Thursday, December 16, 2010

Lebanon!

LEBANON
LEBANON
LEBANON



After a very brief hiatus, VeggieWorld is back with even more delicious and nutritious Vegetarian dishes-- this time, moving overseas from sunny South America back into the Middle-east. This week's additions to the blog is Lebanon, which offered us a chance to come up with a few neat contemporary twists on some classical meals- varying from a scrumptious Falafel recipe, to a quick and easy method of preparing a delicious Tabouli. We have many more surprises in store for all the aspiring chefs and VeggieWorld readers out there, so stay tuned!




Vegetable Ragout

This dish was simply breath-taking, from the very first bite to the very end of the meal. If you have a hankering for a strong, savoury dish- absolutely exploding with flavour and crave-inducing texture- then look no further! This Lebanese-style Ragout is sure to become a staple in your stay-at-home menu, as it is not only extremely palatable (with a variety of great flavours, ranging from brown sugar and cinnamon to succulent artichoke hearts), but is also rich with nutrients. The addition and removal of bundled parsley may seem a bit unusual, but it's a great way to utilize the flavour without adding an intrusive texture to this delicate delicacy. For best results, insure that your ingredients are always as fresh as can be!


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions diced
10 garlic cloves diced
1 (14 ounce) can tomato diced
4 carrot peeled and sliced into thin strips
2 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 small bunch parsley, rinsed and strung together (to simplify removal)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 zucchini diced
1 (8 ounce) can artichoke heart diced (drain before dicing)
1 (15 ounce) can bean/bean blend of choice (drained)
1 cup plain yogurt


Instructions:

1. In a medium pan, add olive oil and adjust the heat to med-high.
2. Add the diced onions, making sure to stir frequently for 4-5 mins, or until onions are golden-brown.
3. Add the diced garlic and fry for an additional 1 min.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, sliced carrots, diced potatoes and parsley. Reduce heat. Cover and cook 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
5. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, coriander, diced zucchini, diced artichoke hearts, and beans. Cover again and allow to cook for an additional 10 mins.
6. Remove the bunch of parsley. Reduce heat, and add the yogurt. Stir while allowing the dish to cook for another 3-5 minutes before serving.





Batinjan Imfasakh

This dish had a bit of an acquired taste, with a very unorthodox texture to go with it. It made a very savoury side dish, accompanying the other dishes we prepared very well. Please note that eggplants can be quite difficult to cook with, so this can be a bit of a challenge to prepare correctly. The plain yogurt is such a wonderful additive to this dish as well, providing it with the aforementioned savoury flavour.


Ingredients:

2 large Eggplants
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 Garlic clove
1 cup Yogurt


Instructions:

1. Skin the eggplants (fairly simple with a small knife) and slice very thin.
2. Fry the slices in olive oil until soft and golden brown (make sure they are really soft).
3. Remove from the frying pan and mash in a large bowl.
4. Dice the garlic really thin, and add to the bowl.
5. Add the yogurt and mix.






Falafel

We are big Falafel enthusiasts here at VeggieWorld, and this recipe definitely does justice-- not to mention how easy it is to prepare compared to most other falafel recipes! The ingredients are extremely affordable- even in the most frugal of vegetarian meal budgets- and it is relatively simple to prepare. The finished product is a delicious Falafel, beautifully accompanying almost any salad, served as a delicious side dish, or coupled up with your favourite ingredients into a delectable Falafel wrap!


Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas (drained)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic minced well
1 tsp coriander
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp cumin
Salt to taste
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup oil (olive, vegetable, or canola is sufficient.)


Instructions:


1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the oil).
2. Mash up the chickpeas in the mixture.
3. Put in a food processor (If you dont have one, dont worry! You’ll just have to work a little harder mashing it up!).
4. Roll mixture into small balls.
5. Heat the oil in the frying pan until nice an hot, then plop them in and fry them up!
6. Continue frying until golden brown.




Tabouli

This simple recipe is quite easy to prepare, and utilizes very little ingredients, but is great for your health! It is very open to experimentation-- feel free to add absolutely anything you feel would enhance the characteristic flavour of this classic dish. Tabouli is great on the side, as an additive in wraps or salads, or even as a delicious and nutritious snack any time of the day. If you're feeling lazy, or just tight on time, then try some Tabouli!



Ingredients:

1 bunch of parsley diced
½ bunch of mint
1-2 tomatoes diced
1 lemon halved and squeezed
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ tsp salt


Instructions:

1. With a large knife, dice the parsley, mint, and tomato as finely as possible (if you have a food processor, feel free to use it, but be lenient during usage).
2. Mix the diced ingredients into a large bowl.
3. Add olive oil and squeeze the lemon juice onto the mixture. Be sure to only use the juice, and discard the lemons after squeezing.
4. Add salt, and toss or stir well.