Mezze – Arabian food

Mouhammara
Hummus – chickpea – puree
Baba Ganoush – Aubergine – puree
Jibne wa labne – cheese with yogurt dip Tabbouleh – parsleysalad with bulgur
Salad with orange, avocado and olive
Kibbeh – lamb meatballs
Sambousak bi jibneh – cheese dill pies
Fatayer bil sabanikh – spinach patties
Kofteh samak – fishballs
Koussa bil khal – roasted zucchini with vinegar and mint

Dessert
Basbousa – semolina with poppy seeds

Mouhammera
Ingredients 4 persons
● 1 sweet red pepper
● 30 grams walnuts
● 0.5 tsp cuminseeds
● 0.5 slice white bread
● 0.5 clove garlic
● 0.5 tbsp lemon juice
● 0,5 tbsp olive oil
● 0.5 tsp pomegranate molasses
Tools
● oven
● oven tray
● bowl
● cling foil
● pan
● blender
● serving plate / bowl
Preparation
1. Grill the peppers in the oven until soft and / or black. Put them in a bowl and cover with foil. Leave for 5 mins and the peel the skin off.
2. Toast the walnuts and cumin in a dry pan. Grind the cumin.
3. Mix all the ingredients in the blender.
4. Bring to taste with lemon juice, pepper and salt.

Baba Ganoush – eggplant puree
Ingredients: 8 people
● 1 aubergine
● 0.25 clove garlic
● 1 tsp lemon juice
● 5 tbsp olive oil
● 1 tbsp tahini
Tools
● knife
● brush
● oven
● oven tray
● thongs
● spoon
● serving bowl
Preparation:
1. Make holes in the eggplant and put the in the oven. 30 mins on 220 C. Or for a more smokier taste: roast (some of) them on the gas flame so they burn outside and cook inside.
2. Scoop the inside out of the skin.
3. Cut and mix with garlic, lemon juice and tahini.
4. Mix the oil in.
5. Bring to taste with pepper and salt and decorate with parsley.

Hummus – chickpea puree
Ingredients 8 people
● 0.25 clove garlic
● sap of 1/2 lemon
● 1 cup olive oil
● 2 tsp cumin powder
● 1 can chickpeas
● 1 tbsp tahini
Preparation:
1. Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the hummus in a bowl and add some olive oil.
Beetroot hummus
Replace half the chickpeas with cooked red beets and puree.
Spicy hummus
Add a fresh red pepper (with or without seeds through)

Jibne wa labne cheese – yoghurt dip with zahtar
Ingredients 8 people
● 125g feta cheese
● 125 grams of whole Greek yogurt
● 1 tablespoon olive oil
● 1 tbsp zahtar
Zahtar
● 3 tsp dried thyme
● 1 tbsp sumac
● 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Preparation:
1. Drain the feta and mash finely.
2. Beat the yoghurt through it, creating a thick paste.
3. Spoon the mixture into a bowl, and pour the olive oil over it.
4. Sprinkle with zahtar

Tabbouleh – Parsley Salad with bulgur
Ingredients 4 people
● 100g fine bulgur
● juice of 0,5 lemon
● small bunch parsley
● 1⁄2 tomato
● 1⁄2 handful mint leaves
● 1⁄4 pomegranate
● 2 tbsp olive oil
Preparation:
1. Pour boiling water over the bulgur and let stand for 5 minutes to cook .
2. Wash the parsley and dry well. Chop the parsley very finely. Make sure it is dry otherwise
you chop it to a pulp.
3. Chop the mint finely. And the tomatoe in cubes.
4. Mix the herbs and tomatoe with the cooled bulgur and season with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish wih the pomegranate.

Kibbeh
Ingredients 4 people
● 250g lean minced lamb
● 100 grams of fine bulgur
● 3 grams of salt
● pepper
● 1⁄2 onion, finely chopped
● 1⁄2 tablespoon cumin powder
● 1⁄2 tbsp coriander powder
● 1⁄2 tsp thyme
● 1⁄2 tsp oregano
● 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation:
1. Knead the minced meat with the onion, salt,pepper and spices.
2. Wash the bulgur in a sieve and press it the moisture out.
3. Add this to the mince and knead until burghul choppers are well mixed.
4. Bake a tiny bit of oil to taste if there is enough salt in it.
5. Make balls the size of a golf ball em fry cooked in oil.

Orange Salad

Ingredients
4 people
● 1 pieces oranges
● 1 pieces tomatoes
● 1 pieces avocado
● 4 tbsp olive oil
● 2 tbsp lemon juice
● 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
● 25g flaked almonds
● 8 pcs black olives
● salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Peel the oranges and cut them into thick slices.
2. Cut the tomatoes into slices.
3. Halve the avocados and remove the pit. Peel the avocados and cut the flesh into blocks.
4. Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Mix the dressing with avocado, orange and tomato.
6. Toast the almonds in the oven or frying pan.
7. Garnish the salad with toasted almonds and olives.

Sambousak bi jibneh – Cheese Dill patties
Ingredients 8 people
● 125g feta
● 100g mozzarella
● 0.5 bunch dill
● 1 egg
● 1 packet of puff pastry
● 1 egg yolk
Preparation
1. Mash the feta fine.
2. Chop mozzarella fine.
3. Beat the eggs and chop the dill.
4. Mix the cheeses, eggs and dill, season with salt and pepper.
5. Roll out the pastry thinly and cut out circles from.
6. Put on each circle 2 teaspoons of the filling and fold it closed.
7. Press the rim with a fork and brush with egg yolk.
8. Bake for approx. 20 minutes in the oven at 200 C.

Fatayer bil sabanikh Spinach Patties
Ingredients
● 500g fresh spinach
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 2 onions, chopped
● 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
● 1 tbsp sumac (or juice of 1 lemon)
● 1 tsp ground allspice
● 2 sheets filo pastry
● butter for filo pastry
Preparation:
1. Fry the onion in the oil until translucent.
2. Cook the spinach with it until it shrinks.
3. Squeeze the water out and chop the spinach coarsely.
4. Rooster sunflower seeds and add the remaining herbs to the mixture. Season with salt and
pepper.
5. Cut the filo pastry into strips of 5x15cm. Brush with melted butter
6. Lay the filling on top of the pastry and fold the point so you can get a triangle
7. Fold the triangle and down. Brush again with butter
8. Bake 20 minutes at 180 C

Kofta Samak
Ingredients 4 persons
● 250 g fish fillets (whitefish)
● 1⁄2 bunch spring onion
● 1⁄4 bunch parsley
● 1⁄4 bunch coriander
● grated zest of 1⁄4 orange
● pinch of cinnamon
● 3 grams salt
● pepper
● 1⁄2 lemon for garnish
Preparation:
1. Chop all herbs in the food processor and take out.
2. Cut the fish into pieces and chop in the machine.
3. Add the spices again, salt and pepper and blend again.
4. Make a small ball and fry it briefly in a little oil to test the taste, if desired, add some salt
or spices.
5. Make cookies or balls and fry until golden.
6. Serve with lemon slices

Koussa bil khal – Grilled zucchini with vinegar
Ingredients 4 people
● 1 zucchini
● 1⁄2 clove garlic
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
● 1 tsp (dried) mint
Preparation
1. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices. You can do this with a knife or a thin slicer (or dutch cheese slicer)
2. Peel and crush the garlic.
3. Pour the olive oil, mix the garlic and cook 15 minutes at 180C.
4. Mix vinegar and mint through. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the zucchini on a plate and drizzle with the dressing.

Basbousa – semolina cake with poppy seeds
Ingredients
● 115g butter
● 175g sugar
● 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
● 2 eggs
● 450g fine semolina
● 1 teaspoon baking powder
● 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
● 175 ml thick yogurt
● 16 almonds, halved
Syrup
● 1 dl water
● 100 g sugar
● Juice 1⁄2 lemon
Preparation:
1. Beat the butter and sugar creamy poppy seeds and mix it.
2. Beat in the eggs one by one before.
3. Sift the semolina with the baking powder and baking soda through.
4. Mix in the yogurt.
5. Spread on a greased or lined baking tray or cake-mould. (approx. 20×30)
6. Slice the almonds lengthwise and divide on top.
7. Bake 30 minutes at 180 or until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Boil the syrup, water and sugar. Stir in the lemon juice and let boil for 10 minutes. Let cool. Pour over the cold cake.