Posts Tagged ‘Mediterranean Recipes’

Stuffed Zucchini in Yoghurt (Koussa Bi Laban)

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

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)

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Stuffed Grape Leaves (Vegetarian)

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

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)

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Tabbouleh Recipe

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

(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)

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