Print This Post

Pigeon Pastilla

Ingredients

6 pigeon
4 TBSP olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green coriander
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
1 TBSP mix herbs (ground ginger, saffron and ground turmeric)
Salt and black pepper
2 cup sugar
3 cup water
4 egg, beaten
1 cup peeled toasted almond
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 TBSP cinnamon powder
12 special pastille foils (spring roll foils can be used)
Butter and beaten butter to brush

Steps

- Heat oil and fry onion. Add coriander and parsley, and stir.
- Add pigeons after they have been washed well. Mix with onion and add spices, mix and bring to red color.
- Add sugar and water. Simmer on low heat until pigeons are cooked and then add a little cinnamon.
- Remove pigeons out of the sauce, remove bones, and cut into small pieces.
- Place sauce in a pan over heat. Add eggs and keep mixing until eggs are cooked and then set aside.
- Add confectioners’ sugar with cinnamon to the peeled almond.
- Put two pastilla foils and add the mixture of almond, then add the mixture of sauce and eggs to the pigeons. Put two pastilla rolls foils and repeat the previous step.
- Brush pastilla with the beaten eggs and butter, and close from the sides.
- Brush a pan with cooking oil, and then place the pastilla on the pan and brush with a little butter.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven.
- Sprinkle sugar powder and cinnamon as garnish. Serve hot.

Print This Post

Avocado and Pomegranate

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
1 cup ice
4 Tbsps sugar
½ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup crushed ice
1 Tbsp pomegranate syrup

Steps

Cut avocado into half, peal and remove pits, and then cut and put into a blender.
Add lemon juice, water and sugar, and then blend.
Pour into a serving glass.
Mix pomegranate seeds with ice and syrup in a blender.
Add the pomegranate arils mix on top of the juice and serve cold.

Print This Post

Labneh

Ingredients

2 Cups yoghurt
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp mint, dried or thyme
1 1/2 Cup olive oil

Steps

- Mix well yoghurt, lemon juice, and dry mint.
- Cover bottom of a bowl with cheesecloth.
- Pour inside the yoghurt mixture in the center of the cheesecloth.
- Tie the cheesecloth edges and hook over the bowl. Pull corners up and tie tightly.
- Cool until all the water is exterminated (Hang overnight or for 24 hours).
- Note that labneh should be refrigerated if the weather is hot.
- Remove from cheesecloth, refrigerate.
- Divide labneh and roll it into smooth, round 4 cm balls.
- Refrigerate again.
- Place in a sterile jar, cover with olive oil.
- Labneh can be refrigerated for 3 months.

Note:
- For low fat labneh, use low fat yogurt.
- Thyme, chili powder or crushed black pepper can be used instead of dry mint.
- Herbs can be added to oil for different flavors.

Print This Post

Fried Squid (Calamari)

Ingredients

Main
½ kg cleansed squid
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper
Sauce
1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp tomato, finely chopped
1 Tbsp capers, finely chopped
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ cup ketchup
*Mix all ingredients, season with salt and pepper.

Steps

Cut squid into rings.
Mix buttermilk with lemon juice, add squid rings, cover and keep refrigerated for at least 2 hours or a day.
Season flour with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander.
Heat oil in sauce pan or deep fryer.
Remove squid rings from buttermilk, dip into seasoned flour. Dredge, shaking off excess flour.
Place the coated rings in the hot oil and fry in small batches, turning occasionally until golden on all sides, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
Serve hot or warm with the sauce.

Print This Post

Pickled Onion

Ingredients

1 kg small onions
1 cup red hot pepper cut into small pieces
1 TBSP mustard seeds
1 TBSP coriander seeds
6 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1 TBSP honey
4 celery sticks

Steps

Put onion in boiled water for few minutes, then peel without using a knife, put in cold water and drain.
Add mustard, coriander, celery to vinegar and boil to get an addition flavor, drain, set aside.
Put onion in sterile jar, add red pepper pieces, and cover with vinegar till 1 cm left from the top, seal properly.
Put jar in boiled water bath (put the jar in bigger pan with boiled water) for 10 minutes to get the air out of the jar.
Keep for a week till fully pickled or depends on the size of the onions.