Hommus & Tabbouli

Bulgur & Chickpeas Pilaf: Burghul Bedfeen (برغل بدفين)

2009-11-04T11:49:00.006+02:00

Bulgur Bedfeen is a healthy healthy recipe, can be made with chicken, stew meat or simply vegetarian substituting the chicken or meat stock with vegetable stock or water. The one I chose today is with chicken. I used a couple of chicken breasts but you can use half a chicken or even a whole chicken depending on the amount of servings.

Ingredients: (About 4-5 Servings)
2 big Chicken breasts cooked, by covering them with water and adding 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, small carrot, black pepper, small onion, 2 cardamoms (I saved the broth for the rest of the recipe).
2 cups of Bulgur no.2 (not the fine one we use for tabbouli)
2 cups of cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans
4 cups of broth
1 medium onion diced
2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
Olive oil (you can substitute with butter)
Salt, pepper, allspice to taste

After you cook the chicken, shred and set aside.
In the cooking pot, add onions, olive oil, spices. cook for a couple of minutes then add the washed and drained bulgur, mix and cook for a couple of minutes then add the chickpeas, tomato paste and broth. Bring to a boil then let simmer just like rice.
Serve with chicken on top. This meal is served with green salad or plain yogurt.

I will be back to blogging soon!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-10T22:03:00.005+03:00

Dear fellow readers and bloggers :) I have been away for the whole summer and part of fall, but now getting ready to start updating my blog. I moved from Texas to Stuttgart, Germany and we are still settling down. It takes time specially that the kitchen stuff were not around since our stuff were shipped from the US. It took 2+ months :( Also I traveled to Lebanon for a month. That contributed in delaying my blog activity.
Stuttgart cuisine is called Swabian and I might start preparing some of that food during the cold winter season here, we will definitely need comfort food. And of course the beer is something you don't wanna miss here :)
Here are some photos of our out & about eatings :) Including Greek :)

Walima Cooking Club June Challenge: Fish Stew from Bahrain

2009-06-30T21:30:00.002+03:00

This is my savory recipe for the second Walima cooking challenge for the month of June. The ingredients and directions below are as given by Summer. I kept the fish as a whole fillet, and I used Tilapia fish. The jalapenos that I used were ones that I had hand picked them fresh earlier this year and put them in a jar full of olive oil and preserved them, very powerful! I also left the sauce on the side and poured it over the fish before serving. The taste of this dish reminded me of a similar fish with sauce that I had in one of my favorite Indian restaurants, I guess the use of turmeric and spices is what made it so similar, as well as the flavor of the Basmati rice.

Ingredients:
1 tsp of turmeric
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 kg of fish fillet cubed
2 jalapeno peppers seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tbsp of freshly chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic chopped
Some fresh ginger chopped
2 med size chopped onions
2 med chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp of mustard
2 ½ cups of water
2 cubes of chicken broth , unless you have homemade chicken stock
Replace the water with stock
2 tbsp of freshly chopped cilantro

Preparation:
Mix the turmeric with veggie oil, and marinate the fish in it for couple of minutes.
Then lay the fish on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 18 minutes to turn golden brown.
In a food processor, add the garlic, onion, jalapeno peppers tomatoes ginger and mustard, and whip until it turns to paste.
I did not puree my sauce, I felt that it would taste better chunky.
Heat a non stick pan and cook the paste on medium heat, without oil, till it start to turn golden,(takes around 5 min) add the water and dissolved chicken bouillon or the chicken stock, whatever you have on hand, and cook for 7-8 minutes more to become a thick sauce, pour over the fish in the oven and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
Serve over Basmati rice and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top.

Thanks Summer!!!!! That was very delicious!

Okra Stew (Bemiyeh bil lahmeh) - بامية باللحمة

2009-06-20T03:11:00.003+03:00

Okra stew is one of my favorite stews. I love its taste when it combines with the tomato sauce, cilantro and pomegranate molasses. Very tangy and full of texture. I follow my mom's recipe, I love the way she makes it. It's a very popular recipe in Lebanon.
Here in the United States I don't always find fresh small okras, so I buy it from the frozen section at a Middle Eastern store or from the local grocery store but they come sliced since they let them grow too big. Small okra is always preferable though.
This stew is best served with rice and vermicelli (you can find how to prepare it if you go back to my recipe of beans stew or fasolia w rizz that I posted before).

Ingredients:
A frozen bag of small okra (about 500g or 15 ounce)
Canola oil (or any vegetable oil) just enough to fry the okra
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 big can of tomato sauce
2 cups of diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
4 cloves of garlic sliced
1 onion chopped
1 fresh bunch of cilantro chopped
1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses (optional)
Juice of a lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of allspice
500grs or a bit more than half a pound of lean stew meat

Thaw the frozen okra, drain and fry in hot oil until golden then transfer to a plate covered with paper towel to drain the excess oil, set that aside.
In the cooking pot add chopped onions, butter, olive oil, salt & pepper. Then add the meat, garlic and allspice. Let everything cook until the meat browns then add the diced tomatoes, once they're cooked add the tomato sauce and some water, cover for few minutes until everything incorporates and cook, then add the okra (don't stir!), let it sink in the sauce and cook slowly. Add the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and fresh cilantro. Let everything simmer until ready.
Serve with rice.

White Beans Salad - فاصوليا متبلة

2009-06-10T02:59:00.003+03:00

This is a very easy salad to prepare. This kind of vegetarian food is called 'ate3 or aateh' in Lebanon, meaning without meat and in oil. It is very delicious when served with pita bread, green onions on the side and radishes. For a quick serve I used a can, but you can soak beans overnight and cook them then prepare the salad. I used fresh cilantro because I am huge fan of fresh cilantro, but a lot of people use parsley.

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) of cooked white beans (washed and drained)
1 small onions chopped (or green onions/scallions)
1 crushed clove of garlic
1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
Juice of one lemon
Some olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, add the garlic, lemon juice and drizzle some olive oil, then add the beans, onions and cilantro or parsley. Mix them all together and voila!
You can adjust the lemon juice and olive oil to taste too.

Walima Cooking Challenge: Tagine Djeij Bil Zeytoun (طاجن الدجاج بالزيتون)

2009-05-30T07:38:00.007+03:00

The May 2009, Challenge is brought to us by Khadidja Zehani from www.dessert-world.blogspot.com. Khadidja worked on two recipes to give us two choices. One for a wonderful savoury dish and one for outstanding dessert….

This is an Algerien dish. Here's a site that describes the wonderful flavors and aromas and origins of the Algerian Cuisine: http://www.algeria.com/cuisine/

I am not very talented when it comes to desserts, I admit that, but I am working on it ;) Therefore I chose the savoury this time.

Here are the ingredients as given:

Tajine Zitoun (Olives Tajine)

This dish could be made with chicken or lamb or both. I personally mix the two meats in the same dish
This recipe has some added meat balls and this is optional. If not using both meats, keep the exact same recipe.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into pieces
2 lbs of lamb
1 large onion
1 Tbsp butter or oil
2 cups pitted green olives
2 medium carrots, cut into circles
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 chicken cube
water
parsley

Meat balls (optional)

1/2 lb ground beef
1 small onion
1 small egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Flour to dredge the meat balls

To thicken the sauce:
1 Tbsp soft butter
2 tbsp flour

Preparation:

1- In a pot / pressure cooker put the butter /oil, chicken pieces, lamb pieces (if using), the onion, salt, pepper cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the onions
are translucent. Add the chicken cube and enough water to cover the meat. Bring the mixture to a boil then cover and cook until the meat is tender. If using both meats, half way through cooking, remove the chicken pieces and continue to cook until the lamb is tender.

2 - In a sauce pan, put the olives and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let the olives boil for 3 to 5 mn. Drain and repeat the same process 2 to 3 times until the olives are no longer bitter.They should not be too salty neither. Set the olives aside.

3- Prepare the meat balls: mix all the ingredients and make balls. Put about 1/2 in of oil in a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Dredge each meat ball in flour and fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

4- Once the meat pieces are cooked, add the olives, the sliced carrots and the meat balls. Bring the sauce to a boil, cover the pot and cook until the carrots and the olives are tender, and the meat balls are cooked through.

5-To finish the dish, mix the butter and flour to form a smooth paste. Bring the sauce to a boil and gradually add the butter/ flour mixture, stirring continuously. Let the sauce boil for 3 to 5 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thick. Add 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Serve the dish accompanied with lemon wedges.

Ok, now here's what I changed a bit only because it's the first time I cook this kind of tajine and I was afraid to ruin it.
While the chicken was cooking I added few fresh thyme stems from my garden ;), a couple of bay leaves and some cardamom. I did not use lamb, but I still added the meatballs. Since I added some butter and oil at the beginning, I did not make the paste with flour and butter, just added flour. What I can say about this dish is that the flavor is really good and tangy specially with the lemon wedges. I ate twice from it after I cooked it. I had it with some pita bread. Oh it was so good! Thank you Khadija! Congratulations for all the Walima Club members for making this happen and thanks to Arlette who came up with the idea and made it happen too by gathering us all. Cheers everybody!

Potato Stew over Rice - يخنة البطاطا مع الارز

2009-05-26T01:01:00.005+03:00

Serves 4-5
5 potatoes peeled and medium cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 small chopped bell pepper
1 clove of garlic chopped
3 cups of chopped tomatoes (or can cubed tomatoes)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of flour
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of allspice or 7 spices
2 cups of fresh chopped cilantro
1 cup of lean minced meat (or 1/2 pound cubed stew meat)
An optional dash of red pepper flakes (or more depending on how spicy you want it)
Few cups of water
Salt & pepper to taste

For the plain white Rice:
The recipe is in most of my previous recipes of rice or stews

In the cooking pot, add the butter, chopped onions and garlic, minced meat and olive oil, let it cook on medium heat. Add salt & pepper to taste and red pepper flakes. Once the meat browns and cooks, add the tomatoes, let the ingredients cook for a couple of minutes then add the potatoes and let them all cook for few minutes. Add the flour to coat the ingredients. Now, add water enough to cover the stew, then add the tomato paste and stir a bit to dissolve it. Add the paprika, allspice and cilantro. Cook until the potatoes are done. Serve with the rice.

I chose minced meat this time, just for a change. Normally I use beef stew meat, or sometimes I make this without meat if I want it a vegetarian dish.

Sunday Morning Homemade Man'oucheh - منقوشة بالزعتر

2009-05-17T20:51:00.005+03:00

I love Man'oucheh (or Mankoucheh). It's a Lebanese Thyme or Zaatar pie, knowing that in Lebanon we have some many kinds of man'ouchehs, like cheese, kishik, zaatar and cheese etc... and some places keep getting more and more creative everyday in serving this traditional breakfast. Since most of the time I keep dough ready in my refrigerator, I was craving man'oucheh this morning. It's very simple and easy. Roll the dough, I like it thin and crispy, then spread the zaatar mix(below) on top, pop it in an 450F oven for about 10 minutes or until gold and crispy (unless you don't like it crispy then take it out before). Cut and serve. Sometimes I like it with vegetables, like fresh mint, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, green onions and some olives and labneh too! Very tasty and filling, this is what we call in Lebanon 'Man'oucheh Extra'. So here are the ingredients:

I prepare this amount of dough to make a big pizza and a Man'oucheh, so it yields two pies. Or you can simply use a ready dough if you don't wanna prepare it yourself ;)

For the simple dough:
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of warm water
1 small pack of yeast
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Mix the dough, cover and let it rise then roll.

For the Zaatar spread: (I eyeball this)
- Some fine chopped onions (optional)
- Some Zaatar Mix (this mix can be found in Middle eastern stores or in healthy food stores, it's the one with sesame and sumac and spices)
- Olive oil
In a small bowl, add the onions, Zaatar Mix and drizzle olive oil and mix until you get a medium-thick paste, you don't wanna add too much olive oil but enough to spread the mixture on the dough without lumps.

Sahtein!

Veggie Burger with Marinated Potato Wedges

2009-04-27T00:12:00.004+03:00

I love homemade burgers! They're easy and tasty and you can adjust the flavors however you like them!

Makes about 4 patties:
1 cup of cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup small chopped carrots
1/2 cup small chopped bell pepper
1 mashed clove of garlic
1/2 chopped parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg (optional)
1/2 tbsp of cumin
1 teaspoon of mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

In a food processor, add all the above ingredients except the egg and breadcrumbs, pulse few times until all the ingredients are incorporated together, the transfer into a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and the egg and fold all ingredients together. I like to refrigerate them for a bit, then form patties. In a non-stick skillet add about a teaspoon of canola oil (or any vegetable oil) or just enough to coat the skillet and cook the patties, few minutes on each side until done.

For the potatoes: (as much potatoes as you want)
Cut potatoes into wedges without peeling them (after cleaning them well). Marinate in olive oil, fresh thyme or rosemary or both, some garlic powder and some pepper. Let them sit for half an hour in a bowl or in a Ziploc bag. Then empty them on a baking rack and bake them in a 375F oven until golden brown.

To serve:
Cut a Hamburger bun in half and slightly toast it, then add on the bottom side, ketchup, then a lettuce leaf, add the veggie patty, then top with sliced onion and tomato and cover with upper part of the bun. Serve the potatoes on the side. I like it with mango salsa. It is a ready salsa that I buy, made of grilled bell peppers, mangoes, tomatoes and a lot of spices.
Hamburgers can be served in so many creative ways, this was a simple version. Caramelized onions are really good too instead of raw onions etc, etc...

Baked Chicken with Potatoes - دجاج مع البطاطا بالصينية

2009-04-16T23:26:00.004+03:00

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (or any parts of the chicken you want), cleaned, washed and cut
2 lemons
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and medium sliced
1 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Herbes De Provence (or Italian herbs)
5 big cloves of garlic, mashed
Salt & pepper to taste

In a container, place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and spices. Add the chicken to marinade. You can marinade for an hour, or you can do it overnight. Now, in a separate bowl and same marinade ingredients I marinated the potatoes. You can half-way fry the potatoes and let them drain on a paper towel or just marinate, for less calories.
In a baking dish enough to fit the chicken and the potatoes, add the chicken then add and distribute the potatoes too. Bake in a 375F oven, until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes too. It's better to cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes or so. Then remove the foil and let it bake and gold-brown. This way the chicken won't dry and will cook faster.
- However, some people prefer to sautee in a skillet with some vegetable oil, the chicken for few minutes on both sides, then transfer it to the baking dish and add the marinade and bake along with the potatoes. Both ways work.

I served it along with saffron-rice and a green salad, simple bed of lettuce, with a herb vinaigrette dressing.

My vinaigrette dressing consisted of some Herbes De Provence, olive oil, a little bit of mustard and balsamic vinegar. For the saffron-rice, very simple too, added a pinch of saffron while the rice was cooking.

Lentils Salad - عدس متبل- (Adas Moutabbal)

2009-03-24T23:17:00.004+02:00

This is a very simple salad. It can be served with pita bread and a plate of fresh vegetables on the side: like green onions, fresh mint and radishes.

Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 cup of lentils
1/3 cup of chopped onions
1 small clove of garlic, mashed
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
About a 1/3 cup of Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash and drain the lentils, make sure that they're clean then add to a saucepan with 4 cups of water and some salt and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and let the lentils cook. After they're cooked, drain the water then transfer to the serving bowl, add the garlic, onions, parsley, salt & pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix the ingredients well and serve.

Shish Taouk (Chicken kebabs) - شيش طاووق

2009-03-02T20:05:00.004+02:00

Shish Taouk is marinated chicken cut into cubes or big chunks and marinated at least overnight then baked, grilled or even cooked on the stove surface. The main ingredient of the marinade is garlic!!! Shish Taouk is normally put on skewers and grilled but this time I wanted to bake it in the oven since we were not having a barbecue. I served it with home made french fries.

Serves about 4
Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken cut in cubes (I normally like chicken breasts)
1 cup of plain yogurt
5 or more cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup of Olive oil (or canola oil)
Salt & pepper to taste.

In a bowl add the chicken and all the ingredients above, mix all ingredients very well and place in the refrigerator overnight or all day. You can also stack this in the freezer and use it whenever you want.
Bake in the oven until the chicken is fully cooked but don't let it dry. Or put on skewers and grill (I will post the grilled version soon too). Shish Taouk can be served on pita bread or tortilla and rolled as wraps with coleslaw and fries. You can get creative!!!!!!

Layered Eggplant, Rice, Cauliflower & more - مقلوبة الباذنجان باللحمة

2009-02-12T20:15:00.006+02:00

This recipe is very common all over the Arab world and not only Lebanon. In Jordan, it is very popular and they prepare it with Lamb. In Lebanon, another version of this is popular also, but made with chicken instead of meat and without eggplant and nuts, I will post it one day as well. I personally prefer this one :) In arabic it is called (Makloubeh or Ma2loubeh= turned over, because you layer everything and turn the pot upside down to serve)

Serves at least 5
Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 small cauliflower
2 cups of rice (long grain)
1 pound of lean medium cubed beef or lamb
1 cup of assorted raw nuts (like pistachios, almonds, pine nuts etc...)
1 big onion chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
4 cups of wate
1 teaspoon butter
Vegetable oil for frying
Some olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste and some allspice

- Slice the eggplant into medium circles, sprinkle salt and let it drain its water for like half an hour (this way it won't absorb a lot of oil ;))Then drain on a paper towel and fry them half way until they begin to turn gold. Fry the cauliflower too and let drain ona paper towel as well.
- Now in a cooking pot, add chopped onions and some olive oil then add the meat, add salt & pepper to taste and allspice, cook until the meat is mostly cooked, then layer the eggplant on top of the meat and onions, then layer the cauliflower on top of that then the rice. Now mix the tomato paste with the 4 cups of water and add to the rice and all. Let everything cook on medium and until the rice is done and has absorbed the water. Meanwhile, in a pan, add a teaspoon of butter then add the nuts and toast them. To serve, place a rounded serving plate on top of the pot, hold it tight and flip upside down quickly. Be careful so that the whole thing doesn't fall apart. Top with the nuts and serve with any salad of your choice.

Fresh Oysters from Lebanon!

2009-01-22T19:31:00.005+02:00

We were craving fresh oysters my sister and I, so we drove to Byblos (Jbeil) and got from one of the fishermen fresh oysters. We bought 4 dozens, came back home, opened a bottle of 'La Dame Blanche' of 'Chateau Kefraya' my favorite Lebanese winery :) and then in no time, ate them all!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that they taste great with fresh squeezed lemons :)

Fondant Au Chocolat with Vanilla-Mango Ice Cream

2009-01-18T20:33:00.002+02:00

I am trying to get better on making desserts, I gave this recipe a try and it turned out well :) It is super easy too.

Serves 4-6 (depending on the size of the mold or pan)
Ingredients:
1 block of dark chocolate (250gr)
1/3 cup powder sugar
2 full eggs
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of butter
Vanilla ice cream to serve it with (I chose vanilla-mango)

In a bowl, add the 4 eggs and beat well until fluffy. Sift and add the sugar, and then do the same for the flour and add it to the mix. Break the chocolate and place it in another bowl with the butter, put this bowl on top of a pot half full with water and bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat, in order for the chocolate to melt along with the butter but not to cook. After the chocolate-butter mix is ready, add it to the mixture of eggs, sugar and flour while stirring. If you have the mold for the fondant that's great, but if you don't (like me :)) use the muffin tin :) yeah why not? Grease the pan and pour the mixture, and transfer into a 400F oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve with ice cream and drizzle some of the melted chocolate or some chocolate syrup. Don't let it cool off, serve immediately.

A Gourmet Salad

2009-01-11T19:25:00.004+02:00

I love salads :) Therefore I always experiment and mix and match whatever we have in the fridge. I personally love this one! I am trying to post other stuff besides Lebanese food thinking I could to show how cosmopolitan my country is and how much we love International cuisine :)

Ingredients:
2 heads of red and green frizzy lettuce
1 can of corn
2 cucumbers
2 green onion chopped
1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms
Some smoked salmon to top the salad (I chose herb marinated ones)
1 tomato sliced and each slice cut in half

For the dressing:
1 tbspn of Herbes de Provence
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of olive oil

Chop the lettuce and add to the serving plate then add the corn, cucumbers, onions, mushrooms. Top the salad with the smoked salmon, and distribute the tomatoes around the plate. You can mix the dressing and add it or serve it on the side in a small bowl. You can also adjust the vinegar and olive oil upon taste.
Sahtein!!! (= bon appetit in Arabic :))

Appetizers - Caviar on Toast

2008-12-27T19:38:00.004+02:00

This is a very simple appetizer to have on your buffet in any occasion. Just pick any caviar kind you like, some toast, butter and cut some thin lemon slices. Spread the butter on the toast, then spread the caviar and top it with a lemon slice. Et Voila! Bon Appetit and Cheers!

And Another Award!!! The Lemonade one :)

2008-12-21T13:08:00.002+02:00

I would like to thank Turkish Food Passion for this wonderful and cute award. I am flattered. Thank you very much. And I would like to send Christmas and New Year's greetings to all the fellow bloggers and readers. Sorry it's been a while since I posted new recipes, but I am in lebanon right now, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lately I had multiple things going on all at the same time: New house, my husband switched jobs and he's overseas again now, me traveling to Lebanon for the holiday season and much, so it's been hectic!!!!!!!!!! But I promise that I will post new recipes very very soon!

Fetta Cheese Pies - (Fatayer bil Jibneh) فطائر بالجبنة

2008-11-16T00:18:00.002+02:00

Yields about a dozen or more depending on the size.

Ingredients:
For the dough:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
3/4 of a teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil

for the filling:
About 2 cups of crumbled fetta cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 small chopped onion (or half a big one)

- Mix the filling ingredients and set aside.
Mix all the dough ingredients together, cover it and let it rest for about an hour in a warm place. when the dough is ready, roll the dough and flatten until it's medium thin. with a rounded cookie cutter (or a small drinking glass)cut the dough. Place about a small teaspoon inside each circle then bend the 4 sides and press on each corner to hold together. (Like the photo shows). Bake in a 350F oven for about 25 minutes or until golden on top.

Eggs and Potato Mix (Bayd ma3 Batata) & Salad - بيض مع البطاطا

2008-11-03T19:14:00.006+02:00

This is a very simple recipe, serves as a quick meal and very good along with pita bread.

For the Eggs & Potato: (serves 1-2)
1 egg hard boiled
1 potato, boiled
Salt & pepper to taste
Seven spices (to sprinkle on top)
Olive oil (about a tablespoon)
- Mash the egg and the potato together and mix well, add salt & pepper. Sprinkle allspice or (7 spices) on top, and drizzle olive oil on the top too and serve hot or cold with pita bread and the salad.

For the Salad:
Few lettuce leaves (any kind you want or mixed greens)
4-5 marinated sundried tomatoes
About a handful of green olives sliced
1 fresh french endive chopped
about a handful of fresh flat parsley
2 green onions chopped
1 fresh tomato (optional)
- Mix them all together and add the dressing: 1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard or any mustard you like, juice of one fresh lemon, olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, a bit of Herbes De Provence or Italian herbs, mix all together and add to the salad.

Freekeh - الفريكة

2008-10-22T21:52:00.006+03:00

Freekeh is grilled or roasted wheat, harvested at early stages, dried and grilled and it has a green color. It is very healthy and it is used and cooked like rice and pasta. It is very famous all over the arab world and nowadays considered one of the healthiest cereals. Freekeh can be cooked in so many ways, and used in soups too. I decided to make it with chicken,. It can be prepared with both chicken and beef at the same time (or lamb), some people like to add bulgur to it too. But this is a simple and tasty recipe that I decided to make.

Serves 4-5
2 cups of Freekeh (found in middle eastern stores or online)
3 cups of chicken stock
1 medium onion chopped
1 whole chicken or any part of the chicken you like
2 cups of mixed raw nuts (pistachios, almonds, pine nuts, almonds, pecans)
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of allspice (or 7 spices)

For cooking the chicken:
1 carrot, 1 small onion, 1 cinnamon stick, some herbs ( I chose fresh thyme), 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 bay leaves, water to cover it.

Very important: Freekeh needs to be well cleaned by spreading it on a flat surface (like a tray and going through the grains with your fingers, in case there are any little stones, then soak it warm water for 15 to 30 mnts and wash several times using a strainer then let it drain)

In a pot, add the chicken and the herbs and vegetables and water and let it cook until done, removing the white foam whenever it comes up.
- In another pot, add 1 tbsp of butter, chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste, cook for a minute then add the freekeh and the allspice, mix all until the freekeh absorbs the butter, then add the 3 cups of chicken stock of your choice ( I like to remove the cooked chicken and use the water or stock that I prepared), once it comes to a boil, let it simmer until it absorbs the water and cook (just like rice).
- In a pan, add 1 tbsp of butter and the raw nuts and roast until brown.
Serve the freekeh with nuts and chicken on top. It's good with any salad.

Ok, I'm back to say that Summer posted freekeh few days ago and I just noticed it, so hers is really good too for those who didn't check it before (haha like me few minutes ago!).

The Butterfly Award!

2008-10-13T18:53:00.006+03:00

I would like to thank dear blogger Kitchen Flavours/Yummy Food Blog, for passing this award to me and to 9 nine other fellow bloggers.
I myself would like to pass to 10 other blogs and they are:
- Culinary Couture
- Passionate about Baking
- Canary Girl
- Farida's Azerbaijani Cookbook
- Hooked On Heat
- Fig & Cherry
- Mimi Cooks
- Ya Salam Cooking
- The Left Over Queen
- Food Stories
And now the awarded bloggers can kindly pass it to 10 other blogs :)

PS; For some reason blogger.com is not showing the links that I've added to the winning blogs. I guess it's a small problem that it might get fixed soon, however all these blogs and their links are on my list of favorites (right bottom of my blog) so the links are working from there. Sorry about that, hope it'll be fixed soon!

Spinach with Rice - السبانخ مع الارز

2008-10-08T22:25:00.003+03:00

This is a very easy and healthy spinach recipe.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
1 big bunch of fresh Spinach, chopped (or frozen, canned etc..)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 tsp allspice
Juice of a lemon
1 tsp tomato sauce
1 cup of lean minced meat
1 1/2 cups of water
Salt & pepper to taste

- In the cooking pot, add onions, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and cook for about a minute, then add the minced meat, salt, pepper & allspice. When the meat is cooked, add the spinach. Turn the heat to low and let the spinach cook for few minutes then add the water, tomato sauce and let it all slow cook for another 12 minutes. Add the lemon juice in the last 5 minutes. Serve with rice cooked with vermicelli (the rice recipe is already posted with the red beans/chilli recipe).

Stuffed Zucchini and Bellpepper - الكوسا المحشي

2008-09-28T20:36:00.004+03:00

Stuffed Zucchini are usually accompanied by stuffed grape leaves, but since I already posted the stuffed grape leaves in tomato sauce, I've decided to give credit to the bellpepper this time ;)
Serves 4-5
1 pound of small zucchini
3 green bellpepper
1 can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of butter
A couple of bay leaves and a couple of cinnamon sticks
About 4 cups of water

Filling:
1 cup of white long or short grain rice
1/2 pound of minced meat
1 small tomato
1 onion
1 tablespoon allspice
1 teaspoon of salt

- Wash the rice and drain then put in a bowl. Dice the tomato and onion and add to the bowl, then add the minced meat and the spices as well as salt and mix the ingredients together.
- Cut the heads of the zucchini and empty them (there is a special tool that empties zucchini, usually dounf in middle eastern stores). Wash hem and turn them upside down to drain. Now, cut the in a way to make it look like having a lid (as it shows in the photo, don't completely detach the lid. Empty the inside, then wash them and let them drain too, then start stuffing the bellpepper and zucchini. Allow room for the rice to expand, so stuff them for about halfway each. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to the cooking pot adding the water, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Cook on medium-high for about 15 minutes, remove the white foam that comes out of them. When the water is half way evaporated, add the tomato sauce and the spoon of butter and reduce the heat and cook for about another 15 minutes. If you feel that the sauce needs to be more thickened, then stir 1 teaspoon of flour in a 1/3 of a cup of water and add while stirring the sauce. Serve with any king of salad or with plain yogurt. (Don't forget to remove the bay leaves and the cinnamon sticks before serving).

Fatteh with Hommos - فتة الحمص

2008-09-20T01:50:00.004+03:00

Finally I'm back!!!! Gosh it's been a long vacation, but now I'm back to cookig and blogging!
Fatteh is a dish that has fried or taosted bread in it, as well as plain yogurt (or as we call it: Laban). We have several kinds of Fatteh not only in Lebanon but in the Arab world too, like Eggplant Fatteh, Chicken Fatteh etc... This one that I choose today has no meat in it, it has whole chickpeas (or hommos as we call it).
This recipe serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas (about 400g) (or soak chickpeas overnight then cook them)
1 container of plain yogurt (about 900g)
Flat bread (about 3)
Vegetable oil
2 handful of pine nuts
2 tablespoons of crushed fresh garlic
1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

- Put some vegetable oil in the pan and fry the bread until it's golden, then remove and transfer to a paper towel to drain. (Another option for less calories, is to brush the bread with olive oil and toast it in the oven or microwave). Once the bread cools off, break it into medium pieces and place in the serving dish. Add the chickpeas on top. In a pan, place about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic and pine nuts and roast them until brown, add salt & pepper to taste. Now add some salt to the yogurt and stir then add it on top of the toasted bread and the chickpeas. Then add the roasted garlic and pine nuts, then sprinkle the parsley on top and serve immediately while the bread is still crunchy.