The Egyptian's Favorite Recipe

I do not know how many times my friends ask me to share an "egyptian" recipe with them. I always give them easiest one - Tahini, Hummus, things like that. But THAT does not make an egyptian's stomach full. The recipe I am about to share with you is one that is found on many of an egyptians dinner table. It's easy, it's cheap, it has all the major stuff you would need to feed a family - but it is a little time consuming. (Remember, most of the women are housewives there.) I tend to wait until the weekend to make it.

I actually attempted to take pics with my mobile phone last night. The quality sucks, but I think you will get the picture.

المكرونة بالبشاميل

That is the name of the recipe. I am not kidding you. LOL Just follow the instructions and check out the pics.

What you will need:
1 pound of ground beef (1/2 kilo beef)
1 pound of pasta (penne, macaroni, whatever you would like to use) (1/2 kilo macaroni)
1 large onion
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 egg
mozzarella
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, White Pepper, Cumin, Oil

Okay.. let's begin.

Start by chopping your onion! (Simple enough - but makes me cry like a baby.)

Now, add a little oil to a skillet, and for about five minutes, saute the onions until they are tender.

While you are doing that - boil the pasta on another burner

Drain the pasta when it is al dente!

Add just a smidge of oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. Set it aside in a bowl.

Since my husband is a muslim - we try to eat Halal as much as possible. (It means it is butchered a certain way.) So - I grab my thawed beef.

Mix it with the onions and brown for about 10 minutes on a medium heat.

Now I am going to add a littl cumin (well - a lot! We love the stuff) Most middle eastern meat is seasoned with cumin! Gives it that "different" flavor.

Stirring it up.

Add black pepper

Add salt. I prefer a Kosher or Sea Salt. (Just add enough to season.)
Now turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20 minutes in the seasoning.

Cut three tablespoons of butter. I use Sweet cream unsalted Butter.

Melt it in a sauce pan over medium heat

Grab your three tablespoons of flour.

Mix the two together for about three minutes, stirring constantly

Add your two cups of milk. (I used 2%)

Whisk for about 3 minutes or so that everything is combined, the sauce gets thicker and does not get chunky.

Then you set the sauce aside and allow it to cool. Then add one egg. Whisk together.

Add a little bit of salt and white pepper.

Sprinkle with Nutmeg

Whisk everything together

Now divide the mixture. That would mean 2 - 1cups.

In 1/2 of the mixture, add 3 tablespoons of the meat and fill it with pasta.
Mix it together.

Poor that into a deep baking dish. That is your first layer.

Add a layer of meat mix.

Sprinkle a little cheese.

Add the rest of the pasta

Then the rest of the meat mix.

Pour the rest of the Bechamel over the entire container. Spread it evenly.

Top with the remaining cheese (I just use one bag of Mozzarella)

Cook in the overn at 350 for about 40 minutes and voila! Let me tell you - it is thick, it lasts forever and it is good reheated.

Let me know if you try it!

Today of all Days

It is cold. It is rainy. It is divine.

I think Sundays make the perfect day for a rainy afternoon. I am hoping for a BIG thunderstorm. It doesn't look like that is going to happen.

I guess I should clarify a few things.





I live in the south. It really does not get THAT cold. I am able to function with the sunroom's window open. If it were actually COLD, I could not do that. But my toes do feel a little icy.
>I LOOOOOOVE Sundays.. I guess the Bangle's got it right when they said - "It's my fun day." I feel like the entire world let's out an exhausted exhale. I see clearer. I feel calmer. There is definitely something about Sunday.

My plans today are truly silly. I organized my cosmetics. Seriously, I reorganized them.

I made the bed.




I am planning to make this awesome little egyptian meal tonight. So I double checked to make sure I have all of the ingredients.

THAT reminds me - I promised my sister I would add at least a random Mediterranean recipe from time to time. Okay..
Here it goes:

First of all - these are the bell peppers I have for tonight.

Now for the fabulous recipe:
I am making - Biber dolmasi (which is basically stuffed bell peppers, but middle eastern (to be exact - North African style.)
This is truly the egyptian's favorite.
Ingredients -
Olive Oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground sumac
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup of ground lamb
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
large pinch of cayenne pepper
5/8 cup basmati rice, rinsed, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained
2 tomatoes, grated, juices set aside, and skin discarded
2 tbsp blanched almonds, toasted and chopped
3 tbsp currants
2 tbsp chopped frech flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 large bell peppers
8 grape leaves preserved, well rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp tomato paste, dissolved in 1 1/4 cup boiling water
salt & pepper

What to do:
Preheat to 350F.

Heat 3 tblsp olive oil in a skillet. Add the onoion and sumac and cook over med. heat, stirring for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stiring an additional 2 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until no longer pink. Stir in allspice, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring for 1 more minute.

Stir in the rice and tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring occassionally, for 3 - 5 minutes, or until the tomato juices have evaporated. Stir in the almonds, currants and herbs and set aside.

Halve each green pepper from top to bottom, leaving the stalks intact, then seed. Divide the lamb mix between the bell pepper halves.

Use the grape leaves to line the bottom of the shallow overnproof casserole or deep skillet with an oven proof lid and handle large enough to hold the pepper halves in a single layer. Arrange the pper halves in the casserole or skillet so that they remain upright.

Spoon 1 tbsp of tomato paste liquid over each pepper. Add 4 tbsp of oil and salt and pepper to taste the remaining tomato paste liquid, and pour around the bell peppers.

Bring the liquid in the casserole to a boil on the stove, then cover tightly.
Bake in the over for 50 minutes - 1 hour, or until peppers are very tender and the rice is cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the tomato liquid - then serve hot. However, you can let the peppers cool - they will absorb the flavor from the grape leaves.

How does that sound???? It is not as hard as it may seem. FULL of vitamins!


Okay.. this is probably the most scattered blog entry in a very long time. Sorry.. just sleepy from the rain!!!

Tonight's Dinner

Can you tell I am bored out of my mind? LOL Three posts in one day.. I know, I know. But I have a lot of time to myself.

I promised one of my dearest friends I would share what I was cooking tonight. Soo.. it's that simple.

If you are into trying new recipes - then give my dinner a try.

Menu:
Egyptian Macaroni with Bechamel Sauce

Egyptian Chickpea and Orzo Soup

Strawberry/Spinach/Balsamic Vinegar Salad

Banana split cake.



Here you go:

Main course - Macaroni w/Bechamel Sauce. (The egyptian's favorite.. distinctly middle eastern.)

It is a little complicated in the sense that it has a lot of steps.. here and there.

Ingredients:

1lb ground meat (choose beef or lamb)

2 tbls olive oil

1/2 box of rigatoni or penne

1 onion chopped & Salt/Pepper to taste.

Sauce Ingredients - 3 tbsp butter; 3 tbsp flour; 2 cups milk; 1 egg; Salt & white pepper; 1/8 tsp nutmeg; shredded mozzarella; Salt/Pepper & nutmeg to taste

Instructions:

Cook pasta & Drain. Set aside.

While that is happening - Heat oil in a skillet over med. heat , add chopped onion & stir for 5 minutes until tender. Add meat - stir occasionally - leave for 10 minutes. Reduce heat. Add S & P to taste. Mix - leave for 20 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

While the meat is cooking - begin on the sauce.

Heat butter in a saucepan over med. heat. Add flour & stir for 3 minutes. Add milk to mix while continuously whisking (so chunks do not form) until sauce is is combined and thick. Leave sauce to cool.

Add egg to sauce and beat well. Season with Salt/Pepper & Nutmeg. Divide sauce in half.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grab a casserole dish - mix 1/2 of sauce with 3 tbsp of meat. & other 1/2 with three tbsp pasta.

Pour meat sauce/mix on the bottom. Layer with remaining meat. Cover with a layer of mozzarella. Then pour remaining pasta. Then pour pasta sauce/mix over. Then over with mozzarella. (Sprinkle with nutmeg)

Cook for 40 minutes covered.

Next is the Egyptian Chick Pea and Orzo Soup.

Super easy!!

(and you can eat it for days!!)

Ingredients:

6 cups veggie broth

2 cups water

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, drained

1 tsp chopped parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

6 oz. orzo

2 lemons cut into wedges



Instructions:

Combine: broth, water, garlic & onion in saucepan. Boil, simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add chick peas & cook 15 more minutes. Season with Salt & Pepper to taste. Stir in parsley.

Meanwhile - cook orzo (salted water) until tender and drain. Ladle soup over orzo w/wedge of lemon. (Squirt into soup.)



Next -

Ingredients:

Baby Spinach, Strawberries sliced, purple onion, blue cheese crumbles, balsamic vinegar dressing.

Just cut and layer!

Finally - the piece de resistance!

Banana Split Cake! Follow the steps/ingredients below -

Ingredients:

1 can 20-ounces crushed pineapple in juice, no sugar added

1 box "lite" yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 350F.



Mix whole can of pineapple with juice & cake mix on med. speed for 3 minutes - blend well.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with spray & pour batter. Cook 40 minutes - let cool.



topping: 2 tbls sugar substitute; 1 an "lite" cherry pie filling; 2 bananas sliced; 18 o. carton fat-free cool whip; 2 tbsp Hershey's classic syrup



In bowl - mix sugar int pie filling (cherries). Spread filling over cooled cake. Press bananas lightly into filling. Spread cool whip over bananas with spoon. Drizzle with syrup.
You can sprinkle with nuts if you want. SOooo...

There you have it. Give it a try!