Awamat
Category: Desserts

Crisp fried syrupy doughnut balls

30-40 pieces   1 h

Ingredients

- 4 cups of pastry flour
- 2 cups of yoghurt
- ¼ teaspoon of soda
- 1 cup of olive oil
- Sugar syrup (see recipe of Qatr)

Preparation

Sift flour and mix with yoghurt and soda. Knead well together.

Heat olive oil until almost smoking. Drop dough by the teaspoonful into hot oil. Fry only a few at a time. They quickly rise to the surface, brown, and are ready to be skimmed out of the fat.

Drain on absorbent paper. When all are fried, dip a few at a time in thin syrup.

Serve them hot or cold.

Photo: © Avlxyz, Flickr.com

Baklawa
Category: Desserts

Assorted nuts-and-syrup-soaked Mediterranean pastry dessert

30 pieces   1 h 30 min

Ingredients

- 2 cups of medium chopped pecans
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of rose water
- 500 g (16 oz) of filo dough
- 500 g (16 oz) of drawn butter
- Sugar syrup (see recipe of Qatr)

Preparation

Combine nuts, sugar and rose water. Filo dough may be spread in a buttered 25 x 35 cm (10 x 14 inch) pan, brushing each layer with butter. Half way through the layering, place nut mixture in 1 to 2 cm (½ to ¾ inch) layer.

Continue layering buttered filo on top. Cut in rectangular shaped pieces of 2 x 4 cm (¾ x 1½ inch). Bake at 150ºC/300ºF for 1 hour, or until golden brown.

Pour syrup over baklawa, making sure the dough is well saturated.

Photo: © Umariletisim, Dreamstime.com

Barazek
Category: Desserts

Crunchy, nutty, lightly sweet sesame pastry

2 dozens   45 min

Ingredients

- 2 cups of sesame seeds
- ½ cup of syrup (see recipe of Qatr)
- 2 eggs
- 1¼ cup of unsalted butter
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 2 cups of semolina
- 1¾ cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- A dash of salt
- ¾ cup of chopped pistachios

Preparation

Preheat oven to 190ºC/375ºF. Mix sesame seeds and syrup. Cream eggs, butter and sugar together. Mix the flour, farina and salt.

Add to the egg mixture and blend all together. Add the milk gradually to form a dough. Cut the dough in small balls. Dip in pistachios. Flatten between your fingers to form 5 cm / 2 inch round cookies.

Place on a greased pan with the pistachios side covered. Cover each cookie with a tablespoon of sesame mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown in a 190ºC/375ºF oven.

Serve with coffee or tea.

Photo: © Ghassan Safi, Dreamstime.com

Bathinjan Moutabal
Category: Starters

Broiled eggplant, blended with tahini and lemon, topped with extra virgin olive oil (also called Baba Ghannouj)

1 cup   30 min

Ingredients

- 1 large round eggplant (aubergine)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 4 tablespoons of sesame seed paste
- 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- A dash of salt and red pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Chopped parsley (to garnish)

Preparation

Cook the eggplant in an oven at 180ºC/350ºF. When it is well cooked through and the skin is blackened, douse with cold water, peel, and chop into small pieces.

Mash the cloves of garlic to a paste with about the same volume of salt. Add eggplant, mash to a smooth consistency and blend the tahini and lemon juice.

Serve in a bowl with little olive oil on top and garnish with chopped parsley and a dusting of red pepper.

Photo: © Paul Cowan, Dreamstime.com

Falafel
Category: Starters

A blend of ground chickpeas and spices, deep fried and served with tahini and tomatoes

10-12 pieces   1 day

Ingredients

- 2 cups of chickpeas (soaked for 1 day)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium potato, peeled
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- ½ teaspoon of red pepper
- 1 teaspoon of flour vegetable oil for frying
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda

Preparation

Drain chickpeas. Run with quarter onion and potato through fine holes of a meat grinder along with the garlic two times. Add all remaining ingredients, except baking soda and vegetable oil, and mix well. Run through grinder once more, and mix again. Cover and leave to rest for 2-3 hours. Heat oil for deep frying. While oil is heating, add baking soda to the chickpea mixture. With dampened hands, form mixture into balls the size of a walnut, then flatten slightly into a patty.

Deep fry, making sure patties are cooked through and are golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve falafel hot with tomatoes, radish, lettuce and taratour sauce.

Photo: © Kitsen, Dreamstime.com

Fatayer bi Sabanikh
Category: Pastries

Spiced triangular spinach pies

12-15 pieces   2 h

Ingredients

- Dough (see recipe of Ajeen)
- 500 g (16 oz) of fresh spinach
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 pinch of ground black pepper
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp of ground sumac
- 1 tbsp of pomegranate thickened juice

Preparation

Prepare dough (see recipe of Ajeen). Leave aside and cover for 1 hour to rise. Make sure dough doubles in volume.

Remove roots and yellow leaves from spinach. Chop finely then wash well and drain, rub with ½ teaspoon of salt. Drain spinach again with your hands to dry. Mash the onions with remaining salt. Add pepper and sumac. Add spinach to onion, then mix in oil and pomegranate. Put aside.

Roll out dough using a rolling pin till dough is as thin as possible (5 mm / 0.2 inch). Invert a tea cup on dough and press to have equal circles. Place a tablespoon of spinach filling on each piece. Bring up sides at 3 points to form a triangular shape. Press edges firmly with fingertips to seal completely (put flour on finger tips to help seal).

Place pies on oiled baking sheets. Bake in an oven at 180ºC/350ºF for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Photo: © Edward Karaa, Dreamstime.com

Fattoush
Category: Salads

Lebanese peasant salad: Medley of fresh vegetables served with lemon dressing and topped with crisped bread

4 persons   45 min

Ingredients

- 6 leaves of romaine lettuce
- ½ cup of chopped mint
- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- ½ cup of lemon juice
- ¾ cup of olive oil
- 1 loaf of flatbread
- 1 diced cucumber
- 2 diced tomatoes
- ½ cup of sliced green onions
- ½ cup of diced bell pepper
- ½ cup of chickpeas

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil. Let stand for 30 minutes. Toast the bread in an oven at 180ºC/350ºF until it is golden brown and crispy. Break the toasted bread into small pieces.

In a bowl, combine the bread, the lettuce torn into small pieces, the cucumber, the tomatoes, the green onions, the bell pepper and the chickpeas. Drizzle the mixture over the salad, toss it together, and serve at once.

Photo: © Edward Karaa, Dreamstime.com

Hommos
Category: Starters

Mashed chickpeas, mixed with tahini and lemon, topped with extra virgin olive oil

2 cups   2 days

Ingredients

- 1½ cups of dried chickpeas
- ½ cup of tahini (sesame seed paste)
- ½ cup of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pine nuts and parsley (optional)

Preparation

Carefully inspect and rinse chickpeas. Remove any pebbles or off-colour peas. Soak the peas in lots of water overnight.

Gently boil the peas for 2 hours, then allow to cool. Put the peas, covered in the remaining water in the refrigerator for another day.

Drain the peas, and blend all of the ingredients to a smooth paste for 15 minutes in a food processor. Add some water to obtain the desired consistency.

Serve with fresh cut vegetables and bread. Garnish optionally with pine nuts and parsley. Add olive oil in the bowl.

Photo: © Edward Karaa, Dreamstime.com

Jawaneh
Category: Chicken Dishes

Chicken wings marinated in garlic

4-5 persons   1 h 30 min

Ingredients

- 8 big chicken wings or 12 small ones
- 8 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- A dash of salt

Preparation

Rinse the chicken wings in cold water and pat them dry with paper towels.

Put the crushed garlic in a large mixing bowl and stir in the olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings. Add the chicken wings, coat them well with the marinade and leave for 1 hour, turning them over occasionally.

Grill or barbecue the wings, for about 10 minutes on each side, or until they are nearly charcoaled and crispy. Alternatively you can bake them for about 30 minutes in an oven at 200ºC/390ºF, turning them over halfway through, so that they are crisp on both sides.

Serve hot with a garlic dip.

Photo: © Vlad Ageshin, Dreamstime.com

Jellab
Category: Extras

Drink made from grape molasses and raisins mixed together and topped with pine nuts

6-8 servings   20 min

Ingredients

- 1 cup of grape molasses
- ½ cup of rose water
- 5 cups of water
- 2 tablespoon of pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon of raisins (optional)

Preparation

Mix the grape molasses with a cup of water and mix well until the molasses dissolves.

Add the rest of water, the rose water.

Serve in glasses and top with pine nuts and ice cubes. Add raisins optionally.

Almonds and pistachios can be substituted for the pine nuts and raisins, as well as added to the mixture if desired.

Photo: © Foodpostink.com

Kafta Mekli
Category: Meat Dishes

Fried lamb or beef fingers

4-5 persons   45 min

Ingredients

- 1 kg (32 oz) of finely minced lean meat
- 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
- 1-2 grated medium onion
- 3 tablespoons of butter or shortening
- 1½ teaspoon of salt
- 1½ teaspoon of ground allspice

Preparation

Blend meat, parsley, grated onion, salt, and pepper.

Divide meat mixture into equal pieces as big as a walnut. Make from each piece a finger shape piece.

Fry fingers with shortening until golden brown evenly.

Serve hot with rice, salad or yoghurt.

Photo: © Robyn Mackenzie, Dreamstime.com

Kebbe Akras
Category: Meat Dishes

Fried balls of ground meat and cracked wheat, stuffed with minced meat, onions and pine nuts

20 pieces   1 h 30 min

Ingredients

- 2 cups of fine burghul
- 500 g (16 oz) of finely ground lean meat
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice
- 3 cups of vegetable oil (for deep fry)
- 1 tablespoon of shortening
- 2-3 medium finely chopped onions
- ½ cup of fried pine nuts
- ½ teaspoon of salt and black pepper

Preparation

Wash burghul then soak in water for 10 min. Drain then press to remove moisture. Mash onion in a food processor then add half of the meat. Remove and mix with burghul, salt, allspice and cinnamon. Process well in batches into a firm paste. Knead mixture with wet hands into a smooth paste. Put in refrigerator for 30 min covered with a piece of wet texture.

Filling: Fry chopped onion with a dash of salt in shortening until transparent. Add the second half of the meat, salt and spices to onions and fry until cooked. Mix in pine nuts. Put filling aside.

Divide paste into egg sized balls. Make a hole in the middle, fill it with mixture then close. Moisten with cold water to seal well and shape with pointed sides. Place balls on a tray. Heat oil in a pan then fry till brown evenly and cooked. Serve kebbe hot with salads and yoghurt.

Photo: © Karammiri, Dreamstime.com

Labneh
Category: Starters

Strained yoghurt topped with extra virgin olive oil, eaten at breakfast or during a mezze

2 cups   1 day

Ingredients

- 6 cups of plain yoghurt
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

In a large bowl, stir the salt into the yoghurt. Place the yoghurt in the center of a piece of doubled cheese cloth, or piece of soft cotton. Pull corners up and tie tightly. Suspend from a stationary object over a bowl (to catch liquid), usually utilizing the faucet over a sink.

Let this hang overnight or about 12 hours. When well drained it will be the consistency of cottage cheese. Remove from the cloth.

Store covered in the refrigerator until needed.

Serve with olives and bread. Add olive oil in the bowl.

Photo: © Justin McIntosh, Wikimedia.org

Malfouf Mehshi
Category: Meat Dishes

Cabbage leaves stuffed with lamb and rice

6-8 persons   2 h

Ingredients

- 1 large head of cabbage
- 750 g (24 oz) of chopped lamb
- 2 ½ teaspoons of salt
- 1 cup of cooked rice
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- ½ teaspoon of allspice
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2 cups of hot water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped

Preparation

Wash the cabbage, drain, turn it upside down. Cut out the stem end and core. Put the cabbage in a large kettle, cover with boiling slated water, and cook until the leaves are loose enough to separate with a fork (20 minutes). Remove the cabbage, drain and separate the leaves.

Mix the lamb and rice with the pepper, allspice, and cinnamon. Place a small amount of the mixture on each cabbage leaf, and roll into a cylinder, tucking in the ends of the leaves.

Place the stuffed leaves in layers in a large casserole. Add the hot water, salt and garlic. Cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve hot.

Photo: © Edward Karaa, Dreamstime.com

Manakish Zaatar
Category: Pastries

Large flat pastry baked with thyme, olive oil, sumac and sesame seeds

3 pieces   1 h 30 min

Ingredients

- Dough (see recipe of Ajeen)
- ½ cup of thyme (zaatar)
- 6 tablespoons of sumac
- 3 tablespoon of sesame seeds
- ½ cup of olive oil

Preparation

Prepare dough (see recipe of Ajeen). Roll dough into 3 large circular shapes.

Combine the thyme, sumac and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl.

Pour the mixture onto the dough then bake for 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC/350ºF.

Serve for breakfast or for a snack. You could add tomatoes, cucumbers and mint if desired.

Photo: © Keko64, Dreamstime.com

Riz maa Djej
Category: Chicken Dishes

Lebanese chicken and rice

4-5 persons   45 min

Ingredients

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 250 g (8 oz) ground beef or ground lamb
- 1½ cup of long grain rice
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 diced medium onion
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper
- ¾ teaspoon of salt
- 3 cups of chicken/lamb stock or water
- 2 tablespoons of minced parsley
- ½ cup of fried almonds

Preparation

Heat the olive oil over high heat in a heavy bottomed pan. Saute the chicken breasts on both sides until they are golden brown. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside. Add the onion to the same pan. Cook until onions and meat are beginning to brown, then add the garlic, cinnamon, allspice, pepper and salt. Saute 2 minutes while stirring.

Add the rice, stir it then place the chicken breasts in the rice. Pour in the stock or water and cover. Bake in an oven at 190ºC/375ºF for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with minced parsley and fried almonds. Serve with a side dish of yoghurt for example.

Photo: © Karammiri, Dreamstime.com

Samke Harra
Category: Fish Dishes

Marinated fish, broiled and topped with lightly spiced sauce

2-4 persons   30 min

Ingredients

- 1 large fish (about 2 kg / 64 oz)
- 1¼ cup of vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 1 cups of finely chopped fresh coriander
- ½ cup of finely chopped onion
- ½ cup of fried pine nuts
- 1 tablespoons of vinegar
- A dash of ground dried coriander
- A dash of piquant red pepper
- A dash of ground cumin
- ¾ cup of lemon juice
- Salt as desired

Preparation

Clean, scale and rub inside and out the fish with salt, then fry in 1 cup of hot oil over medium heat till golden on both sides. Reduce heat and fry till tender. Remove bones. Put fish in a platter.

Fry chopped onion in ¼ cup of oil till soft. Stir in garlic, dry coriander, cumin, pepper and salt. Add lemon juice, vinegar, and some water to onion mixture. Cook until mixture thickens. Stir in for 1 minute green coriander then remove from heat and add on the top of the fish.

Serve in a platter garnished with fried pine nuts and lemon wedges.

Photo: © Dirtykitchensecrets.com

Sfiha
Category: Pastries

Pie made from fresh dough topped with spicy ground lamb meat, onions and tomatoes

12-15 pieces   1 h 30 min

Ingredients

- Dough (see recipe of Ajeen)
- 250 g (8 oz) of finely ground meat
- 250 g (8 oz) of tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- A dash of ground cayenne red pepper
- A dash of ground cinnamon
- A dash of ground allspice
- 1 tbsp of pomegranate thickened juice
- 4 tbsp of fried pine nuts
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 1 tsp of salt

Preparation

Prepare dough (see recipe of Ajeen). Roll dough very thin and into small circular shape.

Mix well meat, tomatoes, onion and spices. Add pomegranate. Mix all with fried pine nuts. Add butter. Put one tablespoon of meat mixture on each piece of dough. Bring the edges up and press them.

Arrange meat pastries in a tray brushed with butter. Bake in an oven at 180ºC/350ºF for 30 minutes or till dough is golden and meat is cooked.

Serve hot with yoghurt if desired.

Photo: © Francisco Antunes, Flickr.com

Shawarma Lahme
Category: Meat Dishes

Sliced meat marinated in red vinegar and spices

3-4 persons   ½ day

Ingredients

- 1 kg (32 oz) of thin sliced sirloin steak
- 1 cup of red vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of allspice
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 pinch of cardamom
- 1 tablespoon of mashed garlic
- A dash of salt and pepper

Preparation

Marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator with all the spices, garlic and vinegar.

Fry the meat in a little bit of oil until half cooked, cut in thin stripes, and put in a baking tray.

Cover with aluminum foil and put in the oven at 150ºC/300ºF for about 20 minutes. Uncover, and leave in the oven for 10 more minutes.

Serve for example with sliced tomatoes, onions, French fries and chopped parsley on a bread topped with hommos, Taratour and Toum. It can also be rolled in a bread.

Photo: © Andrea Skjold, Dreamstime.com

Tabbouleh
Category: Salads

Salad made with burghul wheat and finely chopped tomatoes, mint, onions and parsley

6 persons   2 h 30 min

Ingredients

- 2-3 tablespoons of fine burghul
- 2 bunches of flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup of chopped fresh mint
- 3 green onions
- 1 large tomato
- 6 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Some lettuce leaves

Preparation

Leave the burghul in water for about 2 hours, then wash and squeeze out.

Wash and chop the parsley, mint and green unions very fine. Dice the tomato.

Combine all ingredients including burghul. Add salt to taste, lemon juice, olive oil and mix well.

Serve in a bowl lined with lettuce leaves. This salad can be eaten with a fork, but the traditional way is to scoop up a bite of the mixture in a lettuce leaf.

Photo: © Karammiri, Dreamstime.com