Fatteh Spinach

 Fatteh  refer to the entire class of Levantine dishes that use crumbled flatbreads in their preparation.

Spinach Fatte
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh baby spinach rinsed
1 onion chopped
¼ cup oil
1 bunch of cilantro rinsed
1 tsp salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp red chili pepper (optional)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 juice of lemon

2 cups of long grain rice

1 Pita bread cut up in cubes and toasted

½ cup Pine nuts fried with oil

1 pound yogurt whisk and add water to creamy consistency

In a large pot sauté onion in oil till translucent. Add spinach and sauté add salt pepper and nutmeg until leaves are wilted. Chop cilantro and add to the spinach. Add ½ cup water and the  lemon juice over cover and cook for 10 – 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make the rice with three cups of water.
Cut pita into ½ inch squares toast in oven till gold in color. Put in a bowl and sprinkle olive oil and set aside. In a small pan sauté pine nuts in a bit of oil or butter, set aside.
Mix the yogurt together with ½ tsp salt and ½ cup water.
In a large serving bowl layer the rice then the spinach and the yogurt over. Add the toasted bread and pine nuts over, and sprinkle with red chili pepper and serve immediately.

Knafeh

Knafeh is a  cheese pastry soaked in sweet sugar-based syrup, typical of the regions of Lebanon, Jordan. It is consumed typically for breakfast in kaak bread or for desert. You can use a medium size baking dish or individual size oven proof ramekins.



Ingredients:

4 cups milk
1-cup semolina smid
1-cup sugar
2 sticks butter + 4 T
2-T rose water
Breadcrumbs
1-pound mozzarella or Akawi cheese shredded
Cornflakes for topping

In saucepan pour milk, add semolina, sugar and 2 sticks of butter boil and turn off heat. Add rose water.
Grease a baking dish, sprinkle with some breadcrumbs and divide milk mixture in half. Pour half in the baking dish and spread mozzarella. Pour the second half of milk mixture and layer. Sprinkle another layer of breadcrumbs.  Add the cut up butter and place in pre-heat 350-oven for 20 -25 minutes. Serve hot with syrup and ciabatta bread.


For Syrup:

1 cup sugar
½ cup water
Slice of a lemon
1 T orange blossom
1 T rose water

Prepare syrup, Boil sugar water with the slice of lemon. Remove lemon 10-15 minutes and keep boiling without stirring another 10 minutes. Remove from heat add orange blossom and rose water, let cool.

Super Trio Green Pies

Kale is gaining popularity for its health benefits.  the Vitamins and minerals found in kale serve as anti-inflammatory agents, immune boosters, and aid in cancer prevention. Kale is also rich in antioxidants that help protect the body.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of fresh chopped baby spinach, baby kale and baby chard  

1 bunch of cilantro chopped

1 big onion diced

1 T sumac

1 lemon squeezed

¼ Cup toasted pine nuts

½ Teaspoon  salt

Fresh black pepper

Pinch of chili pepper

¼ cup olive oil

Empanadas readymade dough rounds for easy preparation or home made dough.

·        Prepare spinach and kale and the green mixture, pine nuts, onion and seasonings, combine and massage together and taste for seasonings.

·         Fill dough with 1 tablespoon or more spinach mixture. Close in half   and pinch the sides.

·        Preheat oven to 350F and on a baking sheet spray with vegetable oil arrange the pies and brush with an egg wash and bake till golden.

Katayif with Achta Pancakes Filled Cream



For dessert, for breakfast this is sure to satisfy the sweet tooth. Syrup and and cream filling can be prepared ahead of time. enjoy!

Ingredients for pancake:

1 cup of flour

1 ½ cups of water

1 Tablespoon yeast

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tablespoon sugar

Ingredients for filling:

1 pint half and half 

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

4 slices American white bread trimmed and shredded

1 Tablespoon blossom water

For Syrup:

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

Slice of a lemon

1 T orange blossom

1 T rose water

Prepare syrup, Boil sugar water with the slice of lemon stir till sugar disolves. Remove lemon 10-15 minutes and keep boiling without stirring another 10 minutes. Remove from heat add orange blossom and rose water, let cool.

Warm water and add yeast and sugar, baking powder and 1 Tablespoon flour stir and set aside to rise. Blend in blender water ingredients add the flour gradually until you have a thin batter.

Scoop the katayif on a lightly greased griddle until dry, do not turn over.

Stir half and half cornstarch and powdered sugar together in a pot and boil add the shredded bread and turn off heat. Add the blossom water.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of mix in the pancake arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with  pistachios and serve with syrup.

Fattoush Salad

Fattoush is very healthy and a whole meal by itself. I add purslane if i find it at specialty stores. Purslane is wonderful herb eaten as vegetable in Greek and Asian cuisine. Its succulent thick leaves are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, minerals. Its a powerhouse of nutrition. I add baby arugula when pursulane is not available. Sahten!


Ingredients:

1 romaine washed, trimmed, cut in 1inch slices

1 bunch of parsley snipped or chopped thick

1 bunch mint washed and stemmed

3 medium tomatoes sliced in 1 inch cubes

2 cucumbers cubed and peeled

3 scallions finely chopped

1 green or red pepper cored and cubed

1 bunch radishes washed trimmed and cubed

1 large pita bread cut into 1inch squares and toasted or fried

1 bunch of pursulane trimmed and washed or 1 bunch of baby arugula

For the dressing:

½ cup Olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 lemon juiced

1 teaspoon sumac

¼ teaspoon dried mint

Salt to taste

1teaspoon pomegranate (optional)

Cut and wash all the vegetable and place in a big salad bowl.

Toast the pita bread and then crumble it onto the salad, or serve on the side.

Mix everything together, add pita chips on top.


Serves 4 to 6

Mini Lasagna Cups

1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 onion chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

Salt and fresh pepper to taste

½ tsp oregano ½ tsp red pepper flakes

3 cups béchamel sauce

24 wonton wrappers

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Béchamel Sauce

3 cups whole milk
¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose unbleached flour

Salt Fresh pepper nutmeg


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté chopped onion then brown beef (or turkey) in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add tomato sauce, salt pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes to remaining meat mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a separate pan melt the unsalted butter with the flour over low heat. Stir rapidly with a Wisk. Cook this for 1 minute and then remove from the heat. Add the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring until the mixture thickens. During this process, stir constantly until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, and arrange a wonton wrapper in each cup. Take meat sauce and layer with 1 tablespoon among the 12 cups. Top with another wonton wrapper, and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Layer 1 tablespoons of béchamel sauce over and add another wonton wrapper over, and repeat the layers by adding the remaining meat sauce, béchamel, wonton and top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the wonton wrappers are golden. Cool in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Also an idea to make with wontons, sauce béchamel with spinach and layered with cheeses.

Hummus

Ingredients

2cups (1 ¼ pound) of dried chick peas ( garbanzo beans)

1 tablespoon of baking soda
¼ cup of tahini (sesame paste)
2 to 3 lemon juiced

¼ cup very cold icy water if needed
Salt

Olive oil for garnish

Sort through the chickpeas before you boil them to remove any disfigured or bad chickpeas.

Soak the dried chickpeas overnight with a lot of water (cover them completely, use twice the amount of water vs. the volume of chickpeas).

The next day, rinse the chickpeas well with cold water.


Fill a big (8 quart) pot with plenty of water, using the same amount as when you soaked them. Add the baking soda, and bring to the boil.

When the water is boiling turn the heat down and simmer until the chickpeas are cooked, 60 to 90 minutes. Remove froth with a skimmer as needed.

To test for doneness remove one chick pea with a spoon and smash  between thumb and index finger if its tender its done!

Take the pot off the heat and put it under the cold water tap. The cold water will shock the skins into cracking so that they will easily come off and float to the surface. In order to allow them to float up you need to gently stir the chickpeas and as the skins surface remove them with a slotted spoon. Keep stirring a little and removing the skins that surface until you’ve removed most skins.

Now strain the chickpeas and leave them in a colander to drain.

Place the tahini and lemon juice in the food processor add the chickpeas mix until you have a smooth paste, but still a little firm. If it’s too thick add little by little the icy cold water. Finally add salt to taste.

Serve with olive oil and pita bread.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Grilled Eggplant with Tomato-Basil Relish

2 large eggplants trimmed from stem and cut ½ inch thick

4 ripe tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

5 tablespoons olive oil or more

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 scallions thinly sliced

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 bunch finely chopped fresh basil plus fresh leaves, for garnish



Heat your grill to high or oven to 450.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Do the same with the eggplants. Place tomatoes and eggplant slices on the grill and grill until charred on all sides, and just cooked through, about 10 minutes. If using oven put on a sheet and spray with cooking oil and bake 10 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill place the eggplant on a platter and remove skin from the tomatoes and coarsely chop.


Put the chopped tomatoes in a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of oil, onion, vinegar and basil and gently mix until combined. Let sit at room temperature for flavors to blend. Serve eggplant and drizzle tomato relish on top.