As I have mentioned before I adore food from northern
Africa and Lebanon is no exception. My brother-in-law’s finance lives in Beirut
and on one visit he returned with a gift from her; a Lebanese cook book. This
book has been used several times, and was the source for all our meals. Their
version of pizza was a revelation; as it had no cheese in it (something I can’t
eat) and all the family loved it and asked if it was difficult to make, as they
would like it again! We have some relatives from Armenia, and they have a
similar version of pizza; which is just as popular with the non-Armenian
relatives. I love this food.
Cooked with score (out of 100):
Chicken with Apricots……………………………………………………………86
Lamb and Haricot beans……………………………………………………….83
Pizza……………………………………………………………………………………..86
Wanted to cook:
(v)Tabbouleh
Chicken with Apricot
Serves 6
200g dried
apricots
180ml dry
white wine
2 kg chicken
Plain flour
80ml olive oil
2 large
onions, sliced
2 garlic
cloves, crushed
1 tbsp plain
flour
2 bay leaves
3 trimmed
celery stalks, chopped
625ml chicken
stock
2 tsps honey
2 tsp chopped
fresh rosemary
2 tsp crushed
coriander seeds
1 tbsp brown
vinegar
2 tsp chopped
fresh thyme, extra
2tsp chopped
fresh rosemary, extra
- Combine the apricots and wine in a bowl and let stand for 1 hour, preheat oven to moderately hot.
- Toss chicken in flour, shake away the excess. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken, in batches, until brown all over. Transfer chicken to an ovenproof dish. Add onions and garlic to the pan and cook until the onions are soft. Sift in extra flour and cook until grainy.
- Gradually stir in the bay leaves, celery, stock, undrained apricots, honey, thyme, rosemary, coriander and vinegar. Bring to the boil, pour over the chicken and stir well.
- Bake in the oven, covered, for about 2 hours or until chicken is tender.
- Serve with either cracked wheat, couscous, or rice.
Lamb and Haricot bean casserole
Serves 6
400g dried
haricot beans
2kg leg of
lamb, butterflied
60ml olive oil
2 medium
onions, chopped
2 cloves
garlic, crushed
2 x 425 tins tomatoes
60ml tomato
paste
125ml red wine
1 cinnamon
stick
1 tbsp lemon
juice
2 tbsp chopped
parsley
- Place beans in bowl, cover well with cold water and cover and stand overnight. Drain beans, add to saucepan of boiling water, simmer uncovered for 30mins until tender and drain well. (I used a tin of ready haricot beans)
- Cut lamb in 3cm pieces. Heat oil in saucepan, cook lamb in batches, until well browned, remove from pan. Add onions and garlic to the same pan cook until onions are soft, return the lamb to the pan.
- Stir in undrained crushed tomatoes, paste, wine and cinnamon, simmer covered for 2 hours or until the lamb is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the beans, juice and parsley and season to taste stir until heated through. Discard cinnamon stick before serving.
Pizza
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive
oil
1 medium
onions, chopped finely
1 garlic
clove, crushed
500g minced
lamb
¼ tsp cayenne
pepper
2 tsp ground
cumin
½ tsp ground
cinnamon
250ml beef
stock
2 medium
tomatoes, chopped finely
50g pine nuts,
toasted
2tbs chopped
flat leaf parsley
2tbs chopped
mint
4 individual
pizza bases
280g jar char
grilled aubergine, drained
280g natural
yogurt (optional;)
- Preheat the oven to hot. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft. Add mince, cook. Stirring, until browned. Add the pepper and spices and stir until fragrant.
- Add the stock and tomatoes to the pan and cook, stirring over a medium heat until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pine nuts (if using), parsley and half the mint.
- Place pizza bases on a greased baking try. Top each pizza base with the aubergine, then press the mince mixture onto each aubergine leaving a small border.
- Bake on lower shelf in a hot oven for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Serves the pizzas stopped with yogurt and remaining mint.
Tabbouleh
Serves 6-8 Ingredients
¾ cup cracked
wheat, finely ground
2 cups fresh
tomatoes, diced
2 Tablespoons
dried mint
1 or 2 bunches
of parsley, cut fine
¾ cup green
onions, thinly sliced
Juice of one
lemon
¼ cup olive
oil
Salt and
pepper, to taste
Procedure
- In a bowl, cover cracked wheat with warm water and let stand about 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
- Mix tomatoes, mint, parsley, onions, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
- Add the drained wheat and mix well.
- Add more lemon juice and olive oil, if needed. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Serve in a bowl, or on a bed of lettuce leaves, with pita bread cut into triangles.
- Lebanon used to be known as the “Switzerland of the East” due to the diversity and financial power that it enjoyed. The capital city Beirut, used to be called the “Paris of the Middle East’ because it was at one time a thriving city with a rich culture and attracted tourists from all over the world. When the war was over, extensive efforts were made to redevelop the national infrastructure and the failing economy.
- It is widely believed that Jesus Christ performed his first miracle here.
- The country’s name is known to be the oldest in the world and has remained unchanged for over 4000 years.
- Byblos is the world’s oldest, continuously occupied city and the first alphabet was also created here.
- The world’s first ever law school was founded in the city of Beirut in Lebanon.
- The cedar which is a native tree of Lebanon is mentioned 75 times in the Old Testament.
- It is the one and only Asian country that has absolutely no desert.
- The first ever people to build a boat and set sail in it were the Phoenicians who were the original occupants of Lebanon.
- The national animal of Lebanon is the striped Hyena
- In 2009, Lebanon broke the Guinness World Record for the largest plate of Tabbouleh, which also happens to be Lebanon’s national salad, 100% vegan and vegetarian, and very healthy.CUISINEThe Lebanese diet focuses on herbs, spices, and fresh ingredients (the Lebanese rarely eat leftovers), relying less on heavy sauces. Mint, parsley, oregano, garlic, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon are the most common seasonings.Bread, a staple food in Lebanon, is served with almost every meal, most often as a flat bread, or pita. It is so crucial to the Lebanese diet that some Arabic dialects refer to it as esh , meaning "life."Fruit, vegetables, rice, and bread out-weigh the amount of meat eaten in the average Lebanese meal. However, the most commonly eaten meats, poultry and lamb, make up some of the country's most popular dishes. The national dish, kibbeh (or kibbe ), consists of a ground lamb and cracked wheat paste, similar to paté. Kibbeh was originally made by harshly pounding the lamb and kneading in the spices and wheat. Those who were unfamiliar with this practice often found it quite unpleasant, including the English food writer George Lassalle, who described it as "frightening." Some rural villages continue to prepare it this way.Mezze , a variety of flavorful hot and cold dishes, is another important part of the Lebanese diet. As many as forty small dishes are presented at once as either appetizers or as a meal itself. Hummus (chickpea, sesame seed, and garlic paste), rice and meat wrapped in grape leaves, mashed beans, hot and cold salads, grilled seafood and meats (including kebabs , cooked cubes of lamb, peppers, and onions), and pickled vegetables are most popular. Lebanese meals are rarely served in courses, but presented all at once. Tabbouleh (a salad made with cracked wheat) and mujaddara (a lentil and rice dish) are also widely consumed.Lebanon's variety of fresh fruits makes them popular after-dinner desserts. Melon, apples, oranges, tangerines, persimmons, grapes, and figs are great treats. Baklava , a sweet, flaky pastry, is usually associated with Greek cuisine. However, the Lebanese have embraced the dessert and normally prepare it with pistachio nuts, drizzled with rose-water syrup (the Greeks use walnuts and honey). Ahweh (strong, thick Arabic-style coffee) and the country's national drink, arak (a colorless alcoholic beverage made with anise, also called "Lion's Milk" because it is white), are most commonly served with dessert
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