Rice Pudding

This is classic rice pudding recipe. Enjoy!


Serves 4-6

1/2 cup Arborio or short grain rice

4 cups milk

¼- cup sugar

1/4 tsp miski ground with 1/4tsp sugar (from Mediterranean stores)

1 Tablespoon orange blossom (from international food isle)



In a large saucepan, place the rice and milk. Bring it to a gentle boil and then turn it down to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom, for about 30 to 40 minutes. Taste the rice to check for doneness. The rice should be very soft and plump. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve 5 more minutes. Take the pudding off the heat and stir in the Miski powder and orange blossom. Pour into dessert bowls cover with Saran wrap and chill. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts before serving or cinnamon powder.

Pasta with Eggplant

This is an easy recipe that can be made very quickly. When I have little time to spare I skip putting the salt on the eggplant and letting it stand for 20 minutes. The pine nuts and eggplant make this dish very Mediterranean. Enjoy!


Ingredients:



1 eggplant cut into ½ inch-thick slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1/4-cup pine nuts toasted

1 (8) ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1-pound fusilli or farfalle pasta

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh basil



Place eggplant slices on large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand 20 minutes. Turn eggplant slices over. Rinse eggplant. Drain; pat dry with paper towels. Cut eggplant into ½ inch cubes, set aside.



Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion sauté until golden, Add garlic sauté one minute, and add eggplant sauté until tender about ten minutes. Add tomatoes with juices; bring to simmer. Season with salt and fresh pepper.



Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to pot and add eggplant mixture ¼ cup cheese and basil.

Potato Salad

This is a different version of the “potato salad”. We had barbeque for Memorial Day and to make it more traditional I made a potato salad. I added jalapenos (uncontrollable) and lots of cilantro it made it so yummy!


Ingredients:

1 pound potatoes scrubbed and washed (peeled or unpeeled) cut in 1-inch cubes

2 avocados sliced and cubed

2 scallions rinsed trimmed and chopped

1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped



Dressing:

Salt

Pepper

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup olive oil



Place potatoes in a pot and bring to boil with some salt. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool. Put the potatoes in a large bowl add the avocado cubes, the chopped scallion and the cilantro. Mix dressing and pour over potatoes. Serve.

Cheese in fillo dough - Soubereg

Soubereg is a great appetizer. It’s a mix of different cheeses and layered with thin sheets of dough. In Lebanon and its regions they still do it the old fashioned way. The dough is made and rolled very thin and cooked it in boiling water before layering it onto a baking dish. Well I have taken the shortcut and use phillo dough that you can buy ready made. This dish is a winner with my guests and family. Thank you Sylvia for sharing this recipe. I made it my own by removing the butter completely and making it healthier. Enjoy!


Ingredients:


1 pack fillo dough

1 pack shredded mozzarella

1 pack Akawi cheese or (feta) diced

1 pack soaked haloumi cheese diced

2-3 scallions or 1 onion diced

1 bunch of parsley chopped

1 jalapeno finely diced (optional)

2 eggs slightly beaten

Salt if needed (taste mix before adding eggs)

Pepper

1-cup warm milk

Oil spray



In a bowl mix onion, cheeses, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Defrost and divide fillo dough in half cover 2nd half with warm moist towel.

In a deep baking dish, spray bottom and add a first layer of dough and spray with oil. Spray each layer and continue till half of dough is covered add ½ the milk. Layer the cheese mixture on the dough and with second half cover and with each layer and spray with oil.

Bake at 350°for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully with a serrated knife slice into serving 3inch squares. Put back in oven and continue baking till golden color.



· Note you can make a Calzone with pizza dough with the cheese filling.

Serves 6-8

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