TBK cooks- Back in the kitchen at Nooh Tower , Bahrain

My cramped kitchen in apartment 1412 at Nooh Tower, Hidd, Bahrain

As usual the return to Bahrain from the luxury and expense of two months in Dubai, eating in the finest restaurants and vlogging about my experiences , is painful! Each vlog costs about 20 bd ( 40 GBP) to edit and we made about 20 in Dubai so that's 400 bd ! We did not get any revenue from these. Then the cost of accommodation , flights, PCR tests and eating out plus food and trips to places like Expo 2020 and Miracle gardens- the costs mount up. My last trip to Dubai cost over 7000 bd for 2 months. I did not earn any money since I left Bapco on 14.2.21 so having spent over 9,000 bd in two months ( I had to send some money to the Philippines when I got back for storage of my belongings and roof repairs to two friends properties following Typhoon Odette ) I have now spent all the money those nice people at Bapco gave me when I left!

A big change from Indego by Vineet in Dubai to sausages and onions in Bahrain

Since then I have had nearly 200 bd of medical bills for x ray, blood tests, urine and stool tests, a consultation with my doctor and 3 months supply of Diabetes and Cholesterol medication ( you certainly appreciate Bapco when you leave ) . Then Yacouby forced me to have a Mazda ( instead of a lovely Nissan ) so my car hire went up from 120 bd to 170 bd a month. So cuts had to be made , and a change to my glamorous lifestyle!

Sadly I had to refrain from buying F1 tickets, and tickets to see Eric Clapton and Kings of Leon who are playing at the Al Dana Amphitheatre in March. I had to tell Chester the sad news that I will only be requiring to make one vlog a week from now on , and I got my apron on and started cooking again. I even had Chester set up an amazing spreadsheet with all my bank accounts and credit cards on so I can monitor my expenditure!

Luckily while on my luxury vacation in Dubai I found some ew recipes to cook so I will share them with you now. The first is called

Mujadara

The first part of my Mujadara, rice, lentils and onions

I came across this dish at XVA hotel in Dubai and liked it so much that I googled it. I found out that:

"Lentils, rice, olive oil, and onions—this Middle Eastern standard is the ultimate pantry recipe. It's also the classic example of a dish that's greater than the sum of its parts. There are literally dozens of recipes for mujadara out there—each country, possibly even each family, seems to have its own version. The one I like best is adapted from Claudia Roden's Book of Jewish Food. The crispy onion topping is the best part, so go ahead and make a lot.

NOTE: Lentils, like all dried beans, vary in their cooking time depending on several factors, including age. Yours may take longer to become tender, but they shouldn't take much more than an hour. Hard water can also affect the cooking time—if your water is hard, use bottled water."

Source: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/mujadara-51100640 (accessed 20.7.21)

Cooking the second half of the onions for a second time for the topping

So what do you need to make your Mujadara?

INGREDIENTS

· 1/3 cup olive oil

· 4 or 5 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (use the slicing blade on your food processor, or a mandolin if you have one)

· Salt and pepper

· Freshly ground black pepper

· 1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils, sorted and rinsed

· 1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice

· Plain yogurt or sour cream, optional, for serving

( sod's law , the day before I made this I gave my measuring cups to Corleen to send in the Babikayan box to the Philippines)

My Babikayan box being sent by Corleen today

If you have not heard of a Babikayan box you can read more here- I will have to add it to my list of 50 ways I became Phillipino!

https://www.worldremit.com/en/stories/story/2019/10/22/balikbayan-boxes

I was amazed to read that "over seven million balikbayan boxes arrive in the Philippines each year! Balikbayan means 'return to country' in Tagalog. Balikbayan boxes are a symbol of Filipino diaspora and a bridge between families separated by thousands of miles. Traditionally, Filipinos working overseas carefully pack and send a box full of gifts to their families back home. Marking special occasions, balikbayan boxes are being sent throughout the whole year, and peaking just before Christmas.

Unlike actual Christmas presents, Balikbayan boxes are full of everyday household items such as tinned goods, sweets, school supplies, clothing and pretty much anything you can think of."

Source: https://www.worldremit.com/en/stories/story/2019/10/22/balikbayan-boxes ( accessed 27.2.22)

Special thanks to Corleen for packing and sending the box for me

My box contains all the things I have acquired in the last 14 months since Bapco sent my 57 Boxes with Writer Relocations to Palawan , where I have been paying for storage since. There are gifts for my Anak's 21st birthday, my new Inaanak Cyrus, Pasalubong for my friends who have helped and provided advice this last year ( Paul, Beth, Gracie, Tony and many more) and clothes that do not yet fit and kitchen items I thought I no longer needed and all the lighting and tripods for my vlogging and the last of my recipe books). All that remains in Bahrain is a case of clothes, a Bapco briefcase and me!

My 6 portions of Mujadara- 4 for the freezer and 2 for this week

So , back to the recipe, how do you make Mujadara?

PREPARATION

1. Heat the olive oil in a very large nonstick skillet over low heat (if you only have smaller skillets, divide the oil and onions between two). When the oil shimmers, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan or small stockpot and add the lentils. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then add the rice and half the cooked onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, over very low heat until the lentils and rice are tender, about 20 minutes more. You may need to add more water toward the end; check after 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes

3. While the rice and lentils are cooking, cook the onions remaining in the skillet over low heat, stirring often, until dark brown and nearly crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature, with browned onions sprinkled on top. Add a dollop of the yogurt or sour cream if desired.

I hope you enjoyed the recipe, there will be more soon !