Pan-Roasted Quail

PREP: 2 HOURS ----- COOK: 45 MINUTES ----- SERVINGS: 4-6
 

• 6 Quails
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 3 cloves of garlic - minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice 
• 1/2 cup butter or ghee or a mixture of both for richer flavor

1. Clean and wash the quails inside and out

2. In a deep dish, mix together the onion, garlic, salt, spice, vinegar, and bay leaves. Rub the quails with the marinade inside and out. Leave the quails in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

4. Add quails with the marinade mixture to the saucepan. Cook covered on medium-low heat turning frequently until browned for 45 minutes.

Sharbet Hout - Fish Soup

PREP: 10 MINUTES ----- COOK: 45 MINUTES ----- SERVINGS: 6

• 4 filets of Halibut (or your choice of fish; the stinkier, the better)
• 1 Medium onion - diced
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 cup fresh tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 cups water
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley - chopped
• 1/2 cup orzo

1. Cook the fish in 6 cups of water and salt.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and sutee the onion until translucent.

3. Add the tomato paste, tomato puree, garlic, cumin powder, turmeric and simmer on medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the oil surfaces (about 10 minutes).

4. Drain the cooked fish reserving the water (fish stock). Add the fish stock (5-6 cups) to the soup.

5. Cut the fish (by hand) into small pieces and add to the soup. Bring to a gentle boil then simmer for about 30 minutes.

6. Add the orzo and parsley and cook till orzo is done.

7. Squeeze lemon to taste and enjoy.

Sharbet Addass - Lentil Soup

PREP: 10 MINUTES ----- COOK: 45 MINUTES ----- SERVINGS: 6

• Lamb bones or chicken wings (optional)
• 1 Medium onion - diced
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1 cup fresh tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 4 to 5 cups water
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro - chopped
• Lemon or lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a pan and sautee the onion till caramelized. Add the lamb or chicken if desired and stir till coated.

2. Add the tomato paste, tomato puree, cumin powder, turmeric, salt, coriander, lentils and carrots and simmer on medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the oil surfaces (about 10 minutes). Add 1 cup of water if mixture is too thick.

3. Add the remaining water and simmer till vegetables are cooked tender (about 30 minutes).

4. Remove the meat from the pot if any used, and set aside.

5. Using a hand-held mixer or food processor, puree the soup to a semi-thick paste. Add water if soup is too thick to the desired consistency.

6. Return the meat to the pot and add the cilantro. Bring back to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Squeeze lemon to taste and enjoy with croutons or baguette.

Haraimi - ٍSinful Fish

PREP: 10 MINUTES ----- COOK: 45 MINUTES ----- SERVINGS: 4

• 4 King mackerel steaks
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 cups fresh tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

1. Mix together the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of cumin, salt, and 4 cloves garlic.

2. Marinate the fish steaks in the mixture and set aside.

3. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add 1 teaspoon cumin and 4 cloves of garlic (minced). Stir for a minute or two, but do not let the garlic brown.

4. Add the tomato paste, cup of water, and fresh tomato puree to the saucepan. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes till sauce is thickened.

5. Add the fish and the marinade to the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Serve with fried stuffed peppers and fried cauliflower.

Fried Stuffed Peppers

PREP: 15 MINUTES ----- COOK: 30 MINUTES ----- SERVINGS: 4-6

• 8 Anaheim peppers
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup flour
• Vegetable oil for frying

1. Core the peppers and puncture with a skewer

2. In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, cumin powder, salt, spice, parsley, minced garlic, water, and flour. Batter must be thick. Vary the flour amount until batter is thick enough.

3. Heat enough vegetable oil to fry the peppers.

4. Fill one pepper halfway with the batter and slowly dip in the frying oil. Repeat for the rest of the peppers.

5. Continue frying on medium heat until slightly colored and done. Remove from oil and allow to drain.

Fried Cauliflower

PREP: 10 MINUTES ----- COOK: 20 MINUTES ----- SERVINGS: 4-6

• 1 whole cauliflower head
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons flour
• Vegetable oil for frying

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets

2. Boil 4-6 cups of water with salt

3. Add the cauliflower to the boiling water. Bring back to boil. Simmer on low heat for 6 minutes. Do not cook through.

4. In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, cumin powder, minced garlic, water, and flour.

5. Heat enough vegetable oil to deep fry the cauliflower.

6. Dip the florets in the batter and deep fry on medium heat until golden brown. Remove from oil and allow to drain.

Sayadiya - Fisherman's Dish

PREP: 30 MINUTES ----- COOK: 1 HOUR ----- SERVINGS: 6

 

A Lebanese traditional dish of fish onions and rice. It takes a little long to make, but it's worth all the effort!

• 1 Pomfert fish ~1 kg (2.2 lb)
• 3 cups light vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup flour with 1 ts each salt and cumin powder
• 7 medium onions coarsely chopped/diced
• 2 cups long grain rice (Do not use parboiled rice such as Uncle Ben's)

• 2 3/4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder

• 1/2 cup pine nuts

Sauce:

• 4 medium onion cut into thin wedges
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 ts salt
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup tahina (sesame paste) 

1. Clean the fish and cut into 5 steaks

2. Heat vegetable oil in deep frying pan

3. Dip fish pices into the flour mixture to over evenly then fry in the hot oil (~10 minutes).

4.  Remove fish from oil and set aside to drain.

5. Pour 1 cup of the oil you fried fish in into a pot on medium heat.

6. Add the coarsely chopped to the pot and cook stirring occasionally until it wilts completely (20 to 30 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

7. Remove the bones from fish and arrange fish pieces at the bottom of an oven casserole (preferably Corningware).

8. Wash the rice many times and drain or soak for 10 minutes and drain.

9. Mix the rice and the wilted onions together.

10. Add the rice and onion mixture to the casserole on top of the fish.

11. Boil the 2 3/4 cups water with the the salt and cumin powder.

12. Pour the boiled water in the casserole gently so not to disturb the rice.

13. Bake the casserole covered in a 350 ^oF oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep covered (Do not uncover).

14. Sautee pine nuts till golden in 1 cup of the fish frying oil. HIDE THEM FROM YOUR HUSBAND URRRRRG!

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Sauce:

1. Combine the wedged 4 onions, 1 cup water and salt in a pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

2. Mix lemon juice with Tahina and mix well.

3. Add the boiled onion wedges with its stock to the tahina mixture and stir until smooth and homogeneous.

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Serving:

1. Turn over the fish and rice casserole on a tray or large plate. Leave it for 3 minutes until all the contents are transferred to the plate or tray.

2. Lift the casserole off and garnish the Sayadiya with the sauted pine nuts, if your husband left any!

3. Serve hot with the tahina-onion sauce.