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Lebanese Cookery
Various areas of the Middle East have their own distinctive cooking traditions. Lebanese Cuisine offers light foods with strong flavors of cinnamon, allspice, and lemons. |
1 Medium eggplant -peel & dice
1/2 c Shopped onion
1 Clove of garlic
1/2 c Sliced mushroom
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 tb All purpose flour
1 can Tomatoes (drained) 16 oz.
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Brown sugar
1/4 ts Dried whole basil
1/8 ts Pepper
2 tb Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook eggplant in boiling water (salted) 8-10 min., drain well. Sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms in olive oil. Add flour, stir until smooth.
Add tomatoes and other ingredients.
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Layer in lightly grease 1 qt.
casserole, top with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375 degree for 25 minutes.
1/2 cup soup noodles
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup short grain rice
salt to taste
2 1/2 cups water
soak rice in hot water 1 hr - drain
Brown noodles in butter in pan. Add drained rice. Stir over medium heat 1 minute. Stir in salt and water. Turn to high and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Time consuming but Tasty. But can be produced in quantities
1 lg. jar or can Grape Leaves
(From Greece or Lebanon)
1 can Chickpeas
3 lg. bunches of parsley
1/2 cup burghul wheat
2 cups water
6 green onions (incl. ends)
2 lg. diced tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped (2 Tbsp. dry)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup lemon juice + Juice of 1 lemon (for pot)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Remove grape leaves from jar - soak 1 hr. in -water. Replace water a few times to remove brine.
Squeeze excess moisture off each leaf. Dry with paper towel. Set leaves aside on a plate.
Soak crushed wheat in water in large mixing bowl 5 minutes. Cup in your hand and squeeze out excess water as tight as possible. Set aside.
Wash parsley well and drain well. Remove stems and chop very fine. (I usually use kitchen shears.) Add to wheat.
Drain Chickpeas and roll each pea between thumb and fingers to remove skin. (It slips off quite easily.) Add to wheat and parsley.
Chop onions fine and along with remaining ingredients, add to parsley and wheat mixture.
Take a leaf and place 1 tsp. of Tabouli mixture in a thin row across width of dull side of leaf with stemmed end closest to you. The shiny side of the leaf should face down to roll best.
Fold the outside edges of the leaf toward the center like an envelope style- roll firmly into a tube shape. Place in pot, alternating layer directions
Sprinkle lemon juice on top. Add water just below top level of rolls. Bring to a rolling boil, . Cover and let simmer about an hour.
Serve with Rice Pilaf, or as an appetizer or wrap stuffed leaves in Pita bread.
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1 cup boiling
water
1 cup burghul wheat
2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
1 small cucumber, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced and drained slightly
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
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Let stand for half an hour then drain.Combine green onions, tomatoes, parsley, cucumber, and mint.
For dressing, combine remaining ingredients in a small jar and shake well.
Pour over wheat mixture. Cover and refrigerate several hours before serving
Roast Eggplant Purée (Baba Ghanouj)
3 medium eggplant
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cupTahini
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
Split the eggplant lengthwise; brush them with 1 tablespoon of the olive
oil. Place the eggplant cut-side down on a sheet pan and roast at450 for
20-30 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft. Allow the eggplant to
cool to room temperature.
When they are at room temperature scoop out the flesh of the eggplant
with a spoon and discard the skins. Place the flesh of the eggplant in a
colander to drain for about 20 minutes.
Place the drained eggplant in a food processor along with the lemon juice, tahini , garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, ground cumin and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Puree until the mixture is smooth and thick. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving