Mushroom

Soup
Ingredients:

2 (7 ounce) cans chopped mushrooms, undrained

2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions:
Drain mushroom liquid into a measuring cup, and
add water to make two cups. Melt butter in a large
saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook
until softened. Remove from heat. Stir in flour and
seasoning salt. Slowly add the mushroom liquid
mixture and milk, stirring to prevent lumps; return
to heat. Add mushrooms and cook until mixture
comes to a boil. Its ready!

Spiced Carrot &

Lentil Soup
Ingredients:

2 (7 ounce) cans chopped mushrooms, undrained

2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions:
Heat a large saucepan and dryfry the cumin seeds and
chilli flakes for 1 minute, or until they start to jump
around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out
about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add
the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and
bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils
have swollen and softened. Whizz the soup with a stick
blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it
chunky if you prefer). Season to taste and finish with a
dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted
spices. Serve with warmed naan breads.

Khyar Bi laban
(Cucumber Salad)
Ingredients:

4 sliced cucumbers
1 and 1/2 pints plain yogurt
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1 clove garlic

Directions:
Place sliced cucumbers in a strainer and sprinkle salt.
Set aside. Crush garlic and mash together with mint
using a mortar and pestle or a wood spoon. Combine
yogurt and garlic mint mixture. Stir well. Fold in
cucumber slices and serve cold. Garnish with mint.

Lebanese Authentic
Fattoush
Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sumac powder
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 diced cucumber
2 diced tomatoes
4 chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped purslane
1/2 (5 ounce) package arugula
4 pita rounds, toasted and torn into pieces

Directions:
Mix the water and cornstarch in a small saucepan
over medium high heat until thickened. Remove
from heat and mix in lemon juice, garlic, sumac,
salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. In
a large bowl toss together the lettuce, cucumber,
tomatoes, green onions, parsley, mint, bell pepper,
purslane, and arugula. Toss with the dressing and
serve with pita.

Kafta
Kebabs
Ingredients:

4 minced garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound ground lamb
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
28 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions:
Mash garlic into a paste with salt using a mortar
and pestle or the flat side of a chefs knife on your
cutting board. Mix garlic into the lamb along
with onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon,
allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a
mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture
into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a
skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with
the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a
baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least
30 minutes. Preheat an outdoor grill on medium
heat, and lightly oil. Cook the skewers on the
preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the
lamb has cooked.

Vegetable
Spring Rolls
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 sliced onions
2 shredded celery sticks
2 shredded carrots
2 shredded baby zucchini
2 shredded green peppers
2 cups shredded white cabbage
teaspoon white ground pepper
teaspoon sesame seed oil (optional)
18 sheets spring roll pastry, large size
2 cups oil for deep frying

Directions:
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan, add and cook
ginger and garlic until fragrant, then add onion
and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add
celery, carrot, zucchini, green bell pepper and
cabbage. Stir for few minutes or until vegetables
are almost tender then add white pepper and
sesame oil. Stir to combine well. Remove from
heat and place the mixture on a plate until it
cools to room temperature. Cut each sheet from
the center into 2 triangles. Add 2 tablespoons
of the vegetable mixture on each sheet, brush its
ends with egg, fold the edges and roll carefully
to enclose. Repeat the same with the remaining
sheets. Before serving, fry rolls in batches in hot
oil until golden brown.

Filo Fingers
with Lamb
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon toasted pine seeds
400 g minced lamb
1 cup chicken stock
cup water
cup chopped raisins
cup low fat mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 packet filo pastry

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a pan, cook onion and pine seeds
over medium heat until golden brown. Add lamb and
cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Add chicken
stock and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from
heat and set aside to cool. Add raisins, mozzarella
cheese, coriander, mint and black pepper to the meat
mixture. Stir until well-combined.
Cut each filo pastry sheet into 3 strips. Add a
tablespoon of lamb mixture at one end of the sheet.
Fold the ends and roll to form a finger shape. Brush
the ends with water to close. Place fingers on an oven
tray and bake in a 190C hot oven for 15- 20 minutes
until golden brown. Serve with green mixed salad.

Stuffed Vine Leaves with

Rice and Meat
Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 lb lean ground lamb or 1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup raw rice
2 tablespoons pine nuts or 2 tablespoons chopped almonds
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
water
1 jar grape leaves, drained
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
egg and lemon sauce
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 can chicken broth

Directions:
Heat 1/3 cup oil in a skillet and saute onions until
golden. Add lamb and cook. Add rice, nuts, dill salt,
pepper and 3/4 cup water. Simmer for 10 minutes and
remove from heat. Meanwhile, rinse grape leaves and
dry. Place leaves, shiny side down, on flat surface. Put
1 tablespoon lamb mixture on the center of each leaf.
Fold sides over filling by starting from the narrow end.
Do not roll too tightly - rice needs room to expand. Fill
skillet with layers of stuffed leaves. Pour lemon juice,
2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup cold water. Simmer
until liquid is absorbed. Cool in skillet, if serving cold
as an appetizer.
If serving warm with egg and lemon sauce, in a small
saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat,
stir in 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir
in 1 can chicken broth and 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
Boil over low heat. In a small bowl, beat 4 egg yolks
slightly; beat in a small amount of hot mixture. Slowly
return to pan, stirring until thick. Remove from heat.
Makes 2 cups!

Rooz
Malahem
Ingredients:

5 cups cooked rice

1/2 lb ground beef or 1/2 lb ground lamb or 1/2 lb ground turkey
1/3 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
seasoning to taste
1/2-3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon seasoning salt (more if desired)
or 1 tablespoon salt (more if desired)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup diced red pepper (for color) (optional)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 egg yolks

Directions:
Set cooked rice aside. In a pot combine onions,
chopped garlic, seasonings and ground meat
and brown, try to keep the meat from forming
large clumps by stirring often. Once its almost
brown, add drained can of chickpeas and let
meat brown. When meat is browned, drain any
remaining fat from pan, add rice and stir until
well blended.

Chicken with Couscous

and Yogurt
Ingredients:

1 chopped onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
275 ml chicken stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts
1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
handful dried and chopped apricots or prunes (or both)
2 tablespoons clear honey
bunch of chopped coriander
couscous to serve
natural yogurt to serve (optional)

Directions:
Put onion, garlic and chicken stock in a saucepan
over medium heat and bring to a boil. Season with
salt and freshly ground black pepper and boil for
five minutes, or until reduced in volume by half.
Add chicken, tomatoes, ground cinnamon, ground
ginger and dried apricots or prunes. Boil again,
then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and
simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for
about an hour. Just before serving, stir honey and
coriander into the chicken, and cook for another five
minutes. Serve with couscous and yogurt.

Spinach & Rocket Leaf

Lasagna
Ingredients:
For tomato sauce:

For spinach filling:

1 cup chopped and thawed

frozen spinach

2 cups chopped rocket leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 chopped onion
5 chopped garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
2 cubes chicken stock
1 can tomato, canned with juice or
400 g crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

1 cup ricotta cheese

cup cream cheese
1 well beaten medium egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded emmental cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
packet oven-ready spinach
lasagna sheets

Directions:
Tomato Sauce:
In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and saut onions
until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste and saut for
1 minute. Add hot water, chicken stock, tomatoes,
oregano and fresh basil and allow to simmer for 30
minutes. Turn heat down to low and keep warm.

Spinach Filling:
Combine spinach, rocket leaves, ricotta cheese, cream
cheese and egg, and mix until well combined. In
a separate mixing bowl, combine mozzarella and
emmental cheese. Spoon over 3-4 tablespoons of the
tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Add a
layer of lasagna sheets, sprinkle 1/3 of the spinach
filling, 6-7 spoons of tomato sauce and 1/3 of the
cheese mixture. Layer another row of lasagna sheets
and repeat for the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle
the top with grated parmesan cheese and bake in an
oven for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked and cheese
is slightly golden on top.

Lamb, Shallot &

Date Tagine
Ingredients:

1.5 kg leg of lamb, cubed

2 tablespoons ground coriander seeds
2 tablespoons ground ginger
pinch of saffron
2 tablespoons olive oil
18 whole peeled shallots
4 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato pure
1 cinnamon stick
600 ml lamb stock
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 preserved lemon, rinsed, inner pulp removed
110 g medjool dates, pits removed
1 tablespoon clear honey

Directions:
Place lamb in a bowl and add ground coriander,
ground ginger, saffron and one tablespoon olive
oil. Mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge,
covered, for 24 hours. The next day, heat the
remaining olive oil in a heavy-based pan. Cook
the lamb until browned all over (you may need to
do this in batches). Remove the lamb from the pan
and set aside. Fry the shallots in the same pan
until lightly golden, then add garlic and return the
lamb to the pan. Stir in plain flour and add tomato
pure and cinnamon stick. Stir in lamb stock and
bring to a boil. Cover tightly and simmer gently for
1 hours, or until the lamb is tender. Add parsley,
coriander, lemon rind, dates and honey. Stir well to
combine and serve with a bowl of couscous.

One-Pot Macaroni
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

500 g minced beef
1 finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
5 chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
1 packet macaroni pasta

Directions:
In a large pot, heat vegetable oil and saut
minced meat and onions until soft. Add garlic
and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add
tomatoes, cinnamon, basil and oregano to the
pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add hot water,
chicken stock and macaroni to the pot and simmer
covered for 20 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
Stir once and dish out in a large platter.

Almond
Sesame Balls
Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups ground almonds

1 tin condensed milk
1/4 cup rose water
1 cup icing sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
Combine almond powder, condensed milk,
rose water, icing sugar and butter to form
a dough. Avoid over-mixing, or else the
dough will become too oily. Form balls with
the dough, dip in egg white and roll it over
sesame. Put the balls in a non-stick tray and
bake in a 200 degrees preheated oven for
7-10 minutes or until golden. Serve cold.

Broiled Plums with

Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients:

5 halved and pitted medium black plums

1 tablespoon vanilla essence
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese or creme fraiche
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Place plum halves, cut sides
up, in a single layer in an 8-inch square baking
dish. Pour vanilla essence evenly over plums and
sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar. Broil until plums are
soft and sugar is caramelized. Meanwhile, put
mascarpone cream and remaining sugar in a
mixer and beat for about 2 minutes. Top broiled
plums with whipped mascarpone cream.

Kunafeh
Ingredients:

1 x 375 g packet shredded filo pastry or shredded regular filo

430 g ricotta cheese
1 egg
275 g salt reduced butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

For Syrup:

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons orange blossom water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place filo in large
bowl and add butter to keep it from sticking.
Divide filo into 2 portions. In a separate bowl,
mix cheese, sugar, lemon juice and egg. Grease
a 23cm X 30 cm baking dish and place one
portion of filo on the bottom. Cover with ricotta
and another portion of filo. Sprinkle with butter
and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
Cool for 45 minutes.

Syrup:
Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and
simmer over medium high heat until it comes
to a boil. Boil for one minute. Reduce heat to
low and add orange blossom water. Cool syrup
completely. Run a knife around the edges of
kunafeh and flip pastry dish over to remove.
Make sure kunafeh is completely cool. Cut into
squares, drizzle with syrup and serve!

Basbousa
Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 cups semolina
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For Syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
juice of one lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter,
allow to cool to room temperature. Combine
sugar and buttermilk in a large bowl. Combine
the semolina, vanilla, baking powder and
baking soda in a separate bowl. Add semolina
mixture to buttermilk mixture, mix well, then
add melted butter. Spray a medium pan with
cooking spray, pour in the mixture; Bake for
25 minutes. Let sit for 20 minutes. Bake for
30 minutes, pour sugar syrup over it while still
warm. This is usually served with tea or coffee.

Syrup:
Combine sugar, water and juice of half a lemon
in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and
allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes, mixture
should thicken when it cools.

Atayef
Ingredients:
Walnut filling:

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

5 tablespoons sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons orange blossom water

Cheese filling:

280g akkawi cheese (desalted) or ricotta

100g grated mozzarella cheese
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rosewater
2 and 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
3 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups of rose syrup
Peanut oil for frying
1/2 cup ground pistachios to garnish

Directions:
To prepare the walnut filling, mix walnuts, sugar, zest, cinnamon
and orange blossom water. To prepare the cheese filling, start the
night before. Desalt akkawi cheese by slicing and immersing in cold
water. Drain and change the water after 1 hour, repeating five or
six times. Mix the 2 cheeses, sugar and rosewater, and drain excess
water. Put flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Pour water and beat
with a whisk. Add baking soda. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.
Whisk the batter a little before ladling 1/4 cup in the pan to make
4-inch disks. Cook only on one side. Take one atayef and cup it in
your hand. Fill it with either one of the fillings. Bring the edges
together to form a crescent. Pour 2 cups of rose syrup into a bowl.
Heat oil in a saucepan to 200 degrees. Deep-fry until golden brown.
While hot, slide a couple at a time into the cool syrup. Serve hot,
garnished with pistachios.
Cheese filling:
Preheat oven to 400F. Place atayef in a baking dish.
Brush with clarified butter on both sides. Bake until
golden and crisp. Remove and pour cold syrup over
the atayef. Garnish with pistachios.