My big fat Middle Eastern dinner...

I don't know what it is about "themes", but I seem to love them.  I enjoy theme parties and dinners and even decorating.  Last night, by special request from my brother Don, I served a (belated) birthday dinner for my sister-in-love Marcie that consisted of simple Middle East inspired dishes.  This kind of cooking is not complicated at all, but it does take a little investment of love and time.  For now,  I'm happy with these easy-to-make and tasty recipes which I've collected from several sources.  Perhaps sometime I will expand my knowledge and expertise to include some of the more "mysterious" dishes.

My first introduction to this kind of food came 42 years ago when a friend I worked with, who happened to be Lebanese, would bring yummy spinach pies for her lunch and share them with me. She gave me her grandmother's recipe and I've enjoyed making these myself from time to time.

Fatayer (Spinach Pies)

Two handfuls flour

salt, sugar, yeast, warm water

(I used about 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, and dissolved 1 pkg. yeast in 1 c. warm water.)

Add yeast & water mixture to dry ingredients, stir together, then knead.  Roll into small balls and put on cookie sheet, covering with a towel and let stand for at least an hour.

In a bowl, mix chopped fresh spinach, chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 tsp. dried mint, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. oil, salt & pepper, and 1 small onion (grated).

Roll out balls into a flat circle, and put about 2 tsp. of spinach mixture in the center.  Fold dough over to form a triangle shape and pinch edges.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet.  Brush with a little oil. Bake @ 375 degrees until a golden color.

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

These are a favorite of ours.  We eat them hot or cold and love them.  I've made them about once a year for the last 20 years or so, having been given this recipe at a church event.  

1 jar (8 oz.) grape leaves 

1 # ground meat (beef is fine) * If you would rather make these "meatless", simply double the amount of rice, and use vegetable broth instead.

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup finely chopped onions

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup tomato puree

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

2 cups beef broth

Carefully remove leaves from jar, drain in colander, and remove stems.  Set aside.  Combine other ingredients, except the beef broth.  Mix well.  Lay grape leaves on work surface, shiny side down, and place about 2 tsp. mixture on each leaf, close to the base.

Fold the sections of leaf around mixture and roll to completely enclose, making a neat roll.  Line casserole dish with some of the leaves and layer rolls on top.  Cover layers with a few more leaves and repeat until all mixture is used.  Pour beef broth over rolls.  Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Note: Do not be intimidated by the $40/# price of pine nuts! I made a double recipe of these and that translated to 1/8 of a pound, or about $5 worth of pine nuts, and made over 50 dolmades.  You can buy these in very small quantities.  They are the essential ingredient in these delicious treats!

I serve them drizzled with olive oil and crumbled feta cheese

Tabbouleh

I always feel like I'm eating really healthy when I have Tabbouleh.  The main ingredients are bulgur, a whole grain and high fiber wheat, and fresh parsley.  A friend gave me this recipe years ago and it is the only one I use.

1 cup bulgur wheat, soaked in 2 cups cold water for 1 hour, then drained with a sieve.

1 chopped fresh tomato

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped mint

Mix the above and set aside.

Dressing: 

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

dash cinnamon

Mix dressing ingredients and combine with Tabbouleh mixture.  Note: I use this same dressing recipe for a tossed romaine lettuce salad with cucumbers, tomato, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.  It is delicious!

Hummus

This recipe came from cooks.com.  I was looking for something quick and easy that tasted like the hummus from our favorite Middle Eastern restaurant, Aladdin's.  This fills the bill!  I made this in my food processor but you could also use a blender.  I like it very creamy and smooth and it is easy to make up ahead of time and refrigerate.  Serve with pita bread.

2 (15 1/2 oz.) cans chick peas (garbanzos), fully drained

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

olive oil to drizzle on top

Lebanese Chicken

(I didn't get a good photo of this, but you can see 

it in a photo toward the end, on the far right)

This recipe also came from cooks.com.  It is the simplest way I've ever made chicken and oh so tender and tasty.  Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and sweet basil (be generous!) Do not salt the chicken, as the lemon juice makes it unnecessary.  Fill the baking dish to about 1/2 inch deep with lemon juice.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Felafel

My daughter-in-law, Ellie, passed this recipe on to me.  It is very good, but I have to admit I need a little more practice.  The first time I fried these, I think I used to much oil and they tended to fall apart.  The second time I just put a small amount of oil in a fry pan, but I think I let it get too hot as they were frying a little too fast.  Next time I will try a combination of less oil in the skillet and medium high heat.  But these are very yummy, especially eaten with the tahini-lemon sauce.

Two 15 oz. cans chick peas (garbanzo beans)

4 medium closed garlic, minced

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup finely minced onion or 6 scallions, minced

1/4 cup packed minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

a few dashes of cayenne pepper

1/3 cup flour

oil for frying

Rinse the chick peas and drain them well.  Combine all ingredients except flour in a food processor or blender.  Add flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Cook right away OR store in refrigerator for several days in tightly covered container.  When ready to cook, heat a heavy skillet and add about 3 Tbsp. oil.  Drop batter by tablespoons full into the pan, flattening each slightly, like a small, thick pancake.  Saute` for about 10 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.  Add small amounts of extra oil to the pan as needed throughout cooking.  Place the cooked Felafel on a plate lined with paper towels and if necessary, keep warm in a 300 degree oven until serving time.

Left: lemon/olive dressing (see "Tabbouleh", above)

Right:  Tahini-lemon sauce, especially good with Felafel

Tahini-Lemon Sauce

3/4 cup sesame tahini

5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 small to medium clove garlic, minced

3/4 ~ 1 1/2 cups water (depending on desired thickness)

1/2 ~ 1 tsp. salt, to taste

a handful of very finely minced fresh parsley

optional:  dash cayenne pepper, to taste

Place tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in food processor (or a blender). Begin to process.  Slowly drizzle in the water, checking every now and then to monitor the consistency.  When it is as thick/thin as you want it, turn off the machine.  Transfer to a small container and season to taste with salt, parsley, and cayenne.  Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready for use.  This recipe also came from Ellie.  I can't wait to try it as a dip for fresh veggies.  It will keep for several weeks stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container.

Tzatziki (cucumber dip)

This is one of the better known Greek recipes, used for fresh vegetable dips or on pita sandwiches.  I copied this from a magazine some years back.  This is a fairly large recipe, and it can be halved if desired.

2 mini cucumbers

8 scallions 

2 cloves garlic

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

salt & pepper to taste

large carton of plain yogurt

Blend all together in food processor or blender.  

Baklava

Last but not least, I use this Baklava recipe I got from my sister Barb many years ago.  I only tweaked it slightly to accommodate the size of the box of Phyllo. This is so easy to make, I don't know why I don't make it more often.  On second thought, yes I do.  It is full of butter and nuts...but well worth a special treat now and then! And there will be plenty to give some away!

1 1/2 # finely ground walnuts (use food processor)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 cup sugar

3 sticks butter, melted

1 # package Phyllo sheets at room temperature

Mix ground nuts, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl and set aside.  Grease cookie sheet with sides with melted butter.  Layer sheets of Phyllo one at a time and brush on melted butter between each. After 10 sheets, spread one half of walnut mixture, then layer balance of sheets in the same way.  After laying 10 more sheets, spread balance of walnut mixture on. When finished layering all the sheets, cut diamond shapes through top layers only.  Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour, but don't burn.  

While the Baklava is baking, make the syrup.  In a saucepan on the stove, boil 1 cup water, 1 lemon slice, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1 whole clove for about 20 minutes.  Discard lemon slice and clove and add 1/2 cup honey to mixture.

When the Baklava is finished baking, pour 1/2 of the above syrup over the top.  Wait 20 minutes, then pour remaining syrup on top.  

I prepared all the food ahead of time except for the chicken.  Toward the end of the cooking time for the chicken, I put the Fatayer and Felafel back into the oven to reheat, as well as some foil-wrapped pita bread.

We had some hot mint tea with our meal which I simply brewed with natural peppermint tea bags. And I'll let you in on a secret.  While preparing these recipes, I ran out of fresh mint and so I opened a couple tea bags and used the dried mint and it worked just fine.

And now I'm happy that I have all my favorite Middle East recipes in one place.  Tell me if you try any of them, and let me know if you have some that you would like me to try!

The World Needs More Pie...

Anyone who knows me knows I do love to bake pies.  I have my own favorites:  peach, apple, cherry, lemon meringue, pumpkin, chocolate, peanut butter, and vegetable/meat quiches.  On my to-do list is finding time to experiment with some other varieties.  

If I lived near The American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, I would beg Beth M. Howard for a job at the Pitchfork Pie Stand, where she has made peace with herself through making people happy with her pies.  In fact, she has written a book chronicling her journey into pie making: Making Piece, a Memoir of Love, Loss and Pie.  It just sounds like so much fun!  She and her team have actually traveled to third world countries to teach pie-baking.

I saw a recipe a few months ago in a magazine for "hand pies" so I've tired my "hand" at it a couple of times recently.  I just use the same pie crust recipe I always use, and so far I've only used an apple filling.  I have found I can get about 6 hand pies from one pie crust.  These are great when you want to just take a little treat to someone.

One time I was asked to make 5 cherry pies for a Valentine's Day appreciation dinner our small group put on to thank our church's youth group leaders.  That was really easy since my pie crust recipe makes 5 crusts, and I just needed to make 2 batches.

I have made the pumpkin pies for our family Thanksgiving celebrations for years.  I just use the recipe on the Libbey's pumpkin can and double it to make four large pies.

I've posted the pie crust recipe before, but it is the one I use exclusively, so here it is again.  My aunt Mary Ann gave me this recipe back in 1967, 45 years ago, so why would I change now? Sometimes I even make the pie crust one day, divide into 5 equal sized balls, wrap individually and either refrigerate or freeze them.  When ready to use, I let them come to room temperature before I start rolling them out.  

Never-Fail Pie Crust

5 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups shortening

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

cold water

Method:

Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add shortening and work into the flour with two knives until course, about the size of peas, (or use a pie crust cutting tool.) Into a one cup liquid measuring cup, break one egg and beat slightly with a fork. Add vinegar, and then enough cold water to make one cup liquid. Add this to the flour/shortening mixture and mix into a good consistency for rolling.  Note:  In recent years I have been using a very finely ground flour...like cake flour.  I have found that I can eliminate 1/2 cup of shortening when I use the fine flour.  Roll the crusts out one at a time on a floured surface, being careful not to over work the dough.

For a great apple pie, here's what I do:

First I have my pie crusts ready and the pie plate lined with the crust.  Then I take 6-7 medium sized granny smith apples, peel, core, and slice thinly.  As the apples are being prepared, I put them in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.  To all the sliced apples, add 3/4-1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.  Toss gently and fill crust-lined pie pan.  If I remember, I might add 1-2 Tablespoons of butter on top of the apple mixture.  Then I cover with the top crust.  I take my kitchen scissors and cut the perimeter of the crusts so they just barely hang over the pie plate and they are even.  Then I carefully tuck the upper crust in under the bottom crust, then flute the edges with my fingers.  Then I make about 6 small slits in the upper crust.  Lastly, I brush on a very thin coat of milk on the upper crust and sprinkle the whole top with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Bake the pie for about 50 minutes at 400℉.  

There is no question that I fully agree with Beth Howard, The world needs more pie! How about you?

pizzelles anyone?

Our family's bi-annual family reunion is coming up.  Thinking of family and traditions and the generations makes me think of my little Italian grandma. And thinking of grandma makes me think of (among a multitude of wonderful memories) pizzelles.  

My pizzelle maker died last fall after 35 years of faithful service.  I've been on the lookout for a vintage one to replace it ever since, rather than buying a new model.  They were way too expensive on E-bay and I was about to cave in and buy a new one when one of my swapping friends spotted one for me!  She only paid a couple of dollars for it and it is almost identical to the one I had for so many years!

Needless to say, I was very overjoyed to get a "new" vintage pizzelle maker!  Here is the recipe I usually use:

12 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups oil

1/2 tsp. pure anise oil OR 1 TBSP. anise extract

4 cups flour

Beat eggs well, then add sugar gradually while beating.  Add oil and flavoring.  Still beating, add flour one cup at a time and mix well.  Refrigerate batter before using to enhance flavor, but not necessary. That's it!!  Makes 6-7 dozen cookies.  Start through clean up is less than two hours.

I know, I know.  Doesn't sound very healthy, does it?  Well, before you pass judgment, consider that my grandma lived to be over 93 years old and she LIVED those 93 years.  And she made these all the time!

In any event, we love our pizzelles and I made them today.  Half of them I am giving to three different families.  Here's how I do it:

After mixing the batter well and preheating the pizzelle maker which has been oiled using a paper towel,  I drop a soup spoon size amount on each mold.

Every pizzelle maker is a little different, so you might need to experiment to see how long to bake your cookies, but I usually shut the lid for about one minute, till they are a nice light golden brown color. (This recipe is for thin pizzelles.  If you make thicker ones, you will have to bake them slightly longer.)

When I'm ready to remove them from the baker, I use a butter knife to gently lift them out, and place them on a cooling rack.

After they are cooled, I sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

This container is going to a swapping friend who just had twins last week!  Some more are going to the friend who found the pizzelle maker for me, and some others going over to my brother, who just got home yesterday from his week long chemotherapy.  That still leaves plenty to have around the house here!

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Col. 3:17

* "I am linking this recipe up with Walking on Sunshine and Foodie Friends Friday"

Spring has truly sprung...

March has come and gone and it is Easter weekend already! I'll pedal back another day to recount my busy life between the buns, but just wanted to post a few pictures of how I have been de-stressing this past week.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I gravitate to the kitchen when I need a creative outlet and a chance to play.

It was hubby's birthday a couple days ago, and we had a low-key celebration over here...

We decided to go out to eat this year for our Easter dinner, but I still felt the need for a little tradition...so we colored some eggs...

I thought they were just beautiful, but the little artists wanted to decorate them even more with craft paint.  That ended up being a lot of fun!

Yesterday I had some time all to myself, and I made a batch of these apricot thumbprints...

Very easy!  Here's how:  Heat oven to 350 ℉.  Mix 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 egg yolks, and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Add 2 cups flour and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Roll dough into balls and dip into slightly beaten egg whites.  Then roll in 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts.

Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Press thumb gently into center of each ball.  Bake about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and fill centers with jelly.  Return to oven and bake 2-3 minutes longer.  Carefully remove cookies to cooling rack. Makes 3-4 dozen thumbprint cookies.

I couldn't let Easter go by without making hot cross buns.  You can see the recipe here.

The hardest part of making these is waiting patiently for the dough to rise until it doubles in size.

But when it does, just knead it slightly, then form rolls and place on cookie sheets and allow to rest 30 minutes before baking...

I found myself in the kitchen again this morning by about 4:30! I wanted to get the crosses on the hot cross buns in time for my hubby to take some to his early morning men's group.  For some reason I felt the need to boil more eggs and bake more cupcakes (???) ...

Now I'm busy packaging some of this stuff up to give away becaue I sure can't have it all sitting around here!

I'm also putting the finishing touches on these little wooden Easter boxes that I found at the thrift store earlier in the year for less than 50 cents each!  I bought one for each of the six grandchildren and filled them with a chocolate bunny, chocolate eggs, and some tiny jelly beans.  

I'm grateful for so many things this holiday...for a mild winter and now springtime; for a time of focus and contemplation during the Lenten season, for wonderful memories of past Easters with family, friends, and at church; and most of all, for a Risen Savior who died that I might live.  Peace and love to all as we celebrate the glorious day with millions everywhere! 

"He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said"  Mathew 28:6