Grape Leaves in Oil

Fresh grape leaves are in season. You can find them in specialty stores, if you do, you have to have them. I like to get some and freeze because they are much better than the ones in brine. I made some last week I added one chopped jalapeno with the rice and we couldn’t wait to eat the leftover the next day. I’ve taken the liking of jalapenos ever since I moved to Houston, I add it to salads and just about to everything else!!!


Ingredients:




1 pound fresh grape leaves or 1 pound jar in brine

1 bunch parsley trimmed and chopped

1 bunch mint leaves washed and chopped

1 ½ cup short grain rice rinsed and drained

1 onion or 2 scallions chopped

2 medium tomatoes chopped

¼ cup olive oil

1-teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sweet pepper or allspice

2-lemon juice



Some extra leaves to line the pot



Mix all ingredients except for the leaves. To prepare the leaves, first boil water in a pan. Then boil few leaves at a time for a couple of minutes each and drain. On a cutting board, lay several leaves with veins facing out and fill each with one tablespoon of stuffing fold sides and roll to wrap. In a large pot, layer with some grape leaves. Start layering the leaves until stuffing is finished. Put a dish over the leaves to keep rolled grape leaves down, cover with lemon juice then water until 1-inch cover the leaves. Put over medium heat until liquid starts to boil, add ½ tsp salt. Cook for an hour on a very low heat. Until leaves are soft and rice is done. Leave in pot to cool then invert on a large platter and serve.

Serves 6-8

Eggplant Salad, Rahib

This is for eggplant lovers, great with fish, meat or chicken. You can grill the eggplant or bake in the oven. Either way is fine as long as the eggplant is soft and cooked.

Ingredients:




2 large eggplants

2 medium tomatoes chopped

2 scallions chopped

1 lemon juice

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp sumac*

2 swirls of extra virgin olive oil

Place eggplant on a cookie sheet covered with foil slit 2-3 inches lengthwise. In 450° oven place eggplant for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and done.

Let cool, with a help of a spoon scoop inside of the eggplant onto a bowl. Add lemon, oil and seasonings and mix. Add chopped tomatoes and scallions. Serve with pita bread.

* Sumac spice can be found in Mediterranean stores.

Serves 4

Chicken kebobs - Shish Taouk

April is here!! Weather is warmer and we are taking advantage of grilling outside. One of my daughter's favorite is shish taouk. I serve it with hummus pita bread and fattoush salad. So for her April birthday we celebrated it with her favorite food and some of her favorite friends! Thanks for coming !!! :)


Ingredients:


2 pounds boneless skinless chicken

1 tablespoon paprika

½ teaspoon rep pepper

1 tablespoon red pepper paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

5 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 onion cut into cubes

1. Cut the chicken into medium size cubes. In a bowl mix the paprika, lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper paste, cubed onion, salt and pepper.



2. Marinade the chicken cubes in the mixture for 1-2 hours or overnight.


3. When ready to cook, thread the chicken pieces on a skewer. Alternate with some vegetable like green pepper and mushroom and onion.


4. Simply grill until chicken begins to brown on all sides.


The chicken taouk can be served with hummus and pita bread.



Serves 4-6

Grandma Malake's Meat Pies (Lahm B'aajin)

I was debating what recipe I should post next, then immediatly I decided on one of my Grandma's recipes. I am sorry to say my Grandma  passed last week. She was six month shy from her 100th birthday. She was a terrific person, God fearing, kind and selfless, I am lucky I got to know her, and become her student. She was a terrific cook, and she tought me not only how to cook, but how to become a better person. So its only fair to pay a tribute to my Grandma Malake (Queen) may you rest in peace. I love you.


Ingredients:


1 pound ground beef

3 tomatoes diced and drained from liquid

1 onion grated

2 T vegetable oil

2 T pomegranate’s syrup

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp sweet pepper

1 tsp salt


1 pizza dough recipe*

Mix all ingredients and prepare dough. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface and cut 3-inch circles. Place on a oiled baking sheet fill with 1 tablespoon of meat mixture and pinch four corners to make a square and bake in 350F oven until crust turn gold.

For Pizza Dough

¼ C warm water

½ tsp sugar

1 package dry active yeast

3 C all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tsp salt

¾ C cool water


1. Prepare dough stir water yeast and sugar in a bowl until dissolved let stand in a warm place 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Place flour oil  salt and yeast mixture in food processor with motor running add water in a steady stream, process until mixture forms a ball, if dough is sticky add a little flour.

3. Turn out dough on a floured surface, knead 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl turning to coat. Cover in damp towel let ret 30 minutes in a warm place.

4. Punch down dough divide and shape into 2 equal balls, place on a lightly greased plate. Turning to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight remove one hour before baking.



Serves 6-8

My all time favorite Soup Lentil Soup!!

On those cold winter days when you need something to warm you up, all you need is a good fulfilling soup. My favorite is lentil soup!! It takes very little time to prepare and about half an hour cooking time. The original recipe is made with Swiss chard, but I always substitute it with fresh or frozen Spinach, the reason being is that I always have spinach on hand.
Since its been cold outside, I made a batch today and thought I would share it with you.



Ingredients

1 Cup brown lentils picked over and washed
1 Pack of chopped spinach or 1 pound fresh washed and chopped
1 Potato peeled and cubed
1 Onion chopped
2 Garlic sliced
1 Bunch cilantro washed and chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Pepper
2  Lemon juice

Place the chopped onion and garlic in a large pot with a swirl of olive oil and sauté for 4 minutes. Add lentils, spinach and cilantro, potato and seasonings. Add about 5 cups of water and lemon juice, cook for 30 to 40 minutes.


Serves 4-6

Tabboule Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch of organic Italian parsley rinsed 
½ bunch of mint leaves rinsed
2  medium tomatoes
2-3 scallions rinsed
1 tablespoon of extra fine burgul
2 juiced lemons
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

 The trick to the tabboule salad is to finely chop it. Now is a good time to use your best paring knife. Chop parsley and place in salad bowl. Chop mint leaves, dice tomatoes, and slice scallions and add to the tabboule.  

In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and add salt. Rinse burgul, and squeeze excess water. Mix dressing and burgul with salad and serve.  You have made your first tabboule!

Serves 2

Intro

Hi, After years of wanting to start this blog finally I did!!!! I will start by some intro here. Cooking is a passion for me and it has been for the last 30 something years. It all started by taking notes from my mom and grandma for my handwritten recipe book. I kept updating the book until I realized I had it in three different languages. I started a project last year translating all the recipes I accumulated and put them all on file for my daughter. (wishful thinking!) Anyhow she will have on hand if she decides to make a dish from her Lebanese-Armenian heritage.