Almuerzo Libanes - October 09, 2010

See the pictures (Ver fotos)


Tabouli - Chef Jose Lepervanche

2 cups cracked wheat (bulghur) 2 cups very hot water 1 cucumber, chopped 2 small tomatoes, chopped 1 bunch green onions, (8) sliced 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint 2 cups fresh chopped parsley 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Dressing: 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon pepper 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Soak the cracked wheat in the hot water until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. When it's ready, drain any excess water, if necessary, and squeeze dry.
Meantime, prepare the vegetables for the salad and mix the dressing ingredients together. Set aside.
Stir the prepared wheat, other salad ingredients, and dressing together in a medium bowl.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes about 8 cups, 12 to 16 servings.


Laban Mah Bitinjan (Yogurt Eggplant Purée) - Chef Jose Lepervanche


1 large eggplant 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup yogurt 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1) Wash eggplant and remove stem. Pierce the skin several times with a fork. Place in a 400° oven in a baking dish or cook over charcoal until eggplant is soft (about 20 minutes). 2) Remove eggplant from the heat and run under cold water. Remove the skin. 3) Place eggplant in a serving bowl and add all the remaining ingredients except parsley. Mash with a potato masher. For a finer texture, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. 4) Serve, garnished with parsley, as a dip for Pita Bread or as an appetizer with meat dishes.


(Warak Dawali- Stuffed Grapevine Leaves)- Chef Nora Santamaria

1 jar grapevine leaves (1 pt.) 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, or 1 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground pork 2 1/2 tsp. salt Pepper 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 2 onions, grated 1 c. long grain rice Juice of 1 1/2 lemons 1/2 c. chopped parsley 1/4 c. dill 1/4 c. mint 1/4 c. butter 2 c. beef or chicken broth 4 to 8 tbsp. lemon juice
Rinse leaves in cold water. Let stand in warm water as dolmades are being prepared. (If necessary, simmer leaves in water for 10 minutes to soften.)
Combine ground meat with next 9 ingredients, adding 3/4 cup water to make a soft, loose mixture. Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of a grapevine leaf (ribbed side) and shape in narrow roll. May be frozen at this point. Line deep saucepan with grapevine leaves and arrange dolmades in layers. Add butter, broth and lemon juice and cover with inverted plate. Simmer covered, for about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender. May be served with Egg-Lemon Sauce.
Makes about 65 rolls.
For oven: Place rolls in deep baking pan. Barely cover with broth and butter. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until rice is tender.


Kafta Mahshi bi Bayd) -Egg Stuffed Kafta Roll- Chef Ramon Molano

Ingredients
* 3 Pounds Ground Beef * 1 Medium Onion — grated * 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon * 1/4 Teaspoon Allspice * Salt And Pepper — to taste * 1 Cup Parsley — finely chopped * 6 Medium Eggs — hardboiled and peele Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees.Combine and thoroughly mix first six ingredients.Divide meat into 2 sections.Flatten each to 3/4 inch thickness.Keep meat in a rectangular shape.Sprinkle half of the parsley over the top of each.Place 3 eggs across the length of the rectangle on top of the parsley.Roll like a jellyroll. wet hands and smooth the outside well,sealing edges all over. place in greased pan side by side. bake for 1 hour until meat is cooked through.


Kibbi Nayii - Chef Ramon Molano

This can be served with green onions, pickles, or olive oil. Burghul is a natural source of fiber and is an excellent source of protein. If you ever have the privilege of travelling in Lebanon, it is a good bet that you will run across this national dish at some point. Very healthy with a great sense of taste and texture. as-salam alaykum!


2 cups crushed wheat (burghul)
4 cups ice cold water
2 pounds very lean beef or lamb (ground)
1 medium onion (grated fine)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice (optional)

1. Place crushed wheat in large mixing bowl and add water. Let stand 5 minutes and drain, squeezing out water.
2. Add ground meat, onion and seasoning. Mix well. If not pliable, add a little cold water.
3. Run the mixture through a meat grinder twice using fine holes (if using a food processor), process in 2 lots for 30 seconds each). Mix again.
4. Place on platter and shape into a flat round. Dip hands into cold water and smooth all over. using a fork or spoon, decorate the kibbi by pressing very lightly.
Garnish with parsley sprigs.


Hommous bi Tahini (Chick Pea Dip) - Chef Ramon Molano

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. can chick peas; drained and well-rinsed
1/4 c tahini (sesame paste)
2 lg. cloves garlic; chopped
5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about two lemons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup warm water
Preparation:
1. Place all ingredients except water in a food processor and process for about 2 minutes.
2. Remove lid and scrape down sides. Add water and process briefly again. Scrape down sides. The mixture should be somewhat coarse and not quite runny. Add a bit more water if needed.
3. Refrigerate for four hours to allow flavors to meld. The consistency will thicken to a firm paste.


Ma’amoul (Lebanese Date Stuffed Pastries - Chef Juan Carlos Perez

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina
2 sticks salted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts (pistachios, walnuts, or almonds)
powdered sugar for dusting
2 tablespoons milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour and semolina. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, beat together butter for 30-45 seconds. Slowly add in flour mixture until combined. Stir in milk, allspice, and orange blossom water. Roll dough into 12 pieces. In a small bowl, combine nuts and sugar. Set aside. Grab your dough and push 2 inch circles into it, then place onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Place about 1 teaspoon of nut mixture on top of dough. Fold and press dough together to seal the filling. Repeat with remaining dough and nut mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Japanesse Dinner - April 17 - Perez - Gonzalez Family

(See the pictures) (Ver fotos)

The Santamaria Family will delight us with a Sushi selection as appetizer.










Salad
Ahi Sashimi Salad Tower (By the Molano's Family)









4 servings
Ingredients
• FOR THE SALAD: 1/2 cup peeled grated daikon radish (from one 4-inch piece)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably shoyu)
• 2 teaspoons oriental sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon prepared wasabi
• 8 ounces sashimi-grade ahi tuna, cut into small dice
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 40 thin slices hothouse cucumber
• FOR THE DRESSING: 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably shoyu)
• 2 teaspoons oriental sesame oil
• One 2.5-ounce package radish sprouts, trimmed to 3-inches
• Toasted sesame seeds
Preparation
• 1FOR THE SALAD: Toss daikon with 2 teaspoons lemon juice and salt to taste in small bowl.
• 2Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil and wasabi to blend in medium bowl. Gently stir in ahi, green onions and cilantro.
• 3Place round mousse rings on serving plates. Arrange 5 slices cucumber at bottom of each ring. Top cucumber slices in each ring with 2 tablespoons ahi mixture, spreading evenly. Divide daikon mixture among rings, using about 2 tablespoons each and spreading evenly. Divide remaining ahi mixture among rings. Top each salad with 5 slices cucumber, compressing salads slightly.
• 4Refrigerate until well-chilled, about 1 hour.
• 5FOR THE DRESSING: Whisk all ingredients in small bowl to blend.
• 6Divide sprouts among salads arranging carefully atop cucumber slices. Sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds. Remove rings. Drizzle dressing over and around salad and serve.
• 7**Shoyu soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and radish sprouts can be found in the Asian section at large supermarkets or at specialty foods stores. The prepared wasabi and sashimi quality ahi can be purchased in the sushi section at the market.
.


Entree :Carrot and Wasabi Crusted Tuna - (By the Perez's family)









Ingredients:
1 1/2 Carrots 10-15 Wasabi Peas 1/3 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Sake 3 tbsp Mirin 1/4 cup Soy Sauce 1 steak Yellowfin Tuna

Preparation:
Reduce the Sake and Sugar together until it starts to turn to a syrup.
Add the mirin and soy sauce. Let cool.
In the meantime, peel and cut the carrots in a quick brunois, reserving the peelings. .
Microwave for 30 minutes on low until they are dry..
Mash the peas and carrots in a mortar ....
...until the majority is finely cracked..
Trim the yellowfin tuna to a uniform size. Pat dry and dip the top and bottom in the teriyaki sauce, and then the peas and carrots..
Bring a pan with a few drops of peanut oil in it to almost smoking and sear each side of the tuna. Place the pan in a 500F oven and cook to desired temperature. I like really rare..

The Wok Flash Fried Vegetables Ingredients: 1/2 Carrot 1/2 Red Pepper 1/4 Leek Bottom 1 large Shitake Mushroom splash Rice Wine Vinegar pinch Sugar Peanut Oil Black/White Sesame Seeds Finely julienne all of the vegetables and pat dry..
Bring a wok up to a high and pour in enough peanut oil to cover the bottom. Sorry for the lack of pictures but this part is done in about 30 seconds and there is no time to take any. Once the peanut oil is almost smoking, toss in the vegetables. Immediately add the sugar and sesame seeds– tossing for about 25 seconds. Deglaze with a splash of vinegar, pour onto a plate..

Carrot-Ginger Nage Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Carrot Scraps (coarsely diced) 1/2 root Ginger (coarsely diced) 1/4 cup Leek Scraps 1 tbsp Soy Sauce 1 tsp Red Chili Paste 2 cups Chicken Stock (dilute if too strong) 6-8 Sezchuan Peppercorns (toasted off) pinch Star Anise Combine the scraps, ginger, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes and add the remaining ingredients. Reduce for another 30 minutes..
Blitz in a blender until you have a chunky puree – you don’t want to fully puree it (you want to infuse the flavors but not thicken it). Strain through a fine mesh sieve – the final liquid should have the light consistency of broth..

Slice and plate the tuna in a shallow bowl. Pour the nage on the side of the bowl until it comes up about a 1/4 of the way up the tuna. Top with the wok-fried vegetables..




Dessert - Green Tea Ice Cream (By the Lepervanche's family)












Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk 2 egg yolks 5 tbsp sugar 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tbsp maccha green tea powder 3 tbsps hot water

Preparation:
Mix hot water and green tea powder together in a bowl and set aside. Lightly whisk egg yolks in a pan. Add sugar in the pan and mix well. Gradually add milk in the pan and mix well. Put the pan on low heat and heat the mixture, stirring constantly. When the mixture is thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Soak the bottom of the pan in ice water and cool the mixture. Add green tea in the egg mixture and mix well, cooling in ice water. Add whipped heavy cream in the mixture and stir gently. Pour the mixture in an ice cream maker and freeze, following instructions of the ice cream maker. Or, pour the mixture in a container and freeze, stirring the ice cream a few times.
*Makes 4-6 servings

Scottish Dinner - March 06 2010 - Lepervanche's Family

See the pictures (Ver fotos)


SCOTCH BROTH SOUP (Perez-Gonzalez Family)

A rich stock is traditionally made by boiling mutton (the neck is best), beef, marrow-bone or chicken (for a chicken broth). There is also freedom over the choice of vegetables, which should be diced. Carrots, garden peas, leeks, cabbage, turnips and a stick of celery can all be used. The hard vegetables should be added first to the boiling stock, with a handful of barley, with the softer vegetables being added later.
The final consistency should be thick and served piping hot.
Ingredientes:
1kg neck of mutton or lamb or chicken
75g pearl barley
1 large onion
75g split peas or fresh peas
1 large leek
3 wee neeps (turnip)
1 swede
water depending on thickness required - try 2.5 litres
3 carrots
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
salt and pepper
small cabbage (optional)

Directions:
1. Pre soak the barley and split peas
2. Chop all the vegetables
3. Melt a wee bit of lard/cooking oil and add the chopped onion. Once softened add the water and meat (you can just add stock rather than boil meat) and boil, skimming off any fatty deposits from the top.

4. After boiling for about half an hour add the barley and peas and simmer for another 30 minutes.

5. Add the remaining vegetables.

6. If used, remove the bone and strip off the meat and return this to the pot.
7. Give the dog the bone once it's cooled!

8. Add parsley before serving. Great with warmed bread rolls.

9. If making a big pot full it'll keep out provided you boil and stir each day. Though to be safe it would probably best be kept in the fridge or individual portions could be freezed and used as needed.



BAKED SALMON WITH TARRAGON (Lepervanche’s Family)

Ingredients
4 Salmon Fillets
1 (Small) Chopped Onion
2 rashers of bacon, diced
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons butter - 1/2 cup white wine
Double Cream or Creme Fraiche to be used for serving (if desired)
Method
Pre heat oven to 400F. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the tarragon and bacon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring in the lemon juice periodically.
Place a large piece of buttered kitchen foil into an ovenproof dish and place on it the 4 salmon fillets. Cover the fillets with the bacon, onion etc. mixture. Fold the foil to make a parcel and place in oven.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the oven heats and the fish bakes, prepare the sauce (can also be done ahead). Zest and juice the lemon. Chop the onion. In a small skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook 2 minutes over medium heat (to soften, not brown). Add wine, lemon juice and zest, and cook until liquid is reduced to 3 or 4 tablespoons. Chop tarragon finely and add to sauce. Mix well and set aside.
When fish is done, spoon sauce over it and serve immediately. The cream can be placed on top of the dish just before serving

STOVIED TATTIES (OR STOVIES)
Stovies are a potato-based dish, designed to use up left over meat, fish and vegetables.
Several onions should be cut into small pieces and fried in a good amount of beef dripping (fat from the cooked meat) in a large pot. Scraps of meat and left-over vegetables (usually carrots and peas) are then added to the frying onions.
Six to eight good sized potatoes are peeled and cut into 3cm (1.5") pieces. Approximately 2.5cm (1") of water is added to the pan containing the fried onion mixture and the potato pieces are added to this, seasoned with salt and then left to simmer until the potatoes are soft. More water is added only if the pan is likely to become dry.
The resulting stovies should have the consistency of mashed potatoes, but the potato pieces should still be detectable. Modern cooks would add a beef stock cube to the mixture prior to simmering.



CRANACHAN (Molano’s Family)

Cranachan is a traditional Scottish sweet dessert recipe served with raspberries. It is also spelt Crannachan. It is traditionally served in Scotland at the New Year, Weddings and at some Burns Night Suppers. Cranachan is sometimes called Cream Crowdie.
You can use any kind of whisky in the recipe, but for the really authentic touch, drambuie would be the best choice. This is a malt whisky, flavored with honey and herbs, produced on the Isle of Skye. If you prefer an alcohol-free cranachan, use a few drops of vanilla essence instead.
To be authentic it is good to use Scottish raspberries and Scottish heather honey, but don't worry if you can't find Scottish, the wonderful ingredients in the Cranachan taste good anyway.

Ingredients:
(Serves two)
» Approx 300g/10½oz raspberries (strawberries can also be used).
» 280ml/10 floz/one cup double (heavy) cream.
» 2 tablespoons good quality honey.
» 2 tablespoons single malt whisky.
» 2-3 tablespoons of oatmeal.

Method:
1. Place the oatmeal in a cool, dry pan and turn on the heat to simmer. Stirring occasionally, toast the oatmeal until it is golden brown. This process could take between 10-20 minutes.
2. Once the oatmeal is brown, turn off the heat and let it cool in the pan.
3. Place the cream in a bowl and whisk up until soft and relatively thick.
4. Add the honey and single malt whisky and fold it in with a whisk, until it is soft and creamy.
5. Pick out some of the best raspberries for decoration and add three or four to the bottom of each serving glass, leaving a few for final decoration.
6. Add the rest of the raspberries to the cream mixture and fold in carefully, breaking up a few of the raspberries to obtain a slight colouring to the cream.
7. Spoon the mixture into the serving glasses, then add cream to the top to make an even base for the oatmeal.
8. By now the oatmeal will be cooler. Using a teaspoon, evenly sprinkle the oatmeal over the dessert. Add a raspberry for the finishing touch and chill for about three hours, or overnight.
Serving:
Cranachan can be served on its own, or with double cream and more raspberries or in a big glass bowl. For an extra treat, make up the cream and add the raspberries as in 3, 4 and 6 above. Then freeze in a container for a yogurty fresh ice cream.