It's 10th of the month and time for MFB challenge.. couldn't participate last month due to my super packed hectic schedule.. but this month I wanted to participate without fail.. and Alhamdulillah I was able to cook for this months  challenge..
......  this month challenge cooking with OLIVES..usually I add olives in my pasta or pizza other wise it's usually had  as an accompaniment.. when I saw olives the first thing that came in my mind was foccasia.. but then thought of searching the Google dear for more options and my eyes fell on the Moroccan tray bakes and Tagines..




        After days of searching and thinking I finalised these Moroccan Sheet Pan Chicken... from here    I 've never made a tray bake and this was my first .. after I made I was thinking why I have not tried tray bakes till now.. such an easy way to make dinner or lunch... you just have to arrange them on a pan and put them in the oven to cook.. job done..
...... let's come back to this recipe.. the recipe speaks for itself.. it shouts Morocco.. juicy chicken with caramelized onions and sweet lemons and tangy olives.. it was yummy..
Actually the recipe calls for 3 pieces of chicken .. but I made for 4 by just adjusting a little spice here and there..  In an hour a hassle free dinner is made..
....... if I added anything to the recipe.. at last I spruced the oven to max and grilled it for 5 more minutes for the skin to get extra crispy.. other than that it's the same...
          Serve this tray bake on a bed of couscous with  a side of bread.. I served it with garlic bread for my family but personally I would advice to have it along with some carbs like mashed potato or thick soups... as the way I served turned out as a light meal and we were hungry ....
so without delay lets move to how to do this recipe..



You Need:

For The Spice Mixture:

Salt                                            3/4 tsp
Ground Cumin                          1/4tsp
Paprika                                      3/4 tsp
Cayenne Pepper                        1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder                      3/4tsp
Olive Oil                                   1 1/4 tbsp.
Balck Pepper powder               1/4tsp
Melted Butter                           1 1/4 tbsp.
Garlic cloves (grated)               4 nos

For the Sheet Pan :

Lemon big                                2 nos
White Onions                           2 nos
Extra virgin Olive Oil              2 tsp
Salt                                           1/4tsp
Turmeric powder                     1 tsp
Skin on Chicken Quarters        4 nos
Olives(pitted n sliced)              1 cup
Coriander leaves chopped         2 tbsp.



Preparation:

Preheat the Oven at 220*C
Mix everything under the spice mixture...
Clean and wash the chicken.. Dry the chicken well with a paper towel.
Rub the chicken well with the spice mixture.
Slice 1 lemon into thin slices. Arrange them in a single layer in a sheet pan... juice the other lemon
Cut the onion into 12 wedges each. Scatter them over the lemons..
Sprinkle the salt, olive oil, turmeric powder, over the onions.
Place the chicken over the onions and drizzle the rest of the spice over it.
Keep them in the oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. the juices should run clear from the chicken.
If you want the skin to be little crispier increase the oven to max and grill for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and drizzle around 1-2 tbsp. lemon juice.. scatter the olives and coriander leaves..
Serve them with couscous and bread.                  

   

Bought a big  flat iron Griddle/ Tawa  in the Souq( local market) and  my mind just shouted make kothu parotta - Street Food Style. Then Voila!! Here is the end result. A special Thanks to my hubby who helped in taking detailed photos and some intricate details too. Kothu Parotta is an all time favorite in our house, referred to so many recipes and watched many videos too, but was not fully satisfied with the results,the taste would be similar to what they make in restaurants, but the texture would not be the same.

Making homemade Pizza after a long time. When Priya Suresh posted pizza in the home bakers challenge there was a lot of flavours going in my mind Indian , Italian, etc., After a long dilemma concluded in this pizza combined Arabian Pizza and crown pizza  inspired from Pizza hut and made this delicious pizza.
Being in gulf got access to many Arabic spices and I love the Bahraini masala, such a wonderful masala with a beautiful aroma. Made chicken and meatballs with this masala  and it was truly delicious, the meatballs were soft and succulent , overall enjoyed the pizza! The recipe is quite long but not tough to make, lets get moving...



You need: (makes 1 large pizza)

For the pizza base:

All purpose flour           2cups
Warm Water                1cup
Instant active yeast        7gms/1 sachet
Olive oil                        2tbsp
Sugar                            1 tsp
Salt
Cornmeal                      1tbsp

For the Garlic sauce:

Egg white                    1nos
Garlic                          1 small clove
Oil                               1/4cup
Lemon juice                1/2tbsp
Salt



For the Arabian chicken:

Chicken breast sliced         1/2 cup
Bahraini masala                  1tsp
Olive oil                             1tsp
Salt




For the Arabian meatballs:

Chicken mince               250 gms
Garlic sauce                   1tsp
Tahini                             1tsp
Bahraini masala             1tbsp
Dried parsely                1tsp
Lemon juice                  1tsp
Cornflour                      1tsp
All purpose flour           1tbsp
Salt

Other ingredients:

Butter                                          2tbsp
Dried Parsely                              1tsp
Mozarella cheese shredded           150gms
Olives sliced        
Olive oil to drizzle



Preparation:

Pizza base:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water, keep aside for 10 minutes
Mix flour, oil, salt and the yeast mixture and knead them to a smooth dough for about 10 min.
Cover them with wet cloth and place them in a warm place for an hour for them to rise.

Garlic Sauce:
Pulse the garlic using the chutney jar, add the white yolks and whisk them at full speed for 2 minutes.
Add oil and whisk them for 2 minutes. Now add the lemon juice and salt and whisk them for 30 seconds

Arabian chicken:
In a hot pan add olive oil chicken, masala, salt and coat the chicken well, cook for 8-10 minutes.

Arabian Meatballs:
Grind all the ingredients except cornflour and all purpose flour to a smooth paste.
mix the flours roll them into balls
Heat oil in a pan and and cook the meat balls for around 7-8 minutes, remove and keep aside




To Assemble:

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C
Roll out the pizza base into a circle of about 14"
Grease the tray with butter and sprinkle cornmeal. Place the rolled base in the tray, Apply butter on top.
Place the meatball around the base giving a decent space between them.
Slit the base in between the meatballs, pull the ends towards the centre making a crown.
Apply sauce evenly in the centre, sprinkle parsley and cheese evenly.
Top them with chicken and olives. Drizzle olive oil over the pizza and bake them for about20-30 minutes.
Hot and yummy pizza is ready to be served enjoy
            

Vengaya Parotta is a special dish made for Son in laws in the coastal district of Nagapattinam. It is  deep fried n served with Chicken or Mutton gravy. Since this is a special dish this can be had only during special occasions as it is loaded with calories. Pearl onions or small onions are used in this dish. If not you can also use normal onions too. Sending this to Healing food- Onion guest hosted by Priya event by Siri



You need:
Pearl Onions                  1 1/2cup( chpopped)
Green chilli                     2-3nos( finely chopped)
Egg                                2nos
Maida                            1cup
Coconut milk                  3/4- 1 cup
Coconut                          2 tbsp( shredded)
Salt
Baking Powder               1tsp
Oil to fry

Preparation:
Beat the eggs well n mix in all the ingredients except the oil n Coconut milk. Add the coconut milk little by little till you get Dosa batter like consistency. Its not necesssary to use all the milk,
Heat half the kadai with oil, when its hot pour a laddleful of batter . Fry them on both sides till they golden brown on the outside. Cook in medim heat coz the inside has to be cooked too.
Drain excess oil in a kitchen towet.
Serve hot with gravy

Now its a non-vegetarian wrap. I actually learnt this wrap from a famous Indian Chef Ajit kumar in UAE. He was demonstrating this wrap in a food feista conducted in a hypermarket here. I tried this at home and we really became a fan of this wrap. Yes, it was soooo tasty and filling. I usually pack this for lunch for my hubby. He likes the wrap as it is very convenient to have during his office time. Wrap them in sandwhich paper and pack. You can use use any chicken tikka, Frozen, grilled or microwaved. Im using Microwave chicken Tikka for this wrap.
 Make a crunchy salad with lettuce, onions, coriander leaves lemon juice and salt. Place them on the tortillas, place the chicken, Roll and cook with egg, The wrap is ready. Sending this tasty wrap to Global Kadai guest hosted by Divya event by Cilantro



You need:
Microwave Tandoori Chicken Tikka            1recipe
Homemade Tortillas                                     5nos
Lettuce (chopped)                                       1cup
Onions(chopped)                                         1cup
Coriander leaves( chopped)                         1/4cup
Lemon juice
Salt
Egg                                                              2nos



Preparation:
Beat the eggs with salt.
Mix the lettuce, onions, Coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt.
Heat the tawa. Place a tortilla and add 2tbsp of the beaten egg, and cook till the eggs are half cooked.
Remove the tortilla and place the salad three pieces of chicken. Fold on side to seal the end and roll them . Place them on the tawa again add a little egg just to seal the edges. Cook them for 1-2minutes till they are crispy on the outside and the egg cooked inside.

Serve hot

Again with a easy recipe. I made these with Day old French Bread  and It tasted like Doughnuts and hence the name. Very easy to prepare and under 15 - 20 minutes. Perfect for breakfast or snack or for kids lunch or snacks box.



You need:
French Bread                      8 slices(thick)
Egg                                     1nos(extra large)
Milk                                    1cup
Vanilla essence                    1tsp
Sugar                                   1/4 cup
Condensed milk                   2tbsp
Salt                                      small pinch
Butter                                   50gms

Preparation:
Beat all the ingredients together except the bread and butter.
 Pour the egg mixture in a large tray and soak the bread slices in them for a minute or so. The bread should have soaked well.
Heat the tawa and melt little butter , place the soaked bread slices and dot them with Butter well on the sides.
Fry them well on both the sides.
Serve them hot

Its just another filling dish to make. You can use any filling but here Iam using chicken mince filling. This is also a perfect dish during any feast and a perfect breakfast too. Its once again  a no onion and no garlic recipe. Though its time consuming its equally easy and tasty, Worth trying it out. sending this recipe to Priya's  Pancake event



You need:
1 recipe Roti jala
Egg                                   2nos
oil to fry
For chicken filling:

Chicken mince                      200 gms
Mixed vegetables                  2 tea cup
Green bell pepper                 1/2 nos
Green chilli                            1nos
Ginger paste                         1 tbsp
Chilli powder                        1 tsp
Turmeric powder                  1/2 tsp
Pepper powder                     1 1/2tbsp
Jeera powder                        1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil                                         2 tsp

Prepartion:
Chicken filling:

Chop fine the green bell pepper and green chilli
Heat oil in a kadai add the chicken mince , green chilli and ginger paste and fry well add 1/4 cup water and  cook till the chicken is cooked well and the water has evaporated.
Now add the rest of the ingredients  and fry till the vegetables have cooked.



Roti Jala Chicken murtaba:
Prepare the roti jala.
Take three pieces of roti jala and arrange it on the plate. Now place 1 1/2tbsp of filling in the center and fold it into triangles.
Prepare with the rest of the roti jalas.
Beat the egg well.
Heat the tawa and place the murtaba on it drizzle the egg sealing the edges. Drizzle oil around it cook well on both sides.
Serve plain or with any curry.

Roti Jala or lace pancakes is made with a specially desingned cup. You can buy this in any big stainless steel vessel shop. This is a special breakfast made during both Eid ul fitr and Eid ul Adha our two festivals. In our grandmother's house we used to make this jalar in huge quantity as its a sure hit and not only that we used to get up at 2 am to prepare this delicacy. Making Jalar is an art. Never get disheartened if you dont get it perfect the first time. Practice alone makes a perfect jalar. Vattalappam is the perfect combo for Roti Jala and sending this delicasy to Pari's Combo Event and Priya's Pancakes event



You need:
All purpose flour                 2 cup
Coconut milk                      1 1/2 cup
Egg                                    2nos
Yellow food color               few drops
Salt
Ghee

Preparation:
Beat the eggs well with coconut milk, mix in the flour, salt and food color.
Add water and make it into a thin batter. It should be free of lumps.
To test the consistency of the batter pour a laddle of batter in the cup and if the batter  flows down freely then the consistency iy is correct, if not dilute it with a little more water.
Heat the tawa, Pour a laddle of batter in the jalar cup and make circular rounds around the pan and small inner circles . The pancakes should resemble a flowery lace.
 The pancakes just takes a few seconds to cook. drizzle little ghee and remove the pancakes.Fold it into triangles. No need to turn over and cook.
Never pour the batter from a tall height as the batter will pour as drops and making the roti jala should be fast then only you will get a thin pancake.
Serve with vattilappam

This is just a spicy twist to the sweet french toast. Its quite easy to make. Its a perfect breakfast item and lunch box dish.Sending this to Srivalli's kids delight wholesome snacks



You need:
Bread                        3nos
Egg                           1nos
Milk                          1/2cup
Green chilli                1nos
Carrot (shredded)      1tbsp
Green bell pepper       1tbsp  (Chopped)
Chilli powder              1tsp
Salt and pepper
Coriander leaves          few
Oil to fry

Preparation:
Slice the bread into triangles.
Beat the egg with milk, green chilli, carrot, green bell pepper, salt and pepper, coriander leaves and chilli powder.
Heat the tawa, dip the bread slices in the egg and milk mixture and place it on the tawa. Drizzle oil over it and fry till golden brown.
Serve with ketchup.

Also sending this to Global Kadai- Indianised French Toast guest hosted by Priya Event by Cilantro

Bake parotta. does the name seem odd to you? well its a simple version of fried parotta, which is very easy and simple to make. You can have it with any gravy but today I made this capsicum and chiken gravy which is a no onion and no garlic gravy. When you bored of making the same chappati or parotta for gravy do try this recipe. This combo goes directly to Pari's Combo Event.



Bake Parotta:

You need:
All purpose flour                300gms
Large Egg                          1nos
Coconut milk
Salt
Baking powder                  a small pinch
Oil to fry



Preparation:
Beat the egg well. In a big bowl put the flour, egg, salt and baking powder. Knead the dough with coconut milk. This recipe requires about 3/4 of teacup coconut milk.
Knead well into a soft dough. Divide into 10 equal parts. If you want to make smaller parottas divide tinto 15 parts. Apply oil on it  and allow to rest for an hour or so.
On a flat plate take a piece of dough and thinly roll it out. Apply little oil and fold it like a n envelope.
Again roll it out and deep fry.
Serve with gravy.


Capsicum and Chicken Gravy:

You need:
Chicken pieces                     1/2kg
Capsicum                              1/2nos
Coconut                                3tbsp
Cashew                                 4nos
Almond                                 4nos
Tomato( medium)                  1nos
Ginger paste                           1tbsp
Clove                                     2nos
Cardamom                             2nos
Cinnamon                               1 small piece
Chilli powder                          3/4tsp
Coriander powder                  2 1/2tsp
Jeera powder                         1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder                    1/2tsp
Pepper powder                       3/4tsp
Salt
Oil                                          2tbsp.



Preparation:
Chop the tomato and capsicum. Grind the coconut, cashew, almond, coriander powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder to a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add clove, cinnamon and cardamom. When it splutters add the capsicum and ginger paste and fry well. Add tomato and chilli powder and fry till oil seperates.
Add the chicken pieces add 1/2 cup water and cook. Now add the ground paste and bring the gravy to a boil. Add enough water according to the consistency you want and cook in sim till the chicken is cooked well and oil floats on top.

Serve hot!

This is an unusual way of  serving Cheese Omlette and bread. A wild idea just struck when I was just asking my hubby as what to prepare for breakfast, why not make cheese omlettes in bread castings. Since Priya of
priyaeasyntastyrecipes is hosting Valentine event I made this in heart shapes. You can make it in any shape.
A banana smoothie or chocolate milkshake( will post later) will be a good accompaniment and a complete breakfast. Sending this to theannouncing-hearts-for-st-valentines-day event hosted by Priya

You need:
White bread                                2slices
Egg(medium)                               1nos
Mozerella cheese(shredded)        2tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter                                          2tbsp

Preparation:
Cut out the center of the bread using a round or square shaped biscuit cutter.( For the event I used a big heart shaped  one to cut the bigger heart and a smaller one to cut the center of the bigger heart)
Beat the egg with salt and pepper, add cheese. You can also use finely chopped red or green bell pepper, spring onions.
Heat the tawa and place the cut out bread (here its the big cut out heart).
Keep the heat in simmer. Place spoonfull of the egg mixture till it fills the hollow center.( Take  care as not to over fill, the egg should be intact in the bread)
Apply 1tbsp of butter to the edges, Close it with a lid and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip it over and add the remaining butter and allow the edges to crisp.
Remove and serve it with tomato or sweet chilli sauce.