If I had the will to make this every morning, I would. For not, this extraordinary halloumi sandwich is reserved as a special weekend breakfast. The recipe makes enough for two very generous portioned sandwiches. 

1690. Dressed Sour Lebna Log

Dairy products in the Arab region that are considered to be typically "country" (versus "city") have a distinctive sour tinge to them. Hence our grocery stores sell "Turkish lebna" which is unctous and not particularly sour, and "Lebna Jarashia" which is a bit drier and more pungent in its sourness. 

1689. Fried Kebab

Nostalgia is evening gatherings with an impromptu dinner. With hundreds of restaurants just a finger's tap away through food delivery apps, we've kind of forgotten the pleasure of going to the kitchen together to fix a "light" dinner, which almost always constitutes of a fried something or another. 

1688. Milk Pudding with Pomegranate Jelly

Looking much fancier than it really is, this elegant fruity milk pudding is easy and cheap to put together. Milk is enriched with the addition of cream, delicately flavored, and thickened into a pudding. The fruit layer is similarly thickened and poured on top of the set milk pudding. 

1687. Pistachio Pesto Pasta

This pistachio pesto recipe is fresh, zingy, creamy and can be serves with much more than just pasta. 

1686. Cheese Stuffed Hashbrown

This cheese stuffed hashbrown potatoes served with gravy are so cozy and must be the ultimate comfort dish. 

1685. Baked Spinach Feta Toast

This egg-feta toast will become a favorite once tried. You can use fresh spinach or frozen, depending on what you have on hand. Apparently, it is a local classic in Bulgaria, and goes by the name of Prinzesi. 

1684. Tuna Salad in Avocado Half

A near instant nutrition dense lunch for fill the tummy and feed the brain. Omega-rich tuna mixed into a luscious concoction sitting on a perfectly ripe avocado. 

1683. Oreo Cheesecake Soft Cookies

Better than expected, these oreo cookies are better than the oreos themselves. 

1682. Zaatar Leaf Buns

These zaatar leaf buns are more like scones than buns. Freshly out of the oven split in half, and smeared in salted butter is the best way to go. 

1681. Simple Lemon Caper Fish Fillet

The sauce is a classic lemon & caper butter and goes well with any fish. 

1680. Lemon Blueberry Bars

These Blueberry Lemon Bars are the epitome of summer- they're bright and citrusy, fruity, tangy and creamy. 

Eid Adha Mubarak 1443

 

1678. Walnut Flour Maamoul

Meet my new favorite maamoul: the walnut flour maamoul. Just in time for Eid. 

1677. Pizza Rolls

This is something the new generation taught me and contributed to MCW. Our little prodigy learned this recipe in the after-school activity and ceremoniously passed on her newly acquired knowledge most efficiently back home. 

1676. Chunky Greek Salad

After chocolate cake, we must have salad. Greek salad with the classic Mediterranean flavors of feta, kalamata, tomato, cucumber, and onion is a dining addition to which you can't go wrong. 

1675. Microwave 7 Minute Chocolate Cake

I've been intending to make a microwave chocolate cake for a while, but wanted to make sure the recipe was just right, with none of that gummy-yet-still-dry texture. Here it is: an eggless, optionally dairy free microwave cake "baked in seven minutes.

1674. Bee Pollen Granola

Bee pollen has a wide range of amazing health benefits. Downside is that it may taste a bit like what I imaging chalk to taste like, so eating it by the spoonful is ruled out. Incorporating it as an ingredients in this granola seems like the perfect solution. Caution: bee pollen loses much of its nutritional value upon heating, so add it to the granola once out of the oven to minimize this loss. 

1673. Flaming Corn Cob

Another trendy recipe, this flaming corn cob gets its name from the spicy chili chips coating it. A thin layer of sour cream and mayonnaise helps the crumbled chips adhere. 

1672. Marshmallow Cornflakes Bars

We love our rice crispy treats here at the MCW household. Perfectly shaped with just the right amount of softness and marshmallow pull, combined with a secret ingredient making it irresistible. But this is a cousin of that beloved beast, totally unique in its own right, and uses only five ingredients. 

1671. Saffron Freekeh Chicken (One Pot)

Incorporating fruits in savory dishes is an element of the most sophisticated Iraqi cooking. This one-pot meat has a flavorful base of freekeh, topped with marinated chicken, and crowned with nuts and apricots which are technically a garnish, but are nonetheless a must-have part of the final dish.

1670. Date Custard Toast (Air Fryer)

Not too long ago, I made a berry custard toast. This is one of those "internet recipes" which trend and blow up on social media. It was very successful, and surprisingly wholesome. Today, we reuse the recipe but swap the raspberries for dates, generating an entirely new flavor profile. 

1669. Pasta Chips (Air Fryer)

I have a beautiful collection of cookbooks that I barely open anymore due to the flood of really good free recipes all over the internet that "happen" to come my way and make me forget my books! This is a trendy recipe, which lived up to its hype.

1668. Herb Chicken Rice Casserole

This was such a comforting and flavorsome dish, and so fragrant, I just knew it would be delicious just from smelling it. Boiling a whole chicken ensures a tender, nutritious, and flavorsome base of the entire dish. The rice is cooked in the reserved chicken broth, and the sauce incorporates it too. 

1667. Strawberry Shortcake

My cute baking date chose strawberry shortcakes for this round, and heart shaped no less. We did enjoy the process, and indeed the result, but frankly I always felt strawberry shortcake was overhyped compared to the actual product, which is somewhat rustic. 

1666. Orzo Pasta Salad

I happily munched on this salad for multiple iftars during Ramadan. It was a refreshing change from cooked meals, and substantial enough to satisfy cravings and hunger simultaneously. 

1665. Filipino Pastil

Mary's sweet farewell gesture was to make us all some traditional Filipino food. Filipino Pastil consists of rice topped with shredded sautéed chicken. It usually served in wrapped banana leaves. 

1664. Summer Cake

I do not know why this cake is called Summer Cake, but that is how it is called in the recipe my cute baking date picked for this round. It was a good choice: so simple but with a surprising elevated flavor profile. 

Eid Al-Fitr Mubarak 1443

 

1662. Semolina Walnut Maamoul

In all honesty, I prefer flour maamoul over semolina ones. Semolina, although traditional, gives me a hard-life vibe because it is so coarse and textured. Flour maamoul on the other hand simply melt in your mouth like a cube of sugar dissolves in a hot cup of tea.

1661. Koshari Rice

Let me start by saying that this is not the traditional Egyptian koshari rice, rather than a version of it. The traditional version includes pasta on top of everything else, which I just don't get because the rice is enough. You do not make koshari by accident. It is a muti-put, multi-ingredient, and time-consuming dish to make. One you taste it though, you will understand why it is worth the trouble a couple times a year. 

1660. Aubergine Kofta Casserole

I made a potato-kofta casserole version a while ago and it was very successful. One of those rare gems them immediately invite themselves into your go-to meal rotations. I got a great suggestion to adapt the recipe to an aubergine kofta casserole, with tomato sauce. I still kept the medley of vegetables to maintain the high nutritional value, just added tomato paste. 

1659. Palestinian Date Stuffed Kaak

The Arab and Muslim nation has so much to offer in terms of traditional Eid and holy days treats. I have shared plenty of Iraqi and other cultural pastries, and this Palestinian kaak is a keeper. 

1658. Lebna Walnut Vineleaves

Syrian food is one of my favorites out there. Lebanese food usually gets all the attention, and sure, there is some overlap between the two, but Syria has so many undiscovered gems, and this is one of them. Vineleaves are stuffed with a tangy concoction of sour lebna, walnut, olives, pomegranate, and other goodfuls, rolled up, and soaked in fruity olive oil.

1657. Mushroom Cottage Pie

Cottage pie, essentially cooked beef mince topped with mashed potatoes and bakes, is an ultimate comfort food. How you flavor the mince is very important. I have a recipe or two of cottage pie and its variations here on MCW. This version uses Worcestershire sauce quite liberally, and is further elevated with the addition of mushroom. 

1656. Date Walnut Cookies

Ripe soft dates and walnuts work their magic once more in this soft cookie recipe, yielding great results in record time. We usually get a surplus of dates for Ramadan, especially with the holy month coinciding with date season.

1655. Kubba Balls

Kubba niya, or raw kubba, can only be made with the freshest meat, and them consumed within an hour or two after making. Eating leftover kubba niya the next day is a bad idea, since it is made of raw meat after all. So this kubba balls idea was born: make balls out of the leftover kubba niya and fry them up. 

1654. Lebanese Spinach Stew

This is a family Lebanese classic lunch made express by using minced meat. Perfectly sour, this stew is very flavorsome and pairs lovingly with some vermicelli rice.

1653. Saffron Baked Custard

This is essentially a creme caramel, but without the burnt sugar and not inverted. It is a saffron-infused custard flan baked in a water bath to yield the most satiny-silky result.

1652. Baked Potato Kofta

The sky is the limit since I discovered excellent quality ready made raw kofta in the supermarket. Not that it is difficult to make, just saves a lot of time chopping and handling. This lemony kofta bake became an instant favorite, and the nostalgia of home-fried potatoes hit hard.