Tunisian Vegetable Salad (Salatat Khodra al Tunis)

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped into thin slices
1/2 large yellow onion,peeled, sliced and separated into "petals"
2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 medium red bell pepper, ends trimmed, sliced into strips, seeded
1medium yellow bell pepper, ends trimmed, sliced into strips, seeded
1 tsp. coriander seeds
pinch of saffron
dash of salt & pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.Add the garlic and onion and lightly fry 7-10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and bell peppers to the pan and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

3. Add the coriander seeds,saffron, salt and pepper and stir. for another 10 minutes.

4.Remove vegetables from heat.Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Bulger Salad with Mushrooms (Burghul bi Futr)

Mushrooms aren't a very common ingredient in Middle Easter cuisine.A better substitute for this recipe would have been to use kamaa, saudi truffles but since they're not widely available,mushrooms will have to do.Baharat rounds out the flavor of this simple grain dish.

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. olive oil plus more
1 small white onion, peeled, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Baharat
1/2 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
2c water
1c bulgur


1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until lightly translucent(about 5 minutes).Add the salt and baharat and continue sauteing for an additional minute.

2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue sauteing until they begin to brown.Add more olive oil if the vegetables begin to dry out. Remove from the heat when mushrooms are completely browned.

3. Meanwhile, fill a saucepan with 2 cups of water and add the bulger.Bring to a boil.Cover.Then bring heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes or all the water is absorbed.

 4.Remove bulger from heat and add the mushroom/onion mixture.Mix together until evenly combined.

 5.Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Bulgur with Tomatoes (Burghul bi Tomatim)

Yield:4

Ingredients:

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 c bulgur

1/2 lbs. tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tsp. tomato paste (opt.)

1 tsp. sugar

salt & pepper

1/2 tsp. baharat

1 c water

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat.Add the onion and keep stirring till they turn opaque.

2. Add the remaining ingredients slowly one by one and keep stirring till they are evenly

combined throughout the bulgur.

3. Cook until all the water has evaporated.Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Persian Herb Rice (Sabzi Polo)

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c basmati rice
1/2 c plain yogurt
2 2/3 c water
2 tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 c mixture of fresh herbs ( cilantro, mint, chives, and/or flat-leaf parsley),finely minced


1. Place rice in a bowl and cover with water.Swish around and discard water.Repeat.

2. Place yogurt in a medium bowl and thin with a little water then add the 2 2/3 c water and mix.

3. Place the rice in a saucepan. Add the yogurt/water, salt and pieces of butter.

4.Bring rice to a boil.Then let simmer until the water is half absorbed and steam begins escaping
through holes in the rice.

5. Add the herbs and fluff the rice till evenly distributed throughout. Cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes.

6. Remove rice from saucepan and place in serving dish.Serve.

Michoteta (Egyptian Cucumber and Feta Salad)

Here's a perfect little salad for when the weather's warm and you don't have much time on your hands.It can be put together in under 15 minutes.Feel free to substitute low-fat feta for the regular, it tastes just as good.

Yield:6 Servings
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 large cucumber, finely diced
1 Tbsp. fresh mint finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
dash pepper

1. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix together until evenly combined.Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately or chill in refrigerator till ready to serve.

Zuchinni & Olive Couscous (Koussa wa Zeitun Couscous)

Yield:

4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 box packaged plain couscous

2 small zucchinis,ends trimmed, julienned

16 black kalmata olives, pitted and halved

1/4 c almonds, slivered

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

pinch of cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

1.Prepare couscous according to package directions.Set aside.

2. Add the zucchinis, olives, and slivered almonds to couscous and mix together.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, cumin and cayenne pepper.Stir into the couscous and toss gently to combine.Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Salatat Batata al Tunis (Tunisian Potato Salad)

Unlike potato salads in the USA which are drowning in mayonnaise or sour cream,the potato salads of the Middle East are light, full of taste and make a perfect accompaniment to any meat dish.Recipes for potato salads vary from region to region and are characterized by their origin depending on the spices used.The following recipe is typical of Tunisia for it's use of caraway and cayenne pepper.

Yield:4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
1/4 c olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground caraway
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2 dashes of salt
5 large potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cubed
4 tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
4 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
4 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the lemon juice, caraway, cayenne pepper, salt and stir.
2.After about 5 minutes, add the potatoes and stir until evenly coated with the seasoned oil.Warm the potatoes for 5-7 minutes.
3.Remove potatoes from heat and place in a bowl and chill till ready to serve adding the fresh herbs, tossing them together with the potatoes before serving or add the herbs immediately and toss and serve potato salad warm.Adjust salt, if necessary.

Zereshk Polo (Persian Barberry Rice)

Here's another delightful recipe from the Persian kitchen using barberries(zereshk), the sweet and tart berries that give Persian rice dishes their distinctive taste.

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
2 oz barberries
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1/3 c black currants or raisins
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 3/4 c basmati rice, soaked for 2 hours
2-3 saffron threads,soaked in 1 Tbsp. boiling water
salt

1. Rinse the barberries in cold water, then drain.
2.Heat the butter in a pan and add the currants or raisins,if using.Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
3.Add the barberries and continue stir-frying for another minute. Add the sugar , cinnamon and cumin.Cook for about 2-3minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
4.Drain the rice and then bring to a boil it in a pan of salted water for 5 minutes.Reduce the heat and simmer until almost cooked.
5. Remove rice from heat and transfer to a large serving dish. Add the barberry-raisin mixture and saffron water to it and mix till well combined. Serve immediately.

Couscous with Mint & Barberries

I've been meaning to try this recipe for awhile and since I still have some barberries left over from the khoresht-e zereshk recipe I figure now is a good a time as any.This is a very interesting recipe as its a combination of two culinary cultures,north African Moroccan couscous and the Persian barberries.Its very easy to put together and is done in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

Yield:4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled, mashed

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. turmeric

2 c couscous or 1 box plain Near East Brand Plain Couscous

1/4 c barberries

1/4 c fresh mint, chopped

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

salt & pepper

1. Combine olive oil, mashed garlic, salt and turmeric in a pot with 2 1/2 c water.Bring to a boil.

2. When water is boiling add couscous and lower the heat to simmer.Remove couscous from heat once all the water has been absorbed.Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.Fluff with a fork and transfer couscous to a serving bowl.

3.Stir in the barberries, mint and parsley.Season with salt and pepper.Serve immediately.

Loubia Tripoli (Tripoli Black-Eyed Peas )

A neighbor of mine recently gave me several cans of black-eyed peas so I was wondering what to do with them.Then I remembered I had this recipe in my collection called Tripoli Black-Eyed Peas.I've had this recipe for several years but could never get around to making it so I figured now was as good a time as any.I don't know much about this recipe as I have it written down and there is no mention of it's source.I don't know if it comes from Tripoli in Libya or Tripoli in Lebanon.I'm not sure if it's even Middle Eastern as I've always associated black-eyed peas with the cuisine of the Southern USA.If anyone knows anything behind the history of this particular recipe and its origins, please let me know.

Servings:4
Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, thinly chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3c black eyed-peas(canned),drained and rinsed
1-1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 celery stalks,chopped
1/2c fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper
lemon wedges, to serve

1.In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients together and mix till evenly combined.
2.Serve with lemon wedges.

Filfil Hilu bi Halloumi wal Snubar (Broiled Bellpeppers with Halloumi Cheese & Pine Nuts)

The following recipe isn't particular to any Middle-Eastern country but is a combination of foods that are commonly found throughout the Mediterranean.It's very easy to prepare and can be put together in a few minutes and is done in under 30 minutes.This recipe is perfect for when your looking for something quick and different to prepare but don't have all day to spend in the kitchen.

Servings:4
Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers,seeded and cut in half
2 yellow bell peppers,, seeded and cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp. olive oil
9 oz. halloumi cheese, cubed
2 oz. pine nuts

1.Preheat the broiler.Rub some of the olive oil allover the red bell pepper.
2.In a small mixing bowl, combine the yellow bell pepper, halloumi cheese and pine nuts and mix to combine.Then equally stuff the mixture into the red bell peppers.
3. Drizzle the top of the bell peppers with the remaining olive oil and broil for 20 minutes.

Sheveed Polow (Persian Rice with Dill)

An annual plant that is native to the Eastern Meditteranean as well as Southern Russia and Western Asia, dill is known for its clean anise, lemon aroma.Dill is a very popular herb in Persian cooking where it is used in rice dishes as Baghali Polow or more simply in Sheveed Polow.Below is the recipe for Sheveed Polow.In Iran, it is often served dried, preserved salted fish from the Caspian sea but it goes well with any meat or khoresh.

Yeild:4-6

Ingredients:

2 1/2c long-grain rice

4c water

1-2 tsp. salt

a bunch of fresh dill, chopped

1. Bring the water to a boil .Add salt. Add the dill then the rice.

2.Reduce heat and let simmer until all the water is absorbed by the rice.

3.Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.Serve immediately.

Siliq bi Tahina (Swiss Chard with Tahina)

I was told this recipe is from the UAE.I don't know if this is true, if anyone knows , please let me know.This swiss chard dish is good paired with either chicken or fish.

Servings:4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. swiss chard, stems removed, cut into med. sized pieces

4c water

salt

2 large garlic cloves, mashed

2 oz. tahini

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 oz. lemon juice

1/4 c fresh mint, chopped

1.Rinse the swiss chard under cold water and add them to salted water pot and cook until tender, maybe 20 minutes.

2.In the meantime, in a small bowl add the garlic, tahina, olive oil, and lemon juice and combine.It should have a salad dressing-like consistency.If not, add a little bit of water to thin it out.

3.Once swiss chard is cooked,remove from water and drain and put in a serving bow.Add the tahina dressing and mix thoroughly.Garnish with the fresh mint and serve immediately.

Jazar bil kamoun wal qirfa (Carrots with Cumin and Cinnamon)

This is a simple carrot dish I was told is from Morocco.Serve it as an accompaniment to any roasted meat, fish , or chicken.

2 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. carrots

4 c water

1/8 tsp. ground cinammon

1/8 tsp. ground cardamon

1/8 tsp. ground cumin

salt

1. Bring the water to a boil.Meanwhile, wash and peel the carrots and cut them into disks.



2. Add ground spices to water.



3. When water is boiling ,add salt, then carrots.



4. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender.



5. Drain then serve immediately.