RECIPES
Middle Eastern Carrot
Salad
5/9/02
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced thin in rings
2 cups water
parsley minced
ground caraway, 1 teaspoon
olive oil, 2 tablespoons
3 tbls. red wine vinegar
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
kalamata olives
2 hard cooked eggs, quartered
hot sauce (any kind)
boil carrots, reduce heat to low, cover & cook until tender. Drain. Transfer them to a medium sized bowl. Add parsley, caraway, olive oil, vinegar, garlic salt pepper and hot sauce to taste. Stir well.
To serve, mound carrots on plate, and garnish it with eggs &
olives. Serve at room temperature.
Fried Eggplant with Yogurt - (10/26/01)
3 eggplants
salt
oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 1/4 cups yogurt
dried crushed mint
Cut the eggplants into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle them with salt
and leave them in a colander for about 1/2 hour to sweat. Rinse them with
cold water and wipe dry. Fry the eggplant slices in hot oil for a few minutes on
each side until lightly browned. Add crushed garlic and fry for a few
minutes longer until golden. Remove eggplant and garlic, and drain on
paper towels. Let cool.
Season the yogurt with salt. Arrange eggplant and yogurt alternating in a
dish. Top with yogurt and garnish with mint.
Persian-Style Cold Yogurt Soup (from Iran) - sent in by my good friend Esri Allbritten 7/8/01
(I've altered the measurements, 'cause she makes her stuff too mild. I also
include a substitution for people who don't do well with cow's milk at the end
of the recipe.)
3 1/2 tbsp. golden raisins
1 cucumber (consider using the English or Canadian
kind, wrapped in plastic)
2 cups plain yoghurt
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. very finely sliced tender green of scallions
4 1/2 tbsp. coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh dill
Soak the raisins in 1 cup hot water for 1 hour, then drain. Peel the cucumber.
(I used the unwaxed English kind, no seeds to speak of, and didn't peel it.)
Remove seeds if they are very large, then grate the cucumber. Put yogurt, salt
and pepper into a bowl. Beat yogurt with a fork or whisk until it is creamy.
Slowly add 1 cup ice water and then the cream, beating as you do so. Now add all
the other ingredients. Mix well. If the soup is not to be served immediately, it
should be refrigerated. Great for hot days.
Alternative: I used two containers of goat's milk yogurt (probably more
authentic) and made the rest of the liquid up with Soy Delicious plain soy milk,
not using any ice water. I made it ahead of time and let it chill for an hour or
so in the fridge to let the
flavors distribute. But it goes together quickly (especially if you have a
grater attachment on a food processor), so it's great for a last minute meal on
a hot day. It's actually pretty filling.
The following recipe is from the book, North Africa, The Vegetarian Table by Kitty Morse
Artichoke Heart & Orange Salad (Morocco, Algeria)
(updated 2/1/01)
4 artichokes (about 2 pounds)
1 lemon, halved crosswise
4 oranges
6 radishes, thinly sliced
12 Kalamata Olives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt to taste
In a large pan of boiling water, cook the artichokes and half a lemon,
covered, until the artichokes are barely tender, 20 - 25 minutes. Drain
and set aside to cool. Pull off the artichoke leaves and cut the fuzzy
choke out of each artichoke. Slice the hearts into 1/4 inch wedges and set
aside.
Squeeze the juice of the other lemon half and set aside. Over a large
bowl, peel and section the oranges, discarding the seed and the white
pith.
To serve, alternate the orange sections and artichoke wedges on individual
plates. Garnish with radish slices and olives. Mix the olive oil
with the lemon juice. Drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle with paprika
and salt.
Cassolita - (Baked Winter Squash with caramelized onions,
Algeria/Morocco)
(Updated 12/1/00)
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled
1/2 cup water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons water as needed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black or golden raisins, plumped in warm water and drained
1/4 cup slivered almonds, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the neck of the squash into 1 inch thick slices. Seed the bulbous end and cut it into chunks. Place the squash in an ovenproof dish. Add the 1/2 cup water and cover tightly. Bake until tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Drain off any remaining water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until almost caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. Add the raisins, 1/4 cup almonds, sugar, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the cooked squash. Bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with a few slivered almonds.
This following recipe is from the book "A book of Middle Eastern Food, by Claudia Roden:
This cookbook is a wonderful cookbook. She has divided her cookbook
into 17 sections, such as Breads, Pudding,Cakes & Sweets, Drinks, poultry,
vegetables, meat dishes, etc. She has also written a nice introduction
about the origins, social aspects, traditional table, dietary laws, etc. of
middle eastern food. In the beginning of each new section, she includes a
little information about the particular topic. I found it to be a thorough
cookbook and I enjoyed her stories.
Lentils in Butter
(updated 10/1/00
1 1/2 cups brown lentils
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
6 tablespoons of butter
salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
Clean and wash the lentils, and soak them in cold water for a few hours if
possible. Drain well.
In a large saucepan, fry the onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons hot butter until
the onion is soft and golden. Add the lentils and stir with the butter in
the pan for a minute or two. Pour in about 2 1/2 cups of water, bring to a
boil, and remove scum. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and a
teaspoon of ground cumin. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 1/2 to 1 1/2
hours according to the quantity, adding more water as it becomes absorbed, until
the lentils are tender but not too soft.
Serve with the remaining butter stirred in until melted, and a squeeze of lemon
if you like.
This is particularly good as a partner to omelets or little spicy fried
sausages, and any lean meat dish. Served with fried eggplant slices, it
also makes an excellent dish.
Dolmeh Sib/Persian Stuffed Apples
(updated 8/6/00)
12 large tart apples
Butter
salt & black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
FILLING:
1/4-1/3 cup yellow split peas
1 onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons of oil
1 lb. ground beef
SAUCE:
1/2 cup water
7 to 8 tablespoons of wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar
Make the filling. Boil the yellow slit peas for about 1/2 hour until
soft. Drain. Fry the chopped onion in oil until soft and only just
golden. Add the meat and fry gently until it changes color. Season
to taste with salt, pepper, and the cinnamon, and mix in the cooked split peas.
Wash the apples. Core them with apple corer to within 1/2 inch of the
bottoms, and remove some of the pulp to make room for the filling. Chop
the pulp and reserve.
Stuff the apples with thr filling and arrange them side by side in a large
baking dish, on a bed of chopped apple pulp. It will disintegrate and form
a sauce. Put a shaving of butter on top of each apple and put 2 cups of
water into the dish. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven, covered, for
about 1/2 hour, or until the apples are almost done.
Boil the water, vinegar, and sugar together, and pour a little into each
apple. Return to oven and cook for 15 minutes more or until done.
The apples must be tender but not mushy, and skins should NOT be broken.
Serve two per person: alone as a first course, or as part of a main
dish.
Cilbir - Turkish Poached Eggs with Yogurt
(updated 7/7/00))
6 eggs
1 tablespoon of vinegar
Salt
1 1/4-2 cups of plain yogurt
4 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of paprika
Poach the eggs. Break each egg into a cup and slide into another pan of
boiling water to which a tablespoon of vinegar and some salt have been
added. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it, covered, for 4
minutes. Then remove the eggs with a perforated spoon. Do not
attempt to poach more than 2 eggs at a time.
Arrange the poached eggs on a hot serving dish.
Beat the yogurt with salt to taste and pour some over each egg. Melt the
butter and stir in the paprika. Dribble over the yogurt and
serve.
Moroccan Style Preserved Lemons
(updated 5/1/00)
Quarter lemons nearly to the base and stuff each with 2 tablespoons of coarse
salt. Press the lemons back together, then pack them into a large glass
jar, and seal it with plastic wrap. Press them down with a plate daily,
and jiggle the jar to dissolve the salt. Gradually the juice will get
higher and the lemons flatter. After a week, add a 1 inch layer of olive
oil and refrigerate them. In a month, they should be ready to use.
Retieve them with tongs, rinse well before using in tagines, with roasted fish,
or even with rice.
(Recipe from Saveur Magazine.)