I Can't Get Enough Dates!

... the fruit, that is. (Though any offers of babysitting so my husband and I can go on a date are always accepted!) I love dried dates, but getting whole dates is a treat! If you have a sweet tooth, just pop a date in your mouth at the end of a meal for a healthy, satisfying treat. (Be careful not to eat the pit, though!)

Besides being a great snack, dates are wonderful for binding other healthy ingredients together, replacing flour, sugar, and butter! They are also scrumptious wrapped in bacon and broiled! See datesaregreat.com for other recipe ideas.

The recipe below is for halvah, popular in Egypt and also similar to haroset, a Passover dessert.

Finely chop 1/2 to 3/4 cup pecans, walnuts, or almonds (or mix) in food processor, then transfer to bowl.

Halve about 8 - 10 dates, removing the pits. Put dates in the food processor along with a scant cup of dried mixed fruit such as apricots, figs, or raisins and 1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Process till very smooth, adding a teaspoon or two of orange or lemon juice if it's too dry to process.

Remove and mix (with hands) into the finely chopped nuts, adding another teaspoon or two of juice if needed till mixture comes together. Mix in 2 teaspoons of orange or lemon zest.

Roll fruit mixture between your palms into small balls. Place on plate and serve.

These are simple, fast, a packed full of goodness! I popped one of these in my mouth when I needed a little boost of energy during the day.

Baked Kibbe

Kibbe is a fried meaty bulgur dough with meat and nut filling. This version, from Feast From the Mideast by Faye Levy, is a quicker and healthier version. I've made a few changes to her recipe. It is slightly dry, but it should be served with a bowl of tahini or yogurt on the side for dipping and moistening - which makes a world of difference!

For the dough:

Place 2/3 cup bulgur wheat (finest grind) into a bowl and cover with 3 cups cold water. Refrigerate and soak for 10 minutes. Drain in sieve, squeezing excess liquid out. Place in large bowl.

Finely chop 1/2 onion in food processor. Add 12 oz. ground beef (1 1/2 cup), 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ground) processing to a paste. Add 3 tablespoons of cold water and process briefly. Add this mixture to the bulgur, mixing well with hands. (C'mon! You know you want to get messy - and it's easier!)

In 2 batches, return mixture to processor and blend well. It should make a slightly sticky dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make filling:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy medium skillet. Saute 1 medium chopped onion till golden brown. Add 3/4 cup slivered almonds, sauteing for 1 minute. Add 12 oz. ground beef (or lamb), salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. (Drain excess fat if desired.) Transfer to bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let cool completely.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9-inch square pan. Divide dough in half, pressing one half in an even layer in pan. Top with filling. Divide remaining dough into small pieces, flattening each piece out. Set dough pieces on top of filling, and with moist fingers, press dough pieces together to seal them.

With a point of a sharp knife, score top in lines to make square or diamond cuts through to the bottom. Brush top generously with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover, brush again with oil, and bake for 20 minutes more or till cooked through and browned.

Remove with a slotted spatula to remove excess oil before placing piece on plate. Be sure to serve with yogurt or tahini. We enjoyed ours with a spinach salad on the side.

Baklava, Ooh, La, Va!

I look forward to Greek festivals for one reason, and one alone: the baklava! Now, yes the dancing is enlivening and the spanakopita is scrumptious, but there's nothing like a bite into a flaky, rich, perfectly sweet piece of baklava.

The mideast does give Greece much credit for their perfection of baklava even though the first records of it come from Syria. They do, though, hold to their own version of this sweet dessert. So in making a Middle Eastern version, I combined Persian, Turkish, and Greek recipes. I certainly hope I can recall it well to you, as it was one of the best flavor combinations I've had! (Beginner's luck, really.)

1. Crush 3 cups of nuts in a mortar and pestle, such as almonds, pistachios, or walnuts. (I used almonds.) Place in a bowl and add to it: 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons cardamom.

2. Melt 2 sticks of butter in a small pan and have hot and ready. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. (This part can be tricky!) You will need 8 to 10 oz. phyllo sheets, which you can find in the frozen section of most grocery stores. It will dry very quickly, so remove only what you think you will use and place it on top of a lightly damp, clean cloth as well as cover it with the same. You will also want to cut it to the size of your pan. I used a 13x9 pan, and I found that cutting the sheets in half were the perfect size.

Using a basting brush, grease the bottom of your pan. You will now start adding layers of phyllo dough, completely, but lightly, basting EACH layer with butter and covering up the sheets that are waiting to be used or they will dry and become flaky and very difficult to work with.

This was my layering: 5 phyllo sheets, coating of nut and spice mixture, 5 sheets, coating, 5 sheets, coating, 5 sheets, coating, 10 sheets.

4. Bake for 25 minutes. Cover loosely with foil, reduce the heat to 300 degrees, and bake for 20 minutes more or till golden brown. While it is cooking, make the syrup: mix 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and cook on low until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or till thickened. Add 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice, simmering 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons rose or orange-flower water. (Typical Greek baklava uses honey instead of sugar and rosewater, which you may do if you prefer!)

5. When baklava is done, carefully cut it (still in pan) into squares or diamonds. Drizzle the syrup in the cracks of the cuts you have made, around the edges, and then finally on top using as much of it as you'd like. You may serve leftover syrup on the side for anyone who may want his or her piece sweeter.

6. Let baklava stand for a couple of hours before serving. It can keep for several days at room temperature covered with saran wrap.

You may THINK it's tzatziki, but it's not! It's better!

Classic Cucumber Salad with Yogurt, Garlic, and Mint (Cacik or Khyar bi Laban)

from Feast From the Mideast by Faye Levi

Slice, half, dice, or grate 4 Middle Eastern, 2 Japanese, or 1 hothouse cucumber. Dice 1 to 1 1/2 cups tomatoes or red bell peppers or radishes. [Note - I did a mix of tomato and red pepper.] Mince 2 small garlic cloves, and chop 2 tablespoons of fresh mint.

Mash garlic with pinch of salt in bowl, using back of spoon. Add most of the mint (reserving 1/2 tablespoon) and 2 1/2 cups thick yogurt*, plain yogurt, or kefir cheese (labneh). Blend well, thoroughly mixing in garlic mixture.

Fold cucumbers into yogurt mixture, adding a little more yogurt if needed. Fold in tomatoes and/or red bell pepper. Add a little salt and cayenne pepper to your liking.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve sprinkled with remaining mint.

I served this with the Green Herb Kookoo, and it went really well together.

*To thicken plain yogurt, place it in a sieve, strainer lined with coffee filters, or cheese cloth over a bowl and let drain covered with a paper towel and refrigerated. It can drain for 24 hours if you were so inclined, but two hours does wonders. Every hour you drain it, it will thicken up till it becomes texture similar to cream cheese!

Persian Souffle (Kookoo)

In Persian Cooking, by Nesta Ramazani, I came across a category of recipes called "Kookoo". And when you've got a name like that, you just have to give it a go!

Here's some of her description of the dish: The delectable Kookoo was called a "fritter" or "omelette" by early travelers to Persia. Neither word is quite adequate. The kookoo looks somewhat like a souffle, and both are made with eggs and other ingredients. But there they part ways, for the kookoo is browned in butter, cannot collapse, and can be prepared ahead of time and reheated.

There are recipes for String Bean Kookoo, Fava Bean Kookoo, Eggplant Kookoo, Cauliflower Kookoo, Chicken Kookoo, Brain Kookoo (yes, that's right - of a cow or lamb), and a few others. So you can easily adapt the recipe below to fit any couple ingredients you have on hand. I chose Green Herb Kookoo (Kookoo-ye Sabzi)

because she says, "This is the finest and most delectable of all the kookoos," so it was only logical!

Serves 6

Chop and have ready: 1 cup leeks or scallions, a few lettuce leaves, 1/2 cup dill weed (not included in picture), 1 cup parsley, 1/4 cup cilantro

[Note: I substituted spinach for the dill and added a few sprigs of thyme.]

Saute the greens for 5 minutes in 1 tablespoon of butter, stirring frequently.

Beat 8 eggs well with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Add the sauteed greens to the egg mixture and combine.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in skillet, and pour in the egg-herb mixture. Do not stir.

Cook over a medium heat until well browned, about 8-10 minutes. (Lift edge of the kookoo with a flat utensil to see if brown.)

Flip it over, as you would for a pancake and brown other side (about 2 or 3 minutes).

Serve with yogurt or labneh. May be eaten hot or cold.

(I served this with Classic Cucumber Salad - which is in the following post.)

Breakfast, Middle Eastern Style

In an effort to stick to my original goal - eating ALL meals from the country of present - I have asked and searched for different middle eastern ideas for breakfast. In all the helpful tidbits I found, the "dish" that both my husband and I have been devouring is very simple, yet divine!

Take a piece of middle eastern flat bread (or pita or naan) and toast it in the toaster oven till just crispy. Take it out and spread with a Middle Eastern soft cheese. Sprinkle the top with Zahtar (or Za'atar). The cheese we've been using is in this picture near the center, written in Arabic with red around the edges. If you live in C'Ville, get to Rahim's store and buy some! It's similar to goat cheese but saltier - and oh, so addicting!

A few other things I read about breakfast....

from Lebanese Cuisine: "It is rare to go into a Lebanese kitchen that does not have a bowl of olives ready to be put on the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

from Feast From the Mideast: "Even for breakfast, if someone is eating an omelette, there has to be a salad on the plate alongside it. Indeed, this custom is one of the most healthful aspects of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diet."

from "Saudi Aramco World", an old but interesting article on Middle East breakfast is worth a full read here.

Creamy Persian Eggplant

My kids, though willing eaters, aren't fond of eggplant. But this recipe either fooled them or reformed them! We stuffed it inside pita bread (which when warmed up in a toaster oven is the best!), and they ate it up. It can be served hot or room temperature.

A note on kashk from Feast from the Mideast by Faye Levy:

Kashk [is] a creamy dairy product made of dried whey mixed with a little water... if the jar's label lists whey, salt, and water but no other ingredients, you have the right thing for htis recipe. Kashk has the texture of very thick sour cream but has a more tangy, concentrated flavor and is lower in fat. If you happen to find kashk, try it; it's intense flavor gives the tastiest result.

(For blog readers who are local, Rahim carries kashk at his store!)

Creamy Persian Eggplant

from Feast from the Mideast by Faye Levy

Makes 4 servings

1 medium eggplant (1 pound)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon dried mint

4 tablespoons kashk, yogurt, or labneh

salt and freshly ground pepper

Grill, broil, or roast eggplant, then peel it.

(I broiled mine: Prick each eggplant 5 or 6 times with a fork. Set them on broiler rack or broiler pan lined with foil if you like. Broil eggplant for about 40 minutes, or until they feel soft when you press them, turning them over occasionally. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut off caps and remove peel with the aid of a paring knife.)

Chop eggplant with knife to a chunky puree. Transfer to bowl.

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then add dried mint and saute for a few more seconds. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the mixture as a topping. Add the rest to the eggplant and mix well.

If substituting yogurt for kashk, drain off any liquid before measuring it. Add 3 tablespoons kashk to the eggplant and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the eggplant at room temperature.

To serve, spread eggplant dip in a dish or a shallow bowl. To finish, if using kashk, mix 1 tablespoon of it with about 1/2 tablespoon water to a thick sauce and pour it over the center. If using yogurt, simply spoon a dollop over the eggplant. Sprinkle with the reserved onion mixture.