Levante's Cigars
Pastry leaves (phyllo dough) pre-cut into strips
1 lb. feta cheese
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. fresh dill, finely, chopped
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
Preparation:
Thaw the pastry leaves, but keep them moist under
a damp cloth. Mash the feta cheese egg yolks and dill together to
form a paste. Put 1 tbsp. of the mixture on the center of each pastry
leaf, folding the corners over the mixture, and rolling into a tight cigar-like
roll. Dip each end of the cigar into a cup of cold water. Heat the
oil in a shallow pan and fry cigars until they are golden brown.
Serve warm on a bed of arugula.
Ingredients:
(Serves 4 as an appetizer)
2 medium eggplants, halved lengh-wise
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp. salt
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup + 2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup water
Preparation:
Place the eggplant halves in a pan with cold water
and 2 tbsp. salt, let the eggplant soak one hour. Rinse well.
In a separate bowl, mix the onion, garlic, pepper, tomatoes, parsley, dill,
2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Saute, then set aside.
Place the eggplant pieces in a deep frying pan with the open side up (do not overlap), baste eggplant with mixture of 1/3 cup of water, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Fry eggplant in remaining olive oil for 1 or 2 minutes until color turns rich purple. Remove from pan.
Drain excess oil and let cool to room temperature. Spoon the vegetable mixture onto each eggplant piece until filled high, transfer to a serving dish, and serve with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Garnish with lemon.
Preparation:
Remove the nerves and fat part from the meat.
Mix the parsley, onion, garlic, and green pepper with the meat. Add the red pepper and also mix in the black pepper and salt. Put them on the skewers. Cook in a 450 degree onion for 15-20 minutes or until meat is done.