Fatoosh

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pita breads
• 8 leaves romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sumac powder
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Toast pitas 5 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until crisp. Remove from heat, and break into bite size pieces.
3. In a large bowl, toss together toasted pita pieces, romaine lettuce, green onions, cucumber, and tomatoes.
4. In a small bowl, mix the parsley, garlic, sumac powder, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and mint. Pour over the pita mixture, and toss just before serving.

NOTE:I bought sumac at a local middle east store,but it is also available here: http://daynasmarket.com/herbs_spices.html

Fresh fruit with Rosewater Syrup

Makes 6 servings


ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 teaspoon rose water 4 oranges
2 cups red grapes, halved
1 1-pint basket strawberries, halved
1 pear, cored, sliced


preparation
Stir 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Add cinnamon; boil until syrup is reduced to scant 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Mix in rose water; cool. Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Working over large bowl, cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. Add grapes, berries and pear; toss to combine. Mix in syrup. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Spoon fruit and syrup into 6 bowls.

Bon Appétit, January 1999

I found a recipe from my favorite lady Ina Garten for a quick and delicious dessert

It's frozen berries with hot white chocolate

you just freeze fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, rasberries etc.) for about an hour then head up a pound of white chocolate in a double boiler with one cup of heavy cream. Then you put some berries in a bown and put the warm chocolate over them and it's soooo good and so easy.

Try it!

i really like ina garten too. i made the BEST cheesecake recipe of her's last Friday...but i changed it and made it low fat! was just as good as regular!

low-fat Raspberry topped Cheesecake

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
2 1/2 pounds LIGHT cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup NON-FAT sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:
1 cup red jelly (not jam), such as currant, raspberry, or strawberry
3 half-pints fresh raspberries


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

To make the topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss the raspberries and the warm jelly gently until well mixed. Arrange the berries on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: Measure your springform pan. The bottom of mine measures 9 inches, but it says 9 1/2. I put the springform pan on a sheet pan before putting it in the oven to catch any leaks.

I will try both of these. I like the barefoot contessa too,but she uses many ingredients when cooking so I like to watch her as opposed to trying her recipes.

I never thought she used too many ingredients actually. I think her food is simple and everything I have ever made from her cookbooks has been delicious. She's definitely my favorite!

Last weekend I made her pecan squares, carrot cake cupcakes, chocolate ganache cake, and palmiers for my Mom's card group and everything was really good. I think it's hard to mess up her recipes and they always always always turn out soo good.

i drooled all over myself when i saw her make the pecan bars on her show!!!! so they were a hit? i've been considering trying that recipe just because they LOOKED so good!

her curried couscous salad is also sooooo good!

The pecan bars are soooo good. I also dipped one end in chocolate and it was delicious!!! you have to make them!

here's a delicious and healthy salad dressing i had at a vegan health spa i stayed at. no salt! low calorie! low fat! you better like mustard and tahini to enjoy this though.. i made it for my client and they weren't pleased. but i think its soooooooooo good!

Mustard-Tahihi Dressing

yield 1-1/2 to 2 cups

1/2-2/3 cup water (enough to provide desired consistency)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
3 T stone-ground mustard
1 T bragg liquid aminos
2 tsp minced garlic
1 T chopped parsley
dash cayenne

blend until smooth. add more water slowly if you prefer a thinner consistency.

per tablespoon:
calories-40
protein-1g
fat-2g
carb-4g
calcium-19mg
sodium-72mg

Greek Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 3 – 4 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• feta cheese
• 1 cucumber
• olive oil
• salt
• olives
• oregano

METHOD

Cut the tomatoes, the onion and the cucumber in slices. Mix them, add salt and some pieces of feta cheese, oregano and at the end pour some olive oil.

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries (do not thaw)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate baking bar

Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Grease 12 muffin tin cups.
Heat oven to 400°.
In a large bowl mix the milk, butter and egg.
Stir in all remaining muffin ingredients except raspberries & white chocolate.
Stir only until flour is moistened, then gently stir in the berries & white chocolate.
Spoon the batter into the greased muffin tins.
Bake for 24-28 minutes or until golden brown.
Let muffins cool a little, then remove from pan.
Dip top of each muffin top in melted butter, then in sugar.

I am sooo making these this weekend! I was craving white chocolate all this week,but I wanted a recipe ,not just a chocolate bar. I just bought some raspberries for smoothies.

Jackie's Chocolate Flan Cake

1 box of devil's food cake mix

3 eggs
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
1 T vanilla

1 jar of caramel (like the kind for sundae's)

Ok, mix the cake mix. Follow the directions on the box except use a can of Coke, not bebsi, in place of the water. So use the egges and oil and a can of coke. Set that aside.

In a blender, put 3 eggs, and the 2 cans of milks, and the vanilla. Blend for a bit.

Take a bundt pan and spray with nonstick stuff. Pour the caramel in the bundt pan. Now pour in the cake mix. Now pour in the blender stuff, the eggs and milks, this makes the flan. When you pour it in,,,it will disappear to under the cake mix! Cool, huh?
Get a larger pan, like a 13x9 and put an inch or two of water in it. Put the bundt pan in the water. Bake at 400 for 45 min. Use the normal way to check for doneness, a toothpick in the cake.

This part is important. Cool for an hour...then refrigerate for 2 hours. Failure to properly cool and refrigerate will result in a big pile of chocolatey goodness (don't ask me how I know...lol)

Hope you enjoy.

That sounds really good Jackie. Although I'm sure I'd gain 10 pounds just thinking of making it. lol

I made these today but used ground beef instead of lamb and I thought they were pretty good.


Aromatic Lamb Meatballs Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson1 pound ground lamb
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons semolina
1 egg
Vegetable oil, for frying


Put the lamb into a bowl and add the scallions. Sprinkle over the spices, salt, and semolina, and then beat the egg adding to the bowl. Work everything together thoroughly with your hands, and then cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and scoop out a scant teaspoon of the mixture. Roll in your hands to form the meatball and place on the lined baking sheet. Have a bowl of cold water beside you to dampen your hands with; this helps them not get too sticky for rolling the meatballs. When you are ready to cook them, heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a frying pan. Line another baking sheet with kitchen towel, and when the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches without overcrowding the pan. Cook them for about a minute a side, or until golden brown all over.

I finally bought this book! I just got it yesterday from Amazon and wow wow wow!!! The recipes look so amazing! I can't wait to start trying them.
When I run into some good recipes I'll post them.
At least recipes shouldn't be too controversial.

Loubia bel Ham

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate, I always add a little more if I think it needs it
1 pound beef, cubed
water
potatoes, cut into large chunks
carrots, cut into large chunks
1 can white beans
cumin, cinnamon, and salt to taste
sprinkle of red pepper

Directions:

In a medium/large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are transparent. Add the meat and when the meat is brown add a few cups of water (enough to cover the meat and veggies, but not too much or there will be a huge amount of broth). Next add the potatoes, carrots, tomato concentrate, and spices (adding a little at first and tasting as you go along - just a quick sprinkle of the red pepper). Let cook over low medium/medium heat until potatoes and carrots are tender (20-40 minutes). Add beans and cook for ten more minutes. Serve with bread.


You can pretty much throw whatever you want into this soup. For just two people I usually cut the recipe down to half a pound of beef and one potato and one carrot. I always throw in a whole can of beans cause they're so good. It really depends on your taste... enjoy!

This is not a ME/NA recipe, but it's a dish that I made for my husband when he first got here that he LOVES. It's a very simple family recipe from my mom's Scottish relatives.


Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped in small pieces
1 medium sized turnip, chopped into small pieces
1 packet brown gravy mix plus one cup cold water (or mix as directions say, mine says one cup cold water)
salt and pepper to taste

3 russet potatoes
butter
milk
salt
pepper
shredded cheese (I use a sharp, white cheddar)

Directions:

For the mashed potatoes, set a large pot of water on high heat and add the potatoes once the water starts to boil. Cut potatoes in half and let boil while you start the meat mixture.

In a large pan heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until it starts to get soft and then add the ground beef. Break up the meat really fine while it's cooking. Add the carrots and turnip and stir in the gravy mix (after you mixed it with the water). Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cook about 25 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently. Use a bit of cornflour or flour if sauce is not thick enough.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and mash with a lump of butter and some milk. Add some salt and pepper and a handfull or two of shredded cheese. Mix well.

Put the meat mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish (or a square pan) and spread mashed potatoes on top making sure there are NO GAPS. Score the surface with a fork and add a few pats of butter on top. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Baked Brie with Pecans

Ingredients:

1 wedge of brie
20-25 chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup
1 box of plain table water crackers (or any kind of plain cracker)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place brie in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle chopped pecans and crumble brown sugar over brie. Pour maple syrup over the brie and on the bottom of the dish. Bake 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling (adjust your oven temp if the cheese is not melting). Serve hot.

Magic Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips (I've also used Reese's peanut butter chips and they're soooo good)
1 1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass dish).

In a 13x9 baking pan melt butter in the oven. When butter is completely melted, pull out and sprinkle crumbs into the pan. Mix until crumbs are moist and pat down so the crumb are covering the entire pan. Pour condensed milk over crumbs and let sit for a couple minutes while it spreads over the crust. Top with chocolate chips, butterscotch/peanut butter chips, nuts, and coconut. Press down firmly (or they fall apart). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars.

I should make a MENA cookbook... or we restart that MENA recipe forum...or start another one? come on everyone!

Karantika


Ingredients:

1 egg
1/2 cup veg. oil
1/2 13x9 casserole dish of water (fill up the dish halfway and pour it into the bowl)
1 teaspoon salt
200 grams of chickpea powder
some shredded swiss cheese if desired

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk for two minutes. Place a 13x9 in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Take out the pan and rub a small bit of oil on the bottom and sides of the pan. Put back in the oven for three minutes. Take the pan out again and pour the mixture of ingredients into the pan. Place back in the oven and keep an eye on the karantika. Leave it until it looks like it is becoming a little brown and a little solid. When this happens, turn the oven to broil and leave until the karantika is dark brown/black on top. Take out, let cool a little, and serve with bread.

Oooh I love brie! I am so making this dish this weekend.

Mango Chutney Chicken and Mediterranean Pilaf

For the chicken:

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 cup dry white wine (or substitution)
6 chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups mango chutney

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add curry powder and cook 2-3 minutes. Add wine and stir until blended. Remove from heat. Place chicken pieces in baking pan and baste with butter mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread chicken with chutney. Bake for 30 more minutes, basting frequently. Remove chicken to serving platter. Pour the juices into a small saucepan and boil for 3-4 minutes to reduce sauce. Pour the sauce over chicken.

For the rice:

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups white rice
4 tablespoons of veg. oil (I usually cut this back a bit)
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 tablespoon lite soy sauce

Directions:

In a medium saucepan bring chicken broth to a boil. In a bowl mix the rice, oil, raisins, turmeric, curry powder, and soy sauce. Pour into chicken broth. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

We should go back and use it! I check it from time to time but there are never any new recipes..

Flipping through my recipe box and found these cool little tips on each of the dividers. I don't know if I'd ever do all/any of them, but there are some good ideas... (I won't list them all, hehe):


- Freezing lemonade with cherries in a plastic gelatin mold makes an excellent ice ring for party punch.

- Freeze coffee in ice cube trays; then add when making ice coffee. The coffee cubes will not water down the drink.

- For a crisp bread crust, place a small pan of water alongside the baking bread.

- To remove lumps from brown sugar, place a slice of bread in the container and close tightly (I've also heard you can put a piece of terra cotta in there and it will take out the lumps and keep it moist).

- Tough meat tenderizes easily by simply rubbing both sides with vinegar and olive oil. Refrigerate at least 2 hours prior to cooking.

- Before adding meat to a frying pan, sprinkle a small amount of salt in the pan to prevent splattering.

- Lemons, limes and oranges will produce more juice when you microwave on high for 30 seconds before squeezing.

- Freshen stale potato chips, crackers, etc., by placing them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

- Scrambled eggs will go farther if a pinch of baking powder and 2 teaspoons of water are added per egg.

- A paper towel placed in a bag of lettuce will keep it fresher.

- Thicken stews with instant mashed potatoes.

- Absorb grease from the top of soup by dropping in a leaf of chilled lettuce.

- If soup is too salty, add several slices of raw potato and cook for ten minutes.

- Cauliflower will stay white by adding a small amount of milk or lemon juice to the cooking water.

- Add variety to vegetables by cooking them in a chicken or beef stock.

Mexican Potatoes With Cheese - Papas Con Queso

This is another simple yet delicious authentic dish from Zacatecas Mexico that my mother taught me how to make! It is important to know that this recipe won’t work well if you don’t use queso fresco. You must use this type of cheese specifically for the recipe to incorporate well, other wise it wont come out.

8 potatoes, peeled and chopped into squares
6-8 fresh jalapenos
2 large tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 table spoons of knoor chicken bouillon powder (consome)
1 teaspoon cumin
12 ounces mexican queso fresco, chopped into cubes
2-3 cups water
oil (for frying)
salt

6 servings 25 min 15 min prep

1. Bring jalapenos and tomatoes to a boil.
In blender add water, onion, garlic, cumin, can of tomato sauce.
blend well.
2. Then add boiled jalapenos, tomatoes and pulsate just 2 or 3 times.
just so that the tomatoes and the peppers are still chunky in the sauce.
Set aside.
3. In skillet fry the potatoes until they start to look translucent and.
remove from fire. It is very important you do this. Don’t fully cook.
them or else u will end up like mulch latter.
4. Transfer the semi cooked potatoes to a bigger sauce pot and pour the.
sauce.
5. Add cheese and stir well. If needed at salt to taste and bring to a.
boil.
Serve hot and enjoy with warm tortillas!

anyone have a recipe for basboosa / harissa??

one sister told me it had coconut in it.. but the one I found on line didnt

Basbousa or nomora (in syria) my husband said his mom always put coconut in hers. so i just throw maybe 1/4cup in. works out great.

1/2 cup butter, preferably unsalted
3/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups fine semolina
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup coconut

ok...i screwed up and it wouldnt let me edit it so here it is in its full version.

Basbousa or nomora (in syria) my husband said his mom always put coconut in hers. so i just throw maybe 1/4cup in. works out great.

1/2 cup butter, preferably unsalted
3/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups fine semolina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup coconut
blanched almonds, preferable halved
whipped cream for garnish, optional

syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

preheat oven to 350

in a bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

sift semolina, baking powder and baking soda twice. fold into butter mixture alternatlely with yogurt.

spread batter into greased 8x12 cake pan. evenly arrange almonds on top in rows so that when cake is cut, an almond will be centered on each piece.

bake until top springs back when pressed, 30-35 minutes.

meanwhile, to make syrup, place sugar and water ina heavy saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. add lemon juice and bring to a boil. boil rapidly for 10 minutes. then cool by standing pan in cold water.

spoon colled syrup over hot cake. cool thoroughly and cut into diamond shapes. garnish with whipped cream is desired.

We got hungry last night at about 11pm so we went to the grocery store rumaging for something to eat. We decided that we were going to make chicken shawerma and wing it, no pun intended. lol. The result was great. He even told me it took care of his craving of having shawerma in Jordan, the chicken kind anyway.

So here is the recipe, enjoy!

Preheat oven to broil

2 large chicken breasts cut in 2 inch long very thin slices.

Marinate chicken for about 10-20 minutes in:
2 TBSP of plain yogurt (full fat, very thick. We used Mountain High brand)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt/pepper to taste (I used quite a bit of black pepper)
1/2 tsp b7arat (home made spice mix)

Lay the chicken in one layer on a baking sheet, it should not be watery. When you wash your chicken, make sure you dry it well before slicing it.

Broil it on side, flip it over to broil on the other side. When you flip it over, it will be one large mass that you will have to break up with a fork.

Potatoes

Dice potatoes very small, 1/4 inch pieces. Fry them with some butter and/or oil and season them with salt pepper. Cook until golden brown. Set aside for shawerma assembly.

Condiments

White onion slice thin
Tomatoes slice very thin
Shredded iceburg lettuce
pickles (we used the arabic kind) slice lenthwise very thin
Mayonaisse

To assemble them. Take a warm pita and open it up so the 2 sides are separated. In the center of each side, add chicken, potatoes, onion, lettuce, tomatoe, pickles, and mayo (yes mayo). Roll it up and wrap with foil to keep warm.

This recipe is very very close to our favorite chicken shawerma place in Jordan. What we found is the condiments really make it good. If you dont like the spice blend, feel free to use your favorite blend but dont skip the yogurt!

Enjoy!

This sounds sooo yummy.... what kinds of spices are in the spice mix?

At our house we put cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, corriander, cardomom, black pepper, and cloves.

Anyone know how to make garlic cream? The guy at the restaurant said it's from garlic and eggs but I don't think that's right because it was totally white and eggs would have made it a yellowy color I think. OMG it was to die for and now I want it over a charcoal broiled steak in a big way!!!!

Maybe he meant mayonaisse which is also made from eggs? When we make it at home, we puree garlic, lemon, mayonaisse, and boiled potato. We usually serve this as a side dish to fried chicken and potatoes.

That would make more sense, though it tasted more like yogurt than mayo, but he didn't mention yogurt. Maybe the lemon made it taste yogurty. I'll try your way though and see what happens. Thanks!

To be honest I have made it with yogurt too and also lebeneh. The main thing is the garlic and I usually add whatever I have around the house, the potato is important bcz it thickens it.

A reallllly yummy dip, mix lebeneh with onion soup mix. Soooooooo good!

It is made the same way the French make aioli... mayo. Except you add more garlic, way more garlic and oil, then eggs... so that is translcent.

yah, doodle, you're talking about "toum". my favorite! i have a lot of recipes that vary widely in ingredients.
the basic ingredients are oil, LOTS of garlic, lemon juice, and salt. the garlic is what emusifies the dip and makes it white.

some people add egg whites
some add mayo (maybe if they can't figure out to emulsify it themselves)
some even potato. but be careful not to overmix it and it will be like glue.

I was so glad that the hubster ate as much of it as I did so I didn't feel so self conscious about my garlic breath!!! lol

i know! and the pain in the tummy sucks too! but its soooooooooo good!

I just made some...YUMMY. Goes great with grilled fish.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Kebabs

48 large unpeeled shrimp (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons instant minced garlic (about 12 cloves)
2 tablespoons steak sauce
2 teaspoons fresh coarse ground black pepper cooking spray





Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact.

1. Combine lemon juice, wine, garlic, steak sauce, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal, and shake to blend.
2. Add shrimp; seal.
3. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning bag once.
4. Prepare grill.
5. Remove shrimp from bag, discarding marinade.
6. Thread 8 shrimp onto each of 6 (12-inch) skewers.
7. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done.

Make sure to have some of your white wine with dinner. If you partake

Does anyone know of a good subsitute for wine in recipes? There are a lot of tasty looking things that call for cooking wine, which we don't use

Try this link Rahma:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/alcoholsubstitutes.htm

My mom does not drink wine and so most of the time I just plain leave it out when I cook for her, or I use cider vinegar.

Oooo, muchas gracias! I'm going to print this out and stick it in my recipes folder asap.

Hmm, now I'm curious. According the Shaykh Google:

http://www.islamlife.com/forum/viewthread....mp;thread_id=60



I wonder if my sweet zahari husband has this Ibn Hazm book. He likes Ibn Hazm's logic, so I'll see how he reads this, and then maybe I can start getting some wine vinegars. But then again, I already have 4 kinds, and the last one I bought, the husband was like why do we need 4 kinds of vinegar?


Also, Shafi'i perspective

You could try chicken stock.

HARISSA-CRUSTED TRI-TIP ROAST

Harissa, a spicy North African chili-garlic condiment, can be found at some specialty foods stores and Middle Eastern markets. But it is very easy to make, too, as in this recipe.

1 3/4 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder

1 1 3/4- to 2-pound tri-tip beef roast, most of fat layer trimmed

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toast caraway seeds in small nonstick skillet over medium heat until seeds darken and begin to smoke, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil and garlic cloves to caraway seeds in skillet. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 1 minute. Pour caraway mixture into processor. Add chili paste, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder and blend until garlic cloves are pureed. Season harissa to taste with salt.

Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper; place beef, fat side down, on rack on rimmed baking sheet. Spread with half of harissa. Turn beef over; spread remaining harissa over top and sides. Roast beef until thermometer inserted into center registers 125°F to 130°F for medium-rare, about 35 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

*Available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE WITH RAISINS, ALMONDS, AND HONEY

Mrouzia
Mrouzia is a dish traditionally made after the celebration of Aid el Kebir ("Feast of the Slaughter of the Lamb"), an occasion when, historically, a family would have large amounts of meat on hand. In the days before refrigeration, the lamb was cooked in copious amounts of fat and spices to preserve it. Don't worry — this version has much less butter and less intense spicing than the original.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 3 hr

2 teaspoons ras-el-hanout*
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
3 cups water
3 lb boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, coarsely grated (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups raisins
1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Accompaniment: couscous

Whisk together ras-el-hanout, salt, pepper, ginger, saffron, and 1 cup water in a 5-quart heavy pot. Stir in lamb, remaining 2 cups water, onion, garlic, cinnamon sticks, and butter and simmer, covered, until lamb is just tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in raisins, almonds, honey, and ground cinnamon and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender, about 30 minutes more.

Uncover pot and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until stew is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more.

Cooks' note:
• Tagine can be made 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered.

*Available at specialty foods shops and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).

Makes 6 to 8 servings.