Kofta Crescent Ring {Recipe}

January 8, 2019January 10, 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.

Let the kofta cool a little before cutting into it, but the lines of the rolls make it easy to size portions.

Our dinner table also included Moroccan stew, tabouleh, and pasta salad, along with a few other sides.

Be sure to stop by these other kid friendly foods from the MENA region

Eid Sprinkle Marshmallow Pops {Tutorial}

Sandwich Swap {Book Review} plus Hummus {Recipe}

Visit A Crafty Arab on Pinterest to see more posts about the Arab world & Muslim culture.

Moon Cupcake Toppers {Recipe}

November 13, 2018January 2, 2019 | acraftyarab

We had such a great time making these mini Oreo, easy moon cupcake toppers this past weekend.

I found the mini Oreo cookie bag in our grocery store check out aisle and had the idea right away that they would make adorable mini moons.

We love making crafts that focus on the moon since it’s such a big part of the Islamic calendar. It helps determine when Ramadan starts and when Eid is celebrated.

We have so many moon crafts, that I’ve compiled them into a list of 99, so be sure to check it out.

For this yummy treat to happen, gather these few items. The goal is to make more Oreo toppers for the cupcakes than to eat them. Sadly we had a lot of broken pieces in our bag that could not be used as toppers and had to be sacrificed. So I’d recommend buying two bags if you are trying this out.

Supplies

Mini Oreos
Spreading knife
Cupcake {Home made}
Toothpicks
Sprinkles
Frosting
Plate

Our toothpicks had a pointy end and a flat end, so we used the pointy end for the cookie and the flat end went into the cupcake. Hold the Oreo firmly in your fingers when you insert the toothpick as the inside of the cookie is very soft. Place the finished Oreos on a plate.

We settled on making just five of the moon phases, to look similar to our Ramadan Chalkboard String Art. We used it as a guide to decorate the Oreo cookies with the frosting.

Once the cookies were done, we added the sprinkles for texture to look like the dark spots of the moon. We also picked up the Oreo cookies and gently pressed the frosted side into the sprinkles that had fallen on the plate to pick up extras.

Our moon phases cupcake toppers are done and ready to be placed into the cupcakes. Put them all on one, or spread them out. Again, try not to eat them before the party. It’s very hard!

If you’d like to make more party treats, check out these other simple crafts

BaklaWa Pops {Recipe}

Ramadan Man’ousheh Mini Bites {Recipe}

Visit A Crafty Arab on Pinterest to see more tutorials that teach about Islam or the Muslim world.

Enjoy these moon books that teach about it’s importance during Ramadan:

Ramadan Man’ousheh Mini Bites {Recipe}

May 26, 2018June 3, 2018 | acraftyarab

Ramadan is a good time to adjust the quantities of the different foods one consumes. I remember in Libya, we would start our iftar, إفطار in Arabic, with a warm soup, add salads, proteins and very few carbs. Iftar is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.

For our carbs, we used to have quartered pita bread, but after we moved to America, my mother substituted crescent rolls to our meals. They were small and were excellent in soaking up the last of the soup juices.

While visiting Egypt a few years ago, I was introduced to man’ousheh, مناقيش in Arabic, a dough dish that had spices and sometimes cheese added. The spices were called za’atar, زعتر in Arabic, and the cheese varied in type, depending on the region.

I have loved the dish ever since and have found a local restaurant that does a good job of duplicating it. Lucky for my, they are not close to my house or I would eat there every day.

I wanted to introduce this dish to my daughters. I thought it might be fun to combine my mom’s love of crescent rolls with my new love of man’ousheh for either a supplement to an iftar meal or even to have on hand for a suhur quick bite. Suhur, سحور‎ in Arabic, is the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting.

Supplies

Cheese (I used akawi)
Crescent rolls
Za’atar
Olive Oil

Lay out a crescent roll single triangle on a plate and cover it generously with the olive oil. Sprinkle the za’atar and add a strip of cheese at the end.

Roll the crescent roll, just as instructed on the of the package.

However, you’ll notice that you are not able to create the crescent shape due to the cheese. If you have your heart set on the Ramadan crescent moon shape, just cut up your cheese into smaller pieces. But whether you keep the cheese one piece or many, make sure to seal the sides to hold it in.