Mid-East Side Lentils with Rice A scrumptious dish made with lentils and rice, topped with carmelized onions.
Cook lentils and rice separately, according to package instructions. Drain and combine the two in one large saucepan with a 2 T oil. Stir in seasonings and keep warm over low heat. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and caramelize, stirring constantly for 20-30 minutes till brown (though not crispy or burned). Turn lentil-rice mixture out into a large serving bowl and top with the caramelized onions. Serve with yogurt. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Middle-Eastern cooking may not be in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Mid-Eastern food stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Toss any old, even unopened, spice jars because they’ve probably lost their distinctive flavors. Put them on your shopping list. Bulgur Wheat: wheat grains that have been par-boiled, dried, and de-branned. Bulgur has a high fiber content and wonderfully nutty flavor. Cardamom: related to ginger. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store the spice, although high-quality ground is readily available. A equivalency: 10 pods = 1½ tsp. ground cardamom. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Mid-East, Asian, Indian, and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: related to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in curries, but also in Mid-Eastern, Mexican and Asian dishes. Cumom has an earthy, peppery flavor. Deep Frying: oil must be hot enough; otherwise food will be soggy and greasy. Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached. When cool, oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used. Filo: aka phyllo; paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough. Purchase frozen in any grocery store and follow directions on package for thawing. When working with one sheet, keep others covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Rosewater: distilled from rose petals and used to flavor Mid-Eastern and Asian cooking. You can make your own—but why? Purchase it at Asian or Middle Eastern food stores. Semolina flour: made from hardy durum wheat. A yellowish flour, it's used in Asian and Mid-East cooking (couscous). In the U.S., it's Farina, a breakfast cereal. Tahini: paste from ground, hulled sesame seeds. A major ingredient in hummus and other Mid-Eastern and Asian foods, you can purchase at most grocery stores.
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Mid-East Appetizer Puréed Chickpeas You can buy very good commercial hummus, but this homemade version is excellent. Adapt it to your taste—use more or less lemon and garlic; add dill, hot pepper flakes, minced roasted peppers or olives. New York Times writer Jane Brody even adds a dollop of plain yogurt—it’s delicious!
Drain and simmer chickpeas for 30 minutes, just to make certain they're tender. Reserve cooking water. In a food processor, combine chickpeas with lemon juice, tahinii, and garlic. Blend to a smooth, creamy consistency. If you need more liquid, add a bit of the cooking water. Add salt to taste. Turn out into a bowl or platter. Create a small “crater” in the center and dribble with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika and some finely chopped parsley. Serve with pita. * You can also use 1/2 lb. dried chick peas. Use Quick Soak method to prepare for cooking: cover peas with water, bring to a boil for 1 minute. Turn off heat and let sit for 1 hour. Then simmer for 30-45 minutes till tender. Or use Overnight Soak method: let peas sit overnight in a bowl, covered with water. Cook peas 30-45 minutes the next day till tender. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Middle-Eastern cooking may not be in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Mid-Eastern food stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Bulgur Wheat: wheat grains that have been par-boiled, dried, and de-branned. Bulgur has a high fiber content and wonderfully nutty flavor. Cardamom: related to ginger. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store the spice, although high-quality ground is readily available. A equivalency: 10 pods = 1½ tsp. ground cardamom. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Mid-East, Asian, Indian, and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: related to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in curries, but also in Mid-Eastern, Mexican and Asian dishes. Cumom has an earthy, peppery flavor. Deep Frying: oil must be hot enough; otherwise food will be soggy and greasy. Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached. When cool, oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used. Filo: aka phyllo; paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough. Purchase frozen in any grocery store and follow directions on package for thawing. When working with one sheet, keep others covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Rosewater: distilled from rose petals and used to flavor Mid-Eastern and Asian cooking. You can make your own—but why? Purchase it at Asian or Middle Eastern food stores. Semolina flour: made from hardy durum wheat. A yellowish flour, it's used in Asian and Mid-East cooking (couscous). In the U.S., it's Farina, a breakfast cereal. Tahini: paste from ground, hulled sesame seeds. A major ingredient in hummus and other Mid-Eastern and Asian foods, you can purchase at most grocery stores.
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Mid-East Appetizer Puréed Eggplant Store-bought Baba Ganoush is just not as good as homemade. Feel free to adapt this recipe to your tastes: add more or less garlic and lemon juice.
Preheat oven to 350. Place the whole (unpeeled) eggplant in the oven and bake 35-45 minutes, till the meat is soft inside. Allow the eggplant to cool; then scoop out the insides into bowl or a food processor. Add the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, pepper flakes and salt. Blend to a smooth, creamy texture. Taste for salt, and add yogurt if you want. Turn out into a bowl or, more traditionally, a platter. Create a small “crater” in the center and dribble with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika and some finely chopped parsley. Serve with pita. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Middle-Eastern cooking may not be in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Mid-Eastern food stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Toss any old, even unopened, spice jars because they’ve probably lost their distinctive flavors. Put them on your shopping list. Bulgur Wheat: wheat grains that have been par-boiled, dried, and de-branned. Bulgur has a high fiber content and wonderfully nutty flavor. Cardamom: related to ginger. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store the spice, although high-quality ground is readily available. A equivalency: 10 pods = 1½ tsp. ground cardamom. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Mid-East, Asian, Indian, and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: related to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in curries, but also in Mid-Eastern, Mexican and Asian dishes. Cumom has an earthy, peppery flavor. Deep Frying: oil must be hot enough; otherwise food will be soggy and greasy. Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached. When cool, oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used. Filo: aka phyllo; paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough. Purchase frozen in any grocery store and follow directions on package for thawing. When working with one sheet, keep others covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Rosewater: distilled from rose petals and used to flavor Mid-Eastern and Asian cooking. You can make your own—but why? Purchase it at Asian or Middle Eastern food stores. Semolina flour: made from hardy durum wheat. A yellowish flour, it's used in Asian and Mid-East cooking (couscous). In the U.S., it's Farina, a breakfast cereal. Tahini: paste from ground, hulled sesame seeds. A major ingredient in hummus and other Mid-Eastern and Asian foods, you can purchase at most grocery stores.
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Mid-East Appetizer Savory Meat Pies These delicious little meat pockets are easier to make then they seem. You just need time for the dough to rise.
Dough: combine water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in only 2 C flour, along with salt and oil. Let rest 10 minutes; then stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead dough, folding and pushing down with the heel of your hands, till you get a smooth and elastic texture. Let the dough rise in a warm place till double in bulk. Punch the dough down and shape into 16 balls. Allow the balls to stand in a warm place till double in size. Filling: saute onions in oil till soft and translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add garlic, cooking 2 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients but don't cook (the filling cooks in the rolls as they bake). Assembly: preheat oven to 425. On a floured surface, roll the 16 raised dough balls into 4” circles, and brush the edges with egg yolk. Spoon 2 T (heaping) into center of each circle, bring edges up to meet one another, and pinching together to make a little pouch. Let rise for another 30 minutes and bake (pinched side up) on a greased baking sheet for 30 minutes, till golden brown. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Middle-Eastern cooking may not be in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Mid-Eastern food stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Toss any old, even unopened, spice jars because they’ve probably lost their distinctive flavors. Put them on your shopping list. Bulgur Wheat: wheat grains that have been par-boiled, dried, and de-branned. Bulgur has a high fiber content and wonderfully nutty flavor. Cardamom: related to ginger. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store the spice, although high-quality ground is readily available. A equivalency: 10 pods = 1½ tsp. ground cardamom. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Mid-East, Asian, Indian, and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: related to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in curries, but also in Mid-Eastern, Mexican and Asian dishes. Cumom has an earthy, peppery flavor. Deep Frying: oil must be hot enough; otherwise food will be soggy and greasy. Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached. When cool, oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used. Filo: aka phyllo; paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough. Purchase frozen in any grocery store and follow directions on package for thawing. When working with one sheet, keep others covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Rosewater: distilled from rose petals and used to flavor Mid-Eastern and Asian cooking. You can make your own—but why? Purchase it at Asian or Middle Eastern food stores. Semolina flour: made from hardy durum wheat. A yellowish flour, it's used in Asian and Mid-East cooking (couscous). In the U.S., it's Farina, a breakfast cereal. Tahini: paste from ground, hulled sesame seeds. A major ingredient in hummus and other Mid-Eastern and Asian foods, you can purchase at most grocery stores.
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Mid-East Appetizer Yogurt Cheese This strained yogurt can be used as a tangy, rich spread for pita. You can jazz up the dish by adding dill, diced cucumber, or mint.
Combine yogurt and salt in a bowl. Then scoop yogurt into a large piece of cheesecloth. Make a pouch by tying the corners together. Hang the pouch over a bowl deep enough to ensure the bottom of the pouch doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.* You want the yogurt to drain its whey. Refrigerate the mixture for 24 hours. After 24 hours, squeeze the pouch to drain the last drops of whey into the bowl. Discard the whey. You now have a thick, creamy spread. Turn the Lebnah into a bowl sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Lebnah is delicious spread on pita and accompanied by a bowl of olives. * One way to do this is to tie the corners of the cheesecloth pouch with a string, then tie string to the center of a long wooden spoon handle. Lay the spoon handle across the rim of a deep bowl and set in refrigerator. Or you can tie the pouch to the wire rack of your refreigerator shelf and place the bowl underneath. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Middle-Eastern cooking may not be in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Mid-Eastern food stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Toss any old, even unopened, spice jars because they’ve probably lost their distinctive flavors. Put them on your shopping list. Bulgur Wheat: wheat grains that have been par-boiled, dried, and de-branned. Bulgur has a high fiber content and wonderfully nutty flavor. Cardamom: related to ginger. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store the spice, although high-quality ground is readily available. A equivalency: 10 pods = 1½ tsp. ground cardamom. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Mid-East, Asian, Indian, and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: related to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in curries, but also in Mid-Eastern, Mexican and Asian dishes. Cumom has an earthy, peppery flavor. Deep Frying: oil must be hot enough; otherwise food will be soggy and greasy. Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached. When cool, oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used. Filo: aka phyllo; paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough. Purchase frozen in any grocery store and follow directions on package for thawing. When working with one sheet, keep others covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Rosewater: distilled from rose petals and used to flavor Mid-Eastern and Asian cooking. You can make your own—but why? Purchase it at Asian or Middle Eastern food stores. Semolina flour: made from hardy durum wheat. A yellowish flour, it's used in Asian and Mid-East cooking (couscous). In the U.S., it's Farina, a breakfast cereal. Tahini: paste from ground, hulled sesame seeds. A major ingredient in hummus and other Mid-Eastern and Asian foods, you can purchase at most grocery stores.
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