BAKLAVA

by Dannii Purdy

base:
1 box filo(phyllo) dough, defrosted (about 16 oz.)
1 lb. (450g) walnuts, finely chopped
1-2 tsp. cinnamon (depending on how much you like it) sprinkled over walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted (may need a little more)

syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract and/ or 1 tsp. almond extract
(i add a dash of cinnamon and maybe a dash of nutmeg to be fancy)

.in a 9"x13" pan, brush with melted butter then layer in phyllo dough as follows:

2 sheets phyllo, brush with melted butter; 2 sheets phyllo, brush with melted butter; 2 sheet phyllo, brush with melted butter, 2 sheet phyllo, brush with melted butter; sprinkle in half the nut-cinnamon mixture (repeat this three times, the final time with just 6 sheets and no nuts on top)

2+2+2+2 = 8; nuts; 2+2+2+2 = 8; nuts; 2+2+2 = 6 done

.brush top with any remaining butter and then with a sharp knife, cut baklava into squares or triangles BEFORE baking
.bake at 350F/ 176C for 45-50 minutes until crisp and deep golden brown
.while it is baking combine the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar dissolved, then turn off heat (i do it in a large pyrex measuring cup in the microwave for 3-5 minutes)
.remove baklava from oven and pour syrup over IMMEDIATELY (this will thicken the syrup and infuse it into the baklava). let stand for as long as you can wait for it to cool
.devour :)

*i found walnuts at gourmet market at emporium; phyllo dough at embassy commissary though may also be at gourmet market or villa

Falafel

by Lisa Crawford

Soak overnight, then rub together vigorously to loosen skins, rinse and drain, discarding skins

½ lb (1 c) dry chickpeas

 

Puree in food processor

chickpeas

3 cloves garlic

½ onion

3 green onions

 

Add 

¼ c fresh or 1+ T dried parsley

½ t allspice

1/4 t cayenne (optional)

¾ t salt

pepper

Refrigerate for ½ hour 

Form into slightly flattened balls and deep fry at 350 (med high), drain on paper towels

 

Serve in pita with yogurt sauce, tomato, cucumber, hummus

 

Hummus

by Lisa Crawford

Cook and drain

¾ c dry garbanzo beans/chickpeas

*or a big can precooked

 

Food process with a little olive oil

chickpeas

2 cloves garlic

 

Then add

2 T plain yogurt

2 T tahini (this is white sesame seed paste, available here)

2 T lemon juice (I used lime)

1 t ground cumin

½ t salt (or less if using canned beans)

pepper

Pita Pockets

by Lisa Crawford

makes 12 whole pita pockets

 

1 1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup vital wheat gluten*

1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

 

*if you don't have this, just use at least 1 c all-purpose flour and the remaining whole wheat flour to total 3 cups

 

In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Add the gluten and 1 cup of the flour, along with the yeast, and stir to mix. Add remaining flour and knead to make a soft dough. (Add additional flour if necessary during kneading.)

 

Put your dough into a bowl, lightly oil the top, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise, until almost double (about an hour).

 

Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6-inch circle.

 

As you roll the rounds, set them aside on a lightly floured countertop or table, and cover loosely with a towel. Let rise for about 25-35 minutes, until slightly puffy.

 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place 2 rounds, side-by-side, onto a wire rack, such as is used for cooling things. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until puffy and just slightly browned. (If bread is too browned, it will be dry and not pliable.) I preheated my pizza stone and baked them on it instead of using the wire racks.

 

Remove rack from oven and immediately wrap/layer pita breads in a damp towel, to soften. Continue baking the remaining breads, layering them between damp towels as soon as they're baked. Allow breads to completely cool.

 

Cut pita breads in half, or split the top edge, and fill as desired.

 

Store pitas in a plastic zipper bag in the fridge for a few days, or place in the freezer for longer storage. To re-warm pitas, wrap them in a damp towel and then wrap in foil. Place in a warm (200-250 degree) oven for about 20 minutes.

 

GREEK/ISRAELI SALAD

by Dannii Purdy

2 cucumbers, peeled (or stripe peeled) and cut into chunks
4-6 small roma tomatoes (or 2-3 large tomatoes) cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut in half then finely sliced into slivers
150g kalamata olives cut into halves
as much feta cheese as you can afford cut into 1/2" cubes (fresh in water or marinated in oil - both are yummy)
olive oil (drizzle over about 2-3 tablespoons)
2-3 tablespoons vinegar (red wine vinegar is great but balsamic vinegar is also yummy)
sea salt and pepper (important to really bring out the flavors - use less if you have a salty feta)
.toss
.eat
*i found the kalamata olives and danish feta cheese at gourmet market at emporium mall