Measuring Cups, Optional

Knafeh [Sweet Cheese and Shredded Fillo Pastry]

Knafeh, a Middle Eastern pastry stuffed with sweet cheese and drenched in sugary syrup, is native to Nablus, Palestine. I haven’t had the pleasure of eating knafeh Nabulsiyeh but I’ve heard it’s the best! The closest I’ve come to amazing knafeh is Habeeba’s knafeh in Amman.

The debate continues over which one is better, خشنة khishneh (coarse) or ناعمة na3meh (fine). My personal favorite is Khishneh. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find out a sweet shop opened up in Northern Virginia offering freshly made knafeh. Jenin Pastry lets you choose between khishneh and na3meh and even delivers for parties! (more…)

Zesty Salmon Kabobs

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Seafood

We’ve all heard about the health benefits of salmon, namely that it has tons of omega-3 fatty acid. Did you know that it’s also packed full of vitamins D and B12? Well, you just learned something new. I love salmon but I haven’t gotten very creative with it. Aside from baking it, I did try making cedar-plank salmon on several occasions. Smoked salmon is amazing on eggs benedict and surprisingly good as a dip with Chobani Greek Yogurt, olive oil and fresh dill. (more…)

Roasted Stuffed Flank Steak

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Beef, Posts, Recipes

I intended to get back to working out, and running (indoors, on a treadmill with TV access). And then, pretty much right after the New Year, I came down with something. A cold, the flu, a virus, I’m just not sure what it is, but I can’t seem to kick it. Added bonus, it’s the coldest it’s been in the U.S. in 20 years! They’re calling it a Polar Vortex. Polar Vortex … who comes up with these terms? They’re absolutely brilliant, but I wonder if there isn’t some meteorologist somewhere with a list of clever names for weather disasters who pulls it out when the time is right. Anyway, we get hit with this Polar Vortex — where no joke, it’s a high of 5 degrees Fahrenheit — which doesn’t quite help the sickness situation. It doesn’t help any situation quite honestly when all you really want to do is hibernate by the heater and watch TV all day. Needless to say, my new years resolution to start working out again (like 99.9% of Americans) has been put on the back burner for now… just until I start to feel well enough to make it through an 8 hour workday without incident. (more…)

Happy New Year 2014

categories: Posts

2013 went by in the blink of an eye. Whether or not that’s a good thing is still debatable. It’s had its ups and it’s definitely had its downs. But seriously, what year hasn’t? 2013 was a year of discovery for me. I discovered some good things and some bad things and I’ve done my very best to focus on the good.

For the first time in a very long time, I don’t have a life plan. I’ve been life planning for 10 years, since senior year of high school and yes, at year 10 I have no 5-year, 10-year or 20-year life plan. I’ll be taking on 2014 one day at a time. I do have a few resolutions to ring in the New Year.

In 2014 I resolve to … (more…)

Pasta with Yogurt Sauce

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Pasta, Posts, Recipes

It isn’t until very recently that the concept of eating plain yogurt has become more popular. It’s with the rise of Greek Yogurt’s popularity that more Americans are open to the idea of eating yogurt that isn’t Vanilla or Strawberry flavored.

It took me a long time to realize that most people (Arabs not included) don’t use plain yogurt or keep it in their house. It’s practically unheard of to spinach, malfouf or kubbeh bel sineyeh without it! And Mansaf is basically yogurt and lamb. (more…)

The 5 Day Working Girl Lunch Challenge

categories: Posts, Recipes

It’s the end of the year, a time when most of us look a little more closely at the numbers in our lives — namely the numbers in our bank accounts and on our scales. That’s when we realize the number in our bank account is slowly decreasing while that pestering number on the scale seems to be increasing by day. So how do I get those numbers to have reverse effects?! I’m looking for the number on the scale to go down, while the number in my bank account to go up. (more…)