Ramadan - what's for Iftar??

[Countessa]

The last thread got lost in the crash

Goddess.....could you please post your recipe for goulash again?? (I'm beginning to think I'm fated never to make it!!).

I can't remember what I've had for Iftar the past few days. Although I do remember that we had some unexpected guests yesterday - cue lots of panic at 3pm as I started rushing round making juices, defrosting chicken, meat etc etc.....talk about women on the edge of a nervous breakdown!!!!

[PRchick]

Aren't you glad you got that microwave now?

[Countessa]

Absolutely!! At least I was able to defrost things quickly - before, I won't have had a hope in hell!!!!!

[BBLUX]

Ah, but if you had been in hell the heat would have helped the defrosting

[Countessa]

Ah, but if you had been in hell the heat would have helped the defrosting

touche!!

I made a rather delicious bechamel (if I do say so myself), so today I'm going to heat that up with some soup and make a salad. Only thing is, the children love it so much that they've had second & third portions for lunch and now there's only a measly square left Luckily, there's still some okra in tomato sauce & rice in the fridge!

[PRchick]

You woud have been phoning KFC for take out. :lol::lol:

[Countessa]

I like your way of thinking PRC!!!

Iftars are coming back to me - I had one day off last week when my husband was out with his company. The children had been fed, so it was just me, myself and I. I plated up my food (rice & peas for anyone who's remotely interested!) and a bowl of soup. The children also wanted some soup, so I dished them up some too.

Sitting down to eat, my son said, "Mummy, your rice smells delicious", so I said, "But you said you didn't want any" (I know, what a bad mother am I that I argue with my son about food!! - it's mine!!!). I then relented (a bit) and said, "Okay, once you finish your soup, I'll bring you some rice" (delaying tactics so I could gobble mine down). He then came back with, "My soup's too hot, so can I have the rice now".....I ended up handing over half my Iftar (grudgingly!!)

[dab19]

...What's For Iftar?".....

That's not somebody lampooning a hooray henry asking about puddings is it????


(Sorry folks, just couldn't resist it!!...No offence meant!!)

[Goddess]

Yum Yum! Rice and peas!

Goulash (Again!)

Make stock (maggi beef will do if you're lazy unlike me!) You'll need about a litre just under.

Fry onion, garlic in whatever for a while add the mince and fry until cooked.

Get a roasting tin - lather in oil, butter or samna. Layer in either half or a third of the filo depending on if you want one or two layers of meat. Ladle stock over the filo until its wet but not floating! Add layer of mince Then another layer of filo and ladle stock over again. If this is the final layer Put a few more sheets of filo on top and brush with samna or butter.

Bake in oven, about 200 degrees for half an hour. The top should be golden when it's done but not burnt to a cinder - it may need more than half an hour but I'm not sure since the thermostat on my oven is a bit dodgy! You won't need all the stock - but best to have too much than not enough.


And while I'm at it - here's the stuffed potato recipe that I forgot to include last time!

Allow one potato per person - about baking potato size. Cut off a bit of the bottom so it stands up straight. Then cut the top off too and hollow out. If you have a steamer - it's best to steam them, not boil them as they just need gentle cooking. Steam for about 6 or 7 minutes. (Or boil for 5 mins)

Fry onion, garlic, add mince meat fry until cooked. Add fresh herbs (coriander and parsley if you like them - or add some finely chopped tomato) add a small spoon of tomato paste to bind it all together a bit. Stuff potatoes and then invert onto an oiled baking sheet so the open end is face down. Drizzle a bit of oil on the tops and then cook in a hot oven for about 20 mins.

You can also do the same recipe - but place them lying on their sides in the oven and cover them with a blanket of tomato sauce.

[PRchick]

I like your way of thinking PRC!!!

Hey, I'm a veteran of coming home from work, having a child tell me we're supposed to be at such and such place in a hour with a covered dish. Solution: run down the hill to the grocery deli, buy some kind of vegetable salad or desert, return home, put it in one of your covered dishes, heat as necessary, take it to the event and pass it off as yours. Problem solved.

[FABlux]

Oooh Goddess those sound good
Silly question tomato paste, can you get it in tubes in Luxor or does it come in jars/tins?

[Goddess]

Tomato paste comes in either small sachets, small tiny cartons or as a jar. If you buy the jar but don't expect to use it to often - give the jar a shake and pour oil on top to stop it from growing mould in the back of the fridge!

[FABlux]

Thank you, I think I'll stick to the tiny cartons. I suppose I could freeze down part of the jar as ice cubes hrmm

[Countessa]

After too many mouldy jars to mention, I now buy the sachets - much better!!!

[PRchick]

Well getting close to the end of Ramadan. Is Iftar becoming mundane now? Isn't there an eid at the end? What do you cook special for that?

[Countessa]

We did the KFC thing today - there's no way I was getting up at 6.30am then coming home to make a start in the kitchen!!!

Tomorrow I've got the outlaws coming for Iftar and I haven't a clue what to make (it is beginning to feel like same old same old).

The best thing about Eid (apart from being able to drink coffee in the morning!) is that the kitchen is officially closed in our house for at least 3 days!!

[PRchick]

How do you eat then?

[BBLUX]

Don't be silly PR....they just go round visiting all the relatives

[Countessa]

Well, first day of Eid we generally gather at mil's and all have lunch together there - generally it's fish bought ready made from a local restaurant. Second day we all go out for lunch together then tend to spend the rest of the day and into the evening at somewhere like Habiba. We spend the third day quietly at home and order in takeaways

This year it'll be slightly different as we're planning on going away for a few days from the second day of Eid.....our late 'summer' holiday!

[Countessa]

Don't be silly PR....they just go round visiting all the relatives

Exactly, Barry - as I was typing up my confabulated reply, you just hit the nail on the head!!!!