Saudi Arabian Recipes

Hommos (Chick pea paste)

Serves 6-8

5 oz. chick peas 1 large clove garlic (optional) Salt 4-6 Tbsp. Tahina (pureed sesame) 5-6 Tbsp. lemon juice Little oil Chopped parsley and paprika to garnish

Soak chick peas in cold water overnight. Drain. Cover with fresh water and boil for about 1 ½ hours. Crush garlic with ¼ tsp. salt. Put the Tahina, lemon juice, and garlic into the liquidizer goblet, add chick peas, and blend to creamy paste. Turn out, add more lemon juice, and salt to taste. (It should be sharp). If you wish, add oil to give a softer texture. If you’ve no liquidizer, rub peas through a sieve, then beat in the garlic. Add the Tahina gradually, then lemon juice and seasoning. Turn into bowl and garnish. Ful Medames (This is a bean salad made with Egyptian brown beans)

Eating this dish with bread, and without the use of a fork, is common all over the Arab world.

To serve 4-6

1 lb. beans 2 cloves of garlic 4 Tbsp. olive oil 1 or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. finely chopped parsley Salt and pepper

Soak the beans overnight or longer in fresh water, bring then to a boil and let them get tender – this takes about 2 ½ hours. Let them get cold. Drain them. Crush the Garlic, add olive oil, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper and cover the beans with this dressing. Everything depends on good olive oil, the right amount of lemon juice to supply freshness without bitterness and a nice judgment of the amount of garlic. The beans themselves are stodgy and boring: it turns on the dressing. Serve some fresh sliced tomatoes Waraq Dawali Mahshi (vine leaves stuffed with meat)

Common to all Middle Eastern countries

To serve 6

1 lb. vine leaves (grape vine) 2 onions, chopped 6 sprigs dill 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced Garlic salt 2 oz. rice 1 lb. lamb, minced ½ tsp. rosemary leaves ½ pint sweet white wine 4 Tbsp. clarified fat ½ tsp. white pepper

Put the washed and cleaned vine leaves into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Strain, cut off stalks, and cut each leaf in half down the vein. Melt half the fat and lightly brown onions, add mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Add stock, the cleaned rice, and cook for 12 minutes on moderate heat until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Remove from heat, add lamb, dill, rosemary leaves, and seasoning and knead for 5 minutes. With the hairy sides of the leaves facing upwards, put 1 heaped tsp. of stuffing on each leaf and roll up fairly tightly, shiny sides of leaves facing outward. Arrange side by side at bottom of a shallow pan, layer by layer, and add rest of clarified fat and the wine. Cover with a plate with a heavy weight on top, put lid on pan, and cook over moderate heat for 35 minutes. Serve hot in juices. Minty Tabbouleh

6-8 portions

1 heaping c. bulgur 1 c. cold water ½ c. fresh lemon juice 2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil 1 c. coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves* 1 c. freshly chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley ½ c. finely diced red onion 2 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper ½ tsp. salt 4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½ inch dice 1 ripe cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ inch dice Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Combine the bulgur, water, lemon juice, and 1/3 c. of the olive oil in a large bowl. Mix well, and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then fluff the mixture with a fork. Add the mint, parsley, red onion, garlic, pepper, salt, and remaining 1/3 c. olive oil. Toss well with a fork. Add the tomatoes and cucumber, and toss again, Adjust the seasonings if necessary, and allow to stand, loosely covered, for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to come out. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve.

*extra parsley may be substituted for the mint Falafel-Stiffed Pitas

4 servings, 1 serving = 2 stuffed pita halves

Falafel: ¼ c. dry bread crumbs ¼ c. chopped cilantro 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. ground red pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 large egg 1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Sauce: ½ c. plain low-fat yogurt 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste) (look near peanut and other nut butters at the store) 1 clove garlic, minced

Remaining ingredients: 4 (6 inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half 8 curly leaf lettuce 16 (1/4 inch thick) slices tomato

To prepare falafel, place first 8 ingredients in a food processor, process mixture until smooth. Divide mixture into 16 equal portions, and shape each into a ¼ thick patty. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until patties are browned.

To prepare sauce, combined yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 garlic clove, stirring mixture with a whisk. Spread about 1 ½ Tbsp. tahini sauce into each pita half. Fill each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 2 patties.

The patties will seem small when you’re forming them, but they fit perfectly in the pita halves.

Tip: to prevent the falafel mixture from sticking to your hands, dip your hands in water before forming the patties.