Ten-Grain Whole Wheat Oats & Molasses Bread

This wonderful bread is made with organic whole wheat, whole oats, ten-grain cereal, molasses and honey. It is packed with vitamins and is very healthful to the digestive system. I make this bread twice a week and know that I am eating something good for me and my family. You will love this hearty bread which is easily make in your bread machine.

Wet Ingredients
Into a 2 cup glass measuring cup add together:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of very hot water
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 2 heaping tablespoons of dry milk

Mix thoroughly and add to your bread machine pan. Close the lid while you assemble the other ingredients to keep the liquid warm.

Mix 1 egg lightly in the glass measuring cup; set aside.

Dry Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups of organic whole wheat bread flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tablespoons ten-grain cereal
• 1/4 cup organic whole grain oats

Mix these dry ingredients together.

Assembly
Add the egg to the liquid mixture now in the bread machine; add the dry ingredients on top of the wet. Make an indentation on the top of the flour and add 1 1/2 teaspoon bread machine dry yeast. Close the lid and begin the bread machine process for "whole wheat bread."

Take it out as soon as it is done and let it cool on a bread rack; store in zip lock bag. This bread will freeze well.

Maklubeh: Upside-Down Meat & Rice Casserole

This is a particularly popular dish throughout the Middle East and in each region it varies. I say, take your liberties, use the meat and vegetables you prefer! The first time I had this was in Jerusalem, prepared by an Arab Christian friend...and it was love at first bite! 

For this dish, you can use cooked chicken, beef, or lamb. I usually use chicken that I have boiled whole and deboned.

1 whole cooked chicken, deboned, shredded or cut into good-sized pieces
2 medium sized eggplants, sliced
1 large onion, sliced in half, cut up
2-3 medium carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise or on diagonal
1 whole cauliflower, cut into florets
3 1/2 cups of meat broth (or use prepared stock)
Salt, pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp allspice - or other Middle Eastern spices you like
pinch of saffron - for color (optional)
2 cups Basmati white rice (I prefer brown rice, in which case I cook it 45 minutes)
1/4 pine nuts, toasted (optional)

PREPARE THE VEGETABLES:
Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds and place in a colander; sprinkle with salt and let the bitter juices drain for about 45 minutes. Pat them dry and place on dish.

Slice the carrots and the onions and set aside.

Fry the eggplant and let it drain on paper towels; fry the carrots the same. (Alternatively, you can roast the vegetables in the oven with a little olive oil and salt. It is quite delicious like this and my preference.)

Saute the onions until golden brown.

NOTE: For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add other root vegetables to fry or roast. Assemble with the rice and spices in the same way.

ASSEMBLE THE COOKING POT
In a large, wide pot, wipe around the pot with some oil, and then begin the layering with the eggplant on the bottom of the pot and up the sides. Next add the other vegetables, spices, pressing down lightly. Finally end with the rice, and add the broth, making sure the rice is covered with the broth. Put a dish on top of the food so it does not float around during the cooking.

Cover the pot with the lid, bring to a boil, and turn the heat immediately down to very low and cook for the suggested time for the rice. Test the rice at the end of the time and cook longer if needed.  After the rice is done cooking, let it rest off the fire for about 20 minutes until it sets. With a spatula, gently loosen the rice and vegetables away from the edge of the pot.

PRESENTATION
This is the time when you get the "WOW!" response from your family and friends. Onto a plate larger than the pot, invert the pot into the middle of the platter. Gently tap around the top and sides of the cooking pot to loosen the rice and vegetables. Carefully lift the pot off the platter and your meal-in-a-pot should stay fairly centered on the platter. Some of the vegetables will be darkened, but they are quite delicious. Top with toasted pine nuts and a bit of parsley for color.

Serve the Maklubeh with yogurt, along with salads and Arabic bread. This is a crowd pleaser and makes a few ingredients go a long way.

Ka'ak: Anise-seek Rings

Ka'ak - Savory Anise-seed Rings

3 tablespoons fresh yeast or 4 pkgs active dry yeast
3 tablespoons plus 2 tsps kosher salt
2 1/2 pounds (8 cups) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon anise seed
1 heaping tsp ground coriander seed
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
2tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 pound (1 cup) vegetable shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small glass bowl, add 2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water, a little sugar, salt, and yeast - mixing it well. set asisde until the yeast is dissolved and bubbles appear on the surfarce. Stir it up.
2. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and form a well in the center. Add the anise seed, coriander seed, cumin, oil, sugar, and vegetable shortening. Stir until well combined. Then add the yeast mixutre into the well, absorbing all the flour. Mix thoroughly.
3. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes. It should be soft, yet smooth and elastic, and it should no longer stick to the sides of the bowl. (Add a sprinkle of flour if it is too sticky as you knead.)
4. Cover the bowl with a dry towel, and let the dough rise for about 1 1/2 hours in a place where it is warm and not drafty.
5. On a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough and divide in half. Roll half the dough into a 2-inch diameter log. Cut the log into 1/2-in rounds and roll each of the rounds to a length of about 4 inches, crimping each edge if yo ulike.
6. Shape each strip into a ring, crimped edges facing outward. brush each ring of dough lightly with the egg beaten with 2 tablspoons of water. Then dip each dough ring into sesame seeds. Place the Ka'ak on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking tray in even rows.
7. Bake each 10 minutes. When all the ka'ak are completely baked, reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Then crisp by reducing oven temperature to 200 degrees F for 20 minutes. The crisping stage is essential to produce the crunch and texture desired. The ka'ak should appear very light gold and crisp. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

This recipe is taken from my favorite cookbook: Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews which can be purchased on Amazon.com

Sufganiyot - Jelly Filled Donuts for Hanukkah

I came across this great video series of an authentic Israeli recipe.


Check it out:





Enjoy! Hag Hanukkah Sameach to all my friends!

Graybeh - Butter Cookies in Powdered Sugar

Graybeh are a kind of Middle Eastern shortbread - buttery and powdery white. Some people make them with a single raw pistacio in the center, but I prefer to make the little balls, and roll them in powdered sugar.

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup superfine sugar

1 cup water

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup shelled raw pistachios (skins removed) - optional

Melt the butter in a covered glass dish, watching carefully it melts slowly and does not boil. Strain off the melted butter and throw out the milky liquid....use only the clarified butter for this recipe.

Place the sugar in a large bowl. Add 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until it hardens.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Remove the sugar-butter mixture from the refrigerator. Beat on high speed with an electric hand-held mixer until it has the consistency of whipping cream, about 5 minutes. If the dough is too hard to beat at first, mix with a spoon, then use the electric mixer.

Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, blending with a wooden spoon. Knead with your fingertips to make the dough soft and pliable to work with, a good 10 minutes.

Take a piece of the dough and roll it into a small ball and set on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Try to make all the balls uniform. Don't worry about spacing them as they do not melt or spread out. (At this point, if you want to add your pistachio, flatten the ball slightly with a thumbprint and place 1 single unsalted pistachio in the center.) The dough is very delicate, so take great care in handling as it will be a bit crumbly.

Place cookie sheet in pre-heated oven and bake for only 10 minutes, taking care not to overbake! Then cool completely on the sheet (the cookies will appear almost raw and still soft when you take them out, but will harden when cool). This is the biggest mistake I make - assessing they are not cooked, and continue cooking them!

You can freeze in a tightly sealed plastic container for up to 1 month, but I'd be surprised if you have any left to freeze!

Lebane - Middle Eastern Yogurt Cheese

4 cups of homemade Leban (Middle Eastern yoghurt)
1 tsp salt
Cheesecloth, or new cotton cloth


Procedure:Pour the homemade yoghurt into the cheesecloth and fold up the corners. Twist the cheesecloth and tie up the cloth with a string. Hang the cloth in the kitchen over a deep dish to catch the whey that will drip out slowly. Let the yoghurt in the cloth hang for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

The next morning, unwrap the cloth and carefully scoop out the cheese into a container; refrigerate.

To serve:
Use as you would for cream cheese as a spread, either plain or add herbs. You can also sweeten the cheese with sugar and top with sugared berries for a tasty dessert. This can also be used as the base filling for homemade cheesecake.

Leban - Middle Eastern Yogurt

1 Gallon (2 liters) 3% (or higher) Milk
5-6 tblsp of good Bulgarian yoghurt or a natural nothing artifically added yoghurt of your choice!


Procedure:
Pour the milk into a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let the milk set until it is cool, skimming off the dried skin that accumlates on top. The milk is cool enough when you can insert your little finger into the milk and be able to count to ten comfortably. This is the trick of my Aunt Linda, a terrific cook of Middle Eastern food!

Put the starter yoghurt into a small mixing bowl and add the cooled milk to this mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. Add several spoons and mix well. Whisk this starter mixture into the saucepan. Pour the milk into a clean gallon jar and cover tight with a lid. Wrap a large Turkish towel, including the bottom of the jar, and set in a warm corner without drafts and leave there for at least 8 hours. The yoghurt should be set. Put in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before using.