These cookies are great, they are crusty on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. You will need only 4 ingredients, it is dairy and gluten free…and so simple to make. The ingredients are the same as for marzipan or almond paste, only in different ratio.

I love these cookies at any time with coffee, tea or just as a little snack. They make awesome little gifts, especially during this time of the year.

Ingredients:

14 oz blanched almond
1 ½ cup powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar
1 egg white
2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg yolk from the egg white used above (store in the refrigerator)

Method:

To blanch the almonds, place almonds in a bowl and pour boiling water to cover the almonds. Let the almond sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the water and rinse under cold water. Drain the almonds and slip the skin off. Let them dry completely using.

Place the almond in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times until fine ground. Add the sugar and continuo to pulse until finely ground. Add the egg white and the almond extract, pulse again until a ball forms (sort of).

Remove the ball from the food processor bowl and make a ball. Split the ball into two pieces and wrap the one and set aside.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat. Set aside.
With the other one, make a ball and roll with a roller pin into about ½ in thickness. Cut out the dough with the cutter of your choice, make it small, and set them o the baking sheet, just a little apart of each other. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Once all the dough is cut out, uncovered 6 to 7 hours or overnight.

After the cookies have set and dried out, preheat the oven to 400F.

Gently mix the egg yolk and brush the cookies with it. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until the top slightly golden.

Let them cool on the wire rack and store in an airtight container.

If you enjoy this simple recipe for Almond Cookies you might want to check on the Roasted Cinnamon Almond from Color Your Recipes.

Did you know that almonds are rich in vitamins and minerals? Almonds are cholesterol free and contain unsaturated fat, which can help reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

Today I have a very especial post…and yes, it is unusual for me to post on Friday but I had to make an exception since my friend Faith Gorsky from An Edible Mosaic just had her first cookbook released: An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair. I could not wait until Monday to share with you such exciting news and I am so happy to be able to participate in her virtual book launch party.

Faith’s book has over 100 Middle Eastern recipes, with a focus mainly on dishes from the Levant, but also a few recipes from other areas of the Middle East. She has a pretty unique story…after getting married Faith spent six months living in the Middle East, where she fell in love with the culture and cuisine. Subsequently, she returned four more times for visits, each time delving deeper into the cuisine and deepening her passion for and appreciation of the region. Recipes in her book are authentic Middle Eastern (taught to Faith mostly by her mother-in-law, Sahar), but streamlined just a bit for the way we cook today, with unique ingredients demystified and cooking techniques anyone can follow. If you didn’t grow up eating Middle Eastern food, it can be a difficult art to master; Faith understands that, and explains complicated dishes in an approachable, easy-to-follow way. The book is available to order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

The recipe from the book that I’m sharing with you today is for Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts. The recipe is vegan therefore easily incorporated into a vegan or vegetarian meal, but it is just as delicious served with chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood, and it would be really fantastic with just about any curry dish. (In the cookbook, Faith recommends pairing Shrimp in Aromatic Tomato Sauce with this rice dish.)

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts.
(ROZ MLOW’WAN)
Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking

Ingredients:

1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins)
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)

Method:

1. Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
4. Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
5. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.

OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.

On Faith’s book you will find a variation of this rice recipe, Mixed White and Yellow Rice.

Please head over to Faith’s blog to check out her virtual book launch party to see the other bloggers who are participating. Also, as part of her virtual book launch, Faith is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous set of prizes. Be sure to head over and enter!

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great weekend!

I know, I know there are hundreds of recipes for flan and here I am sharing another one…but trust me, this recipe is very simple and only requires a few ingredients. Moreover, I can assure you that whoever tries this flan will fall in love with it. It is not overwhelmingly sweet and the texture is silky and creamy. There are no words to describe it! It is true that it is loaded of calories, but we need to indulge ourselves once in a while right?

You can bake the flan in small size ramekins or when going to a potluck, I like to bake the flan in a pyrex form. Everytime that I am going to a potluck party and do not know what to bring…or do not feel like cooking/baking…flan is the solution. It is simple,easy and enjoyed by all…Okay, enough of bragging about this flan, let’s go to the ingredients and method.

Ingredients:

Caramel
½ cup sugar
Enough water to dissolve the sugar, approximately ¼ cup

Flan
1 can of condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
3 cans of skim milk (measured by the condensed milk can)
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Caramel

In a small pan place the water and the sugar, mix until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the sugar mix until the water is totally evaporated and the sugar is thick and brown. Do not mix while it is cooking otherwise the sugar will crystallize. Carefully pour the caramelized sugar into the ramekins and gently rotate the ramekin so the caramel is evenly spread. Let the sugar cool down and set the ramekins aside.

Flan

In a blender add all the ingredients listed under “flan”, make sure that it is well mixed. Pour into the ramekins where the brown sugar is already hard. The flan mixture will be liquidy at this stage. Bake the flan in water-bath (banho-maria in Portuguese) for approximately 1 to 1 ½ at 275F. The top will be slightly golden and when gently shaken, the flan in ramekins will feel settled.

Let it cool completely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Before serving, place a plate larger on top of the ramekin and in one movement, flip the ramekin carefully on a plate. Tap on the ramekin a couple of time and the flan will slide on the plate together with the caramel sauce

Garnish as  desired and serve.

If you enjoy this simple flan recipe you might want to check on a richer version of flan recipe.

Did you know that flan recipes are found as far back as ancient Rome and is was originally a savory dish? The word “flan” is derived from the Latin “flado”, which means flat cake.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

This is my version of chicken rice bowl…I mainly prepared the chicken with a lot of different vegetables and topped over steamed rice. This is a very simple recipe, especially when I feel like “cleaning” the fridge and use up all the vegetables. It is very versatile and you can use all kind of your favorite vegetables and meat, or tofu if you are vegetarian.
Oh! Another thing, this is great for next day lunch!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast cup in cubes
3 to 4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tablespoon light olive oil

1 cup of Brussel sprouts cut into quarter and blanched
2 zucchinis cut into cubes
2 red bell peppers cut into cubes
1 small onion cut into cubes

1 tablespoon light olive oil
½ tablespoon sesame oil

Steamed rice

Method:

Add to the chicken the garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, cornstarch, salt and pepper and it sit for 5 minutes.

Sauté the chicken in olive oil, until slightly golden color. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the same pan add the onion until brown, add the remaining vegetables until cooked but not soggy. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Add to the vegetables the chicken and mix gently. Drizzle sesame oil and remove from the heat.

Have the bowls of rice ready and top it with the chicken and veggies mixture. Serve hot.

If you enjoy this rice dish you might want to check on Fried Rice recipe.

Did you know that rice bowl in Japanese is called “donburi”?

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

Okay, this is one of the dishes that I am almost embarrassed to share. It is so ridiculously easy and simple that it may insult you…but I could not leave behind because it is delicious and can be made in a few minutes. It is great with a side green salad. Please feel free to add more or less of the ginger, green onion and paprika according to your taste. The combination of caramelized green onion and ginger with the seafood is just perfect!

Ingredients:

½ lb of large shrimp
½ lb of white fish cut into approximately 1 to 1 ½ in
Green onion finely chopped
Ginger finely chopped
Paprika to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking wine
Olive oil

Method:

Mix all the ingredients above, except for the olive oil. Let it set for 5 minutes.

In a wok or fry pan heat the olive oil in medium to high temperature.

Carefully layer the shrimps and the fish so they do not overlap.

Cook until one side is golden brown then turn one piece at the time and cook the other side. Do not overcook. Serve hot.

If you enjoy this simple recipe you might want to check on Shrimp with Cilantro and Lemon.

Yes, we just came back from a long vacation…still adjusting to the time and thought that it would be nice to share with you a glance of what we experienced 

And yes, I will post more pictures as soon as I have all the thousands of pictures sorted…yes, thousands…but do not worry, I will not make you see them all 

Did you know that shrimp is low in fat and calorie but contains high amount of cholesterol?

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

Yay! I finally got some rhubarb… I always see rhubarb recipes but never had a chance to try it. So yes, this is my first time cooking with rhubarb and I must admit that I love it. So, before the end of Summer I want to share this simple recipe for rhubarb frozen yogurt…I love the tartness and the fragrance of rhubarb, and I can tell you that I will definitely be cooking/baking more with it in the future.

I was a bit nervous not knowing what to expect…but making the rhubarb stew with a little sugar was easy and it cooked in less time than I expected. Once the rhubarb stew/jam was ready, all the work was left to the ice cream machine. Make sure that your ice cream bucket is in the freezer at least overnight before you follow the recipe.

Ingredients:

3 stalk rhubarb (approximately 1 ½ cup chopped)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cup Greek nonfat yogurt
1 – 2 tablespoon agave syrup

Method:

In a small sauce pan add the chopped rhubarb, sugar and water. Cook until the rhubarb turns soft, almost like jam consistency (it took me approximately 10 minutes). Let the rhubarb stew/jam cool in the refrigerator.

In a medium bowl mix together the yogurt with the rhubarb stew/jam and add agave syrup to your taste.

Place the yogurt mix into the ice cream bucket and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer container, freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

If you enjoy this simple recipe for rhubarb frozen yogurt, you might want to check on Strawberry Frozen Yogurt or Mango Frozen Yogurt.

Did you know that rhubarb in considered a vegetable in spite to be known as ingredient used in many desserts? Rhubarb is very low in calories and has been used for medicinal purposed in Chinese Medicine.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

This is a very tasty dish, it is gluten free since the glass noodles are made of sweet potato starch. In this dish I added some slice chicken, shitake mushrooms, bok choy and lots of Thai basil. This dish has a touch of sweet and spiciness. It is delicious, and you have it all in one dish! It seems more complicated that really it is…I like to cook all the ingredients by steps since different ingredients require different time of cooking, once they are cooked you just need to put them together. The good thing is that you just need a big wok pan.

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breast, thinly sliced
4 to 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

6-7 dry shiitake mushrooms
2-3 carrots, sliced
½ onion sliced
½ bunch bok choy, cut in approximately 1 in
1 tablespoon olive oil
Soy sauce to taste
½ teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon chili oil
½ tablespoon sesame oil
Thai basil to taste

Glass noddle

Method:

Marinate the chicken with the garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave in the refrigerator for approximately ½ hour to 1 hour.

Soak the dry shiitake mushrooms in 1/3 cup warm water. When soft, squeeze the water and slice. Keep the water for later use.

Cook the glass noodle in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes or until it turn transparent and soft. Drain the water in a colander and run cold water through. Set aside.

In a wok, sauté the chicken in high heat, making sure that is cooked throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside. In the same pan add the carrot and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, cook until the carrots are slightly soft. Remove and add to the chicken.

Add olive oil to the pan and the sliced onion and shiitake mushroom, sauté until slightly golden brown, remove and add to the chicken and carrot bowl.

Now add the bok choy to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes and again remove it by placing together with the chicken, carrot and mushroom bowl.

Place in the wok the water where the mushrooms were soaked, the soy sauce and the sugar. Once starts to boil toss in the glass noddle, and mix gently until the noodle is evenly coated with the sauce. Add the mixture of chicken and vegetables to the noodle. Mix gently. Add the chili oil, sesame oil and the Thai basil. Toss gently and remove from the heat. Serve hot.

Did you know that there are many varieties of glass noodles in Asian cuisine? These noodles can be made from yam, mung bean, sweet potato, yucca starch.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!