Tag: Western Asian
Muhammara Dip
Muhammara Dip
Muhammara is a roasted red pepper dip eaten all over the Middle East. It is extremely easy to prepare, which is great, since it is extremely easy to eat a whole batch. All of the ingredients get puréed in a food processor. Then the dip will need to sit in the refrigerator for an hour to allow the flavors to meld with one another. Serve the muhammara dip with pita chips.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 12 oz roasted red peppers 1 jar
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Garnish
- olive oil
- parsley chopped
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor.
- Pulse until the dip is smooth. Let sit in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.
Pita Chips
Once you make pita chips on your own, you will never buy packaged ones again. All you have to do is cut pita bread into 8 pieces, toss with olive oil and seasonings, and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Once the pita chips are finished baking, they will need to cool completely to crisp up.
Ingredients
- 4 pita bread
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt
Instructions
- Cut the pita bread into 8 pieces.
- Toss the pita with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pita on the baking sheet.
- Bake the pita for 15 minutes, flipping half way through. Let the pita chips completely cool before serving.
Lebanese Rice
Lebanese Rice
Rice with fine vermicelli noodles didn’t start in San Francisco. This style of rice is a staple in the Arabic world; eaten with most meals. The base of this recipe is only 3 ingredients: rice, vermicelli, and olive oil. Additions of cinnamon and parsley enhance the flavor. Sometimes you will find almonds or pine nuts used as a garnish.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry vermicelli
- 2 cups basmati rice washed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the vermicelli for 3 minutes until browned.
- Add in the rice. Sauté for 5 minutes. Season with salt and cinnamon.
- Pour in the water. Bring to a boil.
- Cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Leek Fritters
Leek Fritters
Leek fritters are very popular in Syrian and Israeli cuisine. They are traditionally served with lemon wedges and are garnished with parsley. The fritters are typically prepared vegetarian, but you may see these with ground beef in recipes as well. The leeks can be interchangeable with other vegetables such as spinach or potatoes; the other ingredients being the base of the recipe.There are 2 possible ways to prepare these leek fritters. The leeks can be boiled as detaied below, or they can be sautéed in vegetable oil over medium heat for 15 minutes. This preparation will give the fritters a different texture and add more calories. But that’s not a bad thing. If boiling them, it is important to squeeze out as much water as possible after the leeks cool. They hold a lot of water. If you don’t squeeze it out, you will have a hard time forming your leek dough.
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks sliced 1/4” thick, washed and rinsed in cold water
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 tsp allspice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the leeks and boil for 30 minutes.
- Strain and let cool. Squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Mix all of the ingredients together. The fritters dough should be firm.
- Form into 8 patties.
- Coat the patties in breadcrumbs.
- Heat up 1/4” deep cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the fritters to the pan, making sure to not overcrowd.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes a side. Drain grease on paper towels.
