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.

Stuffed Vine Leaves in Oil ( Warak Inab Bilzeit) Recipe

This is a vegetarian recipe, and I must say that Stuffed Vine leaves in Olive Oil is an essential dish from our rich Lebanese Mezze. It is so delicious and light that you can easily eat a small plate alone before having your main meal.

Ingredients:

100 grams of vine leaves, blanched and ready to cook ( you can use the preserved ones too)
1/2 cup of short grain rice
2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium red tomato, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seven spices
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil+ one extra tablespoon for cooking
your choice of thinly sliced vegetable, such as onion, tomato, carrot or even potato (I used sliced onions)

Preparation:

Prepare the stuffing by mixing the washed rice with the parsley, onion, tomato, salt, spices lemon juice and the olive oil well

Place a vine leave face down and stuff it with one teaspoon of the mixture of rice for filling in the center, fold the two sides toward the center then roll it in a cigar shape

When you finish all the quantity of the vine leaves and stuffing, prepare the pot, place the tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the pot, cover the base of the pot with your choice of sliced vegetable, place all the stuffed vine leaves in the pot

Pour water to cover the vine leaves by about one inch, place a plate upside down over them to prevent the vine leaves from opening during cooking. Adjust the salt and lemon as desired

Cook on a medium heat and when it starts boiling reduce the fire and let it cook gently for about 25 minutes until the rice is cooked and tender

Turn upside down on a plate and it’s ready to serve

How to make Chicken sambousek

Serves 640 Mins

Ingredients

For the stuffing:

6 Kiri® squares
Green pepper (diced)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion (finely chopped)
250 g chicken meat (minced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon pine nuts (roasted)
¼ tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon green basil (minced)
1 garlic clove
½ tablespoon five spice

For the dough:

4 cups white flour
1 ½ tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon baking yeast

Cooking Directions

1 In a deep bowl, mix the flour with the salt and oil until it is crumbly.
2 Add melted yeast.
3 Pour the water gradually and mix to create a smooth-textured dough.
4 Cover the dough with a clean towel and set aside for half an hour.
5 Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the onions and garlic for 2 minutes.
6 Add the chicken and mix until done.
7 Toss in the diced peppers and stir the ingredients on medium heat for 5 minutes.
8 Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook for 5 more minutes until the vegetables are done and the moisture evaporates.
9 Mix in the Kiri squares, pine nuts, basil and spices. Then remove from the heat to cool.
10 Spread the dough thinly.
11 Cut in circles using a medium-sized cup.
12 Put a tablespoon of stuffing in the center of each dough circle.
13 Press the ends with a fork to close.
14 Place the sambousek wraps in a tray that has been brushed with oil or melted butter. Leave the tray aside for half an hour until the sambousek wraps rise again.
15 Bake for 15 minutes or until golden at 250 degrees Celsius.
16 Serve immediately.

Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

This twist on classic spinach artichoke dip is sure to be a winner at any holiday dinner or get-together. Rachael Ray serves it with sesame breadsticks, celery hearts and pita crisps for dipping.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Casual New Year's Eve

Total:37 min
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 12 min
Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Level: Easy

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) boxes chopped frozen spinach
1 box frozen artichoke hearts
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg, or to taste
1 cup Gorgonzola crumbles
1 1/2 cups shredded (a little larger than grated, available in tubs) Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Thick sesame bread sticks, for dipping
Celery hearts, trimmed for dipping
Pita crisps with Parmesan and herbs (recommended: Stacy's)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Defrost spinach 10 minutes on defrost setting in microwave then drain well by wringing out in dish towel. Defrost artichokes as well, 6 minutes on defrost in microwave then wring out and finely chop.

Heat a sauce pot with butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic to melted butter and stir 1 to 2 minutes, then sprinkle in flour and combine 1 minute more. Whisk in stock and milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Thicken 2 minutes then remove from heat and melt in Gorgonzola. Stir in spinach and artichokes and half the shredded cheese then transfer to a small casserole and top with remaining cheese. Brown and bubble in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with bread sticks, celery hearts and pita crisps for dipping.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail Recipe

Ina Garten roasts her shrimp before displaying with a chili cocktail sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten
Show: Barefoot Contessa
Episode: Cocktail Hour

Total:35 min
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 10 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients

For the shrimp:
2 pounds (12 to 15-count) shrimp
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
1/2 cup chili sauce (recommended: Heinz)
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread them in 1 layer. Roast for 8 to10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool.

For the sauce, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Serve as a dip with the shrimp.

2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved

Pairs well with Chardonnay

Baba Ghannouj / Grilled Eggplant Dip Recipe

Some tips to help you produce a superior Baba Ghannouj. Grilling the eggplants over an open fire will produce the smoky flavor that is so typical of this dish, though the smoky flavor will come through to a certain extent if you cook them under the grill in your oven. It is important to let the grilled flesh drain for a while to get rid of the excess liquid; and finally, once this done, you need to mash the flesh with the back of a fork to retain texture. The dip will be too smooth if you use a food a processor.

Ingredients

6 large eggplants (about 250g each)
4 tbsp Tahini
1 garlic clove, crushed (or ¼ tsp Adonis garlic powder)
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
Sea salt
Fresh pomegranate seeds (Ideally the sour type)
Extra virgin olive oil

Cooking instructions

Prick the eggplants in several places with a small knife to stop them from bursting during cooking. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and cook under a hot grill for 25 minutes on each side. The eggplants are ready when they have become very soft to the touch. By then, the skin should have become slightly charred for a smoky taste.

Remove the grilled eggplants onto a large chopping board. Cut each in half lengthways, and with a spoon, scoop out the flesh. Place the flesh in a colander to drain the excess liquid. Let it drain for a least half an hour.

Put the eggplants in a wide mixing bowl and mash with a masher or the back of a fork. Be sure not to crush them too much, as you want the dip to have texture. Add the tahini and salt to taste. Mix well. Then add the lemon juice and crushed garlic. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl and with the back of a spoon; spread it the same way as with hummus. The garnish can be the same as that of hummus, using mint instead of parsley; or you can use pomegranate seeds, arranged in a star shape in the middle and at regular intervals along the edge. Olive oil is of course used with both garnishes.

Kibbeh Bil-Saniyeh / Baked Kibbeh Recipe

Kibbeh is one of Lebanon's great national dishes and until the arrival of the food processor, the meat was pounded by hand in a marble or stone mortar (jorn) with a wooden pestlem(m'daqqa). Because of the time and effort involved in its preparation, kibbeh was - and still is - a festive dish. It is a highly seasoned mixture of finely minced lamb, burghul and very finely chopped onion. When it is served raw, kibbeh is made with less burghul and a handful of crushed basil or mint leaves are added to give the meat a fresh, fragrant flavor. A little liyeh (fat from the sheep's tail) is also added to make it more velvety.

Ingredients

90g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease baking dish
60g pine nuts
500g large onions, finely chopped
200g lean minced
4 ½ tsp Adonis Kibbeh Spices
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
500g lamb from the leg, boned, skinned, defatted and finely minced 200g fine burghul
4 ½ tsp Adonis Kibbeh Spices
Unsalted butter

Cooking instructions

Melt the butter in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Saute the pine nuts, stirring constantly until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a double layer of kitchen paper. Saute the chopped onion in the same butter until soft and transparent. Add the minced meat and cook until it loses all traces of pink. Keep mashing and stirring the meat with the back of a wooden spoon or fork so that it separates well and does not form lumps. Remove from the heat. Season with the Adonis Kibbeh Spices and salt to taste. Add the pine nuts. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside.

Put the quartered onion in a food processor and until very finely chopped. Add the minced meat, Adonis Kibbeh Spices and salt to taste and process together until smooth. Prepare a bowl of lightly salted water and have it on hand.

Wash the burghul in two or three changes of cold water. Drain well and add to the meat. Mix with your hand; dipping it every now and then in the salted water to moisten both your hand and the kibbeh. Knead until the mixture is well blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Grease a deep baking dish about 30x20x5 cm with a little butter. Preheat the oven to 180° C.

Divide the kibbeh in two equal parts. Moisten your hands in the salted water and pinch off a handful of kibbeh from one piece. Flatten it between your palms to a thickness of about 1 cm and place on the bottom of the baking dish, starting from one edge. Smooth it evenly with your fingers. Pinch off another handful from the same piece of kibbe. Flatten and lay next to the first piece, slightly overlapping it. Dip your fingers in water and smooth the pieces together until the joint disappears. Be sure to connect the kibbeh pieces well so that they do not come apart during cooking. Continue the above process until you have covered the bottom of the pan. Go over the whole layer with moistened fingers to even it out.

Spread the stuffing evenly over the kibbeh and make a top layer, using the other half of the kibbeh and laying it over the stuffing in the same way as with the bottom layer. You may find the top layer slightly more difficult to do as you will be laying it over the loose stuffing instead of the smooth surface of the baking dish. Do not worry. You will soon get the hang of it.

Cut the pie into quarters, then with a knife make shallow incisions to draw a geometric pattern across the top of each quarter. The decoration work is time consuming and can be omitted without affecting the taste, although the presentation will be less attractive and less traditional. Press your index finger in the middle to make a hole. Place a knob of butter over the hole and one knob of butter over each of the quarters. Insert a round-pointed knife between the edge of the kibbeh and the side of the pan and slide it all alongside the edge to detach the kibbeh from the sides of the pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pie has shrunk and the meat is just done. Serve hot or warm with a yoghurt and cucumber salad.