August, 2020
Anita’s Red Velvet Cake with Creamy Frosting
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups cake flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet baking chocolate chips
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
red food coloring, gel
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit.
- Prepare two 9 inch-cake pans grease with baking spray. Place cut round parchment paper to fit on bottom of the pans and coat again with nonstick spray. Set baking pans aside.
- Using a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment add the oil, eggs, vinegar, vanilla extract, and yogurt. Mix on medium speed until combined. Incorporate sugar and mix well.
- Turn mixer to low and add in the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda . Beat all ingredients until batter is creamy but still light. Do not over beat, avoiding cake to become dense.
- Add few drops of red food coloring to reach color desired. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and fold in gently the chocolate chips using a spatula.
- Divide batter equally into the two prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tops are firm but still soft, as it will continue to harden in pan.
- Remove cakes from oven and let it cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting in a rack to cool completely.
Mascarpone Cream Frosting
- Using a hand mixer or a whisker beat 16 ounces of room temperature mascarpone cheese with 3/4 cup of room temperature sweet butter until creamy and smooth.
- Add 4 to 5 cups of confectioner sugar slowly. Add 2 tablespoon of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cream together till all ingredients are well incorporated. If frosting is too thin add more confectioner sugar. Set aside.
Assembling and Frosting the Cake
1. Use a serrated knife and slice thin layer of top of the cakes to have a flatten surface. 
You may crumble that piece of cake removed and set aside for décor later.
2. Place one cake layer on the cake platter. Spread creamy frosting over the top.
Top with second layer of cake. 
3. Spread left creamy frosting over the top of the cake. Use your leftover cake crumbles to decorate on top of frosting. Enjoy!
Anita’s Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups of cake flour
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
3/4 cup olive oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
4 or five small lemons, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon of lemon zest
1 Tablespoon of Rose Water or orange blossom(can also use lemon extract if preferred)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Spray your 14 inches square pan with baking spray. Sprinkle over with brown sugar and lay slices of lemons overlapping on top of sugar. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs and olive oil until yellow pale. Add plain yogurt, milk , rose water and lemon zest. Whisk in sugar until well combined.
3. Incorporate cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat all ingredients and fold in the berries dusted with 1/3 of a cup cake flour so they will float all around the cake without sinking on bottom of your pan. 
4. Pour cake batter into your prepared cake pan.
5. Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and tooth pick inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan for about 20 minutes. Invert into a wire rack and let it cool completely for another 20 minutes.
7. Transfer with care into a cake platter. Enjoy!
Anita’s Best Potato-Awarma Fatayer (Lebanese Potato Pie)
Ingredients For the Dough
2 cups bread flour
1 Tablespoon dry active yeast or (use 1/2 cup of my “starter” recipe)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 Tablespoon olive oil
Preparation1. Use a small container, add warm water and sugar to the active yeast. Wait 10 to 15 minutes to bubble up.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread flour and dissolved yeast. Add olive oil and salt. Knead the dough until well combined over a slightly floured surface. Shape dough into 3 inches balls. Place over a floured tray and cover with a towel until double in size. Set aside.
Ingredients for the Potatoes and Awarma Filling
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled, cubed and cooked
1 onion, small diced
4 Tablespoons butter, melted + 1 Tbsp.(ghee butter used)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon sumac, ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preparation
- Boil potatoes in a large pot with water until fork tender. Cut into little squares. Set aside.
- Use a large skillet at medium-high heat and place melted butter (can also use ghee butter-clarified butter for more deep flavor). Incorporate ground meat, seasoned with salt and pepper. Keep stirring until meat is cook through completely. Let it cool. Remove Awarma from the skillet and set aside. You can keep Awarma in a glass jar container making sure that meat is all cover with melted butter in a cool place, or fridge.
- Use same large skillet. Sate onions in one tablespoon of butter until transparent. Return cooked potatoes into the skillet, add half of the awarma over. Add lemon juice. Stir to combine. Season with sumac and ground cumin. Toss all ingredients and let it cool. Set aside.
Making Potato-Awarma Fatayer (Potato Pie)
Awarma (bits of fat preserved) is usually made from the lamb or sheep tailed fat minced or diced. In this recipe I used ground beef. Can be store in your freezer or fridge in a sanitized glass jar. It last for months..
- Preheat oven to 375 grades Fahrenheit.
- Flatten dough balls using the palm of your hand or rolling rod over a dry surface into a rectangle shape. Take 2 Tablespoon of the potato-awarma filling and place it into the center. Use your fingers and pinch sides of dough into the rectangle making sure no corners are left open.
- Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil and place fatayer on sheet.
- Bake Fatayer in the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy warm or at room temperature next to fresh produce.
Anita’s Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, boiled
3 cups water
1 cube chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/3 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoon fresh squeeze lemon juice
heavy cream drops (to drizzle after)
pumpkin seeds (for garnish)
Preparation
- Use a large pot and fill it with 3 cups of water. Add chicken bouillon. When it starts to boil add cubed butternut squash. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until is tender.
- Place tender cooked butternut squash with their broth water into a blender and pure until smooth.
3. Return to the pot. 
4. Seasoned with curry powder, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and fresh lemon juice. Heat through and serve warm. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and some drizzles of heavy cream if you like. Enjoy!
