2 Cans of Garbonza beans, drained, reserving the liquid in a separate bowl
Juice of 2 fresh lemons
Olive Oil
Salt, pepper
1-2 Tablespoons of Tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 onion, chopped very fine
Sweet Ground Paprika
Procedure:
1. Add drained garbonza beans into food processor
2. Process beans, adding about 1/2 cup of reserved bean liquid to the food processor, until a smooth paste. 3. Add
lemon juice a tablespoon at a time - to taste; use food processor
4. Add Tahini 1 teaspoon at a time, to taste; use processor
5. Adjust consistency with more bean reserved liquid and/or lemon juice, to taste, taking care to keep it a spreadable
consistency.
6. Turn into an oval serving plate and swirl with the back of a tablespoon.
7. Sprinkle with finely chopped onion (optional) and red Paprika. 8. Drizzle generously with olive oil
9. Serve with warm pita, torn into 1/4 portions.
Serving Size:
8 servings
Eggplant Dip - Hatzilim (Baba Ghanoush)
Cooking Video
Olives, Pickles & Seeds
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Middle Eastern Olives, black & green variety
1/2 pound of variety of pickles, including pickled vegetables in brine
1/2 pound of salted seeds in shells (i.e., Sunflower, watermelon, pistacio, pumpkin, etc)
Procedure:
Put olives in small bowls and drizzle olive oil on them. Place remaining ingredients also in small bowls and lay
out on serving table in front of guests. Set out small serving saucers and napkins and include a small bowl for discarded
shells and pits.
Fruits & Nuts
Ingredients:
Fresh fruits, in season
Dried Fruits, assortment of dried dates, apricots, figs - choice of your favorites
Nuts, variety of salted (or non-salted) and roasted Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts (in the shells or shelled), almonds,
etc.
Procedure:
1. On a decorative large plate or platter, make an arrangement of fresh fruits, stacking them in a pyramid. Place a sharp
knife on the plate for guests to cut and peel fruits.
2. Put out an assortment of the dried fruits in small bowls.
3. Put the nuts in small bowls.
Place all of these attractively on serving table for guests with napkins, serving saucers and an empty bowl for
peels, shells and pits.
Mixed Syrian Spices
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Near east or Aleppo pepper, or substitute 2 teaspoons Hungarian paparika and 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
Mix all the ingredients well and place in a small jar. Add a little salt to keep the mixture fresh and free of bugs.
Close tightly and store up to 3 months.
Onions in Lemon Juice
Ingredients:
2-3 White or Red Onions, sliced thin
1 Lemon, juiced
Sea Salt, Fresh ground pepper
Sweet Paprika
Procedure:
Place thinly sliced onions in a serving plate. Pour over lemon juice, sea salt, fresh ground pepper; sprinkle with sweet
paprika. Serve with a mezze.
Chicken Liver Paté
Ingredients:
2 pounds Chicken Livers (1 Kilo)
2 onions, choped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tblsp mustard (optional)
2 hard boiled eggs, minced fine
Procedure:
In a large frying pan, add olive oil, onions and chicken livers; cook over medium-low heat, turning chicken livers
to cook well on all sides, taking care so as not to splatter the oil. (Turn down heat if it is splattering too much or cooking
too quickly.) Cover with a lid after about 10 minutes to allow the livers to cook through well.
Meanwhile, hard boil the eggs; peel; process the peeled and cooled eggs in a food processor into a fine mince; set aside.
When the livers are cooked, add the salt and pepper and stir well. Let the livers cool about 10-15 minutes. Place the
livers, onions, oil and spices into a food processor. You will have to do this in two portions. Process the mixture until
a thick paste and all pieces are well mashed. Pour this into a mixing bowl; process the next portion and add to the mixing
bowl.
Add the minced hard boiled eggs and mayonnaise to the liver paste and mix well. Refrigerate before serving.
To serve, mound the liver paté on a plate with a
dollop of mayonnaise, if desired. Add sprigs of parsley. Serve with hard crackers or small round toast crackers.
Stuffed Grape Leaves
Ingredients:
80-100 grape leaves freshly picked or jar of grape leaves in brine
2 cups cooked long grain rice
1 pound of ground beef, minced very fine
1 onion, chopped fine
Olive oil
1 bunch parsley, chopped very fine
1 bunch of mint, chopped very fine
Salt, pepper
6 Lamb bones or 10 chicken wings
2 lemons, juiced
Procedure:
If you use a jar of preserved grape leaves in brine, soak the leaves in clear water for about 1/2 hour. Drain and squeeze
the excess water from the leaves and set aside.
If you use fresh picked grape leaves, make sure you pick the young tender leaves. Wash thoroughly, and drop them
in a pan of hot water for a few minutes. Carefully lift out of the hot water and drain well on clean kitchen cloth.
Rice & Ground Beef Stuffing Mixture
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package instructions; set aside.
Saute the onions in a frying pan with the olive oil until onions begin to turn color; add minced beef, stirring
frequently. When the beef turns from pink, add the pine nuts and stir for a couple of minutes; set the mixture aside.
Add minced beef, pine nuts and onion mixture to the rice in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Prepare a large heavy stock pot by placing lamb bones or chicken wings on the bottom of the pot. Add about 1 cup of water.
Set aside.
To Roll the Grape Leaves:
Lay out one grape leaf shiney side down. Add 1 tablespoon of stuff mixture at the base of the leaf where the stem is
and roll down both sides of the leaf folding in the sides as in a cigar shape.
Place the stuff grape leaf in the stock pot on top of the bones, and tightly stack the leaves side by side, row by row
until all leaves are finally stuffed.
Juice the lemons and pour this over all the grape leaves. Place a heavy heat-proof plate on top of the leaves and press
down firmly; leave on the leaves and place a tight-fitting lid on the stock pot.
To Cook the Grape Leaves:
Place the stock pot of stuffed grape leaves on a medium fire and bring to a boil; turn the leaves down to medium-low
fire for 45 minutes.
When finished cooking, lift the lid and let the leaves cool. With tongs carefully lift out each grape leaf and put in
a large tupperware container; refrigerate until ready to serve.
To Serve Grape Leaves
To serve the leaves, place the leaves stacked neatly on a platter; drizzle the leaves generously with olive oil and squeeze
on fresh lemon juice. Serve with lemon wedges.
You can also heat up and serve the lamb bones or chicken wings on a separate plate; drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze
of fresh lemon juice.
Sfeeha - Syrian Meat Pies
Cooking Video
Roasted Onion Dip
Ingredients:
Roasted Onions:
3 large onions, sliced thin
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
Dip:
2 cups sour cream (at least 9%, in Israel use "Ski" or 6 cartons shemenit)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Buttermilk or sweet yoghurt
Add Seasonings:
2-3 tblsps dry Buttermilk dressing or 1 pkg of mix
--or--
1 tblsp McCormicks Steak Seasoning
1 tsp McCormicks Chicken Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsps Worchestershire Sauce
Dash of hot sauce
Stir in:
1-2 tblsp cider vinegar
Procedure:
You can prepare the onions two ways:
Oven method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees; place the onions in a roasting pan and drizzled generous
amount of olive oil on the onions. Roast the onions in the hot oven stirring every few minutes so they do not burn. The last
5 minutes add the minced garlic stirring well to coat with olive oil; take out of the oven and let the onions cool. Add to
the prepared dip mixture.
Frying Pan method: Add the sliced onions to a heavy frying pan and saute the onions slowly
until well carmelized and brown. The last few minutes add the minced garlic and stir well, taking care not to burn. Add to
the prepared dip mixture.
Dip: Add sour cream, buttermilk, seasonings, sauces and vinegar and whisk well. Add the roasted
onions and garlic. Stir well to incorporate. Refrigerate.
Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen Spinach
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream (9%)
1 tblsp cider vinegar
1 pkg Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
1 tblsp McCormick's Chicken Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
dash hot sauce
Procedure:
Defrost frozen spinach; squeeze the excess water from the spinach and set aside. Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise,
vinegar, and seasonings. Add the spinach and mix well with a fork. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Avocado & Salsa Dip
Ingredients:
2 Avocados, mashed well with a fork
3-4 tblsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1-2 tbslp prepared salsa (optional)
5-6 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
1-2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley (stems removed), or dash of dry parsley
1-2 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 tsp fresh finely ground pepper
Dash of Herb & Garlic Seasonings
Dash Hot Sauce, to taste (optional)
Procedure:
In a mixing bowl, add lemon juice to the mashed avocados and mix well. This will help to keep the avocado from turning
black. Add the rest of the ingredients, and taste to adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately. This is a great accompanient
with chips, appetizer toast or fresh pita.
Avocado Dip Preparation Video
Roasted Hot Peppers
Ingredients:
4-6 hot peppers
Olive oil
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hot peppers in baking dish and bake until peppers are done, about 30 minutes. Take
out of oven and cover with saran wrap or a plastic bag until they cool. The skin will easily peel; deseed the peppers
carefully and wash your hands well. Store the peppers in a tupperware container, drizzling them with olive oil and a
bit of lemon juice.
Serve the peppers with grilled meats and your mezze. Be sure to tell your guests they are hot!
Roasted Tomatoe Salsa
Ingredients:
Roast
12-14 large tomatoes, washed and left whole
Salsa
bunch of parsley, minced
bunch of green onions, chopped finely
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tblsp Balsalmic vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tsps fine sugar
1/4 cup tomato or V-8 Vegetable Juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
dash of hot sauce (optional)
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees or "grill." Put whole tomatoes into a baking dish and roast until the skins begin to burn,
peel and the tomatoes soften. Take out the tomatoes and cool them. Peel off the skins and core the tomatoes.
To make salsa: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled, peeled and cored tomatoes; break
them up with a fork until the tomatoes are small pieces. Add tomatoe juice, parsley, vinegar, spices and mix well. Adjust
seasonings. Refrigerate before serving.
Spicer Option:Add minced pieces of roasted hot pepper, but no more than 1/2 tsp at a time
as it makes the salsa quite hot.
Egg Salad
Ingredients:
8 hard boiled eggs
3/4 cup mayonnaise (more may be needed)
2 tblsp mustard
1/2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp McCormick's Steak Seasonings (optional)
Procedure:
In a food processor, mince the hard boiled eggs until a fine mixture. Pour this into a large mixing bowl and add mayonnaise,
mustard, seasonings and mix well until smooth. Serve with toasted appetizer bread and crackers.
Cheese Ball
2 - 8 oz. containers of plain cream cheese
4 oz. soft goat cheese
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
4 oz. Parmesean cheese, finely grated
2 oz. Blue cheese
2 tsp McCormick's Grill Mates Steak Seasonings
2 tsp McCormick's Grill Mates Chicken Seasonings
1 tsp McCormick's No Salt Herb & Garlic Seasonings
1 tsp dried Parsley
1 tsp finely ground pepper
Dash hot sauce
1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
Roll into:
3-4 tblsp walnuts, minced finely
Maraschino cherry
Procedure:
Add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. With clean hands, knead the cheeses and spices together until well
incorporated. Roll into a nice ball as much as possible. Roll the cheese ball into finely minced walnuts and decorate the
ball with a Maraschino cherry on top.
