Hummus (Lebanese- the ONLY kind...)

I have discovered that after living in Lebanon,  I will never look at hummus the same again.  Those of you living in the good ole' US of A who think you have had yummy hummus, if it did not come from a Lebanese restaurant or from the home of someone who learned to make it in Lebanon, sorry but it could not have been that great!  Yep, I'm a little biased!

I've started making our hummus because I have yet to find it in Jordan that is quite like I like it.  I have a Lebanese cookbook and follow that basic recipe and then tweak it until I get the right flavor and appearance.  So, these measurements are not exact.  You have to figure it out for yourself!

Hummus, Lebanon style

4 cups chick peas, soaked overnight

tahini (sesame paste)

lemon juice

salt

garlic cloves (several, crushed)

olive oil

Cook the chick peas in salted water for several hours until very soft adding water as necessary.  Now, the first time I made hummus, I became very overwhelmed at the amount of chick peas produced and how difficult it was to process them.  A friend told me that one of her Lebanese neighbors separates the chick peas after cooking them into serving size freezer bags and only uses a little at a time.  It worked so much better this way!  Again, I don't know the exact measurements but I divided the cooked chick peas into 4 equal portions, froze 3 of them and prepared the last portion.  Place chick peas (with a little water and a good bit of lemon juice in large bowl).  Process until smooth.  Add crushed garlic (2-3 cloves), salt and tahini to taste and until you get the consistency you desire.  Top with olive oil, serve with pita chips and fresh veggies- YUMMY!

Magloobeh (Arabic upside down rice)

Even though we live in a place with some of the most amazing food in the world, I confess that I really don't cook Lebanese that much- it's just so time consuming!  I decided to give it a shot with the family here though and it was yummy.  This is not actually even a Lebanese dish, but it's definitely very Arab.  It's called "upside down" because you basically flip the pot that you've cooked it in onto the serving platter.  There are many variations of this popular dish.  I combined what I've had and liked best at various friends home with a recipe I found in my Lebanon cookbook and it turned out great.

Magloobeh

2 lbs cauliflower
olive oil for frying
1 rotisserie chicken cut up
extra thin Arabic flat bread
1 cup minced onion
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup pine nuts (I actually used a combo of pine nuts and pistachios and I've had it with cashews as well)
1/4-1/2 cup butter
2 cups rice, rinsed
4 cups (maybe more) chicken broth
1 tsp Arabic 7 spice mix (can use nutmeg and cinnamon in place of this)
Salt to taste
More cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
raisins (optional)

Fry the cauliflower in olive oil until browned and drain on paper towels (I used enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but didn't submerge the cauliflower in the oil)

Tear up pieces of pita bread and fry in remaining oil

Melt butter in saucepan and saute onions and garlic.  After a few minutes add the pine nuts and pistachios along with the spices and cook a little more.  Stir in 2 cups of rice that has been rinsed.  Combine mixture well and set aside.  In a large saucepan layer half of the cauliflower then half of the chicken that is torn in pieces.  Top with half of the fried pita, then half of the rice mixture.  Can also sprinkle raisins in between the layers.  Repeat layers.  Cover all with chicken broth (enough to cover).  Cook over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done (30-40 minutes).  Turn the pot over onto a serving platter.

Serve with yogurt and flat bread.  Enjoy!

Yogurt Sauce

labneh (natural yogurt)- 2-3 cups

salt to taste

3-4 mashed garlic cloves

mint (optional)

chopped cucumbers (optional)