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roya's culinary journey

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supersprout

Creamy Broccoli and Butter Bean Dip with Crudités

January 11, 2018

Happy new year friends! Sharing with you my 1st recipe post for 2018 as I've happily partnered up with SuperSprout to bring you this really easy, ...

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Filed Under: dairy-free, Gluten-free, Plant-based, Salads & Sides, Vegan Tagged With: broccoli, dip, easy, hummus, lunch, supersprout, vegetables

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I'm Roya. A food creative with a passion for cooking, photographing and styling food for a delicious living Read More…

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My love affair with citrus has been strong this se My love affair with citrus has been strong this season, particularly with oranges, ever since I got my hands on the Narenj (Seville) variety from Baghdad.
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Zests are now in the freezer, juices turned into syrups (saved in highlights), and seeds dried with plans to plant them. Would have loved to make marmalade with this variety, but just not enough fruit this time around.
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I've got a really tasty Iranian rice dish with orange zest in the works for Ramadan, but my mind is also thinking of cake... a nice orangey syrupy cake with pistachios and chocolate. Now how does that sound?
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No ones losing quarantine weight this year friends, that's for sure 🤦‍♀️.

Wishing you guys a beautiful day 🧡
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#citrusseason #wintercitrus #foodiegram
#creativefoodphotography #igdrink #beveragephotography #drinkpretty #drinksofinstagram #tastybev #iraqifood #iraqicuisine #persiancuisine #foodphotographyandstyling #foodfluffer #foodartblog #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsmar21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines
This salad never gets old. Always a go-to with the This salad never gets old. Always a go-to with the family because it just compliments most of our dishes... rice and stews? Serve it with a shirazi salad. Grills and kababs?... shirazi on the side. Breakfast? Shirazi. Lol just kidding 😄. But it never fails. Always fresh, bright, and oh-so citrusy.
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It's beauty lies in its simplicity, made up of Persian cucumbers, plum tomatoes, red or white onion, lime juice, and dried mint... but what's important is deseeding and dicing the vegetables in small equal size pieces so that you have a nice spoonful of everything in one bite.
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Over the years, I’ve personally loved elevating this non-leafy salad by adding peppery radish and fresh mint to the mix, but also marinating the onions in a rich olive oil, dry mint, salt, lemon and lime juice, before tossing it in with the rest of the vegetables before serving.
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It's up in highlights if you'd like to try it. Wishing you all a fantastic weekend friends!
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Submitting to Eva's #captivatingcomposition challenge with "get busy" @evakosmasflores
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@creativelysquared #cs_mood

@vaimomatskuu #texthursdays 
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#healthyrecipe #eatyourveggies #saladshirazi #persiancuisine #persianfood #iranianfood #arabicfood #iraqifood #feedfeed #foodgawker #wherewomencreate #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #feedyoursoul #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #foodphotographyandstyling #ihavethisthingfordarkness #darkfoodphotography #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #moodygrams #beautifulcuisines #pinkladysnapsfeb21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @hautescuisines @pinkladyappleuk @thefeedfeed @cuisine_creations #cuisine_creations @bonappetitmag @saveurmag
Hey friends! I know spring is around the corner, a Hey friends! I know spring is around the corner, and here I am sharing with you Autumn feels 😄. I guess I'm just not ready to give up on moody or Wintery vibes yet.
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So I made this pumpkin cake a while back, with an IGTV video on making pumpkin puree from scratch that went into the batter. With other content I got pulled into working on, I never got around to sharing the recipe, video, or imagery associated with it... Only now it isn't relevant is it? 🤦‍♀️ Or does it matter? 🤔.
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With pumpkin varieties growing in the UAE and imported pretty much year-round, I can't help but wonder why certain produce (like pumpkin), is only associated with specific holiday pies and lattes in October? predominately, a US influence. Because after a very brief yet solid appearance, it's like poof, not a pumpkin recipe in sight!
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But here I am still making and testing savoury pumpkin recipes for roasts, kibbe, and curries... cause honestly, its one of my favourite underrated veggies. 

I just might sneeeeakily add this cake recipe to my IGTV videos anyway should you happen to be in the mood for a slice of Autumn.
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#pumpkin #makeitdelicious #foodiegram #foooodieee #eatpretty #foodphotographyandstyling #foodphotographer #foodphotography #foodstylist #foodartproject #moodygrams #foodfluffer #foodartblog #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #darkfoodphotography #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #moodygrams #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines @cuisine_creations @beautifulcuisines @hautescuisines
Taking the time to shoot a lot more ingredient ima Taking the time to shoot a lot more ingredient imagery to support the recipes that I'm working on; and these beauties are going into the making of stuffed cabbage rolls, also known as dolmat lahana, or ملفوف.
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This version I ended up experimenting with turned into a cross between an Iraqi and Palestinian version 😊... with a combination of short grain rice, minced lamb, onions, baharat spices, and PLENTY of herbs dill, parsley, and mint. Simmered in a broth of olive oil, lemon, garlic, and cumin.
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The cabbage turns into this melt in your mouth tenderness and the flavours compliment one another perfectly. I personally love them the next day as they're even tastier, even cold, straight out of the fridge!

Head on over to stories shortly to see how to make them. Will then save to IGTV later this week.
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Submitting to:
@mykalekitchen @peaches2peaches #mykalekitchencolourstory

@creativelysquared #cs_mood 

#dolma #cabbage #cabbagerolls #arabicfood #feedfeed #foodgawker #iraqifood #iraqicuisine #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #feedyoursoul #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #makeitdelicious #ihavethisthingfordarkness #foodphotographyandstyling #darkfoodphotography #foodartblogger #visualstorytelling #moodygrams #beautifulcuisines #foodphotography #foodfluffer #foooodieee @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @thefeedfeed @cuisine_creations
. If Alice stumbled upon the Mad Hatter’s Tea Pa .
If Alice stumbled upon the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party… in Arabia.
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When Kimberly @thelittleplantation asked for us to find food and drink inspiration from familiar stories, books, or movies, it really brought a smile to my face and I immediately thought of Disney and cartoon classics.

As a kid, cartoon food scenes really stuck with me… whether it was Tom & Jerry having an epic food fight, the iconic spaghetti kiss with Lady and the Tramp, or the disastrous 15-layer melting cake from Sleeping Beauty.
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But the one film that I immediately connected with was the tea party from Alice in Wonderland (I'm a chai fiend!), and I drew inspiration from the opening scene that had a very peculiar angle… Alice crouching down at table level looking through clouds of steamy teapot handles and cups.
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The perspective has this sense of depth and exaggerated scale, which I thought would be very fitting to showcase a pot of strong tea brewing on top of a Samawar with hot istikans of chai. I mean, the Samawar itself reminds me of the Mad Hatter! 😄
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Do have a look through stories for some video clips that influenced this image, including the color grading and editing I used which was inspired by Tim Burton’s darker version of Alice in Wonderland.
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Do you have a memorable cartoon food scene?
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Also submitting to the following:

'Inspiration Is Everywhere' #foodphotobiteswithritu @happytummybyritumbhara @meera.seetharaman @christall.lowe @foodphotobiteswithritu @janeheroldpottery

#cs_mood @creativelysquared

#texthursdays @vaimomatskuu
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#eatcaptureshare #iraqicuisine #persiancuisine #darkfoodphotography #ihavethisthingfordarkness
#creativefoodphotography #adoremycupoftea #foodphotographyandstyling #foodartblog #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #eatpretty #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsfeb21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines #شيف_شاهين_دعم_صناع_المحتوى # @twiningsuae @ahmadteaarabia @ahmadteauae @ahmadtea
"Venture Into Nature"... is the prompt today for f "Venture Into Nature"... is the prompt today for finding inspiration for the #eatcaptureshare food photography challenge by @thelittleplantation and I couldn't be happier than to step outside into our little garden to pick some ripe figs growing on our tree...
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Mind you, it had been a constant struggle with the birds as they had managed to do all sorts of acrobatics through the nets and devoured close to 60% of the fruit on our young tree 🤦‍♀️.
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I tried not to be too pissed off while picking just those 8 lovely ones... slapping my husbands hand away at his attempts to fiddle with the net and eat a few cause you know... photoshoots! 😅 

But what we do have plenty of are fig leaves which I'm planning to work with. They have SUCH a beautiful aroma and unique flavour and can be used in cooking. More on that another day. 🌿🌿🌿

Keeping this scene minimal and softer, focusing just on these jammy sweet beauties and using nature's colour palette as a guide to play with pink and green.
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Taking you through a bit of a stroll in the garden up in stories.
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Also submitting to:
'Minimalism' #onourcreativetable @onourcreativetable @haniyeh.nikoo @violaminerva @bakingmydays @lionelandhetta @berryhunting @panyaskitchen @story_on_a_plate_ 
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#creativefoodphotography #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsfeb21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines
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Welcome to the jungle. I hope you're thirsty!
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Turning heavenly-smelling Narenj Orange citrus from Baghdad into a concentrated sweet cordial for a refreshing sharbat drink. Mom loved it so much and said it reminded her of her childhood.
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Now onto the imagery...

"Try Something New (with light)" is the @thelittleplantation #eatcaptureshare food photography challenge today, and honestly, this was probably my toughest trial yet!

I've always been fascinated by hard / harsh light imagery but have a REALLY hard time executing it. While I typically shoot in the studio room, I can never get that kind of light there, so I ventured into the kitchen where for 20 minutes, roughly around 5:30pm, I get this crazy low beam of sunlight shooting through the window onto the kitchen counter where I attempted this "sundowner" tropical vibe drinks shot.
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I hope I managed to make you guys wanna reach out and grab a glass 🥰🍹. Sharing how I went about making this cordial coming up in stories.
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@useyournoodles
#useyourcreativenoodles #creativefoodphotography #igdrink #beveragephotography #drinkpretty #drinksofinstagram #tastybev #citrusseason
#foodphotographyandstyling #foodfluffer #foodartblog #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #foodiegram #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsfeb21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines
Ah food trends... Do I dare hashtag these tacos to Ah food trends... Do I dare hashtag these tacos to the tortilla hack or tortilla trend that's taken IG by storm, just to kinda mess with everyone? Or will I get hate mail? 😅.
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Keeping wraps "old school" with this tasty trio of Korean-inspired beef bulgogi tacos with a pear and radish salsa and spicy gochujang crema. No 3-way fold hack attempts were made, just a nice meal to enjoy 😇.
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But what about you guys? Have you been tortilla hacking or making? Or has its 15-minutes of fame now being taken over by the tomato feta bake?
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Please enlighten (or humour?) me 🙏.

Submitting to @thelittleplantation #eatcaptureshare food photography challenge for the theme "Finding your Light - Sidelight".

Wishing you all a great weekend ❤.
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#tacos #gochujang #creativefoodphotography #makeitdelicious #naturalfood #foodphotographyandstyling #foodfluffer #foodartblog #wherewomencreate #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #foodiegram #eatpretty #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsfeb21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines
. Dibis w’Rashi - دبس وراشي Moments lik .
Dibis w’Rashi - دبس وراشي

Moments like these... a spoonful of warm roasted sesame paste spread over toast and generously drizzled with a rich date molasses. Topped with crunchy pepitas and sesame seeds and enjoyed with hot istikans of strongly brewed cardamom chai.
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The flavor combination is insanely moorish and part of many Iraqi Afternoon Tea or weekend mornings when we feel like indulging a little… speaking of which is happening WAY too often these days thanks to new recipes being tested for Ramadan… yes Ramadan… in April!
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But if you’re intrigued with the thought of Rashi (also known as Tahini) being paired in sweets and want ideas NOW NOW, do check out what @cosetteskitchen been up to lately with all sorts of decadent Tahini desserts.
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Submitting this tasty bite to @thelittleplantation #eatcaptureshare food photography challenge with the theme “Finding Your Light - Backlight”.
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#creativefoodphotography #iraqifood #iraqicuisine #cs_mood #tahini #chailover  #platedpictures #flatlayphotography #makeitdelicious #foodphotographyandstyling #foodfluffer #foodartblog #wherewomencreate #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #foodiegram #eatpretty #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsfeb21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines  #شيف_شاهين_دعم_صناع_المحتوى# #
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdo “Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad” - Miles Kington.
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I have this tendency to get wrapped up in wanting to express my food stories through elaborate compositions that I have often overlooked the beauty of just capturing raw ingredients on their own... something that I had to proactively think about as I was looking at ways to work quicker and diversify my portfolio.
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Sometimes the most beautiful flavours, colours, and shapes that nature gifts us can easily be taken for granted when they're seen stocked in supermarkets or we're in a rush to cook a meal not only to feed ourselves, but to capture in a photoshoot.
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With some inspiring food imagery coming from creatives like @vaimomatskuu @ferraronierica and @thelovingbelly ; I’ve grown more appreciative and aware of the power of storytelling through still-lifes. And while I’ve got a long way to go in my practice, I hope to share more ingredient shots with you in the feed beyond the plated dish. I hope you will love them as much as I do.
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Submitting this tomato bounty for this season’s #eatcaptureshare food photography challenge by @thelittleplantation for the theme, Creative Composition “Repetition”.
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#creativefoodphotography #farmfresh #makeitdelicious #naturalfood #foodphotographyandstyling #foodfluffer #foodartblog #wherewomencreate #stilllifefoodphotography #dubaifoodblogger #foodartblog #foodblogfeed #creativityfound #cuisine_creations #gloobyfood #still_life_mood #foodphotoshoot #foodiegram #eatpretty #creativephotographer #visualstorytelling #beautifulcuisines #hautescuisines #pinkladysnapsjan21 @foodartblog @beautifulcuisines @pinkladyappleuk @foodphotoaward @cuisine_creations @hautescuisines
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Hey Friends,

I'm Roya. A food creative with a passion for cooking, photographing and styling food for a delicious living. Read More…

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