Category: Recipes

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Recipes

Lentil Tabbouleh

Lentil tabbouleh from the Chouf

Lentil TabboulehLentil Tabbouleh, a specialty of some villages in the Shouf and West Bekaa regions, made with lentils instead of bulgur wheat. This healthy salad is gluten free, rich in protein and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

 Total Servings: 5

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

 Ingredients:

2 cups of lentils, boiled

2 garlic gloves, crushed

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

¼ bunch of parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon of salt

Optional: ½ teaspoon of ground cumin

Optional: the juice of half a bitter orange (Bou Sfeir or Zeffer Oranges)

 Preparation Steps

  1. In a bowl, mix the lentils with the lemon juice, crushed garlic and salt (and cumin according to preference)
  2. Decorate with the parsley and tomatoes
  3. Serve cold
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Seasoned Chicory – Assoura

Assoura

Total Servings: 5

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

 Ingredients:

7 cups of wild chicory, chopped

1/2 a cup of lemon juice

7 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Preparation Steps:

  1. In a cooking pot, put chopped chicory and immerse them with water
  2. Cook on medium heat until tender
  3. Set aside to cool then squeeze the water out very well
  4. Add the garlic, lemon juice and salt. Mix well
  5. Drizzle olive oil on top and serve cold

 

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Eggplant Moussaka

Eggplant Mussaka

Total Servings: 5

 Ingredients:

1 Kg eggplant

½ Kg soaked chickpeas

½ Kg tomato

5 large onions

1 garlic head

½ cup oil

½ tea spoon salt

½ tea spoon pepper

 Preparation Steps:

Fry the finely chopped onions and garlic in oil until they develop a yellow color.

  1. Add the peeled chickpeas and cook for 1 ½ minutes, then add a little water and keep over a low fire until the chickpeas are done.
  2. Peel the eggplant, fry in oil and keep aside.
  3. Add the grated tomatoes over the chickpeas and leave for a while on the fire.
  4. Add the eggplants with salt and pepper and cook until all the water evaporates.
  5. Served cold.

For a healthier version enjoy the eggplants grilled in the oven!

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Kebbeh b joz (walnut kebbeh)

Cold Potato Kebbeh

Cold potato kebbeh or kebbeh b joz (walnut kebbeh) is an easy vegetarian type of kebbeh and is served as a side-dish.

Total Servings: 6

Preparation Time: 50 minutes

 Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes, washed

3 cups of fine burghol

½ cup of walnut, cut into small pieces

2 tsp of salt

½ tsp of pepper

1 cup of water

2 small onions, grated

2 tbsp. cup of olive oil

1 ½ tbsp. of dry mint

 Preparation Steps:

  1. Boil the potatoes in a large pot, then peel them
  2. Wash the burghol and leave it aside to dry. Then mix it with the salt
  3. Mash the boiled potatoes and mix them thoroughly with the burghol, onions and walnut
  4. Sprinkle the olive oil and dry mint over the top of the kebbeh before serving
  5. Serve cold with green onions and mint leaves
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Recipes

Vegetarian Stuffed Vine Leaves

Stuffed vine leaves or “waraa enab” in Arabic is a popular dish around the Mediterranean. In this version of the recipe, bulgur has been used instead of rice as it is very rich in fiber and is produced locally in the Bekaa valley of Lebanon.

Total Servings: 18

Preparation time: 1 hour

One serving: 12 pieces

 Ingredients:

650 g vine leaves, washed

4 tsp salt

For the stuffing:

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

4 small tomatoes, washed and finely chopped

3 ½ cups (140g) parsley, washed and trimmed

15 g fresh mint, washed and finely chopped

3 ½ cups bulgur

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

Juice of 2 medium lemons

Preparation Steps:

Stuffing:

  1. Wash the bulgur and leave it aside to dry.
  2. In a large bowl, mix well all the ingredients of the stuffing with olive oil and lemon juice.

Grape Leaves:

  1. Clean and cut stems off the vine leaves. Place the fresh leaves in boiling water for 3 minutes until softened.
  2. Spread each vine leave and fill it with 1 Tbsp of the stuffing. Then roll it in a finger-like shape.
  3. In a large saucepan, arrange the stuffed vine leaves in layers, then cover them with water and add salt.
  4. Cook for one hour or until done.
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Kishk Turnovers

Whole wheat kishk fatayer

kishk
Fatayer kishk or mana’eesh b kishk are very popular in Lebanon and prepared in various ways. They are consumed usually over breakfast. The recipe we are sharing here is a healthy one from Ras Beirut, and rich in fibers.

Total Servings: 5 dozens

Ingredients:

Filling
500 g of cow’s milk kishk
5 cups of vegetable oil
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
100 g of onions, grated
2 tbsp. of sesame seeds, roasted
1 tbsp. of pomegranate paste

Dough
700g of brown whole wheat flour
300g of bran flour
3 tbsp. of vegetable oil
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of sugar
2 cups of water

Preparation Steps:

  1. In a bowl, mix all filling ingredients and set aside
  2. In another bowl, mix the dough ingredients and let it rest
  3. After 15 minutes, divide the dough into small balls
  4. Pat the small balls into round shaped pieces of 3 mm thickness
  5. Put one tbsp. of filling on the dough
  6. Press both ends of the dough and stretch to form a boat shaped turnover
  7. Press the edges to make sure they stick together
  8. Preheat the oven at 240˚C. (fire should be from the bottom side)
  9. Place the turnovers on an oven pan covered with parchment paper, sprinkle them with bran flour and leave to rest for 15 minutes prior to inserting the pan in the oven
  10. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottom of the pastries turn golden in color.

kishk

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Wheat with Laban

 wheat with laban
This dish is popular in Akkar as well as other Lebanese regions where it is prepared on Easter Saturday. Given that during the lent period people fast on dairy products, people celebrate the end of Lent and the resurrection of Christ with this “white” dish. Wheat and laban called “labaniyeh” is savored with a boiled egg.
This recipe provides a great source of fibers – known for their benefits for the heart and for prolonging the feeling of satiety.
Total Servings: 5

Preparation Time: Overnight soaking + 30 min preparation of recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups of pealed wheat

1 cup pf chickpea

3 kg of fresh plain yoghurt (Laban)

Preparation Steps:

  1.  Soak the wheat and chickpea in water overnight.
  2. Wash the wheat / chickpea mix the next day under running water and put it in a pot with twice as much water as there are grains. 
  3. Leave the grain mix on fire for around 30 minutes (decrease the fire once the water is boiling).
  4. Poor the plain yoghurt (Laban) on the grain mix and stir until the yoghurt spreads all over the grains.
  5. Leave it to cool for a bit and place it in the fridge as it is mostly enjoyed cold.
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Recipes

Pumpkin jam

pumpkin
According to the Atlas of Lebanese Traditional Foods, this recipe has been used in the near east for more than 200 years as a dessert and a source of energy during the harsh days of winter. The recipe below is a specialty of the West Bekaa; pumpkin jam is prepared in many Lebanese areas with modifications in the preparation.

Preparation Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:
1 kg of pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
100 gr of Calcium Oxide (limestone), diluted in 2 Liters of water or enough water to immerse the pumpkin cubes
Sugar syrup
2 kg of sugar
2 L of water
50 ml (OR 3 Tbsps.) + 1 tsp. of Lemon Juice

Preparation Steps:

  1. Pinch the small pumpkin cubes with a fork
  2. Dissolve the limestone in water and set aside for about 2 hours, then decant the solution to remove excess limestone
  3. Soak overnight the pumpkin cubes in the prepared solution, making sure that all the pumpkins are immersed in water
  4. Drain the pumpkins from the water used for soaking and soak in clean hot water for 30 min
  5. Wash the pumpkins with running water to remove any sediments of calcium
  6. Boil the pumpkin cubes in sugar syrup with cloves and orange peel (to flavor it) for about 30 min or until pumpkin turns golden and pumpkin cubes are cooked on the inside
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Holiday Cookies

kaakMaking kaak is always a social event for the family members, friends and neighbours to gather during holidays and help each others preparing this traditional dessert.

Holiday cookies or kaak el Eid are baked on special occasions and holidays. Although the recipe and even names differ from one region to another, the taste remains great!

Holiday kaak

Total Servings: 35

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups of whole-wheat flour

1 ½ cups of white sugar

1 ½ Tbsp. of milk powder

½ tsp of baking powder

1/3 cup of sesame seeds, roasted

¼ tsp of yeast

1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

4 Tbsp. of butter

½ cup of water

¼ tsp of grounded nutmeg

Holiday kaak2

Preparation Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, milk, nutmeg, baking powder and yeast
  2. Add the butter and olive oil to the flour mixture
  3. Add the water gradually while kneading with both hands. When the dough becomes smooth and elastic, cover with a moisturized cloth and set aside for 30 minutes
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180⁰C (356⁰F)
  5. Divide the dough into several pieces, then shape them into identical fingers (elongated forms)
  6. Shape the fingers into circles by connecting the ends, and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds
  7. Arrange the dough circles in a baking tray
  8. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30 mns.

Sesame kaak