rice

Rice

This rice is not sticky rice, it is the rice I make with all my dishes.




Ingredients

2 cups Uncle Ben’s Rice
3 cans Campbell’s Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon butter
Salt



Directions

In a non-stick saucepan, place all the above ingredients. Fill the empty chicken broth cans half way with water, and add to the saucepan. Stir and let sit for at least one hour, or until you are ready to cook it.
Cook the rice on a very low heat, stir from time to time and taste the rice to see how it is doing, if the pot starts to dry out, just add a little more water. As it slowly cooks, the rice absorbs the chicken broth, so that when it is done, there is no liquid and it is ready to serve. Let it stand covered until you are ready to serve.
To reheat, just put a little water in the base of the saucepan and cook covered, again over low heat.

calamari salad

Calamari Salad

Ingredients

1 lb squid, cleaned
1 lemon squeezed
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 red onion chopped
8 pitted Kalamata olives halved
halved lengthwise
1/2 red pepper chopped
1/2 yellow pepper chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh
Italian parsley
1 small cucumber chopped
16 cherry tomatoes left whole


Directions 

Buy squid that has been cleaned








Wash squid and then cut bodies crosswise
into 1/4 inch rings,






and halve tentacles lengthwise.








Place in bowl of water to rinse again.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, and place the squid in the boiling water uncovered for l minute. Drain in a colander and immediately put in a bowl of water with ice cubes to stop the cooking. Squid that is overcooked becomes tough and rubbery. Once the squid is cool, drain and pat dry with a paper towel.

Whisk together the juice of one lemon, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1 large garlic clove minced, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Add 1/2 red onion finely chopped, stir and let stand for five minutes.

Combine the olives, red pepper, yellow pepper, celery and parsley with the cooled squid, add the dressing and mix. Add salt and pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Tartare Sauce with Cod Deep Fried in Beer Batter

Tartare Sauce with Cod Deep Fried in Beer Batter


This recipe makes a small amount for 2 - 3 people and is pretty close to the fish and chips we used to get in England wrapped in newspaper! I've left out the newspaper wrapping.

Ingredients for the Tartare Sauce

3/4 cup Mayonnaise
2 Gherkins chopped
12 Capers chopped
1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
Salt
Pepper

Directions for the  Tartare Sauce

Finely chop 2 gherkins, 12 capers, and enough parsley for 1 tablespoon. Mix with 3/4 cup mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to season.
 Good with cod deep fried in beer batter. (Recipe posted 3/3/12)
This can be made ahead and refrigerated.
Actually, I tried my other batter recipe last night. This was given to us by our dear cousin, Bobby Deraney, years ago ......it isn't as fiddly to make, and always works.

Ingredients for the Batter

2 Cups Flour
1 bottle Beer
1 egg
1 jigger rye

Directions for the Batter



Mix altogether in a bowl, being careful not to allow the batter to become too thick. I generally put the flour, the egg and the rye first, then slowly pour in the beer, whisking with a fork. I end up using a whisk once it's all mixed in, to make the batter light and frothy.

Cod

Ingredients for the Cod

1 lb. fresh cod
Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying
Lemon Wedges.

Directions for the Cod

This recipe is very good with Cod. Cut the fish into serving portions, if you have a pound of fish, you may get 5 or six sections out of it. Wash the fish and pat dry. Then heat the  vegetable oil in a saucepan, dip the fish in batter just before frying, doing two at a time, until golden brown. Approximately 3 minutes.

Delicious with french fries (see recipe 3/3/12)

Meat Fataya (Lamb)

Meat Fataya

Ingredients

Filling
2 lbs ground lamb meat
1 Spanish onion
2 generous teaspoons pinenuts
2 lemons squeezed
1 tablespoon salt
1  teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons allspice
5 tablespoons lebani (Greek yoghurt at its thickest)
3/4 block cream cheese

Dough
4 cups bread flour
2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup spry (Crisco vegetable shortening)
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast

Directions

Make the dough first
(I used to use regular flour but
since Dean gave me the Man’oushe
book from Lebanon, I prefer this recipe,
using bread flour and cake flour.
The dough is stronger and holds the
filling better. Fataya can split open
while baking.)

In a large bowl, mix together bread flour, cake flour, salt and sugar. Make sure the ingredients are thoroughly blended.
Add the spry and work into the flour mixture by rubbing the flour and spry together with your hands, make sure all the flour is mixed in well with the spry.
Take a smaller bowl, add the yeast and mix with 1/2 cup warm water to soften the yeast, mix quickly with a spoon and pour over the flour mixture. Next add another two cups warm water. (Situ Stevens used to use 1 cup milk and 1 cup water)
With your hands, mix it all in together, it will form into a ball of dough, it shouldn’t be too wet .... you can add a bit more flour if it is, or water if too dry. It can be tacky and sticky in texture. Knead the dough a few times but not excessively. Then cover the bowl with saran wrap and a blanket. Leave aside to allow the dough to rise.
I often make this in the morning and then return to make the fataya in the afternoon.
You can also keep in the fridge, but make sure the dough is at room temperature before trying to roll it out.

To make Meat Fataya


Directions for the Filling

Place 2 lbs ground beef in a bowl, add 3/4 block cream cheese and work thoroughly into the meat with your hands, next add 5 tablespoons Greek yoghurt and mix altogether well. Add the juice of 2 lemons and again mix thoroughly.
Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons allpice.
Chop 1 onion finely and mix into the meat mixture.
Finally, add 2 generous tablespoons pinenuts.

 

This is not meat but spinach, but the method is the same

Spray large flat baking pans with Pam, or paint on some oil.
Take risen dough and make into small rolls, work the rolls  a little in some flour if they are too tacky, cover with saran wrap and leave to stand on sprinkled flour.
Take one roll of dough, and with a rolling pin, roll into a thin layer.
Cut into rounds (top of a large peanut butter jar works well)

this filling is spinach but the method is the same for both meat and fataya

                                                       
Take a teaspoon of the filling, place in center of rounds and then

 

 

make the dough into an envelope,
sealing all edges well.







When closing fataya pies, be careful not to get juices on the edges. this will make it difficult to close. If this happens, dip fingers in flour and close.

Heat oven at 400 degrees F, have rack in middle of oven.
Place each fataya on baking pan

Bake in oven until just beginning to change color, the fataya should be brown on the base.
These bake quite fast, approximately 15 to 20 minutes, but you have to keep your eye on them. Usually by the time you’ve made another batch, the fataya are ready.

If you wish, you can brush some melted butter half way through the baking process, I used to do this but have stopped doing this.

Fataya freeze really well cooked. On the day you want to eat them, take fataya out in morning, uncover and let stand most of the day. Reheat for 15 minutes in oven at 350 degrees F. just before serving.

Just recently, I tried something different. I worried that the meat tasted dried out, especially after freezing. My son in law suggested frying the thawed meat fataya very quickly. We did this, draining the fataya on a paper towel, these can either be eaten immediately or reheated for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. uncovered just before serving. The filling in fact is moist, delicious and full of flavor. I am going to try making these again, and frying after they are baked. I'll try some just frying without baking as well and see how that goes.

Kibbe Nayee (Ground Raw Lamb)

Kibbee Nayee 
(Ground Raw Lamb)
Ingredients

1 lb ground lamb meat
1 Spanish Onion
1 can Campbell’s Beef Broth
1 1/4 Cups Finely Cracked Wheat Germ (bulgar)
Allspice
Salt
Pepper
Red Onion or Sweet White Onion
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Syrian Bread (pita bread)
Meat Grinder

Directions

Use the best part of the leg of lamb (sirloin end) There is a section in the middle which is very lean, cut out any sinews or fat so that the meat is completely lean.

Grind lamb meat through large sized mincer and then through the small size mincer twice.

Put half an onion through meat grinder with the meat again, this will be the fourth time you have ground the meat.

At this point you can put the ground meat mixture in the fridge and do the next steps just before serving. Do all this the same day.

Take 1 1/4 cups finely cracked wheat germ, place in bowl and pour over a can of Campbell’s Beef Broth. Allow it to soak for a couple of minutes in beef broth.

Add the cracked wheat to the meat, you can squeeze out the beef broth but I often end up adding more beef broth to the meat as you don’t want the mixture to become too dry and sticky, nor too wet as it wont bind together any more.

Pass the mixture through the grinder once more.
Add to the mixture 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
                       1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
                  1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Mix together with your hands, you can moisten your hands first with water, this way it is easier to mix in the spices.

Mound meat on a platter, score gently with a knife and garnish with red onion wedges, or white onion wedges and if you want a little color, some scallions. You can make a flower shape with onion slices on the top. Eat immediately!

Serve with extra virgin olive oil and Syrian bread. The oil is poured over your plate portion of meat and then you scoop it all up with the bread.       

If there is any left over, you can make little hamburger shaped patties and saute in a pan. Does not keep raw well for longer than a day.

artichokes

Artichokes 

I’ve tried for years to make artichokes with just the right sauce, it was either
too lemony or too oily.
Marcella Hazan’s excellent cook book, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,
inspired me to try again.
The artichokes are braised whole with the
stem on and served upside down.

Ingredients

4 large globe artichokes
1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons parsley chopped very fine
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic chopped very fine
6 to 8 mint leaves chopped fine
Salt
Black pepper freshly ground
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

In preparing any artichoke it is essential to discard some of the tough inedible leaves and portions of leaves. Bend back the outer leaves, pulling them down toward the base of the artichoke, and snapping them off just before you reach the base. Do not take the paler bottom end of the leaf off because at that point it is tender and quite edible.





 

  

 Slice at least an inch off the top of the leaves,
take half a lemon and rub the cut portions of
the artichoke, squeezing juice over them
to keep them from discoloring.










My mother in law used to turn the artichoke

upside down and bang it firmly on a wooden
board, this loosened the inside so you can part
the leaves and reach the choke, which is prickly
and fuzzy.

The fuzzy choke has to be removed.
I use a spoon, being careful not to cut away any
of the tender bottom.

Do not cut off the stem.






Look at the base of the stem and you

will see an inner white part surrounded
by green.

Carefully pare away the green, leaving
the white intact. This white part is
delicious when cooked.

Rub all cut surfaces with lemon juice.







In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic chopped very fine, 6 to 8 mint leaves chopped fine, some salt and pepper. Set aside 1/3 of the mixture and with the remainder, press the rest into the cavity of each artichoke, rubbing it well into the inner sides.

Choose a tall heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, it has to be tall enough to fit the artichokes with their stems sticking up. Place the artichokes in the pan, upside down with stems pointing up. Rub the remaining herb and garlic mixture over the outside of the artichokes. Add all the olive oil plus enough water to come up and cover one third of the leaves, but not the stems.

Take a long length of paper towel that, when doubled up, will completely cover the top of the pot Soak the towel in water and place over the top of the pot, covering it completely. Put the lid over the towels, then pull any portion of the towel that is still hanging down the side of the pot, back over the lid.

Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. The artichokes are done when a fork easily pierces the thick part between the stem and the heart. Cooking time may vary depending on the freshness of the artichokes. If they are tough and take long to cook, you may have to add a little more water from time to time.

When done, transfer the artichokes to a serving platter with their stems pointing up. Reserve the oil and other juices from the pot. This juice must only be poured over the artichokes just before eating. Artichokes can soak up the oil and juice when still hot and, if not eaten right away, become greasy and sodden.

Ideally, serve the artichokes when they are no longer hot but have not cooled completely. Best eaten the same day.
To eat, pull away each leaf and eat the bottom white part, the outer leaves don’t yield much to eat, dip each leaf in the reserved juice. As you progress further in, the leaves become more tender at the base until you reach the heart, which can be totally eaten.

soft boiled egg with soldiers

Soft Boiled Egg with Soldiers

Ingredients

1 egg
1 slice brown bread
butter
salt
egg cup

Directions

Take the egg directly from the fridge and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water over medium high heat. Just as the inside of the pan is filled with air bubbles and the water is just preparing to boil, turn the timer on for 5 minutes. When the water starts boiling furiously, turn the heat down to medium. Make the toast, spread with butter and halve and quarter the toast (these are the soldiers). The egg should be perfect after 5 minutes, firm white but runny yolk. Most enjoyable dipping the soldier toast sections into the yolk. I like to have a little salt on the side of my plate, but this is optional.

My cousin, Marie Claire, says she loves this but with a little marmite on the toast. 

Homemade Ricotta

Homemade Ricotta

Directions

See the Ghiban Cheese Recipe to make the cheese.
Posted Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Our dear friend Mary Ann, from Calabria in Italy, was reminded by her sister how their mother used to make ricotta from the whey (the liquid that drains off the ghiban cheese) To see the recipe for ghiban cheese, refer to November 29, 2011 post.
You add a tablespoon of white vinegar and heat the whey up to a temperature of 190 degrees F.  We tried it last night, once the liquid has heated we stirred it a bit and it started to thicken. Keep it in a plastic container to use later.

Linguine with Ricotta
Mary Ann makes a linguine dish using this ricotta. You can make fettucini or linguine with the ricotta mixed with a half cup heavy cream, once the pasta is cooked, stir in the ricotta and cream, top with grated parmesan cheese. This dish is very light and tasty.

Fettucini with Spinach and Ricotta.

I used some cooked spinach, and fettucini instead of linguine.
Fill a pot with water, bring to the boil and put the fettucini in until tender, strain the fettucini reserving a little water. Add a tablespoon butter to the fettucini.
Take 1 teasp. cornstarch the water from the fettucini, mix together and stir into the spinach. Add the juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup wine and mix into the spinach. Stir  the ricotta  mixed with half a cup of heavy cream into the fettucine and add the spinach. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. You can also add mushrooms.