Middle Eastern Cuisine

Yesterday we had lunch at a Middle Eastern Restaurant. I first tried Middle Eastern food when I ate a vegetarian diet. I like grains and legumes and vegetables so this was great for me. I had a Falafel Sandwich. It was so good. They combined falafel, tahini sauce, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and served it in a true pita pocket.

Falafel

3/4 cup dried chickpeas
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon baking powder
Salt and ground black pepper
Oil for deep frying Ziyad pita bread, salad and yogurt, to serve

Put the chickpeas in a bowl with plenty of cold water. Let soak overnight.

Drain the chickpeas and cover with water in a pan. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer until soft, which usually takes about 1 hour. Drain.

Place in a food processor with the onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander and baking powder. Add salt and pepper to taste. Process until the mixture thickens and forms a paste.

Shape the mixture into walnut-size balls and flatten them slightly. In a deep pan, heat 2 inches oil until a little of the mixture sizzles on the surface when added. Fry the Falafel in batches until golden. Drain on paper towels and keep hot while frying the remainder. Serve warm, in pita bread, with salad and yogurt.

The Hummos was so smooth and really tasty. We ate it with pieces of torn pita.

Hummos

2-15.5 oz cans Chickpeas
1/4 cup Tahini
2 teaspoons salt and a little more to taste
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sliced red onion
Assorted Olives
Paprika
Pita Bread

Drain the two cans of chickpeas saving 1/2 cup of the liquid. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and the reserved liquid until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the Tahini to make a smooth paste. Garnish with sliced red onion and olives and sprinkle with paprika.

Serve with pita bread.

Rice Pilaf and Chickpeas

Butter Ghee is clarified butter. It's sold in jars on the shelves in Middle Eastern cuisine stores



1 - 15.5 oz can chickpeas
4 tbsp Butter Ghee
1 small Spanish onion diced (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice, washed, soaked, and drained
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (1 cup)
2 1/3 cups chicken stock or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat the butter ghee over medium heat and cook the onion gently for about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the rice and continue stirring for about 2 minutes until the rice is coated with butter. Add the tomatoes and stir for 1 more minute. Pour in the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook gently for 10 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Stir in the chickpeas about 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Let the pilaf stand for about 5 minutes, then serve.

Baba Ganoush

2 small eggplants
a garlic clove, crushed
¼ cup tahini paste
¼ cup ground almonds
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
Fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

Lebanese Flatbread

6 pita breads
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp poppy seeds
2/3 cup olive oil

Start by making the Lebanese Flatbread. Split the pita breads carefully through the middle and open them. Mix in the sesame seeds, chopped thyme and the poppy seeds in a mortar. Crush them lightly with a pestle to release the flavor.

Stir in the olive oil. Spread the mixture lightly over the insides of the pita bread. Broil until golden brown and crisp. When cool, break the pita breads into rough pieces and set aside.

Broil the eggplant, turning them frequently, until the skin is blackened and blistered. Remove the peel, chop the flesh roughly and let drain in a colander.

Squeeze out as much liquid from the eggplant as possible. Place the flesh in a blender or food processor. Add the garlic. Add tahini, ground almonds, lemon juice and cumin, season to taste and process to a smooth paste. Roughly chop half the mint and stir into the dip.

Spoon the dip into a bowl, sprinkle the remaining leaves on top and drizzle with olive oil. Place the bowl on a platter, surround with the Lebanese Flatbread and garnish with the fresh thyme sprigs.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Thanks so much JenniHusker. My DS had decided to be a vegetarian since he heard about the cow with mad cow disease out west. He has taken to Middle Eastern cooking and my house will never smell the same again! I am certain he will enjoy your recipes!