Contents
Foreword by Lorraine Elliott 6
My Passion for Middle Eastern Cooking 8
Cooking Tips and Techniques 10
Buying the Right Middle Eastern Ingredients 18
Creamy Garlic Sauce 24
Clotted Cream 25
Sesame Sauce 25
Apple Vinegar 26
Basic Savory Flat Pie Dough 26
Pickles 27
Lemony Mint Salad Dressing 28
Scented Sugar Syrup 28
Lamb and Rice Stuffing 28
Basic Spice Mixes 29
CHAPTER ONE
Middle Eastern Flatbreads 32
Sesame Seed Breads 33
Spiced Meat Flat Pies 35
Spinach turnovers 36
thyme-Spiced Flat Pies 37
CHAPTER TWO
Salads 39
Chickpea Salad with Lemony Mint Salad Dressing 40
Colorful Cabbage Salad with Lemony Mint Salad Dressing 40
Vibrant Beet Salad 43
Cucumber Yogurt Salad 43
Roasted Eggplant Salad 44
tabbouleh 44
Middle Eastern Salad 47
Spiced Cheese Salad 47
herb Salad with tangy Dressing and Croutons 48
CHAPTER THREE
Vegetable and Rice Side Dishes 51
Fried Eggplant with Garlic and Parsley Dressing 53
Fresh tomato Sauce 53
Potatoes with herbs and Garlic 54
Okra with tomatoes in a Fragrant Sauce 55
Fried Cauliflower with Sesame Parsley Sauce 57
Spicy Potatoes 57
Sautéed Greens with Cilantro 58
Rice with toasted Vermicelli noodles 58
Spiced Green Beans with tomatoes 59
Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine nuts 61
CHAPTER FOUR
Eggplant Dip 64
Zucchini Fritters 65
Eggs Poached in Spicy tomato Sauce 67
Garlicky Potato Dip 67
herbed Omelets 68
Pan-Seared white Cheese 68
Spiced Cheese Balls 69
Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves 71
Red Bell Pepper walnut Dip 72
Yogurt Cheese 73
CHAPTER FIVE
Mashed Fava Beans with Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Garlic 76
Simple Lentil Soup 77
hummus, with Several Variations 79
Creamy Chickpea and Yogurt Casserole 80
Falafel 81
Lentil and Bulgur Pilaf with Caramelized Onion 82
Lentil Stew with Swiss Chard and Lemon Juice 83
CHAPTER SIX
Fish Pilaf with Caramelized Onion 86
Aromatic whole Roasted Fish 87
Chicken Kebabs 88
Marinated Chicken Skewers 88
Roasted Green wheat with Chicken 89
Jute Mallow Soup with Chicken 90
Spiced Shawarma Chicken wraps 92
Rice Pilaf with Spiced Smoked Chicken 94
Shrimp in Aromatic tomato Sauce 95
Baked Chicken with Red Rice Pilaf 96
Roasted Chicken with Flatbread 97
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kibbeh 100
Meat and Vegetable Casserole with Pomegranate 103
Stuffed Squash in Yogurt Sauce 104
Scrambled Eggs with Meat & Onion 105
Meat Sautéed with Leeks 106
Stuffed Marrow Squash 107
Lamb and Barley Soup 108
Lamb and navy Bean Stew 108
Lamb and Yogurt Soup 109
Cauliflower Meat Sauce 110
Lamb or Beef Kebabs 112
Meatballs with Potato in tomato Sauce 113
upside-Down Rice Casserole 114
CHAPTER EIGHT
Desserts 117
Date-Filled Cookies 118
Sesame Fudge 119
Layered Apricot and Milk Pudding 120
Lebanese nights 121
Sweet Cheese Pastry 122
Butter Cookies 123
Middle Eastern Pancakes, Several ways 124
Apricot Jam 125
Apple Preserves 126
Sesame Seed Brittle 126
Rose and Orange Blossom-Scented Milk Pudding 127
Pistachio