Hummus

Ingredients

1 cup cooked* or canned garbanzo beans, drained

1-2 medium cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

3 tblsp. tahini

2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

⅛ tsp. cumin

¼ cup pure spring water

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. sea salt

Preparation: Place garbanzo beans (chick peas), salt, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, and tahini in a blender and add water to just below the level of the beans. Blend well. Taste and adjust flavor and consistency with lemon juice, salt, and water, as desired. Blend again.  Serve in a bowl garnished with cayenne pepper and parsley. Drizzle olive oil on top and eat with whole wheat/grain pita bread or use as a dip for fresh vegetables.

Serves:  4-6

*Note:  To cook garbanzo beans, presoak dry beans in cold water overnight, then rinse and then drain in the morning. 

Greek Salad

Ingredients

1 green pepper, cut into long, thin slices

4 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 red onion, finely sliced

9 oz. (255 gm) goat feta cheese, cubed

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

16 Kalamata olives

⅛ tsp. dried thyme

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar

Preparation:  Place all ingredients except olive oil, lemon, and thyme in a large bowl and toss gently. Whisk olive oil, thyme, and lemon juice, and pour over the salad and toss gently.

Serves: 4-6

Tabbouli

Ingredients

¾ cup burghul (bulgur #2, cracked wheat)

2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup finely chopped fresh mint

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, finely chopped

2 tsp. sea salt

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:  Place burghul in a bowl, cover it with warm water, and let stand for 20 minutes.  Rinse burghul, drain, then squeeze out excess water out.  Place burghul in a large mixing bowl.  Finely chop parsley, mint, onions, and tomatoes. Place vegetables on top of the burghul.  Add sea salt and lemon juice and mix well.  Refrigerate for 45 minutes until bulgur gets soft.  Just before serving, add the olive oil and toss thoroughly. Serve chilled with lettuce leaves.

Serves:  12

Baked Salmon

Ingredients

6 Oz. salmon filet

3 Tps. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 Tsp. fresh chopped italian parsley

2 small red onions, cut into quarters

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

4 lemon wedges

Preparation:  Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and salt in a bowl.  Add fish to the mixture and marinate for 45 minutes.   Place filet in lightly oiled pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 F.  Serve with broccoli and rice.

Serves:  2

Ful Mudammas (Fava Bean Salad)

Ingredients

1 cup cooked* fava beans

2 cloves garlic

¼ tsp. sea salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

½ small red onion, finely chopped

1 small vine-ripened tomato, diced

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Preparation: Mash garlic and salt together.  Add olive oil and lemon to the garlic and salt and mix.  Add the onion, fava beans, tomato, and parsley. Serve with pita bread.

 *To cook fava beans, first clean them to remove small stones and other impurities. Then soak beans in water with ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda overnight.  Rinse beans and add fresh water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour until tender.  (Note: You can use canned fava beans, which are already cooked. Simply rinse them well, add fresh water, boil for 3 minutes, and drain.)

Serves: 2-4

*This dish is eaten with pita bread as a breakfast in the Eastern Mediterranean area.  Ful also can be served as a salad.

Manoushi (Zaatar =Thyme-Sesame Pizza)

Ingredients

2 tablsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tblsp. Zaatar (thyme/sesame mixture)

½ tsp. sumac

⅛ tsp. sea salt

20 oz. (560 gm) pizza dough

Preparation: Mix Zaatar, sumac, salt, and oil well. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).  Grease well a round 12-inch diameter (30 cm) pan.  Stretch dough to fit the pan.  Spread Zaatar/oil mixture evenly on the surface of the dough.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Check dough after 10 minutes.  For a crispy surface, place pan in the lower section of the oven and grill for 10-20 seconds before serving.

Serves: 4-6

Note: Serve with a cup of black tea.  This can be also served with a few leaves of fresh spearmint and/or green olives.  It is served as breakfast in the Middle East.  Another name for this dish is Zaatar.

Fattoosh (Lebanese Salad)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh mint (or 2 tblsp. dried mint)

3 scallions

½ small onion

½ cup flat-leaf parsley

6 leaves romaine lettuce 

2 small cucumbers

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced

1 small clove garlic

¼ tsp. sea salt

⅛ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. sumac (optional)

¼ cup red wine/grape vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1½ loaf pita bread 10 inches (25 cm) diameter

Preparation: Coarsely chop mint, scallions, onion, and parsley. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces.  Chop cucumber and tomatoes into ½-inch pieces.  Place all in a large salad bowl and gently mix.  In a small bowl, mash garlic with salt. Add pepper and vinegar to the mashed garlic and blend well.  Toast bread until it becomes golden brown, then break into bite-size pieces.  Just before serving, add toasted bread to the vegetables, pour vinegar mixture over the salad, and toss.  Sprinkle with sumac.  Add olive oil and toss again.  Try it with feta cheese or grilled chicken.

Serves: 6-8



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Peppers are optional

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