Moroccan inspired Savory Eggplant & Chickpea dish

Sometimes I get into a subconscious routine where I make the same 3-4 dishes all the time.  agh.  I get kitchen block and literally can't think of any other dishes.  I read an article a while back that said when people try something new it triggers the same brain activity in the brain as it would when someone is falling in passionate new love.  That feeling of excitement and happiness is achieved by something as simple as trying something different.  And it doesn't have to be something over the top and crazy, but even something as simple as trying an unfamiliar vegetable, cooking an exotic dish, trying a foreign restaurant, reading a new book, driving home using an unexplored route, watching a different show, meeting new people, playing a different sport, you get the idea.  It could be a simple change that makes you feel new and refreshed.  Since reading that article I try to make a conscious effort of pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying something new, so obviously when I start to recognize that I'm getting into a kitchen routine I immediately do two things; 1) call my mom, and 2) go to pinterest.  

I'll usually find a vegetable and a protein that I have at home and first i'll ask my mom what she thinks I should make.  (Which is how I came about making this dish)  If my mom and I are both having kitchen block, I then turn to Pinterest.  In the search bar I'll type in my vegetable and protein and see what comes up.  Trying new recipes, especially ones that end up tasting amazing is such a fun feeling!  

This particular dish actually happens to be a favorite of mine that I've somehow forgotten about and haven't made in a while!  I have a feeling its going straight into my subconscious of routine dishes to make in the next few weeks lol.  Its simple, it's tasty, and its healthy (if you choose to bake the eggplants of course :) The texture of the slightly crunchy chickpeas against the soft flavorful eggplant is so good!  

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 eggplant cut into wedges

1 small onion cut into slices

1 small tomato diced

1 jalapeno diced (optional)

1 cup chickpeas (from a can drained from liquid or if using raw chickpeas, soak them overnight)

1 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and cut the eggplant into wedges

Place eggplant on paper towel and pour salt on them

Let them sit for 10 minutes to drain the excess liquid from them (if you skip this step, the excess liquid from the eggplant will water down the dish and it won't taste as flavorful)

Then wash the salt off and pat dry

Brown eggplants in oil for 3-4 minutes (do not fully cook because they still need to cook later and you don't want to overcook them)

Remove eggplant and sautee onions in 1 tablespoon oil until lightly browned 2-3 minutes

Add browned eggplant, tomato, jalapeño, chickpeas and salt & pepper

Let them sauté together for a few minutes

Add broth and tomato sauce and bring to a light boil

Reduce heat and cover for 10-14 minutes

Serve with rice or pita bread

Zucchini Soup {Koosa Soup}

ALERT.  This. tastes. so. good!  And Ayla, my 2 year old loved it and we all know how she's a little food snob!  Don't try to feed her something that doesn't taste amazing or any leftovers.  Sigh.

So it's been a little chilly in Southern California, you know 60 degrees haha.  Sorry, everyone living in cold places :) There was light drizzle the other day and its as if I iimmedietly forgot that I was raised in New Jersey and my body is supposed to be able to handle all types of cold weather conditions being that I dealt with rain, snow and freezing weather.  But nope, my body pretended it was the first time experiencing rain and I immediately pulled out my umbrella, winter jacket, boots, forgot how to drive in the rain, and made soup.  It actually felt quite nice and cozy! 

Every time I make another dish from my childhood I am amazed at how healthy and well rounded the dishes are.  The core of every dish is vegetables, vegetables and more vegetables.  And this is no exception.  Zucchini and eggplant might be tied in Middle Eastern cuisine as the most commonly used vegetable.  Let me know if there is another one.  We do so much with zucchini, most famously core it and stuff it with rice and meat and cook it in a tomato broth called Koosa Mahshi which translates to stuffed zucchini, so original right haha.  Among the many things we make with zucchini, this might be one of my favorites even though I'm not really a soup kinda girl.  But the flavor of the zucchini as it caramelizes with the onions and simmers in the chicken stock is just so good!  My mom never made it with chicken but I happened to have some cooked chicken so I threw it in there at the end and it automatically made the dish dinner worthy.  

I didn't intend for the milk drizzle to look like a strange looking Pac Man, but hey, art at its finest :) 

INGREDIENTS

2 Zucchini cut

1 diced onion

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup Milk or Heavy Cream

Flour (Optional as a thickener)

Cooked chicken, ex. rotisserie, grilled chicken etc (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Sautee onions in butter until translusent

Add zucchini and reduce heat

Let them sit for a 5 -7 minutes on low heat until zucchini is tender

Add chicken stock

Bring to a boil

Do not cover because it will change the color of the zucchini

Reduce heat and let it boil for 10 minutes

Add milk and let it boil uncovered on low heat for another 10 minutes

If it is too watery and you like a thicker consistency, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with a few drops of water and mix into a paste like form and add it into the soup and let it boil for another 5 minutes

Use blender to blend it all together into soup like consistency

Optional ** Add cooked chicken

Sumac Cumin Crusted Salmon

Ok so confession, I didn't necessarily love salmon until recently.  Anyone else feel this way? Anyone?  It used to always taste kinda bland to me.  For a while the only way I would make it, (and the only reason I only did make it is because I knew of the health benefits), was with a touch of olive oil, lemon juice, and rosemary baked in the oven.  It was good but I needed more.  I then did a little Asian switch it up and started adding vegetables and soy sauce and some other flavors and that was good.  Salmon was on its way up for me. BUT then my husbands cousin, who happens to be a male foodie that loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen (lucky wife) told me about this recipe and this has been my go to salmon recipe ever since!  The combination of sumac, cumin and yellow mustard seeds creates this super flavorful crust that is the perfect crunch texture contrast to the melt in your mouth salmon.  It's so good, and it's so easy.  Seriously.

Sautee the kale in the same sumac, cumin, honey mustard rub for a few minutes

Today was a particularly long day for me.  I'm in the middle of production for one of the Sweet Pillar products (can't tell you which one yet :) and there is just so much that goes into producing a product that it's so non stop.  It's like conducting an orchestra, every piece has to be played correctly at the correct time in order for it all to work smoothly and successfully together.  But I digress.  I can talk about this stuff all day I worry I bore people with this food production talk haha. 

I was almost going to pick up take out as it was such a long day AND it was drizzling in Orange County, which means everyone was panicking and it was extra chaotic and busy.  I'm so glad I didn't order take out and made this instead.  I always get my salmon from Whole Foods and it tastes amazing and dinner in its entirety ends up taking 10 minutes from start to finish.

This particular dish is not a Middle Eastern classic that I grew up with although the sumac and cumin are very much staple spices in any middle eastern spice cabinet.  If you're feeling fancy but don't have the time, this is what you should make. 

Yellow mustard seeds

Ground up yellow mustard seeds

Sumac

Sautee in a tablespoon of olive oil

INGREDIENTS

5 pieces of Salmon

1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seeds ground up (important to get them in seeds and ground them up yourself)

1 Tablespoon sumac

1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin

Salt & Pepper as desired

1 Tablespoon olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Ground up yellow mustard seeds

Mix yellow mustard, sumac, cumin, salt and pepper together

Rub onto salmon

Heat olive oil in pan

Place salmon and sautee until inside is not raw (5-6 minutes)

Flip salmon on other side for another few minutes

Serve over sauteed kale or with rice

**After I removed the salmon from the skillet I immediately added the kale, mixing it for a few minutes with a wooden spoon and they tasted amazing

Kofta Tahini

THERES MORE TO DO WITH TAHINI THEN MAKE HUMMUS!  I feel like with all the hummus recipes out there I even forget that we use tahini for so much more then just hummus!  And this is one of those things, kthanksbye. 

But seriously, tahini is one of those things that makes me laugh because my mom would have to climb mountains and cross rivers to go to a little ethnic store over a half hour away (thank God my local supermarket carries it now haha) that would import this and we were the only kids in the entire neighborhood that even knew what it was.  She would always do her ethnic grocery shopping on Saturdays because that was when the pita bread was fresh but also because my dad wanted to go too, he's a secret foodie.  It was like a family field trip and we would stock up on fresh pita bread, tahini, all kinds of fresh produce, different cuts of meats, an assortment of middle eastern cheeses and olives.  We would come back home with bags of groceries and I remember my siblings and I not even waiting until the groceries have been put away to stuff our faces with fresh pita sandwiches my mom would make on the fly.   It would be happy chaos in the kitchen as everyone is rummaging through bags trying to figure out what they want to eat.  My mom, the savior that she is, would somehow make this tahini sauce in minutes without anyone even noticing and hand everyone a fresh falafel sandwich using the crispy cucumber and fresh tomatoes we just got drizzled with the tahini sauce, or a Nabulsi cheese with crunchy green pepper and fresh tarragon wrapped in warm pita.  

Now, it's like the world has discovered our little kitchen gem and it makes me smile like ya, I knew about that before I was even born, welcome to the club :)  In the Middle East, they use tahini to make hummus, sauce, breakfast, cookies, cakes, the list goes on.   I tend to make a lot of tomato and eggplant based dishes I'm realizing and when I want to change it up I usually go Asian or this dish.

The sauce is this amazing yogurt based tahini lemony based sauce that like I mention already, we use for falafel sandwiches, shawerma meat sandwiches (we always use a garlic sauce for the chicken shawerma sandwich), fava bean breakfast dish called foul mddamas or on a potato dish.  Usually everytime I make this I'll end up with extra sauce (intentionally) which I store in tuber ware and I'll make falafel the next day and use the leftover sauce.  Done and Done.  But no joke, it might be one of my all time favorite sauces because its so full of flavor yet feels light and smooth.

In fact, I posted and raved about the amazing sauce right here http://www.sweetpillar.com/blog/2015/10/7/zaatar-crusted-shrimp-with-lemon-tahini-drizzle

This dish is kofta skewers baked with a yogurt tahini sauce and then topped with potatoes.  Some people opt to not spend the extra time making little kofta skewers and instead just pressing it onto the pyrex so its one giant kofta pizza basically and then topped with the sauce and potatoes.

I like the addition of the potatoes because it gives the dish an additional texture.  If you notice I leave the skin on the potatoes because most of the nutrients of the potatoes is actually in the skin so I just scrub them really well and leave them on but you can remove the skin or remove the entire potato addition from the dish if you don't like potatoes.  

I first put parsley and onions in the processor so all the juices come out and can be absorbed by the meat.  I then add the spices and parsley onion mixture.  Usually I add this amazing Turkish spice blend that I purchased at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul a few years ago but that has since finished and I don't even know the name of it to purchase more.   When I bought it they put it in a little plastic bag which I transferred to a mason jar and that was it.  No name, no label.  I've tried to hunt it down but haven't found anything comparable.  So if anyone can help, let me know!  But anyway since I've departed ways with my Turkish blend I use a middle eastern all spice which is a mix of cumin, coriander, paprika, etc.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Ground beef (or lamb - if using lamb combine it with beef otherwise it's too heavy)

1 Small onion

2 Garlic clove

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon All Spice (if you cannot find middle eastern all spice you can mix 1/2 teaspoon of each ground cinnamon, paprika, cumin, ground cloves, nutmeg & coriander)

Salt

Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350

Combine all the ingredients for the yogurt tahini sauce in a food processor and set aside (see link for previous post with ingredients for sauce)

If frying potatoes, heat up vegetable oil and fry at this point and set aside

If baking potatoes, put potatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with oil and put in the oven for 10-12 minutes

In food processor pulse onion, parsley, and garlic

Add onion mixture to ground beef along with spices, salt and pepper

Mix with your hands long enough for all the flavors to really mix together (1-2 minutes)

Using your hands make round balls then press them so they elong and are fingerlike length and form kabob shape

Using either vegetable oil or sunflower oil sautee the kabobs in a frying pan. Sautee them about 5-6 minutes so they are brown on the outside but still slightly rare on the inside (we're going to put them back in the oven so you don't want them to overcook but instead finish cooking in the oven)

Place the kabobs on a pyrex

Pour the tahini yogurt sauce over the kabobs and top with potatoes and put in the oven for 5-7 minutes

Garnish with parsley, paprika, and/or pine nuts

Serve with rice or pita bread

Zaatar Crusted Lemon Chicken

First of all, let me clarify how it's pronounced.  It's not zaatar like some sort of Zoro Spaniard sword fighter, it's actually pronounced za'tar.  The apostrophe is a slight pause and a sound that is only found in the Arabic language.  Its a sound released from the depth of your throat, almost like you're about to gag but you decide not to and then continue the rest of the word.

But you know what, zaatar, za'tar, tomato, tomatoe, potato, potatoes.  Pronounce it as you please, I'm not judging.

Zaatar is one of those things that I grew up with and was as common to me as hummus and pizza were.  At home we ate it one of two ways and that was either mezze style right next to olive oil or like an open faced pizza with olive oil called "mana -eesh".  Olive oil and Zaatar go hand in hand like.... peanut butter jelly time.  

So the way its done is as follows;  there is always a slightly shallow bowl of zaatar and another slightly shallow bowl of olive oil.  You take your fresh warm pita bread and dip it in olive oil, then quickly in the zaatar; the olive oil helps the zaatar stick to the bread and then you eat it.  It doesn't end there.  While the bite is still in your mouth you either crunch on a fresh cucumber or drink a sip of hot tea, or both.  And thats how its done, as simple as that.  Obviously the steps to do this become so second nature and it just becomes a dip, dip, crunch, sip and repeat situation.

That's how it's done in Damascus at least, next to your bowl of olives, your plate of lebne, hummus, eggs, jams, cheeses and whatever else you're having for breakfast.  I specify Damascus because in even the close neighboring countries, (literally an hour drives away from Damscus is Beruit, Lebanon), zaatar is consumed in so many different ways.  In fact the zaatar from Syria and Lebanon is slightly different then the zaatar from the Jordan and Palestine region and extremely different then anything I've seen in the US. 

The zaatar that is not from the Middle East will never taste the same because it uses wild thyme specific to the Levant region (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine etc) Zaatar is prepared using this dried wild thyme, toasted sesame seeds, oregano, and sometimes sumac all ground up. In fact, the main difference between the Palestinian version and the Syrian/Lebanease version is the sumac berries and sometimes pomegranate molasses which gives it a shade of red versus the Palestinian/Jordanian version which is the commonly seen green zaatar.  The Palestinian version is pretty famous throughout the entire region and everyone everywhere is always trying to find someone that is coming from there to bring a bag of authentic Palestinian za'tar.  

I learned as I got older that some people don't only serve the olive oil and zaatar in separate shallow bowls but instead they just mix it together and you just dip once (gasp and super shock)  I also learned that some people (my husband taught me this one) make a lebne sandwich with olive oil and zaatar in a pita bread wrap and call it lunch.  Some people make an entire chicken dinner with zaatar and lemons.  I mean the possibilities are endless.  It has a slightly sweet but mainly tart taste which makes it so unique and full of flavor.  

There is so much to say about zaatar, I could go on all day.  Literally!  For now, I'll leave it at this.   ** If you follow me on snapchat (@nadiahubbi)  I said I was going to make an announcement today BUT i'm actually not ready SO I'll save it for next week :):)

I wanted to take make a chicken dish using zaatar and I remember following a recipe years ago pre Pinterest days so of course I had no idea where to find it again.  I perfected this recipe so its easy and the chicken is moist on the inside.  I used bone in skin on chicken thighs but you can easily substitute chicken breast but just make sure its bone in otherwise it will be on the dry side. 

INGREDIENTS

6 chicken thighs bone in skin on

2 Tablespoons zaatar

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup diced potatoes

Salt & Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400

Clean chicken

Rub chicken, zaatar, lemon, potatoes, salt and pepper together

Place in 9x9 pyrex

Evenly distribute chicken stock over chicken

Cover and put in the oven for 45 minutes

Uncover for 5 minutes to brown the top

Serve with couscous, rice, or on its own!

Baked Eggplant in tomato meat stew [ Sayniya’it baitinjan a.ka. Tray of Eggplant]

******** When I typed this post I was in the Middle East BUT the internet connection was so poor that I literally couldn't post this!  I had all these plans of posting so much and writing as I learn but that clearly didn't happen.  BUT I'm back in California now and I had enough time with the lack of internet to get lost in my head and swim in ideas that I want to implement in 2016 so get ready for tuesday posts!  Hope everyone had an amazing holiday season and a happy new years.  =)=) *********

The title of this dish literally translates to tray of eggplant, so simple and straight to the point.  I never really paid particular attention to what is consumed in traditional middle eastern cuisine until I started writing down recipes and saving them.  I’ve since noticed that eggplants are maybe the number consumed vegetable, at least in my family.  Does anyone else see this trend too?? We stuff them, ferment them, bake them, fry them, the list goes on.  I have yet to meet a Middle eastern that says they don't like eggplants.  If you’re out there, come forth at once.

I’m actually in the Middle East as I type this.  I’m in Kuwait doing culinary research and getting inspiration, and eating tons of amazing food.  Kuwait is part of the Gulf region and very different than the Levantine countries which includes Syria, where my parents are from and really all I knew until I was exposed to people from other Arab countries.  The Kuwaiti Arabic dialect is so different than Syrian dialect Arabic that at my moderate level of Arabic comprehension I actually don’t understand it very easily.  Kuwait itself is a lot more Western developed so walking into a mall here (and there are a ton of large extravagent malls here) you’ll see all the shops you would find in a high end mall in the United States or Europe.   If it wasn't for some of the women dressed in all black you could easily mistake yourself for being in the US.  On the contrary, you won’t find any of that in the Syria.  You will find a lot of authentic shops that have been there for centuries.  I have such a warm spot for Damascus in my heart because I spent quite some time there as a child.   The people are so warm, friendly with a unique sense of humor.  The type of humor that cuts through the awkwardness of meeting someone new and makes you feel like you've known each other forever.  Some of the best food i've ever had was in Damascus.  There is a street lined with shawarma shops in an area of Damascus called the Meedan that have been there for decades and people drive from all over for late night shawarma cravings.  I'm going to try to dig up some pictures of Damascus but in the meantime, tray of eggplant it is!  There are a few variations of this recipe but this is my go to one that I make pretty often.  My mother in law makes a real amazing one where she includes jalapeños for a great kick at the end, i'll get that recipe up soon. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 large eggplants (peeled and cut into 1 inch slices)

Olive oil to brush on eggplants if baking

Vegetable oil to fry eggplants if frying

1 tablespoon vegetable oil to sauté onions

ground beef

1/2 medium size onion

1 can diced tomato

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

salt

Pita bread or white rice to serve with

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and cut the eggplant in 1 inch slices

Place eggplant on paper towel and sprinkle salt on them for 20 mins

*This step is very important because it will drain the eggplant of excess water. If you skip this step the dish will lack flavor because the excess water will dilute the taste. *

Wash eggplants after 20 minutes and pat dry with paper towel

Either fry them in heated vegetable oil or bake them for 25 minutes at 350

Place the baked or fried eggplants onto a pyrex so they are completely pressed against each other

*The more you squish in the better because they will thin out during cooking.

On a stovetop sauté onions in oil for 1-2 minutes until they are soft and then add beef and brown the meat with salt and pepper to liking

Add 15 oz can of petite diced tomato, chicken stock and tomato paste and let it simmer together so flavors mesh together for 10-12 minutes.

Top the tomato mixture onto the eggplants. Cover and put in the oven for 25 minutes at 350

I like to broil it uncovered for a few minutes at the end to give it a nice overall finish.

"Eggplant Upside down" Rice, Eggplant, & Tomato dish called "Ma'loubay Betinjan"

Upside Down aka Ma’loubay

The name of this dish, ma’loubay literally translates to “upside down” because of the way it is served by first flipping it upside down like a beautiful cake with layers of rice, meat and vegetables.  

Think about it, isn’t everything better upside down.  I actually can’t think of anything else thats better upside down.  Maybe headstands.  But is that really better?  Okay moving on.

I DO know that a rice, meat and vegetable dish IS better upside down because the flavors all marry each other and the best of the flavors fall to the bottom and when flipped upside down it brings the best of the bottom to the top.  #started from the bottom now we’re here haha

There are many variations across the Levantine (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, parts of Turkey) which include mainly a variety of vegetables usually eggplants, cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots.    I’ve seen tons of images, but of course I can’t find a single one to post now, of 2-3 women and men all holding a ginormous pot trying to carefully flip it over.  They’re usually served with yogurt or a simple Middle Eastern salad which includes tomatoes and cucumber.  

I had to experiment with a few pots I own and found one that works perfect for my measurements and I just stick with it.  Usually, every Middle Eastern home has a special straight edged pot that makes it easier for flipping.

This dish could be time consuming because of the prep work required but it is NOT difficult.  Once everything is prepped, its just a matter of layering them together.  Do not be intimidated by how pretty it looks!  And even if your ma'loubay flops when you flip it over it will still be an amazingly tasting and aromatic dish!

Feeds 3-4 people (or just the three of us with just a little bit of leftovers haha)

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 large eggplant sliced
2. .3 pounds ground beef
3. 1/4 diced tomato
4. 2 tablespoon pine nuts (or substitute almonds)
5. 1 1/2 cup jasmine rice
6. 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
7. 3 tblspoon tomato paste
8. oil for frying or for brushing eggplants for broil
9. salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. peel and slice the eggplants 

Lay them on a paper towel and salt them.  

Let them sit for 30 minutes

2. Put the jasmine rice in a bowl and cover with water

Let it sit for 30 minutes

3. Meanwhile, brown the meat with salt and pepper

Sauté the pine nuts with 1 tbl vegetable oil

Combine with meat and set aside

4. On low heat add chicken stock, tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste 

Whisk it all together until paste completely dissolves

5. When the eggplants are done straining wash them off with water and pat dry

Heat up oil and fry eggplants (OR the healthier version is to skip the initial part about straining them and just brush the eggplants with oil. sprinkle with salt and put in a preheated broiler until they are brown on each side).  

6. When the 30 minutes is over for the rice, sauté for 1-2 minutes in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and mix in 1 tablespoon tomato paste (this is optional but I feel it gives the rice a little more flavor and makes the rice more moldable and easier when flipping upside down).

Now that everything is prepped all we have to do is assemble.

• Start by placing the diced tomatoes at the bottom
• Add the meat and pine nuts
• Layer the eggplants (see image)
• Add the rice inside the eggplants and carefully pour the tomato stock on the rice
• Bring to a quick boil then lower heat and cover for 15 minutes.  
• Keep it covered for an additional 5 minutes
• Uncover, place plate on top of pot, say a prayer and flip that bad boy

This picture was taken right after I flipped it and a lot of the tomato and meat were still stuck to the bottom of the pot.  I fixed that problem by just scraping the pot and putting them back on top.