Suzy Eats

Today I am eating Tabouli for lunch. I made it this morning and wanted to share the recipe. Tabouli is very healthy since it contains some of the foods we should try and eat every week to stay “heart healthy”. The main ingredients are olive oil, tomatoes and lemon 🙂 mmmmmm

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cracked bulgar wheat
• 2 cups water
• 6 small ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion (red or yellow), finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper



How to:
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Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, sliced
• 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large potato, sliced
• 1 lb chicken (you can use any parts of the chicken, beef or lamb)
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (I use Maggi brand)
• salt
• black pepper
• cumin
• garlic powder
• water
• cinnammon
• allspice
• vegetable oil for frying
• parsley or pine nuts for garnish (optional)

How to:

1. Soak the basmati rice in water for ~30 minutes. (I usually soak it while I am fying the veggies).

2. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan.

3. Add the eggplant (~2 1/2 cups), 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and fry the eggplant.

4. Remove and place onto a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
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Ma’amoul is another holiday treat! It is a VERY tasty shortbread pastry that is filled with walnuts, dates, almonds, pistachios or other fillings. I used walnuts because that is my favorite 🙂 These cookies are most popular in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and throughout the Levant.  They can be made by hand or in a special wood mould which helps give it different shapes. I made mine by hand, but I love using the mould to provide a more artistic shortbread cookie. 

Ma’amoul is kept in many homes throughout the year, but they are particularly popular during religious times. Arab-Christians eat them at Easter, Arab-Muslims eat them during Ramadan and Arab- Jews eat them during Purim, Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah.
Makes: 12

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup semolina
• 2 sticks salted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (pistachios, walnuts, or almonds)
• 1/2 cup milk

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A traditional Mediterranean Date Nut Bread Recipe for Easter.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups dates, chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup boiling water

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Have you ever watched the movie Wedding Crashers??? Numerous times throughout the movie John calls Jeremy “Baba Ghannoush” 🙂 …. There was no rhyme or reason for it, but he did it. Well what is this dish??  It is fresh, smoked, baked eggplant dip 🙂 Yummy!!  Baba ghannoush is a traditional breakfast dish in parts of the Middle East.  It is also used as a starter or appetizer or a side dish or salad. 

There are many variations of this dish. In Arabic it is known as baba ghanoush. In Turkish, it is called pathcan salatasi. There is an Israeli version that is made with mayonnaise and in the Bulgarian culture it is called kyopolou.  Indian culture has a similar dish that is called Baingan Bartha, and in Romania it is called salata de vinete. In Greek, it is called melitzanosalata. 

For a garnish, you can select what you like best. Some options are kalamata olives, cumin, chili powder, sumac, parsley, and/or pomegranate  concentrate. It is also usually topped with drizzled olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• Cold Water, 3-5 cups
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Garnish: your choice

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