Baghrir Pancakes with Honey Mascarpone

Our summer has finally come to an end. It's been long and eventful. Filled with lots of travel, family visits, celebrations. And work too amongst all the play. We celebrated Ramadhan, then Eid. A few birthdays were dotted along the way- it seems like July is a popular month for birthdays, no? We ate a lot of this.

We visited the beautiful city of Cape Town. One of the most amazing holidays I've had. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed the different shades of blue, turquoise, emerald and green I saw in Cape Town. That's when I realised how much I missed raw nature, the countryside, seafood, the mountains and rain. Yes, rain. And fog. And that light! Cape town has amazing light. And beautiful sunsets.  

And the best part of the summer holidays- long and leisurely breakfasts. We had eggs every way possible- baked, fried. But not poached. That's just not up my alley. Or Maryam's. Or Hassan's for that matter. In fact, eggs are not up his alley at all. Yet. I'm hoping that will change though. 

But what we all did agree on and always have is, pancakes. They're usually the Saturday pancake kind. Standard batter but different toppings. Maple syrup for me, honey for the kids, Nutella for everyone. Oh, and additional sprinkles for the kids. Sometimes, we add fruit and nuts too. 

These are a slight variation though, semolina pancakes. I first had these in Morocco- everyday for breakfast at El Fenn. I was smitten, still am actually. Even the name, baghrir, meaning one thousand holes that appear on the surface whilst cooking, is beautiful. Agree?

They smothered theirs in honey butter at El Fenn. I decided to fill mine with honey sweetened mascarpone instead. We were celebrating Eid actually so its seemed only appropriate. They went down well, really well actually. Although the kids would have preferred to have their topped with sprinkles. 

Our Eid celebrations were topped off with my mom's smoked kofta biryani and gulab jamuns. You can find the recipe on the Tesco blog who commissioned these recipes. 

Indian Roast Chicken and Smoked Kofta Biryani

My very first post on this blog was a beef stew. A very muddled and brown looking concoction that graces our table at least once a week. A curry that I can cook with my eyes closed and my brain off, a recipe that doesn't really follow exact measurements. One that is based on taste as opposed to numbers.

Since then, I have published numerous recipes on this site. Many new, some old. Numerous experimental ones, some that were mistakes that turned out glorious. But definitely not enough heirloom recipes. You know those ones that you eat day in day out and don't even consider a recipe. Those meals that you learnt from your mom who learnt it from hers who learnt it from hers. The one that you teach your child just before they head out to university. The recipe that no one at home requests purely because it's such a staple. 

Today I'm sharing two such recipes. My mom makes this biryani recipe often. It's a Sunday tradition, an Eid tradition, a welcome back home tradition, a celebration tradition. A special occasion tradition that we like to have once a week even when there is nothing in particular to celebrate. Whilst the recipe is the same whether she cooks it with lamb or chicken, this smoke kofta version is my favourite. Smoked anything is a favourite of mine really.  

Then there is the roast chicken. Everyone's family has a roast chicken recipe. Everyone's mom makes the best roast chicken. Well, mine never did. We never really had a roast chicken for dinner. Ever. But that doesn't mean I can't start that tradition with my own little family. This recipe is definitely a keeper and one I hope will evolve into an heirloom recipe. It is requested often and I have a feeling it will be one of the first recipes I lovingly hand down to my own children when they head off to greener pastures. 

Other images are recipes for Pea, Potato and Egg Bake and Smoked Fish Skewers with Coconut Rice. 

Rib Eye Steaks with Zaatar Butter

If you asked me what my weekend looked like 10 years ago, even seven, I'd describe it like this. A few days in advance, I would scour the internet and newspapers trying to decide which restaurant to make a reservation at. There were many rules- it had to be one we hadn't visited before, it needed good reviews, somewhere close to a tube station, somewhere that served good honest food. That was all- we didn't ask for much!

I'd get home from work early and have a long hot bath (read bath- not shower), put on my fancy date clothes, spend time doing my make up, the works. Me and Akber would walk hand in hand to the tube station, him holding an umbrella over my head (it ALWAYS rained in London), me clutching a tiny purse under my arm. 

We would talk hours on end, about our day, our work, our bosses, our life ahead. We would spend time looking through the menu, our fingers stopping to read each course. We ALWAYS ordered dessert, always. That was a given. Sometimes, we would just walk on the streets and casually walk into a coffee shop for a quick crepe, an ice cream, just coffee. People watch until closing time.

Our weekends are quite a bit different now, not that I would have it any other way. Sometimes weekdays merge into weekends and I don't even realise what day it is. Except I find that my two kids tend to wake up earlier on a weekend. They just know somehow, you agree? The day is spent in and out of high chairs as we go from one meal to another. In between, I find myself cooking the next course. 

Meals are quick, messy, loud. There are normally four people all trying to have a different conversation but at the same time. Eventually me and Akber give up and then we watch, and listen, as Maryam and Hassan talk, scream, eat, make a mess, enjoy.

The rest of the day is spent ferrying the children to different playdates, parks and birthdays. I usually grab the first outfit in my cupboard, there is no time for make up and my clutch bag has now been replaced by a larger contraption. One that houses a house literally. Trust me when I say I have EVERYTHING in my bag. It's just a question of finding it. 

We still walk hand in hand though. Except I hold Maryam's and Akber Hassan's. Eating out is a chaotic affair. We usually know exactly what we want to order and don't even require a menu. The staff generally know us, pretty well too. But like in the past, dessert is a must. Some things just never change. 

As you can tell, life has changed dramatically. and you know what, I love it. I do love this new life of mine, my family, the busyness, the chaos, the noise. All of it. But every once in a while, I crave some alone time with Akber, a date night if you like. On those rare and special nights, the kids are in bed early and most of the time, we would book a fancy restaurant. Occasionally though, I cook for us at home and it's usually like this. A quick juicy steak with mashed potatoes or fries, a little green on the side and a little something to jazz up the steak.

Usually it's a creamy pepper sauce or a peri peri style one. This time, I opted for a zaatar butter. Laced with honey, it goes perfectly with the sharpness of the sumac and fresh herbs. A beautiful meal eaten with a beautiful person. 

Tell me, what special meals do you cook when dining alone with your other half?

Rib Eye Steaks with Zaatar Butter

Spicy Peanut Prawns and Garlic Noodles

One of my most favourite things to do on a weekday morning when I have no work scheduled, when the kids are in school, when I have that precious few hours to myself is to lay out all my food magazines, cookbooks and recipe cards around me. Last week was definitely one of those weeks. 

As I was flicking through glossy page after page, bouncing from cover to cover, I came across Food, Love and Life from Dalia's Kitchen. A dear friend's cookbook, a friend I text when I'm worried about that rash that Hassan has, one that I consult about work with, one that I share exciting news with. A cookbook that I had the immense pleasure of of photographing. Such fun it was.

I still can't believe it was nearly 18 months ago we worked together on this. We both always gauge time according to when we shot the cookbook. When our babies were 9 and 12 months. They're now two  and two and a half. That's how time has flown. Two birthdays have gone by since that time. And Dalia has had a beautiful baby girl since then. 

One of the best parts of shooting the book was Dalia introducing me to so many foods I had never eaten. Through this cookbook, I ate in Germany, Italy, USA, Lebanon, France and so many other places. All from the comfort of Dalia's home in Dubai. Not many people know but I'm quite a picky eater, so many foods I haven't yet tried. It was through Dalia's book that I got to try so many new ingredients and meals. 

She also introduced me to classics such as banoffee pie, panna cotta, lemon meringue tart, pizza bianca and Umm Ali- all with her own twist though, of course. Muffins that are healthy, savoury cakes - oh yes, there is such a thing. And those salad dressings. Possibly my favourite section of the book? It's hard to decide. 

But today I want to share her recipe for Spicy Peanut Prawns with Garlic Noodles. It's everything I look for in a meal- ease and simplicity, sweet and sour, crunch and spice. And more. Most importantly, it's a family everyone in my family adores. I usually cut back on the chilies just a little when serving it for the children but I highly recommend keeping if serving to adults only. It's definitely a meal to serve when entertaining, when sharing, with friends and loved ones. 

Coconut French Toast

Breakfast hasn't always been my favourite part of the day. I've told you that before right? Well, it is now, especially on a weekday. Whilst the day starts early and hurriedly for me, breakfast comes after the kids are in school. They're comfortable and laid-back. Almost lazy. 

It's the time I look forward to leisurely talks with Akber, my favourite way to spend time together. It's our time to reflect on the day before, make plans for the day to come, be together. Talk work, talk without being interrupted, actually finish a sentence. You're nodding your head in agreement, yes?

The only quiet time where Maryam isn't telling me step by step instructions on how create the perfect crown to wear to her birthday party this Thursday. Or Hassan trying to eat what he calls Mummy's 'um um'- i.e. Mummy's breakfast. He seems to have a habit of eating multiple breakfasts. One on his own, one with mummy, one with papa and one with the nanny. 

Breakfast is when I get time to linger around the table, make feasts, have a moment to catch up on my favourite reads. It's also when I can make something for myself, without having to worry about who doesn't eat what and who will moan about what. Usually something sweet for me and eggs for him. 

When I say sweet, it could be just a muffin or perhaps a smoothie. Maybe even pancakes. For today, it was these coconut French toasts. I urge you to make them. So leisurely, so decadent. 

Banoffee Eton Mess

This is a bit of a spontaneous post. Following on from a spontaneous dessert. One that involved making a mess. Literally. But also entailed some cleaning up as well. A bit of a clean up your fridge dessert if you will.

I happened to have a lot of leftover shoot ingredients these days. Cream and meringues this time (I'm not complaining though). And that's the story of how this dulce de leche eton mess came about. A bit of Latin and British all in a days work- didn't I tell you I like combining cultures on a single plate?

Adapt this recipe to suit your own tastes. Depending on how sweet your meringues are, or your palate, you may or may not want to increase the amount of dulce de leche. Same goes for any of the other ingredients really. I had mine with extra digestives, Maryam with extra bananas and Hassan skipped everything but the dulce de leche.

I still have an abundance of meringues so expect more recipes using these puffs of goodness soon.

Pea, Potato and Carrot Samosas and Asian Steak Tacos

Anyone who knows me knows I love to entertain. For me, there's no better feeling then inviting friends and family into our home, our table, our way of eating. The look of satiated bellies, full hearts and satisfied smiles makes all that time in the kitchen absolutely worthwhile.

Our menus and tables are always eclectic. And unexpected. But always relaxed. My absolute favourite way of entertaining has to be a mix of canapés. A bit of this and a bit of that. Small and light enough that you can taste a bit of everything. Yet filling enough that you won't miss having a mains. That then makes more room for dessert, yes?

I actually make a lot of these canapés in bulk and then freeze them. They can then be cooked just before serving which means I can spend more time with the people I love rather then being in the kitchen.

Oh, and I have no qualms about mixing cuisines all in a night's work. After all, it's not every night you'll be eating an Indian samosa, an Asian taco, an English sausage. So today I'm sharing a couple of my favourite canapé recipes. My mom's samosa, which makes it all the more special to me- spiced potato, pea and carrot with mint and coriander laced through. I'm thinking sweet potato would work equally well.

Then there's the crispy rice balls with Thai peri peri prawns. Somewhat inspired by the rice balls in my friend Dalia's cookbook. Whilst I won't be sharing that recipe today, I will leave you with the recipe for Asian steak tacos. Served as minis and held together with tiny pegs, they never fail to impress. With bites of sweet, tangy, crispy and spicy. Just like a firecracker in your mouth. And minis always taste better anyways, right?

What are your favourite canapés to serve when entertaining?