Vegetarian Potato Kibbe (Kibbet Batata) Recipe

There is a wide variety of Kibbe recipes in Lebanon. It can be made by mixing bulgur with meat, or with pumpkin and even with potato like the one I made today. The bulgur is always the main ingredient of all kinds of Kibbe, it should be fine and brown color. This recipe is vegetarian, which makes it suitable for Lent. The major ingredients are simple, based on bulgur, potato and onion, but it needs a lot to spices and flavors.

Ingredients:

4 potatoes
1 cup of fine brown bulgur
2 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon seven spices
1 small onion grated

Ingredients for the filling:

3 large onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon 7 spices
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1 tablespoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon caraway
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Boil the unpeeled potatoes in a saucepan with salted water, until they becomes tender

When the potatoes are cold peel then mash them

Wash the bulgur and drain it from the excess water

Mix the mashed potatoes with bulgur, the grated onion, the flour, salt and the spices; mix by hand very well until smooth

Cut the onion of the filling into fine strips and mix with all the spices

Preheat the oven to 180 C

Grease an oven pan with little of olive oil until you cover the bottom

With wet hands place a thin layer of the potato Kibbe mixture and flatten it

Place the filling of onion and cover it with another thin layer of potato Kibbe

Wet a knife and cut the Kibbe into a square or diamond pattern

Drizzle the remaining of the olive oil on the top

Bake for about 30 minutes in the oven, until the top becomes a nice golden color

Serve with a green salad for better taste

Note:

You can also shape the potato Kibbe in a small ball; stuff it with the onion and close the ball forming a flat circle. Fry it in a deep frying pan. It is also DELICIOUS.

Fatteh al-betenjane (Eggplant Casserole) Recipe

The word fatteh means "to crumble" in Arabic and this is the idea behind this dish. Bread that is somewhat stale is crumbled, toasted, and layered with a variety of ingredients including a yogurt sauce and some fried pine nuts.

This fatteh is an eggplant and minced lamb version. It can easily be converted to a vegetarian dish by omitting the meat and replacing it with coarsely ground walnuts. There are at least ten versions of fatteh in Lebanese cuisine: chickpea fatteh, chicken fatteh, lamb fatteh, kafta fatteh, stuffed eggplant fatteh, lamb feet fatteh, lamb tongue fatteh, etc. Fatteh is a popular brunch dish especially in the coastal city of Tripoli in Lebanon.

Recipe By Joumana Accad

Ingredients

1 pound of eggplants
3/4 pounds of minced lamb or beef (meat can be omitted and replaced with ground walnuts)
¼ cup of pomegranate molasses
1 small can of tomato sauce (8 ounces)
Olive oil, as needed
3 pita breads
½ cup of pine nuts
Spices: salt, seven-spice, sumac
1 teaspoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of oil
3/4 pound of yogurt (full or low-fat)
8 cloves of garlic (or to taste)
1 generous tablespoon of tahini

Directions

Peel the eggplants and cut in small cubes. Sprinkle generously with salt and place in a sieve over a bowl; let the salt draw out the bitter juices for several hours if possible (you will get at least one cup of dark water).

Brown the minced lamb in a skillet. Break it into small pieces with two wooden spoons, add some spices: I added salt, ½ teaspoon of sumac and 1 teaspoon of seven-spice mix. Stir and cook until browned. Then transfer to a sieve and let the meat drain its grease.

Cut the pita breads with kitchen scissors into tiny croutons, place in a Ziploc bag, add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss. When the croutons are shiny, transfer to a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake in a 300°F oven till dry, golden and very crunchy.

Dry the eggplant with paper towels; pour two or three tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and when hot, pan-fry the eggplants stirring from time to time until they release their flavor, get soft and browned a bit. Transfer the eggplant to the skillet with the minced meat and add ¼ cup of pomegranate molasses and a cup of tomato sauce. Cook the mixture over medium heat for 20 minutes or so, and let the sauce reduce by one half until the remaining mixture is moist but not too soupy.

Melt a teaspoon of butter and one of oil (if using clarified butter, don't bother with the oil) and fry the pine nuts until caramel-colored. Drain on a paper towel.

Mix the yogurt with a generous tablespoon of tahini (optional, but adds a nice nutty taste) and ½ teaspoon of mashed garlic (mash the garlic with a dash of salt in a mortar).

ASSEMBLY: Place the meat and eggplant mixture on a platter, still warm. Cover with the yogurt, then top with the croutons and pine nuts.

How to Make Fish Vegetarian Kibbeh: a Promise of Delight!

Fish Kibbeh is a delight of vegetarian meal that has the bonus of being fulfilling yet light. It ensued as a healthier and lighter version of the original meat Kibbeh our cuisine is well-known for. I believe that an overview on Kibbeh is in order here.

Ingredients

Servings:  8 portions

500 gr Fish Filet

FOR THE STUFFING
2 Kg Potatoes
1 medium Onion
1/2 bouquet Fresh Cilantro
4 cloves small Garlic
2 tbsps Croutons
4 tbsps Lemon Juice
2 tbsps Walnuts
1 tsp Salt
Vegetable Oil
White Pepper
Black Pepper

TO GARNISH
1 medium Tomato
Lettuce Hearts

Steps

1 PREPARING THE CILANTRO MIXTURE

1- In a pan, over medium-high heat, pour the 2 tbsp of oil and mix in the chopped cilantro and mashed garlic.
2- Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the cilantro wilted.
3- Put aside.

2 PREPARING THE FISH

1- Preheat oven to 250°C ( approx. 482°F).
2- Season both sides of the fish pieces with some salt and white pepper.
3- Place them in a non-stick oiled pan in the oven.
4- Bake for 20 minutes.
5- Flip them gently, and bake for another 10 minutes.

3 MAKING THE FISH MIXTURE

1- Preheated oil and fry the sliced onions until golden.
2- Meanwhile, mix the cilantro mixture with lemon juice and walnuts.
3- Season with salt, white pepper and black pepper.
4- Part the fish in smaller pieces and add them and the mixture on the frying onions.
5- Mix very well, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes while stirring.
6- Put aside to cool.

4 THE KIBBEH: HERE WE GO!

1- Preheat your oven to 250C to ready it for the next phase.
2- Divide the smashed potatoes in 2 parts.
3- Lay one part in a non-stick, oiled baking pan, covering all the surface.
4- Spread over the fish stuffing.
5- Lay the 2nd part of the potatoes on top. (See below for the easier way to do this part).
6- Add a layer of smashed croutons all over the surface.

5 NOTE: HOW TO BEST WORK THE 2ND POTATO'S LAYER.

1- Divide the 2nd part of the smashed potatoes in various balls.
3- Flatten each between your palms, and place them side by the side on top of the fish stuffing until all is covered.
4- Damp your hands and gently dub it all to close the gaps then to spread the layer as equally as possible.

6 BAKING & SERVING

1- Place the pan of Kibbeh in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
2- Switch the heat to the upper top and bake for 5 more minutes to golden the surface.
3- Serve the Kibbeh from the oven to the table and cut when serving on the plates.

NOTE: You may also cut it in 8 equal rectangles and place them on a serving plate.

Serve hot or warm.

7 DECORATING THE PLATE (OPTIONAL)

PRESENTATION TIP:

1- While the Kibbeh is baking, I cut a medium-size tomato into a flower-shape, and prepare some lettuce hearts for the decoration.

2- When the Kibbeh pieces are placed on the serving plate, I gather some of the smallest lettuce hearts around the tomato, and place the set on the center between the pieces of Kibbeh.
I then add some lettuce hearts on both sides of the plate.

Lettuce hearts could be substituted with similar greenery of your choice. Be elegantly creative!

Whole-wheat Meat Pies Recipe

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1 ½ cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon corn oil
½ cup drinking yogurt (laban)
some water to soften the dough
More water for brushing
1 tablespoon black seed

For the filling:
200g ground veal, fat trimmed
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
½ teaspoon of each (salt, black pepper)
1 tablespoon corn oil

Steps:

1) To make the dough, mix the dry ingredients then add the drinking yogurt, oil and some water. Knead the mixture until a soft dough is formed. Cover the dough for an hour and leave to rise in a warm place.

2) Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing the meat with onions, tomatoes, corn oil, salt and black pepper.

3) Divide the dough into small balls (the size of small lemons) then roll them into circles.

4) Add a tablespoon of the filling into the center of each circle and fold over to cover the filling; seal well and arrange in a baking tray. Brush the pies with water and sprinkle with black seeds.

5) Bake in a preheated oven 400 F (200 C) for 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Traditional Falafel Recipe

Learn how to make falafel, a delicious Middle Eastern recipe for crispy, fried chickpeas balls are one of the best vegan foods

Preparation time 40 m
Cooking time 40 m
Recipe category Brunch
Recipe yield 4
Recipe cuisine Middle Eastern

Ingredients

Chickpea 500 g dried, soaked in water for 24 hours
Garlic 1 clove
Onion ¼
Coriander 2,5 g, ground
Cumin 2,5 g, ground
Parsley 1 g, chopped
Salt 5 gr
Lemon juice 5 ml
Black pepper 2,5 g
Oil As needed, for frying

Preparation

Once the chickpeas have finished soaking, mash them in a bowl together with the spices until they are well-mixed, but not a purée.

If necessary, add a bit of water and adjust the salt, pepper and lemon according to taste.

Shape into balls, about the size and shape of a slightly flattened walnut, then let them rest in the refrigerator for a half hour.

Fry them in boiling oil for about five minutes, turning them, until they form a golden crust.

Serve with tahini (sesame sauce), hummus, or yogurt.

Batenjan Makdous (Preserved Eggplants in Olive Oil) Recipe

by ninabaydoun

I’m going to show you how to preserve eggplants, using a recipe I learned from my mother-in-law years ago. It takes about ten days for the Makdous to have been pickled properly. After it has been prepared, the eggplants can be eaten as a appetizer, side dish or can even  be put in a sandwich alone. You will find many ways to enjoy it by playing on your own. Personally, I like to eat it for dinner with labneh (yoghurt) and cheese on the side; it makes for a lovely and easy to prepare dinner.

Ingredients:

1 kg baby eggplant
200 grams whole nut
about 15 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon rock salt
1 teaspoon chili paste (optional)
about 4 cups olive oil

Preparation:

1. Wash the eggplants, remove the stem
2. Place the eggplants in a pot full of water, leave it on fire for about 10 minutes (not more); the skin of the eggplants when tested should be soft
3. When the eggplants are cooked place in a strainer and wash with cold water. Make a small slit lengthwise in the eggplant, sprinkle with salt, put them back in the strainer, slit facing down, place a weight over them and leave it for about two days. This helps any remaining water to come out of the eggplants

4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by roughly crushing the nuts and mixing it with garlic, salt and chili paste if desired
5. With you thumb widen the slit, fill each eggplant with a spoon from the nut garlic mixture

6. Place the filled eggplants in a jar, turn the jar upside down on a plate at a certain angle to release the remaining water, leave it for 2 days until no more juice comes out from it

7. Return the jar after 2 days to upright position, and fill it with olive oil. After five days the eggplants are ready to be consumed