Happy New Year and I hope you will enjoy my first #Food Blogger Tribute – to Amira‘s Arabianmama blog!
About the pending New Year (which is now here), I was recently asked, “Has this year passed (last year) or is the year coming?”
Without hesitation, (and seeing my friends call me The Eternal Optimist), I said, “The year is coming!”
This reply was received with a smile! 
Recently, I came across Amy’s Gratitude List 2014 – Week One via Thoroughly Nourished Life with Linda’s comment, and reflected on how:
Photo Courtesy of Inside the Divine Pattern
With so much negativity in the world, I chose being amongst positive people and positive things every day; hence the Eternal Optimist nickname! 
I know we are all grateful for something or someone in our lives, but I thought I would start a series on a random basis sharing a #Food Blogger Tribute to people and blogs that have and continue to inspire me!
Consider it my humble, gracious attempt to Pay It Forward which I hope will inspire!
I LOVE learning all things new, especially when it comes to food…YOU?
Salivating yet? lol
When I recently saw Amira’s El-Pasha pillow A.K.A. Mekadet Al-Pasha, her recipe and the history behind it greatly intrigued me.
I must admit, initially I did not know who El-Pasha or Al-Pasha was 
, but “sensed” somehow I had a connection indirectly to!
For those who also may be unfamiliar, a brief background might help!
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas’ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman Empire and self declared governor of Egypt and Sudan, with the Ottoman’s permission.
“Can you remind us what the Ottoman Empire was and what countries it consisted of?”
What a GREAT question you asked today!
The Ottoman Empire was an Islamic based empire in the Middle East from the 1400′s until World War I.
The countries that made up the Ottoman Empire include: Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, Greece, Bosnia, Romania, Bulgaria, Libya, Jordan and Syria.
Amira’s friend living in Tripoli, Libya provided the recipe and I am glad she did so I could now “slightly adapt” it and share it with you!
While the exact origins surrounding El-Pasha pillows is not known, it would make sense that recipes in honor of such important people were created “as a tribute” to the contribution or the significance of the person to that region.
Who knows, perhaps it was Muhammad Ali-Pasha’s favorite recipe made by his mum when he was a child; the possibilities are unending.
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
My good friend Queen Lou (from Cambelltown Moonlight Markets 1 and 2 and Conversations over Chivito fame to name a few), was kind enough to lend me her “spectacular” crepe pan.
Previously, I considered myself “crepe gifted” as I had the hardest time dipping the machine into the crepe batter in a pan, turning it over, making sure it was evenly cooked, then trying to turn it over without….OOPS!!! Another one on the floor! 
You can use your favorite crepe batter, but seeing I was making this for the first time, I wanted to keep it simple, so chose to incorporate making the crepe batter in my Thermomix using Crepes – Three Ways recipe via Steph.Berg.com; came out GREAT!
Yes, I did thank Steph too!
I thought I would walk you through the recipe!
I used 500 grams of minced turkey (I had on hand,) 1/4 of a Spanish red onion (needed to use up), and was very proud to incorporate my home
grown parsley!
I know parsley is not difficult to grow, but for this “green thumb challenged” person, it is a big accomplishment too!
I have been wanting to try Jane’s Thermomix Curly or Flat? parsley recipe whose method was shown to her by Chef Grant Hawthorne.
My thinking (and hopefully it will be our secret today! lol), Chef Georgio is not a big fan of greens, so I thought if I reduced them in some way which did not affect the taste, perhaps the hidden herb would make Chef Georgio’s day; it did!
Continuing on….
In hot pan, add oil, sauteed onions until soft (about 5 minutes); add turkey mince (or meat of choice) and cook until brown; set aside to completely cool.
I then added the well strained parsley, roasted red peppers (about 1/4 cup), peas (1/4 cup frozen) and Chef Georgio’s favorite condiment Homemade Worcestershire Sauce; enough to cover the meat and allow it to simmer into the meat; about 6 tablespoons and a S-L-O-W simmer.
Add some cracked black pepper; adjust seasonings for personal taste!
Please note this “walk through” recipe is “as a guide” to inspire; feel free to use ingredients that appeal to you; GREAT for leftovers!
ASSEMBLE!!! ASSEMBLE!! ASSEMBLE!!!
I seem to enjoy YELLING that like in Wrap Yourself Happy!
Place about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of meat mixture onto a crepe and roll burrito style into a square aka pillow.
PLEASE tell me I am not the only one who thinks the crepe was smiling back at me!
In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs.
One a flat tray, place panko crumbs (about 1 cup).
With a pastry brush, (as honestly, I could not figure out how I was going to dip the crepe all over without it falling apart ) generously coat the crepe all over, making sure the sides and some of the inside is done too!
Hint and Tip
Use some of the egg mixture underneath the flap of the crepe and it will keep it secured a little better.
I placed the coated pillows into the refrigerator for an hour before shallow frying them in grapeseed oil until golden brown; drain well on paper towel.
I placed them in a warm set oven for about 5 minutes; remains crispy and definitely not greasy or oily!
“So do you have a connection with Muhammed Ali Pasha?,” I “hear” you say?
Thank you for reminding me and actually I do!
When Chef Georgio and I spent time in Cairo, we was privileged to have visited and experienced the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha aka Alabaster Mosque which is located in the Citadel of Cairo in Egypt.
The mosque was designed in the Ottoman style.
I LOVE architecture and am fascinated by the intricate detail of a building along with its history.
Here is the photo I took when visited and sharing one of me!
Thank you Amira from Arabianmama for allowing me to be inspired by your
El-Pasha pillow A.K.A. Mekadet Al-Pasha recipe which I “slightly adapted” and thoroughly enjoyed!
I hope people reading this can be grateful for or to something today!
If you enjoyed this post, please pass it forward via Twitter or Facebook; all comments brighten my day.
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I am proud of my #Food Blogger Tribute -Arabianmama in many ways!