Lebanese Recipes

Lebanese Potato Salad

Dressed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint, this invigorating—and dairy-free—potato salad makes the perfect summer potluck contribution.

From EatingWell magazine, May/June 2007. D

SERVES 8 , 8 - 2/3 cup servings (change servings and units)

Ingredients

* 2 lbs russet potatoes (about 3 medium)
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* fresh ground pepper, to taste
* 4 scallions, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Directions

Place potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool for 20 minutes. Cut the cooled potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces.

Whisk lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and toss to coat.

Just before serving, add scallions and mint to the salad and toss gently.

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add additional lemon juice and/or salt to taste.


Lemon Salad Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir just before serving.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 176 Total Fat: 18.7g Cholesterol: 0mg


Fish Cooked in Sesame Sauce
SAMAK TAJIN or SAMAK BI TAHEENI

1 fish weighing about 2 Ibs.
1 1/2 cups taheeni (sesame oil)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 tsp. salt
Water

Clean and salt fish. Refrigerate for several hours. Allow it to return to room temperature, sprinkle with olive oil and bake in moderate oven until flesh seems to flake apart easily under a fork. Meanwhile fry onions in olive oil until yellow. Beat lemon juice and water slowly into the taheeni, adding more lemon juice to taste if necessary. The taheeni sauce will become very creamy. Mix onions into sauce, pour over the baked fish and return it to the oven. Bake about 20 minutes in moderate oven. Some of the sauce will be absorbed into the fish and the onions will be very well cooked. Serve this dish cold.


Lebanese Chicken Livers -- Variation 1

Half a tub of chicken livers
Finely chopped shallots
Olive Oil
tsp ground all spice
tsp ground coriander
tsp ground cumin
2-3 crushed garlic cloves
Juice of a lemon
1/2 glass red or white wine
American long grain rice serve boiled

Fry the shallots in the oil , keep the heat low and do this slow so as not to crisp or brown them. You want them soft and opaque.
Add the livers
and start to brown
add in all the spices and cook through until you can smell all the aromas warming and they are cooked through. You want a nice crust to form on the livers.
add the garlic , lemon and season.
add in the wine and start to reduce down , so as to cook off the alcohol . You want it to caramelise again and get a little stickier.


Lebanese Chicken Livers -- Variation 2

In Arabic countries chicken livers are a traditional breakfast or appetizer. This is just one of many ways to cook them. This Lebanese recipe is savory in every way. Serve with fresh warm bread to scoop up with.

2 pounds (1 kg) chicken livers, washed and drained
1 large white onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup/molasses

1. In a 9-inch skillet on medium heat add butter. Heat until hot. Add onions cooking until tender. Add chicken livers cooking until color changes, about 10-15 minutes. Add cumin, salt, pepper and paprika, mix well. Continue cooking until liver is soft.

2. Add the pomegranate syrup, add mix. Allow to cook another 2 minutes.

Yields: 4 servings

http://www.yasalamcooking.com/2010/04/pomegranate-chicken-livers.html


Lebanese Chicken Livers -- Variation 3

Sawda Dajaj (Fried Chicken Livers)

From The Lebanese Cookbook. Author and Chef Hussien Dekmak's Le Mignon, which he calls "an outpost of classic Lebanese cooking in Camden (London)," was described by food writer Patricia Wells as "some of the finest Lebanese food I have ever tasted."

Serves 2

* 4 Tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
* 100 g chicken livers
* Salt and black pepper
* Juice of ½ lemon
* 1 tsp pomegranate molasses (available in Mid East stores)
* 1 Tbsp garlic sauce (recipe below)

Heat the oil over a high heat in a frying pan so it is a couple of centimetres deep. When it is hot, add the chicken livers and stir continuously until cooked, about 15–20 minutes.

Drain the oil from the pan, then add salt, pepper, the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and garlic sauce and stir for a couple of minutes.

Serve hot with other starters and toasted bread.