* Meat Sefeha:

Msakhan Rolls: Chicken Sumac Rolls


For Boiling the Chicken

...750 gm chicken breasts
4 large onions cut in small cubes
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
3 cardamons
2 magi cubes
Salt & pepper


The Remaining Ingredients

1 ½ tbsp Sumac
A good pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp chopped garlic
¼ tsp cinnamon
Salt & pepper
¼ cup pines
¼ cup olive oil
Sharak bread or Lebanese bread


Directions

Start cooking the chicken breasts in cold water and keep removing all the foam the chicken produces. After the foam stops appearing add the onions, the magi and all the spices and leave the chicken to boil very well.

After the chicken is fully cooked remove it from the stock and shred the chicken to small pieces. Strain the stock to get all the onions out, remove all the spices and bay leaves and start sauteing the onions in the olive oil seasoning with all the spices, leave the stock cause we’ll need it later. When the onions start turning golden add your shredded chicken and the garlic. Leave the mixture to take a nice golden brown color and taste to make sure the seasoning is good. Add the pines in the end and mix them in.

Cut your bread in large triangles and get your cooled chicken mixture so you’d start rolling. Soak every bread piece in the chicken stock and then add the filling in the middle and roll like you’d roll a spring roll. Brush the bottom of baking dish with some oil and lay your chicken rolls in it, brush the top of the rolls with oil as well. Bake in a hot oven until your rolls get a pretty golden brown color and serve hot.

* Spanish pasty

Ingredients:

The Paste:

- 4 cup plain flour 

- 2 t-spoons yogurt

- 1/3 cup Olive oil 

- 1/2 tea.spoon Baking powder. 

- 2 tea.spoons yeast.

-1  table.spoon salt..

-1 tea.spoon sugar

- 1 1/2 cup of warm water.

The filling:

- 2 cups of chopped spinach leaves.

- 150 g feta cheese.

- 1 t.spoon black pepper.

The method.

  Make the pastry first, then while it is resting tn a warm location. Prepare the filling. 

To make the pastry 

  In a large bowl combine 3 cups of flour, sugar, yeast, yogurt and salt. Pour olive oil and the warm water.Knead the mixture, gradually adding enough of the remaining flour mixture so that the pastry is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the pastry is smooth and elastic.Shape pastry into a ball and put in an large oiled bowl, turning the pastry to coat it with the oil. Allow to rise until doubled in size (45 minutes to 1 hours).

To make the filling

   Heat the t eval pan, put the chopped Spanish, wait until wilt. put the spinach in refinery, then add the feta cheese. season the filling.

To assemble your pasty 

  Punch down the pastry and divide into 2 pieces.roll out each pieces fairly thinly and cut into discs. I cut mine using a small glass bowl measuring 13 cm/5 inches, but you can make your pasties any size you want depending on your whim.

  layer equal amount of spinach in the center of each pastry circler.

Brush the edges of the pastry with water, fold one sideover to make a half-moon or D shape, and crimp together between the forefinger and thumb of one hand and forefinger of the other to create a seal along the side of the pasty.

  Place on a baking tray, brush with a milk or beaten egg glaze, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling cooked through.

* Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients:

• 1 whole boneless chicken
• 1tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp of (ground nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, ginger, cloves)
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice 
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup of water 
• 6 garlic cloves garlic minced
• pinch of scraped orange skin and lemon skin

Preparation:

1. cut the chicken into thin strips (1/2 cm)
2. mix the seasoning together with garlic, scraped lemon and orange skin, vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt, water and oil.
3. combine the chicken strips  in a bowl with the seasoning mixture and let marinate overnight.
4. drain the chicken strips from the mixture 
5. heat the large skillet very well. Add the chicken strips and cook over high heat until the chicken turn golden
6. serve with Tahini sauce   

Note:

You can use Tortilla to make Shawarma Sandwich

* Kabsa

Ingredients

• 2 lb  lamb meat big pieces  (or you can use 1 whole chicken cut in 4 pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
• 3 1/2 cup water
• 2 chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1 carrot shredded
• pinch of scraped orange skin
• 1 big onion  finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Spices (ground coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric powder)
• Salt as desired 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste1
• 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs corn oil 
• 2 black dried lime or 2 tbs lemon juice 
• 1/3 cup raisin
• fried almonds and cashews 

Preparation

1. Place the casserole pan on medium heat, add the butter and the oil. Fry the onion for 5 minuets.
2. Add  the pieces meat and wait until become brown. Add the carrot, garlic, scraped orange ski, and fresh tomato, cover for 5 minuets. 
3. Add the spices, dried lime, tomato paste and the water, cover the casserole, low the heat, let the food boil for 90 minutes.
4. Clean the rice by water and drain it. Add the salt to the meat. Add the rice, raisin . Let the food boil  on medium heat   for 10 minutes. low the heat to simmer and let the food for 25 to 30 minutes.
5.      Serve the rice in a large dish. Place the rice first, top with meat and garnish with almonds.

* Bechamel Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 cups macaroni pasta
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 large onion 200g, diced
• 250g minced beef
• salt for taste
• 1/2 tbs ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric 
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• bechamel sauce
• 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated

Preparation:

Cook the macaroni pasta according to packaging instructions preferably “al-dente”. Drain and cool under cold water then set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté onions for 2 minutes then add the minced meat and fry for 5 minutes or until the beef becomes brown in color.Add tomato paste.  Season with salt, Turmeric and black pepper, stir and set aside.

 Pour 2/3 quantity of the bechamel sauce into the cooked macaroni in a mixing bowl and mix to combine the sauce and the pasta well. Arrange half the quantity of pasta mixture over the bottom of an oven dish.


Arrange the prepared meat mixture over the pasta in the same oven dish then top with the rest of pasta mixture.

 Spoon the rest of the bechamel sauce over the pasta and top with Mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until top becomes golden in color.

* Chicken Musakhan Palestinian Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 4 pieces
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup extra olive oil
• 3 medium red onions sliced
• 2 tablespoons sumac
• 1 teaspoons allspice 
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 10 tortilla flat bread
• 3 tablespoons pine seeds, toasted

Preparation:

1. Place chicken and water in a large pot and bring to boil. Remove foam as it appears then add salt, simmer for 70 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
2.  Remove chicken and throw away the water. Set aside to cool. Remove and throw bones and skins. Flake chicken to strips and keep aside.
3. In a saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat; add onions and fry for 10 minutes or until the onions become tender.
4. Add the prepared chicken strips, allspice, sumac and pine seeds. Simmer and stir for 5 minutes or until all are well combined (add salt if it’s needed).
5. Add some chicken mixture evenly on a center of each piece of bread. Roll bread and brush with some olive oil the top of each roll. put it in a grill pan heat until becomes slightly brown in color.  
6. Serve with yogurt

* Grilled Eggplant Tomato & Roca Salad

Ingredients

2 big eggplants
3 hard tomatoes
3 cups Roca


Ingredients for Eggplant Marinate

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
The juice of two limes
2 tsp garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp oregano
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper


Directions

Mix all the ingredients for the marinate and set it aside

Peal your eggplants and slice them about 1 cm thick, heat up your grill and brush your eggplants with the marinate, start grilling until they get nice grill marks and gets soft, set them aside to cool.

Spread the Roca on your plate and add your tomato slices over them, add the eggplants and poor over them the rest of the marinate and garnish with some chives.

* Chicken Pane with Herbal Seasoned Crust:

• 
  

 If you are board if the same old same chicken pane and want a new twist on it, here it is ;-)


Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinate

1 Kg chicken breast cutlets
The juice of 3 onions
1 tsp Chicken spices
1/4 Cinnamon
Salt & pepper
1 tsp Smoked paprika


For the Crust, for every cup of bread crumbs you'll add:

1 tbsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Salt & pepper
1 tsp Smoked paprika

For Dipping the Cutlets

1 cup Flour
4 eggs


Directions

Beat your chicken cutlets with something heavy to flatten them and also to help the breasts grains soften and loosen up. Marinate your chicken in the onion juice adding all spices and leave it to marinate for at least 2 hours up to over night.

Prepare your work station: You flour in one plate, then the eggs mixed with some salt and pepper in another plane and at last the bread crumbs mixed with all the spices and oregano in a plate. Start by dipping your cutlets in eggs, the dip them in flour and then dip again in eggs letting them coat well shaking off any excess eggs, dip in bread crumbs and let them cover very well, press on the chicken cutlet to help the crumbs stick well to it.

Fry your chicken cutlets in oil on medium heat until they reach this beautiful golden color.


Enjoy! :-)

* VEGETABLE SOUP

4 cups chicken broth
8 oz tomatoes, peeled and seeded
8 oz cabbage, shredded
8 oz carrots, scraped, cubed
1 large potato, peeled and diced
8 oz string beans, cut in pieces, or fresh green peas
1 T chopped fresh parsley
coarse salt to taste
3 T extra virgin olive oil, plus some in addition for serving
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 rib celery, trimmed, coarsely chopped
8 ounces small zucchini, scrubbed, cut in half, and sliced thin
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
4 oz rice, Arborio if possible
chopped fresh basil to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring broth to a boil in a soup kettle.
If using fresh beans, add the beans and cook for 30 minutes. If using canned, add with rest of fresh ingredients.
Puree the 8 ounces tomatoes in a blender.
Add to the beans, along with cabbage, carrots, potato, string beans or peas, and parsley; add salt to taste.
Cook for 30 minutes.
Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic on low heat until golden.
To same pan, add the celery, zucchini, and chopped tomato and cook for 15 minutes.
Add to the bean mixture and simmer for 30 minutes.
In a separate pan, cook the rice until al dente, about 18 minutes, then drain.
Pour 2 cups cold water over to stop the cooking process, then drain again.
Drain once more on a tea towel.
To serve hot, bring soup to a boil, add the rice and serve at once.
To serve tepid, add rice to the cooled soup and mix. Serve in individual bowls (terra cotta if possible) with chopped basil.
Pass freshly grated Parmesan, olive oil, and a pepper mill.

NOTE: Five ounces dried white beans may be substituted for the borlotti. Soak overnight and cook until tender. Add to broth with vegetables.

* TUNA AND BEAN SALAD

2 15 oz can white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini
1 6 oz can premium quality tuna packed in oil, drained
1/2 Spanish onion, more to taste, thinly sliced, soaked
5 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place sliced onion in small bowl, cover with cold water and 1/2 t salt, soak for an hour or more. (This process is generally used when a recipe calls for raw onions. It reduces the sharpness of the onion.)
Drain and lay on paper towels.
Rinse beans in cold water and drain well.
Place beans in a bowl.
Drizzle with 2 T olive oil, salt and a generous amount of pepper.
Drain tuna and place on beans.
Scatter onion on top of tuna and beans.
Pour the rest of the olive oil, toss lightly and taste for seasoning adding to taste.

* CHICKEN PICCATA RECIPE

2 Boneless chicken breasts sliced in half or 3 slices
2 TBS Butter
1 TBS Olive OIl
1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp paprika
3/4 - 1 cup dry white wine
3 TBS lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground pepper (white or black) to taste
1 TBS Butter (for sauce at finish)
3 TBS capers

Chef's knive; platter for dredging; sautée pan

RINSE chicken breasts under cold running water, drain, put on paper towel. Pat dry.

SLICE the chicken breasts to desired thickness 1/8 - 1/4" thick. Unlike veal, chicken is better cut than pounded thin.

MIX flour, paprika, salt and pepper

DREDGE chicken in flour.

HEAT butter and olive oil in sautée pan over medium heat; be careful not to burn the butter, if using it. Add chicken breasts - do not crowd the pan. Sautée for about two minutes per side. REMOVE to a warm platter; you can place platter in warm oven.

ADD lemon and wine to pan; DEGLAZE (Dissolve the remaining bits of food) the pan using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape. This is the basis for your sauce.

BRING to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, let sauce thicken.

WHEN sauce is thickened, swirl in butter. Add capers.

POUR pan juices over chicken. Serve.

* PASTA WITH ANCHOVY AND BREADCRUMBS

1 2oz can flat anchovies packed in oil, drain and chopped
6 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cups breadcrumbs, toasted
1/2 peperoncino or 1/4 t chili pepper flakes, more or less to taste
1 lb thick spaghetti (spaghettoni ), bucatini or perciatelli
salt to taste (sparingly, depending on the anchovies)

HEAT 3 T olive oil in a small pan and lightly toast breadcrumbs stirring to prevent burning.

REMOVE breadcrumbs, place in bowl, keep warm and set aside.

IN a large skillet or pan heat the rest of the olive oil.

ADD the peperoncino or flakes.

SAUTÉ for a minute.

ADD the anchovy, crushing with a fork into a paste.

MEANWHILE cook the pasta.

WHEN the pasta is done, drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Transfer to a warm bowl.

POUR sauce over pasta and toss well.

IF too dry for your taste add a tablespoon or two of the pasta cooking water to further moisten the pasta.

SPRINKLE breadcrumbs onto individual servings at table.

* CHICKEN ALFREDO

2 skinless chicken breasts, cut in slices about 1/4 " thick then in bite-size morsels
3 - 4 leaves of sage
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed (optional)
1 red pepper, seeded, coarsley diced, sautéed in olive oil or butter (optional)
8 oz pasta (fettuccine, tagliatelle) or 12 oz (3/4 package) penne, etc. (fettuccine is heavier).
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (or 2 of olive oil for sauteeing the chicken and 2 of butter for the sauce)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan), at room temperature, plus extra cheese to pass at the table
1 1/4 cup heavy cream or Half and Half (or 1/2 of each)
salt and freshly ground pepper (use white pepper if you have it)
a pinch of grated nutmeg
Pasta pot; pan large enough to hold all ingredients and pasta.

SET the pasta water to boil in your pasta pot.

IN the large sauté pan large enough to hold all the ingredients, sauté the chicken in 2 tablespoons of butter or good olive oil until lightly browned. Set chicken aside on a warm plate.

ADD the pasta to the boiling water in the pasta pot. Remember to reserve some of the cooking water to moisten your chicken Alfredo if it is too dry.

IN the sauté pan: ADD the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to the same pan. Keep cooking on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture reduces slightly and thickens.

ADD pinch of nutmeg, 3 - 4 leaves of sage, salt and pepper to taste. Stir.

ADD the cooked chicken and optional ingredients and mix again. Taste for salt. Add a TBSP or two of the pasta cooking water if too dry.

ADD the cooked and well-drained pasta to the sauce. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

TURN into a warmed serving bowl, or directly onto warmed plates.

VARIATION: Turn pasta mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on top, and set under broiler for about 30 seconds, until flecked with brown.

PASS grated Parmesan at the table.

* AMATRICIANA SAUCE, WITH BACON AND TOMATOES

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 oz slab bacon or pancetta finely diced
3 T butter
2 - 14 1/2 oz (or 1 28 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
1/2 chili pepper, broken into small pieces, or 1/4 t chili pepper flakes to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pecorino cheese
1 lb pasta, bucatini, penne or spaghetti

MELT butter in a large pan over medium heat.

SAUTÉ the onion until transparent - about 5 minutes.

ADD the chili and pancetta and sauté until onion is golden and the pancetta or bacon nice and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes.

ADD tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally, making sure sauce does not burn, about 15 minutes.

ADD salt to taste. Make sure it needs salt, as pancetta and or bacon are quite salty. You will also be adding the cheese, which is rather salty, too.

MEANWHILE cook the pasta.

WHEN done to taste, drain and pour into a warm serving bowl or directly into pan with the sauce, mix well adding grated cheese to taste and serve.

PASS extra cheese at table.

SPAGHETTI can be substituted for the bucatini and in a crunch, pennette.

* Pecan Crusted Crab Tartlet with Boursin Cheese

Crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chilled unsalted butter
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Combine flour and salt in food processor. Add 3/4 cup butter and blend until butter is in small pieces. Blend in water to form a moist clump. Gather dough into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pieces into an 8-inch round. Mix pecans and breadcrumbs. Spread remaining butter in four 6-inch tartlet pans and coat with breadcrumb mixture. Fit each round into pans, pressing lightly. Cut off excess dough. Freeze 30 minutes.

Line dough with parchment paper and pie weights. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until pale golden brown. Cool.

Garnish:
1 cup diced tomato (seedless and skinless)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. basil chiffonade (thinly sliced)
1 tsp. sugar
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbsp. chopped chives
4 sprigs fresh basil leaves

Mix tomato, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil chiffonade, sugar, and salt and pepper in bowl. Refrigerate for later assembly.

Filling
2 cups whipping cream
4 large eggs
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne
pinch salt
dash Tabasco
8 oz. jumbo lump crabmeat
butter
1 cup onions
1 cup roasted garlic
1 cup Boursin Pepper Cheese

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat and cook onions, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Whisk whipping cream, eggs, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and Tabasco in bowl until thoroughly combined. Arrange crusts on sheet pan and divide crabmeat, caramelized onions, garlic and Boursin Pepper Cheese in each. Fill each with whipping cream mixture and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes; gently push up pan bottoms to remove tartlets from pans. Garnish each tart with 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture, chopped chives, and basil sprigs

* Hawaiian Chicken Casserole

Hawaiian Chicken Casserole:
 Tender chicken, smoked turkey, caramelized pineapples, spicy ginger and creamy bachemel, is there any chance this could go wrong?!!! ;-)))

Girls, I admit I never cooked with pineapples before but now that I have, I don't think I'll ever stop! :D
Its sweetness is the PERFECT complement to strong flavors and spices and you can not no fall in love with the taste! :)))))


Ingredients

1 kg boneless chicken breasts, cubes
1 1/2 cups smoked turkey, cubes
1 1/2 cups pineapples (fresh or canned), cubes
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
A pinch nutmeg
1 tsp grated fresh garlic
Salt & pepper
Oil & butter

For the Bechemel Sauce

1/4 cup flour
1/2 litter milk
1 cup cream'
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper
Butter

Some cheddar cheese foe the top


Directions

Add oil and butter to your cooking pan and saute your chicken in it. Season with paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and the fresh ginger and leave it to cook completely. Half way through the cooking process add the pineapples and turkey. Remove the mixture from the cooking pan into your baking dish and in the same pan add 1 tpsp butter and when it melts add the flour and wisk it into the butter and the pan oils very well. Leave the flour for few minutes to cook out the starchy taste of it and then add your milk and spices. Whisk very well until your sauce is smooth and bring to a boil to help it thicken, add the cream and let it cook for a could more minutes and then remove from heat and poor all over your chicken mixture. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese (or any other cheese) on the top and enter the over to bake. Bake it on high heat just until the bachamel is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.