Middle Eastern Dips and Bread

Hummus
500 g chick peas
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1/3 Cup Tahini
2 tablespoon cold water
1 Tablespoon olive oil for garnish
Parsley chopped, for garnish
Paprika for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix chick peas, lemon juice, tahini and water in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed. Garnish with paprika, parsley and olive oil.

Muhammara (Hot Pepper Dip)
3 medium onions, finely chopped
½ Cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ Cup crushed walnuts
¾ Cup breadcrumbs blended with cold water to a purée
2 Tablespoons paprika
Pinch of ground cumin
Salt
1 tablespoon pine nuts sautéed in a little oil

Using a deep frypan, sauté the onions gently in the oil until soft and golden. Add the walnuts, breadcrumb purée, paprika, cumin and salt to taste. Continue to sauté gently on a low heat until the ingredients are well blended - about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl and garnish with pine nuts.

Baba Ghannouj (Eggplant Dip)
1 large eggplant
1 clove garlic
1/4 - 1/2 Cup lemon juice
3 Tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 180 C and bake eggplant for 30 minutes, or until outside is crisp and inside is soft. Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Place eggplant flesh in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mash together, or pulse in a food processor hand. Place in serving bowl and top with lemon juice and olive oil.

Za'atar flatbread
1/3 Cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon ground sumac
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Pita Bread
Mild paprika, extra, to serve
Olive oil, extra, to serve

Combine the sesame seeds, sumac and thyme in a mortar and pound with a pestle until crushed. Place the bread, in a single layer, on 2 baking trays. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sesame mixture. Bake for 5 minutes or until crisp.

Egyptian Rice

500 g beef mince
1 small onion, chopped
2 C beef stock
2 – 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 C rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown mince and onion. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until rice is done. To serve, put on top a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.

Moroccan Tagine

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 Cups chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 Cup carrots, sliced crosswise ½ cm thick
1 large green capsicum, cut into ½ cm strips
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon each: ground allspice, ground ginger, and turmeric
¼ teaspoon each: cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper
1 Cup water
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
400 g can chopped tomatoes
400 g can chick peas, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add carrots, capsicum, spices and ½ Cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir several times during cooking. Serve over couscous.

Lamb with Chermoula

1 medium onion grated
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
8 Tablespoons chopped flat leaved parsley
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon saffron
½ teaspoon Harissa
½ Cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
l/2 kg leg of lamb

To make Chermoula:
Mix onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, saffron, harissa, olive oil and lemon juice together and stand for 1 hour.

Spread chermoula mixture into both sides of lamb and marinate for at least 2 hours. Over bake on 180 C for about 3/4 hour turning frequently. Cut in thick slices across the grain and serve.

Mixed Green Salad with Yogurt Dressing (Yogurtlu Karisik Yesil Salata

Funky lettuce
2 cucumber, washed, discard the seeds, grated
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
12 fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
3 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 ½ Cup walnut halves, lightly toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

Yogurt dressing:
1 Cup Greek yogurt
4 garlic cloves, smashed with salt
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika

Place all the salad ingredients in a salad bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a separate small bowl. Taste and if necessary add more salt or pepper.

Just before serving the salad, spread yogurt dressing all over the greens. Sprinkle some paprika to garnish.

Fattoush

2 large pita bread, split horizontally
2 cos lettuce, torn into medium pieces
1 bunch spring onions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
3 Lebanese cucumbers—peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
7 tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 bunches coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch fresh mint leaves
2 ½ Tablespoons ground sumac
6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Bake the pita bread directly on the oven rack for 10 minutes, or until the bread is dry and crisp but not browned. Let the pita bread cool completely, then break it into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the lettuce with the spring onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, mint and sumac.

Immediately before serving, drizzle the olive oil over the salad, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add the toasted pita bread pieces to the salad and toss again. Serve at once.

Spicy Couscous

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 spring onions, chopped finely
2 red capsicums, finely diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
4 tomatoes, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 C chickpeas
2 Cups boiling water
¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Cups couscous

In a medium-size frypan; heat the oil. Add green onions, capsicum, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and zucchini. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring periodically. Remove from heat and keep warm.

In a medium-size saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients .

Mix, cover and let stand 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Add the first mixture and fluff with a fork.

Cucumber And Yoghurt Salad - Laban Khyar

3 medium cucumbers
1 cups Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Fresh mint leaves, chopped finely

Peel cucumber and cut into thin round slices. Place in a glass bowl.

Combine garlic with salt. Add it to the yoghurt. Add the cucumbers.

Mix thoroughly.

Serve cold, garnished with mint.

Chicken Baked With Onions and Sumac On Bread - Musakhani

16 chicken pieces
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 loaves pita bread
6 chopped onions
½ cup water
1 Cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon saffron
3 Tablespoons ground sumac
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 C. Rub the chicken pieces with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish surrounded with chopped onions and water. Cook for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, lightly brown the pine nuts. Sprinkle the chicken with olive oil and cover with a mixture of pine nuts, saffron, sumac, and paprika.

Just prior to serving, transfer the cooked chicken to the top of the bread brushed with oil and arrayed on a large, oven-proof platter. Cook for about 5 minutes. Serve and eat with fingers.

Tabbouleh

2 bunches fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 medium tomatoes, diced
1 Tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ Cup bulghur, medium grade
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Soak bulghur in water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in cold water until soft.

Squeeze out excess water from bulghur using hands or paper towel.

Combine all ingredients, except for salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Sprinkle olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper on top.

Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.

Veal Scaloppini in Lemon Sauce

8 veal cutlets
½ Cup lemon juice
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Fresh sage and garlic to taste
Salt

Lightly pound the cutlets to flatten them out, salt them lightly, and marinate them in the lemon juice and a tablespoon of the olive oil for a half hour.

Heat the marinade, oil, and herbs to taste in a frypan, and when the mixture is bubbling add the meat. Cook quickly for about 1 - 1/12 minutes on each side, turning the meat once.

Note: You could cook this with chicken breasts that have been butterflied, instead of veal.

Chicken Cacciatore

8 chicken pieces
½ Cup flour for dredging
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ Cup oil
400 g can diced toamtoes
1 large onion cut into chunks
1 green capsicum cut into chunks
1 Cup mushrooms
1 ½ Cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ Cup fresh parsley chopped

Mix salt and pepper into the flour. Place chicken in flour and toss to cover.

In a large frypan cook the chicken in batches in the oil until brown.

Place chicken in a large pot and add the tomatoes and stock and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms, onions and capsicum. Season with basil and oregano.

Cover and cook for around 45 more minutes.

Garnish with parsley and serve with pasta, rice or polenta.

Margherita Pizza

Dough

3 Cups plain flour
1 Cup warm water
1 sachet yeast
1 teaspoon water

2 - 3 Tablespoons passata
½ kg tomatoes sliced thin
½ kg fresh mozzarella sliced
10 fresh basil leaves
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 220 C.

Place yeast and sugar in water and allow to sit for 10 minutes or until it begins to bubble. Add to the flour and mix thoroughly. Knead until the dough is elastic. Roll out dough to the desired thickness.

Lightly cover the base of the pizza with passata. Place a layer of tomatoes. Place a layer of mozzarella on top of the tomatoes. Top with fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook pizza for around 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Makes 2 - 3 pizzas (depending on size and thickness of the base).

Zucchini e Pomodori

6 zucchini
1 red onion, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoons butter
6 tomatoes, sliced
¼ Cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Cut the zucchini into thin slices lengthwise.

In a frypant, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil and butter for 2 minutes.

In a greased backing dish, cover the bottom with the zucchini slices. Add a layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle half the parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, salt pepper and red pepper over the top. Add half of the onions. Add another layer and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8 people.

Eggplant Parmagiana

2 -3 large eggplants

Olive oil

1 bottle passata

500 g shredded mozzarella

Dried breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Slice eggplants 1 cm thick. Heat a heavy pan, add 1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil and begin lightly frying eggplant slices on both sides and remove and drain as you go.

Take a cassarole dish and spread some passata on base. Sprinkle some crumbs and layer eggplant slices, sauce and cheese until the last layer is sauce with mozzerella on top. Sprinkle liberally with crumbs and bake in centre of oven for at least 30 mins. It is cooked with a skewer or knife can be inserted using no pressure. Allow to cool a little before cutting and serving.Experiment with quantity of sauce you like, it may be too wet or not wet enough.

Grilled Polenta

4 Cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup medium coarse polenta

1 cup milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red onion, chopped

½ Cup sundried tomatoes soaked until soft, drained, and chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, minced

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Heat water to boiling.

In a small pan, sauté the chopped red onion and the 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil. (This will be added to the cooked polenta later.) When the water has boiled, add the cornmeal and salt, and simmer gently over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wire whisk, being careful that it does not boil over.

Add milk and whisk until liquid is absorbed and polenta is smooth, about 10-15 minutes. Add additional salt, if necessary.

Add the sautéed red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil and parsley to polenta, and stir well. Turn off heat.

While the polenta is still creamy, pour it out onto a baking sheet. Cover, and chill for at 1 - 24 hours.

Once it's set, cut into 12 squares, and brush each side with olive oil. Place the squares on a hot grill, and cover. Grill until polenta is golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.