The Chicken Shawarma recipe

Ingredients

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, juice of
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (a 'scant' 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
4 pita bread, oval
4 tablespoons garlic sauce
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 gherkins, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped


Directions

1.In a mixing bowl, combine chicken breasts with 1/2 cup of onion, lemon juice, olive oil & spices, then add the thyme before adding the salt to taste.

2.Stir well & then let marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then place chicken breasts in a roasting pan & bake for 25-30 minutes or until done.

4.Remove from the oven & shred the chicken into slivers.

5.Open oval pitas at the seam to create a large pocket, then spread a tablespoon of garlic sauce on the bottom half before filling each pits with equal amounts of sandwich ingredients (i.e. chicken, tomato, onion, gherkins, mint & parsley).

6.Wrap the bottom of the 'sandwiches' with a napkin & serve immediately.

The Moghrabiyeh Recipe

Moughrabiyeh is a dish for special occasions prepared with very big grains of couscous very popular in Tripoli; the second largest town in the north of Lebanon.  

It is usually prepared with Samneh which is Ghee or clarified butter to the west.

The recipe is prepared with olive oil for obvious health reasons.  The dish may be prepared with chicken only or meat only or with both.  It gets its distinctive taste from the spices being used especially the caraway.

Ingredients:  8 servings

300 g. lamb meat from the leg, cut to 2 cm. cubes
One chicken (1500g.), cut to 4, skin removed
One onion, finely chopped
1 small celery branch, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground caraway
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons sweet black pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon moughrabiyeh spice mix (see note below)
¾ cup chick peas, soaked for 12 hours with 1 teaspoon baking soda, or 1½ cans (each 425g.) already cooked chick peas
Salt

For pearl onions
700 g. small size onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and freshly ground sweet black pepper

For moughrabiyeh grains
1¼ kg. steamed moughrabiyeh or 3 cups dry (see note below for dry grains)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon moughrabiyeh spice mix
2 teaspoon caraway
3 cups chicken stock from boiling the chicken and meat

For sauce  
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons ground caraway
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground sweet black pepper
2 teaspoons moughrabiyeh spice mix
2½ cups stock from cooking the chicken and the meat


1. If dry chickpeas are being used, place them with cold water but no salt over medium heat and simmer uncovered till tender.  Drain.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan and fry meat till colored.  Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and fry chopped onion, chopped celery and chopped carrots, add the ground spices and fry few seconds more.  
4. Add meat to the pan and enough cold water to cover.  Bring to the boil, lower heat, and cook ingredients covered 20 minutes.
5. Add chicken pieces and simmer covered till chicken and meat are tender, about 35 minutes more.  
6. Prepare the small onions and add them their juice and the chickpeas the last 10 minutes of cooking.
7. Strain the mixture.  Remove Chicken pieces and separate to big chunks, discarding bones.  Place chicken in a bowl and with the rest of the ingredients keep hot. You should end up with 5½ cups stock to cook the moughrabiyeh and prepare sauce.

To prepare onions  

1.  Place onions in salted boiling water and simmer few seconds.  Drain, refresh in cold water, the peel leaving the stem base intact.  
2. Fry onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil till colored and browned.  Add sugar and fry a little to caramelize the sugar.   Add water to cover the onions, salt, and pepper and bring to the boil.  Cover pan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or till onions are almost tender and a little liquid is left.

To prepare steamed moughrabiyeh grains  

1. Mix steamed moughrabiyeh with the spice mix and fry them 3 minute in butter while stirring.
2. Add the 3 cups chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer on very low heat for about 20 minutes or till the grains are tender and the stock is absorbed, stirring the mixture once or twice.  Keep covered for 10 minutes.

To prepare sauce

Fry the flour in the butter till lightly colored, add the spices and fry a little more.  Add the stock gradually stirring all the time till the sauce boils and thickens.  Simmer few seconds.

To serve
 
1.Mix about a quarter of the drained chick peas, and quarter of the onions with the moughrabiyeh grains and add the rest of the chick peas and onions, and quarter of the meat to the hot sauce.  Place moughrabiyeh on a serving plate.  Top with the chicken pieces and rest of the meat.  Sprinkle some ground caraway on top if desired.  
2. Serve hot with the hot sauce on the side.

N.B.:  If moughrabiyeh spice mix is not available substitute with ¾ tablespoon ground caraway and ¼ tablespoon black sweet pepper.

To prepare dry moughrabiyeh grains

Add 1 tablespoon oil to salted boiling water over medium heat.  Drop 2 cups (400 g.) moughrabiyeh grains and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse under running cold water, and season with one tablespoon moughrabiyeh spice mix.  Heat 2 tablespoons butter and fry the grains for 3 minutes, stirring them and gradually adding 3½ cups chicken stock.  Cover and simmer under low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes or till the grains are tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

The Recipe of Lahem B Ajin - Armenian Style

I remember when I was in elementary school, I hated when my mother would pack these for lunch for me because they drew so much attention, and everyone wanted to try them. Even my teachers would want a taste, so I would end up with no lunch on those days. :) Growing up in Beirut, there is a huge Armenian community in my neighbourhood , so we would buy these and other ingredients, etc. at the Armenian bakeries.

i ended up by learning the recipe which you'll find it below :)





Servings: 10

2 garlic cloves
1 med onion, roughly chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 lb. ground lamb or beef
6 oz can tomato paste
8 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp paprika
10 flour tortillas

Directions :

-Preheat oven to 400.
-Pulse garlic in food processor to mince.
-Add onion and repeat.
-Add green pepper and repeat.
-Add remaining ingredients and process until everything is very well chopped/combined. Will pull into a ball like a dough would.
-Spread a very thin layer over the tortillas, all the way to the outside edge.
-Carefully place directly on oven rack, positioning so that the edges are supported so they won't fall through.
-Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are browned and meat is cooked through.
-If bubble forms in the tortilla, pop with with tip of knife or fork.

* If you like crisp edges, you don't have to spread the filling all the way to the edges, but bear in mind, if you plan to freeze any and need to re-heat in the oven/toaster oven, already crisp edges will probably just crumble.

** I sometimes like to add paper-thin slices of tomato and cheese to the top of mine.

Salad days in Lebanon as it sets third Guinness food record

BEIRUT – While Lebanon may be far from adept at making governments, food is another matter: on Sunday Lebanese chefs came together to break a third Guinness record for food this year -- this time with tabbouleh.

Under the watch of a Guinness adjudicator, 250 sous-chefs and their 50 bosses from the state-run culinary school chopped and sliced over three and a half tonnes (7,000 pounds) of the salad, using 1,600 kilogrammes (3,520 pounds) of parsley, 1,500 kilogrammes (3,300 pounds) of ripe tomatoes and 420 kilogrammes (926 pounds) of onions.

The tabbouleh record came only a day after Lebanon broke a Guinness record with a two-tonne serving of the chickpea-based dip hummus.

The tiny Mediterranean country -- which has yet to see a government formed over four months after a general election -- also set a record in August for the largest ever kebbe, a dish of minced meat and cracked wheat.

National songs blared from loudspeakers as the white-clad cooks mixed the tabbouleh into a mega-sized pottery dish on Sunday cheered on by thousands of onlookers, some waving Lebanese flags.

"Hummus comes from where? Tabbouleh comes from where?" asked the event host on a microphone.

"From here, from Lebanon," screamed the crowds in response. "One hundred percent Lebanese!"

A battle over hummus and tabbouleh between Lebanon and Israel -- two neighbours still technically at war -- emerged last year and efforts have been underway ever since to clearly identify such dishes as exclusively Lebanese.

Both hummus and tabbouleh, as well as other treats such as baba ghannouj, an eggplant dip, are widely popular in Lebanon, Israel and around the globe.

"El Hommos Lebnaneh & Tabbouleh Kamen (Hummus is Lebanese and Tabbouleh is too) is an attempt to break the current Guinness world records of hummus and tabbouleh, reaffirming the Lebanese proprietorship of these two dishes," said a statement issued by the industrialist association and food syndicate, which planned the weekend events.

"It's pretty much common knowledge that I don't back down," said Fadi Abboud, who heads the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, just before the results were announced.

"And this time, I'm not stepping down."

Lebanese industrialists have said their case was similar to the one over feta cheese in which a European Union court ruled in 2002 that feta is exclusively Greek.

They argue that just as France and Scotland have succeeded in protecting their geographical appelation rights for sparkling wine from Champagne and Scotch whisky, so should Lebanon for some of its dishes.

Lebanese to Israel: Hands off our hummus!

BEIRUT – Lebanese chefs prepared a massive plate of hummus weighing over two tons Saturday that broke a world record organizers said was previously held by Israel — a bid to reaffirm proprietorship over the popular Middle Eastern dip.

"Come and fight for your bite, you know you're right!" was the slogan for the event — part of a simmering war over regional cuisine between Lebanon and Israel, which have had tense political relations for decades.

Lebanese businessmen accuse Israel of stealing a host of traditional Middle Eastern dishes, particularly hummus, and marketing them worldwide as Israeli.

"Lebanon is trying to win a battle against Israel by registering this new Guinness World Record and telling the whole world that hummus is a Lebanese product, its part of our traditions," said Fady Jreissati, vice president of operations at International Fairs and Promotions group, the event's organizer.

Hummus — made from mashed chickpeas, sesame paste, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic — has been eaten in the Middle East for centuries. Its exact origin is unknown, though it's generally seen as an Arab dish.

But it is also immensely popular in Israel — served in everyday meals and at many restaurants — and its popularity is growing around the globe.

The issue of food copyright was raised last year by the head of Lebanon's Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Fadi Abboud, when he announced plans to sue Israel to stop it from marketing hummus and other regional dishes as Israeli.

But to do that, Lebanon must formally register the product as Lebanese. The association is still in the process of collecting documents and proof supporting its claim for that purpose.

Lebanese industrialists cite, as an example, the lawsuit over feta cheese in which a European Union court ruled in 2002 the cheese must be made with Greek sheep and goats milk to bear the name feta. That ruling is only valid for products sold in the EU.

Abboud says that process took seven years and realizes Lebanon's fight with Israel is an uphill battle.

Meanwhile, he says, events like Saturday's serve to remind the world that hummus is not Israeli.

"If we don't tell Israel that enough is enough, and we don't remind the world that it's not true that hummus is an Israeli traditional dish, they (Israelis) will keep on marketing it as their own," he said Saturday.

Some 300 chefs were involved in preparing Saturday's massive ceramic plate of hummus in a huge tent set up in downtown Beirut. The white-uniformed chefs used 2,976 pounds (1,350 kilograms) of mashed chickpeas, 106 gallons (400 liters) of lemon juice and 57 pounds (26 kilograms) of salt to make the dish, weighing 4,532 pounds (2,056 kilograms).

It was not clear what the former Israeli record was, and organizers gave conflicting reports on when it was made.

But chefs and visitors broke into cheers and applause when a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records presented Abboud with a certificate verifying Lebanon had broken the previous record. The plate was then decorated with the red, green and white Lebanese flag.

A similar attempt to set a new world record will be held Sunday for the largest serving of tabbouleh, a salad made of chopped parsley and tomatoes, that Lebanon also claims as its own.

The Baba Ghanouj Recipe

INTRODUCTION

The term ‘ baba ghannouj’, which literally translated means “my father is spoiled like a child by my mother” , is actually quite an inappropriate name, not to be uttered at a traditional Lebanese family gathering – the father would be insulted and the mother and children shamed. The more honourable name ‘badenjan mutabbal’ (aubergine dip) is of course an aubergine dip mixed with garlic and lemon juice. The key to the recipe lies in the roasting of the aubergine over a fire or barbeque grill for that traditional smoky flavour. The skins are blackened, then the sweet flesh within is used, being puréed with a strong garlic and mild nutty tahina. Note; if the smoke flavour is too intense, add a heaped tablespoon of natural yoghurt to the dip to produce a milder version.


INGREDIENTS

2 Large aubergines/eggplant
4 Tbsp tahina
2-4 Tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
½ tsp sea salt flakes
1 Tbsp natural yoghurt (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped parsley, to garnish
1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped, to garnish
A splash of olive oil , to garnish
A sprinkling of paprika, to garnish

Serving Size : serves 4 people as a starter or side dish

METHOD


1. Cook the aubergine over charcoal, a camp fire, a barbecue plate or other open flame(basically anything that will give a good char-grill and that smoky flavour you are aiming for) until the skins are crackling and blackened and the flesh within is soft. Set aside and allow to cool.

2. Peel off the skin of the aubergines, removing all charred pieces. Mash the flesh with a wooden spoon (traditional method) or blend to a purée using a food processor or hand-held blender and mixing bowl.

3. Crush the garlic, add with sea salt to the aubergines & continue to blend to a smooth pulp. Add the tahina and lemon juice and combine well until mixture is a smooth paste.

4. To serve, transfer to a serving dish and top the aubergine dip with chopped tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, a generous sprinkling of paprika and offer with freshly toasted Lebanese bread.

The Fish Sayadieh Recipe

Sayadieh Samak

Ingredients
2 1/2 kg whole white fish fillets (or whole fish which you can later debone)
3 onions, thinly sliced
250 ml oil
1/2 lemon (juice extracted)
1 lemon, sliced
3 teaspoons baharat mixed spice
1 1/2 tsps ground cumin
60 g roasted pine nuts
crispy caramelized onion
salt and white pepper (to season)
water

1. Fish stock preparation

Preheat the oven to gas mark 180 deg C.
Gut, scale and cut off the fish head (keep it aside)
then wash, clean and dry the fish.
To caramelize the onions, heat half of the oil in a
pot and add the sliced onions. Let them cook on
a gentle heat until darkish-brown in color but not
burned. Remove the onions from heat.
To make the fish stock, add the fish head to the oil
in the pan in which the onions were cooked. Add
1 tsp baharat spice, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, salt &
pepper and fry till browned. When brown, add 8 cups
water and let it boil for 45 minutes. Strain and use
the stock to cook the rice.

2. Rice preparation

Wash the rice 3 times, and soak it for an hour. Add
half of the remaining oil to a large pot and when hot,
add the rice, 1 tsp baharat spice mix and 1/2 tsp
ground cumin. Stir-fry to seal the rice for 2-3 minutes.
Keeping 1 cup of stock reserved aside, pour in the
rest of the stock (6 cups) over the rice. Bring the stock
to boil, and reduce the heat once boiled. Cook gently
for aboout 20 minutes or until all the stock has been
absorbed and the rice is cooked.

3. Preparation for baking the fish

Using the remaining oil, grease a roasting tin and fish.
Season the fish inside and outside with salt & peper.
Rub the spice mixture all over and inside the fish.
Place the lemon slices inside the fish and put the fish
in the roasting tin, pouring in half cup of water.
Bake in the preaheated oven for 1 hour.
To serve, pile the cooked rice on a platter and top it
with fish pieces that have been deboned. Garnish with crispy
caramelized fried onions and pine nuts, and serve
with sauce on the side.