Israeli-Style Eggplant (Twice Cooked)

I LOVED this eggplant!!  Sadly, my parsley plant had died, so I had to used dried parsley, and was unable to garnish it.  But, I decided to just post the pics anyway, although they could be prettier with some green.  This might not look like the best thing to eat, but it's SO good!!  I was interested in an Israeli eggplant recipe when it was included on our falafel plates in Krakow recently.  I found this recipe and went for it.  We had this when I made hummus recently and it went so well with that, the pita, falafel, and tomato/cuke salad. I think this was my fave thing of the whole meal.  And I don't even like eggplant usually!  You've gotta make this.

Israeli-Style Eggplant (Twice Cooked)
adapted from Feeling Foodish

2 eggplant (medium), washed and cut into 1/2 round slices
1-2 tbsp kosher salt, to taste
1 onion, chopped (I used red onion)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (I used a mix of red wine vinegar & honey vinegar)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh

1.  Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt, and arrange on top of paper towels (on a plate) or on top of wire rack. Let sit for 30 mins.  (This draws out the water.)

2.  In a large fry pan, add 4-6 tablespoons of olive oil (add more if needed to thinly coat bottom of pan) and heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking. Over medium heat, fry eggplant slices until they are nearly charred (about 10 minutes per side)

3.  Remove the eggplant and place on plate. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the now empty pan and then added the red pepper, onion, and spices. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes

4.  Add the eggplant and vinegar and cook until the vinegar has cooked off. Mash the eggplant while cooking with a wooden spoon. This step takes about 8 minutes.

5.  Remove from heat and add parsley and lemon juice. Serve warm or cold.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Smooth & Creamy Hummus

I've made homemade hummus before, but it never turned out nice and smooth.  I came across this blog post about making smooth hummus recently.  The trick is taking the bean skins off!!  So I tried this and it totally worked.  It was a bit tedious to remove the skins, but the blogger has tips.  I made this on a weekend so my husband helped.  We even doubled the batch.  Lol.  So, we skinned two cans of beans.  It actually doesn't take that long, and it's totally worth it.  We enjoyed this hummus with falafel (store-bought, unfortunately), tomato/cuke salad, Israeli-Style Eggplant (recipe coming soon), and homemade flat bread.  I was inspired by our recent trip to Krakow, Poland, where I had the best falafel plate, and the next day, falafel sandwich, of my life.  Lol.  (Don't worry, we also ate delish pierogis.)

Creepy-looking bean skins, above.

Smooth & Creamy Hummus

adapted from NeighborFood

1 15 ounce can chickpeas*
1/2 cup tahini paste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Reserved chickpea water from the can
Olive oil, parsley, paprika and/or sumac for serving

1.  Drain the chickpeas, reserving the juice in a small cup. *Don't forget to reserve the juice!!  I did the first time, so we had to double the recipe to use another can's juice.  Lol.

2.  Remove the skins from the chickpeas. The easiest way to do this is to pinch the chickpeas between your thumb and forefinger, with the pointy side facing your hand. Squeeze the chickpea and the skin should pop right off. Place the skinned chickpea in the blender, and the skins in the trash.

3.  Once all the chickpeas are skinned and in the blender (or food processor), pulse until the chickpeas are in sandy looking crumbles. You may need to stop and shake the blender and/or scrape down the sides a few time.

4.  Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, and blend until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
Slowly add the chickpea water to the mix until the mixture can blend without catching and is completely smooth. I usually use nearly all of the reserved water.  Chill the hummus for an hour or so. To serve, top with olive oil, parsley, and sprinkle with paprika and/or sumac.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Chipotle Hummus

I made this recently to go with a veggie tray.  I love hummus, but forget about making it.  We bought it often last summer to take with us into the National Parks we toured- it's a great and healthy snack.  Making it yourself is super easy, and cheap.  I tried this variation from Penzey's recently.  It uses canned chipotles.  I found some chipotle paste in a tube on Amazon, and used that.  I loved the ease of it.  Use whatever you have.  I also added some chipotle powder.

Chipotle Hummus 
adapted from Penzey's

1 16-oz. can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
2 TB. tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 small cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 TB. olive oil (use more as desired)
1⁄2-1 tsp. ground black pepper, to taste
1-3 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce (I used chipotle paste)
1 tsp. ground cumin

1.  Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. If the consistency is too thick for your liking, add a bit more olive oil and blend again. Repeat if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with pita bread, pita chips, crackers, carrots or other vegetables. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Halawa Dihiniyya- Iraqi-Style Fudge

This is my seventh and final recipe for our Seven Countries Dinner.  You can click on that link to see them all.  I featured recipes from Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and Iraq.  I enjoyed the whole process of this dinner.  (Thinking of the idea in the first place, researching food from these countries, making a shopping list, and cooking.  I started cooking some things the day before.  The whole family loved this dinner and we had a chance to talk about these countries.)

The idea to do it actually came to me in a Zumba class.  :)  Lol.  (Where I do some of my best thinking, I guess.)  I was upset about the travel ban on these countries and was thinking of a way to do something to raise awareness and education about these countries. One thing all of humanity has in common is food.  We all need to eat, and so much culture and history is shown through food.  Food has the ability to bring people together.  I love learning about different cultures this way.  If I can't get the real thing from a country, I just make it myself.

I think trying food from different countries has the ability to make one more open-minded.  I hope you'll try some of these recipes.  For lots of recipes from all different countries, check out my Worldwide Cuisine tag.  

This fudge was just a delight. I'm so glad I found and made this recipe.  It had a great chewy texture that was broken by the nuts, and it showcased the flavors of coconut and cardamom.  This is something that I'll definitely be making again.  I recommend going to the original blog In My Iraqi Kitchen to read some history of this dessert.  The method is interesting; cooking some ingredients on the stove-top together, and then baking the whole thing. It was traditionally made using clarified butter, but I used half regular butter and half sunflower oil.

Halawa Dihiniyya- Iraqi-Style Fudge
adapted from My Iraqi Kitchen

1 cup milk
1 cup fat (I use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup sunflower oil)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons date syrup (OR honey)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup walnut halves

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees F.  Put milk, fat, sugar and date syrup (or honey) in a small heavy pot. Stir and let mix boil until bubbly over medium heat (about 10 minutes). Then take the pot away from heat and right away start adding flour gradually, using electric mixer, like you do with cakes. (I poured mixture into my stand mixer and mixed from there.  If you had a small hand mixer you could mix right in the pot.) Mix in cardamom.

2. Grease a 12x7x2 -inch pan (or approximate size- I used a 9x13), and spread the bottom with half of the coconut. Scatter the walnut halves all over it. Then, pour the batter over the walnuts, and cover the surface with the rest of the coconut.

3. Place the pan on the middle shelf of the oven, drape it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil, and let bake for 35 to 40 minutes. (I had a hard time telling when it was done.  It was still a little soft looking, but browned.  I took it out and it firmed up to a perfect texture once it was cool.)

4. Take it out of the oven, and let it cool down completely on a cooling rack. Cut it into squares and serve. Store the leftovers in a plastic container and keep in refrigerator, where it will stay good to eat for several weeks (if you can resist the temptation). Enjoy!            

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**

Yemeni Layered Flatbread- Khobz Al Tawa

To represent Yemen in our 7 Countries Dinner, I chose this flatbread.  Out of the 7 recipes I made for that meal, I was the most apprehensive about this one, but it was pretty much my favorite thing out of the whole dinner, and not as hard to make as I thought.  I got this recipe from the Queen of Sheba blog, and on the bottom of the post is a super, super helpful video on how to make this. (I posted a link in the recipe directions below.)  I watched it a few times before starting.  This is a simple bread using only flour, water, salt, and butter, when cooking it.  It's amazing that such simple ingredients make bread that is so good.  My family LOVED this.  They couldn't get enough.  I actually made it again a few days later.  Both times, we ate it so fast that I wasn't able to get very good pictures of the finished product.  But I took some step-by-step pics.  I made this into 6 breads and they were still very large.

Let balls of dough rest 30 minutes.

 Roll out on a floured surface.

 Spread with butter.

Fold sides up (butter the top part, too)

 Fold over into a little package.

 Let rest again;at least 10 min.

 Roll out again very thin.  Heat up your griddle very hot and butter one side. Cook butter side down. Spread raw side with butter while first side is cooking.

Flip when one side has brown spots, and then cook the other side.

Yemeni Layered Flatbread- Khobz Al Tawa

adapted from Sheba Yemeni Food

4 cups bread flour
about 1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Mix together the flour, water, and salt and knead until soft, about 10-15 minutes. (Use a stand mixer and the kneading hook if you have it.) 

2. Break the dough into 4-6 (I did 6) equal size pieces and form into smooth balls. Cover and let the dough relax for at least 30 minutes. This will allow you to roll out the dough very thin.

3. Begin rolling out the dough into a very thin and large sheet, you can do this using a rolling pin or by tossing it out by hand. If you are having difficulty, at any point you can let the dough relax for a few minutes and then continue.

4. Once you have a large sheet, then sprinkle some melted butter on top. Fold the dough into thirds, see the video for more info. Then fold into thirds again so you end up with a square shape with many layers.

5. Once again let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes before you begin to roll out the breads into their final shape. Use a rolling pin for this- it's easiest for me to make a square shape, but one can also do circles.

6. Brush some more butter on the top and bottom and then place onto a preheated griddle on medium-high heat. It should sizzle. Cook for approx. 4-5 minutes on one side and then flip when you see it is brown. Cook on the other side for another 5 minutes.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Iranian Yogurt & Spinach Dip- Borani Esfanaaj

To represent Iran in our 7 Countries Dinner, I chose this Spinach and Yogurt Dip.  The dip went SO well with our Syrian beef kabobs and the Yemeni bread.  This dip is really similar to an Afghan dip I made a few years ago.  The Iranian one is different in that it features toasted walnuts on top, which was a very nice touch.  And, there's no onion.  Just garlic, instead.  Make sure you use thick Greek-style yogurt for this recipe.  I prefer the full-fat version.

Iranian Yogurt & Spinach Dip- Borani Esfanaaj
adapted from Food

6 ounces baby spinach
2 medium cloves garlic
1 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
2 cups Greek or Balkan yogurt (thick type only please)
sea salt, to taste
1 teaspoon dried mint (only use dried please!)
1⁄4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see recipe)

1.  Toast chopped walnuts in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Be careful not to burn! Set aside to cool.

2.  Steam baby spinach until just wilted.  Drain well and chop fine.

3.  Mince 1 clove garlic and saute in 1 tbs unrefined extra virgin olive oil, then add the chopped spinach and a pinch or two sea salt. Stir.  Remove from stove and allow to cool, then squeeze out excess liquid.

4.  In a bowl add the yogurt, other garlic clove (raw-minced), baby spinach, and dried mint and sea salt to taste, stir gently.  Transfer to the bowl you are serving it in (I use a shallow, round bowl) and sprinkle with toasted, chopped walnuts and a trail of unrefined extra virgin olive oil.

5.  Serve with lavash (flatbread from Iran).

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Syrian Beef Kabobs

To represent Syria in our 7 Countries Dinner, I made Syrian Beef Kabobs.  We've had similar kabobs before, when we had an Afghan food night once.  These Syrian kabobs paired beautifully with all of our other food, and we really enjoyed them.

Syrian Beef Kabobs
adapted from Food

2 lbs fatty ground beef, like chuck (I used half lean, half fatty)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2⁄3 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 lemon, juiced
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 dashes cayenne
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1⁄3 cup pine nuts
oil, to brush on grill rack
lemon wedges, for serving

pita, for serving, optional

1.  Combine all ingredients but oil, lemon wedges, pita and salad in a bowl, and knead very well into a paste. (I combined ingredients in my food processor- was easiest way to make it pasty.)

2.  Hold a flat metal skewer - not nonstick, and at least 12 inches long - point up in one hand. Dip other hand in a bowl of water, take a handful of meat mixture and form it around base of skewer in a small sausage shape with pointed ends. Repeat, working your way up the skewer. Each skewer should hold three or four kebabs. (You can also just form meat into large patties.)

3.  Lay finished skewers on a sheet pan, and smooth kebabs with fingers, making sure they are fairly smooth and secured on skewers. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4.  Prepare charcoal grill, or turn gas grill to medium-low. Spray or brush oil on clean grill rack, and set within a few inches of the fire. Fire should not be too hot, and rack should be at least several inches from heat source.

5.  When rack is heated through, gently squeeze the kebabs to be sure they are secure on the skewers, and place skewers on grill. Meat should start sizzling gently; it should not spit and turn black. Cook undisturbed until deep brown, at least 7 minutes. When meat lifts easily from grill, slide a spatula under kebabs and turn over. Continue grilling until browned on both sides and juicy, but cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes total. Serve hot with lemon wedges and pita that has been warmed on the grill. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**

Whipped Feta Dip & Baba Ghanoush

A few weeks ago we had a Middle-Eastern tapas (mezze) night, where we had whipped feta dip (not sure if this is Middle-Eastern of just Middle-Eastern inspired), Baba Ghanoush (eggplant dip), fresh veggies, fruit, and pomegranate seeds.  I loved it.  I've never had Baba Ghanoush before.  And the whipped feta dip was just delightful.

Whipped Feta Dip
adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 4-6

8 ounces feta cheese, softened at room temperature for 1 hour
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature for 1 hour
1 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, to garnish
Ground sumac or cayenne, to garnish

1.  Blend the feta cheese in a small food processor until it breaks up. Add the cream cheese and continue blending for 4 to 5 minutes, adding milk if necessary to keep the mixture smooth.

2.  When the cheese is whipped and and very smooth add the lemon zest, chives, salt, and a generous quantity of black pepper. Blend to combine then transfer to a serving dish and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Dust lightly with ground sumac or cayenne, if desired.  Serve with chopped vegetables, pita chips, pretzel chips, or or toasted baguette.

Baba Ghanoush 

adapted from The Kitchn

serves 4-6 as an appy

1 large eggplant (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds)
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
1/4 cup tahini
Freshly ground black pepper
Ground sumac, to garnish

1.  Heat the oven to 425ºF. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Oil the cut side lightly with olive oil and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Roast, cut side up, for 1 hour, or until very soft and blackened around the edges. The eggplant halves will be puffy and expanded, but will collapse as they cool. Let cool for 1 hour.

2.  Scoop the flesh away from the skin and discard the skin. Put the eggplant flesh in in a fine mesh strainer. Press out and drain any juice that will come out. Transfer to a mortar or food processor. Add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and black pepper and blend thoroughly until very smooth. Taste and add additional lemon juice, olive oil, salt, or pepper to taste, if desired.

3.  You can eat this at room temp (my fave) or refrigerate for at least one hour to let the flavors blend. Before serving dust lightly with ground sumac. Serve with warm pita bread, baked chips, or chopped raw vegetables.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Beef Korma (Afghan Style)

We loved this Beef Korma dish.  I found it (somehow, I don't remember) on the food blog Adventuress.  It was very similar to this Red Beef Curry that we also really enjoyed.  Until recently I had never tried a beef curry, but really love them now that I have.  We garnished this with pomegranate seeds and it was SO delicious!  (I got the idea from the same blogger; another recipe she posted.)

I did this in the slow cooker; look below the recipe to see directions for that.

Beef Korma (Afghan Style)

adapted from Adventuress

2 tbsp Oil (and 1 tbsp butter to brown meat)
1 tbsp fresh chopped garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 finely Chopped onions
1/2 to 1 lb (or more) stewing beef
6 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tsp fresh corriander (cilantro), or more
1 green chili chopped (I used jalapeno)
1 tsp garam masala
salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 whole tomatoes, diced (can just use a can of petite diced tomatoes)

1 cup water OR beef broth

salt, to taste

yogurt, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds, for garnish, optional

1. In a large pot, heat the butter and add a drop of oil and once it's hot adding all the stewing beef to brown on all sides. Don't be afraid just let it brown until you see brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

2. Remove the beef onto a plate.

3. Add some more oil if necessary to the pot and then onions and sautee until they look clear on medium.  Next, add the spices and toast for a few seconds, then the fresh garlic and ginger.

4. Meat gets added back in and finally, add the yogurt into the pot.  Cook a bit until things look a little brown.

5.. Add the chopped tomato and some liquid (about 1 cup beef broth or water) to cook. Add the jalapeno and cilantro. Simmer and let cook until meat is tender.  Add more yogurt or cilantro to taste, if needed. Salt if needed.  Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

*For slow cooker, do up unto step 3 on the stovetop, just adding the ingredients to the slow cooker when done cooking them.  Deglaze the pan with the one cup of water or beef broth, adding that to the slow cooker too.  Add the tomato paste and tomatoes to the slow cooker and the jalapeno.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  At the end of cooking time, stir in the yogurt and serve.

*This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Afghan Spinach & Yogurt Dip - Sabse Borani

I made this dip for Book Club when we read A Thousand Splendid Suns.  I also made this Afghan fudge for that night.  It was fun trying both recipes.  This dip is pretty healthy- and I actually accidentally bought watercress instead of spinach, and it was still really good!  I tasted the watercress raw and didn't like it at all, but it's cooked down a bit for this dip and it was perfect.  

The yogurt is nice and thick because you drain it.  I used regular, full-fat, plain yogurt for this recipe, not Greek.  I made it again a few nights later though, and did use Greek, un-drained, and it was perfect as well.  So use whatever is handy.  The onions and garlic combine with everything to really create wonderful flavors in this dip- we had it with toasted naan bread and crackers.  

Afghan Spinach & Yogurt Dip- Sabse Borani

adapted from Lit Lovers

1 cup yogurt, measured after draining- directions in recipe

4 cup fresh spinach or watercress leaves (chopped)
1 medium white onion (thinly sliced)
2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil

salt, to taste

hot pepper flakes, to taste (I omitted)

1.  Yogurt: First, drain about 2 cups of yogurt for 60 minutes to overnight by placing in a cheese cloth and tying to a long wooded spoon set over a bowl to catch the draining water. (Some people place in a coffee filter or paper towel set over a colander over a bowl- this is easier and the method I usually use.)

2.  Spinach: Rinse and chop the spinach. Place it still damp in a sauce pan, cover, and cook till just wilted.  Cool.  Drain and squeeze out excess water. In a large skillet, cook onion in oil until soft, add garlic for one minute, then add spinach. Cook for 2 more minutes.

3.  Assemble: When cool, combine the spinach with yogurt. Add salt and hot pepper flakes to taste. Turn into a bowl and serve with hot naan (a round flatbread) or toasted pita chips. You can also serve chilled.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Afghan Fudge- Sheer Payra

For book club recently, we read  A Thousand Splendid Suns.  I've read it before, a few years ago, but chose to re-read it so that I looked like I knew what was going on.  Long before I started re-reading it, I looked online for some recipes from Afghanistan I could make to bring.  I bookmarked this one right away, and another one for yogurt dip that I'll share later.  I don't think this is in the book, but it looked so good I had to make it.  :)

This fudge looked delicious with cardamom and pistachios.  I made it according to the directions (except subbing all pistachios for walnuts and pistachios).  The fudge became a little bit gritty, like some sugar was undissolved, but I cooked this for a long time so I'm not sure why.  I used Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup; I wonder if that had something to do with it.  The flavor was good enough to get over that though; this proved to be pretty popular.  Just cut small pieces, because this is very sweet!

Afghan Fudge- Sheer Payra

adapted from Lit Lovers

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup (or Lyle's Golden Syrup)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (I used 3/4 tsp.)
1/2 cup shelled pistachios (finely chopped) (can do half pistachios and half walnuts)

1.  In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, sugar, corn syrup or Golden Syrup, and salt. Stir occasionally, making sure sugar dissolves. Heat to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

2.  Remove from heat and add butter. Cool to 120 degrees F without stirring. Add cardamom and beat vigorously for about 5-10 minutes, till fudge is thick and no longer glossy.  (I used a wooden spoon.)

3.  Stir in nuts and spread into a buttered 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan. Let rest until firm and cut into 1" squares.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **