RECIPES:

Hummus     2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained ~ 1/2 cup roasted tahini ~ 1/4 cup lemon juice ~ 1 ts. grated lemon zest, minced ~ 2 cloves garlic ~ 1/4 cup packed flat leaf parsley ~ 1/4 cup chopped green onions ~ salt to taste ~ ground black pepper to taste

Place garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and green onion in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth, adding water if the mixture is too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Black Bean Hummus   1 clove garlic ~ 1 (15 ounce) can black beans; drain and reserve liquid ~ 2 tablespoons lemon juice ~ 1 1/2 Tb. tahini ~ 3/4 ts. ground cumin ~ 1/2 ts. salt ~ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ~ 1/4 ts. paprika ~ 10 Greek olives

Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add black beans, 2 tablespoons reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add additional seasoning and liquid to taste. Garnish with paprika and Greek olives.

Tzatziki Greek Cucumber Dip       2 cup. thick yogurt ~ 1 cup. cucumber, chopped finely ~ 1 clove garlic, crushed ~ 2 ts. olive oil ~ 1 Tb. fresh dill ~ 1 Tb.. lemon juice

To thicken yogurt, line a sieve with cheese cloth. Place the sieve over a bigger bowl. Pour yogurt in sieve and drain the yogurt (about two hours). Sprinkle salt over cucumber. Let stand 15 minutes and press dry. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Chill.

Tabbouleh Mint and Parsley Salad    1 cup fine burghul (crushed wheat) ~ 1/2 cup finely chopped mint ~ 1 1/2 cups finely chopped parsley ~ 1 cup finely chopped onions ~ 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional) ~ 3/4 cup olive oil ~ 1 cup lemon juice ~ Salt and pepper

Soften burghul by soaking one hour in water, then drain well and press out the excess water. Mix burghul, onions, salt and pepper together, crushing onion juice into burghul with fingers. Add parsley, mint, oil, lemon juice, tomato and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, adding more lemon juice if necessary to give a tart flavor. Adjust salt to taste. Serve on lettuce leaves in individual dishes, or use tender lettuce heart leaves, cabbage leaves and vine leaves as scoops to eat the tabbouleh. In Lebanon tabbouleh is generally served on a large platter and decorated with chopped tomatoes. The vegetable leaves are served on a separate dish in an attractive way. Note:

Tabbouleh   Bulgur Salad By S.S.F.         2 cups (generous) medium Bulgur ~ 4 med. -size ripe Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced ~ 1 cup Parsley fresh minced ~ 3/4 cup Mint fresh minced OR 1 Tb dried, crumbled ~ 1/3 cup Coriander (Cilantro) fresh minced ~ 1/4 cup Oil Olive ~ 1/4 cup Lemon juice fresh ~ Salt & Pepper freshly ground    Garnish:  slices of English Cucumber, Olives black, Parsley & Mint sprigs, Lemon slices

Soak Bulgur in a bowl of hot water 45 minutes. Drain thoroughly and squeeze dry. Return to the bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients except garnish. Note: Tabbouleh can be prepared one day ahead and refrigerated.

Eggplant Caviar       1 large eggplant ~ 1/3 cup chopped onion ~ 3 Tb. olive oil ~ 2 Tb. chopped fresh dill ~ 2 ts. kosher salt ~ 1 ts. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to broiler setting. Wash eggplants thoroughly, then pierce skin with a fork in several places. Place on a baking sheet and broil in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft. Turn eggplant over and broil for an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and slice in half. Scoop out eggplant pulp with a spoon and place in a medium bowl. Mix in onion, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper. Serve hot or cold.

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce # 1       1 3/4 cup coconut milk (13.5 fl. oz.) ~ 1/3 cup peanut butter, creamy ~ 1 inch piece ginger root ~ 1 garlic clove ~ 1 Tb. maple syrup ~ 1/8 tsp. chili powder ~ 1/4 ts. crushed red pepper pinch coriander ~ 1/8 ts. sea salt ~ 1/8 ts. black pepper

In a blender pour in the coconut milk and peanut butter, then blend. Next, take the 1 inch piece of ginger, peel the skin off with a knife and grate on a grater. Add to the blender. Take the clove of garlic and finely chop, then add to blender. Now add the maple syrup, chili powder, crushed red pepper, coriander, sea salt, and black pepper. Blend. Put a pan on the stove to medium heat and pour in the mixture. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low/medium. Cook for 10 minutes while stirring. The sauce should thicken up a little and turn just slightly darker and then is ready to use.

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce # 2         125 ml peanut butter ~ 50 ml fresh lime juice (about 4 limes) ~ 50 ml soy sauce or fish sauce ~ 5 cloves of garlic ~ 25 ml sugar ~ 15 ml grated fresh ginger ~ 5 ml grated lemon rind ~ 5 ml chili paste (chili flakes can be substituted) ~ 2 ml grated lime zest

Combine everything in a blender or food processor until smooth. Use as a dip or in one of the recipe ideas below.

Tapenade        1 1/2 cups pitted, oil-cured black OR Kalamata olives ~ 2 Tb. capers ~ 2 small cloves peeled garlic, crushed ~ 8 anchovies (about) in oil ~ 3 small dried figs, quartered ~ 7 OR 8 mint leaves ~ 1/2 ts. freshly ground black pepper ~ 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil ~ Salt, if needed  

Put olives in the bowl of a food processor with capers, garlic, anchovies in oil, figs, mint leaves, pepper and olive oil. Pulse 15 or 20 times, or until you have achieved the texture you want (I like it fairly coarse, not a smooth puree). Taste again and add salt, if needed, although the tapenade is usually already salty enough from olives and capers. Refrigerate until serving time. Note:

Traditional Red Salsa (Salsa Roja) "Fresca"          2 cups of finely chopped plum tomatoes ~ 1 cup of finely chopped white onion ~ 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro ~ Ancho Chiles (to taste) 1 to 3 for mild salsa; 4 or more for picante salsa ~ 1 clove garlic (crushed) ~ 2 limes ~ 1/2 cup chicken stock ~ salt and pepper

Chop tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic and chiles very fine. Make sure to remove seeds and spines from chiles. Add the juice of the lime and the chicken stock. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate salsa. Serve cold.

Lettuce Wraps      1 head iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce leaves (whichever you prefer) ~ 1 Tb. soy sauce ~ 2 Tb. oyster sauce ~ 1 Tb. dry sherry ~ 1 ts. sugar ~ 1 Tb. sesame oil ~ 1 slice ginger, minced ~ 1 garlic clove, minced ~ 2 green onions, chopped ~ 1 lb meat from chicken breasts or sliced white chicken meat ~ 1 red pepper, seeded and diced ~ 1 can water chestnuts, rinsed in warm running water and chopped ~ 1 stalk celery, diced ~ 1 ts. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tb. water

Wash the lettuce, dry, and separate the leaves. Set aside. Mix together the sauce ingredients. Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan on high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and green onions and fry until the garlic and ginger are aromatic. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the red pepper, water chestnuts, and celery to the frying pan. Add the sauce ingredients and cook at medium heat, Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick stir and add to the sauce, stirring to thicken. Add the chicken back into the wok. Cook for 2 - 3 more minutes, stirring, to heat through and finish cooking the chicken. Lay out a lettuce leaf and spoon a heaping teaspoon of the chicken and vegetable/sauce mixture into the middle. The lettuce wraps are designed to be eaten "taco-style," with the lettuce/chicken mixture folded into a package. Continue with the remainder of the chicken and lettuce leaves.

Fattoosh        1 large romaine lettuce (thinly cut across in 2-3 cm strips) ~ 3 firm ripe mid-size tomatoes (coarsely diced) ~ 1/3 cup parsley (coarsely chopped) ~ 1 carrot (small, coarsely diced) optional ~ 1/4 cup green onions (coarsely chopped) ~ 1/4 cup mint (finely chopped) ~ 1/4 cup olive oil ~ 1/4 cup lemon juice (more or less to taste) or 1/4 cup pomegranate juice ~ 1/2 ts. salt (more or less to taste) ~ 1/4 ts. pepper ~ 1/2 ts. sumac ~ 1 toasted pita bread (broken into small pieces). Plain croutons make a good substitution

Put lettuce into a mixing bowl and add all ingredients except the oil and bread. Toss well. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. The oil and bread are added and mixed in just before serving to prevent wilting of the lettuce and softening of the bread.

Thai Rice Paper Rolls        60 grams thin rice vermicelli ~ 2 Tb. seasoned rice vinegar ~ 16 - 8-inch (20 cm) rice paper wrappers ~ 16 leaves green leaf lettuce ~ 16 uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined ~ 16 sprigs fresh basil ~ 16 sprigs fresh mint ~ 32 sprigs fresh coriander         Options:    Carrot Strips, Celery Strips, Daicon Strips, Kohlrabi Strips     Dip:  1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce ~ 3 Tb. Water

To prepare shrimp, bring pot of water to a boil. Boil shrimp for 1 minute, until pink. Drain. Slice lengthwise and reserve. Prepare a medium-sized bowl of very hot or boiling water. Soak rice vermicelli noodles in the hot water for 15 minutes. Drain well. Toss rice vermicelli with seasoned rice vinegar. Reserve. Prepare a large bowl of very warm water. Dip a rice paper in the hot water for 10 seconds. Lay on a damp towel. Place 1 lettuce leaf, 2 pieces of shrimp, and a heaping Tbsp rice vermicelli in a compact pile at one end of rice paper. Top with a sprig each of basil, mint and coriander. Roll up tightly to make a sausage. These rolls can be made up to 2 hours in advance. Cover well in plastic wrap until serving.

La Panzanella           3 oz. dry Tuscan bread ~ 4 large ripe tomatoes ~ 1 small red onion ~ 8-10 fresh basil leaves ~ 6 Tb. extra virgin olive oil ~ 1 ts. red wine vinegar (optional) ~ fresh ground black pepper ~ salt to taste

Break up the bread a bi in soak it in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Drain the water and squeeze out the bread well with your hands. Break the bread up into little pieces and put it in a large bowl. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add them along with the onion thinly sliced. Chop up the basil and add it too along with the oil, vinegar, a dusting of fresh round black pepper and salt to taste. Mix well and serve.......... Note: This hearty salad can be a meal in itself. I put the vinegar as an optional since I prefer it without, however the Tuscan recipe calls for it.

Crab Cakes        2 cups fresh crabmeat ~ 2 cups soft bread crumbs (4 slices) ~ 1 egg ~ 2/3 cup light mayonnaise ~ 1/3 cup each chopped celery, green pepper, and onion ~ 1/2 Tb. Seafood seasoning ~ 1 Tb. Parsley ~ 2 ts. lemon juice ~ 1/4 ts. black pepper ~ 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into 8 patties. Broil for 5 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Meatballs        2 eggs ~ 1/2 cup milk ~ 3 slices bread, crumbled ~ 2 Lb. lean ground beef ~ 1/2 cup finely chopped onion ~ 2 Tb. chopped parsley ~ 1 clove garlic, smashed, minced ~ 1 ts. salt ~ 1/2 ts. pepper

Make meatballs. In a medium bowl, beat eggs lightly; add milk and bread and let stand for about 5 minutes. Add ground beef, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix gently until well blended. Shape into about 24 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place meatballs in a generously greased large shallow baking pan. Bake meatballs at 450° for 25 minutes.

Crepe       4 eggs ~ 2 cups water (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup water) ~ 1-2 ts. salt ~ 2 cup flour

Combine eggs, milk, salt and flour in that order. Heat a small amount of oil in a 6- or 7- inch frying pan. Pour in just enough batter to make a very thin crepe. Quickly tilt pan from side to side to spread batter evenly across pan. When crepe pulls away from the side of the pan, flip and fry for just a few seconds on the second side. Remove crepe from pan, and stack on a plate. Continue to make crepes with the batter until no batter remains.

Sabayon       1 cup. granulated sugar ~ 6 each egg yolks ~ 1 pt. white wine,dry or sweet

Combine all three ingredients thoroughly in a stainless steel or non-reactive bowl. Place the egg mixture in the bowl over a water bath set on medium-high heat. Whisk vigorously until egg mixture turns lighter in color, expanding in volume. It will be thick and coat the back of a spoon after about five to seven minutes of cooking. Pour the thickened mixture over fresh fruit and serve warm, or chill and fold with whipped cream and serve cold. Garnish with fresh mint if desired.

Spanakopita (Spinach Triangles) Yield: approximately 40 triangles       3 Tb. olive oil ~ 1 onion, chopped ~ 1/2 cup chopped green onions, greens and whites ~ 3 cloves garlic, minced ~ 2 Lb. baby spinach, trimmed, rough chopped ~ 1/2 lemon, juiced ~ 2 eggs, lightly beaten ~ 12 oz crumbled feta cheese ~ 1 Tb. coriander seeds, toasted, ground ~ 1/2 ts. fresh grated nutmeg ~ 1/2 Lb. unsalted butter, melted ~ 1 Lb. phyllo pastry sheets ~ 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano ~ 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives ~ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until the spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, remove from heat and place in a colander, and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside to cool. The filling needs to be cool and dry to prevent the phyllo from becoming soggy. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with feta, coriander, and nutmeg. Season, then fold in the cooled spinach mixture until well blended. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 2 baking sheets with some melted butter. Unroll the phyllo dough and lay a sheet flat on a work surface. Take care to keep the phyllo covered with a damp, not wet, towel as you work to prevent drying out and becoming brittle. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with some oregano and chives. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo, stacking on top of each other. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds to form 2-1/2-inch strips. Do this with all the sheets of dough. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of the layered phyllo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold the triangle along the strip until you reach the end, like folding up a flag. Brush the top with butter and dust with Parmesan, place on prepared baking sheet, and cover while preparing the remaining pastries. Repeat until all the filling and phyllo strips are used up. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the triangles are crisp and golden. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Spring Rolls Makes two dozen          2 cups your choice of meat (cooked ham, barbecued pork, raw pork or chicken, vegetarian meat) or shrimp; or leave out the meat entirely and substitute more vegetables ~ 6 dried black mushrooms, soaked and chopped ~ 1-1/2 cups Chinese or regular shredded green cabbage ~ 1 package spring roll or egg roll wrappers, thawed if frozen ~ 1 cup mung bean sprouts ~ 1 medium shredded carrot ~ 2 ts. dark soy sauce ~ 2 ts. oyster sauce ~ 2 Tb. chicken or vegetarian broth ~ 1 ts. brown sugar ~ a few drops sesame oil, to taste ~ 2 Tb. oil for stir-frying, or as needed ~ 2 ts. cornstarch (corn flour) ~ 1 egg, beaten ~ 4 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed ~ plum sauce

Cut your meat or shrimp into very thin stripes. Preheat oil in a wok. Add meat/shrimp and stir-fry for a minute (until cooked through, if raw). Add vegetables and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Add to wok and stir-fry until sauce thickens. Set aside for cooling before filling spring rolls. Lay a spring roll wrapper in front of you so that it forms a diamond shape. Wet all the edges with the beaten egg. Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling near the bottom. Roll over once, tuck in the sides, and then continue rolling. Seal the top. If you are not planning on frying your spring rolls right away, refrigerate them in container or covered with plastic wrap. Make sure the rolls do not touch each other otherwise they will stick together. To deep fry, preheat 4 cups of oil to 360-375 degrees F. Fry the rolls in small batches, until crisp and golden (about 3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve the spring rolls hot, whole or cut in thirds, with plum sauce as a dip.