Tortellini (Shoosh-barak)

This is one of our Tata's specialties! It's labour intensive, but very tasty and unlike any tortellini you've had. We've always eaten this stuffed with kofta, but I'm sure you could try some other meat or vegetarian combination. 

This recipe comes in multiple parts -- the dough, filling, sauce and topping.

DOUGH

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt

Mix all of the ingredients (either by hand or a stand mixer with the dough hook) adding the water a little at a time. Cover it with a tea towel and let it rest for approximately 30 minutes.

KOFTA FILLING

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 large onion
• ½ a bunch parsley (leaves only)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cardamom

In a food processor, mince the onion, parsley, and spices. Add the meat and pulse it just a couple of times. Remove the meat mixture from the food processor and continue mixing with your hands until all the spices are well blended into the meat.

Assembling the dumplings

On a floured surface, roll out your rested dough to about 2 mm thick using a rolling pin. Then use a round cookie cutter (or small Turkish coffee cup) about 5 cm in diameter to cut the dough into small circles. Gather all the dough surrounding the circles; knead it and let it rest for 30 minutes before rolling again.

In the meantime, start making the dumplings.  Place about a teaspoon of filling in the centre of a dough circle. Fold the dough over in half so it covers the meat completely. Press the edges together to create a half-circle, taking care not to have any holes on the edges. Then take the two ends and bring them together pressing firmly to create a tortellini shape. As you complete the tortellinis, place onto a tray covered with a tea towel. Continue until all the dough and meat have been used up.

YOGURT SAUCE

• 6 cups of Balkan style yogurt
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tbsp of corn starch
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot mix well the corn starch and water.  Then add the yogurt and whisk together. Cook uncovered on very low heat, stirring occasionally making sure that nothing sticks to the bottom.

Every 10 minutes increase the temperature of yogurt sauce gradually until you reach medium heat and then increase it to high and keep stirring until it boils. This process should take 30-40 minutes at most.

Once yogurt comes to a boil, add your seasonings.

GARLIC TOPPING

• 2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp of dried mint
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of butter

In a small sauce pan, heat the butter and olive oil and fry the garlic. Just as it starts to brown, add the dried mint and let the flavour diffuse into the oil on low heat for about 30 seconds or so.  Remove from heat to stop further cooking.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Add all dumplings one at a time into the pot of boiling yogurt sauce. The dumplings will float to top initially, and will sink to the bottom once they are done cooking. Lastly, add the garlic topping to the pot. Add a ladle of yogurt sauce into the frying pan to deglaze it, then pour it back into the pot.

Serve immediately!

Sweet cheese pancakes with simple syrup (Attaif)

Both my grandmother and my mother made this dessert excellently!  It is one of the family favourites, served at Christmas and for special company.  It's a bit time consuming, but well worth it.


For pancakes

• 2 cups flour2 cups farina (not too fine; medium)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 5 1/2 cups milk (1 "bag" if you're in Ontario)

For the cheese filling

• 2 cans of ishta (found in Middle eastern stores) or you can make your own (see recipe below) 
• 1kg ricotta cheese (2 standard tubs)

For baking

• 1 cup butter

For the topping

• 1 recipe quantity of simple syrup

In a large bowl, mix all the pancake ingredients together and let sit for one hour, for the farina to rise.  Using a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat, cook pancakes about 10cm in diameter on one side only (until the top is bubbly looking).  Set aside on a sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a separate bowl, mix the ishta and cheese together until well blended.

To assemble, scoop some of the cheese filling into the centre of a pancake taking care not to get any cheese on the edges.  Fold over and press together with your fingers to seal the pancakes; forming a half moon shape. Place on a buttered baking sheet, and put a tab of butter on the top.  Repeat until all the pancakes are done.

Put in the oven on 350°F for approximately 30 minutes or until golden.

Let cool for about 5 minutes (so that they're still hot), and then dip the hot attaif into the cooled syrup and serve immediately.

Carrot and Almond Cake

• 5 eggs
• 1 tbsp of lemon zest
• 1 ¼ cup of sugar
• 2 cups of shredded carrots
• 2 cups of crushed almonds
• ½ cup of flour

In a stand mixer, mix the eggs and sugar until well blended.  Add carrots, almonds and flour (in that order) until well mixed. Pour into a greased and floured 9"x13" baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Cool before serving.

Zucchini Spice Cake

My mom makes this cake every summer, at the end of the zucchini season!

Wet ingredients
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 ½ tsp of vanilla
2 cups of shredded zucchini

Dry ingredients
2 cups of sugar
3 cups of flour
Pinch of salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup of crushed almonds (or walnuts if you prefer)

In an extra large bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.  In a separate bowl, mix the dry ones. Then slowly sift the dry ingredients into the wet ones, mixing well each time until the dry ingredients are done. Pour into a greased and floured 9"x13" baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 °F.

Sandwich Bread

Tata’s uncle, Elias Amar's wife, Laurice, gave this recipe to her.  I'm not sure why our grandmother would have a recipe for white sandwich bread, but I speculate that it's because the only bread that was available at the bakery was pita bread.  If you wanted something else, you'd have to make it yourself!

Makes 2 loaves or 24 buns.

• 8 cups of flour
• A pinch of salt
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 2 ½ cups butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of yogurt

In a dough mixer, mix flour, salt, baking powder until well blended.  Add the butter until it's well incorporated and then add in the eggs.  Continue mixing. Lastly add the yogurt and mix then add yogurt and mix for about 5 minutes.  Line your baking tray(s) with parchment paper.  Shape the dough into whatever shapes you like (loaves or buns) and bake in oven at 350°F until it's a golden colour and rises (approx 20 minutes for buns, 30-40 minutes for loaves).

Onion and Yogurt Stew (Leban Imo)

Leban Imo literally means the Yogurt Mother or the Mother of Yogurt. We have no idea where this dish got it's name and as kids we'd always have a good laugh over it. Regardless of the name, it's an excellent dish for the yogurt lover as all of the flavours are complimented so well.

When choosing your lamb, ensure you also have some bones available so that the broth is flavourful. I usually use shanks and ask the butcher to slice them (including the bone!) into 2cm round pieces. You can use lamb that's been deboned or stewing beef, but the broth won't be as flavourful. You can ask your butcher for a couple of bones and then discard of them after you've made your broth. I also find that 2% or whole (3.25%) yogurt works the best. Anything more is much too rich and anything less doesn't have the right consistency.

• 1lb (454g) of lamb, cut into 3cm cubes
• 3 litres of water
• 750g plain yogurt (1 tub)
• 1 egg
• 6 large onions, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried crushed mint
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 5 cardamom pods, cracked
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, sear the lamb on high until all sides are golden and crispy. Add in the water and the spices and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer for about 90 minutes or until the lamb is very tender.

In the meantime, sauté the onions in a separate skillet over medium-low heat; just until translucent and cooked. Do not allow the onions to brown. Set aside.

Pour the yogurt in a separate pot and whisk in the egg. If your yogurt is really thick, add in 1/4 cup of water. Turn the stove to medium-low heat until the yogurt boils, taking care to stir frequently.

Once the yogurt has boiled, add in the onions, the meat and 3 cups of the broth and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Bring to a low simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Adjust the seasoning at this point.

Lastly, in the same skillet you sauted the onions, add the olive oil and garlic and sauté on medium for about 2 minutes. Add in the dried mint and continue frying until the garlic is golden in colour. Add to the yogurt pot. De-glaze the garlic frying pan with a ladle full of the yogurt sauce and add it to the stew.

Serve immediately over rice.

Serves 6.

Orange Marmalade (Tutlee Bourd-ann)

This again is a Tata-staple.  I was craving some of this orange tutlee on toast this weekend so I called her up, and here goes!  Note, this recipe quantity makes 6 litres of marmalade (12 500 ml jars)!  You're welcome to make any proportion of this recipe.

• 12 medium oranges
• 2 lemons
• 2 grapefruits
• 3 kg sugar (yes, three whole kilograms!)

Wash and dry the fruit.  Slice the oranges, lemon and grapefruit into quarters and then thin slices about 2-3mm thick.  Put the fruit in a large pot and simmer over medium heat.  Allow the fruit to fully cook, approximately 1 hour, stirring frequently. Once the fruit is cooked, add in the sugar and stir until well dissolved.  Allow to simmer until it comes to a full rolling boil, at least 30 minutes.  To test whether or not the marmalade is complete, drop a small spoonful into 1/2 a cup of cold water.  If the marmalade sinks to the bottom quickly, it's done.  If not, let simmer for a little while longer.  If you'd like a thicker marmalade, add in one package of fruit pectin when you add in the sugar.    

Pour the hot marmalade into jars that have been sterilized and cover with sterilized lids  (your choice of size). Close tightly until fully cooled or overnight.  Store for up to two years.

Makes 6 litres.

Summer Potato Salad

This was the only potato salad we ate growing up. The flavors are fresh and simple and compliment any barbecue. It's also great because my mother-in-law is allergic to canola oil and there's no mayonnaise in this recipe. The secret is to make this the day before and then add more of the dressing just before serving.

• 5 large potatoes (I always use Yukon golds)
• 1 medium bunch of fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, mashed (optional)
• Salt to taste

Boil the potatoes until just finished (as soon as a knife glides right through a potato), do not over boil so that they're mushy. Run the potatoes under cold water and peel them, let them cool completely. In the meantime, finely chop the mint and place half of it in a bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients and the remainder of the mint in a jar shake well to mix it all up. Once the potatoes are cooled, dice them into 2cm cubes into the same bowl as the mint. Pour half of the dressing mixture over the potatoes and mix well. Cover the potato salad and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, mix in the remainder of the dressing and toss.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Roasted Spicy Whole Fish (Samaka Harra)

This is one of the easiest and
fanciest meals that you can do with fish. And the taste is amazing. You can use any kind of fish you like, red snapper is my favorite. This recipe can be doubled or tripled, depending on the number of fish you make. If you're using a larger fish (like rainbow trout or salmon) you'll need to double or triple this recipe depending on the size of the fish.

• 1 whole fish, about 1 lb
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
• 1/2 a cup of chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1-2 hot peppers of your choice, depending on how spicy you like it (banana, jalapeno, or chili pepper will work)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp of cumin, divided
• salt & pepper to taste, divided

In a bowl, combine all ingredients together reserving half the amount of oil & seasonings. Place each fish on a foil paper, sprinkle salt, pepper, & cumin in and out side of the fish. Stuff the cavity generously so that the stuffing is coming out of the fish (the stuffing will reduce when cooked). Drizzle the remaining olive oil on top of the fish and smear the remaining seasoning all over the fish. Wrap it tightly, leaving some room at the top so the fish does not stick to the foil.

OVEN METHOD
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Place the wrapped fish on a tray and bake for 30 minutes. Note, that if you have a larger fish and are baking more than one, increase cooking time to 45 minutes.

BBQ METHOD
Place a few of sheets of foil paper on top of your BBQ, and heat it on high. Put your fish on top of the foil and reduce the heat to medium-low for about 30-45 minutes.

Serve with rice, baked potatoes, or pita bread.

Serves 2.

Vegan Stuffed Vegetables (Mahshie Sowmy)

This is traditionally made during the Easter fast, since it's customary to abstain from eating any animal products. It's a delicious dish - really really delicious - but it's very time consuming! This would be a meal that the ladies would work on together as it's usually too much work for one person. I have fond memories of sitting around this very same table with my sister, mom, tata (shown) and aunts all making large pots of "mahshie sowmy".

Vegetables to stuff

• 2kg of one or a mixture of: small Italian eggplant, small light green zucchini (also known as Mexican squash or calabacita), grape leaves, swisschard, cabbage or even romaine lettuce.

Filling

• 1 cup of Italian Arborio rice
• 3 onions, diced into 5mm squares
  
• 5 cloves of garlic, mashed
  
• 5 tomatoes, finely diced
  
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
  
• 1 small bunch of fresh mint, chopped (or 2 tbsp dried)
  
• 2 cups of chick peas (canned is fine but preferably soaked and boiled)
  
• juice of 1 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
  
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix all of the stuffing ingredients together in a large bowl. If you're using any green leaves, you have to remove the hard stem in the core and blanch them in salted boiling water so they can fold easily. If you're using eggplants or zucchini, hollow them out using a corer. For zucchini's you leave about 3mm thick outer shell. For eggplant, the thinner the shell, the better!

Stuff the zucchini and eggplant generously with the mixture, and place them in your cooking pot as you complete them.

If you're using any leaves, spread the leaf in front of you on a flat surface, a large plate works perfectly. Then place a small amount of stuffing in the centre-bottom of the leaf, in a horizontal line. Leave about 5cm on each side and from the bottom. Then fold both of the sides inward, then fold the bottom up and roll the leaf until complete. You'll want the diameter of the leaf to be about the size of your thumb, not too thick. You also don't want it to be too long, (no longer than a regular hot dog), so don't be afraid to cut the leaf if it's too large.

Once complete, add a dash of salt and 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover the pot and bring everything to a boil. Immediately reduce to low heat, and let steam for about 15 minutes, just as you'd normally cook rice. If using a pressure cooker, only add one cup of water and let it cook for only about 5 minutes.

Serves 6.

Parsley Tahini Salad (Bedounsia)

This salad is more like a saucy-salsa and is eaten traditionally with fish. It's amazing. Very simple, but so flavourful and fresh. The nutty flavours of the tahini and the citrus of the lemon make it a perfect fit. Any type of white fleshed fish works well (cod, snapper, tilapia, whitefish, sole or pickeral) or you could use salmon or trout. The only type you'll want to avoid is mild flavoured fish like halibut; since this salad is packed with flavour.

• 1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely diced
  
• 4 tbsp tahina
• Juice of 1 lemon
  
• 1/3 cup water

In a medium bowl, mix the lemon juice and tahina until the mixture forms a thick paste. Add the water and stir until well mixed and runny. Lastly, mix in all the other ingredients, and let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 2-3.

Middleastern Meatloaf (Koba)

I usually explain this dish as Middle Eastern meatloaf, since it's primarily ground meat and grains. But it's not baked in a loaf style, it's layered in a baking dish, about 5cm high.

This is one dish that is a staple in my home. It's very easy, healthy, and so flavourful. I've made this for friends before, always with great reviews. I can whip this up in 20 minutes, put it in the oven, go for a quick run and come back for dinner.

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 2 medium onions
• 3/4 cup cracked bulgar wheat I use medium size
• about a a hand full of pine nuts (optional)
  
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• a dash of cardamom & all spice
• salt, pepper & a dash of cinnamon
  

Mix the bulgar wheat and water, and let it stand to allow the wheat to soften. Dice 1/2 an onion and saute with 1/4 of the beef, until it's cooked, add a little of all the spices and put the rest a side. Puree the rest of the onions, add the rest of all spice. Then the bulgar wheat and the remaining ground beef to the pureed onions and mix until very well blended.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a 9"x9"square pan, spread half of the beef and bulgar mixture evenly on the bottom. Then spread the sauteed beef and onions over top with pine nuts, save a few for decorations. Lastly, layer the remaining beef and bulgar mixture over top. To make this step easier, make thin patties and place over top the entire tray. Then with wet hands, smooth the mixture to cover the holes.

Cut the meat mixture into diamonds, and place a pine nut in the center of each piece, similar to numoora. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Serve hot with balkan style yogurt on the side.

Serves 4.

Coconut Squares (Numoora bi joze-hind)

This is a signature Palestinian
dessert, and also one of my grandmother's favourites. It's very simple to make, I got it right on my first attempt even my mother was proud!

• 3 cups fine semolina flour
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
• 2 cups of finely shredded coconut
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1 cup butter (or for vegans, 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup vegetable oil)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water

For Garnish:

• 1 cup simple syrup
• 25 pine nuts (optional)

Mix the yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water and a dash of sugar. Let stand until the mixture is cloudy. In a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix all ingredients (except the garnishes but including the yeast mixture) together. The dough should be soft, yet still together. If you find it needs to be softer, add another 1/4 cup of water.

Preheat your oven to 100°F. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Spread out the mixture on the bottom of the pan until the top is smooth. Slice the mixture into diamond shapes, and place a pine nut in the centre of each piece. Turn off the oven , and put the tray in the oven to allow the mixture to rise for at least 30 minutes.

Once the squares have risen, remove the tray from the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Return the numoora to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until its a dark golden colour (or as my Tata would say, dark roses).

Remove from the oven and pour the simple syrup over the squares while they're still warm. Allow it to soak for at least 30 minutes to absorb all the syrup. Remove from the tray and enjoy!

Coconut Diamond Cake (Cake bi joze-hind)

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 recipe quantity of simple syrup
  

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

In a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs & vanilla and mix for another minute or two. In a separate bowl, mix he flour and baking powder. Gradually add the milk and the flour mixture into the mixer, alternating until they're done. Lastly add the coconut and mix just until the coconut is incorporated.

Pour it into a greased and floured 9"x13" pan. Cut it into diamond shapes (similar to Numoora) and add a pine nut in the centre of each diamond (you can substitute any other nut as well).

Bake for 30 minutes or until it's golden brown. Once done, let the cake cool and run a knife through the diamond shapes, to separate them fully after baking. Pour the simple syrup all over the cake. Wait until it has completely cooled before serving.

Beef in Tahina Sauce (Kofta bi tahina)

It was requested by your dad this weekend, I don't remember the last time I made it (not one of my favorites).

• 1 lb of kofta meat (you can use just plain ground beef, spiced with salt and pepper too)
• 1 cup of tahina
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 onions
• 6 medium potatoes, sliced in wedges
  
• 1 2/3 cups water
  
• salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or covered roasting dish cook the kofta on stove top over low heat. You can make the kofta in any shape you like (baby fingers, balls, small hamburgers) or just flatten it in the the bottom of the tray then cut it in squares. Cover to let it cook.

In a large bowl, mix the tahina and lemon juice until thick and well blended. Add a cup of water and mix well until smooth.

Add the onions and potatoes to the pot with the beef and then pour the tahina sauce over everything.

Add the the salt, pepper, and the remaining water (if needed). Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350ºF, or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Lastly, turn on the broiler and brown until it's nice and golden. Make sure you only brown the potatoes not the meat.

VARIATION:
You could omit the potatoes, make the dish extra saucy and eat over rice. Some even eat the potato version over rice as well (but make sure you go to the gym the next day! :)

Serves 4.

Green Beans in Tomato Sauce (Fasolia Khadra)

I never liked this meal, I just do it because your dad likes it. At first I used to say it's time consuming, but then he would trim and cut it for me so that I just have to cook it. Then I realized that he really loves it.

• 1 lb of green beans, ends trimmed, sliced horizontally and then diced into 2cm pieces
  
• 1 lb of stew beef or lamb, cut in 2cm cubes
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1/2 a can of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups of water
  

In a medium sized pot, sear the beef on high until it's golden. Add the water and spices and simmer on medium heat until the meat is tender, approximately 1 hour.

In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. In another medium sized pot, add the oil and saute the onions on medium-high heat until golden brown. Add the green beans with a dash of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and let the green beans cook completely, stirring occasionally.

Lastly, add the tomatoes and meat to the pot with the green beans. Add enough broth to just barely cover the mixture and adjust the seasonings at this point. Bring everything to a low simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Serve over steamed rice and enjoy!

VARIATION
To make this meal vegan, use olive oil instead of vegetable oil and use diced fresh tomatoes (~4). Follow the assembly as above, just omitting all of the meat steps. At the end, only simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Canned diced tomatoes can also be used. The vegan version is better eaten with pita bread instead of rice.

Zucchini With Beef and Tomatoes (Moghshi Kousa)

• 10 light green zucchinis (also known as Mexican squash or calabacita)
• 2 onions
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp each of salt black pepper, allspice
• a dash nutmeg and cinnamon

Slice the zucchinis in half lengthwise. Heat a large frying pan on high. Brush the zucchini slices with the oil and sear both sides until golden. Once seared, reduce the heat to low and let them cook through for about 3-5 minutes. Remove the zucchini and add in the beef and spices, cook completely on medium heat. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Layer the zucchini slices on top, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Serve this dish over rice or simply eat with pita bread.

VARIATION
Instead of layering the zucchini on top of the beef mix and layer half of the zucchini in a baking dish. Top with the beef mixture spread evenly over the zucchini. Lastly, layer the remainder of the zucchini on top and cover in shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

Egg-crepes (3jja/A-jja)

A-jja are thin egg pancakes/crepes packed with tons of flavour. Because of the strong spices, we'd usually have these for dinner, rolled up in a pita.

• 2 eggs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 sprig of green onion, cut into 2cm pieces
  
• a small hand full of coarsely chopped parsley
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh mint
  
• salt and pepper
  
• all spice

In a blender add all the ingredients, except the eggs, together and mix until blended well. Add the eggs and blend for a few more seconds.

On the stove top, heat your skillet and some butter or olive oil to medium-high. Pour the mixture in and let it cook, flipping only once to keep the shape. Sahtain!

Serves 1.

Tips
- You can use regular cooking onion if you don't have spring onions on hand
- You can also substitute dried mint for the fresh sprigs. Just a pinch or two!

Split Red Lentil Soup (Ad-das)

This is our dad's favourite soup!! Quite simply, it's red lentil soup, or if you're familiar with Indian cuisine, it's called Daal. As children, we'd often have this soup for dinner, and we're always reminded of our dad every time we make this for our families. The onion-sumac garnish is key, as it really enhances the flavour of the soup. Laura also adds fresh chopped cilantro on top, something she learned while in Fiji!

• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 cup of red lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cumin

Optional garnishes

• 1/4 medium white sweet onion, finely diced
• 1tbsp sumac
• chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium sized pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions until tender and lightly golden. Add the water then the lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add the salt and cumin and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. If you're making the garnish, simply mix the sweet onion and sumac together and let sit. Once the soup is done, adjust the seasoning if needed, and then serve. I usually put a tsp of the onion-sumac garnish and a big pinch of cilantro on top of each bowl. Enjoy!

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as an appetizer.

Pressed Yogurt (Lebana)

Lebana is sometimes characterized as soft white cheese or cream cheese, but in fact, it's not really cheese at all. It's pressed yogurt that's used as spread in sandwiches or just as a dip with some pita. The word lebana stems from the word leban, which literally means yogurt.

Lebana would always be in our fridge growing up, to enjoy on Saturday mornings with the traditional spread of hummus,fool,hard boiled eggs, feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and of course, pita bread!

• 750g (1 tub) of Balkan yogurt, 3% works best
• pinch of salt
• cheese cloth

For serving:

• extra virgin olive oil
  
• red pepper sauce

Stir the salt into the tub of yogurt. Place the cheese cloth into a colander and empty the yogurt into it. Put a catch plate underneath it to capture all the liquid. You may have to drain the plate 3-4 times over the course of the straining cycle. Let it drain for about 2 days in the refrigerator until the consistency is thick, similar to that of peanut butter. You'll Once complete, empty the lebana into a container and store in the fridge. It should last for about 8 days.

When ready to serve, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and some spicy red pepper sauce.

Chickpea Dip (Hummus)

• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tahina (sesame seed paste)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• fresh juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 garlic clove mashed
• sprinkle of salt

1. Blend everything together in a food processor.
2. If consistency is too dry, add more olive oil or a spoon of water.

To serve, spread hummus on a large flat plate and garnish with: cumin, paprika, zatar, parsley, and some whole chick peas. Drizzle with olive oil and eat with pita.

Tip: To mash garlic you can use a mortar and pestle, or a plastic bag and bottle. Sprinkle some salt on the garlic before mashing it, as this will make it easier to handle.

Rice with beef, onions and eggplant, cauliflower, or fish (Maklouba)

Maklouba: it means flipped over as once this dish is cooked, you flip the pot over on to the dish and all the goodies reveal themselves! I usually make it with either eggplant, cauliflower or fish, but I guess you could use a combination as well. When I use fish I only need fried or BBQ fish instead of meat and just use water to cook the rice with.

• 1kg meat, either:
• stewing beef 
• lamb shanks or other cubed lamb, 
• fish - cod, snapper, sole or any white fish works well
• 2 cups of rice (basmati or long grain works well)
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 medium eggplants or 2 heads of cauliflower 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cracked cardamom pods
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (grapeseed, olive or any cooking oil you prefer) for drizzling and sauteing. 
• 1 tub (750g) of plain Balkan style yogurt

Cube the meat and sear over high heat in a deep pot; add 5 cups of water and all of the spices and let it simmer until meat is really tender (approximately 2 hours).

Meanwhile, if using eggplant, slice the eggplant in rounds, about 2 cm thick. Lightly salt the eggplant and either deep fry or brush it with oil and bake in the oven until browned & cooked, approximately 1 hour at 350°F). If using cauliflower, cut it into florets and drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden.  Again, approximately 1 hour at 350°F.  If using fish, salt and pan fry the fish until cooked and golden.

Once the meat has cooked, remove the chunks and set aside. Drain the broth to remove any residue and measure out 4 cups.

Lastly, to assemble, saute the onions in large pot until golden but tender. Then add the two cups of rice and give it a quick stir. Finally add all the meat, the cooked eggplant, cauliflower, or fish and the 4 cups of broth (or just water if using fish). Adjust the seasoning at this point and ensure the broth is over-spiced to compensate for spicing the rice. Bring everything to a rapid boil and then immediately reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cover and continue to cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.

To serve, flip the entire pot of maklouba on a large platter. Arrange nicely and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts or almonds. Serve with plain yogurt.

Serves 4.

Barbecued Meatballs (Kofta)

• 1lb ground sirloin or lean ground beef
• 1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion grated or pureed
• salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup of plain yogurt (Balkan style is best)
• small wooden skewers

Fire up the barbecue on medium-high heat.
Mix all ingredients except for the yogurt into a bowl until well blended. Then, take an egg-sized ball of meat and shape it along the skewer, so that's it's elongated, like a sausage. Alternatively, you can simply make meatballs. Once complete, reduce the grill to medium heat and barbecue the skewers for about 12-15 minutes, rotating the skewers every 3 minutes. The kofta should be fully cooked, without being dry. You'll have to adjust cooking time if you're making large/small meatballs instead of elongated shapes.

Serve with plain Balkan style yogurt, pita and fresh vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

Serves 3-4.

Taboula (aka Tabouli)

This is a great summer salad that works very well with kofta or other grilled meats, or you can simply eat it as an appetizer with any meal.

• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1/3 cup of dried Bulgar wheat
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 3 spring onions
• 5-7 stems of fresh mint (optional)
• Salt
  

In the bottom of a medium sized covered bowl or dish, mix the Bulgar, oil, salt and lemon juice. Finely dice the tomatoes and layer on top of the Bulgar mixture. Do not mix. Then finely chop the parsley and layer on top of the tomatoes. Up to this point, the taboula can be made ahead and stay in you fridge covered up to 3 days. Otherwise, if you're planning on eating it right away, let it sit for a minimum of 1 hour or until the Bulgar absorbs all of the juices from the oil, lemon and tomatoes. Once ready to serve, finely chop the spring onions and mint then mix with the taboula preparation above.

Enjoy!

Kanafa and Simple Syrup

This is such an amazing dessert -- so simple and decadent. This dessert comes from our grandfather Zaki's birthplace, Nablus, Palestine. Our mom told us that during Christmas, my grandfather would make this over hot coals on aluminum tray!! They used fresh curdled goat milk cheese they would make themselves. Nowadays, we can whip this up in about 30 minutes!

Katafi (also called kadaifi) is shredded dough, found in the freezer section of most middle eastern or Greek supermarkets. I choose to keep it mostly frozen when shredding it, and I use a food processor to cut the time in half (and it's much easier on your hands!). I also like to use salted butter, I like the contrast with the sugar, but I know my mom and tata wouldn't approve!

• 454 g (1 package) of katafi
• 2 tubs of 454g ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of room temperature unsalted butter

Simple Syrup

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• squeeze of lemon

In a food processor cut the katafi into approximately 1/2 cm pieces. Place a metal tray on your stove top, turn the heat on low. Place the butter and all of the katafi in the tray, and with your hands blend the butter into the shredded dough thoroughly until all the butter is absorbed and it's nice and fluffy. This will take about 20 minutes, and the dough will cook a little on the low heat.

Once complete, divide the katafi and butter mixture in half. Spread half the mixture evenly on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking tray and pat it down. Then layer the ricotta cheese evenly over the katafi mixture. Top the ricotta cheese with the remaining katafi and butter mixture. You can make this ahead and kept in the fridge up to two days or you can freeze it.

Once ready to serve, bake uncovered at 350°F for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the edges become golden. At this point you can turn the broiler on and brown the top...DO NOT LEAVE IT OR IT WILL BURN.

While the kanafa is baking, mix the sugar and water over medium heat. Once it boils, add in the lemon and leave to cool. The lemon prevents the sugar from crystallizing again.

Once the kanafa is golden on top, take it out of the oven and pour or ladle the simple syrup over top evenly. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Chicken and Potatoes

Every time our mom asked us what we wanted for dinner, we all had different and typical responses -- Madeline would often be the most creative, and actually choose a different dish each time. James would ALWAYS say pizza; and Laura..well, this is it. Chicken and Potatoes. So, this may not be middle eastern persay, but this dish was both a staple and Laura's absolute favourite meal until I she 15 or so. When eating make sure you mash the potatoes with the juices from the chicken to maximize flavour!

• 1 whole chicken/5-6 chicken legs
• 1/4tsp nutmeg
  
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 8-10 medium potatoes, diced in 2cm cubes
• 5 medium onions, quartered

Optional:

• 2 carrots, sliced 2cm thick
• 5 garlic cloves, un-peeled

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all spices together and rub half of them all over and inside the chicken. Place the chicken in a deep dutch-oven or roaster, cover and put in the oven for about 45 minutes. In the meantime, mix all vegetables together with the remaining spices. After 45 minutes, add the water to the juice of the chicken then all the vegetables over the chicken. Cover and return to the oven for another 45 minutes, or until everything is cooked. Lastly, remove the cover and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden.

Baked Fava Beans (Fool or Fül)

This is a staple in middle eastern breakfast foods. This is my dad's particular favourite!

1 can of whole fava beans
1 clove of garlic, mashed
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp water
2 tomatoes, diced
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pita bread
salt to taste

Strain the can of fava beans and rinse well. On medium heat, bring the beans to a boil with as little water , add the smashed garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Mash everything together and add more water if necessary. Add the tomato and serve into bowls. Drizzle each bowl generously with (at least!) a tablespoon of olive oil. Eat with pita bread as you would a dip or hummus.

Serves 3-4.

Chicken Soup With Chickpeas and Onions (Meftool)

• 1 whole chicken (or 5 legs if you prefer)
• 4L water
• 7-10 onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups couscous
• 2 can of chickpeas or dried & soaked (cook with chicken)
  
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/5 nutmeg
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric

Bring the water, chicken, all the spices (except turmeric), dry chick peas and 1 onion to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 90 minutes, until cooked. Add in onions and bring to a boil for approx 15 minutes, until onions are cooked, if you're using caned chick peas, now is the time to add them. Adjust seasoning and add the turmeric at this point.

Prepare the couscous on the side as you would normally.

To serve, place a few spoons of couscous in a bowl, then ladle the soup over top of it.

Brown Lentil Rice (Imjudara)

Imjudara is one of the simplest meals you can make. My dad would always say that this is a "poor man's dish", but the flavours here are anything but lacking! At home, this meal would always be served with plain Balkan style yogurt or a tomato-cucumber salad, or both!

• 1 1/2 cups green or brown lentils
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic (optional)

For the garnish,

• 2-3 large onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• plain Balkan style yogurt

For the salad, mix:

• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 english cucumber, diced
• 1 large avocado (optional)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• pinch of salt

In a medium sized pot, bring the lentils, water and salt to a boil for approximately 10 minutes. Add the rice, cumin and mashed garlic and bring to a boil again. Reduce to low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. In the meantime, fry the onions with the oil on medium heat until they're caramelized a dark brown, approximately 30 minutes. Serve the imjudara with the caramelized onions on top, and a spoonful (or two!) of the plain yogurt. If you're making the salad, just mix all ingredients together and serve with the imjudara.

Serves 4-6.