Macaroni Salad

For us, summer begins when the kids are out of school. In the summer, I always think about making some chilled side dishes like macaroni salad and potato salad. So, I asked my husband if he wanted me to make some macaroni salad. He said it sounded good as long as there were no peas in it. I said I would make sure there was no peas in it. Growing up, I remember peas in our macaroni salad. My husband said his Mom made it with peas. I made the dressing up and had him try it. He liked it very much. My goal was to make a creamy macaroni salad with a mild taste. Why mild? I wanted a nice side dish which wouldn't overpower the rest of the meal. If this dish was the main dish, then I would have made more dressing and added a protein. For a side dish, we thought it was pretty good. My husband even ate the leftovers. When he eats the leftovers, it is always a good sign.

Macaroni Salad
1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni salad
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise 
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp celery seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, grated
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the box directions until al dente.
2. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain well.
3. In a  large bowl, toss with olive oil.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, sugar, and celery seed.
5. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
6. Mix in the grated onion, red pepper, and celery.
7. Toss with the pasta to coat well.
8. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Recipe created by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago........................................I made Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce.
Two years ago......................................I made Steak Stir Fry.
Three years ago...................................I made Fruit Crostatas.

Did you already know..........................
-In the 1800s, urban children  attended school in the summer with time off during the spring for planting and fall for harvesting.
-In the 1800s, children of immigrants living in the city would attend school for 11 months so the children could learn English in a safe environment. 
-Less than 10% of students will attend summer school.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Since my husband loves peanut butter, I wanted to make him a peanut butter pie. I figured it really should be topped with miniature peanut butter cups. I will admit this dessert is pretty good. It has a slight tang from the cream cheese. It is creamy from the cool whip. My husband loved it. It is very simple. I highly recommend it especially if you are serving it to someone who loves peanut butter like my husband.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie
1 (8 oz.) container of cream cheese spread, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups creamy Cool Whip topping, thawed
1 (6 oz.) Oreo Pie Crust
1 cup miniature peanut butter cups, quartered
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar together until incorporated.
2. Fold in the Cool Whip topping. Mix until incorporated.
3. Spread the mixture into the pie crust.
4. Top with the peanut butter cups and chocolate chips.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Recipe inspired by Kraft.

One year ago..................................I made Lime Pie.
Two years ago................................I made Cheese Crackers.
Three years ago..............................I made Icebox Dessert.

Did you already know...............................
-It takes over 500 peanuts to make 12 oz. of peanut butter.
-In the U.S., peanut butter must consist of 90% peanuts.
-The fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth is called archibutyrophobia.

Msemmen Moroccan pancakes

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you would know I like pancakes. It was one of the first things I learned to cook well. I love cooking them. Even my husband was naming the different types of pancakes I have made. I have made a lot of different pancakes from yogurt to pineapple. Here are a list of the international pancakes I have made.....
-English pancakes
-German pancakes
-Russian pancakes
and now I've made Moroccan pancakes! I'm taking recommendations for other types of pancakes I should make- just let me know! I will so make them! Can you tell I like pancakes?

Msemmen Moroccan pancakes
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cups warm water
vegetable oil
semolina flour for sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and egg. Mix until combined.
2. Add a little warm water at a time until the mixture forms a ball.
3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. 
4. Brush the dough with a little vegetable oil.
5. Divide the dough into small balls about the size of a ping pong ball.
6. Place the dough onto a place and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
8. On a clean counter, brush the counter lightly with vegetable oil.
9. Press down on the dough and flatten. Roll out the dough gently to form a very thin disk of dough.
10. The dough should be almost transparent. 
11. Sprinkle a little semolina over the dough.
12. Take the upper edge and fold it over to the center.
13. Take the lower edge and fold it over to the center.
14. Fold the right edge to the center.
15. Fold the left edge to the center to create a long rectangle.
16. Sprinkle the dough with a little semolina. 
17. Place the dough onto a plate and cover. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
18. Brush the counter with a little vegetable.
19. Roll out the dough to flatten it. The dough should be three times large thin square.
20. In a large skillet, heat a little vegetable oil over high heat.
21. Reduce the heat over medium high heat. 
22. Cook the msemmen for a few minutes until golden brown.
23. If the dough puffs up while cooking, then flat by pushing down. 
24. Turn the dough and allow the other side to cook until golden brown and thoroughly cooked through. 
25. Place the msemmen onto a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. 
26. Serve with honey, cheese, maple syrup, etc.

Recipe adapted from Cooking with Alia. Check out her site for a great video instructions.

One year ago......................................I made White Chocolate Ice Cream.
Two years ago....................................I made Pizza Quesadilla.
Three years ago..................................I made Macaroni Grill Bread.

Are you done taking my picture, yet?

Did you already know.............................
-The official language of Morocco is Arabic.
-Islam is the religion of the majority of Moroccans.
-In Africa, Morocco is the fifth riches country.

Amlou Dip

Since my children and husband likes to eat dips, I figured I would try this Moroccan recipe. I thought this would taste similar to peanut butter but I was wrong. It is nutty tasting. I will admit this recipe had mixed reviews. My husband ate the majority of it. I only made a small batch since Argan oil is expensive. It does have a unique taste. If you are serving a Moroccan theme dinner, this would be something to try.

Amlou Dip
1/3 cup Almonds, roasted
1.7 oz. Argan oil
1 oz. Honey

Directions:

1. In a food processor, grind the almonds to form a paste.
2. Slowly add the Argan oil to the almond past.
3. Add the honey and combine well.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

One year ago...........................I made Popovers with chive and cheddar.
Two years ago.........................I made BLT with Aioli.
Three years ago......................I made Peanut Butter Florentines.

Did you already know..............................
-Argan oil is made from the kernel of the Argan tree.
-The Argan tree are grown in limited area but is native to Morocco.
-Argan oil can be found in high ended cosmetics since it is good for the hair and skin.

Khobz Moroccan bread

I didn't mean to disappear. The flu knocked me out. There really wasn't even much of a fight. One day I was feeling fine then bam! All I wanted to do was sleep. So, I did. I didn't cook. I hardly ate and I slept. My family didn't complain but just let me sleep. Since I wasn't up to cooking, my husband planned our meals which was snacks. Yes, snacking is my husband's favorite meal. Chips and dips are a meal, right? Well, I am feeling better so I figured I would try making some more Moroccan dishes. The bread alone is pretty plain tasting but it is used to be torn and dip into a side dish. I made little loafs to make it more easier for the kids.

Khobz bread
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1 (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
2 cups bread flour
1 cup semolina flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large cup, combine the warm water with the yeast and the sugar.
3. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes. 
4. In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, semolina flour and salt. 
5. Add a cup of the water mixture to the flour mixture. Mix to combine.
6. Add a little water at a time until the dough forms a ball. The dough shouldn't be too sticky or dry.
7. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until a soft and smooth dough forms.
8. Place the dough into a bowl sprayed with nonstick baking spray. 
9. Cover the dough with plastic wrap which had been sprayed with nonstick baking spray.
10. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
11. Punch down the dough and divide evenly into 6 pieces. Form the dough into disk. 
12. Place the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheets. 
13. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour.
14. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
15. Bake the bread for 15 minutes.
16. Rotate the two baking sheets from high rack to the lower rack.
17. Allow to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
18. The bread is done when the bottom of the bread is tapped and it sounds hollow.

Recipe adapted from SBS.

One year ago............................................I made Pasta with sausage.
Two years ago..........................................I made Dulce de leche cheesecake.
Three years ago........................................I made Skillet Lasagna.

Did you already know............................
-Khobz is the Arabian word for bread.
-The bread is often used in place of utilities.
-Khobz should have a nice crust with a soft interior.