Potatoes and Stuffing....Yummmm.

With the onset of winter just around the corner, I thought I would share some recipes that sounded good.  I was going through the Better Homes and Garden Magazine and that is where the next couple of recipes came from.  I snapped them with my camera because I was feeling lazy so if you can't read them...my fault.  :)

Jalapeno Popper Dip

A favorite dip around the office.

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 oz canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained (I rinse peppers under cold water since I don't like it too spicy)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (i use a little more)

Directions:

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth.  Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers.  Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Microwave on High until hot, about 8 -10 minutes.

If you wish to have a baked variation:

same as above but in order to brown the cheese, bake in oven safe container, at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for roughly 30 minutes.

Saudi Dumplings (LooQemat)

Sweet dumpling, Saudi Ramadan dessert

Dough ingredients

3 cups of white flour
1/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon yeast with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup warm water
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
Oil for frying

Preparation

Add the flour, salt, water, milk, and yeast, and then mix together till you get a thick batter.

Then leave the batter to ferment for 6 hours or until the batter rises.  After batter rises, add 1 egg, then add a little of baking powder then mix well.

Heat the oil in a frying pan.  Use a tablespoon to shape batter into little balls and then put them in a few at a time and deep fry until it turns to a golden brown color.  Dumplings should be completely covered with oil during the frying process.  When frying is complete, soak the dumplings in cold syrup and serve as soon as you finish soaking it.

LooQemat Syrup

2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon rose water
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Saudi Sambousak

Dough Ingredients:
3 cups of white flour
1 1/2 cup of oil
1 teaspoon bread spice
Oil for frying
Water
(Yeast, fennel, poppy seed)

Stuffing Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or lamb
Salt as desired
2 grated onions
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Put the flour in a deep bowl, add the bread, spice, and salt.
Add the oil and rub with fingertips.
Add water and a pinch of salt a little at a time, mixing thoroughly until dough is binding.
Leave the dough for 2 hours, then divide it into small pieces, then roll it into a round ball and about 1/16 inch thick.

Place one tablespoon of ground meat in the center of each round ball, seal and then twist the edges.  Heat the oil and deep fry the samboosak on both sides.  Serve hot with green salad.

Serves 8-10 people

Saudi Wheat Soup (Shorobat II - Jereesh)

According to the pamphlet this soup is traditionally consumed when breaking the fast during the month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.  It is made with tomatoes, meat, and cracked wheat, and enhanced with cinnamon.   Sounds like it might be good to have on a cold day.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3/4 pound beef or lamb, cut into bite-size cubes
5 cups water
6 tomatoes, peel and puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup Bulgar

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and toss in the onions.  Fry for a few minutes, then stir in the meat cubes and fry on all sides.

Pour in the 5 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender -- for about an hour.

Pour in the pureed tomatoes and season with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Add the Bulgar to the soup, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the Bulgar is tender.

Pour the soup into a tureen, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Saudi Arabian Recipe - Rice with Chicken/Lamb

I have some more Saudi Arabian Recipes to share with you.  This one is for Chicken or lamb.

Rice with Chicken/Lamb (Kabsa)

1 1/4 - 1 3/4 pounds of choice of chicken, lamb
1 3/4 pounds chopped tomatoes
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 pieces of cinnamon sticks
2-3 pieces of dried lime
4-5 pods of cardamon
1 1/2 cups of rice
4 cups boiling water

Cut the meat into medium pieces, wash and drain.
Put oil in saucepan and fry the onions until golden.
Add meat and fry until light brown.
Add tomatoes, boiling water, dried limes and cinnamon.
Cook on low heat until meat is tender.
Rinse rice and add meat.

Liquid should be one half inch above rice.  Cook on high until stock has almost evaporated, then turn down heat to simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.

Serve hot.

Somehow I think that the order of cooking is mixed up a little bit but you should be able to figure it out.

Saudi Arabian recipes

We are celebrating unity week at NIU and one of the days I received a handout which had recipes for Saudi Arabian recipes in it.  I thought I'd share some with you.

Dip for Dates (Haysa Al-Tumreya)

3/4 cup flour, either white or brown
1/2 cup shortening or vegetable oil
Dates, pitted

Combine the flour and shortening or oil in a saucepan.  Heat over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the Mixture is golden brown.  Remove from heat and pour onto a plate.  Serve while hot with a bowl of pitted dates.  Serves 6 - 8 as a snack.

Spices in Saudi Food

The important spices in Saudi cooking are black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cumin, cardamon, paprika, and curry.  

Saudi Spice Mix (Baharat)

1/3 cup black pepper

1/4 cup corieander powder

1/4 cup cinnamon

1/4 cup clove, ground

1/3 cup cumin

1/4 cup nutmeg

1/2 cup paprika

1/3 cup curry powder

1/4 cup dried limes, ground

2 teaspoons cardamon, ground

Mix all ingredients, store in tightly sealed jar.  

Makes 2 cups.

Saudi Beans (Foul)

one can of fava beans

1 onion

1 tomato

3 minced garlic cloves

2 spoons of tehaini paste

Olive oil

lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

To make a dip made of foul madamis with pita bread; first drain the beans, and then add olive oil and heat up for a few minutes.  If you prefer it spicy; add a few cuts of chili green pepper, minced garlic, lemon juice, and stir well.  Leave on low heat for 3 minutes or less.  Add the tehaini paste, and then arrange the mix in a flat dish.  Add more of the lemon juice on top and drizzle olive oil on top.   Sprinkle some onions and tomatoes on the side.