posted
i am returning soon to Egypt and have to cook a meal for some friends. After my last disaster I really want to impress. What would be your ideal menu for a meal? Any help much appreciated.x
Shareen Member # 989
posted lol, I already told you TDP, roast beef and yorkshire pudding! lol
TDP Member # 5440
posted
Shareen n-o...! I can cook rice to perfection now! I want some ideas of things to go with it!!LOL
Shareen Member # 989
posted
Lol, then cheat like I have done.... buy your chicken or lamb, bung it on the stove and let it cook really slowly like the egyptians do, but take along your Colmans packet mixes to throw in for the last hour or so just to make it interesting, chuck in a whole load of whatever veggies you can find in season, and bob's your uncle! The rest is easy, lots of salads, tahina, baba ghnoosh (excuse spelling) and of course lots of that delicious baladi bread to mop it all up with. The worst thing is standing in the hot airless, no windowed poky kitchen with just a stove and a sink unit trying to prepare a meal. Lol, having a fully fitted kitchen with all mod cons back in the UK has a lot going for it!
Penny Member # 1925
posted
Toad in the hole
take a colemans mix, they work great, and don't forget the gravy!
Penny
Penny Member # 1925
posted
Shareen I see like me you are a fan of colemans. I have a whole stash in the cupboard well hidden and keep coming up with meals to impress and nobody knows how, especially my husband. I keep promising myself a slow cooker and then I am truly sorted.
Penny
akshar Member # 1680
posted
OK I did a meal for 16 the other day and this is what I cooked, hubby did the meat on a barbeque
Rice according to the reciepe the lovely Penny gave me Salad - tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions, garlic with lemon juice and olive oil as a dressing. Baba Ghano - I blacken the aubergine on the gas cooker in the flames, once it is complete black and soft I consider it cooked, liquidise with tahina, lemon juice and garlic Humus - I buy a tin of chickpeas, keep some for decoaration and liquidise with tahina, lemon juice and garlic Potatoes - stewed with onions, garlice, chillis, tomatoes Loubya - green beans french cut, make a sauce of tomatoes, tomatoe past, garlice, chilli powder, onions. Then cook the beans in that.
The meat was marinaded in spices and garlic then barbecued.
TDP Member # 5440
posted
That sounds great Jane,but I dont have a bbq set up yet. How shall I cook the meat? just slow in the oven?
Shareen and Penny Thanks!!! I will chuck a few colemans in the case as a back up!!
akshar Member # 1680
posted
Or even high in the oven if the pieces are small. You could do chicken as an alternative.
TDP Member # 5440
posted
The baba ghanush do you take the skin off the aubegine or leave it on as you cook it over the flame? I can see me getting in a right mess! I am stressed already and haven't even left the Uk yet!!!!!!
[This message has been edited by TDP (edited 12 January 2005).]
Automatik Member # 4457
posted
buy some from the local restaurant and pretend that you made it
TDP Member # 5440
posted
Ha ha I did that last time!! Actually I hired the chef!! x
Shareen Member # 989
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I tried to make baba gnoosh here at home once..... it was an absolute disaster, so now I make my tastebuds wait until I get back to Luxor!
Have fun with the Colmans TDP!!
Penny.... a slow cooker would take up most of your baggage allowance lol.... have you thought if you could order online and get one delivered direct to Sharm? Might be worth checking out. I would think a slow cooker would be invaluable, especially with the Colmans!!
Angelcake Member # 5624
posted
Hi Penny, just a note about baggage allowance, I live in Sharm and return to UK about 4/5 times a year. I always fly with Egyptair who are really generous about baggage allowance (up to 50kgs)probably because planes are always half empty !. I have just brought back a CD player and deep fat fryer (husband loves chips ! and I hate cooking them) which was no problem. Mind you at check in they said if I am not careful the plane won't be able to take off !. I am bringing slowcooker next time (Lakeland do a brilliant slowcooker/steamer/rice cooker) All the best x
akshar Member # 1680
posted
I leave the aubergine as it is and the skin blackens as you put it in the flame but inside the flesh cooks. You have to be brave with it and really let it cook, it makes a hell of a mess on your cooker too. lol
BTW a really good cook book I have been using for years is The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos and believe it or Aboudys have it. I bought mine about 12 years ago and used it to cook for my Syrian husband as well as my Egyptian and both have said it is authentic.
Penny Member # 1925
posted
Hello Angelcake:
Thanks you for that I will have a look in Lakeland sounds like a good one.
Yes Egypt Air are great with the luggage allowance and I love their flights except for the landings. Last time I took one of their flights they took the scenic route out over Naama bay ( none of the charter flights do this)then seemed to go for a full throttle landing into the airport. I did wonder afterwards if its a bit like the driving ...you know anything to get ahead of the next car. I am not a nervous fligher and I do not drink but if anyone had given me a gin and tonic I would have downed it in one!
Thanks again Penny
Automatik Member # 4457
posted
I brought my slow cooker out with me but I bought one with a lighter weight dish with a glass lid instead of a heavy pottery one. Overall it was quite light and works exceptionally well. (I bought it from Argos). (Colmans beef bourguignon cooks wonferfully in it).
TDP Member # 5440
posted
Wish I would have known about Egyptair allowance I paid £175 on my way out with Monarch!! Check out this website www.wasfasahla.com The recipes sound really easy!!
Angelcake Member # 5624
posted
Penny I am really laughing I know exactly what you mean about the landings. I now only sit on the ailse seat ! But I am so excited and relieved to back with my beloved husband I can't think about anything else and ignore the bumpy landing. On sundays flight, we had a big religious delegation, everyone was praying in the ailses, it was fantastic. The crew were shouting because they couldn't get past to serve anyone.
I amazed at the number of Colman fans. Luxorlover I agree that beef one is fabulous. Now I am worried that I only brought 6 with me. Next time I am going to see if I can bring over my own selection of english herb plants to grow (Rosemary, sage, basil).
All the best everyone x
germansara Member # 5920
posted
hello, you could even buy some delicious predishes and salads at Carrefour and buy some Kunafa for desert. They have most dishes the egyptians love, so as fresh machschi Ainab, Chicken Machschwi (grazy spelling ), Schiesch Tawwook and Kabbza,hmmmmm...you could cook one day bevore a 'makkarona Bechamel' and recook it next day.
Hope for you , it get well! I don't invite people anymore for food. Too much stress with my three small kiddies...
Sara
bob the dog Member # 4691
posted
My ideal meal would be one that someone else has cooked for me!!!
posted 
lol, I already told you TDP, roast beef and yorkshire pudding! lol
), Schiesch Tawwook and Kabbza,hmmmmm...you could cook one day bevore a 'makkarona Bechamel' and recook it next day.