Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Israeli Salad
Israel has very good vegetables and the assortment of them makes this salad unique. Be sure to chop the veggies in equal sized cubes.
Ingredients (serves 25)
• 10 medium roma tomatoes, chopped
• 10 cucumbers, peeled and chopped or 5 1-pound English cucumber, cubed
• 1 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 4-5 small onion, finely chopped or 2 c. red onion, finely chopped
• juice from 3 lemons
• 1 c minus 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper
Preparation: In a serving bowl, combine chopped vegetables. Toss gently. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper (to taste). Drizzle over vegetables and toss. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Sesame Seed Cookies (Baraziq)
Ingredients:
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sesame seeds, toasted
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift flour, and baking powder. Add brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix well. Gradually add butter and as much water as needed to form a dough. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix honey and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Add sesame seeds and toss to coat. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Form balls from dough, about 1 1/2 inches large, flatten slightly. Dip top of cookie in sesame seed mixture, careful to leave the bottom free of seeds. Place bottom side down onto parchment paper, about two inches apart. Bake in oven about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on cookie rack before serving.

Tahini Sauce:
• 1 cup tahini paste (you can find this in the Toucan International Food Store in the South Forks Mall)
• 1/4 cup plus more, if necessary, lemon juice
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup water, as needed
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
Make the sauce by combining the tahini paste, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl and stirring to combine. Add the water a little at a time as needed to form a smooth, creamy sauce approximately the thickness of heavy cream. (Note that the sauce might appear to separate for a bit before enough water has been added; just keep adding more water bit by bit and stirring until the sauce comes together.) Season to taste with salt and more lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer to a nonreactive container and refrigerate until ready to serve the falafel. Yield: about 2 cups

Sausage Tortellini Soup (Not Middle Eastern but served at our lunch)
• 1/4 pound bulk Johnsonville® Ground Sausage
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 14 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups torn fresh spinach
• 3/4 cup refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions • In a small saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. • Return to a boil. Reduce heat, add spinach and tortellini; cook for 7-9 minutes or until tortellini is tender. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 2 servings.

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