Kabsa

Kabsa is an Arabic favorite rice dish popular in many Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Because Kabsa is really delicious, it became famous dish in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. This is a meat (lamb) version of the Kabsa recipe.


Ingredients:

2 1/2 kg lamb, large cubes
4 cups basmati rice
1/2 kg carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 kg tomato, peeled and diced
1 kg finely chopped onion
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch ground coriander
salt and black pepper
butter or olive oil (for frying)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Kabsa Spice Mix

1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamoms
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground dried limes

Sauce

2 cups water
1 beef stock cube (Maggi)
1 large onion, finely chopped
14 ounces chopped tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup diced celery
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

Fry meat until browned on all sides. Add enough water to the pot so that it covers the meat by 1.5"-2", bring to a boil then cook gently over medium heat for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until tender. Reserve stock & set meat aside.
Soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain, rise under running water then drain well.
Add butter to a large stock pot or casserole, fry the onion, pepper, carrot & spices. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
Add rice to vegetables in the pot, cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add meat stock until stock covers rice (approx 1.5" above rice). Cover pot. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until tender - add a little more stock or water if rice seems to become dry.

Sauce:

Fry onion, garlic and tomato in the butter. Add tomato paste, celery, salt, cinnamon, water & stock cube. Cook on medium heat until slightly thickened and celery is tender.
Serve in a large dish or on a platter. Place the rice first, top with meat & garnish with pine nuts. Serve the sauce in a jug with a spoon. Saudies enjoy kabsa with a hot sauce called "shattah".

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Muhammar is a sweet rice and it's one of the most famous Bahraini dishes. Muhammar is a must in the bahraini cuisine as a accompaniment to fish and only Fish. Let's try together this delicious Muhammar recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice, washed
1/4 tsp saffron
2 table spoons rose water
3 cardamom pods, cracked
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup ghee or butter
1/2 cup sugar

Preparation:

Soak together saffron, cardamom, cloves, and rosewater; leave aside to steep.
Add rice to 6 cups of boiling water: boil to half cooked about 8 minutes; drain.
Stir sugar through the hot rice
Heat the ghee or butter in the same pan the rice was boiled and add the sweetened rice. Sprinkle the rose water mix on top
Cover the rim of pan with a cloth or paper towels and place lid on tightly
Cook over very low heat about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to serving platter.
Top with melted butter.
Best eaten with fried king fish or rabbit fish (safee)

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Machboos

Machboos is a dish of rice & meat, popular in many Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Here is a version of Machboos recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 650 g basmati rice
• 3 tomatoes, quartered
• 1-1 1/2 kg chicken
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 green hot pepper, as desired
• 2 black dried limes
• 2 teaspoons buharat spice mix
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 slice ginger root, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons rose water
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 teaspoons salt

Preparation:

Cut the chicken in half. Heat the water and leave aside. In a small bowl, mix the spices (garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom) together and add to the mixture one teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture on the chicken halves.
Heat oil in a large cooking pan, fry the onions until golden brown, then add to the pepper and the black limes - you MUST make a hole in each limes.
Add the chicken to the onion mixture and turn it over a few times in the pan. Sprinkle on the chicken a teaspoon of cinnamon and the rest of the mixed spices. Turn the contents all together so the chicken is coated with the spices, cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, chopped ginger, and tomato cubes to the pan and turn the ingredients in the pan a few times. Cover again for 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pour on it water while its still hot.Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the copped coriander 5 minutes before you remove the chicken from the stock in the pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice well and soak for 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.Remove the chicken from the pan and put on an oven tray, brush with some oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon powder and grill in the oven until the chicken is golden brown.Add the rice to the chicken stock, stir, then let it cook on low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and is almost done.Sprinkle rose water and lemon juice over the rice and place the butter pieces on the top. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
Serve the rice on a large serving plate and place the grilled chicken halves on the top.

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Sumac kebabs on couscous tabouli recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Sumac kebabs on couscous tabouli Recipe. Enjoy the taste of Lebanese food and learn how to make quick and easy Sumac kebabs on couscous tabouli.

Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 10 minutes

Equipment
You will need to soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes for this recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4)

6 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs sumac
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
1 cup (190g) couscous
1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint
2 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
Greek yoghurt, to serve
Pita bread, to serve

Method

1. Combine the chicken, garlic, sumac, coriander and half the oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers.

2. Heat a char-grill pan or large frying pan over high heat. Add chicken skewers and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from heat. Set aside to rest.

3. Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to the boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat, add the couscous and stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff grains to separate. Transfer to a bowl. Add the parsley, mint, onion, tomatoes, lemon juice and remaining oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spoon the couscous among serving plates. Top with kebabs. Serve immediately with Greek yoghurt and pita bread, if desired.

Notes
Try substituting couscous with burghul (cracked wheat). It takes a little longer to cook, but is traditionally used to make tabouli.

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Moroccan-style lamb with pistachio couscous recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Moroccan-style lamb with pistachio couscous Recipe. Enjoy Moroccan Food and learn how to make quick and easy Moroccan-style lamb with pistachio couscous.

Cooking Time 25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 (about 500g) lamb eye of loin (backstrap)
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs olive oil
250ml (1 cup) water
125ml (1/2 cup) fresh orange juice
20g butter
290g (1 1/2 cups) couscous
150g fresh dates, halved, stones removed, thinly sliced lengthways
150g dried Turkish apricots, halved
75g (1/2 cup) salted pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander, washed, dried, leaves picked
1 tbs finely grated orange rind
Thick natural yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. Sprinkle both sides of the lamb with cinnamon and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook for 4-5 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

2. Meanwhile, combine the water, orange juice and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Add the couscous while stirring with a fork. Cover with a lid and set aside for 5 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains.

3. Slice the lamb across the grain. Add the dates, apricot, pistachios, coriander and orange rind to the couscous and stir to combine. Divide among serving bowls. Top with lamb and serve with yoghurt, if desired.

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Stuffed Zucchinis with Cheese and Italian Sausage

Steven is not the biggest fan of zucchinis but once they're stuffed with cheese and Italian sausage, even he can't resist them. I've converted him to a zucchini lover, albeit a meat-and-cheese stuffed zucchini lover. I've heard of stuffing bell peppers but stuffing zucchinis was a novel idea for me, one which I first saw on Elise's Simply Recipes. One of the great things about reading food blogs is seeing all the creative and delicious ideas bloggers come up with; it becomes addicting!

Stuffed Zucchinis with Cheese and Italian Sausage 

Adapted from Elise's Simply Recipes

6 zucchinis

4 Italian sausages

1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp white wine

1/4 tsp ground Italian herb

Optional: fresh basil or other herbs

1 egg

1/2 C grated mozzarella

1/4 C grated Parmesan

Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Slice the zucchinis in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and scoop out the insides leaving the zucchinis about 1/4 in thick. Sprinkle the insides of the zucchinis with some salt to draw out excess moisture. Chop the scooped zucchini insides and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Brown the sausage and break it up into small pieces. Remove into a mixing bowl and set aside. Add the chopped zucchinis, drained tomatoes, garlic, white wine, dried Italian herb mix, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until all of the moisture has absorbed. Mix in the browned sausage and wait until the filling has cooled. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drain any moisture that may have come out of the filling before mixing in the cheese and egg. Also drain any moisture that has been drawn out of the zucchinis. Mix the egg and cheeses into the filling and scoop generously into the zucchinis. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the zucchinis have softened.

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Bok Choy

Sometimes when I cook vegetables, I like to keep it simple, just a quick stir fry with a bit of salt. Nothing else, no garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, etc. etc. Just oil and salt. This way it keeps the flavors clean and refreshing. There are so many varieties of bok choy it's sometimes hard to keep them straight. The kind of bok choy I most often use is baby bok choy, the variety with light green instead of white stalks. When it comes to most Chinese vegetables, bigger isn’t always better, the smaller ones are sweeter and more tender. Even in the same plant, I find that the inner leaves are much sweeter and tastier than the outer ones.

There are also many ways to cut bok choy. Some prefer to chop the leaves and separate the greens from the stalks since the leaves cook faster. Others like to cut the entire bok choy in half lengthwise or in quarters and cook it in large segments. What I like to do is take each leaf and slice down lengthwise to get about 1/2 in strips, leaf intact. I think it’s prettier this way and it’s more manageable to eat than a huge quarter segment.

Stir fried Bok Choy
Bok choy (1 head per person)
Salt
1 tsp vegetable oil per 2 bunches bok choy

Wash each leaf to get rid of the dirt, especially in the spoon-like area in the bottom. Slice 2 or 3 times lengthwise down the leaf for strips.

Heat oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the bok choy and salt; cook stirring frequently. Cook until all the leaves are wilted then for another 1 minute and serve.

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