Ingredients:

4lb zucchini, medium size
3lb yoghurt
3 cloves garlic, crushed with a dash of salt
leaves of 5 mint stalks, finely chopped
4 cups water
1/2 tspn salt (as desired)
1lb ground meat
1 1/2 cups rice
2 tbls shortening or butter
a dash of salt
1/4 tspn ground cinnamon
1/4 cup fried pine nuts (optional)

Directions:

Cook yoghurt in a pot at low heat

Wash zucchini, cut off stem and hollow them with an apple corer.
Mix all ingredients of filling (Ground beef, rice salt and cinnamon).
Stuff zucchini. Put stuffed zucchini in a pot with water, salt, and 1/4 the quantity of cooked yoghurt. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Add zucchini to boiling yoghurt, cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add crushed garlic with dried mint to mixture. Boil for another 5 minutes.
Serve with spring onions and fresh mint.

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

1 pound of uncooked ground sirloin beef (make sure it is low in fat so it can be worked into a dough)
½ pound of bulgar
1 pound of ground beef (for the filling)
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)
½ teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon Seven Spices
Olive oil
Unsalted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.Brown 1 lb of ground meat with onions.
Soak bulgar in room temperature water (about 20 -30 min.) squeeze out excess water
Roast pine nuts until dark brown (dry, or using butter)
Once the bulgar is ready, add it in bowl with remaining ground uncooked ground sirloin.
Add spices. Mix these ingredients very thoroughly (using hands- blender optional) as if kneading dough for about 15 minutes and must become dough-like. If it is too thick, drizzle some water into mix.
Coat bottom of metal pan with butter.
Gradually pat bulgar-meat mix in thin layer on the bottom, spread evenly and pat until smooth.
Take cooked meat and onions then mix in pine nuts.
Spread evenly over bottom layer.
Pat gently into meat layer with spatula or spoon.
Add top layer of bulgar-meat mix in thin, even layer. Wet fingers if too sticky.
Smooth surface and edges.
With a wet knife, cut to make your choice of design (diamond is most common which is made by cutting straight across in one direction and diagonal in the other)
Dot unsalted butter on top, place in oven, uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
Broil for 5-10 minutes towards end to brown top.
Cut again before serving.

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups chicken broth or water
4 tbs. butter
3 cups dried moloukhia leaves or 10 oz. frozen
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs. coriander

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or pot, combine chicken, onion and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to simmer. Let simmer while preparing the next steps.

In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Saute crushed garlic with coriander for 2-3 minutes until garlic starts to soften and the coriander becomes aromatic. Take some of the liquid from the chicken to deglaze this pan and add to above.

If using dried leaves, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Stir leaves for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and crush. Add leaves to the simmering pot. Continue simmering for 30 minutes. Total cooking time should be about 45 minutes.
If using frozen leaves, simply add to the chicken pot with remaining butter. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes. Add lemon juice to taste.
Serve hot over rice.  One option for a topping is to make a mix of chopped white onion and vinagar.
For a vegetarian meal, you can substitute vegetable stock and ommit the chicken.

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh green string beans
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 2 whole cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

These succulent beans are served tepid or cold and could be prepared a day in advance.

Heat olive oil in pressure cooker. Fry in it the chopped onions and whole garlic. When yellow, add beans, salt and pepper, and fry gently for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and one cup water (substitute 11 cups fresh or canned tomato juice if desired). Cook under pressure 10 minutes. Simmer uncovered to allow beans to absorb sauce completely. Season to taste.

Cook without pressure if preferred. After vegetables are sauteed, simmer in tomato juice until tender. Serves 4.

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

• 2 pound eggplants, halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• Pita bread wedges

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Generously oil rimmed baking sheet. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast until eggplant is very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop out pulp from eggplant into strainer set over bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain from eggplant.

Transfer eggplant pulp to a food processor. Add 1/4 cup oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic; process until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serve with pita wedges.

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients
Vine leaves
2 cups of finely chopped onions
2 cup of short-grain white rice
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 medium tomato finely chopped
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

If using fresh vine leaves, blanch for at least 3 minutes to soften, then refresh under cold water.
If using preserved ones, rinse under cold water to remove the brine, and drain.
In a large bowl mix rice, onions, parsley, tomatoes, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the vine leaves smooth side down on a clean surface and heap a teaspoon of filling into the center, then fold the stem end and sides over the filling and roll into a cigar shape.
Line the vine leaves in a heavy-based pan, then layer the rolls.
Cover the pot tightly and simmer on a low heat for one hour.
Allow to cool and serve with chilled yoghurt.

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)

(Parsley and cracked wheat salad)

• 2 bunches of common parsley (two good-sized bunches about 150g each)
• a small bunch of mint (about 75g)
• 4 spring onions
• 1 large ripe tomato
• 1/2 glass fine bulgar wheat
• the juice of 2 lemons
• 1/3 glass olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Romaine lettuce or white cabbage leaves to eat the tabbouleh with

Clean the parsley and make it into bunches. Strip off the mint leaves. Wash the parsley, mint, tomato and onion, and leave them to dry well.
For a non-crunchy bulgar version, wash the bulgar wheat, leave to drain, pour into a bowl and just cover with water to soak.
Dice the tomato and add to the bulgar wheat.
Finely chop the parsley, then the mint, and mix with the bulgar and tomato. Finely chop the onions, rub with salt and pepper, then add to the rest of the ingredients.
Dress the tabbouleh with lemon juice, olive oil and salt as necessary. The tabbouleh should be juicy, without swimming in liquid. It is a fresh, slightly acidic salad. Serve with fresh Romaine lettuce leaves or tender, crisp white cabbage leaves.

Sahtein (Bon Appetit)