Hommus&Tabbouli

Orange Cupcakes with Nutella

2010-11-07T18:41:00.004+02:00

I am back with something sweet this time :) Yes, I have decided to improve my baking skills :) This recipe is adapted from 2 different places: Orange cake from the digital magazine Sweet Paul (which I really like!): www.sweetpaulmag-digital.com I used the muffin tins instead of the cake baking pan and the other one is from one of my favorite sites run by a sweet lady called Cherine: Chicho's Kitchen. I took her advice on adding Nutella to cupcakes and muffins and it turned yummy!!! I loved the idea that the cake was made with fresh oranges. The taste was wonderful!

So the main recipe for the cake from Sweet Paul is as follows:
Makes 2 cakes (3x6 pans) according to the original recipe. I got about 20 cupcakes from this batch depending on the size of the tin or paper cups you are using.
6 sweet oranges (I used 5 big ones)
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Nutella or any equivalent

Powdered sugar, for dusting (I skipped that)

Wash the oranges and place them whole and unpeeled in a pot filled with water.
Bring to a boil and let simmer for about two hours. Remove the oranges, let cool then cut in half and remove seeds. Place half the amount of oranges in a food processor and purée and set aside. Now, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange purée, vanilla then beat all well. Add flour, baking powder, almonds, salt and mix all until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease the baking pan, pour half the batter, add some Nutella then add the rest. This way the chocolate will be right in the middle. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. Stick a toothpick and if it comes out clean then it's ready. Transfer to a on a wire rack and let cool off.

Meanwhile for the topping:
Chop the remaining oranges and place in a small saucepan with sugar and water. Let all simmer until liquid transforms into a thick syrup (about 10 to 12 minutes or so). Let it cool. Then serve as the topping of the cupcakes.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving. (I skipped that step) but next time I would love to drizzle some melted chocolate instead.

Enjoy!!!!

And the Winner is??????????

2010-05-18T10:38:00.002+03:00

Hello everyone,
I would like to thank all those who participated in the CSN stores giveaway. The draw has been made today via random.org and our lucky winner is our THIRD participant: Maha from Even Sparrows Pray. I attached the snapshot photo of the result from random.org

Thank you all for participating :)
And Maha please contact me to claim you prize.

GIVEAWAY YAY!!!

2010-04-30T13:29:00.009+03:00

Hi Everyone!!!
In my previous post, I talked about a giveaway. Well, here it comes! I have been contacted by CSN online stores www.csnstores.com and as soon as checked their websites I REALLY fell in love with a lot of the items they sell! I felt like I wanna order & order & order! What really thrilled me is their affiliate German site which I can also use here in Germany :)
Another thing that amazed me was the home bars, this is something that I myself consider to be a necessity for people who like to entertain a lot (like us) :)
I chose my giveaway from their other site www.cookware.com and it took me forever, because I simply could not make up on my mind easily :) but finally I did. My choice landed on this Le Creuset 6-Quart Stock Pot
I use Le Creuset and love their quality! It heats rapidly, really good for slow simmering, doesn't absorb odors or flavors and is easy to clean. Very elegant item.

So come on, residents of the US and Canada all you have to do is let me know if you like this item :) Then the names of all of you will enter the draw through random.org and the winner will be contacted to receive it! Soooooooo easy no???
I am waiting...

Last day to participate is Sunday May 16. Good luck to all the participants!

Kibbeh Balls without Stuffing

2010-04-28T01:41:00.006+03:00

I guess the craving for kibbeh is not over yet :) This time it's with meat but without the stuffing. The recipe of kibbeh balls appetizers with stuffing is already posted in the appetizers section. This time I had some kibbeh left and decided just to make balls and fry them without the stuffing for a change. I like to have them with a green salad and some fries.

Kibbeh ingredients: (or any leftover kibbeh)
1 pound/lb or about 500g of minced lean meat
2 cups of fine bulgur wheat
1 onion chopped/diced
1 teaspoon of allspice or 7 spices
Salt & pepper (about half a teaspoon of each)
1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Wash the bulgur and drain, mix with the lean meat, onions, spices, salt & pepper and place in the food processor on low or mix by hand until the ingredients combine together then place in a bowl. Make the balls and fry them in vegetable oil until cooked and golden brown. Serve with fries and salad or just salad. I suggest making sandwiches like Falafel style sandwiches or wraps with greens, pickles and the dressing of your choice.

Oh by the way! Stay tuned:
GIVEAWAYS ARE STARTING THIS WEEK! All YOU HAVE TO DO IS PARTICIPATE!

Pumpkin Kibbeh - كبة يقطين

2010-03-31T22:47:00.004+03:00

Pumpkin Kibbeh is one of my favorite recipes. It's very popular during lent. I personally like it all year long or even for Thanksgiving. This recipe can be made into Kibbeh balls and fried too. This time I decided to bake it in the oven. This vegetarian recipe is healthy and full of nutrients.

Makes about 5 servings (in a 9x9 inch baking pan):

For the kibbeh:
2 cups of cooked pumpkin ( I used the ready spiced canned pumpkin)
2 cups of fine bulgur wheat
1 cups of wheat flour
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of allspice

For the filling:
2 cups of cooked spinach
2 cups of cooked chickpeas
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup of pine nuts or chopped almonds
Some olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to rub the bottom of the pan (even if it's non-stick)

- Mix all the ingredients of the kibbeh and refrigerate for half an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a skillet, add olive oil and onions and nuts let all cook for a couple of minutes or until the nuts start to brown a bit, then add the cooked spinach, then chickpeas, spices, salt & pepper. Cook until the ingredients combine together for like another couple of minutes.
- Get the kibbeh mix and divide in 2 parts and spread the first part in the baking pan, add the filling then add the second layer, making sure that the same thickness is applied, same as any kind of pie made.

Bake in a 400F oven until it's fully cooked and golden browned on top, which is from 30-40 minutes depending on the oven.

Serve with any green salad of your choice.

Msabbaha - مسبحة

2010-03-18T21:33:00.004+02:00

Dear fellow readers and bloggers, sorry for disappearing again! I just got back from Lebanon! A little change from the crappy weather in Europe :( Now, seems like spring is in the air :) So I guess my energy is back, yes!
This recipe is very simple and very similar to the Hommus with tahini but with a bit more tahini and not as thick as the Hommus mix. So for this recipe you'll need:
- Prepare the Hommus recipe just like you normally do (or check my Hommus recipe if it's your first time) then add to it:
- Half a cup of whole cooked chickpeas, another small spoon of tahini sauce with half a cup of water, and add some cumin. Some chopped parsley for decoration and olive oil on top and voila!
Serve with pita bread and assorted pickles, or a plate of fresh cut vegetables (tomatoes, mint, cucumber, green onions and some radishes).

Artichoke with Lemon & Olive Oil Dip- ارضي شوكي بالحامض والزيت

2010-02-01T13:20:00.007+02:00

Hello Everyone,
I have been lazy lately :( I guess the weather here in Germany has a lot to do with it. Snow and snow and nothing but snow! Low temperature and hardly any sun. That is effecting my mood and I didn't wanna let myself go and surrender to food. Therefore, I have decided to take it easy in the kitchen for a bit. At the same time I really don't wanna neglect the blog. Well, I have to reveal that I will be putting the content of the blog in a small book :) That is taking my time too. Yes, small, because I know how hard it is to travel with a lot of weight! Ok no more news about it until it's done ;))) Stay tuned!

Today, I've decided to make a simple healthy recipe, with hardly any calories. In Lebanon, this is considered as an appetizer and part of the mezze served in Lebanese restaurants. I personally can have this as a full meal. After I dip and eat the tip of the leaves of the artichoke, I clean the heart, put in in pita bread and dip it in the sauce and eat it.

Ingredients:
1 artichoke per/person
A pot of water, add some salt in it and a lemon cut into wedges.

For the dip:
Juice of 1 lemon, 1 small mashed clove of garlic, 1/2 cup of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.

Rinse the artichoke(s) well and place in the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-high and let it cook until done. It's cooked when it's soft to taste. Just grab one and taste it, or stick the tip of the knife in the lower part of the artichoke. When it's done, place the artichoke upside down in a strainer to drain the water, then serve with the dip.
To eat: Take one leave and dip it and eat the soft tip. When you get to the flower, clean all the pointy hair-like that covers the heart which is very nutritious and tasty.
You can also, cut the tips and spread the leaves and drizzle the dip or dressing and enjoy!

Moroccan Couscous with Beef - Walima Cooking Club Challenge

2010-01-12T01:47:00.006+02:00

Happy beginning of a new decade! This was the Walima Challenge for the month of December featuring the Moroccan cuisine, but due to the holidays and all, I am late, but it's never too late when it comes to good food ;) So here's the couscous with beef that I made.
The recipe is copied and pasted as given by the Walima site.
I skipped the squash, and the smen and replaced it with canola vegetable oil. I added a small bell pepper too. The couscous I found in the market had a sachet of mixed herbs and garlic that I added to and turned out to be very good. I made couscous with beef before but with more ingredients like turnips, cabbage, potatoes and eggplant. This recipe is pretty good and easy.

COUSCOUS WITH BEEF

Ingredients :
- 1 pound couscous
- 1 pound meat (beef), you can use chicken or lamb.
- 2-3 carrots
- 3 zucchini
- 3 tomatoes
- squash
- 1 big onion
- parsley & coriander
- chickpeas
- 2 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp turmeric, pinch pf saffron
- water
optional :
- 1/2 tsp smen (butter ghee)

Steps :
Heat the oil at medium temperature, add chopped onion and the meat.
After 15 min, add chopped tomatoes, parsley, coriander and the spices, let cook 10 min, add water, let cook 1hour.
To prepare the couscous :
Add some water and fluff it up with your hands, let it soak.

After the meat has cooked 1 hour, place couscous in the steamer pot and let steam 20 min.
Remove couscous from the heat, let it cool, add water, fluff it with your hands, add salt and oil, if you want, you can add smen (butter ghee).
Put couscous to steam another 20 min.
Add carrots to the meat, after 10 min, add zucchini, squash, chickpeas, let cook.
To serve, place couscous first, then the meat, the vegetables and the sauce.

If you don't have a couscous pot, you can follow the same steps using a microwave.

Walima November Challenge: Sheesh Barak - شيش برك

2009-12-01T00:13:00.008+02:00

This month's Walima Cooking Club challenge is representing the Lebanese Cuisine.
We share this recipe also with the Turkish cuisine and with a little difference in preparation, they call it "mantee" or "manti" and the shish barak word that we use is I would say comes from the Turkish and Balkan word "burek". I used the manti this time in my recipe which is the dough filled with meat, it's the same except that it comes in a different shape. In Lebanon, we shape it (the Sheesh Barak) like tortellini.

Here are the ingredients as given by Walima Club founder Arlette from Phoenician Gourmet blog:

Lebanese Style Sheesh Barak

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ kg of plain Greek style yogurt or home made
1/2 quantity of Ajeen or basic dough recipe
3 cloves garlic, crushed with a dash of salt
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint (if fresh is not available use couple spoons dried)
½ kg (16 oz) ground meat (either beef or lamb)
3 medium sized onions, finely chopped
¼ cup fried pine nuts
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter

Basic Dough or Ajeen
(this is used in many savory pastries)

INGREDIENTS:
1 kg (32 oz / 5 cups) plain flour
1 ¼ cups warm water
½ cup olive oil
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

PREPARATION:
Sift the flour into a working surface.Mix in salt and sugar. Make a well in the center. Pour olive oil and vegetable oil in the well. Mix the dry ingredients into the liquid. Add water gradually. Knead the dough into a ball (if the dough is too stiff add some water). Knead the dough on a floured working surface until it is smooth and elastic this can be done in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a food processor. Form the dough into a ball and put into a lightly floured bowl, covered with a damp cloth. Leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

For the Cooked Yogurt:

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 kg of plain Greek Style Yogurt
or home made you can check my blog for home made yogurt (you can check my blog for homemade yogurt)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 cup water + 1 beaten egg (or egg's white)

PREPARATION:
Strain yogurt using a smooth colander into a pot. Add egg or egg's white. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 cup of water. Stir into cold yogurt for 2 minutes.Place on medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils.
Preparing the Sheesh Barak:

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 1 cm thickness. Using a round cookie cutter (medium size), press over dough to get equal rounds.
Fry onion in shortening till color changes a little. Add meat, salt, allspice and cinnamon. Stir occasionally and fry for 7-8 minutes. Add pine nuts and Mix. Drain the mixture as butter would affect closing the pastries.

Spread the round a little with your fingers. Place 1 tspn of the filling on it. Fold over one end to make a semi-circle. Press edges down to seal. Take the two ends from the straight side, bring them together to make a small ring. Press well. Repeat till rounds are done.

You will have left over dough , (this is the best part) roll the remaining dough in thin rope and cut into diagonals. Place the stuffed dough and the cut pastries in a tray with parchment, Bake in a hot oven (400F) for 10 minutes or until golden. During this time prepare and cook the yogurt and when it starts to boil add the baked pastries to the boiling cooked yogurt one by one. Let it boil over low heat for 10 minutes or till pastries are cooked.

Note: The egg and the cornstarch are there as stabilizers so that the yogurt won’t separate.
Make sure to cook the yogurt on medium low heat , high heat could ruin the sauce.

In a separate skillet you’ll want to quickly sautée the garlic and mint in one tbsp extra virgin olive oil and add it to the Sheesh Barak. And cook for another 2 minutes .

Serve hot in bowls, or you can serve with it Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli.

Sweet baked Potatoes & Orange Puree with Watercress Salad

2009-11-26T01:27:00.008+02:00

I thought I could post something quick to serve on Thanksgiving table. A combination of an appetizer-salad or combined side. I reviewed quite a few recipes of potato purees I can try this one because it's quick and simple and can be pretty much used with fish or meat. I really liked the flavor of the sweet potatoes baked for few minutes inside the orange shells. Hope you like it too.

For the Potato Puree: (4 servings)
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cooked in boiled water until soft and ready
2 oranges cut in half and emptied (I juiced them, then scraped off the rest
2 tablespoon of orange juice (from those oranges I suggest)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Some chopped chives
Few drops of hot sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon of butter
Some salt, black pepper, garlic powder

For the salad:
Fresh watercress, some chopped onions, some tomato slices or wedges, some toasted pine nuts. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil for the dressing.

After the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and mash them. Add butter or olive oil, the spices, garlic powder, orange juice, hot sauce. Mix them all together then fill the orange halves with the puree and bake for about 12 minutes in a 375 oven. I baked them in the muffin tin because it hold the oranges pretty well. Put the salad together. Now serve the baked orange potato puree by sprinkling the chopped chives on top and some black pepper. Serve it on the side of the salad or in the middle.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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)

2009-05-30T07:38:00.008+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 Algerian 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

2008-11-16T00:18:00.003+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 feta 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 and let the dough rest for about an hour in a warm place. Knead once. When it rises, 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

2008-09-20T01:50:00.006+03:00

Finally I'm back!!!! Gosh it's been a long vacation, but now I'm back to cooking and blogging!
Fatteh is a dish that has fried or toasted 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.

Be back posting recipes soon!

2008-08-23T00:20:00.006+03:00

Being in Lebanon for the last few weeks has been keeping me from posting recipes. Time just flies here and I am not cooking during my vacation, but I will cook and post some recipes very soon and while I'm still here. Meanwhile, here's a photo of a kind of Lebanese sweet that we were having the other night after dinner with some friends. It's called "KARABEEJ", these are pistachios stuffed cookies like "Maamoul" and you dip them with a specially prepared cream called "NATEF". This kind of dipping cream is not easy to make at home, I would say very difficult to get the main ingredient to prepare it called "soapwart", so everybody here buys this kind of dessert or sweet, or if the cookies are prepared at home, the cream can be bought seperately from the sweet shops or Patisseries. I found a recipe on the net they call it "Karabeej Aleppo" so maybe the origin of this dessert came from Syria. Here's the recipe link just in case anybody would like to give it a try, the site is Discover Lebanon

Brilliante Weblog Award

2008-08-11T21:10:00.008+03:00

I want to thank "Ya Salam Cooking" blogger Noor for passing this award to me, and now I would like to pass it to seven other fantastic blogs and sites:
- Leftover Queen
- Farida's Azerbaijani Cookbook
- Canary Girl
- Culinary Couture
- Fig and Cherry
- Mediterranen Cooking in Alaska
Fellow awarded bloggers please pass it to 7 or more blogs or sites.

Hommus with meat and pine nuts - حمص مع اللحمة والصنوبر

2008-07-25T01:26:00.004+03:00

The recipe of preparing hommus is already listed among my previous recipe. Now for the meat and pine nuts topping you'll need:
- Lean minced meat (1 cup)
- Pine nuts (about 1/3 cup)
- Olive oil (or vegetabl oil, which ever you like, about 2 tablespoons
- Finely chopped onions, about 2 tablespoons
- Salt & pepper to taste, and a pinch of allspice (optional)
In a skillet on medium-high, add oil and pine nuts. when the pine nuts start to brown, add the onions, mix and cook for about a minute then add the minced meat and mix them all together and keep cooking until the meat is fully cooked. Serve over the hommus along with pita bread.

Meghli (Lebanese Rice pudding) - المغلي

2008-07-15T01:59:00.005+03:00

Meghli is a kind of Lebanese rice pudding prepared in special occasions especially when a baby is born. It is a tradition to serve it to guests and friends when they come to offer their congratulations. It is also served on Christmas Eve's dinner along with the Yule Log. Most people nowadays prepare it all the time not only on occasions.

Serves 7-8 (of the same size of the serving bowl shown in the photo)

Ingredients:
1 cup of rice flour
1 cup of sugar
8 cups of water
1 tbsp of ground caraway seeds
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground anis seeds

For the topping:
Raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts and coconut flakes.

In the cooking pot, add the cups of water, rice flour, whisk or stirr until desolved, then add the sugar until it desolves too. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Add the spices: caraway, cinnamon, anis seeds. The pudding can easily stick so you can't leave it. Stirr until it thickens then transfer into the serving bowls and let it cool. Meanwhile, add water to the alomds and pistachios and let them sit until they soften (about half to an hour or so). Before serving the pudding, top it with coconut flakes, then almonds and pistachios then serve. Or you can decorate the bowls and leave them in the refrigerator.

Siyyadiyeh (Lebanese Style Fish over Rice) - صيادية

2008-07-06T01:18:00.008+03:00

This is my easy version of Siyyadiyeh. The traditional version is a little bit more complicated and requires using whole fish, where you bake it and then remove the head and bones and boil them with water and spices to obtain fish broth. In this version, I make it with fish fillets and use ready fish broth. Therefore, I don't deal with bones nor a longer cooking time.

Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 pound of Whiting fish fillets (or Tilapia)
2 cups of white long rice
2 cups of fish broth (or any other broth you like)
2 onions, cut in half and sliced
1/2 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of allspice
1/2 cup of Olive oil
1/2 cup of vegetable oil (I prefer canola)
Salt & pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1 teaspoon of butter
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of flour
1 cup of fish broth
Juice of half a lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Take the fish fillets and coat them with a mixture of flour, cumin and salt & pepper, set them aside. In a pan, add the vegetable oil and cook the fish on both sides and let drain the oil on a paper towel.
In another pan, add olive oil and the onions. Cook the onions until they are brown. remove from the oil and add the pine nuts to the oil until golden then also remove and transfer on a paper towel to drain the oil.
- In a pot, add the 2 cups of fish broth bring to a boil and then add the browned onions, cook on medium for a couple of minutes and then add the rice with 2 cups of water. Then add the cumin, allspice, salt & pepper, and let it simmer and cook.
Meanwhile prepare the sauce, in a sauce pan, add the butter, then the flour, mix until the flour obtain the roue, then add the broth, cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper, stir and bring to a boil until it thickens.
Serve the cooked rice with pine nuts on top as well as the fish fillets and top them with the sauce. Any salad is good with it too.

PS: You also have the option to bake or broil the fish fillets but then you skip the flour and cumin coating and you spice them and drizzle some olive oil.

Lebanese Style Chili over Rice (Fasolia w Rizz) - فاصوليا مع الارز

2008-06-21T03:03:00.007+03:00

This is the Lebanese style of making Chili served over rice with vermicelli.

Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 onion chopped
Half a pound of lean stew meat
4 sliced cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of butter
2 cups of tomato sauce
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 cup of fresh cilantro
1 cup of red beans soaked overnight and cooked
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste

For the rice:
2 cups of white long grain rice
1/2 cup of vermicelli
1 teaspoon of butter
1 cup of meat stock or chicken bouillon (optional)

In a pan, add the chopped onions, butter, stew meat, salt and pepper. After the meat had browned and the onions cooked, add the garlic then cook for another few minutes then add 1 cup of water and the tomato sauce and slow cook the stew for 15 minutes. Add the beans and then the cilantro in addition to the lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the stew is cooking you can prepare the rice:
In another pan, add butter then the vermicelli until they turn brown, then add the rice and 3 cups of water and 1 cup of stock, bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed. (Do not stir the rice more then twice so it doesn't get lumpy).

Serve the Chili with the rice.

Fresh Dandelion Salad- سلطة الهندبة او الهندباء

2008-06-13T21:12:00.004+03:00

I love dandelions! They are very healthy so when I see them at the store I can't help myself. The ones I found this time were very soft and not bitter at all so I decided to make a small fresh salad. This canm be served with pretty much any meal.

Ingredients (very simple):
Washed, drained and chopped dandelions, some chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, half a teaspoon of sumac spice, salt & pepper to taste.

Place the chopped dandelions in a bowl, then add the tomatoes. I add the sumac spice along with the salt to the onion and mix them all together then add them to the salad. Drizzle the mixed olive oil and lemon juice, then finally add the black pepper.

Strawberry, Watermelon and Papaya Smoothie

2008-06-10T23:19:00.003+03:00

There's nothing better than a simple smoothie after a long hot day!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup of ice
1 cup of frozen watermelon
1 cup of frozen papaya
1 cup of fresh strawberries
1 6oz fat free vanilla yogurt

Put all the ingredients in a smoothie maker or a mixer, once everything is pureed together, pour into glasses and voila!

Appetizer Kibbeh - كبة مقلية

2008-05-28T06:14:00.002+03:00

This kind of Kibbeh is served as an appetizer, hot or room temperature. The ingredients are the same as the one I listed before the "baked Kibbeh". The difference is in the shape and the way they are cooked. These kibbeh balls are stuffed with meat, onions and pine nuts, same filling as the one listed in the "baked Kibbeh" recipe too. The kibbeh balls are fried and not baked. Deep fry them in vegetable oil until gold or brown, then set on a paper towel to drain for few minutes. Same way as frying Falafel.
They are very good with Hommus on the side. I personally like to dip them in Hommus.

Lebanese Style Roast with Gravy - الروستو مع الصلصة

2008-05-15T17:08:00.007+03:00

Serves a crowd!
Ingredients:
About a 3 pound roast (Lamb or beef)
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1-2 big onions chopped
10 cloves of garlic, peeled only
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into medium cubes
1 celery stick, chopped
2 cinnamon sticks, 2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of allspice
1/3 cup of wine (optional)
1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)

The vegetables need to be medium sized and not small or finely chopped because they need to cook with the roast and this will keep them from browning quickly and falling apart. And my technique is that I allow one minute between every ingredient, I don't like to dump everything all at once. So in a pot, add the oil, onions, potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, celery and garlic add half the amount of salt and black pepper and cook for few minutes then add the roast, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.(I usually rub the roast with a bit of salt and black pepper and let it sit for few minutes before I cook it). Once you've added the roast you want it to brown from all sides and absorb all the flavors. Here you can add the wine. Turn the roast every now and then until the sides are browned then you add 2 to 3 cups of water. Once you've added the water, add the rest of the spices, bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low and let it cook slowly. It would probably take about 2 hours maybe more depending on the meat.
Once the roast is cooked take it out of the pot and transfer into the cutting board. Now to obtain the gravy just put everything left in the pot in the mixer for a couple of minutes. I personally leave everything in the pot, take out the cinnamon sticks and the bay leaves and use the handy mixer for few minutes until all the chunks are gone. You'll obtain a thick gravy because of the potato and vegetables so no need to thicken it. After I obtain the gravy, I let it simmer for few minutes and then serve it with the roast.

Tips on how to serve this roast:
1- You can leave it as a whole on the cutting board and when it's time to eat, cut and serve with the gravy on the side.
2- Slice and put back in the sauce or gravy and simmer for few minutes and serve (I recommend this)
3- Slice some and serve on the side as cold cuts and put the rest in the gravy for variety.
4- Serve the roast with Basmati rice and nuts as shown in the photo or serve it with mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables.

PS: Cooking the Basmati and toasting the nuts can be found in my previous recipes like the Chicken with rice recipe for example.

Thank you my dear friends from the blogosphere

2008-05-13T19:31:00.007+03:00

I would like to take the opportunity to thanks all the dear food bloggers who are recommending my blog and coming back and visiting it. You are all making my day. I would like to thank Jenn, The Leftover Queen, for recommending my blog in her Finest Foodie Friday, Frida from Farida’s Azerbaijani Cookbook, for the Arte Y Pico Award and Deeba from Passionate about Baking for the You Make my Day Award. Thank you very much, I love you all!!!

Grape Leaves with meat - ورق عنب باللحمة

2008-05-09T06:59:00.003+03:00

Makes around 24-25 (I prefer to eyeball or use as much as the filling makes)

This recipe can be served with a green salad and plain yogurt.

Ingredients:
Grapes leaves (24 small or medium, half of that if the leaves are big cause you can cut in half)

Filling:
1 cup of lean minced meat
1 cup of chopped onions or shallots
1/3 cup of small diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of plain white rice
1 teaspoon of allspice
Salt & pepper to taste

2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of flour to be mixed with some water. 2 Cinnamon sticks.

- In a bowl, add the minced meat, onions, tomatoes, wash the rice and drain and add to the bowl too, add the spices and mix the ingredients together.
- If the grape leaves are fresh, soak them in hot water for half an hour, then drain.
- If you are using the ones from the jar, soak in tab water for few minutes, then drain and use. To start filling, take the leaf and spread it on the surface you're using, cut the stem, take a teaspoon or less depending on the size of the leaf and place the filling a bit before the center, fold the sides toward the center and roll tight. In order for them to unravel and fall apart while cooking, I tie them up together. I place three stuffed grape leaves, then two on top, then another one or two like forming a triangle, I tie them up together with a string and place in the pan, add the water and tomato paste, cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil, add the flour mixed with a little bit of cold water then reduce the heat and let them cook slowly for half an hour. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard when serving the grape leaves.

PS: If you end up with extra filling, keep them in the freezer or stuff a bellpepper, tomato etc... ;)

Arabic Coffee -Qahwa- قهوة عربية

2008-05-06T20:21:00.007+03:00

In the Arab,Gulf, Levant countries it's Arabic coffee, in the Balkans it's Bosnian coffee, Serbian coffee etc.., in Turkey it's Turkish coffee, in Greece it's Greek coffee, in Cyprus it's Cypriot coffee and so on... Bottom line we all have something in common and we are all proud of it!

We make this coffee in Lebanon in a coffee pot called "Rakweh", found in Middle Eastern stores or online as well as the coffee, I've never tried just any fine coffee because I like the mix of beans that I find in the Middle Eastern store (which is called Najjar Coffee), I'm used to it. The ingredients are simple: Water, coffee, sugar (I personally don't drink coffee with sugar so I discard it and serve it on the side). Cardamom is an Arabic tradition but it's always optional.

- We eyeball the amount of coffee added to the water but the perfect way is the following:
Half a teaspoon for every small cup (like the one in the picture or an espresso cup).
So for example, if you want to make 5 espresso cups, you fill 5 of these cups with water and add to the pot then 5 half teaspoons of coffee.

Boil water in a coffee pot. After water boils add ground coffee into the boiling water, stir well and keep cooking it. Every time it comes to a boil move it away from the stove, stir bring back to boil or cook again, repeat 4-5 times, then serve. We do this process because once it starts boiling it goes all over the place, so you wanna avoid the mess. Medium to low heat is always recommended.

If you like cardamom add some to it or you can buy Arabic coffee with cardamom.
You add sugar after you serve, if some of your guests like it without sugar. If everybody wants sugar, you add the sugar with the coffee and boil or cook. You adjust the sugar quantity upon taste, little sugar, sweet etc...

If you don't have Arabic style coffee cups, any espresso cups work.

*I took this picture in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina last summer, after my husband and I had a wonderful lunch by the river. They served sugar on the side and a piece of Loukoum sweets. I love this handmade coffee set.

Weekend Snack: Lupini Beans (Tormos)-طرمس

2008-05-04T17:43:00.004+03:00

Lupini beans, we call them in Lebanon "Tormos", are one of my favorite snacks, I love them with beer. You can get them dry or you can get ready to eat in jars soaked in water and salt from Middle Eastern stores or online. They are highly nutritive and close to soy bean protein in content.
Soak Lupini Beans overnight in water (1 cup is enough for few people). Drain and add fresh water and simmer for one hour. Then drain off all the water and add fresh water at least twice a day. Keep changing and adding fresh water till bitterness disappears, which might take up to 5 days or more. Sounds difficult? Well yes it is, cause they are bitter and you have to get rid of all the bitterness until they are soft to chew on and edible. This is why I like to buy them ready to eat. And when they are ready to eat, you can keep them in the refrigerator soaked in water and some salt too, but you still have to change the water every now and then. To serve them, drain the water, sprinkle salt and serve. To eat them, you have to discard the skin and eat the bean only.

Chard Pies - Fatayer bil Sili'- فطائر بالسلق

2008-05-02T16:19:00.005+03:00

In this recipe I am not gonna give exact serving ingredients because it depends on the amount of dough made or the size of the pies. I made each pie size enough for 1 person this time, I made 3 big pies with this filling. If you have a crowd or a party it's better to make the pies smaller so they can be served as appetizers.

Ingredients:
Ready dough mix (follow instructions on the box)
For the filling:
1 cup of onions, finely chopped
3 cups of chopped swiss chards leaves
4 tablespoons of olive oil
A handful of pine nuts
1 teaspoon of sumac spice (found in Middle Eastern stores or online)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste.

While the dough is rising, in a pan, add onions, olive oil and the pine nuts and cook for 1 minute then add the chards, once they start wilting, add the sumac spice, salt and pepper. After they cook, add the lemon juice and set aside to cool off.
When the dough is ready, roll to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into rounds (the size you want) place the filling in the middle and fold 3 sides over the filling to obtain the shape of a triangle. Secure your triangle by pressing on the edges that you folded to secure the triangle from openings.
Bake in a 425 degrees oven until it's golden brown. They can be served hot or cold.

PS: You can substitute the chards with spinach. Also the sumac is optional if it can't be found. You can add more lemon juice in this case to substitute the taste.

Baked Kibbeh - الكبة بالصينية

2008-04-26T01:08:00.003+03:00

Serves 4
1 pound/lb or about 500g of minced lean meat
2 cups of fine bulgur wheat
1 onion chopped/diced
1 teaspoon of allspice or 7 spices
Salt & pepper (about half a teaspoon of each)
1/3 cup of vegetable oil

For the filling:
2 cups of minced meat
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup of chopped onions
Olive oil

Prepare the filling and let it cool while layering the kibbeh, so in a pan, add some olive oil, onions and pine nuts, after 1 minute add the minced meat and the spices, salt and pepper and mix. when the meat is cooked, set the cooked filling aside.

Preparing the kibbeh:
Wash the bulgur and drain, mix with the lean meat, onions, spices, salt & pepper and place in the food processor on low until the ingredients get mixed up together then place in a bowl and divide into 2 equal portions. Damp your hands in cold water (keep a small container next to you while layering the kibbeh, cause wet hands help even layering the kibbeh in the tray). When you finish the first layer add the filling, distribute evenly, then add the second layer of kibbeh, even the layer with your wet hand. Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil on the top, and bake in a 375 degrees F oven until it's golden and the meat is cooked. Before serving you can get rid of the excess of oil. Kibbeh needs to have enough oil to cook and brown otherwise the surface burns quickly. Serve with plain yogurt or a salad (or both :D like I do).

Snacking 2: Green Almonds (Lawz akhdar)-لوز اخضر

2008-04-17T06:09:00.005+03:00

These are my favorite snacks: Green almonds. They can be found during a very short period in springtime, while they are still soft from the inside, so you can chew and eat the whole almond. They are a bit sour, they taste even better when they are dipped in a bit of salt. Serve along with drinks and some assorted nuts and kernels.
- Just wash them, drain them and serve. You eat the whole almond, no need to peel the skin or anything.

Snacking: Green Chickpeas

2008-04-17T05:53:00.004+03:00

These green chickpeas are very healthy snacks and they are good with drinks. They are also very tasty in salads. They can be found in the produce section in Middle Eastern stores or in Korean grocery stores. You eat those raw, take off the skin or shell and eat the chickpea. Enjoy healthy snacking!

Lebanese Potato Salad - سلطة البطاطا

2008-04-05T19:19:00.003+03:00

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes (any kind except sweet)
1/2 red onion
1 green onion
2 medium tomatoes
Half a bell pepper (if it's big otherwise 1 small)
1 crushed clove of garlic
1/2 cup of fresh mint
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
Juice of a lemon
1/2 cup of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
A dash of cayenne paper (optional)

Peel the potatoes and cut in medium cubes. In a pan, bring water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt, add the potatoes and cook for 12 minutes or until cooked but you don't wanted them to fall apart. Drain and let cool. In the meantime, slice the onions and add to a bowl. Add the medium cut tomatoes, diced bell pepper, garlic, parsley, mint, thyme. Now add the potatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and all the spices and mix the salad and serve with a dash of cayenne pepper.

PS: You can skip the fresh mint and substitute the fresh thyme with dry thyme if not available during the season.

Pasta Bolognese

2008-04-03T18:20:00.004+03:00

Serves 4

Ingredients:
About 2 cups of minced meat
2 cups of chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 carrot diced (small)
1 onion chopped
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon of Italian spices
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil (or dry)
1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes or cayenne (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
1 cup of water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Pasta (of your choice) cooked and drained

In a pan, add olive oil, onions, carrot, Italian spices, pepper flakes, salt & pepper and cook for a minute then add the meat, allspice and cook for another minute then add the garlic and cook a bit until the juices are absorbed then add the tomatoes and basil, cover and cook on medium until the tomatoes are cooked, then add the tomato paste and water and let it simmer for 15 minutes, then add the parsley and mix and serve over the pasta of your choice.

*Before serving the sauce over the pasta: In a non-stick pan add the pasta add some olive oil or butter and some fresh chopped basil or parsley. It's a great way to heat the pasta and add more flavor to it. Some garlic powder also is good. Now I did not mention Parmesan cheese because it's always on the table ;)

Kafta with rice (Lebanese meat loaf)- كفتة مع الارز

2008-04-01T20:57:00.003+03:00

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the kafta:
1/2 pound of minced lean meat
1 small chopped onion
1 small clove of garlic chopped
2 cups of fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon allspice
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
2 cups of chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1 small onion
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/3 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the rice:
1 1/2 cup of rice
3 cups of water
1/2 tablespoon of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

In the food processor, add: minced meat, parsley, onions, garlic, bread crumbs, allspice, salt and pepper for 1 minute or 2. When the ingredients are combined all together, transfer into a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for half an hour. After that, start making medium-small balls of the kafta. Heat a non-stick pan and start cooking the meatballs, turn them every 2 minutes until done. Set aside. In the same pan, if no juice is left from the cooked meat, you might wanna add a tablespoon of olive oil, then add the onions, allspice, chili flakes, salt and pepper, cook for about 3 minutes then add the tomatoes and let them cook on low for 10 minutes, then mix the tomato paste with the water and add it. Cook for another 5 minutes then add the meatballs and let all simmer for few minutes. (If you find the sauce thick you might wanna add a little bit more water.
Now for the rice: in another pan, add butter, then add the rice, fold them together until the rice absorbs the butter, add salt and pepper then the water and stir 1 time only. When it starts boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Serve the rice with the meatballs and sauce on top.

Rice Pudding (Riz b-Haleeb) - ارز بالحليب

2008-03-28T05:09:00.004+02:00

Serves 4-6 (depending on the size of the dessert bowl)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup white rice
3 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of water
4 tablespoons of condensed sweetened milk (optional)
5 tablespoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rosewater
A pinch of salt
Apricot marmelade for the topping

In a pan, add water, pinch of salt, then add the rice and cook for 30 minutes on low. Drain any water left if not all absorbed. In another pan, add milk, sugar, corn starch, condensed milk, vanilla, rosewater. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked rice and stir. You need to keep an eye on that and keep stirring until it thickens. Also you need to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When it thickens, pour into the serving bowls and let it completely cool. After that, spread the marmelade on top then refrigerate until time to serve.

Rice & Lentils pilaf (Mdardara) - مدردرة

2008-03-26T22:54:00.003+02:00

Serves 4

Ingredient:
1 cup of lentils
1 cup of white rice
1 cup of olive oil
2 onions sliced (medium half circles)
1 tablespoon of allspice
1 tablespoon of cumin
Salt, pepper to taste
5 cups of water

In a pan, add the 5 cups of water and the lentils, cook on medium until the lentils are half way cooked, then add the rice then the allspice, cumin, salt and pepper. Let them cook on low. Meanwhile, in a skillet, add olive oil and the onions, season with some salt and pepper and let them brown but be careful not to burn them. After the onions are ready, drain the remaining olive oil and add it to the lentils and rice that are cooking. After the rice and lentils are cooked and the water is absorbed, transfer to the serving plate and add the onions on top. Serve with plain yogurt or a salad.

Eetsh (Armenian bulgur salad) - ايتش

2008-03-18T18:30:00.005+02:00

Serves 4 or more

Ingredients:
1 cup of fine bulgur
1 diced tomato
1 small onion or shallot, diced
Lemon juice (1 big or 2 small)
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of tomato sauce mixed with 1/3 cup of water
1 teaspoon of allspice or 7 spices
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley to top it
Cabbage leaves (optional)

In a pan, add the tomato sauce and the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Once they start boiling, turn the heat off, and add the spices, bulgur, chopped onion and tomato, cover and let it sit for half and hour. Mix in the olive oil then transfer into the serving dish. Add the chopped parsley. If you like to add some fresh chopped onions and tomatoes, you also can, it will give it extra flavors. I like to serve in cabbage leaves boats or cabbage on the side. It goes well with it but it's optional.

This salad can be served warm or cold.

Foul Mdammas (Fava & Chickpeas salad) - فول مدمس

2008-03-18T18:19:00.004+02:00

Serves 4 or more

Ingredients:
1 cup of Fava beans
1 cup of Chickpeas
1 big clove of garlic minced (or 2 small)
1 lemon (juiced)
1/3 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Some chopped parsley

Radishes and green onion (optional)
Pita bread (optional)

Soak the beans for 12 hours or overnight, then cook by boiling them until done. (If you're in a hurry, get them in the can.) Drain, but keep a little bit of the water, then transfer them in a bowl. Add garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley on top. Serve this warm. Radishes, green onions and Pita bread go well with this dish.

Falafel with tahini sauce - فلافل

2008-03-06T21:22:00.009+02:00

Serves a lot! At least 9 sandwiches

Ingredients:
For the falafel mix:
1 1/2 cups of dried fava beans (found in Middle Eastern stores, since I couldn't find it elsewhere)
1 1/2 cups of dried chickpeas
1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of allspice
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (fined not whole ones)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Salt, pepper

For the tahini sauce:
Tahini paste, lemon juice, water, some chopped parsley

* Vegetable oil for frying the falafel patties

Soak the dried fava beans and chickpeas in water for 12 hours or overnight then drain. Put all the falafel mix ingredients (except the baking powder and baking soda) in the mixer until you obtain a paste. Then add the baking soda and powder, fold them all together and let the mix sit for an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce by adding about 3 tablespoons of tahini and 3 tablespoons of water, then the juice of a small lemon and a tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. You might need to add more or less water, it depends really on the kind of tahini paste you have.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then with a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, take some of the falafel mix and drop in the hot oil, turn after two minutes, until golden on both sides then let them drain on a paper towel.

To make a falafel sandwich:
Put the falafel patties in pita bread, spread some tahini sauce on top, some fresh chopped parsley, sliced tomatoes and some pickled jalapenos. I like mine with Tabbouli on the side.

Dandelion Salad (Hindbeh Mtabbaleh) - هندبة متبلة

2008-03-03T19:34:00.003+02:00

Another dandelion recipe. The previously published recipe shows how to cook the dandelion. So what I do, I usually take some of the cooked ones in water, drained and chopped, and in a bowl, I add a minced clove of garlic, some finely chopped onions, juice of one lemon, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix them all together and serve with pita bread.

Dandelions in olive oil (Hindbeh b-Zeit) - هندبة بالزيت

2008-03-03T19:09:00.006+02:00

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 bunches of dandelion
2 big onions
1 cup of Olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of a big lemon
Salt and pepper.

Chop the 2 bunches of dandelion, clean very well by soaking them in water and some salt and then wash and drain. Add dandelion into a big pot of boiling water and let them cook until they're done, just like spinach. Drain them very well also like spinach then roughly chop them again. Slice the 2 big onions by cutting them into halves then slicing each half, sort of like obtaining medium thin half circles.
In a skillet, add olive oil, then the onions (leave about a handful aside). Now the onions need to cook until they become dark brown but not burned. When they're done, take them out of the skillet to a side plate, then in the same remaining oil add the the uncooked onions, cook them until golden then add the garlic, then the cilantro, cook for about one minute then add the dandelion, salt and pepper. Mix them all together and cook for about 10 minutes then add the lemon juice. If you feel that the dandelions absorbed all the olive oil while cooking, then you might wanna add another tablespoon.
To serve: Transfer the cooked dandelion into the serving plate and top with the dark browned onions. Serve with pita bread.

Ghraybeh Cookies - غريبة

2008-03-02T18:38:00.007+02:00

Serves about 8 people

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup of shortening
2 1/2 cups of flour
Raw pistachios* (each cookie needs one pistachio)

In the mixer, add shortening then the sugar, mix well until all becomes fluffy, then add the flour gradually until you get the cookie dough ready. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. To make the shape of the cookies, take a small amount about the size of a small ball, roll it about 1/4 inch and then close it just like making a circle. Right where you attach this circleor where the two ends meet place a pistachio there (the photo shows the shape). Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes into a heated 275 or 300 degrees oven. Do not touch the cookies until they are completely cooled off. Sometimes the cookies might need more minutes depending on the oven's temperature.

* Raw pistachios can be found in Middle Eastern stores, or you can simply use almonds instead.

Tuna Pasta with Vegetables

2008-02-24T19:54:00.005+02:00

Serves 3

Ingredients:
1 can of tuna in water
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of mixed frozen vegetables
1 cup of milk (or cream)
3 cups of cooked pasta (Penne or Fusilli)
1 small chopped onion
1 chopped clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Italian mixed herbs
1 tablespoon of fresh or dried basil
Some fresh chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

In a pan, add olive oil, onions and garlic, salt and pepper, let it cook for one minute then add the tomatoes, Italian herbs and basil then add the thawed frozen vegetables and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the milk or cream and drained tuna. Meanwhile cook the pasta. When the vegetables are cooked toss the cooked pasta and mix all together. Serve with parmesan cheese on top and fresh cilantro.

Easy Apple Dessert

2008-02-24T19:43:00.003+02:00

About 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 and a half chopped apples
1 cup of sugar
Vanilla
1/4 spoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg beaten
1 cup of flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup crushed walnut

Mix apples with sugar and let it sit for half an hour.
Mix the egg, oil, salt, spices, flour, baking soda, few drops of vanilla, nuts, then the apples. I used the regular baking pan that I use for banana bread or any cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes, in a 350 degrees oven. You may serve with powdered sugar on top.
PS: It will stay a bit moist when it comes out of the oven until it completely cools.

Eggs N' Veggies

2008-02-17T22:50:00.007+02:00

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup of broccoli
1 small onion
1 small tomato
1/2 a bellpepper
1/4 cup of grated cheese (of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Salt & pepper

Dice all the vegetables, and in a non-stick pan start adding the olive oil, onions then the rest of the vegetables. Whisk the eggs then add, and mix them all together. Add the cumin, salt and pepper then the cheese.
Serve with pita bread.

Lebanese Moussakka - مصقعة الباذنجان

2008-02-14T00:50:00.004+02:00

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 big onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 can of cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans
2 cups of canned cut tomatoes along with the juice
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 cup of water
Olive oil
1 tablespoon of all spice (or 7 spices)
Salt and pepper

Take most of the skin of the eggplant by peeling it, leave some stripes and slice it into medium slices. Add salt and pepper, brush it with olive oil and bake it until it's half cooked. Meanwhile, cut the onion in half and slice it, medium slices too not too thin and add to a pan, sprinkle olive oil, some salt and pepper and let it cook until golden, then add the garlic and tomatoes. let all cook until tomatoes are tender then add the allspice, tomato paste and a cup of water and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Now add the chickpeas, mix all together then add the eggplant and let them simmer for another 8-10 minutes. Voila!

Tip: A lot of people still fry the eggplant (half way) and let them drain on a paper towel then add it to the mix. However, I bake them for less calories, but what I do also is after I take them out of the oven, in a non-stick pan I add some olive oil and add the eggplant to brown them a little bit. This gives them a wonderful flavor, color and texture.

For those who like to fry the eggplant, don't forget to sprinkle salt on those slices and let them drain their water half an hour at least before you fry them so they don't absorb a lot of oil.

Serve with any green salad.

Eggplant Salad (Salatit el-Batinjan) - سلطة الراهب

2008-02-12T23:53:00.001+02:00

Servings 1-2

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant
1 small tomato
1 small bellpepper
1 to 2 scallions (or any kind of onions)
1 clove of garlic minced
Some chopped parsley
Juice of a small lemon and some olive oil
Salt & pepper

Put the whole eggplant as is, (only cut and remove the stem from the top), on a baking sheet and bake it. You'll notice when it's done that the juice came out on the baking sheet and the skin is almost toasted and it becomes soft when you punch it with a knife.
Let it cool for a bit then cut it in half and remove the skin; just cut it roughly into pieces and put it in the salad bowl, it's ok if it has some juice still. Then chop or dice the rest of the ingredients and add them as well. Finally, add the salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.

Vegetarian green beans over rice (Loubiyeh w Rizz)

2008-02-08T21:56:00.001+02:00

Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of fresh Green beans
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
olive oil, salt and pepper
water

For the Rice:
1 1/2 cup of rice
1 teaspoon of butter and a dash of salt

In a pan, add onions, olive oil (I usually eyeball, just enough to coat the onions), dash of salt and pepper, cook for a couple of minutes then add the garlic, green beans, let them cook for few minutes then add the tomatoes, and keep cooking for another few minutes then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and water enough to cover what's cooking. Let it all simmer until the beans are cooked. Meanwhile, in another pan, add 1 teaspoon of butter, then add the rice, when the butter coats the rice, add 3 cups of water (or according to directions) and let it simmer.
Serve with any kind of salad.

PS: This recipe is good also if you add meat to it (cubes or minced), if you wish to do so, add the meat with the onions then continue the recipe.

Super quick Man'oushi (Zaatar sandwich)

2008-02-02T19:07:00.000+02:00

Zaatar is one of my favourite spice or herb or condiment or whatever you wish to call it. Man'oushi pies (Zaatar pies) are a Lebanese specialty, whether for breakfeast or as an appetizer. But if you are craving one and pie crust or dough is not ready why not replace it with a slice of bread like I did!
All you have to do is mix it with olive oil and spread it on the sandwich and toast it for a bit and voila!
I also had one with cream cheese and just sprinkled some zaatar on top, mmmmmm!!!

P.S: This Zaatar mix can be found in Middle Eastern stores. It is mixed with sumac and sesame seeds.

Mediterranean Salad

2008-01-23T16:51:00.000+02:00

Ingredients for 2:
4-5 leaves of romaine lettuce chopped
1 small sliced tomato
3-4 sliced radishes
1/2 an onion sliced
1 small carrot finely sliced
About a 1/2 cup of sliced cucumber

For the dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cornish Hen with herbs and salad

2008-01-23T16:25:00.001+02:00

For 2 persons: 2 cornish hen
Herb mixture: 4-5 crushed cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of mixed mediterranean or Italian herbs (or any herbs you like), 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped thyme.

After washing and cleaning the hen and letting them drain, rub them with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of butter for both as well as the mixture of herbs prepared earlier. Heat the oven for 375 and bake until done. everynow and then bathe with the juices and drizzle white wine until golden and done.

I normally serve the hen with this:
Mixed green salad with avocados and asparagus:

lettuce (of your choice), sweet corn, asparagus (canned or cooked earlier), half a red bellpepper diced, 1 avocado sliced into 4 or 5 slices and some onions on top.
Dressing: juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of some italian herbs mix, salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Grape leaves (Wara2 Enab Bzeit) - ورق عنب بالزيت

2007-12-21T21:18:00.002+02:00

In this recipe, you need to eyeball the amount of grape leaves, depending on the size of the leaves too. So I'm just gonna assume that we're using 100gr of leaves and here's a useful tip: if you roll them all and still have some filling left, very simple: stuff a potato, tomato or a bellpepper!

Filling Ingredients:
1 big tomato or 2 medium ones diced.
1 medium onion diced
3/4 cup of rice (any kind, I prefer white)
1 bunch of fresh parsley chopped
Juice of 1 big lemon or 2 small
1/2 tablespoon of allspice (or 7 spices)
1/2 tablespoon of salt
1/2 cup of olive oil (or a bit more)

Preparing the Pan:
Take few leaves and line them up in the bottom of the pan (why? cause grape leaves stick quickly to any pan! and then add on top of those the sliced potato.

If you are using fresh grape leaves, soak them in hot water and some salt for half an hour, or until completely soft then drain. If you are using the ones that you buy in the jar, soak them in warm water for few minutes then let them drain.

- Mix all the ingredients together and get ready to roll.
Rolling grape leaves:
Cut the stems if there's any and start adding the filling in the middle of the leaf, then fold the sides and roll while pressing a bit to let the juice out and also to make it a bit tight so it doesn't fall apart. (just like spring rolls). Then line them up in the pan on top of the potato layer. After you finish, get a plate that can fit inside the pan, flip it upside down and place it on top of the grape leaves to press them so when they start cooking they don't fall apart. Now add water just to cover them and let them cook on medium for about 12 minutes, if they boil too much reduce the heat. It's optional to add more lemon juice while they cook. Tasting one is always better to check if they're done :)

Lebanese Meat Loaf with Potatoes (Kafta w Batata) - كفتة بالصينية

2007-12-20T05:34:00.001+02:00

Ingredients: (4 persons)
Half a kilo of lean minced meat (or1/3pound)
1 cup of chopped parsley
1 medium onion chopped
1 tablespoon of all spice
1 egg
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 big potatoes, peeled and cut in medium rounded slices
1 big onion sliced in medium rings
1 big tomato sliced in medium rings
1-2 cups of tomato sauce
Vegetable oil for frying the potatoes
1 teaspoon of flour

Mix meat, parsley, chopped onion, spices, mustard, salt and the egg all together, let it sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, half-frie the potato slices, and let drain on paper towel. Get the meat from the fridge and make patties then in a non stick hot pan let the patties slightly cook then remove into a seperate dish. Now get an oven serving dish deep enough to hold the tomato sauce, rub it with some butter and start layering: the meat first, then the potatoes, then sliced onion, then sliced tomato and finally add the sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon of flour. bake into a 375 degrees oven for half an hour or until the sauce cooks with the rest of the ingredients.

Adas Bi Hamoud (Chards and lentil soup) - عدس بالحامض

2007-09-28T17:01:00.001+03:00

Ingredients:
1 bunch of Swiss Chards (sele2 in arabic)
1 big onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 cup of lentils
2 medium potatoes diced
2 tablespoons of allspice
1 tablespoon of sumac spice
Salt
1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of one big lemon
Olive oil (2-3 tablespoons)

In a pot, add 1liter of water, bring to the boil, add lentils and let them cook for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, you've washed the chards and chopped them, so you add those to the cooked lentils. In a pan, cook the onions and garlic with olive oil until light golden then add them to the lentils and chards. After that you add the potatoes, sumac, allspice, salt and let it cook for about 10-12 minutes then you add the lemon juice and the cilantro and let it simmer for like 5 minutes, then serve.
This is a great vegetarian soup, healthy and tasty.

Mjaddara (Vegetarian lentil paste) - مجدرة

2007-09-28T14:39:00.001+03:00

Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup of lentils
1/4 cup rice
1 onion
olive oil
Salt
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of allspice (= 7 spices)

Wash the lentils and put in a pot with 4-5 cups of water, let it boil gently and cook for 15 minutes. Soak the rice in water. After the lentils are cooked all the way, drain the lentils and grind them but keep the water on the side. Meanwhile in a pan, add the chopped onion, olive oil, salt and cook the onions for few minutes on medium flame, don't brown them just until they turn a bit gold.
Add the grinded lentils to their water, then add the onions with olive oil, add the soaked rice, spices and cumin. Cook for another 15 minutes on low. You have to stir it every couple of minutes because it can stick and burn easily. you might need to add a bit more water if you feel that it's too thick to cook the rice. It's done when it thickens. Not too lumpy but not too thick. Pour it in a bowl and let it cool off for few minutes.
Serve with bread and salads. (Fattoush is perfect with Mjaddara).

Red Cabbage Salad

2007-09-28T14:35:00.000+03:00

Few leaves of red cabbage (depending on the amount of serving)
1 small onion (shredded)
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil
salt & pepper

Place the shredded cabbage in a plate, add the onion on to, salt & pepper and the dressing. Voila!

Loubieh B-Zeit (Vegetarian green beans) - لوبياء بالزيت

2007-08-01T14:52:00.001+03:00

Ingredients: (4 servings)
450 grs of green beans (fresh or frozen)

2 medium tomatoes (diced)

10 cloves of garlic (peeled only)

2 onions (diced)

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 tablespoon of tomato sauce

1/2 cup of water

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon of 7 spices or allspice

In saucepan, put the olive oil with the onions and the whole garlic cloves, add some salt. Then add the beans, cook until the beans wilt then add the tomatoes and keep cooking, add the 7 spices and then the tomato sauce followed by the water and let it simmer for another 12-15 minutes.

Serve warm with pita bread.

Chicken with rice (Djeij w rizz) - الدجاج مع الارز

2007-07-31T14:50:00.001+03:00

Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2 cups of Basmati rice (or any other rice of your choice)
1 1/2 cups of assorted raw nuts
Butter
Salt

For cooking the chicken: 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper, cardamom, salt. Add all to a pot half filled with water including the chicken. When it starts boiling, clean the surface from the foam. Let it cook until done.
- For the rice: In a pot, put 1 tablespoon of butter, add the washed and drained 2 cups of rice. After the rice absorbs the butter, add 4 cups of water, add salt upon taste and let it simmer for 15 minutes. While the rice is cooking, in a pan, put a teaspoon of butter and add the raw nuts and mix with the butter and let it roast until brown or golden.
Once the rice is done, serve with nuts on top and then cut the chicken and put on top of rice and nuts and serve.

Tip: You can cook the rice with the broth of the cooked chicken.

This dish can be served with salad of your choice or plain yogurt.

Labneh (Lebanese soft yogurt cheese) - لبنة

2007-07-31T14:38:00.002+03:00

1 plain yogurt container
Teaspoon of salt
Olive oil
Cotton cloth to serve the purpose of a small bag

Open the container of yogurt and add the salt and mix, then empty the yogurt in the cloth, tie it and hang it over your sink overnight. You want the water to drain all night.
In the morning, empty the labneh from the cloth and serve with olive oil on top with any bread or toast.

Tip: You can make garlic labneh by adding a couple of crushed cloves of garlic or garlic powder. Also labneh can make a wonderful dip, serve it with a vegetable tray and add to the labneh a teaspoon of curry powder.

Lebanese Village Salad

2007-07-31T14:23:00.001+03:00

Serving: 2 persons
Ingredients:
1 tomato
1 medium cucumber
1 cup of parsley leaves (not chopped)
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1 small onion
salt & pepper
olive and juice of 1 small lemon for the dressing.

Chop the tomato, cucumber and onion then add to all the ingredients and mix in a bowl and serve.

Chicken with Rice (Djej w rizz)

2007-05-08T19:38:00.001+03:00

Ingredients: (5-6 servings)
1 small chicken
2 cups of rice
1 cup of minced meat
Assorted raw nuts: cashew, chopped almonds, pine, pecan (1/2 cup of each)
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Salt, pepper (or seven spices)
1 celery stick, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 small carrot, 1 small onion

Bazella w Rizz (Peas & carrots with rice) - البازيللا مع الارز

2007-05-08T19:23:00.001+03:00

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 cup of minced meat
1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of chopped carrots
1 cup of chopped onions
1 cup of basmati rice
1 cup of fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup of fresh juicy tomato chopped (or canned)
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt, pepper (or seven spices: optional).

In a pan put 1 tablespoon of butter, then onions, after 1 minute add the minced meat, garlic, add salt and pepper, stir until the meat is not red anymore then add the freash carrots, mix and leave for few minutes then add the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes cooked, add the tomato paste with 1/4 cup of water, let it cook for 10 minutes then add the peas (after u wash them and rain them) and the cilantro leave for another 10 minutes (you don't wanna over cook the peas).
For the rice: add in another pan 1 tablespoon of butter, then add the rice after you wash it and rain it. Add salt upon taste. Mix the rice with the butter until absorbed, then add 2 cups of water. when the rice starts to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes until it's done.

Potatoes with Cilantro (Batata bi kouzbara) - البطاطا مع الكزبراء

2007-03-19T01:47:00.001+02:00

Ingredients:
3 potatoes
1 bunch of fresh cilantro (chopped)
Paprika
3 cloves of garlic (mashed)
Vegetable oil
Salt n' pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
Juice of half a lemon.

Peel the potatoes and cut into medium cubes. Fry them in vegetable oil until golden. Drain them on paper towel.
In a pan, add butter, garlic then chopped cilantro, stir over medium heat (if you feel them dry add some of the vegetable oil, like 1 spoon), after 5 minutes add lemon juice. Now toss the fried potatoes, mix all well, add dashes of paprika, salt and pepper and serve.

Moghrabieh (Semolina balls with Chicken) - المغربية

2007-03-18T22:37:00.001+02:00

Ingredients: (Makes 4 Servings)
Half a pound of Moghrabieh (found in middle eastern stores)

4 Chicken breasts (or any desired part of the chicken)

4 big onions (cut in chunks)

1 can of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)

Half a stick of butter

3 tablespoons allspice

1 tablespoon cumin

Salt n' pepper

Cook the chicken or chicken breasts in boiling water, add to it a carrot, half an onion, cinnamon stick, bay leave. Take the foam out and let it cook until done. After it's done take out the onion, carrot, cinnamon and bay leave and keep the broth. Put the chicken aside.

In a seperate deep pan, add the onions, butter, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until soft, then add the Moghrabieh, stir all for few minutes then add the chickpeas, then add the allspice and cumin. When it feels that it's starting to stick then start adding the broth gradually, about 3-4 cups.

(The moghrabieh should cook like rice sometimes a little bit more water).

Cook on low to medium so that it absorbs the water and cook gently. Taste it to know if it's cooked all the way, and the water should reduce but don't dry it.

Serve hot with chicken on top.

Potato Soufflet (Sayniyyet Batata) - البطاطا بالصينية

2007-02-19T02:41:00.005+02:00

This recipe is served with
a mixed green salad in the photo,
but any salad goes with it.

Ingredients: (4-5 servings)
6 medium to big potatoes
1 onion
1 cup of bulgur wheat
1 pound (or half a kilo) of minced meat
1/2 cup of pine nuts
1 egg
Butter or vegetable oil
Grated cheese of your choice (parmesan, mixed cheese etc...)

- Peel the potatoes, then boil them with some salt
Meanwhile prepare the filling:
Chop the onion, put in pan and sautee with some butter or oil, after 1 minute add the pine nuts, after another minute add the minced meat until it lightly browns, remove to cool.
- After the potatoes are cooked all the way, drain and then put them in a bowl and mash them. Add the egg (after they cool down a bit, you don't want the egg to cook) mix well, then add the cup of washed burgul, add salt and pepper and mix well. Divide the potato mix into equal halves. Coat a baking pan with butter or oil and spread the first half of the potato, top it with the meat mixture, then add the last layer of the rest of the potatoes.

Top with grated cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until done. (Oven-350)

Fattoush (Lebanese traditional salad) - الفتوش

2007-02-11T22:34:00.001+02:00

Ingredients: (serves 4)
8 leaves of romaine lettuce medium sliced
2 tomatoes (medium diced)
1 cucumber sliced,(small size, if other: about a handful or 2)
1 onion sliced half circle
1 clove of garlic mashed or very thinly sliced
2 handful of parsley leaves
1 small bellpepper, medium to small sliced
4 leaves of white cabbage cut in half and sliced
Few mint leaves
4 radishes sliced
2 green onions sliced
1 carrot sliced
1 cup of watercress or purslane
1 medium pita bread opened, cut in small cubes and toasted
1 tablespoon of summack spice (found in middle eastern foodstores)
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup of olive oil

Mix sliced onions with salt and summack, add the garlic then add all the vegetables, add lemon juice and olive oil and mix well. Top with toasted bread right before serving.

Tip: Some people prefer the bread fried in vegetable oil (for 1 minute then dried on a paper towel), it's really good!!! Also some people like to substitute lemon juice with vinegar.

Hommus (Lebanese chickpeas paste) - الحمص بالطحينة

2007-02-11T20:03:00.004+02:00

1 can of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)

1 clove of garlic

2-3 tablespoons tahini paste (sesame paste)

Juice of one lemon

A pinch of salt

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, until you get the paste. You may want to add a little bit of water if the tahini is too thick. Add olive oil on top right before serving.

Baba Ghannouj: (Eggplant dip)

Replace the chickpeas with 1 medium grilled and peeled eggplant.

Tabbouli (Lebanese Parsley salad) - تبولة

2007-02-11T19:53:00.004+02:00

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)

1 bunch of parsley (washed, finely chopped, try not to include the long stems)

1 medium onion (optional: some green onions are good too)

1 tomato

Juice of one lemon

Few fresh mint leaves (washed and chopped)

1/2 teaspoon of 7 spices (or allspice)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2-3 tablespoons of fine burgul (or wheat germs)

6 tablespoons of olive oil (or eye ball it depending on taste)

Dice the onion and mix it with salt and allspice and put it the serving bowl. Dice the tomato and add it to the onion, then add the chopped parsley and mint, bulgur (soak the bulgur in a little bit of water if it's not fine, no need to soak wheat germs, just add it to the ingredients). Add lemon juice, olive oil. Mix all together and serve.You can garnish it with some diced tomatoes.

Tips on how to eat it:In Lebanon we serve it with romaine lettuce hearts or white cabbage. Take a soft leaf of lettuce, fill it with Tabbouli and enjoy a tabbouli boat!