6 Kid Approved Stuffed Dates {Recipe}

May 29, 2019June 2, 2019 | acraftyarab

We tried different ways to stuff dates for our upcoming Eid al Fitr potluck party. Eid al Fitr is the celebration that is at the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Dates are used to break the daily fast during Ramadan because tradition holds that the prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) broke his fast with three dates and water. Because of this, there are a lot of them sold at the grocery stories this time of year.

It is very common to go to someone’s home this month with a box of dates as a gift. As a result, we have several in our kitchen.

We looked in our refrigerator to find various ingredients to try out stuffing flavors and came up with these six that we’ll be taking to the event next week. We tried much more, but these six were the top kid approved tastes.

To get started, we cut slits in the the dates and took out all the pits. Then we just stuffed and tasted!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Nuggets & Melted Chocolate Stuffed Dates

Let’s start with the most popular. These ranked the highest in thumbs up. The tart of the peanut butter & pretzel against the sweet dates & chocolate were the perfect combination.

Peanut Butter & Salted Caramel Almonds plus Melted Chocolate Stuffed Dates

These were also a huge hit with the kids. We tried the salted caramel almonds to start but also made some with regular (unsalted) almonds. The kids went fifty on them, but after they dipped them in the left over melted chocolate from the dates above, they didn’t care which ones they were tasting.

Almond & Brie Stuffed Dates

Everyone loved the almonds when they were also combined with brie cheese. Once the kids realized how much they loved the cheese flavor with the dates, we started to try different cheeses.

Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Dates

This honey goat cheese is one of our favorites and a staple in our kitchen, so we paired it with sun dried tomatoes to add a bit of tart. I also added a dash of basil on top. The adults like this more than that kids, but I’m sure the sun dried tomatoes had a big role in that decision. I wish we had cherry tomatoes as I’d be curious what fresh would do to the taste.

Fontina & Basil Stuffed Dates

These dates also got a “they’re okay” from the kids but the adults really loved the taste. We decided to try fontina cheese since we didn’t have any mozzarella to pair with basil leaf. Next time, I might also thrown in a slice of cherry tomato on top to see what that does.

Pistachio & Almond with Rose Water Stuffed Dates

The kids like these but they were probably the least favorite of the six due to the rose water. We made a few with only the pistachios & almonds and those were a hit. But the adults like the rose water, so I’d recommend making both and letting everyone decide on their own.

These were our top six ways to eat stuffed dates and can’t wait to share them with our friends to see what they think.

If you enjoyed learning how to make these stuffed dates, stop by these other treats we tried

Eid Party Fruit Snack {Recipe}

Ramadan Man’ousheh Mini Bites {Recipe}

Visit A Crafty Arab on Pinterest to see more fun food recipes.

Moroccan Harira Soup {Recipe}

May 22, 2019May 23, 2019 | acraftyarab

Harira is a Moroccan soup that is mostly eaten during Ramadan by residents but often made year round for visitors who want a local taste.

The name harira, derived from the Arabic word meaning silk, takes it’s name from the texture of the soup after it’s been thickened with the egg at the end.

While I was visiting Morocco, I was surprised at the different ways it was made. From the hotel in Rabat to the riad in Tétouan, they each had their own spin.

I wanted to try out my version tonight that I thought my family would like and they loved it. I used beef and my youngest said she would like to try it with chicken next time, while my husband wanted a version with no meat. We’ll keep playing around with it and if you do make it for your family, make sure to let us know!

Ingredients

1 pound beef
2 TB Olive oil
1 Onion
3 Celery stalks
3 Carrots
1 cup Lentils
1 can drained Chickpeas
Parsley bunch
Cilantro bunch
1 can Tomato sauce
8 cups beef bouillon/broth
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup rice
1 Egg
2 TB Flour
2 TB Lemon juice
2 cups water

I started by browning the meat in the olive oil.

Once it was done, I set it aside in my cooking pot and used the meat juices to cook the chopped onion. After five minutes of medium heat, I added the celery and carrots.

I also added all the spices and cooked everything for an additional five minutes.

Now that the celery and carrots had softened just a little, I added the meat mixture on top so I could use the pot to get the water mixture started. I boiled the eight cups of beef broth and added the chickpeas, lentils and tomato sauce. Once everything started to boil, I added the meat and other vegetables back in to simmer for one hour.

My timer told me after an hour that it was time to add the finally chopped parsley and cilantro and let that cook for an additional ten minutes.

While that was on the stove, I whisked together the water, egg, flour and lemon juice and slowly added it in for an additional five minutes.

The soup is wonderful with bread to help soak up the last few drops. Be sure to leave leftovers for the next day. One of my favorite foods for breakfast at the Rabat hotel was their harira and many Moroccans swear their favorite soup is best eaten as a leftover.

If you enjoyed making this soup, make sure you stop by these other yummy foods to make for Ramadan

Libyan Sharba Soup {Recipe}

Palestinian Spinach and Lentil Soup {Recipe}

Visit A Crafty Arab on Pinterest to see what other foods you can make from the Arab world.

Kofta Crescent Ring {Recipe}

January 8, 2019February 8, 2019 | acraftyarab

Our family had friends over for dinner recently and I made kofta, a meatball type dish, commonly eaten from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. To make my kofta a little more unusual, I placed it into pre-made crescent rolls shaped into a ring.

In Morocco, kofta is made in a tagine, while in Libya and Egypt, kofta might be shaped into cigar or finger sizes that can easily fit into sandwiches. Some in the Levent region, like Jordon or Palestine, might make kofta flattened into a tray or made into patties.

I have seen the crescent rings made before, from taco crescent rings to french dip crescent rings, but I had never seen one made from kofta.

I will have to admit the photos below are of our family’s second attempt. The first try tasted just the same, but did not look pretty. I figured out the secret and want to share it with you so you’ll enjoy this yummy dish at home too.

Ingredients

2lbs ground beef
1egg
1cup bread crums
3 or 4 cloves garlic
1tsp sald
2 1/2tsp ground sumac
2tsp ground cumin
1 1/2tsp red peper flakes
1 1/2tsp paprika
2 packages of Pillsbury Crescents

I started by getting the ring ready first. I placed all the crescent rolls in a circle, making sure the bottoms overlapped, with the points facing out.

Slice the garlic cloves and place them, along with all the other ingredients, into one bowl. Wash your hands and use them to mix everything. Kids love to do this part, so let them at it.

After everything is well mixed, shape the meat mixture into a circle on the crescent rolls.

Here is where I messed up on my first try, make sure the tips of the crescent rolls are tucked under. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes and your kofta crescent ring is ready to enjoy.