Middle Eastern cooking is composed of the delicious traditional dishes from Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Irak, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey.
Here is a small example of this delectable cuisine.
MIDDLE EASTERN LENTIL SOUP
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cup lentils
8 cups, vegetable stock
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 handful of chopped parsley
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Saute the onion in olive oil, add the garlic, turmeric and cumin and continue cooking for a few minutes more, Stir in the lentils, add the stock and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pan.
Toss in the parsley, pour in the lemon juice and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes more. Serve with chunks of crusty bread.
SHASHUSKA FISH STEW
This is a delightful Middle Eastern fish dish.
3 fish fillets.
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, trimmed and chopped
1 lime juice
5 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and pureed
125 (1/2 cup) water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp chopped mint or coriander for garnish
Saute onion in olive oil until fragrant and golden. Then add the garlic tomatoes, spices, lime juice, water and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and stir to combine., Bring to a high simmer, then turn down the heat. Cover the saucepan and cook for10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season the fish fillets with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and place them into the tomato sauce and simmer gently until cooked through and flaky. Add some feta cheese for extra taste. Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander or mint with rice or pita bread.
MIDDLE EASTERN MEATBALLS
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 kg (2 lb) minced beef
1//3 cup grated onion
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Add all the ingredients except beef and mix well. Add the beef and stir JEWISHuntil just combined, Shape walnut-sized balls and place on a tin lined with baking parchment, Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through.
FATTOUSH SALAD
Fattoush is a bread salad, which apparently originated in Northern Lebanon. Lebanese farmers would fry leftover pitta scraps, and they would add any available vegetables and herbs.
So obviously the ingredients vary according to the availability and the preferences of the residents throughout the Middle East.
Basic Fattoush Recipe:
Select the best ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, spring onions, crushed garlic, lettuces, parsley, mint. and freshly made, crisp pitta bread, and drizzle with a zesty vinaigrette.
JEWISH APPLE CAKE
A delicious cake from Jewish cuisine.
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
5 large red apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease and flour a loaf tin.
Mix cinnamon, sugar and apples in a bowl and reserve. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in another bowl. Beat eggs with sugar until light and fluffy, pour in the flour mixture alternately with the oil. Beat it the orange juice, until smooth and thoroughly mixed.
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan, and layer half the apples on top. pour in the remaining batter and cover with the rest of the apples. Bake for 1 1/2 hour, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
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| Middle Eastern Flowers by Laurie Hibbert |
