Entree ( spring roll )

Ingredients

• 8 spring roll skins
• 2 oz thinly sliced pork, cut into thin strips (if you prefer vegetarian, you do not need to include the meat!)

Sauce mixture:

• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or sherry
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce and cornstarch
• A few grains of pepper
• 2 large dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in water, drained and cut into strips
• 2.5 oz boiled bamboo shoots, cut into strips
• 2 cabbage leaves, cut into strips
• Half a teaspoon salt
• Flour-and-water paste (mix a little flour and water to make a paste: this will be used to "glue" the spring roll together
• Oil for deep frying plus 4 tablespoons more of oil

Instructions 

1. Combine the pork with the sauce mixture. Let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a wok, and stir-fry the pork briefly. Remove.
3. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil and add the salt. Stir fry the vegetables, then mix in the pork. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool thoroughly.
4. Place some of the filling a little above the centre of each spring roll skin. Fold the upper edge over the filling, turn in the 2 sides, and roll it down to the bottom. Brush the bottom edge with the flour-and-water paste to seal it thoroughly.
5. Heat the deep-frying oil over moderate heat. Deep-fry the spring rolls until golden. Turn them frequently.
6. Serve immediately with table seasonings.                                                                    

Submitted by: Sara Nazmi, Saudi Arabia 

Shaima Alqifari 

Harees

Harees is one of the daily Ramadan staples here in the UAE.  It is easy on the stomach after a long day of fasting.  It is a very simple, delicious,and filling dish that can be eaten at Iftar (breaking the fast) or for Suhoor the meal before Fajr (morning) prayers.  It is served either alone as a main dish or as a side dish with all the other goodies during Ramadan.

During Ramadan, you will find this is one of those dishes that is widely shared between neighbors….if you should receive a bit too much or you get tired of eating it, it will freeze very nicely.  Just freeze it in an aluminum container, thaw it out in the fridge, and then heat it up in the oven.







Shaima Alqifari

Main dish ( Harees )

Harees  (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

2 cups of harees (wheatberries) For best results, you will need to soak the harees (wheatberries) overnight or for at least 8 hours.

1 kilo (2 pounds) of chicken or lamb

2 sticks of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of black pepper powder

2-3 teaspoons of salt

water

samen (local-made clarified butter) or melted butter

Directions:

First of all, you will want to boil the chicken or the meat until tender.  After boiling until tender, debone your chicken or lamb.  Save the stock to use later on in this recipe.

In a large pot, add the harees, deboned chicken or lamb, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and the stock.  Add water if needed.  The stock/water need to cover the harees  by about 2 or 3 inches.

Bring to a boil and then turn down the fire/heat to low.  Let it boil, boil, boil until it reduces to a watery oatmeal-like consistency.  Total cooking time will be about 1 hour…I didn’t time it.

(Note:  Be sure to check every 10 minutes and just stir the pot so that the harees won’t burn at the bottom.)

Now you are ready to blend the harees.  Using a hand mixer, blend the harees in the pot until smooth.  It won’t be entirely smooth.  You can also use one of those hand blenders to do the job.

The harees when ready will have a thick consistency.  Serve on a small platter and spoon the samen (clarified butter) or melted butter on top to cover.  Some people will decorate the top of the harees with powdered cinnamon in a simple pattern.

Cooking Harees in the crockpot or slow cooker:

This was my experiment:  If you cooking the harees using a crockpot, you will just need to add all the ingredients to the crockpot.  Add enough stock and water to equal 3 liters (12 cups).  I cooked this on high for 6 hours.

I added the lamb without deboning (I don’t think I will do that again).  I had to add a little more water so that I could blend it and then let it cook a little bit more (maybe an hour).

I will be making the harees again this way today because I think that it turned out much better than on the stovetop.  This time though I will be using already cooked and deboned lamb.





Shaima Alqifari

Main dish ( Chicken Recipe : Margoog )

" Margoog"

Note: * this dish can be made with chicken or meat its ur choice but here i worked with chicken

Ingredients:

for the dough:

- 1 cup flour

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup water

For the stock:

- 2 chopped onions

- 1/2 teaspoon grated, garlic and ginger

- 2 hot green chilis

- 4 big fresh chopped tomatos

- 3 tablespoon tomato paste

- 2 potatoes and carrots

- 1 eggplants

- 6 pumpkin pieces

- 1 cup of green beans

- 4 black lemons ( u make them by urself or buy them)

- 1 teaspoon cumin , coriander, and turmeric powder

- 1 1/2 table spoon salt

- 1 1/2 teaspoon sweet cinamon

- 1 full chicken cut into 8 pieces

- 4 table spoon coriander and parsley

- 12 -14 cup of water

Method:

- To make the dough: sift the flour and add in water and salt. mix it and leave it aside for 1 1/2 hour. then shape the dough into medium sized balls and roll out into thin circles.

- to make the stock: wash the chicken and cut into 8 pieces. then place it into a pan over heat until moisture leaks out.

- heat the oil and fry the onions until u get the golden color

- add the chicken, garlic, ginger and green chilis and mix them together, then add the spices, tomato sauce, vegetables and black lemons and mix together for another 2 minutes

- add chopped tomatoes and mix, add the water and cover the pan and leave it to cook by itself until the chicken and vegetables are ready.

- roll out dough and place over the stock, cut with spoon and leave to cook until it is dissolved in the stock

- then serve...




Shaima Alqifari

Entree ( sambousek )

Ingredients

For the dough:

3 cups plain flour or 420 g

1 tablespoon sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

½ cup butter or 110 g, softened

¾ cup water or 185 ml

For the stuffing:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium onions or 250 g, chopped

500 g minced lamb

2 cubes MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon, crumbled

2 tablespoons pine seeds, toasted

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon seven spices

½ teaspoon dried mint

2 cups oil for deep frying

Preparation

Place flour in a deep bowl, add sugar, salt, butter and mix well with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Gradually add little quantities of water and mix thoroughly until a dough forms. Cover with kitchen cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in saucepan and sauté onion for 2 minutes then add the minced lamb and fry for 5 minutes or until brown in color. Add the crumbled MAGGI Chicken cubes, toasted pine seeds, spices and dried mint. Stir for few seconds or until all are well combined then set aside to cool.

Roll the dough into around 3 millimeters thin pastry. Using a medium size cup or dough cutter, cut round pieces of the dough. Place 1 tablespoon of the stuffing in the center of each piece and seal the 

edges by twisting them or pressing with fork.

Deep-fry the sambousek in 190°C preheated oil for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown in color. Remove from oil and place in kitchen tissues to absorb excess oil then serve.

Shaima Alqifari