Moghrabieh Zatar Salad

Ingredients:

moghrabieh, boiled and drained
olive oil
red wine vinegar
lemon juice
zatar
mint, chopped
oregano
cumin
thyme
salt and pepper
celery, chopped finely
parsley, chopped
cucumber, chopped finely
cherry tomatoes, cut in half (optional)

Allow moghrabieh to cool slightly. Add olive oil and refrigerate until it is completely cooled. Toss with remaining ingredients. Add more olive oil if needed.

*Variation: can use orzo, penne, or shells in place of the moghrabieh

Coconut Cleicha Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom
1-1/2 tablespoon rosewater and orange blossom water combined
1 egg, separated

Sprinkle sugar and yeast over lukewarm milk and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Mix flour and salt and cut butter into it. Then stir in the yeast mixture and mix well until ball forms. Allow dough to sit in warm area for half an hour.

Meanwhile prepare coconut filling by combining coconut, sugar, cardamom, and flower essences with the egg white. Set aside.

Separate dough into two halves. On a floured surface, roll out balls of dough and use rim of a glass to punch out circles. Fill each circle with some of the coconut filling and seal edges firmly. Place each cookie on a sprayed nonstick baking dish. Brush cookies with the egg yolk mixed with a little bit of milk.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until tops of the cookies are golden brown.

*Variations:
- replace flower essences with vanilla extract
- replace coconut with walnuts

Matcha Mochi Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 pound glutinous rice flour
1 tablespoon matcha
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white

Stir all ingredients together. Spread in well greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Allow to cool completely before cutting and removing from pan.

Vegetable Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients:

grape leaves or swiss chard
short or medium grain rice
onion, chopped
pine nuts, roughly chopped
garlic, minced
carrot, shredded
red bell pepper, finely chopped
green bell pepper, finely chopped
tomatoes, chopped finely
pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper, to taste
ground dried lemon
cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
allspice
parsley
mint
basil
dill
potato, sliced into 1/3 inch pieces
1/4 cup tamarind paste
juice of 1 small lemon

Soak rice in water for a few hours or overnight.

Cook onion, pine nuts, and carrot in some oil until soft. Add garlic, bell peppers, and tomato. Saute until slightly softened and stir in rice, tomatoes, and a little bit of water. Cook until liquid has evaporated and tomatoes are pureed into the mixture. Rice should be al dente. Add salt, pepper,  pomegranate molasses, dried lemon, cayenne pepper, and allspice. Allow to cool then stir in parsley, mint, basil, and dill. Mix in bulgur if desired.

Wash brine from the grape leaves. Prepare a nonstick saucepan by coating the bottom and sides with oil and covering with potatoes. Place a tablespoon of the rice mixture into each grape leaf and roll into a cigar. Layer the grape leaf rolls into the saucepan. Drizzle with olive oil. To cook, add tamarind paste and lemon juice to the pot and then add enough water to the pot to cover the rolls. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low until the water is absorbed. Serve hot or cold.

Salsa

Ingredients:

6 roma tomatoes, cut in half OR 4 roma tomatoes and 1 cup cherry tomatoes, roasted or raw
1/2 small onion
1/2 cup cilantro
1 or 1-1/2 jalapenos
2 small cloves garlic
juice of a large lime
salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a food processor add all the ingredients except half the tomatoes and pulse until they are chopped. Adjust seasoning as needed. Chop the remaining tomatoes and stir into salsa. Store in mason jar to preserve freshness. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

*optional mix ins: black beans, corn, green bell pepper

Carrot Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups carrots, finely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups basmati rice
soy beef crumbles (optional)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon ground dried lemon

Soak the rice to soften.

Saute the onion and carrot in some vegetable oil until softened. Stir in turmeric. Cook for 30 seconds and add the rice and water. Cover and cook on low heat. Halfway though, add crumbles, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper, and dried lemon. Allow rice to cook through and serve hot.

Moroccan Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can tomatoes in juice
1 turnip, peeled and diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
a pinch of saffron
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 large or 2 small zucchini, sliced
2 ounces moghrabieh
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste

Seep saffron in boiling water for a couple of hours.

Heat oil and add onion, carrots, celery, and turnip. Cook until slightly tender. Add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Cover and bring to simmer.

Add saffron infused water, cardamom, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir in zucchini and moghrabieh. When the moghrabieh is cooked through, remove from heat and garnish with cilantro and parsley.