M'halabiya bil Manga/M'halabiya bil Bortugal

M'halabiya bil Manga/M'halabiya bil Bortugal

2 cups low fat milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp rosewater (or more to taste)
6 tbsp cornstarch (divided use)
2/3 cup water (divided use)
2 cups mangos or oranges, peeled and coarsley chopped
Garnish- whipped cream (optional)
ground pistachios
1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat, adding the sugar and the
rosewater. Dissolve 3 tbsp of the cornstarch in 1/3 cup of the water
and whisk into the milk. Stir constantly until the milk thickens.
Remove from the heat and let stand.
2. In another saucepan, bring the mango juice or orange juice to a
boil. Dissolve the remaining 3 tbs carnstarch in the remaining 1/3
cup water, and whisk into the juice. Stir constantly until the liquid
thickens. Remove from the heat and let stand.
3. Pour half of the thickened milk into attractive stemmed glasses or
serving dishes. Carefully cover with a layer of thickened juice and
drop in a few pieces of fresh fruit. Pour the reminaing milk pudding
in a third layer and garnish with the rest of the chopped fruit. For
a special occasion, each glass may be garnished with a rosette of
whipped cream, surrounded by chunks of fresh mango or orange.
Sprinkle with ground pistachio and refrigerate.

Homemade Cheese (paneer)

Ingredients

*Milk (whole, lowfat, or skim)
*lemon juice or vinegar
*salt*saucepan
*cheesecloth or think white cloth
*cooking thermometer
*colanderInstructions

Slowly heat the milk in the saucepan over low or medium-low heat , stirring occasionally, until it is roughly 175F, or until it is not quite to the boiling point. Add vinegar or lemon juice to the milk a tablespoonfull at a time, stirring slowly, until the milk begins to curdle. When you can tell the difference between the curds and whey (one will look like cottage cheese and the rest like yellowish water), then take off heat and add no more lemon juice or vinegar. place cheesecloth in a colander with edges draping over the rim. SLOWLY pour the curds into the colander and let sit until most of the water has drained off. Add salt to your liking, tie ends of the cloth and hang over the sink for several hours. Alternatively, add salt, form the curds into a square shape, wrap up in cheesecloth, and place on a cutting board. Place something under one end of the board to have it at a slant, and place a heavy book on top of the wrapped cheese to press out the water. Let sit for several hours or overnight in a cool place. Remove cloth and cut into chunks and store in a plastic container in the refigerator.

Yoghurt Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

*Yoghurt, plain
*salt
*white pepper (optional)
*cucumbers
*white onion, minced (optional)
*pressed garlic or minced shallots (optional)

Instructions

Take the yoghurt and place in a bowl. Skin the cucumber, cut lengthwise, and take out the seeds if you wish. Cut the cucumber into very small pieces, or grate it, using the large teeth of a grater. Add to the yoghurt along with salt, pepper, and the optional ingredients. Serve cold as a side dish or with rice dishes, or as a cold sauce in pita bread sandwiches such as falafal.

Yoghurt Cheese

Ingredients

*Yoghurt
*cheesecloth or thin white cloth (perhaps a thin T-shirt)
*Olive Oil
*Jar
*spices such as paprika and cumin (optional)
*colander (optional)

Instructions

Take the yoghurt and place it in the cloth, typing the corners of the cloth to make a sort of bag. Hang this from the faucet over the sink, or place it in a colander in the sink so the water drains off. Check the yoghurt periodically to see if it is the consistency you like. Different thicknesses of cloth will take different amounts of time to thicken the yoghurt. n to your liking, take the yoghut out of the cloth and either place as is in a jar or plastic container and place in the refrigerator, or else form the yoghurt into 1 1/2 inch balls and pack in a jar with some olive oil. n serving, some people like to roll the yoghurt balls in paprika or cumin before placing on it's serving dish. Good for breakfast with flat bread.

Homemade Yoghurt

Ingredients and Equipment

*Milk (whole, nonfat, or lowfat)
*small quantity of yoghurt
*Cooking Thermometer
*plastic or ceramic bowl
*saucepan
*towels

Instructions

Heat milk slowly in a saucepan until it reaches 185F (85C). If you don't have a thermometer, heat the milk until bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan. (be careful to keep stirring the milk or it will burn on the bottom and make a crust) Cool the milk until it is down to 110F (45C), or lukewarm.Put the yoghurt in a small bowl (about 1/4 cup for a gallon of milk, or 2 Tbs for 4 cups of milk) and stir until it is soft. stir in about 1/2 cup of warm milk with yoghurt until it is all mixed well. Add this yoghurt mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the milk, stirring SLOWLY, or it will become sour or tart. Rinse the bowl you are using with hot water and then pour in the yoghurt/milk mixture. Put on the lid firmly and then wrap the bowl in at least two layers of bath towels to keep the heat in. Set the towel covered bowl aside for at least 6 hours, usually overnight. Afterwards, store the yoghurt in the refigerator.