Getting ready for Ramadan...

[hollyw 0]

c'mon ladies.... i know you all know how to cook!!!! and if not, i KNOW you know what your favorite dishes are!!! i feel like this post creeps up every so often, but seeing as how we are approaching Ramadan, i think it is appropriate once again. My husband won't be here for Ramadan but i am trying to build my repetoire for when he IS here so i prove that i know how to cook more than frozen pizza and french fries. if you can't contribute a recipe, at least let everyone what it is you're looking forward to eating....

Some of my favorites (and i'm sorry if my spelling offends anyone):

Fuffla

The dish with chicken, eggplants, potatoes, and chick peas (brahmia??? i think....)

Bourek

And ill throw in a recipe here for bourek... it is something i like a lot AND it's easy....

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons parsely, chopped

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

phyllo dough

lemon wedges

Heat one tablespoon of oil in the skillet, add onion, and stir fry over moderate heat fo about two minutes. Add beef, salt, and pepper. stir fry for five minutes. Add egg and parsely. Fry for one more minute and then set aside to cool. Spread out phyllo dough. Place two tablespoons of beef on phyllo dough. fold sides into the middle and shape into a packet (like an egg roll or a sandwich wrap). Do the same with all the remaining meat and set aside. Place the remaining oil in a skillet and, over moderate to low heat, add the rolls. Brown on both sides for about three minutes. Drain rolls on a paper towel. Serve warm and with the lemon wedges (if desired).

I have also made bourek with just cheese and sometimes I add cheese to the beef. Usually i use Laughing Cow cheese or some kind of soft cheese. I also know people that use Boursin. It turns out yummy. I also know people that add red and green peppers (thinly sliced or chopped) or olives (again, chopped) to the meet mixture. There are variations to everything!!!

Does anyone have a good recipe for chorba????

[Bosco 1]

Does anyone have a good recipe for chorba????

I have used this Chorba Recipe before and it was good.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Bosco

[Henia 11]

Sweet Lamb for Ramadhan (El Ham Lahlou - Algeria)

1 lb lamb

12 prunes (dried)

1 pear (firm)

3 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons orange blossom water

2 tablespoons raisins (white)

2 tablespoons whole almonds (blanched)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cut lamb into 2-3 in pieces. Soak prunes in water for 1-2 hours & remove pits. Peel & core the pear & cut into wedges.

Melt butter in a pan over low heat & add the lamb. Sauté over low heat for 5 minutes.

Add cinnamon, water & sugar & mix well.

Increase heat to mod & cook for approx 45 minutes or till the lamb is tender to a fork. The sauce will become darker.

Drain prunes & add them to the lamb w/the raisins, almonds & pear.

Simmer for a further 15 minutes, remove the pan from heat & stir in the orange blossom water. (See note below).

NOTES: "Normally served at room temp w/rice, salad & bread, this sweet lamb dish is eaten after a dy of fasting during the Muslim holy celebration of Ramadhan. It's cooked w/o salt to prevent thirst the next dy for those fasting -- something that can be important in hot desert areas.".

"Orange blossom water is distilled water containing the essential oils of the orange blossom. It adds a hint of a citrus scent to foods & compliments the flavor. It is used in many lamb dishes, desserts & is perfect for fruit. A little goes a long way, so add it a few drops at a time to determine how much you like. It can be found at farmers markets, specialty food stores & Middle Eastern grocers.".

[hollyw 0]

Sweet Lamb for Ramadhan (El Ham Lahlou - Algeria)

1 lb lamb

12 prunes (dried)

1 pear (firm)

3 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons orange blossom water

2 tablespoons raisins (white)

2 tablespoons whole almonds (blanched)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cut lamb into 2-3 in pieces. Soak prunes in water for 1-2 hours & remove pits. Peel & core the pear & cut into wedges.

Melt butter in a pan over low heat & add the lamb. Sauté over low heat for 5 minutes.

Add cinnamon, water & sugar & mix well.

Increase heat to mod & cook for approx 45 minutes or till the lamb is tender to a fork. The sauce will become darker.

Drain prunes & add them to the lamb w/the raisins, almonds & pear.

Simmer for a further 15 minutes, remove the pan from heat & stir in the orange blossom water. (See note below).

NOTES: "Normally served at room temp w/rice, salad & bread, this sweet lamb dish is eaten after a dy of fasting during the Muslim holy celebration of Ramadhan. It's cooked w/o salt to prevent thirst the next dy for those fasting -- something that can be important in hot desert areas.".

"Orange blossom water is distilled water containing the essential oils of the orange blossom. It adds a hint of a citrus scent to foods & compliments the flavor. It is used in many lamb dishes, desserts & is perfect for fruit. A little goes a long way, so add it a few drops at a time to determine how much you like. It can be found at farmers markets, specialty food stores & Middle Eastern grocers.".

AHHH im sooo happy you put up this recipe!!!! ive been looking for a sweet lamb one exactly like it! do you think you can add apricots too? has anyone tried this?

[iceyspots 0]

hmmmm yummy where's meriem she needs some algerian dates!

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I like to make this dip recipe to have on hand come iftar time. If you're working/going to school/generally busy or whatever, it's difficult to make that full on 5 course-sque iftar many from the ME/NA are used to. Even if you don't attempt anything fancy, sometimes you just don't have time to get the cooking done before Maghrib rolls around. So, if you have some dip, fresh veggies and chips handy, it can satiate until the meal prep is finished.

Crunchy Veggie Dip

1 1'2 cups sour cream

1 cup mayonaise (not Miracle Whip)

8 oz can water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped broccoli (I use broccoli slaw and chop it)

1.4 oz pkg, dry vege soup mix (I use Mrs. Grass')

In medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate several hours to blend flavors. Serve with assorted vegetable dippers, chips or crackers. (I usually put in more carrots and broccoli than it calls for)

[ya falaha! 0]

Good idea, Rahma!

I usually keep pizza rolls or frozen mini egg rolls in the freezer for a quickie iftar snack for those days when I get home from work a little late. I also keep tamr (dates) handy too.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Good idea, Rahma!

I usually keep pizza rolls or frozen mini egg rolls in the freezer for a quickie iftar snack for those days when I get home from work a little late. I also keep tamr (dates) handy too.

Dates and milk I miss my college days when the community aunties cooked for the students every week day I would get my little pint of milk from the student union and trek over to the masjid to relax after a day of class and work and to indulge in delicious pakistani or arab food. Now all I have to look forward to is my mac n cheese hot dish Except for the weekend, when the local masjid hosts iftars

[I'm Gone 60]

RICE CRISPY TREATS

1 or 2 bags miniature marshmallows

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups Kellogg's Rice Crispy Cereal

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add marshmallows.

Stir until mixture becomes difficult to stir any more. Mix in the Rice Crispy Cereal and stir until hot.

Butter a pan (a square pan like a brownie pan) and spread mixture evenly in the pan. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

[Jenn! 918]

RICE CRISPY TREATS

1 or 2 bags miniature marshmallows

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups Kellogg's Rice Crispy Cereal

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add marshmallows.

Stir until mixture becomes difficult to stir any more. Mix in the Rice Crispy Cereal and stir until hot.

Butter a pan (a square pan like a brownie pan) and spread mixture evenly in the pan. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Does it get more and more funny for you each time?

[mybackpages 0]

What's ramadan without harira? There's all kinds of variations, but here's one I like. Make a big batch and enjoy all week-

1/2 cup dried chick peas (soaked overnight with 1/2 t baking soda added to the water

1/2 boneless lamb cut into small cubes

1 large onion thinly sliced

1 bunch italian parsley(discard mst of the bottom stems and mince)

pinchof saffron (crushed)

1/4 t ground ginger

sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 16 oz can italian plum tomatoes (corsely chopped)

4 T butter

2 oz vermicelli (broken in to small 1/2-3/4 inch pieces)

1 bunch cliantro (leaves minced)

1 T tomato paste

juice of 2 lemons

3-4 T flour

Drain and rinse the chick peas. Spread them on a clean cloth, cover with another cloth. Crush lightly with a rolling pin to split in half and lossen the skins. Put them in a bowl of water. Stir with your hand. The skins should float to the surface to make it easy to discard.

Drain the chick peas into a large saucepan. Add lamb, onion, parsley, spices, 1 t black pepper, the tomatoes and their juice and 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Drop i nthe butter, cover and leave to boil over medium high heat for 1 hour.

Stir in the vermicelli, cliantro, tomato paste and lemmon juice. Reduce the heat to low.

Mix the flour with 1 cup water. Dribble this mixture into the soup slowly and stirring constantly to stop lumps from forming.

The soup shold thicken to a lovely velvety consistency. Add salt to taste and simmer a few more minutes or until the vermicelli is done. chekc and adjust seasons as needed.

Don't forget the dates.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Helpful hint - there are halal marshmallows available. Also, try calling the Marshmallow fluff people and ask if they use gelatine. I remember reading somewhere that they (or one of their compeditors) don't use gelatine.

[I'm Gone 60]

Does it get more and more funny for you each time?

They aren't allowed or you don't like them? How about S'mores? LOL

[iceyspots 0]

s'mores are yummy!

[Henia 11]

Chorba Kabyle

- 20g yeast

- 80g flour

- 100g semolina (fine, cooked)

- 100g chick peas

- 500g lamb meat cut into small pieces

- 30g butter

- 150g chicken meat

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 1 egg

- 75g rice

- 50g coriander

- 3 tomatoes

- 1 lemon

- 300g dried figs

- 300g dates

- Salt and pepper

The night before:

Dissolve the yeast in some water and mix with the flour to obtain a

soft dough. Leave to rise for a few hours in a hot place.

Mix the dough with the semolina in a bowl. Soak the chick peas in

cold water.

On the day:

Mix the dough with 10cl of lukewarm water and leave it in a hot

place.

Melt the butter in a pan and add half of the meat, the onion, salt

and pepper and cook. Cover with water and add the (drained) chick peas.

Leave it to simmer for an hour then leave to cool.

Take the rest of the meat and add salt and pepper and the whole egg.

Make into meat balls.

Cook the rice in a pan with 10cl of water with a soup spoon of butter

and some salt and pepper.

While the rice is cooking, put the dough in a pot with the coriander

and the cooked meat mixed with the tomatoes and some lemon juice and

some salt. Add the sauce which had been left to cool. Cook this on a

low heat and stir gently. Add the meat balls and the rice, stirring all

the time so as to obtain a smooth mixture.

Put the dry figs and the dates on dishes and eat them with harira.

Serve with Algerian bread.

This dish is difficult to make.