Fattoush (Middle Eastern Bread Salad)

Photo courtesy of Islamic Iftar

Yield:6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Arab (pita ) bread , cut into small pieces

1 medium head of lettuce, shredded

3 medium tomatoes, cut into small cubes

3 cucumbers, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 green onions, thinly sliced

handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing:

5 Tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. ground sumac

salt & pepper, to taste

1. To make the salad, place all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and toss till evenly

combined.

2. For the dressing, place all the ingredients together in a blender and blend for 1 minute.Adjust

seasonings if necessary.

3. Add the salad dressing to the salad, toss again just before serving.

Shanklish (Syrian Mezze Salad)

Photo courtesy of SyrianFoodie

Shanklish is an aromatic, zaatar-coated cheese from Tartous, a port Northwest of Damascus.It is traditionally made at home from either cow, sheep or goat's milk. Shanklish is usually eaten as part of a mezze dish where it is usually served crumbled in a salad of finely chopped tomatoes, onions and olive oil.

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. shanklish, crumbled

1 medium red onion, peeled, finely minced

3 tomatoes, finely diced

4-5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1. In a medium serving bowl add all the ingredients together and mix thoroughly.

2. Chill for 1/2 hour and serve.

Muhammara (Walnut & Pomegranate Dip)

This Syrian specialty relish can be served spread on bread or served as a garnish over fish and
chicken dishes.

Yield:1 1/2 c
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c walnuts, shelled
1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 slice whole wheat bread, cut into pieces
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. pomegranate syrup
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of salt

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process till it turns into a paste.

Mamounia (Semolina Pudding)

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
3 c water
1/2 c superfine sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c semolina
1 Tbsp. rose water
1 Tbsp. orange blossom water
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds, to garnish

1. To make the sugar syrup, place the water and sugar in a saucepan , stirring continuously till the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.Remove from heat and set aside.
2.In a separate pan, melt the butter, then add the semolina, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes until all the butter is absorbed. Slowly stir in the sugar syrup and continue stirring until the mixture has thickened.
3.Remove mamounia from heat and add the rose and orange blossom water. Stir to evenly combine.
4. Pour mamounia into 4 serving dishes and sprinkle with ground cinnamon and slivered almonds.

Buza al-Halib (Sahlab Ice Cream)

When one thinks of Middle Eastern desserts, ice cream is not the first thing that comes to mind. Buza al-halib (Sahlab ice cream) aka buza bi mistiki (mastic ice cream) is just one of many iced desserts available throughout this region.Buza al-halib is a snowy white ice cream that is thickened with sahlab,powdered orchid root and flavored with mastic, not to be confused with gum arabic,a resin taken from the lentisk tree which is native to the Mediterranean.


Mastic gives this ice cream a consistency that is smooth, elastic, while at the same time chewy.Mastic is usually available from middle eastern grocers or you can try My Amazon Store.It looks like small, hard translucent crystal-like lumps that must be ground to a fine powder before using.Here's a recipe for authentic arab ice cream,buza al-halib, if you cannot find mastic , don't worry about it,the ice cream tastes just as good without it.



Yield:6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. sahlab
5 c whole milk
1 c sugar
small piece of mastic, size of half a fingernail, pounded till powdered (optional)
1 tbsp. rose water
chopped pistachios,for garnish (optional)



1. In a small bowl, mix the sahlab with a little milk to create a loose paste.Put the remainder of the milk with the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly till the sugar dissolves.

2. Reduce the heat. Add the sahlab/milk mixture to thee warmed milk, stirring vigorously.Add the mastic and continue stirring vigorously until it has dissolved.

3. Simmer milk for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.Add the rose water. Remove saucepan from heat.

4. Pour milk mixture into a ceramic bowl and allow it to cool before freezing. Freeze for 4 1/2 -5hours,stirring every 30 minutes to break up the ice crystals.*

5.When ready to serve, spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle with chopped pistachios, if desired.

*Pour ice cream mixture into ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturers instructions.

Sahlab (Middle Eastern Orchid Root Drink)

Sahlab also known as salep in Turkey and Greece is a powder made from the dried tubers of a species of orchid,Orchis mascula that grows throughout the Middle East.These dried tubers are ground to an extremely fine powder and are used to give a gelatinous texture to foods.Because this powder is so fine, silky, and odorless it is commonly used as a flavoring for drinks and ice cream.

Pure, unadulterated sahlab is very hard to find outside the Middle East.If your lucky enough to find it at a Middle Eastern grocer it can be very expensive. I have seen some boxed "instant sahlab" ,but these are an inferior product as they contain a high ratio of cornstarch to sahlab.The following recipe is for a thick, wintry drink popular during the winter months throughout the Middle East.I figure now is a good a time as any to try this recipe before the weather becomes warm.If you cannot find genuine sahlab, you can try the boxed kind(available in my Amazon store) or you may substitute (surprise), cornstarch.It gives sahlab the same creamy texture but not the flavor that makes this drink so unique.

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. sahlab (can substitute 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch)

4 c whole milk

3 Tbsp. sugar or more, to taste

2 tsp. orange-blossom water or rosewater, to taste

ground cinammon, for dusting

1. In a bowl, mix sahlab or cornstarch (if using) with a few drops of cold milk.

2.In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining milk to a boil and pour in the sahlab mixture.Turn down the heat to a simmer.Stir till lumps are dissolved.Keep stirring till mixture thickens (maybe about 10 minutes).

3. Stir in the sugar and either orange-blossom water or rosewater and stir for 30 seconds.

4. Remove from heat.Pour sahlab in serving mugs and dust the top with ground cinnamon.

Kabees Left (Pickled Turnips)

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of pickled foods but since they are an important staple of the Middle Eastern kitchen, I decided no discussion of Middle Eastern/Arabic cuisine would be complete without them.Pickling foods is one of the oldest methods of food preparation.It was introduced to the Arabs by the early Romans, Greeks, and Persians and considering the time period and location was the perfect solution for preserving foods for consumption at a later date.

All manner of fruits and vegetables can be pickled in the Middle East and to a lesser extent meat and fish.Some of the most popular are turnips,peppers, onions, olives, lemons, cabbage,cauliflower, and eggplants.Today, there is no longer a necessity to pickle foods at home because they are available from street vendors and neighborhood grocers throughout the Middle East but the practice still remains.

Pickled vegetables are usually served as part of a mezze or to accompany main dishes.They are fairly easy to prepare but require some time to be ready(a minimum of two weeks).The following recipe ,Kabees Left is one of the most popular Arab pickled vegetables. This recipe is from Claudia Roden's,The new book of Middle Eastern Food and takes just 6 days to be ready.

Yield:2 quarts
Ingredients:
2 lbs. small white turnips
1 raw or 2 cooked beets, peeled and cut into slices
3 3/4 c water
3 Tbsp. salt
3-4 Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar

1. Peel the turnips and cut them in half or quarters.Pack the pieces in a clean 2-quart jar interspersed with slices of beets.
2.Boil the water with the salt and vinegar, and let it cool a little before pouring over the turnips and closing the jar.
3.Store in a warm place or at room temperature for 6 days, until mellowed, then keep in the refrigerator.

Samak Tarator (Fish with Pine Nut Sauce)

Tarator is a sharp, garlicky pine nut sauce that is popular in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.It is usually served with grilled fish and seafood but can also serve as a dip or as a dressing for cooked vegetables.

For the Tarator Sauce:

Yield:1/2 c

Ingredients:

1 c pine nuts

1 slice stale bread, crust removed, soaked in water, then water squeezed out

juice of 1 lemon

1-2 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

1/2 c vegetable oil or olive oil

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until it has a mayonnaise-like consistency.

For the Fish:

Yield:6 Servings

Ingredients:

6 fish fillets (red snapper, swordfish,cod, halibut,or sole)

olive oil, for brushing

salt and pepper

1. Prepare a grill.Brush the fish with olive oil on both sides and drizzle with salt and pepper.

2.Grill fish on both sides till it begins to flake easily.Place on a serving dish and pour the tarator sauce on top or serve on the side.

Alya (Sheep Tail Fat)

A staple of the Arab kitchen since 3000B.C. , alya also known as aliya or roghan-e donbeh in Farsi is the rendered fat from the tail of the Awassi sheep, an Asian breed of sheep that are commonly found in parts of Africa, the Middle East,Northern India,Mongolia, and Western China.Just like the camel, these sheep hold most of their energy reserves in their tail which can weigh upwards of up to 25+lbs. and are able to survive in hot, arid climates.

Alya is hardly used anymore except in rural areas because of the widespread availability of other more convenient cooking fats and oils but it was used extensively in Medieval Arab recipes.Most Medieval Arab cookbooks refer to it's method of employment as "melt tail" or "fry in tail".Nowadays,certain rural areas of Lebanon and Syria have been known to use it where it is a common ingredient in the Lebanese dish qawarma, pieces of meat that are fried in alya , then preserved for later consumption.

Dejaj bi Kammun wal Filfil Aleppo (Baked Chicken with Cumin and Aleppo Pepper)

Servings:6-8

Ingredients:

5-5 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, rinsed, visible fat removed

1 1/2 large garlic clove, mashed

3/4 tsp. salt, to taste

black pepper

olive oil, for greasing baking dish

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. Aleppo pepper

1/2 c water

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease baking dish with olive oil.Place chicken in baking dish and rub mashed garlic allover it.Then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.Scatter chopped onions on top of chicken breasts.

2. In a small bowl, mix together cumin and Aleppo pepper and sprinkle evenly throughout dish.

3. Add 1/2 water to baking dish and place in oven and bake for 1 hour.

Labna bi Zayt (Yogurt Balls Marinated in Olive Oil)

Labna (alternately spelled labneh,labne,and laban) has been a basic food of the Middle East for centuries.It usually accompanies or is an ingredient in many Middle Eastern dishes.Labna bi Zayt is the result of yogurt that has been drained until it is quite firm and dry and is manually shaped into small balls and marinated in oil.Labna bi Zayt can be enjoyed as part of a mezze or as a popular snack called arus "the bride", which is a warm pita bread with labna and sprinkled with zaatar.

Labna bi Zayt is easy to make but is very time consuming and once I show you the recipe you'll see why.If you prefer, you can purchase it at any well-stocked Middle Eastern grocer or as I did this past weekend at an Armenian market.Mine was imported from Syria.Below is a 2 part recipe for Labna bi Zayt.



Recipe for Labna(Yogurt)
Ingredients:
5 c whole milk
1 Tbsp. plain yogurt(starter)



1.Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Then, as the froth rises, turn off the heat, then allow to cool where it is slightly warm.

2.Put the plain yougurt (starter) in a small bowl and stir 2-3 Tbsp. of the warm milk into it. Beat this mixture into evely combined and then pour back into the milk in saucepan.

3. Stir the milk for about 1/2 a minute then pour it into a bowl and cover with a paper towel.

4. Put bowl in a warm place and leave overnight (8+ hours) to rest.

5.After the 8+ hours, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and it's ready to eat or be used for another recipe.





Recipe for Labna bi Zayt (Yogurt balls Marinated in Olive Oil)
Yeild:Varies
Ingredients:
4 c full-fat plain yogurt
1 tsp. salt
extra-virgin olive oil
2 Muslin bags
large glass jar

1. Mix the yogurt with salt and stir to remove any visible lumps.
2. Put the 2 muslin bags together and scoop the yogurt into the center of it and tie an the ends and suspend over a large bowl overnight(8+ hours) letting the whey drip out.Scrape the contents of the bag every so often to facilitate draining.
3. After the 8+ hours are up, remove the cheese from the muslin bag and crumble unto a paper towel-lined baking sheet or tray.
4.Refrigerate yogurt until it feels firm and dry.
5.When desired texture is reached,lightly oil your hand with olive oil and roll yogurt into 1"diameter balls.
6. Put the labna inside a jar when finished and cover fully with olive oil.Refrigerate before and after opening.

Arak ( Anise-Flavored Liqueur)

Arak is an anise-flavored aperitif that is made from the fermented juice of white grapes.It is widely produced and consumed in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan though the best is said to come from Zahle in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.Arak is the traditional accompaniment to mezze because it is said to supposedly stimulate the appetite.

Arak is 87% proof alcohol.It is served diluteed with water and ice but never straight. A little is poured into a small glass, usually 1/3 arak to 2/3 water, then a little ice is added. Arak will then turn a milky white which is usually referred to as "lions milk"because only those that are as strong as a lion can handle it.

In resataurants, arak is usually served with many small glasses on the tray than drinkers because traditionally the same glass should not be refilled with Arak.Though alcohol is strictly prohibited in Islam,arak seems to escape this scrutiny.

Raw Felafel Patties

Felafels aka Ta'amia in Egypt are spicy meatballs or patties made with either fava beans or chickpeas.They are popular all over the Middle East particularly in Egypt,Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan where they are eaten any time of day.For breakfast, they are usually eaten with yogurt .For lunch, they can be drizzled with tahina and served with chopped vegetables wrapped in pita bread.Another variation is to serve them with either hummus or baba ghanoush.

I love felafels but unfortunately do not like the fact that they are fried and it seems every recipe I have come across involves this method of preparation.So, I've been intrigued by this recipe I came across.It contains neither chickpeas nor fava beans.Its a raw food recipe in that it requires no cooking and involves soaking.You would need a dehydrator but instead I just set my oven at the lowest temperature with the door slightly ajar.I tweaked it a little bit and finally got around to preparing it this week.

After making these raw felafels, I was surprised by how similar in taste and texture they are to the real ones.If you are looking for a healthier alternative to regular felafels, this recipe is the answer.

6 Servings

Ingredients:

3/4 c almonds, soaked overnight, then rinsed

3/4 c pecans, soaked overnight, then rinsed

3/4 c cashews, soaked overnight, then rinsed

1/2 c sesame seeds

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp.pepper

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c water

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree.



2. Shape puree into equal size patties.



3. If using dehydrator, dehydrate patties for 8 hours until crispy.If using oven method, heat patties at the lowest setting on your oven for 3 hours, turning patties over every hour until crispy.



4. Serve wth pita bread drizzled with tahina dressing.

Syrian Aleppo Pepper

Photo courtesy of www.theperfectpantry.com

Located 310km Northwest of Damascus, Aleppo is Syria's second largest city.It is here where Aleppo pepper is exclusively produced.Aleppo pepper is a mild member of the chile pepper family.Many of the dishes of this area are characterized by the use of this aromatic.Aleppo pepper is known for imparting a wide range of tastes to many dishes.Among those are from a distinctly sweet to a subtle yet lingering heat.It is because of this, that many Aleppian cooks make wide use of this pepper from sprinkling on salads to marinades for meats.Aleppo pepper is a beautiful crimson red and is available ground with salt added as a preservative.It is usually available in well-stocked Middle Eastern markets.If you cannot find it, as a substitute you can blend 3parts paprika & 1 part cayenne or 1/2 tsp.crushed red pepper for every tsp. of Aleppo pepper.