Emo's Famous Lasagne

Another one of Fisherman's favourite dishes is my Lasagne dish.

Ingredients:
500g good quality beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
300g mushrooms, chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 can of canned whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 chicken stock cube
1 bay leaf
4 cloves, whole
salt and pepper
Lasagne sheets (dry packet stuff)
300g Mozzarella (pizza) cheese, grated (you can use Tasty cheese but this is much richer)
100g Fresh parmesan cheese, finely grated

Method:

1. Cook onion and garlic until golden in a little oil or ghee. Add the minced meat and cook until just brown and broken up. Add the mushrooms.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, chicken stock cube, pepper, salt, bay leaf, cloves.  Mix well and after about five minutes.  Add enough water to just cover the mix.

2. Allow to boil and reduce heat and cover for 30 minutes.

3. After this time, take the lid off and turn off from the heat.  Take out the bay leaf and cloves.

4. Mix the two cheese together and obtain a lasagne dish.  Layer the dish as follows, thin cheese layer, meat layer (include juices), lasagne sheets and continue until you've done about three layers of all.  Make sure you spread out the ingredients so you end on a meat layer and have enough cheese to top it off.

5. Add the dish to a preheated oven to 180C and bake the lasagne for 20-30 minutes. It is ready when you poke a fork in it and it goes through with no resistance.

6.  Allow to cool in the oven or on the bench.

Serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Hint #1: You can freeze the lasagne at the end of Step 4 or even after its cooked.  Either way it freezes well.

Hint #2: You can make a bechamel sauce to top this dish, personally its not how we like it at home as it becomes rich but it definitely can add the wow to this dish.

Hint #3: To make a Bolognese sauce, leave the pot on the heat at Step 3 for ~10-15 minutes (no lid), this will allow the sauce to thicken, allow to cool slightly and serve on fresh pasta.

Kabseh 'Chicken and Rice'

This very traditional dish is the Fisherman's favourite, my mum is well known in our community as making this dish better than anyone else. So much so she is requested to make it for most get togethers.  I have attempted this dish many times, and this recipe is a mix of mum's and my sister's (Thanks Nahed!).  Honestly I can say mine is not as good as my mum's but I've had a request to post this dish and here it is.  As I get better and edit the recipe I will update this post.

Ingredients:
1 small free-range chicken (for boiling chicken 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, half lemon, half peeled onion, garlic cloves, pepper and dash of salt only)

1 onion, finely chopped
1 whole carrot, grated
4 ripe red tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped (alternative: can of peeled whole tomatoes, crushed)
1 cup of long grain rice, washed thoroughly
Kabseh spices (1-2 tablespoons)* obtain this from Lebanese stores
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of paprika
pinch of all spice
Salt to taste
Butter and oil (or just ghee)
Fresh nuts (pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews)* toasted or fried for garnish over the finished dish

Method:

1. Boil the whole chicken with spices listed near the chicken. Take the froth that comes off the chicken off. This froth if kept in the soup will become bitter so you must remove it.

2.  When the chicken is cooked (about 20-30 minutes), take out the chicken and place on a plate to cool down. Pull the meat of the bones and keep aside.  With the chicken broth, sieve it and set aside.

3.  In a medium sized pot, add the butter and vegetable oil (or ghee).  Add the onion and cook until golden.  Next add carrot and cook until very soft.  Then add the tomatoes.  Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are broken down and very soft.

4.  Add the spices, pulled chicken (you dont have to use all the chicken meat), washed rice and salt.  Cook the ingredients a few minutes before adding the chicken broth. Add 2 cups of chicken broth to one cup of long grain rice.  Allow the broth to be mixed in and when it boils mix one last time and turn the heat down to low on the smallest burner and cover with pot lid.

5.  After 20 minutes or so, take the lid of check if ready.  Stir once more if finished and serve on a platter.

6. Fry or dry roast raw nuts on the stove. If frying, after golden pour out on kitchen paper to drain oil before putting over the Kabseh.

This dish is so good with Hummus dip and salad.  It can be eaten cold too.  My version of this dish always ends up a bit too soft. I've tried different types of rice (Basmati) and I have tried not agitating the rice too much. I think I need to watch my mum do this dish again...

Lebanese Rice with Egg Noodles

At home we have always made our rice with egg noodles. I never thought it was made any other way before I started going out to restaurants.  This way of making rice is very easy and is a good option for dinner parties because it looks impressive.  I've even taught the Fisherman to make it too and he now thinks he is the expert!!!   This rice works very well with hearty dishes like lamb shanks.

Serves about 4

1 cup long grain white rice
1 or 2 birds nests of egg noodles
~1 teaspoon of butter
Dash of vegetable oil (so the butter doesn't burn)
Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Wash the rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear to remove all of the starch.  Drain and leave aside.

2. Place a small pot on the stove with medium-high heat, crush the egg noodles into the pot and add the vegetable oil and butter.

Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir the egg noodles until they start to go golden brown making sure they dont burn. It is a fine line between going one step too far and burning them.  Take the pot off the heat and immediately add the rice to the pot and stir. Add about a half teaspoon of salt and stir back on the heat.

3.  Add 2 cups of cold water to the pot and place back on a high heat.  Taste the water and if it is not salty enough then add more salt at this point.

4.  When you see the water just begin to boil cover and place the pot on the smallest burner on the stove and turn on the lowest setting.

5.  Check the rice about 20 min later, if still hard leave a bit longer.

Ready to serve!

Sambousik 'Meat and pine nut pastries'

A great addition to any Mezza selection is Sambousik, traditional lamb pastries.  This recipe has been adapted from the great cook book written by Abla Amad 'Abla's Lebanese Kitchen.'

Sambousik

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for deep-frying

1/4 cup pine nuts

250g coursely minced lean lamb

1 onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon of each of salt and ground sumac

1/4 teaspoon of each of ground black pepper, ground cumin and ground allspice

Sambousik pastry

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2/3 cup water

Toast the pine nuts with no oil. Place aside.

Place the meat in a saucepan and heat gently over a low heat.  Cook the lamb in its own juices, stirring constantly until all juice has evaporated.  Add the onion, salt, pepper and spices and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Add the pine nuts and remove off the heat and set aside.

To make the pastry, sift the flours unto a bowl and add the salt, sugar and oil. Gradually mix in as much water as you need until the mixture comes together to form a rough dough.  Knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic, then return to the bowl.  Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave the dough for up to 30 minutes.  Divide the dough in half, roll out until about 3mm thick. Cut out 35-40 rounds using a 6-7cm cutter. 

Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each dough round. Bring up the sides to make a semi circle and seal.  Press the edges together with a fork. 

Finally working in batches, deep fry the pastries until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel and serve hot or at room temperature. 

HINT: A healthier option for frying is using Ghee instead.  Ghee is basically clarified butter, slowly melt butter and then allow to settle (DO NOT MIX). After it has settled pour off the top of the settled butter leaving the milk solids on the bottom.  This should be passed through a sieve and can be used multiple times for frying (filter between uses).

Hummus

I really love Hummus, I grew up eating this at every family gathering.  Its a perfect side dish for chicken, lamb and salad, especially Tabbouli or Fattoush.

I have adapted this recipe from my mum's traditional recipe. Of course I've had to add measurements to mine...



Hummus
1 1/2 cups of dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon of bicarb soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 clove garlic
1 cup tahini (or thereabouts, depending on taste)
2/3 cups lemon juice (or thereabouts, depending on taste)
Boiled water
Good quality Extra-Virgin Olive oil
Paprika, for garnish
Parsley leaves, for garnish

To begin, cover the chickpeas with water and add the bicarb soda, mix and leave overnight.  The chickpeas will double in volume.  The next day, rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and place in a pot cover with water and bring to the boil.  When boiling, foam will form on the top of the chickpeas, make sure you remove this foam and discard.  Once foam is removed reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the chickpeas are very soft.  To test I try to squash a chickpea between my fingers.
Drain but keep the chickpeas warm.

In a food processor, process the salt and garlic.  Add the chickpeas (keep a few on the side for garnish) and blend until smooth, gradually add the tahini and lemon juice (alternate these) and taste in between - this process allows you to learn what you prefer taste wise.  I sometimes add more salt at this stage also.  Also remember to stop the processor to scrape down the sides to ensure even mixing.

When I think I have the flavour correct I usually find the Hummus is thick, at this stage I add boiled water to the running machine until I get the texture I like but not too runny. Then I add couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the processor also, this helps prevent a crust forming on the top of the dip when you place in a serving platter.

Finally, time to serve. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with Paprika and few parsley leaves and in the middle place the chickpeas placed aside. Then pour a little olive oil over the top.  Serve with fresh lebanese bread.  You will never want to buy this again - so easy...