Creamy Shallot Dip from Sevan

As a kid, sour cream and onion potato chips were one of three absolute favorite grocery store snacks, beef jerky and dill pickles being the other two. As I got older, I was gradually awakened to the deflating reality that those powdery green-flecked slivers of potato-esque goodness weren't as transcendent as I had once believed. Fast forward through 20 years of relative snacking disappointment until last year when The Scientist's cousin-in-law made us this dip. Sour cream n' onion is back, only now it's genuinely tasty. Of course this recipe isn't Iraqi, but it is a family favorite, so enjoy!


Creamy Shallot Dip from Sevan
Ingredients
2 cups plain strained yogurt (Greek or lebne)
1-2 Tbsp. finely diced shallot, to taste
1/2 - 1 tsp. kosher salt, to taste

Directions
Stir to combine and refrigerate 1-4 hours before serving to allow flavors to develop. It's good the next day, too!

Notes
This recipe is a welcome and additive-free addition to party trays. Serve with potato chips (of course) or cut veggies such as carrots, celery, sweet peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes or mushrooms, as a sandwich spread, on baked potatoes or chili, or anywhere you'd like a cold and creamy punch of rich oniony flavor.

The richness of this dip can be adjusted easily by which yogurt you choose. I prefer whole milk Greek yogurt, but 2% or fat-free could be subbed in. The texture and mouth feel would be affected, but if you'd like to reduce fat content, they are acceptable alternatives to whole milk yogurt.

Tabbouleh: Better, Faster, Stronger

Recently I re-read my tabbouleh recipe from back in the day. While heartfelt, it was verbose, unnecessarily long, replete with strange suggestions and unimportant details. That was the first recipe I ever blogged, and while I am certainly not the world's authority on recipe writing, I'm starting to do things differently. And as the photo suggests, these days I need things to be faster, more reliable, and less fussy.

So, take two. But much better tasting, for our money. The Scientist likes his tabbouleh bracingly acidic, so this recipe tends to be quite lemony. Sometimes I serve extra lemon wedges alongside so those who wish can turn up the tart even higher!

Tabbouleh
Ingredients
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. water
1/3 cup #1 bulgar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground coriander (my optional 'secret' ingredient)
1 tsp. dried mint or the leaves from 3 stems of fresh mint, finely chopped
4 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, packed (about 2 big bunches)
2 medium-sized vine-ripened tomatoes, diced, about 1 cup
1 cup white onion, finely diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, the best you have (I like California Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Trader Joe's)

Directions
Squeeze the lemons and pour juice and water over the bulgar and seasonings. Stir. Set aside for 10-15 minutes until the bulgar softens.

Meanwhile, triple-wash the parsley and place in a colander to drain for a few minutes.

Chop parsley, onion, then tomato and place in a medium/large salad bowl.

Once the bulgar has softened and absorbed the lemon juice, add it to the parsley mixture and gently toss to combine.

Finish with olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Most importantly, enjoy!



Notes:
-It's a matter of personal taste whether to use flat or curly-leaf parsley. We've tried both, and as it never lasts long enough at our place to get soggy (a common complaint about flat-leaf), we prefer Italian.
-I used to carefully remove the stems from the parsley leaves before chopping it up. Since then, my eyes have been opened to the crunchy deliciousness of finely chopped parsley stems in tabbouleh. So while I don't include all the stems, I do chop the bunches all the way from the leafy tops to the point where there are no more leaves left, inevitably getting plenty crunchy bits of stem.
-It's important to slice through the parsley only once so the leaves don't get chewed up by the knife. Which also means the food processor is not ideal here (sorry).
-The parsley doesn't have to be completely dry before use. The water droplets left on the leaves after washing help cut the acidity of the lemon juice.
-Bulgar #1 can be found in some international and all Middle Eastern groceries. Larger grinds of bulgar will take much longer to soften.

Fetteh Badinjan

All the separate components of this are so good, the finished product can't fail. Right now I'm waiting for my dear sweet husband to come home so we can mix this all up and dive in.

Ingredients:

Sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. dried mint
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Topping
3 cups plain yogurt
3-4 cloves garlic, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" cubes
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt
1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Chopped flat-leaf or curly parsley (I prefer flat-leaf)

Pita chips, store bought or homemade. I like Stacy's, but if I'm not in a hurry, homemade pita chips are divine. See recipe for fatoush for instructions.

Directions

First, prepare the peeled and cubed eggplant by sprinkling the salt over it, tossing well to coat, then allowing it to rest in a colander while you prepare the sauce.

To make the sauce, saute onion over medium/high heat until translucent, then reduce heat and add tomato, mint, pomegranate molasses, pepper and salt. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Simmer on low while you prepare the other ingredients.

Before you fry the eggplant, rinse off the salt and gently squeeze excess moisture from the eggplant with your hands. Pre-heat canola oil 1/4 cup at a time over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet until hot but not smoking. Carefully fry the eggplant in two batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan, turning when brown bits start appearing on the bottom of the pieces. You will notice that the eggplant absorbs quite a lot of oil, so after turning the eggplant, add another 1/4 cup. I know what you're thinking...just keep it to yourself. :o) Fry until golden brown, then transfer to a paper towel.

Drain any excess oil from the pan and toast the pine nuts until golden brown, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn. Remove to a separate dish, then saute the ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Fold the eggplant into the tomato sauce.

Now, layer!
Bottom: In a large, shallow dish, layer 3-4 cups pita chips.
Next: Spread the tomato/eggplant mixture over top.
After that: Yogurt mixture
Finally, decoratively arrange the ground beef, chopped parsley, and pine nuts on top 'cause it's purty and because then people can help themselves to their favorites.

Good cooks'll tell ya
My sweet mother-in-law says the proper way to do the eggplant is to really deep-fry it until brown, but I wimped out. But you can try it!

Kubba Hamuth

This is my husband's second favorite kubba, keeping in mind that the entire kubba genre is his overall favorite food of all time. That translates to some pretty good stuff.

This recipe could also use some tweaking to fit the original purpose of the blog: detailed recipes that anyone could follow...no expertise needed. But it could be a while before I make this again, so I'm publishing, and that's final. At least until I post a revised version, as I am wont to do.

I've seen vastly different recipes in books and on the internet, and have talked with different fantastic cooks, including my sweet mother-in-law (my go-to expert). This recipe combines my favorite elements of each version, while still staying true to the basics...lamb broth, turnips, lemon juice and mint. I admit, however, I prefer mine less tart than the Scientist likes...so I serve it with an extra half of lemon on the side so he can pucker it up to his liking. This strategy works for us since one can always make this more sour according to taste, but it's trickier to reduce the acidity. Note: he still says that's cheating...if it's not sour, it's not kubba hamuth, 'cause hamuth means sour! Sorry, Baby. I love you!

serves 4

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T. vegetable oil
2 lamb shoulder chops, with bone, about 3/4 lb. each
salt and freshly ground pepper

3 turnips, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces (I like 3/4")
9 cups water, plus more
1/4 cup tomato paste (Tukas brand, if possible)
3/4 tsp. dried mint, or to taste
the juice of 2 lemons
salt and pepper, to taste

12 kubba

In large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat oil, then saute onions until lightly browned. Meanwhile, salt and pepper both sides of the lamb shoulder chops. Push onions to the side of the Dutch oven and brown the meat on both sides.

Add water, turnips, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, or until the turnips are tender and the flavor of the broth has deepened. Taste and adjust salt and pepper frequently. The turnips absorb a lot of salt, so don't be afraid to adjust the seasonings more than once.

Stir in tomato paste, then add mint and lemon juice. These go in towards the end because their flavors are more delicate and the long boiling affects their flavor.

Drop kubba into boiling sauce and cook on medium-high heat until they float to the top, about 10 minutes or more.

Serve with rice and a green salad.

Enjoy!

Fatoush

Serves 4

This Lebanese gem is my absolute favorite salad ever. I jokingly call it "Fat Tush", but all the ingredients are very healthy. I actually like it even better than my other favorite, Tabbouleh, which is more classic in my husband's Muslawi cuisine. This recipe is my own adaptation of countless recipes I've read on the internet and versions I've tried in friends' homes. I actually copied this recipe from my other blog. Try it and enjoy!

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp granulated onion
1/8 tsp celery seed
1/8 tsp sumac (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fresh garlic, smashed into some sea salt
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
15 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake, shake, shake! This can be made up to a day ahead, but if you do, add the mint and cilantro just before serving so they'll be at their freshest when you eat.

Salad

2 cups torn romaine lettuce hearts
2 medium tomtoes, chopped (chopped cherry tomatoes are great, too, due to the intensity of their flavor)
2 Persian cucumbers, chopped (about 1 cup, if you're not using Persian)
1/4 - 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Resist the temptation to use anything but the hearts of romaine on this salad...all the flavors should be fresh and vibrant...no toughness or bitterness allowed. Marriage metaphor, hmmm?

Pita Chips

2 whole wheat pita rounds, cut into chip-sized pieces
extra virgin olive oil for frying
Sea salt

Immediately before serving, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place pita pieces into the skillet. Fry over high heat until browned and crispy. Watch carefully, as oil will be near the smoking point. Salt to taste. Transfer to paper towels.

Assembly

Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Keep everything cold until ready to serve. Fry the pita chips immediately before serving and serve the pita chips on the side so people can garnish with how much they like. This is also preferable to adding the chips directly to the dressed salad because they stay much crispier.

Serve as an appetizer or side salad and enjoy!

Posted to My Other Blog by me! on September 9, 2007

Bamia

This one I like enough, but not as much as other dishes. I guess I prefer okra battered and fried, the way my Aunt Norma makes it. The Scientist asked me to add bamia to the rotation, though, so here it is, thank you very much. And he really does like it! And yes...I'll eat it.

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs. lamb neck or other tender cut of lamb, with bone
5-6 cups water
1 tsp. salt

In large stockpot, bring water, salt, and lamb to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to make a light stock, reduced to approximately 4 cups. After 30 minutes, remove from heat, allow to cool, and chill overnight. Skim hardened fat from the stock.

1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/8 tsp. ground cardamon
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
6 Tablespoons tomato paste, preferably Tukas brand
1 lb. frozen cut okra
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Saute onion and spices in olive oil until translucent, then add garlic and saute 2 more minutes. Add lamb, stock and tomato paste, stir to combine and heat to simmer. Add okra and sugar, then simmer 15 minutes (do not boil or overcook) or until okra is cooked. Remove from heat, then squeeze lemon juice over everything and stir lightly.

Serve over basmati rice. Makes good leftovers!

Fasoolyah Beytha

Revised 11/13/10

Hi Jenni and Charisma! This is one of the easiest dishes to prepare or pronounce that I make (Fa SOOL yah Bey THAH). It means "white beans" in English. There are many variations on this soupy, rich and flavorful curry, depending upon who you are and where you're from, but this is how we do it around here. It's really simple to throw together, and has so few ingredients; it just works for us. Each time I whip this up, the Scientist insists it's the best I've ever made...ever (but I swear I stick to this formula)!

P.S. Someday I'll replace this awful photo. Ahem.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dry great northern beans
1 quart water, more if needed
3 Tbsp. salt

6-8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
1-2 quarts of water, more as needed
1/2 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
2-3 heaping Tablespoons madras curry, to taste (lately we love Rajah brand, mild, and no, they don't sponsor me!)
1 can tomato sauce, plus an optional 1-2 Tbsp. tomato paste, if desired

optional:
1/8 tsp. black pepper, or to taste
1-3 dashes cayenne pepper, to taste

1/2 white or vidalia onion, cut in 1 inch wedges

Preparation
Soak beans overnight in water with 3 Tbsp. salt. The next day, rinse the beans well, then cook in fresh water.

Bring water and beans to a boil over high heat in a 6 quart minimum pot. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until soft and fully cooked, approximately 45 minutes. Add water if necessary to keep beans from cooking dry.

When beans are tender, add salt, curry powder and chicken, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes or so, until chicken is cooked through. Add tomato sauce and simmer 10 more minutes. Add water if the levels gets too low.

Serving SuggestionServe over basmati rice, being sure to dish out a piece of chicken, soupy sauce and plenty of beans for everyone. By the time it's served the beans should be a beautiful golden color. And this looked crazy the first time I saw it, but it's great...put raw white or vidalia onion on the table, cut in thick wedges, and take a nibble (or chunk) with each bite of curried goodness. Beware, lovers and friends, this is potent stuff. You can always skip the onion, but it's soooooooo good!

I used to insist on using only Ship brand Madras curry powder, but alas, for some reason, it has become all but impossible to find. Now we use whatever brand we have on hand, but we're on the lookout for a new favorite.