The most important ingredient in any dish is your imagination

 

Salads

 

Tabbouleh

2/3 c burgul 
4 thinly sliced scallions  
2 c chopped flat-leaf parsley 
3 Tabs shredded mint 
3 - 4  tomatoes, chopped small

3 tabs olive oil 
lemon juice (fresh)
ground black pepper 
salt 

Place the burgul  in a small bowl. Add water to cover and leave to soak until tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain the burgul  through a sieve, squeeze to extract as much water as possible. Transfer the bulghur to a medium-sized bowl and add the scallions, parsley, mint and tomatoes. Mix well. Combine the oil, lemon juice, pepper and salt in a glass jar with a plastic screw-top lid and shake well to combine.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until evenly coated. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes

 

Israeli Salad

3 cucumbers - finely chopped

4 tomatoes - finely chopped

1-2 onions  - finely chopped

chopped parsley

 

olive oil

lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Mix veggies and top with oil, lemon juice and seasoning.

 

Fattoush - Bread crumbs salad

1 c toasted thin bread, broken in small pieces

3 medium sized cucumbers, peeled and diced

1 large tomato

1 onion

1/2 c parsley, chopped

1/3 c mint leaves, chopped

1/3 c lemon juice

1/3 c olive oil

1 green pepper

Salt

Put toasted pieces of bread in large salad bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add chopped cucumbers , green pepper, tomato, parsley & mint. Sprinkle chopped onion with salt and add to the above. Mix well, add olive oil slowly. 

 

Babba Ganush (version II)

 

2 medium eggplants

1/4 to 1/2 c tahini

1-2  chopped garlic clove 

2 tabls olive oil

1 tab lemon juice

salt to taste

1 tomato

Pierce the eggplants and wrap with alum. foil . Bake in the oven until soft approx. 45 minutes, at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool.  Scoop the eggplant pulp out of the skin, discard skin. Put the eggplant, tahini , garlic, olive oil, lemon juice in food processor, process until smooth. Do not liquify. Taste and add salt . Cubed tomato , add and mix together.  

 

Babba Ganush - version I

 

Bean Salad with Eggs

2 c dried white beans

1 teas salt

5 tabs olive oil

1/4 c wine vinegar

pepper

2 onions, cut in half and sliced paper-thin

5 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 hard cooked eggs

Clear debris from beans, rinse well and soak overnight. Drain and place in pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil , cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes, adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt . Drain beans and transfer to a bowl . In another bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, remaining salt & pepper. Pour 3rd of the dressing over the beans while they are still hot and toss .

Place the onions and parsley in a bowl and pour the remaining dressing over them. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions soften and lose their bite. Surround bean salad with the onions and the peeled sliced eggs.

 

Feta and tomatoes salad

2 cubed cucumbers

4 cubed firm tomatoes

1 cubed yellow pepper

1 sliced red onion

150 gr' cubed feta cheese

1/2 c pitted olives

1/4 c wine vinegar

1/4 - 1/2 c olive oil

salt & pepper

Place vegetable in a large bowl and combine gently.  Add cheese and olives. In a small bowl combine vinegar and olive oil. Pour half the dressing over salad and season with salt and pepper. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

 

  Green salad

 

Orange salad

6 oranges

50 gr' icing sugar

1 orange Juice mix with 1/4 lemon juice

100 ml orange-blossom water
1 teas cinnamon

Peel oranges, remove the pith completely and cut them into slices  Discard any core seeds.  Arrange the orange slices on a large plate in circles, each slice slightly overlapping the previous one . Sprinkle on the icing sugar and add mixed juice and the orange-blossom water. Refrigerate. Before serving, sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

 

Potato Salad

5 potatoes

1/2 c chopped parsley

1/4 c chopped chives

1/4 tea black pepper

1/4 c olive oil

lemon juice

salt & white pepper

 

Boil whole potatoes until they are tender. Let cool . When potatoes are cool , peel, dice and put them in a bowl. Add chopped chives, seasoning, olive oil, lemon juice and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve on room temp.

 

Beet Salad

3 beets
salt
1 red onion thinly sliced
2 tabs vinegar
2 c water
1/4 c sugar
pinch salt

Boil the beets in salt water until tender. Drain and peel, cut into quarters and thinly slice. Add the rest of ingredients. Marinate for several hours. Keeps chilled for two weeks in a covered dish

 

Pasta Salad

4 c cooked pasta

3 chopped stalks celery

3 hard boiled eggs

5 pickled cucumber - chopped

1 tiny cubed red pepper

mayonnaise for your taste        

salt

Mix all together and chill.

 

Tomatoes salad

6 large tomatoes

3 Tabs chopped chives

1 Tabs garlic vinegar

3 Tabs olive oil

Salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes, season and pour on them the olive oil previously mixed with the vinegar. Sprinkle generously with chives and serve cold.

 

Peppers & Apples salad

1/2 c olive oil
2 sliced onions
8  peppes  (all colors)
4 green apples (sour) - cubed
1 tab minced garlic
2 Tabs  honey
1/2 c
white dry wine
1/4 c balasmic vinegar

Heat oil in an heavy pot and fry onions for 5  minutes. add pepper and garlic. Fry for 3 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, apples and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Cool. Serve the day after.

 

Green Beans Salad

300 gr' cubed green beans

2 chopped onions

2 tabs olive oil

1/4 c water

1/2 tesp. salt

juice of 2 lemons

Steam beans half tender. Drain. Sauté onions in olive oil until transparent. Add green beans stirring to mix well. Sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the water and the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and steam for about 7 minutes, until the beans are tender. Uncover and raise the heat to evaporate as much of the water as possible. Toss with lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.

 

Couscous Salad

1 tab olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 1/2 c coarsely chopped cooked turkey

1/2 c dried apricots, slivered

1/2 c slivered almonds, lightly toasted 

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

2 1/2 c chicken or turkey broth

2 c plain couscous

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium- high heat. Add red bell pepper and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in turkey, apricots, almonds and scallions and keep mixture warm over low heat.

Bring chicken or turkey broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly stir in couscous. Remove pan from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in turkey mixture until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at once. To toast almonds place in shallow baking pan and roast uncovered in a 300 degree F oven about 20 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned.