The Iraqi Family Cookbook

The Iraqi Family Cookbook
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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Eggplant Omelet


This is a very filling and satisfying omelet. I grilled vegetables on an outdoor grill. I had leftover eggplants and decided to make this dish for a brunch, or a light dinner. Traditionally, we dice the eggplants and sauté them in oil until soft. In this recipe, I used grilled eggplants.
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to drizzle over eggplants
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, or Arabian spice
1 large American eggplant
½ cup scallions, chopped
½ cup leek, sliced
½ cup green pepper, chopped
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
Slice the eggplant in half an inch thick. Sprinkle salt over the slices. Put eggplant in a colander to drain for 30 minutes.
Pat the slices with paper towel to remove moisture, and spread on a baking sheet.  Drizzle extra olive oil over the slices. Put the slices under the broiler for 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions, leeks and green peppers for 5 minutes.  Season with salt and spices.  Arrange a layer eggplant over the onion mixture.
Crack the eggs in a bowl, and scramble them. Pour the eggs over the eggplants. Cover and cook on top of the stove for 5 minutes until eggs are set.  Sprinkle the parsley over the omelet and place under the broiler for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve with bread.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Vegetarian Bulgur with Peasالبلغر مع البزالية


When my friends invited me for grilled kabob, I decided to make this dish to take with me. It is perfect to serve with meat kabob or vegetable kabob.
1 ½ cup coarse bulgur
1 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Arabian spice (bahar)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup pitted black olives
¼ cup water
In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt, and drop the bulgur in the water. Leave it to boil for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove and pour the bulgur into a colander to drain.
In a deep pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions. Season with salt and spices. Add the peas and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes and add the black olives. Add the bulgur to the onion and peas mixture and add ¼ cup of water. Cover the pan and leave it to simmer on low heat for 15 more minutes until bulgur is soft. Check if it needs more salt.
Serve it with cucumber yogurt salad and pickles.
If you cook this recipe as a side dish, you can serve it with grilled kabob, or grilled chicken.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Phyllo Cheese Roll


These rolls are very delicious. You can serve them for a brunch or as an appetizer. You can prepare these rolls and freeze them. Bake them when you are ready to serve them.
Makes 2 rolls
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried mint
½ cup fresh dill, chopped
1 pound phyllo
Olive oil
Put the feta cheese, ricotta cheese and egg in a mixing bowl and stir. Add parsley, dill and mint and stir to combine, and set aside
Use 5 phyllo sheets for each roll. Roll out the sheet of phyllo and brush with olive oil. Place another sheet on top and brush with oil. When 5 sheets are stacked and covered with oil, spread the cheese mixture along one side of the phyllo stack to make 2 inches wide filling.
Roll up the phyllo to the end of the stack. Place the roll on an oiled tray with the seam down. Score the top of the roll into 8-10 sections.
Bake in 350 F oven for 35 minutes. Leave to cool and cut it through the scores.


You can keep the roll uncut. Wrap it with foil and freeze it. When ready to serve, place it on 300 degrees F oven for 10-15 minutes. Do not microwave it. Phyllo will become soggy.