Hummus

1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Or, BLACK BEAN HUMMUS (cross-pollination!)

1 can black beans, drained (15 oz)
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Preparation:
In a food processor, process all ingredients until smooth and creamy. If it is too thick, add half a teaspoon olive oil and a half teaspoon lime water. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator in airtight container.

Note: You can cook yr own chickpeas, but Man, do they stink up the place! Better play it safe and get canned chickpeas...

CILBIR – poached eggs with garlic yoghurt

Ingredients:
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp Aleppo red pepper ( or chilli flakes as substitute)
2 cups of yoghurt
2 Tbsp butter
8 free range eggs

Method:
• Mix the crushed garlic and the yoghurt. Set aside until mixture reaches to room temperature
• Spoon the mixture into the serving dish.
• Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full with water add the vinegar.
• Boil, and carefully break the eight eggs over the surface of the water.
• Cook 2-3 minutes making sure egg yolks are still soft and runny
• Take out the eggs with a draining spoon and place 2 in each plate
• Melt the butter with the red pepper in a small frying pan.
• Pour a fine stream of the melted butter and pepper.

Leek Soup with Feta, Dill and Paprika

30 ml/2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
3 leeks, trimmed, roughly chopped and washed
1 onion, chopped
5 ml/1 tsp honey or Rapadura
1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped, with a few fronds reserved for the garnish
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tbsp butter
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
salt and ground black pepper
paprika, to garnish

1) Heat the oil in a heavy pan and stir in the chopped leeks and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

2) Add the sugar and chopped dill, and pour in 600 ml/1 pint/2 1/2 cups water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

3) Leave the liquid to cool a little, then process in a blender until smooth.

4) Return the pureed soup to the pan, pour in the milk and stir over a gentle heat until it is hot (don't let it come to the boil).

5) Season with salt and pepper, bearing in mind that the feta is salty. IF using the butter, drop it onto the surface of the soup and let it melt.

6) Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crumbled feta. Serve immediately, garnished with a little paprika and the dill fronds.

Pomegranate Broth

5 cups chicken stock
1 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate juice
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds for garnish
Fresh chopped mint for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a soup pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat. Place the pomegranate juice in a small non-aluminum pan and reduce over high heat to ½ cup, (approximately 10 – 15 minutes). Stir the juice into the stock and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with pomegranate seeds and mint.

Turkish Yogurt, Rice and Mint Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice or broken rice (you can also substitute with 1 cup cooked plain rice)
1 egg yolk
2 cups plain yogurt
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
white pepper to taste
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tbsp. dried mint
Fresh mint sprigs for garnishing

Preparation:

First, put the rice in a covered saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook the rice until it softens.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg, plain yogurt, flour and 1 cup of water briskly with a wire wisk until well blended and creamy. Make sure you have no lumps of flour or yogurt.

Using your wire wisk to stir the rice and water, add the yogurt mixture while gently wisking. Then, add the salt and white pepper. Allow the mixture to heat through until steaming. Continue wisking gently without letting the soup come to a boil. If the soup becomes too thick for your liking, add a little more water.

In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the dried mint. Stir thoroughly and remove from the heat quıickly. Add the butter and mint to the soup and continue wisking until well combined. Garnish each bowl of soup with a sprig of fresh mint leaves.

If you wish, you can also keep the butter and mint separate and drizzle it over the top of the soup just before serving. If you want to spice up your soup a little more, add about 1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes to the butter along with the mint.

Mahummara Dip

Ingredients

1 cup roasted red bell peppers
1/3 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/2 pita bread, torn (slightly stale is good!)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
large pinch of aleppo pepper or red chile flakes
pomegranate arils and italian parsley to garnish (optional)
1 package pita bread for serving

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender jar combine the roasted bell peppers, walnuts, 1/2 pita bread, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and pepper. Mix until a thick puree forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl/jar as needed. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning

Garnish with pomegranate arils and italian parsley. Serve with pita bread triangles, small cucumbers, pepper strips and/or celery.

Smoked eggplant and yogurt purée

Ingredients

2 large, plump eggplant
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup, thick, set, plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few dill fronds

Aleppo pepper optional

Method

Place the aubergines directly onto the flame on the gas hob, turning them from time to time, until the skin is charred and the flesh feels soft to touch.

Place them in a plastic bag and leave to sweat for 5 minutes.

Hold each one by the stalk under running cold water and gently peel off the charred skin, until you are left with the smooth bulbous flesh on the end of the stalk.

Squeeze the flesh to get rid of any excess water and place it on a chopping board. Cut off the stalk and chop the flesh to a pulp.

In a bowl, beat the flesh with the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Beat in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill and serve with chunks of fresh crusty bread.

Amba (A Spicy and Savory Mango Condiment)

Ingredients:

10 green mangoes
5 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons corn oil
250 g mustard seeds
1/2 cup cumin seed (whole, not ground)
1/4 cup dried red pepper (about 10 tiny ones)
2 tablespoons ground fenugreek
1/4 cup hot paprika
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 heads garlic, peeled and finely chopped (yes, two HEADS, not cloves)
1 cup corn oil (more or less, for finishing)

Directions:

Wash the mangoes well and cut them up (including the peel) into slices the size of your pinky finger.

Salt well and place the slices into a large jar. Close the jar and place it in a sunny spot for 4 to 5 days to release all the liquid in the fruit. At the end of this time the mangoes should be a very light, yellow color.

Drain, saving the liquid.

Allow the mango slices to dry, preferably in the sun, for 3 to 4 hours.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of corn oil in a pot, and add all the ingredients up to (and not including) the garlic. Cook and constantly stir for a few seconds, until the spices begin to pop and make tiny explosive noises.

Boil the mango liquid (you did remember to save it, didn't you?) and add this to the heated spice mixture.

Add the mango and the chopped garlic.

Stir, and continue cooking for 5 minutes on a low flame. Make sure the mixture does not dry out too much.

Remove from the flame and let cool completely.

Divide the mixture among 4 one-cup jars (which have been sterilized).

Cover with the corn oil and seal.

Sabich – Iraqi Jewish Eggplant Sandwich
Vegetarian; vegan if you omit the egg; gluten free if you omit the pita and serve as a salad
Makes 4 sandwiches

• 4 pieces good pita bread
• 4 hard boiled eggs (see note above), peeled and sliced
• 1-2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4" or so thick
• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 roma tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, finely diced
• juice of 1 lemon
• hummus (bought or make your own)
• prepared tahina (bought or make your own)
• 1/2 flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 small white onion minced
• 1/2 c. pickle, cut into small slices or cubes
• amba – mango pickle, or failing that, hot sauce of your choice – harissa maybe?

1. Make a simple salad of the tomatoes, cucumber, and lemon juice, with salt to taste.
2. Fry the eggplant in batches until thoroughly tender and browned; drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
3. While the eggplant is frying, put each of the other ingredients in bowls so everyone can build a sandwich to their own specifications.
4. Toast or grill the pita bread.

White Bean Hummus with Frizzled Shallots

(“The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook: Daily Meals for the Contemporary J...")

This riff on chickpea hummus has a slightly mellower flavor than the original and tastes delicious spread on crackers, sandwiches or crostini. The frizzled shallots add an unexpected twist of sweet, caramelized flavor. Serves 4–6

For shallots:
Vegetable oil for frying
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt

For hummus:
1 large (19-ounce) can white beans (e.g. cannellini), rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more
for garnish

1) Fill a small, cold skillet with about 1/4-inch of vegetable oil. Add shallots and turn heat to medium-high. Cook until browned and crispy, 6–8 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, combine all hummus ingredients except oil in food processor; turn machine on and pour the oil into the mixture in a smooth stream. Process until smooth. Transfer hummus to a bowl and top with shallots and an additional drizzle of oil.

Muhammara (Red Pepper Walnut Dip)

1-1 ½ cup roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
½-1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt to taste

Blend all the ingredients but the olive oil in a food processor blend until mixture is smooth. You may also leave it a little chunky if you like it that way. Stir in oil gradually. Transfer muhammara to a serving bowl and if desired, garnish with fresh parsley/mint.

Cornstarch Pudding- Mahallabi

This is a very delicious and light dessert that we serve after a heavy meal. You can eat it for breakfast and top it with fruit if you prefer.

2 cups milk
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon rosewater
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Bring one and a half cups of milk to a boil. Add the sugar and stir. Mix the cornstarch in ½ cup of milk and pour over the milk and sugar mixture. Keep stirring until it thickens.

Remove from heat and add the rosewater and cardamom and stir. Pour pudding in small custard cups and decorate with pistachios.

Lamb Stew with Potatoes and Peas

You could use stewing beef for this recipe, but you need to cook it longer.

1 pound stewing lamb
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Arabian spice-Bahar (cinnamon,allspice,cloves,cardamom,black pepper)
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen peas

Heat oil in a pot and sauté the lamb for 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, cinnamon stick, spices and stir. Pour the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the water, and simmer on medium heat covered for one hour until lamb is cooked.
Add the potatoes and peas, and add 1 more cup of water and simmer until potatoes are soft and cooked. Check the sauce if it needs more salt. Serve it with saffron rice and salad.

Golden Hummus Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable stock
3 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini paste
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
3 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 cup pesto sauce, cilantro (garnish) or 1/2 cup basil (garnish)
pita chips (garnish)

Directions:

Blend half of all non-garnish ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth (3 minutes). If soup is thick, add more stock 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large pot.

Continue with remaining half ingredients to blend a second batch. Add to pot.

Heat soup to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve in bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon of the pesto.

Chickpea and Tamarind Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups canned chick-peas, rinsed (or cook your own)
3 tablespoons tahini (I do feel quality of tahini can make or break)
2 tablespoons tamarind paste (or to taste, no seeds!)
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (or to taste)
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
fresh lemon juice, to taste (optional, I use this)
minced garlic, to taste (optional, I recommend only a small amount to let the tamarind shine)
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves (fresh coriander) or 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (I recommend unrefined, has a better flavour and is much healthier)
water (if needed)

Directions:

Place all ingredients, except coriander or parsley and olive oil, in a food processor and process into a somewhat thick paste, adding a little water as necessary.

Taste and adjust flavours to taste.

Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with fresh coriander or chopped parsley and extra virgin olive oil just before serving.

Couscous with tomato and onion

Burnt Eggplant and Mograbieh Soup

Pistachio Soup

3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachio (4 oz, not dyed red)
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (16 fl. Oz)
1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons rice flour
2 tablespoons dried barberries (aka "zereshk"... you can substitute cranberries soaked first in hot water)
1/2 teaspoon grape juice concentrate (grape molasses) or 1/2 teaspoon grape jelly
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions:


Cook shelled pistachios in a small saucepan of boiling water 1 minute, then drain and rub off skins.

Transfer ½ cup skinned pistachios to a blander (reserve remainder), then add broth and blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Chop leek and wash in a bowl of cold water, agitating it, then lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl along with onion, garlic, ginger and cayenne.

Heat 2 T oil in a 3-4 quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then cook cumin and coriander seeds, stirring, until fragrant and a shade or two darker, 10 to 30 seconds. Stir in leek mixture, then reduce heat to moderately low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add pistachio puree, water, salt, pepper, and turmeric, then whisk in rice flour and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, covered, whisking occasionally, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining ½ T oil in a 7-8” heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook barberries, grape molasses, and remaining ¼ c skinned pistachios, stirring, until combined and heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (be careful not to burn barberries) Transfer to a small bowl.

Puree soup in 2 or 3 small batches in blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth, transferring to a large bowl.

Return soup to pot, then stir in juice and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup topped with pistachio mixture.

Yotam Ottolenghi's watercress and chickpea soup with rosewater and ...

Yotam Ottolenghi's mejadra recipe

Bittersweet fried onions and lentils cooked with sweet spices and topped with yoghurt make a meal to remember.

Conchiglie with yoghurt, peas and chile

Barley Risotto with marinated feta

Latkes (Potato Cakes)

These were great, and the parsnip added an earthy dimension. They also passed my big latke test, which is can they be eaten cold from the fridge the next day with a sprinkle of coarse salt? Yes, oh yes. I shredded the vegetables on the shredding disk of my food processor. Parsnips first because they aren't wet like potatoes. If you keep kosher, serve these at a dairy meal or omit the butter and use all oil. These require attention so don't use too large a skillet. Once fried and drained, they'll keep crisp in a 200-degree oven. The authors credit their friend Helen Goh for perfecting this recipe and write: "Don't save latkes just for holidays though; they are truly marvelous and a good way to start any meal, or to accompany roasted beef."

• 5 1/2 cups peeled and shredded Yukon Gold potatoes (4 or 5 medium potatoes)
• 2 3/4 cups peeled and shredded parsnips, about 2 large parsnips
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced chives or finely chopped scallions
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch (I added a third tablespoon so this held together better)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 6 tablespoons or more canola oil or sunflower oil, divided
• Sour cream, to serve

Rinse potatoes in large bowl of cold water. Drain in colander, squeeze out excess water. Spread potatoes out on clean kitchen towel to dry completely.

In large bowl, mix potatoes, parsnips, chives, egg whites, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper.

In large nonstick skillet, melt half the butter in half the oil over medium heat. With hands, one at a time, pick out a heaping 2 tablespoons latke mix; squeeze firmly to remove some liquid and shape into patties. Carefully place as many as can comfortably fit in the hot pan, push down gently and level with back of spoon. Fry 3 minutes on each side. Latkes need to be completely brown on outside. Remove fried latkes from oil, place on paper towels and keep warm while cooking the rest. Add remaining butter and oil as needed. Serve at once with sour cream on side.

Author: Yotam Ottolenghi from his book Jerusalem