Recipes - Middle East Feast

The cuisine of the Middle East region is so diverse and yet has many similarities. Gyro meat from Greece is similar to Turkish Doner Kabobs. Some version of tatziki is found in many countries throughout the middle east. Za’atar is used in Jordan, Israel, Syria, and Lebanon and may be made using dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt, though other spices such as sumac might also be added. In Israel, za'atar mix is often called "doqa", in reference to the dried za'atar leaves traditionally being "pounded" in its preparation.

Some ingredients commonly used in middle-eastern cooking include olives and olive oil, eggplants, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint and parsley, phyllo dough, lamb. Some popular dishes include hummus, tatziki, tabouleh, gyros, shawarma, baklava.

So, to give my class a taste of the middle-eastern cuisine, I chose the following menu:

Pita with Hummus and Dukkah

Falafel with Tatziki in Lettuce Cups

Tabouleh Salad

Meat stuffed peppers

&

Baklava

Since my students all come straight from work, I assume they will appreciate some appetizers…so we normally begin by making a quick first course which everyone enjoys while cooking the rest of the meal. But this time, to use time more effectively, I decided to start with the dish that takes the longest time (I hope I am forgiven). We made our Baklava Rolls first, put those in the oven for baking, stuffed our peppers and put that tray in the second oven. Then we made the tabouleh. Next, we moved to the first course. Dukkah spices were ground and mixed with the nuts. Pitas were oiled and warmed-up. Hummus was made.

It was time to taste. Well, it was worth the wait. The Pitas and Dukkah disappeared quickly. So did the hummus. Now the gang did not mind waiting for the peppers to come out of the oven. And the sweet ending with Baklava….you had to be there!!

For those of you who were able to join the class and for those who missed it, here are the recipes. I hope you will try making these dishes at home.

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Dukkah

Dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend of toasted nuts and seeds, is served as a dip with pita bread and olive oil. It is great sprinkled on everything – roasted vegetables, pasta, feta cheese, and pita. In addition, dukkah is often used as a crust for lamb, chicken, and fish.

 

 

Dukkah



Ingredients

·       1/2 cup lightly toasted nuts (equal parts unsalted peanuts/walnuts/pistachios)

·       1/4 cup lightly toasted sesame seeds

·       2 tablespoons coriander seeds 

·       1 tablespoon cumin seeds

·       1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt (or to taste)

Directions

1.      Chop the nuts very fine.

2.      Mix with the toasted sesame seeds in a bowl.

3.      In a dry skillet, lightly toast the coriander seeds just until fragrant and immediately transfer to a spice mill or mortar and allow to cool.

4.      In the same skillet, toast the cumin seeds just until fragrant and transfer to the spice mill. Allow to cool.

5.      When the spices have cooled, grind (not too fine) and add to the nuts and sesame seeds. 

6.      Add salt and mix well. The mixture will be dry and crumbly.

7.      Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 Pita dipped in olive oil and Dukkah


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Za'atar

Za'atar is a mixture of spices originating in the Middle East. The term za'atar refers to any of various local herbs of the mint family, including marjoram, oregano and thyme.
Green za'atar mixture is traditionally composed of dried thyme, toasted white sesame seeds, and salt. Red za'atar is made with dried thyme and sumac.

Za'atar is great sprinkled on pita after it is brushed with olive oil. If you are adventurous and are making the pitas yourself, spread some za'atar on the pita dough before baking.

Ingredients:

·       2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves

·       2 teaspoons ground sumac

·       ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

·       1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1.    Use a mortar and pestle to grind the thyme leaves finely.

2.     Crush the sumac finely with the mortar and pestle, add the salt to this. Add the thyme back, and grind together a bit.

3.     Stir in the sesame seeds, taste, and adjust to your liking, perhaps with a bit more salt, or sumac, or sesame seeds.

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Hummus

Ingredients

• One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
• ¼ cup tahini
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil for garnish
• Dash of ground paprika for garnish

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.
2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.
3. Open can of chickpeas, drain liquid then rinse well with water. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth.
4. Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.

5.     Scrape the hummus into a bowl and drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika. You can also spread it in a shallow platter and garnish with parsley leaves, paprika, chopped olives, chopped red pepper/tomato or chick peas.

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Tzatziki

Ingredients

·       1 cup Greek yogurt

·       ½ cup grated cucumber

·       1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

·       1 teaspoon dried dill

·       ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Directions

Mix the above ingredients and keep chilled in the refrigerator.
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Falafel

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups soaked chickpeas (1C dried)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
• ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley (leaves only)
• 1 tablespoon oregano
•  1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Lettuce, for serving
• Chopped tomatoes and onions, for garnish
• Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Tatziki sauce for accompaniment

Directions

1.      Soak the chickpeas in water for 24 hours. Drain the water. In a food processor (not a blender), combine the chickpeas, garlic, cumin, cayenne, parsley, oregano, thyme, and lemon juice. Pulse to grind and season with salt. The mixture should not be smooth, but it should not have large chunks.

2.      Add the baking powder and the flour and pulse to just combine. Remove to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3.      Remove the chickpea mixture from the refrigerator. Add enough oil to a large saute pan so it reaches ½ -inch up the sides and heat it over medium-high heat. Drop a few particles of the falafel mixture into the oil and if the particles rise up instantly, the oil is ready for frying.

4.      Drop spoonfuls of the chickpea mixture into the hot oil and fry in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes each side. Remove and drain on paper towels.

5.      Serve the falafel on a bed of lettuce (or in lettuce cups) garnished with chopped tomatoes, and tatziki Sauce.

Note: You can make falafel sandwiches using pocket pitas. Warm the pita, slice the pita in half and pry it open. Stuff it with falafels, tatziki sauce, chopped onions, tomatoes and lettuce.

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Tabouleh

Ingredients:

Tabouleh

• 2 bunches of fresh parsley (1 ½ cup chopped, leaves only)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
• I medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ hot house cucumber, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup bulghur, medium grade
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1.     Soak bulghur in cold water for 1½ to 2 hours until soft. (If in a hurry, add water and microwave for 2 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 min)

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

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

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Stuffed Peppers

Adapted from a recipe by

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ package (5-ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
• 1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ cup bulghur
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed
• 2 (14 ½ -ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350^oF.

2.      In a large bowl combine the beef, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulghur, egg, oregano, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

3.      Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer.

Stuffed Pepper served with Tabouleh

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 Baklava Rolls

 

Adapted from a recipe by Michael Symon

Makes 32 - 2” rolls

Ingredients

For the Baklava:

• 1C pistachios, coarsely ground, plus more for garnish
• 1C walnuts, coarsely ground, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 32 sheets (~8”X15”) phyllo dough (thawed overnight in the fridge). This is the usual amount in a box of phyllo available in the freezer sections of grocery stores

For the Syrup:

• 3 cups sugar (see note below)
• 1½ C water
• ½ C honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1.     Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.

2.     Combine the nuts, cinnamon and bread crumbs in a bowl.

3.     Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the butter.

4.     Place 2 sheets of phyllo on a parchment paper or Aluminum foil. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire sheet lightly with butter (keep the remaining dough covered with a damp towel). Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture over the dough evenly (doing this with your hands works best). Layer 2 sheets of phyllo on top. Brush the top with butter and sprinkle with another 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture. Starting from the smaller side of the rectangle, roll the phyllo into a tight roll. The finished roll with be about 1.5 inch in diameter. Put this on the baking sheet along the 8” side with the seam side down.

5.     Repeat this to form 8 rolls from 32 sheets of phyllo and place then close to each other on the baking sheet. Brush the top of each roll with butter.

6.     Cut into the baklava rolls such that you have 4 pieces from each roll (each piece will be about 2 inches wide). Bake until golden, about 1 hour.

7.     Meanwhile, make the syrup: Bring the sugar, honey and 1½ cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and boil 2 more minutes, then let cool slightly.

8.     Pour the syrup over the warm baklava; let soak, uncovered, for at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with nuts.

Note: We did not wait 6 hours to eat the Baklava rolls but they tasted great 30 minutes after coming out of the oven and the next day.

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