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½ cup pearl barley 1 medium to large onion chopped 1 bunch swiss chard (about 10 leaves) chopped including ribs 2 tablespoons oil ¼ teaspoon citric acid or juice of one lemon 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste) ¼ teaspoons pepper 1/8 teaspoons baharat 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 15.5 oz can Chick peas drained 6 cups water
  
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Ingredients 2 Cups Pearl Barley 5 Cups water 1 Tablespoon salt or to taste 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric 1 onion 3 tablespoons oil
    Ingredients: 2 medium sized eggplants (2 pounds total) 1/2 cup tahini 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon salt, and more to taste 1 teaspoon mashed garlic (about 2 cloves) 2 tablespoons full fat plain yogurt for a lighter and creamier dip (or 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil for a thicker dip) 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Garnishes: Parsley, paprika, and drizzled olive oil This is a great Baba Ganoush recipe, it has a very nice smokey flavor, and a light smooth texture. The smokey flavor is achieved by either grilling the eggplant over charcoal, on a gas stove top, or roasting in the oven. Directions: Wash and dry the eggplant. Pierce the eggplant with a fork in a few spots. If grilling, put the eggplant directly on the coals. If using a gas stove top, place the eggplant directly on the stove top over medium heat. If roasting in the oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees, put eggplant on a cookie sheet and place 5 inches away from the heat source. Allow the skin to burn, crack, and blister. Continually turn the eggplant every few minutes. Once the exterior has a nice char. Remove from heat, and tightly wrap the eggplant in aluminum foil. Wrap with few layers of foil to keep the juices from leaking out. Place back on the heat source and cook for 30 minutes, turning over once while cooking. Eggplant should be very soft and cave in when cooked. Remove eggplant from heat carefully, it will be very hot and steaming. Set aside and allow to cool. In a bowl mix tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and yogurt (or olive oil). When the eggplant has cooled, place in a dish to retain any water from the eggplant, this will have a great smokey flavor. Cut the eggplant in half. Peel away and discard the blackened and charred skinned. Take the flesh of the eggplant (and any juices) and add to a food processor. Add tahini mix into processor and pulse until mixed well. Season with additional lemon and salt to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before servings.       If you would like to serve beef cubes with bulgar, follow the instructions below: Beef 1 pound beef cut in 1 inch cubes (I used chuck roast) 1 teaspoon salt 6 cups water Allow the water to boil in a small pot, add the salt and beef. Skim off the scum when it is formed. Allow to boil until the meat is tender, approximately 45 minutes - hour and half depending on your meat. Gurgur ½ Cup uncooked vermicelli noodles (optional) 2 Cups Bulgur #3 coarseness 1 Large onion chopped 3 ½ Cups water* (or 3 1/4 Cups water and 1/4 Cup tomato sauce if you prefer a tomato flavor in gurgur) 2 teaspoons salt 5 Tablespoons vegetable oil separated (3TBLS for noodles and bulgur and 2 TBLS for the onions) *You can substitute the water with your choice of broth but if you do you will want to leave out the salt in recipe Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pot on medium high heat, add the noodles and stir frequently for a few minutes until the noodles are brown. Add the bulgur and stir frequently until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the water and salt and leave uncovered until the water is absorbed,about 7 minutes. Turn the burner to low, cover and allow to cook for about 25 minutes or until the bulgur does not feel chewy or elastic. If more cooking time is needed and the bulgur is getting dry, add ¼ cup of water at a time until it is done. While the bulgur is simmering, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan on medium high heat and sauté the onions until they start to brown and set aside. When the bulgur is done, turn the burner off and stir in the onions and beef.         Yogurt Ingredients 1 Gallon of whole milk 1/3 cup of yogurt Pour milk in a pot over medium-low heat. When you see small bubbles start to form, keep a close eye on the pot. As soon as the milk starts to rise, turn off the burner and remove pot from burner. This process took 45 minutes for me. If you have a thermometer, the temperature you are looking for is 180 degrees. Let the yogurt cool just until you can stick your pinky finger in and not need to remove it from burn of the heat for 10 seconds. Make sure you check periodically because if you miss the window of time, your yogurt will not come out. It took 1 hour and 20 minutes for mine to get to that temperature. If you have a thermometer, the temp you are looking for is 110 degrees. Remove the skin from the top of the milk. Pour the yogurt in the pot and gently stir in. According to my mom, it is best to use store bought plain Dannon yogurt (not the low fat version) because you know what you are working with and you will get more consistent results. If you don’t use the store bought yogurt, you can get yogurt from someone who has recently made their own or from your previous batch. Using starter yogurt from a previous batch of homemade yogurt will give you more sour results. Put the lid on the pot. Place your pot on a towel or a blanket on the counter or table and completely cover with another towel or blanket. Leave untouched for 8 hours. After 8 hours, check the yogurt. It should be thick if you did everything right. The pot should still feel warm. There will be a yellowish liquid on top, which is whey. You can remove with a spoon if you would like your yogurt thicker. Refrigerate for a few hours. If some skin has mixed into your yogurt or it is grainy, you can strain it to make it smooth. The yogurt is now ready to stir and eat. The yogurt should be good for a few weeks in the fridge. If you like Greek yogurt, which is thicker yogurt, you can place a towel that has been washed and rinsed well on top of the yogurt. Leave the towel on and place the yogurt in the fridge. The towel to absorb the liquid so you should squeeze to discard the liquid. Repeat if you would like even thicker. Another option is to place a cheese cloth in a strainer, pour the yogurt over it and wait a few hours or more for the liquid to seep out. Shanina Ingredients ½ cup water ½ cup yogurt (if you would like your shanina thicker add more yogurt) Few pieces of ice Salt to taste Mix all ingredients well and enjoy.             Ingredients
2 Cups split red/orange lentils ½ cup uncooked white rice or ½ cup fried vermicelli noodles (if you use vermicelli add when there is 10 minutes left of simmering.) 8 Cups water (you can use chicken or vegetable broth but if you do omit salt below) 1/8 teaspoon egg yellow powder (optional as this added for color only, you can substitute with turmeric) ¼ teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon curry ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons salt 1 medium onion diced fine 2 Tablespoons oil 1 lemon cut into wedges Add lentils, rice, water, spices and yellow powder to a pot and bring to a boil. When it boils, turn burner to low and simmer for 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the 30 minutes of simmering are up, heat oil in a pan and add diced onions. Fry the onions until they start to caramelize and turn brown on the edges. If you are using the vermicelli noodles fry them with the onions. When simmering is complete, stir the onions into the soup. Turn burner off and stir to breakdown the lentils. If the consistency of the soup is thicker than you like, you can add more water and heat until boiling. Squeeze lemon to taste over the soup when it is served in bowls. If you refrigerate and serve the soup later, you may need to add more water when heating to thin out the soup. This sweet bread is very soft and tender with a little sweetness. It is great served warm with a hot cup of tea. This recipe makes a lot of sweet bread rolls – about 4 gallon size freezer bags full. It freezes really well in ziplock bags. You can store what you won’ t use in the freezer and pull out when you have company over. Ingredients 2 Envelope packages dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup warm water 5.5 pound bag white flour (Five Rose Brand works well) ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons nigella seeds (can omit if you have trouble finding) 1 cup+ 3 tablespoons milk 3/4 cup oil + more for greasing baking tray (I used corn oil) 6 Eggs 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 1 – 2 cups warm water
                 Prepare the dough a day in advance:
2 tablespoons of yeast or 1 yeast packet 5 lbs flour 1 tablespoon dough/flour seasoning mix (ground fennel, black caraway seed, and white sesame seeds, anise, cardamom, and ground cherry pit) -optional ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup olive oil, and 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 cups warm milk 1/3 cup warm (not hot) water In a cup mix yeast packet with 1/3 cup of warm (not hot) water. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave alone for approximately 10 minutes or until the yeast and water mixture rises to the top of the cup. If the mixture does not rise, you may have done something wrong. Throw out the mixture and start again. In very large mixing bowl, mix together flour, flour seasoning mix, and salt. Warm 6 cups of milk on the stove. Do not let the milk boil, turn off heat just before it boils. Pour in yeast mixture into the bowl of flour mixture. Add olive oil, and 6 cups of warm milk. Mix and knead with hands. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed to mix the excess flour. Continue to need to punch and knead the dough until it is smooth. Once dough is smooth, rub one tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel for at least 12 hours or overnight. Keep store in a warm spot, like indoors on a table top. DO NOT put the dough in the refrigerator or in a cool spot. Meat mixture topping: 4 tomatoes chopped 1 onion chopped 1 green pepper chopped 1 yellow pepper chopped 1 red pepper chopped 2 lbs ground beef (raw) 2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses Mix together all the ingredients and set aside. Roll the dough into logs. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll 1 inch pieces into balls. Flatten balls with a rolling pin on a floured surface into nice flat round sheet about 5 inches in diameter. Spoon 1 overflowing tablespoon of meat mixture on to the flattened dough. Evenly spread the mixture on the top of the dough using the back of a spoon (see photos). Line the lahmajeen on an oil greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 until cooked/golden brown on the bottom. About 10 minutes. Once bottom is cooked, put the oven on broil. Broil until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes. Be sure to watch the lahamajeen to be sure not to burn them as oven times may vary. Cooked lahmajeen can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months, just reheat in the toaster oven. Takhratha'd pursra / Meat pies are a great snack to have anytime. They can be made in advance and frozen for up to 6 months. You can also make these with mixed cheese filling. Enjoy!                    Prepare the dough first:
Dough Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of yeast or 1 yeast packet 5 lbs flour 1 tablespoon dough/flour seasoning mix-optional* ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup olive oil, and 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 cups warm milk 1/3 cup warm (not hot) water *I have always bought the dough mix because such a small amount is needed. I’m not sure of the exact measurements for making it but it usually has the following spices - ground fennel, black caraway seed, and white sesame seeds, anise, cardamom, and ground cherry pit. Dough Prep: In a cup mix yeast packet with 1/3 cup of warm (not hot) water. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave alone for approximately 10 minutes or until the yeast and water mixture rises to the top of the cup. If the mixture does not rise, you may have done something wrong. If mixture doesn't rise, throw it out and start again. In very large mixing bowl, mix together flour, flour seasoning mix if you are using it, and salt. Warm 6 cups of milk on the stove. Do not let the milk boil, turn off heat just before it boils. Pour in yeast mixture into the bowl of flour mixture. Add olive oil, and 6 cups of warm milk. Mix and knead with hands. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed to mix the excess flour. Continue to need to punch and knead the dough until it is smooth. Once dough is smooth, rub one tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel for at least 8 hours or overnight. Store in a warm spot, like indoors on a table top. DO NOT put the dough in the refrigerator or in a cool spot. Ingredients for Beef Filling: 6 lbs ground beef 4 medium size yellow onions chopped 1 tablespoon baharat (or more to taste if you prefer spicier) 2 tablespoons salt Cook beef in a pan (no oil needed at this point) on medium heat. Cook half way through, then drain the cooking juices from the meat. Return to heat. Add 4 tablespoons vegetable oil Add chopped onion Add 2 tablespoons salt Add 1 tablespoon baharat Mix well and cook until beef is fully cooked (about 10 more minutes). Take off heat and let mixture cook to room temperature. Assembly Instructions: Prepare an egg wash by beating 2 eggs in a small bowl. Preheat oven on bake at 325 degrees Grease baking sheet with vegetable oil Roll the dough into logs. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll 1 inch pieces into balls. Flatten balls with a rolling pin on a floured surface into round circles about 5 inches in diameter. Fill with 1 overflowing tablespoon of meat filling. Fold dough around filling, either into a triangle or round shape (see photos). Line takhratha folded side down on greased baking sheet. Once baking sheet is filled, give top side only of takhratha an egg wash. Bake at 325 until cooked/golden brown on the bottom. About 10 minutes. Once bottom is cooked, put the oven on broil. Broil until golden brown on top checking every couple minutes. . Be sure to watch the takhratha as oven times may vary. Cooked takhratha can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months, just reheat in the toaster oven. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped fine 1 clove garlic chopped fine 1 Tablespoon salt for meatballs + 2 teaspoons salt for liquid 1 teaspoon baharat 4 Large Potatoes 1 6 ounce can of tomato paste 6 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 5 1/4 cup water Place the ground beef, parsley, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, baharat in a bowl. Knead together until the ground beef it is smooth. Shape into small meatballs and set aside. Put 1/4 cup of water into a pan on medium heat. Place meatballs in the pan and turn until they are evenly browned. About 20 minutes. Cut the potatoes in approximately 1 by 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place 5 cups of water in a large pot with the can of tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 6 tablespoons of lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and meatballs. Simmer on low until the potatoes are tender. About 30 - 45 minutes. Serve over rice.      |
