My Go-To Tomato Sauce Recipe

See my lovely bowl of tomatoes?

But alas there is one that is not like the others.. can you spot it?

See, this dude here saw me pull out the food processor and started squealing, " I am a potato!!"

Alas.. his nose did grow. and rot a bit at that.

Even a nose job didn't help. Guess what kiddos? Plastic surgery is not the answer.

2 Ingredient Ice Cream. Really.

I miss ice cream. So much. Ice cream in Egypt tends to deliver on the ice part but fail at the cream part. It's icy, watery, sometimes gritty even. It lacks that lovely rich creamy texture you'd expect from something with the word cream in the title. A while back I bought a way overpriced ice cream maker at Carrefour. It stopped working after 4 uses. fail. When I saw this recipe for a 2 ingredient ice cream, no ice cream maker needed, my first thought was, "Suuure. That's gonna work great." I was wrong. very much so. This is the stuff of dreams. And so so simple too. Thank God these two ingredients are kinda pricey here, cause otherwise I'd just sit around eating this stuff all day. 

So, what are these two ingredients you ask?

Heavy Cream. Sweetened Condensed Milk.

So, you whip the cream. With a whisk. With an immersion blender. With a kitchen aid mixer. Whatever.

Then you add in the condensed milk.

Stick it in a container and freeze overnight.

Eat. The end. Literally.

Now... that will taste like creamy condensed milk.. which is yummy.. but personally, I like to flavor mine. You could mix in some vanilla extract or a bean for vanilla ice cream or.. melted chocolate for chocolate ice cream.. or I've been known to crush in some Oreos(Borios for those of us in Egypt) for a nice fake cookies & cream. My favorite thing however, and if you're anything like me, you'll love to add in...

2 Ingredient Ice Cream

Looks good right? Wanna know how to make this ridiculously simple recipe that doesn't even require an ice cream maker?

Are you wondering what are the two ingredients might be?

Ice and Cream.

The End.

Ha. Just Kidding ;)

Lookout for the real recipe tomorrow.

Berry Smash Muffins

Are they the prettiest muffins in the world? No. 

Are they quick and easy to make? Yes.

Do they taste delicious? Yes.

Check...and... Check. 

This recipe has been a go-to of mine whenever I want something quick, sweet, and fruity. The ingredients are things I always have on hand and I even use frozen strawberries to make them year round. 

Berry Smash Muffins

1 3/4 cups strawberries

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup veggie oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1.) Put the strawberries and the sugar in a large bowl and smash them up with a fork. If you're using frozen strawberries, let them defrost a bit first. Or nuke them in a microwave for a minute. Or smash them while they're frozen. No prob. Get out all your aggression on those berries. 

2.) Add in the oil and eggs and give it a mix.

3.) Add in the remaining ingredients and mix as little as possible; just until combined. 

4.) Scoop the batter into either muffin tins or mini-muffin tins. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes depending on the size. They're done when you stick a toothpick in one and it comes out clean.

Enjoy :)

Panzanella

I have eaten this salad everyday for the last 4 days. in a row.

Am I tired of it yet?

Never.

Are you wondering what Panzanella means? Me too. No, really.  I mean, it's an Italian bread salad. If you want to know more then that, look it up. Do I look like wiki to you?

The great thing about this is that you can put whatever you've got in it. I mean, the original recipe calls for fresh basil and Dijon mustard. Yeah, cause those of us in Egypt totally have those on hand all the time. The only two ingredients you absolutely must put in are the bread and the tomatoes, everything else is really personal preference  I literally throw in whatever salad-y things I feel like eating and hope for the best. It's pretty much always good. This is one of those kinda recipes. Delicious. Healthy. Yes and please.

Now, Getting to it already:

First off, if you're using one, grab your bell pepper and throw in on your stove. No pan needed.

No. Really. Throw it on there. Trust me.

Don't freak out cause you think it's burning either. The skin chars really nicely and adds a real subtle smoky flavor.

If you have some, tongs will help you hang onto the skin on your hands. I heard that hanging on to your skin actually something most people care about. Go figure.

Welcome..

I love food. I'm one of those odd people that actually enjoys the cooking of the food more then the actual eating of it. The kitchen for me is my happy place. It's my place to go when I need to clear my mind and let myself get lost in my cooking. It's my safe haven.

Except for the fact that I'm a klutz. On an extreme level. I mean, sometimes the floor just needs a hug. Walls too. I spread the love. Often. And forget about the kitchen. The cabinets constantly run into me leaving me covered in black and blue forget-me-nots. And the oven. That thing is always all over me. It's got the hots for me. Literally. I've totally got the scars to prove it, too. I can't even manage baking without leaving the kitchen looking like the flour beat me up. It's worth it though, even when my baked goods attack me.

Every time I share my creations with friends I'm told...

"You have to write a cookbook."

"Where's the cookbook?"

"How's the cookbook?"

"You really should write that cookbook already."

As someone who lives on the internet, gets all my recipe ideas online, and never uses my dusty cookbooks,  I can't even begin to imagine writing a cookbook..

..but a blog? A food blog? I can do that.

So, here you go. 

Enjoy :)