Lentils with Rice

We usually cook this recipe with brown or green lentils. I have used black lentils in this recipe. You can use leftover rice with noodles for this recipe too.
1 cup boiled lentils
2 cups cooked rice
1 large onion chopped
½ cup scallions chopped
2 tbs. olive oil
1tbs vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
1/tsp (combination of black pepper, cinnamon & allspice)

In none stick pan, sauté the onions in oil until translucent. Add the scallions, rice and lentils and mix together. Sprinkle the spices and salt and toss the mixture in the pan to blend all the flavors together.
Reduce the heat to low and leave it to simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve it with salads, fish or chicken.

Eggplant with Meatballs

1 eggplant sliced
1 green pepper sliced
1 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 8 0z diced tomatoes
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground beef or lamb
½ tsp salt
½ tsp Arabic spice (combination of cinnamon, allspice, black pepper)
Place the eggplant in the colander and sprinkle 1/2tsp of salt on it. Leave it to drain for 30 minutes.
Combine the meat with chopped garlic, salt and spices. Make small patties, 1 inch in diameter and place them in a nonstick pan and sauté them in 1 tbs. oil on both sides. Pour the diced tomatoes over it and leave it to simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes.
Dry the eggplants and sauté them in oil on both sides.
Place the sliced onions and green peppers in a deep pan. Place the eggplant on top. Arrange the meat
patties on top of the eggplants, and pour the sauce over the vegetables.
Bring to boil, and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked well.
Serve with plain white rice.

Green Beans-Fasulia bil Zeit

1 pound frozen or fresh green beans

1 medium onion sliced

1 8oz diced tomatoes or one chopped tomato

1 /2 cup tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Arabic Spice(cinnamon,black pepper,allspice)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cup water

Saute the onions in olive oil in a pan. Add the diced tomato and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and the rest of the ingredients. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and leave it to simmer for 20 minutes until the green beans are cooked.

Serve with rice.

You can cook this recipe with stewing beef or lamb. First you cook the meat for 45-60 minutes. When the meat becomes tender, add the onions and follow the above recipe. This will be a main meal served with rice.

Saffron Rice with Meat Dressing

We usually decorate rice with sautéed almonds and raisins for special occasions. The meat dressing follows the recipe.

2 cups basmati long grain rice
4 cups water
½ tsp salt
a pinch of saffron threads or powder
4 cardamom pods
¼ cup vegetable oil

2tbs rose water(optional)

Pour the oil in a pot and sauté rice for one minute. Add salt , saffron and cardamom and pour the water. Bring it to boil. When the water is almost absorbed lower the heat, add rose water and leave it to steam for 20 minutes. Stir it and serve it on a plate. Decorate with almonds and raisins.

Meat Dressing

1/2 pund ground lamb or ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup blanched almonds or pine nuts

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Arabic spice(cinnamon,allspice,black pepper,cloves)

Saute meat in a non stick pan. Add the onions, salt and spices. Keep sauteing until the onions are cooked.

In a seperate pan, saute the almonds with 2 tbs. of vegetable oil. When they get toased add the raisins and keep sauteing for one minute. Sprinkle some spices over it. Add to the meat and spread it over the rice.

Kabab Erbil-Kabob

1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tbs salt
2 tbs. flour

Mix all the above in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Take a handful of meat and insert the skewer in the meat. Shape the meat around the skewers. Wet your hands with cold water while working with the meat.
Grill on the charcoal grill for five minutes on each side. When done, remove them from the grill and sprinkle summac over the kabab. Serve with tannour bread or nan bread.
You can grill tomatoes, onions and other vegetables too.
Serve kabab with pickles, fresh basil, fresh parsley and sliced tomatoes.
You can use the broiler of your oven if you do not have a charcoal grill.

Kibbi Yakhni-Rice Kibbi,Kubba

We usually make these dumplings for Easter Lunch.
Soup
3 pounds lamb shanks, or stewing lamb with bones
1 large onion chopped
6 cups water
1 tsp salt
16 oz can chickpeas
Place the lamb, water and onions in the pot. Bring to boil and leave it to simmer for 90 minutes until lamb is tender. Skim the fat and that develops on top. Add more water if needed.
When the meat is very tender, add the salt and chickpeas. Simmer and then drop the rice kibbi in the soup. Leave it to boil until kibbi rises to top for 20 minutes. Adjust the salt and add more water to the soup before dropping the kibbi, if needed.
Rice Kibbi
1 pound cream of rice ( You find it by the cereal section in the grocery stores)
1/2 pound ground chuck or lamb
1 tsp. salt
½ cup water.
Mix all the above the ingredients in a bowl. Put half of the mixture in the food processor. Pulse it and add few tablespoons of water if needed to make moist dough. Pulse the other half and mix together.
Take a small piece of this dough the size of a walnut. Shape it like a cup and place the stuffing inside and close it. Make a Pattie or another design of kibbi. Make sure to wet your hands while shaping it. Makes 24 kibbis.
Stuffing
1 pound ground lamb
1 onion medium chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Arabic Spice or Bahar(combination of cinnamon,allspice, blackpeppr)
Mix all the above and taste if it needs more salt.

Fava Beans with Rice-Timman Bagila

You can find bagila in the frozen section in the Asian supermarkets or Middle Eastern stores.

You can use fresh fava beans, but you will have to peel every pod and bean.

1 pound peeled fresh or frozen fava beans
1 cup chopped fresh dill (shbint)
1 onion chopped
1 ½ cup basmati rice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup oil
½ cup water
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken or stewed lamb
Sauté onions in oil and add fava beans and dill. Add salt and pepper and ½ cup of water. Stir in the cooked meat or chicken. Leave it to simmer for 5 minutes. In a separate pot boil the rice in water with 1 tsp of salt for 5 minutes. Drain the rice and pour over the fava beans mixture. Stir it well and leave it to simmer on low heat till the rice is cooked.
Serve with yogurt and cucumber salad.