PAN FRIED SEA BASS WITH HARISSA AND ROSES

I took a leap of faith and went exotic with this recipe. It started with spreading spicy African harissa paste and cumin on my sea bass. I let it marinate for a few hours. With a quick dusting of flour on my fish I pan fried it. This was really tasty right out of the pan.The harissa gave it a nice kick and paired perfectly with my bass. It was hard not to devour it. Now, back to the exotic....a sauce made with onions, vinegar, cinnamon, honey, currants, and rose water, spooned on the fish and then topped with cilantro and dried rose petals. It was sweet and sour, a little bit spicy and had a beautiful aroma of roses. Eating dried rose petals is just.... so....sexy!

PAN FRIED SEA BASS WITH HARISSA AND ROSE

3 tbsp harissa paste (store-bought...)
1 tsp ground cumin
4 sea bass fillets, about 1 lb / 450 g in total, skinned and with pin bones removed
all-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 tbsp / 100 ml red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
scant 1 cup / 200 ml water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rose water
scant cup / 60 g currants (optional)
2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)
2 tsp small dried edible rose petals
salt and freshly ground black pepper

First marinate the fish. Mix together half the harissa paste, the ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over the fish fillets and leave them to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.

Dust the fillets with a little flour and shake off the excess. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the fillets for 2 minutes on each side. You may need to do this in two batches. Set the fish aside, leave the oil in the pan, and add the onions. Stir as you cook for about 8 minutes, until the onions are golden.

Add the remaining harissa, the vinegar, the cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of black pepper. Pour in the water, lower the heat, and let the sauce simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until quite thick.

Add the honey and rose water to the pan along with the currants, if using, and simmer gently for a couple more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and then return the fish fillets to the pan; you can slightly overlap them if they don’t quite fit. Spoon the sauce over the fish and leave them to warm up in the simmering sauce for 3 minutes; you may need to add a few tablespoons of water if the sauce is very thick.

Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with the cilantro, if using, and the rose petals.

Recipe from Jerusalem a Cookbook

FATTOUSH

This has been my year to focus on Middle Eastern Food. I love the combinations of fresh ingredients and herbs. My new cook book Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi has been amazing, not only to cook from but it is a great read too.

My favorite salad from the cook book is a spinach and date salad that I made here. My second favorite salad came from a recipe in Eating Well, and it is for fattoush. Pita halves are sprinkled with sumac and toasted until golden and crisp. Broken pieces and added to romaine and diced vegetables. Thinly sliced mint rounds it out and it is tossed with a very light dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and sumac. This is the perfect summer salad and in a few months almost all of the ingredients will be growing in my garden!

FATTOUSH

      2 6-inch whole-wheat pitas, split

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/4 teaspoons ground sumac, (see note), divided

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 large head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 small salad cucumbers, or 1 large cucumber, seeded and diced (peeled if desired)

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh mint

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place pita halves rough-side up on a large baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sumac. Bake until the pita halves are golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. When cool, break into bite-size pieces.

     Whisk lemon juice, salt, pepper and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon sumac in a      large  bowl. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mint and the pita pieces; toss to coat. Let 

     stand for 15 minutes before serving.      

    Recipe from Eating Well

SUPER-LEMONY GARBANZO BEANS

This delicious Middle Eastern side dish was inspired by our Food Matters Project recipe this week. Aura from Dinner With Aura chose this weeks recipe Super-Lemony Kidney Beans by Mark Bittman. I substituted garbanzo beans for the kidney beans, left out the tomato paste and chile and sprinkled sumac over the finished dish. This recipe has a method for making "quick" preserved lemon. Normally when I make preserved lemons it's a month long waiting period however I have to say, Mark's quick method is pretty darn good. This recipe for the quick preserved lemons makes enough for leftovers. Keep a jar in the refrigerator, they get better with age and will keep for months. I love adding chopped preserved lemons to a pan sauce to serve over roast chicken or fish, or add some finely chopped lemons to hummus, gives it an extra kick!

These beans made a nice side dish for Turkish Lamb & Eggplant Kebabs.

You can find Mark's recipe using kidney beans on Aura's blog here and for our other members take of the recipe click here.

SUPER-LEMONY GARBANZO BEANS

6 lemons

Salt

1 onion chopped

2 TBSP. minced garlic

1 TBSP. cumin seeds

1 TBSP. mustard seeds

4 cardamon pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 pound garbanzo or chickpeas (rinsed and soaked over night)

Ground sumac for garnish

Heat the oven to 325~. Trim the ends from 4 of the lemons; quarter them, remove the seeds, and put them (rind included) in a food processor. Add the juice of the remaining 2 lemons to the food processor (again, without the seeds) along with 2 tsp. salt. Pulse several times to chop the lemons into bits but don't puree. Put the mixture in a jar and leave it on the counter while you cook the beans; shake it every once in a while.

Put the oil in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute more. Stir in the cumin, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick. 

Add the garbanzo beans and water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and bake for about 2 hours. After 2 hours, stir the beans and check to see if they are tender. Cook a little longer if they are not tender and make sure the beans are covered by 1 inch of water. When the beans are tender add 1/2 cup of the preserved lemons. Cover and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.

When the beans are completely tender and the liquid has thickened, fish out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding pepper, salt, and more lemons if you like.

Serve, garnished with ground sumac.

Beans can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for several days. Gently reheat before serving.

Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman

LENTIL, CHICKPEA, AND SPINACH STEW

This is a healthy and flavor packed Middle Eastern stew. Cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom are combined with onions, carrots and garlic. Add some lentils, chickpeas, spinach, and tomatoes and you have a hearty one pot meal in no time.

This weeks Food Matters Project recipe was Dal with Lots of Vegetables. Anita from Cooking Poetry chose our recipe and she made four different Indian dishes! Check out her blog and what she made here.

Mark Bittman's recipe inspired me to make this stew. We loved this!

To see what the other members made this week click here.

LENTIL, CHICKPEA, AND SPINACH STEW

Olive oil
1 medium onion
2 large carrots
3-5 large garlic cloves
3 teaspoons each of cardamom and coriander
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 scant teaspoon cumin
1 scant teaspoon allspice
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
1 ½ cups lentils (brown or yellow preferred)
4-5 cups filtered water
1 28 ounce can of peeled, whole tomatoes
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
14-16 ounces cooked chickpeas (either canned or pre-cooked)
2 cups fresh spinach

Heat olive oil over a low flame in a large soup pot. As the oil heats, peel and chop the onions and carrots.   

 Raise the heat of the pan to medium. Add the onions and carrots and stir well to begin cooking them. Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until softened.
     
 Lower the flame to low. Add the garlic and spices and stir well. When the spices’ aroma begins to bloom (in about 30-60 seconds), remove the pan from heat immediately and turn off the heat. Cook for 30 seconds to one minute more.
     
 Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and water to the pot. Break up the tomatoes and stir everything together really well.

   
 Return pot to burner, and bring to a boil. Once stew is boiling, drop the flame down to low and cook for 20-30 minutes more, or until both carrots and lentils are tender.
   
 Add the pre-cooked chickpeas. (If using canned, be sure to strain the liquid and rinse the chickpeas).
     
To finish, turn off the flame and add the spinach. The residual heat will wilt the spinach, leaving it a bright green color without overcooking it.


Recipe from West of Persia

BABY SPINACH SALAD WITH DATES AND ALMONDS

This salad is in my top five BEST salads ever. While immersing myself into Middle Eastern cuisine I came across this recipe in Jerusalem the Cookbook. The combinations of flavors are amazing. You give onions and dates a quick pickle in white wine vinegar, toast pita pieces with chopped almonds until brown and mix in ground sumac and chile flakes for a little spice. When ready to serve, toss everything together with fresh spinach, a small amount of olive oil, salt, and some lemon juice.

Give this a try...you will be amazed!
.
You can find ground sumac at any Middle Eastern Market or on-line.

Baby Spinach Salad with Dates & Almonds

    

        1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
        1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced 
        3 1/2 oz pitted Medjool dates, quartered lengthwise

   2 tablespoons unsalted butter

   2 tablespoons olive oil

   2 small pitas, roughly torn into 1 1/2-inch pieces

   1/2 cup whole unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped

   2 teaspoons sumac

   1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

   5 ounces baby spinach leaves

   2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

   salt

Put the vinegar, onion, and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well with your hands. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain away any residual vinegar and discard.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and half of the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the pita and almonds and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring all of the time, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown. Remove from the heat and mix in the sumac, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside to cool.

When you are ready to serve, toss the spinach leaves with the pita mix in a large mixing bowl. Add the dates and red onion, the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice, and another pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Recipe from Jerusalem a Cookbook

TURKEY & ZUCCHINI BURGERS WITH GREEN ONION & CUMIN

 This week for our Food Matters Project Evi and Sam of Fifth Floor Kitchen chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Brown Rice and Lamb Burgers with Spinach. I decided to give his recipe a Middle Eastern twist and made Turkey and Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin. These burgers are juicy, flavorful, and the cayenne pepper gives it nice kick. To put these burgers over the top serve them with the Sumac and Sour Cream Sauce. With Middle Eastern cuisine becoming my new passion I have found that sumac is my new "it" spice. Sumac is a decorative bush that grows in the Middle East and parts of Italy. The berries are dried or ground. I'm using the ground which has a tart, lemony flavor. I have used it with hummus, sprinkled on pita and toasted, in salads and in meat dishes. Here it adds a nice sharpness to the sour cream and yogurt sauce.

I served the burgers (made larger than the recipe calls for) with Wheat berries & Swiss chard with pomegranate molasses, and warm lavash.

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion & Cumin

Serves 4 to 6; makes about 18 small burgers

1 pound ground turkey

1 large zucchini, coarsely grated (scant 2 cups total)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 large free-range egg

2 tablespoons chopped mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

about 6 tablespoons sunflower oil, for searing

Sour cream & sumac sauce

1/2 scant cup sour cream

2/3 scant cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sumac

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Make the sour cream sauce first by placing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside or chill until needed. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the burgers except the sunflower oil. Mix with your hands and then shape into about 18 rounded burgers of about 1½ ounces each. 

Pour enough sunflower oil into a large frying pan to form a layer about 1/16-inch thick. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear the burgers, in batches, on all sides. Cook each batch for about 4 minutes, adding oil as needed, until golden brown. 

Carefully transfer the seared burgers to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the sauce spooned over or on the side.

Recipe from Jerusalem the cookbook

LEMON AND OREGANO LAMB CHOPS WITH TAHINI SAUCE

My exploration of Middle Eastern food continues with these juicy lamb chops with a lemon-herb rub. The chops are served with a tangy cucumber-tahini sauce and a side chopped salad called Fattoush.

LEMON AND OREGANO LAMB CHOPS

Freshly grated zest of 2 lemons

1 TBSP. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried

1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground pepper to taste

8 lamb loin chops (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds total), trimmed

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup diced  seeded cucumber, peeled if desired

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP. chopped fresh parsley

1-3 TBSP. water

2 tsp. extra- virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400~

Combine lemon zest, oregano, 3/4 tsp. salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture onto both sides of the lamb chops and set aside for at least 10 minutes or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine tahini, yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Whisk in enough water to thin the sauce to desired consistency.

Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb chops and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn them over and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted horizontally into a chop registers 135~ for medium-rare, 8 -14 minutes depending on the thickness. 

Serve the chops with the tahini sauce.

Recipe from Eating Well