TART SALAD WITH TOASTED BREAD
2-3 SERVINGS
This refreshing salad is an important dish during Ramadan, because its fresh and healthy ingredients complement the dishes that are served during the fasting month.
ingredients
2 SMALL CUCUMBERS
3 TOMATOES
5 RADISHES, SLICED
OPTIONAL: ⅖ cup (12 G) PURSLANE
⅖ CUP (12 G) MINT LEAVES
⅖CUP (12 G) FRESH SAVORY 1 SMALL YELLOW ONION
3 SCALLIONS
1 ROASTED OR FRIED LIBA OR PITA BREAD
⅖ CUP (95 ML) OLIVE OIL 1½TEASPOONS MINCED GARLIC
⅕ CUP (47 ML) LEMON JUICE 2 TABLESPOONS SUMAC
how to prepare
1. Cut the cucumber and tomatoes into equal-sized cubes. Add the radish slices, but save some for garnish.
2. Mix purslane (if you have it), mint, and savory with the chopped vegetables, sliced yellow onion, and shredded scallions.
3. Break the bread into pieces and mix half of it with the vegetables. Make a dressing with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and half of the sumac. Drizzle over the salad.
4. Garnish with the remaining bread pieces, sumac, and radish slices.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
6 SERVINGS
Many Lebanese dishes consist of stuffed vegetables. Sometimes there is meat in the filling, and at other times the filling is vegetarian. We have replaced whole lamb with ground lamb. The same filling is used for stuffed zucchini. In the photo, you see ghammeh, a type of sausage that is filled with a similar rice blend.
Ingredients
ABOUT 1⅕ CUPS (225 G) SHORT- GRAIN RICE
ABOUT 1½ POUNDS (650 G) GROUND LAMB
OPTIONAL: TWO TOMATOES ABOUT 2 POUNDS (900 G) GRAPE LEAVES (OR SMALL ZUCCHINI) POTATOES
BEEF BROTH LEMON JUICE
how to prepare
1. Mix the rice with ground lamb. You can also add some chopped tomatoes.
2. Put some filling in the center of each leaf (or inside the hollowed-out, small zucchini) and roll into a finger-thick dolma.
3. Place the dolmas (or zucchini) in a pot whose bottom is covered with potato slices. Pour broth over the dolmas until they are covered, and squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top. Place a weight on top so that the dolmas don’t open up, and boil over medium heat until the rice is cooked.
PARSLEY SALAD WITH BULGUR
4 SERVINGS
A popular salad that can be served with anything. At my cooking school, we are proud to have made the world’s largest Tabbouli at 7,841.8 pounds (3,557 kg), which got into the Guinness Book of Records.
Ingredients
3 TOMATOES
2 YELLOW ONIONS
4 CUPS (125 G) CHOPPED PARSLEY LEAVES
⅖ CUP (12 G) CHOPPED FRESH MINT
¾ cup (105 g) BULGUR 1½TEASPOONS SALT
¾TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
⅖ CUP (95 ML) LEMON JUICE
⅖ CUP (95 ML) OLIVE OIL
how to prepare
1. Wash the tomatoes, slice them thinly, and cut them into small pieces.
2. Finely chop the onion. Mix it in a bowl together with the tomatoes, chopped parsley, and mint.
3. Rinse bulgur twice, press out all the water, and add the vegetables, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and oil. Mix thoroughly.
4. Serve cold. Decorate with lettuce leaves and lemon wedges.
SMALL MEAT PIES FROM BAALBEK
25 PIECES
The secret behind the amazing taste is that the meat is cooked inside the dough. The original recipe calls for whole meat of lamb ribs, but in the United States it may be easier to find ground lamb.
Ingredients
DOUGH
ABOUT 1 cup (225 G) BUTTER ABOUT 8 CUPS (1 KG) OF FLOUR
1 TABLESPOON DRY YEAST
3 CUPS (710 ML) WATER
FILLING
1 POUND (450 G) LAMB MEAT FROM THE RIBS, OR GROUND LAMB
1 POUND (450 G) TOMATOES
1½ YELLOW ONIONS
OPTIONAL: ½-1 RED CHILI AND ⅖ CUP (12 G) CHOPPED FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, OR 2 TABLESPOONS TAHINI
how to prepare
1. Crumble the butter into the flour and add the dry yeast. Pour onto the work surface and make a hole in the middle. Heat water to 125°F (50°C), pour it into the pit, and work together to form a smooth dough.
2. Let the dough rise underneath a damp baking towel in a warm place, until it has doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Finely chop the meat if you are not using ground lamb. Mix with diced tomatoes and chopped onions. Add fine chopped chili and parsley, or tahini.
4. Squeeze the air out of dough and roll it out. Cut out circles in the dough, about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. Add a tea spoon of filling in the middle of each circle.
Press the dough around the filling, and pinch the edges on four corners.
5.Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until dough
is golden brown. Serve hot or cold.
SMALL SPINACH PIES
12 PIECES
In the original recipes, leek, greens that grow in the wilderness, are used. In the United States we will have to settle for spinach, which is also commonly used in Lebanon today.
ingredients
3 CUPS (375 G) FLOUR
2 CUPS (473 ML) OLIVE OIL 1 TEASPOON SALT
1 TEASPOON DRY YEAST P/3 CUPS (308 ML) WATER
2 CUPS (300 G) OF FINELY CHOPPED YELLOW ONION
3 TOMATOES, DICED
ABOUT 8 CUPS (250 G) FRESH SPINACH LEAVES
ALMOST 1 CUP (235 ML) LEMON JUICE
How to prepare
1. Mix flour and 1 cup of olive oil with salt and dry yeast. Heat water to 125°F (50°C), and add it to the mixture.
2. Work into a smooth dough. Cover with damp baking towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
3. Heat the remaining 1 cup of olive oil in a large skillet. fry the onion slightly without darkening it. Add the diced tomatoes.
4. Chop the spinach coarsely and add to the pan. Let it fry for a while.
5. Squeeze lemon juice over the mixture and remove the skillet from the heat.
6. Roll out the dough and cut out circles, about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter.
7. Add a teaspoon of filling onto each circle, fold the sides together to form a triangle, and pinch the edges together.
8. Bake at 350°F (175°C), until the pies are golden brown. Serve them hot or cold.
