Lebanese Food Recipes

Recipe Serves 3 to 4:

• 8 large white mushrooms
• 8 slices of cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon mashed garlic
• 8 slices of tomato roundels
• Herbs of province
• 1 tablespoon bread crumbs
• Pinch of salt

Cut the stems of the mushrooms and chop finely.  Combine with the garlic, bread crumbs and pinch of salt.  Stuff the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of the mixture.  Top with a slice of tomato, then a slice of cheese.  Sprinkle with the herbs of province and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. until the cheese starts to melt.

Enjoy...

Serves 6 to 8:

• 2 lbs processed kibbeh meat, mutton or beef
• 4 cups fine cracked wheat (bulghur)
• 1 cup semolina (smeed)
• 1 onion, grated
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon pepper paste
• Cold water, to knead the kibbeh
• Oil, to fry the kibbeh

Filling

·         1 lb. medium ground meat

·         5-6 onions, finely chopped

·         3-4 tablespoon shortening, or butter

·         1 teaspoon all-spice

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·         ¼ cloves

·         ½ teaspoon paprika

·         ½ black pepper

·         ½ cup pine nuts or walnuts, chopped

Wash the cracked wheat and drain.  Add the semolina, salt, pepper paste, onion and processed meat and knead into kibbeh dough, which is sticky yet workable.  Dip the hands in water to facilitate the kneading process and add some water, if necessary.  To prepare the filling, melt the butter and fry the onions until pale.  Add the ground meat and salt and cook until the meat changes color and the water has evaporated.  Stir in the spices and nuts, mix and leave aside to cool.  Divide the kibbeh dough into small walnuts-size lumps.  Take each lump and make a hole in the middle.  Dip finger in water and enlarge the hole with the finger and fill with the ground meat stuffing.  Bring together the sides and shape into long, shape-edged kibbehs.  Arrange in a tray next to each other.  Repeat the same procedure with all the kibbeh dough.  Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the kibbehs, few at a time, until golden and crispy.  Serve with wedges of lemon.

Serves 6 to 8:

• 2 lbs processed kebbeh meat, (preferably lamb or goat)
• 1 ½ cups fine cracked wheat (bulghur)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper paste (optional)
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2-3 leaves of basil, very finely chopped (optional)
• Few leaves of marjoram, very finely chopped (optional)
• ½ cup pine nuts, as garnish
• Olive oil, to top kibbeh
• Fresh mint leaves, as accompaniment
• White onions, peeled and quartered

Wash the cracked wheat and drain.  Put in a large bowl.  Add the onion, salt, pepper paste, basil and marjoram (optional).  Blend in the processed meat and dipping the hands in water, knead into smooth sticky kibbeh dough.  Transfer the kibbeh to a serving platter dipping the hands in water to facilitate the handling of the kibbeh.  Flatten the surface of the kibbeh with the hands and make criss-cross patterns with a knife.  Decorate with pine nuts and serve with fresh mint and onions.  Serve with olive oil on the side.

Serves 4 to 5:

• 4 to 5 medium tomatoes
• 1 cup feta cheese, cubed
• 2 to 3 cucumbers, cubed
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup seedless black olives
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Herbs of province or oregano

Cut the tomatoes horizontally at the top.  Scoop out the pulp of each tomato carefully, and dry the cavity with a paper towel.  In another bowel, combine the cucumber, red and green pepper, black olives, feta cheese, olive oil and vinegar.  Fill each tomato with the mixture.  Top with cubes of cheese and sprinkle with some herbs of province.  Ready to serve.

Serves 4:

• 1 cup dried fava beans
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Remove any grit and stones from the beans.  Wash and soak overnight in 5 cups of water.  Wash and drain the soaked beans and place in a suacepan with 3 cups of water.  Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook, covered, for one hour and a half.  Crush the garlic with the salt and mix in the lemon juice.  Add this mixture to the beans after removing from the heat.  Pour the beans in a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Pour a little olive oil on the beans and serve hot with spring onions. 

Serves 4:

• 2 lbs. favas beans
• 13 oz. stewing meat, cubed
• 1 medium-sized onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup green coriander, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• teaspoon salt
• a dash of pepper

Snip off the ends, string and cut the pods into medium-sized pieces.  Wash and drain.  Crush the garlic with a teaspoon of salt.  Saute the crushed garlic, chopped coriander and onion in the oil until the chopped onion becomes translucent, ahout 5 minutes.  Add the fava beans and meat to the mixture stir occasionally over low heat for 15 minutes.  Add the seasoning and a cup of water and cook over low heat for another 30 minutes or until tender.  Squeeze a little lemon juice onto the beans and serve hot with boiled rice. 

CHICK PEAS IN YOGURT LEBANESE RECIPE

Serves 5:

• 13 oz. coarsely minced meat
• 1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 loaf Arabic bread
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 pine nuts
• 2 cups yogurt
• 1/2 cup butter for frying the meat
• a dash of pepper, cinnamon

Boil the soaked chickpeas.  Set aside.  Toast the Arabic bread in the oven, until golden.  Break into small pieces.  Crush the garlic with the salt.  Brown the pine nuts in 1/4 cup butter.  Remove and drain.  Brown the meat in the remaining butter and season.  In a round (30 cms.) serving dish, place the toasted bread pieces.  Mix the crushed garlic and the chickpeas well.  Add to the bread pieces and mix well.  Pour the yogurt over the chickpeas and bread.  Garnish the dish with the browned meat and pine nuts.  Serve immediately. 

Enjoy...

CHICK PEAS IN OLIVE OIL - LEBANESE RECIPE

Serves 3:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Remove any stones you might find in the chickpeas and soak overnight with the bicarbonate of soda, in a quantity of water that is almost 3 times that of the chickpeas. 
On the following day, drain the chickpeas and put in a saucepan with 4 cups of water.  Bring to the boil and remove any foam that may have formed on the surface. 
Cook, covered on low heat for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. 
Crush the garlic with the salt.  Add to the chickpeas and mix well.  Serve hot in a deep bowl.  Pour a little olive oil on it and eat with spring onions.

Enjoy...

Serves 4:

• 2 lbs. meat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each pepper, cinnamon
• 2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1 onion
• 1/4 loaf Arabic bread, moistened

Peel and coarsely chop the onion.  Put the meat and chopped onion through a meat grinder twice.  Mix the onion, meat, parsley, seasoning and the moistened bread.  Knead the ingredients well, then put through the meat grinder, once.  knead the meat again and divide into small amounts.  Shape into small fingers or patties.  Heat the oil and brown the meat patties or fingers on all sides.  Serve hot with cucumber and yogurt salad.

Serves 6:

• 1 lb. meat
• 5 hard boiled eggs
• 1/2 cup crushed toasted bread crumbs
• 1 cup butter
• 1 onion, small
• 1 egg, beaten
• add salt and pepper to taste

Put the meat through a meat grinder twice, then follow with the onion grinding them once only.  Knead the meat with the onion and seasoning.  Divide the meat into equal amounts.  Wet the hands with water or a little oil and flatten each amount of the meat between the hands.  Place the bolied egg in the middle of the flattened meat and cover it completely with the meat.  Continue the procedure until all eggs are used.  Dip the meat-egg balls in the beaten egg, then in the crushed bread crumbs.  Brown the meat egg balls in the butter and serve whole or out in half.  Garnish with tomato slices or rings.