Seafood Rice Pilaf Phyllo Pies

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carrots, crab legs, dill leaves, How to, light lunch, main dish, middle eastern, middle eastern recipes, Oozi, ouzi, peas, Phyllo pastry, phyllo pies, pilaf, puff pastry rice pies, rice dish, rice filled phyllo, seafood, shrimp, vegetarian, اوزي, اوزي بالربيان

How to make individual rice pilaf pies that are tasty, elegant, and very easy to prepare. These also make a perfect light meal, accompanied by a salad or yogurt.

Did you hear about Ouzi?
No!
Not a problem then, I will help you.
It is a term you’ll never hear it except in middle eastern cuisine. This might be called for the mixer of rice, vegetable, and ground meat pilaf, or sometimes for the phyllo pocket or pies that filled with rice pilaf. The traditional recipe using the ground lamb or beef. In this recipe, I tried to go over and change a little by substituting the shrimp and crab instead, you can also prepare it with chicken or turkey too.

Usually rice dishes considered as a side dish, but this one is a whole main dish. My family enjoy it with some chopped fresh salad or yogurt on the side.

I love the ease on this dish, either when preparing or serving, never the less to say about the healthy side. You can make the rice a head of time, you just need to assemble the phyllo pies and bake them a little before serving to better enjoy the crunchy fresh phyllo. Some said it’s ok to put it in the fridge after baking then bake it again before serving but I never tried that.
For extra flavor, I added some chopped fresh dill with the rice pilaf, it goes well with the seafood dishes.

Variations:

– Traditionally, using short grain rice to make the pies, but works good too with long rice grain like basmatti rice.

– You can use vegetables any of your choice or favorite. Usually with this pies, carrots and peas with pine nuts or almond are widely preferred, I added also some chopped bill pepper to add value and color too.

– Use any kind of meat you like, I used fresh large shrimp and king crab legs. The traditional Ouzi pies prepared with ground meat, beef or lamp. Chicken also makes a good choice.

– The pies can be prepared using puff pastry too.

– If you want the pilaf alone but not to bother with the pastry crust, press the pilaf in a ring or dome-shaped mold and heat it through in the oven, turn it out and surround it with the meat and vegetables.

To make Seafood Rice Pilaf:

2 cups white basmatti rice, washed
1 cube chicken bouillon broth
1 lb fresh shrimp, any size available
1/2 lb chopped fresh crab legs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup peas
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
Salt and pepper
Olive oil & sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon ground of each: all spice, cardamom, coriander
1 cube frozen chopped dill greens

In a large pot, add 2 tablespoon sunflower oil, add the washed rice, season with salt and cardamom, toast a little on medium heat for 1-2 min, stir occasionally. Add water (for every cup of rice you need 1 1/4 cup water or stock, notice that this will vary from brand to brand so read the directions). Let the water boil, cover and simmer on low heat until all the water absorbed and the rice cooked evenly, about 10-15 min, fluff the rice with fork and put a side covered.

Meanwhile, in saute pan, add some olive oil, cleaned and chopped shrimp (you have the choice to use any size, if it large chop into smaller pieces). Clean the crab legs, take out the meat, chop into smaller pieces, add it with minced garlic to the pan, season with salt and pepper, add the other spices, stir and cook all together on medium heat for 5-10 min. Leave it a side.

In a pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, sauté the carrots and peas then add chopped red pepper and cook for 5-10 min on medium heat, you may add a couple of tablespoon of water to help the veggies cook without burning.

Add together, the rice, the shrimp and crab, the peas and carrots. for extra flavor add some frozen dill leaves. Stir gently all together and be careful not to break the rice grains.

To make the individual pies:

1 package frozen phyllo pastry
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Assemble the pies not too long before the serving. Roll out the phyllo pastry, follow the directions on how to thaw and handle. Cut into squares about 6-7 inches, it depends on how big or small you prefers the pies. Take two sheets, brush with a mixer of butter and oil, take another two and brush with butter and oil too, overlap each ones’ angle, use a small bowl dish as a mold to assemble your pies, fill with the rice pilaf mixer. Fold the edges of phyllo over the rice to close the pies. Arrange the pies into oven baking sheet, brush the top with oil butter mixer, bake 5-10 min on 400 degree.

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Roasted Black Grapes

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Fruits, grapes, meat side dish, roasted fruits, roasted grapes

Roasted grapes atop salted crackers spread with creamy ricotta cheese makes a delectable snack to enjoy any time.

Have you ever tried roasted grapes?

I’m so fonded of the roasted fruits. After my husband came last week with boxes of grapes and there were much remain sitting in the fridge, I hate to trash them, so what’s a best way to use them before they start to wrinkle. I usually use grapes in cocktail juices, but I remembered my mom grape marmalade, it was always my favorite, delicious, I was enjoying eating the sweet and soft grape by fork, I know I had to try them myself, with the simplest way to do.

Roasting the grapes bring their sweetness, concentrate the sugars and intensify the flavors. The delicious result is something sweet and savory at the same time, the same flavors when you roast figs and plums.

So, Why not to satisfy your tooth while boasting our immune system, grapes are known as they protect from viruses and infections.

Roasting grapes is just so easy and simple. Toss the grapes with salt add more sugar if you like, and some olive oil, let roast slowly in the oven. It can be partner with many meals, as a side dish with roasted meat or chicken or may be turkey, for desserts serve beside your favorite cake, or make a change with your snack when pairing the roasted grape with cheese topped bread or crackers make it a unique and stunning appetizer, but what I liked the most is when I topped it over yogurt and granola for the most delicious healthy start of my day.

Roasted Black Grape

4 cups black grape
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash of salt
2 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven at 300 f. Toss all ingredients together, spread in a rimmed oven pan, put in preheated oven for 45 min. Every 15 min shake the grapes and turn the pan, continue until the skin soft cracked and the juices running.
Serve with your favorite cheeses and crackers.

Granola Yogurt Parfait

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almond, breakfast, Fruits, granola, grape molasses, grapes, healthy breakfast, oatmeal, quick breakfast ideas, roasted grapes, snacks ideas, step by step, storing granola

For robust breakfast, add these granola bites on top of your fruit and yogurt for extra flavor and more fiber in your diet, or for snacks enjoy it plain.

Oat is one of my favorite breakfast food ingredient. I love a hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning and I often use oats in my baking, as well. It give the cakes the softness like this pillow soft muffins. But most of all, I like using oats in this quick and easy granola recipe.

No time for making or eating breakfast?
Make your granola in a batch and enjoy it throughout the week. I like to sprinkle it over my yogurt for a sweet start in the morning, or you can zip it in less than 5 min and take it with you.

Why should you make your own granola instead of buying ready made?
Because homemade granola tastes twice as good and costs half as much. You also can cut the fat down considerably when you make it at home and by using small amounts of canola oil, add the flavors you prefer, or load it with nuts and fruits of your choice.

What is grape molasses?
A Very healthy middle eastern thick syrup extracted from grapes. Anyone who is not familiar with grape molasses, it is very healthy and beneficial, very rich in antioxidants, well known for it’s high contents of iron and used widely in treating iron related anemia. You can find it at middle eastern stores.

The key to making delicious granola is to bake it at low temp or a long time.
Store in an airtight plastic container with lids on in the cupboard, where it will await breakfaster or afternoon muncher. For long storage , keep it in the fridge or freeze it.

In this recipe, I used my homemade yogurt recipe, does not need to strain it because it is thick enough, smooth it a little with a whisk. Served loaded with oven roasted black grapes, then topped with some sweetened the granola and almond clustered that is coated with generous amount with grape molasses for additional healthy diet then toasted to nutty flavors.

Grape Molasses Almond Granola

1/2 cup chopped almond
2 cups old fashioned oat
1/4 cup grape molasses
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat the oven at 275 f. Coat an oven pan with a little oil.
Place all ingredient in large mixing bowl, and stir very well until combined, make sure all coated with the molasses.
Spoon the entire mixture into the baking sheet, spread into a single layer, so they have room to get toasty.
Bake for 10 min, then rotate the pan and bake for another 10-15 min, let cool.
Once cool, break clumps into smaller parts, store in plastic jars.

Yogurt Granola Parfait with Roasted Black Grapes

Baked granola
Roasted black grapes plus juices (recipe coming next in separate post)
Homemade or store bought yogurt or greek yogurt(Recipe here)

With a whisk, whip the yogurt until creamy and smooth, top with the roasted grapes or you have the choice to use any kind of fruits. Then top it with granola clusters, enjoy.

Easy and Nutritious Homemade Yogurt

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authentic recipes, breakfast, Dairy products, Homemade yogurt, How to, laban recipes, middle eastern recipes, step by step, Yoghurt, Yogurt, yogurt recipes, Yogurt starter, اللبن, عمل اللبن بالمنزل

Yogurt or Yoghurt, or Laban (arabic name mostly known in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine), or may be Zabadi (Egyptian version) is all refers to what is called the “Wonder Food”.

Yogurt, for long time ago, has formed an essential part in the diet of most middle eastern household. Making yogurt from scratch is regular activity and tradition, and until todays, even if it is easy to find at stores.

Yogurt simply is fermented milk which varies in taste, texture, and appearance depending on the specific bacterial culture used in fermenting, and the type of milk used. That’s why it considered naturally sour.

Making Yogurt

Making yogurt from scratch is easy and economic, only two ingredients are needed to make yogurt: milk and starter (yogurt culture)

Starter –Yogurt from previous homemade batch can be used as starter, it must have the active bacteria known as Lactobacillus acidophilus (some store type yogurt doesn’t have the active culture, it made by adding gelatin and starch as thickening agent, so try to avoid these type when choosing the starter to make yogurt).

Milk–Yogurt can be made with any animal milk (cow, goat, sheep), and nowadays there is the none dairy product milk that is using the soy milk to make the yogurt.

The cow’s milk is the most commonly used to make yogurt, it’s considered medium in thickness and flavor according to the other types of milk, also cows milk yogurt can be made with any level of fat content–whole, 2%, 1% or skim. Whole milk will always yield a better overall taste (richer) and texture (thicker) than lower fat versions.

In middle east, the sheep milk is widely used, it’s considered more sweet than cow’s milk, it is more thicker because the fat content is higher and more nutritious as Vitamins A, E, D, and K are found in milk fat.

The goat milk is the less in thickness and flavor than cows milk, more soar too, it has more water content compared to fat and protein.

temperature – The process of making yogurt require a suitable certain temp between 110-120 f for the milk to activate the bacteria and set it to work, also maintain the same warm temp for the whole incubation period to help ferment the milk.

Incubation Methods – Yogurt need between 8-10 hours to ferment in warm temp, this process called incubation. There are many methods that can be used to achieve the constant warm incubation temp that insure a thick yogurt:

I normally use the oven to incubate my yogurt, after adding the starter wrap the bowl with clean cloth and put it in the oven, preheat the oven to 5 min and then turned it off and let the starter do the magic. To keep the yogurt in constant warm temp I turn the light of the oven on and preheat the oven every 3-4 hours and turn it off.

It is very important too to keep the yogurt from any disturbing during the process.

Sometimes I use a cooler filled with warm water to incubate the yogurt especially if making the yogurt over night, the cooler will keep the water temp suitable enough to keep the yogurt warm to ferment.

Other methods found over the net is by using:
A food dehydrator
A crock pot
A heating pad

Health and Nutrition:

Yogurt is more nutritious than milk, a cup of yogurt a day keeps the digestive system healthy as it is utilized by the body as twice as fast as milk. No wonder it is called a natural antibiotic.

Yogurt is an excellent source of:
Probiotics (great for digestion and immunity)
Protein (content varies from batch to batch)
Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium (great for bone and teeth strength and overall health)
vitamins A, B, D, and E (for skin health)

Uses  

In middle eastern cuisine, yogurt is used in everything from appetizers to salads to drinks. It’s customary to place on the table a bowl of fresh yogurt. It’s eaten on it’s own or spoon it over salads  like Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate and Yogurt or dishes of cooked vegetables or grains, mixed with herbs to make thick sauces like Mint and Cucumber Yogurt Dip.
Cooked yogurt is very well known as many dishes use it as cooking liquid or sauce like Cauliflower and Beef stew with Yogurt Sauce.
It’s also used to make the yogurt cheese, a middle eastern well known thickened yogurt dip, and yogurt cheese balls (the recipe comming later).

I love the way my yogurt always turned out! Nice thick and creamy, smooth, sweet and tangy. It’s really magic.

I used whole milk, and add some cream for more fat content, heated it and brought it to about 115 f, added my starter yogurt (usually Dannon-plain) wraped it with towel and put it in preheated oven then turned it off with the light turned on. Every 2-3 hours reheated the oven for 5 min and turned it off.

Let the yogurt set and incubate from 8-10 hours depends how sour you like the yogurt, also long incubation make yogurt more thick texture and more sour. Then put in refregerator to cool and set.

Always save some yogurt as it can be used as the starter for your next batch.

Homemade Yogurt:

1/2 gallon whole milk
1/4 cup fresh cream (liquid whipping cream)
1/3 cup yogurt starter
Dash of salt

Place milk in heavy saucepan (not aluminum) over medium heat. Bring to about 120 f, being careful not to let milk scorch (no need to stir).

Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm. Milk is ready if you can count to ten comfortably when you immerse your little finger into the milk, about 110-115 f.

If milk is too cool return to heat and warm slightly, if too hot leave aside for a while longer to cool down. Blend yogurt starter with some warm milk, add it to the rest of warm milk, stir well.

Yogurt mixer may be left in the same pot to set. Cover with lid and a blanket. Place in a spot where mixture will not be disturbed for 8-10 hours, or until set.

Place in refrigerator to cool, taste will vary according to age of starter.