Sfiha

Sfiha are meat pies widely spread in the middle east specially in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. Sfiha is an appetizer that is prepared at homes specially during Ramadan and can be bought from pastry restaurants.

Ingredients - Sfiha:

• Dough
• 1/2 kg (16 oz) ground lamb meat
• 1 kg (32 oz) firm tomatoes, finely chopped
• 5 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 tspn salt
• A dash of: ground cayenne red pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice
• 2 tbls butter, diced
• 2 tbls yoghurt
• 1 tbls sesame paste (Tahini)
• 1 tbls pomegranate thickened juice (if available)
• 4 tbls fried pine nuts
  

Preparation - Sfiha:

1. Mix well meat, tomatoes, onion and spices. Add yogurt, sesame paste and pomegranate. Mix all with fried pine nuts. Add butter.
2. Divide dough into walnut size balls. Roll between hand palms to smooth.
3. Roll out balls with a rolling pin to form 8 cm diameter circles. Put one tbls of meat mixture on dough circle seeing that a cube is in each spoon.
4. Bring the edges up and press to make a square.
5. Arrange meat pastries in a tray brushed with butter. Bake in a moderate heat oven (180° C) for 30 minutes or till dough is golden and meat is cooked.
6. Serve hot with yogurt.
   

spicy hummus

In this spicy hummus recipe, the traditional sesame seeds are replaced with pine nuts, and added a kick of habanero pepper for a different kind of dip.

Ingredients - Spicy Hummus:

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 habanero pepper, seeded
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil + more for drizzling
• 1/2 cup liquid leftover from blanching garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
  

Preparation - Spicy Hummus:

1. Put the garlic clove in a small saucepan and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, then remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Toast them, tossing often, until they’re brown in spots, 3-5 minutes.
3. Combine the chickpeas, garlic clove, pine nuts, habanero, lime juice, and salt in a food processor or blender. Turn the processor on and drizzle in the olive oil. Check the consistency of the hummus -- you should be able to pour it, but it shouldn't be soupy -- and add a little garlic-blanching liquid at a time until you're happy with the consistency.
4. Pour the hummus into a serving bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle the finished hummus with the paprika, parsley and more olive oil to taste.

Fattet Hummus

Fattet Hummus (also Fatteh Hummus, Fattet Hummos, Fattet Humus, Fattet Himmos, Fattet 7immos, Fatteh bi Hommos, arabic فتة حمص) is a rich Lebanese/Syrian/Jordanian dish that is eaten usually as an appetizer before the main meal. This dish mainly consists of chickpeas, bread, and might be decorated with ground lamb meat and pine nuts.

There are many variations for Fattet Hummus, let's try this recipe!

Ingredients:

• 350 grams of clean Chick peas
• 300 grams of Arabic bread or Toast
• 60 grams of butter
• 800 grams of yogurt
• 15 grams of garlic (Crushed)
• 20 grams of Salt
• 50 grams of pine nut
• Fried ground lamb meat (optional)
• Chopped parsley (Optional)
  

Preparation:

1. Boil the chick peas or buy it already cooked with some of the water it was cooked with (About 2 cups)
2. Cut the bread into small square pieces and spread them in a deep bowl.
3. pour some of the chick peas syrup over the bread until wet.
4. Pour the Chick peas over the top and spread evenly.
5. Mix the Yogurt , salt and garlic together and pour over .
6. To garnish, fry the pine nuts or almonds in sizzling butter until they are golden brown and sprinkle over the yogurt with extra check peas.
   
7. Add fried ground lamb meat on the top (optional).
8. To garnish add chopped parsley (optional).
   

Fattet Hummus Video...

Awarma

Awarma also konwon as Hummus with Meat or Hummus Bi Lahmeh is a middle eastern dish famous in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine.

Ingredients - Awarma:

• 1 recipe for hummus
• 1 c minced lamb meat
• 3 T ghee
• 2 t pine nuts
  

Preparation - Awarma:

• Prepare Hommus paste. Put in small bowls.
• Fry meat in ghee until brown. Add a handful of pine nuts, fry until coated with ghee.
• Pour over the hommus.
  

Potato Kibbeh

Potato Kibbeh also konwn as Potato Kibbe or Kibbet Batata is on of the traditional Lebanese dishes.

Serve 4 to 6

Ingredients - Potato Kibbeh:

• 1 ½ c fine cracked wheat
• 1 small onion, finely graded
• 2 t salt
• 2 ½ c cooked potatoes or 4 med. cooked ones
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1c chopped walnuts
• 1 T dibas roman
• ¾ c olive oil
  

Preparation - Potato Kibbeh:

• Wash and cook potatoes. Peel and mash, and mix with salt, pepper, and finely graded onion to make mashed potatoes. Then, add washed cracked wheat and blend in food processor to make a smooth mixture.
• Meanwhile in frying pan, fry the 2 chopped onions until limp, and, then, add the chopped walnuts and debas roman.
• Grease baking tray with olive oil. Divide mash potato mixture into two portions; flatten half of the potatoes in the tray. Cover it with walnut mixture, and, then, flatten the other half of the mashed potatoes on top. Score in diamond shape design through the kibba. Cover kibba with about 3 T olive oil.
• Bake in 400 degrees oven until brown. When cool, cut in diamond or triangle shape pieces to serve.
  

Or

• In greased baking tray, first add walnut mixture and, then, a full layer of all the mashed mixture. Cover wtih 3 T olive oil, and bake until golden brown. When cool invert the tray and serve at room temperature. Walnut mixture will be on top.

Fish Kibbe

Great fish Kibbe recipe. It's Lebanese appetizer dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fish steak
• 2 c cracked wheat (very fine)
• 2 chopped onions
• 1 c fresh chopped parsley
• 1 T dried coriander
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• Salt
• 2 onions
• ¼ cup of pine nuts
• 2 sliced onions
  

Preparation:

1. Wash cracked wheat until water is clear and, then, squeeze excess water with your hands. Mix with raw fish, grind in meat grinder with dried coriander, 2 onions, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In frying pan, fry diced onions and pine nuts in olive oil until onions are limp.
3. Grease baking dish with olive oil. Then, make a layer of onion and pine nut filling. Cover mixture with fish mixture. Flatten to make a smooth layer and top with 3 T of olive oil. Bake in a mod. Oven – 350 degrees – until brown – about 30 minutes.
4. Invert on to platter, the onion mixture will be on top.
   

Hint: You can make layers as you would layer when making regular kibba. Divide fish kibba into 2 portions; spread one portion on the bottom, put onion mixture on top of that and put the second portion above. Cover with olive oil and bake until brown. Cut into individual portions, and serve with lemon wedges.

Couscous with seven vegetables

The Moroccan national dish is couscous with seven vegetables. Couscous is a small grain sized "pasta" made from wheat semolina flour. Every vegetable adds an important dimension to this famous dish. Lamb or mutton is most commonly used in this dish, but chicken can also be used.

Preparing this dish consists of two separate parts: preparing the couscous grains and preparing the vegetables with meat stock. The couscous should be prepared while the stock is cooking.

Steaming the couscous

Couscous is steamed semolina grains. Its preparation involves alternating steaming and mixing the semolina with salt, oil, water and butter .

Ingredients:

• 500g. of couscous (wheat semolina grains)
• 100g.of butter
• 1/4 cup of olive (preferably) or vegetable oil
• A pinch of salt
• 4 cups of water (not including the water used for steaming)
  

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle one teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of oil on the couscous and spread it around by hand in a shallow pan.
2. Using two cups of water, soak the couscous and stir it by hand (important, to give air), making sure to break up any clumps that may have formed. Let it sit for ten minutes to absorb all the water.
3. Work the couscous by hand, lifting the grains, rubbing them gently and letting them fall back into the pan. Once the couscous has absorbed all the water and has a flaky texture (no lumps), slowly put the couscous; a light layer at first, then after five minutes add the remaining couscous in successive layers in the steamer. Let it steam for twenty minutes.
4. Once the steam has risen through the couscous, pour it back onto the pan. Use a wooden spoon to separate the grains and cool it down. Sprinkle the couscous progressively with a cup of cold water while stirring it by hand (be sure to give the couscous plenty of air), and break up any clumps that may have formed. Stir until the grains have absorbed all the water. Allow it to cool and dry for ten minutes.
5. Repeat steps three and four one more time.
6. Let it sit while the stock finishes cooking.
   

Cooking the stock with vegetables and meat

Ingredients:

• ½ kg of shoulder of mutton or chicken
• ½ cup chickpeas soaked in water over night (or canned; but please note that canned chickpeas should only be added to the stew 30 minutes before the end since they are already cooked)
• 500g onions
• 150g. turnips
• 150g. carrots
• 2 zucchinis
• 2 hot peppers (chillies)
• 1 bouquet coriander
• ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil for stock
• 1 tsp butter
• ½ medium sized Savoy cabbage
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 300 g. red pumpkins
• ¼ tsp of saffron (preferably crushed saffron flowers)
• 1 tablespoon of black pepper powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric (for color)
• 3 litres of water
• Salt (to adjust)
  

Preparation:

1. Cut the lamb (or chicken) and chop the cabbage into quarters. Slice two onions lengthwise. Put into the pot.
2. Add in oil, saffron, turmeric, black pepper powder, bouquet coriander, and salt.
3. Stir over medium heat to sauté the vegetables and seal the meat.
4. Add the chickpeas and pour over water until the ingredients are submerged. Boil for fifteen minutes.
5. Add 2 more sliced onions, peeled and sliced lengthwise carrots, zucchini (medium size cubes), and turnips (peeled and quartered). Simmer for another fifteen minutes.
6. Add the pumpkin (medium size cubes), the cherry tomatoes, and hot peppers at the end. Simmer for ten minutes.
7. Check the seasoning of the stock. Boil any excess water in the stew, but make sure there is sufficient broth to use as a sauce. Verify that the vegetables are cooked.
   

Setting the dish for serving

Preparation:

1. Half an hour before serving, steam the couscous for ten minutes. Put the couscous back in the shallow pan, stir the couscous and mix in the butter (cut in small cubes). Sprinkle with two ladle scoops of stock progressively as you stir the couscous. Make sure the couscous is flaky, separated and moist.
2. Taste the couscous to check the salt.
3. Put the couscous, in a large round dish, piled into a cone.
4. Dig a hollow into the middle of the couscous cone.
5. Put the meat and vegetables on top.
6. Serve at once with extra stock served separately for those who prefer it moister.