The national dish of Lebanon

Tabouleh (Bulgur Wheat, Parsley, and Mint Salad)
Yield: 4-6 servings

Tabbouli is the national dish of Lebanon and a woman's skill as a cook is often judged by her preparation of this cracked wheat salad.
3/4 cup bulgur wheat 2 cups warm water 2 cups chopped parsley 3/4 cup chopped mint 1/2 cup sliced green onions 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tablespoon lemon juice 2 diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Soak the bulgur wheat in the warm water for 1/2 hour, or until it is soft. When the bulgur wheat is soft, squeeze out any excess water.

In a large bowl, combine the bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, green onions, olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour before serving.

Fattoush (Toasted Bread Salad)

Yield: 4-6 servings

2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1 loaf flatbread
6 leaves romaine lettuce, torn into 1 inch pieces
1 diced cucumber
2 diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup chickpeas

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil. Let stand for 1/2 hour.

Toast the bread in a 350 oven for 5 minutes, or until it is golden brown and crispy. Break the toasted bread into 1 inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the bread, romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper, and chickpeas. Drizzle the dressing mixture over the salad, toss it together, and serve at once.

Fattoush or Peasant Salad: (Recipe#2)
2 cups shredded lettuce (romaine and/or iceberg)
1 large or 2 small cucumbers, small dice
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley, leaves only, no stems
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves, no stems
1/2 to 1 green pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon sumac
2 pieces of pita bread toasted until golden brown, broken into pieces the size of a quarter

Dressing:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 to 4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper

In a small bowl mix all dressing ingredients well.

Put all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 to 1 cup dressing. Serve immediately.

Tossed Salad
Salata
Serves 4

1 small head lettuce, cut or torn into large pieces
3 medium to large tomatoes, cut into large pieces
1/2 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped mint leaves, or 1 tsp. dried mint
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic,crushed
salt
black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a salad bowl. Toss lightly and season to taste.


Hummus bil Tahina

Yield: 3-1/2 cups

3 cups chickpeas
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 cup tahini (sesame butter)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Purée the chickpeas and garlic in a food processor, add the tahini, lemon juice, cold water, salt, and cayenne pepper; purée another minute or two until the mixture is very smooth.

To serve: place the hummus on a plate that has been lined with lettuce leaves, make an indentation in the center of the hummus and pour in the olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley across the hummus. Serve with Arabic flatbread or pita.

Roast Red Pepper Hummus
Yield: 4 cups

3 red bell peppers
3 cups chickpeas, canned or cooked and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 cup tahini (sesame butter)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

Place the whole peppers in an oven-proof skillet and set them to cook in a preheated 450 F. oven. Turn the peppers every 10 minutes; roast them for approximately 30 minutes or until the skins have blackened. Place the roast peppers directly from the oven into a paper bag and seal it closed. Allow the peppers to rest for 10 minutes in the bag, this will loosen their skins. Remove the peppers from the bag and while holding them under cool running water, peel away the black skins and remove the stems and seeds; all that should remain is the flesh of the roast peppers.

Combine the roast peppers, chickpeas and garlic in a food processor and purée until smooth. Add the tahini, lemon, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper; purée another minute until the mixture is very smooth.

To serve: place the hummus on a large plate that has been lined with lettuce leaves. Make an indentation in the center of the hummus and pour in the olive oil. Sprinkle the parsley across the hummus and serve with Arabic flatbread or pita.

Baba Ghanouj (Roast Eggplant Purée)
Yield: 8 servings

3 medium eggplant
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup tahini
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 sheetpan 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.

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
Khiyar bi-Laban
Serves 4

3 cloves garlic
salt to taste
1 quart plain yogurt
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons dried mint

Crush the garlic with the salt in the bowl. Add the yogurt and mix well. Stir in the cucumbers and, finally, the mint.

Green Beans with Onions, Tomatoes and Mint
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 pound fresh green beans
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1-1/2 cups canned, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water or chicken stock
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Wash the green beans and pick both ends. Cut them into 2 to 3 inch lengths.

Heat the olive oil, over high heat, in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and sauté them until they just begin to caramelize (3-4 minutes), add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, salt, black pepper and mint; sauté for 2 minutes while stirring.

Add the diced tomatoes, water or stock, lemon juice and green beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and allow the beans to simmer until they are fully cooked (10-15 minutes).

Warak malfoof (Stuffed cabbage cigar rolls, the Lebanese way)
Ingredients:

- One cabbage between 2 1/2 to 3 kg (1) (regular or "curled". NOT the red one)
- Two middle sized tomatoes, around 200 grams each (2)
-170 grams of Italian white rice
- 200 grams of minced meat. Ask for the "medium grind" (should not be ground very smooth)
- Middle-eastern spice mixture. You'll find it in stores under "Jamaica spices", (this should contain cloves and cinnamon). It's a very mild and soft spice, so you can use it to taste. It is the only spice mixtures authorized for people with ulcers.
- Two lemons (2)
- One teaspoon of crushed dried mint leaves
- Fresh garlic cloves of about one to two bulbs (or to taste)
- Salt

How to prepare the cabbage:

Let water boil in a big pot.

Do not worry about the cabbage leaves being "thick", unlike in the Med.
You turn the cabbage upside down, and remove its "butt" with a knife, in a circular and diagonal manner, with your knife pointing towards the inside. Once it is removed, it will look like a big solitaire diamond, or a circular pyramid (if I may express myself this way :-) This is to let you peel it easier, later. Then, throw away the first leaf layer.

Place the whole cabbage in the boiling water for a few seconds. Start removing the leaves, as they get soft and peel off easy. Continue until all desired size leaves are removed. Keep the balance for later use.

Now, with a knife, cut off the "middle rib" of each leave, that is too "rigid", without taking it off completely, in order to keep the whole leaf. Just make it thinner. Do not throw the cut off "ribs". Add them up to the "un-rollable" remain of the cabbage for a later use.

The Stuffing Mixture:

Put one of the tomatoes in the boiling water for a few seconds, take it out, and peel its skin off. Cut it all in cubes, as small as possible. Place the tomato cubes, the rice (which you must have washed thoroughly, previously) and the minced meat in a bowl, add the spices and the salt (to taste. But bear in mind that we'll be using water, another tomato, the remaining "ribs" as well as garlic and two lemons' juice, later on. These can support some extra salt) Mix them all together with your hands (please wash them well first, as I might show up for supper :-)

Slice the second tomato in circles, and place them in the bottom of a middle sized pot, covering it up, if possible. Now, take the "left over" rib cuts and the remaining smaller leaves, and spread them on top of the tomatoes. This will allow a perfect simmering of the "cabbage cigar rolls", without any burning or overcooking.

Place a "line" of the mixture on the border of the cabbage leaf, and
start rolling it like a cigar, after bringing its two extremities to the
inside, in order to seal it. You should have a "cabbage cigar roll"
thing, when properly done. Try to adjust the size of each leaf. The big first ones may need to be divided. As each "cigar" is rolled, place it in the pot, in a circular manner (as
in a bicycle wheel shape). They should be close to each others though.
Bear in mind that they will expand during cooking time, because of the rice). When the first layer is completed, place 4 to 6 peeled garlic cloves symmetrically on to, and start the second layer. repeat with the garlic cloves, until all cigars have been placed. Now, take a dish, (chose a size that will fit INSIDE the pot), turn it upside down, cover the last cigar layer with it, and ZIP the cigars slightly... sorry, I mean "compress" them a little, with the palm of your hand. As you keep the pressure, add water, until your hand is fully covered with water, as your pressure hasn't been released. KEEP the dish there. Let it simmer on a very low heat, 45 to 60 minutes. When you see they are cooked, remove the dish, and leave it simmering. Sprinkle the crushed mint leaves equally on top. Now, squeeze the tow lemons, and pour the juice over the mint leaves. Let it simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Moossakaa

Ingredients

75g	split or whole chick peas, soaked overnight or 150g tinned chick peas drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp	bicarbonate of soda (optional)
12 small	aubergines or 2 large ones.
	vegetable oil for frying
3 tbsp	extra virgin olive oil
2	medium onions, thinly sliced
4	garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
800g	ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped
	salt to taste
Method
	Put chick peas in three times their volume of water with the bicarbonate of soda overnight. Rinse the chick peas in cold water, put them in a saucepan on high heat covering them with water. Boil gently for one hour. Peel aubergines in strips and then cut them into quarters lengthways. Fill a wide frying pan with enough vegetable oil to deep fry and place on medium heast. When oil is hot fry the aubergines until golden on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and place on kitchen paper to saok up surplus oil. Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sliced onion and garlic into a deep saucepan. Place the frying pan over medium heat and fry the sliced onion and garlic until golden. Add drained cooked chick peas and saute for a couple of minutes. Stir in chopped tomatoes, season with salt, cover the pan and boil gently for 15 minutes. Then carefully arrange the aubergines in one layer in the tomatoe sauce, put lid back on and boil gently for another 20 minutes to thicken the sauce. Let the aubergines cool down before transferring them carefully onto a serving platter. Pour the sauce in between them to show the striped effect and serve at room temperature. Serves 4.

Lebanese Chicken

This easy chicken dish really tastes marvelous served cool or room temperature. Adapted from Bon Appetit.

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 small chickens, cut into serving pieces (do not remove skin)
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk lemon juice, minced garlic, thyme, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
Place the chicken pieces in a large zipper lock plastic bag, pour in the marinade and seal. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight or up to 24 hours, turning the bag occassionally.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer chicken pieces to large roasting pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Bake until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 50 minutes.
Serve hot, cold or room temperature. Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Mujaddara

1 large onion, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup lentils, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups Basmati rice

Fry the onions in oil until tender. Remove the onions and spread on a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
To the oil, add the lentils, salt, 3 tablespoons oil and water. Bring to a boil with occasional stirring.
Add the rice, bring back to a boil and let boil until most of the water is absorbed.
Reduce the heat to low and let simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender. Add more water if needed.
To serve, spoon rice mixture onto a large platter then sprinkle the fried onions on top of the rice. Sprinkle with a dash of salt.

Pita Bread

2 tsp. dry yeast

1 cup warm water

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup warm water. Sift together the flour and salt and mix the yeast and water. Work the mixture into a dough and knead for several minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll into balls. With either your hand or a rolling pin, pat and press each ball of dough into a 5-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the pita are light golden brown.

Yogurt

LABAN

1 quart milk
1 Tbsp. laban starter

Laban (yoghurt) is essential to the Middle Eastern diet. It goes under many names but whatever it is called, it is ever present. Its acidity makes it a diet regulator. The laban culture is kept going in the Leb anese kitchen at all times. Family members who emigrate usually take a laban culture along with them to their new country. To preserve the culture they soak a clean handkerchief in fresh laban, let it dry carefully, wrap it in clean paper and put it in a safe pocket.

When preparing laban, temperature conditions must be exactly right and the culture must not be disturbed while it is working.

Scald milk and cool to almost lukewarm. Stir the starter, which has been saved from a previous batch, until smooth. Thin with several tablespoons of warm milk. Stir starter into rest of milk. Mix well. Cover bowl with a china plate and wrap in a heavy wool cloth or blanket. Leave undisturbed in a warm, but not hot, place. In summer laban usually clabbers in about three hours; in winter it requires an hour more. When completely clabbered place in refrigerator. Do not jar the laban and thereby disturb the curd. Serve cold. Many ways of serving laban are described in this book. It is equally good with meat, vegetables or fruit. It is never served with fish, however.

Labni

(Fresh Cheese made from Yogurt)

2 cups yogurt

1/2 t. salt

EQUIPMENT

Muslin sack or several layers of cheesecloth made into a bag

Large bowl

Combine yogurt and salt. Pour into a muslin sack, tie up, and suspend over a large bowl. Let drain overnight. The bowl will catch the dripping liquid. In the morning, discard the water. Unwrap the cheese and use as a spread on pita or form into small balls and serve with olive oil and chopped fresh mint or with black olives.

Makes 1/2 cup

Shish Kabab

2 lb. leg of lamb

1 Tbs. olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper

1 medium onion, sliced

3 medium tomatoes, sliced

Bay leaves

Green pepper (optional)

Eggplant (optional)

Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Mix olive oil and lemon juice and rub into meat. Place in dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with slices of onion and tomatoes and a few bay leaves. Place in refrigerator for 4 or 5 hours.

Arrange meat on skewers with tomatoes and onions, alternating. Add an occasional bay leaf. Broil over charcoal, but may also be done over an open wood fire or in an oven broiler. Green pepper and eggplant may also be inserted on skewers.

Kafta

Total Time: 1 hrs. 5 min. | Baking Time: 45 min. | Preparation Time: 20 min.

Kafta is a Middle Eastern type hamburger mixture. When it is baked and topped with saucy potatoes it becomes an everyday homestyle Arabic meatloaf. The one hit or miss with this recipe is the potatoes; sometimes they just won't become tender. Not to take any chances when company is coming, I preboil them before adding them to the kafta.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion - minced
1/2 cup parsley - chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
4 potatoes - peeled and sliced
16 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix beef, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice. Spray a 9 x 12 " pan with cooking spray. Pat beef mixture onto bottom of pan. Line top of beef mixture with thinly sliced potatoes. In a medium bowl, dilute the tomato sauce with the water. Pour over potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Fried Fish
SAMAK MAQLI

The Mediterranean waters bordering Lebanon yield many succulent fish. Of these, the Lebanese prefer one called the Sultan Ibrahim which they usually pan-fry and serve piping hot with a sauce. Fish sauces include mayonnaise, taratour bi taheeni (a sesame flavored sauce), or a mixture of pine nuts crushed well together with lemon juice, garlic and salt. Lemon wedges always accompany fish, no matter what other sauce is served.

Clean and scale the fish. Leave the head, but remove the eyes. Sprinkle inside and out with salt. Place the salted fish in the refrigerator for several hours. Let it return to room temperature before cooking. Dredge fish in flour. Fry in half inch olive oil until browned, shaking pan gently during cooking to prevent sticking. Turn fish once. Fry pieces of Arabic bread in the same oil and use them to garnish the fish, along with radishes and green onions.

Fish is often served with bits of fried vegetables such as squash, eggplant or cauliflower. It also combines well with hummus bi taheeni and baba ghannouj.

Baklava

Baklava (also known as baklawa) is a popular pastry that takes on many forms, depending on which part of the eastern Mediterranean you are in. However, the basic idea (buttery, flaky pastry dough with a filling (usually nuts) stays the same. When working with filo dough, always cover sheets that are not being used with a damp towel (to keep the fragile dough from drying out). A food processor is the best way to finely chop the nuts. Although, I prefer pistachios, walnuts and blanched almonds are commonly used. If you are going to use walnuts, you can add 2 teaspoons cinnamon to the walnut sugar mixture. Its a good idea to make the syrup first, so it has time to cool. If the baklava is too sweet for you, you can use less syrup.

2 cups pistachio nuts - finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound filo dough - thawed
1 pound butter - melted
4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 drop lemon juice
2 teaspoons rose water

For the Baklava

In a medium bowl, combine sugar and nuts. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the bottom of a 14 x 10 inch pan. Lay 2 sheets of filo over the bottom of the pan. Brush generously with butter. Repeat until half of the filo dough is used up. Spoon the nut mixture evenly over the last layer. Place two sheets of filo over the nut mixture. Brush generously with butter. Repeat until the remainder of the filo dough is used up (ending with butter). Cut into 3 inch squares. Halve the squares to make 1 1/2 inch triangles. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees F. Remove from oven and pour cold syrup over the baklava. Saturate well.

For the Sugar Syrup

Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup. Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Boil over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Before removing from heat, add rose water and let come to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.

	Falafel
Ingredients
200g	dried, peeled and split broad beans
100g	chick peas
1 tsp	bicarbonate of soda
5	large garlic cloves, peeled
1	medium onion, peeled and quartered
1	small leek, washed, trimmed and cut into two or three pieces
1/4 bunch	coriander trimmed, washed and dried
1/2 tsp	bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp	ground cumin
1 tsp	ground allspice
1/4 tsp	finely ground black pepper
1/8 tsp	cayenne pepper (optional)
	salt to taste
Method
	Soak broad bean and chick peas overnight stirring in 2/3 for beans and 1/3 for peas of bicarbonate of soda. Skin chick peas and drain peas and beans and rinse under cold water. Place in blender together with other ingredients to produce a smooth paste. Allow to rest 30 minutes. Shape the mixture with your hands to fat round cakes of 5-6 cm. The mixture will make up to 16. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan and when the oil is very hot deep fry the falafel until golden brown on both sides. Drain on several layers of kitchen paper. Seve hot, tepid or at room temperature with pita bread and diced tomatoes, pickled cucumbers, sweet chilli peppers.

Fried or Broiled Kibbeh

KIBBEH QRASS MASHWIEH or MAQLIEH

Kibbeh in a Tray

KIBBEH BI SSANIEH

Kibbeh in Laban (yoghurt)

KIBBEH BI LABAN

Stuffed Vine Leaves

MAHSHI WARAK AREESH

Mujaddara

Pita Bread

Yogurt

LABAN

Shish Kabab