Middle Eastern Breakfast..Hosting the Feb Daring cooks challenge الفطور الشرقي و تحدي شهر2 بنادي الطبخ وانا المضيفة للمرة الاولى

النسخة العربية من هذا المقال بالاسفل

I have been a member of the daring kitchen for sometime now and this is my first time hosting a the daring cooks challenge and boy was it fun!!! Thank you all daring cooks who took part of Feb's challenge which was to make a Middle Eastern Breakfast. And another special thanks goes to Sawsan and Rachael for all the great work they have been doing.

When I expressed my interest to host this month's challenge, I really wanted to shed the light on our delicious and healthy Middle Eastern breakfast which honestly we tend to take for granted. I did live abroad in different countries far away from the Middle East and I can't express how I missed breakfast food. It was not easy to acquire many essential ingredients from the supermarkets where I lived and if I was tempted to buy some I really needed to drive a long distance. So I had to do without.

Now that I am back living in Jordan, I truly learned to appreciate the great fresh ingredients. Olives, cheese, vegetables, Za'atar (oh did I ever miss this one when I lived in the US) and of course the fresh pita bread. Very simple ingredients that make our breakfast so special, tasty, healthy and if you live in the Middle East...easy as you will have access to all the ingredients at the tip of your nose not to mention the great prices.

Since we are talking Middle East, there are many countries involved and so breakfast dishes are very very wide...in this challenge I offered particpating daring cooks a variety of dishes to choose from after explaining the major ingredients that every household has in this part of the world. Here they go:

Flavored Yogurt Cheese (Labaneh)

Ingredients

To make Labaneh

1 kg (2¼ lbs) good quality Greek (natural-set) yogurt

1 tablespoon salt (you can use less or more)

¼ cup (60 ml) water

Cheese cloth or a clean white pillow case

Za’atar or mint or chili Flavored Labaneh

1 cup Labaneh

1-2 tablespoons Za’atar or 2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped or 1 teaspoon dried mint or the amount you like of chili paste (hot red Chile pepper that is ground into a paste, sprinkled with salt so the water will come out and preserved in olive oil)

Directions:

To make Labaneh

Mix water with the salt; add to yogurt and mix. Pour the whole amount into a cheese cloth and hang above your sink or a bowl so the water will start coming out of the yogurt. I usually make this in the morning and it should be ready the next day in cool weather. Open your cheese cloth and you should end up with a creamy labaneh that looks almost like cream cheese but on the sour side.  Put in a tight container and it should keep well for about a week in the fridge (You can’t freeze this). Serve with a splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

If you leave it to strain further you can shape it into balls and preserve it in E.V.O.O.

To make Za’atar or mint or Chile Flavored Labaneh

Mix Za’atar or mint or Chile with Labaneh and serve with E.V.O.O. with a hot loaf of pita bread.

Hummus Fatteh

Ingredients

To make Hummus

1 can (14 oz) (400 gm) chick peas, washed and drained. I like to cook my own chick peas from dried ones.

3 tablespoons (45 ml) (2 oz) (55 gm) Tahini paste (can be found in Middle Eastern supermarkets)

Juice of one lemon or more if you like it sour

salt to taste

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Greek (natural-set) Yogurt

Some water or even better some of the liquid that you cooked your chick peas in

For Fettah

1 amount of Hummus

1 big loaf pita bread cut into squares and fried. You can also use toast if you like; just remove the edges and cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Some of the liquid that you cooked chick peas in or just plain water

For garnish:

Chick peas, olive oil or ghee (clarified butter), chopped parsley, pine nuts

Directions:

To make Hummus

Mix all ingredients in the food processor except for the water. Add water as needed to get a nice smooth texture. Give it a taste and adjust salt and lemon juice according to your preference.  I like mine on the sour side. This is served with pita bread but you can take it to the next level with the fatteh.

To make Fatteh:

Put the fried pita in the bottom of your serving plate. Mix some of the water where you cooked your chick peas or just water with salt and lemon juice. Sprinkle some of this on top of the bread. Don’t add too much as you don’t want it to be too soggy. Add hummus.

In a small frying pan, heat some olive oil or ghee (clarified butter) and fry the pine nuts. Pour immediately on top of the Fattah (it will make a lovely splash and should smell awesome). Sprinkle some chopped flat leaf parsley, cumin and top with chick peas. You can also sprinkle some chile powder if you like on top.

Egyptian Fool

(sometimes called Ful Medames) (cooked Fava beans)

Ingredients

2 cans (2x14 oz) (2x400 gm) Foul (ful) Medames (cooked fava beans)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) (3½ oz) (100 gm) Tahini sauce
1 lemon, juiced (you can add more if you like)
Salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Some cold water for the Tahini sauce
1/2 cup (120 ml) (1 oz) (25 gm) cilantro (coriander), chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top
Directions:

In a small pan, cook foul (including its canning water) on high heat, when it boils, simmer for few minutes letting some of the water evaporate. Mash a bit with a potato masher leaving some whole.
Take off heat; add tomatoes.
In a separate small bowl mix tahini sauce, garlic, salt, lemon juice and enough cold water to get the consistency of liquid cream.
Add tahini mixture to foul, then add 3/4 amount of the cilantro and green onions.
Pour mixture in a serving plate, top with remaining cilantro and green onions (you can add some hot red peppers if you like the hot kick, I used sweet red bell peppers for a contrast in color).
Drizzle with olive oil.

Chick Pea Salad

Ingredients

1 can (14 oz) (400 gm) chick peas, drained and washed

1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced (you can add more if you like)
Salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup (60 ml) (½ oz) (15 gm) flat leaf parsley, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top
Directions:

Mix all ingredients and serve with hot pita bread.

Mixed Salad with white cheese

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, chopped

2 small cucumbers, chopped

¼ cup (60 ml) (½ oz) (15 gm) fresh mint leaves, chopped

½ red onion or 1 green onion, chopped

1 cup (240 ml) (4½ oz) (130 gm) of white cheese like Halloumi or Nabulsi cheese (can be found in Middle Eastern stores); you can also use Feta if you can’t find any of the above.

3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice

6 tablespoons (90 ml) E.V.O.O.

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Mix all up; adjust lemon and salt to your taste. Go easy on the salt as the white cheese tends to be salty unless you soak it in water prior to making this dish

There are also other recipes that I made that can be related to Middle Eastern breakfast. You can find it on this link.

 Also if you are interested in making your own Za'atar you will find the recipe here.

 And If you are interested in making my version of whole wheat pita bread you can click here for the recipe

Enjoy!!!

الي فترة مشتركة بموقع The Daring Kitchen وهي اول مرة بكون انا المضيفة لتحدي الطبخ...ولاني كتير بحب اني اشارك الستات اشي من اكلنا حسيت انه لازم نحكي ونعمل اطباق الها دخل بالفطور الشرقي الرائع والغني جدا بمكوناته. بحب اشكر سوسن وريتشل القائمين على الموقع الحلو والغني جدا...

طبعا انا حطيت وصفات سابقا لاكلات بتنفع للفطور واللي بحب يطلع عليها بيلاقيها على هاد الرابط

واللي بيحب يعمل الزعتر بالبيت زهز من اهم المكونات للفطور الشرقي وبيدخل بكتير من انواع الاكل فهي الرابط

من اهم المكونات بالفطور الشرقي اكيد زيت الزيتون والزيتون وكمان اللي بيمشي مع الزيت (كل اشي تقريبا!!!) هو اللبنة وللي بتحب تعمل اللبنة بالبيت فهي الطريقة:

اللبنة المنزلية

المقادير:

كيلو لبن نوع حامض وجيد

ملعقة طعام ملح

1/4 كوب ماء

قطعة شاش او كيس مخدة ابيض نظيف 

الطريقة:

تخلط كل المقادير معا وتصفى بكيس الشاش وتربط ليتصفى الماء تماما (عادة طول الليل)

ومن الممكن اضافة ملح اكتر قليلا وتركه يتصفى تماما لعمل كرات اللبنة بالزيت

ومن الاشياء الجدا لذيذة هي اضافة مكونات تانية للبنة مثل الزعتر والنعنع والشطة وكمان في طريقة بالشبت على هاد الرابط

اما الخضار فالها نصيب بالفطور كمان ومنها سلطة الخيار والبندورة مع الجبنة النابلسية

سلطة الخيار والبندورة والجبنة
المقادير:
2 حبة بندورة مقطعة
2 حبة خيار مقطع
ربع كوب نعنع مفروم
بصلة خضراء مفرومة
3 ملاعق طعام عصير ليمون
6 ملاعق طعام زيت زيتون
كوب جبنة نابلسية او حلوم مقطعة

الطريقة:
تخلط معا وتقدم مع الخبز الساخن

وبمناسبة الحديث عن الخبز فاللي بيحب يجرب يعمل الخبز الاسمر ممكن يروح على هاد الرابط

والفول والحمص اكيد الهم نصيب مرتب بفطورنا الشرقي...هي طريقتي لفنة االحمص بالصنوبر والسمن البلدي

فتة الحمص بالصنوبر والسمن البلدي
المقادير:
للحمص:
علبة حمص
3 ملاعق طعام طحينية
2 ملعقة طعام لبن
عصير ليمونة او اكتر حسب الرغبة
ملح
سن ثوم (اختياري)

للفتة:
كمية من الحمص
رغيف خبز مقطع او توست للي بيحب بس انا بحب خبز عادي ومقلي كمان :)
رشة عصير ليمون
رشة كمون
سمنة بلدية
صنوبر
بقدونس للوجة

الطريقة:

بالخلاط تخلط كل مكونات الحمص مع القليل من المي (انا بسلق الحمص فبضيف من مية السلق) لنصل للقوام المرغوب وبنعدل الملوحة والحموضة حسب الرغبة

بنفرد الخبز بقاع الصحن
بنرشرشه من مية السلق والليمون وبنرش كمون وبنخلطه مع شوية من الحمص
بنصب بقية الحمص على الوجة
بنحمر الصنوبر بالسمنة البلدية وبنطشها (حبيت التعبير) على وجة الحمص
بنزينه بالحمص الحب والبقدونس ورشة كمون للي بيحب

وطريقة الفول المصري عملتها قبل هيك وبتلاقوها على هاد الرابط

وسلطة الحمص بالبندورة

سلطة الحمص بالبندورة
المقادير:
علبة حمص كصفاة
حبة بندورة مفرومة
عصير ليمون
بقدونس مفروم
بصلة خضراء
رشة كمون
ملح

الطريقة:
تخلط كل المقادير معا

ولسة في كتييير اطباق منها المناقيش وبرضه بتلاقوها على اليوتيوب بالفيديو

والف صحة