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.