This is the Arab mother's version of spaghetti night on a busy week, though it is perhaps more similar to the Italian spaghetti al olio or the true fettucini Alfreddo (which is a variant on pasta al burro or pasta burro e parmigiano) than American spagetti. This can be pulled together in the time it takes to boil the pasta, cook and drain it. In fact, it takes so little time to make, that in that cooking time you can make a salad to go with it. It is unctious and light, at the same time, and delicious, especially on a hot summer evening. It tastes good both hot and fresh, and at room temperature. It makes a lovely dinner or lunch and can be multiplied to feed the hordes. You can serve it with chicken or fish or shellfish, or on its own. I like to garnish it with toasted pine nuts, but that is not necessary. You could also garnish it with finely chopped parsley and give it a sprinkle of lemon juice, if you like. This is the basic, essential version of it from which you can embellish a little, remembering that, at heart, this is a simple, homey, dish.

1 pound pasta (any shape suitable for a creamy sauce)
3 cups full fat yogurt
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
toasted pine nuts to garnish, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

While the water is boiling, mix together all other ingredients except the pine nuts and set aside for the flavors to meld. You should be able to do this well before you even need to add the pasta to the boiling water.

Drain pasta and add the yogurt sauce to it, tossing together to coat well. Serve, sprinkling with the toasted pine nuts.

'Arayes

'Arayes is the Arabic word for the bridal couple. It is the plural of 'aroos and 'aroosa, bridegroom and bride. The dish is called this because of the marriage of the kofta and bread. This dish originated in the Levant, though there is some question whether or not it hails from Lebanon or Palestine, but all Arab countries seem to make their own variation of it. This version is a hybrid of the Palestinian and Egyptian styles. Traditionally, the meat would be hand chopped, as well as the aromatics. Some like to make a thinner filling, but I prefer a thicker one and have written this for that. As the recipe is written, you can generously serve eight people, especially if bolstered with a salad and fruit. If you use less filling, you can make double the number, and will need eight loaves of the baladi bread. We like to serve it with some hot sauce, like duqqus, sah'awiq, or harissa, as well.

2 1/2 pounds fatty ground beef (no leaner than 80% lean) and/or ground lamb (I use either all lamb or half lamb and beef)
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 large bunch parsley
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium to large serrano pepper, stem removed
2 teaspoons ground paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground sumac
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
1/2 teapsoon ground allspice
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more to brush on bread
4 loaves 'Aish Baladi
taratoor, to serve

Place the meat in a bowl large enough to add the aromatics and seasonings, and mix easily. Purée the onion, parsley, garlic, and serrano in a food processor (or very finely chop by hand) and add to the meat. Add the paprika, salt, coriander, cumin, sumac, Aleppo pepper flakes, allspice, and olive oil. Mix the meat mixture until it is evenly and well blended.

Cut the 'aish baladi in half, and split. Fill each half with the kofta mixture and press, without splitting the bread, so both sides are affixed to the meat. Preheat your oven to about 375˚. Have a baking sheet at the ready.

Heat a frying pan or skillet over medium heat, brush both sides of the bread with olive oil, and place the loaves, meat side down in the pan. Cook about 3 minutes, turn and cook on one side, for 2 minutes, then turn to the other side and cook another 2 minutes, until the bread is browned and crisp. Place on the pan and repeat with the remaining loaves until they are all cooked. Place the pan in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking the meat.

Serve with taratoor, and duqqus, sah'awiq, or harissa, if you like.

'Aish Baladi

This is really simple, country style, bread. It is easy to put together and puffs beautifully. It is also rather forgiving and an easy dough to work with.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or safflower oil)
1/4 cup cracked wheat bran
bread flour, for rolling out loaves

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, place 1 cup water, along with the sugar and yeast, and mix well. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit for about 10 minutes, until it is frothy and bubbly.

Once the yeast mixture has foamed up add about 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, and mix well. Cover again and let proof in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

The dough should be bubbly and frothy at this point. Add the remaining flour, salt and oil and knead dough for at least 10 minutes, or until very soft, but not too sticky. Cover the boal and let rise until dough is doubled, about an hour.

Prepare a large baking sheet, or two smaller ones, by sprinkling with about 2 tablespoons of cracked wheat bran. Cut 8 10-inch pieces of parchment.

When the dough has doubled in volume, divide it into 8 equal balls. Sprinkle your work surface with a little bread flour and place a ball of dough on it. Place a piece of parchment over the top of the dough and roll the dough to an even circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Peel back the parchment paper, and place the loaf, sticky side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

Cover the pan(s) and allow to rest and rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 500˚.

When oven is hot and bread is risen, place the pan(s) in the oven and bake for 6 - 7 minutes. Remove the bread and place pan on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes to cool before handling or serving.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:27 PM