AMAZING Singapore – Fruits

If you’re ever in Tang’s Orchard road, pass by this fruit/juice vendor.. it is remarkably tasty ❤ I adore fresh fruits, specially pineapple, and the way they present it as a healthy snack is simply lovely! encouraging people to stay healthy is something great, and i must say i found myself enjoying a mouthwatering piece of pineapple more than ice cream, chips, or any other less healthy snack!

there was a sign advertising avocado juice for healthier skin, we never tried it before.. but we took the risk & ordered one, it was super successful.

another combination I loved, was green apple & pineapple mix  juice.. the result was perfectly refreshing ^___^

even shopping for fruits is so much fun, check out this bag full of mandarins we found at Paragon! I would totally buy that just for the cute bag 😉

planning a gathering?

The other day, me and my partner in crime ( bloging and cooking) were talking about a gathering she is hosting in her house soon, we were brain storming, and thought why not share this with the rest of the world ^_^

its a med size gathering, arabic eastern theme, the recipes should be easy to prepare, simple yet presentable 🙂

we settled to prepare traditional dishes done in gourmet modern presentation, we devided them into categories and listed everything we can think of, later on we shall choose the final items on the menu:

lets start with drinks: (served with ice and fresh mint leaves, or fresh fruit slices)
-soda
-pomegranate juice
-lemonade with mint and rose water

starters: (served mazza style in small bowls or modern white platers)
-mini za’atar & beef tarts مناقيش
-pizza
-samboosa ( cheese, veggie, spinache)
-kubba mix (burghul, rice, shrimp, potato)
-za’atar rolls filled with cheese (the recipe is super easy, fun, and can be done earlier 🙂 will post it soon)
-falafel balls
-chekpeas and beans with lemon and olive oil seasoning باجيلا و نخي
– ladies fingers fried with onions and olive oil باميا بالزيت

dips on the side with pita bread, or bread sticks:
-lebneh cheese with mint and olives
-hommus
-baba ghanouj ( egg plant dip)
-yogurt with cucumber and mint ❤

salads: (a super large bowl can be nice like a bouquet in the center of the table, and another kinds filled in small butter lettuce leaves, or in mini cups served on the side)
-tabooleh – in lettuce leaves
-fatoosh – in the super big bowl 😛
-fattah with pesto and tahena dressing
-eggplant salad – layers with yogurt -dressing
-falafel salad with rocca and mushroom

mains:
-the amazing mahshi "stuffed veggies" is my friends specialty! so it is a must 🙂
– chicken chunks on small skewers with a drizzle of white suace "yogurt and garlic"
– beef kufta balls with spicy tomato suace
– shredded chicken rolled in thin bread مسخن

rice: (served in small cups)
– lentil rice معدس
– sweet yellow rice محمر
– plain white rice مشخول
– rice with broad beans عيش و باجيلا
– beryani برياني

stew:
– ladies fingers and veggies مرق باميا
– lamb and multi herb مرق شبزي

desert: (ok this is endless i can go on forever! so these are the highlights)

this can be arranged in morrocon or glass colored bowls in the center of a coffee table on a large silver or copper tray filled up with:
– turkish delight
– ghuraiba " crumbly mini cookies" غريبة
– sweet samboosa
– date balls covered with coconut, postache, cardamom, coco powder, biscuit. some may be filled with walnuts or almonds or even coffee beans تمرية
– darabeel " thin layered biscuits" درابيل
– cardamom cake قرص عقيلي

in large platers several sweets can be mixed like:
– spoon drops " sweet mini pastries" صب القفشة
– mini bites " sweet pastry balls" لقيمات
– noodles with cream عصملية
– mini sweet cake بسبوسة
– sweet noodles بلاليط

tall glasses can also be filled with layers of buiscuts or fruits or choc chunks with any of those desert:
– bread pudding- with nuts and dried fruits ام علي
– fruit salad – with rose water
– sakoo "sugar jello" – kuwaiti version of halwa ساكو
– milk pudding- with pistache or sliced almonds محلبية
– saffaron pudding – kuwaiti cream caramel or flan بر الوالدين او خشكر- top it up with mini noodles and choc sauce or caramel 🙂 i would also add raisens and choc chunks in the bottom of the glass!

of course on the same coffee table you would serve tea and arabic coffe:
– black tea
– lemon tea شاي لومي
– tea with hot milk and cardamom
– arabic coffe
– traditional sweet coffe قهوة حلوة

and to top it all off, a touch of arabian scent, or rose waster spray, would be nice after the meal is over 🙂

the key is to please all kind of tastes, some might be vegeterian, some love meat, others are into thick choco deserts while some like light fruity flavors, so to keep the varaiety and simplicity and most of all to cook from your heart will make the occasion so special :*

now once the items on the menu are finally decided, we will post each recipe and the results 🙂
hope you like it! have a lovely weekend