Ya Salam Cooking

Who ever knew making sugar cubes was so easy? If I did I would have been making these years ago. I have always found that serving sugar cubes instead of sugar with coffee or tea is so much more appealing. I have even loved buying cubes that are colored and shaped. Unfortunately sugar cubes are not cheap due to their pure elegance. You can really do so much when you make your own cubes at home. You can add a variety of pure extracts just think how tasty one with lemon extract or rose water would be in tea or cardamom infused for coffee. I bought natural food dye to use for my kitchen endeavors because I have a hard time eating food that I suspect has been dyed with unnatural products.

 

1 cup white sugar

2-3 drops natural food coloring ( I used yellow)

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2-3 teaspoons water

1. Line a cookie sheet with a non-stick baking mat, wax paper or parchment paper, sit aside.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl add sugar, food coloring and vanilla. With a fork mix well until everything is evenly mixed. Add water a small amount at a time until mixture is damp; it should not be too wet.

3. Carefully dump sugar into a pile on cookie sheet. With damp hands form sugar into a rectangle making about 1/2 cm tall. With a sharp knife carefully line up and down making cubes easy to extract later.

4. Place cookie sheet in an unheated oven to store in overnight.

5. The next day take a sharp knife and carefully extract cubes and store in a covered container in a cool place or the refrigerator.

Yields: 2 cups sugar cubes

South of The Border Coffee is a great treat from your everyday regular coffee. I have used cane brown sugar but typically you should use piloncilla. This is also really great with some added whip cream and sprinkle of chocolate on the top. I have always loved the chocolate and cinnamon mixture that you find throughout Mexican recipes, they coordinate perfect.

2 cups strong coffee ( I used French Press coffee)

2 tablespoons cane brown sugar

1/4 cup baking chocolate, chopped

1 small cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan on medium heat add coffee, sugar and chocolate. Continually stir until chocolate has melted.

Add cinnamon, cloves and vanilla, stir well. Reduce heat to low and allow simmering for 5 minutes.

Pour mixture through a sieve and pour into coffee cups.

Yields: 2 cups

Making flour tortillas at home is really simple and all you need is a few basic ingredients. The real Mexican tortillas are made with lard but most people use shortening. I am sure you could use oil if that is all you have but I have never tried it and it’s not authentic. Making tortillas is a lot like making Arabic Pita Bread, it’s actually identical in terms of how you shape but the tortillas are rolled very thin. Letting your dough rest after kneading is mandatory to keep the gluten in check also if you find your dough retracting it’s because you did not allow it to rest or you’re not using enough four on your rolling board. Make sure you use a cast iron skillet (a Southern and Mexican must) when cooking your bread. For storage use a plastic bag, it keeps them soft and bendable. 

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup hot water

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. With your hands cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. If the mixture looks more floury than crumbly, be sure to add just one or two more tablespoons of shortening till it is crumbly. Add about 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture, or just enough to make the ingredients look moist.

2. With your hands knead the dough. In a plastic bowl add the dough into a ball and brush top with oil and cover with a dish towel. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

3. Take the dough, and pull apart into 10-12 balls. Lightly flour your rolling area, and roll each ball with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness.

4. Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

Yields: 1 dozen 

*recipe updated from 3/7/2009

I love the smell of fresh ginger and the taste of is even better. The smell always takes me back to south Asia where you smell ginger everywhere. You always find drinks filled with oranges, lemons, mint and fruits everywhere you go. All of them being fresh and equally exotic. This lemonade has become a favorite in my house even my picky son loves it and with lemons and ginger you can be happy. 

5 cups water, divided

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup grated peeled fresh ginger

1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice (about 7 large lemons)

1. Combine 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool.

2. Strain ginger mixture through a sieve into a pitcher, and discard solids. Add 4 cups water and juices, and stir well. Serve over ice, and garnish with lemon and lime slices, if desired.

We love having big American breakfasts in my house so French toast is something I make quiet often. This version is my favorite because of the buttery croissants. I like to sprinkle powdered sugar all over the top and serve fresh fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice for a complete breakfast.

By the way have you ever wondered if French toast is really from France? I have because although the name implies that it’s a very traditional American breakfast food. I am still not sure if France is where it hails from but it seems that everyone all over the world has a version. You can check it out here.

Also check out a few new post I have talking about my new French Press and spices of Saudi Arabia.

3 croissants, torn into chunks

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1. In a small sauté pan on medium heat add oil, allow to become hot.

2. In a medium sized bowl add eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla, with a hand blender mix well.

3. Add bread chunks into eggs mixture allowing marinating fully, about 20 seconds. Carefully add pieces into hot pan allowing to brown on each side.

4. Place French Toast on a paper towel to drain oil, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with fresh fruit.

Yields: 2 servings