Sweet Potato and eggs Lebanese style (Batata helwi wa bayd)

5 Eggs
1 medium sweet potato
1/4 cup  of milk(Optional)
7spice 1/4 teaspoon
salt/pepper to taste
olive oil

How 2 :
clean,and peel the sweet potato you may cut into small cubes or shred it like I did.
place into a skillet and saute until soft in some olive oil.
once the sweet potato is soften. in a bowl whisk eggs with milk.
pour eggs over the sweet potatoes in the skillet on med-high heat.
sprinkle with salt,pepper,and 7 spice.
you may serve as an omelet or break it up like scrambled eggs.
 serve up with some pita bread, olives and tea. Sahtain wa hana!!
Note: My grandmother made this but used cubed french fries or left over homemade fries I decided to make mines with shredded sweet potato. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Levant style Vegtable stew يخنة الخضار

6 cloves garlic1/2cup chopped cilantro
1 bag of California blend frozen vegetables (Carrots,cauliflower,broccoli)
1 can red beans
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups water
salt or 2 bullion cubes
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 tablespoons oil

How2:

In a pot add oil,onions cilantro and garlic on a med-low heat saute until onions are slightly soft.The fragrance of the garlic and cilantro will come out and fill the kitchen.
Add bullion cubes, followed by water.
bring up to boil then add spices, mixed vegetables,and tomato paste.
Cook about 30mins until sauce thickens slightly, towards the end strain and add beans to the pot.
Taste to adjust any spices or salt.
A great time is to save some of the garlic cilantro mixture aside from the first step and add it in the end to refresh the flavor.

Serve up as is or with some rice.

ENJOY!

Spiced Fish With Tahini (Samke Harra)

Samke Harrra simply means spicy fish, each region makes samke harra differently my grandmother made

hers without tahini and would serve it on the side, this is the popular version you may find at restaurants and many households. Traditionally you find this dish made with a whole fish I find this a bit easier for every household.
Marinade:
1/2 cup lemon juice
pinch salt/pepper
1/2 teaspoon 7 spice or all spice
4 fillets of talapia or any white fish you enjoy
1/2 cup tahini sauce
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 onion diced
10 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon 7 spice or 1/2 teaspoon all spice
olive oil

How2:
Marinade the fish fillets in lemon,salt,pepper, and all spice.

In a skillet add olive oil on med-high heat, add fish to the pot cook until each side is golden but not cooked all the way just yet you may lower heat sightly to prevent burning.
In a separate skillet add a bit of oil followed by chopped onions, saute for a few Min's on med-low heat.
add garlic,cilantro and pine nuts. saute until fragrant but not browned.
Mix tahini with lemon juice,pinch salt,and all spice or 7 spice. set aside.
Pour over the fish, bring up to a light simmer than lower heat. cook until its cooked all way this may take an additional 10mins depending on how cooked the fish was before adding the tahini mixture. Add water.
Add 1/2 of the onion cilantro mixture to the pot. simmer slightly the sauce will slightly thicken, taste to see if it needs any more salt. Serve up as  top with remaining cilantro garlic mixture with a side of rice.

Freekeh فريكة‎ Pilaf

1 cup freekeh  فريكة‎

2 cups stock(vegetables,chicken or meat)
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 small onion diced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Lebanese 7 spice
1 bay leaf
2 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon salt

How2:

In a bowl clean the freekeh.
In a pot add butter followed by onions,saute until soft on med-low heat.
to this pot add freekeh,pine nuts,raisins, saute to toast the freekeh a bit. add spices.
mix well add stock,salt. bring up to a boil just like you would cook rice.
cover cook on low heat until the stock evaporates and the freekeh is tender.
allow it to rest for about 15mins so that its not mushy.
serve as is or use in other recipes.
Note:This pilaf is a base of many recipes I make and will be posting even if you didn't use any of the nuts or dried fruit the basic 1 cup-2cups stock applies for freekeh  فريكة‎ grain.

Stuffed Zucchini With Grape Leaves (Kosa Mihshy ma Waraq Enab)

5 zucchinis( if you are working with koosa baladi
the smaller ones you may need a few more.
1/2 cup small Egyptian rice
1/2 cup or so ground beef
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
pinch white pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cups water (Enough to slightly cover them)
about 10 Grape leaves
Thread
salt to your liking

How2:
cup the top part of the zucchini.
with a special core tool make small circle cut into the top of the zucchini.
holding with a firm hand insert the core tool into the vegetable turning slightly with some pressure.
You really need to get a feel for this when you are doing this because if you cut to deep you may split the flesh.
So just take your time turning and removing the middle flesh of the vegetable. repeat until the filling is removed but you still have some flesh enough left between the skin.

Prepare the filling:
Mix rice with ground beef,white pepper( prevents sauce from getting dark),some salt. mix together and now your ready to stuff them
Stuffing the Zucchini:
take some of the filling and begin to loosely stuff the zucchini, to insure the filling gets down into it you may tap it lightly against your hand.
Filling until you have the tip of your pinky space on the top. be sure not to over stuff the rice is going to cook and needs to expand. Continue this until all of them have been stuffed.

take remaining filling and roll grape leaves like shown in the images. with this you don't want to over fill them either a thin size grape leave is perfect. once you have rolled as many as you can with the remaining filling.
Make a tight bundle with about 4-5 each and wrap and tie with the tread.

Now for cooking these:

In a pot add water, salt olive oil and tomato paste ,dissolve and bring to a boil. once it begins to boil allow it to continue to cook on med flame for about 5 Min's this allows the tomato paste to really dissolve.
Slowly place the stuffed zucchini into the pot. followed by the grape leave bundles.
Place a flat plate over the top (this will ensure they don't float to the top)
Bring heat back up just to get them to a good boil.
Reduce heat and cook for about 45-50mins on low.
about35mins in check on your grape leaves if they look cooked you may remove them from the pot leaving the zucchini to continue cooking.
Towards the last few Min's if you find that after removing the grape leaves they may need a bit more time place them over the plate and just allow them to steam until the zucchini is done.

Once they are cooked, the flesh Will be very fragile and fall apart easily. slowly remove the stuffed zucchini to a serving dish along side the grape leave bundles.
I like to pour the stock into a separate bowl this ensures the zucchini does break apart when you serve them

ENJOY!!! note: don't worry about the center you may use them in a cake or better yet wait and see I will be posting a recipe for a dish called treedy, we use the centers of the zucchini.

Sauteed Lettuce Greens with Caramelized Onions

Yes The recipe has cooked lettuce! Its not a typo. Here is some history behind this recipe, A old Lebanese lady came over our home one day and told us about how she bought so much lettuce she didn't know what to do.So she cleaned chopped them up and cooked them the way we traditional cook other greens.I decided to try it and it was great! they taste like any cooked greens but without the mineral taste. I hope you give this a try.

1 large bunch romaine lettuce( one with more green leaves)

1 white onion,sliced

salt/pepper

1/8th cup olive oil

1 lemon

How to:

In a skillet add oil. on med-low heat saute onions, add a pinch of the salt to allow the waters to come out allowing them to become caramelized.

Once they are brown and caramelized , not burned take them out and place them In a plate.

To the still hot skillet add the lettuce  some more salt followed by pepper. saute until it begins to wilt and cook down.

Add 1/2 the onions back into the pot.

Continue cooking until the lettuce is tender this takes about 10 mins depending on the stove.

Place on serving plate ,serve up with the lemon on top or in slices on the side.

ENJOY!

Lentil Kibbeh

1 cup dry brown lentils
1 cup cooked bulgur
2 cups veg stock
1 1/2 teaspoon kibbeh spice
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/2 small onion minced
Olive oil
Pine nuts
salt/pepper to taste

How 2:
pretax oven 450
In a pot bring veg stock to boil, add lentils cover cook until the lentils are tender and the water is absorbed.
Place in a bowl, add tomato,onion,mint and spices.
Mix taste salt and pepper.
add the cooked burglar.
Mash between finders or fork or you may pulse lightly in a food processor but don't over pulse.
Grease a small glass baking dish with me olive oil.
add mixture to the pan.
with the back of a knife score it in any shape you like. to each piece add 1 or 2 pine nuts.
Drizzle with olive oil on top to keep moist.
Bake until golden brown.
let it cool slightly before cutting and serving so it stays together.
TIP:you may also just plate mixture up as is drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle bit of cayenne pepper eat with pita bread.
NOTE: If you cant find kibbeh spice you may mix 1 tablespoon paprika,1/8th teaspoon allspice,clove,nutmeg,black pepper,1 teaspoon cumin,and 1 teaspoon ground coriander, and pinch cayenne pepper.

Kibbeh Filled Filo

1 (1lb) box filo dough thawed.
2 lbs ground beef
2 onions diced
1 tablespoon kibbeh spice
1 teaspoon sumac
1/4 cup pine nuts
salt/pepper
Oil

How2:
In a skillet brown the ground beef, add salt,pepper,and kibbeh spices.
Once they have cooked you may run the meat in the food processor this will make more uniform filling and not huge chunks.
In the same skillet add onions,sautee until they are transparent, re add meat so they are well mixed saute about 10mins on med-low heat.
Place in a bowl add sumac,and pine nuts. Mix well.

*You may use any size the larger the thinner it will be if you use a smaller pan the thicker it will me.

Preheat oven to 350DF
With a brush, brush oil on the bottom of the pan.
Depending on the size lay down 1-2 sheets of filo dough.
With each sheet brush with oil in between them.
Repeat adding filo and oil until you have made a think bottom you need to leave at least 3-5 sheets for the top. Its best to have more layers on the bottom so it can hold up the filling.
Place the filling over the dough, leaving the edges.
Continue to layer the remaining filo and oil until you reach the last layer.
Tuck in the edges.
With a sharp knife cut the filo into squares this insured you can cut them once baked.
Bake for 20mins or until the filo is cooked and golden.
Serve as is or with some yogurt sauce or salad.

Chicken Livers In Pomegranate Citrus -Sauce

1 lb chicken liver
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
1 lemon,juiced.
1/8 cup
 pomegranate molasses.
3 tablespoons oil.




How2:
In a pan on high heat add oil.
once heated add livers, cook on high heat.
stir ocationaly until they are cooked and no longer raw.
once the liver is almost fully cooked, this takes only about 15mins, reduce heat to low.
remove any extra oil from pan.
In a bowl or cup mix the pomegranate molasses with lemon juice,
Pour the pomegranate and lemon into the pan pan to kind of de-glaze.
allow it to simmer on low to form a sauce. plate it up.
serve with bread or hamus ENJOY!

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