Salad Tacos

                                 

                                                                        Salad Tacos

Called Salad Tacos because they are a salad in the Taco.

Ingredients:

Spread choices:

Hummus,  Tahini Sauce (not paste),  Baba Ganoush, Spread  

Lemony Salad,

Toasted chickpeas:

2 tablespoon EVOO

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon sumac

1 teaspoon cumin,

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 - 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Assembly:

1/2 cup spread choice

1 tomato choice 

2 Turkish cucumbers

Large handful arugula 

1 - 2 tablespoons EVOO

1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Garnish:

Scallions,, sliced in slivers,

Fresh herbs choice,  cilantro, Italian parsley, mint, dill,  Dukkah,  Zaatar, Tahinni, quick pickled onions, 

Directions:

Use the spread of choice.  Recipes are available online.

Drain can of chickpeas and rinse and drain well.  In a medium heat skillet, add oil and chickpeas and spices and salt, stirring frequently.  During the last minute add the sesame seeds.  Turn the heat off.

Toss the salad ingredients in medium bowl.  Lightly toast the tortillas until warm and pliable.  

Assemble:  Spread hummus, baba ganoush, onto the warm tortillas.  Top with warm chickpeas and a heaping mound of the salad.  Sprinkle with herbs and scallions.

Sumac Strawberry Shortcakes

Sumac Strawberry Shortcakes 

The magic ingredient here is a citrusy spice that adds a sweet-sour sweetness to juicy summer strawberries. Make the shortcakes and macerate the strawberries in advance and then whip the cream just before serving.  Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 1/4 cup double cream

1 tablespoon demerara sugar, optional

1 quart strawberries, roughly chopped

Sumac for sprinkling 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sift the flour into a large bowl.  Using a fork or whisk, stir in the salt, baking powder and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. (3/8 cup) until evenly combined.  Cut in the 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon chilled butter until you have a course crumble mixture.  Whisk the egg and milk together, then using a fork to mix it in until you have a rough dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead briefly 20 - 30 seconds to bring it together, then use your hands to shape it into a 7" X 14" rectangle about 2/3" thick.  Cut six  2 1/3" inch squares.  Transfer to the parchment lined baking tray.

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Brush 1 tablespoon cream over the squares or use any leftover egg cream mixture and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake at 400*F for 14 to 18 minutes or until golden.  Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile in a large bowl mix the strawberries, sumac, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoons water, set aside to macerate for 1 hour.

Place the remaining cream and the vanilla bean paste in a bowl and whisk it until soft peals form.  Serve the shortcakes filled with cream and strawberries sprinkled with a little sumac.

Note,  Use any fruit, i.e. peaches, blueberries, mango, figs, with this recipe.  Be creative!

 

Eggplant Walnut Dip. ~. Vegetarian

Eggplant Walnut Dip

               Everything you will need to make this awesome Dip                                                    

Ingredients:                                                    Garnishes 

1 large eggplant or 2 small                              EVOO                                      
2 small cloves garlic                                        Sumac
⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream                  Ground cumin
¼ cup walnuts toasted                                      Chili flakes
2 tbsp tahini, heaped tbsps                               Parsley or mint
1-2 tbsp lemon juice                                         Pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper as needed                                 Toasted Walnuts

Serving Suggestions

cut raw Veggies
Pita or pita chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place both halves face down on the baking sheet. Pierce the eggplant halves a couple more times so the steam can escape.** see notes for roasting on a bbq.
Bake eggplant until very soft, blackened and wrinkly on the exterior, about 40-45 minutes. Remove eggplant and let cool slightly

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until they are finely ground. Next to the food processor, add the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, garlic,, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy.

Once cooled scoop the soft flesh out of the cooled eggplant and transfer it to the food processor. Pulse the food processor motor a few times until you have a slightly chunky, but mostly smooth and luscious dip, scraping the sides down if necessary. 

Adjust the dip for seasoning if necessary. Transfer the dip to a shallow bowl, spread it in concentric circles making a couple of deeper trenches for the beautiful olive oil and garnishes to accumulate. Garnish with sumac, chili flakes/paprika, ground cumin, parsley, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses if using.

Serve the dip at room temperature with vegetable crudies, pita chips or crackers or part of a summer meal with meatballs, Shirazi salad and pitas.

To roast the eggplant on a bbq simply stab the eggplant a 4-5 times and place it on the bbq. Rotate as it gets charred so it chars evenly. Roasting on a bbq produces intense smokiness.

Piercing the eggplant helps release steam that builds up inside the eggplant (due to the intense heat and natural high moist content of the eggplant) and prevents bursting. (true story, happened to me)

The mentioned garnishes all very delicious, but you don’t need all of them. A simple drizzle of olive oil and black pepper works just as well

Honey Roasted Cherry Tomatoes On Whipped Feta

Honey-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes On Whipped Feta

Roasting tomatoes in honey brings out their natural sweetness, especially when paired with tangy, whipped feta. Served with toasted sourdough, it’s an impressive appetizer that belies its simple preparation.
Ingredients:                                                                                             1/2 cup (125 mL) Greek feta

1/4 cup (60 mL) cream cheese

3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for bread

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

1 tsp (5 mL) lemon zest

2 tbsp (30 mL) amber honey, such as wildflower or clover

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 cups (750 mL) cherry tomatoes

1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine sea salt

6 slices sourdough bread,

1/2 inch (1 cm) thick

Freshly ground black pepper and sumac to taste

1/4 cup (60 mL) loosely packed torn parsley

Directions:                                                                                 Combine feta, cream cheese, 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil, lemon juice and zest in bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread onto a large plate.

Arrange rack in top third of oven. Preheat oven to broil.

Combine honey, remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil and garlic in a medium-size oven-proof skillet. Broil until garlic is golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove from oven. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Broil, stirring halfway through, until tomatoes are blistered and charred, 10 to 12 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer tomatoes onto whipped feta. Place cooking liquid over medium-high heat. Reduce until thick enough to coat back of spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.               

Arrange bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle both sides with oil. Broil, watching closely, until golden-brown and slightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Let cool slightly, then tear in half.

To serve, drizzle about 1 tbsp (15 mL) reduced sauce over tomatoes, saving rest for another use. Sprinkle with pepper and sumac. Garnish with parsley. Serve with charred bread.   Serves 4 to 6

Lebanese Cole Slaw, Malfouf Salad

Lebanese Cole Slaw, Malfouf Salad

Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 head white cabbage, thinly sliced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 small head or 1 small bag shredded purple cabbage
4-5 colorful radishes, sliced thin
1 small red onion, sliced in thin half-moons
Handful flat leaf parsley leaves, minced
Handful fresh spearmint leaves, minced
Vinaigrette:
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Juice of 2 lemons
⅓ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons za’atar
2 teaspoons sumac
2 teaspoons dried mint, or Mint Salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all of the salad vegetables except the herbs in a beautiful salad bowl. 

In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continually. Add the za’atar, sumac, dried mint, and cayenne and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and any other spices to taste. 

Finish the salad with the parsley and mint, giving it another stir.

Lemony Chicken Soup

Lemony Chicken Soup, Avgolemono Recipe

This soup is great as is, or with a few shreds of cooked chicken added to each soup bowl. The sumac garnish looks lovely and it’s a perfect compliment with its bright, citrusy flavor. Avgolemono is even better after it has had time to sit and gain body, creaminess, from the rice. Make it early in the day, or a day in advance, and reheat it carefully over medium low heat.
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups cooked white rice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
Sumac, for finishing

*

Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the stock to boiling and reduce to a simmer.

In a blender, puree 1 cup of the hot stock, ½ cup of the cooked rice, and lemon juice. Add the egg yolks and puree again.

Add the remaining cooked rice to the simmering stock, then add the egg mixture about ½ cup at a time, stirring to combine after each addition. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Serve the soup in warmed bowls with a pinch of sumac on top of each one.

This recipe is from the blog of Maureen Abhood, Rose Water and Orange Blossoms.

Crustless Spinach And Feta Quiche With Sumac

Crustless Spinach And Feta Quiche With Sumac 

This quiche is elegant and delicious enough to serve guests, but also a great pie to have in the refrigerator to slice and eat for breakfast (lunch or dinner) all week long. You can lighten up the filling using all milk rather than half milk and half cream. Consider this your blank slate for any vegetables you have on hand, such as sautéed mushrooms or bell peppers.  Use exact cheese measurements to eliminate over salty taste.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 box (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces feta cheese
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sumac, divided
4 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Swiss, Gruyere, or mozzarella cheese 

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Brush an 8- or 9-inch pie plate with olive oil.
Squeeze the thawed spinach to remove as much water as possible. 

Shred and scatter the spinach over the bottom of the pie plate. Crumble the feta over the spinach, top with the onions, and dust with a tablespoon of sumac and a healthy pinch of kosher salt. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with a teaspoon of salt until they are smooth. Stir in the parmesan, milk, and cream. Pour the eggs over the spinach and feta. 

Top the eggs evenly with the Swiss, Gruyere, or mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle with a tablespoon of sumac.  NOTE, I would suggest 1/2 of the amount of sumac for topping.

Bake the quiche for about 40 minutes, or until it is puffy and golden and doesn’t jiggle in the center when moved. Serve the quiche immediately with more sumac dusted over each slice. 

Refrigerate and eat the quiche for up to a week.