Tag: Western Asian
Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves
Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves
I’ve been obsessed with stuffed grape leaves for a while. Many countries have their own version them: Greece with dolmades, Turkey with dolmas, and Lebanon with warak enab. They all are fairly similar with slight variations in fillings and preparation. These particular stuffed grape leaves are of the Lebanese kind. The stuffing is simply ground beef seasoned with 7 spice, cinnamon, salt, fresh parsley, plus a short grain rice. You can also use ground lamb instead of beef. The leaves are then stuffed and rolled up. You should yield about 50 stuffed grape leaves from this recipe. To cook the stuffed grape leaves, layer the bottom of a wide pot with slices of potato and tomatoes. This will keep the grape leaves from sticking to the bottom while adding flavor. Layer the grape leaves on top of the tomatoes. Then layer the second layer facing the opposite direction. Place a heaving plate on top of the leaves. This will hold them in place while cooking. Pour enough boiling water in the pot to almost completely cover the plate. Place a cover on the pot and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat. Take off the plate. Squeeze over lemon juice. Simmer on low for 45 minutes. Take off the heat and let sit for 30 more minutes.You can serve these stuffed grape leaves as an appetizer. But after trying one, you will change your mind and eat these as your main course. While I’ve always have eaten these cold, these are eaten warm. Both ways are right.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground lamb
- 2 tsp 7 spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups short grain rice
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 jar grape leaves
- 2 medium potatoes peeled; thinly sliced
- 1 medium tomato thinly sliced
- boiling water
- 2 lemons juiced
Garnish
- lemon slices
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a sauté pan.
- Season with 7 spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix the ground beef with the rice, parsley, and olive oil.
Stuffing the Grape Leaves
- Rinse all of the grape leaves under water. Cut the stems from each of the grape leaves.
- Place a heaping tsp of the filling in the center of the leaf, with the pointy side facing up.
- Fold up each of the sides.
- Fold in the corners.
- Roll it up. You don’t want them to be too tight, since the rice will expand during cooking.
- Roll up until all of the stuffing is used. You should yield 40-50 stuffed grape leaves.
- Slice the potatoes and tomato on a mandolin. Layer the bottom of a wide pot with them. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
- Place a single layer of the grape leaves on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Place the next layer faving the opposite direction on top of the first layer. Drizzle with more olive oil.
- Place a wide plate on top of the grape leaves. Fill the pot with boiling water; enough to almost cover the plate.
- Place a cover on the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the plate. Squeeze the lemon juice over the grape leaves. Place the cover back on. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes. Take off the heat and let sit for another 30 minutes.
Hummus and Ground Beef
Hummus and Ground Beef
You probably have never seen hummus topped with ground beef before, but it is a popular dish in Lebanese cuisine. The hummus is a basic recipe with garbanzos, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini; all puréed in a food processor. The ground beef is browned and seasoned with Lebanese 7 spice. The beef is then place in the center of a mound of hummus; garnished with pine nuts, fried garlic, parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil. You can serve as an appetizer or as a main course with pita as a scoop.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
Hummus
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
Ground Beef
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Lebanese 7 spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Garnish
- olive oil
- parsley chopped
- fried garlic
- toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Purée all of the hummus ingredients in a food processor. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the olive oil is a small sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the ground beef until cooked through.
- Turn off the heat. Season with 7 spice, salt, and pepper.
Lebanese Chicken Livers
Lebanese Chicken Livers
I know chicken livers aren’t very popular with my generation and younger, but it is something I was raised on and still enjoy to this day. They are inexpensive and happen to be full of iron, protein, vitamins A, C, and B12. This particular preparation is simple, but boasts a ton of flavor from the garlic and mint. Adding the lemon juice at the last minute helps balance out the richness of the livers.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken livers washed; cut into 2 pieces
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp mint chopped; plus more for garnish
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Marinate the livers with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, mint, garlic, and salt for 30 minutes.
- Heat up the rest of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the chicken livers. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the livers are still slightly pink on the inside.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and cook for 1 more minute.
