Radish and Onion marinade

• bunch of fresh radishes, ends cut off and sliced as thiny as possible
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced thinly
• the juice of two good lemons (alternative is to use 3-4 limes)
• salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or chili pepper powder of your choice

Rub onions with a bit of salt to wilt them. combine ingredients together and put in the fridge to marinate a few hours.

simple red cabbage slaw

1/2 large red cabbage head, outer two layers of leaves removed and bottom stem sliced off

1/2 large red onion

1/2 cup red wine vinegar (seriously dont use regular vinegar. If you absolutely have to, you can use apple cider vinegar, but it won't be the same)

few tbs of olive oil

salt or salt substitute mixed with salt if you're lo sodium like me

garlic powder

onion powder

fresh ground pepper

Shred the cabbage head as finely as possible or mince it. Don't buy pre shred cabbage in a bag, they have little "calluses" where they've been cut and it just isn't right!

mince the red onion and mix together in a large bowl with the shredded cabbage. sprinkle salt or substitute over it all and rub into the veggies. Let rest for five minutes.

add rest of spices and toss, then add olive oil and red wine vinegar and toss. taste and adjust seasonings as you prefer.

Optional- I didn't do this, but it occurs to me that a peeled and grated carrot would be good in there, too.

Bissara

Bissara
Morocco


1 c large size dry fava beans, soaked overnight and drained
3 cloves garlic, crushed
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
8 c water
5 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 c chopped parsley

Place the fava beans (fooel beans), garlic, salt, 4 tbsp of olive oil, and water
in a pot; then cook over medium heat until the beans are tender. (personal
note-- I dont recommend adding salt to cooking beans because I find they tend
to toughen up the beans)

Place the beans in food processor and process until smooth, then return to the
pot. Add the lemon juice and cumin, and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
Spoon into a serving platter. Pour the remaining olive oil evenly over the top;
then sprinkle with the paprika and chili powder. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Nan-o panir-o-gerdu

Nan-o panir-o-gerdu
Walnut cheese dip (Iran)

1/4 pound white cheese, chopped
2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh scallions (green or spring onions)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of one lime
1/4 cup olive oil

1. IN a food processor or in a bowl, mix the cheese, walnuts, scallions, fresh herbs, and garlic.
2. Add salt, pepper, lime juice, and olive oil; mix well
3. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and place it on a round platter.
4. Cut Lavash (thin flat bread) or pita bread into 4 inch pices and arrange around the bowl on a platter.

Lubia-Pokhteh

Lubia-Pokhteh
(Mashalah musho)
Red Kidney Bean Dip (Iran)


1 cup dried kidney beans or 1 12 oz can cooked beans*
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of 2 limes
2 tsp angelica powder (gol-par)

1. Place beans in a large saucepan; add 4 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt; bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour or more until tender. Add more water as needed.
3. Fry the onions in a skillet in 4 tbsp oil over medium heat until golden brown. Add tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
4. Combine with kidney beans
5. Add 2 tbsp oil, lime juice, and angelica powder. and mix well.
6. Adjust seasonings to taste; transfer to a salad bowl and serve as an appetiser, warm or cold, with lavash bread.

*note-- if using canned beans, fry the onions, mix them with the tomato paste and add the beans. Simmer 15 minutes, and add rest of ingredients. If using dried beans, soak them overnight in 3 cups cold water and 1/2 tsp salt and then drain.

Papas Chorreadas

Papas Chorreadas
Columbia


In frypan melt:
2 tbsp butter or margarine (30 ml)

Add and fry:
6 green onions, cut in one inch lengths (spring onions, scallions etc)
1/2 cup diced onion
5 tomatoes, peeled and coarsley chopped

Cook stirring frequently, until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes

Lower heat and add:
1/2 cup cream (125 ml)
1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano
pinch of ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly

Add:
1 cup mozarella cheese, grated (250 ml)

Continue stirring and cook until cheese melts.

Pour sauce over:
8 large potatoes, unpeeled and boiled

**Option:
Serve sauce over green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower instead of potatoes

Louvia Mavromatika Me Lahana

(Black eyed Peas with Silverbeet)
This recipe is from Cyprus

Ingredients

2 cups black eyed peas
6 cups water
1 kg (2 lb) silverbeet (Swiss Chard)
salt
2 cloves garlic,
/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
lemon wedges for serving

1. Wash the dried beans well, place in a pan and cover with the 6 cups water. Bring to the boil, boil uncovered for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Cover pan and leave for 2 hours or until plump.
2. Return to heat and bring to a slow simmer. Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours or until just tender
3. Wash silverbeet in severeal changes of water. Cut off stems and trim them. Cut stems in 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces and add to beans with salt to taste. Cover and cokk for futher 10 minutes.
4. Shred silverbeet leaves coarsley and add to beans. Cover and cook for further 15 minutes or until beans and silverbeet are tender. Drain well and turn into a deep bowl.
5. Crush garlic with a little salt if used. Blend into olive oil with lemon juice and pour over hot vegetables. Toss well and serve with lemon wedges so that flavor may be adjusted to individual taste. Serve hot or warm.

Acar Kuning

Heat in wok or large frypan:

1 tbsp oil

Add:

8 almonds, finely crushed

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 c water (50 ml)

1 tsp ginger root, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp vinegar

Cook about 3 minutes over medium heat.

Add:

1 1/2 c fresh broccoli, cut into florets (375 ml)

1 1/2 c fresh cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 c fresh pimento or sweet red pepper, thinly sliced (125 ml)

1/2 c carrots, cut in julienne strips (125 ml)

Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, mixing and turning constantly. Remove from heat and turn into large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir before serving.

Tepsi Batenjan (eggplant potato stew)

Egplant Potato Marga (Tepsi)

1 large onion, minced
chopped garlic cloves (Im a garlic freak so I use a lot)
1 large eggplant/aubergine, sliced about 1/4 inch and then chopped into rectangles or squares
1-2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small 8oz can of tomato paste
salt and pepper
1 noomi, OPTIONAL
water of course lol
I dont use meat in this recipe, but Ive heard some people do... I dont bother with it. Some people also add chopped green pepper, but I don't.

1. Prepare the eggplant by salting the squares and placing in a colander for about 1 hour to drain out the sour juices. Rinse in cold water and dry with paper towels. Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan and throw the eggplant in there and fry over medium to medium high heat until golden-brown (not burnt). lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Take your dutch oven or large pot and fry some onion in oil until tender. Add the chopped garlic and fry for a a minute or two more. Add the chopped potatoes, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and mix well and fry until the tomato paste turns a dark red color. Add the fried eggplant and some water (and noomi if you like it), and boil, covered for about 1 hour, adding water if necessary. It should be the consistency of a thick soup or a thin stew. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve over rice or with flat bread, etc...

Gouda Potato Casserole

Potato Casserole with Gouda, Garlic, and Thyme

8 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced (1 1/2 tbsp)
4 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth (vegetable stock would work if you
dont have, maybe even milk although I havent tried it and would
change the taste a LOT)
1 bay leaf
2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
3/4 tsp salt (sea salt is real good, even "kosher" salt)
3/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Put one oven rack to the lower middle position and second oven rack
to highest position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together cheese,
garlic, and thyme in a small bowl, set aside.

2. Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming; whisk
in flour and cook until golden and bubbly, about 30 seconds (*note--
this is called a roux). Whisking constantly, gradually add chicken
broth or water. Increase heat to high, add bay leaf, and bring to a
boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until
mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Off heat, remove and discard bay
leaf; cover to keep sauce warm.

3. Alternating Yukon gold and russet slices, arrange a third of the
potatoes in overlapping rows. Sprinkle potato layer evenly with 1/4
tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and a third of cheese mixture. Make a
second layer with the same amount of potatoes, salt, pepper, and cheese.
Make a third layer with the same amount of potatoes, salt and pepper,
but reserve the cheese remaining. Pour warm sauce over potatoes,
tilting pan side to side to distribute evenly. Cover with foil and
bake on lower middle rack 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake
until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes longer. Remove potatoes
from oven and spriknle with remaining cheese; bake on highest rack
until cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and
serve.

Lemon-Basil Carrots

4 medium carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp garlic salt (powder)
dash pepper
Place carrots in a small saucepan; add water to cover. Cook for 10
minutes or until tender; drain and return to pan. Add remaining
ingredients. Cook over low heat until butter is melted and carrots
are heated through.

Koshari

Koshari

3/4 cups brown or green lentils, washed
5 cups water or chicken broth
salt
1/2 cup fideo vermicelli (lots of ppl actually use macaroni)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup rice
1 3/4 cups water or chicken broth
salt

Garnish:

2 onions, slivered
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
Tomato sauce:
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (ok I cheated, I usually put about 3)
1 can whole tomatoes (14-16 oz)
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper

Green Chili Vinaigrette (I only do this sometimes)

3 cloves garlic, crushed
salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/3 cup vinegar (recipe says wine vinegar but I only have white over here)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 serrano chilis, seeded and minced

1. Boil the lentils, covered in the salted water or broth until tender but
not sticky, about 1 1/4 hours. Drain any excess water
2. Brown the vermicelli in 2 tbsp olive oil and add the rice, stirring to
coat every grain. Pour on the 1 3/4 cups water with added salt (or broth),
cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes or so (keep ur eye on it
though so it doesnt burn or form a big old crust) If using macaroni Id cook
it separate from the rice.
3. Meanwhile, slowly cook the slivered onions for the garnish in the 2-4 tbsp
olive oil until dark brown and crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. For the Tomato sauce, lightly sauté the chopped onion in 2 tbsp olive oil.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Whirl the tomatoes and vinegar
in a food processor or blender and add to the garlic and onions. Stir to
mix well, add cumin, season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer,
covered for around 10-15 minutes.
5. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients separately
6. Turn the cooked rice and pasta into the lentils. If you feel that it
needs more cooking, sprinkle with a little water, cover ad simmer until its
all tender.
7. To serve, u can do a few different things. you can:
* mound the pilaf onto a platter and put the tomato sauce and vinaigrette
into separate small bowls to be spooned over each dish as desired.
*what I really do- I usually dont make the vinaigrette (most Egyptians dont
either) and I just pour the tomato sauce over the pilaf and mix it really
well. I usually have a nice plate of torshi (pickled veggies) on the side
too.
8. Top with the crispy onions! YUM YUM

Mishweeya

3 large green peppers (capsicums)
3 large firm tomatoes
minced parsley
dressing:
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbs wine vinegar (or other vinegar if you prefer)
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper
2 tbs minced parsley
2 tbs minced cilantro

* grill the peppers (under broiler or over a flame if you have a gas stove)
turning constantly.
* When all evenly cooked (skin will be blistered/black), plunge into cold
water or ice water.
* under running water, rub off the charred skin (some ppl put the peppers
in a paper bag or in a closed bowl to help separate the skin first) Remove
seeds and white stuff and cut into pieces about 1 inch square.
* Boil a large pot of water and drop in the whole tomatoes. Cook for 1/2
minutes (skin will crack sort of if you run a fork on the skin), then
transfer to a bowl of cold water. Remove the skin and cube or dice the
tomatoes. (some ppl roast the tomatoes the same way as the peppers)
*make the dressing by combingin dressing ingredients in a closed jar and
shaking (or however you prefer). pour over the peppers and tomatoes and toss.
Marinate for about an hour and garnish with parsley.

Shirini

Shirini (Kurdish)

1-1 1/2 tins sugar
1/2 tin water
1/2 k pumpkin
1/2 tin chopped walnuts

Boil the sugar and water till it forms a thick syrup. Wash the pumpkin, peel it, remove the seeds, cut into neat pieces and cook in the syrup until it is very thick and almost all absorbed. Arrange the pumpkin on a plate and decorate with walnuts, and if wanted, a little cinnamon.The Syrup may be made of date syrup or honey, but sugar is better. The Turkish method of making this dish is to put layers of sugar between the pumpkin, enough water being obtained from the juice. Sometimes this is served with clotted cream.

Torshi (pickle) Making!

Cukes:

snip off those ends--
scrub well
now two ways to do it: I put mine in without soaking, just pop em in a jar.
I boil roughly 3-4 cups of water per 1 cup of white vinegar with about
1/4 cup salt. when its to the boil, I immediately add it to the jar,
add spices (I do peppercorns and dill either fresh or dried, and garlic
cloves (squished a lil bit). Now Im a real lazy canner and I'm sure the
food safety people here are having a coronary reading this, but I use that
boiling water to seal the cans LOL since I dont have a large enough pot to
process the cans-- the hot brine forces it to seal sort of. Also I
sometimes use those big huge pickling jars with the attached lid (the glass
ones u know?) especially since I am forced to make large quantities of torshi.
Ok the other method to do cukes is what an Iraqi sister here told me to do.
The outcome was basically similar, but I question the method. She soaks
those cukes in cold water covered with a plate for a day or even two.
She doesnt put it in the fridge, which is why I wont do it. You can try
doing that in the fridge though, weither way its supposed to soften them
up a little bit or something like that.
ok


!~!~!~!~Pickles Turnips
My favorite-- the middle east cookbook online has a recipe that doesnt use
vinegar, so depending on your tastes you can use that one or the way I do
mine.
Peel the turnips and cut into chunks (make sure u can get them back OUT of
the jar if youre using a smaller jar!!!!!
Peel and cut up a beet (or more dpending on how much youre making!)
do the brine the same way I did previously (3 or 4 c water to 1 c vinegar
and 1/4 c salt) and pour over the veggies into the jars while still
reeeeeaaaaaalllllllly darned hot.
I sometimes put in a dried chili, and a peppercorn or two, but nothing fancy
for these-- theyre nifty on their own-- hot pink pickles :)
*oh yeah I let all these pickles sit inside in the dark (some ppl put
theirs in the sun!) for about 3-4 weeks, or until I walk in the kitchen
to discover my husband or a neighbor breaking in and munching them down >:()


Ok now mixed veggies--
my fav torshi is definetly cauliflowers and carrots, I NUB em!
wash and break up cauli into florets the size u like.. soak em
for a bit in cold water that is lightly salted to remove any doodehs
(worms/bugs) or dirt. Meanwhile, peel and slice or chop carrots
(not too thick or thin, I generally slice mine on the slant at about 1/4
in thick or so). Boil some water and BLANCH theseveggies for a few minutes,
you dont want them SOFT, but you dont want super crunchy hard torshi that
didnt absorb any brine!
Do the brine the same as before, and so on.
as per spices on mixed veggies I usually throw in whatever is at hand,
but I always add garlic, peppercorns, and usually a dried chili pepper.
other stuff Ive used in the past:
*mustard seeds
*cumin seeds
*dill weed
*blanched, sliced jalapeno peppers
*pearl onions (not my fav really)
*caraway seeds (loved it personally but children tend to get irked when
they bite into one! LOL)

Garbanzo Beans and Spinach

Armenian Chickpeas and Spinach

Ingredients

1/2 cups of dried chick peas (garbanzo beans), or 3 cans cooked
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
garlic powder or pressed garlic (optional)
1/4 cup tomato paste
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large bunch of fresh spinach (about a pound or so)
lemon wedges

Instructions

1. soak and cook the chickpeas until tender if using dried version
2. put olive oil and onion and garlic in a pot and fry gently until tender and transparent. Add the tomato paste, a few teaspoons of salt, a generous grinding of black pepper, and sugar.
3. Add the cooked chickpeas to the tomato mixture.
4. wash the spinach well, removing any wilted leaves and any tough stems. You can choose to use the leaves alone or the tender parts of the stems with it. Chop them coarsely.
5. Add the spinach to the pot and simmer over low to medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. Add more water to the pot if you really need it.
6. when done, it should look wet, but not too liquid or soupy. Squeeze the lemon wedges on top of it, and serve with pita or flat bread and pickled vegetables.

Mid Eastern Beans and Rice

Ingredients

(this is for the smallest possible batch. I usually double or triple this recipe)

1 can of drained black eyed peas (Iraqi version), or 1 cup cooked green fava beans (Iranian version)
1 cup of basmati rice

butter

salt

dill weed (I use dried)

Instructions

1. put a large pot of salted water on the boil
2. add the rice (you can wash it first or soak it if you want to reduce the cooking time)
3. cook the rice for 8-9 minutes (less if washed) or until it is al dente-- not completely cooked. Drain
4. put some butter (I always use enough to clog my arteries) in the bottom of the pot and melt it--
5. add the drained rice, the drained black eyed peas/fava beans, salt to your taste, and several spoonfulls of dill weed-- you choose how much you'd like-- but at least 1 tbs per batch-- I always use quite a bit more than that.
6. use your spatula to make the rice mixture look like Devil's Tower (dont forget to hum the melody for Close Encounters lol lol ) and poke a few holes down through the mixture with the handle of your spatula to facilitate steaming.
7. I put a few more pats of butter on top and more salt if needed
8. put a paper towel or thin dish towel over the top of the pan, and then put the lid of the pot over the top-- if the rag is long, tie it on top of the lid.
9. Steam on LOW heat for 15-25 minutes or until u can't stand it anymoreHow to eat it-- some people like this with a Roast chicken, but I always go the vegitarian way by just taking home made pickles (torshi) and plain yoghurt to mix in. Serve with a nice salad with a lemon vinagrette too

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
salt
1 pound carrots-- pared and cut into 2.5 inch X 1/4 inch sticks (generally)
fresh parsley, minced

Ingredients For The Dressing

1 clove garlic crushed with salt (or pressed)
3 tbs lemon juice or vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper (or more)
2 tbs minced parsley
2 tbs minced cilantro

Instructions

Bring the water to a boil, add salt and carrots, and steam over medium heat until tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.Prepare the dressing by putting the ingredients together (the recipe recommends putting it in a Tupperware box and shaking it together)Stir the dressing and the reserved cooking liquid into the carrots, cover and simmer about 7 minutes. (the carrots will be soft). Add the fresh parsley and toss. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Hummus

Ingredients

*2 cans of chick peas, or 3c cooked chick peas (save water)
*garlic cloves*Tahini Paste (aka Sesame Seed Paste)
*Lemons or Lemon Juice
*Olive Oil Instructions


Place chick peas, 1/2 cup of its water, several tbs of lemon juice, several cloves of garlic, and 3-4 tbs of tahini in a food processor or blender. Puree, adding salt and white pepper to your taste. If the consistency of the hummus isn't thin enough, add either more water or lemon juice to the mixture. Serve with olive oil, salad, and toasted flat bread.

Lubia Bi Zayt

From Nargis

Ingredients

SPIKE--a bottled vegetable seasoning --this is critical to this recipe. if you dont have this then forget it.
2 cloves garlic, minced
a bunch of fresh washed, trimmed green beans, cut into peices
a lot of chopped parsley
oil
water

Stir fry the beans, and garlic for a few mins. Add the spike. sautee till beans are nearly done. add some water, cover pot with lid and steam a few minutes. Add the parsley. Cook a few more minutes till all is done. Serve with rice.