A TASTE OF ARABIA! Here are a few of my favorite recipes.  Hope you like them!

OVEN BARBEQUED CHICKEN

3 to 4 pounds of Chicken Pieces 1/3 Cup Chopped Onions 4 or 5 Cloves Garlic, minced 3 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine 3/4 Cup Ketchup 1/3  Cup Vinegar 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup Water 2 Teaspoons Mustard 1 Tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce

Place Chicken in a 9X13 baking dish.  In saucepan saute onion and garlic in butter until tender.   Stir in remaining ingredients.  simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.  Pour over chicken.  Bake at 350 for about an hour, until chicken is done.

BREAKFAST PIZZA

1/4 Cup butter or margarine, softened 1/2 Cup Sugar 1 Egg 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice 1 1/4 Cups flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 ounces Cream Cheese 1/4 Cup Sugar 1 Cup whipped Topping 1 firm banana 1 Cup sliced Strawberries 1 Can mandarin oranges 2 Kiwi, sliced 1/3 Cup Blueberries GLAZE 1/4 Cup Sugar 1/4 Cup Orange Juice 1/4 Cup Water 2 teaspoon cornstarch

Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and flavors.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to creamed mixture. Beat well.  Cover and chill for 3 minutes.Press dough into a greased pan.  Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown.   Cool completely.  Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add whipped topping, mix well.  Spread over crust.  Arrange fruit on top.   Combine glaze ingredients in saucepan.  Bring to boil stirring constantly.  Boil for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Cool to room  temperature , about 30 minutes.  Brush over fruit.  Chill before serving.

FALAFEL Falafel seems to be internationally known. It tends to appeal even to the uninitiated in foreign foods. If you haven't tried it already, imagine a pocket of pita (Arabic) bread, filled with piping hot falafel, topped with vegetable slices, moistened with the tangy tahina sauce, and if your taste buds so desire, a few drops of hot sauce to boot!

500 mL (2 cups) dried chick peas (absolutely not canned) 1 medium onion quartered 2-3 cloves garlic 2-3 slices stale bread 50 mL (1/4 cup) parsley 1/3 head sweet red pepper 10 mL (2 tsp) salt 3 mL (3/4 tsp) black pepper 10 mL (2 tsp) cumin 10 mL (2 tsp) oregano 10 mL (2 tsp) ground coriander 5 mL (1 tsp) red hot pepper flakes 20 mL (4 tsp) flour 10 mL (2 tsp) baking powder 50 mL (1/4 cup) water 5 mL (1 tsp) baking powder 125 mL (1/2 cup) water vegetable oil for deep frying

Drain peas. Add onion, garlic, bread, parsley, and red sweet pepper. Run through the fine blade of a meat grinder. (You may process in food processor until mealy.) Add spices, flour, 10 mL (2 tsp) baking powder and water. Mix well.

In a small dish mix the remaining baking powder and water.  Use it to moisten the palm of your hands and form balls of the chick peas mixture the size of walnuts, then flatten a bit.

Deep fry in oil at medium high heat until golden brown. Serve piping hot. ;

FATAAYER Spinach Pies

In the spring time, a wild leafy green grows and prospers on the plains along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean--the name of this green is 'SILEK' (Silverbeet). It comes and goes in a flash lasting only about three weeks.  Many people prefer Fataayer prepared with 'SILEK', but they must settle for spinach for the rest of the year.

Dough 20 mL (4 tsp) yeast granules 5 mL (1 tsp) sugar 250 mL (1 cup) lukewarm water 875 mL (31/2 cups) all purpose flour 175 mL (2/3 cup) vegetable oil 7 mL (11/2 tsp) salt

Filling 2 small onions, finely diced 7 mL (11/2 tsp) salt 500 g (1 pound) fresh spinach 2 mL (1/2 tsp) black pepper 2 mL (1/2 tsp) red hot pepper flakes (optional) juice of 1 lemon 75 mL (1/3 cup) olive oil

In a small bowl, add the yeast and sugar to the water. Set aside for 10 minutes. Place flour in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil; mix and rub with your hands until smooth (about 5 minutes). Add salt to yeast, pour over flour and work into a dough. Knead, adding more water if needed. Place in a bowl, cover and set aside to rise in a warm draft-free place for one hour.

To make the filling, sprinkle diced onion with salt. Wash spinach thoroughly, chop and mix with the onions. Set aside for a few minutes, then work the mixture between your hands until wilted and watery. (You may place in a sunny location for half an hour to aid this wilting stage).  Squeeze out all the moisture from the spinach mixture and place in a clean, dry bowl. Add black pepper, red hot pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix.

Cut dough into small pieces, the size of walnuts. Roll into balls, place on a tea-towel, cover with another tea-towel and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Roll each dough ball into a flat circle. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the centre, keeping the edges of the dough dry.  Fold into a triangular shape; do this by mentally dividing the circumference into 3 portions--lift the right and the left sides, fold them toward the middle and seal by pinching, then bring up the lower portion and seal also. (A more efficient way of doing this would be by overlapping the edges of the dough onto each other instead of sealing them by pinching. These pies would not look as pretty but I do not mind, I opt for saving time).

Lay spinach pies on baking pans greased with olive oil. Brush the tops of the pies with olive oil. Bake in a 150C (300F) oven until the bottoms are golden brown (15-20 minutes). Broil until tops are golden brown.

They are best when eaten at room temperature. They freeze well.

Makes about two dozen.

FATOOSH A Hearty Summer Salad

On occasion, we all would rather spend our free time doing things other than cooking , i.e. a leisurely walk in the park maybe, reading a fine novel, or catching up on our correspondence and so forth. Because of it's short list of ingredients and extreme ease of preparation, 'Fatoosh' would be the ideal meal to prepare on such a day. And what better season than the present, when tomatoes and cucumbers are in ample supply.  This meal-in one recipe keeps in the refrigerator for two or three days!  Nutritious?  But of course!

6 pieces of stale bread or 2 small loaves of Arabic (pita) bread 4 fully ripened juicy tomatoes, diced 3 small cucumbers, diced 3-4 green onions, chopped 4 radishes, diced half a green pepper, diced (optional) 25 mL (2 tbsp) chopped parsley 20 mL (4 tsp) chopped fresh mint or 10 mL (2 tsp) crumbled dry mint 5 mL (1 tsp) salt 1-2 cloves garlic (optional only if you absolutely dislike garlic) 25 mL (2 tbsp) lemon juice 40 mL (3 tbsp) olive oil (extra virgin) red hot pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Douse bread with olive oil and toast on both sides  in the oven until golden brown. Cool and break into small pieces (the size of large grapes) and place in a big salad bowl..

Add vegetables and herbs.

Using a mortar and pestle, combine salt and garlic and crush until fine. Add lemon juice and oil and mix well. Pour over bread and vegetable mixture. Stir well. Add red hot pepper flakes if desired.   Adjust seasonings and refrigerate until mealtime.

Makes 5-6 servings

HOUMMOS Chick Pea Dip

Hoummos freezes well. It is ideal for entertaining, as part of a meal, or as a dip. Customarily, it is served with olive oil which must never be interchanged with vegetable oil!

250 mL (1 cup) dried chick peas 10 mL (2 tsp) baking soda 300 mL (1 1/4 cups) water 200 mL (3/4 cup) tahina (sesame seed paste) shake jar well before pouring into measuring cup juice of 2 1/2 - 3 lemons 10 mL (2 tsp) salt 1 clove garlic, crushed 175 mL (3/4 cup) water paprika olive oil (extra virgin)

Place chick peas in a large bowl. Cover generously with water, add half the baking soda and soak overnight.  Drain. Add remaining baking soda, and rub peas between the hands a few times. Set aside for 10 minutes.   Wash well to get rid of the baking soda, and drain.   Place peas in a cooking pot, add the 300 mL (1 1/4 cups) water and bring to a boil. Skim off foam, cover, remove from heat and puree until creamy. If you have a blender, place chick peas, tahina, lemon juice, salt, garlic and water into it and give it a whirl until it is a creamy paste, but if you do not have a blender, then do as follows:

Place tahina in a bowl, add lemon juice, salt and crushed garlic and stir vigorously. Add water, bit by bit, stirring after each addition until the paste is smooth. Add to pureed peas and mix well.

Spoon hoummos onto a large platter, spread it flat and garnish with paprika and parsley, and if desired, flowerettes of radishes and olives. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve with Arabic (pita) bread.

Makes 5-7 servings

BABA GHANNOUJ (Eggplant Dip)

One of my personal favorites!  I personally like this better than hoummos!

1 large round eggplant (aubergine) 2 or 3 cloves of garlic 60 milliliters (3 oz., 4 Tbs.) tahina 60 milliliters (2 oz., 4 Tbs.) lemon juice salt, red pepper olive oil (extra virgin) chopped parsley slices of red bell pepper to garnish

Cook the eggplant in a hot oven or on a fork over the flame of a gas stove. When it is well cooked through and the skin is blackened, douse with cold water, peel and chop into small pieces. Mash two or three cloves of garlic to a paste with about the same volume of salt. Add eggplant, mash to a smooth consistency and blend the tahina and lemon juice.  Serve in a bowl with little olive oil on top and garnish chopped parsley, red pepper slices and a dusting of red pepper. Serves 5

HAMUD (Chicken Soup with Lemon)

An Egyptian favorite, hamud has a versatile nature. Although generally served as a sauce for rice, it often appears twice in the same meal, first as a soup, and then again as the sauce. It is basically a chicken soup with celery, strongly flavored with lemon and garlic, but other green vegetables find their place in it when they are at hand.

Carcass and giblets of 1 chicken 3-4 stalks celery with leaves, sliced 2 leeks, sliced (optional) 2-3 cloves garlic, slivered Salt and black pepper Juice of 1-2 lemons 2-3 zucchini, sliced (optional) 3/4 cup rice, boiled (measure uncooked)

Collect a chicken carcass, giblets, and bones to make a rich stock. The giblets must be very fresh, and the bones and carcass those of a chicken prepared the same day, otherwise any meat on them will be hard and dry, and the marrow in the bones very stale. Crack the bones slightly to release more flavor.

There are two ways of preparing this soup. The stock can be made beforehand and strained through a fine sieve, the vegetables then being cooked in the clear broth. However, I usually cook all the ingredients together in the following manner.

Put the carcass, bones, and giblets in a large pan. Add the celery and, if you like, sliced leeks. (The basic recipe is made with celery only.) Add the slivered garlic and cover with about 9 cups water. Bring to the boil and skim the scum off the surface. Season with salt and pepper, and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the pan. Simmer gently for about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the heat and discard all the bones, leaving only pieces of chicken in the broth. Add the zucchini, if using them, and cook for 15 minutes longer. Adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice if necessary. The soup should have a distinctly lemony tang. It is this and the taste of garlic which give it an Oriental flavor

Add cooked rice just before serving so as not to give it time to become sodden and mushy.

Serves 6.

TABOULEH (Parsley and Cracked Wheat Salad)

85 grams (3 oz., 1/2 cup) burghul 2 bunches flat-leaf parsley (about 30 gr. before washing, or 1 1/2 cup chopped) 1 bunch fresh mint (about 10 gr. before washing, or 1/2 cup chopped) 3 green onions or 1 small onion 1 large tomato 90 milliliters (3 oz., 6 Tbs.) lemon juice 60 milliliters (2 1/2 oz., 4 Tbs.) olive oil salt 1 head romaine lettuce (optional)

Leave the burghul in water for about 2 hours, then wash and squeeze out. Wash and chop the parsley, mint and green onions very fine. Dice the tomato. Combine all ingredients including burghul. Add salt to taste, lemon juice, olive oil and mix well. Serve in a bowl lined with lettuce leaves. This salad can be eaten with a fork, but the traditional way is to scoop up a bite of the mixture in a lettuce leaf and pop it into the mouth.

HELAWAT AL JAZR Sweet Cardamomed Carrots

A fovorite in Saudi Arabia, Gulf States and Iraq.

1 pound carrots, peeled and finely grated 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar 2 cups low-fat milk 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 2 tsp. grated lemon peel 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. flour

GARNISH

pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, raisins

Steam the carrots with the sugar, milk, cardamom, and lemon peel for about 15 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Pour into a sieve, pressing firmly on the carrots to remove all the liquid. Reserve the liquid.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Add the carrots, stirring to coat with the flour mixture, and toss for 3 or 4 minutes.

Pour the cooking liquid over the carrots, mix well, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into individual serving dishes and garnish with nuts and raisins.

SAYYADIEH Fisherman's Fish with Rice

4 Tbs. olive oil 3 medium onions, finely chopped 900 ml / 1-1/2 pints water 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 kg / 2-1/4 lb. fillets cod, coley, haddock, hake or other non-oily fish 450 g / 1 lb. long-grain rice 50 g / 2 oz. pine nuts the juice of one lemon

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan, and fry the onions until brown. Add the water, salt and cumin. Simmer until the onions have almost melted. Add the fish and cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove fish and keep warm. Now take from the stock in which the fish has been cooked sufficient to cook the rice in a separate pan until it is tender and the stock absorbed. Spoon the rice into a shallow dish and lay the fish pieces on top. Gently fry the pine nuts in the remaining tablespoon of oil until tender, and scatter them over the fish. Meanwhile simmer and reduce the remaining stock, adding the juice of a lemon. Pour this over the fish and rice or serve it separately in a small jug. Serves 4-6. .

UMM ALI "Mother of Ali"

10oz cooked puff pastry 1/4-1/2 cup pistachio nuts, chopped 1/4-1/2 cup flaked almonds, toasted 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup milk 3/4 cup sugar a pinch of cinnamon 1 egg, beaten 2 teaspoons rose water 1 cup light cream

Grease a round, glass baking dish, and preheat the oven to 375° F. Crumble the pastry into the dish and  mix with the nuts and lemon juice.

Heat the milk, sugar and cinnamon to just below the boiling point, then slowly add the beaten egg. Pour this over the pastry mixture in the dish, and sprinkle with rose water. Top with the cream and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden.  Serves 6

KOUSA MAHSHI Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato Sauce

Stuffing vegetables is a very common way of preparing a meal in the Middle East, it is second only to that of stews. Kousa Mahshi is a mouthwatering recipe tends to be quite popular with Westerners, even with children?it is almost guaranteed to please. I encourage you to give it a try. Any type of zucchini will do, whether dark or light green, maybe even yellow. The light green is very sweet compared to the darker zucchini. With experience you'll develop your own preference.

10 medium zucchini (each should be about a hand's length or longer)

Filling 375 mL (11/2 cups) long grain rice 500 mL (2 cups) coarsely ground lamb or beef 50 mL (1/4 cup) melted butter or margarine 15 mL (1 tbsp) salt 2 mL (1/2 tsp) black pepper 5 mL (1 tsp) cinnamon 10 mL (2 tsp) allspice

Sauce 2 156-mL (2 5 1/2-ounce) cans tomato paste 15 mL (1 tbsp) salt

Before starting on the zucchini, place rice in a large bowl, cover generously with boiling water and set aside. Then, start to wash each zucchini thoroughly under running water, scrubbing with a cloth to get rid any grit.  Cut off the stem ends and the little circles from the opposite ends. Hollow out with a zucchini corer (found in Middle Eastern specialty shops).

To hollow zucchini, hold the zucchini in one hand. Avoid the formation of cracks in the sides of the zucchini by gripping firmly around the opening area. Insert the zucchini corer into it and pull out. Insert again and again until you form a circle of insertions. Then work the corer in a manner to pull out the loosened insides, forming a large generous cavity. Place the cored zucchini in a large bowl filled with cold water.

Drain rice and mix with all the remaining filling ingredients.

Drain zucchini and fill with meat mixture until three-quarters full, tapping the bottom end lightly on a table to slightly pack the meat. Lay the zucchinis on their sides in a heavy cooking pot, barely cover with boiling water or meat stock, and add tomato paste and salt to the pot.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook for 40 minutes or until done. Taste the sauce and add more salt if you think it needs it. When serving, slit zucchini lengthwise and spoon sauce over exposed stuffing.  If you are not serving the meal immediately, drain most of the sauce into a bowl and warm it up at  mealtime.  This will stop the rice from becoming mushy.  Makes 6 -7 servings

WARAQ DAWAALI Stuffed Grape-Leaves

Whether completely Middle Eastern or partially so, your menu should include Waraq Dawaali (Stuffed Grape Leaves). It will be a hit with everyone!

1 kg (2 pounds) pickled grape leaves, available in Middle Eastern stores, cut off existing stems 250 mL (1 cup) medium grain rice 15 mL (1 tbsp) salt 5 mL (1 tsp) allspice 2 mL (1/2 tsp) black pepper 5 mL (1/2 tsp) cinnamon 1 L (4 cups) coarsely ground 200 mL (3/4 cup) melted butter or margarine 2 - 3 lemons 60 mL (4 tbsp) butter If you happen to be a vegetarian then prepare the meal vegetarian style: omit the meat and/or butter from the stuffing, add replace it with a handful of soaked chic peas, 2 tbsp. raisins, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1 medium onion diced, 2 red ripened tomatoes diced, and 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. When the meal is fully cooked, mix together a bit of fresh lemon juice and olive oil, and pour over the pot. This will add shine, and flavour.

Before using pickled grape leaves, ensure that you squeeze out any excess brine. Place the leaves in a pot and cover them in a generous bath of hot water to soak for 30 minutes. This will get rid of excess salt. Drain.

Pour boiling water over rice and soak for half an hour or more. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with salt, spices, meat and melted butter.

Line the bottom of a large cooking pot with spare ribs. If you are making the vegetarian version, or you do not have spare ribs (meat stock can replace the ribs), then line the bottom of the pot with a layer of grape leaves. This lining will protect the Waraq from coming in contact with the bottom of the cooking pot.

On a flat surface, lay a grape leaf (or a number of them in an  -line method!) shiny side down (vein side facing up) with the pointed end of the leaf facing away from you. Using your fingers, place about a spoonful of filling horizontally across the broad part of the leaf. Fold the sides of leaf over the ends of the filling. Do the same with the bottom of the leaf that faces you so that it covers the whole line of filling and keep rolling until you have a finger-like shape. Squeeze to firm up and lay on top of the spare ribs. Continue until all leaves and filling are used, stacking them layer upon layer.

When all of the Waraq is in the pot place an old plate on top for weight. The will prevent the leaves from loosening up while cooking. Pour boiling water into the pot to barely cover the contents and bring to a boil. (If you do not have spare ribs then cover with meat stock).

Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 1-1/2 hours. Then, uncover and let most of the water evaporate.

Remove plate. Squeeze on the juice of one lemon. Dot with butter--this will add shine and flavour. Cool slightly before transferring to platter. You may transfer the grape leaves to platter in the following manner: place an inverted serving platter on top of pot, carefully turn over the pot so contents will settle onto platter. Slice the second lemon and squeeze more lemon juice over individual servings if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings.

GAHWA ARABIA Arabic Coffee

3 cups water 3 tbsp. cardamom (coarsely ground) 2 tbsp. of Arabic coffee 1/4 teaspoon saffron (optional) 1 cup sesame seeds

Boil the water in a pot. Add the coffee to the water and bring to a boil over low heat. Remove from the heat for five minutes to allow the coffee to settle. Put the cardamom in the pot, strain the coffee into it and add the saffron. Bring back to boil once and serve. Serves 8-10 persons.

CHAY ARABIE Hot Tea with Cardamom and Cinnamon

Put 2 Tablespoons of black tea leaves into a tea pot that you have just heated by rinsing it with boiling water. Add 6 cardamom pods and a 2-inch piece of stick cinnamon. Now pour in 5 cups of water that you have just brought to a rolling boil (put in 6 cups if you like your tea on the weaker side). Cover the tea pot and let the tea steep for 4 minutes. Stir the tea.

Serve this tea very hot with sugar

Serves 4-6.

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