I don't know about you, but I just love Middle Eastern flavors. The spice blends, the ingredients, the combination of sweet and savory... I love it all! Here I have put together 4 recipes that could be enjoyed as one whole meal, or you could break up the components and enjoy them as one piece of a different meal. I hope you enjoy eating these dishes as much as I did! Also, don't forget that I now have an equipment and ingredient section at the bottom of this newsletter. There aren't a lot of specialty items that you absolutely need for these recipes, but there are definitely some that will help! And while you may be able to find most of these ingredients at local stores, there are some that may be slightly harder to find unless you have a good Persian market and spice store nearby. Luckily they are easily found on the web! |
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Za'atar-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Mint Feta Pesto |
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Ok. Let's be honest. Part of the reason this recipe came about was because my mint is growing out of control on my hydroponic Gardyn and something just had to be done. But also, I love lamb, and za'atar is one of my favorite spice blends of all time. It is generally made from thyme, oregano, sumac, and sesame seeds. It can contain more herbs depending on the blend, but those are the basics. Check your spice aisle at the grocery store, or there is a link below. One thing people don't think of when they are making rack of lamb is that they are using ribs. So, just like any rack of ribs, the membrane must be removed. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I made a video for you. Though the animal is different in the video, the concept is the same. | | |
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Serves 2-3 Ingredients: For the breadcrumbs: 1/2 cup panko 1 teaspoon za'atar 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil For the lamb: 1 rack of lamb (1 - 1 1/2 pounds), frenched and membrane removed 1 1/2 teaspoons za'atar 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as avocado, canola, or vegetable 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed For the pesto: 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons toasted pistachios 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup olive oil, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed Procedure: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the breadcrumbs: In a small bowl, combine all the breadcrumb ingredients and mix well. Set aside. Sear the lamb: Season lamb with salt, pepper, and za’atar on both sides. Set a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add oil. When hot, add lamb, fat side down and sear until browned. Remove pan from heat. Flip lamb rack over and brush mustard on browned side. Press reserved breadcrumbs into the mustard, adhering them to the meat (you may have extra breadcrumbs). Place skillet (lamb should be breadcrumbs up) in preheated oven and cook until desired doneness. For medium rare, you will need to cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until a thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the meat (away from bone) reads 130-135 degrees F. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Make the pesto: While the lamb is resting, add mint, thyme, pistachios, lemon juice, feta, and 2 tablespoons oil to the bowl of a food processor. Turn on and process until well chopped. While the processor is running, drizzle in remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. To serve: Cut lamb rack between the bones in 1-2 bone pieces. Place some mint pesto on the plate and top with lamb portions. Serve. |
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Toasted Bulgur Pilaf with Garam Masala and Apricots |
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I love bulgur. It is quick-cooking and so versatile. It has a lovely nutty flavor that complements so many things. And it is just a nice break from rice from time to time. I used garam masala in here which is a blend of coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper. I use that stuff on everything! It can easily be found in most grocery stores, but if you can't find it, I have a link below to one as well. It's particularly good with things that have a slight sweetness to them like winter squashes, sweet potatoes, etc. That is why it works so very well in this dish with the apricots. If you don't like apricots, try swapping them out for cherries or figs! A lot of people are intimidated by leeks. And if you don't clean them right, they are dirty, nasty little things. Luckily I have made a video for you showing you just how easy they are to handle. | | |
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Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup sliced leeks 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 1 cup bulgur 2 cups water or vegetable stock 1/2 cup diced dried apricots Kosher salt as needed Procedure: Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When hot, add leeks and garam masala. Cook until garam masala is very fragrant and leeks have started to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Add bulgur and continue cooking until bulgur is toasted, approximately 1 minute. Add water or stock and apricots. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 12 minutes or until bulgur is tender and water is absorbed. Check seasoning and adjust with salt as needed. Serve. |
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Falafel with Whipped Feta |
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I love falafel. Crunchy, herbaceous... they have it all. The trick is to use dried chickpeas or else they just go mushy. Unfortunately that means that you can't make them right away. It takes several spaced out steps, but I assure you they are worth it! Just try to space them out and they won't seem overwhelming. I usually put the chickpeas in to soak before bed, process first thing in the morning, then shape and fry at dinner time. That way no step takes much longer than 20-30 minutes total! There are a lot of leafy herbs used in this recipe. While it doesn't quite matter if you get a few stems in the food processor, if you want to see the easiest way to get some leaves off the stems of cilantro and parsley, watch this video! | | |
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Serves 4 Ingredients: For the falafel: 1 cup dried chickpeas 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup) 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh parsley leaves, plus additional for garnish if desired 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus additional for garnish if desired 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/2-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes, or to taste 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin 1 teaspoon baking powder 4-8 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed Canola or vegetable oil for frying For the whipped feta: 1 cup crumbled feta 1 cup heavy cream Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed For serving (optional): Chopped tomato Pita bread Procedure: Make the falafel: Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Place the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade along with the parsley, cilantro, salt, chili flakes, garlic, and cumin. Pulse until finely diced but not pureed. Add the drained chickpeas and pulse a couple of times until they are roughly chopped. Sprinkle the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour into the food processor, and pulse. Pull a small amount out of the processor and see if it holds together in a ball when squeezed. If so, place into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours. If not, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, and gently pulse until it will hold together. Make the whipped feta: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the feta. Process until smooth. While motor is running, drizzle in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the falafel: Remove the chickpea mixture from the fridge and form into balls about the size of walnuts or use a portion scoop to ensure even sizing. Flatten slightly into patties to ensure even cooking. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If the ball falls apart while cooking, add a little flour until the mixture comes together. Then fry about 6 balls at a time until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on a cooling rack set over a sheet tray (see an example of this here). Serve with feta cream, pita, and chopped tomatoes. |
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Pomegranate Molasses is one of those ingredients that quickly becomes highly addictive. You will start looking for all kinds of things to add this sweet/tart syrup to. If you have a grocery store with a good international section, you should get lucky and see it on the shelf. If not, I have a link below for you. As for the chard, you could substitute any green you like in this recipe, such as kale (though I would use lacinato, personally), spinach, or escarole. I just love chard, and I always have some growing in my hydroponic Gardyn. You just need a little bitterness to round out the sweet and tart flavors. If you don't know how to work with these greens or they are intimidating, I have made a quick video showing you how to work with them. | | |
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Serves 3-4 Ingredients: 2 pounds (with stems) Swiss chard 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, finely diced (see a trick on how to do this here) 1/4 cup vegetable stock or water 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses 1 teaspoon honey Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed Procedure: Fill a large bowl with cool water. Remove any bruised or wilted leaves from the chard. Separate the stems from the leaves. Wash very thoroughly in the bowl, checking to make sure all sand or fine dirt is removed from the stems and leaves. Shake them dry over the sink and wrap in a kitchen or paper towel to dry. Slice the leaves into thin ribbons, and dice the stems in to small pieces. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and stem pieces and cook until onions are translucent. Add half the greens and season with salt. When those greens have wilted, add remaining greens. When the greens have cooked down and turned bright green, stir in the stock or water, pomegranate molasses, and honey. Cook until liquid has evaporated, and greens are “glazed”. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. |
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Equipment and Ingredients If you are looking for some of the equipment or ingredients used in this week's newsletter, see the links below. Za'atar: if you are looking for a more authentic blend than you can get in the local grocery store, this is a good one. Garam Masala: I've rarely met a blend that I didn't like. This is the one I've been using lately and I do enjoy it. Pomegranate Molasses: This is the brand I used for testing, but any Persian brand should be ok. Dijon Mustard: There is only one brand of Dijon that is allowed in my home: Maille. I like the 4-pack, since it is their 4 best-selling styles. Here is the link. Food Processor: In the world of food processors, there is only one brand in my book: Breville. And the Sous Chef Pro model 16 cup is my favorite. It was perfect for the falafel recipe because I could use the big bowl for the falafel themselves, and the small bowl for the whipped feta. Here is the link to the one I like (and own). Portion scoop: The way that I got the falafel all exactly the same size is by using a portion scoop. I used a small one for this recipe. Here is the one that I used (I used the #70 size rounded, but #60 would also be ok - they would just be bigger). Fry thermometer: If you don't have a deep fryer at home, you will need a fry thermometer. This is the only one I've used for years and years. Spider: No, it doesn't have 8 legs. It is simply a good way to remove fried food from hot oil. Or from boiling water. It works great! I like the all stainless steel ones, as they don't snag as easily as the really inexpensive aluminum ones. Here is one like the one I have. |
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