Sunday, March 23, 2014

SINI KUFTEH




SINI KUFTEH

Mom used to make this a lot and we loved it!

Crust:

1 lb. lean ground beef
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 cup fine bulgur
1 egg  
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Have a bowl of cold water to keep mixture from sticking to hands. 
Mix all ingredients together kneading constantly while keeping hands moistened with water.
When the mixture becomes soft and pliable stop kneading and set aside.

Filling:

1 cup chopped onions
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
½ stick butter
½ cup chopped walnut or pine nuts (optional)

Saute all the ingredients in the butter in a deep frying pan or pot until well done.
Place in refrigerator and chill for 3 hours or so until the fat has hardened.

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13” pan with half the crust mixture by flattening pieces of the crust in your hands and pressing them together in the pan making sure the joints are sealed (use dabs of water spread over the areas to seal joints).

Spread the chilled filling over the bottom crust.
Top with the remaining crust mixture, again using your hands to flatten pieces of the crust, place over filling and join crust together as you did for the bottom layer.

You can cut it into portions at this point if you prefer or wait until it’s baked and then cut it.

Pour ½ cup of beef broth over the crust.

Put dabs of butter over the crust.

Bake covered in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 20 - 25 minutes, cut into diamond shape pieces or squares and serve with dollops of plain yogurt on top.

Serves 8

Tabouleh


Tabouleh 
(Cracked Wheat Salad)

Prepare the mixture early enough to allow flavors to blend

Ingredients:
  • 1-1/2 cups fine bulgur
  • 2 bunches parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  • 4 tomatoes, skinned and peeled, chopped fine
  • 1 small bunch mint or 2 tsp. dried mint
  • 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (optional)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • salt to taste
Cover the bulgur with room temperature or hot water and allow to soak for an hour or so until all the water is absorbed. Squeeze out excess water with hands (if you want it a bit juicy leave the excess water in) and mix into the other ingredients except oil, lemon juice and salt.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste.
Line a serving platter with washed, dried Romain lettuce leaves and pile the tabouleh neatly on top of the lettuce leaves to serve. Garnish with Kalamata olives, sprigs of parsley and lemon wedges. 

Serves 10

Lemony Rice Sarma (stuffed grapeleaves)

Lemony Rice Stuffed Grapeleaves (Yalanchi Sarma)

This is used as an appetizer to be served cold or at room temperature

Prepare all ingredients beforehand and allow at least 2½ hours. 

Rice Filling
1 cup rice (long grain par boiled)
½ cup pure olive oil
¼ cup veg. oil
2½ lbs. onions (chopped approx. 5 heaping cups)
1 tbsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. red pepper
1½ cups water
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. Pine nuts ½ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 tbsp. dried dill or (optional)

Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan. Add onions wait till they begin to sizzle. Add the Pine nuts and mMix well. Stir in salt, black and red pepper.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly so onions do not brown.
Add rice, mix well.
Add chopped parsley and dill mixing well.
Add 1½ cups water and cook approximately 15 minutes, stirring often to avoid scorching.
Add lemon juice. Mix well and remove from heat and allow to cool down.

Line the bottom of another 4-quart pan/pot with grape leaves. (This will prevent the bottom from scorching)

Wrapping leaves: (1 cup rice mixture to 9 ounce jar of grape leaves)

Cut stems off leaves and smooth out the leaves making sure the veiny side is facing up.
Mix rice occasionally so oil will be evenly distributed. Fill grape leaves with 1tablespoon of the rice mixture each placing the row of rice along the bottom of the leaves.  Fold the bottom part of the leaves over the row of rice, then fold the two sides over and roll the leaves firmly so that the final product looks like wet cigars.

Lay wrapped grape leaves end to end in circle in bottom of pan, covering first the bottom, then start 2nd row continuing in circle pattern. when all wrapped leaves are arranged in pan, add 2 cups of water and cover pan with inverted 10" plate over sarmas and cook until it comes to a boil.
Reduce heat and cook ½ hour longer. Allow the sarmas to rest 15 - 20 minutes. Remove the plate and allow the sarmas to cool.

Using same system of arranging in cooking pan, transfer the rolled leaves carefully and place on shallow serving platter OR place shallow serving dish over top of pan/pot, hold firmly by both handles and quickly invert away from you with a good firm twist of your wrists, without disturbing the rows of sarmas.   Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Prior to serving garnish with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.

Makes approximately 50 - 60 sarmas

Tourshi (Armenian Pickles)

Tourshi (Armenian Pickles)

I LOVE tourshi!!!

3-4 cauliflowers, broken into small flowerets
2 bunches celery, cut in desired lengths
3 lbs. carrots, cut in desired lengths
3 lbs. green pepper, cut in desired lengths
small white onions (opt.)
green tomatoes (opt.)
green or wax beans (opt.)
4-5 hot peppers
garlic
brown sugar
celery tops
Into each quart bottle place 1½" piece of hot pepper and clove of garlic cut in half. Fill bottles with assorted, washed, cut-up vegetables. Pour brine to about 1½' from top and tightly pack additional vegetables in jars as they begin to settle.
Use celery tops to keep vegetables under liquid. Then complete filling of brine. Place a teaspoon of brown sugar on top of each jar and seal tightly. Set bottles in cool place. Tourshi will be ready in two weeks.

Brine:
½ gal. cider vinegar
½ pt. water, strained from ½ box cooked pickling spices
(pickling spice mix should have Allspice, Mustard, Clove, Ginger, Cinnamon, Coriander seeds, Black pepper, Dill seeds, Bay Leaves, Cardamom).
1 gal. water
1½ cups cooking salt (non-iodized)

Makes approximately 12 quarts

NAZOOK


NAZOOK

I just love this mellow dessert!  It’s not overwhelming and it’s not bland, it has just the right amount of sweetness to it.  Actually, it’s very addictive!

Dough

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
1 cup sour cream, room temp
3 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chilled butter, unsalted
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Glaze

2 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon yogurt
3 tablespoons melted butter (for brushing the dough with)

Filling

1 cup melted butter
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cardamom

Directions:

1 Dough: Add yeast to the sour cream and mix inches Set aside for 10 minutes. Combine flour, salt and butter and mix with your hands until crumbly. Add egg, vegetable oil, lemon juice and sour cream and mix well. Knead the dough, over a floured surface, for 5 minutes, or until no longer sticky. Add more flour if necessary. Form into a ball, mark with an “+”, symbolizing a cross. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 5 hours, or overnight. 

2 Filling: Mix melted butter and flour until combined. Add sugar, walnuts, vanilla and cardamom. Stir until the mixture is smooth. 

3 Preheat oven to 350°F. 

4 Assembly: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside. Remove dough from refrigerator; divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each dough ball into a 10 x 6” rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Spread 1/8th of the filling over each rectangle, leaving 1/2” border. Cover with a piece of parchment paper. Roll over it lightly with a rolling pin, so that the filling adheres to the dough. Fold the edges in 1/2” over the filling. Roll into a cylinder. Gently flatten with the palms of your hands. 

5 Cut each roll into 6 pieces and arrange on 2 greased cookie sheets. Brush liberally with the egg glaze. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy with a hot cup of tea!