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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 :)
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Ingredients: (4 persons)

Half a kilo or one pound of lean minced meat or ground beef
1 cup of chopped parsley
1 medium onion chopped
1 tablespoon of allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in medium rounded slices
1 big onion sliced in medium rings
1 big tomato sliced in medium rings
1 to 2 cups of tomato sauce
Vegetable oil for frying or sauteing the potatoes
1 teaspoon of flour

Mix meat, parsley, chopped onion, spices, and salt together.  Let it sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, saute the potato slices in vegetable oil, and let drain on paper towel. Take the meat out of the fridge and make medium sized patties.
In a non-stick hot pan let the patties slightly cook by turning them. Remove into a separate dish. In an oven baking dish, deep enough to hold the tomato sauce, rub the bottom with some butter or vegetable oil and start layering: the meat first, then potatoes, sliced onion, sliced tomato. Add the tomato sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon of flour.
Bake into a 375 degrees oven for half an hour or until the sauce cooks and thickens with the rest of the ingredients. Serve with any salad of your choice.
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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.
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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).
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ingredients: (5-6 servings) Choice of chicken: like chicken breasts or upper thighs 2 cups of rice 1 cup of ground beef Assorted raw nuts: cashew, chopped almonds, pine, pecan (1/3 cup of each) 1 tablespoon 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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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1 can of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)
1 clove of garlic
2-3 tablespoons tahini paste (sesame paste)
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste
Half a cup of water

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor or blender. If the paste seems too thick, you might need to add a little bit more water, one to two more tablespoons until you get a creamy paste. 
Serve and drizzle olive oil on top right before serving. 

Decoration (optional):
Decorate with few saved cooked chickpeas placed in the middle. Radish slices and some fresh mint. 

Note:
Baba Ghannouj or Eggplant Dip:
Replace the chickpeas with 1 medium grilled and peeled eggplant.
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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!
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authorHello, my name is MAG. I've been running this blog since 2007. Follow me on Social Media!!!
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