Beautiful Spaces...

 The month of Ramadan has been going well and the weather has been lovely (not all of you will agree with me, but I tend to do better in winter...although waking up on those icy mornings...not fun!).  Recently, my desk got a bit of a  makeover. It was starting to look a bit tired and boring, not to mention cluttered! So it was time to spruce it up a bit.

 For me, having a beautiful space to blog, study and work is imperative. It helps me to be more creative. I simply cannot function in an untidy, cluttered, disorganised  environment. Anyone else feel the same way? So here are my tips for a stylish work space... 

1. Tray- Keep a tray to corral all your little bits and bobs. Beautiful boxes to hide all the essential, but  not so pretty, stuff...

2. A scented candle to create a relaxing work environment.

3. To store my pens and pencils, I used these pretty candle holders. This keeps them neat but easy to reach for.

4. Keep a notepad at your desk so that you can jot down ideas...Oh! And keep another at your bedside for those middle of the night inspirations! In fact, I have several all over the place.

5. Flowers to keep your place fresh and pretty...And joy of joys, our orchid is starting to flower again!(Can you see all those beautiful little buds just waiting to burst open?) Waking up to a new bloom every morning, brings a huge smile to my face. (Will do a post soon on how we got our orchid to flourish after losing all hope of it surviving) 

6. Lastly, keep it pretty and make it your own! No one wants to work at an ugly desk!

Hot weather, and the food I crave...Fatteh

We have been experiencing some rather strange weather here in Johannesburg. The days are really hot and some nights seem to become quite chilly. I'm not complaining though, because a cooler night means a more restful sleep!

With the hot days though, my family prefer light meals, and although a salad is fine most days, some days you just want something more substantial. Enter this chicken fatteh... It is light, though filling and perfect for summer weather. Fatteh is a popular dish throughout the Middle East. The first time I tasted fatteh, was at a tiny Lebanese restaurant in Dubai, more than fifteen years ago. It was love at first sight...umm taste! I tried to replicate it when I got home and here is my version...

 Give this beautiful recipe a go, you can thank me later!

This recipe serves 6-8.

Chicken:

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons za'atar

1 teaspoon sumac

1 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

A good glug of olive oil

Finely grated zest  and juice of a lemon

Combine the chicken with all the rest of the ingredients. Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight. Heat oven to 180 degrees centigrade. Place chicken in a casserole dish, pour 1 cup of water over, cover tightly with foil,and place in the oven to bake for about 45 minutes or until done. Be careful not to let the juices dry out. If it seems to be drying out, add a splash of water. Remove from oven and tear into large pieces. Place back into the oven dish. Keep warm.

Tomato sauce: 

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of dried mint

2 cloves garlic, crushed
A pinch of chilli flakes

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer till slightly thickened. Keep warm.

Rice: 

2 cups long grain rice, rinsed and soaked in hot water for about 20 minutes
1 medium onion, finely sliced

Olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

Boiling water
A knob of butter

Place onion in a large pot with the olive oil. Fry until golden. Add the salt and the drained rice. Stir
until rice is coated in the oil,then add the boiling water to cover the rice. Cook until rice is done and
all the water is absorbed. You may need to add some more water. Add the butter and gently stir through. Keep warm.

Aubergines: 

2  large Aubergines

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Cut Aubergines into 1 centimetre cubes. Place in colander, sprinkle with salt, and leave to drain
for about 1/2 an hour. Rinse and dry well and toss with the olive oil. Place in a 180 degree centigrade oven and roast until just cooked through.

Crisp flatbread:

4 lebanese flatbreads

Olive oil

Salt
1/2 teaspoon dried mint

 Drizzle some olive oil over the flat bread. Sprinkle with the salt and mint. Place in a 150 degree centigrade oven to toast. Once cool, break into large chunks and store in an airtight container.

Yoghurt;

500 milliliters Greek yoghurt
3 tablespoons of tahini
A sprinkle of salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients together.Whisk well. Refrigerate until required.

You will also need:

2 tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained

A handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
A handful of mint leaves, chopped

A handful of pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan until golden
1 teaspoon sumac

Fatteh being layered up...

 To assemble: 

Place a  layer of crisp flatbread in a large serving platter. Top with a mound of rice.Sprinkle a generous layer of chickpeas.Now add a generous helping of chicken, together with the pan juices. Place dollops of tomato sauce over, then scatter over some aubergines cubes. Dollop the yoghurt over, then sprinkle with the parsley, mint, and pine nuts. Lastly,dust with some sumac. Serve with extra yoghurt/ tahini mixture on the side and savour every morsel...

Note; I sometimes omit the chickpeas and add a few dollops of hummus.Or you can add both! 

If You Make One Thing This Week...A Mess You Wouldn't Mind Making...Eton Mess...

Happy Tuesday friends! I have so much planned for this week, that I hope I can accomplish it all!

Have any of you bought the new  Nopi cookbook by Ottolenghi yet? If you haven't, do yourselves a favour and get it! What a treat!

Many of you sent me messages requesting the recipe for the Eton Mess that I posted last Friday. I have adapted this recipe from the Nopi cookbook.

Whilst this recipe may seem like too much of trouble, as it has so many elements, most can be made ahead of time and simply put together at the last moment... Come to think of it, all the elements can be prepared beforehand. I made homemade meringues as I love the texture of them - crisp on the outside and gooey inside, whilst the bought ones simply crumble to nothing and only add sweetness to the dessert, without adding any texture. But, feel free to buy them if you like.

The different elements are, sorbet, meringues, pomegranate syrup, mascarpone cream, strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate rubies, rose petals and pistachios.

I know it seems shocking to use pomegranate molasses and sumac in a sweet dish, but please, please, please DO NOT omit it! It adds the most amazing depth of flavour.

This recipe serves 6 to 8

Mixed berry sorbet:

1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup caster sugar
300 milliliters water
1 tablespoon glucose syrup
1 teaspoon rose water, optional

Place all the berries in a bowl. Add the sugar and allow to macerate for 1 hour. Add the water and glucose and purée in a blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds. Chill thoroughly.
Add the rose water, if using, and churn in an ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions.
Sorbet can be made several days ahead. Once frozen, scoop out and place in a silicone lined plastic container. Cover and return to freezer. Your sorbet is now ready to serve.

Meringues:

2 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees centigrade. Line a baking sheet with  silicone paper.Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and whisk until thick and glossy. Add the vinegar with the last batch of sugar. Place teaspoonfuls of meringue on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off. Leave in oven to cool for several hours, or overnight.
Place in an airtight container. Meringues can be made up to three days ahead.

Pomegranate syrup:

2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon sumac

Combine the sugar and the water. Stir till sugar is dissolved. Stir in the molasses and sumac. Refrigerate till required.

Mascarpone cream:

150 grams mascarpone cheese
100 grams whipping cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon rose water

Whip the cheese, cream and icing sugar together, until soft peaks form. Stir in the rose water. Refrigerate till required.


To serve:

Sliced strawberries
Raspberries
Pomegranate rubies
Rose petals, use fresh or dried petals
Chopped pistachio nuts

Place a few strawberries and raspberries in a serving bowl. Top with few broken meringues. Add a tablespoon of the mascarpone cream,then drizzle with the pomegranate syrup. Add a scoop of sorbet,then some more fruit. Add another drizzle of pomegranate syrup, and finally sprinkle over the rubies, petals and pistachios. Serve at once.

On My Mind Right Now...Hair Ornaments...

Is it almost the weekend already? I can't believe how this week has flown by! Really looking forward to the weekend...I have loads planned! How about you all? What are you doing this weekend?
I was going through some of my pictures and I came across some gorgeous hairpieces. Have you seen how on trend they are right now? The Spring'16 runways were filled with some gorgeous ones! A great hairpiece can elevate your look from drab to fab...There are so many great options out there and I've picked out some of my fave pieces to share with you. Be it quirky and fun or floral and ornate, these pieces are sure to make a statement! Have a look and tell me which one is your favourite!

Dolce&Gabbana

Alberta Ferretti

Chanel

Moncler

Rodarte

Diane Von Furstenburg

Dress up your tresses with these beautiful pieces...

Hair Jewels by thegildedlifestyle featuring head wrap hair accessories