Cauliflower Fritters عروك القرنبيط

Cauliflower Fritters عروك القرنبيط

This is a very delicious vegetarian recipe you can prepare as an appetizer, a side dish, or take to picnics. We usually prepare it during Lent. There are different varieties and you can add to it herbs you like and make it your own. My sister adds to it curry powder and turmeric. You could add parsley or cilantro. 

1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped or medium onion

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper or curry powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

 Vegetable Oil for frying

Put the cauliflower and onion, or scallions in the food processor and pulse until well chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Add spices, flour and baking soda and stir. Set aside for 10 minuted.

Heat oil in a pan.  Take a tablespoon of the mixture and from a patty. Drop the patties in oil. When the edges start to brown, turn to the other side.

When cooked, remove them and put the on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain the fat. When cool, you can freeze them, and reheat them in oven when needed.

Enjoy them with pickles.

Molasses cookies كعكة الطحينة والدبس

These are one of my favorite healthful cookies the I always keep in my kitchen. I got the inspiration from mixing the tahini with date molasses in a small plate, I stir it and spread it on a piece of bread. This is the typical snack food in Iraq during Lent or Winter. It very much resembles the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you do not have tahini which is sesame paste, you can use peanut butter, but tahini has a mild flavor. You can find the date molasses in the Middle Eastern grocery stores. 

1/2 cup date molasses

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 ounces butter, melted

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cardamom, or cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons sesame seeds 

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the molasses, tahini, butter, sugar and egg and stir with a wooden spoon. Add flour, salt, baking soda and sesame seeds and stir. The mixture will be soft.

Takes a small piece of dough the size of walnut and roll it in your hands. Arrange the cookies on a baking pan lined with silicone liner or parchment paper. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for 30 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Store them in a Tupperware contaminate lined with parchment paper.

Enjoy these cookies with tea or coffee.

Mushroom with Pease

This is a vegetarian dish that you can use as a side dish with meat or rice. I had leftover saffron rice and decided to make a topping for the rice. Very delicious!

1 (8 ounce s) baby bell mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons frozen peas

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

I tablespoon fresh thyme (optional)

Heat oil in a deep pan. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and stir for a few minutes until mushrooms are cooked. Add frozen peas and stir. Leave it to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to serve over rice.

Enjoy.

Broccoli Vegetarian Bites

This is not an Iraqi recipe, but wanted to share it with you to enjoy it as much as I do.

These are very delicious snacks or served as an appetizer. I had leftover cooked broccoli and wanted to make lunch snack to take with me to work. You can eat them at room temperature or heat them in the oven. You can freeze them after baking to serve for later when needed.

Makes 24

2 cups cooked broccoli, chopped

½ cup scallions, chopped

½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup flour

¼ cup Parmesan cheese  plus extra for rolling

1 egg

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

½ teaspoon baking powder

Pour 1/ cup of Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside.

Put all the above ingredients in the food processor and pulse a few times until al well combined. Pour the mixture into a bow. Oil your hands and take a small ball of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Drop it in the bowl of Parmesan cheese and roll it. Arrange the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil over these balls and bake in 350 degrees F. preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and leave the tray on the kitchen counter for 14 minutes before removing the broccoli balls.

You can also use any type of green veggies instead of the broccoli. Make sure to cook the greens, chop them and  remove the moisture out, before adding to the processor.

Enjoy.

Grilled Chicken Shawirma with Red Rice- شاورمة دجاج ورز احمر بالبزالية

I attempted to grill the chicken outdoors, but you could arrange the chicken pieces on a sheet pan and put it under the broiler for 10 minutes. Turn the slices on the other side and leave it for 5 more minutes under the broiler.

You will need a jar of shawirma spices that you can find at Middle Eastern grocery stores.

Makes 3 servings

1 ½ pounds chicken breast,(boneless and skinless)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon shawirma spices

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ cup onion, chopped

1 glove garlic, chopped

Slice the chicken breast on a cutting board. In a deep bowl, pour the oil and vinegar and add the salt, spices , onions and garlic and stir. Add the chicken pieces and make sure they are very well coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Heat the outdoor grill to medium. Place the chicken pieces on the grill and cover the grill. After 5 minutes, turn the chicken slices over and grill for 3 more minutes until done.

You can serve it with bread and salad or with rice cooked with tomato sauce.

Red Rice with Tomato and Peas

This is a vegetarian rice but you could add chicken stock or lamb stock to the rice if you prefer.

3 cups boiling water

1 ½ cup basmati long grain rice

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Bahar or Arabian spice

¼ cup water

½ cup frozen peas

In a deep pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt and rice and stir the rice. Leave rice starts to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour rice in a strainer and leave to drain.

In a pot, heat the oil and add onions and season with salt and spices, and stir. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the peas and rice and stir. Reduce heat to low and cover to steam for 20 minutes.

Serve it with Arabic salad and pickles

Enjoy

Homemade Vinegar, - الخل بالفواكه

Vinegar making is a tradition in every Iraqi kitchen. We always serve pickles with meals, and vinegar is an essential kitchen ingredients that we keep in large pottery jars for pickling or salad dressing. 

Traditionally, we make vinegar using dates or grapes. I decided to experiment with fruit I have.I peeled a pineapple, and decided to put the core in a large mason jar. I added blueberries, a few dates and sugar.

The process takes a few weeks for the vinegar to mature; it takes a little of patience, but the result is very successful!

4 cups water

1/4 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

core of one pineapple

1/2 an apple sliced

4 dates

1/2 cup sugar, divided

In a large clean jar, pour the filtered water. Leave 3 inches of space to the top of the jar,  to allow space for the fermentation process.

Add 1/4 cup of sugar and stir. Add all the fruit and cover the top of the jar with cloth towel.Secure the top with rubber band.(Fermentation needs air. This is why we do not secure the top of the jar completely).

Leave the jar in a dark area in the kitchen for 3 week. You will notice the bubble and fruit are rising up to the top due to the fermentation process. 

Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place on top of a stainless steel bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture in the strainer to catch all the fruit. Discard the fruit. Pour the vinegar mixture in a big jar. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and stir. Seal the jar halfway with the top cap. Cover the jar with a kitchen towel, and leave it to mature for six more weeks.

Line a funnel with a coffee filter and put it on top of a jar to strain the vinegar again. Now you are ready to use for salads or for marinades.

Enjoy

Apricot Jam-مربى المشمش

This is one of my favorite jams. I always have jars of homemade berry jams in my fridge, and I give them as a gift when invited by friends. Whenever I make yellow cake I drop a few spoons of strawberry or blackberry jam in the batter before I put the pan in the oven.

In this recipe, I do not peel the apricots. I cut each apricot in quarters. Ripe and soft apricots are best for this recipe.

1 pound fresh apricots

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon fruit fresh powder or lemon juice

In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Add the apricots, fruit fresh powder and stir. When mixture starts to boil, reduce heat and simmer on medium low for 30 minutes. Make sure to skim off the foam that develops around the edges of the pot. Also, make sure to stir a few times to prevent the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When water is almost absorbed and apricots are cooked, remove from heat and pour in canning jars. Seal the jars and leave on the kitchen counter until cool. Store in the refrigerator.

You can use this jam with cream cheese or a topping for apple cake.

Enjoy

Green Beans with Tomatoes-فاصوليا خضرة

This is a vegetarian dish that we serve as a side dish or a main dish with rice.
I used frozen Italian green beans, but you can use regular frozen or fresh cut green beans.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or Arabian spices
1 pound frozen Italian green beans
1 8- ounces tomato sauce
1 medium tomato, chopped
11/2 cup water
In a deep pan, heat the oil and add the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add salt and seasonings. Add the green beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes or until the green beans are cooked.
Serve with plain white rice or saffron rice. Enjoy

Potato Chap- بطاطا جاب

Kubbat potato is an appetizer or finger food that is very popular as a street food, and served as a heavy mazza in restaurants and at home. We also serve it as a snack for our guests and sometimes we prepare it for a picnic.

I used potato ricer that works best for this recipe.

Makes 14 discs

3 large baking potatoes 

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch 

Vegetable oil for frying

Filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound ground beef or lamb

1/2 cup onion,chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mixed spices, Syrian spice or seven spices

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Put the potatoes in a pot. Add water to cover. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil.

When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the pot and put aside to cool. Peel the potatoes and cut each in a half.

Mash the potatoes using the potato masher or ricer. When all mashed in a bowl, add the egg, salt and cornstarch. Mix by hand or a wooden spoon to combine.

Prepare the filling ahead to cool before filling the potato. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions until soft. Add the meat, salt, and spices and stir. When meat is cooked, set a side to cool. Add the chopped parsley and stir..

Now you are ready to assemble the potato kibbi. Take a small portion of the potato,the size of an egg. Dip your fingers in vegetable oil and roll the potato at make a ball. Make a hole in the middle and stuff the potato with one teaspoon of the meat filling.. Close it and pat it to make a disk.arrange on a plate.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Slide the disks in oil. When it gets toasty, flip the disks to the other side. Remove from  pan and place on a paper towel to absorb the oil. .

When cool, arrange the disks in plastic container for later use.When, ready to serve, arrange the potato  disks on a baking tray and heat in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

You can freeze these disks before frying, but I prefer to fry them, freeze them and reheat them when ready to serve.

enjoy

Dates Bread- كعكة بالتمر

Dates Bread is called, خبز بالتمر اوالكعك بالتمر

The dough is sticky

This is a delicious sweet bread that goes well with afternoon tea or breakfast. Once you  make this bread, you would not want to buy bread from the grocery store!

You can use majdool date or pressed dates for baking, which you can find at Middle Eastern grocery stores. This recipe does not require a lot of kneading

1 tablespoon yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons butter,melted

3 eggs

4 tablespoons powdered milk

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground fennel, optional

1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds

Egg wash and one tablespoon sesame seeds

Prepare the date mixture by sautéing one pound of dates with a tablespoon of butter. Add ground cardamom and cinnamon for flavoring and mix. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, put the yeast and add the sugar and warm water and stir. when the yeast becomes foamy add the butter, eggs, salt, and stir. Gradually, add the flour as you stir. Add fennel and nigella seeds and stir. The dough will be rather sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a floured board. Knead the dough for 2 minutes .Cover with a dish towel to  to rest for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 pieces.

Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough to make 6x3  inches. Roll the dates to make a rope..place the date rope on the dough and fold the dough over the date rope. And pinch the edges to seal . Attach both ends to make a ring. Make a few cuts  around the ring. Place on a sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the dough with a towel and place in a warm area in the kitchen to rise for 1 hour.

Uncover the dough and brush the top of the rings with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Bake in a 375 degrees F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave it on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove bread and place on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy

Lamb and Potato Curry- كاري بالبطاطا

This is a delicious recipe using lamb chops. You could use stewing lamb, veal or beef. 

6-8 lamb chops

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon salt

1 large tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 1/2 cup water

1 lemon

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

In a deep pot, heat the oil and sear the lamb chops on both sides. Add the onions, garlic,salt and spices and  cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Pour the water over and cover the pot and simmer for 60 minutes on medium heat. 

Check the sauce if it needs more salt. Add the potatoes. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.

Turn off the heat, and squeeze the juice of one lemon and pour it over the the lamb chops.

Serve with plain white rice and salads.

Enjoy

Lamb Kufta with Potatoes, كفتة بالبطاطة

This is a very popular dish that we bake in the oven. You can cook it on top of the stove in a deep pan.

Serves 4

1 pound ground lamb or beef

1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Arabian spice(bahar)
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 large russet potato, peeled
1 large tomato
1 ( 14.5-ounce can) diced tomatoes 
1/2 cup water

In a bowl, put the ground lamb and add the garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and spice and mix by hand. Shape the meat into small balls and press each ball to make patties, and set aside.

Slice the tomato in half and slice in 1/4 inch slices, and set aside. Slice the potato in 1/4 inch sliced and cut each slice in a half. Slice the onion very thinly.

Open the tomato can and pulse the tomatoes in the food processor to make a purée.

In a deep Pyrex dish, pour 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Make a stack of meat, potato, onion and tomato slices. Arrange side by side in the pan. When all meat and slices are arranged, pour the water and the rest of the tomato sauce. Season with salt and more spices if desired.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes in 350 degrees F. Oven. Remove from oven, uncover and bake for15 more minutes. 

Serve with plain white rice, and salad.

Stuffed Vegetables- Dolma-دولمة

This is a traditional dish that we usually prepare in the weekend or when we have a big gathering. You can use the seasonal vegetables for this dish. During Winter we replace the grape leaves with Swiss Chard.

6-8 Servings

2 green peppers, top off, and seeds removed  

3 zucchinis, peeled and, cut in a half

3 small Italian eggplants, cut in a half

2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 pound ground lamb or beef

1 cup white rice

1 small onion, chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

1 cup tomato sauce, divided

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon Arabic Spice

1 (16-ounce) jar grape leaves

1 1/2 cup water

Core the inside of the zucchini and eggplant and set the flesh aside.

 Salt the insides of the vegetables with 1 teaspoon of salt, and place in a strainer to drain for 30 minutes.

Combine the meat, rice, lemon juice, garlic, onions, and half a cup tomato sauce, 1 remaining teaspoon of salt, and spices. Stuff the vegetables and arrange side by side in a deep pan or pot.

To stuff grape leaves, place one tablespoon of the filling in the center. Fold the sides to the center and fold the leaf over and roll lightly. Arrange them on top of the vegetables with the seem down.

If you are using fresh grape leaves, put them in boiling water to soften them for 5 minutes before stuffing.

Arrange the stuffed grape leaves on top of the vegetables. Pour the tomato sauce and water on top.

Place a fruit plate on top of the vegetables to keep them submerged. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a medium. Cook for 30 minutes, covered, until rice is cooked.

To serve, cover the pot with a tray or a large platter, and flip the pot on the tray. Serve it with bread and yogurt cucumber  salad/