What's a good Middle Eastern recipe for dinner?

[Earth_First]

I love ethnic foods that stray away from the bland traditional North American foods. However, I must admit to ulterior motive in this instance. We are going to a dinner at my parents home this weekend, where my father is about as Christan fundamentalist as they come, I really think that my father would appreciate some culture at the dinner table this weekend...

THANKS DU!

[XNASA]

1. Falafels aren't too difficult.

A nice pita pocket filled with falafels, onions, tomatoes and cucumber sauce is quick and easy.

[bif]

2. Baked Kibbee

Ingredients I Use Lean ground lamb)



Filling #1

2 lbs round steak (or lamb), trimmed of fat and ground twice
1 cup bulgar wheat, medium grind
1/2 onion, grated
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
dash cinnamon



Soak the bulgar wheat in water for 1/2 hour, drain well and add the meat. Mix very well. .



Filling #2

3/4 cup ground round
1/2 cup grated onions
1/2 cup pignola nuts
dash cinnamon or allspice




In a frying pan, saute the beef with the onions. Salt and pepper to taste; add a dash of either cinnamon or allspice.

In a separate frying pan, saute the pignola nuts is a small amount of oil (corn or canola). When finished, combine the pignola nuts with the beef/onion and mix well.




Now, take a baking pan and make three layers of the above fillings. Make the bottom layer 1/4" to 1/2" thick using Filling #1. Then make a middle layer 1/4"-1/2" thick using Filling #2. Finally make a top layer 1/4" - 1/2" thick using Filling #1.

Cut into 1" x 1" squares while still in the pan. Brush the top of the kibbe with butter (optional). Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. If you choose , you can brown the top at higher heat during the last 10 minutes of baking.

[StopTheMorans]

3. hummus. add crackers. serve.

[Brewman_Jax]

4. Baba Ghanoush

is good. Here's a sample recipe or you can google a different one. http://appetizer.allrecipes.com/AZ/BabaGhanoush.asp

[sarge43]

5. Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgar, soaked in a cup of water one hour

1 diced tomato (peeled and seeded if you wish)

Six diced scallions

Fourth of a cup of finely minced fresh mint (spearmint is best) or heaping tablespoon of dried mint. (If you use dried, let it soak with the bulgar)

Any amount of finely chopped parsley from a fourth cup to half.

I like a combo of fourth cup of olive oil and third cup of fresh lemon juice. Adjust to your preference.

Fresh grounded black pepper to taste.

While the bulgar is still moist, drain any remaining water and combine with the other ingredients.
All the amounts can be adjusted to taste.

[sarge43]

6. More recipes

Earth, check out Recipe Source -- recipesource.com. It has hundreds of Middle Eastern recipes.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. Lamb kebabs.

Marinate lamb chunks in lemon juice with garlic powder and paprika, grill. Serve with yogurt on the side.
Or make the baked kibbee posted here. Either way add one or more of the side dishes -- you may be able to find hummus or baba ganoush in your local supermarket. Look for pita bread to round out the exotica.

If you're feeling really mischievous, tell him the lamb is goat.
:P

[RockaFowler]

8. I love Shish Kabob

My Dad makes it the best. That's what I was going to suggest. Plus try some Tahini to dip it in. Really good stuff!

[Lisa]

9. lentils? or if you'd like to serve meat ...

... chicken cooked with nuts and fruit (some people use raisins, but I like apricots with almonds) ... maybe served on vegetable rice or couscous?

If your dad is really into Bible history, he might be interested to know that a lot of Arab dishes are probably quite similar to what was eaten 2000 years ago (in terms of many ingredients, anyway). We now have access to things like tomatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers, all from the Americas -- but many Middle Eastern foods are cooked the same way as they were back then, even with these additions. Braising meat in wine and/or fruit to tenderize it, for example -- this is recorded in Roman recipes from the area.

http://www.thenutfactory.com/kitchen/main-dish/biblical-chicken.html
http://www.gemsinisrael.com/foodofthebible.html
http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/biblical/biblical.html


p.s. there's a lot of evidence to suggest that Middle Eastern foods are good for you (olive oil, whole grains, lots of legumes) -- for sure, many of the crops we rely on were first developed in that region (wheat, grapes, citrus, lettuce, and dozens more). They had access to sugar before Western Europe did, but honey and other sweeteners (like fruit juice) are still a major part of cooking. My co-worker is diabetic, and her Persian husband always cooks Middle Eastern food for her ... when their doctor saw what she was eating, he remarked that she would likely be much less healthy (and even unable to keep her job) if she had been stuck with a traditional English diet instead (too much fried stuff, salt and sugar).

[LeftyMom]

10. Chicken, rice and two kinds of fruit?

:silly: