Orange-Blossom Scented Chicken(Dajaj Mai Qedda)

Orange-blossom water (mai qedda) is a popular flavoring derived from the blossoms of the sour orange tree. It is used in middle-eastern and arabic cooking. to give a delicate perfume flavoring mostly to pastries, syrups, and puddings.This recipe combines essence of orange-blossom with chicken to create a fragrant and flavorful dish perfect for a quick mid-week meal.

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
For the Marinade:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
finely grated zest of 1/2 an orange
1 oz. orange juice
2 Tbsp. orange-blossom water

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.Oil a baking dish with the olive oil, set aside.
2. To make the marinade, in a small bowl, combine together the cardamom, minced garlic cloves, salt, freshly ground pepper, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, orange zest, orange juice and the orange-blossom water.Stir together till evenly combined and a paste is formed.
3.Put the marinade in a resealable plastic bag and add the chicken breasts one by one and shake making sure the marinade completely covers each breast.
4. Put each chicken breast in the oiled baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes.Serve with basmati rice.

Za'faran wa hail ka'ak (Saffron & Cardamom Cake)

The idea for this cake recipe was inspired by the spice souks of the Middle East.This cake is perfect for Ramadan and any other festive occasion or is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.The combination of saffron, turmeric and cardamom blend perfectly together to create a cake that is both light and aromatic.

Yield:6 Servings
Ingredients:
pinch of saffron threads
6 dates,pitted, chopped
5 eggs
5 oz. sugar
1 tsp. cardamom, ground
pinch of turmeric
5 oz. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
butter or oil for greasing
flour for dusting
handful of almonds, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Soak the saffron strands in 2 Tbsp. of hot water for 1 hour, then set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar till well combined, about 10 minutes.Add the cardamom and turmeric.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder together.Then sift into the egg/sugar bowl slowly while mixing.
4. After the flour and baking powder have been folded into the egg/sugar, add the saffron water and vegetable oil and mix.
5.Grease a small cake pan with butter or vegetable oil.Dust with a little of the flour.
6.Pour half the cake mixture into the pan. Add the chopped dates , then cover with the remaining cake mixture.Top with the sliced almonds.
7. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes.

Hamour Mahshi (Arabian-Style Stuffed Fish)

Hamour is a type of grouper that is commonly found in the waters of the Persian Gulf and is the fish of choice in a lot of gulf recipes.Unfortunately, it is only available in the Gulf countries and is quite expensive because of its future danger of extinction Banned Fish Traps Threaten Hamour. Here's a common recipe that is popular throughout the GCC countries,if you cannot find hamour you can replace it with sea bass or cod.

Yield:2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 hamour, cleaned and scaled

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 plus 1/2 tsp. turmeric

sea salt, to taste

3 garlic cloves,crushed

1/8 tsp. ginger,ground

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

sea salt, to taste

1 3/4 oz. almonds, sliced

3/4oz. pine nuts (optional)

3/4 oz. walnuts,roughly chopped

3 Tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 small yellow onion, sliced

1.Preheat oven to 350F.

2.Oil an oven-proof baking dish with the olive oil and place fish in it. Rub 1 tsp. of the turmeric allover hamour and sprinkle it with salt and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, blend together the crushed garlic, ground ginger,cumin, and remaining turmeric,black pepper, and sea salt until it becomes a paste.

4. Add the almonds, pine nuts (if using),walnuts and cilantro and combine together until well blended.

5. Stuff the hamour with the nut stuffing and place some on top.Place the half the sliced onions inside the fish and the other half on top.Bake for 45-55 minutes.Serve with yellow or white rice.

Simple Middle Eastern Hummus Salad (Salata Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat)

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

3/4 c fresh cilantro, thinly chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

2 c canned low-sodium chickpeas (garbanzos)

1/2 medium red onion, thinly chopped

1. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, red wine vinegar,cilantro, salt and pepper until evenly combined.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the chickpeas and onions.Add the dressing and toss gently till evenly coated.

3.Place chickpea salad in refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.Serve chilled.

Tabil (Fiery Tunisian Spice Mix)

Tabil, a fiery spice blend from Tunisia is a blend of caraway, coriander, garlic and chili.It is commonly sprinkled over meats and used to add an extra bite to stuffings, vegetables, and stews.

Yield:1/4 c
Ingredients:
1/2 c coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp. dried red chili powder or cayenne pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder

1. Place the coriander and caraway seeds in a spice grinder and grind till powdered and combine
with remaining ingredients or use a mortar and pestle.
2.Place tabil in tight fitting jar and store in a cool, dry place. Will keep for 6 months.

Arab Ice Cream in a Box

One of the delights of living in the Middle East is the unusual range of food products one comes across. I came across this package for instant ice cream in the supermarket around the corner from where I live.It claims "Ice Cream in 5 Minutes" and comes in chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate flavors.Of course, it's claims are a little deceptive as the preparation takes 5 minutes but, the actual ice cream isn't ready for another 2-3 hours depending on how cold your freezer is.

So, I followed the 3 step instructions:

1. Pour 1 glass of cold milk with the chocolate powder into a bowl.

2.Mix milk and chocolate powder by hand until completely combined, for 5 minutes.

3. Put mixture in freezer for few hours until frozen.

The Result?

Sorry I don't have a pic but ice cream looks and tastes just as good as the one bought already made from the store.Only thing they forgot to mention in the package is that it needs to be stirred about every half hour to hour to break up the ice crystals.

Persian Eggplant Yogurt Dip(Borani-e Bademjan)

Yield:6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. eggplant, edges trimmed,sliced, outer purple skin removed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus extra
1 1/2 c plain whole greek-style yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
3-4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
salt, to taste

1.Cube the eggplant slices.Over medium-high heat, warm a pan with 2 Tbsp. olive oil.Add
the cubed eggplant and saute regularly until they become soft and begin to cook (15 minutes).Add more olive oil if necessary.
2.Remove pan from heat and allow eggplant to cool slightly.
3.In a medium bowl, add the eggplant and the remaining of the ingredients and mix manually
for few minutes till somewhat evenly combined.
4.Add the eggplant/yogurt mixture to a food processor and process till evenly combined and
it becomes a puree-like consistency.Add salt to taste and process for few more seconds.
5.Place borani-e bademjan in a serving dish and serve at room temperature.