ZEE's RECIPE: Fatet Beithenjan // Yoghurt, Fried bread and Aubergine

If you're looking for a quick recipe to whip up that will impress your guests and taste absolutely delicious, I've got just the one! 

Below is my mum's version of Fatet Beithenjan - a Palestinian dish that has proven to be an ultimate success at every dinner party, lunch, 3azeemeh I have ever been to. 

My mum enjoys preparing this dish during Ramadan because it is a time to get creative in the kitchen, and to spoil us with yummy food without feeling to guilty about the calories. Thank you Mum, for all your hard work, love and absolutely delightful cooking! :) 

Disclaimer: this is really a recipe for occasions because it can be heavy. We usually try to make it healthier by grilling the eggplants, or toasting the bread instead of deep frying it. 

I hope you try it out and enjoy the richness of the flavors :)

Fatet Beithenjan! 

Method:

Eggplants:

4 medium/large eggplants 

Peel the eggplants and slice them into medium slices. Fry the slices in oil on both sides, then drain them and put them in a  pot. Season the eggplan with some salt and pepper to taste. Allow them to boil for 15 minutes and then add 2 tablespoons of pomegranate sweet sour sauce (dibs Ruman). 

Minced Meat Topping:

1 large white onion/ chopped

1/2 kg of minced meat

Fry the onions until tender then add the minced meat. Stir then add cinnamon powder, cumin, pepper and cardamom. Stir until cooked.

Yoghurt Topping:

3 tubs of yoghurt (laban)

4 cloves of garlic 

salt to taste

Put 3 small tubs of yoghurt in a bowl.  Add crushed garlic and salt and mix until fully incorporated.

Bread Base:

Arabic bread (enough to fill bottom of Pyrex dish)

Cut pieces of bread into squares, then fry and drain.

Putting it all together

In a big Pyrex dish place the fried bread to create a bottom later. Layer that with the cooked eggplants, then spread the yoghurt evenly over it. Top it off with the minced meat. 

Garnish with roasted pine seeds and coriander. 

Sahtain! :) 

Leave me a comment if you have tried this recipe or letting me know what other recipes you would like to see. 

Enjoy your day!! 

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BUZZ: Green Juice?

Behind everything beautiful .... there is a lot of green juice and hard work at the gym!

vixi.com

Another one of my go-to smoothies is the "green juice," which has been making headlines in Hollywood, after many celebrities have repeatedly praised its magic!

I, on the other hand, have been a fan of green juice for sometime. My grandmother is big on all-organic food and homeopathy so she was the one who introduced me to it.

Juicing, therefore, is becoming the new trend! It has been proven to boost energy levels, work against aging, reduce inflammations, strengthen the immunity system and can even help you shed a couple of pounds! The best part is, you can be healthy and enjoy a delicious fresh juice!

BEAUTY SECRET: Celebrities like Miranda Kerr and Rosie Huntington-Whitley have admitted to using "Chlorella" supplements to help detox and cleanse their skin, and to improve energy, sleep, hair and nails. 

Chlorella, is an all-natural single-celled green algae which contains lots of healthy nutrients!

I haven't been able to get my hands on these supplements, but if I do, I'll be sure to post a review about it!

The great thing about juicing is that there are endless ways of doing it! You will eventually figure out how to customize the drink to suit you. Make sure you have a good blender or use a juicer!

How I prepare my green juice:

• Handful of baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 an apple
• 1/2 a cucumber 
• Lots of ice 
• Slice of Lemon + Lemon juice 
• One celery stick
• Sliced Peach / Grapes (optional)

This is great for those of you who are on-the-go, or need to figure out a way to eat more greens! I hope you all try it out and let me know what you think:)

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GREECE: Divine Food

Greece is home to many legendary things, from intellectuals, mathematicians, and politicians, to architects and philosophers - the Greeks have achieved it all. To add on to all that glory, the authenticity and richness of Greek cuisine was my favorite part of the trip!  Below are some images of the best food I tried in Greece. I wish I took more pictures of the food, but it seems I was too busy devouring it!

Even if some of the images are not "Greek" food per say, they did it better than anything I tried. Enjoy :)

Chocolate Fondant Heaven! 

Buftaki Burger

Greek Yoghurt, Honey and Walnuts

Honey Glazed Feta Cheese

Pizza!

Greek Sandwich and COFFEE (THE BEST)

Acropolis

Forgot the name of the place but it sold amazing chocolate and coffee!

Ice cream and cake! - this was GIANT SIZED by the way!

How cute and cosy are these coffee shops?

Amazing restaurant for traditional Greek Food in the heart of the city!

Dinner with a view of the Acropolis

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ZEE's RECIPE: Anti-Oxidant Heavenly Smoothie

We've all had our fair share of super busy days. There's no denying that the fast-pace life we live often makes us forget to take care of our selves. Keeping yourself healthy and avoiding the tempation of fast-food is essential. This is why I always turn to my go-to recipe for a quick delicious smoothie that will provide me with a healthy-dose of anti-oxidants, energy I need for the day, and a tingle happiness because it's good for you! 

FACT: Anti-oxidants offer a number of health benefits, and research suggests that they could be possible preventative of diseases. Anti-oxidants are also vital for good skin, hair and nails. The most common vitamins found in anti-oxidants are: A, C and E. 

Foods with large amounts of anti-oxidants:

• Carrots
• Green leafy vegetables like kale, collards and spinach
• Berries, cherries and grapes
• Green tea
• Citrus fruits
• Apples and pears

Anti-oxidants help prevent:

• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Cognitive impairment
• Immune dysfunction
• Cataracts
• Macular degeneration
• Alzheimer's

Recipe: 

- 1 small cup of berries / strawberries/ blackberries/ rasberries/ blueberries

- 3/4 cup of milk

- 1/4 banana

- ice cubes (to taste)

- a tsp of rosewater

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Tabbouleh

*Serves 10

Ingredients:

·      1 cup of fine burghul

·      5 packs of parsley

·      ½ kg of fresh tomatoes

·      1 pack of fresh mint leaves

·      2 large onions

·      1 cup olive oil

·      4 freshly squeezed lemons

·      3 tbsp of salt

·      Pepper to taste

Method:

•      Deep clean the burghul, wash and sieve
•      Add lemon juice to burghul and let it sit
•      Finely mince parsley and mint leaves
•      Clean the parsley and mint and allow to air dry (room temp.)
•      Finely dice the tomato and add it to burghul mixture
•      Finely dice the onion and marinate with salt and black and white pepper
•     Mix all ingredients and add olive oil to complete
•      Lettuce leaves can be used for decoration

Food Fact: Burgul is a natural-weight-loss food - the whiter your Tabouleh is, the healthier! <3

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Potato and Coriander Salad

*serves 3

Ingredients:

·      ½ kg of potato

·      ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

·      1 tsp salt

·      ½ cup of minced coriander

·      4 cloves of garlic

·      ¼ cup olive oil

Method:

• Boil potatoes and peel them
• Dice potatoes into small cubes (option: fry potatoes lightly) Peel garlic and pound it with salt
• Add the lemon juice and olive oil to the garlic, and mix Marinate the potato cubes with the garlic mixture
• Add the minced coriander to the potatoes
• Ready to Serve!

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