A Creative Forum of Recipes, Life and Family

Camel Milk Peppery Panna Cotta 

Ingredients

This panna cotta has a beautiful aroma, is delicate on the palate and is strangely light.

1000 ml of thickened cream

150grams of icing sugar

300ml of milk

1 pinch of salt

10grams of freshly ground pepper

1 vanilla bean / pod

6 sheets of gelatin,

30gr of lemon zest

Method

In a heavy bottomed pan add 800ml of thickened cream, the pepper, the vanilla bean sliced in half at length and the lemon zest that you have peeled off the lemon trying to avoid has much white as possible. Simmer until it has reduced by about a centimeter and lower the heat, in a small pot, warm the milk and then pour it over the gelatin, leave to soften. Whisk the icing sugar and the remaining cream to form soft peaks, add the gelatin and the milk to the mix on the stove and then fold in the whisked cream, strain with a sieve and remove all the beans from the vanilla and discard the rest. Pour into moulds and let sit for at least 3 hours.

Savory Rosemary and Saffron Pancakes…………………

 Ingredients for 4 pax

 230gr whole-meal flour

120gr of gluten free flour

500ml of soya milk

5gr of rosemary fresh chopped finely

A few strands of Saffron soaked in the soya milk

3 tsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

 Method

Sieve the flours, salt and pepper into a bowl. Add the rosemary and gradually whisk in the saffron soya milk to make a smooth batter. Add the oil. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Using a small ladle Drop the desired amount of mixture into a frying pan containing hot oil, When one side is cooked, flip over and cook the other side.

Remove from pan and place on absorbent paper to rid of any excess oil

Grilled Mushrooms

Ingredients

200gr button mushrooms

200gr Portobello mushrooms

1 clove of garlic sliced thinly

30ml of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 Method

Slice the Portobello, quarter the button mushrooms, season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, toss with the garlic, let marinate for 1 hour. Place on a roasting tray and roast for 7 to 8 minutes in a moderate oven 170degrees Celsius

 Sweet Pepper Marmalade

Ingredients

40ml of olive oil or 20gr of vegan margarine                                                                                                                                                     

2 red peppers sliced thinly

2 green peppers sliced thinly

2 yellow peppers sliced thinly                                                                                                                                                                                

50gr of white onion diced small

2 garlic cloves, crushed                                                                                                                                                                                              

20gr of brown sugar

2gr of red chili

5gr of fresh Basil

5gr of fresh coriander

10gr of tomato puree

150ml of orange juice

salt & pepper

Method;

Place a large frying pan on the heat and once hot, Sautee the onion with the garlic until fragrant, add the bell peppers and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes, add the chili, brown sugar and tomato puree and cook for a further one to two minutes, add the fresh herbs, season with salt and pepper, add the juice and simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the heat off and let cool for a few minutes, place ½ of the pepper jam in a blender and pulse for a few instances or until smooth, remove from the blender and fold into the remaining chunky peppers.

Serve by placing a pancake on a plate, top with some roasted mushrooms and pepper jam, place another pancake on top and repeat step…stack as high as you wish.

 Buon Appetito

Cold Salad Buffet… fit for a King

A few months ago, after a torrid time in our Gard-Manger / Cold Kitchen a ray of sunshine finally broke through the darkest of clouds to enlighten our Culinary Voyage.

Nishantha with a surname that resembles the alphabet more than a surname in it’s self changed our way of presenting, delivering and most of all appreciating the raw not only in the quality of food but talent. His appreciation for knife handling and sculpting has some how carved a new decisive crater on our buffet. The elegance drawn from the majestic skins of fruit, chili and herbs engulf the eye before the eye moves on to something else….it mesomorizes you……

Delicate flavours are well balanced with the acidity of vinegars, rich extra virgin olive oil and Citrus, whilst the herbs give that pungent but at the same time sweetness that explodes in our mouth at every mouthfull

Daily creations on our Jigsaw Buffet………………………

Avocado, Roasted Peach and Peppery tomato soup

Ingredients for 4 pax

2 avocado – peeled, pitted and diced

5ml of lemon juice

5ml of lime juice

1 pinch of brown sugar

2 ripe peaches- washed, peeled and stoned

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

3 tablespoon olive oil

2 tomatoes cut in half

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup low fat cream

Salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste 

Puree the avocado and the juices in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sautee chopped shallots in olive oil until tender but not brown; set aside to cool. Season the peaches with salt and pepper and place on a roasting tray, do the same with the tomatoes, drizzle with the brown sugar and bake for about 7 minutes in a moderate oven, bring the chicken stock and cream to a gentle simmer and turn off the heat. Let cool down completely. Remove the tomatoes and peaches from the oven let cool down and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together avocado with the creamy stock, the peaches and tomato puree and shallots until smooth. Stir in salt, pepper and adjust seasonings to taste. Chill for at least half an hour before serving. Garnish with roasted almonds and extra virgin olive oil

 What makes a good summer soup!!! It is all about the ingredients and how ripe they are, you could not possibly enjoy this soup unless the sweetness from the peaches, the mild acidity from the tomatoes, the sharpness of the fresh squeezed lemon and lime married well with the fragrant taste of avocado.

Welcome To Dubai during the Holy Month of Ramadan

Welcome to a celebration of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. this celebration is observed by more than one billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time for spiritual purification achieved through fasting, self-sacrifice and prayers. I am of Christian Belief and through the Holy Month of  Ramadan I fast like all muslims, it is a tradition that I started a number of years ago to show solidaraty to a group of wonderful chefs that were working under my leadership.

Celebrated during the ninth month of Islamic calendar, the fast is observed each day from sunrise to sunset. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five Pillars of Islam. The Islamic belief that requires that Muslims perform five central duties in order to strengthen their faith. While Islam has two major sects, the Sunnis and the Shiites, all Muslims aim to realize these five pillars in their lifetime.

Ramadan concludes with a 3-day festival known as “Eid” or “Eid ul-Fitr,” which literally means “the feast of the breaking/to break the fast.” The holiday marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and is a culmination of the month-long struggle towards a higher spiritual state.

Many Hotels lavishly adorn their Buffet with gifts from the land, dress tables with Brass Ornaments, Young and Old Chefs alike that are fasting rejoice through the gift of giving (serving ) the multitude of guests that greet you with their wonderful smiles as their time of sacrifice for the day will soon pass, their thirst will be quenched, the hunger will vanish upon the first date being the morsel of reward…………..

Ramadan at Movenpick Hotel Deira will be Celebrated from Sun Down to 9.00pm everyday

Our Menu will Feature

Ramadan Juices

Jalab, Kamarudine, Karkaday, Date Juice, Areek Sous, laban

ARABIC SWEETS, FRUITS AND DATES

Katayyef Walnut, Wardat Bel Kushtah, Namorah, MadloukaUm Ali (hot), Assorted international tarts and French pastry, Fresh cut fruitsDates, dried fruits

ARABIC AND CONTINENTAL SALADS, PICKLES AND CHEESE

Hummus, Mutabel, Tabouleh, Fattoush, Babaghanouj, Mixed Pickles, Cucumber with Yogurt, Vine Leaves, Mohammara, Shankleesh, Okra salad, Malfouf Salad
Beetroot, Labneh, Olives Salad, Rocca and Zatar Salad, Arabic Cheese, Mix Green Leaves, Greek Salad, Tomato Mozzarella, Seafood Salad

HOT MEZZEH

Kebbah, Sambousek, Spinach Fatayer, Grilled chicken wings with lemon and garlic

 SOUPS

Lentil soup, Cream of Tomato

LIVE COOKING

Mixed Grill

Shish Kabob

Iranian Kabobs

Lamb Kofta

Shish Taouk

ROTISSERIE / SHAWARMA

chicken shawarmah

with an array of condiments

MAIN COURSE

Dajaj Mograbia, Makloubeh Bel Lahm, Prawns Majbouse, Shish Burak (N), Potato Harrah (V), Butter Chicken Nan

 Ouzi Lamb Ouzi, Arabic Rice

Breads

 kaboos breads Indian hot breads, Saj

KIDS CORNER,

pasta, chicken, fish,

Thai Yellow Curry…………. (Gaeng Karee Gai)

 Ingredients

 400gr of chicken breast – thinly sliced

400ml thick coconut cream unsweetened

100ml light coconut milk

1 teaspoons yellow curry powder

60g yellow curry paste

2 medium potatoes – peeled and cut into small cubes and boiled in water for 5 minutes (or other vegetables such as sweet potato, taro root or pumpkin)

15gr palm sugar

30ml soy sauce

 Cucumber Salad

       60ml sugar syrup

       30ml white vinegar

       60gr cucumber, thinly sliced

       20g ground, roasted peanuts

       1 ½  shallots – thinly sliced

       1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves – chopped

       A few slices of big, red chilli

Preparation

1. Put the thick coconut milk into a pot and fry for 3-5 minutes. Stirring continuously, until the coconut oil begins to separate. Then add the yellow curry paste and the yellow curry powder and fry for 1-2 minutes.
2. Once the paste is cooked, add the chicken and potato and cook until the outside of the chicken turns white. Then add the thin coconut milk and bring to the boil. Add the palm sugar along the side of the pot until it melts and then add the soy sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the chicken and potato are cooked.
3. Mix the ingredients for the sauce together and serve with the yellow curry.

Thai Red Curry with Chicken & Pumpkin…………………

(Kaeng Phet Gai Sai Fak Tong)

 Ingredients

       50gr red curry paste

       4000ml of coconut milk

       300gr boneless chicken thigh in small pieces (about 3 x 4cm)

       200gr of pumpkin pieces (about 2.5 x 2.5 cm)

       1/2 cup lightly packed fresh sweet basil or 4 kaffir lime leaves

Preparation

Bring coconut milk to a boil in a pot over high heat, stirring frequently. Just before boiling add the curry paste and stir to blend. Once blended in, add the chicken and pumpkin. Boil until chicken and pumpkin is cooked through, less than 10 minutes. Check the pumpkin by piercing with a sharp knife – it should still be bright orange and retain some firmness (al dente) as it will continue to cook once the heat is turned off. When cooked add the sweet basil leaves or kaffir lime leaves, stir in to mix and then immediately remove from the heat. Season with fish sauce if desired (but not normally needed) – it is even better the second day when the pumpkin has absorbed some of the curry spices.

Thai Green Curry with Beef……………………..

 Ingredients

       400gr of beef (not fatty)

       40ml cooking oil (corn, safflower or peanut oil)

       40gr tbsp green curry paste

       350ml of coconut milk

       100 grams grated fresh coconut

       4 Kaffir lime leaves, torn

       5 small fresh Thai Eggplants, quartered

       2 fresh red chilies, sliced diagonally

       5ml fish sauce

       5gr palm sugar

      Sweet Basil Leaves and red chili slices for garnish

Preparation

1. Slice the beef into pieces, about (2.5 x 2 cm) thick.
2. Sautee the green curry paste in oil over medium heat in a wok or Sautee pan until fragrant, reduce the heat, gradually add the coconut milk a little at a time, stir until a film of green oil surfaces.
3. Add the beef and kaffir lime leaves continue cooking for 3 minutes until fragrant and the beef is cooked through. Transfer to a large pot, place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Add the remaining coconut milk, season with palm sugar and fish sauce. When the mixture returns to a boil add the eggplants. Cook until the eggplants are done, sprinkle sweet basil leaves and red chilies over, turn off the heat.
4. Arrange in a serving bowl and garnish with sweet basil leaves and red chilies before serving.