Middle Eastern Cooking . . .

[jordanianprincess 0]

here's the recipe, so simple and easy!!

Middle Eastern Kufta...Quick and Easy.

This recipe is quick and easy. Its one of my favorite dishes. Serve with a side of rice and a great salad.

1 1/2-2 lbs ground beef or ground lamb or ground turkey

1 large onion

1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

4 cloves garlic

seasoning salt or salt

allspice

black pepper

garlic powder

topping

3-4 tomatoes (any size)

3-4 potatoes

What you can do is start by chopping up your parsely in a food chopper until fine.

Do not use dried parsley.

Then put the parsely in a large mixing bowl.

Then cut onion up into pieces-- doesnt matter how small just so you can fit it into the chopper and combine the garlic and chop away until fine-- not pasty though.

Put the onion garlic mixture in the bowl with the parsley and add ground meat and spices.

Mix with hands until everything is well blended.

Pat the meat mixture down in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and broil in oven until top is browned, this will enhance the flavor, then take out of the oven.

Peel potatoes.

Slice tomatoes and potatoes into quarter of an inch in size and layer-- potatoes first and then tomatoes will be top layer.

sprinkle with a little salt-- and bake in oven about 425 degress covered with foil for approximately 45 minutes to and hour-- enjoy.

6-8 servings Change size or US/metric

1 hour 15 mins prep

For a variation, you can take some tahini (1/2 cup) dilute with 1/2 cup of water and pour it over the dish and cook for another 10 min or so. Yummy

[cbd2cai 0]

here's the recipe, so simple and easy!!

Middle Eastern Kufta...Quick and Easy.

This recipe is quick and easy. Its one of my favorite dishes. Serve with a side of rice and a great salad.

1 1/2-2 lbs ground beef or ground lamb or ground turkey

1 large onion

1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

4 cloves garlic

seasoning salt or salt

allspice

black pepper

garlic powder

topping

3-4 tomatoes (any size)

3-4 potatoes

Sounds like meatloaf , I'll have to try this one as it doesn't seem too difficult to make. But does anyone make the kufta where they shape it like a sausage or hotdog? That's how I had them in Cairo . . . and now that I remember it, I have an Iranian friend that makes them that way and they are quite tasty.

[AngelK96 0]

That's exactly what it was..a meatloaf with potatoes and tomatoes on top. I think i'll try JP's variation next time. Also I broiled the tomatoes on top and got them a little brown and it tasted pretty good.

My next recipe to make is JP meat mixture recipe and ur greek and potato one. Cuz they seem easy to make. Believe me the less i am in the kitchen the better

I think this weekend I'll attempt maklouba. That one seems tricky.

[jordanianprincess 0]

Actually it would be better if you shaped the meat mixture into small sausage shapes, about 2-3 inches long and 1-1.5 inches in diameter. They are juicer this way.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Yum yum I love these !

FATAAYER BIS-SABAANIGH -- SPINACH PIES

DOUGH

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

Dash of ginger (dried or fresh, minced)

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

5 cups of unbleached flour

Combine water, sugar, and ginger in a large bowl. Add the yeast slowly, stirring gently. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy. Stir in the egg, salt and oil.

Begin folding in the flour gradually. If the dough is still too wet after 5 cups of flour, add a bit more flour. Knead until the sides of the bowl are clean of flour and the dough is smooth.

Coat the top of the dough ball with a bit of oil and flip over in the bowl twice. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a small towel and set in a warm (not hot) place for 40 minutes.

FILLING

2 large bunches of spinach, or two bags of pre-washed spinach, cut into small pieces

1 large onion, chopped finely

1 cup chopped parsely

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon sumac

1/3 cup olive oil

1 and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 tablespoon pepper

1 cup pine nuts, lightly browned in a skillet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the chopped spinach, parsely, onions, sumac, lemon juice, oil, toasted pine nuts, salt and pepper together in a large bowl and set aside.

Divide dough into two sections. Roll each section about 1/8 inch. Using a small bowl as a cutter, cut out small rounds about 4 inches in diameter.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the spinach mixture onto each round. Fold 3 sides of the round to form a triangle. Press the dough together, pinching it to form a rippled ridge. Leave a small opening in the middle for steam to escape during baking.

Place the rounds onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

[cbd2cai 0]

Another yummy sounding recipe, MK! Thanks!

[dawnnhatem 0]

Yum yum I love these !

FATAAYER BIS-SABAANIGH -- SPINACH PIES

DOUGH

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

Dash of ginger (dried or fresh, minced)

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

5 cups of unbleached flour

Combine water, sugar, and ginger in a large bowl. Add the yeast slowly, stirring gently. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy. Stir in the egg, salt and oil.

Begin folding in the flour gradually. If the dough is still too wet after 5 cups of flour, add a bit more flour. Knead until the sides of the bowl are clean of flour and the dough is smooth.

Coat the top of the dough ball with a bit of oil and flip over in the bowl twice. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a small towel and set in a warm (not hot) place for 40 minutes.

FILLING

2 large bunches of spinach, or two bags of pre-washed spinach, cut into small pieces

1 large onion, chopped finely

1 cup chopped parsely

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon sumac

1/3 cup olive oil

1 and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 tablespoon pepper

1 cup pine nuts, lightly browned in a skillet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the chopped spinach, parsely, onions, sumac, lemon juice, oil, toasted pine nuts, salt and pepper together in a large bowl and set aside.

Divide dough into two sections. Roll each section about 1/8 inch. Using a small bowl as a cutter, cut out small rounds about 4 inches in diameter.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the spinach mixture onto each round. Fold 3 sides of the round to form a triangle. Press the dough together, pinching it to form a rippled ridge. Leave a small opening in the middle for steam to escape during baking.

Place the rounds onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

MK, This sounds great- I should make these today.

I need to know tho, is this a side dish? an appetizer? serve them warm, right? do you dip them in anything when you eat them? do leftovers reheat well? Im thinking about making some of them cheesy...thats not a no-no, is it?

The scallop recipe looks great too.

thanks for posting these!

[dawnnhatem 0]

I'm looking for ideas. dinner tonight at my house with his cousin and my mom, sis & her family. Of course I want everyone to enjoy it so I am looking for the right dinner suggestion. Theres so much food in the world and I thought I would have a decision by now...I 'm not even close. the fataayer is totally in though.

[dawnnhatem 0]

duh!! kabobs, chicken and steak, plus rice and MK's spinach pies and a nice big salad...this is going to be easy now that I decided. And I wont foget the f'n hummus. I still dont know if I need somethin to dip the pies in when serving them.

Later

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Well I made fataayer yesterday, and I made one change to the recipe: adding a lot of oregano into the spinach mix. They turned out great !

No need for a dip, but you can brush them with a little olive oil after you take them out of the oven -- this helps keep them soft.

Good luck with your dinner... sounds delicious ! (And of course we wouldn't dare forget the ding dang hummus... )

-MK

[kerewin21 2]

here's the recipe, so simple and easy!!

Middle Eastern Kufta...Quick and Easy.

This recipe is quick and easy. Its one of my favorite dishes. Serve with a side of rice and a great salad.

I made Angel's kefta yesterday... it was a big hit!!!

Except the meat pulled away really far from the edges of the pan, so it was kinda weird looking. Anyone know how to prevent this with meatloaf-type stuff? I've never made meatloaf before, so it was a surprise to me.

Plus I used our new cuisinart someone got us for our wedding.... WOW!!!!! Did that ever make it go faster!!!

Edited April 23, 2006 by kerewin21

[cbd2cai 0]

Well I made fataayer yesterday, and I made one change to the recipe: adding a lot of oregano into the spinach mix. They turned out great !

No need for a dip, but you can brush them with a little olive oil after you take them out of the oven -- this helps keep them soft.

Good luck with your dinner... sounds delicious ! (And of course we wouldn't dare forget the ding dang hummus... )

-MK

I am really going to have to make your fataayer, MK.

As for a dip . . . what about a tahina dip? that is always good for kabobs, kefta, etc. And one thing that I just looooove with chicken is the garlic dip (sauce, LOL) . . .i think this is just mashed up garlic and salt, maybe lemon?? wooooowowowowowo, when I eat that I feel like i am in heaven . . . but sure don't smell like it as it permeates everything! LOL!! Everyone needs to eat some of it so you don't notice!

Catherine

[cbd2cai 0]

Here's a recipe for something they are calling "TAHINI CREAM SALAD" . . . LOL, this sounds like Tahina to me!

1-3 cloves, garlic

salt, to taste

1/2 cup lemon juice (juice of 2 1/2 lemons)

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional . . . I use)

6 tbsp parsley (2 to garnish)

Crush the garlic with salt. Mix with a little lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the tahini and mix well. Then add the remaining lemon juice and enough cold water to achieve a thick smooth cram, beatin vigorously. Season with salt and cumin.

Add more lemon juice, garlic, or salt until the flavor is fairly strong and tart. OR to your own taste. I like lots of garlic and lemon.

Of course, you can also throw all this in a food processor and whip it up really quick. I make hummous and baba ghanouj in my food processor all the time and it is fast and so easy!!!

One thing i noticed is Ahmed crushed up cucumber to mix with tahini. A variation on this uses some yoghurt too.

Tum biz-Zayt (Garlic Sauce)

3 cloves, garlic, minced.

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 c. lemon juice

salt to taste

Blend all ingredients well.

I just noticed in my Lebanese cookbook that I had crossed out 1 and put 3 . . for 3 cloves of garlic in the recipes that call for garlic . . . except for this one. I told you I like garlic!

Catherine B)

Edited April 23, 2006 by cbarrosmostafa

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Ooooo my husband would scarf that tahina right up ! He also likes cucumber in it. I think this recipe would taste great with fataayer....

During the week after work I make a lot of quick meals using a lot of shortcuts.... but I love to do real cooking on the weekends !

-MK

[dawnnhatem 0]

OK, I'm a short-cutter. I skipped to dough part and bought some filo dough. Filo is yummy so that should be ok. And I am going to try adding some ricotta to some of the pies and see how that goes.

I will probably mash up some of the garlic sauce too and see how that goes. That was a pretty good idea

Thanks!