avocado & bravado : a food blog » arabic

sahlab & a giveaway

Rose — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:12:58 +0000

Sahlab is a popular wintertime drink throughout the Middle East. The drink is made with milk and salep, a flour made from the tuberous root of a species of orchid, Orchis mascula. Salep has a faintly floral taste, but the drink is mainly consumed for its thick texture. Other flavorings, such as orange blossom water and rose water, are added to the drink just before serving and it is traditional to dust the cup with a couple pinches of cinnamon.

Pure salep is notoriously difficult (and expensive!) to come by outside of Turkey, so you’re more likely to find powdered mixes with cornstarch, sugar, and a small amount of salep sold in Middle Eastern groceries. I’ve also seen people ditch the salep altogether and use cornstarch in its place. Even when only made with cornstarch, sahlab is a great drink for those chilly winter nights and a good alternative for those who don’t like tea or coffee. Salep is also a key ingredient in Turkish ice cream (dondurma), which is known for its chewy texture and resistance to melting.

And, oh yeah! A giveaway. Many months ago, a company I had never heard of approached me and asked if I would like to host a giveaway on my site. I went along with it, despite their somewhat slimy SEO tactics because in the end everyone likes free stuff, right? In the months since the giveaway, they’ve approached me two more times asking me to host another giveaway and sweetening the deal by adding $25 each time. I could offer a $75 gift card for a site I’ve never shopped at before. Maybe the winner will buy something related to food. Maybe not. Instead, I’ve decided to host a giveaway of my own. I often post recipes with ingredients that, depending on where you live, may be difficult to find. If you’ve ever wanted to experiment more with Arabic cooking, but haven’t had the chance, one lucky person (maybe you!) will be receiving some of my favorites – pomegranate molasses, tahini, fava beans, sumac, and sahlab.

To participate, leave a comment (just one!) and tell me what you would like to cook with any of the ingredients offered in the giveaway. The winner will be randomly chosen on March 8th.

Also, I will be taking a small break from blogging. My mom will be visiting San Francisco this week and I’ll need a couple days to recover after she leaves. See you next month!

Sahlab
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2 cups milk (I always use whole milk, but use low-fat or non-fat if you’d like)
sugar, to taste (if using pure sahlab powder or cornstarch, most if not all pre-packaged sahlab mixes already include sugar)
2 tablespoons sahlab powder or cornstarch

Optional flavorings and garnishes:

Rose Water (1/2 teaspoon per serving)
Orange Blossom Water (1/2 teaspoon per serving)
Almond Extract
Vanilla
Shredded coconut
Chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts)
Ground cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg, for dusting

Add the milk (and sugar, if using) to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until hot, then add the sahlab powder or cornstarch and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. If adding extra flavorings, like rosewater, orange blossom water, almond extract, or vanilla, stir those in once the drink has thickened. Divide the drink into individual cups and garnish with chopped nuts, coconut, and dust with cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg.

Serves 2

Try the recipe index for more ideas.

hummus with roasted garlic and fresh herbs

Rose — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:27:09 +0000

Some people have their favorite recipes and stick to them forever. When I talk to my dad and he tells me he’s making squash or chicken for dinner, I know exactly what he’s talking about. I try keep things constantly changing in the kitchen, but there are a few recipes I rarely ever stray from – mujaddara, for example. As much as I love the traditional hummus bi tahina (hummus with tahini), I’m constantly looking for new ways to reinvent it. I’ve been accused of being a hummus purist and even a snob, but that’s simply not true. I’ve just made it a personal mission to inform people that hummus means “chickpeas” in Arabic. It’s silly to call beet hummus, white bean hummus, edamame hummus, lima bean hummus, etc. hummus if the recipes don’t contain chickpeas. If you see a crazy lady rocking back and forth at a bus stop in San Francisco mumbling under her breath, “hummus means chickpeas in Arabic…” That’s me. Feel free to say hi.

Usually when I prepare hummus, I use canned garbanzo beans and simmer them in a saucepan with some water for 15-20 minutes. I find that this method helps the beans blend easier and improves the texture of the hummus. Plus, I love popping a few garbanzo beans into my mouth. They’re melt-in-your mouth delicious after simmering for 15 minutes or so. There are Syrian grandmothers who swear by soaking the garbanzos overnight and discarding the skins of the beans for the creamiest hummus possible, but I’ll leave that time consuming method to the experts (grandmothers, that is).

I’ve been on a garlic roasting kick lately. I’d say we’re going through 3 to 4 bulbs of garlic a week… and I have the breath to prove it. I’ve been adding roasted garlic to everything. Potatoes, toast, salad dressings, and now hummus. Apparently, there is such a thing as too much raw garlic. Not really for me, but for Cory. So I added roasted garlic to this batch of hummus. With roasted garlic, you get the garlic taste without at all being overpowering. The fresh herbs add a nice kick and a lovely pale green color.

Hummus with Roasted Garlic and Herbs
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1 bulb of garlic, roasted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained plus 1 cup of reserved water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini (roasted is best, but raw is fine)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnishing
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the top of the garlic bulb open, revealing the tips of the cloves. Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle a teaspoon of oil over it. Wrap the bulb in the aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the hummus. Drain and rinse the can of beans. Toss the garbanzos into a small sauce pan with a cup of water and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside. Juice lemons, set aside tahini, and chop the herbs. Add the lemon juice, chives, parsley, salt, and a ladleful of garbanzos with some reserved water. Pulse together in a food processor or blender. Continue adding garbanzos a ladleful at a time and blending, adding more water until needed. Continue this method until all the garbanzos have been blended.

By now, the garlic should be ready. Open up the foil and let the garlic cool until easy enough to handle with your hands. Pop the cloves out of the bulb into a small bowl. Take a fork and smash the garlic until formed into a paste. Toss the paste into the blender and pulse until thoroughly blended. Transfer the hummus to a large bowl. Add the tahini to the bowl and mix thoroughly, this will thicken the hummus considerably. Taste the hummus, adding a couple more pinches of salt or lemon juice, if needed.

Serve with warm flat bread, pita chips, or your favorite raw vegetables. Garnish with olive oil, extra freshly chopped herbs, and spices (thyme, sumac, za’atar, paprika, etc).

Try the recipe index for more ideas.

chicken tagine with tomatoes and honey

Rose — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 01:19:54 +0000

I’ve been happily cooking and eating my way through The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden and every dish I’ve made so far has been wonderful. It’s almost always stew and soup season here in San Francisco and I love, love, love a good tagine. For those who are suffering through the summer heat and spending very little time slaving over a hot stove, I sincerely apologize and hope you’ll save this recipe for when the weather cools down. Let me make it up to you by sharing this picture of Cory’s brother’s puppy:

Pure love in dog form, I tell ya.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Honey
(adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden)
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2 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup blanched almonds, chopped and toasted (optional)
freshly chopped parsley, for garnishing (optional)
couscous or rice, for serving

Heat oil in a large pot. When hot, add the onions and chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add salt, pepper, ginger, and cinnamon. Mix in the spices and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for an hour.

Remove the chicken from the pan and continue cooking the sauce until reduced to a thick sauce, about 30-40 minutes. Stir often. Stir in the honey and return the chicken to the pan, coating each piece of chicken with the sauce. Continue cooking until heated through Garnish with almonds and parsley and serve over rice or couscous.

Serves 4

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mashed potatoes with olive oil and parsley

Rose — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:42:27 +0000

When I studied in Cairo, my German roommate Antje and I would often buy pitas stuffed with mashed potatoes and eat them for breakfast. We’d spend the rest of the morning drinking instant coffee (Nescafé, naturally) and studying. Serve these in pita bread and you have yourself an Egyptian breakfast, or serve them on their own as a side dish.

Mashed Potatoes with Olive Oil and Parsley
(adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden)
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1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes (such as Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and chopped
salt & pepper
1.5 cup reserved cooking liquid
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them in half and cut into 4 to 6 pieces. Fill water in a large pot and add some salt. Bring to a gentle boil, add potatoes, and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop up parsley and garlic. When the potatoes are finished, drain them in a colander. Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid. Heat olive oil in the pot the potatoes were cooked in. When hot, add the garlic and cook for about a minute.

Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. Mix in the reserved water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the consistency of the mashed potatoes is to your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Serves 4-6

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spicy hummus

Rose — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:45:35 +0000

This is my traditional hummus recipe, but with a bit of kick. I like spicy, but not spicy for the sake of spicy. I still like to taste what I’m eating, you know? I suggest starting off with a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne or red pepper flakes and then gradually adding more to taste. If you’re going to used canned chickpeas, it’s not absolutely necessary to simmer them in a saucepan for 15-20 minutes, but the chickpeas become melt-in-your-mouth tender and ultimately easier to blend.

Spicy Hummus
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3/4 cup dried chickpeas (1.5 cups when cooked) or 1 15-oz can chickpeas (plus 1 c reserved cooking liquid)
1-2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
a couple dashes of salt
Ideas for garnishing (optional): olive oil, chickpeas, toasted pine nuts, parsley, paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, mint, ground meat.

If using dried chickpeas:

Soak chickpeas overnight in water in a large bowl.

Rinse chickpeas several times, or until the water runs clear. Place chickpeas in a large sauce pan with enough water to cover by at least an inch. Partially covered or uncovered (I have more success with uncovered), bring chickpeas to a boil and simmer for 1-1.5 hours. Drain the chickpeas, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

If using canned chickpeas:

Rinse the chickpeas several times. Place chickpeas in a large saucepan and boil for 15-20 minutes. Drain chickpeas, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, pulse the garlic, lemon juice, salt, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper, and tahini until blended. Add chickpeas by the handful, pulse until blended, repeat until you use the rest of the chickpeas. If the hummus is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking liquid at about a tablespoon at a time. Add more cayenne or red pepper flakes, to taste. Blend until smooth.

Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Try the recipe index for more ideas.