Chocolate Cake

Today I want to share with you my favorite chocolate cake so far. I have tried many recipes before, but I found this one to be the easiest and the moistest perfect chocolate cake. 

The origin of this cake is a vanilla cake recipe I received from a Turkish friend of mine. I have used the recipe in many different ways and I came up with delicious versions of various tastes. I hope you will try it out.


P.S: The over browning of the almonds crisps here was due to the new oven we got as I was not yet familiar with its system -- thankfully that did not affect their taste.
 

Ingredients

- 2 cups of flour, sifted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 bag vanilla sugar
- 1 bag baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup chocolate chunks
- Almond crisps

Process

1- Preheat your oven to 180 to 200°C. Grease and flour your cake pan.
2- In a mixing bowl, mix eggs and sugar, then add oil and water, and mix well.
3- Add cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla sugar. Mix until combined (be careful not to over mix).

4- Sprinkle some flour over your chocolate chunks to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake then add them to the mixture.

5- Pour the batter into your pan, sprinkle some almond crisps (optional).

6- Bake for 25 min (cooking time may differ so watch out). 

Enjoy your treat!

Chicken & Onion Tajin

Today's recipe is a pure Moroccan dish; chicken Tajin. In fact, there are many varieties of the dish, but I chose to present onion and chicken Tajin as it is one of my favorites. You can cook it in no time and it is perfect for lunch or dinner. Moreover, this recipe is light, delicious, and healthy. I hope you enjoy it!

Tips: - for a better taste, soak your chicken in water + salt + vinegar or lemon for at least 
          30 min. Clean and soak it again in water + salt + ginger + vinegar or lemon for at 
          least 15 min. Rinse and let drain. 

Ingredients
       

- Half a chicken, cut (500g)
- 1 bunch of small onions, sliced
- 3 tbsp coriander and parsley, chopped
- 1 onion, cut
- 4 gloves garlic, cut
- 1 quarter pickled lemon
- Some green & red olives
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, dried safran.  
- Water

Process

1- In your Tajin, put the chicken, cut onion, half of the herbs, half of the seasonings, and olive oil. Cook for 5 to 10 min and toss from time to time.

2- Place the sliced onions, the other half of herbs, seasonings, pickled lemon, and olives. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of water. Cover and cook in low heat for 30 min or until the onions are well cooked.

 Served with bread while still warm. Enjoy your meal!

Orange Juice Cake

A summer cake par excellence; orange juice cake may be the best choice in these hot days. It is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or simply a delightful snack. I think I will be baking this cake every week during this summer, I can't have enough of it! 

Tips: 1- Dust your dried fruits with little flour to prevent them from sinking.
        2- Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving for a better taste.

I hope you try it out soon!

Ingredients

- 4 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 sugar
- 2 to 3 tbsp orange or apricot jam
- 1 bag baking powder
- 1 bag vanilla sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Some dried fruits (such as raisins and apricots)

Process

1- Preheat your oven to 200°C. Grease and flour your cake pan.
2- In a mixing bowl, mix eggs and sugar, then add oil and orange juice, and mix well.

3- Add jam, sifted flour, baking powder, and vanilla sugar. Mix until combined (be careful not to over mix).

4- Pour half of the batter into the pan, sprinkle your dried fruits then pour the rest of the batter. 

5- Bake for 30 min (cooking time may differ so watch out). Allow your cake to rest then flip it over a wire rack to cool. Decorate as you wish. 

 Happy baking!

Moroccan Carrots Salad

Time files! It's been a long while since my last post. However, I am back again and I will try to post new recipes as often as I can.

Today's recipe is Moroccan carrots salad; a spicy side dish to be served alongside any main course. It can be served warm or cold, and it can even be preserved in the fridge for a day or two. As usual, this is an easy, fast, and healthy recipe to try. 

Tips: 1- Carrots maybe substituted with turnips or potatoes. 
        2- Try not to overcook your vegetables while boiling. 
        3- Usually, the veggies are to be diced small, I suggest to use a food processor or a    
            hand chopper to speed up the process.

Ingredients

-  500g carrots, peeled and boiled.

- a bunch of parsley and coriander.

- 4 to 6 gloves of garlic.

- 3 tbsp lemon juice.

- A quarter of pickled lemon.

- 3 to 5 tbsp olive oil.

- Salt, paprika, cumin, chilli flakes, and some dried chillies.

Process

1- Chop your carrots until you reach the small dices form.

2- Chop the remaining ingredients separately, except olive oil, lemon juice and chillies.

3- In a bowl, add diced carrots and the other mixture, then lemon juice and olive oil. Mix until everything is combined together.

4- In a pan, add the mixture, and add the chillies. Toss for 15 to 20 min in low heat. 

Enjoy!