0 Lebanese Lentil Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Servings: 4-6

1 cup lentils

4 cups water

3/4 cup red pepper, chopped

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

6 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1 In saucepan, bring lentils and water to a boil, cook 30 minutes until tender, drain.

2 Add pepper, onion and mint.

3 Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

4 Just before serving, add oil, lemon juice, garlic and feta.

5 toss and serve

0 Best Baklava Recipe

Ingredients

16 oz phyllo dough

1 cup butter

1 lb chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts)

1 cup white sugar

½ cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup water

Method

1. Warm your oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Grease a fairly large baking dish with butter and keep aside.

3. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of chopped nuts and toss well to mix.

4. Roll out the phyllo dough and cut it into half.

5. Spread out two dough sheets in the dish and butter; continue the process until you get 8 layers of phyllo dough sheets in your dish.

6. Spoon in some of the spiced nuts and spread evenly throughout the sheets.

7. Cover them with 2 more sheets, coat it with butter and top the sheets with another layer of nut mixture.

8. Continue the layering and until you have covered 2/3 rd of the depth of baking dish.

9. Top the layers up with final 6 phyllo sheets.

10. Cut it out in small squares with a sharp knife.

11. Bake for 50 minutes until the crust turns crisp and golden.

12. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, melt sugar in water over heat.

13. Pour in honey and vanilla and let it simmer for half an hour.

14. When your baklava is done, take it out of the oven, smother it with the sauce and serve.

0 Moroccan Tea Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted , cooled, and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons orange-flower water

2 teaspoons anise seeds

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and cooled, divided

3 large eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Preparation:

Stir together sugar, butter, almonds, orange-flower water, anise seeds, extracts, and 1/4 cup sesame seeds in a large bowl. Add eggs and stir until well combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Chill dough, covered, 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (11- by 3-inch) loaves on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with enough egg wash to coat, then sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sesame seeds.

Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Loosen from baking sheet with a spatula, then transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Cut warm loaves into 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife and arrange biscuits, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Cooks’ note: Biscuits keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 weeks.

0 Kabseh Chicken (Kabseh bi Djej) Recipe

Ingredients:

1 2/12 – 3 pound chicken, cut into eight pieces

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 medium onions, sliced

1 (12 ounce) can tomato puree

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium carrots, grated

Grated rind of one orange

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

3 sticks cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound long grain rice

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

Sautee onion in oil until it begins to brown. Add chicken pieces, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and garlic and stir for about five minutes over low heat. Stir in three cups hot water, grated carrot, orange rind, spices, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, covered, about 20-25 minutes, until chicken is done.

Remove chicken. Set aside to keep warm. Stir rice into the liquid in the pan, and cook, covered over low heat for about 35 – 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Put rice on a serving platter with chicken pieces arranged around the circumference. Toss raisins and almonds over all.