From "Annie's Home Cooking" cookbook by Annie Graham.
SHISH KEBAB
Ingredients
500 g (1 lb.) boneless lamb, beef or pork filet
½ onion, finely chopped
1T apple cider or wine vinegar
2T olive oil
2-3 T tomato paste
1T allspice
1T chili (red) pepper
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Trim fat from lamb thoroughly, cut into 4 cm cubes and place in a glass bowl. Add onion, vinegar, olive oil, tomato paste, allspice, chili, bay leaves and freshly ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Salt should be added after cooking, as it tends to draw out meat juices.Thread meat cubes onto skewers, alternating meat cubes with onion and green pepper pieces if desired. Cook over hot coals for 10-12 minutes, turning frequently to seal the meat. Be careful not to overcook.Sprinkle salt on cooked shish kebab. Serve with pocket bread or rice. Note: Traditionally, Armenian Shish Kebab is served with skewers of grilled tomatoes. Raise the grid and cook over hot coals, being careful not to burn them. Remove from skewers and serve with cooked meat.
BAKLAVA |
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Ingredients
2 c walnuts
1 c sugar
1 c semolina
2 t cinnamon
2 t may zaher (orange blossom water)
1 c unsalted butter or margarine
375 g (12 oz) fillo pastry, 20-22 sheets
Directions
Chop walnuts finely in blender or food processor, but not too fine. Combine walnuts, sugar, semolina, and cinnamon and may zaher. Set aside.
Melt butter in a small saucepan, skim and discard foam from the top. Carefully pour melted butter to another pan, and discard any solid or milky residue. Keep clarified butter warm.
Grease a 28x42 cm metal baking pan and line with a sheet of fillo. Brush fillo with clarified butter. Repeat with another 10 sheets, brushing each or every other sheet with clarified butter. When working with fillo pastry cover with towel to prevent drying.
Spread walnut mixture evenly on greased fillo sheets in the pan, press with your palm to pack it well. Cover with the remaining fillo, brushing each or every other sheet with clarified butter as before. With a sharp knife, cut Baklava all the way through into small diamond shapes or 4 cm squares.
Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 30 min. If it begins to brown too quickly, cover the top with wax paper and bake some more on the top shelf of the oven until pastry is cooked all over and turns golden brown.
Remove from oven. While hot evenly pour the cold syrup over Baklava. Cool before re-cutting and serve.
Syrup
2 c sugar
1 ½ c water
3 T lemon juice, strained
1 cinnamon stick
1 strip of lemon rind or peel
1-2 t may zaher (orange blossom water)
Combine sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until syrup is thickened but still runny. Remove from heat and strain. Stir in may zaher and cool.
Yogurt Salad
Ingredients
1-2 small cucumbers to yield 1 c chopped
2 c yogurt
1 clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
2 t dried mint
½ t salt Serves 4-6
Directions
Peel cucumbers, discard seeds if they are large, chop coarsely and place in a small bowl. Fold in yogurt, garlic, dried mint and salt. Do not over-stir, as yogurt will become watery.
Chill, Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve
Variation
For Spinach Yogurt Salad, substitute 1 ½ c of cooked and well-drained spinach or Swiss chard leaves for cucumbers and add 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Omit dried mint.
1-2 small cucumbers to yield 1 c chopped
2 c yogurt
1 clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
2 t dried mint
½ t salt Serves 4-6
Directions
Peel cucumbers, discard seeds if they are large, chop coarsely and place in a small bowl. Fold in yogurt, garlic, dried mint and salt. Do not over-stir, as yogurt will become watery.
Chill, Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve
Variation
For Spinach Yogurt Salad, substitute 1 ½ c of cooked and well-drained spinach or Swiss chard leaves for cucumbers and add 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Omit dried mint.