Warak Enab (stuffed grape leaves)

Makes about 20

Ingredients:
1 jar grape leaves in vinegar brine, drained (about 20-540 leaves)


For filling:
3/4 cups rice
1 tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp chopped mint
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper


For cooking:
1 potatoes, sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
salt & pepper


Optional Accompaniments:
Olives (black or green)
sliced tomatoes

Method:

Filling: mix together rinsed but raw rice, tomatoes, green onion, mint, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Wiggle those stubborn grape leaves out of the jar and begin wrapping them up. To do so, place leaf backside up and place a small spoonful of filling by the stem end.

Begin to roll the leaf from the stem end. After about one roll, fold the left and right sides in and continue rolling

You don’t need to make them super tight because the rice needs room to expand as it absorbs the liquid.

Add potato slices to bottom of pot. Then add the grape leaves. Stack them tightly together, making one neat layer on top of another.

Next, top with tomato slices. Pour on the olive oil and any juices at the bottom of the bowl that held the rice.

Cover with a plate to keep the grape leaves from floating and unrolling, then top off with a lid. Simmer gently for about one hour. This will allow the potatoes at the bottom of the pot to get a nice crust.

Then add the lemon juice and cook an additional hour (or to taste)… you’re looking for the rice to be tender inside of the grape leaves… (cut one open to check). It could take much longer than one hour so keep on cooking if the rice isn’t tender.

Arrange them on a plate and pile some of the lemony potatoes in the center. Garnish with the cooked and sliced tomatoes, as well as a few olives.

Khubz (Arabic flatbread)

 Makes 12 pitas

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups warm water
1 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
½ tablespoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoons vegetable oil


Instructions

In a large bowl, scatter the yeast over the warm water and stir until dissolved.

Add the salt.

While kneading constantly, gradually add 3 cups of flour and 1 tablespoons of oil until the dough is smooth and elastic. Continue to add more flour if the dough stillsticks to your hands.

Put the dough into a large, greased bowl and turn dough to grease all sides of it.

Cover with a dry tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.

Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.

Punch dough down gently.

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and shape them each into smooth balls.

Place on a floured surface and dust tops lightly with flour. Cover with a dry tea towel.

Let rest undisturbed 15 minutes more.

Roll out each ball into a 6-inch diameter circle.

Place on greased baking sheets.

Bake in 375-degree F oven for 10-12 minutes or until the bread puffs. Do not leave baking unattended.

Machboos

 Ingredients 

For the meat
1 kg lamb
2½ l water
1 small onion
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp peppercorns
½ tsp cloves
5 pieces cardamom
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp salt

¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 pinch ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cumin
salt
pepper
¼ tsp saffron threads
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil

For the rice
1 kg rice basmati
2 onions
75 g yellow split peas
75 g raisins
1 tbsp oil
1 pinch ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
ground cloves
black pepper


Instructions

Soak the raisins

Cut the lamb into cubes. In a large pot, combine meat cubes with the water, all whole spices, salt and a small onion, quartered.

Bring to boil. Once water has come to boil remove the froth that has come on top with a spoon. Cover and let cook over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. Meanwhile, make the stuffing.

In a small saucepan put split peas, cover with water and add 1 tsp of salt. Over medium-high heat bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, until peas are tender. Drain and set aside.

Chop the remaining onions and sauté them in oil, until tender and golden brown.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cooked split peas and drained raisins. Add cinnamon, cloves, salt, sugar and black pepper. Continue to cook for a few more minutes until everything is well combined. Take off from heat and set aside.

Drain the lamb cubes in a colander that is set over a large bowl. Save the stock and discard the spices.

Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F).

Mix all the ground spices. (Taste the meat to see if it needs more salt.) Rub the dry ingredients over the meat cubes. Arrange meat on an oven pan.

Mix 1 tbsp of saffron water with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp of the meat stock. Drizzle over meat, cover pan with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the rice.

Wash and drain the rice several times, until water runs clear from the rice, cover with water and mix with 1 tsp salt.

Drain rice from water. In a medium non-stick saucepan put rice, pour enough meat stock to cover the rice by 2 cm. Bring to boil over high heat, cover and reduce to medium-low. Cook until rice absorbs all the liquid and is cooked and fluffy – about 15-20 minutes.

When it is time to serve, fold meat with stuffing and serve over rice. Drizzle with remain-ing saffron water.

Gers Ogaily (perfumed cake)

 Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 tbsp toasted sesames
½ tsp saffron
1 tbsp sugar

4 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup butter melted and cooled
1 cup milk room temperature
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp rosewater

Instructions

Crush the saffron threads. Add 2 tablespoons milk and mix.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom powder and mix in two tablespoons sesames.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and thick.

Combine butter, milk, rosewater and saffron mixture.

Pour in a prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes in a 350F oven.

Luqaimat (sweet dumplings)

 Serves 3

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ 3 tbsp milk powder
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
½ tsp yeast
¼ cup water
¼ ltr vegetable Oil (for frying)


For the Sugar Syrup:
1 cup sugar (for syrup)
¾ cup water
1 tsp lemon juice


Preparation

Prepare the sugar syrup – by adding the sugar, lime juice in a pan with water, boil for several minutes for the syrup to be formed. Allow it to cool.

Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, milk powder, salt, sugar, yeast) and slowly add in water to make dough and knead well. Leave the dough to rest for 15 minutes and allow rising.

Use a tablespoon to cut the dough into small pieces, deep fry these pieces in vegetable Oil until golden brown. Remove the fried pieces and allow it to cool a bit.

Add the fried pieces into the sugar syrup and serve as a delicious snack.